How to Get Started with Stampin' Up!

When I was in college my step-mom gave me a set of stamps and an ink pad from Stampin' Up for my birthday. While I had always admired the beautiful homemade cards she had given me, and had often commented on what a great job she did with making them, I wasn't at all sure that I was ready to begin making them myself. I am by no estimation an "artsy" person and have never considered myself to be gifted for doing crafts. However, partly because I wanted to be able to make cards, and partly because I didn't want my step-mom's money to go to waste, I decided to give it a try.

6 years later, my Stampin' Up collection is slowly but steadily growing, as are my card-making talents. As someone looking to get started with Stampin' Up products, you may find yourself overwhelmed both by the many products available, as well as by their prices. Here are a few essentials you should have to get started, then you can add to your collection as your money and talents allow.

1. Card stock. Stampin Up's card stock is extremely high quality, durable and attractive. They sell a variety of card stock in 4 primary color families. Visit their website at www.stampinup.com in order to view the color families. The card stock doesn't bend or crinkle easily, and I have had no trouble with fading. Pick your favorite color family and purchase a variety pack.

2. Patterned Paper. Decorative, patterned paper is important for layering, accenting, and lending a unique appearance to your creation. Patterned paper is also sold in variety packs, both in 8 1/2 x 11" and 12 x 12" sheets.

3. 2 or 3 stamp sets. Because the stamp sets themselves are expensive (ranging from $14-$40) it is important that you get a couple of diverse, functional sets to start off with. Think about the types of cards you will be making; are they going to be primarily birthday cards or thank you notes? If so, consider buying one set of scenery, such as flowers, hearts, etc., one variety stamp set, and one for a specific theme. This will give you several creative options with minimal investment.

4. 2 ink pads. Stampin Up's ink pads come in the same color families as the card stock. Consider purchasing a black pad and one other color that coordinates well with all the rest.

5. Stampin' Write marker set. The longer I stamp, the more I move away from using ink pads and to using the Stampin' Write markers instead. The markers have two sides, one that acts like a pen for writing in the card, and one that is a marker that you can use to color specific parts of a stamp. If you can afford it, purchase an entire set of markers in your color family. Marker sets greatly enhance the variety and quality of your stamped images.

6. Envelopes. Yes, you can buy envelopes to fit your Stampin' Up creations at a craft store, but they will probably be of an inferior quality. Purchase 1 package of Very Vanilla envelopes, and one package of Whisper White.

7. Cutter. No, you do not have to buy this from Stampin Up, but you will definitely need it. Your card stock will need to be cut down at least once, and you don't want to risk an uneven cut which would waste your card stock or require further cutting down.

Your initial investment into Stampin Up supplies will be around $150-$200 if you purchase it directly from the company. As you move forward with stamping, you may want to add an embossing kit, heat gun and embellishments to your supplies. As you leaf through a Stampin' Up's catalog, or view their products on-line, you will find many, many items you would like to add to your collection. I have found that Ebay is a fantastic resource for Stampin' Up supplies, especially for used stamp sets, so be sure to look around for a better deal if cost is a factor.