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Can I get opinions of SU products from non demonstrators please?
Hi and thanks for reading my post!
I'm fairly new to the paper craft/card making/stamping world and I've really appreciated the posts on this forum from people using products outside of SU - my entry point!
I'm currently buying from SU, like their coordination, and am currently happily a member of a demonstrators monthly card club. Obvious concerns re SU are their pricing, that it's an MLM, and I also want to try and avoid tunnel vision regarding creativity and quality products. I'd love some opinions of some basic products that can be bought from SU or anyone else.
Die Cutting Machine - SU's new machine vs a Big Shot? Cost and quality?
Adhesives - is any one company better, should I just order generic adhesives from ex. amazon or buy from a local craft/dollar store?
SU demonstrator - is it worth it to become a demonstrator for the discounts if I have some big purchases to make? Ex. Die cutting machine and a range of ink and paper. I will in no way sell to anyone ever.
Big Welcome. I love SU. Most of my SU comes from Ebay. I am not a demo, last time I bought something from a demo was over ten years ago. I don't even have a demo in my area.
The only thing I have bought from SU that was demo related were my reinkers 2010 In Colors. Told you it was a long time, ROFL. SU's Brush Markers & their pastels. The pastels were on clearance. I have bought a couple of stamp sets from them.
Everything else I own is Non-Demo.
Stampin Up's die cut machine is the Spellbinder's Platinum 6. I know you are in Canada. You might get a better deal going a different route even if you had to use US stores like Scrapbook.com
Stampin Up is generic adhesive, They are manufactured by other companies & then it's labeled SU. I am peeking at their web site right now at adhesives.
Tear & Tape you can definitely get cheaper off of Amazon even your Dollar Store. I know some Canadian Dollar stores are carrying Recollections.
Heat & Stick- Ranger has their own version- Sticky Embossing Powder.
StampinSeal- I heard Stampin Seal is Tombow. Ladies, correct me if I am wrong.
Foam Tape- A lot of ladies here get these big rolls of Scotch foam tape. They last a long time and are a good deal. I buy my generic brand from Dollar Tree. I am in the States.
Tombow MonoMulti will definitely be cheaper on Amazon.
Mini Glue Dots- Generic from the Dollar Stores or the brand name GlueDots which you can get at Michael's or Amazon.
Demo- I am not a demo. I would not sell to anyone either. I did toy around with the idea of becoming a hobby demo so I could purchase my big things I wanted like the reinkers & the brush marker's. In the end I was able to get them without doing that. I know that is not an option for most. It might be a good idea to think of becoming a hobby demo if SU is what you want for your major things. My major stamping items- Ink, Reinkers & Brush Markers are all SU. I have been very content with that. I do have Ranger & Tsukineko but those are my fun things that are my fun fillers.
WeRMemory Keepers makes a Paper Trimmer Score Board. If you type that search term in Amazon you will get lots of hits for generic companies that make the same board. WRMK also manufactures with a different company who then labels WRMK's products.
Hope that helps.
__________________
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I'm a demo (just a hobbyist for the discount at this point). So for anyone leaving your review for twistedstitcher, if anyone knows of dimensional adhesive that is as thin as what SU! sells I would love to know about it. Every other one I have tried is thicker.
I'm with Adriana........their dimensionals are the thinnest I've ever found and when my demo quit/retired I stocked up. None of their other adhesives are better than what you can find anywhere else.
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Big Welcome. I love SU. Most of my SU comes from Ebay. I am not a demo, last time I bought something from a demo was over ten years ago. I don't even have a demo in my area.
The only thing I have bought from SU that was demo related were my reinkers 2010 In Colors. Told you it was a long time, ROFL. SU's Brush Markers & their pastels. The pastels were on clearance. I have bought a couple of stamp sets from them.
Everything else I own is Non-Demo.
Stampin Up's die cut machine is the Spellbinder's Platinum 6. I know you are in Canada. You might get a better deal going a different route even if you had to use US stores like Scrapbook.com
Stampin Up is generic adhesive, They are manufactured by other companies & then it's labeled SU. I am peeking at their web site right now at adhesives.
Tear & Tape you can definitely get cheaper off of Amazon even your Dollar Store. I know some Canadian Dollar stores are carrying Recollections.
Heat & Stick- Ranger has their own version- Sticky Embossing Powder.
