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I am just starting out and I am trying to decide if I should get spots or the full size pads. I don't love all the colors from any of the groups. So should I start slow and buy a couple of the full size ones of those I love? Or get the spots to have many colors?
Also what colors do you use the most? Please list your top 5 (besides black).
The spots are great, but I think you'll get tired of having to move the spot around to ink up the whole stamp, especially if it's a background stamp. I started buying the pads a few at a time after I got my starter kit (I got 6 in my starter kit and I chose all SS colors). Now that I have all but 2 of the colors, I can tell you that I reach constantly for the BB section. Those are my favorites!
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I think it's really going to depend on the colors that you like best. I started with the BB spots first. I really like them. I got the full set of earth elements pads free for a promo thing a little while ago. I find myself reaching for those more than the BB, but that might also be because they're full size pads and I like working them better.
hth
__________________ Heather
Mama to 3 boys! 8yo, 6yo and 5yo!! Stop saying "I can't". You can. You just chose not to.
I have all the spots and I love them! I've been using them for 2+ years now and still haven't gotten the full size pads. I do plan on it, but it's really a matter of space. If you get the Spots, you will have ALL 48 colors to play with. There are some colors I don't use very often, but if you do the color challenges on SCS you will want to have them all. I don't mind the moving the spot around on the back of teh stamp. in fact I have to do that with the full size black pad I have anyway, because it dips down in the middle and I can't get full coverage without looking.
I guess it depends if you want to have all the colors or more of the colors you love.
I only have the normal stamp pads. I've used the spots before and I don't like them. They are tiny! I think they are good if you want to use all the colors and see what you like. I only buy the big pads of the colors that are appealing to me. I know what colors I like to use though. I can't list all the colors I like, because there are several in each color family. I really like the Earth Elements, Rich Regals, and Soft Subtles. There are only a coule of colors in the Bold Brights family that I like to use. It just depends on what you like. Hope this helps.
__________________ Alisha SU! Demo and Mom to Ella, Seth, and Cole My Blog
I started with the full size! I just got the craft spots and while I like them ONLY cause I wouldn't buy the full size craft pads they are little and hard to use!
I find that I use colors seasonally--I use subtles more in the spring, brights in the summer, earths in the fall, and regals more in winter. There are some colors I use throughout the year, however. As far as full-size vs. spots--I have all the full-size classic pads and all the craft spots. I purchased the old style classic pads slowly, and when the new style came out, I bought them all by color family to replace the old-style ones which I sold. There are some colors I still don't use often, however. My suggestion would be to buy the colors you like and you will use frequently and slowly add to your collection. The spots are nice, but if you use a lot of background stamps or larger stamps, it can be a hassle. Now that I have the craft spots and realize how fantastic they are, I'm slowly adding the full-size craft pads in colors I use the most!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kate2kate
Hi,
Also what colors do you use the most? Please list your top 5 (besides black).
Thanks,
Katie
My top 5 are and what I use them with:
Night of Navy (used with Rich Regals and Earth Elements)
White (when using white paper)
Vanilla (when using vanilla paper)
Brown (permanent) (Earth Elements and Rich Regals)
Grey (Soft Subtles, Earth Elements and Rich Regals)
Go with the white fand vanilla or sure. It adds to any card when you just need a little bit of a pop on colored paper. I wouldn't do without one.
I have full size pads for all but the EE colors....not my faves use them enough to warant having "something" but not to buy the whole set of large pads.
I just got all the color families in the spots and I love that I have ALL the colors. They can sometimes be a little more inconvenient when using backgrounds stamps b/c they're big BUT they are VERY easy to store and are very portable.
I will eventutally get the pads but right now I really want to see what colors I use most and just buy those in the pads, I don't want to store 48 pads and only REALLY use 20 of them, ya know?
It's more cost effective to have ALL the colors in spots -vs-the pads to start with. And I can join all the color challenges!!
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I have all spots (craft and classic). I could never have all the full-sized pads in all the colors in both ink types -- I don't have the money (or is that patience), but more importantly I don't have the space.
I love having all the colors and I don't mind that the spots are small, it really doesn't take that long to ink up a stamp (even a background).
In the end though, you really need to do what works for you. If you are a demo (active, not hobby), having full-sized pads will work better for having stamp camps and workshops. Then I would suggest buying a few from the color family of the current season (like maybe getting SS for upcoming spring time - unless of course you live somewhere where spring won't come until May ).
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I have all the classic ink full-sized pads, and all the craft ink in the spots (except white and black which I have in full size). I only use the craft spots for embossing, so the spots are more practical for me.
My top 5 colors right now (around the holidays I use mostly colors from the RR family) are: Night of navy, always arichoke, Elegant eggplant, Ballet Blue and Bravo burgandy. But they change with each season/project.
