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Hello. I am new to stampin and paper crafts and I have a few stamp sets, some card stock and a fiskars and other things like a few stamp pads. If you could make a list of the first 20 things I should get first what would they be?
Thank you so much!
__________________ [COLOR="Blue"]Stephenie My Blog
1: stamp cleaner/scrubby thingy
2: bone folder
3: SNAIL or equivalent
4:. Cuttlebug..best $40 I EVER spent
5: Embossing folders to go with the Cuttlebug
6: embellishments like brads, eyelets and buttons
7: Crop a dile or if you want to go cheap, just a hand held punch
8: a good set of markers..terrific for coloring a stamp in pieces
9: a good pair of SHARP snips..like the SU! one for cutting close to images(not to be confused with the rubber scissors)
10: rubber cutting scissors if you are buying unmounted stamps from places like SU!(although if they go to all die cuts, then it's a moot point)
11: Heat gun
12: embossing powders to use with said heat gun
13: versamark pad
14: glue pad or pen for glitter
15: a couple of punches. i suggest a few in coordinating sizes for layering..like the SU! scallop punch and the SU! circle punch. or corner ones to create funky designs.
16: Nestabilities..also for layering( and they work in the Cuttlebug!)
17: chalks
18. blender pens or watercolor pens
19: Glue dots
20: dimensionals( poofy glue dots...to make the image stand out more)
I also thought: what? Only 20?? But here goes:
1. heat gun
2. Embossing powders (I really like the Kaleidecolor that i found at Michaels because when you heat it, it turns different colors)
3. Versamark pad (these three things are used together)
4. Cuttlebug (I agree-- it was one of the best investments I've made, too)
5. Cuttlebug embossing folders
6. With that said, I also like the ability to put my own embossed images wherever I want them, so I do have dry embossing plates as well (SU calls them classy brass, I believe)
7. Embossing stylus
8. Light box
9. Ribbon (I like color coordinated, so most all of my ribbon is from SU)
10. Brads (same as above)
11. mat and tools for paper piercing and for setting brads!
I really love making my own background papers, soooo...
12. Glossy cardstock
13. pie tin
14. paper towels
15. shaving cream (you can do a faux shaving cream technique, but I like the smell of the shaving cream that stays on the cardstock for a while!)
16. punches (my suggestion would be to start with ovals and rectangles or circles and squares and build from there)
17. vellum
18. various adhesives; I, too, like SNAIL adhesive, but I'm making wedding invitations now using vellum and I will attach it with brads or vellum adhesive
19. Good lighting and storage space!!
20. a SHARP cutter; the more I use my Fiskars, the more I want to get a guillotine cutter. If you look closely at your cards, you will find the edges are a bit frayed and off balance, even with a new blade and cutter.
Have fun!!
__________________ Gail
"In the beginning, God created..." and He still does!
Last edited by Gail Macfadden; 06-24-2008 at 10:00 AM..
Reason: pushed the button too soon for posting!
cuttlebug,stickles(less messy than glitter),heat embossing gun,embossing powder(gold,silver and clear).swiss dot embossing folder, nestabilities,copic markers,cardstock(prefer papertrey),ribbon to match paper,versamark pad,black stazon pad,cropadile and a good paper cutter
1 - awesome paper cutter
2 - great cardstock - SU
3- great adhesive
4 - Crop a dile
5 - cuttlebug
6 - embossing folders for cuttlebug (swiss dots, my fav)
7 - cricut (I have the expression)
8 - heat tool
9 - embossing stuff, gold, silver, black
10 several great punches
11 - ribbon - LOTS of ribbon
12 - variety of inks for stamping
13- markers (I have SU)
14 - Pencils (I have prismas and koh-i-noor)
15 - Chalks (LOVE my SU chalks)
16 blender pens
17 - misc brads etc
18 ???
19???
20 ???