StampinSeal- I heard Stampin Seal is Tombow. Ladies, correct me if I am wrong.
Foam Tape- A lot of ladies here get these big rolls of Scotch foam tape. They last a long time and are a good deal. I buy my generic brand from Dollar Tree. I am in the States.
Tombow MonoMulti will definitely be cheaper on Amazon.
Mini Glue Dots- Generic from the Dollar Stores or the brand name GlueDots which you can get at Michael's or Amazon.
Demo- I am not a demo. I would not sell to anyone either. I did toy around with the idea of becoming a hobby demo so I could purchase my big things I wanted like the reinkers & the brush marker's. In the end I was able to get them without doing that. I know that is not an option for most. It might be a good idea to think of becoming a hobby demo if SU is what you want for your major things. My major stamping items- Ink, Reinkers & Brush Markers are all SU. I have been very content with that. I do have Ranger & Tsukineko but those are my fun things that are my fun fillers.
WeRMemory Keepers makes a Paper Trimmer Score Board. If you type that search term in Amazon you will get lots of hits for generic companies that make the same board. WRMK also manufactures with a different company who then labels WRMK's products.
Hope that helps.
Thank you thank you thank you! There's a lot here so it will take me some time to sort through all of your lovely advice, but truly thank you. I love the help that people are willing to give on this site.
Thanks for the tip that the SU machine is spellbinders, thanks for all the tips about adhesives!
Scrapbook.com and the spellbonders machine looks great but even at 50% off with the exchange rate and $50 shipping cost it pretty much evens out to full price.
any Canadians out there with tips on getting die cutting machines on sale?
Last edited by twistedstitcher; 02-11-2022 at 09:58 AM..
I'm a demo (just a hobbyist for the discount at this point). So for anyone leaving your review for twistedstitcher, if anyone knows of dimensional adhesive that is as thin as what SU! sells I would love to know about it. Every other one I have tried is thicker.
As a hobbies demo do you find the discount is worth it? I have to look into it some more
This was an interesting post. I have been stamping for 19 years and I have a lot of non SU products as well as SU product. I have been buying SU product from Ebay also. I didn't have a demo for many years after mine retired but I have recently gotten a new one and am enjoying some of the new sets and Sale A bration, etc....
I feel guilty for buying SU from other places besides my dealer but I'm all for saving $$ just as much as the next person.
I look forward to more replies on this thread for others input
__________________ With God all things are possible
I don’t know the Canadian price for signing on as a demo. The U.S. price is $99, plus tax. You get to choose $125 worth of items you want in your kit. Free shipping on the kit. No commitments. You never have to purchase another item if you don’t want to. There are added sign on specials all the time. The current special is two free stamps sets of your choice on top of the $125 worth of items. If you are seriously looking at the SU die cutting machine as your machine of choice, this might be your most economical way of purchasing it. I am not a current demo, however, I have been a hobby demo more than one cycle in the past to get a large volume of product at a lower price. Particularly when I *needed* large ticket items, or to replenish ink, cardstock, etc. basics. Another way to save would be to watch for/wait for their free shipping day. That is rare, but has happened two or three times in the last couple of years.
I don’t know the Canadian price for signing on as a demo. The U.S. price is $99, plus tax. You get to choose $125 worth of items you want in your kit. Free shipping on the kit. No commitments. You never have to purchase another item if you don’t want to. There are added sign on specials all the time. The current special is two free stamps sets of your choice on top of the $125 worth of items. If you are seriously looking at the SU die cutting machine as your machine of choice, this might be your most economical way of purchasing it. I am not a current demo, however, I have been a hobby demo more than one cycle in the past to get a large volume of product at a lower price. Particularly when I *needed* large ticket items, or to replenish ink, cardstock, etc. basics. Another way to save would be to watch for/wait for their free shipping day. That is rare, but has happened two or three times in the last couple of years.
THANK YOU! You’ve answered one of my other questions, whether or not you can sign on for the demo starter package multiple times over the years etc.
Not a demo.
I have one-she is in FL while I am in NY...I don't go to crops obviously. lol. She was rec'ed by a friend and is a lovely person and kind. I am very happy.
Having said that...I have no SU inks. I tend to buy some of their stamps, DP and embellishments when they go on sale. They are far too expensive to me even on sale to make my main supplier.
