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A
Acid
- Acids weaken the cellulose in paper, which leads
to its break down, causing discolouration & disintegration.
Archival
- A non-technical term which suggests
that a substance is permanent, durable and chemically stable. There is
no guarantee that this is the case. It is safer to look for acid-free
and lignin-free products when purchasing scrapbooking components.
Angel policies - The policy that some stamp companies apply to
the use of their stamp, and images made from that stamp. Please note
that if a stamp comes from an ‘Angel company’ this doesn’t always mean
you can use the stamp without restriction.
If you intend to sell a card made from your stamped images, it is best
to get permission from the stamp company.
Sometimes Angel policies restrict retail sale of cards or scrapbooks
that have been made using their stamp image.
Aribé
- These templates allow you to prick a
pattern on card, stitch beads in place and create pictures or patterns.
Applique - Paper Applique is when one piece of paper/ card
shape is fastened onto another, with glue or stitching.
Aperture - An aperture is an
window opening, most typically found in blank cards.
Acetate - A clear 'plastic-looking' sheet that is used for
various paper crafts. Some acetate sheets are heat-resistant & printable, others are not,
so check before
buying if you wish to use it for embossing etc.
Antiquing - To antique something is to make it
appear aged, most commonly done using inks.
Acrylic Blocks
- Clear blocks used for temporarily
holding un-mounted stamps, whilst the image is being stamped.
Stamps can
be held on using glue stick glue, then rinsed off after use.
Albums
- In scrapbooking, an album is an acid-free & lignin-free book used to
hold your scrapbook pages together.
Accent Beads - Accent beads are tiny beads to add depth and
dimension to your work, fixed on with glue, also known as bitty beads or
micro beads.
Art Stamps - Art stamps are generally those which are
pictorial and whose images can be decorated to create a project without
further stamps.
A4
- A paper / card size measuring
approx. 29.5cm x 21cm
A5
- A paper / card size that is half A4 size, approx. 21cm x 14.75cm
A6
- A paper / card size half of A5, approx. 10.5cm x
14.75cm
Altered - This is taking a normal product such as a book,
domino, CD etc, and changing it by adding paint, stamped images, and
embellishments etc.
B
Brayer
- A small hand roller used
to spread ink thinly & evenly, available with different textures for patterned finishes.
Brads / Bradletz
- Sometimes known
as split pins, these are little shaped pins that have two legs.
The pins
are pushed through paper or card & the legs separate at the back to hold
the brad in place.
Can be used as a decorative feature or as a practical solution to fasten
paper or card together.
Beadazzles
- A brand name of embellishments that are a mixture of tiny microbeads and foil discs in
various shades, attached with clear-drying glue, or tacky tape. They add
depth and dimension to a project.
Buttons
- Well we all know what
they are, but in paper crafts they can be used as a lovely embellishment
&they come
in thousands of shapes and colours.
Beadlings
- These are little shapes,
flowers, animals, people etc that are made from knitting together tiny
beads and wire to form the shapes, which can then be used as
embellishments on your handmade cards or scrapbooks.
Beads
- Come in hundreds of shapes
sizes and colours, can be used to create beadlings (see above),
jewellery or can be used as embellishments for your craft projects in their own right.
Bows
- Again obvious, but look
out for ready-made bows in all shapes and sizes to adorn your work.
You can use strips of ribbon to make your own bows for your handmade
greeting cards & scrapbook pages.
Braid
-Bought in lengths, braid
comes in various colours, widths etc & can be attached to your project
using craft glue or brads etc.
Bleach
- Household bleach, when used
carefully, can create beautiful pieces of artwork.
Background Papers
-
Papers that are used in the background of a papercraft project to add interest and
depth.
Bone Folder
- A craft tool (usually made from plastic these days) with a tapered edge along its length, used to create
crisp creases for folding card and paper.
Blending
- Often with inks or chalks, blending is
the technique used to mix two colours together.
C
Coluzzle
- A template cutting system
created by US craft company Provocraft that is easy to learn, easy to
use, and gives great results for cutting shapes & apertures.
Chalk
- Craft chalks are wonderful
materials to add colour and definition to stamped images, die cuts and
more, easily blended with cotton wool balls, cotton buds, eye makeup
applicators etc.
If you are creating a scrapbook, don't forget to use acid-free chalk.
Cotton Wool
– for use with artists’
chalks, it gives a very soft subtle appearance.
Cotton buds can also be used for intricate, detailed work on your
handmade cards & scrapbooks.
C/S
- Card stock is simply card that you use for
papercraft projects, such as handmade cards or scrapbooks.
Card comes
in various thicknesses, which usually measured in grams per square metre
or g.s.m.
Calligraphy
- The art of writing in a beautiful,
flowing script style, which is done properly using a selection of
specialist calligraphy pens and nibs.
