Cricut Joy Xtra – Into the Goldilocks Zone

The Cricut Joy Xtra is an affordable and compact crafting machine, capably doing the work of its larger stable mates without loss of efficiency or quality.

Print, cut, emboss, scan or write,  this user friendly Cricut really does bring joy!

As a long time user of the Cricut range of crafting machines, I was excited to give this more succinct version a run through. If you’re pressed on space, this is your baby. And don’t worry, smaller doesn’t mean a reduction in quality. The Cricut Joy Xtra is extremely well made, looks great and has the same excellent build which makes Cricut the standout in their field.

 

SMALL BUT STURDY

This is one crafting appliance you can leave on the bench and use it daily.  The sleek design and unobtrusive size ensures it will blend in easily.  Anything you can create with the larger Cricut machines, you can definitely create with the Xtra. As a matter of fact, the smaller size ensures this versatile machine is perfect for any crafter household or office.

 

INITIAL SETUP

Cricut have excellent setup instructions which are clearly set out in their app. Instructions are easily followed and set up should be a simple and quick process.

Except …when it’s not.  Look, I’m not going to gloss over this important issue. I had a lot of trouble connecting the Joy Xtra to the Cricut App, so much so it was put away for quite a few months out of sheer frustration. It has taken me a couple of attempts to work out how to get around the problem.  Since my issue, Kevin has spoken to Cricut and they advise it sounds like a stand alone problem. They have offered to replace the unit, but honestly it was just the initial connectivity issue and I’ve had no other problems with the machine. So thank you Cricut but it’s okay.

However, just in case it is not a one off, here’s my experience of trying to connect.

ROUND ONE – Joyless

When first turning on the Joy Xtra, I waited for the phone app to show the Joy Xtra was connected.  Yeah nah.   I turned my phone off and on a few times.  Still nothing.

My eyes narrowed.  I persevered for a while longer, turned the phone on and off, turned the machine on and off, unplugged etc and followed instructions on the Cricut App.  Nada. Zero. Zilch.

In frustration I practiced the zen art of meditation… a technique which proved rather ineffective.  I may have yelled at the Joy Xtra and for this I apologised to the machine but still, no connection. Resistance was futile, so I decided to address the issue when one’s equilibrium was restored. And hopefully the machine’s too.

ROUND TWO – Still No Joy

A few months later…

Loins girded, I took a deep breath and attempted once more to connect to the Joy Xtra.   Attempted…

It was at this point I suffered what I embarrassingly call ‘a moment’ and called the Joy Xtra words Kevin nor Cricut would not like to read in a review.  Feeling frustration was going to again be the winner, I packed the Joy Xtra away again for another couple of months, safe in knowing it wasn’t going to connect to anything in my absence. *coughs

Round Three – Joyful!

If at first you don’t succeed, try,  try and try again, right? Gritting my teeth, I spent an entire Saturday afternoon trying to figure out a) what on earth was going on,  and  b) is it fixable. Because I don’t give up easily.

The issue stems from the seeming inability of the machine to be identified by the Cricut App.  It would show up in my accessories under the Bluetooth connection of the phone, but not in the Cricut app. Which is weird.

Process of elimination sequence activated,  I deleted it out of the Bluetooth connection list but that didn’t work. I left it in the Bluetooth connection list and tried opening the Cricut app. But that didn’t work either.  I deleted the Cricut app numerous times.  I unplugged the Joy Xtra multiple times per the instructions. After deleting the Cricut app for the tenth time, the Joy Xtra suddenly appeared!  Yay! Success!

Well, not really.  Because upon attempting to register, the app would immediately boot me out once the automatic update commenced. Specifically Update One. I attempted multiple times to restart this process but exactly the same issue would occur every time.  Round and round and round we went…

Determined not to give up, I decided to throw caution to the wind and go straight into the app without a connection, and then connect only when I wanted to create my project.

It worked! There was the Joy Xtra, looking all innocent, sitting in the link patiently awaiting an upload. Crafty little thing (these were not the words I uttered but shall suffice for PG ratings purposes).

JOY INTERRUPTED

I should have just been happy at this point as going further was going to tempt fate. But as I’m not one to let sleeping dogs lie, I charged forward and hit the create button… and we were linked, we were happy… we were at one! Oh Joy!
And then the Joy Xtra advised me it had to… UPDATE.  Oh dear gawd. NO! NO! NO!

Peeking through closed fingers, I watched as the app promptly booted me out again.  So I admit I used another bad word, scared the cat and the dog skulked away tail between legs.  My frustration vented, I then calmly gathered my thoughts, unplugged the Xtra, turned off the apps, turned off my phone, and then restarted the whole lot. Because I am patience personified. *coughs

Starting the project creation steps again, the Joy Xtra then calmly and confidently ran through the remainder of the first update and then installed the second. Well, blow me down with a feather.

It then asked if I was ready to create my project…  the audacity!

Since this initial albeit long winded problem I’ve had no issues.  Am I unique in my experience? I don’t know, but I do know the Update One patch is where the issue lies and potentially will impact upon any purchaser’s use of this great little creator tool.