I got my regular big shot for 69 on sale during black friday years ago and there will be other sales...the best I am seeing at the moment is 80 at craft direct w free ship and has basic accessories included
You need to do the exchange rate but I think it may be cheaper than what I am seeing in Canada on your ebay even from shippers here including free shipping....they don't have the accessories. That is worth another...30-50 depending on how many you want...
The SU machine is basically the same thing.
I see that SU has offices in Canada...so your 125 is in CAD? That would make a difference...
But it also depends on what size big shot you want-this is a standard not the bigger pro. For another 50 you get a pro which opens up more doors for product. Esp if you are not going to limit yourself to just cards but might want to make boxes and stuff that could have wider dies.
SU is not the only company that color coordinates their paper and ink. Several do. How important is that to you?
I like the products of many companies. And SU does not have every product out there.
So personally, I would never only get one company's product. There are a number of nice Canadian companies up there!
Adhesives...we have a lot of discussion on that one bc there are many kinds for different uses. If you go into the tool and product board and search on adhesives...you will see a number of discussions of favs....and I don't see SU as being a common one. There are liquids, DS (double sided) tapes. foam, and sheets plus dots, sprays, etc.
As for thin dots... it may be possible that SU has the thinnest dots....I don't know how thick they are but there are certainly a lot of "high tack low profile" dots out there. There are a number of companies that have a couple of unique to them products.
My question is: How long does a SU hobby demo who lets it lapse have to wait to sign up again?
__________________ Margot
I am a proud fan club member
Last edited by wavejumper; 02-11-2022 at 02:21 PM..
I'm trying to find a current document detailing the wait time and having NO luck... grrr.. I believe it is 6 months. Hopefully someone will chime in with a definite answer.
Whether or not it's worth it is going to depend on how much you like what's offered and your budget. My best recommendation is to keep looking around at the product offerings from different companies and see which one fits you best. Have fun!
Not a demo.
I have one-she is in FL while I am in NY...I don't go to crops obviously. lol. She was rec'ed by a friend and is a lovely person and kind. I am very happy.
Having said that...I have no SU inks. I tend to buy some of their stamps, DP and embellishments when they go on sale. They are far too expensive to me even on sale to make my main supplier.
I got my regular big shot for 69 on sale during black friday years ago and there will be other sales...the best I am seeing at the moment is 80 at craft direct w free ship and has basic accessories included
You need to do the exchange rate but I think it may be cheaper than what I am seeing in Canada on your ebay even from shippers here including free shipping....they don't have the accessories. That is worth another...30-50 depending on how many you want...
The SU machine is basically the same thing.
I see that SU has offices in Canada...so your 125 is in CAD? That would make a difference...
But it also depends on what size big shot you want-this is a standard not the bigger pro. For another 50 you get a pro which opens up more doors for product. Esp if you are not going to limit yourself to just cards but might want to make boxes and stuff that could have wider dies.
SU is not the only company that color coordinates their paper and ink. Several do. How important is that to you?
I like the products of many companies. And SU does not have every product out there.
So personally, I would never only get one company's product. There are a number of nice Canadian companies up there!
Adhesives...we have a lot of discussion on that one bc there are many kinds for different uses. If you go into the tool and product board and search on adhesives...you will see a number of discussions of favs....and I don't see SU as being a common one. There are liquids, DS (double sided) tapes. foam, and sheets plus dots, sprays, etc.
As for thin dots... it may be possible that SU has the thinnest dots....I don't know how thick they are but there are certainly a lot of "high tack low profile" dots out there. There are a number of companies that have a couple of unique to them products.
My question is: How long does a SU hobby demo who lets it lapse have to wait to sign up again?
I’m loving these tips and help. Thank you!
I would love to get a machine for $80, even $120, depending on shipping, but this craft direct $80 USD machine will cost $78 USD just to ship! Arg.
Scrapbook Adhesive brand has thin square foam adhesive. Those are thinner profile than SU. I bought some at Taylored Expressions several months ago and quickly used them. They have a thick one that is not too thick for mailing. I think it is a bit higher profile than the SU dimensionals, but not too thick for mailing.
I like the foam ink pads that SU has. Many companies have foam ink pads. There was a discussion about these in the tool and product section. Many like Catherine Pooler, Concord & Ninth, The Stamps of Life, and there are a few others that I can't remember.
