Here are the tools for Tim "the Scrapbook Man" Taylor in all of us.

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Alright, Tim "The Scrapbook Man" Taylor... it's time to talk TOOLS! This is one of my favorite things about scrapbooking: The huge number of nifty tools, from the tiny eyelet hammers to the sharp scissors, I have my own huge toolbox that rivals my husband's!

I've indicated a few of my favorites along the way BUT the next site you visit may say they HATE mine, so always ALWAYS be sure to test drive any new tool (if you can) before you buy it, especially if it's pricey and you're buying it without having seen it first in person. I bought my Home Pro Long Reach eyelet setter online, but I ran over to my LSS to try it out in person first.

Tools of the Trade

Some embellishments require nothing more than your fingers while others require special tools. Here are my recommendations. (Where possible, I've tried to use the manufacturer's website as a link, but when that is unavailable or I couldn't find it, I've used a vendor from whom I've ordered products.)

When you get tons of paper and pens, diecuts and eyelets, brads and fibers, you'll be looking everywhere for the perfect storage solution. Here are my top organizational picks:

Tote: XXL by Crop In Style. The XXL tote comes with pen storage but I found it cumbersome, so I got a...
Pens: The Scrapbook Writer Pen/Marker Case by Columbia Arts
Paper: I have 10 Vertical Paper Holders by Cropper Hopper, 5 with cardstock and 5 with patterned paper. I've also used Memory File and/or Memory Express by Generations or the Paper Taker by Crop In Style for 12x12 paper, cardstock and vellum; File Mate by Creative Memories for 8.5x11 paper, vellum, mulberry, and scraps.
Stickers, Diecuts, paper embellishments: I currently use a Cropper Hopper 1-drawer vertical organizer for alphabet stickers and rub-ons and a 3-drawer vertical organizer for other 3-D embellishments and stickers. I used to use a PSB (Paper Sticker Binder) by Crop In Style
Photos: I use a Home Logic Photo Storage case but I also have a Photo Holder by Crop In Style or the
Acrylic paint, Foam stamps, Chipboard: I have two big 2-layer SnapWare containers with all of my chipboard, acrylic paints, foam stamps, and tags (yes, I'm a tag-aholic). The ones on the link are 3-layer, but I bought mine at Target during Christmas when they had their 2-layer ornament storage containers on sale and they are identical to the 3-layer ones, just one less layer. VERY handy for storage and they are easily transportable to crops.
Fibers and Ribbons: I bought some fiber cards at Michael's and wrapped fibers and ribbons around them. They now fit very nicely in one drawer of my toolbox (see below).
Eyelets, Buttons, Brads, Charms, etc.: I'm using a 2-drawer vertical organizer by Cropper Hopper with mini-storage boxes in it with all of the little embellishments in the drawers. Cropper Hopper also makes a different embellishment case that works nice too.
Toolbox: Check out your local sporting goods store for a tackle box. It has tons of space for tools, fiber, rub-on letters, stamps, small ink pads, embellishments, and much much more. Mine has drawers that pull out but do not come out, but there is another one like it that has clear storage containers that are removable but slide in like drawers. Check out the variety... there's bound to be one that works for you!

