Letter From Ashish Arora Extending Trial Subscriptions

Hello!

Millions of projects have been created in Design Space, and every day we are adding more and more users and tens of thousands of projects. For the past year, we have had very few unscheduled outages and our systems have been very stable. In the past three weeks we have had a couple of outages for a few hours. We recognize that this is unacceptable to both you and us.

As a growing company, we have been upgrading our systems to scale for the increased activity and to get ready for hundreds of thousands of new users. In the process of these enhancements, we inadvertently introduced some issues that have resulted in a few unscheduled outages. We take this seriously and we understand that in addition to this being a creative passion, you also depend on our systems to meet your personal commitments.

We are working with our leading technology providers to identify the root cause. In the next few days, you may see a few more brief outages as we test different parts of our system. We will try to minimize these outages. We assure you that we are building a rock-solid infrastructure to help match our customers' growing needs.

Please accept our apology with a free 2-week extension to your trial subscription.

This additional 2-week subscription was added today, Tuesday, March 31, 2015.

If you would like to see how many days are left in your trial subscription, log in to Cricut.com, click on your name at the top right, and then choose "Subscription" at the bottom left. Your remaining days will display under the heading "Time Remaining." 

We want to help you take full advantage of your extended subscription. A few ways to identify projects and images included in your subscription are:

1. Projects: Go to the Design Space landing page at www.cricut.com/design and choose "In Subscription" from the menu in the upper right corner of the screen.
2. Images: On the design screen, click "Insert Image." Open the Filters menu in the upper right corner (the funnel icon) and select "Subscription" under the Ownership section.
3. Fonts: Once you've added text, select it and open the second menu in the Edit panel to view the list of fonts. Fonts that are yours or are part of subscription do not have a price next to them.

Please enjoy your extended subscription access!

Happy crafting,
Ashish Arora, CEO

The Explore Air Now Available!!! FREE SHIPPING in March

 

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

Just when you thought that Cricut's Explore® machine couldn't get any more amazing, they are now introducing their Cricut Explore Air!

 This new machine has all the incredible features of the Cricut Explore®, but now it has built-in Bluetooth technology - so your projects can go wherever you go! In addition to being able to cut just about anything, including leather, balsa wood, fabric, vinyl, craft foam, and even silk, cartridges are also included in the software. So anytime you want to use a different cartridge, you just do a quick search on your iPad and it brings up all the images on the cart. How efficient is that?!

By far this is the most advanced electronic cutting machine on the market with an unbelievable amount of helpful, time-saving features. While there are almost too many to mention, I can't resist sharing a few more of my favorites:

• It's wireless and compatible with Cricut Design Space iPad app.
• Since it's wireless, all projects can be saved to the cloud, which allows users to conveniently swap between their laptop and iPad.
• Cartridges are linked to your Cricut ID and delivered over the cloud. So once you've loaded a cartridge, you have it everywhere you go.
• There's no overlay simply because it's not needed! You just lay all of your cuts out in the Cricut Design Space app and you can see everything you are cutting all at once. So goodbye handbooks!
• It comes with a ton of "make-it-now" projects. You just send them straight to the machine and they are ready to go. You can also customize them with your own font and images!
• Fonts and images can be uploaded for free - the machine can actually print writing that looks just like handwriting! You can also draw and upload pictures to the machine without having to cut anything out.

The Cricut Explore Air is really just amazing - and so fun to use! If you've been thinking about upgrading your cutting machine, now is the time to do it! Especially since you can get free shipping with the code MARCHSHIP. Now you can really cut a rug to celebrate!

My Close To My Heart Kit Came!

Yeahhhhhh!!!!!!!  I am so excited.  Fed Ex brought me a present yesterday.  When I got home from work, there it was at the door.  I finally got my consultant kit.  I will be making more videos that will involve the items from my kit.



Visit My Close To My Heart Shop

Paper This and That Now on Facebook

Good morning Blogland.  Hope everyone is having a wonderful day today.  We are finally having spring like weather....  what a long winter.  The groundhog lied.  I sooooo want to take a trip to Punxsutawney with a shot gun and hunt ground hog for ground hot stew.

Anyhow...  Just wanted to let my followers know that I now have my Etsy store on Facebook.  I need some love over there girls!!  LOL...  Like me  LOL

http://www.facebook.com/paperthisandthat/

New Look For Valentine's Day and Updates

Hello to my faithful followers...

