Happy Monday! Certainly hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!
Many of you may already know, heard and/or read about Cricut machines and its many abilities and functionalities. It’s been written time and time again the Cricut Expression is a machine geared for the advanced scrapbookers; for the record I am not an advance scrapbooker or have I scrapbooked or had any exposure to any Cricut machines prior to the initial purchase. By all means this is not a machine limited to advance users only but rather for users of all levels and not just for scrapbookers alone. No doubt Cricut Expressions is by far THE most expensive gear in all of my collection but considering how much time I’ve shaved off from the many projects I’ve accomplished; it was really worth the investment to me. Of course it doesn’t compare to buying a home but there are a few key factors to consider prior to purchasing the unit for a hobby. Ask yourself the following questions whether you are a full-time or part-time papercrafter. Once you determine how often and how you will use the machine and the maintenance costs, it will serve you well on many purposes.
How will the machine be used?
If you are like me and mass produce any specific project, the Cricut Expression can make that process a breeze. Making repeated cuts by hand can get pesky and absolutely test your patient. I value my time and the Cricut Expression has been able to preserve my time slaving over a cutting mat. Cricut has also eliminated the need to use punches and die-cuts.
How frequent will the machine get used?
I didn’t think I would get much use for the Expression unit and was actually considering a smaller unit, Personal Cutter, but decided with Expression thinking it could come in handy for future larger projects. Once the unit arrived, to my surprise, I made good use of the machine. Perhaps I wanted to get my money’s worth but I no longer fret at the idea of having to make any design cuts by hand and am more motivated and inspired to design projects.
What is the overall operational cost for the unit?
The most expensive accessory is by far the design cartridges however with the SCAL (Sure Cuts a Lot) computer software it can eliminate and replace the need to purchase cartridges; keep in mind using SCAL in conjunction with Cricut can void the warranty. Other than the cartridge, most accessories and/or replacement parts are all very reasonably priced.

Now days, most Cricut units are sold in bundles that include cutting mat(s) and cartridge(s) which can get you started straight out of the box. Whether you are considering the Cricut or other electronic cutters it’s very important to address those few questions as mentioned above and consider the amount of space you have available for the unit. If the unit wasn’t so expensive, I would rate 5 stars but unfortunately it retails well over $200 knocking it down to 4 stars. Thanks for reading and be sure to visit again for future blogs that will cover accessories for the Cricut. Please join me next time when we take a look at the stamp mat.