Thanks for the advice! I thought I just needed to clean my old one last time I did it but I just got this mat today. I've only used my Cricut a couple of times.. I think I jut need actual faux leather and not the stuff I'm using which has a thick backing that it won't cut through. Maybe that'll stick to the mat better.Looks like your sticky mat needs replacing or cleaning and/or you need a new blade. I don't use my cricut (sigh) because I bought it to cut custom designs for masking/stencil work but couldn't figure out how to digitize my designs. I have cleaned things like those mats with alcohol, just sponged on with my fingertips and allowed to dry. I guess if it's not working anyway, you've got nothing to lose by trying.