I've just purchased the Cricut Cake machine. I would like to use it with card stock as well. Does card stock require a different type blade & mat? Are sugar sheets & fondant sheets the same thing? I am ready to start practicing so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Oh, I would also like to know what "must have" additional cartridges you suggest. I'm so excited!

The blade that comes with the cake machine is food safe so it is not meant to cut paper. You can purchase an additional blade/housing. You will also need to purchase a different mat. The mat that you cut paper and other no food products is sticky so that the item will stick to it. The food safe mat you are supposed to rub shortening to adhere the fondant/gum paste/sugar sheet to it. You do not want to cross contaminate these items.

Sugar sheets and fondant are not the same thing, but you can do similar stuff with them. The sugar sheets are easy to work with but taste terrible to me. I use mmf which tastes great, but I freeze it to get it to work in my machine.

I have several of the cartridges, I get them online and at Big Lots (cheaper) and I just buy what I like.