Sizzix Texture Boutique – Not Just for Embossing

There isn’t a lot of information on the internet, but there’s a secret that Sizzix doesn’t want you to know – the Texture Boutique (TB) can be used as a die cutter. It works quite well actually, and in this post I will explain how you can do so, as well as some tips I’ve learned along the way.

*Disclaimer – Although the TB does die cut, it wasn’t designed with this function in mind. So far I haven’t had any problems, but it’s possible that heavy use of this machine as a die cutting machine will break it. Although, with it’s low cost, this is a chance I am more than willing to take. Read on and decide for yourself if it is a chance you are willing to take as well.

Update October 2018: Well, it finally happened – I broke the Texture Boutique. The handle would turn, but the rollers wouldn’t roll. I looked around to replace it, hoping for the great deal I got the first time around. Unfortunately, the price of the TB has gone up since I first purchased mine. I thought a long time about whether to spend more money to get another TB, or to upgrade to an actual die cutting machine. In the end, I opted for the Sizzix Big Shot. It’s definitely not as cute as the TB, and I had to rearrange my storage to find a spot to store it, but it has advantages over the TB – mainly the opening being wider, and being able to accept a wider range of dies and embossing folders. I do still stand by what I wrote below, and I did get many months of usage from the TB as a die cutting machine.

Drawbacks to Using the Texture Boutique as a Die Cutting Machine

Since it wasn’t designed as a die cutting machine, the TB does have some restrictions you won’t get with a Big Shot/Big Kick, or other die cutting machines.

The opening is only 5 inches wide. Therefore, any dies you use have to be smaller than 5 inches across. (Incidentally, this actually rules out some larger embossing folders as well as the Fiskars and Sizzix Texture plates.)
The height of the opening is small, so you must use thin dies. I’ve been able to use all dies that are the wafer thin, steel kind. I’ve also found that Sizzix Thinlets dies work.
Any specialty pads created for other machines (cutting pads, magnetic pad, metal shims, etc.) will not fit in the TB. This is mostly due to the width, but in some cases it’s due to the height as well.
The TB may not have enough pressure to cut through materials other than paper. As I have not personally tried anything other than paper, I will leave this as an unknown, with possible inability to do felt, thin metal, cloth, etc.

Given the above restrictions, there are still a lot of dies that you can use in this machine. And, there are work arounds for the some of the specialty pads as well.

Cutting Pads for the Texture Boutique

Now that I’ve detailed what kinds of dies work in this machine, let me talk about cutting pads. When I was first looking into using this machine for die cutting I saw the following suggested as a cutting pad:

The back of the plate that comes with the machine.
An embossing folder.
Thin cutting boards that can be purchased at a dollar store.
Self healing mats cut to the correct size.

I like to keep my tools as neat as possible, and the idea of using the plates that come with the machine doesn’t sit right with me. I know that you can purchase a set of these separately, so the issue of keeping them neat needn’t apply. However, I did have a concern that they would be too rigid and risk blunting the cutting edges of my dies. I personally skipped this option.

I also don’t like the idea of using an embossing folder as a cutting pad. Although these aren’t as rigid, and therefore probably wouldn’t have the issue of blunting the cutting edges, I want to use my embossing folders for embossing, thank you very much.

I did purchase the cutting boards from a nearby dollar store and cut them down to size. They do work, but I found the results were inconsistent. I found they work much better as a shim than a cutting pad. However, it’s an option, and it’s cheap.

The best solution I’ve found for cutting pads is a self healing cutting mat. I happened to have one that was about 8 inches wide and 16 inches long that I had purchased for cutting fabric but wasn’t using. It was too narrow to really be useful, so I left it in a drawer. It turns out it was perfect to use as a cutting mat for the TB. I was able to get 2 cutting pads out of the mat.

Self healing cutting mats come in a range of prices. As you don’t need a large one, you can save a lot of money. Also, by using a coupon, this option isn’t that expensive, and the savings over purchasing a larger die cutting machine is still significant.

Die Cutting Sandwiches for the Texture Boutique

The base plate, top plate, and one shim come with the machine. For most dies, I’ve found the following sandwich is the one I need:

Base plate
Cutting mat
Cardstock
Die, cutting side down
Second cutting mat
Top plate

Since I have 2 cutting mats, I switch off using them. As with any die cutting machine, you may need to experiment with shims depending on the thickness of your cardstock and cutting mat. The cutting boards from a dollar store are thinner than a self healing cutting mat, so your sandwich will need to be adjusted.

