We all have our favorite "go to" supplies for crafting and creating. Thought I would share a few of mine.
1) Cards/Envelopes
I love using Recollections cards (and envelopes) for my card bases.
They are a good weight for holding glue, embellishments, layers of paper. It just works. They come in a couple of different sizes. I use the 5"x6.5" and the 4"x5.5" sizes. I love them so much that I bought them in bulk at one point and am still using the supply.
2) Ink Pads
Memento dye inks.
I watched several videos of people comparing just about every ink pad out there. Lucky for me, Austin Creative Reuse has a ink pads donated to them. I was able to purchase several of the highly recommenced inks from the videos for next to nothing cost. I was able to test them out before making a huge investment. I decided I like the Memento the best. I then bought every color of the normal sized pads (not the minis). It doesn't bleed when using alcohol markers to color in the designs. I'll pass on this little tip: pigment ink vs dye ink...Pigment ink is designed to move around where as dye ink is designed to "dye" on the spot without moving around. Pigment is best used when you want to push the ink around similar to water colors.
3) Glue!
You would think they are pretty much the same. Not so. I used to love using Mod Podge glue for all my paper crafting. One day, I was buying items on a crafty supply website. I was about $10 short of free shipping. So, it was either put another item in my cart or pay $10 in shipping. I started looking around for something that was around $10 since I was going to have to spend it one way or another. I bought the smallest bottle of Bearly Art glue that I could find.
I had heard over and over how good this glue was. Might as well try it out. WOW! Totally awesome glue! It's super thin not thick like Mod Podge and super strong! I love using it on my cards because it doesn't really squish out from under the paper when I press the paper down on my cards. It doesn't leave bumps/streaks behind the paper. I've used it on my crafts as well...If you looked at the pirate ship that I made (see sidebar for picture), you will notice the cannons. Those are beads glued onto the pirate ship (of course this glue was used in several spots on the ships, but I like pointing that out because they aren't on a flat horizontal surface). This glue costs a bit more but is truly worth it. Plus, you don't need a lot since the glue is such high quality. Tip: I have the smallest bottle with a bigger bottle for refilling. I keep the small needle sized nozzle on the my bottle with a straight pin in the nozzle so it doesn't dry out and so that I don't have to keep removing the lid and putting the nozzle on. It just sits on my craft table to grab at any moment. I did put a wrist pin cushion around the lamp neck so that I can stick the straight pin in it when I'm working with the glue. This way, I don't loose the pin, nor poke myself with it.
4) Alcohol Markers
Ohuhu Markers - Specifically Honolulu B set
I tried Copic along with a couple of other brands in the store and decided the brushes were way too stiff. I ordered a set off of Amazon, didn't like it either and returned it. Then I purchased the Ohuhu Markers. Homerun! I actually purchased their "Honolulu" set in pastel colors originally. Loved them immediately. I eventually decided to purchase a set that had a thin tip on one side with the brush on the other side. When I originally purchased I didn't realize this was an option. I purchased the Honolulu B set and have everything I need for coloring. Yes, I still have the other set because I couldn't part with them.
5) Glitter Gel Pens
Gel pens are the same...they skip, run out of ink super easy, you have to shake them to get the ink to write, the ink leaks etc. Wrong. Another card maker mentioned she loved using Soucolor Glitter Gel pens on her cards. This is another of those things I was a nonbeliever about. But, Amazon had them at a reasonable price with the option to return. OMG, they are fantastic! No skipping, no running out of ink, no having to shake them to get the ink to write, no leaking, nothing. They are NICE! They are fantastic at coloring and are super glittery. The ink dries fast so that they don't make a mess.
6) Marker Storage
I don't know about you, but I like to have my markers in number order. Whenever I am planning to color something, I pull out the color swatch to see what colors I want to use. Since I have them in number order, I can find the ones I want easily every time. This is why I love Crafter's Companion Marker Storage. We have several of these trays. All my alcohol markers are housed in them as well as all the paint pens house in the "paint" zone of the craft room. I would check out Facebook Marketplace to see if you can find them at a lesser price, but if you can't, Amazon has them. They are still every bit worth the money and will last forever.
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