A: Great question! For a vertical folder, start at 4-7/8" on the envelope punch board. The finished folder will be 4-7/8" by 6-1/4". For a horizontal folder, start at 3-3/8" on the punch board. The finished folder will be 4-1/4" by 5-7/8".

A: Paper stumps or blending stumps are a pencil-shaped tool made of hard compressed paper, and they come in a variety of sizes suited to different levels of detail in blending. I wouldn't suggest trying to make your own. You can get them at any art supply site or store, usually near the pencils, pastels or charcoal drawing supplies, and they are quite inexpensive. Different manufacturers produce paper stumps of varying hardness, so test a few different brands to determine which you prefer. Stumps made in China tend to be hard, while stumps made in Taiwan are softer. The brand I prefer is Creative Mark.

A: I have a Kemper Spatter Brush that gives a pretty fine spatter - it can be used with masking fluid as well as various paints for backgrounds and other effects like stars or snow. If you're like me, though, be sure to protect the space around your project when you're learning to use it!

A: Because watercolor paper is more absorbent than other papers, it does its best with techniques where water is used, though it's often used for colored pencil work as well! If you search our resources section HERE you'll find over 70 ideas for using watercolor paper! If you're going to be stamping on the paper, be sure to choose hot press paper - it has a smooth finish that takes ink very well. The textured surface of cold press or rough paper makes stamping a little more difficult. Also, be sure your stamping ink is waterproof if you want to preserve it when you paint or add water to your image - a solvent, archival, or hybrid ink is best. For cards, I use Fabriano Studio Hot Press paper, and I buy the larger size (11"x14"), which can cut into 4 A2 bases and 2 5.5" squares. The best strategy for learning is to just play and experiment, and then practice practice practice!

A: It's not what I use in general, but we have a couple of tutorials that use rubber cement for masking: Masking Alternatives and Rubber Cement Resist. Both of those authors use a brush, but I prefer to use color shapers - they're a silicone tipped tool that's used for clay and other applications. The ones I have are size #2, and the angled chisel is my favorite for masking fluid, since it has a nice point and a straight edge. The fluid just peels right away from the tip when it's dry - so much easier than cleaning it out of a brush.