How do you make the cut?

This week's WOYWW featured several Deskers and their die cutters, new dies, or something die cut related. I've been thinking about it since. Don't worry, I find it soothing.

I have a Big Shot, and it is within reach of my desk, as are the dies. I could almost brag that I have a die cutting station, after all, it is a specific area of surface dedicated to storing and using dies. But I don't think that real stations become covered in loose piles of other stuff, books, post and other detritus that spills over from my desk surface. No sir; people who have specific areas keep them specific. I've seen evidence - this is the WOYWW HQ remember.

I rest my case.

You know and can just see on the shelf that I'm a Scan'N'Cut owner too. Am finally turning to that more often, particularly for multiples or large images. But I can't see me getting rid of the Big Shot, which was the route I thought I was taking when I splurged on the Scan'N'Cut. 
See, I'm a 'one off' cutter. You may call it spontaneous, because that's more arty isn't it! Whilst I'm making a card or putting a LO together, it occurs to me that I need a frame, phrase or embellishment that I already have on a die. So I cut one. Often I have to cut another (and another) whist I try card colour and possible chop things about to overlap, under fill..whatever. My point is that I cut, use, put away (sometimes) and move on. 

Here's a nice framed snowflake die in use. I love it. Had it for two years and we used it at the Card Marathon last week. It did cause me a lot of cutting time, but I didn't cut any extras. 

It hadn't occurred to me to have a session of die cutting to put die images into stock for later use. Turns out, others more organised than I, actually do this. So this possibly means that they use white card and colour it with inks and whatevers when they need to use it to match or stand out. Which possibly means that they have a good storage facility that keeps them flat and clean and above all accessible. Impressive. It also means, very much more impressively, that these crafty types often know what they're doing before they start. So perhaps they spend a day cutting Christmas shapes because over the next week, they plan to make Christmas cards. Wow. I can't do it. My plans are erm, too flexible for that. 

Even little dies are useful. But ergh, so fiddly!

And there's something in my head that says that spending a chunk of crafting time 'just' die cutting isn't a good enough use of the time. Which is preposterous and ridiculous isn't it. Look back at my WOYWW post this week....'good use of time'? Argh. This Leopard cannot change her spots, but I shall be trying some gentle over cutting...from now on, each time I use a die, I'm going to cut a spare and see if I can remember where I've put them and if I ever get around to using them. It's not a life changing method, I don't think. But if it iturns out to be just that, you'll hear about it, believe me!