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I have a Cuttlebug for embossing. I had a Slice but I didn't like it, as it wouldn't cut through decent weight cardstock - and I sold it to pay for the CB. LOL
I would like to do some die cutting, though, and the ability to choose the size of the image really appeals to me. I'd love to be able to make scalloped squares and circles and stuff in the sizes I need without having a gazillion punches!
Is the Cricut the best choice? I just don't know, and I don't have any local stores where I can go look at stuff! My Michaels and JOann's are over an hour away, and with little kids it's not a fun trip. :/
I don't have a Cricut and don't intend to get one. The machine is expensive to start with, and then you need to buy the cartridges to go with it. And also, it seems to me that a lot of people who love their Cricuts and use them a bunch are scrapbookers, more than cardmakers.
Since you already have a Cuttlebug, I would suggest that you invest in some sets of Nestabilities to use with your Bug for the die cut shapes you would use most often. Circles, scallop circles, ovals, scallop ovals, etc. Each set has 5 or 6 different sizes that nest inside each other.
I have quite a few sets that I've gathered up on sale and using coupons at Hobby Lobby etc. and I really do love them for cardmaking.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
I love my cricut, and I use it way more than I ever thought I would. My kids use it too. We use it for scrapping, card making, school projects, decorating..... I have never paid full price for a cartridge. Most of the cartridges I have bought I got on e-bay for around $10. I bought my cricut on ebay too. I paid $260, it came with 6 cartridges, the cgull tool kit, vinyl, etching paste and a bunch of other stuff.
I just put up a post about this, so pardon my mentioning it here, but I have had a Silhouette SD for years and LOVE it.
If you want to change the size/details/angle/etc. of the things you are die-cutting, there is no better machine than the Silhouette SD.
No cartridges necessary. Best investment I ever made (in terms of craft tools, haha).
My mom and I are solely cardmakers and we love our Cricuts. I recommend getting the Expression version on a good sale. We have a few cartridges that came free with ours but we also have the SCAL software and there are enough free images out there, including copycats of all of the Nestabilities, that you could go years without ever having to buy another cartridge. If you are computer savvy, you can get to the point of designing your own files for use with SCAL. I don't regret spending one cent on my Cricut. It has paid for itself in the few months I've owned it.
__________________ Leslie Harnish
Sambro, Nova Scotia
Canada
The prices have come down dramatically as they keep bringing out new machines. I got the Expression for $199.99 at AC Moore 2 week ago and it included 4 cartridges, cutting mat, markers and other stuff I can't remember. The cartridges alone made the price a great deal. Just have to shop around.
NOT true, I have the cricut expression and have only bought ONE cartridge, which you need in order for the machine to work - this was on sale @ $15 and this is the ONLY cartridge I have ever bought.
I have opted instead to buy MTC which has saved me a ton of money. I can use this to trace just about any image svg, vector file or even pixel trace photographs with. It has a rhinestone feature which has also saved me having to buy the rhinestone swirls etc. There are many other things you can do with it. Buying this is a one off outlay as the updates are free so there's no additional expense after the initial purchase of the software.
I can very cheaply restick my mats so don'y have to buy new mats.
The only expense I have is new blades now and again but presumably that's the same with them all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by buggainok
a lot of people who love their Cricuts and use them a bunch are scrapbookers, more than cardmakers.
Again I would have to disagree with you I myself am mainly a cardmaker although have made the odd album and scrabook.
I do also own a BS which I still use but not anywhere as nearly as much as I did before I bought my cricut.
The BIG advantage of the cricut over the BS or cuttlebug is that I can cut ANY shape ANY size and therefore am not restricted to the one size that a die can offer.
Only downside I can think of with the cricut is that it doesn't emboss
Quote:
Originally Posted by shemantis
I havea Silhouette SD .
If you want to change the size/details/angle/etc. of the things you are die-cutting, there is no better machine than the Silhouette SD.
