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Thursday, September 9, 2010

Boo!



Day 2 of experimenting/pretending/imagining how making a Cricut Imagine card would be like and my desire for the $600  $500 machine has flat-lined.

This card took me a fraction of the time that I took to make yesterday's card. I used only one of LD's graphic set, Boo to You, and the Scribble Pumpkins paper. Again, I arranged the graphics in Adobe Photoshop, then printed on the cutouts that I made with MTC. I adhered the cutouts to the card with foam tape for dimension. Same old formula but this time, I learned something about me.


While card making with digital images is fast and simple, it is not for me. I like to touch real paper stacks. While digital paper may free up the space that is taken up now by my embarrassingly huge stacks of paper, I miss the different textures that the paper stacks offer. I like to feel the different weights and texture of the cardstock and I got bored really fast with the same weight paper that I used for printing out the digital paper. Secretly, I know that I probably even miss the smell of pre-printed cardstock.



Making the cutouts for dimension with MTC got a lot easier with this card. Andy (of MTC) really should consider a negative shadow feature for the next version. The shadow tool in MTC only allows for, well, for lack of a better word, Shadow, of the image. It will always be bigger than the original graphic. I realised that I could easily get a nice print on the cutouts if I make the cutouts a tad smaller than the size of the prints. That way, there will be no need for me to hand cut any excess space (as there will hardly be any!). I can still somewhat do this now with an extra step in Photoshop but MTC could make it so much easier if there is a negative-number shadow.

Most of all, I realize that I actually missed paper piecing. Gluing down the layers may be tedious at times but I do enjoy that. It is almost therapuetic to pick up all those little pieces to complete a cut out image and I kind of missed that.



I'm sure that the Cricut Imagine is a fantastic piece of technology that may bring paper crafting to the next level. I do know that it allows for the user to cut on patterned paper and it also cut different layers but that is no different from what my Expression can do now. If the main reason for the high price of the Cricut Imagine is because of it's capability to print out paper and (print and cut)digital graphics, than the machine is not for me. I am a home crafter. I do not sell my crafts. I cannot justify paying this price for a new feature that I will get bored with easily. It may take some work out of paper-crafting but it may also take the fun and, ironically, imagination out of it. 

The machine currently has a lot of missing features which are personally important to me. It can only cut on the 12"x12" size and not the larger 12"x24". The machine does not have a welding feature. I do not want to have to buy 2 types of cartridges to be able to use it to it's full potential. In addition, it also cannot be used with the Cricut Design Studio and any third-party software. I love my MTC and I cannot imagine (pun intended) using the Cricut without it.  Unless the price comes waaaaaay down, I will probably not be the owner of one. As I sit here watching and enjoying what the other crafters create with it, I know that I will be happy in my little craft corner, flipping through my stacks of cardstock, and piecing bits of paper together.


This post was edited on Sept 15. More content was added and the price of the Cricut Imagine was corrected. The original price of $600 was the MSRP mentioned at the summer CHA show. The new price of $499 was offered at the launch of the Cricut Imagine on Sept 14.

 

7 comments :

  1. Jin, I have to agree. I admit I have been watching the blogs and feeling quite envious because even if I wanted to purchase an imagine I simply could not afford it (I just spent the same amount on a brand new laptop that is also a tablet, which seems far more worth it to me). But after only a couple days of looking at their fancy new imagine projects I've already become very bored. I just look at the cards and think "Why wouldn't I just go to the store and buy this?" I know they say you can still cut it all out in layers to add dimension and cuttlebug the bits and pieces and what not, but it still just looks printed to me. And I think its exactly what you said, its the paper. I'm looking through all these projects and just thinking how much I would miss my glitter paper, I'm a big fan of the patterned papers with glitter accents. As much as I disagree with PCs business ethics, I still find myself giving money to them when I find something I really really want (mind you this is immensely rare, I'm much quicker to give my money to LD) but this imagine machine just takes the fun out of paper crafting for me (let alone the outrageous price). It seems a good idea in theory, but it just isn't for me.

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  2. I'm also with you Jin. Imagination will not be for me. Anything it can do I can do in Photoshop if I want to - except cut it out, and I DO own scissors. I'll stick to my Expression, Gypsy and Make the Cut!!

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  3. I can't imagine that the Imagine will be any better than what you have created. I'm looking forward to trying your technique. All credit given to YOU of course. You're a genius!
    ~Joy~
    http://joyslife.com/

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  4. I have been reading your blog - and I don't see anything that I want to do that I can't already do with my Expression and MTC and some great clip art. Sometimes I have the tendency to want something just because it's the bright and shiny latest thing. It's always a good thing to step back and evaluate exactly what there is to be gained, especially for something as expensive as this. But I will give Provocraft credit - they do know how to market their products. Thank you for helping me make a decision about the Imagine more objectively.

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  5. Thank you ladies, for not letting me feel alone in not wanting the Imagine. I just read that PC may be reducing the MSRP to $499 but that is still too pricey for me. It is such a turn off that we still need to buy inks, paper, and carts for the machine. Worst of all, I can't use MTC with it and that to me, is a huge limitation. I love MTC and I can't imagine (pun intended) how I will enjoy cricuting without it.

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  6. Pravo, well said. :) I agree!

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  7. I am with you on this new machine. I was so excited when I heard about it but after looking at some of the projects that have been done, I feel you did a better job using your method. Im going to give it a try. I have a different program Corel Paint and still trying to figure it out wonder if I should invest in Adobe PS.

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