Stamping 101: Using the Stampin' Trimmer to Cut a Simple Card Base

Today I'm beginning a new series of posts called Stamping 101. I plan to post in this series on Thursdays, and share some basic tips and tricks for using Stampin' Up!'s tools, as well as for stamping and paper-crafting in general. I had high hopes of making this a video series, but my camera (and my children) have not been cooperating. Rather than drop the idea, I decided to go with it anyways using words and pictures. Maybe one day there will be videos. I hope you find these posts helpful, especially if you are new to stamping and paper-crafting. If you have suggestions for future posts in this series, please comment below or send a quick email. I am here to help you out!

I'm going to begin by sharing one of Stampin' Up!'s tools that I use ALL the time, the Stampin' Trimmer.

It is a lot like any paper trimmer you'd find at your local craft store, but it has a few things that set it apart.

• The measurements go all the way down to 1/16", which is really helpful for making accurate measurements and cuts.
• The measurements are on both sides, top and bottom.
• The cutting base is extra wide.
• The trimmer has a pull out ruler, which is a feature you'll find on many other trimmers. However, this one measures up to 14 1/2" instead of only 12", making it even easier to cut a 12" sheet of paper.
• The Stampin' Trimmer comes with two blades - a cutting blade and a scoring blade. The cutting blade is the darker gray and the scoring blade is the lighter gray. What's really nice about this is that you don't have to switch out the blades when you want to use a different one. There is enough room on either side to slide the one you aren't using to the end, and still have room to cut a 12" sheet of paper.
• There is a "secret" storage container on the backside of the trimmer to store things like extra cutting and scoring blades or a bone folder.
• The regular trimmer can be switched out to a rotary trimmer, with several different cutting designs.

So I guess I lied. There is a video today! Stampin' Up! made a video when the rotary trimmer first came out, and I think you'll find it helpful to understand the difference and see the features of the trimmer in action. Thanks, Stampin' Up!, for saving me in the video department!

Like I said earlier, I use this tool all the time! It's main use in my crafting is to cut paper for cards and projects, but it also works really nicely to cut apart those pictures of your kids you order from the photo studio or school pictures. Following are a few simple card bases that I use for most of my greeting cards. These measurements and pictures should help you get started if you have never made your own greeting cards before.

Of course there are many, many fancier folds and styles of cards that you can create. These are just the basics to get you started.

The Stampin' Trimmer is $29.95, and is a great investment. You can purchase it in my online store here. The following accessories are also available:

• Stampin' Trimmer Cutting Blades (set of 2)  $5.95
• Stampin' Trimmer Replacement Cutting Mat  $3.95
• Stampin' Trimmer Rotary Addition  $12.95
• Stampin' Trimmer Rotary Perforated Cutting Blade  $3.95
• Stampin' Trimmer Rotary Small Scallop Cutting Blade  $3.95
• Stampin' Trimmer Rotary Straight Cutting Blades (set of 2)  $5.95
• Stampin' Trimmer Rotary Tiny Wave Cutting Blade  $3.95
• Stampin' Trimmer Scoring Blades (set of 2)  $4.95

Stay tuned for next week's tutorial, when I'll be teaching you about our three different types of stamps.

Happy Stamping!

Rachel