The long wait is almost over! We have confirmed the arrival date of the Scor-Pal Scor Buddies! As you know, Scor Pal had a tremendous response to their travel size Scor-Pal, the Scor Buddy, and they sold out of their first shipment last summer. The Scor-Buddies have been shipped and we will be receiving our shipment on Tuesday, November 16th! We will be shipping orders in the order we receive them. We are also running a special on the Scor-Pal. It is only $29.99 until the end of the year. Both the Scor-Buddy and the Scor-Pal make great Christmas gifts!

Thanks for your patience and Happy Scorin!.

Marcie

The Scor-Buddy is the perfect portable scoring tool. It is a mini version of the Scor-Pal and simply the BEST for Card Making. It is ideal for invitations, cards, small gift boxes and so much more. Comes with FREE Scor-Tool in a snap in holder and a faux sued storage bag. The Scor Buddy is lightweight and portable, great for taking to your crop parties. It has grooves every 1/4 inch across the board, plus 1/8 inch for the first and last inch of the board. It measures approximately 9×7.5.

To read more or purchase the Scor-Buddy or any other products from Scor-Pal click on link below:

Scor-Buddy

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View Scor-Buddy on youtube.

WHAT IS SCORING: Scoring breaks down the fibers in the paper and allows it to bend and fold accurately without creasing other part of the paper, making your fold EXACT!

From Scor-Pal to Crafters Companion to Scor-It-All to Martha Stewarts Scoring Board, we have had many questions flying about what is the BEST scoring tool out there or if there is really a difference in which one you should buy.

So here at CutAtHome.com we did our own investigation visiting forums, talking to owners, designers, and of course most important YOU the PAPER CRAFTERS! Here is what we found out. Many like the Crafters Companion because of its options (i.e. envelopes),but complain that it does not have the deep channels like the Scor-pal. With deeper channels the score line makes for easier scoring and not having to press so hard. The Scor Pal is lines with a scoring tool, thus the “learning curve” is much easier. The crafters Companion is geared towards the paper crafter that is okay with complexity and a large learning curve. It is also double the price of the Scorpal because of everything it comes with and does.

Okay lets talk about the new MS scoring tool (Martha Stewart Scoring Board). This is the newest scoring tool on the market and is less in cost than all, but also has the most complaints. When scoring it tends to jump out of the tracks if you don’t push down really, really, hard. This is due to the flimsy material it is made out of. If you are planning on doing ONE project and then will never do card folding again, then this is an option. The other thing we’ve seen across the message boards is that eighth inch marks are VERY confusing. Here is another good article on Scor-Pal & Martha Stewart Scoring Board

There was NOT much talk about Scor-It-All (Scor-It) Tool that we could find other than what the owners say, which is it comes in 5 different styles ranging from 6 inches to 36 inches. It has a ruler function that seems to be useful. We also read through a bunch of reviews online and Scor-Pal still was favored by majority and that the Scor-It-All was more sturdy, but more difficult to use. If you are wanting to score chip board or other REALLY hard materials this could be an option. Here are what other people are saying that had a debate on Craft Critique: Scor-Pal vs Scor-It

Why Cut@Home chose to carry the SCOR-PAL over the others?

1. More sturdy with two side rails, which help with stability and compatible for right and left handed people.
2. Wider Deeper Grooves so tool does NOT jump rail. And helps with scoring thicker materials. Has been tested for depth perfection over & over. (see image to the right)
3. Quick measurements at every half inch making it SIMPLE to score.
4. Easy access to the tool on top of board and Multiple scores w/o having to move the paper.
5. Many accessory items also offered like the Scor-Mat and Scor-Bug.
6. The Price is affordable for the excellent quality you receive &  so much more!!!

CONCLUSIONS:

If you don’t need anything fancy and want a scoring board and tool that is EASY to use and practical, but built with quality and durable enough to score through MOST materials for an affordable price, we feel the Scor-Pal is the BEST OPTION! Read more about Scor-Pal… or see the NEW Scor-Buddy, which is portable and ideal for card making, invitations, and small gift boxes! Grooves are at every 1/4 inch. (Arriving in second week of June, but available for Pre-Order).

Cut@Home Team

Feel free to comment below!

This stuff is amazing! I am in love with Scor-Tape and the 1/4″ is what I use most!

It is absolutely the easiest thing to use for applying ribbon, paper strips or fabric for borders. It is also great to use on photo mats if you want them to stay in place! So many uses!

Easy to apply, all you do is place it where you want it to go, peel off the backing, then apply whatever it is you want on top! No sticky glue on your fingers! No break in the adhesive because you didn’t run it right! No puckering of paper or ribbon! This is a “Must have” for card makers and scrapbookers alike!

Scor-Pal has been out of stock on the 1/4″ Scor-Tape, however, I am happy to report it is back in stock and we just got a large shipment! So give it a try if you haven’t already and let me know what you think.

Have a good weekend and I will see you Monday.

