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I am hoping to buy some SU paper & ink pads. So far I've been just using Color Box ink pads & cardstock from Michaels but it's kind of frustrating bcuz the colors don't match right. I can't really afford to spend much. If you had to pick only one of the 4 color families which would you choose?
Well, it depends on what you will be stamping. I have three boys, aged 14 and under, so I use a TON of the BB for scrapbooking. BB would aslo be perfect for the mother of girls because the pinks, greens and yellow is great for all scrapbooking and card making. If you are stamping for nothing but grown women, RR might be the best. Mostly men, get EE. Babies and weddings? SS are what you need.
My personal faves are the EE, and they are SO fashionable right now, so if you like to keep up with the trends, get the EE's!
Also, Colorbox are good pads. Look at what you already have and add what you are missing. You may need a couple of pads from each family. Think about the colors you wish you had when you are stamping, that will tell you what you should get. Use up all that yucky Michael's cs, but keep your Colorbox pads, they are good quality and last forever.
Well, some people go with the time of year that they are in. Right now, Earth Elements are big. But, when I got my first color family of pads, I went with the commonly used colors, and went with the Bold Brights. My second family purchased was the Soft Subtles.
IMO, go with the brights!!
Why don't you start off with spots? I'm a demo and have all the Classic Pads - but I also have all the classic spots. I like the fact that I can take them all with me if I need to. Then you could see which colors you love and buy the larger pads.
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I'm where you're at right now. Not a whole lot of money to spend. I think I've decided on Earth Elements (and refills) and the black pad to go with it. Don't know which family will be next in line after that.
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I love the Earth Elements, but as far as basics go, I'd have to say Bold Brights. You have your basic red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple, pink, etc. Or you could choose a few of your favorite colors from each of the different families. I guess it all depends on your preference.
Right now I have been using the Regals (Burgundy, Hunter and Navy... can we say CHRISTMAS CARDS???!) The first family I would go for normally is Soft Subtles. I do a LOT of pastel stuff. Bold Brights would be my next one... I think I could go FOREVER without Earth Elements.... I don't do orange/yellow/brown..... bleh... he he he...
I definitely use Bold Brights the most. Go with what makes you feel happy when you stamp. I second the idea of getting the spots. I used only spots for my first couple of years stamping. It's a great economical way to get more colors! You can even watercolor with them by mooshing them onto a CD to make a color pallette.
Look around your home and your closet? do you see bright colors, earth tones, pale, or rich deep colors? Our favorites in stamping tend to be our favorites in our lives. Personally, while I wear a lot of black (!), my first family was bold brights because it includes at least one of each of the basic colors. I recommend that for black you go with Staz On, and not the SU classic black. The classic black is not waterproof, despite claims to the contrary but the Staz On is. Good luck!!
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Just starting out, I'd go with Bold Brights. There you have your primary colors, plus pinks. So you can pretty much do any holiday. Great for birthdays, and for boys or girls. I think you will get the most mileage out of them. Then you can opt for what style is more yours for your next family. To get lighter colors, you can just stamp off.
I don't know if this is the best way to go about it, but I bought pretty much all of the bold brights classic pads and paper first. Now I am buying color combos that I like one at a time from the other color families. Good luck with your decision! I felt like I agonized over my decision forever!!!
I say start by ordering the BB spots ($21.50) and an assorted pack with all the bb cardstock ($6.95). That only totals $28.45. Then the next time you order, get a different color family and the matching cardstock. This will be a great thing to do with sell-a-bration coming up. You could get two complete color groups and get a free stamp set.
What SU Color Family would you choose?
