10 Favorite Things

Well, this is going to be a little more than 10. I cheat...

1. Cricut!

I love, love, love my Cricut Expressions. I primarily use it to cut out titles for layouts. But it's also great for cutting custom journaling blocks and accents for layouts and cards. You can even cut some envelopes. I've used my Cricut to make banners for parties and you can also use it to cut vinyl to decorate walls - Jennifer did it!

I also own a Gypsy which adds another level of capability to my Cricut. I can now plan out cuts with software and weld words together, amongst other benefits.

And finally, I have to plug my favorite cartridge for the Cricut. Lyrical Letters is by far the most versatile font cartridge and I find it's the perfect starting point when deciding which font to cut my titles out of.

2. Magnetic Cutting Mat.

I don't use it for cutting, but for laying out a page and holding things still while you design, this cutting mat is amazing! I only wish it came in a 12x24 size for designing double layouts! I have the Basic Grey brand mat. I have seen a few others out there, though.

3. Sketches.

I'm a huge fan of sketches! My favorite place to collect them from is Page Maps. The author releases a new set monthly (with example layouts) and also has a book. The book is fabulous because it contains a deck of cards that are laminated and great for taking to crops.

I also get sketches from scrapbook magazines like Scrapbooks Etc and other online sources.

4. Folders.

To keep myself organized and knowing which photos to scrap next, I have hoarded a large supply of clear 12x12 folders. I use them to prepare page kits for cropping and to just stay organized at home. In each folder, I add photos, page sketches, papers, coordinating embellishments, etc.

Sadly, I cannot find a photo. The folders I use are available at Michael's. They come in a few different colors individually or the clear ones come in a pack of 10.

5. Rotary Trimmer.

I love using my Making Memories self-sharpening rotary trimmer. It's magnetic, so I can hold down papers with the magnetic ruler that comes with it and I never have to replace the blade.

The only downside to the MM trimmer is that it's a bit bulky for travel. I have a slim Fiskars trimmer for crops.

6. Pens.

I love my complete set of ZIG pens. But for white, nothing can beat the Signo Uni Ball white pen. It is essentially white paint in pen form so it shows up crisply on any color paper.

7. Adhesives.

My new favorite tape runner is by Therm O Web - I buy them at Michael's. I use Glue Dots for non paper items like buttons. And for attaching memorabilia, I use clear photo corners.

8. Clear Ruler.

I'm not sure that I would have bought this for myself, but having received it as a gift, I'm surprised just how handy it is. I'm sure there are other brands available, but I have the Tim Holtz ruler. It has markings for measuring and centering, and holes for paper piercing.

9. Journaling Blocks.

I prefer to add a special touch to my layouts with hand written journaling. I often use premade journaling blocks for this purpose and I also use them for layering accents on a page. Some brands I love are: jillibean soup, K&Company, Basic Grey, Making Memories, etc.

10. Letter Stickers.

Even though I use my Cricut for cutting out custom letters, there is a different look when using some of the cute letters stickers available for purchase. I tend to only buy letters made out of unique materials, like fabric, foam, cork, etc. Mostly I purchase Thickers or Making Memories. I love the small glitter alpha stickers by MM.