A Few of My Favorites for 2019

Didn't you just love Sara's post about a few of HER favorite things from 2019? I sure did and agree with her just about 100%! It motivated me to think about my favorite things for 2019 so I thought I'd share them with you here. Actually my papercrafting toys are like my babies....I love them all equally....no way could I pick actual favorites!

Maybe I should rename this "No Way Can I Pick Just a Few Favorites of 2019"!

But my challenge was to pick a few "go tos" so that's what I will do here.

1. A stamp positioner. Whether you use a Tonic tool like this one:

or the MISTI which looks like this:

a good stamp positioner is a must have to get good crisp and well inked images. I don't know how many card fronts or scrapbook pages I've ruined when I didn't get a complete image. A lot. Both the Tonic and the Misti allow you to ink your stamp multiple times, if needed, and then stamp in precisely the same place on your paper. Brilliant!

2. Neenah Cardstock

This is an absolutely wonderful cardstock. If you use alcohol markers like Copics the ink won't bleed through. It is perfect for blending with Distress Inks. For stamping you don't get fine lines and the ink stays put. I've tried other cardstocks....and even the heavy weight through our local craft store but it just doesn't compare to Neenah. I use 80 lb, in generally, for card fronts and 110 lb for card bases.

3. Versafine Onyx Ink

This is my favorite black ink EVER! It is a very deep black ink...dries quickly but is a pigment ink. One of the fun things I like to do is emboss over it with clear embossing powder. And those who know me well know I LOVE to emboss! This ink has been around quite a long time...I've tried other black inks but this gives me the crispest images in the deepest black.

4. Lawn Fawn Stamp Shammy and Case

So now that you have gotten a good image with your inked up stamp and your beloved stamp is dirty you need to clean that stamp. Sure, baby wipes work and special stamp cleaners work but the BEST...and I mean BEST thing I've found is the Lawn Fawn Stamp Shammy. You get it wet, wring it out and when you need to clean your stamp you rub it on the Shammy. It gets into the curves and crevices and cleans the stamps well...with just some simple, environmentally friendly H2O! No chemicals, no paper towels or baby wipes to fill our our land fills! Another brilliant product!

The Shammy looks like this:

and you can also purchase a little case for it that keeps the wetness away from your project or papers. Another brilliant product!

5. Nuvo Shimmer Powders

Oooooh La La! How wonderful these are! What are they, you ask? Little bottles of lucious shimmery powders that are water soluble. They make the easiest and prettiest backgrounds for cards or scrapbooks. You spray your watercolor paper with some water...sprinkle the shimmery goodness and watch the magic happen. They come in many different shades and in the cutest little bottles!

See?

6. Waffle Flower Layer Dies

When I make cards I typically make an A2 sized card....4 1/4 by 5 1/2 inches. It is very easy to cut a rectangle, I realize, but sometimes things just don't cut exactly right. Typically I'm "off" by a hair on nearly every cut! Enter the Layer Dies by Waffle Flower. You can get an exact cut by using a metal die....and the Layer Dies by Waffle Flower can give you the exact proportion for your A2 sized card. No figuring necessary! Waffle Flower has several sets but the A2 and A7 are probably the most commonly used.

7. Pens, Pens, Pens! Like most paper crafters I just love a good pen. And I have quite the collection! But my "go to" pen for 2019 has been the Fudenosuke pen which has been the single item that has helped me improve my lettering skills. The Fudenosuke comes in two tip choices... a softer vs. a harder brush. Although I like them both I think the hard tip is more easily controlled and better for developing your skills. The hard tip has the dark blue barrel and the soft tip has the black barrel. Otherwise you can't tell unless you can read Japanese!

8. Amy Tangerine Watercolors

I'm a watercolor collector. I love dabbling in watercolors and there are some great pre-made palettes available but the happiest, most fun and cutest....by far....is the little travel set by Amy Tangerine. It looks like a sunglass case but you open it up and it greets you like sunshine ! There are 12 half pans full of lucious colors, a fold out palette for mixing, a sponge for wiping off your brush, a little container to put water in, a pen and a pencil as well as a waterbrush! It is great for on the go. So cute, clever...and functional and for use with card making, scrapbooking or to add some fun color to your planner!

9. Binder Clips

"What???", you say! Yep, I am a fan of some good old fashioned binder clips....like these:

If you do any kind of art journaling or work with acrylics or watercolor these are a must have to keep your journals open and your pages flat. Let me repeat....A must have! Here are a couple of pages from my art journal where I watercolored some lemons....these clips helped my pages not warp as much and kept my journal open. You will have a mess if you have a flappin', closin' journal!

10. Traveler's Notebooks

And lastly, my go to items for 2019 include Traveler's Notebooks. Whether you choose Webster, Doodlebug, Midori, Echo Park or any of the other great companies out there they are a must have. I have several (read: dozens). I have used them as calendars, to document actual travel, to create lists of books to read, places to travel to, to write down inspiring quotes or ideas, to doodle and even to list craft supplies I NEED! There are all sizes to fit your needs including small ones that can easily fit in your purse.

And they can be so deliciously luscious to hold in your hand!

Check these out!

I hope you've enjoyed seeing the things I love and use just about daily! It was certainly difficult to select just 10 things....I felt a little guilty not including some others I love...like Versamark Ink, embossing powders, my heat gun (of course!), my Micron pens, waterbrushes, etc., etc., etc.!

Maybe another day....

Keep creating!