Alphabits- worth it?

[billsbrowneyedgirl]

Some people have said they are a pain to mount, is it worth the hastle?
Love it or hate it?
I sure think it's cute, but being severly arthritic, I'm wondering if it's its gonna be too much a pain.

Thanks

[MonTigg]

I'm trying to unload my set on someone else! It's on the trade board (PM me if you want to take it off my hands with a fun trade! I have non SU punches for it included!!!) I hated it... I made a mess it's hard to punch the letter you need without cutting up the stamped image... I felt like it was MUCH more effort then it wa worth. I felt like I was stamping an entire stamp, cutting, and poking around with small pieces for each letter! That's just my two cents!

[jerppt]

I personally love the set-To mount them I find the easiest way is to lay the punched out circle or square on a mini glue dot and lift the glue dot off-
They are a little hard to manuever until you get the hang of it !!
Have fun if you get them!!

Jenny

[laredostamper]

Mounting the stamps is easy, but getting the punch outs lined up and stuck down can be tricky. My first attempt at page pebbles with Crystal Effects was a disaster, but using a glue stick worked just fine. I'm also thinking of using the Xyron before I punch them out.

[raechie]

I have them and love them. I found that the mono-adhesive worked really well to glue the "bits" down.

[jbcmom]

I love mine too! It's so versitile!

[Stampin' Michi]

My aunt, AKA my upline, has the set and sent me some cards she made with the 'bits. They are so cute that I had to order them! Now whether or not I'll be able to work with them is another issue entirely....

[panzie27]

I have arthritic hands and didn't let that stop me...I love this little set! I mounted mine the day I received it and proceeded to add letters to 6 different cards. I use the mini glue dots to attach.

[mspelletier]

I love mine too! The SU punches work great with it! To adhere the lettters, I hold them with tweezers, dab them on the glue stick, and place them. It's easy to maneuver them into the right place and they seem to stick just fine!
Sherri

[Doris]

I am not going to get them. I think they are cute, but they look like a pain. They are just too tiny....I just don't think they are worth it. There are other things I want more.

Just my opinion....

[Michelle Laycock]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonTigg

I'm trying to unload my set on someone else! It's on the trade board (PM me if you want to take it off my hands with a fun trade! I have non SU punches for it included!!!) I hated it... I made a mess it's hard to punch the letter you need without cutting up the stamped image... I felt like it was MUCH more effort then it wa worth. I felt like I was stamping an entire stamp, cutting, and poking around with small pieces for each letter! That's just my two cents!

Too bad this thread didn't pop up before today. I just ordered this set yesterday night. I could have taken it off your hands...

Actually, I'm going to "try" something different with this set. As much as I don't like acrylic mounts, I'm actually planning to cut out the individual letters and mount them on repositionable mounting and keep an acrylic block in the case with the stamps. Then I can make up my own words on the mount as I need them. I want to see how this works out. I'm not too keen on the idea of punching out the letters and adhereing them and this might be a fun alternative.

[imastampaholic]

I'm excited about my set, should get them tomorrow. I plan to use an extra sheet of Stampamajig, use 1 corner for each stamp in Basic Black.
Then, I can use the stampamajig to place the letter where I want, and marker the letter I need. Yes, I'm anal. I've been waiting for a set that was small enough to fit on cards. Most of our alphabets are awesome, but were designed for scrapbooks.

As for the punches, I bought the X Xyron for just this reason. Except now that I have the X and see how it works, I'll be taking the recommendation from another SCS'er here that uses the refill without the machine. Less waste.

Let us know how the temporary mount works. I'm not sure I would do that, temp mounting a big stamp is too much of a pain for me and I never use my unmounted stamps.

Stampin' Hugs - Linda T

[deeth1]

I just got my new SU order and boy was I unhappy.

Three of the wood blocks are chipped, they have large knots in them and very dark brown streaks running through them.

I sent my SU rep and email and she didn't answer me, so I sent SU an email directly and they haven't answered me either. I attached a picture to my email to SU so they could see what they look like.