I am pretty much checking in.  I decided to update the look of my blog to reflect Valentine's Day. After all, Christmas was over how many weeks ago???  geeee I forget.  Time just flies when you are having fun.

I have been busy working on a few projects..  mostly for swaps.  I am going to be reopening my store on etsy here soon.  I will post the details later. It was closed for a while.  I had an issue where I mailed an item to a customer and it got lost in the mail.  Etsy tried to contact me and I guess everything got stached in my spam box (which I never use to check until now).  But got the issue resolved and ready for a fresh start.  I have to get some things made for my store.  I plan on making some mini albums, handmade flowers and embellishments and what ever else I can think of.

Well, hope you all have a good day....
Jennifer

Introducing My Design Team

I am feeling much better now and finally got to choose my design team.  I received many applications and everyone is so so so talented.  It was not an easy decision.  I pondered over it for a couple days, kept revisiting blogs and reviewing pics submitted.  Those who were not chosen, don't dispair.  I still have plans for you over the next few months.  Some may be guest designers or even participate in blog hops.

So, I want to congradulate the following:

*Brandi Criminger


*Sandy Hentzel

*Gloria M

*Judy-Ann Rosti

*Janetlynne Hood

*Amy Pickeral

*Meg Farris
 
I was only going to choose 5 but found that I couldn't limit myself to 5.  I have chosen 7.  I will be working on the page of my design team over the next couple days, getting pictures and profiles up on my blog under the Design Team link.

Design Team Announcement.. not tonight

I am still weak.  I just can't host a chat but will put together a post in the next couple of days of who my design team is and they will receive their first assignment for March.  I will be announcing the winner of the Valentines Day Challenge on Tuesday.

Not Been Feeling Well

I am checking in.  I have not posted at all this week  because of the flu.  If having sciatic nerve issues was not bad enough, my boyfriend, Brian got the flu last weekend and I got it the next day.  We have been down for a week... both of us missed work the entire week.  Today is the first day in a week that I even feel almost human.  I think I have a touch of strep throat with the flu.  I had no voice yesterday.  If I am feeling better tomorrow, then tomorrow night I will open up a chat room and announce my new design team.  On monday I will announce the winner of the cricut cart as well.

Extending Design Team Dead Line

This is just a note to announce that I am extending the deadline to apply for my design team until next Saturday at midnight.  So, you have until Feb 12 at midnight to apply.  Just click on the Design Team link in my nav  bar at the top of the page.

By The Way......

HERE WE GO....   HERE WE GO....  PITTSBURGH'S GOING TO THE SUPER  BOWL

GO STEELERS....  STAIRWAY TO 7

Just A Little Update

I don't mean to be MIA..  but I have been driving myself crazy with videos.  I just got a Panasonic camcorder this past weekend and trying to figure everything out about it.  It was only $80 at our Big Lots.  I am disappointed though.  It records fine..  great for home movies..  but for tutorials and web broadcasts that I want to do...  the editing software has a lot to be desired.  My professional software won't pull the video in..  says no Codac or something like that..  The editing software for the camcorder is primative to say the least.  I designed a title screen finally but can't figure out how to pull that in.  I may have to go back to just using my digital camera in video mode to record my stuff for my blog.   At least I can edit it easier.  I have my first video tutorial planned.  Recorded it once and then deleted it because I couldn't edit it the way I wanted to and it needed work.  Back to the drawing board and hopefully I will have something for you this weekend.

Good Morning In Blog Land

Good morning fellow and fellowette bloggers..  This is just a simple chit chat post.  Some good and some not so good..

First I got my first letter from my oldest son, Aaron yesterday.  He left 2 weeks ago Sunday for Parris Island, Marine Corp boot camp.  I am so proud of him. He is doing fine  (of course I am sure some of the letter was staged).  He just had a birthday on Sunday as well.  He loves letters...  if anyone wants to send him a birthday card, email me and I will send you his address.  He turned 23.

The not so good stuff...   please keep me in your prayers.  I have been having a lot of back problems for years.  It came to a head this weekend.  I almost could not walk.  The doctor says I have Sciatica...  pain shoots from my lower back into my right hip and down my leg.  Then it sits in my lower part of my calf and throbs.  It takes ice packs and 3 Alieve to even get a little releif.  I have to sit all day at work which doesn't help.  I had to leave early yesterday because I couldn't take it.

