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Cricut Cartridges

Friday, October 9th, 2009

Cricut Cartridges – How to Make Your Artwork Stand Out

For many years, Cricut has consistently provided an amazing line of cartridges to inspire a lot of handcrafters and artists today. These cartridges are being used time and time again in order to produce the most stunning art pieces from scrapbooks to greeting cards. Provo Craft, the makers of the Cricut cartridge line, has long been dedicated to provide the most helpful materials in making each craftwork stand out from all the rest.

Of course, every person has a specific budget when buying Cricut cartridges. As much as people want to get the best deals from all the stores that sell these equipments, they must know where to go to. There are a lot of merchants selling Cricut materials both online and in physical stores. Some stores can be grossly overpriced, and other stores may give you the most enticing promos that you simply cannot resist.

Buying a personal cutter would already give you a chance to own some of the basic shape and font cartridges. A personal cutter usually sells for $299.00, the suggested retail price by Provo Craft or Cricut. If you have a bigger budget available, you may also choose to get the Expression machine, which is rated at $499.00.

Although a few cartridges are supplied along with the purchase of cutting machine, other handcrafters still prefer to expand their collection with cartridges that are being individually sold in the market. These Cricut cartridges provide the most breathtaking designs and shapes that can turn any ordinary artwork into a masterpiece.

The cheapest price of an add-on cartridge can cost $49.99 and can rise up to as much as $99.99, depending on the design and the crafting possibilities it can present. Average designs usually fall anywhere between the two rates. Any avid fan of Cricut cartridges would always tell you that buying additional cartridges aside from the ones that come along with the machine will be an excellent choice to make the most out of your crafting equipment.

Currently, the line presents more than seventy-five cartridges, each with their own unique patterns. These cartridges make work with Cricut materials absolutely enjoyable and engaging that even your children can enjoy your chosen pastime. Cricut also has a steady line of cartridges from licensed character series such as Mickey Mouse, Hello Kitty and Winnie the Pooh.

With a lot of designs for you to select from, it is almost impossible for you not to find the perfect pattern to use in your project or craftworks. The Cricut cartridges are also specially recommended to men and women who love to create a lot of embellishments in their work of art.

You will be surprised as to how many various designs you can create in just a single line of Cricut cartridges. Whether you are an illustrative type of person who prefers to create their designs using shape cartridges, or someone who has an outstanding skill in using words with the font cartridges; you will be able to create magic with these materials. See also Cricut Die Cutting Machines

Cricut Die Cutting Machines

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

Putting a Cricut to Work for You

Every once in a while a product is released that really impacts its market. The Cricut line of personal electronic die cutting machines by Provo Craft is just such an item. Although the Cricut is not the first die cutting tool ever released for use by scrapbookers or paper crafters, no other tool makes it so quick and easy for user to create exactly what they want. With the push of a button, crafters can create cutouts that are perfectly coordinated to their projects and look as nice as the commercially sold embellishments available at crafting centers.

There are currently three different version of the Cricut available. The smallest is the original Cricut machine. The Cricut Expression is a larger, more versatile machine that allows users to create cutouts that are almost twenty-four inches tall. The Cricut Create marries the additional capabilities of the Expression to the small size of the original Cricut machine and is only sold a Michael’s Craft Centers.

In each of the Cricut machines, the basic process of creating a cutout is the same. The user must insert a cartridge into the machine. Then, after selecting the design he wishes to create, he should mount his chosen paper onto the sticky cutting mat which is furnished with the Cricut machine. The mat and paper are fed through the machine as the cutting blade cuts out the chosen design. Now, the user simply removes the cutout from the mat. His cutout is ready for use in any project he likes.

The real workhorses behind the success of the Cricut machines are the Cricut cartridges. Each machine comes with its own cartridge to allow crafters to get started with their Cricut right away. In addition, however, many other cartridges are available for purchase. Cartridges may include fonts, shapes, or a combination of the two. Cartridge themes run the gamut from simple sports motifs to licensed products like Disney’s Hannah Montana.

The ability to use many different types of materials with the Cricut machines also makes it easy to find all types of uses for a Cricut machine. Paper and cardstock are, of course, perfect for use with a Cricut, but other materials will work, too. Vinyl stock allows Cricut owners to create clingy cutouts. Sturdier cutouts are possible using Provo Craft’s chipboard stock. Even magnetic cutouts are possible using Cricut’s magnetic material in place of paper.

Cricut machines are available through many different shopping venues with prices reaching as high as $500. They can be purchased directly at Cricut’s website; however, shoppers may find better deals by checking out other vendors. Many online retailers, as well as craft stores like Joann Craft Stores and Michael’s Craft Stores, offer sales on the Cricut machines and cheap Cricut cartridges.

Committing to purchase a Cricut personal electronic cutter may seem like a huge investment. Before completing their purchases crafters can often get a look at a Cricut in action by visiting their favorite craft center or checking out the videos at Cricut’s website. Once they’ve seen the Cricut at work, they’ll be able to determine if a Cricut is the right tool for them.