PAPER CRAFTING TOOLS - PART ONE

The Basics for Beginners

I did not follow the advice I'm about to give you. I still struggle not to over buy when all the new paper collections come out, there is a sale, a new tool looks too cool to pass up, or a new Close to My Heart catalog becomes available. 

You can really get started scrapbooking, card making, etc. with very few supplies. Some tools don't have to be top of the line, but other items you really should splurge on to get the best results possible. I hope my list will help you make some informed decisions, so that you don't waste money, or time.

There is nothing worse than working hard on a handmade card, and having the layers fall apart because your adhesive didn't stick. Also, cheap paper will let you down. I have some scrapbook layouts that I have to re-do because of cheap paper, and ineffective adhesive.

Adhesives

• A liquid adhesive with a great hold will allow you a little time to adjust the placement of your pictures, etc. My preferences are Tombow (available at craft stores), and Close to My Heart's  Liquid Glass.
•  You will want double-sided tape, or a tape gun. I use the Teresa Collins Xyron tape runner because I find it easy to load the refills, it gets the job done, it fits my hand, and it's pink. 
• Mini glue dots will help you adhere very small items without making a mess. I use Micro Glue Dots.

Paper

•  CTMH paper packs are great because they have  double-sided prints, and solid colored cardstock, that coordinates.
• CTMH Workshops on the Go are the same coordinating paper packs, along with a stamp set, an embelishment, and instruction booklet.
• Graphic 45 comes out with paper packs with a lovely vintage feel. The big box craft stores don't carry a lot of Graphic 45. Amazon has the best price I have found.
• Bo Bunny is another paper manufacturer that has great quality, and interesting themes. Again, try Amazon for the best price.
• I do not often buy pads of paper. This is because I usually only like about half the papers in the pack. I'm then stuck with papers I don't want to use. I learned this the hard way, of course.

Seaside Workshop on the Go

Scissors and Trimmers

• My all time favorite scissors are the Tim Holtz Ionic scissors. They are sharp, have a nice point, are comfortable to use, and the blades stay clean. They would be perfect if they came in pink.
• The slicer that I have, finally, settled on is the Sure Cut Deluxe Paper Trimmer. I tried lots of trimmers, but this one has a nice wide base, and the replacement blades are inexpensive. 

Scrapbooks

• You can purchase scrapbooks inexpensively at any craft store, but I would not recommend buying them. I have a few that are not in very good shape now.
• I now use Close to My Heart Scrapbooks. They come in D-Ring, and post bound.  
• I have seen some nicer scrapbooks, in the section of the craft stores near the Project Life supplies. I can not endorse them, as I have not tried them.
•  Remember, you will work hard to put together layouts to preserve your memories. You want them to be protected.

 

 

Misc.

• A bone folder is a nice item to have. You can see an example of one here. They help you make a nice crease on your cards.
•  I love my scoring boards. If you are a card maker, I think they are a must have. I have two, because one is for big projects, and one is more portable for travel. The large one I use is the Martha Stewart score board. The travel size I use is the Close to My Heart score board.
• Having a nice mat to put down on your table is a good idea. The Versamat is a nice choice. This will help protect your table. One side is cushioned for stamping, and the other is self-healing for cutting. The grids also come in handy when lining up projects.

 

These are just the basics. As you continue crafting, I'm sure you will want to add stamps, inks, ribbon, twine, buttons, markers, and all sorts of embelishments. The trick is to buy what you need for each project, and not just everything that is "too cute to pass up." 

 

I will continue this series with more items that you will want to explore as you become more crafty.

 

You also might want to stay tuned as I work on getting my craft room, and office space, in order. It is something I struggle with, besides wanting to buy all of the "too cute to pass up" items.

 

Let me know if you agree with my beginners list. 

 

    

GETTING READY FOR 2015

SMART Goals and a New Planner

I have been working on setting my goals for 2015, in an effort to be more productive in all areas of my life. I discovered SMART goals recently, and fell in love with the idea. The acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely.

Instead of simply saying "lose 40 pounds", my goal reads "I will lose 40 pounds by the end of 2015, in order to improve my overall health, and energy level."

Steps to reach goal:

1. Exercise 2 times per week, for a minimum of 30 minutes each, beginning January 1st. Increase the amount of exercise every quarter, reaching 5 days per week by year end.
2. Work up to eating 4 servings of fruits and vegetables by June 2015.
3. Make meat and sweets the smallest portion of my food consumption by April 2015.
4. Eat my biggest meal before 4 pm and eat nothing after 8 pm starting January 1st.

I have set all of my 2015 goals in this manner. The plan is to check in on all of my goals weekly, so that I am holding myself accountable.

The second part of getting my act together in 2015 is finding a planner that I can customize to fit my needs, and organizing my work space.

I have ordered my planner, but it hasn't arrived yet. I found it on Amazon, and it is a disc bound system.

LEVENGER JUNIOR SYSTEM

Because it has discs, instead of coils,  pages can be rearranged, removed, or added, as needed.  I will do a video, and post, on my planner as I set it up. 

The organizing has begun on my craft room/office. My husband was kind enough to break out some tools and help me hang  things over my desk.