MY FAVORITE TOOLS:
- The Fiskar's Ultimate Craft Rotary Trimmer is my "can't crop without it" tool. The rotary blade is easy to swap out and the cutting arm locks in place. It also has a swing out measuring arm and different face plates with various measurements marked on them. I highly recommend it!
- My big toolbox is the best scrapbooking purchase I've made yet and I've had it for a few years. It is really a fishing tackle box but it has drawers that don't come out, so I can pull them out and push them back in, they take up no extra room on my scrap table. It holds SO MUCH STUFF, it's amazing. I've recently seen a scrapbooking-specific tackle box similar to mine, but much smaller.
12" Trimmers - My primary trimmer is the Fiskar's Ultimate Craft Trimmer. I like that the blade arm locks in place and it is a blade trimmer. Fiskar's makes several trimmers. Their basic 12" trimmer that is easy to store and carry with you, but many people have a tough time getting it to cut straight all the time. EK Success and Carl Rotary Trimmers both make some nice and easy-to-use trimmers. If you like guillotine trimmers, you can check out Tonic and Purple Cows brands.
Decorative Scissors - Fiskar's makes such a large selection of decorative scissors, if they don't make the decorative scissors you want, they probably don't exist. Just pop over to your local Michael's or Joann's and you'll see so many decorative edge scissors, you won't know where to start. Deco scissors are fun to shape the edge of mats for your photos.
Shape Cutters - There are many shape cutting systems and templates out there, the only way to know which is right for you is to try them. Find a local scrapbook store that carries them or go to a crop where other scrapbookers will be and ask to try them.
- If you just want ovals and circles, you could use the Creative Memories Custom Cutting System (CM CCS), which is widely recognized as one of the best available, both for ease of use and variety of sizes. I have the CM CCS and I really like how easy it is to use. However, I found the sizes to be limiting when I wanted a VERY THIN border mat.
- Coluzzle has DOZENS of templates available, from your basic nested ovals and circles and other shapes to tag templates and envelope templates. They also have several alphabet templates to choose from. Coluzzle is easy to use as long as you get their cutting blades and mat. I tried using a self-healing mat and plain ole blade myself and it didn't work. The blade "pen" slides into the shape paths and swivels as you cut. Then just cut through the little pieces still attached and you're done. I have a Coluzzle (complete with the Coluzzle blade and mat now), along with the envelope template and 2 alphabet templates.
- Fiskar's ShapeCutter is a blade inside a holder that fits nicely into the palm of your hand and uses solid hard plastic templates for the shapes. Just put your paper under the template, trace the cutter inside the template shape, and VOILA you have a shape. Like the CM CCS and Coluzzle, this works very well with both paper and photos. Templates are available with alphabets, paper dolls, themed shapes and basic shapes... and more to come, I'm sure. Fiskar's does make a circle cutter and an oval cutter, but I've yet to find anyone who likes them or doesn't have trouble using them, but do find them to see if you're the one they are made for.
- EK Success has many cutting tools available as well, including the Circle Scissor. A simple swivel blade (different from the Coluzzle blade, unfortunately) fits into 125 holes, spaced 1cm apart, in the clear plastic revolving plate. Also available by EK Success is the Blade Runner, another blade holder that pairs with templates for dozens of different shapes. They also sell a glass mat for their cutting tools because the blade slides very nicely over the glass but will stick on a self-healing mat.
Self-Healing Mat - A self-healing mat is a MUST! You'll need a mat for most all of the cutting systems I've discussed, plus you'll need a mat for setting your eyelets if you are doing the hammer setting thing. I use my Creative Memories mat for all of my cutting system needs. It's pretty banged up right now, but it keeps going. I've used little tiny 4" mats for setting eyelets and inevitably, I end up off the mat. I've tried the thin Fiskar's mats (even have the 24" one on my table right now, UNDER my CM mat) and I got a small ding in my dining room table when I used it to set a rivet. My advice is to look for a reasonably sized one (easy to transport) that is on the thicker side.

One note on eyelet setting and mats: Please don't use an acryllic mat for setting your eyelets. Your eyelet setting mat should be firm but have some give, or you'll damage your setting tools. And NEVER set your eyelets on a glass mat.
Hammer/Mallet - Most setting tool kits come with a cute little hammer. I was charmed by mine when I first got it! But the noise was unbearable and usually left me with a terrible headache! I switched to a rubber mallet and it made all the difference. Even better, I got it at Sears in the tool section so it was less than half the price of the hammer I'd purchased at the LSS! There are also wooden mallets available, so check around for the best fit for your needs.
Setting tools - To set eyelets or rivets, you'll need some sort of setting tools. As of 2007, there are MANY options for setting eyelets. There are tool sets with hammer and setting tools which are noisy but very effective. There are setting tools that require a push and a loud click. There are also punch-style tools that are quiet. At this point, it is merely a matter of preference.

I use the Crop-a-Dile by We R Memory Keepers is a wonderful, portable, QUIET tool for punching 1/8" and 3/16" holes and setting 1/8" and 3/16" eyelets, as well as snaps. It looks like you might need hand-strength with this tool, but you really don't. Use aluminum eyelets (any brand but Making Memories, which are brass) and you'll have no problems. Unfortunately, you can only punch holes or set eyelets a little over an inch from the edge of the page with this tool, so if you are wanting to set something further in, you're stuck. This tool runs about $30 and you can find it at Michael's or JoAnn's as well as most scrapbook stores.

I also have a Home Pro Long Reach eyelet setter. This is a wonderful, quiet, versatile eyelet setter. It is about $80 for the tool and another $25 for the tool head set. If you want very very quiet and the ability to set the eyelet anywhere on a 12x12 page, this is your tool. If you also want light-weight and portable, this isn't it. This puppy is big and heavy, solid iron or steel or something. I found a nice carrying case for it and that makes it easier to transport, but for most crops, I stick with my Crop-a-Dile.