Craft Knife
- A basic tool for the
craft box, your craft knife should be extremely sharp & the blades need
to be changed regularly to ensure clean cuts for a professional finish
to your handmade cards.
Cutting Mat - For use with a craft knife, a crafter's cutting mat will protect your surfaces from cut marks.
The
self-healing properties of a good quality cutting mat allow them to last a long time,
before finally falling apart.
Clay
- There are many types of craft clays, which can be used for making embellishments, models etc.
There are many moulds on the market that make it very easy to create intricate embellishments in very little time.
Some clays like Fimo have to be baked to harden off, others like Makins
clay will air dry. Both are great to work with.
Credit Card
- Although not a craft
item, old ones can be used as glue spreaders and without new ones, how
many of us would really be able to carry on creating our card making
masterpieces?!
Crafters Block
- This is the time when you find
yourself just staring at your craft materials with not a single idea in
your head of what to create. It happens to us all & you will get through
it by seeking inspiration from magazines, craft books or the
Imag-e-nation website, which will provide you with loads of inspiration
& information.
Browse through our free online craft projects & card making ideas
sections until you get your craft mojo back!
Crafters Block is also a collection of
fantastic, themed 12 x 12 craft papers.
Card Blanks
- Pre-folded cards
ready to decorate and make into greeting cards, invitations etc.
Copper Wire
- Comes in all sorts of colours & thicknesses (gauges)
and can be bought in sheet form.
Use for threading beads, creating beadlings, or make it into shapes to
embellish your craft projects.
Corner Punch-
Punches that will shape the corners of your handmade cards or scrapbook pages.
Some of them
can be quite ornate, others are simply notched to hold photographs etc.
Card Making
- The art of making
cards (of course!) which is a highly-skilled & extremely rewarding
hobby.
A hand made
greeting card can mean so much to its recipient & many people also make a handsome
profit from selling their hand made card creations to friends, family &
local greeting card stockists
Charms
- In paper crafting terms,
charms are usually metal or metal-effect and come in thousands of
designs.
They are usually attached to your craft projects with wire, thread,
eyelets or brads.
Collage
- A style which is often
'busy' with lots of mix and match images or materials within one
project.
Colour Wheel
- A colour wheel is the spectrum
bent into a circle and is a useful tool for organizing colours.
The Colour Wheel describes the relationships between colours & it is
laid out so that any two primary colours (red, yellow, blue) are
separated by the secondary colours (orange, violet, and green).
It is useful for showing complimentary & contrasting colours and can be
used for designing colour schemes.
Crop
-
A crop is a group of people who get together to create memory albums,
and have a good gossip with like-minded people. Crops are also a
great way to get tuition in various aspects of scrapbooking.
Chocolate
- this is an essential
piece of any crafters kit, often used to sustain the crafter through
long crafting sessions & the posh chocolates sometimes come in nice
wrappers that can also be used in your craft box.
C5 -In
relation to envelopes, a C5 envelope will fit an A5 greeting card.
C6
-In
relation to envelopes, a C6 envelope will fit an A6 greeting card.
Cello bags
- These are the clear bags
that are used to present your hand made greetings cards for sale, or
just to keep them clean until you are ready to use them. Cello bags are
also called poly bags.
D
Dauber
- A round miniature stamp pad which can be dabbed
onto a stamp to apply ink.
Dauber Duo
- A dauber applicator with a different colour or
shade on each end.
De-acidification
- The term for a chemical treatment that
neutralises the acidity of paper and lays down an alkaline buffer to
counteract further acid attack. This is especially important for
products used in scrapbooking to ensure longevity.
De-acidification spray
- A spray that neutralises acid in newspaper clippings, certificates and
other documents.
Decorative & tole
painting - Creative use of paint to decorate items for the
home (also known as Folk Art).
Decorative ruler
- A ruler with a special shaped edge used in
designing scrapbook pages.
Decorative scissors - Scissors with a decorative pattern on the blade
which cuts paper to leave a patterned edge.
Découpage
- Dating back to the Victorian era, this is the
craft of cutting out motifs from paper and gluing them to a surface to
create a three dimensional, layered effect. Often finished with layers of
varnish to give a smooth finish.
Degradation
-The breaking down, or changing of appearance, of
materials from their original state. The term is typically used in
crafts to refer to paper or photographs yellowing and becoming brittle.
Diamond Glaze - Diamond
Glaze is a dimensional adhesive that dries to a clear, glass-like
finish. Unlike other clear adhesives, Diamond Glaze is mixable with
dye-based inks, watercolours and pearlescent pigments.
Die-cut machines - Tools
that punch or cut out shapes by means of a metal form (not dissimilar to
a cookie cutter’s technique).
