4. Card stock and Papers:
a. First, the weight of Cardstock comes in pounds with 80 lb. and 110 lb. being the most common weights for card making. Weights truly vary between card stock companies but they are close enough to interchange brands.
1. 110 lb.: This weight is used for the base of a card because the heft gives the card some structure for all the layers added to it.
a. Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb. Solar White is by far the favorite of card makers. It is expensive and I would save money on the base card stock and use it for the layering weight card stock if you plan to blend inks or use markers. Neenah 110 lb. Base Weight Card Stock
b. Gina K. Designs has great paper in base weight, layering weight and patterned papers. I've tried it and it's amazing paper! Gina K. Design Heavy Base Weight Card Stock-it's 120 lb.
c. A frugal alternative for a base weight card stock is Michael's 110 lb. card stock, it comes in 12 x 12 and 8.5 x 11 in. sizes and in it comes in white, black and cream colors.
d. Most of the time I use white as a base for cards but if I want a colored base or another color behind the top layer then I use Michael's colored paper and it's frequently on sale for 5 for $10.
e. A more elegant look is Neenah Desert Storm Smooth 80 lb.: Neenah Desert Storm 80 lb. or kraft card stock such as: Hero Arts Kraft Card Stock
f. My Favorite Things card stock: MFT Sampler Card Stock
g. Simon Says Stamp card stock: SSS Card Stock Sampler 100 lb.
h. Tim Holtz Specialty Stamping paper: Tim Holtz Specialty Stamping Paper
2. 80 lb.: This weight is used for the top layer of the card where you either create a background by blending inks or where you stamp your images in a scene and color them.
a. Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 lb. 8.5 x 11: Neenah 80 lb. layering weight on Amazon and Amazon 80 lb. Neenah for $33 on 11/20
b. Copic X-Press Blending Card Stock: I've used it and love it: Copic X-Press Blending Card Stock
3. Specialty Card Stock:
a. Water Color paper: Water Coloring for cards is very trendy right now and there are lots of choices for paper.
1. Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper: Strathmore Water Color Pape
Pad
2. Tim Holtz Distress Water Color card stock: Tim Holtz Distress Water Color
3. Bee Paper Cold Press Water Color Paper: 90 lb. Bee Water Color 90 lb. and 140 lb. Bee Paper Water Color
4. LINGO:
a. Card Sizes: VIP to know
1. A2 Card size is the most common sized card and is made by cutting a 8.5 X 11 piece of card stock in half either length wise or width wise to make a 4 1/4 X 11 or a 8.5 X 5.5 sized card stock which you then fold in half to make an A2 card base. A2 plus card sizes and A2 folding K Werner
a. The layering base size is made by cutting the A2 size in half, well, most of the time it is but it depends on your design and if you want to make more layers by matting the top layer. So even though card stock may seem like a huge investment it's worth it when you consider you can get two bases and four layering pieces out of one 8.5 X 11 piece of card stock.
2. Score Line: The indentation you make on the card stock to make it easier to fold. There are many ways to achieve this and many brands to pick from: Score Line on YouTube. I own the Martha Stewart score board and I'm happy with it but if I started over I might choose the smaller Scor-Pal because it's smaller and easier to store and grab. Martha Stewart Vs. Scor-Pal. I'd have to think about it...
Thursday, November 19, 2015
3. Acrylic blocks and stamp positioners:
a. Acrylic blocks hold your clear and cling stamps so you can make a crisp and clear image. There are lots of brands on the market. What to look for is a set with a variety of sizes and lines on the blocks to help position your stamped image on your paper. Fiskars Block Set
b. Stamp Positioners: They help to align your stamped images when you want to stamp more then once or if you have a layered stamp set to align.