You have to love a husband who will just help, without making a comment on your color choices. The idea behind this pegboard wall is to get as much off my desk as possible. It also needs to be pretty enough that I will want to look at it as I work. I have a few special gifts from friends that make me happy, and also a shortened version of my 2015 motto, which is "Strive for progress, not perfection." 

As I work on my goals, organize my workspace, and set up my planner, I will share here and on YouTube.

Please share your comments, or plans, for 2015 below.



5 THINGS I WISH I HAD KNOWN BEFORE I STARTED CRAFTING

Hopefully You Won't Make These Mistakes

I had not done any scrapbooking since the 90's, and had never attempted to make a card, or any other paper crafts, until 2 years ago. I needed a hobby, and a friend who is an avid scrapbooker, got me hooked on  papercrafting by sending me a Cricut.

I made a lot of bad purchases in the beginning, simply because I did not know what I was doing. I hope this list will help you avoid making the same mistakes.

1. All paper is not created equal. 

    When I first started, I went to Wal-Mart and purchased packs of paper in different themes. What I didn't realize is the quality of paper varies wildly. Now that I know better, I only buy a few different brands that I trust, and always purchase printed paper that is double sided. Cardstock is thicker and comes in solid colors, making it great for card and scrapbook bases. My favorite brands of paper are Bo Bunny, Graphic 45,  Close to My Heart, and Core'dinations. I prefer to buy paper collections now. I don't want to have to find embellishments to match my great paper.

Find the Yuletide kit here.

2. There is a reason there are lots of different types of ink.

     I wrote a post explaining all of the different types of ink, and when to use each. If you are like I was in the beginning of my crafty journey, staring at an array of inks, with no clue, check out this post.

This is the Whimsy pigment ink collection.

3. You should not randomly purchase cute stickers, stamps, ribbon, etc.

     You walk into the craft store and it all looks so pretty, and it's on sale! Your eyes glaze over, and you think you need it all.  I know the feeling. I randomly purchased items that were on sale, and a year later had not managed to use any of them. Now I purchase with a project in mind. I know I will be making scrapbook pages, and cards in certain themes, and I'm sure you do also. Why in the world do I have a ton of flowers in such odd colors? Twenty rolls of washi tape? I have no idea.

4. You do not need a large collection of Cricut cartridges. 

     If you own a Cricut you know what I mean when I say that collecting cartridges can become addicting. I have many, but seem to always turn to the same few for my projects. Once I purchased my first Close to My Heart cartridge with 700 images, I realized that these cartridges could take care of most of my scrapbooking, and card making, needs. 

Artbooking Close to My Heart Cartridge

5. Organization is important!

     There is nothing worse than knowing you have pink ribbon that will go perfectly with the card you are making, but you can't find it. Suddenly a card that should have taken you 30 minutes to make, has you spending an hour just finding your supplies. Figure out the type of organizers that work best for you, and get your stuff in order. I need to be able to see my supplies, so very little of it is out of sight in drawers. The drawers I do have are labeled. If you have a system, not only will you be able to find that pink ribbon, but clean up will be much easier. 

My new favorite clear organizers.

Are there some things you wish you had known when you started crafting? Comment below and let us know. Maybe I'm still making mistakes, and you can help me.

 

A CRAFT ROOM OF MY OWN ~ Part 1

THE MAKING OF A CRAFT ROOM

 

CTMH has organizers in 3 sizes with various inserts

THE PLANNING STAGE

I have been  dreaming and planning my ultimate craft space for over a year. I am currently using a room that I just took over without any planning. I have a lot of mismatched items, the walls are still a lavender color I really don't like, and I don't even want to talk about the carpet. Now that I have been crafting awhile I have a pretty good idea of how I work. Here are some of the things I have done while waiting for a larger craft space:

1. I created a pinterest board and pinned everything and anything I thought I might like in my craft/office space. You can view my pinterest craft room and office space board here

2. I arranged and rearranged my current space as I crafted. I soon realized I needed my Cricut and printer near my desk, as I use both with my laptop. I do not like to move machines around as I work. I also discovered I need to view my supplies, so closed storage is not my favorite.

3. I decided that since pink and green were quickly becoming my accent colors, I would use grey and white for my walls and furniture.

4. I purchased some stackable storage cubes from Michael's, clear plastic storage bins from Close to My Heart , a label maker, and a book shelf.

    

   

   Michaels' Recollections cubes  come in lots of styles

THE HARD WORK STAGE

I have been unable to help with most of this stage, and greatly appreciate family members who have put in the work.

1. So far my only participation in this stage has been to scrub the baseboards.

2. My darling husband has removed the sliding closet doors. I'm hoping we can re-purpose them into a large work area. 

3. My daughter purchased a wall color called "Diving Dolphin" and the painting is almost finished (again the work was done by my husband.) 

4. The existing, fourteen year old, carpet has been removed by my darling husband.

5. My husband found some great tile in different shades of grey, and the installation is in progress by . . . guess who? 

6. I will be spray painting an old file cabinet pink, and painting my desk pink also.

7. The really hard part of this stage will be moving and organizing all of my existing supplies. I may even have to *gasp* purge some of my supplies. Thank goodness organizing other peoples' stuff is one of my mother's favorite projects.

 

 Stay tuned as the work progresses. I will be posting pictures as it all comes together. Do you have a craft space of your own? If so, what are your favorite features, or ones you wish you had? Comment below, any suggestions are greatly appreciated.