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Can anyone give me tips on how I can afford this hobby?? I see so many people making so many cards and I wonder, how can everyone afford this?? Any tips on how I can make extra money! Do people make money just blogging??
Can anyone give me tips on how I can afford this hobby?? I see so many people making so many cards and I wonder, how can everyone afford this?? Any tips on how I can make extra money! Do people make money just blogging??
One of the hardest things I encountered when I jointed Splitcoast was that it opened up the floodgates of stamping supplies and tools that I feel I "need". I discovered tools and companies that I never knew existed. It does make it very challenging to stick to a budget.
Some people challenge themselves to create/stamp a certain amount before they can spend anymore (you'll see things in their signature line like "Stamp to Spend: x cards created, $___ spent). That's one way to try to control spending.
Some people do sell their cards/creations at local shops or on Etsy or at craft shows. Browse around in the General Stamping forum and you'll find some threads related to selling cards. Here's one I found about Etsy.
I don't think people really make any money blogging. Some might recoup enough to cover their costs, but most just do it for fun.
I'm trying to swap images so I don't buy many more stamps.
Let me know if you're interested in swapping images.
Quote:
Originally Posted by peanutlee22
Can anyone give me tips on how I can afford this hobby?? I see so many people making so many cards and I wonder, how can everyone afford this?? Any tips on how I can make extra money! Do people make money just blogging??
First of all welcome to SCS. Second, I have lots of stuff, but I have accumulated it over several years. Start with some basics like black, brown, white and tan paper. Buy Verasa Mark and a good Black ink pad. Choose a few stamp sets that are versitle. You can color your image with lots of cheap things--Bic markers, colored pencils and baby oil, chalks or eye shadow. When you can afford it, buy an embossing gun and gold and silver embossing powder. Be creative, try lots of things and have fun. Ask for the things you want for gifts. That's how I got some of the things I have.
Look at it this way - stamping is cheaper than therapy and a whole lot more fun...hehehehe.
Some hobbies you can't profit from - but....
Use it for gift giving - every baby shower/baby gift, wedding shower/wedding gift, birthday present, holidays - give a packet of cards or a scrapbook album. While you won't make any money, you will save on the present and the recipient will receive a one of a kind gift.
I sympathize with you as I just started this less than a year ago.
I am very selective in my purchases . Just because it is pretty doesn't mean I have anything to go with it.
I have a versa mark, versafine in black and black memento ink.
I found that Stampin Up paper was the best way to start. One pack of designer paper and two coordinating solid colors will go a long way. . I am not a Stampin Up demo and barely know my demo.
All the store sales on paper and ribbon are fine if you have a lot of other paper and ribbon at home, but I found with a limited supply it never matched anything I have.
I bought the circle set of Nestibilities because I also bought two sets of JustRite Christmas stamps and they are circles .
I think you need to look at everything you buy and ask yourself will it work with what i have. Also avoid "one use" stamps for now , only buy stamps that will work for several designs. Before you buy a stamp check it out in the gallery and see how many different cards you see. If those who have been doing this for years can't think of many ways to use that stamp it is highly unlikely you will either
When you can afford it buy a die cutting/embossing machine such as Cuttlebug, Bigshot or Bigkick. You can get them with a coupon at Michael's or Joanns. The buy 3 or 4 generic embossing folders that will work for many cards. CB Swiss dot, Fluer de Lis, Argyle come to mind. Many of the embossing folders are limited use too.
One thing I found here is people who a lot of stuff share the pros and cons of each item. That can save you from buying things that will not be very useful.
It can be discouraging to see the entire rooms full of supplies, but they collected them over years
Hope this helps
Barbara
Last edited by Barbara Jay; 01-26-2010 at 01:09 PM..
I'm the worst person to give any good advice about this subject. But having been a SU demo for 8 years, and now getting out of that, I certainly spent more than I ever thought about making. BUT, my thousands of dollars collection has brought me much happiness and stress relief. I would advice buy only those stamps that have stay power and are in the style that you feel most comfortable in. It really is wrong to stamp images to swap as the designers have to ink out a living doing this too, but you really don't have to own everything. Team up with other stampers, and attend local shoebox swaps that give you a chance to use other's stamps and share ideas. Michael's $1 stamps can make some of the cutest cards out there, so you don't have to get into the spend mode to have great cards. Paper is relatively cheap and a box of map colors can do alot of coloring. We all started somewhere!!! I don't let myself buy Hallmark cards anymore. I use to be their best customer!!
__________________ LizThe joy of the LORD is my strength.Right Brain Madness --My blogProud member of the redDivasKSS certified multi-step stamperFan Club member since 2004
Hi and welcome! I have the same problem... I was just thinking this morning that there is no end to what you 'need' in this hobby... lol. Copics, punches, and there literally is no end to paper collecting. These ladies just laid out some great advice for you. Just pace yourself and know you don't have to do every technique right away. Swapping is fun and you will get so many ideas there. Enjoy all the amazing creativity here on SCS!
When I started down the "slippery slope" of card making I quickly learned my mistakes in purchases.
Don't stock up on cheap card stock from Walmart. You will be disappointed in the quality of your cards and end up using it as practice paper. If you want a variety pack Stampin Up sells one for each color family. You get 3 sheets of each color for $7.95.
I know I sound like a broken record for Stampin Up, but I found it to be the best way to start for paper. Not everything but definitely paper.
Don't fall for the paper and ribbon sales. It may seem like a savings ,but you won't have anything to match it . The paper stacks for $10 sound great , but you would be better off buying a couple of rolls of Scor tape with the money
Make a plan and only buy the things that will fit your plan. Always use coupons!!
