Cricut or Something else?

Jennie - posted on 04/11/2010

No one beats the cricut i brought the personal cutter which was the first one in less than 200 bucks with a 2 year guarantee. It came with 4 cartridges in HSN.com you should make an account and wait till you get by email a 15% discount and you put it with the cricut not the guarantee and is going to cost less than 200 is sooooooo worth it specially because it came with the dolls cartridge at it has hundreds of great images but if you want to check better in scrapbook.com you can find a comparison between machines http://www.scrapbook.com/articles/doc/39...
People talk about the slice because is portable but the cricut weights like 5 pounds and the slice is like 100-150 dollars and it cuts less and smaller images and you have to hold it I did my research and brought the cricut and I dont regret it the cartridges you can buy them in 20 dollars at ohmycrafts.com or ebay or using SCAL. Best of luck

SanDee - posted on 01/04/2010

Quoting Tiffany:

Im a huge fan of the Cuttle bug, it is cheaper and does not make as much noise as the cricut :)

I have no idea what that even is hahaha is it annoying like the slice?

Carla - posted on 01/04/2010

i L-O-V-E my cricut and am newly addicted to vinyl...can't wait to try the etching. i highly recommend the cricut. however, my friend andrea has the slice. it's a more portable, less expensive and you cut on your paper - you don't feed it through. she's very happy with it...you can go on hsn.com and get a lot of bang for your buck and not pay shipping. it's definitely worth checking out. good luck.

carla

Tiffany - posted on 01/04/2010

Im a huge fan of the Cuttle bug, it is cheaper and does not make as much noise as the cricut :)

SanDee - posted on 01/03/2010

e bay is the best place to score a cricut my firend just got a personal cricut for 60 bucks!!! and it came with 2 cartidges! just hit e bay up between midnight and 2 am to score a deal

Mandy - posted on 01/03/2010

I am in love with the cricuit. I also have the Gypsy now which is AMAZING!

Esmeralda - posted on 01/02/2010

IF YOU DO GET THE CRICUT, SHOP ALSO AMAZON.COM YOU CAN GET CADRIGES FOR AS LOW AS $20. MY HUBBY GOT ME ONE FOR CHRISTMAS AND I CAN'T WAIT TO USE IT!....GOOD LUCK

Debra - posted on 01/02/2010

I got one for Christmas and am having a lot of fun. If you download a program from the Scrapping Table, called Sure Cuts A Lot, you don't need to get all the cartridges for the Cricut. You can use whatever fonts, wingdings, etc that you have or create on your computer. It's amazing and makes it soooo much cheaper. The SCAL program is only $75, everything you could want for the cost of one cartridge.

Willanne - posted on 01/02/2010

I have tried the circut, large and small one. There is some cost difference between the two, but I liked the larger one. It uses a 12x12 sheet of paper and if you had alot of wording that needed the same color paper you had enough paper and get the job done at one time. I've also used paper pressers..took too much time cutting one thing out at a time.

Ginger - posted on 01/01/2010

I often use different fonts on the computer. I do have a Cricut and love it, I think I have saved money when it comes to buying the letter stickers...I always had so many that I couldnt use. There are different ways to use Word Art in the Microsoft Office software and then just plain old Word can be fun to write titles and even journaling.

Kim - posted on 01/01/2010

I have a cricut and I wouldn't have anything else. It had made buying letter stickers or punchouts obsolete. There is so much you can do with it the options are limitless.

Catherine - posted on 12/31/2009

My husband surprised me with a Cricut Expression last Christmas and I have to say I LOVE it. You can do more than just titles depending on which cartridges you buy. I agree that the cartridges are expensive but I only buy them when they go on sale at Michael's. I have also seen them on e-bay for quite cheap.

I do a lot of scrapbooking, brag books, cards etc. and have found the Cricut to be invaluable in timesavings for my projects. I would highly recommend it.