I enjoy kits sometimes and really like Paper Pumpkin. The price is increasing but it includes shipping. There are other kit subscriptions if that interests you.
__________________ Lisa Featured Stamper #671 Love sending BRAK cards. Dirty Dozen Alumni.CC927 Favorite Virtual Stamp Night April 19 - 20 Come Join in the Fun Here
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I just bought 10 of the large bottles of tombow on amazon for $50.19. that's less than $5.02 per 1.76 ounce bottle. SU wants $4. For the .88 oz and that doesn't include shipping and tax. My favorite SU is their cardstock and designer paper. Great quality and love the matching accessories. My favorite tool right now is their trimmer because it has metric and imperial measurements. It does leave fuzzy edges but that can usually be remedied by cleaning the track. And I run a piece of yellow frog tape under the measurements so I can see them better.
Disclosure: I am a demo but only to get the discount for myself, my sister, and a few friends.
Signing up is a good way to get a discount but it is not totally without commitment. You will be required to spend $300 (retail) per quarter to stay "active." That number is higher in Canada. I believe this is where demonstrators get into trouble. They keep spending just to stay "active" and before long, they have more stuff than they can use. Beware of that!
I like the products but they are pricey. Demonstrators can be almost cult-like in their behavior over products. There are good options out there to save a bit:
* adhesives. I buy mine from an office supply company. There is a threshold where shipping is free ($45?) and this is a major saving for me. The Tombow liquid glue that SU sells for $4 plus tax and shipping is just over $2 a tube. I loved SNAIL adhesive and I buy the refills from the referenced company for $1.92 each plus tax. And no shipping. I need to look up tear and tape because I am on my last roll from SU.
* joining. I have already cautioned you about buying just to "stay active." You can drop and rejoin SU but there are some restrictions. If you drop and rejoin under the same upline, you can rejoin the next month. If you want to rejoin under a different upline, you must wait 90 days. Between my sister and I, we have done both of these.
* a little looking around. There are demonstrators everywhere who are willing to share their discount. Yes, SU "discourages" this but there is really nothing they can do about it. Off the top of my head, I can think of six demonstrators I know personally who share their discount on each and every order. This is 20-25% savings per order. Of course, they aren't out there advertising this but you can be sure they are out there. It makes it easier to hit that $300 minimum every quarter for them and it saves a bit of money for the customer. Also, the customer is not locked into a $300 commitment per quarter because they are not the demonstrator.
* secondary market. You can sometimes find great deals on used stamps, tools, etc This will require a little hunting on your part. Before the pandemic, I volunteered and shopped at a little donations store in my community. All the money raised went to a local hospice program. We often received donations of SU stamps, paper, and embellishments. I cannot completely remember how we priced things but I know I bought LOTS of it. I know stamps were $1-4 per set depending on how many stamps were in the set. I donated a lot of it back two years ago when we moved. I don't know if you have anything similar where you live.
Those are my suggestions, for what they might be worth. Good luck on whatever you do!
Scrapbook Adhesive brand has thin square foam adhesive. Those are thinner profile than SU. I bought some at Taylored Expressions several months ago and quickly used them. They have a thick one that is not too thick for mailing. I think it is a bit higher profile than the SU dimensionals, but not too thick for mailing.
The Scrapbook Adhesive thin squares are great. I use them all the time, because I don't like too much height when I mail cards or pop things up in scrapbooks.
I haven't bought from SU in a long time, since my bff stopped being a demo. Their products are good quality, but they are expensive (to me), and shipping is too high (for me). I was a demo a long time ago (2004-05), and I didn't make much money. I did get some nice products, though, and most of my ink pads are still going strong.
You might want to think about getting a used one on your ebay in Canada. They are pretty hardy so a used one could be perfectly fine and save you a ton. When people decide to stop, they often sell the equipment. Just make sure you are getting the accessories too.
I just thought of another one...we have something called Craigslist. Local people in a town or neighborhood will list stuff cheap. You meet them in a public place to exchange for the money. I could see craft equipment being something that could get listed...do you have something like that?
__________________ Margot
I am a proud fan club member
Last edited by wavejumper; 02-12-2022 at 08:29 PM..
Hope you don't mind the opinion of a demo here! I joined SU in 2004 and I've stayed a demo this whole time. The discount is great, and I love being able to get things early! In your Starter Kit, you'll get packs of all catalogs that are current when you sign up, and a free Paper Pumpkin kit!