Die-cuts
- Shapes and lettering usually cut from paper using
die-cutting machines.
Digital scrapbooking
- The term used for creating virtual scrapbook
‘pages’ using digital photos and computer software such as Photoshop and
Memory Mixer.
Distressing
- The process of intentionally creating scratches,
dents and ‘wear and tear’ to mimic the characteristics of aged paper,
wood etc. Common tools include sandpaper and inks.
Distress Ink
- Distress Inks are acid-free, non-toxic,
fade-resistant, water-based dye inks. They’re perfect for the vintage,
stained and aged effects that crafters apply to their altered projects.
Double-mount
- To place a photograph on two background papers.
Dry brushing - Applying
chalk or paint to a brush or sponge, and removing most of it by wiping
it on a piece of paper or rag before use. This helps prevent the colour
bleeding under the edges of a stencil, and chalk from looking too dark.
Dry embossing/Debossing
- Making a raised image by pushing paper, card or
vellum up through a stencil using a stylus. (Also called blind embossing
or relief embossing.)
Dye - A
dye is a natural or synthetic substance used to colour something. Dyes
are usually used in an aqueous solution, which will work on all porous
surfaces. They are most often used to colour materials and fabrics.
Dye-based inks
- Water-based, washable inks that are permanent
once applied on papers. Dye-based inks stamp well, dry quickly and are
suitable for coated papers. However, they fade with time, they dry too
quickly for embossing.
E
Embellishment
- Anything that will add to,
or enhance, your project (e.g. brads, eyelets, fibres, charms).
Emboss
- To create a
raised design on paper, either by heating embossing powder laid on a
stamped image, or by using a stylus to trace through a brass embossing
stencil on dry paper.
Embossing gun/Heat
gun - A
professional heat tool that directs hot air to a precise area, used for
heat embossing. The forced heat melts embossing powder, creating a
slightly raised surface on the design.
Embossing ink
- A glycerine-based ink that
is used for embossing. The ink is applied to the desired area (usually
by stamping), and then sprinkled with embossing powder, which binds to
the ink.
Embossing pens
- Pens containing embossing
ink which are useful for writing titles, outlining, drawing, spot
embossing and fine stencil work.
Embossing powder
- Clear or coloured powder
which is sprinkled (usually on a stamped image), then heated to create a
raised image.
Embroidery
- Decorative stitching on
fabric.
Enamelled glass
- Glass which is decorated
with particles of translucent (usually coloured) glass or glass-like
material. It fuses to the surface under heat. Multicoloured designs as
well as monochrome coatings can be created.
Enamelling
- The process of applying
vitreous enamel to a metal surface and firing to form a smooth, glossy
surface. The most commonly used enamelling metal is copper, although
silver, iron, some steels and gold are used for particular purposes.
Enamel paint
- There are lots of different
types of enamel paint that dry to a hard, usually glossy finish.
Encaustic (wax)
painting
- A painting technique which
combines colour pigment with hot wax and resin. This mixture of
materials is applied in its semi-liquid form to a panel or other support
as paint, and then fused to the surface with heat (using an iron or
similar).
Ephemera
- Anything of
short-lived usefulness. The term mainly refers to printed matter of
passing interest (like ticket stubs, cancelled stamps, vintage
postcards), which can be incorporated in layouts, collages, papercrafts,
and altered items.
Epoxy
- A plastic coating applied
to the surface of a sticker, metal accent or other, which may look like
enamelling and creates a raised effect.
Etched glass
- Glass decorated or
otherwise marked by the use of abrasives. In industry, this is achieved
by a process of sandblasting over a rubberised template. In home crafts,
glass etching can be done using special etching cream and templates.
Eyelet
- A small round metal ring
(with a hole in the centre) which is used to decorate and fix accents
onto projects. Available in many different shapes, colours and sizes.
‘Setting’ an eyelet is simply done by placing through a pre-cut hole and
then hammering down the back. (Special tool kits are available for
this.)
Eye pins
- Straight wires
with a small loop on the end. Generally used to string beads.
EZ Mount - A brand of static cling mounting foam used with
un-mounted rubber-stamps to help create a better stamped image.
F
Fabric markers
- Similar to regular markers, you can use these
markers to make designs on fabric.
Fade resistant
- A quality of a
product that means it is more likely to remain vivid in colour and true
to its original pigment.
Faux
- Faux is a French
word used to describe something which has been made to resemble
something else. The original French word means ‘false’, ‘fake’,
‘imitation’ or ‘artificial’.
Felt
- Felt is a
non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing
fibres. The fibres form the structure of the fabric.
Felt-tip pen
- A pen with a
dense, shaped fibre point. Ink is drawn from inside the pen by a wick.
Felt-tip pens were first used in commercial and graphic arts, but became
popular for general writing during the 1970s. They are less popular now,
perhaps because the points wear rapidly and the ink is prone to
evaporate.