I'm not sure if there is really a top 20 list that fits all! I think it really 'pays' to be conservative until you know what style you have ~ my best advice would be to look thru the gallery & blogs ~ choose what kind of cards you 'love' & want to reproduce ~ then base your list on that. Personally, I have made lots of 'must-have' purchases only to find out that I couldn't stand how the end product looked. My favorite things right now are:
1. Copics (I have no luck or patience to make other markers work~ I found that out after spending too much $$ on 'cheaper' markers & then never used them ~ won 1 Copic in some blog candy & instantly fell in love)
2. Cuttlebug & embossing folders (I love that look)
3. Nestibilities ( they are so much more versatile compared to the punches & take up so much less space)
4. Glue dots (to adhere ribbon)
5. Yes! paste ~ it's super strong & so far I've had nothing fall apart
6. Crystal Effects ~ love the glossy look (plus it makes an awesome glue for those tiny embellishments)
7. Stickles (can't stand the mess of glitter any more)
8. a Good Heat Gun (I've heard the SU one is the best)
9. Clear Embossing powder & VersaMark
10. Georgia Pacific paper (from Walmart) ~ it holds up well to almost every style of stamping ~ except it does warp if too much water is used... but it make for awesome card bases ~ holds up quite well to layers...
So, those are for the most part my favs ~ I'm still working on getting an ink that works well with Copics... so I don't have any recommendations on that one.
1. Ink pads
2. cardstock (you normally need the same color card stock as you have ink, plus you need white cardstock too)
3. some type of cutter for the card stock.
4. stamp cleaner (although personally, I don't think the "official" type stamp cleaner works as well as what I use. Sounds crazy but I promise you this works great. I buy the aerosol olive oil cooking spray and I spray that one the just used rubber stamp and a hand towel. It takes off even the StazOn ink and it also conditions the rubber.
5. some glue. I have dots and the 2 way glue.
6. envelopes
The rest would be embellishments that match your card stock and ink......
7. ribbon
8. brads
9. eyelets
10. an eyelet setter if you use eyelets such as the cropadile.
11. oh yeah, sharp scissors for cutting rubber. This you can't use regular scissors. You really NEED the SU scissors.
12. If you want to emboss you need.... the gun (doesn't have to be SU)
13. embossing powders
14. wersamark pad (this makes the embossing powder stick)
15. punches
16. some matching pens for coloring in like Mrsjvb said and I also use them to write a personal note in the card I send.
17. I personally need some kind of way to inspire myself like magazines. Take 10 is a GREAT one.
18. buttons (you can use the ones on sale at walmart too!
19. lets see.....this is just extra too but I like to use colored wire and I thread beads on it and sometimes use that as an embellishment.
20. Lots of different types of bins for storage. As you accumulate more and more....you WILL NEED some way to keep it all organized or you will be spending half your time looking for stuff instead of creating!
Well this sounds like a fun challenge. Here are mine (not necessarily in order):
1. versamark pad/marker
2. clear embossing powder (use #1 with #2 and your ink pads to "create" any color embossing you want/need)
3. several ***GOOD*** black ink pads (each has pros/cons depending on how being used which why you need more than oen): versafine onyx, pallette noir, adirondack pitch black, brilliance black are my favorites (haven't gotten my memento black yet)
4. stamp-a-ma-jig
5. crop-a-dial
6. perfect layers (SU used to sell them, might still be able to get them from HSN/QVC etc)
7. good stamp cleaner (ultra clean is a popular one)
8. stamp cleaning pad (I really like SU's better than any others)
9. 2 pairs of scissors - one marked for RIBBON ONLY, the other for paper/rubber, etc
10. heat gun/embossing buddy
11. clipboard covered in tin foil so you don't burn your fingers when embossing (stick your cardstock under the clip and emboss away)
12. quality paper (SU!, Papertreyink's stamper's select)
13. clear ruler (I have a clear t-square which has been invaluable)
14. aquapainter (pick up ink from ink pad and you have instant matching watercolor)
15. round sponges (cut in quarters or smaller, usually $1-2 for a pack of 3 at ACMoore/Michaels)
16. color spritzer tool (p. 185 in SU!'s current catalog; I use this a lot to create backgrounds/coordinating envelopes)
17. good set of markers (love SU!'s because they coordinate with the paper, copics are a favorite too but I really think those might be better left for later)
18. trimmer
19. bone folder (at a minimum this will do for scoring; later you probably will want to consider a specialized tool like scor-it or score-pal)
20. good adhesive (I love the atg guns but again for starting out something more basic will do, such as the tape that score-pal sells will do, or tombow mono but it won't hold heavier items)
You all are such a help with this!!! I have made a list of what everyone suggested and weekly I will purchase them so I don't go broke all at once!!! I am so appreciative of everyones suggestions and I am going to check out each of your blogs and add you to mine! I am so excited to get involved with SCS and I am awaiting to hear back as I am trying to join RAK! It will be so awesome!! Happy Stamping!
