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IS A CRICUT RIGHT FOR YOU?

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Truth: I absolutely LOVE my Cricut Maker. Waaaaay back when the original Cricut digital die cutter was introduced, I will admit my reaction was luke warm. Because cartridges. 🙁 I had (still have) an aversion to spending $50-70+ (?) on a collection of 100 or 200 designs, and then discovering I really only like, and will actually use, maybe 10 of them. 🙅🏻‍♀️

Fast forward to 2020. On the one hand, I regret waiting so long, and on the other, waiting through the advancements in technology with these machines has led to VAST improvements! After owning a number of other digital die cutting machines (and, yes, I admit I was also influenced by a friend who raved about hers!), I decided it was time to try the Maker out.

Shortcuts to the content in this article:

My current storage system for the machine, accessories and vinyl.

WHAT IS A CRICUT? (Pronounced “cricket”, not “cry-cut”)

A Cricut is a digital cutting machine, also known as a “plotter”. It is available in various models from the Maker (the big sister), the Explore/Explore Air 2 (middle child) and the Joy (baby/uber portable).

WHAT CAN IT CUT?

  • The Joy can cut over 50 different materials, that include precut/scored cards, 80# card stock, sticker paper, vinyl, etc. Designed for smaller projects and lighter weight materials, its small, compact form and weight make it perfect for crafting on the go/while traveling. It can also draw and foil with accessory pens/markers and tips designed specifically for the little power-house.

  • The Explore Air 2/Explore 3 is capable of cutting over 100 lightweight materials, like card stock, poster board, vinyl and craft foam sheets, etc. It can also draw/write with accessory pens/markers, apply foil, score paper as well as cut bonded fabric.

  • The Maker/Maker 3 can cut everything the Explore Air 2/Explore 3 does, PLUS it can also cut balsa wood, leather, matboard—over 300 different materials.

    The key difference between the Maker and the Explore models being that the Maker has the most horse power, and with its unique Adaptive System, makes use of a variety of rotary style blades for certain applications and Quick-swap housings for even greater convenience and capabilities.

To compare the most recent models in extensive detail, click HERE.

Sidebar: Since I bought my machine, Cricut has released the next generation versions, the Maker 3 and the Explore 3; these are designed to work with Smart Materials and when using them, can cut at accelerated speeds.

WHAT SOFTWARE DOES IT USE?

Cricut machines come with their own FREE software; Design Space is their full-featured, cloud-based desktop software, available for Mac and Windows. Also available for free are the Cricut Joy app, and Design Space Apps for both iOS devices and Android.

Using the software, you can upload SVGs (Scalable Vector Graphics), also known as cutting files, and use them to cut various types of designs from greeting cards, gift boxes and 3D type items. In conjunction with your home printer, you can also print PNG (Portable Network Graphic) designs and then cut them out with your Cricut machine, a feature known as “Print Then Cut”; yes—as in you can make your own die cut stickers!!! I’m hoping to do an article in the future on that, once I’ve tested some sticker materials out, but if you want to learn right away, there are TONS of tutorials on YouTube for making DIY stickers with your Cricut.

IS THE SOFTWARE HARD TO LEARN?

There’s always a bit of a learning curve with anything new, no matter what it is! That said, the Design Space software is actually very easy to use; below I have a video showing the basics of uploading an SVG file and preparing it for cutting:

WHERE CAN I GET DESIGNS OR CUTTING FILES?

Cricut offers a subscription to their design library, called Cricut Access. The monthly fee is about $10USD for access to thousands of designs. Additional fees are charged, on top of the monthly Access subscription, to use licensed items, i.e. Disney. Access designs cannot be downloaded to your computer. Basically, it’s like a rental system; if you discontinue your Access subscription, you will no longer be able to use those particular designs. You can also choose to purchase individual files as you go, without a subscription to Access, but you will not be able to download them permanently onto your computer or a separate drive; they will simply be permanently available in your Cricut Library.

You can also purchase designs and SVG cut files from a wide variety of places, such as Etsy, Silhouette’s Design Store, and independent digital design shops, such as mine. My shop is new and my inventory small at this point, but I plan to grow it.

