Card making supplies and tools
Scissors, a paper trimmer, paper and glue. I wonder if people made cards 4,000 years ago. Well, in that case, they didn't have scissors, paper and glue sitting around. Card making supplies for 4,000 years ago: Chisel and flat stone. A chisel and stone? Can you imagine having organizers for stones? Alphabetize all your stones? Leaving that aside (thankfully).... Okay, where was I? ...Right. Onward to the basics ... Scissors With so many types of scissors on the market, well, how are you supposed to know which are the best? Try going to the craft stores where they sell scissors and card making supplies for paper crafts and check them out for yourself, as this is one of those very individual, personal choices you have to make. 
Measuring your paper with a ruler, and drawing the outline of where you want to cut is one method of sizing your paper using the straight-edged scissors. For more interesting decorative effects, you can get deckle-edged scissors to cut interesting looking edges on your paper. Paper trimmers Frankly, I much prefer this method to cutting my paper to size with scissors. Most paper trimmers, larger or smaller, have a ruler for you to measure your paper size. It's so much faster. You can save your patience for the other details that you add to your cards later in the process. Some paper trimmers come with a deckle-edged rolling blade. Glues and adhesives This is a truly sticky subject. What kind of glue? There are so many types of glues and adhesives on the market it could make you dizzy. Glue technology - it is always evolving. One thing you really want is something that can glue paper to paper without creating the waviness from moisture on either piece. When you are adding embellishments to your cards, you will need to have special adhesives for certain types of items, whether it is beads, ribbons, buttons, or craft wire, etc. Experiment, experiment, experiment! I don't know if you have the wear-with-all to do this, but I study my glues. "Glue 101" is right on the labels of each glue bottle. Also, like trying to find scissors, it can be a very individual, personal choice. I ask the sales associates their opinions which I could call "Glue 102." Glue is an amazing thing. Yes, it is an essential card making supply, but where would Civilization be without Glue?? It has puzzled the minds of thoughtful people for centuries...and, I guess it still does! Paper craft adhesive tape This type of tape is sticky on one side and usually is mounted as a roll inside of a dispenser. It is my favorite for attaching paper to paper. It rolls on, and no wrinkles or waviness show up on the papers. It cannot usually be applied very successfully to rice paper, however.
Talk about something that has been on the minds of thoughtful people for centuries, where do we begin when it comes to paper?? Where would card making be without this basic card making supply? Card stock, well that's a good one to start with. It is usually heavier, and the name implies that it is a kind of supporting base, thus a little stiffer, in this case for your card. Plain colored paper. Nothing more to say: it's plain colored paper. Personally, I love papers with the little, kind of mica sparklies in them. And I really love the papers with botanicals embedded in the fibers.
So, you have decided to go Beyond the Basics, have you? Okay, below are some more suggestions for some great card making supplies. Because it deals with the ingredients or components (supplies) that actually go into the card making mix, I think I'll call the next section, Beyond-the-Basics Card Making Supplies If you have done any scrapbooking or card making, you know the myriads of scrapbooking and card making supplies and embellishments on the market today. I think you will have to consider how elaborate or simple you want to be, what types of card designs you want to make, and then choose your supplies from there. Paper folding -- For getting a crisp fold on your paper: A bone folder, or one of those plastic things that you can use to clean pans that hasn't been used to clean pans, of course. Ribbons -- I love ribbons for card making. There are so many beautiful and fanciful ribbons out there for you to embellish your card with. They come sheer, glittery, shiny and fringed. Some have woven patterns, some are just plain colors. 
Fibers -- Glittery fibers, colorful fibers, variegated fibers, furry fibers, like those that you can buy in the knitting/crocheting section of the craft stores. If paper has come a long way, you could say with a fair amount of equanimity: "Yarns have come a long way, baby!" You can even use fabric for your cards.
Label making machines -- By these I mean mechanisms that you can roll your paper shapes, ribbons, pieces of fabric, yes, fabric, or other flat types of embellishments through them that don't already have adhesive. Adhesive is placed on one side of the item, then you can stick it onto your card. These devices have lots of creative potential. Sometimes they are combined with laminating capabilities. Die-cutters - If you love having the freedom to create your own paper embellishments (some die cutters will cut through non-paper items as well), you could invest in one of the smaller types of die-cutters to get quite a variety of shapes to add to your cards. ... and the list of card making supplies from here is, well, ... endless ...
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