Trouble In Cricut Land

I've been having a hell of a week. My Cricut Design Studio wasn't working and I couldn't get in touch with ProvoCraft or Cricut. I tried emailing them. No response. I tried faxing a letter. No response. I tried calling them.

When you call the 877 number you get a selection of menu choices. After you've made your choices you are put on hold and told to listen to the music. At first, the music is ok, then it turns scratchy, fading in and out, popping and cracking and then it just becomes a big ice pick digging in your ear. I tried holding the phone away from my ear, but then I was afraid I'd miss hearing if a person came on the line. After holding for about 30 minutes, I gave up. I do have a life, ya know.

Each time I called, I gave up after 20 - 30 minutes. I found another number and tried that. No change. Same voice, same menu, same selection, same waiting, same music. Aaaagggghhhh!

My problem was that the Design Studio said I had a larger mat in my Cricut than on the screen and I needed to change it. I have a 6x12 mat in the Cricut and a 6x12 mat selected on the computer screen. I finally decided to get on the Cricut forum page and ask for help from all the crafters. I got several suggestions that didn't pan out. Finally, someone wrote and told me how to fix it! I won't bore you with the details, but just know that it worked!

Then my Cricut LED screen became all pixelated. Good grief! I couldn't tell if what I had selected to cut was actually what I was going to be cutting. What the heck caused that? This was a brand new machine! This was causing my brain to hurt. I already knew that I'd have to mail the Cricut to Utah for repairs and pay for shipping both ways, plus the fee for fixing it if it wasn't included in the warranty. No way could I afford to do that. I just wanted to cry.

I had gotten out the little pamplet that came with the Cricut and saw the sales slip that I had taped to the inside cover. Wait a minute! Joanne Fabrics has a 90-day return policy. Hope springs eternal.

Today I took the Cricut back to the store and explained my problem. The cashier asked the Assistant Manager to come up to the front and asked her if they could take it back and give me another. "Of course we can" she said. She said it was easier for them to return it than for me. I totally agreed! Yeaaaaah!

I came home, set up the Cricut, opened the Design Studio, connected the Cricut to my computer and away we went! I started making Alex's scrapbook pages.

I'm back on track.

Well, Thanks Bunches, Walmart!

It's right there on their advertisement - We honor all competitors sale prices! I took an ad in to purchase a Cricut. Joanne's Fabrics had it on sale for $99.99. It's usually $199.99. This is a great savings! When I approached the Customer Service person, she said she didn't think it would be honored. She then called over one of the Assistant Managers. He left to go ask someone else. I knew then that this wasn't going to happen.

He came back with a pretend sad face and informed me that they couldn't let me have it for that price. It was too great a discount. I asked him about WM's statement in all of their ads about honoring competitors' sale prices. He shrugged his shoulders and said "Sorry". I shrugged my shoulders and said I had wanted to keep Front Royal money in Front Royal, but now I was going to have to take that money to Winchester. "Sorry" was all he could say.

I've never been able to get a competitor's sale price on anything at Walmart, except for items that are maybe less than $5.00. If that's what WM means by honoring sale prices, they should put that in their advertisements. "We honor all competitors' sale prices as long as it's less than $5.00."

I had tried last year to get the Cricut Design Studio at WM, using another store's advertised sale price. The CS person told me that the competitor's store had to be outside a 50-mile radius. Since it was for A.C. Moore, that left me out.

I wish they'd just print out their exceptions.

One Almost Dead Cricut

About two years ago, I purchased my little Cricut cutting system. I got it with a 40% off coupon at Michaels Craft Store in Harrisonburg. The Michaels in Manassas wouldn't let me use a coupon, so when I went to Harrisonburg, I thought I'd try my luck there.

I really enjoy using the Cricut and I've subscribed to the Cricut Newsletter that comes every month. I like seeing what other, more talented, people create using their machines. I kept coming up on all these abbreviations that I didn't understand. Finally, I realized that "DS" meant Dear Son, "DD" was Dear Daughter, "DH" meant Dear Husband, and so on. They even abbreviated the titles of the cartridges, or "carts" as they call them. For a long time I was totally confused, but finally got the hang of it. The only one I didn't understand was "DS" being used as in "I used my DS to create this design. Huh? She used her Dear Son? How? And why? "DS" was doing an awful lot of stuff. How old were these kids, anyway?

When I needed to call the company about something one day, I asked her what else did "DS" stand for? That's when I found out about the Design Studio! Ah ha!

Months later, I was able to purchase the Design Studio and I've loved it ever since. Until Friday. Well, to be honest, it's not the DS that I'm upset about. It's the Cricut. It seems that the motor is going. I've only had it about 2 years and I need to send it to Utah for repairs. I can't afford that. The repairs will probably cost around $75 (if I'm lucky, he said) and I'd have to pay postage both ways, plus insurance. I'm thinking that I'd be better off if I bought a new one. Crap.