Spellbinders will have the basic shapes next year too LOL
A paper trimmer isn't an exciting purchase but you need it!!
If you decide to buy Copics buy the ones you have "seen" someone use.
I bought the JustRite Old Fashioned Christmas set. Beate Johns ( a member here) has a video of a gatefold card. She lists the copics she used to color the sleigh. I bought just those colors. Those 9 colors worked with the other stamps in the set too. She had already figured out which colors work , why re-invent the wheel? LOL Quite a few designers will list the colors they used in a tutorial, Suzanne J Dean also lists the colors she uses in her tutorials I would rather have 9 colors that "work with what I have" then a set of 30 basic colors and none of them work well with "my" stamps. By following what the experts use eventually you will have a nice set of "useful" Copic colors
Just my newbie thoughts !
Barbara
good Morning and welcome here!
(ah, I've been crafting for 20+ years so i have quite a bit of a stash because, different things overlap) you know like ribbons? ( I bought them for hair bows and house decorating for years so i have alot and I still buy them just the styles change over time)I also find it very fun to go garage sale-ing when the weather's nice and have picked up tons of tools and supplies (rubber stamps,vintage lace and trims and buttons) for next to nothing doing this.
one of the things you can do here at Splitcoaststampers is there are user groups and one of them is called RAK and inside the RAK group there is a subforum called Wish Rak, and if you join this its a way to share. (or try something ) before you buy one. basically if you owned a "angel" stamp and you found people wishing for "angel" images you would get to play fairy godmother and grant their wish and in turn you earn a bonus wish where you could say I would like to wish for House Mouse images... ( or what ever ) and this gives you a chance to test these (can you color them? do you like to color them?) before you run out and buy one (those stamps are spendy) (what isn't?)
anyways just a couple of random thoughts to help stretch those crafty dollars.
I cut expenses by joining a card making group and we share stamps, ideas etc. When I make a purchase I usually wait till I have a coupon or go to grarage sales (lots of great stamps at some of these). I know at first when you see a card in a magazine etc the first thing you want to do is purchase the stamps and make the cards but I found when I did this the stamps would sit in the original container for quite awhile till I got to them. Now when I see a card I like I check out the stamps I already have and substitute, the cards turn out great and I save money. One other thing you might think of is a lot of the small stamp stores have a garage sale, they allow customers to have a table (at a small fee) and sell any of their stamps, supplies etc and you can really get good deals. Just some thoughts that might help. Marge
One of the problems that I have is there are no stamp stores in my area. There is a Scrap book store about 22 miles away , but they don't sell stamps.I live in Southeastern Wisconsin. I have had some success at garage sales.
I guess my best tip is become a stamping up demo - the kit is 15% off and you get an extra free set. Its got ink, paper, stamps and a load more, then your first order is 30% off. A great way to save.
After that anything you order is 20% off
If you go to Stampin Up.com there is loads more information and I am sure you will have a demonstrator in your area.
I joined up 5 years ago and have never regretted it - it has saved me bundles!
have fun with your new addiction oops I mean hibby
mum2bowie
I make cards and donate them to my church and public library... must make at least 1,500 cards a year, bet it's more!
I purchase my paper at Walmart , it's Georgia Pacific cover stock.. it's priced at 150 8-1/2 x 11 sheets for under $6.00... use it with my copic's... works great for me!
The original questions was how to make money to afford this hobby. Have you considered getting a part time job at Joanns, Michael's or Hobby Lobby? You would get an employee discount and have extra money to spend on supplies
If you joined SU! or any of the other crafty DS company, you could not only get the discount. But you could start a club or do parties and earn money too.. Even if you had one club going, it would keep you active so you souldn't completely come out of your own pocket. Just a thought.
You could try buying digital stamps instead of block stamps. They cost less because the price to make them is less.
They usually come in a jpg file or a png file for the computer. Since it is just a computer file, it is much easier to store them too!
Digital stamps can be coloured by hand or coloured in a photo editing suite on your computer before you print it out. You can even place it into a Word document and print it out.
It can also be resized, flipped (create a mirror image) or manipulated in other ways before printing it out and colored in the same way that a rubber stamped image is colored.
One limitation to digital stamps is that the images will be printed using normal printer ink and not a rubber stamping ink. Therefore you may need to be careful about the ink running if a wet coloring method is used.
The etsy site that I sell my stamps on ( etsy.com/shop/squigglefactory) is a great place to look for digital stamps. I recommend softpencil or tiddlyinks or pixie dust studio on etsy.... love their work!
You could try buying digital stamps instead of block stamps. They cost less because the price to make them is less.
They usually come in a jpg file or a png file for the computer. Since it is just a computer file, it is much easier to store them too!
Digital stamps can be coloured by hand or coloured in a photo editing suite on your computer before you print it out. You can even place it into a Word document and print it out.
It can also be resized, flipped (create a mirror image) or manipulated in other ways before printing it out and colored in the same way that a rubber stamped image is colored.
One limitation to digital stamps is that the images will be printed using normal printer ink and not a rubber stamping ink. Therefore you may need to be careful about the ink running if a wet coloring method is used.
The etsy site that I sell my stamps on ( etsy.com/shop/squigglefactory) is a great place to look for digital stamps. I recommend softpencil or tiddlyinks or pixie dust studio on etsy.... love their work!
Great advice- digital stamps are alot cheaper than rubber or clear!
Help - stamping is costing me too much!!!!