You may think you'd never ever sell anything, but I had 2 friends over to see if I could teach someone to stamp (as I was a new stamper myself) and it was SO fun. I started having Stamp Camps and I just love having them. But I have them at MY convenience (just had my first one since Covid in September and haven't had another one but have one planned for the end of this month). I've also had several major orthopedic surgeries, and I had to take a break from Stamp Camps during that time. I've heard that the usual "buying span" of an SU customer is 2-3 years. Most of my customers have been with me since 2005 and they're still attending Stamp Camp and they are still ordering, especially during Sale-a-bration!
I would highly discourage any new demos from sharing your discount unless it's someone like your sister, your mom, etc. Sometimes customers need customer service and of course they need catalogs, and. you can actually LOSE money on a customer that you're sharing your discount with. Plus it creates an expectation in the customers and what you do for one person, it's hard not to do for all.
I do things for my customers like reink their ink pads if it's a retired color and they didn't buy the reinker (you can bet they'll buy the reinkers for any future ink pads!). I also keep extra SAB items that I get duplicates of, and I save them until a time when there isn't a sale or special, and I offer them the SAB item if they order $50 (or $100) worth of merchandise.
Anyway, hope this is somewhat helpful!
__________________ ~ Susan - Celebrating 19 years as an SU demo! Grammy to Anna 15, Elizabeth 14, Nora 12, Abigail 12, Kendall 10 , Isaac 10, Evan 7, and Hudson 3 with me in my avatar Proud to be SCS Fan Club Member since the beginning!
The people I know who share their discount have never lost money. They will send you a link to the digital catalog or they will order a catalog for you and you can buy it at cost.
I think this thread was about was it worth it to sign up to be a demonstrator. That is a personal choice. But don't get roped into the "spending money to keep your demonstratorship" trap. If you can't spend $300+ per quarter, by all means see if others want to help you. If you decide not to become a demonstrator, there are ways to save money without paying full price.
I should add that I am in Canada and we do not get the insane-o sales on craft supplies like I've seen in the US.
I'm also looking for a paper cutter that will double for scoring.
Thanks again!
Seriously, I have NEVER gotten good cuts with a trimmer. I have an X-acto guillotine that I bought years ago at an office closeout store, and I LOVE it! I most highly recommend getting a guillotine cutter. I was gifted a Scor Pal by the owner of the company (still using it years later, Diana Crick- thank you!), so that's what I use for scoring. I did pick up a cheap scoreboard with 1/8 inch measurements when I found a price I liked.
I'm very eclectic about buying stamps/dies/papers/tools. I did go to a monthly SU group when my next door neighbor was a demo. Even then, I also bought elsewhere. I buy a lot from PaperPapers.com, especially when they run a big percentage off clearance. I have bought great cs from them, as well as envelopes and even markers/pens.Sign up for emails and they let you know when there's a deal on.
Big Shot- I got my first one straight from the manufacturer for $30 free shipping when they were clearing the Hello Kitty sissy pink one. My supervisor at work also bought one when I let her know about the sale. SU was getting $100 for it back then. I got a back up Big Kick (same machine, I see no difference except color) a couple years ago at Tuesday Morning for $50, because the Big Shot was getting cranky. Good thing, because one night the Big Shot spit the sandwich back out at me, and quit working. So watch for deals. I understand that pricing may be different in Canada. Ever come to the States for a visit? Plan to shop if you do!
Viva Las Vegas Stamps has good deals on the tear tape, usually has a big sale around the Super Bowl.
I buy AdTech glue runner on Amazon. It's my go to glue, but I also keep an eye out for deals elsewhere. I would say buy a bottle of Aleenes Jewel It (Walmart carries it, I think), as it is a terrific glue. I love the glue pen dispenser you can sometimes find it in, which is easily refillable from a big bottle. It's a #itch to get off your fingers, but nothing ever comes unstuck using it. Check office stores for adhesives, sometimes you can get them cheaply there. Also, I have bought great cs at office stores.
I'm very good at eyeballing colors, I don't need a company to make everything match for me.I find that's part of creativity.
I also find I seldom use my color ink pads anymore. I'm much more likely to stamp in black and color with watercolor pencils, markers, colored pencils, etc. Check Dick Blick for those things- I'm not sure if they are in Canada or how their shipping to you is.
