I love my Cricut Expression and all of the cute designs that come with the cartridges. I have to admit though, sometimes it can get overwhelming trying to do all of the paper-piecing designs. Loading and unloading the different papers and trying to coordinate all of them can get frustrating. That’s why I was super excited to see the Megan-Elizabeth Paper Layerz in my box of crafty goodness to review from Jenny. I knew this would be a fabulous tool for electronic die-cutters, and more specifically for Cricut Expression users.
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty; the paper itself is double-sided; one side is nine boxes (3 1/2″ x 4″) of different colors with coordinating patterns and on the second side is a full 12×12Â patterned piece of paper.
Now one thing that took me a bit by surprise is that this paper is a true 12×12 inches. The identifying tab on the bottom is actually worked into the side of the 9 different colored boxes. At first I thought, “Hmmm…” but then it clicked; this way, you don’t have to take your paper to a trimmer before putting it on your Cricut mat; it is ready to go right away! What a great idea! It has a white core and decent weight to it. I would hesitate at putting any really wet mediums on top of the paper because the pattern seemed to come up a bit and the white core shows.
In my opinion, you need to be a fairly seasoned Cricut user to start straight-off with these papers. I used some scrap 12×12 paper that I blocked off with pencil lines to start with for practice. I found most die-cuts worked at anywhere from 1-1/2″ to 3-1/2″, being the maximum cutting size.
For settings when cutting I have my regular (green) Cricut blade set at 6 and the speed set at 3 (medium) and the pressure at 5 (max). Sometimes when you’re executing more delicate cuts, the paper can rip, but I’ve found this to be minimal.
Load your paper and manually move your blade to the top right corner of the box that you want to cut your image in. (Editor’s note: The new Cricut Expressions 2 {E2} has a default cutting position in the upper LEFT of cutting mat.)
Once your first layer is cut you can easily position the blade to your next layer on the same paper, then repeat and continue as needed. Oh my gosh, this is SUCH a time saver! Once you have all of your layers and pieces cut simply put them together! I recommend using a glue pen, glue stick or one of the Xyron sticker makers. Foam strips and squares also come in handy if you don’t mind trimming them down.
One of the first projects I made were some refrigerator magnets. I cut out some multi-layered fruit shapes from the “Simply Charmed” Cricut cartridge, glued them together and then laminated them using my ProvoCraft YourStory to add a little more stability and life to them. After that, I added some magnetic strip pieces to the back and, voila! Fabulous refrigerator magnets that my kids can’t stop playing with!
The next project I made was a simple Halloween card to get myself more into the mood of the season. The ghost and the headstone were both cut-out using the Megan-Elizabeth papers. These are absolutely perfect for cards.
I also wanted to try and make a simple 12×12 scrapbook layout. I used the back-side of a black piece of the Megan-Elizabeth patterned papers to cut out a larger sized background for the title. (This was cut at 2-1/2″) I then cut the letter layers out in different coordinating colors. Again, how EASY is this?!?!  I also cut-out the cricket and the butterfly using the paper layerz; these are perfect also a great size for your scrapbook page embellishments.
In the end, I’m totally in LOVE with the Megan-Elizabeth Paper Layerz papers. It gives me a new outlook on using my Cricut Expression and actually creating those perfecly layered paper-pieces; The frustration of color-coordination is taken away in a blink of a well-thought out 12×12 piece of paper. There are plenty of different color pallettes throughout the paper line to please all types of crafters, from the bright and funky to the distressed and grungy. Right now you can purchse the Megan-Elizabeth papers here. Try them out crafters and let us know what you think!
Editor’s Note: You can use these papers for more than just cutting with your Cricut. Megan has created an “online DVD” illustrating how you can use the papers with a Silhouette, Slice,
 Disclosure: Sample provided for review.
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