ETA 4/9/10: Article deleted – please go see Scrapbook Update.com
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This is why I ultimately never bought or promoted Sure Cuts a Lot (SCAL) or Make the Cut … just felt it was icky and probably illegal (not to use the products, but the products themselves). That’s just my own personal feeling on it … I have no judgment on those who have bought either product, and I know there are tons. I see these two products talked about all the time on scrapbook message boards. If you’re unfamiliar: SURE CUTS A LOT (SCAL) and MAKE THE CUT. From the beginning of both products, I just felt like a lawsuit was a MOT*.
*Translation: A MOT is a Matter of Time. I learned that from my high school bud, Nate, who had really bad tires on his car one time and the other guys were teasing him about it. He said, “Hey, it’s just a MOT.” I’ve found that term highly useful in my life since then. Thanks, Nate!
I’m no lawyer, that’s for sure, and I don’t know if this lawsuit will go anywhere. But right when I saw the headline from Nancy’s article, I was like, “Yeah, it’s about time.” I don’t understand why it’s taken them this long to file suit and why they haven’t gone after SCAL (at least, I don’t think they have). It seems pretty obvious that if a product that’s not sanctioned by Provo Craft is using the Cricut logo (with the little copyright “R” and everything!), and selling a product that bypasses Provo Craft’s, something has got to be wrong.
But what do I know? I’m just a blond scrapbooker, not no stinkin’ attorney. I wish both companies luck in coming to a peaceful resolution :)
I picked these up at Walmart today. I don’t know if they’re old news there, but it was the first time I’d noticed them.
*This came out blurry because I took it after dark tonight. Will try to get a daylight pic and repost, but you get the idea :)
The packaging is different (more plain) and the name is different than when I see it at Michaels, like this, but it’s the same thing:
Instead of me trying to explain what it’s used for and why it’s so cool, I’ll let MICHAELS.COM do all the work:
Truly, a terrific double-sided tape in roll form! It’s industrial strength with an instant bond which increases over 24 hour period to maximum bond.
COMMONLY USED SURFACE-TO-SURFACE APPLICATIONS:
1. paper to paper
2. beads, glitter, etc. to paper or other surface
3. embellishments to ornamental fabric items
4. plastic or metal to paper
5. paper, plastic or metal to wood
DIRECTIONS & TIPS FOR USING TERRIFICALLY TACKY TAPE:
Apply tape to first surface.
Remove protective liner and apply second product (beads, glitter, etc.) or second surface.
SPECIAL TIPS: Use at room temperature. Surfaces must be dry, and grease free. Do not expose to air until ready to use as curing will commence.
You can see HERE what a wide range of prices it usually sells for, although when I click on a lot of those links, they don’t carry it anymore. I got the 1/4 and 1/2 inch sizes for $3.00 and $3.50 respectively. Seems like a decent deal, especially since no shipping charges :)
I’ve used this product since way back in 2005 when I discovered it in a CKU class. It indeed has a very strong bond, and it’s easy to use. I like it for attaching ribbon strips to my layouts just because it’s in a strip form and holds so well, but it’s also great for attaching heavier items. It looks red, but that’s just the backing. When you peel that off, it’s clear. Just a great adhesive, so I thought I’d share!
Gypsy, Gypsy, Gypsy! I’ve been hearing this name for months, and I have purposely ignored it. Like a 2nd grader with my fingers plugging my ears while I sang, “La la la! I. can. not. hear. yooooooo!” All I knew was that it was some kind of handheld gadget that interacts with your CRICUT machine. I “only” have a first-generation BABY BUG…
So I figured this Gypsy thang didn’t even apply to me, that it was for the fancy dancy EXPRESSION.
And I figured if the Gypsy DID apply to the Baby Bug, I would still ignore it til it went away.
Do not. Need. More scrapbooking gadgets.
I tell ya’, it was hard to resist researching the Gypsy; I like to talk about new products here so we can all be edu-muh-cated together. I successfully avoided knowing what a Gypsy really was for a long time … until tonight.
As always, I recorded HSN SCRAPBOOKING and it happened to still be on when I turned on the TV tonight. JINGER ADAMS from ProvoCraft was presenting…
They had me at “hello.”
So let me tell you what I learned by watching the Gypsy demo on HSN tonight:
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It’s a little handheld thing that you can carry in your purse, and “design on the go” … sitting at the doctor’s office, whatever. You save your designs, then cut them when you get home.
Yeah, it’s expensive … freakin’ $300 even on HSN. The price during the “World Launch” is $299.95 and the regular HSN price will be $349.95. But you get a bundle that’s worth $483.96, with a sleeve, carrying case, stylus, AC adapter, car charger, cartridge connect card, 2 cartridges pre-loaded (Gypsy Font and Gypsy Wanderings), and a Don Juan cartridge. And they have free shipping tonight. And 5 flex pays of only $60. They couldn’t make it more tempting if they tried.
HSN hostess SUZANNNE RUNYON pointed out that “craft stores” (we know she means Michaels) will sell the Gypsy for $299, with no extras, and you CANNOT use the coupon. Just so ya know…
On the screen, you can view and layout a mat that is 6×12″, 12×12″ or 12×24″, just like the mats for the different Cricuts. Yep, I can use it with my Baby Bug, after all. Curses!
ALL available Cricut cartridges can be viewed on Gypsy, but you can only cut from the ones you actually own. It’s a great way to preview what’s on each of the cartridges to see if you like them and would use them.