Fibre
- A fancy thread used to
decorate scrapbook pages and cards.
Filigree
- Lace-like ornamental
work of fine gold or silver wire.
Fimo
- Fimo is a soft
modelling material which stays soft and pliable until baked to permanent
hardness in a home oven.
Fine & chisel pens
- Pens used for lettering. A
fine-tip pen measures 0.5mm at the tip and a chisel measures 6.0mm.
Fixative
- A fixative makes
something permanent. It is sprayed over work to prevent smearing and to
help charcoal, graphite, pastels etc adhere to the paper.
Flowers
- Flowers made
from paper, vellum or fabric are popular embellishments for craft
projects.
Foam stamps
- Like
rubberstamps, but made of foam material. Usually cheaper than
rubberstamps, but not as detailed. Available in an assortment of
designs, shapes, fonts, etc. Use with acrylic paint or ink.
Focal point
- The element of a design,
layout or image to which the eye is naturally drawn.
Foils
- Metallic
coloured foils that can be applied to cards using glue. The result is a
shiny raised finish.
Font
- The style of a
typeface; thousands of different fonts are available in word processing
programs, on CDs, and for download on the internet. The creative use of
fonts for journaling and titles can enliven and enhance scrapbook pages.
Forum
- An online
community where you can share ideas and chat. There are loads of
craft-related forums you can visit to brush up on your craft knowledge,
share your creations, and meet like-minded crafters.
Fringe - A
decorative edge or hem.
Fun Flock
- Fun Flock is
used to add fuzzy spots to your work (ideal for furry animals or fuzzy
trees).
Simply glue on, or mix with embossing powder and emboss.
G
Gel Pens
- Pens that are filled
with a gel ink, often metallic or lustrous, some are scented ( but this
fades quickly) can create beautiful effects, and relatively inexpensive.
Acid FREE Gel pens can be bough for use in Memory albums.
Glitter - Glitter has come a long way
from the good old days, although you can still have large flake clumpy
glitter, you can now purchase ultra fine glitter in both opaque and
transparent colours. The glitter if used with a clear dry glue can
create beautiful and vibrant projects. Although relatively expensive
compared to the original glitter, there is no comparison in quality, and
will go a long way, as it is so fine.
Glue
- These are now hundreds of
glues on the market, wet glues such as glue stick, UHU, PVA, etc and
also dry glues such as Xyron, Herma, Studio Tac, you can get glues on
runners, and glue dots of all shapes and sizes. If creating memory
albums you need acid-free adhesives, but other wise have a play
around with different types and see which ones you prefer to work with.
Glass paint
- A specially formulated
paint that is used to simulate stained glass for craft projects.
Glossy card
- Card that has been
coated to give an extra shine, holographic finish, or other highly
polished look. If stamping onto this card you will need an ink such as
Brilliance or StazOn.
Glaze
- This is a finish given to
a project to create a shiny look or to seal a project. Some glazes such
a diamond glaze will also act as an adhesive.
Gingham
-
This is a
particular pattern on fabric, card, paper and ribbon etc, a 'country'
look that is a pattern made up of tiny squares of white and another
colour. Looks great on children's and baby cards.
Gilding
- The addition of
a metallic finish to give a project a metallic look, gild can be pure
metal or faux metal.
Gold leaf
- Sheets of very fine
pure gold that is stuck on a project to give a luxurious finish.
Gems
- Can be real or imitation,
and can be used to create jewellery or adorn hand made projects.
Glue Dots -
As you'd expect, dots of glue! Glue dots come in various sizes
from tiny to large pop up dots for 3D work.
H
Heat Tool -
A craft tool that blows out heat in a controlled manner, built
specifically for crafting purposes.
For heat embossing, this is the only tool for the job, although you can
sometimes use a very high-power hair dryer.
Hole Punch
- A punch either used on
it's own (if it's mechanical) or with a craft hammer to create holes in
your project. You can get hole punches with various sized holes and also
with differing shapes.
Heat Embossing
- The creation of
raised shiny (often metallic) surfaces on your project using embossing
powder and a heat tool.
Hammer
- A craft hammer is used
with other tool to set eyelets.
Handmade Paper
- This name
encompasses all papers that have that rough handmade look, such as
mulberry paper and paper with various inclusions such as flowers etc.
Holographic paper
- This is paper
that has been coated to give the appearance of depth and 3D, comes in
various patterns and colours and in card and paper.
I
Ink pads - Ink pads for craft come in
various types, dye based are quick drying, pigment pads are slow drying
and are suitable for use with embossing powder. Solvent ink such as
stazon will stay put on shiny surfaces as will Brillaince Ink pads.
