New information on the Happy Cut

Well no photos today, but.........


I was speaking to someone yesterday who had had issues with getting the Happy Cut to work on some double embossing Folders, so I would like to clear somethings up.


Every piece of Information on the Happy Cut always states "Do NOT force the plates through the Happy Cut." And they are quite right!!!
The Happy Cut mechanism is so very light you should be able to use it quite literally with one finger, as you roll the plates through. If, as with the CuttleBug, the handle doesnt move as you push the plates in, then its too thick, either that or it will shoot through the otherside as it is too thin.
But the instructions given for the various sandwiches dont always work either. The plates are lettered as are those with the Joy Trouvaille, and the Grand Calibur, however they are also coloured, white, blue, grey, black and if you bought it from Samuel Taylors,  http://www.clickoncrafts.co.uk/ you also get a semi see through plate. I use the colours to determine which plates to use, as it makes more sense to me.
The plates vary in thickness by the slightest margins, which are all important, so heres my list:
the Grey plate is the thickest, then white, blue, black and see through is the slimmest plate. The see through plate is the add on from Samuel Taylors. You also get a full A4 sized Black Shim rubber mat for using to emboss dies you have cut, and masks but dont try to use it with the embossing folder!!
The see through plate is included in the set as it enables you to put double embossing folders through the Happy Cut, by that I mean that the floder "folds" over a piece of paper or card to create a negative impression (indentation) on one side and a raised impression on the other.
Now I had issues with getting the Happy Cut to take embossing folders using the instructions given by both the company and Samuel Taylors, so here's what I do.


Firstly NEVER force the Happy to take the plates, secondly, if it isnt taking folders, discard the White  A Plate, the Base plate, and use instead the Black plate,  the B Embossing plate. If thats too thin then swap it for the next size plate up, the blue, until it bites and goes through. Dont be afraid of swapping the plates about!
Its your machine, and provided that you arent doing any damage to it by forcing the plates through, I can see no harm in swapping the plates until you get a combination that works for you. Dont be afraid to experiment until you find the right combination for you. Although There MAY be an issue with using the Creative Expression Folders with the Happy Cut, or maybe its just a faulty folder, I dont know, I will have to invest and find out.
Dont forget that with the full extending leaves on either side the sandwich doesnt have to be precariously balanced while you get it in the slot, nor do you have to grab it as it flies out the other end, the handle folds away nicely in the top, (and as mine lives on the floor next to my chair, no more bashed and bruised ankles and shins for me), and I always use the flat top to balance my plates on, as its a nice stable surface, while I run the sandwich through the machine. That way, I am not scrabbling around trying to find the embossing plate and shim, when I have cut something.
I love my Happy Cut, I have experienced no issues with it, other than sometimes the instructions dont work for sandwiches, but I got around that, and I would recommend it to anyone as an excellent die cutting/embossing Machine, or an upgrade from a Bug to an A4 machine. It takes all the dies and folders my Bug took, and other than one slight issue with this particular folder, I am aware of no other issues.
And I cant say that about any other die cutting machine so far.