Here are some of the most frequently asked questions I receive:
PLEASE
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What white cardstock do you use?
I use Papertrey Ink Stampers Select white cardstock most of the time. I love it for card bases, for stamping and for Copic colouring. I do also like Neenah 110lb cardstock too. I have done a whole review on white cardstock that you may be interested in seeing here and here.
What size cards do you make?
Most of the time I make American A2 size (not to be confused with English A2 as that would be huge!). The finished folded card front is 5 1/2" x 4 1/4". I make this size as I use American 8 1/2" x 11" cardstock and I can cut the sheet in half, score in half and then get two card bases from one piece of cardstock. If I used English A4 cardstock, I could cut this in half, score in half and that would make two A6 (English size) card bases. American A2 card bases are a bit less tall but a bit wider than English A6.
Occasionally I do make 4 Bar notecard size. This has a finished card front of 3 1/2" x 4 7/8" which is quite a bit smaller than a A2 card but it is lovely size for smaller images. If I make square cards, I like to make 5" x 5" cards.
Where do you get your envelopes for cards?
You can get American A2 sized envelopes in the UK but they are harder to find, as well as costing a bit more. I usually get mine from Amazon. I also buy my 4 bar envelopes from Amazon (A1 sized) or make them with a WRMK Envelope Punch Board. If I am using 5" x 5" cards, I usually get my envelopes from Craftwork Cards.
Here are the links to what I use:
What die cutter do you use?
I have four die cutting machines. A Cuttlebug V2 which I have had for years, a Spellbinders Platinum 6 and a Gemini Junior machine. I also use a Gemini Mini for small die cutting.
I use Papertrey Ink Stampers Select white cardstock most of the time. I love it for card bases, for stamping and for Copic colouring. I do also like Neenah 110lb cardstock too. I have done a whole review on white cardstock that you may be interested in seeing here and here.
What size cards do you make?
Most of the time I make American A2 size (not to be confused with English A2 as that would be huge!). The finished folded card front is 5 1/2" x 4 1/4". I make this size as I use American 8 1/2" x 11" cardstock and I can cut the sheet in half, score in half and then get two card bases from one piece of cardstock. If I used English A4 cardstock, I could cut this in half, score in half and that would make two A6 (English size) card bases. American A2 card bases are a bit less tall but a bit wider than English A6.
Occasionally I do make 4 Bar notecard size. This has a finished card front of 3 1/2" x 4 7/8" which is quite a bit smaller than a A2 card but it is lovely size for smaller images. If I make square cards, I like to make 5" x 5" cards.
Where do you get your envelopes for cards?
You can get American A2 sized envelopes in the UK but they are harder to find, as well as costing a bit more. I usually get mine from Amazon. I also buy my 4 bar envelopes from Amazon (A1 sized) or make them with a WRMK Envelope Punch Board. If I am using 5" x 5" cards, I usually get my envelopes from Craftwork Cards.
Here are the links to what I use:
What die cutter do you use?
I have four die cutting machines. A Cuttlebug V2 which I have had for years, a Spellbinders Platinum 6 and a Gemini Junior machine. I also use a Gemini Mini for small die cutting.
How do you line up stamps when using co-ordinating dies?
If the die is solid then I always stamp and then die cut. You can see a video of how I do that HERE. If the die is an outline one then I will stamp, then place the die over the top and hold with post it tape.
What Copic markers should I buy?
I use Copic Markers a lot to colour my images and I often get asked what colours should someone start out with. This is different for everyone but think about what images you are likely to colour the most. If it is people, you will want some skin tones, hair tones and also colours for clothing. If it is animals you will want fur tones - browns and greys would be good. If it is flowers you will want some greens and then whatever colour you will use for the petals. Here are a few of my favourite combos from each family:
Blue tones purples/BV: BV20, BV23, BV25, BV29 (I like these for penguins!)
Pink toned purples/V: V01, V05, V06, V09 (bright tones) as well as V12, V15, V17 (I also often add in V09 in the combination too) and V22, V25, V28 for more muted shades.
Red Violets/RV: RV52, RV55.
Reds/R: R24, R27, R29, R37, R89 for a bright red shade. I also use R81, R83, R85 for pink a lot.
Red toned yellows/YR: YR12, YR14 also YR61, YR65, YR68
Yellows/Y: Y11, Y13, Y15, Y17
Yellow toned greens/YG: YG01, YG03, YG25 & YG17 (plus G29) are my most used greens, especially for leaves and grass. I also like YG61, YG63, YG67 for more muted tones.
Greens/G: G40, G43, G46 also G82, G85
Blue Greens/BG: BG10, BG11, BG13, BG49 and BG70, BG72, BG75, BG78
Blues/B: B0000, B000, B00 and B01 for sky. B12, B14, B16 & B18 for a bright blue also B91, B93, B95, B97, B99 for a more muted blue, especially for denim.
Browns/E: E55, E57 & E59 is my favourite for a lot of critters. E23, E25, E27, E29 I like for brown hair. I also like E41, E42, E43, E44 for sand and for critters as well. E70, E71, E74, E77, E79 are nice neutral toned browns.
When it comes to greys, I actually do use them all. I like the Warms/W for shadows and grounds especially and that is mainly W1, W3 and W5 and I also use the W's for critters and that can range from W10 all the way to W00. You do not need them all. I usually miss every other number out for a nice blend. I also use the C's for anything more cold looking like metal or for some critters too.
You also will definitely want to get a 0 Blender. This does not blend colour as such, it removes it. It is great for blending soft colour in to white, it is good for taking away colour if you make a mistake and also if you want to take colour away to give texture.
How do you film videos?
I use a Sony Camcorder which attaches to a Manfrotto Variable Friction Arm above my desk. This is attached to the wall with the Avenger Baby Plate and a Manfrotto Adapter. This films upside down but in my video editing software, I will rotate the image.
I use Adobe Premier Elements 2021 or Windows Movie Maker for editing. I also get asked a lot about my lighting. For lighting I have an Ikea Forsa lamp on my desk with a light bulb in. I also use two ring lights. These stand behind me while filming and then I take them down afterwards.
Here are the links to what I use:
How do you photograph your cards?
I use a Canon 700D camera (also known as the Rebel T5i). It is pretty entry level but good for my needs (and budget!). I use it with a Canon 50mm 1.8 lens. I would love a 1.4 but I'll have to stick with the 1.8 for the time being! I also always use a tripod, I have the Manfrotto Compact one. I find it best to take photos with a tripod and a 2 second delay on the shutter, this elevates any blur caused by my movement when taking the shot. After taking the shot (numerous times) I edit them on my PC using Paint Shop Pro.
Here are the links to what I use:
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