Flash Cards

I’ve been having fun making flash cards this week – and I don’t mean the kind you drill children in educational facts with. I’ve been making greeting cards with the Flash Card and Flash Card 2.0 templates by Connie Stewart. Flash Cards are rectangles of card stock that you pre-cut and have on hand to create cards in a flash. You’re able to create 8 cards from 1 sheet of colored card stock and 1 sheet of neutral card stock (plus card bases).

I’ve created a few of each – modifying Connie’s designs to fit my supplies and likes. Take a peek at some of them.

Flash Cards

"Flash Cards" made with Connie Stewart's template ~ from Me & My House

Connie’s videos that provided inspiration for these: left to right –  (gatefold)  Tri-Fun Fold, (shadowbox) Stand-Up.

Flash Cards 2.0

"Flash Cards 2.0" made with Connie Stewart's template ~ from Me & My House

Top row, my own design. Links to Connie’s videos that provided inspiration for cards on the bottom row, left to right: Amazing FriendSoft n SweetHappy Valentines.

Where do you get inspiration, when making cards? Have you ever used Connie’s Flash Card templates. If so, post below.

 

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Papercrafting Supplies 201: Stamps

Now the fun comes! You have your basic supplies of paper, measuring and cutting tools, and adhesives from the Papercrafting Supplies 101 series, and it’s time to move on to the decorating supplies. Although you could probably put together a plain album and even a decent card if you’re able to do nice writing or calligraphy on it yourself, most people are going to want to add a little extra pizzaz to their paper crafting projects.

What you actually buy, for all of these extras, is going to depend totally on personal taste. You know you and your paper crafting needs and desires. No one else does. What do you like? What type of paper crafting are you doing? Who are you doing it for? If you are making products for others, children’s birthdays, albums for friends and family members, etc. their needs and taste will also come into play for what you buy.

Papercrafting Supplies 201: Stamps ~ Me & My House

For that “extra”, again we’ll look at 3 categories: stamps and inks, punches, and embellishments. I’m classifying stamps and inks as one category, as you can’t use stamps without inks, but will be presenting separate posts for them, so they don’t get too long. (This one on stamps is going to be pretty long anyhow.)

I divide stamps into 3 types of designs, of which you’ll probably want some of each: sentiments, single design (which I generally call decorative, though of course all of them are decorative,) and background. There are also 3 basic kinds of stamps: mounted rubber, cling rubber, and cling clear. Let’s start with the types of designs.

Types of Designs

Sentiments are word sayings, like Happy Birthday, With Deepest Sympathy, Just Because, etc. You can buy sets with an assortment of sentiments for various occasions, so you can probably start out with just one set. That will probably be cheaper than buying many individual stamps, but if you want to totally customize your collection, you can buy individuals. You may also want to branch out, (at least over time, after getting your initial set,) to several variations of the ones you use most, such as several types of birthday greetings, either in one “birthday” set or various single stamps. But perhaps you aren’t making cards. Do you still need word sayings? Probably. There are also stamps that say things used in albums, such as, Memories, Family, Summer Fun, etc. and other word stamps that are useful on your other paper projects. Look for sets or individual stamps that cover your paper crafting needs.

Single design, or decorative stamps are used to add a focal point. These are designs such as a flower, or a clock, or a suitcase, or a cake, or a person, … You will use these types of stamps on nearly all your work, and they’re the ones you will buy the most of. Again, you can buy singles or sets with several single designs that relate to each other. Many times a set will have several single designs and a sentiment or two that goes with them. Build your collection over time based on what you like and what is needed for the types of projects you do. Small mini sets can be picked up for $1, large sets may be $25 or more. But consider what you are getting in the set. (This and the following apply to Sentiments also.) For the number and size of stamps, as well as quality, it may be worth it to get a few more expensive sets, than many cheap sets/individuals. Besides, the big box craft stores have frequent sales marking stamps down 40-50%, or with a coupon for one item 40% off.

