what would you say to a beginner stamper/cardmaker
 

Hi everyone.. i just recently came across the board and LOVE all the neat things you guys are making...
what would you say to a beginner stamper/cardmaker?? i have NO supplies yet.. NOTHING.. I just saw some of the things you guys made and would LOVE to try that....
what can you tell me about tools...techniques..where do i start????
This looks like so much fun but i have no idea where to begin.. i need like a beginners introduction :)

i would go to www.stampinup.com and put in your zip code and find a demo in your area and then you can contact her and she will be able to point you in the right direction. there are so many different types of stamp companies out there it will depend on the type you want. The demo you choose will talk with you and get you started. HTH and happy stamping

I would be prepared to part with $$$$$$! Once you start you won't want to stop :-D

Gosh...take a deep breath...jump in!

If you have access to any of the big craft stores (Michael's, JoAnn's, AC Moore, etc) or local scrapbook stores (LSS, for short!), go and browse around. Not everything will make sense immediately.

When I was introduced to stamping, I placed a $40 order with Stampin' Up!, and the very next day went to both Michael's and JoAnn's and spent $100 between the 2 stores (using coupons!).

Buy a small pack of precut cards and envelopes, one or 2 stamps that "speak" to you, and a black inkpad. Go home and have fun.

Kathy

i live in south africa... i can hardly even find 8 by 10 cardstock here! lol they only sell 12 by 12... so my choice isnt what i would like it to be! :)

I would not buy a thing just yet. There are hundreds of thousands of stamps and embellishments. I would browse here, including the galleries, and on blogs and merchant websites.

If you have a local stamp store, take some classes. If not, see if you can go to a Stampin Up, The Angel Company and/or Close to My Heart classes or workshop near your home.

Get some magazines such as Papercraft, Cards, etc. and read.

Once you are familiar with the market, invest in the best quality tools you can afford so you don't buy 7 trimmers eventually!! You are going to need the following basics

paper trimmer
adhesive
good white paper (www.papertreyink.com) sells the best IMHO
good waterproof black ink -- there are many, I'd recommend Memories brand, but Palette and a others are excellent as well.
Inks
Stamps -- solid and image. I'd recommend buying just a small amount of different types from different sources to see what you like. Clear, unmounted rubber, wood mounted. If you buy clear and/or unmounted, you'll also need acrylic blocks to use as mounts
Something to color in the the line stamps
Stamp cleaner
colored cardstock

A lot of folks on SCS buy the SU brand cardstocks and inks because they color coordinate and are high quality. If you are interested, I recommend that you buy one color first and see if you love it.

Money and time!

Good luck and enjoy

Welcome! :)
I'd agree with what's already been posted.

SU! has some great "kits" for getting started, Archivers is a place that's great about helping anyone learn a particular technique on the spot and they also hold classes. Many local stamp stores (LSS) do too. Hopefully, you have a friend or two who have introduced you to this wonderful world, and you can "play" with their "toys" for a while. At first, it's like being a kid in a toy shop and everything is dazzling and calling your name. Set a budget, go to classes, mess around with your friend's things and in time you'll begin to get a sense of what you need and want to explore.

Happy stamping! :)

What she said :)

South Africa! Oh, my! And how cool is it that we're connected through this awesome website?!?! :)

I think you're doing the right thing by asking questions - and be prepared to ask lots more! I was nearly put off stamping very early on because I bought the "wrong" kind of stamps.

I would start with good quality wood-mounted stamps, definitely - I find unmounted stamps are much harder to use, especially for beginners.

I'd also go for outline stamps and a good black ink pad to begin with, and colour them with supplies you already have. Solid stamps are lovely but you need a good range of ink pads to get the most out of them.

And, like Joan B says, you need good quality white cardstock. Personally I find Stampin' Up!'s Whisper White the best that I have tried.

:mrgreen: Run fast and dont look back

One thing I would suggest, in addition to what is already here, is to pick images you really think you can get multiple use from and to stay away from 'word' stamps, at least at the beginning. Truth is, with all the cute fonts and sayings available on stamps, it is easy to spend a ton of money on them - all of which you can easily do on your computer. If you decide this is a hobby you will stick with, you can start adding those to your collection, too!

Welcome to SCS! It is a great community - lots of wonderful women to answer every question you may have!

I would invest in a set, such as you get from SU, Papertrey, and many other companies. My biggest mistake when I began was picking individual stamps because I liked them, and then finding that they didn't coordinate because of style or size. Look through the websites, and find some that have deisgns that you really like. You can begin with one set, and make multiple cards. Look at the samples in the gallery.

I think the acrylic stamps would be great for a beginner because you can see exactly what you are doing. I personally like to color, so I like the stamps that have open lines instead of solid. Get a good set of colored pencils, such as Prismacolor. As another poster said. Get quality products, and you'll have them forever. I hope you enjoy the hobby as much as I. Eileen

Welcome to the stamping world. Everyone is giving you great advice, especially about being careful because it is addictive. If you can find a demonstrator who holds stamp camps and classes, you will learn lots from her. I try to teach my customers new ways to use their stamps with different techniques, so I have special classes, technique clubs, scrapbook clubs, and stamp camps. Check and see if there's someone in your area who does similar activities. Then, be ready to part with your money, lol! There are so many wonderful stamps, papers, and embellishments out there.

