Leigh Crafts: Crafting Tools

Before I start with this post, I'd like to thank you all for visiting my blog and for giving great comments. This means a lot, and will keep me going with my blog.

Anyways, today's post is about the tools and the things I use when I'm creating something, may it be a card, a smash page, a full daybook. These stuff I have accumulated over the years, some from friends and family and some I got from my mom, who's a crafter herself, and I'm lucky to have gotten that part of her genes. LOL.

First stop, Cutting tools. There's nothing special with the scissors that I have, some of this I just got from our local office supply store. But I dedicate my scissors to a certain work, the black one i use to cut my double sided tape, the blue one is for cutting ribbons and other fabric material, the red one i use for paper. But like any crafter, sometimes you just have to break the rule you made specially when one is out of reach. haha. The blade or cutter (yellow) is the one I use with trimming of intricate details or when Im cutting tons of photos printed. I dont use my trimmer for cutting my photos 'coz it does make that rough edges. If you are not comfortable using this huge cutters - which I love using, you can also opt using X-acto knives. I also have the Cricut Paper Trimmer (actually it's my mom's but she doesn't use it, so i asked for it). One trick though, after cutting a few papers, always clean the groove where the blade slides 'coz a few bits of paper left may rip of the ones you are trying to cut and think your blade sucks.

Also included in the photo below are the T-square ruler I use to mark my papers and also helps in creating straight lines and the 12" Metal ruler I use with my cutter.

My scissors and cutter

Cricut Paper Trimmer, 12" T-Square Ruler and 12" Metal Ruler

The next must-haves if I may say so, are bonefolders and paper piercer. The bonefolder makes crisp folds with making cards and also use when scoring paper. My mom has the MS Scoreboard but I'm just to lazy using it. So I use my bonefolder and my paper trimmer when scoring. The paper piercer I use when making my own handmade daybooks. It comes handy I tell you specially when you try to transfer tiny alpha stickers on your projects.

Martha Stewart Bonefolder and my Paper Piercer

Third on my list are adhesives. I have the Scotch ATG Applicator which I use only when I'm doing my card making projects for the simple reason that refills are hard to find where I am. When I am working on other projects, I use double sided tapes to secure my photos and other embellishments. The washi tapes I use to add accent to my pages and even at 51 rolls, I still feel like I need more and still afraid to use it as I might ran out of it haha. Is that obsession or what!? Not included in the photo, I have the Scotch Quick Dry Liquid adhesive to attach other embellishments like buttons, flowers, etc Another must have would be pop dots to add dimension to your pages, and I also have glue dots that I seldom use. I use the 3M Double sided foam tape in place of pop dots - its cheaper.