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I don't buy as many SU stamps as I used to because their designs have gotten so simple and I like more complicated designs where I can do lots of coloring.
I know that with some this may be a sensitive subject but I have noticed over the years many stampers that have started with Stampin' Up! have branched out and stopped using Stampin' Up! for the most part. I was wondering why? Is it because they don't think that Stampin' Up! is competitive, up to date or what? I know that there are a lot of paper crafters that incorperate Stampin' Up! into all the other things they use, I guess I'm just curious what makes a person virtually stop using one product all together. Not sure I have a point, just an observation really.
I like stampin up quality, but I don't like the idea of buying a whole "set" of stamps when I only need one. Secondly, I agree that they have way too many flowers and nothing else. Their artwork is not as good as it used to be-for example the set "Wolf". I still purchase from them, just not as much as I used to.
With only one catalogue a year I virtually know it off by heart and I feel almost bored with the stamps on offer. Cardmaking has really fast trends and I am starting to realise that I like this change as it means I am constantly evolving and learning new techniques. SU is so far behind it misses many of these trends. I maintain the stamps need to be more suited to the countries in which they are sold-US words are mis-spelt in our country and we don't do halloween for example the way the US do.
With all those colours I'm still struggling. If you think of Raspberry Fizz by papertrey-it's GORGEOUS and SU has nothing like it. I feel the SU colours are quite dated in many ways. We don't have anything but the colour families.
Accessories are so limited too-considering the SU messsage seems to be the ease of colourmatching it's impossible to do so with such a small selection and again in the UK we have a very limited selection.
Embellishments are HUGE in cardmaking-blooms are only the pretties where we're supposed to then buy the inkers and colour them ourselves. Prima wins over and over.
My SU sets are 99.9% retired from the US. I've got some new ones from a stampers 10 I'm in but too expensive and not great enough to spend that money on.
I use the card although I do find it cracks when I fold it which is really surprising and annoying. The small inks pads seem to dry out very quickly too.
I won't do another stampers 10 when this finishes. SU has been in the UK about 1 1/2 years and although I'm not privy to figures they are very rarely featured in card magazines and on blogs it's all PTI, Basic Grey paper, Martha Stewart punches and Tildas and Sugar Nellies-even SU demo blogs!
I just don't feel they've understood us enough to be able to sell us what we want. I also wonder if because papercraft is moving so, so quickly that SU is too old school and that the way they operate means they aren't able to keep up. PTI have launches every MONTH-SU annually but sets are decided on well before then so in essence SU are probably nigh on 2 years behind.
We'll see what happens but in the current climate I can only see SU falling even further behind. In the UK spending �25-�30 on one stamp set is alot of money and then P+P a minimum of �3.50. Sugar nellies are on average less than �5-it's for one stamp compared to 4/5 but I'd rather have one new stamp a month from say Magnolia or Sugar nellie than one set every 6 months from SU.
SU completely fits my OCD AR personality! LOL
I literally cant stand mismatched things so when I create a card, my paper, ink and ribbon must match or I might claw my face off! Okay, that might be exaggerating...but for someone with a compulsion, SU works every time and I am happy to create.
Along with maryrose, I have a very small space and am truly limiting my buys and getting more "value" long term. Buying less on impulse and "whats in" for the moment but buying things that I believe I will love for the long haul. Some people are very eclectic, dont like matchy matchy but remember, there are those of us who do! SU fits that need very well.
I have a friend who buys acrylic stamp sets and when she shows them to me prefaces it with "I know you hate acrylic but...." and proceeds to show me a cute stamp set that she bought that I would never use in a million years. Our styles are different and we love looking at each others stuff because its stuff we wouldnt make ourselves exactly the same way the other did.
I think thats whats so awesome about this hobby! I love seeing all the images and cards and other papercrafting stuff so I can get inspired and get ideas. I just ask myself, which SU set do I have that I could use to make something similar.
