Get saving this is comming to the UK Oct/Nov

[Carolinett]

Have a look at \link{http://www.cricut.com/\this} and this\link{http://www.croppinparadise.com/provo-craft-cricut-personal-electronic-cutter-preorder-p-11861.html\OK}

No computer required, they cut alphabets and all sorts of shapes.
Thats the good news
The bad news is
They will retail around £290.00 and there're not in this country until Oct/Nov this year because of the electricity currency
I've emailed Provo and it's true they're not compatible with our electricity current.
I've wrote my christmas list and this is at the top I've ordered mine ready, just incase santa forgets to bring it.

Your Dh & my Dad would get on in a shed then, SHEDHEADS

And my dh in the shed plaease.... stop him building robots and sound controllers in my kitchen - actually his hobby has paid for our holidays this year so it's OK with me and it really relaxes him, even if he is known as the mad professor round here.

I rather like electronics myself but within limits: I'm more assistant than specialist. can wire a fab light change on a carnival float thou

Lucky you, my Father spent his days whilst I was growing up in Saudi Arabia/Algeria/Yemen, we got good presents though!!!

My father was known as the 'mad professor'

Yes, DH said something similar

Your dad sounds great, he sounds like my DH
Do I realy want to know the theory of relativity
or what is the square root of a pie is or the definition of an acid and worse that that how a computer works. No I bloody don't I just want to know can I have a cricut NOW
(I don't mean your dad I mean my DH)

The reason I need to know the WATTS is because that will determin the size of the transformer, if the watts are high the transformer is more pricey like if its over 120 watts the transformer could cost about £70.00 thus making it not viable to buy.
And g$d dammit I'll may as well wait boho boho boho

Oh dear. Have we turned this into the most geeky thread in the history of Mumsnet?

Thought I'd just pop in to say I've had no reply from the manufacturer yet.

I'd normally say sod it and make a guess, but the cricut is just too expensive to accidentally blow up by using the wrong transformer.

I hope when this is all sorted we get a nice photo of your US imported first in the UK cricut on members profiles! (Assuming it isn't intercepted by customs, which is what happened to the gamecube I impoted for the DSS - for which I also had to buy a step-down transformer btw, with the added complexity of needing to use it in Holland. Didn't blow it up either! Phew!).

Hmm. On a wattage investigation, it looks like we can assume the cricut would work on the 100 watt transformer:

5000 watts Electric oven (800 for a range burner)

5000 watts Clothes dryer (electric)

3800 watts Water heater (electric)

3500 watts Central Air Conditioner (2.5 tons)

1500 watts Microwave oven

1500 watts Toaster (four-slot)

900 watts Coffee maker

600-1440 watts Window unit air conditioner

200-700 watts Refrigerator

140-330 watts Desktop Computer & 17" CRT monitor
(more on computers' electrical use)

1-20 watts Desktop Computer & Monitor (in sleep mode)

120 watts 17" CRT monitor

40 watts 17" LCD monitor

75 watts Regular light bulb

55-90 watts 19" television

45 watts Laptop computer

15-95 watts Ceiling fan

18 watts Compact fluorescent light bulb

4 watts Clock radio

Although I should say that a very expensive MBA consultant I used to work with always used to say that you should never assume - "because if you assume you make an ASS out of U and ME". He was American btw.

But, is a cricut really going to use more power than a laptop or 19" tv?

And thats the cutting qestion
I'll not give up by hook or crook I'll find out my friends
And I'll say it before anyone else does
Hmmmm all this fuss over a crafting thingy.
Well at this moment in time, no, I have got nothing better to do.

Cutting question. Guffaw.

I checked on Ebay but they're not there yet. It's too cutting (arf) edge.

I'm determined to get one of these to you safe and sound. Fortunately I have a lot of international calling cards, so if I need to I'll phone them on Monday for 2p per 30 minutes and confuse their customer care staff with my demands on wattage.

I phoned PROVO and do you know what the cheeky b$tch said
She wanted to know why I was asking so I told her that at the moment they are $249.00 in the US when they come to UK they will retail about $550.00 so she said
"Does that mean that you will always buy US just because it's cheaper here, don't you support your own country" and she was the one who said of course you do realise you will have no guarentee.

