12 Days/Posts of Christmas - Day 12

I've saved the best for last on my 12 Days of Christmas! No, it's not Stampin' Up! stamps (I didn't bother with that because I felt that was a given - I became an SU demonstrator because I found their stamps to be a much higher quality and love the images and sentiments they come out with) but rather Stampin' Up! papers. This is a long post but worth the read (if I do say so myself)!

Stampin' Up! card stock comes in colours exclusive to SU:

• 4 colour families ( Rich Regals, Soft Subtles, Bold Brights and Earth Elements)
• Neutrals
• In Colours (exclusive trendy colours available for one year only)

These papers are all 80-lb. cover weight of acid and lignin free, high quality, smooth card stock. They are available in 12" x 12" (textured or non-textured) sheets or 8 1/2" x 11" (non-textured) sheets. Depending on which type they can be sold in a variety package (ie. all 6 colours) or in a single colour pack - check pages 163-165 of the catalogue to see what is available in what you are interested in.

But, what is THE BEST THING about Stampin' Up! card stock? It coordinates with Stampin' Up! exclusive inks, pastels, markers, ribbons and designer papers! All of the guess work is removed. There is no more buying inks or papers that you hope will match. Stampin' Up! colour coordinates everything. The catalogue tells you which of their exclusive colours are used in the designer papers so you know exactly which inks and card stocks to use for it all to match!

Stampin' Up! not only removes this guess work but it is even of comparable price to your local retail store. Card stock is often sold for $0.35-$1.50/sheet in stores; with SU you can buy 24 sheets of 8 1/2" x 11" for $6.50 (that's only $0.27 per sheet). The textured and 12" x 12" sheets are similarly comparable.

Stampin' Up! designer papers are similarly comparable as well, but again have the added bonus that the catalogue tells you exactly which colours of ink, card stock and ribbon will match exactly! SU designer papers are acid and lignin free and come in 12" x 12" double-sided sheets. They are very affordable at 12 sheets for $11.75. I've yet to find papers in my local stores for that price - let alone of that quality too!

I don't know if I've convinced you, but I know you'll love it if you give it a try! Remember, if you are shopping for Christmas, Stampin' Up! recommends you order no later than today! Email me if you are interested in placing an order.

12 Days/Posts of Christmas - Day 11

I'm going to do these last two days early as Stampin' Up! recommends placing your orders by Dec 7 to receive them in time for Christmas!

Many crafters recommend having a good pair of scissors for cutting around images, however, I recommend having a good pair of scissors specifically for cutting ribbon. As someone who LOVES to use ribbon on cards and scrapbooks, I used SU's Craft & Paper Scissors once on ribbon and have been hooked since. I use these scissors just on ribbon and they stay sharp and make nice clean cuts every time without fraying the ends!

These are some of the more expensive scissors at $35.95 but I find them worth it, and would recommend them if you are a crafter who uses a lot of ribbon. Features of the SU Craft & Paper Scissors are:

• 3 3/4" blade length to work for wide ribbons
• stainless steel blades
• ideal for cutting paper and ribbon
• ergonomically designed (for right-handed individuals)

Note: These should not be used for cutting wire (including wired ribbons) or rubber.

12 Days/Posts of Christmas - Day 10

One of the tools that I LOVE is the Crop-a-dile. It is a silent eyelet setter and hole punch. I have to admit I don't use eyelets as often as I would like to but pull this tool out for hole punches too. Features of the crop-a-dile ($37.95) are:

• punches 3/16" and 1/8" holes
• punches through cardstock, chipboard, fabric, leather, tin and other materials
• silently sets eyelets
• silently sets snaps
• comes with instructions

The Crop-a-dile is so easy to use! There are instructions that come with it to tell you what settings to have the top and bottom blocks on depending on what size eyelet/snap you are setting. This tool is one of the first tools that I purchased and it remains one of my favourites!

