Scissor review

Okay So I really like tools. I buy way too many. I have to try out the latest and greatest. This obsession sometimes gets in the way of my bizarre cheapness. Despite the fight between these natural traits of mine, I still have managed to amass massive amounts of tools. I think this harks back to my days as a studio goldsmith. All of the tools were specialized and expensive... but oh sooooo cool!
  Anyway....where was I... Oh yeah... scissor review. As we all know having a nice sharp pair of scissors is very important. Most people think that any old pair will do. Oooooh no.... I regularly use 5 different pair. And yes I get VERY annoyed when I see people using my scissors to cut things that they were not intended.

Forgive my messy work area!

(1) Cheapo dollar store scissors. I use these to cut all of those nasty things that I should not be using scissors for... Tin, aluminum, sand paper...etc.

(2) Tonic Non-stick Serrated scissors.  These are the one's to reach for when you need to cut thick stuff, leather, cardboard, plastics, and rubber. The non-stick is rather handy when it comes to cutting things with adhesive already on them. The serrated part is not my favorite. The cut edge is not as smooth as I would like. But The serration keeps the scissors from dulling when cutting the chunky stuff. I suppose function has won over form.

(3) Fiskars Titanium Fabric scissors. I LOVE these. They are super sharp. I cut nothing but fabric with these. anyone who works with fabric knows that you should reserve scissors for just this purpose. There is nothing more frustrating then trying to get dull blades through expensive cloth. Titanium is harder then tool steel, so these will keep their edge longer.

(4)  Tim Holtz signature Tonic studio Non-stick micro Serrated scissors.. (whew!) These puppies are awesome. I use these medium duty scissors for pretty must all of my paper cutting needs. they are my work horse. I was a bit standoffish about the Micro serration, but it is so fine that you don't really notice. The non-stick, once again, is quite the bonus.

(5) Cutter Bee micro scissors. I like to think of these as my traveling pair. I use them only for sewing threads, and I sew all over the house, on the road, where ever. So these little buggers have done some traveling. The blades are very sharp and the tang is very pointed so they are excellent for sewing threads. I love the fact that they are yellow. They spend a lot of time on my bench among all the rest of the detritus covering my work area.

Book Review: Paper Transformed

Julia Andrus's book Paper Transformed is one of my favorite technique based books. There are hundreds of swatches of useful techniques for altering paper. Her instructions are clear and to the point. Probably the bast part is that she doesn't use a lot of expensive equipment or supplies. Most items can be found at your local craft/art store.

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