58 Incredible Craft Hacks You Must See! I'm Including the List of Hacks Too
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- čas přidán 29. 09. 2023
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This is the one stop shop for all things we can do together! Upcoming events, classes, my favorite stores to shop with, and my photo gallery of my card projects.
Time Stamps:
Design Hacks: 2:20
Money Savings Hacks: 14:11
Time Savings Hacks: 25:15
Tool Hacks: 31:20
Organization Tips: 47:07
SUPPLIES SHOWN IN VIDEO:
Full List of Supplies in a Word Doc here: docs.google.com/document/d/1d...
STAMPS/STENCILS:
Tis the Season Stamp: shrsl.com/48xjg
Christmas Gnomes: shrsl.com/48xjj
Bat Stencil: shrsl.com/48xjk
Stripe Stencil: shrsl.com/48xjn
Military Members Stamps by CCC: shrsl.com/48xjp
Flag Stamp: Could not locate this one but here is a similar one: shrsl.com/48xjs
Sunflower Stamp: shrsl.com/48xjw
Holiday Sentiments: shrsl.com/48xk6
DIES:
Thanks Die: shrsl.com/48xk9
Rose Blossom Slimline Die: shrsl.com/48xka
Rectangle Dies: shrsl.com/48xkc
Merry Christmas: shrsl.com/48xjy
Circle Dies: shrsl.com/48xkd
Wave Dies: shrsl.com/48xkf
TOOLS:
Tim Holtz Scissors: shrsl.com/48xkg
Heat Gun: amzn.to/3RC2Mgr
MISTI Stamping Tool: shrsl.com/48xkk
Packaging Tape: amzn.to/466DOKq
Mini Die Cutting Machine: shrsl.com/48xkl
Fineliner Pen: shrsl.com/48xkn
Powder Bag: shrsl.com/48xko
Craft Mat (brown): shrsl.com/48xkr
Craft Mat (white): shrsl.com/48xl0
Alcohol Wipes: amzn.to/48wU4pN
Press N Seal: amzn.to/45csviw
Stamp Scrubber from Hero Arts: shrsl.com/48xl3
Paint Edger for Scrubber alternative: amzn.to/3ZBk3rW
Paper Trimmer Small: shrsl.com/48xl4
Paper Trimmer Large: shrsl.com/48xl5
Ink Blending Brushes Large: amzn.to/3EWaSJl
Ink Blending Finger Brushes: amzn.to/46cTMTe
Fun Foam: amzn.to/3tbW5rc
Contact Paper: amzn.to/3EZN8nG
Label Maker by Nelko: amzn.to/3LHwGw3
Silicone Tongs: Dollar Tree:
ORGANIZATION:
Binder for Stencil Storage: shrsl.com/48xjo
Insert sheets for stencil storage: amzn.to/3rBhYzN
Envelopes I use for Stamp/Die Storage: amzn.to/3PEEpff
ADHESIVE:
Double Sided Adhesive: shrsl.com/48xla
Smart Glue (dries tacky): shrsl.com/48xlb
2-Way Glue Pens Large (dries tacky): amzn.to/45sO12V
2-Way Glue Pens Small (dries tacky): amzn.to/3PY9Gvf
Artis Glue: shrsl.com/48xlg
Bearly Art Glue: shrsl.com/48xlh
Foam Tape: shrsl.com/48xll
EMBELLISHMENTS/FOIL
Red Glitter Embossing Powder: shrsl.com/48xlp
Rainbow Foil: shrsl.com/48xlq
Clear Embossing Powder: shrsl.com/48xls
Cloud Whip Embossing Paste: shrsl.com/48xlu
INK:
Versafine Clair Nocturne Black Ink: amzn.to/3ZDI2qz
Versafine Clair Fallen Leaves: amzn.to/3EYngZ9
Distress Black Soot Ink: shrsl.com/48xlv
Catherine Pooler Ink Cranberry Fizz: shrsl.com/48xlw
Catherine Pooler Deck the Halls: shrsl.com/48xlx
Alcohol Pearl Inks: shrsl.com/48xlz
Catherine Pooler Royal Treatment: shrsl.com/48xm0
Catherine Pooler Dress Blues: shrsl.com/48xm1
CARDSTOCK:
Rainbow Glitter Paper: shrsl.com/48xm3
Accent Opaque 100lb (used for panels and bases): amzn.to/3PZ3AL9
Watercolor Cardstock: shrsl.com/48xm6
Acetate Sheets: shrsl.com/48xm7
Posterboard: I got mine from Dollar Tree
Fun Foam: amzn.to/3tbW5rc
RECORDING SETUP:
Camera: Sony Alpha ZV-E10: amzn.to/47IxdXF
Camera Mount- Arkon Pro Phone/Camera Stand:
--- amzn.to/37f2Hr9 [Amazon]
Lighting: Emart 60 LED Table Top Studio Light Lamps (2 count)
--- amzn.to/2wVxWIG [Amazon]
Vertical Lighting for my desk (2 count)
--- amzn.to/3prtbi0 [Amazon]
Microphone: Yeti Blue Microphone:
--- amzn.to/2UA9PYR [Amazon]
Some product links used are compensated affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time you click through and purchase the product(s) listed and note, there is no additional cost to you.