12 Days/Posts of Christmas - Day 9

It's kind of funny, but typing up these 12 Days/Posts of Christmas I realize how much stuff I put off buying for so long and how much $$ I've ended up spending over time! But, once I came to accept that I was going to be doing this seriously and actually sticking to it, it's so worth it. I dont' know about you, but I find paper crafting so relaxing and almost therapeutic!

Anyways, on to the real post. Another thing that I was cheap about buying was a good stamp cleaner. I had just used water and an old cloth or paper towel to clean my stamps before. Now I use Stampin' Up! Stampin' Scrub and Stampin' Mist. I can't even begin to describe the difference. My stamps don't get totally stained like they did before and the rubber works so much better.

Stampin' Up! Stampin' Mist ($4.75 for 2 oz; $10.75 for 8 oz refill) cleans and conditions your rubber stamps. Features are:

• cleans all types of ink off rubber
• comes in a nonaerosol spray container
• can spray directly on stamp or Stampin' Scrub

For best results, the Stampin' Mist should be used immediately after stamping. Note that dark ink may still stain rubber; Stampin' Mist cleans but does not eliminate stains (It is recommended to use a specially formulated StazOn cleaner when using StazOn ink).

Stampin' Up! Stampin' Scrub ($17.95; 2 Scrub refill pads $10.25) is a dual sided tray that contains black fibre scrubbing pads. You clean with Stampin' Mist on one side and dry the stamp on the other side. Features of Stampin' Scrub are:

• holds two removable scrubbing pads
• replaceable pads
• heavy duty case
• large enough to clean large background stamps
• umbrella label for drying side
• three water drops identify wet cleaning side

To use the Stampin' Scrub, spray Stampin' Mist on the wet pad, then rub your stamp on the wet pad. Then rub the stamp dry on the dry side of the Stampin' Scrub to remove any leftover ink or moisture. If the removable pads become heavily soiled themselves over time, you can simply remove them, run them under water and airdry them until they are ready to use again (do not put them in the dishwasher).

12 Days/Posts of Christmas - Day 8

Just a reminder, today is the last day to purchase any of the Holiday Extravaganza bundles. The All in the Family Bundle is sold out. Click here for more details on this promotion. Check the post below for an additional product promotion that is starting today.

Edited to Add: Bags & Tags Bundle, Santa's Stocking Stuffer Bundle, Star Struck Bundle, Mission Embossable Bundle and the Curly Label Punch Bundle are now SOLD OUT.

As I mentioned on Day 1, something you should invest in is a scoring tool if you are going to be making cards. I personally use the Scor-Pal but as it is quite expensive, I will share details of the SU bone folder as well (which is what I used prior to my Mom buying me the Scor-Pal).

The SU bone folder costs $8.75, is made of sanded and polished cattle bone, and is used to score paper and make clean crisp folds. You use the pointed end to score the paper and then burnish a smooth fold using one of the two beveled sides.

Scor-Pal is not an SU product but it is amazing. The Scor-Pal can be purchased directly from their website http://www.scor-pal.com/ with many different packages avaible depending on what else you are in need of (such as carrying case, tapes etc).

The Scor-Pal alone costs $39.95. It is a 12" x 12" scoring surface with raised rulers along the top and right sides which allows you to align your paper. Grooves are all across the board at varying intervals including every 1/2" and every 1" as well us other areas unique to various types of cards. The Scor-Pal comes with its own scoring tool that snaps in to the top of the board so it can be kept together at all times.

I use my Scor-Pal for every single card that I make! Just making the center fold on every card goes so much faster with this tool! With the number of cards I make, this was such an awesome gift. It can be used for scoring any paper so you can use it for 3D projects as well, not just cardmaking!

12 Days/Posts of Christmas - Day 7

There are 2 days left in the SU Holiday Extravaganza sale!

Even if you are not purchasing the Mission Embossable bundle, I'm going to show you one of my favourite embossing tools because at only $5.95 it is affordable on its own.

