Cardmaking Glossary

Acid Free
Products free of acid at the time of manufacture. Acid weakens the cellulose in paper over time, causing deterioration and discolouration.

Anti-static pad
Swipe or dab over your card to eliminate static, and those annoying stray bits of embossing powder that should be carefully brushed away. Recommended for dark coloured card.

Archival Ink
Acid free, fade resistant, quick drying, waterproof ink won't bleed damage paper or photographs. Ideal for archival projects.

Art Wire
Permanent coloured copper wire, available in a variety of colours and gauges (thickness). Great for embellishments and bindings.

Brayer
A soft rubber roller, used for producing backgrounds.

Craft Knife
A sharp knife with pinted replaceable blades, used for precision cutting

Crafty Stickers
Foil or plastic stickers, usually available on a sheet or foil. Simply peel off and stick on your project. Available in different colours and themes.

Cutting Mat
A self healing cutting mat, used to protect your work surface when using a craft knife.

Double Sided Mounting Tape / 3D Tape
Double sided adhesive foam tape. Apply to the back of a cut out image to raise it above the main image, creating a three dimensional effect.

Dove Blender Pen
A fibre nibbed pen with clear, blending ink. Great for blending colours together to give your colouring in a professional look. Replacement nibs and ink available. The ink can also be embossed.

Dye Ink
Quick drying, water based ink.

Embossing Powder
A fine plastic powder that will adhere to wet inks and tacky surface. The powder melts on heating to form a raised, glossy finish.

Foil
A foil attached to a plastic film. When rubbed over a tacky surface (eg. Sailor glue pen, embossing tape, jac paper) the foil adheres to the sticky surface leaving a shiny, foil finish to your projects.

Glitter
Shiny ornamental metal fragments, available in a huge range of colours and different grades.

Glitter Glue
Glitter suspended in glue. Available in a variety of colours and brands, in pen form or in a fine nozzle applicator bottle.

Gold Leaf
Gold flakes that adhere to tacky glues, tape, sheets and transfers.

Heat Gun
A tool that produces hot air (without the wind!), allowing projects to be heated as required (used for melting embossing powder).

Jac Paper
A double sided glued paper. Heat resistant

Layer
To place card or paper of increasing sizes around an image, creating a frame around it.

Liquid Applique
a paint that expands and 'puffs up' on heating, available in a number of colours in an applicator pen.

Liquid Pearls
A pearlescent three dimensional paint. Available in a variety of colours in a fine nozzled application bottle. You can also add water and use as a pearlescent paint.

Lumieres
A permanent opaque pigment paint, available in a range of colours including some great metallics.

Mask
A paper cut out of a stamped image. Cut out slightly inside the outer line.

Masking
Stick the mask over an original stamped image on card, using a temporary glue. Stamp the second image partially over the masked image. When the mask is removed the second image will appear to be behind the first one.

Metallic Rub-Ons
A metallic paint that can be rubbed onto your projects, for metallic highlighting. Available in packs in various colour combinations.

Metal Shim
A thin sheet of metal, pliable enough to shape with a shaping tool. Can be cut easily with scissors and also stamped and embossed. Available in a variety of colours.

Pearl Ex
A non toxic pearlescent pigment powder. Can be mixed with other mediums or rubbed over your stamped projects. Available in many colours.

Pigment Ink
Acid free, non toxic, fade resistant, archival, water based ink. Thick and slow drying to allow embossing powder to adhere to it. Won't dry on gloss paper.

Quick Laminate
A thick plastic sheet with one adhesive surface. Items can be placed between two sheets with the adhesive surface together for quick laminating. Different brands available.

Scoring
To break the surface fibres of card / paper to allow neat, precise folding of the card without creases or buckling.

Scoring Tool
Tool used to score card, some made from bone, others plastic.

Shrink Plastic
A plastic sheet that shrinks and thickens on heating. Can be cut easily with scissors and stamped on prior to shrinking.

Stamp Positioner
A T or L shaped tool used to enable the stamper to place the stamped image in the exact position desired.

Stipple
To apply a light layer of ink using a large stipple brush. Apply ink to the brush by gently tapping it onto the ink pad. Apply ink to paper by repeating the same movement.

Tombows
A brand of double ended water based art markers, huge range of colours available.

UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel)
A large grain embossing powder. When melted the powder 'beads up' creating a bumpy texture. Further layers smooth out once heated to create the appearance of a glazed tile.

VersaMark Ink
Acid free, oil based, non toxic, clear ink. Creates a translucent 'watermark' on card and paper. Also great as an embossing ink or resist ink. A very versatile pad.