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Hi folks. Sorry I haven't posted for a little while. I was in hospital having half of my thyroid removed. But it's healing nicely now so I will get a new blog post out very soon! The Pinwheel and Small Gift Box one, as promised. Thanks.

Basic Equipment and Materials for Card Making AND A Basic Card Tutorial

I know I said I was going to post about the small gift boxes and pinwheel embellishments, but I'm still working on the boxes so I've decided to give you all a run through of the basic equipment and materials needed to make cards. People, like myself, who have been making cards for a while forget that somebody who is new to card making may not know what they need. So I made up this document to give to new customers. If you'd like a copy of the original document, just let me know and I can send you a copy via Messenger or email.

Basic Equipment

There are a few items that are essential for card making. Here is a list of the ones I think every cardmaker should have.

·       Paper Trimmer. A good paper trimmer is essential for cutting cardstock and paper. I prefer one that has a wide base for cutting up to 6¼" and has an extending arm for trimming up to 14½", if required. It has a cutting blade as well as a scoring blade and is easy to use. It also has storage underneath for replacement blades (available separately) or small tools. 

·       Bone Folder. These are used to burnish cardstock as well for scoring and distressing.

·       Adhesive. Adhesives come in many types. Some types are better than others for certain things, e.g. I would use super-strength tape for adhering ribbon, but otherwise it's whatever suits you better. Personally, I use double-sided tape mostly.

o      Double-sided tape 

o      Roller tape 

o      Super-strength tape for heavier embellishments

o      Multipurpose Liquid Glue – liquid glue that dries clear; has a fine tip and a broad tip 

·       Sharp scissors in two sizes:

o      Large ones to trim a piece of card or paper, if necessary

o      Small ones for more delicate trimming or for cutting out a stamped image or pictures from a larger sheet, commonly called 'fussy cutting'.

·       Pencil. Either a regular wooden one (in which case you will need a sharpener as well) or a mechanical pencil with replacement leads. And don't forget an eraser.

·       Ruler. I recommend a metal ruler with both imperial and metric measurements.

·       Pick Tool. A sharp pointed tool to use with embellishments, e.g. rhinestones, to pick them up and position them.

Stamping Essentials

You don’t have to stamp anything on your cards, but they look a lot better with images or sentiments stamped on them.

·       Stamps. Rubber stamps come in three types. It's a personal preference as to which type you use.

Clear-mount	Wood-mount	Photopolymer
These are rubber stamps, usually red, with a small pad behind them. They are not, as the name suggest, clear, but are used with a clear block. Pros: Cheaper than wood-mount, they're also lighter and take up less shelf space. Cons: You need to have the appropriate clear block to use them, but you can re-use the blocks over and over.	The same as the clear-mount stamps but they come with wooden blocks for you to mount them. Pros: Once they've been mounted onto the wooden blocks, they're ready to go. Cons: They're more expensive and take up more shelf space.	These are the totally clear stamps; you can see right through them and can position them more precisely.  Pros: You can see exactly where you are placing them when stamping. Cons: You need to have the appropriate clear block to use them. Some inks will stain them but doesn't affect the quality or image.

·       Clear Blocks. They range in size but I mostly use one measuring 3" x 3". Of course, larger stamps need larger blocks.

·       Stamping Mat. Similar to a mouse pad but a little thicker. Place it underneath your cardstock when stamping, helps to provide even pressure and makes a crisper image.

·       Stamp Cleaner. Clean your stamps regularly to keep them in peak condition.

  

·       Ink Pads. Obviously, if you have stamps then you need ink pads. Classic Stampin' Pads use a dye-based, fast drying ink. They are acid free and use a firm foam pad that lasts longer than felt pads.

Best of all, the colours all coordinate with Stampin’ Up! cardstock, markers, and embellishments. There are 46 colours plus Archival Pads in black and grey. Archival ink is a permanent ink that is suitable for use with watercolour pencils and markers.

  

o      As a bare minimum, get the Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad (140931, p 185).

You should also consider:

o      2016-2018 In Color Classic Stampin' Pads (pack of 5) (141818)

o      2017-2019 In Color Classic Stampin' Pads (pack of 5) (144081)

o      Other colours are available in packs of 10 assorted colours, apart from Neutrals which is a pack of 6.

Brights (131182)

Regals (131184)

Subtles (131185)

Neutrals (140933)

What Stamps To Get?

It is, of course, personal choice, but I'd suggest starting with one or two 'all-purpose' sentiment stamps like the ones below. There are so many beautiful images to choose from as well. Take the time to have a good look in the catalogue. Check Google or Pinterest for photos of cards made with various stamp sets. Simply search by the name of the stamp set (and the words 'stampin up' to be sure to get the right stamp set) and let them inspire you.

