Suggested Supplies

You probably already have everything you need, and you will not necessarily use all of the supplies mentioned here.  This list is more of a reminder of what can be used, than a shopping list.  

Cutting Tools:   scissors, craft knife and replacement blades (necessary if you want to make a niche in your book), hole punch (useful for adding danglies and charms), and don't forget a cutting mat.

Adhesives:  there are so many to choose from, and you probably have several.  A good paper adhesive of course (some suggestions:  PVA glue, PPA (Perfect Paper Adhesive).  Gel Medium is an excellent all purpose adhesive, and will hold embellishments down. It can also be used with acrylic paint to make a glaze.   If you’re adhering metal or very heavy objects, E6000 is excellent.   For light weight papers, a glue stick is fine.  Mod Podge works well too, if that’s what you have.     Sticky tape is best to use with folding techniques – it really holds the papers in place.    For masking sections of your pages,  lo-tack tape like painter's tape is excellent.  It will mask without ripping off the area when you remove it.

To add texture:  think household items:  bubble wrap, plastic wrap, cardboard, paper towels, sponges…..all can add texture to a painted surface.

To add color:  acrylics, inks, pastels, colored pencils, markers, sprays….anything goes. And don’t forget the paintbrushes.  Inexpensive ones are fine.

Rubber Stamps:  if you have them, they can be used to create backgrounds, focal points, etc.  As for the ink you use, just bear in mind that if you are going to be adding color later on with water based materials, you’ll want to stamp with a permanent ink so your image won’t smear.

Paper:  cardstock, wrapping paper, music sheets, old text, scrapbook paper, tissue paper…..

For collage:  clipart, magazine pages, old postcards, calendars, copies of old photos.  There are also lots of free graphics available on the internet.

Embellishments:  fibers, beads,brads, buttons, charms, wire, ribbon, lace, old costume jewelry, coins, keys, game pieces, postage stamps,  hardware store items such as washers, bits of metal, small hinges.  If you are a scrapbooker or card maker, you probably have a lot of embellishments that can be used in an AB.