Hello spring! It’s a new year, and a new year for crafting! The Gemini II has just been pre-released by Crafters Companion on Craft Day on HSN, March 28th, 2023. The official launch will be in June, but I happened to get my anxious little hands on it early lol. So, what’s different about this machine? Well, according to Sara, the founder of Crafters Companion, when she released the original Gemini machine seven years ago, she said that she would never have to make another updated machine because no machine could rival the pressure of the original Gemini. So then why, seven years later, make another one?

The answer to that would be: Technology has come a long way and there’s many upgraded features. For example, there are three USB ports in the back where you can charge your tablet or phone, a ledge that will hold your tablet on top of your Gemini II , along with two panels that fold out for you to slide your plates through .A new optical sensor that can read the new plates as well as old plates, it is much quieter, and it packs quite a punch. 

So, is this machine for you? Well, that depends. How often do you use your current machine? How many other machines do you have? And can you afford it? They’re all questions I asked myself before purchasing this machine, but I bought it anyway lol. The machine itself works beautifully. It cuts like butter and packs quite a punch when using embossing folders and intricate cutting dies. It has gliding feet on the bottom of the machine, so it’s easier to move across surfaces, and a swivel feature very much like a Lazy Susan, that allows the machine to turn 360 degrees when pushing your plates through the machine and retrieving them from the other side. The swivel feature comes in handy as you can turn the machine and pull the plates straight out.  

Although only the Gemini II’s purchased on Craft Day on HSN have this swivel feature on the bottom of the machine. All future machines purchased on launch day, will require you to buy the swivel mechanism separately. The new Gemini II is due to hit the market in early June. At this time, I’m not sure if it will only be released on the Crafters Companion website or if it will relaunch on HSN along with other retailers. 

What else comes in the box, you ask? It comes with two white cutting plates which are new (considering the old ones were clear), one clear shim, one metal shim, and one magnetic shim. Unlike previous releases that came with a few free dies and an embossing folder, this one does not. If you purchased the auto ship on HSN it came with a bundle of goodies. The auto ship included six additions of a monthly craft kit, all differently themed. It also included a membership to club Gemini, which includes special access to Facebook and specialized craft groups, for learning projects and different ideas, as well as techniques and how to videos. This club membership will cost an additional $50 when the machine launches in June. If you purchased the Gemini II with the auto ship, the club membership is included in the price. It was the today’s special on March 28th for $299.

For those of you who purchased it early on HSN, enjoy your new machine. For those of you who are on the fence about it and didn’t purchase it, or have no desire of purchasing it, just sit back, relax, and enjoy machines you currently own and keep on crafting. I will have a bit of a play in the coming weeks with my new Gemini II and will post pictures and updates. Thanks for stopping by, see next time!