I was so excited to get my new die cutting machine. I make handmade greeting cards to sell on Etsy so I use a die cutting machine everyday. My standard crank machine was not cutting the more delicate dies so after a lot of research I bit the bullet on cost and choose this Gemini.

It came well packaged in a box in a box & in a box with no damage at all.

Please read all the directions before you start to get all the cutting plates in the right order for a good cut, always place die upside down with your paper on top if it. I used the metal shim for the intricate die cuts and wow they came out perfectly. I am so please with this machine. It cuts great, no more hand crank ( my hands are thanking me) It cuts 3 layers of card stock with no problem and it's easy to use.

Yes it did come with several new dies and and an embossing folder.

The attached photo is an example of the delicate die cutting that it can do with ease.

3/2018 Update - Still love this machine...except the plastic shim did not last long. It warped quickly and even flipping it each use did not help. The warping would cause the whole stack of plates to have a curve /hump in the middle which then would cause the card stock to slide off the die before I could get it into the machine. Now I need to purchase a new one and see they are $15.00.

I am impressed with the powerful cutting ability of this junior machine. I also very much appreciate the capability of the machine to accept larger size die cuts so I can expand my card making collection without needing to advance to the more expensive machines. The only disappointment would be the warping and markings of the plates almost immediately upon first use. The clear, steel and magnetic plates just seem to need to be updated to a better quality. I accessed youtube for help with the warping issues and found some help. I still gave a 5 star review because I can develop my card making craft with a machine more affordable in my price range and be very happy with the results.

This is the 5th die cutting machine I've purchased so me giving this 5 stars means it's really great. The pressure it gives cuts the most intricate dies beautifully and I don't have to run things through the machine multiple times and flip the plates around to hit all the surfaces. I bought this one mostly because I have the hot foil machine and could not use the hot foil plates in my existing die cutting machines (Sad!!) I wish the magnetic platform was a little less "flimsy" as this one is soft plastic rather than a more durable one and I've had to replace that twice because I've accidentally cut it, once by placing the die cutting edges towards the magnetic pad (wrong) and the other time I used a larger square die and it put so much pressure on that die that it cut the magnetic pad and that time I didn't put it in the wrong way.

One thing to note is that when you purchase the replacements, they package 2 in the same pack. I did not read or realize this and ran both of them through the machine (maybe that's how that square die cut the one in half?!) . Anyway, this is a great die cutting machine, and I still use my Big Shots for simple dies as I can crank faster than this and when I have a lot of cutting to do it is faster than the electric die cutting machines.

A total waste of money and an utter disappointment. I’ve had the Gemini Jr. for three months, and I’ve replaced the cutting plates twice (4 x $10), the metal shim, the magnetic shim, and even the plastic shim - spending more than half the price of the machine itself just in replacement plates!

Because there is no platform, the cutting plates bow out EVERY TIME you run them through. I don’t know if my specific machine is just engineered incorrectly, but the pressure is way too high. I get impressions of whatever “scars” are in the cutting plates on my brand-new projects! And I’m not doing mass amounts of die cutting, I’m a home crafter making a few cards for friends and family.

I’m so disappointed by this machine, especially since it’s so highly recommended by so many card-makers and high profile members of the industry. It’s essentially unusable. I bought a manual machine a week ago and - voila! All problems solved. No warping. No bizarre impressions on my die cuts from the cutting pads. Perfect, hassle-free cuts.

If you are starting out crafting, I’d suggest a manual machine.

I am making my own Christmas cards this year. I have one completed card, the trees on the snowman card were from a die cut I purchased on Amazon, the cross and the nativity as well. The sheet of embossed tan and red paper were from an embossing envelope that came with the Gemini. I am doing die cuts in quanity before I move forward with the other cards...

If you do not have the proper plates in with the die cut or embossing cards it will not move properly, as I saw in a video posted here. The plates slid because when embossing you use one clear plate not two. The top one should be the more flexible plastic shim not the acrylic one. It's a good idea to thoroughly read the instruction booklet first and things will move through as they should. I did the same excact thing the first time I embossed and it slid right out the front of the machine.

I never used a die cutter/ embossing machine before but I am getting the hang of it. After the holidays I will be making birthday, occasion and other holiday cards instead of spending $5 to $10 and up on individual cards.