Do you find that when you try to heat emboss an image you get unwanted flecks of embossing powder that stick to the paper? If you do, you'll love the Embossing Buddy. By rubbing the Embossing Buddy over your paper prior to adding embossing powder or glitter, you eliminate the static that causes these unwanted flecks to stick. I used to get frustrated at how stray embossing powder particles would ruin an image but not anymore since purchasing the embossing buddy!

It is also great to rub on your fingers first too as it will reduce moisture on your fingers that embossing powder or glitter may stick to!

12 Days/Posts of Christmas - Day 6

Do you do anything to your cards so that people know you hand-made them? If you don't, you definitely should. My family tried to convince me of this for a long time but I saw personalized stamps as a waste of $ that I could spend on something else. Well finally about 6 months ago, I bought one.

Let me tell you, it was the best decision. I wish I had listened sooner. For such a reasonable price, it makes your cards look so professional. Let's be realistic too - how is it a waste of money when it costs $12.95 - $24.95 (depending on what you want it to say) and you will use it on EVERY card you make? It would make an excellent gift for any crafter on your list because it is the gift that most crafters won't buy for themself!

I love mine! Come May, I'll be ordering a new one since I will no longer be Allison Frandle but rather will be Allison Bertamini!

I personally use the one pictured ($22.95) and when I make non-SU cards, I just don't stamp the copyright portion of the stamp!

12 Days/Posts of Christmas - Day 5

For $14.95 the Stampin' Up! Stamp-a-ma-jig is another best buy in my opinion for stampers! I have to admit I only recently purchased that stamp-a-ma-jig and wish I had purchased it a long time ago. If I had bought this a long time ago, I probably would have actually saved myself money from all the paper I wasted by stamping images crooked!

The stamp-a-ma-jig allows you to precisely line up a stamp exactly where you want it on your card and it is SO easy. I thought it would be difficult so I put off buying it for this reason, but it really isn't!

Features of the Stamp-a-ma-jig are:

• allows for fast and precise stamp alignment
• non skid base
• perfect for lining up sentiments
• includes washable plastic sheet
• instructions included
• designed for left or right handed use

I'll share the instructions with you too (they sound more complicated than they really are so perhaps I'll share pictures later):

• place the imaging sheet securely in the corner of the stamp-a-ma-jig
• align your stampin the corner and stamp onto the imaging sheet (textured side for craft inks and smooth side for classic inks)
• position imaging sheet on paper where you want to stamp
• line up the stamp-a-ma-jig with the imaging sheet
• hold the stamp-a-ma-jig in place and remove the imaging sheet
• align the stamp in the corner of the stamp-a-ma-jig and stamp your image

The imaging sheet cleans easily with a damp cloth, baby wipe or Stampin' mist for re-use.

12 Days/Posts of Christmas - Day 4

Scroll down for another post from today again!

In keeping with the topic of adhesives that I posted about on Day 3 of my 12 Days/Posts of Christmas, I wanted to talk about the SU Adhesive Remover.

For only $2.50 the SU Adhesive Remover is one of the best buys in the catalogue in my opinion. I have to admit when I heard about what it could do, I was very doubtful but decided to purchase it anyway since it is so cheap and I am a messy gluer with my anywhere glue stick.

Features of the SU Adhesive remover are:

• removes unwanted adhesive residue
• works like an eraser
• works best at removing SNAIL adhesive

The Adhesive Remover is 2" x 2" x 1/2" and can be used many many times. Once the surface area becomes gummy with adhesive, just slice off the top layer.

I can honestly tell you that when I have got the anywhere glue stick or SNAIL adhesive on an unwanted area on my cards, I used the adhesive remover and now you would never know there was ever adhesive there! For me it is a must because I am so messy with glue!

12 Days/Posts of Christmas - Day 3

This will be a long post because of the many varieties. Scroll down for other new posts.

