Originally Posted by natalieg
I have a few questions for anyone that uses this machine. I have purchased one for my daughter for Christmas (it will be here later this week). I can't seem to find the info on the internet that I need.
Do you have to have the mats? I would assume so since they sell them.
Do all the cartidges fit all the machines-or do they have special ones for each machine?
What about paper? Do I need to buy their paper, or will her regular scrapbooking paper work?
Anything else I need to buy to get her started? I have the machine, one other cartridge and the cleaning picks coming.
I have an accuquilt Go! and was thinking that this might be the same concept, but not sure.
Thanks!
I have the cricut expression and MTC. I bought MTC to go with the expression so I didn't have to keep buying carts all the time. I can cut anything I pretty much want to with this program. All you need is 1 cart that sits in the machine itself. It's the best money I have spent for this hobby.
You can cut fabric with it, but you have to put heat and bond on the back. I've tried Steam a Seam and it didn't work.
Yes, you do have to have a mat, but if you've bought the machine brand new, you'll get one with the machine.
All of the carts will fit all the machines, even the new Imagine. Only thing with the Imagine, you have 2 carts instead of the one, plus you have to buy ink for it.
If you're set on buying carts, go to eBay. Buy them there as they are much cheaper, or Michaels and Joann's has sales on them.
There are others online that sell the carts on sale too. Oh My Crafts, Memory Miser, etc.
You can cut paper, vinyl, and chipboard. If you own Amy Chomas pen holder/marker holder/embossing holder, you can make your cricut write or emboss with a special tool. It's pretty slick to see it emboss on metal.
You might want to invest in some Zig glue. That way when her mat gets not so sticky anymore, she can put the Zig glue on it and it'll be just as sticky as it was before. You might want to get a extra blade or even the deep cut blade. Those are just extra's.
HTH.