So you want to do hybrid...

Hi everyone! Sally here to talk about hybrid stuff! Ok! So you've decided you want to jump into the hybrid game. Now what? What do you need to get started? What I've done for today is compile my top list of things you need for hybrid. Now, having said that, let me remind you that you CAN do hybrid with nothing more than a color printer, a pair of scissors, and some glue. This list is a bit more comprehensive, and the further you go down the list, the less "must have" the items become. Ok, so here we go!
The first thing you need is card stock or matte photo paper. I use Canon MP-101 for matte paper, and just whatever card stock I can find at Wal Mart or Office Depot that's on sale.

I didn't photograph the card stock, because mine is out of the package and stored in a drawer, and who wants a photo of plain white card stock? Like I said, any cardstock is fine.

The next thing you need is a self healing cutting mat. These are available at most craft stores such as Michael's or Hobby Lobby. You can sometimes find them in Wal Mart in the quilting section. I don't have a photo of one of these, and the reason why? Well, because I don't have one. The closest Michael's and Hobby Lobby to me are an hour away, and I haven't made the trip yet. Our Wal Mart didn't have a self healing mat, so I'm currently using one that doesn't heal, and it's really cut to bits. So, that being said, you don't HAVE to have one, you can use a piece of cardboard or anything really, just make sure you protect your desk/table/etc.

Now you need something to cut and score with. I use an X-Acto knife for 80% of my cutting. I love that I can make precise cuts with it, and I have more control than with scissors. You can find X-Acto knives in most tool kits. They also carry them at Wal Mart in the hardware department. I found this cute hot pink one in the scrapbooking section there. They can also be purchased at most any craft store. You will also need a scoring tool. Notice the butter knife in the picture below? I'm too cheap to buy a scoring tool, so I just use the back of the knife to score my projects. Scoring tools can be found at any scrapbooking or craft store.


Now you really do need a good pair of scissors. Sometimes a project does call for scissors, and until you have experience with using the exacto knife, cutting curved lines can sometimes be easier with scissors. You'll also need a ruler. They're great for helping cut straight lines, and I use them to make sure my score lines are nice and straight. I line the ruler up with the line I want to score, then run my butter knife along the edge of the ruler.


Up next....glue. Now you can do hybrid projects just fine with a glue stick. I don't recomment liquid glue except for attaching heavier things like buttons to a project, because liquid glue wrinkles card stock or photo paper. My preference, and really the easiest way to go, is a glue runner. They have a highly sticky adhesive attached to rollers and you just run the roller over your surface and attach what you're gluing, and you have an instant bond. Glue runners are fairly inexpensive and can be found at any craft store or Wal Mart scrapbooking section.


Now we're on to the fun stuff. Another thing I find really important for my hybrid is ink. I ink the edges of almost ALL my hybrid projects. It gives a finished look to them, and is also very handy for disguising scoring lines from templates. Ink pads can be found at craft stores, and Wal Mart scrapbooking sections. This one is from Martha Stewart, and comes with six different colored inks. I use mostly brown and black ink on my projects, so you could also just get one or two single ink pads.


These last three things are the fun stuff about hybrid. You can add them to your projects for extra punches of fun and color, and they make really cute additions to any project. These are my top 3 favorite hybrid embellishements.


Ribbon

Flowers

Buttons

For attaching buttons to projects, I suggest Aleene's clear gel Tacky Glue. Buttons are just a bit heavy for the glue runner or a glue stick to attach them firmly. A hint about Aleene's though, a little goes a VERY long way, so use it sparingly.

I hope this gives you all a better idea of what you might need to jump fully into the world of hybrid. If you have ANY questions, post them here as a comment and either I, or one of Jennifer's other hybrid girls would love to help you out! I know that in the beginning hybrid can be a little intimidating. When I first started hybrid I was scared to death! But, it really is so much fun, and watching something come together as a finished project you can actually touch, is awesome. So go get yourself a few hybrid supplies, and jump on in, I promise once you start, you'll be totally addicted!