Getting Started Cardmaking need not be complicated or expensive!How many times have you thought that getting started cardmaking would be either too complicated or too expensive?
How many times have you thought card making would be an interesting hobby to do but you are unsure about how to make cards and what essential tools or supplies you need to get started?
Well the good news is that getting started in card making is neither complicated or expensive. You just need a basic set of tools and then you can add to them as and when you have available cash. Once you have card making as your hobby family and friends will suddenly find a wealth of products they can buy as a gift for you on special occasions such as your birthday or Christmas. They will be happy to know they can buy a gift which you will appreciate and you will be happy not to have to find a use for yet another woolly scarf! So what is the basic tool kit? We recommend a pair of good quality sharp scissors. At a later stage you might decide to keep one pair purely for paper trimming and have another set for all your other crafting needs. A small pair of nail scissors are handy when trying to cut around an intricate design. You will need a ruler when measuring and marking your card. A plastic transparent one will be okay to start with as it will let you position your markings easily but if you start to use a craft knife you might want to invest in a metal ruler. An ordinary pencil, sharpener and eraser will do for the markings and positionings. Most crafters like to use a craft knife for trimming cards and cutting around designs where using scissors would be awkward. If you are using a craft knife then a self-healing cutting mat is a must. These can be purchased cheaply from craft shops and sometimes they are given away as a "freebie" on craft magazines. If you have a little more money to spend then a glass mat is ideal and very hard wearing. Paintbrushes of different sizes will come in handy not just for colouring in stamped images but for tidying up loose glitter etc. If you intend to buy your card blanks then they will be pre scored but if you intend to use your own cardstock then you will need a bone folder to score and fold the cards. Historically these would have been made of bone but nowadays they are plastic. A heat gun is a useful tool to have. Not only can it be used for Heat Embossing but it can also be handy to dry out certain types of ink quickly, and for use with Shrink Plastic. So you see getting started cardmaking can be done quite cheaply - you will probably have some of the items already. The next step is to look at what materials you will need......
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