I hope you are having a nice day of Thanksgiving. I am very thankful for you and this community. Giving thanks, even when things seem bleak, always makes me feel better. I hope it works for you as well.

I made a new post on my blog covering Black Friday Deals for Crafters. 
https://cuttercrafter.com/black-friday-deals-for-crafters-2/
 
Black Friday deals have already started, and more will be released tomorrow, Black Friday. Perhaps my list with links to the best deals I could find for the products I use, will help you make important purchases during the Black Friday sales. You can refer others to this list, especially those who are looking for special gifts for you or for other crafters in your life.

I have received many questions about which machine is best. That is question that is best answered based on your particular needs.  I am working on a comparison chart, but just got too busy to complete it before the important Black Friday sales. We will see if I can somehow complete it soon. 

Important recent purchases for me this season are:
the Gemini Midi hand die cutter/embosser, 6" wide using a folder instead of plates
Hundreds of designs at the Silhouette Design Store at 50% off (from my Wish List), using my Premium Subscription
Lovely very intricate dies from Heartfelt Creations at a great discount for Black Friday
Great bargains from Crafter's Companion. I will be watching their special US Warehouse Clearance sale this Sunday at noon Pacific time.
You can get Cricut supplies for up to 70% off, if what you need is still in stock. 50% off plus and extra 20% off if you are an Access member. Free shipping with purchases over $100 with code NOVSHIP 
Lots of great downloads from Creative Fabrica. They are having a $1 sale for a month for their membership, with the All Access membership going to $19 per month after the first month. Or the option for 3 months of All Access Membership to their Craft Designs for 3 months for $12.  I really like their All Access because they allow commercial use of all of their designs. https://www.creativefabrica.com/ref/24751/

My electronic cutters are working well. My 3 most used cutters among my massive collection are Pazzles InVue, Scan N Cut SDX 225 and 650, and Cricut Maker for cutting fabric and thin papers. My favorite embossing/die cut machines this year have been Diamond Press Marquise (soon to be taken over by the Gemini Midi), Gemini (the large one) and a new addition, Cut N Boss for use with Heartfelt Creations floral shaping molds. 

If you are looking for a computer, look for one that works well with your cutter, and meets at least the minimum specs required by your cutter software. I looked for a gaming computer when I last replaced mine, with plenty of room for cutting file storage on hard drive or SSD drive.  I got a 17" screen on my laptop because I need a larger screen for my aging eyes while designing.  I got the fastest machine available, knowing that whatever speed is fastest today, will be outdated in 6 months. I purchase a massively large hard drive for backup each year. Looks like there are some great buys on up to 8TB drives. 

Please let us know if you find some awesome Black Friday Deals that we cannot resist.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Julie