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Hi everyone i havent been here for awhile but i wanted to share my amazing news with you
I applied for and received a funding grant for card making supplies that is anything at all but especially dies embossing folders and stamps they're the three most expensive things but im also looking at getting some things i wouldnt normally get or be able to afford to get so ink pads of various kinds so i can try them out at the moment i only have pigment ink in a few colours and black memento i found an amazing video on the tim holtz tattered poinsettia and holiday Christmas wreath dies by sizzix that also have folders and it uses the distress inks im not getting all the colours just the 3 needed for this project i had a question about what inks do people prefer on another thread and everyone said that thet do different things and to trial and see what i like best
Im looking at getting some small ink pads rather than the larger size and trialing to see what i do like but i don't really want heaps of colours either i do heat embossing hence why i have the pigment ink over anything else i do have clear embossing ink versamark but i honestly find it super hard to use!
Anyways i have kinda digressed a little lets say that im having a ton of difficulty deciding what to get the grant was for $1000 i can go anywhere but it will be primarily online as i am bedridden and i sell cards to raise money for two charities and this grant is a bit like a seeding grant so i can use it to build supplies then as im selling my cards i keep the cost of the product and the rest goes to charity thats what happens now and i will use the money from the products to restock or purchase new items which is what i do now but to have this amount its just so good yet super hard to decide what dies what embossing folders and what other products i either want or would like to try!
So far not including all the colours nor all the items i have 176 products in a spreadsheet that ive picked!
Somethings are easy but even something as simple as wanting some paper pads patterned its not easy with so many on the market or cardstock i know some brands i like but i also know that some thicknesses are better than others and for what i do ive found one thickness for the base and one for cutting dies and one for the pop ups would probably be helpful a Normal base i wouldn't go below 200gsm but for the pop up dies i think the outer base may benefit from 200gsm anf at Christmas i was given 200 sheets and its less than 200gsm im not sure what it is but its great for layering
I dony have many dies so finding a combination im going to use enjoy working with and also what will other people like what will sell?
So many questions to think of!
So sorry for such a long message there is a question at the end lol
So i am just wondering what you would choose it can be anything at all that is to do with card making i can only shop where thet take paypal or direct deposit (within Australia ) and they must provide a receipt it can be from overseas but the Australian dollar isnt that good at the moment which is a bit of a problem!
Stuff for card making here is so
expensive! Everyone says that its just nuts
Thanks for staying with me!
I will be going to a number of shops not just going to one place
Ive got a spreadsheet with everything so far with comparisons on lots of places primarily because on investigation i have found one shop will charge $20 another will charge double that for the same item its crazy and for that i could buy like more stuff!!
So im definitely getting Elizabeth crafts pop up dies and pop stand dies also her coloured glitter and want to trt her velvet sheets
Ive found some spellbinders matting basics and card creator which will be awesome
I have some stamps especially art impression cos i love to colour them in
And the list goes on thanks for reading and i hope you have some amazing ideas!
What a cool opportunity for you! Do you have a set time frame to spend it by?
Are there techniques you DONT like to do?
I want to think on this for awhile. I'll be back.
Gina Marie is a good start for less expensive dies. The only problem I see is they sell out fast so making a qty that could get you free ship could be hard...unless you contact them directly and explain it and ask them to hold till the order could be filled. You may have to do this more than once so maybe get a form letter set up.
Do you have people here in the states? One saving idea MIGHT be to have them buy for you, then ship it all at once to save on shipping. They could invoice you for it all via PP and send copies of the paperwork with the shipment. There is more free ship in the US than there is internationally.
Thanks for the ideas! I do have one friend in the US but shes really quite busy doing her masters shes also has disabilities so not sure if she would be willing /able to help
There is a time limit of 3 months i think thats 3 months from last week about 1 week ago which is not so long really! PayPal will work because i can do it via the bank account since i also cant use a credit card at all
You are right theres free shipping from a shop in Australia to Australia sometimes with any cost and sometimes above a certain amount like above $50 free post so it totally depends on the shop
I dont do scrapbooking but have done paper tole i think this is called decoupage in the US and paper tole is the UK term but here decoupage is something totally different sometimes ive heard it called a 3d card topper too
So i do that i also use stamps love stamping on paper which has been glittered with Elizabeth crafts transperent glitter and then coloured with water based markers i have a set of zig brushables they are great
I use outline stickers a lot either with water colour pencils or with the zig pens i also have one flip it and one stand up sizzix dies which i love theyve made it super easy
I do heat embossing anf want to use the coredinations colour core paper emboss it sand it also try shimmer sheetz too!
Theres so much to dk ☺
I am going to be reponsible and boring about this.
