When a person decides to take up scrap booking it is an artistic way to collate memories using memorabilia, photographs and so on into an album. Along with those items a story flows so that it can be looked at and enjoyed in years to come. It really has become an art form and there are many tools out there to help scrapbookers create their work. Die cutting machines have become particularly popular as they let you embellish your work with letters, images and phrasing cut from different materials.
There are both electronic and manual die cutters and out of the electronic types, the Cricut range from Provo Craft is well loved. They work with cartridges therefore not requiring a crafter to own a computer and are simple to use. There are three Cricut machines, the original, the Create and the Expression. The Expression is the top of the line Cricut machine.
Unlike the original which could only take a half 12″x12″ sheet of paper, the Cricut Expression machine can do both 12″x12″ and 12″x24″. Another main difference between them is that it is a lot bigger. The original and Create have the benefits of being portable which the Expression does not. It is meant to have one home, or one school place or one media room.
Of course the Expression still cuts with no computer and the cartridges all fit in any of the three machines so there is still a fantastic range of shapes and fonts. The Expression can cut in more varying sizes than the other two machines so you can have tiny shapes or much larger ones, great for banner making or school display boards. It also has the same sticky mat which until recently I viewed as a disadvantage compared to other brand diecut machines. However I used a Make Memories Slice not long ago and realized that without that stickiness the machine has to be babysat. Perhaps one day a better mat design will come along from Cricut as when cutting on delicate paper, the sticky mat is a pain.
The Expression is the most expensive of the line retailing at around $500, but if you shop around particularly online, you can find better deals. So if you have money to spend on your crafting addiction the Expression is a great choice to make!
Tags: cricut, cricut expression machine, cricut machine, diecut machines, expression, provo craft