On Ebay, check out nail art supplies for great deals out of China on things you can use for crating. Notably, nail dotting tools- styluses (stylii???) with many size tips that you can use for scoring, or, as I do, for dotting glue to set tiny gems. Then you take your wax pencil (bought cheap from China) and use it to pick up the gems and place them on the glue dots. You can get about 4 or 5 wax pencils for around a buck. Really, best pick up tool ever, and CHEAP!!! Rhinestones, pearls, charms, foils, and many other nifty embellishments come cheap from China. Gotta love Ebay! Not to mention many kinds of tweezers, scissors, etc, I happen to have gotten old dental tools from my wonderful dentist, but you can pick up like items- I've seen them at Harbor Freight. Wondrous for picking bits out of intricate die cuts.Harbor Freight also has lots of useful storage options for crafting.
I would say buy a bottle of Aleenes Jewel It (Walmart carries it, I think), as it is a terrific glue.
I LOVE ALEENE'S JEWEL IT! Like screaming love, lol. I have never used it on paper. You can use it on paper? It doesn't warp. I use it a lot for embellishments. I am always adding bling and things to fabric. Aleene's is just the best for that. I keep my bottle next to me with my most used glues.
I agree about China nail art tools. I love nail art and use it for it's intended purpose. I have a large amount of nail art tools. My nail art tools are one of the most important tools for me in my paper crafting toolbox. I rather give away my Cricut than my nail art tools, lol.
Also look in the cake decorating sections of Ali & Ebay for stamping tools. The big styluses everyone uses for flowers you can get beautiful sets that are made for cake decorating. They are a nicer weight, IMO.
My wax pens from Ali are my must have for paper crafting.
I agree about matching colors. If you need that you don't need to pay SU prices for it.
Cherry On Top & Scrapbook.com also match papers for you. It's right on their web page. The days of SU cornering the market for matching is over. There are a lot of companies out there doing it. You might find one that does it better for your learning level.
I wanted to add alternatives for embellishments. I know embellishments are so expensive at SU for us in the States & I know they are mind boggling expensive for across the pond & Canada.
Enamel Dots- Any of the Nuvo Crystal Drops or the other companies versions will make the same thing. You can get clear Glossy Accents make your designs and then color with alcohol markers. I do this with pouring medium.
If that is too much work Dollarama sells beautiful enamel dots. Dollar Tree has them. American Crafts always has beautiful ones. That is the only name brand company I will buy from. I have bought beautiful enamel dots on Ali & Ebay.
Sequins & Bling- Ali, Dollarrama, Dollar Tree, Etsy sellers. Etsy sellers can make you the most beautiful sequin mixes.
Ribbon- Their ribbon is Offray. If you want to match the ribbon then buy a white roll and color it with your reinkers or alcohol markers. That is a SU demo tip I learned a billion years ago. ;)
I do love SU. They have these frosted bead assortments in their new catalog. Now, that listing made me laugh for about ten minutes. I know ladies I get highly amused about stupid things, ROFL. You all what to know what those frosted beads are?
They are the kids Slime embellishments. Seriously just go to Ali and look at Slime inclusions. Type in Slime inclusions at Google and there is your frosted beads. You need those frosted beads give little puppy eyes to your kids or grandkids and ask if you can have some, lol. I bet they have plenty.
Brass embellismnets- Ali or Ebay.
Twine- Gardening section of your store. All my craft twine went to my gardening toolbox.
Shake Domes- Ali or save cute packaging. Before I discovered forums & found out that you can buy shaker domes I made my shake creations out of packaging. They were/are adorable. I never ever buy shaker domes.
Doilies, Lattices, any of the die cut paper ephemera- Die sets. Look at Sizzix or the other die companies. Really hit Ebay for those dies. Before I get yelled at about China dies I am not advocating that. I know about the copyright. ;) I buy the majority of my dies from Ebay and they are name brand. I save sixty percent doing this.
If you want to stay with SU. You can buy a similar die set on their site, and match the ephemera to a paper. Like the gold leaves in their catalog you can use a leaf die & their gold paper.
Brads- Ebay again. I just got over 1,000 brads & eyelets on Ebay for $15.00 from a seller.
Trinkets- Charms from your favorite stores or Ali/Ebay
Stickers- Dollarama, Dollar Tree, Ali/Ebay
Window Sheets are just acetate. If you want something thicker look at cake collars.
