What to bring?

Twice a month I pack up to join the company of other stampers at our Gone Stampin' meeting. Sometimes we have each designed a card to share with others, so those days were easy to pack for. I just needed to bring the exact materials I used in my card.

Other times we just kind of "free form" where we bring something we want to work on. I also have the privilege of attending a stamping retreat once a month where a group of us stampers hightail it to the words for an overnight retreat of stamping the time away. In both of these situations, I am never sure what to bring. I am very spoiled by having my own stamping room with my supplies and stuff in cabinets, bins, and plastic drawers.

I happened to find this list on one of my favorite sites, Operation Write Home. (If you love to make cards, but do not have a place to send them, the girls at OWH collect cards for servicemen and women to use in correspondence home.) There are great ideas and tutorials at this site, too. The link is in the column on the right.

Crop Packing List

• A large bag or rolling tote to hold all supplies.
• A cutting mat – 12 x 12 or preferred size to use as a work surface of your own. A foam-back mat will be good for stamping on and one with a grid will be good for measuring things.
• Adhesives – variety is good. ATG or tape runners, liquid adhesives, glue dots, dimensionals. A wrist strap of scotch tape instead of a whole roll will save space. (see video).
• Punches – stick to your favorites or ones that match the projects that you are going to work on.
• Inks or distressing pigments – the smaller sizes are better for travel or stick to the colors that you need just for the projects that you are taking along.
• Essential tools: scissors, bone folder, paper piercer and mat, scoring tool, favorite pens/pencil, adhesive eraser, corner rounder, hole punch if needed.
• A favorite new stamp set or two. Build everything else that you need to bring around these stamp sets!
• Ink pads for stamping, unless your images are already stamped or printed. Bring along pre-stamped, heat embossed, or even completed images ready to add to cards.
• Clear blocks for your stamps, if needed.
• Coloring tools and some kind of container or way to pack them with you.
• Patterned paper or pads to match your stamp sets.
• Card stock in colors that match your patterned paper for mats and card bases (bonus points if you pre-cut and fold some card bases before hand!)
• Some die-cut pieces to use for focal points – cut from the same colored card stock as above. Have a variety of shapes (circle, square, scalloped) in a variety of sizes. You can also pre-cut some pieces to stamp sentiments on to.
• Some pieces of the same paper that have already been dry embossed with designs that match your stamps / papers that you want to use.
• An assortment of ribbon, twine, buttons, brads and other embellishments to match.
• Your own garbage can (see video) or even a paper or plastic sack to use for garbage scraps if you like.
• Inspiration in the form of sketches or card ideas – maybe a magazine or some photos of cards that you would like to CASE!
•  A drink container – to be a good crop neighbor you should always have a drink container that is guaranteed not to spill if accidentally knocked over – you don’t want to spill on your own or on your neighbors’ precious work.
• One more tip – it’s never a bad idea to mark your own supplies in some way with a Sharpie or permanent marker to identify them as your own – just put your initials on them somewhere.