Brenda - posted on 12/30/2009

I mainly wanted a machine to cut titles, so after a bunch of research, I bought a Pazzles Inspiration machine about a year and half ago. I love it because it will cut any True Type font that you have on your computer. You can join the letters, make shadow backgrounds and cut shapes. While it is more expensive up front than a Cricut, you aren't spending any money on cartridges. I found lots of free fonts on-line and some that were only a dollar or two at Scrapnfonts. I literally have hundreds of fonts and webdings on my computer now. I've probably spent about $750 total which included the machine, extra mats/blade and fonts. Last May, I also bought a special jump drive/software accessory that let's you work on projects without having your computer hooked up to the machine. That's really the only thing extra that I have bought, but that was just for my convenience because I have the software loaded on a laptop.

Sharon - posted on 12/30/2009

I would recommend the Cricut. People have said you need cartridges for this but there is also software online you can buy and cut with the cricut. I love my cricut and use it for scrapbooking, card making, making gifts, kids school projects, posters and signs. (Yard Sale, Help Wanted,etc)

Kim - posted on 12/30/2009

I love my Cricut Expression!!! There is a program called Sure Cuts a Lot that you can buy online. If you have this softwareb you can download free SVG files online and don't need to buy cartridges. I have downloaded hundreds of free files and can find almost anything I need online. I love my cricut and could not scrap without it.

Cindy - posted on 12/29/2009

I have been scrapbooking for about ten years and I have owned and tried out many different die cutting systems. I absolutely love my cricut. I buy my cartridges when they are on sale at Michaels. I bought a few the day after Thanksgiving for $29! I use my cricut for many things- card making, scrapbooking, home decor, and for my classroom. I even used it to cut out paperdolls for my son's teacher. She used them for a bulletin board project. I use it so much that it was well worth the expense.

Laura - posted on 12/26/2009

if you go to all day crops, often someone will bring one and share it. :) I got mine at walmart last christmas for $99 and love it. esp the paper doll cartridge. totally worth the money.

Sara - posted on 12/25/2009

I love my Cricut Expressions! My daughter asked me last minute to make her cards for her class so I pulled out my expression (I only got it last month for my birthday) and I banged out 24 adorable Christmas cards in less than 2 hours! I couldn't be happier! I got two more cartridges for my Christmas and can't wait to use them for scrapbooking :)



The only thing that the Cricut can't do is emboss, so I also have a Sizzix (Big Kick which is exactly the same functionality as the Big Shot by Stampin Up, just looks different) to do that!

Stephanie - posted on 12/22/2009

I got the cricut expression as my Christmas gift from Santa this year! I haven't had much time to play with it yet but am real excited to start using it more!

Nicole - posted on 12/21/2009

The cricut is cool, but I totally love the Big Shot from SU!. They have exclusive dies and more. It isn't electronic but I love it.

Crystal - posted on 12/21/2009

I recently went on a scrapbooking weekend. Several people had the cricket. There was a large one and a personal one. Of course, I made up my mind to get one especially after seeing it on HGTV.

I was shopping with my sister last month and there it was... a Cricket for $189 at Walmart. My sister purchased it for me as a Christmas present and I love it! It's portable with a handle. It does exactly what it claims. I've seen them on Ebay but not for the $189 price my sister paid. They also had them on black Friday at Walmart. But be careful... they hide them in the toy section.

Michelle - posted on 12/21/2009

I love the silhouette. My girlfriend has one. I think they are much better then the crickets. You can cut leather or vinyl with it as well. And make the vinyl letters To 39". that's not bad. I find you will get more use out of the silhouette then the cricket. and there are tons of free web sites to downloads designs. SO you don't need any cartridges.

Michelle - posted on 12/20/2009

The cuddlebug is less expensive but i must say the cricut is well worth the money in the end... u can do so much with it and i spend no where near as much on letters and stickers like i did before i got the cricut expressions!

