Breaking the Rules with my Cuttlebug

Okay, let's just say that I am madly in love with my Cuttlebug.  This cute little machine which I purchased a little over a year ago has completely changed my life.  I love how it folds up and is so compact that it takes up very little room in my craft space, and I love all that it can do.  My collection of dies and embossing folders is growing daily.

That being said, I must say that as a normally law abiding citizen who definitely follows all directions and laws to the letter, I have broken the rules!   Most instructions for cutting dies with the cuttlebug, and I am talking about the wafer thin dies here, say to make a sandwich of your A plate, C plate, die cut side up, paper and your B plate.  I did it that way for my first set of plates.  It worked, the machine cut the die cuts beautifully, but, my B plate became something that no longer resembled a B plate.  It was all cut up, cracked and warped.  This is natural of course, and to a first time user, terrifying when you see that die cut into your beautiful, pristine condition B plate.  After time, the plate becomes totally cut into and warped so you have to flip it over occasionally, to keep it somewhat flat.   Eventually it will crack and no longer be of much use, at which time you have to buy a new one.

Well, I have decided to break the rules!  When I purchased my new B plates, they were just so pretty, I didn't have the heart to cut into them.  So instead, I have switched to a new sandwich,  A plate, C plate, paper, die cut side down, and then my B plate.  This has worked wonderfully for me.  My C plate now takes the beating and gets all cut up, but because it is so thick, it doesn't warp.  My B plate remains flat, with no warping and no unsightly cut marks in it.  I have been doing this for month's now and my B plates look as good as new.  I think in the long run, this will save me money on having to replace my B plates.   After seeing so many posts on FB about warped B plates and how to make them flat again, I gave this a try and am very pleased with the results.

I do not necessarily endorse this practice.  It has worked for me and may be something you would like to try for yourself.   Each machine is different and therefore your results may not be the same.
Any money saved on plates is money that can be spent on dies and embossing folders!

Have a great day!
Jeanne