Ohhh  Happy Birthday to Robyn over at My Pink Stamper who turned 38 yesterday!!!!

Trying To Be Christmasy

It is Saturday morning, just got my shower and now enjoying my coffee. It is coolllldddd out.  We do have a little bit of snow here in Pittsburgh PA.

  I had a thoughts "bugging" me..  I needed to change the look of my blog again.  I had the same look for several months.  I decided to be Christmasy (if there is such a word) for this week. I don't have a header designed yet.  This was totally a spur of the moment thing.

Oh..  don't forget my blog candy...   Click Here To Go To Blog Candy Post

Woooo hooooo! 100 Followers!!

Wooo hooo  I now have 100 followers and time to celebrate with some blog candy.  I gave great thought to what I was going to give away when I reached 100...  Here it is

A one year subscription to.....  the new Cricut Magazine

The Rules:

• You must be a follower
• Post a comment to this post
• Put an announcement of my blog candy on your blog

That is it!!  I will be using Random.org to choose the winner on my birthday, Jan. 12, 2010  You must have everything in place by midnight Jan. 11, 2010

Black Friday??? Who has what????

Michaels has tons of good sales..  such as 60% off Cricut Cartridges..  the gypsy is only $99.99!!!  I have held off on buying one of these babies.. but at that price I think I will reconsider.  Click Here for Michael's Black Friday Ad

Craft Warehouse is a family-run Pacific Northwest company that has numerous locations throughout Oregon, Washington and Idaho. They sell hundreds of craft and art products at everyday low prices. Here, you can purchase materials for quilting, scrap booking, knitting, crocheting, flower arrangements, painting, drawing, and jewelry making. Browse through their name brands which include Acrylic, Crayola, and Pro-Art. Their website also offers a customer forum, where you can get tips and craft ideas. Their sale section has discounted prices on frames, arts and crafts, and home decor.   Click Here   to view their Black Friday ad.



JoAnn's has some good buys also...  Cricut Cake Mini for 99.99 and the Cricut Expression for 199.99...  $50 off the new Cricut Image Print & Cut machine....  Click Here

Your Scrapbook Stash has a November 2010 sale..  20% off sales all month long.

Check out Ribbons and Bows OH MY for some holiday sales.

 
 
Oh My Crafts is a must check out spot for Black Friday!!  Vinyl for your die cut machines only 3.99    Som Cricut cartridges as low as 14.99
The list just goes on and on..  Click here to check out Their Black Friday Specials...
 
That is what I have for you so far but should be enough to wet your pallet for crafts... 

Update

I am checking in with all my followers.  I have been away because I had a back injury and have not been able to much of anything.  I still had to go to work and it was hard to make it through the day.  I  just could not sit in front of my computer very long, maybe long enough to check email and that was it.  I do apologize for my absence.  My back is getting better.  I am not 100% yet but slowing getting better.  I am hoping to get back in the swing of things by next week.

Thanks for your understanding and patients.

 -- Jennifer

What Will Cricut Come Up With Next???

It is here...  the Cricut Imagine.  It prints and cuts with a touch of a button all in one machine.  No need to use a computer or printer.  It use to be a pain staking process with several steps to print then cut. Cricut answered the call and came out with a brand new machine that does it all.

From BusinessWire.com:


“Cricut Imagine is not only unique to the crafting industry, but to the world of technology. There is not another device that incorporates printing and cutting the way this machine does,” said Jim Thornton, CEO of Provo Craft. “The pairing of print and cut technology could only be done by the leaders in each category—HP and Provo Craft. We’re eager to see what our customers can now do with a simple sheet of white paper and Cricut Imagine print-and-cut technology.”

“HP is always expanding its personal publishing portfolio with new products and services that inspire and enable creativity among individuals and families,” said Kathy Tobin, Vice President and General Manager, Specialty Printing Systems Division, HP. “Cricut customers can benefit from high-quality Original HP ink to achieve unique and professional results.”

