Hello everyone! In today’s post (also published on the Craftin Desert Divas blog) I will tell you about my current 5 favorite crafty tools. There are a lot of great products out there, and it was quite hard to narrow down my list to five items only, but I decided to present you with those tools that I use on pretty much all of my cards, and that in a way or another make my crafty life easier! 😉
The list includes a short description of what each tool is, and why it made it to my top 5 🙂
The products are listed in no particular order. Whitout further ado, let’s dive into it!
1. Tonic Studios Guillotine Trimmer
The first tool I want to talk about is the Tonic Studios Guillotine Trimmer. I am really happy with this cutting tool: I can always get sharp, precise cuts, and cut the tiniest strips of paper. This particular one has an arm that allows you to cut paper up to 12×12″, as you can see in the picture below.
And the great thing is that you can remove the arm and tuck it in the dedicated slot under your trimmer to save up space.
I use this trimmer in all my cards: to cut bases, sentiment strips, and backgrounds. It definitely deserves a spot in my top 5 🙂
Shop the the Tonic Studios Guillotine Trimmer: Scrapbook.com CraftStashTonic Studios 2. Big Shot Die Cutting Machine
The second item I decided to include in my favorite list is my Big Shot die cutting machine. This particular one is electric, but there are hand operated models out on the market, which come at a lower price point. I personally decided to invest in a more expensive machine to save my hands a bit of work, but that’s just my personal choice. Regardless of whether they are manual or electric, though, I think die cutting machines are one of the most common and most used crafty tools out there. They are used in combination with dies and allow to cut a variety of shapes from multiple materials.
Whether it’s scene building elements, frames, or geometric shapes, there is no single card I make without using die cuts! Card making would not be the same for me without my Big Shot. Another definite favorite of mine!
Shop Big Shot Express (electrical version) Scrapbook.com CraftStash Sizzix
Shop Big Shot (manual version) Scrapbook.com
CraftStash
Sizzix
3. Inks
The next item on the list are the inks I use for stamping. Because different inks work with different media, I decided to include a few of them. When I know I will be working with alcohol markers I use Memento ink in Tuxedo Black, and when I work with water based media I like to use Versafine Onyx Black ink. Versafine Onyx Black ink is a recent favorite of mine: it is quite juicy, so it is easy to get a good impression of your images, and it doesn’t stain my stamps as other archival inks on the market. I know that staining can occur, and that it does not ruin my stamps, but I prefer to keep my clear stamps clear, if I can help it. 🙂
Finally, I decided to include Versamark ink in the list of my favorite inks to work with. It is a clear, sticky ink that can be used for watermark stamping, which yields sort of a tone on tone stamping look, and for heat embossing when used in combination with embossing powder.
There is no stamping without inks (with the exception of digital stamps, of course), so I really felt I should include them in my list of favorite tools! And these three are a must have for me!
Shop Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
Scrapbook.com
CraftStash
Shop Versamark Ink
Scrapbook.com
CraftStash
Shop Versafine Onyx Black Ink
Scrapbook.com
CraftStash
4. Pick Me Up Tool
Another tool I wanted to talk about is the Pick Me Up tool. This tool looks like a pen: it has a removable cap, which exposes a tacky tip, and it also comes with a two pointed tool, that you can extract from the back.
Because of the tacky material on the tip of this pen, you can use it very easily pick up sequins or tiny die cuts. The tool that you extract from the back helps you release the objects that you picked up from the tacky tip. This comes in really handy when you are trying to glue small elements to your cards!
And because of how much easier this tool made my life, it totally deserves a spot in my top 5!
Shop Pick Me Up Tool:
PS: There is also a very similar tool by WeR Memory Keepers. It is called Quickstik and it has exactly the same features.
Shop Quickstik Tool:
Scrapbook.com
CraftStash
5. Nuvo Drops
And, last but not least, my beloved Nuvo Drops. They are air drying embellishments that come in a fluid form. They are contained in bottles with a fine tip, for a precise application of the product. They come in a variety of colors and finishes: opaque, metallic, with glitter, semi transparent, and glow in the dark. What I really love about them is that I can add any size of embellishments to my cards: I just need to squeeze more or less product to get a larger or a smaller drop.
Here are some examples of cards in which I used Nuvo Drops to add some finishing touches.
The price point is also great, so you can get a variety of colors for a really good value. I personally really love the White Blizzard, which dries clear and has glitter in it, and the Jewel Drops: they dry transparent, but with a hint of color to them. You can see them on the card at the bottom right of the picture above: aren’t they gorgeous?!
And that’s it for today’s post! I really hope you enjoyed it, and I hope that it has provided useful information to some of you out there! Thank you all so much for stopping by, and have a great day!
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Comments
What a great list!!! I almost have all of these!! lol! Need the pick up tool!!
Author
Thanks, Rachel! I am glad you like it! That tool is super handy, I love mine!