Card craft tool essentials - Pencil and eraser

I have had a number of pencils in my craft kit which have been less than perfect. Do make sure your HB pencil is not 'scratchy'. Some pencils I have used 'snag' as it is pulled over the paper; you would be advised to make sure the pencil runs smoothly.

I have been a fan of the mechanical pencil ever since my student days started in 2000 when i learnt the benefit of not wasting time sharpening pencils while note taking. When it comes to crafting mechanical pencils have two benefits: they come with an eraser attached and the lead is retractable therefore does not mark any papers left in your craft-box.

It is however a personal choice and a standard HB pencil is all that is needed.

You also will need to have an eraser, some of

those smudge, can also be a bit scratchy or poor at erasing. I am fortunate that the pencil I use comes with a lovely soft eraser which does not leave a grey smudges when i use them.

If i did not use the eraser attatched to my pencil I would use an artists 'putty eraser' or another quality eraser which left no marks. These kind of erasers are found in art shops, craft shops and large stationery stores.

Other erasers are likely to come in cheaper, but as at January 2012 a putty eraser is between £1 and £2 depending on the make and the supplier.

Card craft tool essentials - Ruler

A twelve inch transparent plastic ruler with both inches and centimetres would be a good start. These can be picked up from many places and can cost under a pound. This ruler would be used for measuring and drawing, the transparency would allow you to see through to your work below; something that I find very useful. I know my old technical drawing teacher would scream at me for suggesting you use a ruler to draw along - but there it is - a ruler that is used only for measuring and drawing lines is not likely to have any dents and digs in it.

A better ruler for crafting would have a metal edge or be made entirely out of metal. A metal/metal edged rule will enable you to run a cutting tool along it without damaging the ruler.

Only use a ruler with a metal edge if you are going to use a knife with it. A wooden or plastic ruler and a knife do not go well together.

The down side of a metal ruler is you cant see the work underneath, less places sell them and it is more expensive.

Personally I use a 12" clear plastic ruler I 'acquired' - it has a form of grid pattern in the central flat area that I use to align my edges - it makes 'borders' so much easier. When it comes to cutting i have a perspex 'ruler' with a metal strip in one side of it. The ruler only seems to measure in inches but having measured with the plastic ruler the metal edged ruler is great for chopping when you don't have a paper trimmer!!

As at January 2012 a metal ruler is between £5 and £9 depending on the make and the supplier. Other sizes and configurations are available.

Card craft tool essentials - Protective Craft Sheet

A protective craft sheet is needed by messy and neat crafters alike. While people may get neater with practice it sure does make sense to have a good protective surface down to save any table or surface you are using to create on. The craft sheet acts as a collection point for things that drop off or down during the crafting process, and can be used as a 'blending surface' or 'palate' for colour mixing. A good quality crafting mat will also be non-stick, heat resistant, waterproof and durable enough for repeated usage.

I have a plain manilla coloured craft sheet, I find with its very simple style it is a great non-fussy background for an objective look at ongoing projects.

If you struggle finding a craft sheet any 'splash mat' will do as a starting point but beware its limitations as it would not have been designed for all the things a bespoke craft sheet will.

When I first started crafting i tried to craft without a

craft sheet; to protect the surface I was working on I used a carrier bag. Sadly the bag moved around which made life a little difficult as I was adding graduated colour to some cardstock. Even more significant the carrier bag ink came off the bag and coloured my card-stock. The result was a ruined project. Short cuts can be costly!

As at January 2012 a A3 craft sheet is between £8 and £12 depending on the make of the sheet and the supplier. Other sizes are available. I would suggest in all but incredibly exceptional circumstances a craft sheet is always cheaper to buy than a replacement table.

Card craft tool essentials - Cutting Mat

An essential item for any crafter is a cutting mat, this enables you to cut card on your mat with a craft knife. To be honest I also use my mat as a gluing surface, a size guide, and a collector for all those little slivers of paper which are easier to dispose of when on a mat than on a table or other work surface.

There are two sorts of cutting mat: self-healing plastic and tempered glass. The choice is yours, but here are a few words of experience.

When you cut using a self healing mat your knife will likely cut into the mat and mark it. DON'T PANIC. The mat being self healing, will reform back over itself returning to a smooth surface.

Repeated usage and gouging will result in the reformed surface being less smooth. I have not encountered this myself as yet - my mat is still fine although I only craft for pleasure rather than as a business.

When I first started crafting the cutting mat of choice was a 'self healing' mat, and to this day I still use my A4 self healing mat as it is easy to transport and is comparably light.

As at January 2012 a A4 self healing cutting mat is between £3 and £6 depending on the make of the board and the supplier. Other sizes are available.

More recently there has been a move to glass cutting mats. You will find with a glass cutting mat the craft knife glides across the surface much more smoothly without digging into the glass. This is most useful for extended periods of crafting as it is easier on the hand.

The smallest glass cutting mat I have seen so far is a 13"x13" tempered glass cutting mat and is fractionally larger than the twelve inches to allow it to hold a standard piece of 12" x 12" paper. The glass in a cutting mat should be tempered so that it is not going to break during usual usage (even with the very occasional dropping.)

As at January 2012 a square 13" glass cutting mat is between £8 and £12 depending on the make and the supplier. Other sizes are available.

Benefits of the glass mat over the self heal mat are that for extended use of a crafting knife your wrist and hand will hurt less if you use a glass mat, you will also be able to use a glass mat for blending colours like a palate.

Benefits of the self heal mat over the glass mat include its lighter weight and price.

Card craft tool essentials

I recently attended a card making demonstration where there were a couple of people who were new to crafting. It was clear from glazed looks and direct questions that the array of tools left newcomers unsure as to what was the 'essential items' of a crafters tool kit and what was a 'nice to have.

Knowing how expensive crafting can become as a hobby it is worth knowing what you are going to need to get started. This is what I consider to be the essential crafters kit will enable you to undertake the basics of card crafting.

I would suggest the basic essentials for starting out are the following items.

• Cutting Mat
• Protective craft sheet
• Ruler
• HB Pencil and eraser
• Scissors
• Adhesives
• Bone tool
• Embossing tool
• Pokey tool
• Tweezers

More information on each of these items will follow shortly to help you with each decission.