As much as I love my Cricut, I am always intrigued when I hear about new die cutters hitting the market, and on that topic, I have been hearing a lot of talk lately about the new Sizzix Eclips. It's making its big debut later this week (January 15th, to be exact), and I suspect after that date, we will all know a little more.
However, here is what I have found out so far:
First things first, here's a picture of it...
Like the Cricut, it's a cartridge-based electronic die cut machine. The cartridges will retail for $39.99 to $69.99. What will be on these cartridges? I'm not really sure, but Sizzix gives us this hint on their website: "Wouldn't it be great to have our award-winning designs electronically?"
However, their single clue only leads to more questions...
Will their designs be available electronically for download, or only available on the cartridges? Will there be customization options similar to the creative features on the Cricut cartridges? What size die cuts will the Eclips be capable of making?
Questions, questions, and more questions - yes, I have more than a few!
Sizzix has always been a leader in the die cutting industry, and I won't be surprised if this machine gives Cricut a serious run for their money. Although the cartridges appear to be reasonably-priced, I have heard that the retail price of the Eclips starter kit is $499.99, so as you can see, it's quite an investment. Simply put, to convince crafters to plunk down that much change, this new die cutter is going to have to rock!
The starter kit comes with the cutter, a starter design/font cartridge, a cutting mat, and an intelligent controller. The intelligent controller reminds me of the Cricut Gypsy. From the pictures, it appears to be a portable, handheld device. However, we will have to wait and see if it offers all the creative design options that the Gypsy does.
I'm keeping my eye on the Sizzix website, while anxiously waiting to learn more about the Sizzix Eclips. We won't have to wait too long - as I stated earlier, the big unveil is scheduled for January 15th, and retailers should be getting them in stock shortly after that (May or June).
If you can provide any additional information about the new Sizzix die cutter, please leave a comment below And, of course, even if you don't have any news and just want to chat, leave a comment too!
SIZZIX ECLIPS UPDATE ON JANUARY 25:
OK, I have a little more information about the new Sizzix die cutter. First of all, I came across this video that shows how to use the handheld controller that comes with the machine...
I also found some information regarding the cartridges that will be released in early spring:
All Occasions ($69.99)
Holiday ($69.99)
The remaining carts listed here will retail for $39.99:
Baby Milestones
Birthday & Bean Pole Alphabet
Boy & Girl
Flowers & Phrases
Greek & Sassy Serif Alphabets
Giddy Me & Moon Doggy Alphabets
School & Sports
Seasonal
Special Occasions
Vacation
Like the Cricut, the Eclips does offer creative features for their designs, including outline, shadow, solid, and decorative borders. It also offers picture-in-picture and mirror functions. The starter kit comes with a 12x12 cutting mat, but as with the Expression, the machine can make borders and other die cuts with the optional 24" cutting mat.
One advantage that it has over the Cricut is that it has a laser image preview, so you can get a visual idea if the die cut you want to make is the right size before cutting your paper and card stock. It will also allow you to remove and replace cartridges while the machine is on.
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