Not knowing what you do have...
Stay to basics. Really. About everything.
Tools-I would get a good guillitine cutter, a MISTI, etc. Maybe you want an electronic die machine. Watercolor brushes are not cheap-here is a link with Sandy Allnock:
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Dies: Basic shapes. After those 4, I'd go with extras like diamonds or hexagons before fancy cuts. If you get the basic layers A2 and A7 A&B, you dont need stuff like a cover die that does a diagonal cut. You can do a diagonal cut yourself. You dont need hills, mountains or clouds. Even if you dont fussy cut well those are not hard. You can make your own photo look with a square. A lot of dies are kind of just to save us all of 1-2 steps.
Then I would get one big snowflake and one set of mixed sizes, one nice tree and two nice branches-one regular, one pine, and 1-2 nice doilies, 1-2 flourishes, maybe a corner...there are sets that cut confetti shapes that could be used for shakers....there are generic bird sets. 1-2 flower sets with different sizes so you can layer..like a daisy. One balloon set, one set of smaller stars, etc.
If you like outline stickers that sounds like Dazzles to me out of Paper Wishes. You could actually join a club for that I think with them. There are other brands. But I would look at them for ideas of what to do with them.
Stencils are not expensive and very versatile. Great for making your own DP. Using embossing paste with them is a lot of fun and paste lasts a long time.
Efs...not expensive but stick to basics here too because it adds up.
Inks are hard. A bunch of kinds and a lot of companies. Constantly under discussion here. I am not going to do that one-I will leave that to more experienced people.
You might want to keep an eye on the Frugal Crafter site. She is wonderful for how to do things for less money.
https://www.youtube.com/user/thefrugalcrafter
Skip DPs for now. You can make your own. I would get kraft, mirror card, vellum, and maybe glitter for die cutting. You can do your own glitter tape.
I would look at pearl paint for making dots or stickles in basic colors, wink of stella in clear, glossy accents. I just saw something called Nuvo crystal that look good to me...
You may want to get more than one of things.
Do you need envelopes? You might look at buying those in bulk. I would ask for samples first so you can see if you like the weight. That's so heavy it needs to be local. What about the clear ones you put them in to sell?
Storage. Do you have a system for how to keep this stuff? Even the simplest things like plastic boxes add up. Trust me.
Congratulations!! That is so neat that you thought to apply for a grant -- and that you got one. You are inspiration, making cards for charities.
Keep up your amazing work and my suggestion - just have fun buying the products you need. Be sure to get the consumables first since those really add up (basic card stock, envelopes). Then you'll see how much you have left to play with.
I should have said that i already have quite a stash of bits and pieces! And i already have a electronic die machine the cut and boss i have a few die sets 1 flip it and 1 stand up from sizzix some basic heart ovals and squares which are too small to use as a matt i also have a paper guiltitine too and a scoring board both of which my husband uses more than me
I do buy the cello bags to sell the cards in i have a local shop which i love its online only which does them for 100 for about $6 in various sizes
I was actually wondering what on earth a misti is? I have heard people talk about it but dont know what it is?
Thanks for the suggestions for the dies i have definitely been looking into the matting basics ones
Envelopes i actually have a envelope maker which you just trace in 3 different sizes the only size it wont do is the larger square size 6 x6 " and i absolutely love the triple flip card
Some of those packs have been harder to find than others but not being able to cut straight and just being able to make a square or rectangular matt with the machine would be great
I would love some of the pop stand /pop up dies i think they look amazing!
I have been considering getting the watercolor markers brushables by zig again some but not all of the pens are running out so it could be possible to find some separately perhaps or get them in packets of those colours for now its only the palest blue pink and yellow that have run dry so if i could find just those colours it might be easier than getting a whole new set they have been hard to find in Australia as i bought them.from svrapbooking made simple 18 months ago and i absolutely love them
I have one of clear stickles but may look into some other colours
Thank you so much for your help and ideas!
I will let you know how i go
Since you are making cards for sale, what kinds do you sell the most of? I'd invest in new stamps with matching dies for those types of cards. I'd also invest in some word dies like "thinking of you" and "happy birthday", depending on what types of cards sell the best. Take a look at your sentiments, too. Could a new set or two give you new looks and more options?
I'd also invest in some tag, banner and layering dies like the MFT Blueprints if you don't already have them. I'd also look into a few background stamps or stencils.
If you are mass producing card designs, the MISTI will be your new best friend. I make cards for charity, too, and make many of each design. Couldn't live without the MISTI. It's made by My Sweet Petunia. Check out her videos on YouTube.
Received a grant for card making supplies