I am getting a LOT of bad product from SU lately. The square punch I ordered chewed up my cardstock instead of punching through it. My classic ink pads are sagging, by SU RR cardstock cracks instead of folding on the creased lines and now the stamp sets have really crappy looking wood. Honestly it's the worst set of wood blocks I have ever seen.

I didn't have these problems last year. What gives with SU?

They are going to loose a lot of business from me and my family if this keeps up. Honestly, one more bad order and I won't buy anything else from them ever again......

[SmilingDaisy]

I would have to agree. As a new SU client I was very upset to find that many of my wood blocks are made from knotty wood and have very jagged edges. Also two of my stamps had evidence of bubbles in them and I am going to need to have them replaced....

I am really excited about my new sets, it is just a shame that they are not going to be complete sets right now :(

[deeth1]

Can anyone tell me what SU's policy is about returning bad product?

I sure would like to send back the bad products I rec'd.

[lemonie]

Wow, I just got my Summer by the Sea and Lovely as a tree and some of the wood blocks looked like someone had chewed it off. I cut it with my sissors but was very disappointed that this was like this.

[Jackie G]

I just got my Alphabits today and am looking forward to using them.
Deep breath here:
When I am having DH make a shelf we look for wood that is not bowed or
really knotty. As for sharp edges, we use sandpaper.
I got 6 new sets in the mail today and IF they were knotty, I didn't notice 'cause I was too freakin' excited to trim my sets down and get them mounted. If there is an edge that was a little sharp, I'll whip out my distressing block and rub it down a bit. NO BIG DEAL! I have been getting SU products for 6-7 years and have not had any problems that I can even remember. I am still using the OLD classic pads (bought reinkers) and markers and they are holding up just fine--I even have Lucious Lime!!! If you are having a problem I am sure those that you have contacted will set things to right. Don't blast SU!!! They are a wonderful company-I am not even a demo!-and have superior products to so many companies out there!

[Michelle Laycock]

Quote:

Originally Posted by deeth1

Can anyone tell me what SU's policy is about returning bad product?

I sure would like to send back the bad products I rec'd.

Don't worry. They will replace any bad products including wood blocks. I've only had damaged wood blocks twice come in stamp sets. Both times I called and the person asked for the size of the block and sent a replacement right away.

If your demonstrator doesn't call back, I'm sure SU will call you back. Otherwise call again. This WAS Easter weekend remember and your demo may have been out of town and I'm sure SU was busy today after the long weekend (I believe they were closed Friday)

Fear not! SU will make things well again!

[janz]

Deeth, it sounds like it's your turn to get the bad product - my turn was last year! I received cracked blocks, missing blocks, a punch that chewed up my cardstock, rubber that wasn't adhered to the cushion, and a stamp set that was missing some stamps but had duplicates of others! I was on the verge of never ordering again, but my demo took care of me and I haven't had any problems recently. The worst part is now I'm nervous everytime I get an order, and I double check EVERYTHING when I get it to make sure I have everything and it's in good condition. I'm sure you'll get everything taken care of soon!

Dejah (janz)

[judi_stamparooni]

Hey Deeth, We just had spring break where I live. Perhaps your demo was on vacation and couldn't check email or messages. (If I was on vacation I sure wouldn't... although I might stop at a library and look at SCS!!! ) Maybe give her a couple more days to get back into her routine!

And hey, imastampaholic - >I bought the X Xyron for just this reason. Except now that I have the X and see how it works, I'll be taking the recommendation from another SCS'er here that uses the refill without the machine. Less waste. <

How do you do that?? I didn't see that thread!

[Jay Dub]

when I first saw these stamps I thought they were cute and couldn't wait to order them. Then I thought about it for awhile and thought.....couldn't I just print out the words on the computer in any font I wanted and punch them out for the same effect? Then I could only print the words I needed and not have to worry about the rest of the alphabet, plus have many more font choices!

[janz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWheeler

couldn't I just print out the words on the computer in any font I wanted and punch them out for the same effect?

Very true, but you wouldn't have exactly the right color to match your project either, or be able to emboss, bleach, versamark, or use chalks.