The last design type is background stamps. These are large stamps that cover a whole area, such as the entire front of a card. You may or may not choose to use background stamps. They are not as necessary as the other two types, but some people enjoy using them. Unless this is something you really enjoy using, you will probably only have a couple background stamps for occasional use, if any at all. Choose a couple of good multi-functional designs.

Kinds of Stamps

Papercrafting Supplies 201: Stamps ~ Me & My HouseThere are 3 basic kinds of stamps. Mounted rubber stamps are the traditional type. These are an etched piece of rubber that is mounted on a cushion on a wood block, usually with the design stamped on the top of the wood, making placement easier. Rubber stamps provide a crisp, clear impression, even with fine details. They can be used with nearly any type of ink, and are quite durable and will last a REALLY long time, a lifetime or much more.  They are really high quality stamps and only have a couple of cons. Since you can’t see through the wood mount, you can’t see exactly where your stamp will be. (There is a solution for that called a stamp jig.) Also as your collection grows, it will take up quite a bit of storage room. Also rubber stamps tend to cost more than the other options (because of their quality). Wood mounted rubber stamps are usually sold individually. Occasionally you’ll find a few mini’s in a set, and of course small alphabets come in a set.

Papercrafting Supplies 201: Stamps ~ Me & My House

More recently, the newer clear cling stamps have gained much popularity. These  can be made of photopolymer resin or (more commonly) vinyl, and they are unmounted. To use them you temporarily mount them to an acrylic block, that they cling to, while you ink and stamp with them. In fact you can mount several at once, to stamp a complete design, of sentiments and decorations in one stamping. Therefore they are super for getting everything lined up just as you want it. Then you clean them (see below), take them off the mount and return them to their package. I love clear cling stamps because you can see exactly where you are stamping your design, since they are see through, and because of their popularity there are a lot of great designs available. But clear stamps have their cons too, and their quality varies greatly.

Photopolymer stamps are better quality, sturdier, and closer to rubber in hardness and performance than vinyl stamps. They are usually made in the USA. Vinyl stamps are usually cheaper (in quality also), usually made in the Orient, and may not produce as sharp an image, tending to wobble more and to cause the ink to bead up. (But there is a wide variety of quality available.) Because they are more flexible than rubber, you need to only press lightly or your image may smear. But you do need to gently press evenly, all over the stamp, to transfer the image. Also a plus is, because clear stamps are flexible, you are able to bend them to do stamping around a curve, a fun technique. Most clear stamps come in sets, large or small, unless they are a background stamp in which case they may come individually.

The problem some (many?) clear cling stamps have is ink beading. The ink may not spread evenly over the whole stamp, but rather bead up on the stamp. That may be fine if you’re going for a distressed look, but not so nice if you want a crisp clear sentiment stamped. Different brands and qualities of clear stamps, as well as different inks used, are better or worse at beading. (Cheap stamps may also tear easily or break down over time. Never use acetone, bleach, or oil based inks with clear stamps. Solvent based inks, such as StazOn will also cause them to deteriorate.) Good quality clear stamps will serve you well for years, but perhaps not decades.

Back to beading. There are 3 ways you can reduce beading on your clear stamps. First, your clear stamps (especially vinyl ones) should be conditioned by washing them with mild soap and water before using, to get manufacturing residue off them. A second step, that some  recommend for all clear stamps and others only resort to if the washing doesn’t remove all the residue, is to go over them with a (good old pink pencil) eraser, then rinse, before using. Other crafters sand them lightly with an emory/manicure board, rather than using an eraser. (I’ve had to do this on some.) The third step some do (instead of the second for some, in addition to it for others) is to first “prime” clear stamps by inking with a pigment or VersaMark ink. Some just do this before using the stamp the first time, and leave the ink on the stamp to dry. Others stamp it into VersaMark before stamping it into a dye ink, each time. This leads us into, the types of ink you use also can make a difference. (I’ll talk about that in the post on Inks.) Others claim the only conditioning a clear cling stamp needs is stamping a few times onto scrap paper. With a little TLC, clear cling stamps can be a good choice, especially if you get photopolymer ones, but even vinyl (which you will find far many more of than any other kind) can be worth adding to your arsenal.

