Papercraft Crystal

Have you ever compared the price of a women’s disposable razor to the price of the same thing sold for men? Or been part of planning a wedding? If so you are aware that prices can vary widely based on who is buying the product. The rule of thumb is that the larger the market, the smaller the price.

When we apply that principle to craft tools we can find some bargains.

In the kitchen section

• Baking mats – Thick silicone mats, sometimes called silicone pastry mats, are similar to “water media mats”. My favorite is this one https://amzn.to/3nDdM0r
• Muffin tins – Handy for sorting small items, especially six-cup or mini-muffin tins. I like the individual silicone cups like these https://amzn.to/3nDdM0r
• Plate rack – Handy for holding vertical items like scoreboard, stamping tool, palettes, and similar small items that don’t stack neatly. I’m using this one https://amzn.to/3nDdM0r
• Dough scraper – Fabulous for applying paste across a stencil, and with an inexpensive multipack you can actually leave one in the kitchen for dough! https://amzn.to/3nDdM0r
• Lazy Susan (turntable) – So useful for storing items in a hard-to-reach corner, whether that’s inside a cabinet (as intended) or on the corner of your craft desk https://amzn.to/3nDdM0r

In the office section

• White board erasers – Use this instead of a specialty stamp pressure tool (to press on the cover of a stamping tool). I got a package of cute ones that are magnetic to boot https://amzn.to/42yAHcd
• Magazine holders and paper sorters – These are, after all, the same size as 8 1/2 x 11 craft paper so why not? Cardboard magazine holders are particularly inexpensive. For 12 x 12 paper, you can construct your own magazine holder with almost any corrugated box and some hot glue.
• Glue – When it comes to craft adhesive, the majority of the price is in the dispenser. If you are buying glue tubes or fine-tip bottles, you can save a ton by decanting Elmer’s Extra Strong or Aleene’s Tacky Glue into smaller bottles like these https://amzn.to/42yAHcd

In the makeup section

• Nail polish organizers – Perfect for 1-ounce bottles such as reinkers or drops, or the 1-ounce needle-nose bottles I use for glue.
• Make up brushes and sponges – Instead of craft blending brushes or pouncers, try the mass-marketed makeup versions. The ergonomic blending brushes (palm hold instead of handle) are usually called foundation brushes.

Mounted stamps

Traditional red rubber stamps often come mounted (permanently adhered) to a wooden block.

Un-mounted stamps

To save cost and storage space, many new stamps come unmounted.  The red rubber or clear photopolymer stamp must be temporarily mounted in order to stamp.

Acrylic block

The lowest cost option is an acrylic block.  The block will easily pick up the clear photopolymer stamp or the gray cushion on a red rubber stamp.

Stamp Platforms

A stamp platform is an alternative to an acrylic or wooden block that allows repeat stamping in the exact same place.  Stamp platforms can be used with red rubber or clear photopolymer stamps.

Stampin Up Stamparatus $50

7” x 7” base, allows material larger than that to hang out on two sides, offers two reversible lids for layer stamping up to four images (discontinued in 2023, may find used)

Misti by My Sweet Petunia $70

6.5” x 8.5”, enclosed so material cannot hang out and must fit within size of device

Memory Misti is 12 x 12, $109

Sizzix Stencil and Stamp Tool $60

8.25” x 11.75”, open on three sides, offers a stencil holder (that gets bad reviews)

Tonic Tim Holtz Stamp Platform Discontinued in USA

Came in 8’ x 8” and 12” x 12”, open on two sides, for about $35.  Worth seeking out used or overseas.

Not quite the same:

Altenew stamp wheel – entire top layer comes off, no hinge, has the ability to turn to create a stamped wreath, integral sticky mat $100

Crafter’s Companion – it’s more like an acrylic block with springy legs, not a stamping platform

Fiskar’s Easy Stamp Press – another acrylic block on legs

Also check out localkingrubberstamp.com for Lisa’s tutorial (#45 in the video library) for making your own from a CD case, or follow the link to YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KHl54k4OxQ

I continued my review of all my adhesives and learned a few things:

• Liquid glue is pretty much the same; I’m paying for the dispenser.
  • Glue pens are the most costly per ounce, and big bottles with big nozzles are the cheapest. No great surprise there, but the least expensive glue is an astonishing 1/36 the price based on a per-ounce calculation. Is Gina K Connect 36 times better than Aleene’s? No, no it is not. I put the cheap glue in a one-ounce needle nose bottle for the most bang for my adhesive buck.
  • After testing all 14 (!) kinds, I understand why Bearly Arts and Art Glitter are so popular since they run about $1.60 an ounce, but Elmer’s Glue All Extra Strong or Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue in a one-ounce needle nose bottle is 1/8 the price and just as good.
• Tape runner is not inherently more expensive than glue. I calculated the price per foot for liquid glue and tape runners, thinking liquid glue would run away with this competition… but it didn’t.
  • Tape runners also increase in price based on the dispenser. Disposables cost the most, refillables cost less, and no-dispenser tear tape costs the least.
  • The price per foot for tear tape, ATG refills, and no-name tape runners is around $0.06 – $0.08 while Elmer’s/Aleene’s/Bearly Arts/Art Glitter runs $0.02 – $0.08.
• I need to stop buying adhesive because I have a lifetime supply.

There are five types of ink pads:

• Dye ink
• Pigment ink
• Hybrid (dye/pigment) ink
• Alcohol ink
• Embossing ink

Prices generally start around $7 per ink pad for a “full size” pad which is generally 2” x 3”.  Mini ink pads cost about half and are generally 1” x 1”, but contain roughly 20% as much ink as a full size ink pad.  Ink pads can be made of a felt pad with linen cover or made of foam.

Dye ink pads are quick-drying.  They can be either water-reactive or non-water-reactive.  One common type of traditional, non-water-reactive dye ink pad is Stampin Up.  The most common type of water-reactive dye ink is Ranger Distress by Tim Holtz.  There are many brands of both types, including Simon Says Stamp, Hero Arts, and Altenew.  

Most stamping is done with dye ink, whether water-reactive or not.  Dye ink should be used for stamping an image to be colored with alcohol ink markers (e.g. Copic).  

Pigment ink pads are slow-drying.  Brands include Versafine (by Tsukineko) and Ranger Archival.

Hybrid ink pads have elements of both dye and pigment.  They can be water-reactive (like Ranger Distress Oxide by Tim Holtz) or non-water-reactive.  There are many brands, although most are non-water-reactive.

Alcohol ink pads are used for non-porous surfaces such as tile or plastic.   The most common brand is Staz-On.

Embossing ink is a clear, sticky ink used for tone-on-tone stamping or embossing.  The most common brand is Versamark.

Pigment, hybrid, alcohol, or embossing ink should be used for stamping an image to be colored with a water medium (e.g. watercolor paint.)  Any sticky, slow-drying ink can be used for embossing, including pigment, hybrid, and embossing ink.