I have been a crafter from a young age, often trying a new project or medium after finding inspiration, such as a magazine or catalog (this includes cooking, sewing and gardening, too). I would read everything I could find to learn about my new-found passion and then go about looking for the tools and supplies needed. It was probably around 1999 when I was first invited to a Stampin’ Up workshop (the name of a party or presentation in a host’s home). Prior to this workshop, I had been scrapbooking rather plain pages with photos, card stock mats and stickers, including alphabet stickers to make titles for my pages. My eyes grew big at that first Stampin’ Up workshop and my head spun with the creative possibilities! I ordered an alphabet stamp set and ink pad, and I purchased a catalog from the demonstrator (Never again would I run out of a particular letter sticker in a particular color)! I poured through the catalog, overwhelmed with my choices…until I decided on my first project. I would stamp my annual Christmas cards. This narrowed my wish list and I was finally able to figure out where to begin. If you are similarly overwhelmed about how to get into stamping, let’s start at the beginning with the basics you will need:
- Stamps – Perhaps too obvious, but you will just need to narrow that list and make a decision on your first set. Come up with your first project…at least an occasion or inspiration that gets your ideas flowing.
- Acrylic Blocks – Years ago, the rubber stamps came with wooden blocks in just the right sizes to which they were mounted and stored. Today, the stamps are either “cling” or photopolymer and they are mounted only temporarily and then stored separately from the clear acrylic blocks, which will be used with other stamps. You NEED blocks in order to stamp. These can be purchased as a set in a variety of shapes and sizes, or a-la-carte (one at a time).
- Inks – Stampin Up’s Classic Stampin Pads are made with vibrant water-based, dye inks and are available in our core collection of 40 colors PLUS 2 collections of 5 “In Colors” that are available for 2 years at a time, or 10 more colors. Also, there is the Memento ink pad in Tuxedo Black, plus a few other special ink pads. (Watch for a blog post and video all about different stamping inks!)
- Card Stock – The paper used for most greeting cards (both hand-made and store-bought) is card stock. Stampin’ Up’s premium 80-lb weight stock is smooth and the color runs through to the core of the paper, meaning it is high quality and perfect for stamping and crafting.
Okay, so you have the Basics – stamps, blocks, inks and card stock. You will find very quickly that there are a few other tools that are essential to your new creative endeavors! Really, if you don’t want your projects to look like they were made in kindergarten, the items on the next list, below, could be considered Basics, as well. So, you have the option to begin slowly, but I would really recommend purchasing the items below either at the same time, or soon after. Just Beyond the Basics, you will need:
- Paper Trimmer – You want your card stock to be cut and folded neatly and precisely. This comes with a cutting blade as well as a scoring blade (you want to score before you fold) and you can measure up to 17 1/4 inches! This trimmer allows you to measure in metric and imperial units, and it is lightweight and portable.
- Paper Snips – Every crafter needs a pair of good quality, sharp scissors and these fit the bill! Perfect little scissors with a sharp point can get into little corners. These come with a hard plastic cover to protect users from that sharp point.
- Bone Folder – After you have scored your card stock, “burnish” the fold down for a crisp, clean and flat fold without that uneven, cracking at the edge.
- Stampin Scrub & Stampin Mist cleaner OR Simply Shammy – Not only will you need to remove ink from your stamp before changing to another color, but you should keep your stamps clean and conditioned before storing them away. Our classic Stampin Scrub is a pair of washable, plush, black scrub pads that you would spray with Stampin Mist cleaner and scrub your stamps. It has been called “the cheapest washer and dryer you’ll ever buy!” Our newer Simply Shammy is a resuable mat that you just add water to and wipe your stamps clean – no lint or chemicals. The Shammy fits perfectly in a standard stamp case (sold separately).
- Adhesives – Beautiful and interesting cards have several layers of card stock, patterned paper, and embellishments. You will need a variety of adhesives for different applications, eventually. To get you started, I would recommend Multipurpose Liquid Glue. As the name implies, it has many uses with it’s narrow and broad tips. It dries clear and has a strong bond.
- Stampin’ Write Markers – Made with the same water-based, dye inks as our classic pads (the same re-inker can be used to refresh both if they dry out a bit). These markers can be used to color in an outline image as well as ink up just a portion of a stamp image, or stamp an image with multiple colors. (Stampin’ Up also has a line of alcohol markers called Stampin’ Blends for when you are ready for a new medium).
- Designer Series Paper (“DSP”) – Stampin’ Up’s beautiful patterned paper features color coordination with our inks and cardstocks, as well as ribbons and other embellishments. These collections also coordinate with stamp sets and dies in some cases, just another way to help your projects look fabulous and professional!
Click on the catalog link in the sidebar to the right to begin shopping in my online store. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please be in touch, either by commenting below this post or emailing me.
Definitely for me, a “time out” is a luxury that I wish I had more of! It seems there are just not enough hours in a day to fit in everything I want to do. I hope you can find – or make – your own time outs for crafting often. It’s so satisfying to create something beautiful for someone you love…even if that someone is YOU! Until next time, be Sweet and Spicy!!
