Friday 3 November 2017

Requiem....for an inanimate object!

Ah, the lovely blue Big Shot is dead. Mr Dunnit took it apart, reckons the bearings are worn. This wear causes the rollers to depress less effectively. In this case, they won't squeeze together closely enough to emboss or cut a full 3" margin. Useless then really. Also, Mr Dunnit suggests that the work involved in accessing the bearings for replacement may well cause destruction anyway. We are not engineers. By the time he's done that, and I've driven somewhere to fetch some new bearings...well, I might as well buy a new one. Mr Dunnit was quite amused by my motivation to get going, source a replacement and generally not live without a die cutter for too long. He felt, I think, that I was exaggerating the pleasure of owning a Big Shot.


I had no idea how often I turn to cut a die or emboss a piece of card before I couldn't. No wonder the blue one wore out; count the day to day hobby stuff, then the workshops and Marathons, the odd multi-cut as a RAK - and countless times I've embossed paper, card, foil, stuff. whew. The blue one did well. Four years or so of excellent service. And when it went, it went...I haven't spent the last few weeks having to shim or re-cut and blaspheming over it. It just, well, gave up! 

Lovely Mary to the rescue again. Just as if she were still alive to offer it as a loaner, her bequeathed stash contains a Big Shot. This is wonderful on so many levels. Am thrilled to be using and employing something that was Mary's and that I know she enjoyed having. Am thrilled that I don't have to do any waiting. 

You can see that I haven't even bothered to dust this replacement before putting it to work! A couple of trial cuts and we're off. I can't promise to do less, be more fastidious about paper and card thicknesses and etc. It's got to be a working tool. But I can promise that every time use it, Mary will pop into my mind. Especially that laugh. And that, above everything, is the pleasure a little black Big Shot.

12 comments:

Linby said...

How lovely that you had one amongst Mary's things. Another legacy of Mary's is from some of the things I purchased. I noticed she had cut the die packaging in a certain way - which I don't know why I had never thought of, but I'm carrying it on as it works!

SumBunneh said...

I have a spare BIG SHOT at home if ever you need/want it... I bought it second hand thinking it was bigger than my Cuttlebug.. but it is not... still the dies in the bundle were worth the cost.. so it is free to a good home and all that jazz x Erika x

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

It's amazing how many dies, etc. I see people using and often wish I owned one. The joys of not having to cut everything by hand or fussy cut around items like flowers. Thankfully, I have a friend who lives about 50 miles from me, who occasionally loans me hers. That is almost as great as being gifted with one from a deceased friend. You have been blessed indeed!

Ellie said...

Hello Julia. I am sorry to hear your machine packed up but very pleased to hear you have one that brings forward, such lovely memories when you use it. Enjoy using your 'new' machine
Ellie xx

Helen said...

I am so pleased that you have Mary's big shot as a replacement! I don't use mine much but I know if it gave up, I would need it. You are right about the long plates though, they'd make excellent mount for the skulls stamp, one of the deskers mentioned it too I had thought of it but had used my makeshift by then! Happy crafting.

Zsuzsa Karoly-Smith said...

Sounds like Mary's Big Shot went to a good home! It's lovely that every time you use it, you'll think of her! We have a rainbow maker crystal that used to belong to my mother-in-law - now every time we see a rainbow we think of her! It's such a lovely way to keep someone's memory alive! Hope your new Big Shot will serve you for many years to come! xx

Sarah Brennan said...

How lovely that you are now using something every day which will be another reminder of Mary. I'm sure she approves 'Big' time.

Ohhh Snap said...

My BigKick might have lasted longer chronologically, but we probably got the same number of cuts lol. How lovely that you were able to replace it with one with such good memories. The mat you picked it gorgeous!

misteejay said...

We take so many of our tools for granted and don't realise how much we use them until we can't...
Glad you were able to give Mary's BIG Shot a new loving home - enjoy the memories.
Toni xx

Sue said...

Hi Julia, How lovely that you are using the Big Shot your friend bequeathed you.

Hope you have a nice weekend. Sue

Krisha said...

Hello Julia, it's been a LONG while since I last paid you a visit.....so many life changes, and the hardest is the fact that my Big Shot has done the very same thing!!! Hubby also took mine apart and pronounced it almost dead! LOL! So I'm using shims until I can come up with the $$ for a new one.........maybe I can convince Santa to bring me one ;)

Anonymous said...

I have a spare one if you have another loss. And a Grand Calibur too LOL!

:)

MA