I have been using my Silhouette for about 6 months or so and use it Often

The first project I did was a school class set of (cardstock) Picture frame holders at the end of year party. I found out right away that when you use a lot of paper that the carrier sheets loose their stickiness. I cannot find these local, so I just bought the cricket carrier sheets-large ones 24" long and cut them down-very inexpensive (now I have 2) and they have lasted a lot longer.

Thanks for the tip!! I havent been using my Silhouette for a month yet and I am finding issues with the carrier sheet. Yes, this is after I realized I had to peel the thing off to make it sticky! Some of my paper has actually stuck to it and will not come off! It looks awful now and I am betting it wont last too much longer.

If you by the tool spatula-here is a link to it_I think I found mine at Walmart.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?rlz=1C1CHHJ_enUS405US405&q=cricut+tools&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=11102011704359925825&ei=mVc2TdmlMoP-8AavlYyrBA&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=image&resnum=5&ved=0CEIQ8gIwBA#

You can easily scrap those pieces off without taking too much of the sticky off.

Will there be tutorials we can go through together or something? I've really got to learn this.
Susie

if you go to the Silhouette blog they do have a bunch of tutorials on the blog and they do a fairly good job at stepping you through-

also be sure to check out the manual also- I just used it to make lettering curved...very cool

I've watched every video on youtube and seen all the tutorial on the Silhouette blog.
I was able to do a print and cut design and I also used my sketch pens in the Silhouette yesterday so I'm learning.
Susie

Hi. I heard about a new way to reuse your carrier sheets. You can buy a can of 'Easy Tack' (mine is made by Krylon) and after you wash your carrier sheet (yes, with soap and water), let it dry and then you can spray this on to the sheet. It gives new life to your sheet! I have tried it and it works. Washing it also gets rid of the bits of paper left behind. Try not to get it on anything else, though - pretty sticky! I had to do mine outside.
Have fun.
Ardis

I en tto the craft store to buy a spatula for my mat, and while I was there I happened into the painting section. You can cheaply buy a batch of paint spreaders and one is exactly like the cricut spatula. The set was $4 for 5 spatulas. Some are longer and thinner spatulas, and I really love them for really intricate patterns. The go deep under the pattern to help bring it up off the mat.