We’re in a card making frenzy here at PaperCrafter HQ (have you entered our Card Maker of the Year competition yet? Take a look at what you’ll win here). The right equipment can really help elevate your card design from good to great, so here’s our round up of essential kit to whip up cards with style!
1. Card
Essential of course, invest in some card blanks to whip up quick greetings – we like the pastel coloured and wove effect ones from e-crafts that come in a range of shapes and sizes. For more info visit the e-crafts website, e-crafts.co.uk.
2.
We also love a big stack of card so for us to cut, score and fold into whatever shape or size we like. Papermill direct sell packs of different coloured paper and card in various weights and sizes. Prices start from £6.75 – check them out at papermilldirect.co.uk.
3. Patterned paper and motifs
We take enormous care when putting our PaperCrafter kits together to make sure our Paper Book is full of fab designs and our motifs are top notch. Expect nothing less from your craft shop! There are so many pretty papers and motifs out there from brands such as Papermania, BoBunny, Craft Asylum and KaiserCrafts to name but a few. We're loving the Grace Taylor Eclectic collection available at One Stop Craft Shop.
4. Sentiments
Stamped, handwritten or printed, a sentiment can add a wonderful finish and personal touch to a greeting. Lili of the Valley have a fantastic collection of sentiment stamp, which look great on a range of card designs, check them out on the company's website.
5. Scissors, knives and dies
A lot of great greetings look amazing because of the interest and charm created by layering shapes and sentiments. A range of scissors (a large pair for card, small ones for fussy cutting and a scallop-edged pair for fancy edging) is vital as is a craft knife for more fiddly creations. If you really want to elevate your makes, invest in a die-cutting machine so you can feature ornate cut-out images such as the ones used on PaperCrafter regular Katie Skilton's designs (see below) – it will save you so much time. Take a look at the ones on offer at thecraftbarn.co.uk.
6. Adhesives
Add depth and interest to your card making by using different type of adhesives on each layer. Raise your central motifs by using foam tape to bring out your designs. Use double sided tape to give an even fix to your ribbons. Ensure a flat, clean stick by adhering a motif with roll-on glue. Give your central theme a smart lift by attaching it with some carefully placed square foam pads, which are really useful when adhering shaped motifs. The Affixit Craft Bumper Adhesive Kits, £14.99 feature a range of glues and stickies, take a look at affixitcraft.co.uk.
7. Scoring board and bone folder
These are vital for creating crisp, clean creases and smooth, straight folds to measure. They really will make your cards look so much more professional. These tools are particularly useful for when you want to make concertinas, zig-zag, gate- and box-style greetings. We like the Hougie board, with its deep grooves, large size and handy measurements it is great for making cards and boxes. You can find it at hougiecrafts.com.
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