Chalk ink pads are used like normal ink pads but give lovely soft muted
effects. There are hundreds of inks on the market and again as you go
on, you will fins one to suit you.
Insert
- This relates to
the paper insert inside a greetings card, can make a well made card look
very professional and an average card look more professional.
Iris Folding
- A name that is derived
from the iris of a camera lens, this craft is all about folding paper in
a pattern within an aperture card. looks very effective and much more
difficult than it really is.
Inciré
-
Another cut and fold craft
using specially formulated templates and two toned paper.
J
Jewels - Can be precious, semi
precious or faux. Used in numerous ways such as jewellery making and
other embellishments. Attached using wire, or adhesives.
Jelly Roll pens
- These are a
trade name for a particular brand of gel pens.
Jute
- A Hessian-like material in
different colours that can be used in paper crafting.
Judikins
- A company name that
bring s lot's of our favourite products such as Diamond glaze, stamp
cleaners, rubber stamps and more!
K
Keepsake -
Is just that i.e. something
you keep, lot's of projects are made as keepsakes, and as such need to
made with acid/lignin-free materials.
K & Company
- Another manufacturer
who brings us some stunning scrapbooking materials.
L
Lacé -
(pronounced lass-say) A Dutch
cutting and folding technique that produces unusual but stunning paper
designs.
Lace
- Fabric lace can be
incorporated into your designs for an elegant look, there also lots of
makes of paper lace, and faux lace available to add interest to your
projects.
Light box
- a small box or
platform with a work surface, illuminated from below – useful for
embossing and filling in colour, particularly with glass paints.
Layout
- Primarily a scrap booking
term, this refers to the page design you are working on and the way it
is laid out. Also abbreviated to LO.
Lacquer
- Usually used to give
gloss, most common lacquers are the Sakura crystal lacquers that give a
glossy embossed 3D look to a project, and come in clear or coloured.
Laminate
- This is encapsulating
of a project in a 'plastic' cover, protecting it from deterioration, you
can get hot laminators that rely on an electric laminator which melt the
laminate to the project and can now get cold laminators that use an
adhesive method to adhere the laminate.
Layering
- This is where one
layer of card or paper is placed ontop of another usually decreasing
inside the more layers you have. Also called Matting.
Lignin -
Lignin-free refers to
paper made with less than 1% lignin, which is most accurately called
low-lignin. Papers having a high-lignin content (including papers made
using a mechanical pulping process) should not be used for archival
applications. Lignin an organic substance that, with cellulose, forms
the chief part of woody tissue - it is the bonding element which holds
wood fibres together. Its presence causes paper to change colour and
become brittle. Paper can be made lignin-free by its removal during the
papermaking process which makes paper archival safe.
Le Plumes
- Short for Marvy le plumes, these are water
based colouring pens of a very high quality. Ideal for rubber stamping
projects.
M
Mulberry Paper
- Is made from
the bark of the mulberry tree. Mulberry paper is a lovely delicate paper
that makes nice backing paper. It can be torn to have a lovely raggedy
edge.
Magic Motifs
- Magic motifs
are flat glue dots in various shapes and sizes, you adhere them to your
project, and can then stick glitter, foil, micro beads etc to them.
Mirror card
- Card that is finished
with a highly polished surface that is almost mirror like. If you wish
to stamp on Mirror card, you will have to use Stazon, Brilliance or
other similar ink due to it's highly polished surface.
Mirri card
- A very high quality
reflective metallised film laminated to 270 gsm card to optimise mirror
quality.
Mosaic
- Usually made of small
ceramic tiles of various colours put together to form a pattern of
picture, this art can be replicated using squares of paper / card. You
can also buy tiny mosaic tiles for use on cards and other projects.
Magazine
- Sometimes the crafters best friend,
and our best defence against crafters block. There is now a huge number of UK, USA and Australian mags on the market each with their
own strengths. Great for instant inspiration. Personally I don't go for
subscriptions, I like to check out each copy before I buy. Why not ask
your local craft shop to hold your copies then send them together, most
come out at around the same time, that way you can have which ones you
want when you want them.
Metallic thread
- Useful as an
embellishment, or to fasten items such as tags to your projects.
Metal Embossing
- This is where
you can emboss / deboss images onto metal craft sheets. These can be
done free hand or with basic templates.
Memory Books
- Another word
for scrapbooks.
Mask
- A stamped image on a spare
piece of paper that is used in conjunction with that stamp to create
layered effects, masked effects.
MM
- Making Memories is a top
American company that sell scrapbooking and other craft items, Can
sometimes be pricey.
Metal
embellishments -
These encompass, metal charms, eyelets, brads, charms, etc,
Microbeadz
- Another trade name for
tiny hole-less beads that are stuck onto a project with clear glue or
tacky tape.
