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Post by maryland on Dec 1, 2021 14:51:14 GMT
I also posted on scrapbook board, but not sure if it's as busy this board.
I haven't scrapbooked in so long but want to start. It looks like cricuts are on sale but I don't know what to buy. I would use it for scrapbooking and labels for around the house, pantry and containers. Any recommendations?
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Post by christine58 on Dec 1, 2021 14:55:49 GMT
I also posted on scrapbook board, but not sure if it's as busy this board.
I haven't scrapbooked in so long but want to start. It looks like cricuts are on sale but I don't know what to buy. I would use it for scrapbooking and labels for around the house, pantry and containers. Any recommendations?
Link what’s on sale. Then I can tell you better I have the cricut air 2 explore. |
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Post by idahomom on Dec 1, 2021 15:06:42 GMT
I have the Maker and love it. I'm completely addicted and can't go a day without crafting. I was just a paper crafter and had the original Cricut with cartridges. My kids got me the Maker for Mother's Day this year. I'm making door signs and serving trays and painting the words with a stencil cut with the Maker, glass blocks with fairy lights inside and vinyl designs on the outside, lots of iron-on projects. I've branched out so much more since getting a Maker. Here are a couple of recents.   |
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Post by idahomom on Dec 1, 2021 15:14:49 GMT
I almost forgot - PAPER FLOWERS - My FAVORITE thing to make!   |
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Post by nightnurse on Dec 1, 2021 15:19:45 GMT
I recommend the explore air 2. I’m still using that and it does everything I want. The maker is a lot more expensive and if you’re going to be doing paper and vinyl, it will meet your needs. If money is no object, then go for the maker in case you want to upgrade to the fancy stuff
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Post by disneypal on Dec 1, 2021 15:34:55 GMT
I know it is tiny but I just love the Cricut Joy - it is the perfect size for me - I use it mostly for scrapbooking & card making.
I don't find that the size is limiting at all (for my use, anyway). Those that say it is limiting may not own one so don't really know or they use their Cricut more for larger items, like making T-Shirts and such. So, if you want to make bigger projects (such as t-shirts or cuts larger than 6"), then my suggestion would be the Explore Air 2. This chart may help you decide
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Post by christine58 on Dec 1, 2021 15:43:52 GMT
I would not get the Joy. You’re limited in size. I agree with the person that said if you’re just looking to cut vinyl and paper to go with the cricut explore air two. Unless you get a great deal on the maker but if you’re not gonna cut wood or ash glass then go with the cricut explore
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melissa
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,912 
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Post by melissa on Dec 1, 2021 17:48:38 GMT
I just ordered the Air Explore 2. I think Joann Fabrics has the best price at $149 with a bunch of stuff included. I found it for the same price but without all the sample vinyl and tools,
I seriously debated between that and the Maker which cuts even more things but decided that I am unlikely to be cutting or engraving very often.
I ordered it on Nov 27. It should be here by Dec 3, faster than I expected. Was kicking myself for being indecisive between the two machines (and continually checking prices elsewhere) because I could have picked it up in store if I ordered it when I first saw the ad
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Post by mikewozowski on Dec 1, 2021 17:59:20 GMT
i have the maker. i don't use it to cut all the things you can cut with it, but i can if i want. if you have the money, get that. if you are not sure how much you will you can get the other one. don't forget transfer tape!
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Post by maryland on Dec 1, 2021 18:02:15 GMT
I just ordered the Air Explore 2. I think Joann Fabrics has the best price at $149 with a bunch of stuff included. I found it for the same price but without all the sample vinyl and tools, I seriously debated between that and the Maker which cuts even more things but decided that I am unlikely to be cutting or engraving very often. I ordered it on Nov 27. It should be here by Dec 3, faster than I expected. Was kicking myself for being indecisive between the two machines (and continually checking prices elsewhere) because I could have picked it up in store if I ordered it when I first saw the ad I saw it for $169, but couldn't find the $149 cricut. Maybe they are sold out? Do you know if the $169 is the one with the extras? I was also looking at Cricut explore Air 2 at JoAnn's. |
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peabrain
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,588
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Post by peabrain on Dec 1, 2021 18:12:56 GMT
Can I post my Cricut question here too please?
I have one of the first Cricuts from when I scrapbooked ages ago. My mother bought my dd an Explore 2 on Black Friday. She may be interested in making t shirts. I saw the Easy Press. Is that worth buying? I was looking at the 9x9 one but would I regret not getting the bigger 12x10?