Cricut Imagine features include:

•Cricut Imagine cartridges are enhanced by Cricut Pattern and Cricut Color cartridges to add dimension and layering

•Cricut Imagine is fully compatible with all original Cricut cartridges

•Compatible with Gypsy by Cricut handheld design studio

•Easy-to-use LCD touch-screen navigation so that all information is right at your fingertips

•New detachable accents to be able to personalize your machine with colors and textures

•Access to a vast new library of content and artwork: Over 150 original Cricut cartridges (with several new cartridges introduced each month), 12 new Cricut Imagine Art cartridges specifically for this new machine, plus 12 new Cricut Imagine Colors & Patterns cartridges

•On-board color and pattern selector - choose your own colors, sizes and much more

•Works with paper sizes up to 12” x 12” and makes cuts from .25” to 11.5”, making large-format print and cutting possible

•Retractable paper tray

•No computer necessary

•Uses same blades and blade housing as current Cricut products

•Uses a separate mat than original Cricut machines

Suggested retail for Cricut Imagine is $599.99.

Just an Update

Hello everyone...

I know that I have been MIA for a few weeks.  I am working on a major project that has taken so much time.  I am writing my first fiction novel.  It is for young adults.  I don't want to give too much detail yet.  I will post my progress and may even post a sample chapter or two.  I have a publisher interested.  But I am not signing right away.  Waiting to see if I get any other offers.  I just started writing it a couple weeks ago.

I am hoping to get a couple new svg files uploaded.  At any rate I was mainily just checking in.

Jennifer

New Make The Cut Beta Version Just Released!!!

Andy at Make The Cut has done it again.  I mean he has really out done himself on his newest release.  It is still in beta but works perfectly and if all goes well will become the official new version.

Download Now  The trial version or purchase.  On sale now for a limited time for $58.36

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Pixel Trace (Trace Raster)


The big enhancment is with the Trace Raster tool (now called Pixel Trace). The tracing has been completly redone from the ground up. You will now get cleaner, more precise traces -- We believe this new tracing interface is the best around and am sure you will think so as well.
* You can now paste from the clipboard as well as import from a file or TWAIN source.

* You can preview the trace with the original image in the background.

* When importing an image, it takes in to account the image's DPI (great for TWAIN imports).

* And many, many more features!

Auto-Simplify

If you don't know what nodes are, or what they are for, you can skip this part!

Welding, Boolean Joining and Shadowing creates output that are made of many nodes, otherwise called "Flat Paths". These paths (shapes) take a long time to cut. The only way you could remove unneeded nodes was to use the Smooth & Simplify tool. This is tough to do sometimes. So, we came up with a new method called Auto-Simplify. Auto-Simplify (shortcut is CTRL+G) will automatically remove these unneeded nodes. We also added an Auto-Auto-Simplify... which is on by default. This will simplify all welds and Boolean Joins automatically.

Object Import Menu


The Custom Shapes tab has been removed. I know this is probably going to be a shock to most people, but it needed to go. Imagine having to add an icon for each supported format. Make The Cut! would have tons of icons as time goes on. Instead, we added an Object Import menu. You can now import from the File>>Import menu as well as the Toolbar at the top. The new icon is the Sprocket/Gear.


The "Personal Library" has been moved to the "Basic Shapes" as a new tab entitled "Your Shapes"

New Import/Export File Formats


You can now import:
•Vector PDF files

•SCUT/SCUT2 files (Version 2.012 and older -- this is experimental and will be worked on)

You can now export:
•Vector PDF files

•EPS Files

•AI Files

•Alpha PNG Raster Files

We also added in Inkscape clipboard formats. Now you can copy and paste between Inkscape and Make The Cut!

Bézier Warp/Text On Path/Object On Path, Vertical Text


Here is something fun! You can create some great new effects with this tool. I won't get in to it too much since this is more-or-less a fun thing to learn on your own. You can also do vertical text in 2.3.0.

Here is the new Bezier Warp tool:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
And Much Much more!


There are so many new things here and there that listing them all would take a while. So I will leave it up to all of you to find the rest of it!
Get Your Copy Now

Checking In

It has been a while since I have posted anything.  I have been busy..  I got changed to a different dept at work and have been in training for the past 2 weeks plus I started my next set of classes.

Lastly, I am working on a quilling project.  My mother gave me a quilling kit last year.  It was a bit too advanced for a beginner.  I started it a couple days ago and am half way done.  It is a sampler of different herbs.  I am shooting to finish it, mat and frame it and give the finished project to my mother for mother's day.

So, I have had many irons in the fire and haven't been able to do much posting in April.  I am hoping to get back on track in May.