My favorite things

People ask me what my favorite trimmer is, what my favorite scissors are, what my favorite adhesive is, etc. So I’ve created this page to answer those questions.  I’ll be adding to the page as I discover more fav’s so you might want to check back periodically to see what’s new. Ok here we go!

• Paper Trimmer – My favorite trimmer is the Fiskars Sure Cut Deluxe.  I like this trimmer because it works best of our cutting guides and the blades tend to last me awhile.  I do a lot of paper cutting and I can usually go about a month on one blade.  I do use this trimmer for cutting chipboard sometimes but I have a blade set aside just for chipboard.  If I’m cutting a lot of chipboard I use a quilting rotary trimmer because it is easier on the hands/wrist.  I quilt so I know about the ergonomics of repetitive cutting. Again, I have a designated rotary cutter for chipboard.

• Cutting Machine – I LOVE my Cricut Expressions and Explore! I’ve cut light weight chipboard, regular cardstock and light weight glitter paper.  The Cricut Craft Room is awesome, too.
• Die Cutting Machine – I have the Sizzix Big shot.  It’s great for the dies I use and holds up to my wear and tear, lol.
• Albums -I prefer strap hinge albums (ie the Creative Memories kind) but will also use post bound.
• Tape runner –  I use My Stik Scrapbook Adhesive by 3L.  They are refillable which is important to me. I’ve tried several in the last year and this is the one that works best for me.  You can find them at your local scrapbook store and/or Hobby Lobby. JoAnns and Michael’s in my area do not carry this model.  A neat thing about this model is that the side panel is removable so that you can customize your tape runner!
• Double-sided adhesive – I like Scor-Tape and Miracle Tape equally but I mostly use Miracle Tape.  It’s not as expensive as Scor-Tape and I find it holds just as well for paper and chipboard.
• Miscellaneous tools – In looking at my craft room I found that I have a lot of EK Success and Fiskar tools, especially punches. I also have a lot of Martha Stewart punches. All of these products hold up well to my wear and tear and are easy for me to use.
• Score Board – Hands down it’s Martha Stewart! I cannot stand the Scor-Pal Score Board…it drove me crazy so I got rid of it, lol!
• Ruler – I have several.  For cutting with my craft knife I prefer the Tim Holtz 12″ ruler.  The Clear acrylic ruler allows you to see exactly what you are working one while the grid background is perfect for placement. It also has a center measuring guide, a straight edge for drawing lines, a metal edge for cutting, and holes, evenly spaced, 1/8″ apart for piercing. I have several rulers because I’ve found that there is no perfect ruler.