Basic Card/Scrapbooking Essentials Q&A

Thank you to all of the ladies who attended my Daytime Open Houses this week! It was fun showing you the new products for 2009-2010. I'm always delighted to see someone's eyes light up when they finish a make-and-take. I got a lot of comments like; "That's all?", "That's all it took to make that card? It looks more complicated, but it was actually easy to do.", and "I'm not intimidated by the paper punch anymore!"

Several asked about the upcoming classes and what they should bring. I advise anyone who is doing this for fun to only buy a few essential items. Then as you feel more confident you can add to your basics. Many times, a Newbie's eyes are bigger than her mad money budget or has unrealistic goals after the first class and buys everything she thinks she needs. I would suggest bringing a pair of nice sharp scissors for paper cutting only. If you have a nice extra pair of scissors at home that you can designate "for paper only", or simply label as "Mom's, hands off" bring those along with a glue stick. Any glue stick will do, but later we will be branching out into 'The World of Adhesive'. If you have neither scissors nor glue sticks, Stampin Up sells both in the catty.

Q: "But I have scissors and glue sticks at home and I want to get started right away with a small project, say regular-sized Thank You cards. What do I need?"

A: For the Newbie starting out on her first project, I would suggest stocking these essentials: Whisper White Cardstock 8.5x11 40 sheets/$7.50, stampin pad in Basic Black $5.95, Whisper White envelopes 40/$6.50 and a package of Cardstock 8.5x11 in one of the color families 36 sheets/$7.95. In addition to the paper, you can pick one stamp in the "under $10" section of the catty. If you are truly ambitious and the Thank You stamp in the "under $10" section is not challenging enough, you may want to look at "Thank You Kindly" a 4 stamp set on page 145 for $13.95. If you are looking at this list and thinking, "Sheesh, it's lots of piece parts, but I want the whole pizza" consider getting a Simply Sent card kit. Those can be found on pages 170-173 and range in price from $15.95 to $42.95. But really, it's up to you and what you feel you can do.

Q: "I'm a scrapper, not a card maker. What do I need?"

A: The line between being a scrapper and card maker is very thin. You'll see what I mean later. It's all about adaptability and flexibility. For a Beginner Scrapper I would suggest 12x12 cardstock in a color family 24 sheets/$7.95, 12x12 designer Series Paper that coordinates with the color family 12 sheets/$9.95, Stampin Write Journaler pen $3.25, and a Gusseted Envelope to hold photos, journal tags, etc. $5.95. Simply Scrappin kits are also available at $19.95. The bundle pack includes 8 textured 12x12 cardstock sheets, 6 12x12 double-sided Designer Paper, 6 sheets of self-adhesive die-cuts.

Q: "I'm ambidextrious- I can do both. What basic tools do I need that I can use for both crafts?"

A: I would recommend the following items which can be found in the Stampin Up catty:
Bone Folder $6.95 to ensure nice, crisp creases
Stampin Mist Cleaner $4.50 to clean your stamps
Stampin Scrub $16.95 to clean your stamps
Paper Cutter $24.95 for a straight edge- works best when doing long lengths
Craft & Paper Scissors $29.95
Crop-A-Dile $29.95 to set brads and eyelets, punch holes
Glue Dots $4.95 to glue small objects
Stampin Dimensionals $3.95 for a 3D effect
Anywhere Glue Stick $3.95

Q: "I'm on a budget. I can't afford all these things at once."

A: Start off simply and go with what you know you can use and will feel comfortable spending. I also offer a Stamp Club that helps you buy what you need and stick within your budget, AND you get free stuff in return. Query "stamp club" in my blog and it will take you to that post so you can read up on it.

Lastly, classes are filling up so sign up now by emailing me at ericaintexas@gmail.com. I will be adding new classes soon so check under my Event Dates. Stampin Up is partnering with a HUGE toy company. Look out for a special "Mom and Me" card/scrapbook class coming up in September to launch this new business partnership. I am so excited because the company picked these people to partner with!

Happy Crafting!
Erica