When you purchase a digital design or receive it as a “freebie”, you do not own the artwork itself; you are granted a license with terms of use, which you should always read and keep somewhere for reference later on. Some licenses allow personal use only, and others allow commercial use under certain situations or with stipulations. Any legitimate designer will include a license that explains their terms of use for their files and these will vary from one designer to the next.

When you sign up for my shop mailing list, you will receive a coupon to get the Good Vibes Only Card SVG file shown in the video for FREE.

WHO IS A CRICUT FOR?

A Cricut machine is not a cheap investment so I cannot recommend one for the occasional/rare crafter.

However, if crafting is your hobby, something you enjoy on a regular and steady basis, OR you run a small handmade business, I think it’s an excellent investment! These machines are amazing and will enable you to make all kinds of things from greeting cards to personalized garments/wearables, party and home decor!

WHERE CAN I GET A CRICUT AND WHERE ARE THE BEST DEALS?

You can buy one on Cricut’s website, HERE. And, when they are running a sale, it’s often a really good one. As of this writing, they are currently running a limited time sale this week through 09/24/2022, as well as offering FREE shipping & handling on orders of $99 with code SEPSHIP , making it a great time to dive in for yourself, or as a gift for a crafty loved one! When I purchased the Maker, I also purchased an Explore Air 2 for my daughter and my son’s girlfriend as gifts for Christmas; neither are really into stamping, but both enjoy paper crafting and are very creative.

You can also check out my Tools & Supplies page, for deals on accessories, etc. I’ve found on Amazon.

WHAT OTHER BRANDS OF DIGITAL CUTTERS ARE THERE?

Silhouette makes the Portrait, suitable for 8.5 x 11” materials and the Cameo, which is available in 12, 15 and 24” feeds, the Brother Scan N Cut features a 12” feed.

These are all highly capable machines! I’ve owned a Portrait, a Sizzix Eclips (long since discontinued), and a Brother Scan N Cut. There is no “best”; there is only what works best for YOU. I have just come to love working the most with the Cricut Maker and any info I share here will pertain to that machine specifically.

Will I upgrade to the Maker 3 or invest in an Explore 3? I suppose I would if I wanted to work with Smart Materials and the faster speeds associated with that. But, I’m pretty happy with what I have and don’t feel a desire for either of those features.

Questions? Leave them in the comments below!

Hope this article has been helpful!

SOME OF MY GO-TO FAVORITE SUPPLIES AND TOOLS

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Yup. I looked through ALL 156 pages of this limited time sale category over at Ellen Hutson’s and snagged a list of my go-to’s. And, I’m also listing reasons WHY they are my go-to’s:

Hero Arts Embossing Powder, White - I’m super picky about my embossing powders and how they come packaged. This powder has a nice loft, shiny and smooth when heated and a bright white, which I love. The jar lids seal well and I never have a leakage problem.

Stampendous Embossing Powder, Detail White, 0.76 oz. - This embossing powder is fantastic for finer detail images and sentiments and I’ve used it for years and years to get a nice, crisp bright white emboss. I also reach for this powder when I know I’m going to die cut the embossed images out because it doesn’t crack or chip off from the pressure of the die edges, when passing through my die cutting machine.

Lawn Fawn Embossing Powder, Rose Gold & Rose Gold Metallic, Avery Elle Embossing Powder - Of all the “rose gold” embossing powders I’ve tried, these two yield my favorite “rose gold” tone with a shiny, smooth finish and true hints of rose among the gold. Note: See further below; I list HAI Rose Gold Washi Tape and it coordinates STUNNINGLY with these two powders. If you’re looking for a sophisticated finishing touch, pair that tape with these powders and •BOOM•

Woodgrain Embossed 110 lb White - 10 Pk, Essentials by Ellen Cardstock - I adore woodgrain and the texture of this paper is sublime! It’s also heavier weight and sturdy—I love using it as a card base!

Letterpress 110 lb. White - 10 pk, Essentials by Ellen Cardstock - Nothing will give your card designs a more luxurious, high quality appearance and feel than letterpress paper. It is my favorite paper for my hot-foiling projects with the Gemini Foil Press because it comes closer than anything else I’ve ever used for recreating authentic letterpress style stationery.

Paper Pack, Modern Graphics by Julie Ebersole, Essentials by Ellen - I love simple, modern background patterns and find I reach for black and white patterns more than any other to compliment my projects because they’re so versatile.

