Cardmaking glossary

• Acetate – A thin transparent film used commonly in papercraft
• Aperture – An aperture is a shaped hole cut from the front of a base card
• Bone folder – A tool used to make a neat, sharp crease in paper or card
• Découpage – There are two very different découpage techniques. The first is the art of creating a 3D image from paper layers. The smaller parts of a repeated image are cut out and layered on top of the original image with foam pads. The second is when pieces of découpage paper are used to cover an object, usually using watered-down PVA glue or Mod Podge
• Die cutting – A die-cutting machine cuts out shapes from paper or card. The machine sandwiches metal dies (templates) over your chosen card, which is then fed through a roller by turning a handle on the machine
• Distressing – A technique where card or paper is distressed with a tool to create a rough-edged, aged finish
• Distress Inks – These water-based inks from Ranger can be used to give a distressed look to your card edges - you can view our handy guide to cardmaking inks, here
• Embossing – This technique adds a raised image, pattern or greeting. It is often done by hand using a stencil or board with an embossing tool
• Embossing folder – This plastic folder has a raised design on one side and an indented design on the other. Place card inside the folder and run through a die-cutting machine using the correct plates to emboss
• Faux stitching – This involves using a fineliner pen to imitate stitches by drawing lines
• Foam pads – These are tiny, sticky fixers used to give a 3D effect when attaching panels to a base card, or between layers of découpage
• Fussy cutting – In papercraft, this means using scissors to cut out an image or motif from patterned paper
• Gel press plates – Soft plates made from durable gel that capture fine textures from paint or ink
• Glossy Accents – A clear, three-dimensional gloss made by Ranger. Use it to accent and protect distinct areas of your projects
• Heat embossing – This technique creates a shiny, raised effect on a stamped image. Stamp using a slow-drying ink such as VersaMark, sprinkle over with embossing powder and tap off the excess before gently heating with a heat tool. You can find out more about embossing powders and project inspiration, here
• Iris folding – This involves building up an image using folded strips of paper. It’s a great way to use up any paper scraps
• Kraft card – This is light brown, usually recycled, card that is used for layering with backing papers
• Masking – This involves covering an area of card (often with a Post-it note) before stamping or colouring so that the colour or image underneath the area is unaffected
• Punches – These are used to punch out shapes to decorate cards. There is a huge variety available, including border punches and nesting punches
• Shaker card – A shaker card is a type of card that has a clear window which is filled with various beads and/or glitter. The card can then be shaken to see the embellishments move. Find out how to make your own shaker card, here
• VersaMark ink – A thick, clear ink that dries slowly, which is used in stamping and heat embossing
• Vellum – A translucent or semi-translucent parchment paper