Card-Making Must Haves && a Sneak Peak

Hi Everyone!

I had a number of viewers mention that the blog posts were  a bit difficult to read. I'm terribly sorry but if I expand the text box further, the layout will look odd. So please bare with me until the blog makeover! 

So like I promised, I'm back with a list of essential materials for card-marking. This list is a bit extensive and of course, many of the supplies used for scrapbooking are necessary for card-making. So let's begin:

1. Heavy Cardstock - you don't want your card to be flimsy so find heavy cardstock for the base of your card. Like I mentioned in the earlier post, Michaels' Recollections brand cardstock works wonders. 
2. Paper Trimmer - to cut your cardstock down to the size you want it, a durable paper trimmer is absolutely mandatory. Find one which does not fray the ends of your paper - for a card you want the ends to all match up perfectly and not leave you, or the person you're sending the card to, a paper cut! The tonic guillotine paper trimmer really does its job!
3. Sentiment Stamps - like the cards that you purchase from Hallmark, you want to deliver a message to the recipient. Whether that be a birthday, wedding, baby shower, think of cards that you will need over the course of the year. Start small though. Begin with an upcoming birthday and personalize it to them. Check out www.pinkbydesignstore.com for high-quality sentiment stamps. I will be doing product reviews soon in which I will introduce to you just a few of the other stamp sets available for purchase. 
4. Ink Pad - find an ink pad for your stamps. I have found that the Stampin' Up stamp pads are great for stamping sentiments!
5. Clear Acrylic Blocks - I prefer using clear stamps, so in order to use these stamps, you must purchase clear acrylic blocks so that you can mount the stamps. This allows you to see and place your stamped image exactly where you'd like it.
6. Bonefolder - this tool enables you to obtain a nice, sharp crease where the two halves of your base meet.
7. Ribbon - a nice, neat bow adds a quick, and elegant touch to any card.
8. Zig-Two Way Glue Pen - this glue pen is amazing! When I first started using my Cricut, I had no idea how I was supposed to be able to apply adhesive to the smaller cuts, until I discovered this product!
9. Border Punches - I love the Martha Stewart border punches! They add a great touch to a card and you can get a number of different patterns for these punches.
10. Adhesive - to adhere patterned paper or any object to a card, you'll definitely need a good, strong adhesive. Try purchasing an ATG gun or Zip Dry Glue. 

Of course this is by no means all that you need. But for a beginner, start small and as you become more comfortable, start adding to your card-making supplies collection by purchasing stickers, embellishments, glitter, etc.

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So of course Valentine's Day is TOMORROW! Whether you're spending it with your significant other, a close friend, family, pet, or whomever/whatever it may be, don't forget to let them know how much you care about them. We don't need a specified day to let our loved ones know just how much we truly love and appreciate them. Shouldn't we do this everyday? Isn't everyday a Valentine's Day?

So here is a quick sneak peak of the card that I made for my special sweetheart! He hasn't received it yet so of course I don't want to post it quite yet! I'll just show you a quick glimpse to get your creative juices flowing! I'll post the card in its entirety on Wednesday. Make sure to join me back here on Wednesday for a special post! =)

So what could this be?? You'll find out for sure on Wednesday!

Enjoy your Valentine's Day && send lots of love to all those around you!

Until next time's treasures!
Tracey xox