Scrapbooking as with any craft and trade starts off with the essentials – basic tools that will help make your crafting experience a lot more enjoyable. Nothing frustrates me more than having a craft knife where the blade keeps on falling out all the time – yes you know the type and you know how frustrating it can be. Having a really good set of tools makes life so much easier – just ask a frustrated crafter stuck with a really bad tool. So today we are taking a look at a really amazing set of basic tools. Not only are they pink, they work like a charm. 

I fell in love with the new Couture Creations Tools the minute I used them. It’s kind of ‘you don’t know what you are missing, until you use them’ feeling. I was happy using my faithful old craft knife I have had for 10 years, but once I used the Couture Creations craft knife I realized just how comfortable the grip was and I am never looking back. 

 These are some of my favourite tools 

Self-Healing Cutting Mat 15x15 Inches [ADCO 721957] 

Scrapbooking on the road has always been a problem for me. So you need to take a mat to cut on and work on but carrying around a big bulky thing is not my idea of fun. Here are the facts that swing my vote in favour of this little number 

• It’s pink and black – and will suit my mood perfectly 

• The pink side of the mat is great for positioning darker shades of cardstock on and cutting straight 

• You can fit a 12 inch page on it and still have room to view the measurements 

• It is marked in inches and centimetres – perfect for our market 

• It fits into a travel sized bag no problem 

• You can use the funky scallop edge and trace it to create a custom border 

• You can even cut angles on cardstock using your mat 

• It’s really durable and will take a beating for years 

• It is self-healing so will look good along with the rest of your tools for years to come. Self-healing means that the (ordinary) cuts you make in it when cutting paper will close up by themselves over time 

Sanding Block [ADCO 723060] 

We have grown into a scrapbooking nation that loves distressing and sanding. Sanding the edges of my photos is still a firm favourite. I love the way it makes a photo pop against a dark matt, and having a great tool for the job is a must have. • It’s colour coded girls! This makes life so much easier and takes the guessing out of the grit of sandpaper you want to use • The different colours is a quick reference from smooth to coarse • I love the foam base of the tool. Once I have used it “up” I can see loads of potential for this piece of foam. Being frugal and recycling is a must and a possibility. I can see myself using the foam for stamping – use acrylic paint added to the foam and you have a great stamp for altered arts, layouts and cards. If you used a light coloured ink pad and stamped rectangles onto a white background you can use them for journaling spots or create a great grid effect – a multipurpose tool for sure!

Couture Creations Handheld Essentials [ADCO 721986] 

I finally own a set of tools that all look the same. So as a scrapbooker I like having a mostly neat work area all colour coded (I wish). But I really love having tools that look good. But most importantly they function like a dream

 • The craft-knife has a really good cut. The grip is comfortable and leaves a clean cut on papers and cardstock. No unsightly edges left behind after cutting even through thicker cardstock

• The blades are easily removed and replaced and are readily available 

• I love that the scoring tool has a bigger surface. This makes it perfect for adding large rub-ons to a project and perfect for scoring thicker cardstock 

• This is a great tool for burnishing smaller surfaces • The piercing tool is really sharp. The thin sharp tip allows you to make even the tiniest of holes for sewing purposes, avoiding those large gaping holes visible even after sewing with thin thread 

• The tip runs at an angle going slightly wider towards the end making it possible to make a bigger hole should you need to 

• This is an awesome little set and even if you have just this in your travel bag you will be able to do almost anything with it 

• The tools are really well made, sturdy and won’t bend under normal use. They each have a screw mechanism that ensures the tools are well put together and won’t come apart unless you unscrew it at the tip

Sponge Daubers [ADCO 723061] 

This must be one of my favourite tools around. Daubers have been around for ages but have only in the last couple of years come to their full potential. They can be used for a variety of things…. 

• Use daubers to ink the edges of your papers and cardstock 

• Use them on stamped images to apply Decorating Chalks 

• Use them with acrylic paints to stamp with and create texture and pattern 

• They can be used to blend inks together to avoid harsh lines on projects

 • When you use daubers for inking store each dauber used for each colour in a small zip lock packet to avoid contamination, and only use that dauber for the intended colour 

• When daubers are well used, do not try and wash them, but rather replace them. A well-worn and used dauber will shed its sponge and will become a frustration. This doesn’t mean you do not look after your tools, it means you use what you have and get your money’s worth

A happy crafter has a good selection of basic tools. Basic tools are a necessity and will enable you to do just about anything. Looking after your tools and maintaining them is another way of making your tools last for years. I use Un-du Sticker, Tape and Label Remover [U 01004-20] to clean the tips of my Piercing tool, scissors and craft knife when they are dirty or sticky. I also use it to remove any glue off of my Cutting mat to ensure it is clean for my next project. It makes such a difference when your tools are well kept and respected – in return they will you give you years of happy crafting time. Enjoy your tools! 

 *the views expressed here are my own opinion based on the performance of the tools