Cricut Design Studio Software is a Paper Saver

First you purchased your Cricut cutting machine (the Original Cricut, Cricut Expression, or Cricut Create).  After playing with it for awhile, and wasting a lot of paper with all of your errors, you see that there is another product on the market called Cricut Design Studio.  This is a software package that you load on your computer that allows you to see what you are going to cut on your computer screen before you cut on your cricut cutter.  It lets you connect letters together, alter shapes and the list goes on and on.

The Cricut Design Studio is actually is a paper saver too since you see exactly what is going to be cut before you cut the images on your Cricut cutter.

So you break down and purchase the Cricut Design Studio software.  You open it up and see that there is a program disc, user manual on how to install the software and some basic terms and applications, a USB cable and a cute cricut mouse pad.  You load the software in your computer and then if you are like me you said “Now what the heck do I do next?”

Here are just a few things that have helped me with the Cricut Design Studio software and hopefully it will help you too.

1. Cricut Design Studio has all of the cartridges that are available loaded into this program.  And what is really cool is that if you see that a new cartridge was just released, no need to purchase any new software, you can go online and update your software so you have the latest version available.

By having the Cricut Design Studio software, you can actually see all the images from each cartridge and this may help you decide if you would like to purchase that cartridge.

Note:  Just because you see all the cartridges available on the Cricut Design Studio software, you must physically have that specific cartridge loaded in your machine in order to cut the images.

2. The manual refers to Welding.  Welding is connecting images or letters together.  Just remember if you want to connect, you have to check the box for welding on your screen.

Welding is very helpful if you are typing phrases for your scrapbook or greeting card.  It is sometimes a pain to adhere individual letters on your paper to make your phrase.  You need to make sure that your lines are straight and letters are evenly spaced but with the welding feature it is just one piece of paper that you need to worry about, all the spacing and straightening is all done for you.

3.  Another great feature on the Cricut Design Studio software is that you can use more than one cartridge when creating a design.

For example:  You are creating a banner that says Happy Birthday Paul.  You decide to use the Jasmine cartridge for the words Happy Birthday but want the Tear Drop cartridge for the word Paul.  With the Cricut Design Studio software that is no problem.  When the Cricut is cutting it will tell you what cartridge to load in your Cricut cutter.  Now how cool is that.

Your creativity can go wild with the Cricut Design Studio software.  The possibilities are endless.

Cricut Design Studio Bonus Pak Software – $ 84.09
This software lets you take your Cricut creativity to a new level. Use the software with the original Cricut or the Expression machine and cartridges. Using the on-screen cutting mat you can modify designs by moving, reorganizing, rotating, resizing, skewing and welding letters from available cartridges. Requirements: Window XP or Vista, min of 512MB Ram, min of 100MB HD, CD/DVD-ROM, USB 1.1

Make it a Great Day and don’t forget to leave time to Craft!

What is the difference between A Cricut Cutter and a Cricut Cutting Machine?

The answer is nothing.

The Cricut cutter or also known as the Cricut Cutting Machine, Baby Bug, Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter, or Original Cricut, is the greatest thing that has come to the market for creating endless possibilities for all of those crafters out there.  If you are into scrapbooking, card making, handmade party decorations, school projects that take all weekend cutting out shapes and letters, and the list goes on and on, this Cricut cutter is for you.

First of all, speaking from someone who used to love her QuicKutz Squeeze, this Cricut cutter “die-cut” machine surpasses it by a mile.  The Cricut cutter is lightweight and easy to use. It also has a handle for easy carrying.  No computer is required. The Cricut cutting machine simply plugs into any normal wall outlet. Besides the blade and Cricut cutting mat that comes with the Cricut cutting machine, you need a Cricut cartridge. The machine usually comes with two cartridges, a font cartridge and a shapes cartridge to get you started.

The Cricut cartridges are also small and lightweight, and each comes with a simple keypad overlay, and manual to make it easy to use. Although some may say that the cartridges can be a little pricey (I have seen them priced from $39 all the way up to $100), they are well worth the cost if you consider the fact that each cartridge has hundreds of designs that can be used in virtually thousands of styles and sizes, all in one cartridge. On the Cricut cutter you can cut from 1″ to 5.5″.  No more storing hundreds of die cut plates, which come in bulky sizes.  Another positive is you will have more space in your craft room.

Also available are replacement blades and mats at reasonable prices, and other accessories such as tools and carrying cases.

I personally think that the Cricut cutter is by far a best investment you can make for your crafting needs!

Are there Bugs in the Cricut Expressions Machine?

There is one bug that you don’t want to call an exterminator for.

That is the bug you will get when you purchase a Cricut Expressions Machine!

The Cricut Expressions Machine has got to be the best die cut machine on the market.  With other machines you usually have to do a lot of squeezing, turn a crank, or slide something back and forth, and all you end up with is a cut piece of paper.  The Cricut Expression Machine does all this work for you.  All you need to do is pick out the image you want, pick the size that you want that image to be, add the paper to the Cricut cutting mat, then press the CUT button on your keypad and the Cricut Expressions Machine starts cutting your image.

Now, if that’s not super easy to do then what is?  In minutes or should I say seconds, you have the perfect size, color, image that you want.

Let’s say that you go to your local craft store looking for a die cut of a pink cat.  Most likely you’ll not find it, and if you do is it the right size? The right color pink?  With the Cricut Expressions Machine you pick out the paper color you want, the size that you want from .25″ to 23.5″, and the image of a cat from one of the many Cricut Cartridges.

Don’t Hesitate – for the best in all your crafting desires – go get one now!