Every now and then a new product becomes available that makes a big impact on the market. The Provo Craft Cricut personal die cutting machine is one of these products. The range of Cricut machines has made ripples in the crafting community and shown other crafting manufacturers what they should be aiming for. It is not the first product of it’s kind, granted, but the approach that Provo Craft have taken to designing this product is truly awesome. The Cricut makes it quick and easy to create a variety of designs.
Presently there are three versions of the Cricut. The original Cricut is the most compact and lightweight, designed to be easily carried and easily stored. In contrast with this, the Cricut Expression is a more heavy duty desktop alternative. The Expression can cut much larger designs but takes up much more space. The new Cricut Create is somewhat of a hybrid version, combining the new features of the Expression with the manageable size of the original Cricut.
The basic function of all the Cricut machines is exactly the same. Cutout designs are stored on a series of cartridges. These cartridges provide users with the creative versatility that has made the Cricut so celebrated. A cartridge must be inserted before a design can be cut. Each cartridge contains several images or fonts and there are plenty to chose from. As well as being sold with the machines themselves, they are also available to buy separately, along with many other accessories designed to make the experience of using a Cricut even easier. Once the cartridge has been inserted, the user selects a design, inserts a medium, and at the push of a button the machine gets to work.
The Cricut cartridge system really is the key to the success of the Cricut. This system is really ingenious and allows crafters to buy the designs they need, and only the designs they need. The cartridges are easily stored and can be bought as sets or individually. Special cartridges are also available, featuring licensed images including Disney characters.
Another celebrated feature of the Cricut machines is their ability to cut a number of different materials. The materials of choice will always be paper and card, as the most common materials used by crafters. However, the Cricut is equally as effective when cutting vinyl and other tough materials.
Cricut machines are available from many retailers with prices ranging up to $500. They can be bought directly from Cricut’s website; however, it can sometimes pay to shop around for a good deal for a cheap Cricut machine. Specialist craft retailers, like Joann Craft Stores and Michael’s Craft Stores, offer Cricut machines and accessories at a discounted price.
Cricut machines might, at first, seem like a huge investment. But when you consider that it is the best die cutting machine on the market, it begins to seem worth it. If you don’t believe me, why not check out the demonstration videos on the Cricut website? Once you understand how unique the Cricut really is, you’ll know why it is so popular and so celebrated.
Tags: Arts and Crafts, Cricut, Cricut Create, Cricut Machine, Scrapbooking