Handmade by Natty

I thought it might be useful to share an overview of my most used and preferred tools for cardmaking.

Some of the items listed will show older versions of the product that are still going strong for me – a testament to their longevity and a good investment. Where these have been updated, the links will go to the newer version currently available.

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Trimmers

So let’s start off with the basics, and that age-old quest for a trimmer that cuts straight and true. And to be honest, there are now only two that I use regularly, and they are both guillotine trimmers. These days I mainly cut cardstock and I create my own card blanks and card bases for A2 card format using both of these:

Tim Holtz – Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: MISC | SBC

Tim Holtz – Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: MISC | SBC

Die Cutting

Going electric

I was lucky enough to be gifted a second-hand Gemini electric die-cutting machine a few years ago. It’s the original larger format Gemini, and I mainly use it with a stack of three Big Shot cutting plates for my regular sandwich, feeding the stack in sideways. I was initially very disappointed with how quickly the Gemini brand plates and sandwich warped and the cutting plate chipped, even with all the tips and tricks shared online. But I came across a tip to try 3 Big Shot plates stacked together and there’s been no looking back! I usually only need to swap out the top plate (which I cut into) once or so a year. It sees a lot of action with intricate die cuts and I find that an electric machine will often cut more problematic dies that struggle for whatever reason in a manual machine.

We don’t have a massive choice of affordable to run, yet versatile electric machines in the UK. If you’re in the US then the Empress appears to be the best machine for the job. But it and its consumables are not readily available here. If you’re in the UK, then you may be able to pick up the original Gemini machine cheap second-hand and see how you go with it. Electric machines are a huge investment, as are manual machines these days, and it’s important to consider the cost and replacement rate for consumables. I have no personal experience of the newer Gemini machine, but hope the original Gemini I have keeps going strong for years to come. Who knows what will be easily available and affordable when that time comes.

Keeping it manual

Despite using an electric machine for larger format dies, my most used machine is probably my Sizzix Sidekick, which sits permanently on my desk. It’s great for smaller format dies and all those little itty bitty ones. I also use one cutting plate to cut into, and the other one has a strip of magnetic sheet (for die storage) cut to size that basically holds dies in place when running them through. This has also improved the sandwich for more intricate small dies with embossed details.

Finally, I still regularly use my Big Shot for cutting, embossing folders, and longer/larger format dies that need to run through lengthways.

What’s best for your needs and budget?

As with all things in life, a little bit of everything keeps things interesting. I wasn’t all that interested in going electric before I was gifted the second-hand Gemini. My Big Shot managed fine with most things. Problematic dies sometimes simply will not cut cleanly in a manual machine, despite all the shims, metal plates, rotations, and repeated attempts. An electric machine has taken away much of that hassle I used to have around the trial and error of problem dies. It also allows me to quickly send the stack through the machine and move on to my next task, without getting up and cranking the Big Shot away from my desk space. But I wouldn’t be without my trio of machines, they each serve their own very important purpose and if your budget stretches over time to have a few machines in your space, then enjoy the benefits.

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Finally, if die cutting is something you regularly do, I cannot recommend enough a good embellishment tool that pokes out the die cuts and also has a wax tip to lift and position pieces, sequins, and the like as you work. The Pinkfresh Dual-tip embellishment tool is my favourite thus far. I’ve been using it for some time and like the fact it comes with two spare wax tips (not that I’ve needed to replace the first one yet) and the pokey end is a small ball tip, not a sharp end. The tip fits through the standardized ejection holes in dies from leading brands and is also useful for nudging pieces into place when gluing them down.

Pinkfresh Studio – Dual-tip embellishment tool Shop at: SB (US) | SBC | SHC (UK)	Crafter’s Companion – Gemini machine Shop at: MISC	Sizzix – Big Shot machine Shop at: MISC | SBC
Sizzix – Sidekick machine Shop at: MISC | SBC

Stamping Tools

It’s hard to remember the time before easy-to-use and almost foolproof stamp positioning tools came out. Plus all the fun techniques that these tools have enabled us to do, such as easy layered stamping and making multiples of the same design in quick succession.

The MISTI tool basically made me fall back in love with my stamps and inking. And I have both the original and the mini on my desk now – and they get a lot of use. I’d also recommend creating or purchasing transparent alignment grids as these make it even easier to line up sentiments straight and work out the arrangement for repeat patterns.