#crafthacks #moneyhacks #timehacks #craftsavings #foilhacks
I have another hack--I remembered it when you said "put something heavy on your card". Everyone seems to reach for acrylic blocks, which aren't very heavy. I picked up some marble "coasters" at Home Goods for $6. You get 4 and they work great as weights--and, they're pretty! Thanks for putting all of these hacks and tips in one video. We appreciate you!
Great idea! I have several marble sets given to me as gifts; they’re heavy and look pretty, too!
WOW great idea, thank you!
You can also get granite counter samples ( you can get free from places that sell granite) and decorate them and glue knobs on top. I have 3 different sizes I did and then put print and cut vinyl pics on them.
@@chrisrn44that’s exactly what I have, a sample that was left here wen I moved in🙂
I'm wondering if anyone had an alternative for acrylic blocks?
I’m not only happy and grateful for Mary’s hacks, but for those who shared their own in comments. Thank you EVERYONE!
I know right!!!? So great
@@marypolancodesigns Yes and TY for freebie 🤗💜
I agree! I seldom read the comments to a CZcams video, but these comments are worth their weight in gold!
Soooo much crafty goodness to digest here. I will look at contact paper in a new way and I love the tip about gluing layers together before die cutting. Here’s a handy supply extending and money saving tip I thought of today. It’s a game changer for me! I love to add coordinated embellishments to cards, but often don’t have the right color gems. So I punched out tiny circles from my colored cardstock and added a clear Nuvo drop to each one. I had PERFECTLY coordinated little gems rather than needing to buy all of the colors of gems or Nuvo drops. The possibilities are endless- glimmer paper, metallics. So fun!
Oh my goodness is such an amazing hack. All definitely be sharing this with everyone wow
You can colour your gems with permanent marker pens too 😊
I LOVE the Nuvo-over-cardstock idea! Tfs!!
I do the same thing , If I want a bit of glittery shimmer I use a bit of clear glitter glue first, then once dry top it with the diamond glaze.
I love the packing tape idea. I think I will try sprinkling some glitter down before I place the tape to make my die cuts both sparkly and shiny.
🤯 AMAZING TIP
Great idea!
I love that you said, “We need more ideas, not more stuff.” That is sooo true! I have more than plenty of stuff, just need to find more creative ways to use what I have without spending more money. Thank you for sharing all these great ideas!❤
Yeah I have enough stuff to last me a while (not that I still don't get the occasional item). lol
Thank you Mary, some great tips there. Another hack for you. Don’t throw away your old cricut sticky mat. I cut it down and use it to keep safe my tiny die cuts before applying them to my cards. The sticky residue on the mats mean I don’t lose the die cuts anymore. I can cut them out the day before assembly, place a matching size of acetate on top (which I will now hinge, using your tip) and they all stay safe and sound. No more scrabbling on the floor searching for lost ones. ❤
This is such a great idea. Thank you
Mary, the tips about the packaging tape and the contact paper are great.
Another quick tip for the clear acetate for sentiments... Put a piece of bright washi or other tape on one end and fold it over the edge... When you slip it out of the misti and it slips across the desk or something moves it, the tape makes that clear plastic much easier to find.
Thanks for sharing!! That's brilliant
I have a cut-to-size piece of $🌳 cutting sheet from their kitchen section that I use to lay over my design elements to judge if they're the correct size for my card. Even though it IS frosty, it still gets lost on my work surface! Thx bunches for the tip ... I'll DO IT!!
Mary, my husband has a big roll of copper tape he used on an electronics project, with plenty left over. So, he gave the roll to me. I stick some to cardstock and run through an embossing folder. Wow! Gorgeous! Same thing with shiney, silver duct tape!
Wooooahh, that sounds amazing!
Ooh, you're lucky! That sounds beautiful! 😃
Hello,
I wanted to add a tip for using the foam tape for the shaker card. Especially, the thin piece you are trying to curve around the top of the shaker area.
If you cut, on the outside of the tape about half way into the middle of the tape, when you go to curve around the circle shape, it will open up and follow the curve. Also, it will do the same thing with pretty much any shape you try to follow that isn't a straight line. You can also cut out a triangle shape as well, if you need to. Just don't cut too close to the inside edge of the tape.
Hope this helps. Seamstresses use this tip when sewing curves.
I picked up lots of useful tips . Thank you for this video.
YAHHOOOOO this is gold, thanks!
Yes another video for hacks would be lovely. That silicone mirror stamping was mindblowing!
Yay! Thank you!
My mind is blown by the idea of gluing the paper together BEFORE die cutting. That would be especially helpful for the fiddly narrow ones that flop around after you cut them.
YES indeed, I agree. I can't believe I wasn't doing it.
Fantastic video! So many great tips - some I already use, but many are new to me. One extra tip (for those unorganized crafters like me) when I make labels for my dies and stamps, I put the number of articles on the label so, at the end of a crafting session, I can just count and see if something is missing from that package! (then begins the hunt!:)
That's so brilliant!
