OK I don’t mean to sound negative but every day I get more and more disgusted with Provo Craft (My personal ban on buying provocraft products since they sued Sure Cuts a Lot is saving me a mint BTW.) So, I told you a few weeks ago that Make the Cut and SCAL had removed cricut compatibility from the current versions of their software and if you did not have software to cut fonts and svg files with your cricut already your only option was Fairy Cut (you can read my review of this software here), well, it looks like they bullied the Fairy Cut folks too and on June 16th they are removing the Cricut drivers from their software and they are urging all of their customers to back up their software and save their email with their registration code in a safe place so they will still be able to use the software with their cricut after the 16th. You can read the full story on the Fairy Cut blog.
I am so disappointed in the way ProvoCraft/Cricut has handled this whole situation. I do not like any company telling me how I can use a machine I bought and paid for. It would be like HP saying I can’t use Kodak paper or Cannon software to print my photos, it is crazy! It is funny I saw a Silhouette SD machine on sale at overstock.com for about $180 (which is far less than my cricut machines cost!) and you can cut what you want with it. I am so tempted in buying one but my Cricut still works fine and I am lucky to have working versions of SCAL, SCAL2 and Fairy Cut so I am not limited to Cricuts “offerings”.
But maybe you could win a Silhouette SD Machine and cut whatever you want with no worries, check out the awesome giveaway from Mygrafico:
Check out their Facebook page to enter, this is a great giveaway and I’d love to see you win it! If anyone had a Silhouette machine and wants to share their opinion on it please leave a comment, I want to be well-informed when my Cricut bites the dust 🙂 I’m still going to use my cricut (and other PC products tat I already own) after all they are bought and paid for but I will use them how I want and I will not buy more from those bullies, there are plenty of options for my crafting dollar.
OK thanks for listening to yet another Cricut Rant 😀 Good luck in the contest and til next time happy crafting!
The Frugal Crafter Blog 
I agree totally…..110 %….I have had my SSD for 6 months and absolutely love it!!!!!!
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I have the original Silhouette and I really do like it. I don’t use it as much as I should but that’s because I am basically lazy :-). I got this one instead of a Cricut because I didn’t want to have to buy a whole cartridge for an arm and a leg to get a few images I liked. I can download them one at a time for the online Sil. store for 99 cents each – or even less when they put them on sale. Provo Craft can keep their high priced crap!
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I don’t own a Silouette myself but only heard (read) great things about it in Forums. I wish you to win it! You sure would use it a lot and I would be so happy for you. Cannot try myself since I’m not a US resident but sure hope you will be the winner! Have a great day.
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I completely agree with your beliefs on this, and it is this same position I take concerning stamped images that are part of my art. It is ALL over reach. xoxo
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Lindsay,
I am a frugal green girl too. I know what you mean about replacing an item when you have a perfectly good working model.
The Silhouette is an excellent machine. They keep getting better. This January 2012 CHA there is a very good “rumor” pretty much confirmed that we will have a new 12×12 Silhouette. For card makers that might be too much horsepower. Can you imagine what this is going to do to the Cricut market?
I love my Silhouette. I even heard there is a blade holder to cut chipboard. Some of the girls on the Silhouette Yahoo forum have more info.
In this case replacement is good. The Silhouette definitely has limitations such as not cutting heavier materials, etc. It’s the most accurate cutter on the market for Print & Cut hands down. You can take it to crops since it has an SD holder for your images. Plus, the software is out of this world. Mixed with MTC or SCAL makes it even better.
I am not trying to enable you. Promise! With your art work I think you would be happy with the Silhouette. I always thought that since I have been reading your blog for the past couple of years.
I hope that helps. My DH is wanting me to sell my Cricut. He doesn’t trust the company or the people in it any more. I liked my Cricut. Really, if you can’t trust the people who make the machines then what do you have? I already own a Silhouette and a Gazelle girl over at SCS.
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wow, a 12×12 machine in the future…I think I will wait for that one although i bet most of what I want to do can be done 8.5″x11″. I’ll have to see how much ther 12×12 SSD is when it comes out, maybe that is why the price on the 8.5″x11″ is lower now…
Thanks for your opinion and taking the time to write it!