Carrie

Here is some helpful Scor-Pal instructions, card making tips, paper information, brochure folds, gate fold cards, diagonal scoring, ruler markings, non standard scores, and letterpress scoring!  The Scorpal is the most versatile scoring tool that makes folding and scoring simple for all paper crafts and cards. It is specifically designed to fit the grooves so the card stock can not ever be torn while you are scoring.

Instructions on How To Use the Scor-Pal

1. Place Scor-Pal on a flat surface with ruler at the top.
2. Place cardstock on the scoring surface. The sides and the top act as fences to properly align your paper for accurate scoring. Align with the top and either side fence depending on the size of cardstock that you are using.
3. There are notches at the beginning of each score line to show you where the groove begins. With one hand holding the cardstock, hold the scoring tool as you would a pen or pencil (45 degree angle). Note: When working with double sided Designer paper that has a white core, lower the angle of the tool (30 degrees).
4. Carefully draw the scoring tool down the paper, using an even pressure.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The first time you use Scor-Pal practice on a piece of scrap cardstock to determine the amount of pressure needed for your “hand”. To clean your Scor-Pal, wipe with a damp cloth. Dry thoroughly before using.

Card Making Tips and Scrapbook Paper Information Before Scoring with Scor-Pal

TIP ONE:
One of the key benefits of Scor-Pal is the ability to score multiple score lines at the SAME TIME, WITHOUT MOVING THE PAPER! This is a card makers dream because it is invaluable when making grid, reverse grid cards, gate fold, accordion folds, brochure/flyer scoring, box making, origami, iris folding and BOXES galore!

*When possible, always score with the grain of the paper. Cup the paper in your hands bringing the sides together. If it bends easily this is the grain of the paper. Turn the paper in the other direction.

If you repeat the same action, the paper will not bend as easily. You will actually feel a slight resistance as it is bending “against the grain”. On a piece of cardstock 8 ½” x 11” the grain of the paper is usually down the 11” length. In  most cases the grain of the paper is with the longest side, “grain long”. The paper fibers run in this direction. For a 12” x 12” paper do the “grain of paper” test explained previously. Another easy way to test for the grain is by tearing the paper. With the grain will give you a straighter tear.

TIP TWO:
It is best to  fold your card so that the score line is to the OUTSIDE of the fold. The bump goes to the inside. This gives a neater appearance to the inside of the fold. When you make the score line you are spreading the paper fibers ready for the fold. If you fold so the score line is to the inside you are squashing the fibers you just spread apart. If you check a package of 3″ x 3″ folded cards from Stampin Up you will see that the indentation is on the textured side of the cardstock. This reinforces,you fold so the score line is to the outside of the fold with textured side out.

TIP THREE:
When making accordion folds score at intervals, then turn the paper over and score in between the previous scores i.e.  a one inch accordion along an 11” length, score at 1”, 3”, 5”, 7” and 9”. Turn the paper over, score at 2”, 4”, 6”, 8” and 10”. The indentation is the mountain fold.

If you are making the standard A2 card, 4 1/4” x 5 1/2”, score the full eleven inch length at 4 1/4” then cut the cardstock at 5 1/2”. This way you are saving time by only scoring once to make two cards.

Brochure Fold – Dividing an eleven inch length into thirds

To divide an 11” length into thirds use the grooves marked with the inverted triangles. These are perfect grooves for brochure and letter folding or accordion booklets. The grooves are 3.666” and 7.333” from the left fence. Further flatten the edges with the Scor-Tool to have the folded paper or cardstock lie flat.

Gate Fold Cards

Use the grooves marked with a small dot. They are at 2 1/8” and 6 3/8” from the left fence.

Diagonal Scoring

For diagonal scoring ensure that both corners are aligned to the same groove on your Scor-mat. The ruler markings along each side fence will help with scoring a 12” piece of paper on the diagonal. Align the page with the 6” groove using the side measurements as a reference for centering.

Ruler Markings along side fences

Use the markings to quickly ensure your paper has been cut straight. Use the Scor-Pal as a ruler. Lay down a scrap piece of cardstock and you can quickly tell its
width and height.

Non – Standard Scores

You are not limited to half inch measurements. Eighth inch markings are between 0 -1″ and 11½”. By aligning the left side of your paper to eighth inch markings  1/8” and 1/16” etc scores are possible.

Letterpress scoring

Scor-Pal produces a score line similar to a letterpress score. A letterpress is basically the same type of machine used to foil-stamp and emboss. It is a press that uses pressure to create a pattern. A letterpress operates with a “male” scoring rule, in our case the Scor-Tool, a “female” channel, the groove and the paper in between. When the rule is pressed into the channel, it raises a ridge on the inside of the fold. The ridge acts as a hinge, making the paper easier to fold and ensuring a clean, straight, and durable result. A letterpress score affords the cleanest and most accurate fold possible. Although you can score in any direction, it’s harder and riskier to go against the grain or across areas with heavy ink coverage. The need for scoring depends on the particular grade, finish and basis weight of your paper.