Jocelyn - posted on 12/17/2009

I'm buying a slice (making memories) as soon as I have some money to waste!

Robin - posted on 12/17/2009

The cricut has a hard time to cut on thin paper. Thin as notebook paper. We have dies you can cut out many letters at a time.

Alison - posted on 12/17/2009

There are options out there but they only cut one letter at a time. With the Cricut and the Design Studio which you load on to your computer you can weld all your letters together. I think you can do alot more with a Cricut.

Jodi - posted on 12/17/2009

I'm sure there are others, but I would still reccomend the cricut! I use my cricut for SO much more than just scrapbooking too! I have made feltboard shapes, letters, numbers and even dolls for fun, educational activities to do with my daughter. I have made templates for quilting, flashcards, and so much more! There are two things I would like to reccomend if you do get the cricut machine. One is the xyron sticker machine, you run your letters through and it makes them into stickers, eliminating gluing on intricate designs. I got mine for 20 bucks. The other is the Gypsy...OMG, I LOVE IT! The best part is you can make titles instead of just words that you have to group together! You can also fit alot more onto each sheet, saving money on paper! Unfortunately the Gypsy is about 300 bucks! But, they run deals on it on the homeshopping network and you can probably get a good deal on Ebay. Good luck on whatever you choose! (I still reccomend the Cricut though!)

Nicole - posted on 12/16/2009

I love the Circut, cause it does so much. I have Sizzix Sidekick which does the letters too, but it takes more time to cut out the laters. Have you looked into the Slice. This little machine is amazing. I dont have one, but I have seen it in action. The Slice is by Making Memories, it cuts,embosses,and draws. Check out http://www.makingmemories.com/ (there is some special TV offer that I just found out about) So go check it out. Good Luck and happy scrapping.

Erin Joy - posted on 12/14/2009

Quoting Marlo:

Cricut or Something else?

So I'm starting to scrapbook again and I'm looking for something to help me with the wording that I like to add to my pages. Is the cricut the only one that will do that or is there something less expensive that I can use?

YOU CAN USE RUBBER STAMPS OR PRINT FROM DIGITAL COMPUTER OR RUBB ONS

Betsy - posted on 12/14/2009

I currently have the original cricut and use it quite a bit. I would like to upgrade but after reading some about the silhouette I might check that out first. I also plan on getting the Big Shot since I'm a SU Rep also.

Shawna - posted on 12/14/2009

I love my Cricut and like to go to www.ohmycrafts.com for deals on cartridges and such. Sometimes they also do bundle deals on the Cricut itself. My suggestion, find someone who has one and some of the other cutting tools and try them out. You'll figure out which one is best for you, the space you have and what you plan to use it for! For everyone else, that same website has deals on other systems as well!

Lori - posted on 12/14/2009

I love my cricut expression and my gypsy!! I started out with the small original cricut and upgraded two years ago. I don't use many embellishments because I can make my own! I spend less money on other supplies.

I don't know much about the silhouette, but I had already purchased several cartridges and my second machine by the time I heard about it.

Jodi - posted on 12/14/2009

Thanks, Nicole for the link I will go and check it out!!!!

Nicole - posted on 12/14/2009

http://www.silhouettemachine.com/

Here is the link to their website. It has a tutorial you can look at, and just some general information about it.
Check it out and see how great the machine is.
:)

Jodi - posted on 12/14/2009

I am not familiar with the silhouette so now I will have to do some research! I truly find making all my cards and just recently started to make my own scrapbooks for new babies from scratch and have fallen in LOVE with them to be the only RELAXING thing I do!!!!!!