No cartridges necessary.
You can do all those things with a cricut too and NO you don't have to buy any more than ONE cartridge if you don't choose to as I've explained above.
I was under the impression that you had to buy files for the silhouette so is that not the same as buying cartridges - or is the information I have been given incorrect?
Forgot to mention ....MTC allows the cricut to cut (and layer if you want) any font you have on your computer. So you can download lots of free fonts and use them. Some fonts are very thin and intricate and may not cut as well as others but MTC has a layering facility that will allow you to make the thin fonts as thick as you like, making it easier to cut, if you are doing really small lettering. You can then also do a shadow layer in a different shade of paper/card that will really make your lettering stand out.
Go over to the Cricut board and it's mainly cardmakers. A few weeks ago somebody over at the MB posted that there were not many scrapbook Cricut users. Honestly, I feel like it half-half. I mainly do art journaling & mixed media. I fall into a different category. There are a few of us out there who use the Cricut.
Yes, you can make lots of beautiful items and replace those punches with your Cricut. I love the resizing too.
I do prefer my Gazelle and Silhouette over the Cricut. That is personal choice. The Cricut is a really nice machine. There are a lot of tutorials, blogs and videos for it. You will never be at a loss on how to use it. Silhouette SD is up and coming so there has been a wave of info for that machine.
I am also a MTC user. I was a SCAL user for the longest time. I use MTC now since the Gazelle is supported. I love both programs.
I wouldn't buy even a "cheap" Cricut Expression at this point. There is a new version coming out in a couple of months which will work with Provocraft's new free on-line software, Craftroom, which will be available soon as well. If you want a Provocraft product, I would wait and check the new machine out first. That being said, while I have both the small Cricut and the Expression, I now wish I had purchased another brand of cutter due to the "Cricut creep". (In exact cutting with repeat cuts.) Either way Make-the-Cut software works with a variety of cutters and you can design your own cuts or there are a "gazillion" free cuts available or for sale, that you can use with MTC. As stated, previously, if you have a Cricut and MTC, you only need one cartridge to cut a multitude of items! JMO!
I don't have a Cricut and don't intend to get one. The machine is expensive to start with, and then you need to buy the cartridges to go with it. And also, it seems to me that a lot of people who love their Cricuts and use them a bunch are scrapbookers, more than cardmakers.
Couldnt disagree more, sorry.
I'm in the uk and we pay an awful lot more for machines & carts than you guys but my expressions & scal has been far less expensive than my wizard, 1 set of font dies and 6 sets of nesties. I've never bought a cartridge and have no intention of doing so.
I don't scrap either, it's mainly cards with the occasional box or 3d items.
Have never came across cricut creep, you can see by my mats that it cuts in exactly the same place each time. I've never used carts to know if it's any different with them.
Nesties are great but they're not quite as versatile as I need.. without buying a grand calibur and the grand nesties I can't use them with my tickled pink stamps and all bar the largest couple in each shape are large enough for most of my tilda, anya and sugar nellie stamps. With scal I've made my own versions and can cut as large or as small as I need.
I've also got a craftrobo which is too slow & cumbersome and doesnt always cut bazzil cleanly. When my expressions finally dies I think I'd be tempted by the Pazzles but would probably replace with another expressions.
I was on a cruise last week and was part of the Michael's group. It was great. I won a prize and had the choice of 2 articles. One was - what I thought - a cricket cartridge. Never heard of that. I have only seen it online and thought it was pronounced Cry-Cut. That is how it looked to me.
I took the other one which is a bling adapter thing and I can use it. I do have a Big Shot - manual and love it. Have the dies and Nestables and love them as well. I don't think I want anything complicated that needs to be hooked to a computer though. I will stick with what I have.
I was the only Canadian in the group. Again, I loved it. Michael's is fantastic and so were their 10 instructors. They had lots of patience.
Can someone give me the lowdown on a Cricut?
