Discount Cricut Cartridges & Machines

I thought today would be the perfect time to talk about the new Cricut Stand & Salute cartridge.  After all, this coming weekend, we will be celebrating the 233rd anniversary of the United State's independence!  

This cartridge is perfect for creating die cuts to decorate your scrapbook pages of your Fourth of July festivities, as well as making Independence Day decorations and invitations.  With fireworks, flags, and other symbols of American freedom, it can't be beat!  

These symbols are also perfect for making Americana style decor for your home.  It's ideal for altering tins and making inexpensive custom wall art that reflect your patriotic personal style. Read the rest of this entry »

Hey everyone!  Did I catch your attention with that headline?  I know - you already do put your Cricut to good use, so I guess I had better explain myself...

I was recently contacted by Gracie at Imagine That (formerly Everything Cricut).  She asked me to help spread the word about an incredible opportunity that is available right now (until the end of June).  The Lime Light Charitable Design Team is accepting applications for new members.

What is the Lime Light Design Team?  Well, they are a group of crafters that spend a little time each month working on a project that helps to fund raise or benefit a variety of good causes.  Here is some additional information that I took from their blog:

From today until the end of June (Tuesday the 30th) we'll be accepting applications for the Lime Light Charitable Design Team. Members of this team donate their time & talent for such great causes as the Ronald McDonald House, raising money for children's playgrounds, the Houston Holocaust Museum Butterfly Project, breast cancer awareness, Humane Society Animal Shelters, children's schools...

What a wonderful way to give back while doing something you love!  If you are interested in learning more, I encourage you to take a few minutes to visit their website...

Have you heard about the Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL) software?  It allows you to cut thousands of free True Type fonts, dingbats, and SVG files using your Cricut machine (no cartridges needed).

SCAL has the same basic layout as the Cricut Design Studio Software.  However, that's where the similarities end.  Instead of cartridges, SCAL gives your Cricut the capability to cut fonts and shapes that are already in your computer.

You can also import additional fonts and images into this software.  There are thousands of free fonts, dingbats, and SVG files available for download online.  Using the open source program Inkscape, you can convert GIF and JPG files to SVG, which can then be made into die cuts using SCAL.

Confused?  It sounds complicated, but it's surprisingly simple to use.  I found this video on YouTube which does a fantastic job of explaining it... Read the rest of this entry »

I wasn't too sure what to expect when I heard that Provo Craft was releasing a Hannah Montana Cricut cartridge.  However, now that I have actually seen it, I have to admit - it rocks!

When I first learned about this cartridge, I couldn't resist teasing my two boys.  I threatened them that if they did not clean up their rooms, I would buy some vinyl (preferably in pink), and use it to make die cut shapes for their bedroom walls!  However, the joke was on me.  With cool musical notes and guitar-shaped icons, they just might like the idea of a little remodeling.

My nieces (ages 8, 9, and 10) love anything with Hannah Montana, so I knew I had to get this one - if only for them.  No surprise - they love it!  In addition to the guitar and musical note icons, there are plenty of shapes with "girl appeal", including diamonds, hearts, flowers, and Hannah Montana silhouettes. Read the rest of this entry »

The month of May is the perfect time to talk about the Cricut Celebrations cartridge.  Every year at this time, our calendar fills up with birthday parties, graduations, and weddings.  I know we are not the only ones with busy weekends.  Almost every one I talk to has the same full schedules, with several parties to attend.

I love getting together with friends and families, and these festive events give me an extra reason to pull out my Cricut (like I need one - lol!).  Anyway, the Celebrations cartridge is one that I put to good use this time of year.  Here is a little bit about it...

If you have spent any time on this site, you know how I like to rave about the designs by Rob & Bob Studios.  I adore their work, and this cartridge is yet another one that features their fun designs. Read the rest of this entry »

With Easter just around the corner, I thought that now would be a good time to discuss the Cricut Stretch Your Imagination cartridge. Although this cartridge has die cuts for just about every season and special occasion, it also has some that would make the Easter Bunny especially "hoppy", including musical chics, Easter eggs and baskets, and of course, bunnies.

The Cricut Stretch Your Imagination cartridge really lives up to its name - you can make "regular" die cuts, or you can hit the "Shift" key and stretch them out. Now, if only I had a shift key when I looked in the mirror (but I suppose that's a story for another day!).

Anyway, the characters are designed by David Walker Studios. In addition to this cartridge, David Walker Studios has done the artwork on some of my other all-time favorites (and probably yours too), including Joys of the Season and Paper Pups. Read the rest of this entry »

What better way to welcome spring than by making die cuts with the Cricut Walk in My Garden cartridge!

By the way, in case you missed it, the official start of spring was Friday, March 20th. I'm always happy to see this day on my calendar. Unfortunately, here in northern Indiana, mother nature does not always know that spring has officially arrived. It's not uncommon to have cold, wintry days mixed in the warmer ones, which means I will have to wait a few more weeks before I can start digging in the dirt.

However, instead of just daydreaming about my garden, I can do a little scrapbooking with the Walk in My Garden Cricut cartridge. Released back in October 2006, this cartridge is still one of my favorites.

With artwork by Brenda Birrell, there are all types of green thumb and gardening inspired die cuts you can make: Read the rest of this entry »

The fonts included on the Cricut Calligraphy cartridge are perfect for wedding and anniversary scrapbook layouts, invitations, place cards, thank you notes, and much more.  This cartridge includes upper and lowercase letters, numbers, common typographical symbols, phrases, and embellishments.

Calligraphy is actually a Greek word that means "beautiful writing".  This is the basis of the creative features on this cartridge - they give you additional beautiful fonts based on the basic calligraphic style, as well as a shadow feature to make the base font stand out.

The Gratitude and Matrimony creative features are both flowing scripts that would look at home on formal style layouts and crafting projects.  For a little more whimsy and fun, check out the Celebrate and Inspiration creative features.  The Inspiration font also has a blackout feature to add even more depth and dimension to projects. Read the rest of this entry »

If you have not heard about the Cricut Sports Mania Cartridge, I have all the nitty gritty details right here. So, put down that basketball and take a seat - I will fill you in...

So, what sports are available on this cartridge?

You know, a better question might be what sporting events are not included, just because this cartridge has a wide range of shapes for several athletic activities, including die cuts for both equipment and silhouette, as well as popular phrases. Here is a small sample of what you will find:

* Football: football, helmet, "Touch Down"

* Basketball: basketball, court, backboard with net, "Swoosh" & "Hoops"

* Baseball and Softball: mitt, bat, "Batter Up", "Play Ball"

* Soccer: soccer ball, "Kick This"

* Hockey: hockey puck, ice skates, "Slam!"

* Volleyball: volleyball, net, "I Dig VB" Read the rest of this entry »

Your die cuts look great in your scrapbooks and on your handmade cards, but what if you could use them in your home, by making stencils for decorating your walls and accent furniture pieces  Guess what - you can!  All you need is the Cuttables Cricut Stencil material.

The stencil material comes in sheets of 12" x 24" and is backed with repositionable adhesive.

If the idea of making your own stencils using your Cricut machine appeals to you, you may be interested to know you can also use it to cut your own magnets.  The Cuttables Cricut magnet material is available in sheets of 12"x 12", and is perfect for making cheery magnets for your fridge, your home office, even your car!

Both require the use of the deep cut blade and housing (and of course, your machine), but this is an easy project that is loads of fun...