That is brilliant. Thanks
I do that too especially with dies
I do that with dies, too. And I once put the wrong # on a die set and I was looking for a nonexistent die! I had to look at the set online to find out there were 6 pieces and not 7. 😂
My favorite hack is for making sure a die-cut stamped image is placed perfectly in the center by die cutting first, and then stamping:
1) Die cut a bunch of your shapes
2) Put a piece of scrap paper in your stamping tool and stamp the image
3) Place one of the frames of your die cutting around the stamped image
4) Add a die-cut shape to the frame
5) stamp perfectly in the center of the shape
This also avoids any frustration of coloring an image and then screwing up the die-cutting itself.
Fantastic idea!
❤❤❤❤
Mary, I have been crafting my whole life and stamping, etc., for well over 25 years and have never seen such a brilliant, comprehensive list of tips and hacks! I couldn't believe the shear number of things I never thought of! Thank you so much for that labor-intensive video!!!!!
You are so welcome Thank you for this super encouraging message!
I love that you stacked ur cardstock twice then diecut it 1x so you wouldn't have to sit there and diecut each piece individually. Then just glue all pieces 2gether for dimension. So many great tips. Thx for sharing these. And yes please do a part 2. 😊
Thank you so much! I'm on it
Thank you for a great video! Another way to make your own stencils is to laminate a piece of acetate and then either die cut or fussy cut whatever shape or image you want. It's fairly sturdy and you can see through it, which makes it easy to use. And thank you for the spreadsheet! I appreciate all of the time you have put into compiling the very helpful information!
Great tip!
Hi Mary, I really enjoyed this video - thank you!
In the section where you used large sheets of foam tape to make strips, which you then used for a shaker card, a good idea after you place the surrounding strips, is to dab the inside edges with a cornflour pad so that the shaker pieces don’t get stuck. *Elenore from Australia 🌷
AMAZING tip thank you!
And do the dabbing on the edges before you pull the release paper off the top of the foam tape.
I laminate a sheet of card stock or copy paper to put on the back of the stamps so I can easily read the words on the stamp sheet.The stamp sheet will stick to the laminated sheet.Then I can use the old backing for a shaker card.
Oh wow that is such a great idea
Hi, Mary. Thanks ever so much for the many tips & tricks. Here are a couple more:
- Cut open a large brown paper bag to make a large rectangle; iron flat. Apply clear contact paper to make a handy work mat for stamping or painting.
- Use gel pens to sign your name or write sentiments. Then apply embossing powder, and heat. Nice personal touch!
- Use old eye shadows to dab on and color or shade die cuts; spray with aerosol hair spray to set.
Thanks for all the ideas, everyone.
You are brilliant!. Thank you so much for sharing these tips
I use gel pens all the time. Never thought about embossing. Thanks!
Mary, it’s the little things that make organizing easier…you made my day with the packing tape hinge. I hate trying to keep track of 2 acetate sheets. Thank you for the great tips and tricks 🤗
I made a note to do that too!
I’ve been doing this to my stamps for quite some time now, only just using scotch tape. 💕
Thanks so much for this! i love that tip too.
I did this with regular tape and the tape just ripped. Now I'm going to use the packing tape. Face palm for not thinking it through using a stronger tape
You can also get shiny paper by using your laminator. Put 2 sheets of paper back to back (pretty sides will touch the plastic lamination) inside of a laminating folder. Laminate through your machine. You may want to run it through twice since it's thicker with 2 sheets of paper inside. Once cool, cut the edges of the laminated pages, while saving as much as the paper as you can. The 2 sheets of paper will then separate since there's no lamination on the backs. You now have two sheets of paper with lamination on one side. You can die cut or use however you want.
What a great hack! Thank you so very much
Mary, Mary, my sweet Mary! You have done it again. So much work and time you have spent to share so much with us, your loyal fans 🥰👏🏻. As I was sitting here watching I thought, “I need to tell Mary about hingeing the acetate to the stamps. I’ve been doing that for years. And then you did it! Bravo! So, so many good hacks. I think the first one I’m going to try is the stencil one. Love that! But after that I will be watching this again and again. At 73 I have to be shown more than once 😂😂😂. The download you are sharing should help me with that I think 🤣🥰.
Great minds think alike! 🥰🥰😁
Thank you sooooo much Mary for taking the time to compile all of this for us!!! I watched the whole thing. I don’t have a computer at the time, so I copied the list you sent me and put it in the notes on my iPad. One hack I’d like to mention is: as long as you’re using dye ink (a water base ink), such as Memento, or any ink that’s not permanent, all you need to clean your stamps with is a damp wash cloth. I have been stamping for about 30 years. Years ago I used the paint scrubber thingie, but switched pretty quickly to just a damp wash cloth. Also when you’re stamping in your Misti on acetate for stamp placement, again, wipe off the acetate with the damp washcloth. And you don’t have to dampen the whole cloth if you don’t want to…just spray a little water on a corner of it and wipe down your stamp/acetate. I keep my cloth on a little saucer on my desk. When they get too dirty I just pop them in the washer with the rest of my towels and the ink has never transferred to my other towels or grayed my towels at all.
These are such brilliant ideas thank you so very much
A tip for gluing. When using a stamp block for gluing layers use some baking paper under the block in case any glue oozes out. It will not stick to block.