__________________ [COLOR="Blue"]Stephenie My Blog
1. Sharp pair of scissors for cutting stamped images
2. Bone folder, must have for getting crisp folds
3. Stickles, way less messy than glitter I suggest a basic color like crystal or diamonds to get started
4. Dimensionals from SU! Love them and use them all the time
5. Perfect Layering tool SU! use to sell them I think you can get them on QVC now??
6. Hobby cutting blade to use with perfecting layering tool
7. Corner Rounder
8. Cuttlebug
9. Embossing folders for cuttle bug
10. Stamping pad
11. Ribbon in various colors
12. Slot punch it helps to make holes to put the ribbon through
13. SU! sponges I use them to sponge my cards love doing this!!!
14. Some double sided designer paper
15. Glitter pen like Sakura star dust, or copic sica clear
16. Stamp Scrubber
17. Stamp cleaner I use SU!'s
18. Nestabilities they are great for layering and they work with the cuttle bug,
19. A little tote to carry all your essential use everyday scramping items
20. Kai scissors for cutting rubber. Makes trimming your stamps so much easier!
i've been stamping for a few years, and there's things on some of these lists that i don't have (and had never heard of before i was turned onto this website!)
Here's my top 20:
1. Embossing powder (embossing is like stamping crack. try it once and you're hooked. you all remember the first time you watched the plastic powder turn into shiny stuff! that "awe" turned into "ahhhh" very fast, didn't it! you KNOW you had to do it again, and NOW, didn't you! ;) )
2. Embossing gun
3. Good card stock
4. A sharp pair of scissors
5. Sticky strip
6. Black ink pad
7. Watercolor pencils
8. Blender pens
9. Colored markers
10. Versa mark pad
11. Good paper cutter with ruler and grid lines w/extra blades and a paper scorer
12. Eyelets
13. A system to set said eyelets
14. Brads
15. Paper piercer
16. Sponges for inking around the edges of images
17. Method for cleaning stamps, baby wipes, stampin mist, scrubber, all will work
1. a good stamp cleaner.
2. a good paper cutter, i have one from fiskars and love it.
3. a scoring tool. either a bone folder or a scoring blade on your paper cutter.
4. GOOD scissors. sharp scissors and small scissors for details.
5. a pencil. and a good erasor.
6. waterproof black ink and waterproof brown ink. so you can color in images and not have to worry about bleeding when you use water based markers.
7. black ink to use with copics/prismacolor markers (either memento or brilliance or palette hybrid ink)
8. smooth white cardstock (i like SU! whisper white, but other people like papertrey ink's select white cardstock)
9. adhesive. i usually use the tombow runner, but also use sticky strip from SU! depending on what i am making. a glue stick is helpful too!
10. a good xacto knife. i think cutterpede makes one.. i just have a plain old xacto brand one from when i took my first graphic design class.
11. a good cutting mat. i have three, all different sizes. i have one that is 36x36" (and is a tabletop rotary cutting mat that my mom bought for quilting AGES ago). i have a self healing cutting mat that is 18x24". and i have a self healing mat that is 9x9".
12. markers. i swear by SU! many marvelous markers. other people use copics or prismacolor markers. and some use other brands.
13. an assortment of ink pads. i have all of the SU! color families in their ink spots (which are 1"x1" squares), and a bunch of full size pads.
14. good colored cardstock. i have about a billion sheets of cardstock. everything from SU! to bazzil to individual sheets i've bought at michael's.
15. patterned paper.
16. ribbon is always fun.
17. lots of embellishments (brads, eyelets, etc)
18. a crop-a-dile. perfect for punching holes and setting eyelets.
19. a good light. i have a desktop OTT light that i got for christmas, and i love it. but good lighting is key.
20. a comfortable chair.
__________________
Ashley former SU! Demo, taking a break. but i'll be back soon enough.
new fan club member! supporting the site i love so much. my etsy shop ;; my blog
I'll play since I wish someone had furnished a list for me when I first started papercrafting.
In no particular order:
1. Personal Trimmer
2. Clear Grid Ruler
3. Two good pair of scissors -- one for rubber, one for paper
4. An adhesive runner
5. An adhesive remover
6. Archival Black Stamp Pad
7. Scoring tool
8. Craft mat or Craft Sheet
9. A piercer/piercing mat
10. Ott Light
11. White & Black cardstock
12. Image stamps (choose your favorite themes)
13. Sentiment stamps (B'day, Get Well, Thinking of you, For you, Hello, etc.)
14. Patterned Paper
15. Distress Inks
16. Variety of Pigment ink
17. Brads
18. Punches
19. Diecut tool/dies
20. Ribbon
Great idea for a thread! I wish I had this when I was starting out last year.