Also any feedback on the mug maker thing? I think I would find that neat but wanted to know what ya'll thought. Thank you
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Post by nightnurse on Dec 1, 2021 19:13:56 GMT
Can I post my Cricut question here too please? I have one of the first Cricuts from when I scrapbooked ages ago. My mother bought my dd an Explore 2 on Black Friday. She may be interested in making t shirts. I saw the Easy Press. Is that worth buying? I was looking at the 9x9 one but would I regret not getting the bigger 12x10? Also any feedback on the mug maker thing? I think I would find that neat but wanted to know what ya'll thought. Thank you I’m not a fan of the easy press though others love it. You still have to supply some of the pressure yourslef. I recommend a heat press. I got one for about $150 on Amazon and it has changed my t shirt making. So much easier and more reliable! I do not have a mug press b again hear great things |
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peabrain
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,588
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Post by peabrain on Dec 1, 2021 19:19:21 GMT
Can I post my Cricut question here too please? I have one of the first Cricuts from when I scrapbooked ages ago. My mother bought my dd an Explore 2 on Black Friday. She may be interested in making t shirts. I saw the Easy Press. Is that worth buying? I was looking at the 9x9 one but would I regret not getting the bigger 12x10? Also any feedback on the mug maker thing? I think I would find that neat but wanted to know what ya'll thought. Thank you I’m not a fan of the easy press though others love it. You still have to supply some of the pressure yourslef. I recommend a heat press. I got one for about $150 on Amazon and it has changed my t shirt making. So much easier and more reliable! I do not have a mug press b again hear great things Thank you! |
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Post by beepdave on Dec 1, 2021 19:22:50 GMT
Can I post my Cricut question here too please? I have one of the first Cricuts from when I scrapbooked ages ago. My mother bought my dd an Explore 2 on Black Friday. She may be interested in making t shirts. I saw the Easy Press. Is that worth buying? I was looking at the 9x9 one but would I regret not getting the bigger 12x10? Also any feedback on the mug maker thing? I think I would find that neat but wanted to know what ya'll thought. Thank you I’m not a fan of the easy press though others love it. You still have to supply some of the pressure yourslef. I recommend a heat press. I got one for about $150 on Amazon and it has changed my t shirt making. So much easier and more reliable! I do not have a mug press b again hear great things Get a clamshell heat press. Don't waste the money on the Easy Press if you plan to do shirts regularly. |
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Post by disneypal on Dec 1, 2021 19:31:08 GMT
Can I post my Cricut question here too please? I have one of the first Cricuts from when I scrapbooked ages ago. My mother bought my dd an Explore 2 on Black Friday. She may be interested in making t shirts. I saw the Easy Press. Is that worth buying? I was looking at the 9x9 one but would I regret not getting the bigger 12x10? Also any feedback on the mug maker thing? I think I would find that neat but wanted to know what ya'll thought. Thank you
If your DD is planning on making T-Shirt than I think the Easy Press is worth it - personally, I think the 9x9 is the best size...it is easier to handle and most T-Shirt images are not going to be larger than that. Even if they are larger than that, the 9x9 can handle it. I think you'd be happier with that size. While a heat press is great if you make a lot of shirts, I just don't have the space for it - I need something that stores away easily but if your DD has the room for it, a heat press (other than the Easy Press) may be a good choice.
I don't really know about the mug. I'm not a mug person and I don't give them as gifts so it wasn't worth it to me. I don't make any items to sell - just for personal use. If you plan on selling them or giving away as gifts it may be worth it to you but be aware that you also need to buy the Cricut mugs to use in the machine - they are not a bad price, I don't believe, but you can't just use any mug.
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Post by papersilly on Dec 1, 2021 19:35:45 GMT
I’m not a fan of the easy press though others love it. You still have to supply some of the pressure yourslef. I recommend a heat press. I got one for about $150 on Amazon and it has changed my t shirt making. So much easier and more reliable! I do not have a mug press b again hear great things i have a friend who teaches cricut classes at our local Joann. she said NOT to get the Easy Press either. she said to get the ones that t-shirt makers use. those clamshell style ones. they heat up better and are more efficient. she also teaches sublimation classes for the mugs and t-shirts. said the Cricut mug maker is a waste of money. you can find other mug machines that are better and don't cost as much. she owns and knows a lot about all the machines out there so i trust her opinion. she's my go-to person when new products come out. |
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Post by Basket1lady on Dec 1, 2021 19:53:09 GMT
I throw a wrench into the conversation and recommend a Silhouette model. The software is considered easier to use and more powerful. The software is free to download and you can try it out before buying. The software can also be used offline and doesn’t require a subscription.