I politly told her to "mind her own business and do what she's getting paid customer information which she hadn't do very well because she couldn't answer the question" and put the phone down before she could answer.
So I HOPE YOU DON@T GET HER

Oh my god! That is so rude! Plus she didn't even realise that her (US) company gets the money regardless of where they sell it. I hate that thickness.

Well done for phoning tho. I find the trouble with dealing with US companies is that they are very US-centric and have difficulty in coping with other countries.

Groan I know that the power information is available and should be in the instructions. It's just a case of getting one of the dimwits to read it.

I also phoned one of the sellers of the cricut last week she was more helpful and she was looking at the machine whilst we were talking on the phone and said she couldn't see it written anywhere.
I'm not getting anyehere realy

Apparently, you need to know the details of the motor it presumably uses to cut with. Motors use quite a lot of power apparently. If we knew motor size we could work out the wattage.

Well you're just going to love me (not)

Look at\link{http://www.scrapbookdiecutter.com/products.htm\this}

25 Watts so you only need a low transformer
This one connects to the computer and is selling for £347 + £10.90 P&P on create and craft

we bought a tv back from the US with us when we moved home. Used wrong transformer (it was surprisingly using more than 100 watts). Smoked really impressively... :)

That's the thing, hard to guess what to use. LCD's use really low amounts of power so something that seems powerful like a LCD screen, well you think it's OK on that so it'll be OK on X and then it goes BANG!

Marry a specialist, 'tis the only way.

Amazing how many of us are married to or descended from 'mad professors'! Wonder if the craft is a similar obsessive thing? I always assume so.

This is the sort of stuff that Dh does, lighting design on things like \link{http://images1.somersetguyfawkescarnivals.co.uk/1999/999masqueraders001.jpg\this}

WOW

Well? Have you ordered it yet Carolinett?

No not yet feeling a bit of a coward. I was talking to Sue who owns the craft shop in Chester Market and who I'd ordered one of, before I started thing about buying from the US.

Anyway she was telling me that she'd had it demonstrated to her (ding ding bells start ringing)so there must be ones in this country the demonstrator are using with transformer I think to myself and she said they're having a few teething problems at the moment but reckon all will be OK when they are sold here.

We got talking about the price and she said what makes it more expensive is the import tax and the bloody VAT which we knew anyway
So humming & haring at the mo
She's promised me a demo when the women next comes. This will give me a good time to look at the thing.
If any of you are going to exhibitions keep an eye out see what you can find out.

We are weighing up whether to go to the US this year it's putting me off at the mo because of my ankle being broken before christmas and whether I'll be fit enough to go, might leave it till next Spring
So thinking about it at the mo until someone comes up with some earth shattering news

Hmm. Yes, it's a bit of a gamble. It depends whether the parcel gets caught going through customs. I think I've only been caught for import duty once in the UK (we always used to import games/DVDs/CDs). Got stung a couple of times when I lived in Holland.

Great idea about the demo. Let us know when you see it & what transformer they're using!!

I'm off to the Hobbycraft show this weekend and will keep an eye out for this Caroline

I got an this email from Hobby Craft
HOBBYCRAFT CHESTER OPENING CELEBRATIONS
9am this Saturday 1st April - FREE Crafty Gift for first 100 visitors*

It was a nightmare last Sat they opened to have trial run and the tills broke. I was only in there 1/2hr had to come out it was heaving.
Anyway I went yesterday

Very Nicey Nicey but very bloody pricey

Well I guess it's swings & roundabout somethings were cheap

Sorry I will not be attending this Saturday I know it's a great disapointment to everyone who wanted to meet me personaly
(Yer right)only joking

PF Have fun and don't go to Pizza Hut we waited ages to get served

Good News
My Shadowbox upper case alphabet and numbers came today from US it took 12days brilliant it cost with postage £124.48 for the two which I thought was a good price I had a good look round before I bought.

\link{ttp://www.ichf.co.uk/hobbycrafts//index.php#\this is the show i was on about caroline}

PF
Complete misunderstanding
Foot & Mouth spring to mind, my foot not yours

After a reread I see what your saying

Your not looking for that Caroline
You are looking for that cricut
Derrrrr Derrrrrr

The links didn't work, but thanks for taking the time to look out for the cricut.