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I’m with you Lindsay, I won’t buy anything Provo Craft makes and I don’t enter any of their contests, in other words they couldn’t give one away to me!
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I know this is crazy but ever since they started this stupidity I worry about all of those poor people who work for them. People like me who will never buy Provo stuff again will cost all these people jobs and not because of the product quality but just simply the greediness of a bunch of fat cat board members. No good will come from this horribly greedy act. OK, off my soapbox……….
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You are right Dee, however they started their mass layoffs (from what I understand) when Bank Of America bought them. The first ones to go were the customer servise folks, esp. the really helpful ones who would spend time on the phone with you and actully help you out. It is probably a blessing they do not have to work for those greedy so and so’s anymore…maybe they can get jobs with Silhouette or one of the other reputible companies out there, Lord knows they are going to need more help after the take all of Cricut’s customers away LOL!
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Thanks for all your up to date in one place information. Similar to you I have a Cricut (plus cuttlebug, dies & folders) and I won’t be purchasing any more. I’m not going to part with what I have ATM as I was a careful purchaser of carts. However, I am in the process of setting up my original Silhouette that intimidated me so much.
I knew it was only a matter of time for them to go after another cutting program. I have had it with Provocraft. I’m considering wearing a button and distributing leaflets any time I go craft shopping to let others make informed decisions.
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I agree!
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I’m with you sister!!!! this is crazy…to have a company TELL us how and with what to use a machine that we BOUGHT with our own money that company needs to be looked into itself…I will also let my neice know NOT to buy the cricut!!!! I will steer her in the direction of the silhouette or pazzle..which I will be looking into myself…like I said before…..I knew that fairy cuts was next on their HIT list…..that is such a big turn off to all their products too…and so far PC new carts are nothing but repeats if you really look at the cuts on the carts so no big loss there, just a money saver to buy products from other companies…Sizzix, Spellbinders here I come!!
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My disgust with PC goes beyond the SCAL/MTC stuff (which was bad enough) and extends into the half-baked products and unkept promises they make, too. As an example, Cricut Design Studio had potential – but they just refused to fix and improve it. They move onto new products and leave the owners of the old ones holding the bag. I just don’t think you can trust them to keep their word about anything. I have a Silhouette and have become absolutely enchanted with Print and Cut – there’s no better machine out there for really accurate cutting, in my opinion. It’s small and can be taken to crops – and I just love it.
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wow, this is the first I’ve heard of this (you probably think I’ve probably been hiding under a rock or something lol)
I have a silhouette, its the lite version that doesn’t have print and cut but I have found ways around that. My fella gave mine to me as a gift and had a good look around at the time and the fact that I would be able to create my own designs for free without having to be restricted by costly cartridges was a no brainer for him and he was right!
I absolutely love my silhouette, I cut up to 220ish gsm card with mine and I find it cuts textured card very well. I do wish that I could cut heavier cardstock and I have had trouble with mirror card but maybe I need to check out that Yahoo forum DeeAnn mentioned 😉
I have never had or tried any other digital cutters so I can’t compare but I would recommend my silhouette to anyone who wanted a reasonably priced machine with a lot of flexibility.
Keep up the good work Lindsay! I love your blog 🙂
-Bird
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thanks Bird! I do not think you have been under a rock, this has happed so quickly (the lawsuits) and luckily as a silhouette owner you have not had to deal with this crap:)
The first suit against MTC I usederstood because there was a version of the software that let you access or back up carts or something-that should not be allowed because those designes are owned or licencesd by Cricut but the other softwware that was allowing you to design or use fonts and cut them on the machne you chose should be A-OK IMHO 🙂
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Just a clarification on the MTC cart back up thing. First of all, that feature was in the software for only about 2 weeks and was then removed. Second, you had to actually OWN the cartridge to be able to use and save the image from the cartridge in MTC. There was no way to use images from cartridges you did not put into the machine. I would agree that it was probably gray area and I am sure that cartridges – like lots of other things – are subject to some level of sneaker-net. But that feature has been so mis-represented on some blogs as piracy that I want to make sure it is clarified.
