Creative Stamping Kit-of-the-Month Club

An all-in-one stamping kit with product and consumable materials for 3-5 completed projects.

Highlights

Product Description

Reviews

1. A New Kit Designed for New Stampers!

   
   By Julie Campell

   I’ve always loved the idea of getting a kit-of-the-month specifically designed for card makers. When I found out about the Creative Stamping Kit-of-the-Month, I was instantly intrigued. I received a kit called Nature’s Beauty, which comes tightly packaged with everything you would need to make several paper crafting projects. It also comes with an instructional manual that gives step-by-step instructions on specific crafting techniques.
   
   The kit I received has a very feminine, elegant feel. I looked on the company’s website, and it appears that the kits come in a wide variety of colors and styles that vary from month to month. Nature’s Beauty comes with a clear stamp set that includes several coordinating images and sentiments. The kit also includes an acrylic block and small ink cube. Clear stamps are especially great for those new to stamping. It’s so helpful to be able to see exactly where you’re going to stamp. My stamps created a nice, crisp impression when inked.
   
   After diving into my kit, I’ve realized that these products and techniques are best suited for new stampers or crafters. The techniques are easy to understand and provide a good foundation for those unfamiliar with paper crafting. The contents in the kit are very simple, which is a good way to get a lot of supplies into the hands of new crafters at an affordable price. Although I wouldn’t recommend this kit for a seasoned paper crafter, I think this kit would be wonderful for the company’s target audience. This kit would also make a wonderful gift for a creative pre-teen!
   
   So, if you’re new to stamping or paper crafting, or have a friend or family member that you’d like to introduce to this great hobby, then the Creative Stamping Kit-of-the-Month Club might be just what you’re looking for!
   

2. Everything You Need - Really

   
   By Lydia Fiedler

   There are two kinds of people in the world - people who read instructions, and people who do not. Over the years, many of my customers, who are the instruction reading type, have asked for prepackaged stamping kits with instruction, so I was really interested to see what the Creative Stamping Kit-of-the-Month had in store. Since I am not an instruction reader, I am the perfect tester of instructions!
   
   When the kit came to me, it was just in an envelope, and so some of the contents were a little damaged - my post office is rough. The package that the watercolor pencils was in broke, so the pencils scribbled on the paper in transit, and one of my brads was missing. With a sturdier package, the kit would be great. Each of the packages in the kit held related items and all were bound together nicely, so even inside the larger plastic bag, there weren't a bunch of loose packages, which I really liked. [Editor's note: Product Focus supplies are often shipped to the team from corporate offices, and not through a company's normal order fulfillment system. That is the case with these kits. Creative Stamping Kit-of-the-Month Club assures us that customers can expect their kits to arrive in sturdier cardboard packaging.]
   
   The paper, the ink, the stamps and the pencils were all very high quality. I especially liked the pigment ink that was included. The patterned paper was double sided, and there was more than enough to do the projects with paper left over. The stamp set was large and varied, and was a good quality clear stamp. They included an acrylic block as well, so it really is a self-sufficient set.
   
   The instructions were very clear, with letters marked on the photo of their sample that was referenced in the instructions. I think someone completely new to stamping would have no problem at all making the projects in the kit with no help and that's saying a lot. The only difficulty I encountered in the kit I got was that it required enlarging and copying some templates. I don't have a scanner/copier, just a printer, so I had to cut out the original template (which unfortunately was printed on the back of a page with instructions for another project) and for the piece that required enlarging, I just had to use a similar shape I cut with the Big Shot.
   
   I don't know that I've ever worked with a kit that allowed a truly brand new stamper to be totally independent with several projects and techniques before this, so I am very impressed. And in addition to the very clear and comprehensive instructions for the projects, they include a very nicely done, color stamping basics leaflet with the kit. As an advanced stamper, I can also say I would be happy to get these kits because they don't duplicate a lot of basic supplies I already have - they're tailored to the kit projects.
   

3. A Beginner’s Kit That Will Start an Addiction

   
   By Beverly Rousch

   When you first open the Creative Stamping Kit-of-the-Month you are impressed with how neatly organized all of the components are. The kit components are all compact, yet easily accessible for quick crafting. The Stamping Basics Guide is a great collection of information for beginning stamping. It has detailed pictures and is full of fabulous tips on the different kinds of stamps, stamp conditioning, cleaning, storage, materials used in stamping, even ways to correct a stamping mistake (and that’s good because as beginning stampers, mistakes happen!).
   