There are TONS of threads about this on the scrapbooking board—just do a search.
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Post by maryland on Dec 1, 2021 20:22:39 GMT
I throw a wrench into the conversation and recommend a Silhouette model. The software is considered easier to use and more powerful. The software is free to download and you can try it out before buying. The software can also be used offline and doesn’t require a subscription. There are TONS of threads about this on the scrapbooking board—just do a search. I have tried so many times, but cannot figure out how to use the search function on this board. I get so frustrated trying. But I will look at reviews for everything everyone has mentioned and go from there. I can't justify spending a lot as I haven't scrapbooked in so long. But hopefully I can find something for around $150 that works to print stuff for scrapbooking and labels.
I didn't know you had to have a subscription for the cricut. Now I don't know if this will be worth it for me. I am on a tight budget for the next few years.
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Post by christine58 on Dec 1, 2021 20:25:17 GMT
I throw a wrench into the conversation and recommend a Silhouette model. The software is considered easier to use and more powerful. The software is free to download and you can try it out before buying. The software can also be used offline and doesn’t require a subscription. There are TONS of threads about this on the scrapbooking board—just do a search. I have tried so many times, but cannot figure out how to use the search function on this board. I get so frustrated trying. But I will look at reviews for everything everyone has mentioned and go from there. I can't justify spending a lot as I haven't scrapbooked in so long. But hopefully I can find something for around $150 that works to print stuff for scrapbooking and labels.
I didn't know you had to have a subscription for the cricut. Now I don't know if this will be worth it for me. I am on a tight budget for the next few years.
You don’t. A lot of the images etc are free. |
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Post by beepdave on Dec 1, 2021 20:28:53 GMT
I throw a wrench into the conversation and recommend a Silhouette model. The software is considered easier to use and more powerful. The software is free to download and you can try it out before buying. The software can also be used offline and doesn’t require a subscription. There are TONS of threads about this on the scrapbooking board—just do a search. I have tried so many times, but cannot figure out how to use the search function on this board. I get so frustrated trying. But I will look at reviews for everything everyone has mentioned and go from there. I can't justify spending a lot as I haven't scrapbooked in so long. But hopefully I can find something for around $150 that works to print stuff for scrapbooking and labels.
I didn't know you had to have a subscription for the cricut. Now I don't know if this will be worth it for me. I am on a tight budget for the next few years.
See if this link works - it should take you to all the threads that discuss a silhouette (and most likely the cricut as well.) 2peasrefugees.boards.net/board/3/general-scrapbooking-papercrafting?q=silhouette |
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Post by marysue63 on Dec 1, 2021 20:37:54 GMT
Cricut veteran here!
These are my opinions on all the above.
1. Don't get a Joy. To me it's just a remake of their original Cricut. They moved to a larger cutting area for a reason.
2. Get the Maker if you can afford it. You might not use all the features now but you might in the future.
3. I think the mug press is a waste of money, how many mugs does a person need?
4. I have a 9x9 easy press and am happy with it. I agree that a clam shell heat press would be nice I just don't have that kind of room.
5. You don't need a subscription to use Design Space. There are tons of free images in DS, plus a gazillion available on the internets for free download. Same thing with fonts. I can count on one hand how many times I've had to pay for an image. But as a disclaimer I do own a lot of the old cartridges which I uploaded into DS for my use.
Good luck!
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akkaren
Junior Member
Posts: 74
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Post by akkaren on Dec 1, 2021 20:51:38 GMT
I would research a lot and think very hard about how you will use it before making an investment in a Cricut. I recently bought an Explorer 3. I am enjoying making ornaments with it. It is an expensive investment to purchase all the product to use it, unless its just paper. It is not easy to use, a few years ago I had neither the money nor the patience for such a hobby. I was a big scrapper and I love crafting but the Cricut takes it to a whole new level.
