Supplies to get started...
 

Hi stamping friends!!

I am a newbie to this site but have been a crafter for years!!

I'm really getting more into stamping and would love some suggestions for supplies to really get serious about my hobby!! I have a lot of health issues and really need to create to help keep my sanity!! :)

I have a few stamps, quite a bit of scrapbooking and general crafting supplies!

What type of paper and ink would you recommend? Can it be purchased on-line? Can anyone order from most stamping companies?

I don't have any hobby/craft stores in my small area!! We do have a Michael's that I try to make it to a few times a year! I'd like to get a list together...and make a trip in the next few weeks!

What are your must haves?

Here's some of the items I think I need:

quality ink for stamping

markers or pencils for coloring images

something to seal ink on printed images so I can color them in, embossing powder maybe? I would love a heat gun and to learn how to emboss too!

a small hole punch for bookmarks, shrink plastic charms..etc.

a scalloped circle punch (would like to make the mint covers for example)

I have a 1 1/4 inch circle punch and a 1 1/2 inch square punch. Also have some other punches...butterfly, raindrop..etc.

I would like to make cards, bookmarks, and little items such as the mint covers. I've also made a lot of candy bar wrappers.

Little things I can give to some of the ladies at church and former co-workers to help lift their spirits.

I would love any suggestions you might have!! Thanks so much!! I have requested to join the RAK and SWAP groups too.

~Tammy~

Welcome Tammy! Welcome to the wonderful addiction of papercrafting. For that is what it is!

There are a lot of things you can do without and get along the way but for sure you need
~a good cutter and extra blades

~Scrub and mist for stamp cleaning

~good quality cardstock and a few matcing inks. I started with StampinUp and have stayed with it, I have a demo close by. Lots of others like some online products, it's personal taste. The thing is to choose a few colours you love and can work together, and the ink that matches them.

~Stamps that you can see yourself using in many different ways and occasions.

~StazOn ink is what you want for non running if you colour and blend. I only have black and it's enough.

~Embossing is great, but I wouldn't call it a necessity to start with.

~A couple of punches that you know you'll use often; if you choose the scallop circle, get the next size smaller plain circle to layer.

~If you have a dollar store nearby, you can often find embellishments there for much less.

~If you get a few quality markers that match the cardstock, you can just buy white ribbon and colour it with marker to achieve a perfect match to the ink and cardstock


I'm sure you 'll get tons of advice but mainly have fun! Don't look around here and just want you don't have; enjoy your goodies as you get them and i time you'll have a great collection.

That's how I started too. My addiction started 10 years ago with a few Close to My Heart stamps. I now use Stampin Up and other things I find at Michael's. I love the ribbon at Michael's as well.
The stamp scrub and cleaner is a must to keep your stamps in good condition. A crop a dile is a good tool too. It helps with snaps, eyelets, and can punch through metal. (I still haven't tried that, but I have seen it).
Versa Mark watermark ink is good along w/ clear embossing powder.
Have fun and keep looking through the galleries! Great inspiration here!

I am quite new to this too. I would add buy scor-tape, glue dots and pop up dots
I also use my Stardust "Clear" Gellyroll pen a lot. It adds a little sparkle effect to any coloring. It looks more subdued and is less messy than glitter. "Clear" is best because you don't need to worry about matching colors of ink or paper you use,

Good quality cardstock for starters. And black Stazon ink. Then you can color in images without smearing or running. A decent paper cutter. Good adhesive. (For my cards I use Tombow multi-glue. A little goes a long way.) And I love pop-dots or dimensionals, ribbon, good markers and nice envelopes.

You don't need to seal your images.

I think it's easier to go with a company that has coordinated paper/ribbon/ink. It just save so much time and headache when you are first starting out.

It's also fun and interesting and so helpful to find someone who is a demo for a stamp company and attend some workshops. There is the Angel Company, Close to My Heart and Stampin UP that I know of. After four years I'm still attending Stampin Up workshops. I have one main demo whose workshop I attend each month, but attend workshops that two other demos hold on occasion.

It took me four years to really build up my supplies. I'd say quality cardstock...I use Stampin Up and Gina K. Gina K is adding to her line of coordinating ribbon & cardstock all the time. They have great embellishments also. Papertry Ink has wonderful ribbon and buttons also. I also love Amuse ribbon.

Go to K Werner and watch her two weekly videos. I learned so much there and continue to. I learned a lot here at SCS too.

Tools, tools, tools....I found that my crafting just increased in quality when I had more tools to work with! I set out and bought ALL the SU ink and paper upfront but had nothing to make it spectacular (no tools). Everyone is right, get a few papers/ink to start and some great tools like the Slice, or Cricut or just some awesome punches and eyelet setter to take your work to the next level.

Also invest in great markers upfront, a series of copics that will just make your coloring pop! Then the rest, ribbon, buttons, paper clips, etc. all come out of your stash of crafty stuff and grandma's sewing boxes.

I've done alot of crafts in my day, nothing has stuck like this for me. I love it, can share it and have sold it! Now I help support my ministry with it and use it as a recovery/therapy technique with the women I work with. My DH calls it a cult, I call it a whole new world of friends!

I suggest the following and urge you to read up on different items before purchasing:

good quality paper trimmer == go to the Tools section of this forum and read the threads and you will get good ideas.

good waterproof black ink -- Memories Black is my standby but Staz On and others are good also. If you think you will want to invest many dollars in Copic markers (alcohol markers) then you'll want Memento ink as well.

Colored inks -- if you think you are going to want to stamp images in anything other than black, I recommend that you investigate a line of coordinating inks, paper, ribbons, embellishments. There are several out there. Gina K, Stampin UP, Papertrey Ink, Hero Arts and Close to My Heart are a few. All sell on line. You can learn a LOT by going to a good demo's workshop. Stampin Up and CTMH have demonstrators you can find by googling the company and searching for a demo.

