Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
I only own one and never use it. I know there are some Alphabet-aholics on this board, but I just don't get it. Do you use them to stamp the recipient's name on the card? Do you use it to stamp a whole, custom sentiment or saying? What am I missing?
I am a self proclaimed 'alphabet-addict' I mostly use them in scrapbooking applications. I have seen some adorable cards posted in the gallery using alphabets though. I think they are addictive, because they are soooo versatile. If you are only interested in making cards, you may not need another set, but maybe if you got a different set (tidy alpha maybe? a small set?) you'd use it more.............. you may not want to open that can of worms and become one of us!!!
I own three alphabets and, like you, never use them. I have Alphadots, Brushstroke letters and numbers, and the newly retired Crayon Fun upper, lower and numbers. Crayon Fun isn't even mounted.
I have thought many times of selling them, but then I always think, "well ... maybe someday I'll use them." I really like the Tag alphabet in the Summer Mini, but know that I will never use that one either!
I only have one alphabet, but I use it so much that I am thinking of getting another one. I not only use them for scrapbooking either, I like to use my alphabet on cards too!
Here's some examples for when I've found them to be great:
1. Many times when I am making a card specifically for someone, I like to put their name under a Happy Birthday, Such as Happy Birthday Mom. I think it makes people appreciate the extra effort of handmaking cards just that much more.
2. We call my grandpa PAPA, so for Father's day, I made a card saying "Happy Papa's Day".
3. I only have one Happy Mother's Day stamp, and I share supplies with my mom, so I didn't want her to get the same stamp as she was making for everyone else, so I just simply stamped "I Love My Mom" on her card.
4. Along these same lines, we only have one Happy St. Patricks Day sentiment, I got sick of using it on every card (We like to spend a whole day doing just a certain holiday's cards) so instead, I stamped "Lucky Irish" on some of them, and "St. Patty's" on others.
5. I stamped "Believe" on some santa christmas cards with my alphabet.
6. I also used them to make a "New Home" book (composition book) to take notes in (realator meetings, mortgage broker etc...) for myself when I bought a new townhouse, and my friend liked it so much, that I made one for her when she bought a house as well. Now my mom wants a Journal, and I will stamp that on the book wtih my alphabets as well!
These are just some, but I do not regret my investment at ALL. One of the things that makes me use them more often is keeping them OUT on the edge of the table when I stamp. I think at least keeping them at the top of the drawer would help some people who forget to use them, because sometimes it's jsut a pain to dig out the sets at the bottom/back of the drawer.
no offense meant, i seem to have taken this on as a mission, teaching all the correct nickname for patrick.
Thanks for the enlightenment! I never knew about that, just thought paddy was patty spelled wrong! (Poor spelling has become an epidemic in this country, IMHO.) I've also recently learned that I'm 1/8 Irish. I don't have to fake it on St. Patrick's Day anymore. ;)
I began as a scrapper, collected a large, medium, and tiny alphabet set and thought I was set--how wrong I was. I have over 10-15 now. :-$ hee hee
I like to use them when I stamp candles and other gifts, to stamp names and make them truly personal.
And another big look now is to mix up fonts--I like to mix up fonts within a word or use a different font on just one word to emphasize it.
Also, it's a neat background, all those alphas watermarked or in monochromatic shades.
I might stamp a big letter, like a monogram, or stamp the first letter and handwrite the rest of the word...
HTH! :-)
Ann
ETA: Making Memories has those magnetic letter stamps--very cool if you're worried about lining things up, etc., since you do it all beforehand on the stamp--and very versatile for the same reason--makes words and sentiments easy!
I'm hoping to see some examples in your galleries just as soon as the problem is cleared up and the new software updates are completed there (I don't know how these wonderful people keep this site going with as few problems as there are. They do a FANTASTIC job).
And thanks for the info. on Paddy/Patty. I had never heard that before, and I have 3 grandparents who were from Ireland!
As for the alphabets--I think I'm just going to have to see examples to get the hang of it.
I only have brushstroke and rarely us it. That being said, tonight I ordered Headline Alpha. I love all of the ways the letters can be used alone using Headline. I tend to avoid spelling out words, they never line up the way I want them to. I can't wait to use Headline with everyday flexible phrases and label classics.