Fantastic idea and the baking paper so it doesn't stick. YES!
I loved the packing tape on card stock to make shiny die cuts! That sure beats heat embossing in clear. Thanks also for the free excel document. You rock and I am now subscribing to you!
My tip: I run white card stock through my embossing folders and keep the examples with my folders. When I want to use one for a card background, I flip through them and use for trying out layouts before using the folder on my card front with ink or embossing powder or whatever. Gives me a way to see how the embossing would look, which sometimes looking at the folder itself doesn't. These examples could also be put on a ring, like your hack for stencils.
Awesome tips!! Thank you so much
Absolutely amazing collection of hacks. SO much info. My favorite organizational items are school supplies, purchased when the back to school supplies go on sale. Clear pencil boxes, drawer organizers, crayon boxes….great deals on storage options for compartmentalization. I also shop at hardware stores…double sided carpet tape is super strong. Thanks, Mary!
WOOHOOO Thanks for sharing!! Great tip
Love this video, please do more like it. I especially like ideas about using non-craft items for crafting. Thanks!
I'm on it! :)
When I'm making a lot of cards with small stamps that I then need to cut out with dies, I put the stamps in my Misti then when I put the dies over each stamp I press some Press N Seal over the dies and use it over and over so I don't have to position the dies each time. Works great!
Awesome tip! Thank you
❤ Mary, you're an absolute treasure! I LOVE the ideas and the way you present them! Awesome videos! 😁❤
Thank you so very much for this feedback; you are so encouraging.
Mary.. wow that military card was stunning! Absolutely!!! Also love the stamp cleaner "paint" brush cleaner! Some amazing tips.. I could go on forever!❤ you are so amazing!
Thank so so much!
If you have a small area that has lifted( not glued) on a mat on your card front) cut a strip( I keep several handy from scraps of card stock) and apply glue on the end, stick under the lifted area and press down as you pull out the strip. The glue stays under neath and isn't messy. Hold in place with your fingers until it stays glued down.
Brilliant thank you!
I loved all your tips ! One of my favorites was the hinge !!! Thank you so very much Mary you're amazing ❤
You are so welcome!
Mary- thank you so much for all these tips and also for Maureen’s information. I especially liked the tip with putting embossing powder on adhesive and setting it with the heat tool. I would love more videos like this! I would really like a video that shows all of the ways to make a card glittery & glimmery. I love your videos, Mary! Thank you so much!
You are so welcome! YAY so glad it was useful
Great compilation, Mary, thanks so much!
I was wondering - has anyone ever used the "contact paper on cardstock" method for cutting stencils with a Cricut, Cameo or the like?
And finally, when you mentioned the cutting dies on shower curtain rings, I thought of what I do:
For all my nesting shapes - circles, ovals, squares, etc. - I cut a piece of cardstock and note on it which set, which die, and the size of the piece. I then punch holes into them and thread them all onto book binding rings, only not as sets, but sorted by size. So when I am trying to find a die that is juuuust the right size to say, cut a square around a stamped image, I don't have to go through my die sets. I just take my cutout squares and match, then get out the matching one.
I haven't tried that yet (on the cricut). Great ideas for storage, thank you!
Thank you for each hack ! I keep a 12×12 white sheet of card stock by my table when I'm using ink pads. When I'm finished "inking" I dab my ink dauber on the white 12×12, keeping like colors some what together. I can punch/die cut shapes from the color swatches on the 12×12. I have one 12×12 with yellow and blues at the top, browns, grays, black at the bottom, working on greens in the center. Have made some "cuts" which was convenient. Takes a while to cover areas with ink, but I feel like I'm not wasting my inks and I'm coming up with interesting colors for punches/die cuts.
Awesome thank you!
That's a great idea
Another homemade stencil hack is to keep the heavy clear plastic windows from product packaging whether its from craft supplies purchased or other items like boxes toys came in or food. Instead of throwing them in the land fields, cut the plastic out from package. Trim edges if needed or cut into useable square or rectangle. Make sure its clean. Then use your dies like you used for the contact paper idea to cut out shapes to make it into a stencil. Now you have an easy to clean reuseable stencil that is also easy to store with your other stencils! Its free & it helps our environment!
Amazing reusable idea thank you!
Great list of tips Mary and thanks very much for providing a free download spreadsheet with the full list! Here are a few more tips that may be helpful to others:
- If need to lay out multiple die cuts evenly in a row, line them up on a flat surface against a straight edge/ruler and then apply a strip of low tack tape across them so you can pick them up, apply glue to the backs if required, and place them on the card panel all at once
- Create a custom color matching card mat by wiping ink or marker around the edge of white cardstock (the center is covered by the overlaid panel)
- Change the color of ribbon or string using ink pad, paint, or marker
- For larger bottles of product (such as glue), put some in a smaller applicator tube or bottle with a precision tip for easier use
- To apply glue to delicate detailed die cuts, put some glue down on craft mat, then pounce the die cut on top of the glue to coat the back -or- pick up a bit of the glue with a sponge or q-tip and dab it all over the die cut
Wow, these are gold! Thank you so much for sharing
🎉 I couldn't come up with a word good enough to express how great you and these tips are.