   The guide and directions for the projects were a quick but detailed read. I chose to follow the directions to the T and only found a couple of hiccups. One being the measurement on the sentiment panel for the “thanks card” should be 2” x 1” instead of 2” x 1/2”, easily fixable since they provide ample cardstock. I also chose to try their moistened pencil technique and found that the colored pencil didn’t quite match the peachy color of the cardstock perfectly. But that may be a matter of lighting and pickyness of the stamper. The person receiving it will love it no matter, right?!?
   
   The real gem here is the stamp set. It’s very versatile. I couldn’t stop stamping this beautiful Camellia flower. With a different layout you can take the same set and modernize it a little, and then when you acquire a few more papers (who are we kidding, it’s like they multiply before our eyes!), you can really go to town having learned great basics from this kit!
   
   Overall, Creative Stamping Kit-of-the-Month Club is a really good taste, if you will, of the world of stamping. If you know of someone thinking about trying stamping, this kit might be just ticket to get them started on the road to a stamping addiction.

4. Great Quality and Value

   
   By Beate Johns

   When I first received the Creative Stamping Kit-of-the-Month I was impressed with how securely everything was packed. The kit included an ink pad, watercolor pencils, cardstock, patterned paper and a beautiful stamp set as well as step by step instructions for three projects. Along with the kit I also received an acrylic block and a booklet on stamping basics.
   
   The stamping basic booklet is for first time stampers. It tells you about the different kind of stamps, how to store and clean them. It talks about ink pads and very basic stamping techniques. Perfect for people new to this hobby.
   
   The instructions for the project are easy to understand. The back of the instructions booklet has templates of oval shapes you can enlarge and use for your projects. I have to admit that I didn't use those. Addicted as I am to my die templates, I am not going back to hand cutting shapes. If you don't have die templates, it's another great thing to have.
   
   The pigment ink spot is a light brown color and once it dries, won't smear at all. The watercolor pencils worked wonderful with my Aqua Painter. The cardstock is a good quality and not colored all the way through - great if you tear cardstock and want to show the white core. The stamp set creates great impressions every time. I was really impressed with the size of the stamp set. It is a great value for the price of the kit and makes this kit not only great for beginners, but also valuable for seasoned stampers.

5. Fun and Frilly

   
   By Lisa Lara

   Kits, I have always shied away from them. I like to come up with my own ideas and make my cards unique. Well, I was in for a surprise with this kit by Creative Stamping. It made me use colors different from what I usually choose. The same goes for the stamp style and ink color. The paper is thick, the stamps stamp a crisp detailed image and I loved using the colored pencils. As I followed the instructions for making my card sample I still could make it my own. I had fun using this frilly kit.
   
   Tips: When creating the “Miss You” card on page 5, I found it easier in step 2, to cut out the oval pattern first, then stamp the image. Also I found cutting out the bird and branch a bit challenging; sharp small scissors were necessary. Photo copy the patterns on the back of the instruction booklet then use or else you will cut out your instructions (not that I would know about that, hee!). Also, I practiced using the stamps on scrap paper before using them on my card.

6. Creative Stamping Kit Fun!

   
   By Jimmi Mayo

   When I received the Creative Stamping Kit-of-the-Month Club pack I have to say I was very intrigued as I’ve never used a stamping kit before and it was exciting to get stamps, paper, coloring mediums…all in one package.
   
   First thing I did was to take out the two booklets and read them over. The “stamping basics” book was the first I read and it is just that, basic. It talks about types of stamps, how to use them, store them and clean them and is something I would have liked to have when I first began stamping. It’s full of true and helpful information. Next, I looked over the booklet about the specific kit I received which had directions for making the three projects.
   
   I then chose my first project, the “Thanks Card,” and started stamping. I went along with the directions exactly and found them for the most part to be simple to understand. It definitely required you to have a basic understanding of measuring and to have a few more tools than provided in the kit. The card I made has a sentiment piece and it says to cut it to 2" x 1/2" which doesn’t work because the sentiment is much taller than 1/2" so I just cut it to fit the sentiment. Also, I’ve never used colored pencils, which is kind of rare I suppose, but the booklet included directions on using them so I was good to go!
   
   The stamp set that came with the kit is great quality and super cute not to mention very much my style…I love flowers! The ink color that came with it is really pretty, I’d love to know who makes it, what color it is or where to get more and it says it’s dye ink but it definitely seemed more like a pigment ink as I had to use my heat gun to make it dry before I could color. If I had not known ink has to be dry to color on then it would have messed up the card but since I have experience stamping I knew the ink was wet and used my heat tool.
   
   All in all I would say this is a great kit for a beginner stamper (that already has basic stamping tools) and even a more experienced stamper since there’s always more to learn!
   
   

   Our friends at Creative Stamping Kit-of-the-Month provided free product and compensation for the reviews.

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