| Before investing your hard earned money into a die | | | | The Cricut cartridge George and Basic Shapes has six |
| cutting system, you need to do your research. There | | | | creative features. Sign, Slotted, Charm, Silhouette, |
| are various models on the market and after much | | | | Shadow and Shadow Blackout. |
| consideration this is the one I have chosen and why. | | | | Sign - imagine a picket sign with a letter or shape cut |
| The Cricut Personal cutter machine manufactured by | | | | out |
| ProvoCraft is a fantastic edition to your scrapbooking | | | | Slotted - Oval circle, a slot cut at the top to thread |
| tools. There are a few different Cricut Personal | | | | ribbon or twine |
| cutters. The Cricut Expressions can cut 12x 24 inch | | | | Charm - Your shape or letter cut with a circle |
| size papers. The Cricut Original cuts 6x12 inch paper. | | | | attached at the top, so you can attach the letter using |
| The Cricut cutting mat has a mild adhesive and holds | | | | a brad to your layout |
| your paper in place whilst the cutting is performed. | | | | Silhouette - cuts the outline of your letter or shape. |
| Each Cricut machine comes with a cartridge, the Cricut | | | | Great for the budget conscious as you are able to |
| Original comes with George & Basic Shapes and | | | | keep the negative cut of your letter and use it on |
| it is a fundamental cartridge, which combines capital | | | | another layout. |
| alphabet called George and a selection of shapes. | | | | Shadow - Cuts the letters or shapes, slightly large than |
| Each cartridge consists of a cartridge, a keypad | | | | normal, these can then be used behind the normal size |
| overlay and some come with an instruction booklet. So | | | | letter, giving the appearance of a shadow and a 3D |
| once you have unpacked your new Cricut Personal | | | | effect to your title. This feature is on all of the Cricut |
| cutter you can start experimenting straight away. | | | | cartridges. |
| Down the track you further expand the functionality of | | | | Shadow Blackout - similar to shadow except where |
| your Cricut machine, with other Cricut cartridges. | | | | there would be a cut out in the middle of an 0 for |
| ProvoCraft is releasing new Cricut Cartridges each | | | | instance, shadow blackout simply creates the outside |
| year and they have wide range of themes, from | | | | shadow and no cutout inside the 0 |
| alphabets, sports, in the garden through to Disney | | | | With so many different Cricut cartridges available, you |
| characters. | | | | need to investigate the features of each one before |
| On the Cricut Personal cutter you can adjust blade | | | | your purchase, to ensure that you will get enough use |
| depth, pressure and cutting speed. This helps when | | | | from each investment. Consider if they offer just |
| cutting different materials. Slowing down the cutting | | | | shapes or alphabet and shapes. I have purchased a |
| speed gives a better result with more fragile | | | | few shapes cartridges and because the shapes were |
| scrapbooking paper, whilst using medium pressure | | | | so intricate, I was not particularly bothered that |
| gives a crisper cut on scrapbooking cardstock as | | | | Christmas Cheer Cricut cartridge did not come with an |
| opposed to the softest pressure setting. | | | | alphabet. The Christmas Cheer cartridge is one I would |
| You can cut letters and shapes by adjusting the size | | | | not be without. |
| dial from 1 up to 5 ½ inch. The sizes available | | | | ProvoCraft has also released a more robust cutting |
| are 1, 1¼, 1½, 2, 2½, 3, 3½, 4, | | | | blade, which can cut up to 1.5 mm thickness. This |
| 4½, 5, 5½. | | | | means that all of the Provo Cricut Personal cutters, |
| The ability to load the scrapbooking paper, cut a few | | | | with this new blade, are able to cut chipboard, vinyl, |
| letters, unload the paper and then reload to exactly the | | | | fabric and magnetic sheets. |
| point you were up to, saves both time and paper. | | | | |