The Cricut Expression Saves Money and Time – But A Word Of Caution!
You’ve probably heard of the Cricut Expression by now, but you may not have heard the “bad” news. Sure, it will cut most all craft papers, foils, vinyl, foam…the Cricut Expression cutting machine will even cut chipboard into various shapes with ease and accuracy…
Of course you’ve heard it is a versatile die cutter, with all the fun shapes and letters most scrapbookers can’t live without, or those who are into stamping, making cards and gifts (and the most adorable home decor and classroom accessories that you can dream of)…this is almost “old news” at this point.
Buyer beware before you purchase the Cricut Expression.
What’s this “bad news,” you ask? It will turn you into an idea machine, an idea bank, and will make you restless until you can decorate something. Once you have begun to use your Cricut, you might not know when to stop.
The “proof” is in the pudding, listen to what just one happy crafter had to say:
I’ve instantly become addicted to paper crafting and buying new cartridges and accessories. Provo Craft is coming out with so many cute new cartridges!
She’s not alone! Maybe you’ve heard “the buzz” about the Cricut Expression, it has really taken the crafting world by storm just like its predecessor, the Cricut Personal Cutting Machine. It would be hard to miss either machine, and for good reason.
Cricut Expression: How This Machine Crafts Community
Or, another fitting title would be: Where my Cricut Expressions Addiction Began :) This is a personal story of my own introduction to Cricut Expression, if you want, you can scroll down to the next section for What Comes With The Cricut Expression.
If you’re anything at all like myself, you’re at least mildly skeptical. Something can’t possibly be “that good,” right? I thought it was all just hype myself, until I was invited to use it at a friend’s house.
Let’s face it, the Cricut personal cutter was everywhere when it launched, and still is: on HSN, on commercials, in all the major department stores. It was hard to miss, and at the time it first came out, I decided I didn’t need it, I’d use scissors and manual dies.
Well.
That was before I was invited by my scrapbooking friends to a scrapbooking “marathon,” a fun all-nighter. It was brilliant, too – one of the ladies had a bridal shower she was throwing for a friend, and decided she’d invite a bunch of us over to help with some final decorations.
We were scrapbookers with a mission!
The plan was that we could help bail her out, at least that’s what I thought. Well it turned out that she also had just purchased the Cricut, and that machine sold me once I saw how easy it was to use, and I didn’t let it show then, but…
I was jealous. I mean, yes, I had every sort of shears, every pattern of die you could want: circle-cutters, corner rounds…But that little machine that I scoffed at made my shears jealous.
On a more serious note: since that night these ladies have become some of my closest friends. That night has turned out to become one of the brightest moments of moving to this area, and that’s not an exaggeration.
Friendship and Community Came From My Cricut Expression
This has been the case for me, and a real, heart-felt bonus. I’ve met some of the nicest people in my life through that “rescue the bridal shower” party!
This is what one person has said about her Cricut Expression, and she captures the essence of the effect the machine has had in my own experience:
I was able to whip up a really cute, sweet get well card for a friend and I mailed it to her and it totally made her day! I never would have been able to make such a cute, professional looking card without my cricut. I am addicted to making cards for any occasion possible! It’s so much fun … any excuse to use my Cricut is great!
I did want to share a bit more about one lady in particular, call her “Joy.”
Joy invited me to the scrapbooking community here, we had just moved to this area thanks to a job-related relocation. We didn’t have many connections in the area, and Joy one day invited me to this scrapbooking event that turned into a night full of conversation and creativity (and some of the best-looking party favors of any bridal shower, thank you very much!).
Joy is one of the craftiest, most admirable people I know, surely you know the type:
- Ususally seen wearing a broad, warm smile.
- Always “armed” with something nice to say or some helpful advice
- The kind of person that exudes class without looking down her nose.
That’s Joy.
On every holiday, (and even my birthday that first year when I hardly knew her at the time) Joy presents people with these adorable cards that I had thought she hand-crafted. I was impressed to say the least!
I aksed myself, How did she find the time to do all of that?
Then I thought to myself that there was no possible way that she made all of her crafts by hand, these cards were intricate in design, cut perfectly and with various ellipticals and layers – these were professional-grade gifts.