I'd forgotten the one you mention here regarding COLORING RIBBON & STRING. Long ago I decided, with truly NO CRAFT STORAGE, let alone a "craft r o o m", to buy ONLY WHITE pearlies, ribbon, string, etc. I do realize different materials will take the color differently, but I'm probably the only one who'd notice. 🤷♀
For the daintier, slimmer cut areas, use eye shadow applicators. You can wash off the glue before it dries, or buy disposables.
I follow a gal on here who dabs liquid glue on the back of her hand and then taps her die cuts with tweezers on her hand to apply a thin layer of glue!
Thank you for all you give back to the crafting community. I hope you have a great day and you receive lots of support from your friends, family, and this wonderful community.
🇨🇦
So kind of you thank you
I like the plaid look you created.
Thanks, I think that was a fav of mine
Great tips Mary - thank you! I’m a new stamper/card maker and my studio is set up primarily for my handbag sewing. So every few days I roll out my carts that contain my paper crafting supplies (currently confined to a cleaned-out closet). I don’t want to use the healing mats on my work surface for inks, coloring, alcohol, pens, etc so I just place taped-together plastic place mats from Dollar Tree. They wipe off easily and then can be folded away when I need my cutting mats for sewing projects. I think a system like this of rolling carts and alternative work surface would be great for anyone starting out, or anyone who does not have a designated craft room, and maybe has to use a dining room or bedroom that needs to revert back to its primary purpose.
.Really great idea, and I'm so glad you added the Dollar Tree mats. Because I mentioned that in a video the other day but I forgot to do in this one. Thank you so much
Dollar Tree also has cutting mats ( 2 in a pkg) in the kitchen section! Clear plastic, easy to wipe off! I use them for craft mats, grandkid paint mats and dividers between different types of DSP or card stock. They cut easily to fit where you want and I use regular labels to identify whatever you are separating.
Great video, Mary! I already left a comment, but I just thought of another hack. I saw it on one of Gina K‘s Videos if you want to make a mat on one of your cards, and you want it to be a gold or silver, shiny mat but you don’t have silver or gold paper, you can put powder along the edge of a piece of cardstock the size of the mat you want, and then stamp it with first mark, and then dip it in gold or silver, embossing powder and heat set it. You can do the same thing if you want to cut out a small die cut of some thing, gold or silver. (for example, a gold star atop your Christmas tree), you can hit him boss gold on a small piece of cardstock, and then die cut from it your star die.
I love this idea so much and have done it in the past. I do like to use an embossing pen for very deliberate pieces of embossing powder as well. Thank you so much for sharing as I had forgotten about this
O my goodness! The best video ever. The hinge hack for the clear acetate sheet on stamp sets is genius. I hate having to line up the sheet after using the stamp. So simple but such a great idea. Thanks Mary! 💖
This makes me so happy thank you so much!
Excellent video, Mary! I love the contact paper to make a stencil one and the packing tape hinge method to keep stamp acetate sheets together. What a great hack video. Make more, please!!!
The hack that I didn't think about was the use of contact paper to make stencils so that they are stronger than plain cardstock. I also liked the hacks to make sticky mats by using the "wrong" side of the contact paper. While you were using poster board instead of the more expensive Yupo paper, I remembered that I use semigloss photo paper (usually the cheaper, the better) to put my alcohol inks on. It takes experimentation, but some work excellently.
Great reminder, thank you so much.
i use the back of Kirkland photo paper for alcohol inks. Doesn't absorb as much as the front side does.
Thanks Mary! When I filled out your survey, I actually asked for this exact video of Tips, Tricks and Hacks! So thank you! Also, I loved the very first hack you showed but didn’t mention…using a silicone hot pad when embossing your cards! 😊
Yay! Thank you! I'm so glad this is one you were interested in!
OK, changed my mind. The tip about creating play lists for CZcams is my favorite tip! It might take me all day to categorize and create my playlists, but it'll bee worth it. I won't have to scroll through my "Liked" list to find the video I want to play. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Oh YAY That makes me so happy that I added that one in there. Thanks for letting me know.
Here is a added tip for you to add to your molding thicker foam adhesive around the rounded edges: if the foam is wide you can cut very small slits on the side facing the rounded edge being careful not to cut all the way through. Only cut about a 1/3 of the way. This will allow you to bend & mold the wider foam edging around the circle edge.
Great tip!
Do you mean like fringe it a bit to give it more flexibility to curve it?
Mary , you’re a treasure . Many thanks for all the info , and taking the time to compile the video and the download . More than a few I thought “why haven’t I thought of doing this” . Most are quite simple and very helpful to a crafter .
You're very welcome! I know, same here! I was like how have I NOT been doing this for 47 years? lol
🤷🏻♂😂@@marypolancodesigns
Wow, Mary, I learned so much while I sat and did the repetitious gluing to the first of (2) sets of 100 thank you wedding cards for two granddaughters for the coming year. I had never thought of Contact paper, but I will definitely be adding some new stencils and mats to my collection. I love craft foam for dimensional sentiments. I store my pre-cuts (extras cut out when die cutting) in small bags in a 4” CD storage binder. Little sticky tabs divide my themes. And labels on the bags let me know which set they are from if I am running low.
