Cricut Cartridges Guide » Cricut Beginner’s Corner

Find Cheap Cricut Cartridges On Sale!

Sammy — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:43:06 +0000

Having looked all over the internet for deals on Cricut cartridges, I can say for sure that it is difficult to find discounted prices. Sometimes your too late for the sale, and most of the time it’s on cartridges that you either already have, or simply don’t want. Furthermore, the local craft shop that carries Cricut doesn’t let me use my weekly coupon on Cricut items.

In all my internet searches, nothing comes close to the price and selection of Ebay.com. Trusted for years as a source of fantastic variety and great deals, Ebay.com is your one stop shop to cheap Cricut cartridges. Though rare, I have seen them go as low as $4.99! For ease of use I have included a list of all the Cricut cartridges on sale on Ebay.

NEW Cricut Gypsy!!

NEW Cricut Gypsy!

RARE Colored Expressions!

Original Expression and the other machines!

NEW Cricut Cartridges!!!

Older Cartridges (They are still good though!)

I have found it’s best to sign up for Paypal.com as well. Paypal is a trusted partner with Ebay and is accepted by almost every seller as a primary way of payment. It’s nice because the small cost of using Paypal is charged to the seller and not you! It is free to sign up and very secure. I have been using it for more than 8 years without incident. As a matter of fact, the only Ebay transaction I had turn sour in 8 years of using Ebay was quickly refunded by Paypal after I initiated a dispute. It was simple, effective and timely. My experience has only increased my desire to use the internet as a means to shop. Paypal is also accepted outside of Ebay at many different websites making it a truly useful internet tool.

In addition to Ebay there are some other sites that I have used in the past to scour the internet for deals on Cricut cartridges. Google’s shopping (accessible from Google.com) is a nice way to search many vendors at once and lets you see the websites rating. There are also user reviews that allow you to spot trouble merchants from a mile away.

Craigslist.org is another site that I’ve had great luck with. It’s a free online classified ad website with local websites catering to most every major U.S. area. It’s updated constantly so patience is required and you must make it a habit to check it every couple of days. But the payoff is worth it. I have found plenty of furniture, a bike, even my two cats, and my dog! There is plenty of other stuff on it besides stuff for sale. It’s worth it to check it out.

The Cricut Create On Sale Now

Sammy — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 03:02:55 +0000

The new Cricut create is an exciting new product on sale from Provocraft, the makers of the orginal cricut and the larger Cricut expression. It combines the portability of the original with the larger shape capability of the expression. Truly the best of both worlds!

The Cricut create is able to cut on the larger 6″ by 12″ mat that the Cricut expression cuts on, while maintaining compatibility with all of your current cricut cartridges all the while taking up less space in your craft room.

It is able to cut shapes from 0.25″ to 11.5″ with it’s eight way directional blade. It also has the ability to cut in portrait mode for larger, taller cuts. Some of the other features of the Cricut create is an improved display over the original Cricut machine and a nice styling. Some modes that are supported are fit to page mode, which will cut the largest image possible, auto fill mode, which will cut as many shapes as possible, centerpoint, and flip mode.

To find a cheap Cricut create on sale just follow this link to ebay. The Cricut Create

Cricut Cartridges – Advanced Functions

Sammy — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:16:58 +0000

We all know how useful Cricut Cartridges can be when used on your next project. Sometimes though it is helpful to learn more about the tools you use to create. The wonderfully versatile Cricut is simple to use your first time. What is exciting though, is that there are loads of advanced functions that can allow you to get more out of your Cricut than you ever expected. All Cricut cartridges have these functions, and many are built right into the Cricut itself.

This article will document some of the more advanced functions in an attempt to enlighten the average user. In the end this will save more time and more money – both things that everyone could use more of!

The first function I wish to cover that is included with all Cricut Cartridges is the Real Dial Size function. Every Cricut Cartridge has a character which is the largest, measured from top to bottom. This is called the Key Height Character. You can find out which character is the key height character by looking in the manual included with every Cricut Cartridges. When the Real Dial Size is turned off each shape will be cut in proportion to the largest shape. This allows lowercase letters to appear correct when lined up into a word. If the Real Dial Size is turned on then each shape will be cut according to the dial size and not the largest character in the cartridge.

