Cricut Explore Air, the Gateway Tool

I am finding that having a Cricut Explore Air is a double edged sword...

On one hand having such an advanced crafting tool at my finger tips opens up so many possibilities for projects - both for ones I can now do and improving on those I have done for some time. However... ON THE OTHER HAND, having my CEA only feeds my obsession for crafting tools, supplies and and STUFFS more!

I have come to the conclusion that the Cricut machines, particularly the explore series (explore/explore one, explore air) are gateway tools... once you touch them, once you finish that first project you get such a rush.. such an UNBELIEVABLE feeling of such HAPPINESS that you just ...

want...



MORE!

This past weekend I happily spent a couple hours organizing vinyl (purchased from CraftVinyl, you can visit them by clicking HERE)... I wasn't even bothered too much when i had difficulty discerning which sheet of orange vinyl was "pastel" or "light" orange! All i could think about is what I was going to make, where my next HIGH would come from once I was finished sorting vinyl!

In all seriousness (addiction jokes aside) I do believe the Circut machines are a gateway tool of sorts, but one with far less nefarious issues than illicit drugs (JUST SAY NO ... to drugs!).

I wanted a Cricut for YEARS before I was finally able to get one (last fall) and as I made my way in to various community groups online, I noticed a neat phenomenon... people who had never crafted (outside of projects at school or camp) were getting creative... like really creative!

I strongly believe that companies like Cricut are the reason why crafting as a hobby or having a handmade goods business have become firmly entrenched in mainstream society proving one thing above all else:

Everyone has a creative gene, they just need the right tool to bring it out