YAY! Congratulations on the weddings. How fun! Great shares here thank you
Great tips and hacks, Mary! My favourite was the paint edger as a stamp scrubber, never heard of that one before. Thank you for the video and for the spreadsheet! Happy crafting!
Thanks so much!
Mine too. I googled it to see if I could get one locally. I also want the label maker Mary has 😊
Thank you Mary for so many helpful tips, tricks and hacks! There were several hacks that will make my card making easier! The art community is full of the nicest, most talented people, who are willing to share their knowledge and creativity! Thank you so much for all the time it took you to put together this long video, I sincerely appreciate it!
You are so welcome!
Dear Mary, thank you so much for all these helpful, great ideas! Love from Austria, Bernadette ❤
You are so welcome!
Hi Mary, thank you so much for making this video, and btw it wasn't long at all. I could have easily watched another hour of your craft hacks...LOL! 🤣There were many hacks that I have seen before, but it is always good seeing them again as a reminder so we can use these techniques in our craft studios. I know I have received some stamp sets in the past that have the tape to keep both acetate sheets together, but not all of them. I probably will go and tape the remainder of my stamp sets, so I am not wasting time trying to find the appropriate acetate piece that somehow always gets lost on my (messy) craft desk. Thanks for sharing! 💖
One thing I didn't know was how to store favourite videos into a personal playlist and place them in the library. I have seen the library icon on the left-hand side of the screen but didn't know what it was there for. I will probably have to watch that part of your video over and over again for the instructions. 🙃
Mary, I love the content of your videos and I have been watching for quite a while, but this is the first time that I have left a comment.
God's blessings and love from Aussie Gloria 😃🐨🦘❤
Hi Gloria! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it. 🥰
When you have a wet spot, instead of using a paper towel or similar to take away some of the wet area, use a damp clean paint brush. It will soak up the extra liquid without marring your work.
Great tip! I love this!
You can sharpen your scissors and punches (if you still have punches) with aluminum foil. Simply fold the foil a few times and cur through it several times with scissors or punch the foil. Be sure to make short cuts with the tip of the scissors and long cuts with the full length of the scissors to get it fully sharpened. You can also use a ball of foil to rub off any adhesive that may be stuck to your scissors. You can also cur through the foil to sharpen guillotine style trimmers.
While these are great tips thank you so very much
This is amazing, thanks!!!
Hi Mary, thank you for putting all these great ideas together to share & making a spread sheet! 😊
You are so welcome!
Wonderful tips. The contact paper is something I didn't know about and the clip board is genius. Love hinging the scetate for your stamps. Thanks so much ❤
I put about 1 inch piece of GM foam tape, at 4 1/4 and 5 1/2 marks on my Guillotine trimmer. Lives there, they are a bumpers when I cut card bases. Make sure it in place well, quick, easy cutting.
Great tip! Love that
I keep my cutting plates in the middle of machine(platinum 6), It help keep control of warping.
I do this with my Big Shot plates and they haven't warped in over 5 years.
You mean like to store them? WHAT?? If so, amazing idea.
@@marypolancodesigns yes, when I am done that is there home. I tried to see if they would go flat, May not work well on really old plates.
I do that, too. 😀
A spreadsheet! How wonderful. It's beautiful 😍
Thanks so much! 😊
Thanks for a great video of helpful tips -- some I hadn’t seen or thought of.
One of my favorite things to use is a solid brayer to run it over my card front to get a good bond with the card base and evenly flatten it. I use Beacon three in one glue and my paper never buckles.
Great tip! I love that thank you so much!
Another hack when using wow embossing powders is to use the wow jar for scooping up the powder, as the jar is treated with anti-static.
My favorite hack was taping the acrylic to the stamp mount
Did you mean with the tacky glue? Thanks!
Hi Mary💕
Love the paint edger hack!!! I use a clothes pin for holding my paper while heat embossing.
Great tips thankyou!
Great idea!! Thanks!
I don’t know if I’d call it a “hack” because it was initially very time consuming, but it’s something I did for my Ohuhu markers:
Assuming you can get the Avery 1/2” circle template to match up with the actual stickers/labels, then you can print out the marker color names/codes onto the circle labels (x2), swatch the markers on their corresponding stickers, and adhere to both pen caps.
This way you have an exact swatch of the marker directly *on* the marker (since the current pen caps aren’t quite true-to-color) and you know exactly what color you’re selecting.
Like I said, for me it was extremely time-consuming to put it together (mainly because I had to fuss with the computer program that ultimately failed me, and then I had to type, print, and cut from my label-maker instead…) but in the end, I’m soooo happy with the results. Looks beautiful, and is so much easier than searching through a swatch guide sheet to find the color I want.
This is for sure a hack because in the long run I bet it saves you tons of time! Thanks so much for sharing
I have placed color swatches on other products by coloring a little bit, then using a hole punch to cut it and then gluing to the top. I'm too lazy to make the template with the names and all that. 😅
What a great idea! The colors on the caps are WAY off!
