What I hear most often from potential new stampers is “I don’t have any talent or creativity.”  This couldn’t be farther from the truth!  I believe that it isn’t so much about being creative as it is knowing your tools and practicing.  Once you hold or attend your first workshop and make your very first card, you can count on being hopelessly hooked on paper crafting.  Finding that you DO have talent and creativity is inspiring and opens a whole new world for you.

It is not necessary to own every crafting tool available on the market.  As you get more experienced with the tools you do have, you will gradually step outside the box to experience new challenges.

A few of the absolute necessities you will need are as follows:
• card stock in a few colors which coordinate (our assorted cardstock packs are perfect) plus a neutral Whisper White or Very Vanilla;
• ink pads – a black, gray, or brown ink will do initially;
• a trimmer (Stampin’ Up! is the best by far, it scores too);
• adhesive –  Snail, Tombow glue, Dimensionals, and glue dots;
• envelopes;
• paper snips; and
• stamp set with all occasion sentiments.

Be sure to buy quality supplies!  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone come to a class, get excited about stamping and run to the local store to purchase ink, cardstock, papers, and ribbons.  Then, they get home and nothing actually matches.  So, buy quality products from the beginning.

“CASE” means “Copy And Share Everything”.  It is very common to use someone else’s design or idea and just change it to suit you; perhaps a different color card stock, a ribbon or bow.  Using Pinterest, workshop demonstrations, or other websites for ideas is acceptable in the crafting community.  We love to share!

Finally, like any hobby, sport or challenge, practice, practice, practice!  You have to try those techniques to see how they are done and the many ways they can turn out.  Specific stamps, depending upon their size, mount or brand may handle a little differently. It is best to experiment first before using the stamp on your final project.  Experimenting is not failure it is just one step closer to perfection and everyone’s perfection is different.  Happy Stamping!

Stampin’ Up! has a set of 13 high quality water color pencils (#141709).  They come in a sturdy re-useable cardboard box.  However, I prefer to store them in something that I can open and close easily.  Our standard sized stamp case (#119105, set of 4) is a perfect choice.

The stamp case will easily store on the shelf and it is so much easier to pick out the color you want to use. There is also room in the case to add a blender pen and an aqua painter so that all the tools you need are stored together.  You can even print an insert that can be slipped into the sleeve of the case to clearly identify the contents.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you can use this tip!

Stampin’ Up! has amazing markers that coordinate with all the Stampin’ Up! colors. There are many ways to use the markers, but for them to stay in tip top shape, here are a few tips on how to store them.

Stampin’ Up! markers are double ended, fine tip/brush tip; therefore, it is important to store your markers horizontally. This is essential because you want the ink to stay evenly distributed throughout the marker so that either side can be used at any time.

If you have the whole set of Stampin’ Up! markers you can leave them in their case. If you keep the handle on top, your markers will be stored horizontally. The storage case also has a “map” so you can quickly find the color you need.

Another neat way to store them is in spare Stampin’ Up! Clear-Mount Stamp Cases. They are the perfect size to store each set of the color collection.

Of course, there are lots of other ways you can store your markers. But, regardless of how you specifically decide to store your markers, storing them horizontally is imperative to high quality, long lasting use.