Hello Lovelies! I am planning for some time with fam and friends this week and I hope you will be enjoying the same. I am also digging out my wishlist to give to my non-crafty loved ones who are asking what I want for the holidays... LOL I thought it would be good to refresh last year's Holiday Gift Guide for Crafters to share with all of you.
A few things about this year's Guide:
I own and use everything on this list
I don't include any stamps, dies, embossing folders or stencils
It's all about tools and color
Items are grouped based on priceand provided affiliate links for shopping at Simon Says Stamp:
- Under $15
- Under $30
- Under $50
- Over $50
where possible, I've included photos of the things I've made with these items or little snapshots from my craft room
a few items last year are included, but if you want to see the full list for last year, click here for the 2021 Crafting Essentials Guide
You can:
click on the item names or pictures throughout the post to view them on the Simon Says Stamp website OR
just browse the full shopping list with links at the end OR
Please note that the price points are all over the place and that I've collected these items at my own pace, so don't feel compelled, just hopefully inspired.
1. UNDER $15
Detail Blending Brushes - I love ink blending in all its forms and these tools are perfect for creating gorgeous details, accents and intricate shading.
They are also available in a larger rainbow set, but this pair is perfect for giving them a try!
Distress Sprayer - I use this for misting and splattering my projects with water for a variety of purposes...sometimes to create splotches, sometimes to move ink and other media across the surface, at other time's I am merely re-wetting my dry watercolor paints. Let's just say that I keep this bottle very busy!
Studio Katia Crafty Metal Snips - I love dies and they often come in sets that are connected by small wires. These bright and cheery Snips allow you to cut them apart.
We R Memory Keepers MINI SCORE BOARD Tool - This is a great size for cardmakers. I have a bit of a thing for mini tools as they are easy to handle, portable and compact... which allows me to keep more items within reach of my desk space.
Simon Says Stamp Craft Tacky Glue - though I love Bearly Craft Glue for adhering my die-cuts, I reach for this heavy body glue when sticking down heavier pieces - sequins, jewels, thick layers etc.
Studio Katia Embellishment Wand - speaking of jewels, I use this pretty "crystal"-filled wand to pick up these pretty things when adhering them to my project.
Pinkfresh Studio Brass Triangle Tray - this little beauty is like jewelry for your craft room and perfect for holding tiny embellishments that roll around or are easy to get lost!
Honey Bee Stamps Bee Shimmery Liquid Shimmer Watercolor - I am all about a little glam on my cards. Just a touch of this on your paintbrush will add a gorgeous pearlescent sheen to your projects.
Pawsitively Everything Tool - And it is just that! I use it as a paint or brush rest or to help clean my brushes or a holder for my stamp pads when ink-blending, or to open jars or as a craftroom coast or glue gun or heat tool rest or....
Ranger Alcohol Ink Air Blower - Please don't do what I used to and use straws to blow alcohol ink around on your project! This is much safer and allows you to control the amount of movement you want by doing a hard squeeze or soft squeeze.
MISTI STICKY MATS - I can't believe that I just started using these this year! They hold your paper in place of you having to use magnets!!! They are especially handy for when you are stanping all the way to the edge of the paper!
Simon Says Stamp Blending Brush and Tool Storage - Cute, compact and versatile. You can place so many of your pointy craft room tools from blending brushes to paint brushes, spatulas etc into this sturdy little caddy at keep them at hand but out of the way on your crafting surface.
UNDER $30
PinkFresh Studio STAMP PRESS TOOL - another handy tool for your MISTI or other stamp press! I bought this one because it was not just functional, but soooo pretty. It comes in a sweet little drawer box like a gift! Yes - there are cheaper ones, but this is gorgeous!
Wendy Vecchi Make Art Staytion - this sturdy surface can be used for may things, but it is my hero when I want to stencil. The magnets hold the paper and stencil in place while you brush on the color!
InterDesign FRIDGE AND FREEZE SPLIT BINZ - I store my 6" x 8" stamp sets and smaller ones in these see-through bins.
Simon Says Stamp Detail Blending Brush Sets - Round OR Flat - these are the expanded sets that I referred to earlier and give you a rainbow of choices for your ink blending needs:
Tim Holtz Mini Trimmer - I didn't think I needed this but it is FABULOUS for trimming my sentiment strips evenly!
We R Memory Keepers Mini Guillotine Cutter - I use this one every time I craft. It is small and measures up to 6 1/4" horizontally which is perfect for most of my card-making needs!
Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Pencils - Now you can have your Distress colors in a portable, woodless watercolor pencil format and even the pencil shavings can come in handy! There are 3 sets available and set 2 might be my favorite!
UNDER $50
NEW Distress Colors - I'm not going to even explain myself for this one, but wanted to share my 2 faves from the 2022 releases.
Pinkfresh Essentials Jewels Mix - I am guilty of adding bling to my cards and this shiny rainbow from Pinkfresh covers a beautiful spectrum of colors to add that finishing touch!
Simon Says Stamp Blending Brush Sets - Large OR Small - If you are into ink-blending, these sizes are foundational tools need for your craft space. I use mine frequently (understatement) and they have put up with a lot from me! LOL
OVER $50
Simon Says Stamp Magnetic Glass Mat - for as long as I have been crafting, I have worked on a glass mat. I use this travel-sized 9" x 12" for my watercoloring experiments or on-the-go, when I am crafting in other areas of the house or tucked into my carry-on so the crafting can continue in my hotel room.
Simon Says Stamp Pawsitively Saturated Inks - These inks make me happy and I share the first two sets in last year's guide so it should be no surprise that I added this year's release, which is the third set listed below! I adore the beautiful ink gradient trios especially for layered stamping and blending.
Click linked titles below to see my posts on the releases of these dye ink pads.
MISTI Precision Stamper Tool - I don't know how I stamped without this. I have both the MINI and REGULAR sizes. I use the Mini for most of my stamping as many of my projects are A2 sized, but the Regular is most versatile as you can do larger and smaller projects.
DIECUTTING MACHINES
Sizzix Sidekick Starter Kit - Most of my die-cuts will fit through this small machine and so I keep a Sidekick on the crafting table for much of my card-making! this particular bundle comes with all you need to get started.
Sizzix BIG SHOT FOLDAWAY Die Cutting Machine - As you may be able to tell, I am big on saving space, so it extremely awesome to be able to fold-up (see 2nd pic below) for storage this full-sized machine that somehow has a 6-inch wide platform for your bigger die-cutting projects!
Ready for Crafting
Folded for Storage
Gemini Junior Die-Cutting and Embossing Machine - Tired of cranking? My Gemini saves me when I have a lot of die-cutting to do as the cutting sandwich (plates, dies and cardstock etc) are fed electronically through the machine at the touch of a button!
Tim Holtz Tonic Glass Media Mat - You can count on this surface for your craft room projects. I put my inks, paints, gels and pastes on this smooth surface and they wipe away cleanly, keeping me ready for my next crafting adventure!
I hope this was helpful. I feel that I am looking back at a year of fun while crafting. My tools are like my friends in the craft room, they help me make magic and keep me smiling . I would love to hear in the comments what you would recommend adding to this list.
See you soon!
SUPPLIES:
I listed the products that I have used below. Please note that these are compensated affiliate links used at no cost to you. I really appreciate your support. Click on the icons below each product picture to shop with SimonSaysStamp.com.