I watched her admiring from afar as she’d do this for everyone:
- Birthday party cards
- Baby announcements
- Baby showers
- Get Well cards
- Graduation cards
- Congratulation cards
- Welcome Home cards
What I learned was this:
The Cricut Expression Was Joy’s Secret
Joy delivered more than cards, she also used her Cricut for a host of other crafts, and we now do a lot of this together:
- Scrapbooking
- Party Favors
- Party Decorations
- Classroom Billboards
- Home Decorations
Maybe now you have some idea of why so many people get involved with this circle of friends who are all interested in their Cricut Expressions. If you have any doubts, you should see the forum as well – what fun! Great people and wonderful ideas. Again: it’s addicting fun!
What I’ve seen is how versatile a machine it is, and how many windows of opportunities it opens up. From starting friendships, to helping those in need – even making money selling professional-looking crafts or just making someone’s day, the Cricut Expression is an investment in other people more than anything.
What Comes With The Cricut Expression?
What you will find when you order the Cricut Expression is the machine itself, which offers up to 24″ of cutting capability. If you’ve been using the older models then you’ll recognize that as a definite upgrade to an already great tool!
You will also receive a cartridge for your fonts – and which one depends on what promotionals are going on, which link you use on my site, but know that you’ll have a fonts cartridge and usually a shapes cartridge. See the “bundles” section below.
One purchasing tip:
Make sure you get the 12 X 24 inch mat if you want to make the most out of your Cricut Expression, you can find that in one of the bundle packages (see below). You can always order it separately using our links as well.Be sure to check here first for good deals on your Cricut Expression bundle!
You can buy the Cricut Expression Here for the Best Price
What are some of the features of the Cricut Expression machine, and how do they benefit me?
One of the features is the 24-inch cutting size. The benefits are pretty clear, I’d say – whereas the older Cricuts and competing tools are limited to 6″ card stock or even 12″ – with this tool you are not limited to size.
Need something cut larger than the 24″ mat? This is possible with the Expression as long as you have Design Studio. You will cut 1/2 of the image in the first cut, and the remaining in the second pass. Great for decorating classrooms, home decor, signage, pep rallies and spirit week for school events, for instance!
Mix and match cuts so that you can cut multiple shapes, not just one shape. This will save time on production, and save money on less wasted craft materials! Another score!
Re-Use Existing Cricut Cartridges Save money because you don’t need to buy a custom set of cartridges if you’re upgrading from another Cricut model, and for those who have a growing library of cartridges, this is a big bonus!
Also, if this is your first Provocraft cutting machine, you don’t need to worry about the heavy dies that you might be used to in other systems. The dies will wear out, whereas the cartridges (which will wear out in time) come with hundreds of shapes loaded on them.
The benefit to you is that you remain in control of your crafts. You don’t need to be limited by what the art store carries, nor how many hundreds of ways you can use the same, tired design – mix it up!
Cut portrait, or flip it for landscape so that you can cut larger images. No need to worry about running out of space, and you can take full advantage of the spacious 24″ cutting space.
No computer? No worries! As mentioned, the Cricut Expression doesn’t need to use the PC, you use the cartridges for the designs you want. This increases portability for your crafting projects, and allows you to go to a friend’s house for a night of fun and crafting.
The LCD screen will tell you in advance what you are about to do – great for saving money on costly mistakes!
Multi-Cut
“Auto-Fill” feature With this, you can really get the most use out of your craft media, and reduce waste and production time! What this feature does – and I love it personally – it allows you to select the size of the image and the quantity.
Say you wanted to make 100 Christmas cards, and you were using a Christmas tree in all of them. Rather than guess how many of them you could squeeze on a sheet, you can just let the Cricut Expression machine think for you and remove the guesswork! It couldn’t get any easier than hitting a few buttons, could it?
“Flip feature” will allow you to flip your images – which you’ll use more than you realize, trust me! It’s really great for symmetrical designs or just to customize a project without worrying about using another cartridge. It opens up yet another avenue of creativity.
Cricut Design Studio is another way to get the most out of the Expression, as it allows you to preview and design any shape in the cartridge library! The machine will ask you to insert the appropriate cartridges only when it’s time to cut (a huge time saver). This is truly a must, although it’s not included in most bundles.
