Use Cricut for die-cutting shapes from card stock
Provo Craft, a manufacturer of crafting products, features a line of manual and electronic machines for use in making crafts. Crafters use Cricut products to die-cut and emboss shapes used for scrapbooking, card making, home décor items, and gift bags. The makers of the Cricut machine encourage teachers to purchase their products for use in the classroom to cut shapes and letters for teaching aids. In March 2010, Cricut introduced a machine that may interest cake decorators.
Features
The largest machine that Cricut offers cuts thousands of letters, and shapes from 1 to 5 ½ inches in size. The electronic settings allow the user to set the machine to cut multiple designs. By means of an auto-fill setting, the machine can judge the size of a paper and intuitively decide how many shapes to fit onto one page. With the broad selection of machines offered by Cricut, crafters can cut papers up to 24 inches in length. The smaller Cuttlebug machine offers an embossing feature that adds a three-dimensional design feature to paper.
Advantages
Cricut offers a line of machines that does not require the use of a computer to achieve the different shapes offered. Scrapbookers like the machine because it is portable and can travel with them when they participate in cropping clubs. Provo Craft makes the machines convenient to carry by offering carrying cases as well as tools to organize the accompanying cartridges for easy transportation. The Cricut machines can cut anything form paper as lightweight as a vellum to as thick as chipboard.
Disadvantages
Though the Cricut machines come with basic cartridges, crafters must purchase additional cartridges to accomplish many of the designs to complete a project. Crafters also say there's a bit of a learning curve when beginning to use the products because cutting blade depth, cutting speed and pressure all need to be adjusted based on the type of material used.
Purchasing the Machine
Cricut offers the machines at.cricut.com. The website also offers all the cartridges, mats, and other tools needed to operate the machines, as well as consumable products such as paper, card stock and ink. Crafters can also purchase Cricut machines from retail outlets and crafting stores. Buying the machine from a store offers an advantage, because the consumer can touch and try the machine in person. Many stores that sell the machine offer classes on use the machine.
Versatility
Provo Craft offers an extensive cartridge library for use in its die cutting machines as of March 2010. Crafters who enjoy making die cuts for the holidays may appreciate the seasonal cartridge collections. Teachers may consider the Classmate line of cartridges helpful because they make die cuts for use in teaching shapes, images of things all over the world, sea creatures, and even the 50 states. Parents might consider the licensed cartridges which feature characters from Disney, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, Superman, Batman and Hello Kitty.
Related posts
When selecting machine cutters for scrapbooking and crafting, consider function, convenience and quality, as well as the extra accessories you will need to buy for the machine to function at its b...
A Cricut machine looks like a computer printer. It is used to cut customized shapes and letters out of paper and card stock for a variety of art projects. The machine has removable cartridges that...
The Cricut Expression die cutting machine can use chip board, which is heavier than cardboard.Cricut Expression, a product of ProvoCraft, essentially is a die cutting machine that uses design cart...
If you are in the market for a die cutting machine than you will want to read this article. In this article, I compare the pazzles die cutting machine vs. the cricut expression machine. Also inclu...
For anyone who enjoys scrapbooking and paper craft making, the Cricut machines are an excellent addition to your craft supplies. Rather than cutting out letters and shapes yourself, simply choose...