Here's 20 that I can think of (in no particular order):
1. Markers (I love my Copics, but it would all depend on what type of stamps you prefer-SU markers are good if you want to ink different colors onto the rubber. Copics are for coloring, not inking up your stamps)
2.Good Black Ink-Palette Noir is my fave.
3.Quality C/S-especially white-a lot of us like Georgia Pacific from Walmart-cost efficient and heavy weight. If you are ordering from Papertreyink, be sure to try their Stampers Select White.
4.Sharp Scissors for cutting your rubber-you could start with the Cutterbee's (from Mike's) and when you can afford the Kai scissors from SU then get them. Cutterbee's are great for cutting out stamped images.
5. Tonic Guillotine Paper Cutter
6. Large Ink Pads in your Fave Color Family
7. C/S to match the Fave Color Family
8. Stickles or Dazzling Diamonds
9. Embellisments-depending on your style could be brads, eyelets, primas, ribbon, bella baubles & dots are my fave!
10. Chalks or Pencils plus blending materials
11. Scoring tool (love my Scor Pal!)
12. Stamping Scrubber with Stewart's Ultra Clean Cleaner
13. Punches...ticker corner punch, or scallop with matching circle would be my suggestions for starting-or you might want to invest in some Nestabilities.
14. Cuttlebug!
15. Embossing Folders for the Cuttlebug-Swiss Dots for sure!
16. SU dimensionals
17. Personal Trimmer by Creative Memories-great for cutting scraps, small pieces of paper
18. Mono Multi glue
19. Mini Glue dots
20. Designer Paper-SU, Basic Grey, Papertrey ink are all Fab!
I've tried to think of the things that I use the most often and/or have been the most help. Here's what I wish I'd known a year ago:
1) storage systems:
I use old rubbermaid-type containers in various sizes. They are clear and I can see what is in each one. (If you don't have any old ones around, the Glad disposable containers are cheap.) I use these for nestabilities, brass stencils, brushes, lots of things. Great for carrying stuff to crops, etc.
Lots of ziploc bags in a variety of sizes. Same as above- transparent and portable.
2) paper and cardstock:
I use a lot of premade cards from Michaels or ACMoore. They come in two sizes, sometimes in colors, with matching envelopes. Saves a lot of time and cutting. I make multi-layer cards and then mount the whole thing.
I use standard Michaels or ACmoore cardstock for stamping but watercolor paper if I am going to use water.
Patterned paper that I didn't like for scrapbooking is often great for a layer.
Glossy paper is important, I think, for photo-image type stamps.
3) Stamp pads
I use tons of different kinds of stamp pads. The must haves are a black and brown waterproof like Stazon for any watercoloring, and a good basic collection of colors.
4) Coloring media
My favorite way to color in images is my Twinkling H2Os. They give such a beautiful look.
I have Derwent watercolor pencils and they are very easy to use-got these based on a recommendation and am very happy with them.
For markers I have Prismacolor and LePlumes. The LePlumes are watercolor, can be used multiple ways and are great for coloring in a stamp before stamping.
For pencils, I have Prismacolor and love them. I bought a starter set and have been filling it in a few at a time.
5) Tools and toys
I LOVE my cuttlebug. I use it for backgrounds with the embossing folders, with brass stencils and for cutting out shapes.
Nestabilities are extremely versatile and can be used to really dress up a card.
You need a 12" paper cutter for cutting and trimming cardstock. I like my Creative Memories cutter as it has two sets of blades- straight and curvy.
I use my corner rounder a lot- makes a nice change from all those squared corners.
One good pair of scissors- about 4" does multiple duty. (You would need a special pair if you start buying unmounted stamps- the Tim Holtz scissors have been great for me.)
I love my color duster brushes- they make a multitude of nice background effects.
Several different kinds of adhesives- a tape runner, corner squares, some glue dots, a glue pen.
6) Stamps
I find that I like having a LOT of sentiment stamps in various sizes. I got very frustrated early on when I wanted a saying and only had it in a size that didn't go with my images.
I use background stamps a lot.
I like having a bunch of tiny stamps that can create small areas of background or for surrounding an image or shape.
Ok- I think that's the list of what I wish I had known. HTH!
Question-What 20 things MUST you first have?
