Show Notes
Today I've been thinking about one of the most common questions I see in Facebook cardmaking groups … "I'm new to cardmaking, what should I buy?". The answers always intrigue me. Everyone is so passionate about what they think is the best tool or most useful thing to have, and I really love seeing everyone being so helpful to those who are new to the craft. However, while the answers come from a place of pure enthusiasm, they're not always going to be what the person who has asked the question actually needs. I think, when we've been cardmaking or scrapbooking for a long time, we forget how we started, and so the recommendations are often items that aren't quite appropriate for a beginner. Also, we are all really different, with different budgets, different size spaces and storage capacity, different tastes and different needs. One person's essentials may be another person's waste of money. In one cardmaking group I belong to, there is a running thread in an album that is an excellent resource for members. When I considered the question, and thought about what I would recommend, I realised that I started with the basics. Over the years I have levelled up as I discovered new products and techniques, my needs and space and tastes changed and I figured out what I liked. My contribution to that thread was pretty comprehensive, so I thought I would share it here on the podcast (in a LOT more detail), as it might come in handy for those of you who are just starting in the fun world of papercraft. For those of you who aren't papercrafters, feel free to stick around, as I'll be discussing some of the reasons when, how and why we level up, which is appropriate to a bunch of other crafts.
I started where everyone starts … Level 1 – Absolute Beginner Back in Episode 2, I talked about the top 6 things you need to begin cardmaking, and in Episode 3, I talked about the top 5 things you need to begin stamping. Here's a link ...
LINK – The Craft Room Podcast Episode 2 – https://www.dawnlewis.com.au/podcast2 LINK – The Craft Room Podcast Episode 3 – https://www.dawnlewis.com.au/podcast3 And … for the quilters … Marni Franks from Frankensteins Fabrics joined me in Episode 5 to discuss her top 10 must-have items to begin making a quilt top. Here's that link ...
LINK – The Craft Room Podcast Episode 5 – https://dawnlewis.com.au/podcast5
When you're starting out, there's really not very much you NEED to start making cards, scrapbooking, art journals, quilts, or whatever it is that you're into. I don't know anybody who starts with ALL the tools, because, honestly, the cost is prohibitive, and who has space for all that stuff when you don't even know what you're doing yet? So here's me .. back when I started, about 30 years ago, at level one as a cardmaker. I sourced most of my supplies at the big Stitches & Craft Show, which I would attend religiously twice a year after saving my craft pennies for six months. I was into stamps pretty much straight away, and I was super careful about what I spent my money on. In my cardmaking box (yes, everything fit into one box … incredible!) I had … Cardstock – white, black, coloured Speciality papers Cutting Tools – craft knife, ruler, self healing cutting mat Stamps Ink pads – black and coloured Adhesive Scissors Punches
We are talking very late 80's / early 90's, and there was nowhere near the range available then as there is now. No clear stamps, so no need for an acrylic block. This is actually quite close to the list that I recommend for now, so I wasn't far off the ideal set-up. I rarely use punches now, but back then I used them all the time. It was the trend of the time, punches were readily available, and nobody had die-cutting machines … I'm not even sure if they were on the scene at all yet. I was able to create cute cards, quickly and easily. I chose items that I felt I would get a lot of use out of, and I was happy creating cards in my spare time. Until the inevitable happened
More from The Craft Room Podcast
Hello and welcome to The Craft Room Podcast. I'm so glad you're joining me today, as we are talking about forgotten gems. If you've been crafting for a long time, like me, then you likely have a LOT of amazing products and resources. Back in episode 40 I talked about The Craft Stash, and this is kind of an extension of that episode. Usually when people talk about forgotten gems, they're referring to old movies or television shows, paintings or travel destinations. But this is a craft podcast, so, of course, we are going to be talking about them in the context of crafting. In thinking about this for a few weeks, I've found that forgotten crafty gems tend to fall into one of three categories … 1. Physical (which falls into 3 sub-categories - Consumables, Tools, References/Resources) 2. Virtual/digital 3. Techniques/knowledge So … what can we do to uncover our forgotten crafting gems. Well, before we talk about that, I would like to remind you of one important thing. If you were out in Lightning Ridge mining for opals, not everything you dig up is going to be a beautiful gem. There's going to be a whole lot of rubble, and, let's be honest … there's going to be some dirt. The same applies when searching for forgotten crafting gems, in your stash, on the internet, on your computer, your phone or in your memory. Be prepared to find a few things that you look at and wonder 'Why did I keep this?', and I suspect there will be some dust, and potentially a dead bug in there somewhere. The easiest way to find anything is to look for it, and I'll walk you through from low effort / low time options, then we'll level up. 1. Look 2. Closer Look 3. Sort 4. Organise If there's anything I hope you take away from this episode, I hope it is this … * It's worth pressing pause on bringing new things into your home so you can take some time to look at what you have, decide what you love and curate a craft stash that is a true treasure chest. * Keep track of your virtual and digital gems so you can enjoy them before they disappear. Block out some time to watch that video, look at old bookmarked pages, work your way through that online course or print those checklists and templates and use them. * Sometimes we need to clear the rubble and the dirt (and the dead fly) so our gems can truly shine. One crafters rubble is another crafters treasure. Mostly I hope that you find great joy in your craft stash, and if you find a truly amazing treasure, please feel free to share it, maybe in the Craft with Dawn Lewis Facebook group (link in show notes and on the blog). Enjoy the gem hunt, and happy crafting!
Today on The Craft Room Podcast, let's talk about something that most crafters will probably consider at some point in their lives … a no spend year. Sometimes it's a month, a quarter, six months … but most commonly I see people setting this goal for a whole year. It might sound drastic, even unthinkable to some, but in this economy, especially with the rising prices of craft supplies, there are plenty of people doing a no-spend year. I'm not trying to talk anyone into such a dramatic situation, and, of course, there are some alternatives, so let's talk about the difference between a no spend, low spend and mindful spend year, the reasons you might consider them, and how you can succeed at such a challenge.
Hello and welcome to The Craft Room Podcast. I'm so glad you're joining me today, as we are talking about the benefits of swatching. Yes, I am on a swatching kick right now and it all started thanks to my friend Sally. I went to visit her last month and she showed me her beautifully organised craft supplies, but more importantly she showed me her ink pad swatches. I knew the second I saw it that this was the solution I had been looking for for years. It's not like I've never swatched before. My Copic markers are swatched out on a hex chart, I've swatched some pencils and a watercolour palette. But I didn't have what I have always wanted … a swatch folder with all the colours in one place. Until I saw Sally's I didn't know why I was baulking at it, and the reality is … I wanted more swatches to a page. It's not like a plastic sleeve with pockets is a revolutionary product, but I'd never seen coin collecting sleeves used for swatching before. I will link to the ones I used below.
Today on The Craft Room Podcast, let's talk about my Big Announcement and Product Longevity.