Oh and on the Patty/Paddy topic. I grew up on a street with only 4 houses, Paddy Lane. Never realized my street was a male name until tonight. Thanks to SCS I learn something new everyday.
I can't live without my alpha stamps. I have classic, brushstroke, alphadots, alphabits, and the retired alpha builders w/ accessories. I mainly use them as my titles on my scrapbook pages. I started out with the alpha stickers, but never had the correct letters and was left with a bunch of letters I would never use. Aside from scapbooking, I will use them for short words on cards. With stazon, I stamp my kids names on all kinds of things.
__________________ A good idea will keep you awake during the morning, but a great idea will keep you awake during the night. ~Marilyn Vos Savant
no offense meant, i seem to have taken this on as a mission, teaching all the correct nickname for patrick.
OMG!! I thought I was the only one anal about this!!! I just about fell off my seat when I read your post!! You are absolutely right ... it is supposed to be Paddy... as my son Patrick will atest to!
I only own one and never use it. I know there are some Alphabet-aholics on this board, but I just don't get it. Do you use them to stamp the recipient's name on the card? Do you use it to stamp a whole, custom sentiment or saying? What am I missing?
You only have one? Maybe if you had the whole alphebet you might be able to use them?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
I tend to avoid spelling out words, they never line up the way I want them to. I can't wait to use Headline with everyday flexible phrases and label classics.
Sounds like you need a Stamp-a-ma-jig! One little pencil line and a stamp positioner, and your letters will line up every time!
__________________ Rachel Proud SU! demo and Sci-Fi Geek!
My Stampin' Up! blog "I'm a time traveler -- I point and laugh at archaeologists." 10th Doctor, "Silence in the Library"
If you do scrapbooking, you HAVE to HAVE more than a few sets - LOL. I love alphas and admit I'm an alpha-holic . . . I have Brushstroke (my least favorite), Alphabet Appeal, Crazy, Collage, and Alphabits. Headline is on the way. I use them for both cards and scrapbooking, but mostly for scrapbooking. IMO you can never have too many alpha sets!
I have the Alphabits set. I use it with my little Xyron.
I used it to write "Happy Father's Day" on my husband's card.
I have a Walmart stamp with different cocktails on, I used Alphabits to write "Cheers" on the card. Words or sentiments I don't have stamps for, I'd use Alphabits for.
You can also stamp the whole alphabet square (check out the stamp set in the catalogue to see what I mean) then stamp some of the letters in another color and place them over other letters - I've done it to make "baby boy" for a friend's new baby card. Hopefully that made sense or someone can explain it better.
1. You can use them to make titles for a scrapbook page.
2. You can use them to spell out words you don't have stamps for.
3. You can spell out curse words (see #2).
4. You can use a letter for a focal point of a word.
5. You can spell out kinky messages to your DH/BF/Lover or a not-so-nice one to him when angry (see #3).
6. You can use a letter to monograph something for someone (post-it notes, etc.)
Okay, so some of these you probably wouldn't want to do, but well, ya know...
__________________ Jess Don't tell God how big the storm is, tell the storm how big your God is!
Alright, all of you are offering good reasons to use alphabet stamps--but jdarnell's is certainly the most creative. LOL I love your twisted sense of humor.
So -- how many of you use Stamp-a-ma-jigs with your alphabets? Or do you just "eyeball" it?
I intentionally angle them a little (so that they look like they're NOT meant to be perfectly aligned). But, that's cause I'm both anal retentive AND too impatient to use the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig every time (not a good combo!)
I have three, but I only use one - and not very often. I would not buy another set. I use my computer for text and words and that seems to work better for me. I have alot of different fonts - you can get free font downloads from alot of places.
Hi!
I like to use my alphabet stamps for all the examples listed plus making personalized stationary or note cards as gifts. I sometimes spell the person's name on a stamped bookmark. I'll use my alphabet stamps to decorate journal covers and for gift bags. As a way to add the person's name or age or something like that to the item.
Some of the smaller frame stamps are perfect for fitting in a letter.
Convince me why I need alphabet stamps
which i'm sure no one cares about. but if you are shortening st. patrick's day, it is st. paddy's day. patty is the female version, paddy the male nickname. i know a paddy or two or would not take kindly to being called patty. and you know how we "fighting irish" get. 
