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I love SU and have tons of their products which I think are great quality. There are a lot of videos out there with ideas for using their stuff.
My challenge is using other companies products more. I have lovely Memory Box Dies, Cheery Lynn Designs, PTI (believe I don't shop there any more which is too bad because they have great stuff) and have some SparkleNSprinkle products which are lovely and the list goes on.
I have SU as my default mode and everywhere I look I see ideas and tutorials for that so I am stuck in a rut without using my other supplies. Does anyone else feel like this about their go to products be it SU or another company?
I get a little tired of seeing all those SU papers and products beautiful done but I can immediately recognize their paper and stamps. I want to be different sometimes. :grin:
I would like to expand my stamp collection because SU doesn't carry much in the way of cutesy images for coloring, but I won't buy other card stock and inks. I have strayed to save money and found myself coming back for quality. And I won't buy embossing powders other than SU because they don't melt as well and I've had to give them away. I believe it is also easier to find examples to CASE for SU products.
I've never been solely devoted to one manufacturer so I find all the SUO etc. quite amusing, you're just conditioned to think SU first. Challenge yourself to find a card you like and NOT allow yourself to use any SU products. Shop your stash and substitute in your other products. It's easy once you allow yourself to do it.
I have stuff from a lot of different companies... I don't really watch videos or tutorials for making anything. I used to, but that would distract me and get me side-tracked and it would hinder me instead of helping. Once in a while I would need a jump-start for an idea. The most recent example is, I wanted ideas for birthday cards for one-year-olds. So I went to Google images and typed "first birthday cards" and got tons of ideas - not just stamped-card ideas, but a lot of other cards as well - none of them were too product-specific, so I could just rummage around in my stamp collection to find approximations. Maybe you can try Google Images too - just type in whatever it is you want to try to use ("Memory die" for example)...
Stampin Up is not the only company. Rut because it is the first company that you started with?
Just being here on SCS showed me the Wonders of other Companies!!!!
It is NOT that hard to Expand you horizons!!
The Gallery here and Challenges are wonderful tools!!!
__________________ The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. Practice safe eating always use condiments
I own practically no SU products. When I case something I look at it in general then go into my craft room and make something specific with the products I have.
Sometimes I see a stamp or die used in a project and would like to know whose product it is but that is because I like the look of it.
I am not loyal to any one company. And have a tendency to stay away from companies that have a recognizable look to their product.
I never want to recreate exactly what someone else has done. I do appreciate the spark they light and the fact that they make me think outside the box.
I own practically no SU products. When I case something I look at it in general then go into my craft room and make something specific with the products I have.
Sometimes I see a stamp or die used in a project and would like to know whose product it is but that is because I like the look of it.
I am not loyal to any one company. And have a tendency to stay away from companies that have a recognizable look to their product.
I never want to recreate exactly what someone else has done. I do appreciate the spark they light and the fact that they make me think outside the box.
I started with SU but quickly outgrew it. I felt it greatly hindered my creativity because as you say, everything shown is with their products only. Please don't get mad at me but I didn't care for their inks either. Had so much trouble trying to get good coverage on images like solid stamps. I prefer Ranger Archivals. I also didn't like being forced to buy a whole set of stamps just to get the one or two I liked. Years ago when I first started stamping there were a lot more companies to choose from. I used to buy the rubber unmounted and add the cushion and wood block myself. That way I would be able to get stamps at only 1/3 the price. Some companies I really like are BLine Designs, Stampscapes, Serendipity and Stampsmith
Yes they really do! I have a gallery of some of my projects on their website as well as a few youtube videos I did. The stamps are very high quality with lots of helpful info
You all have great ideas for me and I have started to change my way of thinking. I like the idea of looking around my studio at the stuff that I already have, which is a lot. I had already been trying to do that but got lazy and went with my SU stuff. I also admire SU's ability to sell, they really are very good business people. I find all their products of good quality.
I started a long time ago looking at what I have that will work to create projects I see online as a way to stop buying the products in the tutorials.
Thank you all
Someone else mentioned Pinterest. Try searches either by stamp company name, or by theme, ie Butterflies on cards. That way you can case cards that contain stamps you have, but by different manufacturers.
Even though I use 99% of Stampin' Up! products, I personally LOVE looking at cards and techniques using other products. This helps me from getting stuck in a rut of only one style.
Studying the ways others use their products helps me to use mine better, KWIM? SO I think maybe you could enjoy that too. Watch the videos and tutorials that inspire you, and then use whatever supplies you have on hand or the new ones you buy to change it up.
I have made so many mistakes buying clear stamps because they are cute. I have a ton of them and many of them are yucky...cannot get a good image at all. Some brand names and some not. I have tried using an emory board on them. Some it helps some not so much. I unmounted most of my SU stamps and like them better that way. I like whipper snapper stamps very much.
__________________ SuzyQue in Texas Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons
for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.
(borrowed from the quirkey card sayings thread).
Expand card making ideas other than SU