SCS is a great place to learn techniques. Also, you can check out different stamp sets in the gallery and get many ideas on how to use them. I tell all my customers about SCS. I want them to not just buy sets from me but to actually USE them, and I know they can get great ideas from the many talented gals who post their creations in the gallery.

Have fun -- cardmaking is great therapy and a way to make many new friends!

Where do you live. Maybe if you make a stamping friend from the board you can use some of their supplies, before you buy a lot. I know I have over a thousand stamps and I am willing to share with friends. Kim

That statement I disagree with because I tried wood mounted when I first started and it completely turned me off. I packed them up and put them away. Then I was introduced to unmounted rubber which I find alot easier to use. I haven't stopped stamping since.


As JoanB said I would buy a variety of stamps; a few wood mounted, clear, and unmounted rubber, to see what works best for you before investing alot of money into one style.

Is SU! in South Africa, anyone know?

I don't think so . . . but, you could check www.stampinup.com ; all their global links should be listed there.

I would spend a lot of time reading the posts on SCS and looking at cards/projects before investing in supplies. If you do that, you'll gain an amazing amount of knowledge. :D

can ya give me like specific product recommendations?? its too confusing with the huge variety!!
i can purchase these things on ebay if its not supplied here.. so if you were a beginner stamper.... What exactly would you buy to start off :) :) :) Plz PlzZz

lol someone needs to create an introduction to stamping dvd!!! :) :) then i can learn all the techniques! (i wish it were THAT easy hehe)

Like others, I recommend your first ink pad be a good quality black one. My favorite is the Memories brand. It's a permanent ink as opposed to being a dye-based ink. It dries quickly, always gives me a good impression, and once dry, it won't smear when colored in with markers, watercolors, etc.

I also would recommend getting some "all purpose" stamps: images that can work for many occasions. A stamp of a gift package can be colored for Christmas, birthday, wedding, etc. A nice flower stamp can be bright and cheery or soft and subtle depending on the mood of the card you make. A nice set of sayings, like S.U.'s "Sincere Salutations" has a saying for every occasion.

My last recommendation is a package of nice white cardstock. Even if you dive headlong into stamping, you'll find that white cardstock is a staple that you'll ALWAYS use.

Although I agree that good quality cardstock is a must for a stamper/cardmaker, when I first started (not very long ago!), my demo recommended that I get a ream of the Georgia Pacific white cardstock at Wal-Mart. I was able to practice on that and learn about stamping without wasting more expensive cardstock. It didn't bother me to throw away my wally cardstock when I messed up because I still had so much left! It would have killed me to throw away SU! cardstock because of my limited supply and the cost. I started with the white GP cardstock, paper cutter/scorer, a black SU! classic ink pad, a set of SU! markers, and a stamp set of flowers. As I became more interested, my next order was for a set of SU! Stampin Spots. My choice was Earth Elements. I also got the assortment of EE cardstock. I quickly found out which colors of inks I would go to over and over and those were the regular stamp pads that I began ordering.

I am so grateful that my demo helped me get started in a less expensive way and then helped me move up to better products as I became more experienced and confident. Thanks Chris!

Start on a "cheap" note and move up!

I think all you need is passion and practice. Just start with your basic paper, adhesive, paper trimmer and stamp and go for it. Once you dive in you will never want to stop. Happy Stamping :)

Sit back and watch - see what appeals to you before you go wild buying.

Only buy what you LOVE not what you think you NEED.

Buy the best tools - it is worth it in the end.

First stamp set or nifty stamp tool purchased = engaged
Second stamp set or nifty stamp tool purchased = married
Third + stamp sets/nifty tools purchased = Happily ever after

I would suggest looking in the galleries and favoriting the cards you really like. That way you can get the list of supplies used, colors of ink and cardstock, stamps, etc.

Then once you have a good list of favorites, see if the same names of companies or stamp sets are used in any of them, or just the same style. See what your drawn too, images that you can color or more solid images.

Then once you have a good list of "stuff" you will have tools, colors, inks, stamps, etc all from your favorites to help you buy.

If the pictures you favorite have items you arent familiar with or dont list enough specifics about what's used, you can always PM that person and ask. That way it will be easier for you to ebay and find them.

Good luck and happy hunting!

I would be very careful about buying things just yet. Almost everything I bought when I first started is gone now or gathering dust in a closet. Do you have somewhere like a local store you could take a beginning class? If not, you might check out a site called My Creative Classroom. I am not affilliated nor have I taken any classes there (YET) but they have some amazing instructors!! I like class formats because they give you specific supply lists to make a certain project. Once you learn to do that project, you can move on to another one and try some different techniques. Then you will learn more about what you like and don't like.

Bagpuss is right. SU whisper white is a very good start. When I started I bought Michaels white cardstock because I said, "I think it is ridiculous to spend that much on cardstock." It was a good learning experience and I have learned so much since then. I don't regret buying the cheaper paper, since I use it to cover my workspace (lol), but it's really worth spending the extra. Trying a mixture of one of the colour families of cardstock is a good idea. You get a sense for what colours you like and, of course, the colours in the family go well together. Definitely get a paper cutter. That made all the difference to me. Do go to some parties as the demo can give you lots of advice -- just go slow ... and keep coming here!:-D

There are stamping techniques DVDs available. :cool:
Hugs,
Gina K.