The shift button allows you access to the alternate shape on a key. For the Font line of Cricut Cartridges this usually is the uppercase letter. For shapes it could be any number of items. Please refer to you included cartridge handbook for shapes accessible with the shift key.

Shift lock accesses the same shapes as shift but allows you to do so on multiple key presses. This is useful for typing words in all uppercase letters.

Space and Backspace work just like they do on a computer’s keyboard.

Clear Display completely wipes out whatever is on the LCD screen. This is useful to start a new cut or to delete multiple key presses that were entered incorrectly.

The Reset All button will do the same thing as the Clear Display with the addition of setting all the settings back to their factory defaults.

Repeat Last places the last cut’s information onto the LCD screen. You can then change any setting then cut again.

Sound On/Off turns the chirp on or off. This setting is retained through a power down cycle of the Cricut machine.

Load and Unload Paper are used to insert and remove paper and the mat from the Cricut machine. Never try to do this manually. Doing so could damage the machine.

There is also a set of blade navigation keys which can be used to precisely maneuver the cutting blade where you wish to start your cut. Useful for reusing scraps of paper!

The Set Paper Size button is to be used when using pieces of paper smaller than 6″ x 12.” To use it simply load the paper and mat into the Cricut machine then navigate the blade to the upper right hand corner of the paper and press the Set Paper Size button. The Cricut will automatically measure the size of your paper and it’s size will be displayed on the LCD.

Finally, a very useful button that will save you money is the paper saver button. This allows the Cricut machine to set up the cut so as to minimize the amount of paper used. This mode is retained even when you turn the Cricut off and back on again. It really is nice that this button is included with all Cricut Cartridges

Beyond Cricut Cartridges – Other Accessories

Sammy — Sun, 11 May 2008 01:40:22 +0000

There are lots of accessories available for Cricut Machines beyond the Cricut cartridges. Many are supplied by the maker, ProvoCrafts.

The cutting mats are only good for 25 – 40 full page cuts. You should replace them when they start to lose their tackiness. Mats without their tackiness will not cut as well a new mats. The paper may even slip and ruin the paper. Cutting mats are available in three different sizes. The 6″ x 12″ mat will fit both machines. They come two to a pack. This is useful as you can have one mat cutting while working on the second mat. The 12″ x 12″ mat will also fit both machines. The largest mat is 12″ x 24″ and only fits inside the Cricut Expression Machine. This is the main difference between the two machines. The Cricut cartridges are all cross compatible. Here is my post about the differences between the Cricut Machines.

The Cutting Blades come two to a pack and last between 500 to 1500 cuts. It all depends on the paper being used. Thicker paper or cardstock will dull the blade faster. Luckily, the blades are cheap and easy to change out.

Should the blade assembly be damaged or lost you can always purchase a replacement one. Blade assemblies have a blade depth adjustment that is adjustable from one to six. Higher numbers will result in deeper cuts which are useful for thicker paper.

Replacement Cricut cartridge overlays, binders, and handbooks are available in case the original is lost or damaged. This ensures your Cricut cartridges are always ready to be used.

A handy tote is a must if you will be transporting your Cricut and Cricut cartridges. The Cricut Expression is a bit too heavy for general purpose transport. The original Cricut is perfect for transporting for the scrapbooker on the go! If you will be moving you Cricut you will want to purchase a storage box for your Cricut cartridges. They store up to 8 Cricut cartridges and are available in two colors. This is useful for organizing your collection.

Finally, a toolkit is available for helping ensure your crafts are a success.

Included in the toolkit:

A Scoop Tool
Knife Tool
Hook Tool
Scraper
Bone Folder
Scissors
Clear Ruler

Of note is the scoop tool which helps you to get your cut pieces of paper off of the tacky mat.

What are Cricut Cartridges?

Sammy — Sat, 10 May 2008 23:46:28 +0000

In this post I will be talking about what exactly a Cricut Cartridge is. I will also give some examples of the different types of Cricut Cartridges currently available.

Cricut Cartridges are small electronic cartridges that fit into the cartridge slot of you Cricut Machine. They are universal in the sense that they work with either the original Cricut or the Cricut Expression Machine. Each cartridge comes with a keyboard overlay which it placed onto the Cricut machine. This allows you to easily see what each cartridge is capable of. They also come with a handbook and a binder to store your cartridge in.