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thanks Debbie for the clarification:)
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The timing of your blog is just perfect for me. I was looking into upgrading my computer from a MAC to a PC just to buy SCAL. Then I ‘discovered’ I wouldn’t be able to use it with my Cricut anyway. I’m glad I can jump in and pick up the Fairy Cut version before it’s too late. Provo Craft is being rediculous and I hope this all bites them where it counts, (in their wallets). I will not replace my system when it dies & I will avoid cartridges & other products from them. I hope others do the same. The files on-line that are accessible are free images. They shouldn’t exclude you from accessing them. If you have a superior selection of images, at a fair price, people will buy them anyway. If you need to ‘strong-arm’ your customers, your product is weak. Just my 2 cents.
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Hi Kathy,
SCAL does work with MAC and PC but unfortunaltly you can’t get a version to work with your cricut anymore (unless you bought scal or scal2 then they will still work) Fairy cut will be OK if you get it before the 16th of this month but is is only for PC, I suppose you could try a windows simulator on your mac, I’d email Fairy Cut about it before you buy though to be sure. Prices on other cutters are compible to cricut and they all come with software to cut fonts and if you don’t like their software you can buy MTC, SCAL, Funtime and others. I love to see the small die cut companied doing well, they deserve too. I’m so glad you read this before you bought a new computer and software:)
Hugs,
Lindsay
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I wish I had found this thread a week ago… My DH bought me the Cricut Expression (not the E2, the original) as a present and I took my time to read up on it, so of course by now the MTC, SCAL and even the Fairy Cut are no longer available for the Cricut. Since it is opened and used I can’t return it any more, so here’s a question that maybe someone more knowledgeable and experienced can help with: is there a way / place to purchase a second hand copy of any of these software programs or am I stuck buyings cartidges?? Please help!
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hmmm, you would need a transfer of license probably for that…Let me think a bit and get back to you via email 🙂
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Thank you!! I was telling DH about how PC is going down the path of losing all its customers to other cutters and now of course he wishes he had known about the Silhouette. Live and learn, but maybe there is a way to use the Cricut for now and buy off a license somehow?? Thanks for helping.
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Oh my gosh — I just got a Cricut and was told I could use SCAL with it — apparently nobody has heard about this that I know.
I’m really a novice and wanted to do personalized things for my kids and their sports/activities.
I’ve been searching , trying to find info on the SCAL software and now it looks like I’m out of luck?!
Dagnabbit !
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Prediction that cricut will prob go broke cause no one will buy there crap overpriced catridges compared to the competition which provide all the options you would expect from something you payed nearly half the price of the cricut machines.
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well said! the new ecraft from Sizzix works with cartridges too BUT they are endorsing sure cuts a lot and encouraging customers to use their machine with it. Smart!
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Hi Linsday,
I have Cricut expression and what ever I try to do almost always the blades tear up my cuttings. The blades are not old and it does the same with the deep blades.
I tried to change the level of the depth blade and the pressure but nothing really came out right. Have any tips or ideas or maybe have you a video tutorial ? Maybe quality of the paper ??
Thanks a lot
Chris
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Take out the bade housing and push in the pin to release the blade, I bet you have a bunch of paper link inside the hole that hols the bade, blow on it to remove the fuzz. You should be all set. Some materials dull the blade such as acetate and glitter paper. Also some paper cuts better than others, for instance DCWV is great but softer paper like the my minds eye stacks shread. You might also try blasting you paper with a heat gun before cutting to remove any moister from the paper.
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Well thank you for your very fast answer. Yes there are sometimes some fuzz around the blade but I agree with you I really think it comes from the paper although mine is thick I have tried with a thicker one and it works much better. But here this kind of paper is so expansive !! But never mind. I am also sad that Papermart and most of the brands you talk about do not ship to France because the stamps and materials are so great and cheap ! Poor me !!! LOL
Looking forward to see your other videos….
Hugs Chris
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Christine, file folders cut really well in the cricut and although they generally come in the creamy manila color you can sometimes get them in other colors from an office supply store, you could ink them too. Hopefully they are a cheaper alternative for you;) The MEAD brand works well.
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Ok I will check for this good idea !! I usually buy everything at Craft Ecorner.com they are very nice and I think the prices are good and they ship to France woywww !!! Thank you very much again !
And all my thoughts towards you family !!!!
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