1. Stamp a Ma Jig: an oldie but a goodie: Stamp-a-ma-jig Amazon
2. There are a few postioners that are an acrylic block with foam legs that raise the stamp above the paper for easier positioning. Fiskars has the most popular model: Fiskars Easy Stamp Press on Amazon
3. The most expensive and most adored stamp positioner is the Misti: Misti Stamping Press-I have it and I love it but I would say you should know you love stamping as a hobby and will be a long time stamping enthusiast before you invest in this tool. I will add that many people have come up with various Misti copies and are happy with them at a more affordable price tag.
a. Acrylic blocks hold your clear and cling stamps so you can make a crisp and clear image. There are lots of brands on the market. What to look for is a set with a variety of sizes and lines on the blocks to help position your stamped image on your paper. Fiskars Block Set
b. Stamp Positioners: They help to align your stamped images when you want to stamp more then once or if you have a layered stamp set to align.
1. Stamp a Ma Jig: an oldie but a goodie: Stamp-a-ma-jig Amazon
2. There are a few postioners that are an acrylic block with foam legs that raise the stamp above the paper for easier positioning. Fiskars has the most popular model: Fiskars Easy Stamp Press on Amazon
3. The most expensive and most adored stamp positioner is the Misti: Misti Stamping Press-I have it and I love it but I would say you should know you love stamping as a hobby and will be a long time stamping enthusiast before you invest in this tool. I will add that many people have come up with various Misti copies and are happy with them at a more affordable price tag.
2. Inspiration & Instruction:
1. YouTube
a. Lawnfawn LawnFawn YouTube Channel-
by far my favorite youtube channel to watch, I could and have watched the videos several times, because LawnFawn stamps are just too stinking cute!
b. Jennifer Mcguire: Jennifer McGuire Ink YouTube Channel
c. Nichol Magouick: Nichol Spohr Magouirk YouTube Channel
d. Sandy Allnock: Sandy Allnock YouTube Channel
e. Cathrine Pooler: catherinestamps YouTube Channel
f. Stamp TV: StampTV YouTube Channel
g. K Werner Design:
K Werner Design YouTube Channel
2. Online Stamps Communities:
a. StampNation: http://thestampnation.com/forums/-great community of
stamp lovers but there is a $9.95 subscription fee
b. Split Coast Stampers: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/-free and a great source of information and inspiration! I usually scroll down a little on the front page to the New Additions to Gallery tab and look at what people are doing
c. FaceBook Groups: There are tons and I visit a few quite frequently every day to catch sales and inspiration. My current favorite is Stamping Enablers but it lives up to it's name so peek with caution.
d. Google it: I always google a set of stamps I am thinking of buying and I bring up the images and scroll through them and I get a lot of inspiration and I find new blogs to follow.
3. Blog Challenges: Google and you will come up with lots and lots of challenges for each kind of stamping style and for almost every stamp company. My favorite is Lawnfawn of course: http://lawnscaping.blogspot.com/.
4. Flicker has groups as well but so far I only keep up with LawnFawn: https://www.flickr.com/groups/lawnfawn/
1. YouTube
a. Lawnfawn LawnFawn YouTube Channel-
by far my favorite youtube channel to watch, I could and have watched the videos several times, because LawnFawn stamps are just too stinking cute!
b. Jennifer Mcguire: Jennifer McGuire Ink YouTube Channel
c. Nichol Magouick: Nichol Spohr Magouirk YouTube Channel
d. Sandy Allnock: Sandy Allnock YouTube Channel
e. Cathrine Pooler: catherinestamps YouTube Channel
f. Stamp TV: StampTV YouTube Channel
g. K Werner Design:
K Werner Design YouTube Channel
2. Online Stamps Communities:
a. StampNation: http://thestampnation.com/forums/-great community of
stamp lovers but there is a $9.95 subscription fee
b. Split Coast Stampers: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/-free and a great source of information and inspiration! I usually scroll down a little on the front page to the New Additions to Gallery tab and look at what people are doing
c. FaceBook Groups: There are tons and I visit a few quite frequently every day to catch sales and inspiration. My current favorite is Stamping Enablers but it lives up to it's name so peek with caution.
d. Google it: I always google a set of stamps I am thinking of buying and I bring up the images and scroll through them and I get a lot of inspiration and I find new blogs to follow.
