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Hello, My name is Amy and I have been lurking for quite a while now. I am getting ready to put in my order for my starter kit and would like any suggestions or advice that any of you have to give. I have been stamping for a while now and I don't know why it took me so long to sign up as a demonstrator. In the meantime I have collected quite a few stamp set and ink pads, markers, papers etc. I just love SU!'s stuff! :lol: Most of my set, though, are going to be retired and I was wondering if there are any suggestions as to what to get in my starter. What do you use the most? What is easy to demonstrate? What color grouping would you start out with? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Amy
I customized my kit as much as possible...later to buy everything that came in the kit! lol.. :lol: I stay definitely stick with Fresh Flowers..and the Bold Brights color family.
Hi Amy,
If you can hold off a bit longer. I just got my Stampin' Success and they published that the Stampin' Starter kit will change a bit. Starting at the 19th of July they will add a stampin scrub, a stampin mist, one package of Inspiration sheets for the Fresh Flowers and one additional set of Assorted CS. The kit will cost $199 then.
You will get more bang for your buck then. Just thought I mention it.
Pick stamps and colors YOU like. If you don't like it, you won't use it, and it's hard to be inspired by something you don't like. Congrats on deciding to become a demo!! ~Pam
Thanks for the heads up on the new starter kit! It sounds great! I don't know, though if I can wait. I'm just so excited to get started! I was thinking about getting the petal prints, fresh flowers and love without end. I love those sets and I don't have any flower set right now. What about the itty, bitty background or fresh fillers? Which one do you use the most?
Fresh Flowers is an amazingly versatile set, Tags & More is also, Itty Bitty Backgrounds is a must have and All Year Cheer I is the best word set in the catalog IMNSHO
The only set I have found lacking is Perfect Party. I've used the balloons, which are nice for birthday cards, but the rest of the set leaves me cold.
Otherwise, I'll tell you what I told my next recruit:
Lovely as a Tree - this one is very versatile and you can use it in every season.
Stipple Rose - This stamp is so good for all kinds of techniques!
Sketch It - very versatile, can be used in all seasons
Sketch an Event - good for both scrapbooking and stamping, looks great when paired with Little Shapes, but since that's retiring I'll be switching to Simple Shapes and it will work just as well.
I'm thrilled about them adding the scrub and the mist to the starter kits after the new catalog; now I've got to let my next recruit know this in case she wants to hold her app until then!
When i got my kit, I decided I didn't want Fresh Flowers. I also decided on All Year Cheer 3. I kept Perfect Party.
So, 5 months later:
I have used Perfect party like once. I wish I had gotten something else (Sketch an event that I got for Fresh Flowers is a great one that I have used a lot)
I have since bought Fresh Flowers and I use it all the time. One of my favorite sets!
I also got AYC 1. I think I picked 3 because it was January and I had just finished making my Christmas cards. I was all excited about the holiday sayings. Then as the year has moved on, I found I was wanting sentiments like "its your day" and "from the heart".
Don't get rid of Tags and More. I think that is the set I use the most out of my starter kit!
That's what I have learned! :-)
__________________ Geojlc --I never met a craft I didn't like!
I suggest that my recruits stick with the starter kit. The kit also comes with a magazine of examples (using the starter kit sets) and with a video of how to run a workshop...again using the starter kit sets. It is soooo much easier to figure out what projects you are going to do if you use those tools that connect with each other.
I don't know what you decided, but the new kit also includes the craft scissors! I think the new kit is definitely worth the wait. I joined in April and recently purchased the scrub and am going to purchase the scissors on my next order. They are must haves.
Well...I never use Fresh Flowers and wish that I hadn't gotten that set. I hardly ever use the Itty Bitty Backgrounds, but I'm glad that I have it because they retired the Air Art Tool, so I can get somewhat the same effect with that set.
I signed up last August and this is what I've learned:
Terrific Tulips is a WOW set. Everyone who sees that demo'd just loves it.
Fishy Friends is cute and is nice for cute shaker cards.
Watercolor Garden is another WOW set.
I just bought Perfect Party because I wanted a neutral set to make birthday cards...I now wish I hadn't bought it and realize now why I didn't get it with my starter set.
Sketch an Event is versitile.
I agree that you should get Tags and More. It's a good one to demo because customers will like that it covers several holidays and they don't need to buy a bunch of sets if they are limited in cash.
I have bunches of others that I use frequently, but these are the ones that I get the most use out of.
Hope this helps!
Also...if you don't already have a significant collection of classic pads, I suggest the Stampin' Spots...they are great for Stamp Camps and also to demo so that customers can see that they CAN afford to have all 48 of our colors!
and left the kit pretty much the way it was upon purchasing, with the exception of changing an all year Cheer to another set since I didn't own yet.
I agree that it has been easier to decide what to make as a newbie to stamping & SU by utilizing the videos and start up brochure that come with the kit, not to mention the many wonderful samples listed here on SCS for each kit.
I refer to the gallery nearly daily since finding this wonderful place.
Since it's summer, I'd say stick to the Bold brights. I've already ordered 2 additional packs of this cardstock along with separate colors that are in this same color family for 4th of July cards and other projects I've got in the creative hopper for future demos.
The standard colors that come in the kit for stamp pads originally didn't do anything for me, but I now use them ALL the time, even though they aren't my favorite colors. They are so versatile together, particularly with bold brights cs.
HTH,
Cindy
__________________ Stampin fool...will stamp on ANYTHING!
Starter kit help