I am not trying to deter anyone from SU. I love them. I would be so upset if they went under. I really do like it is one stop shopping and makes things easier. One stop shopping I know doesn't work for me or others. I hope this gives some good alternatives.
"I LOVE ALEENE'S JEWEL IT! Like screaming love, lol. I have never used it on paper. You can use it on paper? It doesn't warp. I use it a lot for embellishments. I am always adding bling and things to fabric. Aleene's is just the best for that. I keep my bottle next to me with my most used glues."
I first used Jewel It about 25 years ago, when I decorated a sweat suit with cabochon gems and fish appliques. The Jewel It held those gems on through years of machine washing. Yes, you can use it on paper. I use a small nail dotting stylus and the Jewel It to set gems like these: Elegant Easter Egg by contrapat at Splitcoaststampers
or the green card here: C-ing double! by contrapat at Splitcoaststampers
And I use the wax pencil as a pick up tool to grab the tiny gems and place them on the glue.
I use the Jewel it sparingly, but often on large pieces, and have never had a warping problem. Nothing EVER comes unglued!
Isn't it nice to meet another crafter who shares your obsessions???
Thank you thank you thank you! Thank you to everyone who the time to give me so many useful tips! There’s so much in all of these responses that I’m excited to start looking into and shopping around. I’ll have to save this thread forever to keep coming back for tips, because there’s so much they’ll take me through so many projects!
The following 2 users liked this post by twistedstitcher:
I first used Jewel It about 25 years ago, when I decorated a sweat suit with cabochon gems and fish appliques. The Jewel It held those gems on through years of machine washing. Yes, you can use it on paper. I use a small nail dotting stylus and the Jewel It to set gems like these: Elegant Easter Egg by contrapat at Splitcoaststampers
or the green card here: C-ing double! by contrapat at Splitcoaststampers
And I use the wax pencil as a pick up tool to grab the tiny gems and place them on the glue.
I use the Jewel it sparingly, but often on large pieces, and have never had a warping problem. Nothing EVER comes unglued!
Isn't it nice to meet another crafter who shares your obsessions???
Thank you so much for the tips. That is so helpful. I love Jewel It, I love it better than her tacky glue, lol. I am a bling girl so bling glue is more important to me than paper glue.
I'm with Adriana........their dimensionals are the thinnest I've ever found and when my demo quit/retired I stocked up. None of their other adhesives are better than what you can find anywhere else.
Hi, I found thinner dimensionals by accident and I love them. They are Hunkydory 2mm deep 5mmx5mm foam pads and Scrapbook Adhesives Thin 3 D foam squares, which come in two sizes. They are perfect for when you want lower dimensions. I use these more than any other dimensionals. Hope they work out for you.
I don't know about shipping charges to Canada so you should check with each company. I know you asked about SU, but there are so many good companies, I think you should check around. Get on the email list with manufacturers: Sizzix, Xyron, etc. and lots of stamping craft companies: Scrapbook dot com, ScrapbookPal dot com, etc AND specialty stamping companies (depending on your style): Avery Elle, The Greetery, etc. There are several who sell cardstock and matching ink and stamps. I really like Papertrey Ink's cardstock. They have the best price on heavy cardstock and Beautiful colors.
If you have Walmart, you may be able to order products online and pick up to save shipping.
You will find LOTS of information on products here on SCS. I hope you have fun stamping!
If you haven't purchased machines, yet, this month SU is having a 20% off saving on their mini die cutting machine and several bundles that fit that machine. It might be worth it to you to check out, if you like that size and want to keep getting plates from SU. I haven't seen this size in Spellbinders store. I have a smaller one from Spellbinders and it is a fun size.
__________________ Lisa Featured Stamper #671 Love sending BRAK cards. Dirty Dozen Alumni.CC927 Favorite Virtual Stamp Night April 19 - 20 Come Join in the Fun Here
Have you visited the Craft Stash website? They are based in the UK and have free shipping to Canada for orders above $100, plus 15% off your first order, and they have lots of sales.
I suggest you watch the latest SU demonstrator videos on way they left the company after years.
SU has updated their requirements their demonstrators, they must be loyal to their brand,use only the current products listed in their catalogs. Also note, SU retires products (colors (ink and cardstock), stamps and dies every year. And make no reference to other products in their sales pitch.