Another essential tool for paper crafting is adhesive. There are many different options out there and each has its own place for use. I will mention the different types and let you know which I prefer to use and what I use them for as I go through them. You can also scroll to the bottom of this post for a summary and then work back to read about the one that most applies to you!

SU 2-Way Glue Pen ($4.50 for 10 grams): A versatile acid-free adhesive that creates a permanent or temporary bond. Features of the 2-Way Glue Pen are:

• dries quickly

• blue when wet - adhere now to create permanent bond
• clear when dry - once clear this glue is temporary like a sticky note
• great for adhering glitter
• chisel tip - allows you to apply just as much as needed
• washes off with soap and water

I personally use the 2-way glue pen for adhering glitter.

SU Anywhere Glue Stick ($4.95 for 2-20 gram sticks): This is my personal adhesive of choice. It is acid-free and nontoxic. Features of this glue stick are:

• odorless and permanent

• economical choice - since you get 2 sticks for less than $5.00
• square corner edge for hard-to-reach areas (especially corners)

To prevent this glue stick from drying out store it in a plastic bag (I personally go through mine quickly so mine never dry out and I don't store it in a bag). This is the adhesive I use for classes when applying designer paper to cardstock.

SU Dotto Adhesive ($16.50; refills for $8.25): These tiny repositional adhesive dots come in a handy dispenser and are safe for use on scrapbooks and photos. Features of Dotto are:

• 49 feet of temporary, self-adhesive dots on paper backing
• dispensier rolls dots from paper from backing onto card stock, photos, or embellishments
• solvent free
• refills available

These are great for scrapbookers as they are safe for photos and repositionable. by being repositionable, gone are the days of ruining a page because you placed your photo or embellishment on crooked since you can just lift it up again and move the element to the correct spot. Plus, if you apply too much, just rub your finger over the dot to remove it!

SU SNAIL Adhesive ($8.75; refills for $5.75): Other than the anywhere glue stick, this is my adhesive of choice for adhering ribbon and layered images. I also use this for my classes. This is a double sided permanent, scrapbook safe, adhesive that is dispensed continuously. Features of SNAIL adhesive are:

• 472" of double-sided adhesive

• keeps fingers and elements free of messy glue
• refills available
• permanent for a strong bond - this is the reason I use this on heavy elements such as ribbon and multi-layered cards
• affordable and neat

SNAIL adhesive applies a controlled amount of adhesive and a small amount creates a strong bond so the cartridge lasts a long time. This adhesive is used in the same way that you would use dry-line white out.

SU Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive ($4.75 for 0.875 oz.): This is a temporary or permanent adhesive that has a dual-tipped applicator. Features of Tombow are:

• latex rubber acrylic resin adhesive
• temporary when allowed to dry before adhering
• permanent when applied while wet
• great for adhering cardstock, designer paper to chipboard
• great for applying glitter
• dual-tipped applicator - allows you to apply a small amount with the small tip or spread it over a larger area with the wide tip

SU Glue Dots (Mini glue dots $5.95 for 300 dots; Pop-up glue dots $4.75 for 75 dots): These are a super sticky acid-free adhesive used primarily for adhering 3-dimensional accents. Features of glue dots are:

• bond instantly to a variety of materials - therefore great for attaching embellishments
• photo safe
• 2 sizes available: Pop-Up (1/2" diameter and 1/8" thick) and Mini (~3/16" diameter)
• double sided adhesive

The best way to place glue dots is to press your project against the dispenser so you do not have to touch the glue dots as they are very difficult to get off once adhered (including to your hand).
I use these mostly for adhering the center paper to build-a-brads.

SU Stampin' Dimensionals ($4.95 for 300): These are 1/16" thick acid-free, double-sided, adhesive foam dots. Features of dimensionals are:

• double-sided, self-adhesive foam mounts
• add height for multilevel projects
• great for layering

Stampin’ Dimensionals are the easiest way to give your projects an instant 3-D look. I use these often to pop up the center image of a card.