3. Blog Challenges: Google and you will come up with lots and lots of challenges for each kind of stamping style and for almost every stamp company. My favorite is Lawnfawn of course: http://lawnscaping.blogspot.com/.
4. Flicker has groups as well but so far I only keep up with LawnFawn: https://www.flickr.com/groups/lawnfawn/
Beginning Card Making 101
First, let me start by saying I am a beginning card maker as well. But I have been collecting stuff, and reading blogs, and stalking YouTube videos and Pinterest and Facebook groups for a few years now so I've picked up a few pointers here and there but I am no means an expert. Second, I am a beginner blogger and I should learn more but I'd rather be stamping!
List of items you will need to make a card:
1. Stamps
2. Inspiration and Instruction
3. Acrylic Blocks and stamp positioners
4. Papers and Card stock
5. Ink
6. Stamp Coloring
7. Adhesive
8. Scissors
9. Paper Trimmer
10. Misc. Tools
Those are the basics but of course as you go further down the card making rabbit hole there is much, much more to horde.
11. Embellishments
12. Dies-metal wafer thin, thinlets and steel rule dies
13. Die cutter-manual
14. Die cutter-electric
So far so good. Let me go down the list one by one and break it down more.
1. Stamps
a. There are a few types of stamps, clear, and rubber with a few variations on both types
b. Clear Stamps-a relative newcomer to the industry, clear acrylic stamps offer the storage ease of being mountable as well as a lower price-point. Seeing through the mount and the stamp allows for the most accurate stamp placement. Clear acrylic stamps generally need priming first to produce a crisp image and require special cleaning and storage for the best long-term wear.
1. There are a few types of Clear Stamps- photopolymer stamps have no processing film left since these types of stamps are made by hardening the resin with a light source instead of the other types of stamps which are molded (therefore, need a release agent so that they come out of the molded and that will leave a residue on the stamp). Inexpensive stamps sets are usually the molded type and sometimes need priming to get a good image, just rub an eraser over the stamp or rub it on your forearm to remove the film.
c. Rubber Stamps-the stamps that most likely come to mind first. Red rubber stamps these day, however, come in two formats: wood-mounted and cling. Cling-mounted stamps offer the benefit of using a clear acrylic block for ease of placement plus the reduced weight for ease of storage. Many find rubber stamps to offer greater degrees of detail, longer useful life and overall better handling.
d. There are a few more options but they are not as popular such as foam stamps-these stamps are lightweight, hold ink very well and generally wash up with soap and water. They are more commonly found in the decorative arts section of the store vs. the scrap-booking section, but can offer fun effects for pages and projects. Alphabets and simple shapes are the most common designs in foam stamps. There are also a few machines that you can make a custom stamp with or you can order custom stamps from various companies.
e. Where to buy stamps. You can buy stamps at your local brick and mortar craft stores such as Joann's, Michael's, Hobby Lobby. I usually buy my stamps online from various vendors that make the higher quality photopolymer stamp sets.
1. Favorite Stamp Companies-you can reach their shops from their blogs
a. Lawn Fawn-http://lawnfawn.blogspot.com/
b. Sweet Stamp Shop-http://www.sweetstampshopblog.com/
c. Mama Elephant-http://www.mamaelephantblog.com/
d. Tim Holtz-http://timholtz.com/blog/
e. Papertrey Ink-http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/-I love their
Petite Places line
f. My Favorite Things-http://www.mftstamps.com/blog/
g. Taylored Expressions-http://tayloredexpressions.blogspot.com/
h. There are more and I will add them when I think of them
2. Favorite Online Stamp/Craft Shops
a. Scrap2u.com-great prices on lawn fawn and free ship after $30
b. Scrapbookpal.com-great prices, fast shipping and free after $25
c. Amazon of course and who doesn't like Prime shipping?