Picture:
Name:	Better Together	Special Celebrations
Item Code:	141736 (Clear-mount) 141733 (Wood-mount)	143885 (Clear-mount) 143882 (Wood-mount)
Description:	This stamp set includes sentiments for a new baby, weddings, sympathy, Christmas and birthdays, as well as a few basic images for decoration.	This stamp set includes stamps that can be used on the front of a card as well as inside the card. This stamp set will work for love, marriage, friendship, congratulations, baby and birthdays.

Other Equipment

These will help and are nice to have, but aren’t essential.

·       Punches (p 206-208) – easily punch out a variety of shapes

·       Big Shot (143263, p 209) – a machine for die-cutting or embossing

·       Dies (pp 212-216) – Cut out lots of shapes including words. A Big Shot is required for these.

·       Embossing Folders (pp 210-211) – these create great texture and patterns on your cardstock. These also need a Big Shot.

·       Simply Scored (Scoring Board) (122334, p 2015) – note that you can score with the Paper Trimmer as well as cut.

·       Tweezers, for picking up those small bits and pieces.

Basic Materials

·         12" x 12" or A4 Cardstock for card bases (page 194):

o   Whisper White

o   Very Vanilla

o   Various other colours

·       Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430, p 203) or Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals (144108, p 203) – double-sided foam pieces to create extra depth and dimension to your cards.

·         Designer Series Paper (pp 187-189) – patterned paper to make your cards look pretty

·         Rhinestone Basic Jewels (144220, p 197) or Pearl Basic Jewels (144219, p 197)

·         There are plenty of other pretty embellishments as well on pages 196-197.

·         Ribbon or twine (optional) – many sizes, textures and colours available. See them on pages 198-199.

To Make a Simple Card

1.      Cut your card bases.

a.      For 12” x 12” Cardstock

·         Cut at 4” - this piece will measure 4” x 12”.

-        Score this piece at 6” on the long side.

Cut on red line, score on blue dotted line

·         Then turn the paper 90 degrees and cut at 6” – this will give you two pieces measuring 6” x 8”.

-        Score these pieces at 4” on the long side. (You can score before cutting if you like)

Cut on red line, score on blue dotted line

·         This will give you three cards, each measuring 4” x 6”. They can be used portrait of landscape.

b.      For A4 Cardstock:

·         Cut at 5⅞” on the long side

·         Score each piece at 4⅛”

Cut on red line, score on blue dotted line

·         This will give you two cards, each measuring 4⅛” x 5⅞”. These can be used in portrait or landscape.

                    

c.       All of the cards can be used in any configuration that you like. Cards can open upwards or sideways – whatever you choose.

2.      Cut your Designer Series Paper (DSP)

1. Generally, it’s a good idea to cut the DSP slightly smaller than the actual card so as to provide a frame. You can cut it any size that you want, but around ¼”-½” smaller is best.

b.      For cards made from 12” x 12” cardstock, it’s easy – just cut the DSP 3¾” x 5¾”, or 3½” x 5½”.

c.       For cards made from A4, to avoid all those nasty eighths of an inch, just go the same as the others: 3¾” x 5½”, or 3½” x 5¼”.

d.      These sizes are not set in stone. You can make them bigger or smaller, they don’t even need to leave the same sized border all around – it’s up to you.

e.      You can create a layered effect by cutting a mat of contrasting plain cardstock at the larger of the DSP measurements, then cutting the DSP at the smaller size. Or vice versa!

3.  Stamp any images or sentiments onto the card, or onto contrasting cardstock if using punches or dies. If you don’t have punches or dies, you can still stamp onto contrasting cardstock and cut it out with your trimmer or scissors.

4. Use adhesive to stick down your elements. It’s generally best to add embellishments, such as rhinestones, after the card has been put together. However, if you want to use ribbon or twine, then add these to your contrasting cardstock or DSP BEFORE sticking it to your card base. For ribbon, I find it best to place the adhesive on the surface of the cardstock/DSP and then place the ribbon on top. Wrap it around to the back and adhere it there as well.

Examples of Basic Cards

Some Other Card Styles

Double Z-Fold Card - nice and easy, but looks awesome

Double Front Card (This is the card I made for my granddaughter's first birthday)

Fun Fold Card - really easy and great looking

Front Fold Card - another one that looks fabulous but isn't too hard to make

            

Hopefully this will help all new card makers and maybe even serve as a reminder of what's out there to some not-so-new card makers.

P.S. I f you find a link that doesn't work, please let me know. Thanks.

Ellen Budden

Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

Order Stampin' Up! on-line at www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/countrycraft/