Monday, October 15, 2012

I May Be Going To Hell...

Well if sinning against ProvoCraft makes one go to hell that is. First off let me say I have been a very loyal and strong advocate for ProvoCraft over the years and I still feel they have the right to protect their company, products and interests

Now...about my sin....and how it took place...

I have had the Make The Cut software for a long time, way before the big lawsuit took place. I had opened it a few times and since I didn't know how to use it and I want to just make my chit and not have to look up how to use a program I never messed with it...UNTIL NOW.

I have never knocked anyone for using the "software that shall not be named" *okie cracks up remembering everyone saying that when referring to MTC or SCAL* and I have some very wonderful crafting friends that I disagreed with about the whole lawsuit thing, and we just agreed to disagree at that point and went about being the happy merry friends we were and still are.

I am not sure if everyone is aware but there was a long wait for quite a few of the new carts to get updated in Design Studio. I had a few that I couldn't use because as we all know I am rendered useless with my Cricut without my beloved Design Studio. Okay, I'll be honest and say I did use CCR for a project but only because I had no other choice. That LITTLE PROJECT that should have taken me about 15 minutes to get laid out and cut ended up being an ordeal that took a few hours. It also required a lot of curse words as my friend Linda can attest to since she was on the phone with me.

Discussing the whole dilemma with my friend Carmen and me telling her that I decided if I needed to start looking for another program to learn I wanted one that must meet a few requirements...
1. NO INTERNET NEEDED
2. NOT GLITCHY
3. IMAGES DO NOT JUMP AROUND
4. I CAN SEE THE IMAGES AND SCREEN CLEARLY
Well this lead Carmen saying "You've had MTC for a long time why not try it".

Anyway long story short *okie thinks it might be too late for that*, with the help of Carmen and a little finagling *okie is so glad that spell check knew that word because she had it all jacked up*  I was able to get my MTC up and running. So far all I have done is play around with the fonts on my computer and I did a title for a layout that I will hopefully get posted tomorrow.

For now I thought I would share a picture of the title. I was able to do the double layered shadow very easily and I do love that! Of course if ya know anything about me ya know how I love my shadows on images. I just think it makes them go POP! I could have spent hours looking for a font to use since I believe I can now cut with any font on my computer but I didn't want to take time looking forever. Now ironically enough, the name of this font is Hurry Up. My friend Amy got a kick out of that irony. Amy is a big time MTC user and has been from the get go I do believe. I know her and Misty probably have some kinda evil drool running down their chins and rubbing their hands together maliciously as the salivate at the idea of me "turning to the dark side" *okie suddenly thinks she might have some pretty weird friends, shrugs and figures they think the same about her*.

Now I want to be clear about this whole thing, as I think my friend Joy, aka HappyHappyJoyJoy might have had a slight heart attack last night at my announcment on Facebook...
I STILL LOVE MY CRICUT
I STILL LOVE MY CARTRIDGES
I STILL LOVE MY DESIGN STUDIO

However, if it gets to the point where ProvoCraft doesn't support Design Studio then I believe I will have to find a high powered divorce lawyer and  file for a divorce on the grounds of neglect and abandonment. At that point I sure hope ProvoCraft remembers I never signed a prenup!

13 comments:

  1. I have not ventured out of PC yet, but I totally agree with you about Design Studio... I am frustrated using CCR, even though I am quite computer savvy. I love my DS but struggle with compatibility with my Windows 7 64 bit machine - their tech support tried hard, but was clueless. My hubby and I were able to do a work-around so I can still use DS, but it still sometimes sticks. They just came out with another update this week, but are slow with them. I never cut without DS, and really need them to keep supporting it.

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  2. Thanks for the confession Okie! I've had MTC for years also & used it a bit before the big blow up. I have no qualms with still using it here & there for projects since I've spent thousands of dollars on ProvoCraft cartridges, consumables, Design Studio, Gypsy, etc. I'm not selling any of my papercrafts, so I don't see it as a problem WHAT I cut out with my Cricut for my personal use :) And, YES, making shadows is one of the BEST uses I've found for MTC!!

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  3. Ha Ha welcome to the "other side" Okie....I have much the same opinion about PC and even teach the Cricut since I believe they do fill a need. However, I have purchased a KNK Zing which uses MTC and boy oh boy, I am loving it....love all the features, the extra cutting area and the extra force. Should I even mention the perfect circles? LOL Enjoy Okie!

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  4. Welcome to the "Dark Side". LOL I have had MTC from its beginnings (SCAL too). I still have 2 Cricuts, a gypsy and way too many carts to count but I did finally "divorce" PC a long time ago. Haven't bought a new cart in at least two years. I have "loaned" my Gypsy to my sister who uses it to create things for the school she works out. Like you, I didn't really like the gypsy and would have preferred they kept Design Studio updated. Before the "divorce", I used it all, my Cricuts,the carts and DS. Now I use MTC for most everything I do now. Haven't used a cart in more than a year. I think you will love MTC because it lets you do so much more. I have followed along with you over the years and always knew you could do so much with a program like MTC and/or SCAL. Hope you will take the time to learn and do more with it. Just because you do doesn't mean you are being "disloyal" just seeing there is more to the world then one vision. Good luck!

