Martha Stewart Score Board and Envelope Tool

[ via: Michael's.com ]

When I got into card making, I had no idea about all the fancy tools and accessories that were available for me. Walking into Michael's those first few times was a huge eye-opener for me. 

So far, the most amazing card making tool that I came across is probably a no-brainer to most. A score board. I was unable to find any others in town (curse of a small city!) but the Martha Stewart Scoring Board is perfect for what I was looking for. 

I got mine for $29.99 (cdn) at Michael's, but it's also available on Amazon.com for $16.00 (usd). 

*Note: Link above will always show current price

I haven't had time to play around with it too much yet but I am amazed at how easy it is now to make my own envelopes. That was the one thing I hated about card-making. Now, with my scoring board and envelope tool, I can have a perfect envelope made in less than 5 minutes. It took me a couple of tries to get used to it, but it's very easy to get the hang of. 

Three tips for when you're first trying it out (things I wasn't careful with!): 

• Hold the paper nicely in place - if it moves at all your lines aren't straight.
• Don't press too hard when you get to the end of the paper (or if you're using really thin paper) or it will rip a little
• Use 'garbage' or scrap paper for your first couple of tries, just in case you do happen to make a mistake somewhere. 

Overall, it's well worth the money I spent on it and I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase. I don't know why I even bothered with card making before this. 

What is your favorite paper crafting tool? 

(Note: This post is 100% my own opinions. I was in no way compensated for this post, nor was I asked to make the post)