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Post by Basket1lady on Dec 1, 2021 21:45:59 GMT
I would research a lot and think very hard about how you will use it before making an investment in a Cricut. I recently bought an Explorer 3. I am enjoying making ornaments with it. It is an expensive investment to purchase all the product to use it, unless its just paper. It is not easy to use, a few years ago I had neither the money nor the patience for such a hobby. I was a big scrapper and I love crafting but the Cricut takes it to a whole new level. There’s a learning curve to using a Silhouette model as well. I used a lot of my ugly paper experimenting! It’s important to use the right paper with a digital cutter. You want a low rag composition and paper with at least one side cuts best. Bassil does ok, but I try to use either American Crafts or the Michael’s 50 count packs when using my digital machine. Vinyl and HTV cuts like butter! I don’t have an EasyPress or a clamshell press. I use a very good iron and Teflon sheets. The key is to get the surface hot enough to melt the vinyl, but not so hot that it loses its structure. I have a good, high wattage iron that gets hot enough and the Teflon sheets both protect the project surface and distribute the heat. I’ve never had a design lift, but a $20 household iron isn’t going to do the job. |
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rgibson
Full Member
Posts: 467
Apr 26, 2021 22:49:21 GMT
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Post by rgibson on Dec 1, 2021 22:06:02 GMT
Funny timing - I just spent the day with a friend and her new Explore Air 2. I have the original Cricut and use it a few times a month, mostly to make cut outs for cards. I had looked at one of the new ones off and on but couldn't really justify the cost.
This new machine is so cool and I am going to seriously look into buying one. We made some stickers from images we uploaded, we made a 3D card, we made a card using the text feature and a cut out using print and cut - so much fun!!
I looked into the Maker but it would be a stretch for my budget so I'll go with the Expression.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Dec 2, 2021 2:04:22 GMT
Cricut veteran here! These are my opinions on all the above. 1. Don't get a Joy. To me it's just a remake of their original Cricut. They moved to a larger cutting area for a reason. 2. Get the Maker if you can afford it. You might not use all the features now but you might in the future. 3. I think the mug press is a waste of money, how many mugs does a person need? 4. I have a 9x9 easy press and am happy with it. I agree that a clam shell heat press would be nice I just don't have that kind of room. 5. You don't need a subscription to use Design Space. There are tons of free images in DS, plus a gazillion available on the internets for free download. Same thing with fonts. I can count on one hand how many times I've had to pay for an image. But as a disclaimer I do own a lot of the old cartridges which I uploaded into DS for my use. Good luck! Number 5 is important you don’t have to pay for anything to use it there are tons of free files available and design space is free. Access costs money if you use their shapes but there are other options snd it can cut all the fonts you have on your machine same as a silhouette. |
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Post by Scrapper100 on Dec 2, 2021 2:09:42 GMT
I have to add I don’t use mine often but every time I do I think wow that was easy and I should use it more. I have an air 2. I don’t do anything fancy and often use free svgs it files from someone else. Whatever you decide I hope you have fun.
I have used HTV a few times on T-shirts snd aprons and bought an easy press. An iron just wasn’t cutting it but I don’t make a lot so it’s fine for me vs a heat press. I also don’t have room for one.
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Nanner
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,962
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Post by Nanner on Dec 2, 2021 2:12:55 GMT
I have a Silhouette and like it. I actually bought it 5 years ago and it sat, still new in the box, for 4 or 5 years, until I opened it last spring.
I just bought a mug press, but there are no sublimation mugs in stock anywhere around here, and Michaels just cancelled my order (grr. I believe my kids are getting me the easy press for Christmas. I've told DH I need an Epson Ecotank that I can convert to a sublimation printer because true sub printers here are stupid expensive. I'll start using it all in the new year, but I'm looking forward to it.
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Post by papersilly on Dec 2, 2021 2:22:49 GMT
I looked into the Maker but it would be a stretch for my budget so I'll go with the Expression. Costco has the Maker Bundle on sale right now for (I think) $247.00 |
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caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,448
Location: So Cal
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Post by caangel on Dec 2, 2021 3:35:21 GMT
I have tried so many times, but cannot figure out how to use the search function on this board. I get so frustrated trying. But I will look at reviews for everything everyone has mentioned and go from there. I can't justify spending a lot as I haven't scrapbooked in so long. But hopefully I can find something for around $150 that works to print stuff for scrapbooking and labels. [Quote\] _----------------- Sorry messed up the quote! Just to clarify none of the cricut or Silhouette machines print. They are cutting machines. I think you can replace the blade with a pen/marker but it is different from printing. I believe you can print on a regular printer and the use a machine to cut. But I have an ancient Cricut expressions so will let others share about that. When I'm ready to upgrade I'll be getting a silhouette machine. Cricut has done way too many shady things for me to reinvest. |
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Post by Scrapper100 on Dec 2, 2021 3:43:12 GMT
I looked into the Maker but it would be a stretch for my budget so I'll go with the Expression. Costco has the Maker Bundle on sale right now for (I think) $247.00 It’s sold out.  I looked yesterday. |
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I looked yesterday.