Papercrafting Supplies 201: Stamps ~ Me & My HouseThe third kind of stamps are unmounted or cling rubber stamps. These are kind of the best of both worlds. You get the sharp, crisp images and durability of a rubber stamp and the convenience and ease of a cling stamp. Unmounted rubber stamps are just like wood mount rubber stamps, without the wood. You put them onto an acrylic block when you want to use them, just like the clear cling stamps, making much less storage space needed. Although you still can’t see through the stamp itself, it is mounted to an acrylic block that you can see through, making placement easier, and allowing for mounting multiple stamps at once for a complete image. Although these stamps themselves (not the images they produce) don’t look as “cool” as the clear stamps (usually grey foam cushion), they really have the benefits of the other two kinds combined, making them an excellent choice. (Just a quick note about using multiple stamps on one mount. You need to be sure all the stamps are the same thickness. Clear cling and rubber cling are not the same, and some brands of clear cling may not be the same as other brands of clear cling. Doing a test stamp is always a good idea anyhow.)

My personal preference for stamps, if I can find similar stamps at close to similar prices, leans toward the photopolymer as a first choice. (I just really like that see through design.) Cling rubber is second. Although wood mount is what I began with, (all there was back then,) I really try to stay away from them because of the storage issue and placement issue. Although I’ve had my share of frustrations with vinyl stamps, and they probably come in as my least favorite; because they are the most plentiful, readily available and cheapest, I have the most of them.

Stamp Mounts

Papercrafting Supplies 201: Stamps ~ Me & My HouseYou will need an acrylic mounting block to use both your clear cling and unmounted rubber stamps. You can get thick block or thin blocks, plain blocks or blocks with grid lines, straight edged blocks or wavy edged (for finger grip). You can even get a stamp press that has foam corners that raise it off your work surface, suspending the stamp in mid-air. You just press it down, for even stamping and no shifting. I recommend either the stamp press, and/or thick blocks for getting a good hold on them, and ones printed with a grid for making it easier to line your stamp up straight. I also prefer the straight edged blocks to make it easier to line up straight with your paper edge, but that’s totally personal preference.

There are many different sizes of acrylic blocks. Your block needs to be larger than your stamp; but you have better control over it, if it is not too much larger. Therefore having a few different sizes is handy, at least a 2×6″ and a 4×6″. I’d probably add a 2 or 3″ square also. Another option is to get the Fiskars Stamp Press. It can be used with stamps of all sizes, yet you still get nice even pressure.

The surface you stamp on will also make a difference in how clear your stamping is (as well as how you ink your stamp). Some recommend stamping with a mouse pad (or special stamping mat, or even a magazine or a few layers of newspaper) under the paper for a clearer impression. Others say you should stamp on a hard surface. In general, the pad is more needed for the clear cling stamps, as they don’t have the cushion built-in that rubber stamps have. Experiment to see what works best for you. Whichever you do, be sure your surface is flat and stable.  As for inking, gently tap your stamp on your ink pad (or, many prefer, ink pad onto your stamp, especially for large shaded areas) a few times. You can also give a gentle twist, if you want. Do not press too hard or you can over ink your stamp and cause smudging.

One final note, on cleaning your stamps. Mild soap and water works great. Wood mount stamps, of course, should not be submerged in water. Many people use baby wipes, but be sure to get ones with no alcohol and no aloe in them, and no anti-bacterial wipes. I use my homemade wipes that are made with a mild soap and other gentle ingredients. A bit of glycerin (with your soap and water) in your cleaner (homemade wipes) can be helpful for reconditioning rubber stamps. There are also specialty stamp cleaners, if you want to spend the money for them.

Stamps are a fun and easy way to add some pizzaz to your paper crafting projects, and there are so many different designs available. Start looking at stamps and find ones you like, and I’ll be back soon to talk about Inks.

