Help from card makers please - Your favourite equipment - What would it be?

[Niecie]

Hi,

I want to start cardmaking. I have all the cards, lovely papers, embellishments, sticker, ribbons, punches etc. I have magazines full of ideas too.

However, I don't know how to get a professional looking finish and I am put off starting properly - the magazines tell you to stick and cut but they don't tell you how - scissors or craft knives, glue dots or Pritt sticks? It is a confusing world out there for a novice.

So, lovely card making MNers, what bits of kit do you need to get a good finish?

P.S. This is supposed to be a money saving exercise so tip top-of-the-range fancy-pants cutting thingies might be uneconomic even if they would be on a wish list. Thank you.

I am an extreme amateur but I think that some card punches would be a good idea (they're from about £2.50-£4.50 but you could buy a couple at a time) - I did a card making course and these worked brilliantly. For fixing stuff down we used double sided sticky tape and for 3d effects those tiny square sticky fixers.

I found this site to be quite cheap (relatively speaking) - a pack of 50 blank cards was £6.99 compared to WH Smiths £9.99.

Oh lovely site. Thank you Jacanne.

I like those trimmer things on the front page.

I'm thinking a good craft knife and a cutting mat would be as good? Maybe?

I have lovely papers which need to be stuck down and cut to the size of the card and don't know the best way to go about it.

Would double sided tape do for that too?

You can get all different thicknesses of double sided tape - I've used it to stick on ribbon, backing paper and felt so I would think it would be fine - you can be quite accurate with it and it is tidier than glue.

Some good craft scissors are great if you are going to be cutting small fiddly bits. They are very narrow & pointy & make the job much easier.
The sticky foam pads are a must too

i use glue but sparely, otherwise the paper can distort a little.
i would say the best bit of kit here is a decent guillotine for chopping the card in the first place...
but i buy most of my stuff in north america as it's cheaper lol. hero- arts is lovely but pricey.
i assume you are doing bits and pieces rather than stamps/ embossing etc?

What kind of glue do you use Romy?

Stamps and embossing seem a step too far at the moment.

I got a freebie ruler with Christmassy pictures cut into it which I assume is for embossing but I haven't worked out how to do that so I won't bother with that until I have time to work out how it is done properly.

Sticky foam pads, special scissors, double sided tapes.....I feel a shopping trip coming on!

i've used pritt sticks and glue dots, but you need to trial with whatever paper you are using as some are thicker than others etc...

Double sided tape, 3D foam pads and a fine tipped PVA type glue are my favs for sticking.

A couple of different sizes of scissors and a craft knife and cutting mat are basic essentials too.

I have made cards for over 5 years now but been stamping for about 10 months...if stamping seems too daunting how about trying some downloaded images. I tried my first download in April and now I am on a design team for one range. There are several ranges to try out and the outlay is minimal compared to stamping....it's a good starting block.

Wow, Dingle, that is exciting - novice stamper to designer just like that.

Might be worth a try, downloading instead of stamping. It strikes me, after a wander around Hobbiecraft a few weeks ago, that stamps are quite expensive anyway unless you intend to mass produce the same style of design over and over again.

Can you recommend any good sites to have a look at?

Thanks everybody for all your replies - I can't wait to get started. There is the small matter of clearing out our study to deal with first, which we have been doing this morning but not yet finished.

Then I will have space to work - well except for the small matter of my impending OU course but we won't worry about that for a few weeks!

There are a few newish ones but the one I am on the DT for is Dottie & George.

You can see links on my blog and you can get the downloads here Most of the download packs nbow come with both black and white images and coloured ones. Again great for beginners if you aren't confident in colouring in, or for quick cards when you are short of time.

I also have some from here

If you like the relaxation of colouring images, you can then spread your wings and try a few stamps...or buy a few stamped images even.

Hope it will give you a few ideas, just shout if you need any more...LOL..I have loads of ideas but very little time!

Wow, Dingle your blog is great.

I am in awe.

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Hi Yorkie, we don't bump into each other much now! How are you doing?

Aww...yes, glossy accent is another fav. I don't use it much for gluing, although it sticks things like zoomz and beads brilliantly...but I love using it to highlight and add dimension to a stamped/downloaded image!

I have a cheap paper cutter that I have had for years...really must invest in a better one. (notes yorkies recommendation!0

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You ladies are very talented.

Do you think it saves money to make your own cards or are you not bothered by that too much?

I suppose to get such unique, handcrafted cards you would have to pay more than a you would for a card in a multi pack.

You ladies are very talented.

Do you think it saves money to make your own cards or are you not bothered by that too much?

I suppose to get such unique, handcrafted cards you would have to pay more than a you would for a card in a multi pack.

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Love the Xmas cards Yorkie! Not used any Stamping Up stuff...YET!

Niecie, you can always go and buy a cheap card, or a pack of cards but I make most of my cards personalised and that is something that is quite tricky to buy over the counter.

You will never save money as a crafter as there is always something else to add to your wishlist but it is a very rewarding hobby.

Def need PVA glue with a fine tip, but don't put too much on as it can wrinkle the paper. For bigger things that need sticking down then I use double sided.

I sell mine at a local craft fair which just about covers the ridiculous amount of money I spend on craft supplies!

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