Dive into the world of Cricut and crafting as we sat down with Shawn Mosch, the brilliant mind behind Shawn’s Blog, to gain exclusive insights into her expertise. This is why she made it on our list of the best Cricut bloggers. With a passion for creativity and a knack for sharing her knowledge, Shawn graciously answered ten of top questions about Cricut, crafting, and the art of DIY in our series of interviews of the top craft bloggers on the Internet!
Get ready to discover Shawn’s thoughts, tips, and experiences as she sheds light on various aspects of the crafting world. From her favorite tools to indispensable advice for beginners, join us on this insightful journey into the realm of Cricut with Shawn Mosch.
How did you get started with Cricut?
When my children were young, the daycare that they went to was having a scrapbooking event. At the time, I was not a scrapbooker, but since the person organizing the event knew we had just taken a trip to Walt Disney World and the company hosting the event had Disney papers and stickers they convinced me that I had to go to the event. That was my gateway to Cricut crafting.
Soon I was scrapbooking so much that my husband said that I needed a Cricut. In 2008 I got my first Cricut machine, the original Cricut machine!
How did you develop this passion?
I have always been a crafter, and I just love creating things. It is the best feeling when you can have an idea in your head and then see it turn into a reality. I have done this with other crafts, like sewing. My wedding dress was actually a combination of 3 different patterns since I liked the sleeves from one, the neckline from another and the train from a third. Then in college I was the costumer for the school’s theater department.
There is so much joy and satisfaction in having an idea and being able to make it come to life!
What Cricut machine do you recommend for beginners?
Either the Maker or the Explore is a great option. I actually have the Explore, and do not have any plans to get a new machine unless my current machine stops working. If that does happen, I will get a Maker, not the Maker 3.
When I say this people always ask me, why not the Maker 3 and I tell them that I would save the money and just get the Maker instead of the Maker 3. The biggest benefit of the Maker 3 is that you can cut longer designs in one continuous cut if you use the Cricut Smart vinyl. You would also be able to do that cutting without a cutting mat, again if you use the Cricut Smart Vinyl.
The drawback is the Cricut Smart Vinyl is more expensive and, in my opinion, not as good as some other brands out there. Additionally, if you already have a Maker or Explore, you probably do not need the Joy since you can do everything with your larger machine.
What is your most popular tutorial on YouTube?
How to Upload Images to Cricut Design Space. In this tutorial I show, using the same image, how you can upload something to save it as a print then cut or you can save it as a cut only file. I even show how to do this with a multi-colored image.
I think this video is so popular because so many people want to learn to upload their own images, but when they do they do not understand that they have to define the image and where they want the Cricut to cut if they are using a PNG or JPG file.
It sounds like you love Disney projects – why do you like to combine Disney and Cricut together?
I love Disney! I have Disney clothes and home decor items, so why not include them in my crafting projects! I know that other Disney Adults also like to decorate their house with Disney elements so if I can teach them how I do it then we can all enjoy some Disney magic at home!
What is your best tip for learning how to use Design Space?
Take my Teach Me Cricut Design Space Online Course! In this one course I have over 20 different videos that will show you how to use each and every button in Cricut Design Space. I feel that if you learn to use the Design Space software, you can create anything you want!
What problem do people run into most with Design Space?
Honestly, I feel that the biggest problem people run into is that they don’t take the time to really learn the Design Space software. About 90% of the problems I see people running into can be solved in one of my videos, tutorials or in my online course!
What is your favorite material to work with on your Cricut machine?
I do a lot of cardstock projects, like my scrapbooks and card making. I have 12 nieces and nephews and they love it when I send them handmade cards for their birthdays!
What is the best piece of advice you’d give to someone starting out with a Cricut machine?
Do your research! I see so many people that buy the Cricut Joy, since it is the cheapest of the Cricut machines and then ask how to make print then cut stickers with it. The answer to that is you can’t make print then cut stickers with the original Joy machine.
What are your favorite resources/websites for Cricut beginners?
I actually get a lot of inspiration from my followers. When they tell me about what they are making it always seems to give me new ideas for my next project.
Also, I am a problem solver at heart, so when I see people struggling with something in Cricut Design Space I love to make a video that shows them how to do what they want to do.
Since I am a thrifty person and do not pay for Cricut Access, one of my favorite places to get free fonts is from DaFont.com, but be careful you can spend all day on there downloading fonts! I also have a list of places to get free SVG files on my site here.
Leave a Reply