*another side note rotate the acrylic plates, plastic shim and magnetic plate to keep the warping down. There is a lot of pressure in the process, if you do this it keeps them nice. Also make sure your paper is the right weight it helps when you are pulling them off the die cut. If you look closely there are little holes in each die cut to help you push it out. Proper paper weight is important too the removal process as well

I do a lot of die cutting to make cards. I thought this would be a good change from constantly cranking on the Big Shot. I did really deliberate whether to get the JR size or the large Gemini, but went with the JR in hopes it would be faster/easier than loading up a bunch of dies every time. The machine works well, but it is slower than manually doing it (so it seems to me). The plates warp instantly, so I have to make sure to flip the plates constantly. It has good torque on it so the dies cut cleanly. I do use a ton more tape to keep the dies in place. Even with the magnetic pad, the dies slide all over the place. I also don't put the magnetic pad, shims or any other pieces between the dies and plates - no matter what the instructions say. I ordered a set of new plates when I ordered the machine. Glad I did because the plates get torn up pretty quickly. Overall, it is nice to do a bunch of die cutting without my elbows getting worn out, but I have to turn up the volume on the TV because this machine is loud.

This Gemini Jr electric die cutting and embossing machine is fantastic! It's a time and hand/wrist saver - No more struggling with hand crank devices! The only negative I've found is it applies so much pressure that it quixkly warps the plastic plates that come with it. I invested in 2 Sizzix Chrome Precision Plates to use as top and bottom plates. This was a perfect fix - no more warped plates and I'm 110% satisfied with my machine

(See Update Oct 31 2019 below.) How I want this to work. With both wrists not working well I finally bought the Gemini Jr. I studied the directions, stacked the layers with the instructions right in front of me, and then crunch-crack-tear. I used one sheet of cardstock. I used the dies and embossing folder that came in the box. The cut edge faced AWAY from magnetic sheet, and it still left heavy cuts in the to layer and cut A HOLE into the magnetic sheet. I don't want to go thru the hassle of returning this whole thing back. I will ask for a replacement magnetic sheet and try to decrease the thickness of the sandwiches. But this really sucks big time.

Oct 31 2019 - Kudos to Amazon for sending me another one right away. I will show you how well it die cuts by uplaoding the card I made using the dies that are included with the machine. It still runs very tight using the sandwich instructions in the manual. But look how beautiful it die cut. I did not have to run it more than once either. However, trying to use the included embossing folder with their instructions still challenged me big time. On the first attempt, this machine took the embossing folder with plates. I heard a big clunk sound and saw the lights flicker, then go off completely. I was unable to turn the machine on/off. The plates and folder were stuck inside. Well, what could I lose? I've already returned the first one and while I hate returning another one, I didn't change any step in the instruction manual. But I felt very disappointed. I need an electronic die cutting machine. After about 5 minutes, I unplugged the machine and waited a minute or so, then plugged it back in. I turned it on and the lights came on. The machine automatically took in the sandwich, then shot it like a shotgun out the back end. It's a good thing no one was standing there. I tried the embossing folder again, but the machine only took in one plate and the rest came out the front end. I will try to figure out another way to emboss, maybe with the Big Shot if this doesn't work. But as for die-cutting, so far it saved my wrist. See the black and white card below.

Si eres scrapbooker o cardmaking vale la pena la inversión, corta con presición no tienes problema para estar dando vueltas y vuelta a la manija, yo escojí la Junior por que tengo poco espacio y mi pasión son las tarjetas, muy recomendada @cardmakingmx

So easy to use. No more cranking.

Es muy útil

No me gustó que los cutting plates se deforman muy fácilmente

I've used my Big Shot for years and my wrist started giving me problems from over use one weekend. I decided to purchase this machine because of the motor. There's a bit of configuration in regards to the sandwich of plates as it's a bit different from the big shot but it's awesome once you figure it out. The instruction manual is great. If you have any of the sizzix big thick dies, they will not work. This machine will only cut thin dies. It embosses beautifully as well. The motor is not the quietest but but the quality of the die cuts on the most intricate dies is amazing.

conforme a mes attente ,seul les plaque se déforme vite