Cricut- which one is best for me?

OK crafty ladies. I'm thinking about getting a cricut to do some DIY art around the house and for random craft projects (labels for the holidays, gifts, signs, etc.)

I really have never used one before and I'm not sure which one would be best for me. Anyone have any suggestions??

Re: Cricut- which one is best for me?

I love my expression (I also have a V1). It cuts up to 11 1/2 inches and has a lot of great features. I also have a gypsy (which allows me to design and set up my mat and then I connect it to the cricut to cut). If you are sure you want a cricut, then I would go with that. My V1 is my back-up cutter and is a great machine. Only limitations for me is the size, but I cut out a lot of cards and need to cut larger than 5 1/2 inches.

Cricut is easy to use with a very small learning curve, personally though, if I was buying a die cutter today, I would go with a computer based system - either a wishblade or a Silhouette. There's also craft-robo and pazzles. So many more options and you are not stuck with a full cartridge for a handful of images.

I use a third party program called Make the Cut. It is no longer available for the cricut but I use it so much more than any of my cartridges, and I am a huge paper crafter - running a small business making cards, invitations and decorations. If I need a specific image during a project, if it's not in the programs library, then all I have to do is search the web and I can either find an image to import or there are so many sites that sell SVG files (the type that it cuts) for just a few dollars. Much better than spending a small fortune on a cartridge and using a couple of the images. Plus, I have it available right away instead of waiting to go to the store and paying full price (stores don't accept coupons on cricut items) or ordering online and waiting 3-4 days. Again, with a business I don't have time to wait and I do my crafting after the kids have gone to sleep.

Probably more than you needed to know, but I wish I had known the full deal on the cartridges before hand. I have a collection of cartridges that I bought specifically for an image or two for a project. That's a lot of money spent. But I got it as a gift and I really do love it.

Re: Cricut- which one is best for me?

Re: Cricut- which one is best for me?

Get the expression. I have the smaller one and I wish I could cut bigger. You can get good deals on carts on eBay. Walmart usually has a sale on black Friday. I have Sure Cuts A Lot software but I don't know if they still sell it.

Re: Cricut- which one is best for me?

Re: Cricut- which one is best for me?

I would think long and hard before buying a Cricut. There are a bunch of other machines on the market (notably the Silhouette and the eCraft) that allow you to use Make the Cut or Sure Cuts a Lot to cut virtually anything you want. If you really want a cartridge based system, consider the Eclips by Sizzix. I am confident that the two software companies will be upgrading in the near future to permit owners of that machine to use the software.

I have an Expression, and honestly if I knew before I got it at Christmas what was going on with Provo Craft and MTC & SCAL I would not have purchased it.

Re: Cricut- which one is best for me?