Making Memories sells a nice set of setting tools in a tin, but it can be pricey for the beginner. There are too many brands to count that offer a setter, most operating the same. Any hole punch will do as long as you can get to where you need the hole. Because you may want to set an eyelet in the middle of the page someday, and a standard hole punch doesn't go further than 1/2" in from the side, you may want to find an eyelet hole punch tool.

Some eyelet setter tools will splay the back of the eyelet out into a flower pattern while others will roll the metal down. The choice really is yours. And I don't know anyone who had only one set of setting tools... most all of us have purchased one, been unhappy with it, purchased a second and bounced between the two.
Personal Diecut Systems - If you choose to invest in a diecut system and can only afford one, do your research and test all of them available before you purchase. They all have their plusses and minuses.
- Cricut is the premiere diecut system available. It is an electric machine that uses cartridges to cut shapes and letters. While other systems are physical dies and thus, a set size for a single alphabet (and usually run $150 for one size of one alphabet and usually for just EITHER cap or lower case). With Cricut, the cartridge contains upper, lower, numbers, symbols, some shapes, welded words and special ways to cut them--the letter in the middle of a tag or letters with lops on the top for a brad to attach. So you can see, the Cricut may cost a little more for the machine upfront, but the cartridges retail for $90, so even with ONE size, it is a better deal than the die machines.
  
  The original machine runs between $170 to $299, the original asking price. The bigger machine run $499 and will be released in the summer 2007. The main difference in the two machines is the size of the cutting mat and thus, the size of the letters it will cut. The original machine uses a 12" x 6" mat and can cut items from 1" to 5.5".
  
  Check ebay for good deals on the machine and cartridges. Many sellers sell multiples or offer extras with the purchase of cartridges.
- Sizzix is another personal diecut system. It is a very heavy metal table-top tool with a lever handle. Each die is plastic with a metal shape embedded into it and covered with black rubberized foamy stuff on top. Put your paper on the white pad, put the die on top of it, foam side down, push the pad under the presser foot and pull the lever down. The presser foot will push the metal shape through the rubber pad and cut the shape out of the paper.
  
  Sizzix has many alphabet fonts, both large and small, hundreds of shapes in three sizes and the ever popular paper dolls and bitties (small paper dolls). Your best source, honestly, is using a 40% off coupon at Michael's. Many scrapbook stores don't carry them because people can get them so cheaply at Michael's with the coupons, and that's where I get mine. Your second best source: eBay.
- QuicKutz is one of the many alternatives to Sizzix and I have one of those as well. It is portable and has a huge selection of alphabets. You can usually find good sales on QuicKutz on many online scrapbooking stores that sell them for up to 30% off (the maximum discount QK allows), so check online. I also have found some brick and mortar scrapbook stores that have QK clubs that offer good savings. And QVC often has QK items available.
Embossing heat tool - Embossing is the art of using stamps and powder to create a colored dimensional design on paper. And scrapbookers use it in other ways, too! Use a clear embossing powder on glue dots to make a very cool clear pebble. I've embossed part of a title on a microscope slide, cut out a small leaf shape and embossed it several times with gold powder for a leaf charm, and embossed AROUND a shape for a cool effect on vellum. Also, try printing on vellum, immediately applying the embossing powder and heating it... GREAT effect!
Large needles - Needles can be used for hand-stitching on page sets or for paper piercing pretty patterns in a layout. I've also used them to just thread floss through buttons. Making Memories puts two in their tool kit (also sold separately) but you can also check Joann's and Michael's for crewel needles or any other larger needles.
Organization - The most costly item you will invest in will be your organizational items. From a small tote to take a few things to a crop to a large workstation desk, you can find it all on the web! I use (and highly recommend) a Crop In Style XXL wheeled tote to take my supplies to crops. Crop In Style makes many sizes and shapes of organization tools for scrapbookers, some on wheels, some not. Cropper Hopper makes even more, including many storage options for stampers. Once you see something you like, find it at a local store to check it out in person before finding that bargain deal online.

I can personally vouch for fontgod.com! Turnaround is very fast, usually
3 days, customer service is the best I've had in years, and the font is perfect!
If you're a scrapbooker, there's no better way to journal than in your own
hand and now you can do it on the computer! See a sample of my font
on my TIPS page.

Please sign my "scrapbook" so I know you've been here to visit! Thanks!