d. Markerpop.com-where I buy copics($5 coupon with email subscription)
e. SimonSaysStamp.com-great stamps made by the company and great
card kits each month(24.95 for a subscription and 29.95 month by
month), free shipping with codes
f. Blitzy.com-great prices, slow shipping and $5 or $10 credit when you sign up
g. Hallmarkscrapbook.com-I ordered once from them and was satisfied with shipping
List of items you will need to make a card:
1. Stamps
2. Inspiration and Instruction
3. Acrylic Blocks and stamp positioners
4. Papers and Card stock
5. Ink
6. Stamp Coloring
7. Adhesive
8. Scissors
9. Paper Trimmer
10. Misc. Tools
Those are the basics but of course as you go further down the card making rabbit hole there is much, much more to horde.
11. Embellishments
12. Dies-metal wafer thin, thinlets and steel rule dies
13. Die cutter-manual
14. Die cutter-electric
So far so good. Let me go down the list one by one and break it down more.
1. Stamps
a. There are a few types of stamps, clear, and rubber with a few variations on both types
b. Clear Stamps-a relative newcomer to the industry, clear acrylic stamps offer the storage ease of being mountable as well as a lower price-point. Seeing through the mount and the stamp allows for the most accurate stamp placement. Clear acrylic stamps generally need priming first to produce a crisp image and require special cleaning and storage for the best long-term wear.
1. There are a few types of Clear Stamps- photopolymer stamps have no processing film left since these types of stamps are made by hardening the resin with a light source instead of the other types of stamps which are molded (therefore, need a release agent so that they come out of the molded and that will leave a residue on the stamp). Inexpensive stamps sets are usually the molded type and sometimes need priming to get a good image, just rub an eraser over the stamp or rub it on your forearm to remove the film.
c. Rubber Stamps-the stamps that most likely come to mind first. Red rubber stamps these day, however, come in two formats: wood-mounted and cling. Cling-mounted stamps offer the benefit of using a clear acrylic block for ease of placement plus the reduced weight for ease of storage. Many find rubber stamps to offer greater degrees of detail, longer useful life and overall better handling.
d. There are a few more options but they are not as popular such as foam stamps-these stamps are lightweight, hold ink very well and generally wash up with soap and water. They are more commonly found in the decorative arts section of the store vs. the scrap-booking section, but can offer fun effects for pages and projects. Alphabets and simple shapes are the most common designs in foam stamps. There are also a few machines that you can make a custom stamp with or you can order custom stamps from various companies.
e. Where to buy stamps. You can buy stamps at your local brick and mortar craft stores such as Joann's, Michael's, Hobby Lobby. I usually buy my stamps online from various vendors that make the higher quality photopolymer stamp sets.
1. Favorite Stamp Companies-you can reach their shops from their blogs
a. Lawn Fawn-http://lawnfawn.blogspot.com/
b. Sweet Stamp Shop-http://www.sweetstampshopblog.com/
c. Mama Elephant-http://www.mamaelephantblog.com/
d. Tim Holtz-http://timholtz.com/blog/
e. Papertrey Ink-http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/-I love their
Petite Places line
f. My Favorite Things-http://www.mftstamps.com/blog/
g. Taylored Expressions-http://tayloredexpressions.blogspot.com/
h. There are more and I will add them when I think of them
2. Favorite Online Stamp/Craft Shops
a. Scrap2u.com-great prices on lawn fawn and free ship after $30
b. Scrapbookpal.com-great prices, fast shipping and free after $25
c. Amazon of course and who doesn't like Prime shipping?
d. Markerpop.com-where I buy copics($5 coupon with email subscription)
e. SimonSaysStamp.com-great stamps made by the company and great
card kits each month(24.95 for a subscription and 29.95 month by
month), free shipping with codes
f. Blitzy.com-great prices, slow shipping and $5 or $10 credit when you sign up
g. Hallmarkscrapbook.com-I ordered once from them and was satisfied with shipping
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