Craft Directory

There are so many different craft techniques and terminologies and in my working day I get ask so often what something means so have decided to create a craft dictionary to help crafter to keep up with the laters sayings.

I have a link for each letter so just click on the specific letter of the Craft Directionary to find what you are looking for.

If you have any that I have missed please Email Me! and I will add them to the lis

A B C D E F G H

I J K L M N O P

Q R S T U V W X

Y Z

---------------------------------------------------------------

A

Acid-free: Means the product has a pH of 7 or higher. Acid is a chemical used to make paper. This makes the paper break down easily. The higher the pH in the paper, the more durable the paper is. If the paper you are using contains acid, it can discolor, damage, and deteriorate your photos

Acetate: Many people use the term “acetate film” to generically refer to plastic film. However, acetate film is really a specific type of plastic material called cellulose acetate.It is made of a polymer that is made from wood-pulp and or cotton fibers. Cellulose Acetate comes in 2 derivatives, Di-Acetate and Tri-Acetate. Grafix Plastics is one of the largest stocking converters of Cellulose Di-Acetate in North America. We also stock Tri-Acetate but in a lesser variety or quantity as Di-Acetate.

Acetate film is produced by 2 mechanical methods. Solvent Casting or Forced Extrusion. Solvent cast or Cast Acetate is the type of acetate we stock at Grafix Plastics, because of its superior clarity and surface qualityBecause Acetate is made from wood-pulp, it has certain attributes that are sometimes desirable and sometimes something you want to avoid.... depending on your application.

Adhesive: Glues or tapes that hold items together. Adhesives come in different forms, including, tabs, glue sticks, double stick tape, and glue dots. Some adhesives are removable to allow you to reposition them.


Archival quality: This term is used to describe the quality of the paper or material. This insures the product you are using will not discolor or disintegrate over time.

B

Buffering: This process is used in adding calcium carbonate to neutralize acids. Paper that has been buffered contains alkaline filler. This will protect the paper from absorbing acids in the future.

C

Cropping: To crop a photo, means to cut out the elements you do not wish to display. This will take away any distractions from your subject. There are several ways to crop your photos. The most common way is to use a straight edge. This can be achieved with a paper cutter or scissors.

D

Die Cuts: Die cuts are paper cut outs used to enhance your scrapbook pages. They come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. You can purchase die cuts in a craft store or other retail stores. You can customize your own die cuts using a die cut machine.

E

Emboss: A technique used to create a raised image on paper. Heat and powder embossing are the two most popular ways to emboss.

F

G

Gauge:
The word gauge refers to a scale or standard of measurement and in the sense implied here refers to the measurement of the thickness or diameter of a wire. It is also used as a standard of quality, capacity or dimension. The term wire gauge can refer to one of two things, it can refer to the device used in measuring the width and diameters of wires or it can refer to a standard system defining wire sizes.

The gauge to measure wire sizes generally consists of a round disc or an elongated plate with slots cut into its periphery to accommodate wires of different sizes. Gauges do not specify just the width of a wire in certain cases they determine the electric carrying capacity of the wire as well.

H

I

Inking: This is a technique to use to create a different type of image on your scrapbook pages. Inking can also give an antique or weathered look to your page.

J

Journaling: This can be used to document your feelings, memories, or tell a story about the photo you are displaying. It can be as simple as writing the names and dates of the event in your scrapbook.

K

L

Lignin-free: Paper that is lignin-free will not disintegrate or become brittle over time. You should use paper that is acid-free and lignin-free in your scrapbook.

M

Mat: To frame a photo with paper so there is a layer between the photo and the background. Cardstock is used in this process. You can use printed or plain background paper. Use a color that stands out in your photo.

Mylar: Mylar is a protective covering to use for your scrapbook photos.

N

O

P

Page Protector: A page protector is a plastic cover to insert your pages into. This can be removed to design your scrapbook page and replaced once it is done.

pH: pH is the amount of acid your paper contains. The pH in scrapbook paper should be at least 7. The higher the number is the lower the acid amount.

Photo safe: This label is used on products that are safe for scrapbooks. This term is used to indicate acid-free and lignin-free products.

PVC free: PVC stands for Polyvinyl chloride, a plastic used in sheet protectors. Scrapbooking products should be PVC free.

Q

R

S

Sandy Art: uses coloured sand applied on an adhesive base to make gorgeous greetings cards.

T

Templates: Templates come in acrylic or plastic sheets with cut out shapes. They can be used to crop photos or too cut your cardstock into the shape you desire.

U

V

W

X

Y

Z