Do I Need A Cricut Machine For Crafting?

 This post is going to talk about what a cricut is, and if you need it for crafting!

What is a Cricut machine?

A Cricut machine is an electronic die cutting machine. But it's not like the other ones because it cuts out designs with a blade, not dies. You can go onto the Cricut design space and design a project, or pick one of the ones already made, and cut it out on paper, vinyl, leather, and on some machines even wood! But these machines are costly, some cost close to 400 dollars. 

Do I Need A Cricut To Make Cards?

Absolutely not. There is so much you can do without it like stamp, color, or use dies! While a Cricut can be helpful to cut out cool designs and create cute elements, it is not needed. But if you are looking into purchasing one here are some things they can do!

What A Cricut Can Do!

-Print and cut images. (You can print cool images instead of using stamps)

-Cut out all sorts of shapes. (There are thousands of shapes, from basic ones from circles and squares to super elegant ones)

- It can cut cut vinyl, HTV, paper, and also it has a foil feature!

-Can draw designs!

-And lastly it has a scoring feature!

Thank you so much for reading!

I am so happy that you came over to my blog and read this post! I really hope you enjoyed reading this and learned something! 

Six Card Making Tips 

This post is going to give you some card making tips! Hope you learn something!

1. A Little Goes A Long Way

You DON'T need every stamp set and ink pad ever made. All you really need is some good quality cardstock, a few stamps, and an ink pad. You also don't need any fancy tools like a cricut or a manual die-cutting machine. You really only need scissors and glue for tools. Once you have all of those things you should be set! 

2. Invest In Good Quality Supplies 

It might seem like a great idea to get a stamp set that is cheap, however, it most likely isn't high quality. Cling stamps can be made out of photopolymer and acrylic. The acrylic ones aren't as high quality and won't last you that long. The photopolymer stamps are much more durable and will last you an incredibly long time. Rubber stamps are also a good option too! 

3. Don't Worry If Your Stamps Stain 

This is inevitable to happen. After many uses, your stamps will start to become stained with ink. But don't worry! The stains won't affect the quality of the images you stamp, only the appearance of the physical stamp itself. It is completely normal for this to happen, so if it does happen don't worry! 

4. Don't Just Shop At Chain Stores

While the big box stores like Joanne's and Hobby Lobby are good, independent stores are so much better!

They typically carry much more compared to the big box stores that only carry basic supplies. Below are a few of my favorite stores linked. None of them are affiliates, so there are no biases! 

Butterfly Reflections, Ink (The owner Vanessa is super nice! She has super fast shipping, cheap prices, and a huge selection. She also has a physical store in Kingston NH)

Scrapbook.com (They also have a huge selection and a ton of exclusive supplies)

5. Copy A Little, Add A Little 

It is ok to take inspo from other cards, but don't copy them entirely. For example, you could use the same stamp set, but change the color. There is an amazing YouTuber named Ardyth. She created a acronym called limes. You can use this to help take inspo from a card, but not copy it fully!

6. Use Your Scraps!

Using your scraps is one of the best ways to save money on supplies! There are so many options! One of my favorites is cutting your colored cardstock scraps into little strips. Then you can lay them out on a card and make a wonderful design!

Q and A Section 

On the last post I did get the first question so know I'm going to answer it!

-What’s the best piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to learn how to ink blend?

The best piece of advice that I would give is to start out small. You don't need every ink pad in every color and every ink blending tool. You really only need 3-5 ink pads (I suggest distress oxide), an ink blending tool, and a couple of sponges. Once you have that you're all ready to start!

Thank You For Reading!

Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed this post and learned some crafting tips! My next post will be this Saturday as usual! Happy Crafting!

Intro To Ink Blending

 This post will talk about the basics of ink blending. It will go into what it is and what supplies you need to do this technique!

What is Ink Blending?

Ink blending is exactly what it sounds like, it is simply blending ink together on paper. Ink blending renders a beautiful effect where the colors transition into each other seamlessly. You can use ink blending on many things such as card backgrounds and gift tags. You can also ink blend over stencils for an even cooler design but that is a slightly advanced technique so it won't be covered in this blog. 

What Tools do You Need?

There are only three main tools that you need! These are the blending tools, blending sponges, and ink pads. While there are many variations on each of these, you only really need the basic ones. Below are ones that I recommend and have tried previously so I know they work well! Also, you only need one blending tool because you can switch out the sponges on them!

-Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink pads, avg. price $6-$8 (I like buying them from the store Butterfly Reflections Ink because they're well priced and ship quickly!)

-Scrapbook.com Domed Blending Sponge, about 8 bucks for a 10 pack (shipping is typically very fast!)

-Scrapbook.com blending tool, about 6 dollars for 1 

How to Actually Ink Blend?

First, you want to make sure that your colors work well together. I typically use different shades of the same colors or mix similar colors like blue and purple or red and orange. There are thousands of options and that's what makes it super cool! Once you pick your colors, apply ink onto the sponges by rubbing them on the pads. Then apply the lighter color onto your paper first. After that, apply the darker color, overlapping with the lighter one. Keep blending the center until it looks like how you want it to look. Remember, nothing ever has to be perfect when crafting, only you have to like it!

Thanks For Reading! 

I really hope you enjoyed learning about ink blending today! I really hope you share your projects with me and if you have any questions in the comments and they will be answered in the next post! Happy crafting!

Welcome!

 This post is just going to be an intro to my blog!

Welcome!

        Hello everyone! I am BDK and this is my crafting corner. You will learn about stamping, cardmaking, Cricut machines, and much more on this blog! But first, a little bit about me. I am a 14 year old crafter from Boston Massachusetts. I love crafting, especially stamping. While this is only my second year crafting, I feel that I have a lot to share. I want to give you the answers here so you don't have to go searching.

        Please comment any crafting questions in the comment section and I will answer them in a Q and A section at the end of each blog. Blogs will be posted both on Wednesdays and Saturdays! I really hope you enjoy your time here and I also hope that you learn something! Start putting the questions in the comments and whatever is there will be answered in Saturday's post!