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I am looking into getting a machine for my birthday this week and I've really wanted the cricut which I saw at our local wal mart, but I've noticed its not at the wal mart anymore and I can't seem to find it on line. So I started looking at the cuttlebug and I know there are a lot of posts about these products, but I would really love some advice as to which one is better. I can't spend a lot of money. I was looking at the cricut at about $100 at walmart so wanted to stay close to that range (I did see one at michael's for $400!!). Can anyone give me some advice. I know NOTHING about these kinds of machines!!!
TIA
I actually have both...I use the cuttlebug more, but really only for embossing. It's fabulous for that. I use the Cricut for alphabets mainly, not as often as I should. I think it's more of that I forget about it as I'm doing a scrapbook page. No help, I'm sure. But, the cuttlebug is WAY cheaper.
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I think it is according to what you like to do. If you scrapbook more I would say the cricut would be good because it does a lot of fonts as well as shapes. If you like to do cards more than the cuttlebug is fun because of the embossing templates. I have a cricut and I use it a lot for my scrapbooks. I did buy the cuttlebug but ended up selling it because I hardly ever used it, now I must say I didn't buy any of the die cuts for the alphas because I thought they were pricey.
I gave in and bought the new Cricut Expressions machine. There were many features (and new cartridges) that appealed to me, not only as a crafter but as a teacher.
For example, there is a new cartridges called 50 States. I am teaching the states this year. It comes with the state outline, the bird, the flower, the flag... for me a great resource. And I will probably teach this area every 4 years... (I have a self contained developmentally delayed classroom so themes get recycled every 4 to 5 years with new students in the mix).
I left a long post on General Tools thread showing the 2 online deals I found for the Expressions.
I also do have a cuttlebug (it is in its box) to play with too. Right now due to some chemotherapy issues I have little fine motor control so crafting is not the "game of the day". Apparently it is only shopping.....lol
I have both. I love my Cricut for cutting out my letters and shapes and my cuttlebug for embossing them. I know that doesn't help. If I could only have one, it would be my Cricut since I each shape or letter can be cut in so many differant ways and sizes.
I gave in and bought the new Cricut Expressions machine. There were many features (and new cartridges) that appealed to me, not only as a crafter but as a teacher.
For example, there is a new cartridges called 50 States. I am teaching the states this year. It comes with the state outline, the bird, the flower, the flag... for me a great resource. And I will probably teach this area every 4 years... (I have a self contained developmentally delayed classroom so themes get recycled every 4 to 5 years with new students in the mix).
I left a long post on General Tools thread showing the 2 online deals I found for the Expressions.
I also do have a cuttlebug (it is in its box) to play with too. Right now due to some chemotherapy issues I have little fine motor control so crafting is not the "game of the day". Apparently it is only shopping.....lol
I'm not a tax expert but I know that you can claim materials you use for teaching as a deduction - the Expression will be a good one!
Good luck with your chemotherapy. As far as shopping as the "game of the day" - I always call shopping "retail therapy"!!
I think it really depends on what you want to do with it. Are you a scrapper or a card-maker? What materials do you want to use? Just paper or something with a little more dimension? Do you want to emboss or just cut?
I chose the Cuttlebug because I don't scrapbook at all, and being able to die-cut letters of all sizes doesn't really appeal to me. I see the die cut letters mostly as a headline-tool, and headlines are a little more tricky on a card than on a scrapbook page. The materials each machine can use is also different. Cricut just uses paper and Cuttlebug does paper, cardstock, felt, fun foam... Cricut is a computer-driven moving knife, and Cuttlebug is a roller-pressure manual machine that will cut or emboss, depending on the template that is used.
HTH!
I've already used my CB several times, and I'm happy with it, but I'm hungry for more info, and slowly but surely, I *will* wade my way through the Cuttlebug-itis thread!