Möla -
Another Scandinavian craft
that uses templates to cut layers from different colour paper, the
layers are then stuck on top of each other in an interesting pattern.
Magnetic Album
- A photo album
which uses a special adhesive to hold photographs in place and creates
static for the plastic page cover to cling to. These are not suitable
for scrapbooking.
Matting
- Matting is a technique
that allows you to enhance your photos by adding a border around the
outside edges. The border is, most often, made from an acid-free paper
that looks almost like a frame. Matting is also a non-permanent way of
cropping your pictures.
Monochromatic
Colour Scheme -
Different values (shades) of the same colour.
Marquetry
- Decorative patterns
formed when thin layers of wood (and sometimes other materials such as
paper / card) are inlaid onto a surface, to create a design (Sizzix is
great for this)
N
Nailheads -
See Brads
Neatly
- It goes without saying,
but when doing a paper project, neat does matter, always ensure your
blades are sharp and take your time, practice makes perfect. When trying
a new technique, practice first on cheap copy paper till you get the
hang of it, that way your first 'real' attempts will look more
professional, and you will save money on wastage.
O
Ornare
– A method of embossing and
pricking (usually parchment and vellum) to produce intricate designs
resembling lace.
Outline stickers
– Also known as
Peel Offs, they come in various forms: text or picture, gold, silver, black,
white, coloured, holographic etc and are a quick and easy way of
embellishing or creating a project (esp. cards).
Origami
– the ancient art of
folding paper into recognisable shapes – fiddly but effective.
P
Peel
Offs - Also known as Outline stickers,
they come in various forms: text or picture, gold, silver, black,
white, coloured, holographic etc and are a quick and easy way of
embellishing or creating a project (esp. cards).
Pencils
- useful in both normal
and coloured varieties for marking and filling in colour.
Pockets
- Pockets or pouches can
be added to projects, and can contain anything including tags,
sentiments or even keepsakes.
Parchment
- Originally the skin of
a sheep or goat prepared as a material on which to write or paint – now
thankfully the effect is imitated, and the result is a lovely soft
translucent type paper, ideal for pricking and embossing (parchment
craft). Sometimes Parchment are sold as the same thing!!
Paper
- One of the essentials:
comes in endless colours, thicknesses, finishes, patterns etc – most of
us accumulate as many different types as possible. (Needs to be acid /
lignin free for scrap booking)
Paper Piecing
- Die cuts or
punches put together to create an image for your scrapbook page.
Pricking
-
Pushing a needle or
special pricking tool through card or paper (parchment craft) to give a
special raised effect (often like lace).
Paint
- comes in various guises –
acrylic, 3D, metallic, glass, watercolour etc and can be used to create
many different effects on many different materials.
Pegs and
mini pegs
-
Can be used to hold items
together, to attach items to your project or just as decoration.
Photos
- An essential ingredient
for scrapbookers, but can also be used very effectively on cards for
that personal touch.
PVC
(Polyvinyl Chlorides) -
Because this substance is harmful to photographs, scrapbookers should
avoid it and use products that are composed of polypropylene. (lot's of
cheap albums found in high street shops have PVC inserts)
Pressed flowers
- Can be used as
backgrounds or as the main feature of a card or layout (very effective
when laminated!).
Pergamano
- A particular card crafting style that
utilizes vellum and punches. Normally with Pergamano,
you apply colour only to the back side of the vellum. This creates a
light and airy effect.
PH Level
- Measurement that tells
a scrapbooker how acid or alkaline something is. For scrapbooking, you
want to use products with a pH level of as near to 7 (neutral) as
possible.
PH Testing Pen
-
A pen used to test the acidity of paper. The pen mark changes colours,
depending on the level of acid present
Photo Safe
- Acid and lignin free.
Post-Bound Albums
- Scrapbooking
albums that are held together with metal posts that run through the
pages.
Punches
- these come in many
different types, including corner punches, border punches, long armed
punches, paddle punches (used with a hammer and can be placed anywhere
on a piece of paper). Useful effects and apertures can be made, and the
punched shapes can be re-used on other (or the same) project (also as
confetti).
Positioning/planning
- An important part of
crafting – make sure you plan the elements of your project before you
start. Better to get it right before you stick something together with a
permanent adhesive.
Paper trimmer
- these come in
many sizes, and can be rotary, straight blade or guillotine based. As
well as being able to cut a straight line accurately, many trimmers now
offer the flexibility of being able to cut decorative edges and also
scoring and perforating!
Punchinello
- otherwise known as
sequin waste, this is a lovely, often colourful mesh from which sequins
have been punched, great for use as an embellishment or a background, as
the sequins holes can be hexagonal as well as round!
Pipe cleaners
-
Great as
embellishments, particularly for young children to work with.