 

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Papercrafting Supplies 101: Tools

I’ve been known to say papercrafting is my type of “art” because all you have to know how to do is cut and paste. That isn’t too far from the truth. So far in this series we’ve looked at paper, the key component in papercrafting, and adhesives, the pasting part. Today we’re going to look at the 3rd part of that equation, the cutting, and a handful of other basic tools for paper crafting.

Cutting is necessary for most paper crafts, and if you’re a lot better than I, perhaps you can do it with just a pair of scissors. But most everyone uses a more accurate and faster tool, a paper trimmer. Quick, straight and accurately measured cut lines from a paper trimmer make paper crafting easy. You’ll still want a good, sharp pair of scissors for more detailed (and more rough) cuts, but for most of your cuts, that are just straight lines, get a paper trimmer.

mspapertrimmerThe most common, and usually least expensive, type is the sliding blade trimmer. These trimmers have a small blade that slides up and down in a groove that lays over the paper. It can cut paper and cardstock, but not thicker materials, and usually not more than a couple layers at a time. Many of these trimmers are narrow and have a swing out arm for measuring larger cuts (up to 12×12″ paper). They are light weight and portable, fast and easy to use, and accurate. You can also make partial cuts with them, just part way down the paper, or even only in the middle of the paper, with the measurements down the length. Some of them come with a separate plastic “blade” that can be inserted when you only want to “score” (crease), not cut the paper, (or you can use a bone folder in the groove to make score lines also.) The blades on these trimmers need to be replaced, pretty often if you use them a lot. They will leave a ragged edge when they are getting dull. But blades are inexpensive and easy to replace–just always keep spares on hand. Some feel that the swing out arms don’t give real accurate measurements on larger pieces. (The one pictured, and that I own, has a pull out arm which I think is more accurate.) Most people start with sliding blade trimmer, and usually keep one on hand, even if they add and use the other types.

I own the the Martha Stewart trimmer pictured, and also a Fiskars, perhaps the most well known brand. My Fiskars is older and not as accurate, in my opinion. My Martha Stewart has both cutting and scoring blades, a full length slide out arm, and  a small magnifier on the blade holder that magnifies the measurements down the length of the blade guide. I really like the way it works, but its blade seem to dull faster than any of my other trimmers.

rt200nThe next type of paper trimmer is the Rotary Paper Trimmer. Many of these look much like the sliding blade trimmers but the blade is round and rolls down your paper along the guide. Rotary trimmers can be found with both the swing out measuring arm like most of the sliding blade trimmers, or full width. These trimmers usually cost a bit more than the sliding blade type, but are available in all price ranges. They are very accurate, cut very clean edges and can make very small cuts. This is what I use when I need to take off “just a sliver”. It somewhat bothers me that the entire bar area isn’t see through, like on the sliding blade trimmers, making it harder to cut narrow papers, in my opinion. Also with the round blade, it is harder to make accurate partial cuts, stopping at the exact spot you’d like. Be sure to get a rotary trimmer with plenty of measurement markings down the length by the blade (mine, not pictured, doesn’t). Rotary blades last longer than sliding blades, but cost a bit more to replace. Rotary trimmers also have a narrow cutting mat under the blade that has to be replaced occasionally, when it’s cut up. A bad cutting mat results in inaccurate cuts. Some of the rotary trimmers have optional blades that make various decorative cuts.

My rotary trimmer is a Carl brand (same brand as pictured). I love it’s accuracy and ability to make clean sliver cuts. I love that I can cut (at least) medium weight chipboard with it.
purplecowcombotrimmerThe least common paper trimmer is a guillotine type. This is the type of paper cutter used in offices and schools. It can cut through layers of paper and thicker cardboard and such, and you never have to change the blade. But some find it not as accurate for small, short cuts, or feel it takes up too much room, is too heavy to be a portable take-along, and potentially too dangerous. Others love it as their primary trimmer. It is limited to only making full cuts, from one end of the paper to the other. The one pictured is a combo trimmer that has a rotary trimmer on the other side. The 2 sides also can come apart. I don’t have a guillotine cutter.

timholtzscissors

Along with your paper trimmer, you will also want a good, sharp pair of scissors. To get started, a pair of 8″ basic paper/craft scissors will be fine. Later, you may want to add a pair of precision or specialty scissors, such as the Tonic Studios Tim Holtz non-stick short blade scissors, or Cutter Bee precision scissors. Some people also enjoy having various decorative edge scissors.