Tamara
__________________ Proud mom to DD Anjalie (2 1/2), our angel DD Lorelei, and our new arrival DS Tyler... born March 30/06!!!! Married to James for 4 years, together for 7
Only come in full size pads - black, white, vanilla and basic brown - & these are what I consider 'must haves' for every stamper. I have almost all of the full size classic pads & a few full size craft pads (which I ordered my mistake). Just bought all of the craft spots when they were on sale last month. Wanted them for embossing & sometimes the colors are sharper than w/the classics & to try out. They are working great for what I needed & the small size doesn't bother me at all. If I had started with the classic spots probably wouldn't have bought all the full size pads. I don't expect to buy any of the full size craft pads. It's really a personal preference.
Kitty
Katie, I'm new too. I bought the multi pack on the cardstock and found that I'm using colors I didn't think I'd like and I also wasn't crazy about the ink I selected. Oy lol So, now I'm wondering about the ink spots, too.
While on this topic, I was wondering...can the small stamps be single-dipped in the spots? ie. little pieces, watercolor minis. Thanks!
I personally love the spots. I have a few full-sized pads, but I don't even use them. I like having lots of colors to choose from without a big expense. You can also put different colors on the same stamps by just using the corners of the spots.
I started out loving the Bold Brights, but I'm starting to move more to the Rich Regals. It's really a matter of preference.
I went out and bought some non-stampin' up pads in colors that I liked. I will say that I did buy the spots (2 boxes) later on and would start with them first. I find them easy to work with and this way I can find out what colors I will go through the most then I can buy the ones in the large size. Give it a try, I think you will like them.
I bought full sized pads of all the Rich Regals and all the Bold Brights, then most of the Soft Subtles and Earth Elements. In November I bought all the craft spots, and now I wish I'd just bought spots instead of spending all that money on full sized pads. <sigh> I steered away from spots because I read that people thought they were a pain to use.
I use my craft spots on backgrounds and other large stamps and don't find it to be a problem. As was posted above, I have to move my full sized pad around a bunch, anyway. The spots are much more versatile, in my opinion.
I am debating selling all my full-size pads in the classic ink and buying the classic spots.
As far as what I use the most, I would say Real Red, Always apricot, Certainly Celery, white craft, and basic brown.
I have the full size and the spots in classic. Yes it does take a little more work to ink up a background stamp it doesn't take that much longer. I have just listed my full size pads on ebay because I have to get rid of stuff and it made more sense for those to go.
I love having the spots, they take up a whole lot less space and I can do the same things with them that I could do with the full size. I have even inked up a regular size wheel with them. It also doesn't cost near as much to get all 48 colors.
As for favorites or most used colors. It really depends on the time of year.
__________________ Suzanne "Wear fabulous underwear even if you are the only person that is going to see it"
Katie, I'm new too. I bought the multi pack on the cardstock and found that I'm using colors I didn't think I'd like and I also wasn't crazy about the ink I selected. Oy lol So, now I'm wondering about the ink spots, too.
While on this topic, I was wondering...can the small stamps be single-dipped in the spots? ie. little pieces, watercolor minis. Thanks!
Cheryl
The spots are small but you can use lots of smaller stamps with just one "dip". The little pieces definately would be one dip.
I've stamped for ~7 years I think. I started ordering sets of the full sized pads back then. Once completed, when colors would change out, I'd just buy the new colors in full sized pads.
Fast forward (and btw...never had to buy reinkers until I became a demo this year, although I stamped sporadically). So, then the craft spots went on sale. I bought them all. Well, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them. I am using them way more than my full sized classic pads. This is b/c of the size, not the type of ink. I still find craft ink to be a pain b/c I have to heat set it, but I LOVE having all the colors so easily accessible. One little box has them all, and in the full sized boxes, I have to dig around for a color.
As for backgrounds, I tend to be a major tapper even with full sized pads, so this is not a problem for me.
Fav Colors:
Pixie Pink
Certainly Celery
Close to Cocoa
Chocolate Chip
Brocade Blue
I have all four sets of spots. I purchased about a year ago because I wanted to have all the colors but didn't want to spend all that $$ until I saw that I used them.
P. S. Here I am one year later...I use them ALL! Now I'm working on purchasing only full size. I feel I should have concentrated on just getting the full size instead of wasting my $$ on all those spots! Now, after one year, now what to do w/ these spots-UGH!
I started with the spots, and I am very happy I did. This was you get 12 colours right off the start. I am now buying a few in full size because I use them so much. But I plan on buying the spots for the next colour group. And the spots give you more control when stamping animage, in case you want to put 2 colours on 1.
Ink pad colors and Pads vs spots