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  5. I understand your delima. I've been VERY loyal to PC over the years and influenced others, bought I don't know how much I too am thinking . . . My Gypsy is dying, I can't get CCR to come up on my computer and my internet is not consistant and I just want something not quite so spendy with more variety. Ohh!! I can't believe I actually admitted it!
    I'm happy you've found something that will work for you!
    Anna

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  6. Okie i so so agree with you. I love love my Cricuts and the cartridges, but PC does not seem to love us as we love them. I have had MTC since the beginning and I too have not used it to it's ability mostly because I was lazy and it was easier to reach for a cartridge. But slowly but surely (some days faster) I am venturing into using MTC or my Cameo software as my "go-to" software. I know they will always do updates that WORK and they truly care about their customers. There comes a point and time in all of our lives that we have to move on.

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  7. Welcome to the dark side; MTC and SCAL should be complimenting Cricut products and I don't think you'll stop using your carts? I have SCAL because I can't use DS on my Mac and I think it's only a matter of time before Provo start using designs from CCR on carts, without asking or paying the designer!!
    I do have carts and still buy them if I feel I will use enough of the images (they cost around £50 here!) but mostly use SCAL now. I don't think you need to go to confession just yet! :-)
    Jude.x

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  8. Oh my goodness, I hear you loud and clear... what is going on with PC???
    I have not bought a new cartridge because I cannot update the new ones. and I will not go to the CCR which means online to design a card. If they don't get there act together I will have to be happy with the cartridges I have. 40 plus, so I can't find anything with I have.... too bad...
    Carol N<>< by the way, what is this MTC you are talking about, I did hear about SCAL but not MTC
    cricutlady101 at aol dot com
    thanks, I might come to the dark side also!!!

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  9. Can you still use MTC w/ the E2? I was considering checking into it before the big blow up but then didn't because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to cut w/ my E2. I would Love other options if they are still out there! :)

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  10. OMG ... NOOOOOOOOO! Say it isn't so. The HORROR, THE HORROR! Ugh!

    Whew, OK, I'm good now ... had to get that out of my system! *wink*

    But seriously Shirley ... we all have to do what works for us. I think you may be smart to have a back up plan. I am hoping that a divorce won't be necessary (as I am also an avid DS user too). But good for you to have an alternative way to continue making those awesome creations!

    WAY TO GO!

    Hugz,
    Carol

    (errrr, BTW, if PC asks, you never saw me, I was never here, and I did NOT post this!)

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  11. Oh my gosh! Just don't do the latest update on MTC because it will not allow the plug in to work. I gleefully use MTC with my Cricut-I had it before the lawsuit too. And it is the best program to use when you just need a quick welded word or a quick figure you can trace from an image. There are tons of other features with it but I haven't seemed to get past just cutting and welding and shadowing. I'm a happy camper. So happy for you too Okie!

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  12. I absolute LOVED this post and agree, agree, agree! I've had MTC for a few years too and never learned to use it; still haven't. I was a faithful user of my Gypsy, Cricut E and 130+ cartridges. Then, in June, when I went to use my Gypsy...it was dead. And there would be no resurrecting it. So I turned to CCR. Alas, I cannot link my cartridges to CCR because they are all (except for 2 or 3 of my newest ones) linked to the Gypsy...which of course is dead! In several calls to PC, they don't know when (though they swear it's coming) we will be able to link our carts to both the G AND CCR and truthfully I'm tired of waiting. That of course means that I am back to having to swap cartridges in and out of my machine because I gave away all four of my jukeboxes once I got the Gypsy. I don't gave the patience for that. So, just two weeks ago, I went out and got a Cameo and it's so easy-peasy to use that I believe I am in die-cutting heaven once again. If in the near future any of you see a bundle containing a Baby Bug, Cricut E and 135 cartridges for sale on Ebay, it'll probably be mine!

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  13. I absolute LOVED this post and agree, agree, agree! I've had MTC for a few years too and never learned to use it; still haven't. I was a faithful user of my Gypsy, Cricut E and 130+ cartridges. Then, in June, when I went to use my Gypsy...it was dead. And there would be no resurrecting it. So I turned to CCR. Alas, I cannot link my cartridges to CCR because they are all (except for 2 or 3 of my newest ones) linked to the Gypsy...which of course is dead! In several calls to PC, they don't know when (though they swear it's coming) we will be able to link our carts to both the G AND CCR and truthfully I'm tired of waiting. That of course means that I am back to having to swap cartridges in and out of my machine because I gave away all four of my jukeboxes once I got the Gypsy. I don't gave the patience for that. So, just two weeks ago, I went out and got a Cameo and it's so easy-peasy to use that I believe I am in die-cutting heaven once again. If in the near future any of you see a bundle containing a Baby Bug, Cricut E and 135 cartridges for sale on Ebay, it'll probably be mine!

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