Crafters, I...we need your opinions [Which die-cut machine?] - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Location: Texas Baby!!!! Where Else would anyone wana live
Posts: 1,297
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 0
Likes (Received): 1
Thanks (Given): 0
Thanks (Received): 0
Pixie Dust (Given): 0
Pixie Dust (Received): 0
Crafters, I...we need your opinions [Which die-cut machine?]
Rachel is interested in purchasing a Cricut, but then began reading reviews about the Silhouette Cameo. The Cameo seems a lot cheaper (referring to the price of the Cricut cartridges) and I saw some of the detailed cuts that it made, very nice. Anybody have any experience with either 1 or both machines? Your input/ opinions would be greatly appreciated.
__________________
Last edited by Charlie97; 04-02-2014 at 02:57 AM..
I have a Silhouette. It is amazing. For one, you are not stuck buying expensive Cricut cartridges-that's where you spend the most money on the Cricut. You can buy individual designs from the Silhouette store or look online for SVG files from other companies/designers-your options are limitless and usually cost between .99-$3.00. You can also cut out your own type from your computer.
The cuts are very detailed. The cards in my signature and on my etsy store (link below) were cut using a Silhouette SD (old version). I use a graphic design program so whatever I design can be cut. You can also cut fabric, vinyl wall clings, use a special marker to "draw" your design, etc. They sell kits to make your own rhinestone t-shirts/clothing items too. You can also do a print and cut where you can import an image, say mickey, run a filter to outline him. Print him out and the Silhouette will cut around him making your own cut out. Cricut cannot do this.
The learning curve is higher than the Cricut as you need to learn the program, but it's fairly intuitive. There are many YouTube tutorials if you can't figure something out. If she has any specific questions, let me know. I've been using one since 2011.
__________________
Michele
I'm living the dream 20 minutes from Disney! Next trip...tomorrow. Follow me on instagram at ShirtsByShell
Location: Texas Baby!!!! Where Else would anyone wana live
Posts: 1,297
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 0
Likes (Received): 1
Thanks (Given): 0
Thanks (Received): 0
Pixie Dust (Given): 0
Pixie Dust (Received): 0
Very nice designs. Thats what caught Rachel's eye last night, the way it cuts detail or very precise cuts. Thanks Michele. Any problems with it? We read about "A" blade becoming dull and damaging all the cuts beyond repair, but that's been the only we have read so far.
I have a Silhouette. It is amazing. For one, you are not stuck buying expensive Cricut cartridges-that's where you spend the most money on the Cricut. You can buy individual designs from the Silhouette store or look online for SVG files from other companies/designers-your options are limitless and usually cost between .99-$3.00. You can also cut out your own type from your computer.
The cuts are very detailed. The cards in my signature and on my etsy store (link below) were cut using a Silhouette SD (old version). I use a graphic design program so whatever I design can be cut. You can also cut fabric, vinyl wall clings, use a special marker to "draw" your design, etc. They sell kits to make your own rhinestone t-shirts/clothing items too. You can also do a print and cut where you can import an image, say mickey, run a filter to outline him. Print him out and the Silhouette will cut around him making your own cut out. Cricut cannot do this.
The learning curve is higher than the Cricut as you need to learn the program, but it's fairly intuitive. There are many YouTube tutorials if you can't figure something out. If she has any specific questions, let me know. I've been using one since 2011.
Aaand now I want a Silhouette.
I guess I should also add that my Mom has both, and I don't think she really does a whole lot with her Cricut any more. The last time we were in town, she showed me a little bit of what the Silhouette can do, and it seems pretty limitless as far as what you can cut out. She was still learning how to really use it, but seemed to be moving right along! (And she's not very tech savvy!) ;D
PassPorter Guide Author PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Navigator
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Ohio & Florida
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 6,129
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 73
Likes (Received): 284
Thanks (Given): 7
Thanks (Received): 146
Pixie Dust (Given): 25
Pixie Dust (Received): 18
Or (for more money) you can get the new Cricut Explore, which uses cartridges, downloadable Cricut images, and SVG images like the Silhouette. I bought the E2 when it first came out and there were a few bugs, so I'll wait a few months before even considering this, but it seems to be the best of both worlds.
That said, I'm very happy with my Cricut system. I bought a Wishblade years ago, and it was so darned HARD, I gave up and gave it away after I made one stupid image and it had gathered dust for several years. I'm generally very tech-savvy, so it really was hard...newer editions may be easier, I don't know, and this was before I had a Cricut.
So there is a LOT to be said for ease of use, as well as having a system like Cricut that many of your friends are likely to have, so you can get help as well as share your cartridges and things.
Hard decision. I have a Cricut and love it. By adding the Gypsy and getting most Cartridges on sale for $20 or less I have a large collection and can usually find what I need.
__________________
Dreams, Wishes, Hopes... these are the parts of childhood we should never lose.
Very nice designs. Thats what caught Rachel's eye last night, the way it cuts detail or very precise cuts. Thanks Michele. Any problems with it? We read about "A" blade becoming dull and damaging all the cuts beyond repair, but that's been the only we have read so far.
I have only had occasional problems, but were easily remedied by helpful YouTube videos. Nothing that kept me down for more than 1/2 and hour. Tech support is great and you can email them any problem you are having.
As far as the blades go, the blades are universal. I've not had too much problems with the blades. They do wear out and you need to replace them when dull-usually they start damaging the paper. They last me about 3-5 months, but I cut hundreds of items. I had one wear within a month, but complained to Silhouette and they sent me a replacement. Also, you need to replace cutting mats occasionally. I restick mine until they have too many cuts and start ruining the paper.
__________________
Michele
I'm living the dream 20 minutes from Disney! Next trip...tomorrow. Follow me on instagram at ShirtsByShell
Location: Texas Baby!!!! Where Else would anyone wana live
Posts: 1,297
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 0
Likes (Received): 1
Thanks (Given): 0
Thanks (Received): 0
Pixie Dust (Given): 0
Pixie Dust (Received): 0
After much reading, watching videos, listening to reviews, and watching demonstrations, Rachel has decided I will buy her the Silhouette. Thanks for your input. Rachel and I really appreciated it.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Dreams, Wishes, Hopes... these are the parts of childhood we should never lose.
Please let us know what you end up with when you make the decision. 
Linear Mode
