Monday, September 23, 2013

Too Kind for the budget minded

I'm on the hunt for card designs that are beautiful but cheap. That is cheap in a smart way. As in a good investment.

So let me back up a minute.  I have a Private Party scheduled this Saturday and I have a feeling that the majority of the attendees have never been exposed to stamping. I could be wrong, but I just have a hunch about this.

I feel my job as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator is to introduce a new customer to the world of stamping in a kind and gentle manner. I am her guide into a world that can sometimes seem mystical and definitely overwhelming.

I certainly remember the first time I was exposed to stamping. I had no idea that normal people did this kind of stuff!

Yesterday I found this design on Splitcoaststampers by Ingrid Blackburn. Amazing!  Here is my CASE of her card. The only thing I changed was I used Pear Pizzazz ink instead of Wild Wasabi for the stems. And I tweeked the measurements a wee bit.



Now I'll tell you why I like this card. It's "cheap" for what you get. A person who has no stamping supplies at all could purchase everything to make this card for less than $50.

You must be laughing by now thinking one card for $50! That's not cheap!  Let me clarify. You will have supplies to make dozens of cards, including this one, that will stun your friends, wow your neighbors and make you feel proud of your new found accomplishments, for less than $50. Now that's a bargain!

Let's cost it out:

The Too Kind stamp set in wood is $19.95

A pack of Neutrals Assorted cardstock is $6.95.  Inside this pack you get 2 sheets each of Early Espresso and Whisper White, along with 8 other neutral colors.

The Ink could be purchased as markers at $3.50. Or you could get ink pads for $5.95 each. I recommend ink pads because these colors will be used over and over again.

One more thing. A little bling! Maybe bling isn't an essential, but it adds so much. The bling in this card is Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents. You get 150 rhinestones in 3 different sizes.

The total so far is $49.70 (based on the purchase of ink pads rather than markers). This makes me very excited because all of these items are great investments that you will certainly use in the future!

Now here's the clincher.  You still need a paper trimmer and adhesives!  These are super basic tools comparable to a baker needing an oven and flour.  I'm talking basics here, right?

The Stampin' Up! paper trimmer is $29.95.  GET THIS TRIMMER! I've had lots of trimmers in my life, and I could not live without this one. Not only does it cut with precision, it also scores!  That means you score too. Plus you can order replacement cutting blades. This trimmer has so many great features that I just can't list them all right now. Believe me, this is a worthwhile investment.

Adhesives are a personal choice. I made this card using the Stampin' Up! Anywhere Glue Stick because that's what I will be using at my Private Class on Saturday. It's a super easy adhesive to use, especially for beginners. But honestly, I use SNAIL (tape runner) and Tombo Multi-Purpose Adhesive much more than the glue stick. These last two I could not live without. Lately I've opted more for the Tombo because it works so well!

And of course you'll want Stampin' Dimensionals. Dimensionals are awesome. They make your card special with such little effort. It's like placing the queen on her throne. Hey, you've done all this work, why not let it shine on dimensionals for everyone to see.

So the new total including paper trimmer, Tombo and dimensionals is 29.95 for the Trimmer and $3.95 for Tombo.

Total is now $87.55. Now you are on your way to doing some serious cardmaking.

To recap, here's the Card Recipe:

Stamps: Too Kind
Paper: Whisper White, Early Espresso
Ink: Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz and Early Espresso
Accessories: Basic Rhinestones
Tools: Tombo Mono Multi-Purpose Adhesive, Dimensionals

Of course, at my class on Saturday I will teach the "stamp off" technique to make the wonderful flowers and show everyone how easy it is to make beautiful, hand stamped cards. It's really a blessing.


Hugs & blessings, Angela

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