You can update your Gypsy via your computer, so the cartridges and features will always be up-to-date.
The sizes you can cut things are not restricted by the 1/4 inch like on the Cricut…you can get them down the decimal. For instance, Jinger designed something that was 2.14 inches or something.
There is a Search function. Jinger did a search on “flowers” and it pulled up every flower from every Cricut cartridge ever made.
——– You can weld words. ———–
You can drag and drop your design all around the “mat” so it cuts where you want it to.
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Then I started searching around online and found some more 4-1-1, like this:
You can buy Gypsy accessories beyond what comes in the HSN bundle:
Silicon Skins in many designs
Screen protectors
Colored styluses
Colored lanyards
So, yeah, now of course, I want a Gypsy.
Crap.
My last concern, my last saving grace, was the fact that Cricut has not been overly Mac-friendly (i.e., Design Studio is PC-only), and I have a Mac so I’m safe, right? The Gypsy prolly doesn’t work for us Mac Girlz {fingers crossed, oh please please please please…). So I went to the Gypsy FAQ PAGE and here is what I found:
——- How is the Gypsy™ updated/upgraded?
The Gypsy™ is updated by connecting it to a PC or a MAC with an Internet connection.
Does the Gypsy™ work with Macintosh computers?
Yes, the Gypsy will be compatible with MAC OS10.
——-
Well, there goes that!
Okay, one last ditch effort to NOT want a Gypsy, although I admit it’s weaker than Denny’s coffee: The Gypsy fonts probably suck so THAT will be the reason I can say no this gadget. I found the images for GYPSY FONT and GYPSY WANDERINGS. And I saw them on the display boards during the HSN demo, where they’re all cut out with colored cardstock and you can see them much better. Guess what? Yeah, LOVED them! And the DON JUAN font, too, which you can normally only get when you buy a Cricut CREATE. They’re all very versatile with cool images that I would definitely use.
I couldn’t copy a Don Juan sample here, so click THIS to see one, please.
HERE is the link to all the Gypsy information by Cricut. HERE are a bunch of demo videos. You gotta check out the ROGUE GYPSIES … too funny!
If you’d like to see the HSN presentation, check out the rest of the HSN Scrapbooking shows I see on their schedule.
5-6am
8-10am
1-2pm
6-7pm
These are PST; look HERE if you need to run another time zone.
If you want the Gypsy now but, like me, can’t afford it and really shouldn’t get it, check HERE and see if the Peas can talk you down off the ledge. They make some good points: Use an iPhone app to do the same thing. Use all that money for other scrappy stuff, SCAL, or Design Studio. For a bit more, buy an Expression. Use a coupon code, try to win one, or wait for the price to come down. You know, that kind of thing…
ETA 9/24/09: I very much WANT a Gypsy, but I’m not getting one anytime soon. Not in my budget :( And I can’t ask for it for Christmas, as my big-ticket Christmas gift has already been purchased by my DH and mom….I asked for a new set of crop bags. Will do a post on those soon…
So, what do you think about the Gypsy? Is it a “must have” or can you resist it’s magnetic pull?
Thanks to ali_bl (ALINA) and THIS POST from the CK Message Board, I found another Must Have tool. It’s a punch so we can make our own scalloped/eyelet edge papers instead of paying an extra $1 per sheet just because the company did it, LOL. This is one of my favorite looks in scrapbooking these days, so I’m very excited that someone came up with this tool. I hope Fiskars or someone else also makes one that punches the scallop without the eyelet holes, as sometimes you just need that little bit of a different look, kwim?
FISKAR’s SCALLOP / EYELET PUNCH
THE EMBI by Provo Craft
Sounds like a very well-rounded tool but, so far, it’s not on my shopping list. Maybe when I see it in use. I’m not much of an embosser-girl, and I already have the Making Memories Tag Maker gathering dust in my scrap room. But it does seem like one cool tool!
Embi™Universal Embellishment Press
A clever new tool that offers you several convenient functions in one!
Embi comes with interchangeable heads to:
Make framed tags
Attach rhinestones & studs
Set eyelets
Punch
Emboss
This all-in-one embellishment solutions lets you add accents to your creations without the hassle of using different tools, saving you precious space and money. This versatile tool is perfect for all sorts of creative projects, from scrapbooking and card making, to home décor and fashion art. Embi can embellish in a variety of materials, creating lasting accents you’re sure to love. Interchangeable heads are easy to change and fun to use. Each Embi head comes packaged with designer embellishments to get you started with your creative projects. Embi is also portable and simple to use. Its six-inch reach allows you to work anywhere on a 12″ x 12″ scrapbook page or project.
Well, I won’t call this a Must Have for me, because I think the price tag is over $100. As much as I’d love to have The Slice, it will probably have to wait for a birthday or Christmas “please-honey-I’ve-been-really-good-and-nice-this-year-and-I-made-you-dinner-306-times-don’t-I-deserve-a-new-scrapbooking-toy?” gift.
I’ve been following The Slice since way back, before they even had a distributor. Here is my POST from August 2007. And here is what it used to look like:
Here is what it looks like now:
I think the best way to show this baby is a couple of YouTube video demos of the product at CHA.
HERE’swhere Queen of CKMB, Miss Leslie, asks others for their thoughts on The Slice. And check out what the AMR GIRLS and 2PEAS LADIES have to say about it. We crafters are in serious decision-making mode about which of all these fab new tools we want/need to spend our money on!
Will you be getting one, two, or all three of these scrap-fabulous new tools??