Pom Poms
-
For decorating
children’s’ projects and paper and fibres too.
Pop-up cards
- Pop-up effects
can be added to any project with carefully folded and positioned card to
create stunning effects.
Painting iron - An iron used in Encaustic Art to melt wax in order to
paint with it.
Polymer Clay
- A modelling
compound made primarily of plastic materials that is finished by baking
at low temperatures.
Q
Quilling
- the art of coiling
long thin strips of paper onto a quilling tool (originally a quill) to
create amazing 3D pictures. Often used for flowers, this technique can
be used to make virtually any picture you can think of.
QuicKutz
- brand name of a
handheld die-cutting machine, with it’s own extensive range of wafer
thin dies.
R
Ribbons
- Ribbons, both wide and
narrow can be used to decorate and embellish your craft project (see
also weaving)
Rubber stamps
-
These come in a
variety of shapes, sizes, qualities, pictures, words, backgrounds and
themes, and can be mounted on foam, foam and wood (most common),
straight onto an acrylic block or un-mounted (see separate thread on
rubber stamping for more details).
Red-Eye Pen
- Used to take red-eye
out of photographs.
Ruler
- You will undoubtedly need
a ruler for measuring on your project (a clear plastic ruler would be
ideal for this), but a sturdy metal ruler will prove essential for use
with a craft knife for accurate cutting.
Roller Stamps
- Stamps mounted
on a wheel. Some have interchangeable pattern wheels, and others self
inking.
Rub-ons
- a cross between a
sticker and a transfer, rub-ons are positioned and then rubbed firmly to
transfer the image onto your project. They come in a variety of colours
and types (both pictorial and text/words). Excellent if your handwriting
is not up to calligraphy standard (whose is?)
Repositionable
glue
- this can
be spray glue, glue dots or a glue pen, which initially has a temporary
bond, enable you to position your work accurately before the bond
becomes permanent. Is often useful for holding a template in position
whilst cutting around it. (Repo glue dots are good for this)
S
Stamps
- See rubber stamps
Serendipity
-
Use all your scraps of paper
up by tearing into tiny pieces and making a collage add the torn pieces
on top of double sided sheet then sprinkle your embossing powder over
the design this will find the bits of dbl sided sheet the the pieces of
paper have not covered, heat emboss the powder and your design will come
alive, peel off the backing to add to a card or scrapbook
Stamping
- A technique of using
hand-made or commercial metal stamps to make impressions on damp
leather, lends itself to simple primitive designs and all-over geometric
patterns. The skill lies in the exact alignment of the impressions and
the use of a constant striking force.
Scissors
- straight-edged,
decorative edged, corner edging scissors, fine nosed, non-stick - you
may need all of these, but you will certainly need at least one!
Scrap lift
- To use an idea for
part or whole of a page layout you’ve seen someone else use.
Scoring
- the process of putting
creases in card & paper to facilitate neat folds, often using a bone
folder or a round-ended embossing tool.
Secondary Colours
- Colours created
by blending primary colours. Orange, green and violet are the secondary
colours created b mixing a combination of red, yellow and blue. (see
colour wheel)
Shaker Box
- A new trend (similar
to a snow globe but without the water.) Use a die-cut and a piece cut
out from a sheet protector. Seal in bits of confetti or small beads etc.
Scoring board
- See card creaser
Self adhesive
- Many products
can be bought which already have adhesive on one side for ease of use –
such as foam sheets and acetate.
Sponging
- The transfer of ink to
paper using a small sponge (usually a cosmetic or craft sponge) in place
of a brush. The ink is applied to the sponge and then the sponge is
dabbed/tapped lightly onto a piece of paper leaving a series of small
dots. A sponge with many holes, squeezed tightly while sponging, will
produce a beautiful lacy effect.
Serviettes
- Can be used by
separating the layers of the serviette and using only the printed top
layer on your project.
Sewing/stitching
- A great way of
attaching items together, and also gives a lovely decorative effect (can
be used solely for decorative purposes too).
Stylus
- A wood/plastic/metal tool
(in the shape of a stick) with blunt, rounded ends used to deboss paper
(also known as a burnisher or a dry embossing tool).
Shrink plastic
- A special
plastic sheet which shrinks to approx 45% of its original size when
baked in an oven or heated directly with a heat gun (embossing gun). Can
be stamped onto, coloured and cut before shrinking – handy for
embellishments, jewellery and even pet name tags!
Stencils/stencilling
- Stencils can be used to
emboss or to apply colour through. Stencils are often used with the
stippling technique.
Stickers
- A quick easy and
effective way of decorating your project: there are many stickers which
are now acid and lignin free especially for archiving.
Set square
- Useful for accurate
positioning and aligning of work on a page or card.
Stand-outs
(or 3D embellishments) - Do just what they say. They are often self adhesive for ease of
application and give a wonderful 3D effect.
