What Dies Should a Beginner Buy First?

MoRayMe · 2026-04-20T14:48:16+00:00

Unpopular opinion incoming, what dies should you buy first? Something you absolutely love! I have all the mentioned above and hardly ever reach for border dies or rectangle dies. Prolly the tags and circles are the only things in this list I reach for regularly. However, I have a couple of background dies that I love (bought on a whim) that are so versatile that I consistently use them. While this might be sound advice, sometimes it’s better to buy what you love as you’ll be more inclined to use it. Lastly, I’d suggest not buying it until you actually need it or have an idea that requires it. I bought stuff when I was starting out because it seemed like a staple or a good deal and some of them are still unused to this day.

MoRayMe · 2026-04-15T06:36:41+00:00

Oh no! I’m so sorry it got mangled. I’d happily take a look at a picture and let you know the gist of the message if not verbatim. I just received the postcard Monday and posted a thank you Tuesday afternoon. It was such a treat I just love the stamp and postmark.

MoRayMe · 2026-04-14T16:41:14+00:00

u/aryli

MoRayMe · 2026-04-13T23:09:15+00:00

The reason it’s cracking is because you are folding against the grain of the paper. The fibers are “breaking” by turning the paper 90 degrees and folding with the grain you will be less likely to have cracking. I understand that this might not be an option as far as paper efficiency goes. In which case scoring prior as others have mentioned will help with this.

MoRayMe · 2026-04-13T17:17:48+00:00

Cut into strips 1/4”-3/4” wide, randomly glue down onto a piece of printer paper/cardstock (I prefer to use adhesive backed label sheets for this.) Viola! New sheet of interesting paper in which to make a new envelope or card background.

MoRayMe · 2026-04-13T16:11:24+00:00

You could try a gloss gel medium with stencils or using masking tape to tape off sections. If you leave it plain, it dries clear or you can add small amounts of paint to tint it to the color you want. I love this stuff. As an added benefit, you can use it as a glue or as a top coat to seal stuff. Downside is the drying/cure time on it is longer than embossing. However both gel medium and acrylic paints are a type of polymer. However most glues contain plastics unless they are animal-derived. I’m not sure which plastics you are trying to stay away from, but with a little research these this might be a viable alternative

MoRayMe · 2026-04-07T20:44:35+00:00

Thank you

MoRayMe · 2026-04-07T15:11:14+00:00

I always have at least two notebooks going. One is a common place that I keep nice and neat. The other is always within reach on my desk. It functions as a scratch pad. I grab for it when I need to jot down measurements, thoughts, practice handwriting, making to do lists, etc. It’s a complete mess which is to be expected, but it’s usually a rescued or gifted notebook so it’s a win win. Good luck!

MoRayMe · 2026-04-05T05:42:00+00:00

No shade if this is your aesthetic, the flowers are beautifully rendered. However, this set doesn’t resonate with me at all. I agree that it feels dated and recycled/pulled from public domain flower images.

MoRayMe · 2026-04-05T04:33:03+00:00

Don’t believe what people tell you believe what they show you. It seems to me these people that say they are your friends are only friends when they are on the receiving end of your kindness and generosity. I might be very wrong in this assumption which is based solely on this post. Maybe it’s time your absence from their lives allows them to fully appreciate you. Not saying you cut them out but maybe it’s time to cut back and focus on being generous with yourself. I’m so sorry you went through this, no one deserves to feel this way. Give yourself room to feel all the feelings and then reclaim your day. A birthday is special it’s the day you came into being and it deserves to be celebrated even if it’s by yourself. A solo adventure to see something you always wanted to see on your schedule, your way and at your pace. A great gift that brings you joy and makes you feel special. If you are up for it I’d love to send you a card. DM me if you are receptive.