SHARE THE JOY

CREATING VINYL LABELS

Now that I’ve got this little beauty sorted, creating name labels for a friend’s special event was my next task. Using two different vinyls, a plain silver and a pink glitter, I created names with ease, designing with the Cricut app and printing quickly and efficiently with the Joy Xtra.  I then provided them with the wording pre attached to the transfer tape, and provided instructions on how to apply. They were happy with the finished product and so was I!

 

NEXT!  Naturally it is important to decorate your Cricut! So in the spirit of adventure, I created a half madala which I promptly realised was a rather delicate weeding project. But persist I did and here you can see the steps:

Here I prepared my design in Cricut Design Space – I found a couple of mandalas I liked and adjusted the size for the Joy Xtra’s top.

Here I have printed the mandala, weeded the design and used transfer tape to get it ready to place on the Cricut Joy Xstra. You can see the mandalas printing here ->  Cricut

And here’s the finished product! I think it looks delicate and beautiful – exactly the look I wanted for my Joy Xtra!

PRINTABLES

The Cricut Joy Xtra may have a smaller footprint than the rest of the Cricut family, but it is still a mighty workhorse.  From writing text to stickers to vinyl to iron on prints, and everything in between, creating your projects is simple and straightforward.

STICKERS

This is a very simple process by tapping the ‘Create Sticker’ button on the Cricut Design Space app. It will walk you through each stage. I admit I was a bit nervous but wow, it worked really well.  I had some trouble connecting my new printer to my Mac (not Cricut’s fault) and ended up using the computer for Design Space and then reverting to the app for printing. Whatever works I say!

You will need to calibrate the machine for cutting stickers and iron ons – the App will walk you through this process. It’s fairly straight forward but if you do have any issues, the help button is there and it is very easy to follow the instructions.

Hot Tip: If you elect for the waterproof sticker option, the additional clear layer needs to be added prior to cutting… and make sure you take your time to remove air bubbles etc. I rushed one attempt of the stickers and ended up with paper at an odd angle as it sticks incredible well with little effort. If you have any air bubbles which seem stuck in place, wait until you cut the stickers as the cut edge will make pushing the air bubbles out a little easier.

Alternatively there’s an enormous amount of help in YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat – you honestly have millions of people in the creative community at your fingertips so use them if you need help.

PRINTABLE IRON ONS

The printable iron on paper is quite soft, so if you happen to use this medium ensure you change the cut from default to more. I ended up putting my print through the Joy Xtra twice as the first cut was insufficient.  As you can see, it’s a photo which I’m using for a practical joke.  Suffice to say the joke revolves a 40th birthday cake and is making its way onto a t-shirt for a colleague’s European holiday later next month.  Keeping the dream alive…and my other colleagues amused!

The end result will resemble this layout. Speaking of which, I highly recommend you use the guides within the Design Space program – they’re excellent for ensuring your dimensions and perspective is on point.

QUESTIONS

Do I really need the Cricut Design Space program? Look, honestly, it’s a small amount to pay for the huge amount of resources within the application. From base level design elements to complex projects which look amazing, the Cricut Design Space is not just a program but an organic and ever growing community of like minded individuals with amazing ideas and design skills.  You are within safe, creative hands and every process is clearly explained.

Can I use it for commercial purposes? Honestly,  I’d recommend instead you view a few of the larger Cricut machines as I’m sure you’ll find one there suitable for your needs. I’d especially highly recommend their latest semi-industrial offering which quite frankly blows away the competition and can power through the needs of any production requirements in record time.

Are the connections issues a deal breaker? No, because I believe it was just a once off. I’ve had other Cricut machines previously and did not experience these issues.  Hopefully any problems I’ve identified will also be noted by Cricut and updates tweaked to iron out bugs.

I’m a bit older – can I use the Joy Xtra because I’m not great with technology?  I think it is important to be aware the machine is controlled using the Design Space app.  You also use this for all aspects of design and production, so if you’re not sure how you’ll need a little help initially to get started.  There’s a lot of help on social media like I said earlier, but also ask around your friends and family – you’d be surprised how many people have their own Cricut machine and are willing to show you the ropes.

If you do have any start up issues, make sure your computer software is up to date, and also ensure any printer updates are current.  It might seem trivial but these small issues can result in devices failing to communicate, resulting in frustration as you go through the issue elimination process. And if you still have trouble, contact Cricut as they’re always happy to help. But I think you’ll be fine. 🙂

PURCHASE OPTIONS

I heartily suggest you purchase the Cricut Joy Xtra Starter Kit which provides you with a few products, transfer tape, sticker packs etc, because it’s great to trial this products and get an understanding of the machine and Design Space app.  There’s a huge amount of consumables available both online and instore, so have a look to familiarise yourself with all the things in the Cricut universe. Cricut develop new materials and products all the time and I have no doubt you will find much joy as you explore this wonderful machine’s capabilities.

RECOMMENDATION

I cannot fault the Cricut Joy Xtra’s performance once connected. Not too small and not too big, you’ll be able to easily plonk it on the bench, dining table, or desk whenever you need to create your project.  Cricut really know their market, and the Cricut Joy Xtra is certainly a worthy starting point as you venture into the Cricut universe.  Available at all good crafting stores, the Bundle Pack retails for $425 at Spotlight and other authorised reseller. If you already have all the bells and whistles, the stand alone unit will set you back just under $310 on Amazon.

Thank you Cricut – it’s been a journey but we got there in the end!