SU Sticky Strip ($8.25 for 10 yards): This is a double-sided extra tacky strip to adhere micro beads or ribbon or have 3D items stick tightly. Features of sticky strip are:

• double-sided acrylic adhesive
• 1/4" wide
• very strong - which makes it perfect for 3D items

To use Sticky strip: cut Sticky strip to your desired length and lay it on your project, then remove the red liner to assemble your project.

IN SUMMARY:

There are many different adhesives available and you need to discover which you prefer to use based on what you are using it for.

For beginner crafters, I would recommend the anywhere glue stick and SNAIL adhesive or Dotto adhesive (Dotto if you are primarily scrapbooking).

As you become more skilled in your crafting, you may want to incorporate glitter or beads and therefore want things like the 2-way glue pen or Tombow adhesive. If you are wanting to add more dimension to your cards or scrapbooks through layering you may want to invest in SU Dimensionals or Glue Dots. If you prefer to create more 3D items you might want to invest in Sticky strip.

12 Days/Posts of Christmas - Day 2

Note: This is the second post for today.

You'll notice the change in the title of this post! Well, Grant was reading my blog and didn't like that I called it 12 "days" since I'm not posting 12 consecutive days so he suggested I change it to 12 "posts" of Christmas. Is this a compromise - may as well start now before we get married!?

Anyways, for Day/Post 2 I am going to talk about the importance of getting a good paper cutter. I say "good" because I have to admit that when I first started paper crafting I was pretty cheap so I have tried several different brands/types of paper cutters before finding one that I really liked - which happens to honestly be the Stampin' Up one.

Many of the other paper cutters I have tried did not actually cut straight because the track for the blade was not designed well so the blade could actually wobble as you cut. The SU paper cutter has a unique design to provide straight and precise cuts and it actually works!

For $30.95, the SU paper cutter has many great features including:

12" cutting length

Measures widths up to 15-1/2"

2 cutting blades

Swing-out arm for easy measuring

Aluminum surface marked with accurate measurements

This paper cutter is very popular because it is light weight, small enough to store
easily and yet large enough to cut papers for 12" x 12" scrapbook pages. The swing-out arm is so handy for getting exact cuts on large pieces of card stock.

You can also purchase replacement blades for the cutter at 2 for $7.25. There is also a combination pack of one cutting blade and one scoring blade for $7.25 available. (For those who are unsure, a scoring blade is used in the same manner as the cutting blade but it is used to score paper where you want to fold it so that the fold is placed exactly where you want it and straight. This is especially useful for cardmakers to create the centre fold of their card base). For another option to the scoring blade stay tuned for information about the Scor-Pal on a later post!

12 Days of Christmas - Day 1

Note: This is the third post for today, so scroll down for the other posts.

Many people have asked me what I believe are the essentials to paper crafting. Therefore, rather than focus on a specific product for day 1 of my "12 Days of Christmas" I have decided to discuss what products are essential to be able to START paper crafting. Some of these products will be featured on future days to highlight the benefits of each!

At its most basic, these supplies are essential for all types of paper crafting:

• Cardstock - heavy weight paper used as a card base or scrapbooking page
• Adhesive - comes in many varieties depending on its intended use (whether scrapbooks or cards) to adhere papers, pictures and embellishments together
• Paper cutter - to ensure straight cuts

Depending on the type of paper crafting you are interested in, there are a few additional items that you should invest in (therefore, the are not essential to all crafts but I will tell you what they are useful for).

• Bone folder - scores paper and creates a clean fold for cardmaking
• Designer paper - patterned paper to create interest on cards/scrapbooks
• Stamps and Inks - if you are interested in stamping on your cards or scrapbooks
• Embellishments - include a variety of materials (flowers, buttons, ribbons, etc.) to add interest and dimension on your paper crafts

Stay tuned for more specific information on some of these products on the remaining days of Christmas feature. If you are in need of information quickly, feel free to send me an email.