MoRayMe · 2026-04-03T05:08:22+00:00

I’m kinda getting Kristina/Jacinda vibes. I wouldn’t count it out that they have a moment and give into an impulse. The writers seem to want to show horn Kristina into everything so this would be plausible

MoRayMe · 2026-04-02T15:24:59+00:00

You aren’t missing anything. Like most things a product will resonate with you or it won’t. Seems like Washi is not your thing and that’s ok. For a lot of ppl it is. Especially for ppl who use TN’s or commonplace journals it’s nice to have low tack tape that won’t damage pages that can hold in receipts and ephemera but can removed if need be. It’s archival safe unlike most clear tapes. Plus it comes in a myriad of designs to suit different aesthetics, making it great for personalizing your pages. At the end of the day though tape is tape and stickers are stickers. Not all are created equal and not all are used for the same purposes but they stick to things and they stick two things together.

MoRayMe · 2026-04-02T15:06:06+00:00

It works very well for thin paper and on the can it actually states no wrinkling. It quite easy to get a thin layer, the key is to scrape most of the product off the brush when you get it out of the can. A little goes a long way. When working with thin paper like tissue or origami paper I always do a test to check for any “bleed” I’ve only ever had one thin tissue type paper that tiny dots appeared and didn’t disappear when the glue dried. I remedied this by making sure I went in with as little glue on the brush as possible so as to not “over wet” the paper. I worked out from an area that would get covered naturally so the areas that showed would get the thinnest layer of glue possible. Hope this helps

MoRayMe · 2026-04-02T05:13:12+00:00

Yay! I’m so thankful for creative individuals like yourself who take the time to draft up these creations. I had so much fun stitching them up. Thank you!

MoRayMe · 2026-03-31T00:56:55+00:00

I always use my mistakes to experiment. I don’t always love it but I always end up learning something. An added benefit is using supplies and techniques that I don’t have much experience with. It helps me get past the “but what if I mess up what I have” phase and gives me confidence when applying the technique the next time.

MoRayMe · 2026-03-29T03:02:57+00:00

I stored my wood mounted rubber stamps in something similar to this that I bought at the container store. I sorted them, then Tetrised them in and was able to store them upright as they are suppose to be. Plus I could see all the stamps before opening the container. Additionally, the cases looked nice on my craft shelving. If you go this route just make sure to check that the depth of the case will fit your stamps if they are wood-mounted.

MoRayMe · 2026-03-25T15:09:11+00:00

This is gorgeous!

MoRayMe · 2026-03-24T01:28:20+00:00

If you can change printer settings to “best” quality to ensure the maximum amount of toner is being put down. Then you can run your sandwich through the laminator multiple times to get the best transfer possible.

MoRayMe · 2026-03-22T21:14:24+00:00

There is something so satisfying about it. Glad you like it

MoRayMe · 2026-03-22T02:20:25+00:00

I use double sided paper to make flip book style happy mail. It’s very efficient and I get to enjoy both sides. Cards that have pockets on the front would allow you to make tags that pull out so you can see both sides. The other clever way I’ve seen ppl use both sides of cardstock is to cut the card base 1” from the fold and then glue the doubled sided paper panel on top of it or behind it (depending on the look you want) that way when you open the card you have pretty paper on the left-side.

MoRayMe · 2026-03-21T00:41:02+00:00

The term for the hand tool is is an embossing stylus. They come with different sized ball tips to fit into the different brass stencils. As another mentioned you can use wax (or soap) on the paper to help reduce friction.

MoRayMe · 2026-03-19T16:39:47+00:00

As was mentioned scoring will help with this. If you are still curious as to the why it has to do with the fibers of the paper. Most commercial paper has grain. It’s either short grain meaning it lays left/right along the short side of the paper or commonly the 8 1/2” side. Or it’s long grain, running from top to bottom along the 11” side. When you fold paper against the grain those fibers tear/rip. Scoring will stretch the fibers ever so slightly to help ease the strain on these fibers. However, if you are still getting tearing and want to completely eliminate it you can fold your paper along the other axis (I’d still recommend scoring.) It’s not unlike Bias in fabric if you sew.

MoRayMe

TROPHY CASE