There will no doubt be times you will be glad to have an X-acto knife and mat, for cuts your trimmer can’t do, or do well. I also prefer to use my large rotary cutter (and a mat) for cutting thick materials, like chipboard.

In addition to cutters, you will also need measurers. A regular ruler is a necessity–I like my metal X-acto ruler, and perhaps not a necessity but very handy, a centering ruler. A centering ruler has 0 in the middle and then goes out both ways, and is very handy for lining up all the things you want to center on a page or project.

msscoringboardCutters and rulers are very familiar to you, but above I mentioned 2 things that may be unfamiliar to you, scoring and a bone folder. Scoring prepares paper for creating even and crisp folds, without the paper cracking. Although scoring can be done with some trimmers, or even a ruler and bone folder, most paper crafters use the fast, easy and most accurate way, a scoring board. A scoring board has narrow channels–for making straight crease lines on your paper to fold on, at measured distances for making all your lines quickly and accurately. You make these score lines with a bone folder, a tool with a blunt pointed end for scoring and smooth edges for making your folds crisp and sharp after you fold your scored lines, without marring your paper. The score boards I’ve seen all come with a bone folder. You can also buy bone folders separately, if you prefer a different style. Some people also use a stylus for creating their score lines on a scoring board.

I own the Martha Stewart Scoring Board pictured. I like that it has scoring channels every 1/8″, and the envelope tool for lining up your paper to make diagonal scores. It also has a compartment for storing your bone folder. Tip! I ran colored permanent markers down various channels at the measurements I use most often, to give me quick to find visual guides.

Our last tool today is a non-stick, heat resistant craft mat. It will protect your work surface from adhesives, heat and ink. These are different than cutting mats, and are usually made of silicone or teflon material. They work great for protecting your desk from the heat of glue guns or embossing heat guns, and wipe up clean from gluing/taping/mod podging and stamping/inking. I prefer silicone as it’s non-toxic.

These are the basic tools you’ll need for paper crafting. Other tools are specific to specific types of work you do in paper crafting. I will cover those as I cover their area of technique. So to get started, 5 basic tools are needed. You may even already have 2 or 3 of them. You’ll need a paper trimmer and scissors, a ruler, a scoring board and a craft mat, add that to you basic supplies of paper and adhesives and you’re ready to get paper crafting.

Now that we have the basics covered, I’ll be back with add-ons, for other techniques and embellishments you may want use, in the Papercrafting Supplies 201 series.

 

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Check out more DIY projects on Kathy’s blog at Teaching Good Things.

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Papercrafting Supplies 101: Adhesives

Papercrafting Supplies 101: AdhesivesAdhesives are something I learned a lot about early on in album making. I had been fine with my basics for cardmaking and other paper projects I’d been doing over the years, but once I started making albums I learned that you really need to use good, scrapbooking-specific adhesives if you want these things to stay together through much handling.

Like papers, you use different types for different things, but three basics will see you through most needs. Also like paper, you want photo safe, acid free products. Adhesives made especially for scrapbooking/paper crafting are best.

1) Double-sided Tape Runner. For just adhering layers–paper to paper or paper to cardstock– that will not be getting much wear/any movement, a tape runner works fine. I have used various brands of the small “snail” type runners and they are ok for light duty (especially in card making and such) but for those that plan to do much paper crafting, I highly recommend a Scotch ATG (Advanced Tape Glider). Those little snail-type runners go through tape really fast, and the ATG is much more economical. The quarter inch size (pictured below) is what you will use most (maybe only. It’s all I have.) ATG tape also works (holds better) than most small snail-type runners I’ve used, but those can be used in a pinch.