For Sizzix Thinlets dies, I use the following sandwich:

Base plate
Cutting mat
Cardstock
Die, cut side down
Top plate

Since these dies are thicker than the wafer thin ones, the second cutting plate is not needed.

Intricate Dies in the Texture Boutique

I purchased some intricate dies I wanted to use, but wasn’t getting a clean cut. Before I concluded it was the machine because it wasn’t designed to die cut, I looked for suggestions. Turns out the following tips allowed me to get clean cuts using intricate dies on the TB.

Use a different section of the cutting mat. The tendency is of course to put the die in the middle, but this is the most worn section of the mat, and may have lost some rigidity that is needed to provide an even press to the die.
Place the die towards the edge of the cutting surface, or at one end.
Use a cardstock shim on a stubborn section.
Turn the die 90 degrees so it gets pressed differently.
Make multiple passes.

After trying the above tips, I found what worked best was putting the die at the end of the cutting surface and using a cardstock shim. Most of the dies only needed a new placement, a couple needed the shim as well. After doing this, on only the most intricate dies did I need multiple passes.

I tend to use the same weight cardstock all the time. So, after fiddling with the sandwich to figure out what parts I need, I then print out the sandwich recipe in a small-ish font, cut it out, and tape it to the card that I store the die on. That way, when I go to use the die again, I immediately know the correct pieces to use and it goes quickly.

Specialty Die Cutting Plates for the Texture Boutique

As I mentioned above, specialty plates created for other die cutting machines are usually too wide to work with the Texture Boutique. This didn’t stop me from looking for alternatives. Several alternatives I found were suggestions for a more frugal way to do the same thing, with the added benefit that they allowed for size customization.

Embossing Dies

These are the dies where some parts cut, but other parts are designed to simply emboss on the paper. Sometimes you can get this effect with only the cutting pads, but other times it helps to have a more spongy surface to get the embossing portion to work. Sizzix’s website says you use the silicone rubber pad and the impressions pad to get this effect….which are too big for the TB.

So…you use a piece of rubber. In the plumbing section of the hardware store you can find a piece of rubber. I believe it has something to do with a gasket. I purchased one of these and it did work. I ended up tearing it when experimenting with using sun catchers in the TB; however, so I looked for another solution as I found it it bit pricey considering the smaller size of the piece.

I found Zoro.com and purchased a sheet of rubber 1/16 inch thick and 36 inches by 6 inches. At the time of this writing, the sheet is only $3.60. If you go this route, keep an eye out for a free shipping promotion, or sign up for their email and get 15% off. I cut 2 pads from the long sheet and kept the rest to use for other projects.

Metal Shim

I’ve read that you can purchase a piece of flashing from the hardware store and cut it down to size to replace a metal shim. At less than a dollar, this is certainly cheaper than purchasing a commercial plate, even for a regular size die cutting machine. For the TB, it appears to be the only way to go. As of yet, I haven’t had a need for this plate, so I haven’t purchased flashing to see how it works. However, a metal shim is designed to make cutting intricate dies simpler, so I may get one in the future. I have the tools to cut and smooth the edges, but dread the hassle with doing so if I don’t have to.

Suncatchers in the Texture Boutique

I read somewhere – I think it was on Scrapbook.com, but I’m not sure – that suncatchers, the flat kind that can be painted, can be used for embossing. Turns out, they can. The person posting had a full die cutting machine, but I did get them to work in the TB.

It did take a lot of trial and error, and as I mentioned above, tears in my rubber mat, but I found sandwiches that work. As not all suncatchers are the same thickness, the sandwiches varied with the number of shims used.

In general, a rubber mat is used as the cutting plate instead of a cutting mat as described above. The suncatcher is then placed “ridges” down, as if these are the cutting edges. If the sandwich is too thick, the suncatcher becomes a die – cutting right through the paper and even the rubber pad. Of course, it’s not a clean cut and I wouldn’t recommend this as a way to cut paper. However, once the sandwich is the right thickness, then a suncatcher will give a nice emboss on a piece of cardstock.

In the End

The Sizzix Texture Boutique is a small, lightweight, easily portable machine sold as an embossing machine only. However, with the right dies and little bit of experimenting, this machine can be used as a die cutting machine as well.

As a die cutting machine, the Texture Boutique is very affordable. Regular price isn’t bad, but I picked mine up at AC Moore. With a 55% off coupon, I was able to get the Texture Boutique for less than $20. No other die cutting machine will rival that price.

If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments below.