A hinge for a stamp set! Oh My Gosh! Only one of my favs!
MINE TOO! I love it so much!
The game changer for me was the packing tape. Love the acetate tip for the stamps...oh my stars...so easy!
Love the shiny feature too. I will be ordering packing tape right away! 💙💙💙
Yay! Thank you!
I’ve been following you for a while, Mary, and love your channel. Thanks for all these wonderful “hacks”. I’m sure they will be put to good use by mall of us! Cheers 😊
Thank you so much! That's so kind of you to say!
Thank you for the time you put into making this helpful video and for creating the free download, we appreciate you, Mary! I am hoping that you have a Zoom class on coloring with alcohol markers. I really enjoyed the last class you did with your beautiful daughter. The two of you make a great team. I wasn’t able to find the video on the Nelko printer you mentioned in the video. I’m interested in buying it but I would like to watch your tutorial first. You are awesome, please keep the hack videos coming. 💕
I couldn't find that video, either. I did go to Amazon and they have several videos on it - but I'm sure not as good as Mary probably made!
@@sweetsarah9702 Thank you for checking! I appreciate it.
Here is the video I talk about the Nelko in: czcams.com/video/7Q3tD8j6ikA/video.html
Here is the video I talk about the Nelko in: czcams.com/video/7Q3tD8j6ikA/video.html
Thank you so much for the compliment about Aydia and I! We are trying to do another one soon. YAY!
Thank you so much Mary. Never thought about using contact paper in the ways you showed!
You are so welcome! Yay!!!
GREAT vid. I love hack videos and the fact that you included so many made this one really worth watching. I live in Brasil so getting my hands on some of this stuff is difficult. But I use shelf liner in my mini albums and that hack - for the sticky mat, for the crafty mat, using it on a clipboard - just blew my mind. Thanks so much and I hope you come out with another one.
Thanks for compiling all these great tips, I’ve used many of them but there were a number of new ones to me. I use used dryer sheets with the intricate dies and it works just as well.
Oh my word, the amount of work this video must have taken! Thank you so much! So many great tips. I'll list the ones that were like a 'duh' moment for me GLUING the paper together first before layering die-cuts--brilliant. Hinging the acetate-I've lost a ton and it is annoying to have two pieces. Speaking of acetate, I like to use that as a stencil base, (vs contact paper ,but that's cool too) mainly so I can see what I'm doing. ha ha It's great for die cutting an a2 (or whatever) and then re die-cutting a frame or what not inside of that piece so it can make a silhouette. Perfect. When I use double sided foam/tape I like to use a glue stick on top of it so that I have a bit of wiggle room. It's even more forgiving than using liquid glue, and yes it does hold. Final one...I was in the PO talking with a worker and I happened to mention that I send a lot of cards. I told him it was hard for me to know if stuff needed extra postage or not, so he hands over what they use to determine if sometime needs more postage! Now I don't know if that guy was just super nice or what, but it's worth a shot to ask. :D Oh..one more (ha ha) Hobby Lobby has those big stamp scrubby things for about 2 bucks. ;) Cheers
I made my own stamp scrubber. Old wooden block from a stamp set and a piece of scrubbie stuck on
@@nancyglaspie6735 perfect!
SUCH great ideas here; thank you so much for sharing. And thank you for the note on this video taking me a while. hahaha...it did. Worth it though. :)
@mzp6620 I have heard on videos from other crafters that the stamped envelope had to be under 1/4” before adding more postage.
@@lindacrawford5187 It also depends on bulk. If you have "dimension is life" on your card, it may have to be hand canceled, more postage. Also if you put a wax seal on the back of an envelope it's an additional 40 cents. Believe me, I had the flatest, thinest seal I could put on an envelope and it was still 40 cents more. I suppose you could just drop it in without inquiring about postage and it might go, but it may cost the recipient extra. I don't want to take that chance.
Amazing video! Thanks for the excel sheet! When putting single layer napkins on paper I don't use glue. Layer parchment paper, card stock, cover with plastic wrap, place napkins on top, cover with parchment paper and iron! So professional!
That's a great idea!
So many creative ideas. I really can't pick one over another. Thank you for sharing these ideas. I
You are so welcome!
Another great video thanks Mary. I loved learning about using contact paper for sticky mats and for stencils. I have used it to make my crafting surface (an A3 piece of card I painted to look neat and covered), and I love how easy it is to clean. And it is easy to move out of the way when I want to use a different surface for different techniques. I am also intrigued about using the paint edger to clean stamps. I have one of the stampin up hinged cleaners with a wet and a dry side (same kind of materials but larger), but it would be good to have something more portable and smaller. I love your hack videos and would love you to make more if you can.
. Thanks so much for sharing this.
I have one of those, but I never use it. I think I may cut it up and attach it to a block of some kind
Actually that is a great idea. I have been looking for a paint edger, but that will work, and I already have it. Thanks.
Here's one: glue or tape a strong magnet to a yardstick for finding dropped dies. I have a gazillion different playlists filled with videos of all things crafty and arty. I made them all public so others can use them
This is an amazing idea, thank you!
Thank you, Mary! Love the contact paper stencil hack and many of the others.
You are so welcome!
