Hello all.
Was thinking I might have a go at card making. The handmade cards I received for Christmas from my friends here were beautiful.
I just need to know what materials would be best to buy to get started. Have looked online and the list is endless. I have ordered cards and envelopes.....that's as far as I've got so far 😂
I have seen Embellishments and Toppers online.....Is there a difference between the two!! 😀
Any advice from my friends here would be really appreciated.
Thank you. x
I've just replaced my paper trimmer with this one from Hobbycraft, which is compact and accurate, and best of all they sell replacement blades. My previous one was fine till the blade went blunt, and I couldn't buy any replacements. It has a swing-out arm for measuring and I think it's the best one I've bought (and I've had a few!).
It seems to be temporarily out of stock online but you might find one in-store.
https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/paper-trimmer-3-x-12-inches/642129-1000
Wow.....thank you all so much for the brilliant advice and help. It's all so welcome.....and useful. I am just waiting on a few items to arrive and I can get started. Can't wait. Am going to have a look for light weight paper trimmer too as that will be really useful. Love the idea of a die cutting machine too. Will see hw I get on for a while and then look into that too. Thank you again everyone for all of your help and advice. xx
I started with some card stock, a few small dies (cutters that go into a die-cutting machine) to make my own embellishments etc and a very small Anna Griffin mini-die cutting machine that worked by hand (it was very small so didn’t take up much room and also the kids absolutely loved using it). Once I realised that I really enjoyed it I then sold the mini machine and bought myself an electric Gemini Junior. https://annagriffin.com/product/mini-machine-with-magnet-and-emboss-mat/ This is the link just so that you can see what I’m talking about. I bought mine very cheaply on the QVC shopping channel in the sale a few years back and only paid about £15 and was a great fun way for me to start.
The Crafts Beautiful Forum gives advice, as do most of the papercrafting magazine sites. the Cardmaking and Papercraft mag is how I learned - aeons ago!!
As luck would have it I am just sorting out stash for the Charity shop - with some useful books. I shall send them winging your way!
Unless you have a dedicated place to keep and use a paper trimmer look for a cheap plastic lightweight one I use mine a lot more often because it is so much easier to get out. I think it would definitely be helpful because you can layer pieces of cards to get great effects. I believe a card topper is an image that you stick onto the front of your card. So maybe a flower, it is often stacked onto layers of cards in slightly different sizes to frame it and then it stands slightly raised from the surface of your card. You could make your own by drawing or stamping and coloring in your own image onto card or even cutting out images that you like and using those. Embellishments are basically anything that decorated the card, ribbon stickers beads brads gems even glitter. I recommend getting an empty box and collecting things you find from packaging and the like. you can find pretty bits of paper, ribbon and bows bits of fabric flowers, foil wrappers, even pictures and text you can reuse, kids and baby clothes are especially good source for buttons ribbons patches tiny pockets. Use them alongside embellishments you buy and you’d never know you salvaged them. I always look for things I can reuse like stamps and stencils that say happy birthday you can use ink or paint, glitter or embossing powder to give it different looks, most of my picture stamps I got from reduced bins because how often can you use the same picture? I do like stamps that have multiple parts to like a lot of gel stamps might have two or three flower heads a couple of different stems and leaves and you can use them together in lots of different ways, or get creative and use ink on only part of a stamp for smaller less detailed images. Sorry for the overly long reply I get a bit carried away talking about craft stash😂
Double sided tape is what I use to attach items Tracey so that or a glue stick is fine for paper , it’s really up to personal taste on embellishments I think buying toppers would be expensive in the long term , how about a pad of decorative papers or a few rubber stamps . Get some stickers saying happy birthday/ anniversary etc . Folding your own card should be cheaper too , then buy envelopes, you’ll get 2 cards from one sheet of card , maybe buy an inexpensive paper trimmer to try and see if you like card making .
good luck beware it’s addictive . I will send you a RAK of some card making goodies later in the week once I get this scan out of the way .