I do think the posts (and they are here, trust me, I have kept up with this thread) that say "SU needs to go to acrylic" is kind of redundant. SU is a rubber stamping company. If they ever decide to go to acrylic, I am so outta here as a SU hobby demo, its not even funny! I hate hate hate acrylic but dont bash the companies that make them, I just dont buy from them, thats all. See, that was easy, huh?
I love SU. I like some others companies and I buy from them also.
What bothers me is the posts that complain about SU offering unmounted or acrylic. SU is a RUBBER stamp company. SU also sells MANY MANY stamp sets that are WOOD MOUNTED. They are doing very well the way they are. THey would lose many demos and customers if they changed. Yes they would pick some up but their profits would sink during a transition like that.
I do not complain to companies that only offer unmounted or acrylic even though I prefer the wood mounts. I just don't buy them.
And then the talk about SU only sells in sets - Well that is the type of HOME BASED business they are. They are NOT and internet company that can offer dingle stamps and new products all the time. CTMH and TAC are the same way. They only sell in sets. Their business models are completely different.
I am not only defending SU but I hate threads that have all this company bashing going on. They are pointless to me. And what got me was that SCS was started by some SU demos and then to see posts that cut SU down. It is a privilage that anyone can join this forum and I am very gratefull to be here.
I love SU. I like some others companies and I buy from them also.
What bothers me is the posts that complain about SU offering unmounted or acrylic. SU is a RUBBER stamp company. SU also sells MANY MANY stamp sets that are WOOD MOUNTED. They are doing very well the way they are. THey would lose many demos and customers if they changed. Yes they would pick some up but their profits would sink during a transition like that.
I do not complain to companies that only offer unmounted or acrylic even though I prefer the wood mounts. I just don't buy them.
And then the talk about SU only sells in sets - Well that is the type of HOME BASED business they are. They are NOT and internet company that can offer dingle stamps and new products all the time. CTMH and TAC are the same way. They only sell in sets. Their business models are completely different.
I am not only defending SU but I hate threads that have all this company bashing going on. They are pointless to me. And what got me was that SCS was started by some SU demos and then to see posts that cut SU down. It is a privilage that anyone can join this forum and I am very gratefull to be here.
I don't think most of these posts are "bashing SU" but rather answering the original poster as to why they have moved on to other stamp companies. There are still some things that I really like about SU, but I don't buy as many stamps from them because I choose to buy stamps that are not wood mounted (for the most part) because I like being able to buy more stamps for less money.
Just because people are choosing to purchase other items, or even if they are suggesting that SU look at acrylics or other options does not equal "bashing".
I have to disagree that Stampin Up! is behind the times. They're anything BUT behind the times.
As for not having enough accessories. There is such a thing as too many accessories. Some cards lose focus because they have so much junk on them. I like to have a focal point to zoom in on and appreciate it. If you have too many bells and whistles the card seems to lose it's meaning. I also think it takes a real artist to design a card with bare necessities. Anyone can throw and bunch of junk on a card and call it a card.
Before I decided to become a demo I bought all the sample packs of Paper Trey Ink's paper and a few packs of Stampin Up! paper. If I liked the PTI paper I was going to buy from both companies and not buy into SU! The PTI did NOTHING for me. They do have gorgeous white card stock but their designer paper doesn't do it for me.
Since I don't sell SU! (I'm a hobby demo) I'm free to buy anywhere I want. I haven't craved anything from anyone else ever since I bought my starter kit. I love the way the stampin up products compliment each other. You can color an image with their markers and it looks every bit as good as a copic colored image. It takes practice and the right paper but it can be done for a fraction of the price.
Whenever people are constantly complaining about a company it's usually out of jealousy. I'm seeing a few companies trying to copy stampin up and so far it's not working for them. Some people say they're not bashing but I have read this thread and there's quite a bit of bashing going on.
If you think stampin up doesn't offer enough product you must be doing something wrong. Browse through their beautiful catalog or go to a few of the demo blogs and look at the work these talented ladies are doing. Look at the tastefully done flower vases made with a wide oval punch or the little popsicles card that looks so delicious you actually want to take a bite out of it. They don't NEED all the bells and whistles...the stamp is the star and the person that made the card is the producer of the show.