2) Strong Double-sided Tape. For adhering pieces that are going to get movement/wear, you want something stronger than a tape runner. You need something that is really going to hold for hinges and binding, chipboard, box making, and such. You don’t want your albums or boxes falling apart. My favorite super-sticking double-sided tape is Scor-Tape, because it can be torn rather than cut, making it fast and easy to use–and economical too.  But I also use Terrifically Tacky (a red line type) because I got a SUPER deal on it in various sizes. Wonder Tape from Ranger would be the same red line type, but I’ve never used that brand. Like ATG, the size you will use most is probably the 1/4″, but I like having the 1/2″ and 1/8″ on hand because I use them sometimes too. I also have 1 1/16″ of Terrifically Tacky that I use sometimes, and will probably get 1″ Scor-Tape when I run out of that. Scor-Tape is much cheaper to use than the red line tapes (unless you get a buy 1 get 4 free deal like I did.)

Papercrafting Supplies 101: Adhesives3) Wet glue. There are some times when you just need a glue adhesive. Tapes are great for most things, but for adhering the insides of pockets (you don’t want your tags and such to stick in the pocket) and when it’s hard to get a precision alignment (tape is stuck for good once it’s stuck,) a quick drying wet glue comes in really handy. Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive is my fave. It is a strong permanent glue that dries quickly, but gives you enough time to reposition if necessary. It is photo safe, acid free, and a little goes a long way. And it doesn’t leave wrinkly papers like most wet glues–perhaps largely because you need so little. Tombo Mono Multi Liquid Glue is also a popular one with scrapbookers, but I’ve not tried it.

Like the papers, these 3 basics will take you far. They may be all you need–or you may want or need other special adhesives at times. Again, I’ll mention one more that you will probably want to have, but isn’t absolutely necessary at the beginning. There’s a good chance you may already have it.

A Glue Gun. There are times, especially when adding embellishments, that a glue gun is the best tool for the job. I prefer a high and low temp one–the low being great especially for laces, ribbons, and such. This is a tool you’ll use for much more than just papercrafting. I’ve used Stanley and other brands before, but am currently using a 40 watt dual temp Surebonder (below).

Other specialty adhesives that you may want for embellishments and dimensional  layering are foam adhesive dots/squares and glue dots. Magnetic discs (by Basic Grey) also stick things together in papercrafting, usually as a closure for an album itself, or interactive parts inside an album.  Duck Tape is another specialty adhesive, used sometimes as a spine for albums.

 

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Papercrafting Supplies 101: Papers

I am far from a Papercrafting “expert” but, as perhaps someone a little further on the journey than you, I thought I’d share some of the Basics needed to get started, for the complete newbies. This will be a series of posts, each focusing on one type of supply.

The obvious first is Paper. Generally there are 3 basic types you’ll need. Quality (and thickness) varies from brand to brand. There are also other variations and specialty papers that you may want to use, but certainly don’t need to get started. The one thing you do want to look for in all your paper crafting papers is “Acid & Lignin Free”.

Paper Crafting Supplies: Paper - from Me & My House1) Patterned paper. This is your pretty paper used for decorating your paper projects (cards, albums, tags, altered items, etc.) You can buy individual sheets, but much more popular and economical is to buy “stacks”, pads of various coordinating papers. Usually the thickness is about the same as copy paper, but sometimes almost like a card stock. Most patterned paper is only printed on one side, but double sided is also available (mainly from the big names). Double sided is more expensive, but very helpful perhaps even necessary, for some projects. Usually you want standard 12″ x 12″ (again the most economical). Other sizes are available, 6×6″, 8×8″, and others, more rarely. Occasionally you may want these for the smaller designs on them and/or already precut to the size you want or less waste.

  • Beginners: Start with a stack of 12×12″ patterned paper in a design you love.
  • Tip!: You can get larger stacks of more varied paper very economically – especially because many of the big name craft stores carry their own lines and put them on sale at 50% off regularly. 180 sheets for $9.99 is common.
  • Tip!: Save your scraps. Most, even small ones, can be used in other projects.