Nicole - posted on 12/13/2009

Ya I love my silhouette. I was so against the pricey tools but when I got the silhouette for my birthday in July, I completely fell in love. I had thought about the cricut before, but knew that I couldn' afford all the cartidges all the time. So the silhouette was the best deal I thought.
I also want a machine for embossing. I was set on the cuttlebug, but the same company that makes the silhouette (quickutz) aslo has a new machine called the Epic 6. It is the same concept as the cuttlebug, and will take all the dies from all the companys. It also has a letterpress feature that you can buy and I am really interested in this, so I think I will be choosing the Epic 6.
I also make all my greeting cards, birthday party invitations (I have 4 boys and a girl on the way), birth announcements, thank you cards....all of them too. I have so much fun doing it, and with the silhouette I love that I can cut several of the same image out all at one time. :)

Donna - posted on 12/13/2009

I had not heard about the silhouette but that sounds neat. There are some things I don't use in the cartridges but most of them I do. I have the cuttlebug as well and like it for making cards. I make all of my greeting cards and Christmas cards as well. Every time you get something, they make something else to keep you buying!!!

Jodi - posted on 12/12/2009

Well, this is a funny question because I have asked this same question from friends and acquaintances to see what they all thought a few weeks ago. The answer I got from almost everyone was that the Cricut was the best thing to use. I own the Cuttlebug bought from www.splitcoaststampers.com and my Big Shot Sizzix Machine from Stampin UP and intend to use all them even though I did go out on Black Friday and purchased the Cricut Expression that was on sale on AC Moore for $247.99 instead of the regular price of $649.00. However, it is still in the box sitting on my bedroom floor because I am working on my Craft Room getting it organized.

Upon trying out the all three of them I would have to say that I love all of them for different reasons. I initially got the Cuttlebug to use the embossing folders, then my husband bought me the Big Shot from Stampin UP (I am a Demonstrator for Stampin UP and have been for over 6 years) and I love the exclusive "Build A Bear" Dies that can only be purchased through Stampin Up! and now I got the Cricut because I love the squiggly wiggly things that can be created with this machine.

After, writing what appears to be a book....lol......if you are just starting out then look for sales on the Personal Cricut that usually can be purchased for under $80 most of the time. I truly hope all of my ramblings is a help to you!!!

Nicole - posted on 12/12/2009

With the silhouette you can also size the images and fonts to the size you want as well. So you can go big or small just like the cricut.

I also forgot to mention that when you download the shapes from the website, they are no more than the 1.99 but they also have monthly memberships that can save you money. The one I have now is 29.99 a month and you can download unlimited amounts of shapes. Several new shapes are usually released every Thursday. There are several times that I have downloaded 100.00 worth of shapes and images with no cost since I have the unlimited membership. Just wanted to add that bit of information.

Nicole - posted on 12/12/2009

I own the Quickutz Silhouette. You do not have to buy cartidges to go with it. You download shapes from the site, but those do not cost more than 1.99 each image. So what I love is that you don't have to buy an entire cartridge of images if there is only a few images that you like. Also it will cut out any font on your computer. So I use the fonts on my computer, without ever having to buy a cartridge just for a particular font. I go to dafont.com and you can download fonts for free.

I have seen the silhouette on ebay as well.

Good luck with that.

Donna - posted on 12/12/2009

I scrapbook five grandkids and just purchased the Cricut Create for $126 on ebay. I have purchased several cartridges to go with it. I have the sizzix that I bought much earlier and you can cut only one size letters and not much options for figures. With the cricut, you can cut the letters from 1/4" to 11" or so. It really costs less than the sizzix as the cartridges can be bought under $30 and have so many more options. I use the paper dolls cartridge alot to add to the pages and the grandkids love to make their own as well.

Sara - posted on 12/12/2009

there are other options, but honestly I've fallen in love with my cricut. I got the original (Personal cutter?) and it's pretty cheap now. We'll, cheap is relative I guess. :-) Look for them on ebay etc because they were super cheap on black friday so I'm sure people scooped some up to resell.

I started out by using all stickers for my titles. I thought I wouldn't use the cricut enough to make the investment worth it, but now that I have it I realize how much I'm saving by not getting sticker letters!