Tonic Nuvo Jewel Drops, Sea Breeze - I actually love all the jewel and crystal Nuvo Drops, but this transparent color is one I often reach for because it works on so many different projects.

Tonic Nuvo Glimmer Paste, Moonstone - A glittery clear finish that works over any base color you lay down—if you love a shimmery/glittery finish, but want something that doesn’t flake off, this is the answer!

Peerless Watercolor, Small Bonus Pack, Set of 40 - When I need to watercolor something quickly or I’m traveling, I reach for these ahead of anything else. An easy DIY portable palette (tutorial link) makes them sooo convenient and the colors are beautiful!

Kuretake Gansai Tambi, 36 Color Set - When making watercolor washes or coloring large expanses, I love using this set—all the colors are included in this set and are richly saturated, lovely to work with. Mine have lasted me a long, long time since I use them for card making. Ellen Hutson also carries the colors individually so if you happen to run out of a color, you can replace it.

Kuretake Gansai Tambi Pearl Colors, 6 Color Set - Like the afore-mentioned Gansai Tambi, the colors are lovely but this gives you the benefit of gorgeous shimmer, built right in.

Kuretake Gansai Tambi Starry Colors, 6 Color Set - Shimmery watercolor in metallic hues—I also love using these to watercolor images on black card stock—I just control how much water I add when loading the color on to my brush to minimize any warping (black card stock really isn’t designed for wet/watery mediums).

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker, Set of 36 - Great range of colors, wonderful for watercolor work! I especially love using these by applying color just to the inside area of the heat embossed lines of my images and then pulling and blending the color out with an Aquash/water brush.

Zig Clean Color Real Brush Marker Set B, Set of 12 - These are such soft/pale colors, they can be applied directly to the stamped image (on paper—not directly to rubber), with little to no blending out necessary.

Zig Art & Graphic Twin Tip Marker, Bright set of 12 - My favorite for adding color selectively direct to rubber. A great way to achieve multi-color inked images, just apply where you want a specific color, then mist lightly with water and stamp onto watercolor paper for a beautiful effect!

VersaFine Clair Ink Pad, Nocturne - Right now, this is my go-to black ink because it is a rich deep black; when dry, you can color over with pencils and water-based mediums. You can also heat emboss it. If you heat emboss with clear powder, you can safely use alcohol markers with this ink—just remember it will need to be clear heat embossed or the alcohol markers will react and smear the image.

Spring Fling, Catherine Pooler Mini Ink Pad Bundle - Catherine Pooler Water-based Dye Inks have a wide range of colors, are richly saturated, and can be used for a variety of techniques, in addition to just simple stamping. I love the ink pad surface (it is a unique gel/foam style so you don’t end up with a linen texture showing in your impressions). Whether you’re a beginning stamper or experienced, these are a fantastic, quick drying ink that works well on either matte or glossy card stock. (Please note that it’s not a permanent ink so it’s not suitable for plastic, glass or other non-porous surfaces.)

Hero Arts Ombre Ink Pad, Light to Dark Peach - These Ombré pads make it extremely easy to get well-blended ombré ink effects. I have almost all the colors, and especially love using them with my solid stamps and with a small brayer to create backgrounds.

HAI Sequins, Clear Droplets - They look like little droplets of dew—great for water-themed projects or when you need an accent, but want it to enhance, not over-power, your design.

HAI Sequins, 4mm Flower Cup - These little rainbow posies remind me of the stunning glass works of Chihuly and I love adding them to my nature themed projects for pops of color.

HAI Washi Tape, Gold Foil Spots - Little spots of gold that go with pretty much anything and everything—I adore this tape and find it compliments so many of my projects!

HAI Washi Tape, Rose Gold Foil - Gorgeous. Just flat-out gorgeous. Try pairing it with the “rose gold” embossing powders I mentioned earlier in this list.

Lawn Fawn Hemp Cord, Black - Again, versatile (black and white always is), and I love the heft/weight of this cord—it just feels nice to the touch.

String by the Spool, Natural Burlap - This one goes with soooooo many projects! It’s a great neutral—I go through gobs of it. Literally.

Happy, colorful shopping!

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