Those who know me well and have been following my blog for a while realize I love my tools! They make some tasks easier and consistent. I've been using Sizzix die cutters for a long time (see tutorial links below) but really wanted greater flexibility with my own designs. I also wanted to cut other materials such as leather, fabric, aluminum, thin wood and shrink plastic with precision and ease. Laser cutters are still way too expensive. So I hankered after the Cricut Explore, an electronic cutting machine.....
.
...and finally bought one. The
Cricut Explore Electronic Cutting Machine is similar to the
Silhouette Curio Cutting Tool
in function. The pros and cons of which one comes down to personal needs, preferences, space, cost etc. If you do a lot of other crafts, one may be worth your while. Quilters, for example, can also use the machine for cutting appliques. It also comes in handy for embossing and glass etching.
Both have user friendly software for easy uploading and manipulation of your own images for cutting. There are also tons of free SVG (scaleable vector graphics) available online to try for crafts and jewelry designs.
The above image is from Amazon. I didn't take my own photo yet because
there is no space I have yet to set up a spot for it in my studio!
But what I did was take advantage of this 50% off Craftsy class
Craft and Create with Your Cricut Explore so I could shortcut my own learning curve. There were some great tips on how to handle non-paper materials in the last lesson.
Speaking of which, Craftsy is celebrating and
has 50% off for their most wishlisted i.e. popular classes
until 11.59 pm MT on Thursday, February 11, 2016.
Here are the jewelry classes (in no particular order) I have covered so far together with my review post links. Many, if not all, are 50% off.
Wire Jewelry Classes Metal Work Classes Free Class
Disclosure All the product links above are affiliate links. I receive a small compensation for any bought through my blog. This not only supports this site but also helps readers source products of interest.
Before You Go: ______________________________
Original Post by
THE BEADING GEM Jewelry Making Tips -
Jewelry Business Tips 
No comments:
Post a Comment