When I get mine, I'm going to experiment with one of the stamps. I'm going to cut it apart into separate letters and mount them on those little wooden knobs you can get in the craft store - like drawer pulls. then I can stamp whetever words I want without messing around with punching out letters and attaching them to my paper. If it works well, I'll do the same with all of them except for the stencil one - I don't think that would work so well!

Dejah (janz)

[DeannaGenette]

I'm surprised that people get upset about "knotty" wood blocks or a rough edge...I've been ordering from SU for 8 years and I've never thought I got screwed because of a blemish on the wood. Give the trees a break! lol It doesn't affect the image or the sticker, I just don't see why it's a problem. No offense, but it seems petty to me. Just my 2cents.

[Mona Lisa]

I think I will use them with an acrylic block too. I love my unmounted stamps and keep all of my 2 step SU! stamps and sentiments unmounted so that I can place them straight and just where I want!

SU! is not a perfect company and I have had some problems too but my items have been replaced with lightening speed and overall, SU! has the widest range and best quality products out there.

I love Hero Arts too, but I have to recut and remount every stamp b/c they are so poorly done. Every company has it's problems...

[billsbrowneyedgirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by panzie27

I have arthritic hands and didn't let that stop me...I love this little set! I mounted mine the day I received it and proceeded to add letters to 6 different cards. I use the mini glue dots to attach.

I haven't been able to stamp for over two weeks, I am having a terrible arthritic flair, I don't have any grip right now, not to mention strength. (cutting is a bad thing right now.)
My dr's have been unable to stop or slow down my Rhumatiod Arthritis,
Try to stay away from things that will frustrate me, as cute as those little buggers are, I think maybe I better pass. It just dawned on me that my UL has them so I can borrow and see if it's possible.

[Candykane]

I figured it was a pretty cheap set, why not go ahead and get it, so I did. I already used it once, since I didn't have a "Happy St. Patrick's Day" stamp, I used my alpahbits and was pretty pleased with the outcome. See my card below

Gallery at Splitcoaststampers

[deeth1]

Here's a pic of the wood blocks I rec'd.

Look at it this way, if I sold these on ebay and you were the buyer and got them in the set. Would you leave positive feedback for me if I didn't say in the listing the wood looks like this?

As a customer I want to know if the product I am buying is considered "seconds or irregular" so I can decide if that's acceptable before I place an order. In this case I feel SU isn't disclosing that they are selling "seconds". If they had I would not have ordered the set.

For those that say I am bashing SU, I don't think I am. I am simply stating the facts about bad product I rec'd. It's no different than the other posts on this list about problems with Fiskars cutters and other companies products.

In the long run this issue affects all SU reps. If your customers are unhappy with SU quality that translates to lower sales in the future.

[row4d]

I can be pretty fussy about my stamps, so I hate it when the wood is "ugly", but I can usually just adhere the rubber over any defects and pretend they aren't there! :lol: I've only gotten a handful of blocks that look like the one on the bottom left. If I got some in an auction that looked like that, I'd only leave negative feedback if the seller ignored me or didn't seem to care that I wasn't happy.

[stampandscrap1954]

I've received blocks that looked like this, and I kind of liked them. I never thought of them as 'defective'. That's just the way real wood is. I did put the darker side under the stamp and the lighter side under the label so it wouldn't show through.

If I were an e-bay seller, I wouldn't even think to call these 'seconds'. And if I bought some like this on e-bay, I wouldn't think to blame the seller. I guess it just proves that we're all different.

[stampallgirls]

I guess I don't see a real problem with these wood blocks. As long as the wood is intact and you can still stamp with them I am not bothered.

I guess everyone has their pet peeves, but I wouldn't boycott a company for knotty wood blocks.

Stampin' Up has ALWAYS been great at replacing ANYTHING I ever had a problem with in record time. In the last 6 years I have been stamping with their products there has only been a FEW times I have had any problems and they have remedied it immediatly. So please be patient with getting a response. They will help you out and make you a satisfied customer!

My two cents worth.

[deeth1]

Boy, you guys are really bumming me out when I read your posts about these being acceptable quality.

If this is considered "normal" quality, then SU just lost me as a customer.

