Essentials

Aezine Challenge: What are your essentials? If you had to get rid of everything and just keep a modest amount, what would be on your list? The challenge this week is easy: draft up a list of your essentials. What do you reach for time after time?

I haven't been making cards or scrapbooking very long, so I think I am still gathering my essentials. And they do change, I've noticed! For example, I am fast getting to regard my Stamp-a-ma-jig from 'Stampin Up!' as an essential. It took me awhile to begin to use it, and now I use it a lot.

When I make LOs and cards, I do seem use some of the same things each time. So I have listed 20 items as they came to mind:

1. fine black felt tipped pen (archival pen)
2. gel pens in various colours - especially silver and gold, but also copper and green, and sparkle pens - I cannot seem to make anything without a touch of gel pen!
3. ready-made card bases in plain colours
4. I like to use deckle edged scissors, but straight edged scissors with really sharp blades are essentials for me, as is my stenciling knife
5. Fiskar cutter
6. water colour pencils - I LOVE these things
7. a frisbee I use as a stamp cleaning vessel
8. an old plastic container I use to fill up with water to play with water colouring pencils
9. Versa mark inks
10. embellishments - especially ribbons and brads
11. my computer - how could I do any of this without it?
12. my colour printer/scanner
13. ideas
14. camera - a Kodak Easyshare - and pictures
15. self-healing mat
16. lots of scrap paper to blot, mask, practice for, protect etc the 'real' creation
17. stamps
18. Stamp-a-ma-jig - yes, I think it is an essential now
19. Time to create
20. good quality albums from Creative Memories

And of course, I need the feedback from others, ideas from others, the humour of others - it is really an essential for me now that I am part of a crafting community!