Stamps and a place to put them. The 3 basic types are rubber mounted on wood, rubber on foam and clear. The latter 2 require purchasing clear acrylic blocks. Clear stamps vary in quality. Stick to those made with photopolymer or you will end up tossing them! Buy a couple of each and see what you prefer before buying too much.

Adhesive

Envelopes and cardstock -- again, many choices.

If you have some $$, I always recommend the Japanese Screw Punch and the assorted bits. You can punch a hole anywhere. I got mine at Bonnie's Best Tools. I've had it for years and use it constantly.

A place to stamp and stuff to store all of this. At first you will be happy with the corner of a room -- eventually you will want to fill your house!

Lots of $$

Reliable, honest vendors -- check them out here before buying. Many companies sell the same products. Some give fast service and stand buy their products. Others are a crap shoot.

Good luck!

Ohhh don't forget your Versamark pad. I love it. You can use it for such a variety of things. And a quality white craft pad.

Tools are the thing. Use your Michaels and AC Moore coupons and start getting those tools, heat gun/embossing gun, eyelet punch, brayers, of course the accessories to go with them.

But I agree with everyone... first and foremost, Black Stazon & quality card stock.

Welcome Tammy!
Consider what type of cards you will be doing (birthday, thank you, etc.), I started with a couple of all occasion stamp sets and added sentiment stamps. Start small (don't buy everything you see)! This can be really hard sometimes. Look at what you have an see if you can adapt your stamp set and supplies to the layout. I use all of my supplies for scrapbooking & card making.
If you go to the Occasions or Companies Gallery, you can check out the different companies stamp sets and see how the sets have been used.

The die cuts (Sizzix, Cricut, Quickutz & Cuttlebug, & Spellbinders to name a few) & embossing folders are very popular right now. A lot of the treat bags have a die cut top. A couple of things to consider:
How much are you willing to invest in a die cut machine? Will the machine cut different companies products? Does it have good reviews? Check out each one and get lots of input to see which one will meet your needs when your ready to make that commitment. I just upgraded to a Sizzix Big Shot machine.

Also, when buying stamps consider how your going to store & catalog them. With the beginning of a new year, many of us are trying to get organized. Keep a 'log' of stamps & supplies (stamp pads & refills, etc.) you buy. There are many suggestions out there; from a small notebook to a computer program. The main point is to start cataloging your stamps now, then you'll have a system in place from the beginning and know what you have when you do go shopping or are looking on line.
Good luck & have fun!

Hi i started craft mainly cards about a year ago and as i live in Australia our stores are different to USA. I got a lot of different things from stores and then found Stampin Up it is the best thing and great quality and no more (oh i like that color but then can never get anything to match it) and the tools and punches are first rate i have not found anything that compares. And owning your own Stampin Up book with all the products and ideas in it is a good way to go.

Maybe ... you could peek at the tutorials, see one (or two) that really inspire you, gather the supplies for that technique, and gather supplies/tools that way. If you fall in love with a particular stamp or stamp set, there are galleries for many of them for you to decide if it's as versatile as you might like.

I agree with posters above, that there's a lot of info/suggestions right here on SCS about all things stamping. And we all have our own ways of doing things, so part of it is just experimenting and finding your own zone.

Welcome to this new way to play! :)


ETA: Is there anyway to get occasionally to a LSS like Archivers? or to hook up with a demo? It's been hugely helpful for me to have someone right there to offer tips or ideas. Then I'm good to go on my merry way for quite sometime.

I would suggest getting a few all occassion sentiment stamp sets- you will always need these and use them often. I see no one has mentioned digital stamps so I will throw that out there as well. Not sure how computer savvy you are but it's a cheap option and you don't need to pay for shipping or drive anywhere to get them. You purchase the images online and download them on your computer (there are many freeebies out there to start with), then print the images on your own printer. There are several threads one here discussing digital images.

I also agree to purchase good quality tools- paper trimmer, punches of any and every kind, die cutting systems, good quality cardstock, clear embossing powder (extra fine for detailed images), inks in as many colors as you can afford- and Scorepal or Martha Stewart Score board for scoring your cardstock and making boxes and other fun projects.

Clear polymer stamps are much cheaper than rubber cling/rubber wood mounted so you may get more bang for your buck, but it's all about the quality of the stamp too. Hero Arts, Inkadinkado, are just a few that are great quality and not that expensive. There are so many online stamping supply websites out there.......I always look for good shipping deals when placing an online order. I suggest reading through the "Announcements" section of the forum as people are always posting coupons, shipping discount codes, buyer beware, and other very helpful information.

Everyone has given good advice so far, but I wanted to say that if I could start over again, I would be MUCH more selective in what I bought. When you're first starting a hobby, it's tempting to want to buy everything, only to find later that it's not your style/etc. So ask yourself some questions:

What is your style--cutesy, modern, funky? Consider this when buying stamps or paper.

Can I build on this [tool, stamp, etc.] later? For instance, if you buy a small set of Prismacolor pencils, you can add on later with individual colors if you like them. Or if you buy some acrylic blocks you can use them for all clear stamps.

Read as much as you can--reviews on products, tips, techniques. You'll learn so much (and maybe avoid some mistakes) :D

To echo what Stamper1996 said it's easy to just buy all sorts of stuff and discover later that you don't actually use it as much as you thought. While there may not be a Michaels close by, you should go on the Stampin Up website ( http://www.stampinup.com/ ) or Close To My Heart ( http://www.closetomyheart.com/ ) and see if there is a demonstrator nearby and maybe do a couple of classes / make and takes with them. That allows you to see and use their supplies and maybe gauge whether that maybe something you're interested in buying for yourself.