Stipple/stippling
- Using a short
bristled brush (stippling brush) this is the art of applying small
amounts of paint or ink in short strokes or dots.
Spirelli
- Developed in
Holland, Spirelli is the art of winding thread around shaped templates
to give you a very different look to your project (the effect on a round
template is similar to that from a spirograph).
Sizzix
- Brand name of a personal
die-cutting machine originating from the USA. There is also a wide range
of dies (both original and wafer thin), and specially designed embossing
folders. Effective cutting many different materials, and they have
recently launched a smaller version.
Scraplifting
- the term for
copying ideas for layouts in scrapbooking. N.B. credit to the original
idea/creator should always be noted if showing the work in public.
Sequins
- Used as
embellishments, or in making jewellery for that extra bit of glitz.
T
Tags
-
Tags are an increasingly
popular way of decorating cards and scrapbooking alike. Use
multi-layered, different sized tags and beautiful fibres and ribbons –
anything goes!
Templates
(Layering templates)
- Graduated shaped templates are available to help
with matting and layering to save measuring.
* Cardmaking templates - help to cut your cards into unusual shapes
(e.g. bottle, shirt, boot, handbag etc), available to buy, or design
your own!
* Cutting templates - for use with craft knives or specially designed
cutting tools (e.g. Fiskars shape cutter).
Use them to create your own
‘non-die cut shapes’ and aperture cards.
Tearing/torn paper
-
Tearing paper
to use on projects is increasingly popular. Tear towards you to expose
the inside colour of the paper/card (often a white edge), or away from
you to a cleaner look.
Tracing
-
The simple traditional
way of transferring images from one place to another. Tracing paper can
also be used as a ‘paper’ on your project.
Teabag folding
- Another craft
which has been transferred from Holland where the envelopes from fruit
teas were folded and used to create cards. Allegedly, the inventor,
whilst staying in a hotel, needed to quickly make a greetings card, and
use a floral wrapper from the fruit tea in the hotel room. Books are
available and also specially printed papers.
Talc/talcum powder
- Dust a little
talcum powder to remove static from surfaces of your card or paper when
using embossing powder or fine glitter. You can also use a ready made
'anti static bag'
Triple embossing
-
Several layers
of embossing powder are heated one on top of another, and then a rubber
stamp is pressed into the surface to leave a ‘debossed’ image. This is
sometimes referred to as ultra thick embossing or deep embossing.
Threading
-
Not just for
jewellery, but you can thread all kids of beads and buttons to make
unusual and unique embellishments.
Tweezers
-
Very handy when using
peel offs and stickers, as well as for handling small fiddly and
delicate embellishments.
Topper
- A topper is a ready made (
or hand made) embellishment for a greetings card. Often already layered
and matted onto card, they can be placed directly onto a card blank and
used immediately, or added to as required for your own project.
U
Un-mounted stamps
- Often cheaper
and easier to store than traditional wood mounted stamps, they can be
temporarily mounted onto a clear plastic block (or a tape or CD case!)
using a glue stick, and this way you can see through the mount to
position the stamp more accurately.
UTEE
- Ultra thick embossing
powder, used for deep or triple embossing.
V
Vellum
- Special translucent paper
which can be plain or patterned, and available in a huge range of
colours shades and finishes, often used for embossing as it turns white
when scored. Also used for tearing, printing and layering, it is easily
attached to the project with eyelets, brads, stitching or stickers/peel
offs as glue has a tendency to be visible through the vellum – however,
special vellum tape is now available, and spray adhesives also work
well. If printing on vellum with a PC printer, it's often advisable to
use the draft setting as it puts less ink on the vellum and helps it to
dry.
W
Watercolour
pencils -
Can be
used as normal colouring pencils, and can also be blended with water and
a brush to give a watercolour paint effect. You can also use a wet
paintbrush directly onto the point of the pencil to transfer colour.
Weaving
- Weave ribbons, fibres
or strips of paper for a wonderful effect – the finished product can
even be die cut or cut to size. Very effective as a background paper.
Workshop
- A class usually held at a
craft store either in real life or online and taught by an expert.
Participants will gain knowledge in one particular craft, or several
different techniques.
Wax
- Used in Encaustic art to
create paintings from melted wax.
Wire
-
Use wire for threading
beads, jewellery, embellishments (wire hearts look great) and even
write words with it!
Wool - See fibres
X
Xyron
- Brand name of adhesive
machines and applicators - use then to make your own stickers, or apply
adhesive to awkward or intricate shapes. Also hand help to apply glue in
strips or blocks.
Y
Yarn
- See fibres
Z
Zig
- A brand of water-based
marker
Zig Glue
- A brand of glue pens that
come in several different applicator sizes.
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