Acid Free:   Refers to paper and other items that do not contain acids. Acids can cause paper to discolor, become inflexible, and eventually turn brittle over time. Acid can also destroy photographs or various other elements if it comes in contact with them. If preserving your projects for years to come is important to you, you should avoid the use of paper and other items that are not labeled "acid free".

To be considered Acid Free, an object must have a pH level of 7 or above.

Artist Trading Cards:  ATC stands for Artist Trading Card. As their name indicates, ATC are collectables, a brilliant idea born of the older sports-themed trading cards. The one rule that makes an ATC derives from their origins: the dimensions of the ATC must be 2.5" x 3.5", or 64 x 89 mm.

To this rule are appended a couple of conventions. First, an ATC mustn't be sold, only exchanged, as the whole essence of these tiny works of art is about artists meeting (by correspondence or online if need be) and exchanging their works, thus meeting many artists and getting exposed to many personal styles. Second, on the back of each ATC the artist writes part or all of the following information: name, contact information, title of the ATC and number (1/8, 2/8...) if it's part of an edition. By definition ATCs are made in limited numbers, often no more than one of a kind. Unique ATCs are called originals; sets of identical ATCs are called editions and are numbered; sets of ATCs that are based on one theme but that are different are called series.

Cardstock:   A thick, sturdy paper that is available in a variety of weights; commonly used in scrapbooking and paper crafts. This paper is the thickness of most index cards and comes in many colors and textures.

Decoupage:   Decoupage is a popular method used in crafting and card making as well as home decor. The actual definition of decoupage is: "the art of decorating surfaces by applying cut-outs of paper and coating with several layers of a clear finish such as varnish or lacquer."

The art of decoupage was developed many years ago and was very popular in Victorian times where people would use decoupage to decorate furniture and other household objects.

3D Decoupage is a particular type of Decoupage and could be described as multiple layering of printed images to create a 3 dimensional picture.

Die Cut:   A method for punching or cutting out any special shapes by using a metal form that is called a die. Also used to refer to the cut out shape. Can be used with paper or fabric.

Dimensional Paint:   High quality, "puffy" paint that usually comes in a squeeze bottle for ease of use. It is traditionally used as fabric paint but sticks well to most surfaces. Available in a large selection of colors and styles.

Dry Embossing:   Dry embossing, also called relief embossing, is done by tracing a stencil with a special tool, called a stylus. The result is a stunning, raised pattern on the object you are embossing.

Emboss:   A technique which creates a raised (3-dimensional) image on paper. The two most popular ways to emboss is with the use of heat and powder or a stencil and stylus. You can also emboss on fabric.

Embossing Ink:   A thick, slow-drying ink used for heat embossing. It can be either clear or have a light pastel tint.

Embossing Powder:   A fast-melting powder used to create a raised design using the heat emboss technique. The powder is sprinkle on a stamped design and melted with a heat source to create the raised image.

Heat Embossing:   An embossing technique using a stamp, embossing or pigment ink pad, embossing powder, and a heat source.

Heat Gun:   A tool that directs heat to a precise area without producing air (such as that from a hair blow dryer). It is used for melting the powder while heat embossing.

Laminate:   A thin, transparent plastic coating applied to paper, cardstock, or other material to provide a protective covering and give it a glossy finish.

Often times laminating is accomplished by using a machine called a Laminator which can either be cold or a hot laminator which uses heat to seal the plastic.

Light Box:   Back-lit frame with a translucent face of plastic or glass used to transmit light through an image for the purpose of tracing and also slide viewing. Used with embossing to view the stencil lines under the sheet of paper.

Matting and Layering:   The use of layers of differnt coloured card or paper to build up a frame around a central picture or design.

Parchment:   This was originally a writing surface made from animal skins; today parchment is made from cellulose fiber paper by treating it with sulfuric acid. Parchment paper is characterized by a hard, smooth surface, it is stronger than regular paper, and resistance to grease and dirt.

Pastel:   A chalk-like crayon made from ground pigment with a binder added. Pastels offer more brilliant colors than crayons without the drying time of paint. They are available in varying degrees of hardness; the softer the pastel the brighter the color, but the sfoter pastels are more prone to smearing. A fixative can be applied to help prevent smudging.

A drawing created from these crayons is also called a pastel.

The word pastel is also used to indicate a pale color.

Rubber Stamping:   Rubber stamping, also called stamping, is a craft in which some type of ink made of dye or pigment is applied to an image or pattern that has been carved, molded, or vulcanized, onto a sheet of rubber. The rubber is often mounted onto a more stable object such as a wood or an acrylic block. The ink coated rubberstamp is then pressed onto any type of medium to transferthe design to the medium.

Stylus:   A pen-like instrument used to make dots of paint, emboss, or transfer a design. It is usually used in embossing or to make lines and script on parchment or vellum.

Stencil:   A template made by cutting a design into a stiff paper, plastic, cardboard, or metal.

A method of applying a design by brushing ink or paint through the cut out areas of a template so that the pattern will be reproduced on the surface placed below.

Stencils can also be placed below the item to be stenciled to make a relief print, also called relief embossing.

Vellum:   Real vellum is made from the skin of young livestock, but the kind usually referred to in crafts and scrapbooking is paper that is specially treated so it has some translucency.

 Please feel free to email us at mail@badredruby.com with any hints or tips you would like to be included on this page and if you have any queries on craft terms or definitions.