Friday, April 13, 2012

Tighwad Tip

This is the tool I use to remove tiny cuts from my Expression mat.  The blade tip is a rounded point and it's thin enough to slide under light weight paper making it super easy to get those smaller cuts off the mat without tearing or messing up the edges.

Painter's palette knife

The angle on the metal portion helps to slide it under your paper
I found mine at Hobby Lobby for $3.99 and used a 40% off coupon, of course!  Cheaper than a Cricut spatula and a lot thinner.  I have the spatula but don't care for it since it's so thick.  It tends to clobber up the edges of the paper before I can get it underneath to remove it from the mat.

6 comments:

Vanessa said...

Thanks for the tip! I might even have one of those stashed away in my painting supplies (which I never use...) I've never been happy with the Cricut spatula either, so I usually find myself peeling the paper off the mat with my raggedy fingernails.

Ann Marie said...

Boy we really ARE separated at birth! I too use a palette knife (bought with a 50%) coupon! I always use my Joann's 50% coupons at Michael's!!!!!! Hey even that extra 10% makes a big difference over time!

Anonymous said...

I LOVE your painter pallette tip! I too fumble with the little tiny pieces and now can try this. After reading your tip, it also occured to me that you could use one of those "sticky pens" to hold onto those little pieces after you've picked them up since I've sent them flying -never to be seen again. It is a pen filled with a tacky, waxy substance that helps you hold onto the little pieces and place them where you want. Hope this helps you...
TK

ramonafl4 said...

I went to hobby Lobby to pick one up and they have so many to choose from. Which number on the handle did you get?

Linda said...

Mine is 1002 but I'd say any size would work just fine as long as it's the diamond shape. They all seemed to be about the same thickness and would slide under the paper just fine.

ramonafl4 said...

I went and pick one of these up and used it over the week-end and I fell in love with the thing. It was so much better geting the cuts off the mat

Thanks fro the tip