I do see a few other stamps that I like such as the lovables on rubberneck stampers and the Magnolia stamps...oh and a few of the florals from Flourishes but I won't get them until I have what I want from stampin up. I'm not too sure that I'll ever have everything I want from stampin up.
If we all had the same tastes art would be non existent. If you don't like stampin up why do you feel the need to broadcast it? You ruin it for those of us that do love the product. If you have a problem with the company...call the company.
The best thing I ever did was place that first order with stampin up. I haven't clipped a 40% off coupon since then. My stuff matches and I know what to do with it.
Well... the OP asked a question that was answered by a lot of people - some like SU some prefer to include other companies in their lives as well. I don't really think this is company bashing.
I think there are ways SU can stay true to its mission and still stay "up with the times."
For example, on the acrylic/clear stamp issue, SU could stay with rubber, but offer stamps both with the wood and without. The ability to use rubber stamps with acrylic blocks (which SU could sell) is, IMO, the best of both worlds. Since this doesn't really require SU doing anything new -- it's simply leaving something out -- it's a relatively easy "fix" for a problem that's becoming more and more prevalent. In the few months I've been reading SCS, the number of threads regarding unmounted/unmounting stamps has increased. For space, cost, and/or environmental reasons, more and more people are going unmounted (it seems to me).
I would never expect SU to offer acrylic/clear stamps. They are a rubber stamp company and I appreciate that. There are a million places I can go to buy clear stamps if I want them. That said, I don't believe that it's out of line to suggest that SU offer rubber stamps both with wood and without.
As for the stamp variety, while I like many of the floral sets, I'd love to see more sets with realistic animals, space/science/school subjects, contemporary "girls just wanna have fun" stamps, and more sets for boys/men. I'd love more sentiment sets that are not religious in nature, especially condolence/sympathy sentiments and some quotes. A few sets with larger fonts (both sentiments and alphabets), would be wonderful, too.
In the non-stamp area, I'd love to see more SU-exclusive punches and Sizzix products (embossing folders and dies). People can get good deals on the non-exclusive items, so more product that can only be purchased through SU would be great.
I'm impressed with how responsive SU has been to customer and Demo feedback in regard to some recent issues. They DO listen to what people say. It's important people feel welcome to express their opinions, because that is the only way SU will ever know what people want. Also, on a purely personal note, I enjoy reading what others have to say about craft products and companies. I can't count the number of times I've Googled something I've read here on SCS or followed a helpful link or clicked on someone's blog link. I love it!
I really dont think people are "bashing" SU either and the OP obviously was just asking a a simple question and I feel like people are just responding. My post above was just a response too as to why I stick with mainly SU stuff. I am a hobby demo so I too dont have to buy just SU but I do so that I can keep meeting my own minimums. I use accessories sometimes that arent SU and have bought single stamps from Hobby Lobby and have been sorely disappointed in them. When you get home and stamp with them and there is a line (or two or 3) missing in your stamped image and you paid nearly $12 for that stamp, it does p*ss you off! So far, in all my SU stamp sets, I havent encounted that. And I have quite a lot of SU stamp set! I bought 3 stamps at HL and 2 of them were defective. Thats not a good ratio. I took them back and tried to get different ones but they had 2-3 of each stamp in stock and, after close inspection this time, every other one was defective. I paid $30 for 3 stamps and 2 were defective!
Now, there are definitely some stamps from other companies that have called my name but I have passed on. They were acrylics and I just have no luck using acrylics. Its kinda like me and rub-ons...not so good with those either. For some reason, I keep wasting my money on them tho! LOL Its definitely user error on those as it probably is with acrylics but hey, I am not going to waste my money on them if I dont like them.
I think what has bugged me so much about "some" of the posts is the constant cry for SU to switch to acrylic stamps. To me, that isnt what SU is about at all. There are tons of companies that make acrylic stamps and if you think SU is so far behind the times, you arent going to buy the stamps even if they started making them in acrylic!
