by Richelle Naegle
So many new Cricut cartridges have been released recently that I can hardly keep up with all the fun crafting potential they offer. You know me – I have to play with all the new ones and put them to the test. After all, I want to give you some honest opinions of these new cartridges and more info so you can make an informed decision about whether or not this cartridge is for you. Remember to save on colored cardstock here at CraftDirect.
Koi Card Project
When I first saw the Dimensional Paper Art Cricut cartridge, I was not that impressed and even a little confused as to why anyone would spend money on it. So I was a little hesitant to make something with it, in part because it looks intimidating. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the cards actually turned out very unique and were not complicated (though detailed) at all. Keep in mind that if you send this card in the mail, it will flatten a bit. That’s OK, just tell the recipient to “fluff” it up a bit. I’m not sure how this cartridge would work on the Expression, because you definitely need the scoring stylus to make this one work. With Cricut Explore machines, it will work just fine. It can cut those tiny little dots out and the scoring features and you can even write on the card using the machine. Cricut really has advanced their technology since the good old days.
So the cards are all just two cuts: the base of the card and then the top half. The machine cuts everything just enough so you can run your fingernail under them (or a spatula) to give all the little cuts a lift. The first card I made was the Koi card which is cut at 3.5″ x 5″. Be sure to do your cuts with a fresh Cricut blade. I love how it turned out, don’t you? While it cut quickly and nicely, the time was mostly spent in “fluffing” it. If you like to color I think this cartridge would be awesome (I don’t). If you cut and then colored some of the pop-outs it would give it a fun extra dimension. I may have to try that.
Dragonfly Card Project
This second Dragonfly card I made a bit smaller it’s only 4.5″ x 3.5″ and would be perfect for a gift tag. It didn’t take as long to “fluff” because only the dragonfly body and wings pop up.
In the end, I decided I really do like this cartridge. If you are a card-maker or DYI crafter, this cartridge has so many fun images to choose from. One problem is you can’t really use any of these designs for your scrapbook (the pages will smash the designs).
Let me know what you think of this cartridge and please share some of your projects with me. I would love to see what Dimensional Paper Arts Cricut Cartridge ideas you have brought to life. Post them on our Facebook page! Oh, and here’s a special notice for all my readers so be sure to check back tomorrow (Thursday 8/13/15) around noon MST to see another fun new Cricut cartridge release.
Until tomorrow…happy creating!