Crafting with the Cricut

You were happy when you found this page, weren't you? Finally, someone was going to give it to you straight about this thingamajig called the Cricut machine.

Ahhh, if it were only that easy...

You see, there's not just one machine. Nope, not two. That's right - there's three different models, and although they are alike in many ways, they are very different too. So, here's the story...

The Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter, affectionately nicknamed the "Baby Bug", was released for sale to the public in July of 2006. Manufactured by the Provo Craft company, the Baby Bug became an instant hit, giving users the capability to make their own die cuts ranging in size from 1" to 5-1/2".

The machine was portable and allowed owners to make thousands of cutout designs. No computer required. That's right, no computer!

Instead, the machine used cartridges and keypad overlays. The Personal Electronic Cutter came packaged with the George and Basic Shapes cartridge and overlay. Owners of the machine could purchase additional cartridges to expand their range of die cutting capabilities.

The Baby Bug was an instant hit! However, it would soon have competition...

Just as the buzz about the Baby Bug was gaining momentum, Provo Craft threw a wrench into the works. They introduced Baby Bug's current biggest competitor, the Cricut Expression, also known as the "Big E", to the crafting community in February of 2007.

The Expression could do everything the little bug could do, and then some...

It used the same cartridges, cutting blades, and other accessories, but could make a much wider array of die cuts, ranging in size from a 1/4" to 23-1/2". It also had a slew of modes and features (more on that later...).

Depending on where it was purchased, the Big E typically came packaged with two cartridges, Accent Essentials and Plantin Schoolbook.

With all of its versatility, crafters could find little fault with the Big E. Really, the only two complaints were:

1. It was much larger and heavier than the Baby Bug. This meant that it was cumbersome to take to scrapbooking meets, and it was really built to set up and leave in one place.

2. The price tag was considerably steeper than the Baby Bug, coming in at a suggested retail price of $499.99, a full $200 more.

But Provo Craft was not done just yet. Nope, not by a long shot...

You would think two die cut machine models would be enough - but nope, Provo Craft had one more machine to add to its lineup.

In mid-2008, the Cricut Create was quietly introduced. Sold exclusively through Michael's Craft Stores, the Create was touted as a hybrid model, combining the size and portability of the Baby Bug with the favorite features of the Expression.

The Create could make die cuts ranging in size from 1/4" to 11-1/2". It came packaged with the Don Juan font and shape cartridge, and it was priced $100 less than the Big E.