You'd think that Provo Craft could have manufactured it a little better with a stronger motor so that it would last more than 2 years. This one doesn't even get heavy use. I'd say it gets light to moderate use. I have never taken it out of the house to use anywhere else, the g'daughters don't use it without supervision, and Kara has used it occasionally. That's about it. Never dropped it, never lent it out, never bent, folded or stapled it.

I first noticed trouble when it wouldn't cut all the way down the length of the mat. I had tried to cut "Congratulations" using Base Camp at 1". It cut "Cong" and then traced the rest of the letters. I reinserted the mat and typed in "rat" and cut that. Reinserted it again and cut out "ula". It took forever, but I finally got the rest of the letters. After talking to a Provo Craft rep, she finally told me how to reset my machine. I followed all the directions, waited 1/2 hour and tried it again. It worked!

Until the next time I used the machine, about a week later. Same problem. I tried the "reset" procedure. It worked, but it only lasted through one cut. The very next cut only cut about 1/2 way down the mat. Each additional cut was shorter than the first. Finally, only one letter. I reset it each time I want to use it. This takes 1/2 hour for each cut. Yikes!

This last time, the technician told me that it must be the motor. Unfortunately, I can't afford to get it fixed.

'I'm very disappointed.

Alex's Sock Monkey

I finished Alex's sock monkey! When I made the monkeys for Maggie and Emma, I had two socks left, so I went ahead and cut out the pieces and put them in a zip-lock bag with the pattern. You simply never know when you'll need another sock monkey!

I made him a pair of pants with some green starred fabric I found in my scrap box. When I was going through the box looking for something suitable, I realized all I had was girly fabrics. Pinks, flowered, satiny, lacy, frilly - but nothing for a boy. The green starred piece was just big enough to cut out a pair of monkey pants.

I made him a pair of socks with the leftover piece of sock. When I didn't find anything for a shirt, I embroidered a red "I love you" heart on his chest. To finish him off, I embroidered Alex's name and the year on the monkey's butt.

I'm going to try to find a straw boater hat. That will look great!

Art Is Art

I received a call this morning to come to the opening of a new jewelry shop. There was no way I'd miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime event. I was asked to stop by and not to forget my purse. The shop was located in my granddaughter's bedroom. On her desk, to be precise.

She has learned that by taking several strands of colored string and twisting and turning them, she can fashion a necklace or bracelet. I'm not sure where the term "jewelry" came into it, but that's what she's calling it. When you're 7, I guess you can call it anything you want!

I noticed that all the necklaces and bracelets were finished off with grey duct tape. When I asked her about it, she said she didn't know how to tie a knot very well, so she went downstairs and got the tape. Works for her, works for me.

My necklace is twisted purple string with a duct tape "clasp". Very fashionable. Cost me 50 cents. We're definitely going to learn how to make friendship bracelets this summer!

The Newest Creation

I'm almost finished with the newest Barbie gown. I tried my best to get it to look like the pattern, but I couldn't find the right type of 9" wide lace that would pleat correctly. I tried using dress lace, cutting it down to 9" but it was too soft and wouldn't pleat. I tried using a stiffer type of dress lace, also cutting it down, but it was too stiff and stuck out too far, making the dress look like one of those lacy bed dolls. Not what I'm aiming for.

I took it all apart (for the sixth or seventh time, I've lost count), unraveled the bottom four inches of the dress underskirt and started the same pattern as the dress overskirt. I've added white and very pale pink pearl beads all around the edge of the overskirt.

I especially enjoyed making the pantalettes. I might make another pair without the lace and put them on the last doll. It gives a more finished look, I think.

I still have to crochet the shoes and finish the hat. The glue is still drying on the gimp and I have about eight clothespins clamping it down. I also need to do something with her hair.

Sweet Sleep

This is the birth announcement I cross-stitched for Alexander. His room has a big moon on one wall with stars and the adjoining wall has a big smiling sun, all painted by his Dad. I thought this would be appropriate for a boy, too - since the mother is holding a baby boy.

The inscription says: A mother's arms are made of tenderness and sweet sleep blesses the child who lies therein. Victor Hugo

I stitched this a few years back for our oldest granddaughter simply because I liked the picture and the verse. Her birth announcement cross-stitch was a beautiful bassinet with ribbons and "girly" stuff - a little too frilly for a boy. I shopped several stores looking for a nice chart for a boy, but they were all lame looking. I kept coming back to this one in my pattern box. I think it goes well with his room.

I hope he and his parents think so, too!