Want in on the fun already? Why wait – Join 1000′s of Others In Cricut Expressions!
How Does the Cricut Expression Machine Compare To Its Competition?
The truth is – in our opinion – this machine is the best cutting machine for any hobbyist, professional, or crafty home owner, and many agree. Here’s how the Expression stacks up against the competition:
Cricut Expression cutting machine VERSUS:
The Cricut Personal
Thought the personal version was great for scrapbooking, and making cards – it was limited in size and therefore not as versatile as the Expression. It only cut up to 5-1/2 inches.
Simply put, the personal can’t compete with the Expression. The feature such as the LCD screen being more informative, without the features that will save paper like the Expression.
Slice
Cannot compete, either, for much the same reasons. The other issue with Slice is that you will need to hold the machine in place during cuts, you don’t have to babysit the Expression, you can set it and walk out of the room. Also, the Cricut Expression offers a wider selection of cartridges.
Sizzix
One of my girlfriends has said that “the Sizzix is a kindergartener, and the Expression is a PhD,” to which I had to laugh! The fact is that the Sizzix is decent for very, very basic use. If you are going to spend the money on a Sizzix, in my opinion – save up just a little more and you’ll be so glad you did years down the road.
If you are a dedicated crafter, scrapbooker, or stamper – whatever your plans are for this machine, you cannot compare with its versatility, speed and ease. I love-love-love this machine, it’s opened up a lot of doors for me creatively that I was restricted in before.
Could I (you) do all of this manually? It would be possible, sure, but not consistent, nor as quick.
One thing’s for sure, without the Cricut Expression, I’d probably have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Ladies in my group that have hand injuries, arthritis or repetitive stress injuries of some sort have mentioned that to me, and I’m thankful I don’t have to give up crafting because of those injuries.
With the Cricut Expression, RSI injuries won’t be an issue.
Get Your Cricut Expression Today — While It’s Still in Stock!
Is There A Cricut Expression Bundle?
Happily, yes! And a number to choose from, too. Here are just a couple, and these are subject to change depending on what the company, Provocraft, is promoting at the time.
This is just under $265 on Amazon, though the manufacturer suggests $410 for this bundle! Great way to save, and comes with:
- Two Keypad Overlays (These tell you what the cartridge-specific commands are)
- Two Cartridge Handbooks
- 12-inch X 12-inch Cutting Mat
- Cutting Blade
- Quick Start Guide – Perfect For Parties and Quick Orientation!
- User Manual
- Instructional DVD
- Spatula Tool
- The “Plantin SchoolBook” Cricut Fonts (cartrigdge)
- The “Potpourri Basket” Cricuts Shapes (cartridge)
Of course it comes with the machine and the chord, too – all you need to get started (you supply the paper of course). There is also this one with the DesignStudio software package:
Cricut Expression Bundle with 2 Cartridges, DesignStudio, Jukebox and Accessories!
This is is super bundle for sale on Amazon comes with everything you need to get going for a while, including:
- Plantin SchoolBook complete font cartridge
- Accent Essential shape sampler cartridge
- 2 Keypad Overlays (One Per Cartridge)
- 2 Cartridge Handbooks
- 12-inch x 12-inch Cutting Mat
- The “Accent Essentials” Cricut Shapes (cartrigdge)
- The “Plantin SchoolBook” Cricut Fonts (cartrigdge)
- Jukebox & Cricut Design Studio Software
- Toolkit, spatula and a BONUS 12×24 sheet of vinyl
Depending on the bundle purchased, you may need to buy the spatula separately for removing the cut paper from the mat, and be sure you get the cartridges that you want for your personal use.
I hope you can see our enthusiasm for the Cricut Expression machine – the testimonials are nothing but genuine appreciation for a “job well done” for Provocraft ~ they’ve made me into a real believer in their high-quality, dedication to the crafting industry, and excellent service. I want to leave you with one last quote from a happy customer, and hope you can join in on the fun soon!
I am addicted to making cards for any occasion possible! It’s so much fun, and any excuse to use my cricut is great!