Some people want cheap and trendy because they change out their styles and preferences frequently. I dont, so I do appreciate SU for that. I havent even succumbed to the birdie stamps they have because I feel that is a trend that will be gone pretty soon and then I am left with a $25-30 stamp set that isnt "hot" anymore.
That being said tho, by goodness, Hanna Stamps have almost lured me in! LOL There are some really really cute sets but then again, I would have to buy acrylic blocks so I dont wanna have to spend extra money to use the stamps. I do agree tho that if SU stayed with rubber but offered the unmounted option, it might please alot of people. I wouldnt go for it but I know others that would. They could stay true to rubber that way too.
Kelly, I usually have bad luck with acrylic stamps, too. They're softer/squishier, and if I'm not VERY careful, I end up with a slightly blurred image. Even when I'm being as careful as I can be, I sometimes end up with a fuzzy image. It drives me nuts!
I've bought some acrylic because they were just so stinkin' cute. Sometimes I like the result I get, sometimes I don't. I do think it's easier to find the latest craze (birds, owls, whatever it is) in acrylic before ever seeing it in rubber. That and the fact that they take up so much less room to store are two reasons my neighbor loves her clear stamps. Also, the LSS here seem to change out their acrylic stamps far more often than their rubber stamps.
FYI, have you tried lightly sanding the rubber stamps that stamped with part of the image missing? I read that tip here on SCS and it solved the problem with some stamps I was frustrated with and ready to give to my kids.
I have been mainly a scrapbooker until about 3 years ago. I love SU. You can get everything to match one another. I love that quality. I also have a lot of CTMH stamps and inks. But rarely buy anything from them anymore. I have oodles of stamps from various companies. I am loving Flourishes. They have such beautiful images. I will always be a SU girl unless I don't have a demo in my area. Going to my demos house tonight for our monthly stamp club. I do agree they need to come up with some new images for men and boys.
Location: Worcester United Kingdom (that's in the middle)
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I've been following this thread for a while, and thought I would add my thoughts. I have only been aware of SU for about six months, and already have a huge collection of other brands bought over the years. Since discovering SU I rarely buy any other brand, particularly stamps, except the rather "arty" ones I use for ATCs and altered art projects.
Something that nobody has identified so far is that SU is a distinctive brand in a niche market - the home based selling. I don't think they've ever attempted to be a complete one stop shop, although they do pretty well! The colour family system is it's Unique Selling Point (although there have been imitators lately) and that's a tried and trusted model which has worked well for 20 years.
As a scrapbooker I do own a number of clear stamps, but frankly they aren't a patch on the crisp images you get from rubber, and SU give the best quality consistent results of almost any brand I've come across. I'm lucky in having plenty of space (see my ATC blog for Studio pictures) so storage is not an issue, but since people have the option simply NOT to mount the stamps they buy where's the problem? And why would SU compete in an already crowded market for clear stamps when they don't need to?
Of course, much as I love SU, you can't please all the people all the time, and like most people I have one or two issues. As someone on a limited budget I do wish they would sell less in sets and more in singles. Now that many of us are feeling the pinch perhaps they might rethink this policy. I'd also like to be able to buy flowers in the colour families, and the items in the "Pretties" kit as separate pieces.
I don't believe it's EITHER SU or other brands, since 90% of us simply buy what we LIKE, regardless of who makes it. Personally I've never followed the "trends" and cute stuff like owls, nellies, birds and all the other fashions pass me by. Nobody is going to like and use every single stamp in the catalogue, and nor is SU ever going to be able to cater for everyone's tastes (they don't make the arty stuff I like). But what they do they do WELL, and the quality is excellent. However I will continue to buy other things too, even though my first loyalty is now to SU.
My Blogs: atcexchange.blogspot.com and stampinrosie.blogspot.com
Last edited by artyrosie; 05-13-2009 at 06:27 AM..