Hinging the stamp packages was my favourite tip. Thank you.
I think that's my favorite two!
Great hacks, Mary. I use the mini tongs when heat embossing and have cut down a light grip cricut mat for my misti. I'm going to label what few stamp sets I have and use the packing tape to hinge the acetate together. Loved that idea! Thank you so very much. Take care. (Thank you for the free download)
Awesome, thank so much, I'm so glad it was helpful
If you liked this video, please hit that LIKE button. It tells YT to share it more. Yay!!!🎉 Also, don't forget to grab your excel sheet with the FULL list of hacks. Makes it so much easier to keep track. Here is the link again: subscribepage.io/OcabYb
I did before I watched the video!💕
@@coolstamperwell alright! YAY thank you haha
@@marypolancodesigns 😀
Really great tips Mary….I especially loved mirroring the stamp to make a two sided die cut, that was a new one to me. One of those “why didn’t I think of that” kinda tips…lol.
@@coolstamper9th 8thmo
Thanks for the very useful video. I've made background stamps with fun foam shapes to match my die cuts. Also if you adhere double sided tape or foam tape to baking parchment (that's what we call it in the UK, may be different in the US) you can then cut it to shape without gumming up your scissors. I'm going to have a go at reusing a sticky mat to make one to hold cardstock and stencils in place. Thanks for that hack x
Thank yoU!
Of the dozens of craft hack videos I have watched, this excels them all. Thanks for all your work in creating this.
WOW that's quite a compliment. Thank you so much. I know it was on the longer end but I really wanted to have a good place (one place) for a bulk of them.
It's better to break up your stamp sets and categorize them. It'll help you avoid buying similar, help you use them more, and easier to put away when they're stuck on full page protectors instead of on these small acetate sheets and envelopes.
@tabandken8562
When you break up your stamp sets do you put the names of the stamp sets in with them so you know what set they actually belonged to? (in case you wanted to sell the set at a later date!)
@@lindacrawford5187 Yes I do. I keep the inserts as well. There are clickable letter stamps that you can get very cheap that will allow you to stamp the brand and name. Get a few sets so you can do several words. It's better than buying label tape when having to put the same thing over and over. It's unfortunate my longer more detailed reply got deleted.
The silicone stamping trick will be great for ornaments. Thanks for such great ideas
Absolutely!!
I love this video, and got so many tips that I can use🙏. Love the packing tape hinge idea…how did I not think of it, especially since I keep heavy duty packing tape in my stamp room on my cutting table because I use it a lot 🤷♀️
I love using cereal boxes that are white for card stock. A great money saver. Great for backing for more body or behind napkins
Such a great tip! Thank you
OMG!! Love all the hacks..my faves are hinge on stamp sets and inking the whole stamp set when you get it and keep with stamp. Woo hoo! Spendin a day using a lot of these hacks. Thank you, merci, gracias. Loved this video.
You are so welcome! This makes me so happy
The packing tape hinge is a great tip
Thank you Mary for all the wonderful Craft Hacks!! I like all of them, so many new ways of doing things. One of my favorites is to hinge your stamps together with packaging tape!!
Thank you so much! Yes that is a popular one too! YAY
Thank you for such excellent craft hacks; I will most certainly begin using many of them. Happy crafting! ☺
Watched twice and SAVED! 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽
Awesome! Thank you
OMG you really are a girl after my own heart. I put soooo much on Excel spreadsheets. Thank ever so much for this. 🤗🥰
Haha, well don't judge my super basic excel skills. lol Thanks for making me smile today.
Wow, I picked up several tips and was reminded of some I just have forgotten. I like the contact paper tips and the packing tape. My all time favorite tip from all of these great tips was the hinge with the packing tape. I hate it when the acetate no longer sticks to the stamps. With the hinge I will no longer lose them. So you know what I'm going to be doing.😊
Thanks so much, Mary for making this informative video. Loved it!❤
This seems to be a favourite by a lot of people myself included. Thanks so much for sharing this
I learned a lot of hacks! My favorites were the ones so I wouldn't have to purchase extra tools! Even though I'm a tool junkie! I have retired so I need to watch my money more closely! Sigh, I did purchase the rose gold MISTI. Yes, I have 4 MISTIs and 2 Tim Holtz Stamping Platforms. And I haven't counted the acrylic blocks I have!
This is a judge free zone. 😁😁 I have three MISTIS myself LOL
I appreciate you taking the time to present this video. I must say that I stopped the video and wet try to the stencil made with card stock and contact paper. Very nice.
YAY love to hear this; so glad you tried it!
Loving all these hacks...yes, definitely another video
Ok, sounds great!
Wow, there are so many great tips...thanks for sharing !!! 🙂
You are so welcome!
Fav tip is the simple idea of pkg-taping the 2 acetates of a stamp set together!!!
Not only do I often misplace the top sheet, but my OCD makes me want the 2 sheets to line up together perfectly…& that takes forever when I’m putting a stamp set back!!! THANKYOU!!!
Hahaha oh my goodness, that's so funny! I am the same exact way
I loved this video. Some I knew about but many I did not. This was very helpful to me.
Glad it was helpful! YAY!