The eCraft Has Arrived

As I turned into my neighborhood last night on the way home from the Y, there was a UPS truck in front of me.  As he made the left at the stop sign, I began praying to the Scrapbooking Gods (or Goddesses) that he was on his way to my address.  As he wound around the corner, I got more excited and when he stopped in front of my house, I barely remembered to put the car in park before I leaped out and started jumping up and down in the driveway.

Here is what that wonderful man in brown had for me:

Yes, my scrappy friends....thanks to my wonderful boss Megan at Club Ruby Designers and the generous geniuses at Craftwell, I am now the proud owner of an eCraft cutting machine!

Now those of you who know me, know I have been an avid Cricut user since hubby bought me my first machine for Christmas in 2007.  Four years later, I now have 3 Cricut machines, a Gypsy that I couldn't live without, and over 50 cartridges.  But I have been intrigued by the eCraft since I first saw it at an expo several years ago.

There is a few things that makes the eCraft different from the Cricut.  The first is that is does NOT need a cutting mat.  Paper can be fed through the front of the machine or loaded into a tray on the back.  It also comes with a roller attachment if you are cutting a long length of paper.

After registering my new machine on their site, I was able to download software that allows you to (very easily) import and cut any .svg file on the internet...which is HUGE.  There are tons of free .svg files out there, as well as ones you can purchase for a dollar or two.  I spent some time playing with the software last night and I found it user friendly and fun.  I accessed the help screen and learned in just a minute how to weld a word and then with a click, sent that word to the eCraft to cut.  Woot!  Woot!

I have big plans for this machine, but as with all new toys, there is a learning curve so I have some practicing to do.  Stay tuned for updates!!

Don't forget about the 21 Days of Giveaways going on right now over at AboveRubiesStudio.  I'll be having a giveaway here on my blog in September. Don't miss out on your chance to win!!