And of course if you do a lot of stamping, you will need something to clean your stamps. I love the Lawn Fawn Stamp Shammy. My first one lasted me a whole decade of constant use. A little water is usually enough to clean off stamps so they’re ready for their next use. It certainly shifts most of the dye inks I use. For oil-based inks like Versafine, I usually give the stamps a quick clean with water and a microfibre cloth or wash them in the sink with a soft brush if need be. But otherwise the Stamp Shammy handles everything.

Lawn Fawn – Stamp Shammy Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)

Mini MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SB (US) | MISC | SBC

MISTI stamping tool Shop at: SB (US) | MISC | SBC

Adhesive

There was a time when I regularly used my yellow ATG gun for most of my card making, and of course foam dots and tape to add dimension. But, as the ATG tape became harder to source and I used it more frugally, I switched to using liquid glue for most of my gluing and sticking. In addition, I rarely use foam products to add dimension now.

Instead, I have a little tray of thicker cardstock off cuts that I snip up and stack with liquid glue to create more subtle and layered dimension. Not only does this reduce the unnecessary use of plastics, it also allows me to make more cards that can be easily mailed and do not require pricier Large Letter postage because they are thicker than 5 mm.

I still use the occasional foam dot or tape for projects that I know will be hand-delivered, and am slowly making my way through the supplies of this I bought years ago.

But when you find a good liquid glue that works for you, you rarely need to reach for anything else unless your project calls for a special type of adhesive, such as Glossy Accents, Multi-Medium Matte, or a dry adhesive like score tape/strong red tape.

My most-used liquid glue used to be Tombow Mono with the green lid bottle. I used to decant this into a smaller squeezy bottle and really wish Tombow offered it in a supersize refill option like they do their blue Mono water-based glue. I tried that glue, and it’s just a little too wet for thinner cardstock, but it dries clear and if you put a weight down on your project it doesn’t warp/curl up the paper when drying – so I’ll continue using up what I have of it.

However, the best all-round wet glue for me that I don’t have to spare a thought about is Bearly Arts glue. I bought the kit that included the large refill and basically decant from the smaller bottle into an even smaller squeezy bottle with a detail applicator. A little goes a long way, and I’ve been pleased with the results.

Bearly Art glue isn’t as easy to source in the UK as Tombow, and I would have no issue going back to regularly using the green Tombow glue if Bearly Art suddenly became unavailable. But with the big standard + refill bottle kit I bought of the Bearly Art glue back in 2023, I’m still going strong with it. And as I mentioned, if green Tombow was available in the supersize large bottle that could be decanted just as easily as their blue glue, I’d still snap it up for sure!

Bearly Art – Precision Craft Glue Shop at: SB (US) | MISC | SBC

Tombow – Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: MISC | SBC

Ink Blending

We now have such an array of tools for ink blending and need different tools for different media. So a set for Distress Oxides and a set of tools for purely dye ink formulations.

For dedicated brushes for different colour families, I find the cheaper brushes on amazon do a good enough job. I also like the finger ink blending brushes (that are stacked in a tube) and sponge daubers a great way to add colour to layered die cuts like BotaniCuts. The cheaper brushes on amazon are often offered in an array of colours to help you keep your blending brushes organised and easily identifiable. Some dye inks that are more viscous, especially those formulated for foam pads, do stiffen the bristles of blending brushes over time.

So you may also want to invest in some softer brushes for a softer blend. For that, you cannot beat the 1″ blending brushes from Pinkfresh Studio. I currently only have three of these brushes and reserve them for pastel shades and blend off the ink onto scrap paper after use. This makes it easier to move between mint and light blue using the same brush or pink and purple without affecting the blend, I also only use dye ink from felt-based pads to blend with these brushes so that they stay nice and fluffy.

For stencilling, I especially like the double-ended shader brush size 1 sets from Waffle Flower. They now come with rainbow handles to make it easier to keep dedicated brushes for the light and dark shade of each colour. I have 10 double-ended brushes in total, so 20 shades covered, and they get constant use and store neatly in their packaging.

And of course, if you love distressing your blended backgrounds with a good splattering of water, then the Distress Sprayer is a great option. Mine lives permanently on my desk and is constantly deployed to clean stamps, work surfaces, add water to paint pans, and all sorts.

Craft blending brushes Shop at: MISC	Pinkfresh Studio – 1″ Blending Brush Set Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Sponge daubers Shop at: MISC | SBC
Tim Holtz – Distress Sprayer Shop at: MISC | SBC	Waffle Flower – Shader Brush Size 1 – Double-Ended Shop at: SBC | SHC (UK)	Yoseng 8 Finger Ink Blending Brushes Shop at: MISC

So that’s a round up of all my go-to tools. If you have any questions or want to know more, feel free to drop a comment or contact me via the option in the sidebar.