I buy tons of rubber stamps and products each year. Recently I bought several Penny Black and Just For Fun rubber stamps from ATRS and the wood is perfect on them. No knot holes, brown streaks or jagged edges. They cost less and were already mounted. As a consumer I have lots of companies I can buy from. Why should I have to sand my wood and fill in chunks that are missing or even fuss with having to call customer service to replace the wood when I can buy 1st quality from another stamp manufacturer?

[stampinscrapbooker]

If you are unhappy with your products and your demonstrator has not taken care of the problem, I suggest you call (not write) Stampin up at 1-800-stamp up. I'm sure they will help you out.
I am a new demonstrator and had an item missing from my shipment and thought for sure I was going to have to reorder and eat the extra money and instead they believed me instantly and shipped me the missing item. I was very impressed and feel they would also help you out.

[stampngokaren]

Back to the original question.

I just got the alphabits and used them in my scrapbooking class.

Everyone loved them!!

I adhere them with glue dots and it is so easy to attched this way.

[mamakimberly]

I dunno? It looks like wood to me! It's REAL wood, it's not laminate ;) therefore it's gonna look like wood! I don't see a problem!

[Sherlie]

I thought the Alphabits were a neat idea and so excited about them until we used them at our stamp meeting, then I wasnt so sure becuase they were so small. I didnt get them but I did decide to get the half inch circle punch and figured I could print off my words on cardstock and sponge them for color and do the half inch punch,,, bigger letters but easier for my stiff fingers to handle.. I did find some interesting fonts to use from that site, www.scrapvillage.com, that are perfect to use for punching out.
That is my solution and so far so good. I also have a half inch square punch but an old one and I am thinking I need SU's with the lever. It is so much easier for my hands to punch.

[brunosmom]

Deeth1, I share your concern about the knotty wood. Though it's not defective, it makes it hard to read the stamping label! That's what bummed me out. I would try to turn the knottiest side downwards and let the label be on the clearer side. Some pieces had dark spots on both sides though :(

[Kelly65]

I have been a demo for over four years now. I have NEVER (knock on wood) had a customer complain about the quality of ANY of their products. Even if I did, I would go through the proper channels for them and have SU replace whatever it was that was wrong, and they have done so immediately. SU is VERY VERY good about returning or replacing things that are defective, so be sure to post the outcome once you've received it.

[creeklife]

I love the alphabits sets! But if you want letters about the same size individually mounted, try Hero Arts. They make a couple of small fun sets and you can pay twice the price for upper and lower case unless you find them at JoAnn's or another craft place that has coupons.

As far as the wood being defective, I have gotten wood like that in several sets and it simply doesn't bother me, has never affected the stamped image, or been otherwise distracting. I guess Longaberger "trained" me as they proudly claim these marks are a sign of the naturalness of tree products. Not chips or slivers in the weaving, mind you, but marks that can occur from the tree growing process.

[supersassysabrina]

As long as the stamp stamps the image that it is supposed to who cares what the wood looks like! Wood is a natural product and has knots and dark spots. I am glad that SU doesn't waste their time looking for the perfect wood block and instead spends their time creating and perfecting new products for the new catalog to keep crazy stampin chicks like myself happy and stampin. Despite what you may think...SU will take returns and if you call the company at 1-800-stampup they will hear you out. Customer satisfaction is their goal...How quickly you have forgotten the free shipping in December and the many recalls they do once they have found an item to be a defect....BEFORE the product gets to the customer. SU is the best stamp company out there and I have never had a problem back when I was a customer and for the last 3 years as a demonstrator.

[chrishpam]

I used the Alphabits at a workshop recently where everyone made a project with them and it was the teenage girls who LOVED them. Something for everyone. I like to use them in the center of the flower to spell out words - unexpected!

the wood issue:
As for the wood, well - I don't see anything wrong with it. It will still mount the stamp and work. But then again I am a demo and when I take my stamps out for class or workshop the wood ends up with ink on it - I take a huge breath over many things now - including black ink in the yellow ink pad!

Sorry if you're bummed out over it. SU is wonderful with correcting orders. I agree with the others, give her a couple days, life happens and she probably hasn't gotten back into work mode yet.