Cricut Cartridges contain all the electronic information needed to guide the Cricut Machine to cut it’s shapes. Each cartridge has it’s own style such as the printing press, which makes cut-outs that look like printing blocks, or Pooh Font Set, which is based on Disney’s classic characters.

Cricut cartridges each feature multiple Creative Features. These are different on each cartridge, with only shadow being available on every cartridge. Shadow creates a proportionally larger cut-out of each shape. This is useful for layering the shapes and letters to create a 3 dimension look to your project. Other examples of creative features are the blackout, which creates a solid cut-out of the base shape, and border, which strings together 3 of the same shape together. Not all creative features are in every cartridge.

There are currently over 50 Cricut cartridges to collect. Each one adds a unique touch on your projects. Just a few of them are:

George and Basic Shapes Cricut Cartridge (Comes with the original Cricut Machine)
Plantin Schoolbook Font Cricut Cartridge (Comes with the Cricut Expression Machine)
Accent Essentials Shape Cricut Cartridge (Comes with the Cricut Expression Machine)
Tags, Bags, Boxes, and More Cricut Cartidge
Celebrations Cricut Cartridge
Christmas Cheer Cartridge
Wedding Solutions Cricut Cartridge
Indie Art Solutions Cricut Cartridge
Word Builder: A Garden of Words Cricut Cartridge
Alphalicious Cricut Cartridges
And much, much more!

The Cricut Expression

Sammy — Mon, 05 May 2008 06:07:37 +0000

[phpbay]cricut expression cutting machine, 6, “”, “”[/phpbay]

The Cricut is a personal electronic paper cutting machine made by ProvoCraft. It can cut a wide variety of paper and cardstock up to 0.5mm thick and up to 12″ x 6″ (15.2 cm x 30.5 cm). It can even cut vellum! Each Cricut cartridge is capable of cutting shapes, letters, even phrases up to 5-1/2″ (14 cm) tall.

It has many uses ranging from scrapbooking to arts and crafts. The Cricut and Cricut cartridges will save you time and money. It allows you to work on other things while it cuts it’s shapes. Just set it up, press a button, and let it go. It doesn’t even need a computer to work!

The days of buying packages of pre-cut shapes and letters are gone. The Cricut, along with Cricut cartridges, allows you to create your own shapes and letters. What’s neat too, is that each cartridge comes with a unique keypad overlay. These allows you to see easily what each cartridge is capable of. Using the Cricut couldn’t be easier! Each Cricut cartridge also features special effects such as shadows. These allow you to create custom combinations ensuring that you can add your own personal touch to each of your projects. To see more information on all the available Cricut cartridges, please see my post here.

There are two Cricut machines currently on the market (if you can find them for sale). The Original Cricut Machine and the Cricut Expression Machine. The Original Cricut Machine (Part Number 29-0001) retails for US $299.99 It is about the size and shape of a computer printer.

The Original Cricut Machine Kit comes with:

The Original Cricut Machine
George and Basic Shapes Cricut Cartridge
User’s Manual
The Blade Assembly
A 12″ x 12″ Cutting Mat
Power Adapter
Cricut Quick Start Guide

The new model is called the Cricut Expression (Part Number 29-0300) and it retails for US $499.99. It it a much larger unit capable of cutting on the 12″ x 12″ mat or the 12″ x 24″ mat. It also can cut detailed characters as small as 0.25″! It features a much larger LCD screen which allows you to see exactly what you are typing for your next cut.

The Cricut Expression Kit comes with:

The Cricut Expression Machine
Plantin Schoolbook Font Cricut Cartridge
Accent Essentials Shape Cricut Cartridge
User’s Manual
The Blade Assembly,
A 12″ x 12″ Cutting Mat
Power Adapter
Cricut Quick Start Guide

Best of all, the Cricut Expression Machine is completely compatible with every Cricut cartridge. Even the blade assembly is cross compatible.

Note: I had hoped to cover the whole product line associated with the Cricut and Cricut cartridges in this post. I’m finding that there is too much material to cover in a single post. I will instead split this post into 3 sections: This one, a post about Cricut cartridges, and a post about all the available Cricut accessories.