When I started cardmaking, 25 yrs ago, I signed up to be a SU demonstrator. I attending the crops, stamp camps and even a convention.
Thanks to stamp and scrapbook conventions my eyes were open to ALL to products available for card makers and scrapbookers. I knew I couldn't promote the SU brand wholeheartedly. I was able to end my association SU without going deep in to debt trying to meet quarterly sales goals to get the discount on products. Maybe if I lived in a remote area without a lot of competition in the my city, sales would have been better and I could reach sales goals without overstocking my inventory.
I'm just being honest and sharing my experience and what I've seen on YouTube.
Good luck to you if you decide to join the SU family.
The following 4 users liked this post by Bohodiva:
This is the exact reason why I couldn't be a demo. I couldn't demo the current stock. I understand the marketing reason behind it. I don't agree with it but I do understand. Even, if I only did SU I would still be using my older SU mixed with new. I know demo's who have older inventory that they can still sell. Most demo's have such excess stock and have to unload it on Ebay.
I had an Avon rep who still had access to older Avon items she could get for her customers. She had such a loyal customer base because she could provide that service.
I can say with certainty if I had a demo who could get me older items with the new I would spend more money on newer items too.
You know most of us have been stamping a long time. We like our new things but we have our tried and true favorite's. How many of us would implode if Tsukineko stopped making Versafine Black Onyx.
My post is not a rant. It is staying on topic. It's something to think about when you are becoming a demo. What kind of demo would you be. Do you want to be a trend demo, then SU would be a great company for you. Are you the type that only wants newer items per year to keep your stash down? Then again demo would be perfect for you.
Are you the type of demo who would like to be able to provide several services and options for your base? Then SU might not be the best company to demo for.
Are you the type of demo who would be brand specific but use older and newer SU items together? Once again maybe demoing with SU would be the best fit.
Hello, I just saw your post and thought I'd give my answer. I was a demo from 2004-2009.
I was very active and bought tons and tons of stamps, inks and paper. Fast forward to now, and I still use my SU inks and reinkers. I also still have (hoard) some of their cardstock.
I almost exclusively use SU inks because my inks have lasted a very long time and I never got rid of retiring colors. Over the years, I have collected the colors and I can easily create those layered looks with layering stamps and stencils.
I no longer purchase SU stamps, as they aren't really my style preference. But I will always buy their inks and cardstock if I need more colored cardstock.
I think that there are so many wonderful stamp companies out there, so being a demo doesn't make sense for me. I'll just occasionally place an order to purchase new colors of inks here and there. But I buy the rest of my craft supplies from other websites and occasionally from Hobby Lobby or Joanns locally here in Texas where I live.
If I were starting out brand new, I think being a demo for a period of time might be an option to save a little money while building up a stash or collection.
I signed up a long time ago to get the benies, but had no intention of making that a business. I agree with Veramats about being restricted to only SU. I like the inks and paper, but most of the stamps are not my style. Also, while I think the dies are a little over priced, they are good quality. Yet I find myself shopping from other websites for what I specifically want. I have enough "thank you, thanks, feel better soon, get well, hello, etc." stamps and I prefer to buy only those I will actually use. I am grateful for those who choose to stay with SU because their videos are really helpful and sometimes entertaining. Bottom line - for me there are way too many places where I can get the items I need, and at some really good prices. I hope this helps you.
I'm a demo (just a hobbyist for the discount at this point). So for anyone leaving your review for twistedstitcher, if anyone knows of dimensional adhesive that is as thin as what SU! sells I would love to know about it. Every other one I have tried is thicker.
i discovered a brand of foam dimensionals a few months back that are thinner than SU, and I am hooked on them!
The brand is Scrapbook Adhesives and they are called Thin 3D Foam Squares. The pack has 217 squares - one sheet is filled with 1/4” squares, the other sheet is filled with 1/2” squares. There are several things I like about these super thin foam Dimensionals - the squares are set a bit apart on the release sheet so it is easy to get a single sq without releasing others in the process; the squares fit my projects more readily than the SU hexagon shape; lastly they have a nice tac, stick where you put them and are the perfect thickness for adding dimension without adding bulk.
I found these at Scrapbook.com and have purchased them several times.
Can I get opinions of SU products from non demonstrators please?