Paper Crafting Supplies: Card Stock - from Me & My House2) Card stock. This is what backs your pretty patterned paper to give it more sturdiness. You’ll use it for your card bases, your album pages, tags, etc. There are different weights, you’ll usually want something fairly sturdy, 65# or more. Card stock comes in both 12×12″ and 8.5×11″. Generally the 8.5×11″ is fine (and cheaper) for card making and mini albums. The 12×12″ can be useful for some things, and necessary for others (like creating full size album pages.) The 12×12″ comes in more colors, various textures, and sometimes prints. Basic black, white, and “kraft” tan or brown are good for many things, but you’ll want more variety eventually, if not right away.

  • Beginners: Start with a pack of varied basic/neutral colors card stock. 8.5×11″ is fine.
  • Tip!: Greeting cards are generally made from a half sheet of 8.5×11″ card stock. Which way you cut it in half determines which side your fold will be on.
  • Tip!: Save your scrap strips. Most of them will be big enough for hinges in albums.
  • Tip!: Manilla card stock is perfect for making your own tags (much cheaper). File folders work great for this.

Paper Crafting Supplies: Chipboard - from Me & My House3) Chipboard. Though not really “paper”, chipboard is the type of very dense (not squishy) cardboard you use in paper crafts for album covers and other things that you need to be very sturdy. Medium weight chipboard will be appropriate for most of your uses. It doesn’t come in the variety of colors as card stock, usually just black, white, and kraft (tan). But that isn’t a problem, because usually you will be covering it with patterned paper, card stock, or paint/ink. Because the edges show on many/some of the projects you do, you may want to eventually get all 3 colors, but many people just use kraft. (I tend to use black and white more.) Like card stock, chipboard also comes in both 12×12″ and 8.5×11″. (The grey paper to the left is Grungeboard, see below.)

  • Beginners: Start with a pack of medium weight chipboard, which ever color you prefer. I recommend the 12×12″ as being a bit more versatile with less waste. But depending on what specifically you are making, that may not be true for you.
  • Tip!: Sometimes there is a price difference for the various colors. Unless you particularly want a specific color, get whichever is cheapest, though black may show through light colored papers. Grafix is a well known brand.
  • Tip!: If you get packages by priority mail, you can save the boxes and use them in place of chipboard for most small albums that have completely covered covers.

That’s it! Just 3 types of paper stock will get you started in making beautiful albums, cards, tags and other paper crafts.

Tyvek: I want to mention one more type of paper though, because I find it very helpful for keeping my albums secure. Tyvek is a plastic-y paper that large envelopes, like priority mail envelopes, are made of. It is great for reenforcing spines and hinges of albums. You need just a small strip for each. You can buy Tyvek envelopes or recyle ones you get mail in. I highly recommend it for album making, but you don’t have to have it.

Some other specialty papers you may want down the road are:

  • Grunge paper and grunge board–“Grungepaper:  a compressed, flexible, thinner sheet of dingy material that can be punched, painted, inked, sanded, die-cut, or grunged.” It is very strong, so great for spines and such. It’s other properties make it great for dimensional die cuts and more. Grunge board, as expected, is thicker than grunge paper. (See in the Chip board pic above.)
  • Vellum–True vellum is a parchment made from calf skin. Vellum paper you find in the stores mimics this, in a smooth translucent paper that is inexpensive.
  • Acetate–a thin, clear plastic (like transparencies are made of.) Used in papercrafting for making clear pockets or covering other designs with a protective, but see through cover.
  • Foil, Watercolor paper, and other specialty papers may also be used for certain projects. But loke the other specialty papers in this category are not necessary for getting started, unless you are wanting to do a specific project that calls for them.
  • Mini albums are also sometimes made with envelopes (of various sizes), notecards, and paper bags–and even empty toilet paper rolls.

I tend to buy whatever I find on sale at a great price that I like. But do you (that already are paper crafting) have a favorite company? If so, what is it and why do you like it best?

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