I read in here where some of ya been having trouble with your coluzzle templates, hating them. etc. Well until last week while at the mosiac class, I learned a few tips that I want to share. I have tried a couple already and it seems to help.
Ok, first of all, that styrofoam cutting pad, well as you have foound, it wears out FAST, especially if you are making lots of small cuts close together like in mosiacs. To help it last loger, take a piece of cardboard, one that is somewhat dense like that that comes in with some brands of pages or protectors. The best would be that like mre boxes the military gets, and frozen meat from the grocery. Rubber cement works to hold it to the pad.
Next of all, for those aggravating nicks, take a emory board and lightly sand BACKWARDS over it. Don't take a exacto knife and try to "trim" it off (UH, wished I knew that before!).
When using your coluzzle or other soft, thin plastic templates, MAKE SURE your knife witha rotating blade is SHARP. Hold the knife STRAIGHT up and down. When you get to one of those corners where it does not seem to want to go, gently twist the knife around in your fingers nad the blade will turn to the new direction. I have not tried that yet, as mine are so nicked up (have more sanding to do than I care to!).
Finally, the lines in your mosiac templates, the different lines around your coluzzle templates, well to make sure you are in the same line when cutting, or so you do not lose your place on the mosiac ones, take a sharp tipped "Sharpie" marker or other permanent type an draw or trace on each line with a different color. IT WORKS!!! (can't tell you how many times lost track which line on the nested coluzzles I was cutting out, got messed up!)
If you do mosiacs and are one of those who has the PATIENCE to align them exactly using your template, the little dots that you use to line up the template on the paper, poke them with a marker too. They are easier to see!!!
Hope these tips may be used/useful to someone here.
OKC Dave 64 pages in 2003