question for non-demo stampers - x-post from demo side

[AprilJP]

Bit o'background - I moved to a new state about 2 years ago and have had no luck getting new customers (for various reasons). I'm going to make a big push this quarter to find customers. My mom has given me $150 for an order as a Christmas present. So the question -

How can I get the most 'bang for my buck' so to speak? What should I order? I have most of the basics - what new stuff should I get? I'm imagining that any customers I get will be new to stamping. How shall I spend the money?

I posted this on the demo side, too, but I wanted to get some non-demo opinions as well. What products wow'd you as a beginning stamper?

[jennelf]

Sounds so silly looking back, but I couldn't get over the fact that a person could actually create embossing. I was scared to death to try it, was fretting over each and every step, I was even on the phone with my demo the first time I tried it on my own! So I would vote for a heat gun, Versamark and EP! Good luck getting re-started!

[PMR]

The embossing is a good idea. I think a good set to make birthday cards, everyone always needs those, also a sentiment set. Also good would be the watercolor crayons and blender pens, you can do so much with them for not a huge amount of money.
Best of luck!

[misse336]

I've stamped for a while, but am just getting into SU. I also have scrapbooked for a while. The thing that I've ordered the most of is the punches and matching stamp sets. I love, love, love the tag punches, label punch and the round tab punch. I have those three punches and any stamp set (including the 07 hostess set) that has those punches in them. I love that you can use those in scrapbook pages and other crafty projects. Also, these are things that you can't get from other companies, that I've seen at least. I can get misc stamps from other companies, along with ink, paper and embellishments - but I can't get the matching punches and stamps sets anywhere else. My one friend orders primarily stamp sets because she likes that they match and another friend orders that scrapbooking kits. I guess it depends on what your new customers are into; scrapbooking, card making, general crafting or a combo of the three. HTH!

[ekip2]

I think some items that let you "upsell" some products now or in the future.For ex get a set that has the matching brass template and show the dry embossing with it. Maybe one of the sets with a punch matching or coordinate a tag (or someother ) punch with it.

Show how the dp works well w/cards or sb if you sb. Maybe in the future you can make a small accordian album for people that don't sb to make a theme album say for their Christmas 07 pictures.

Get a stamp set that is versital ( I can't spell LOL) and lets you use it for many different cards/projects. If you have time make a pretty card holder to display sample (a lunch box or a decorated photo/shoe box). When you prepare your make n take make a card but in your sample box make several other cards w/the same set to show that they will get more than just say a birthday card out of the set.

Focus on how well the colors coordinate together and how easy it is to match paper/inks etc. Showcase its easy to get all the colors w/the spots and they can get larger pads for colors as needed or use markers for inking stamps. When I started out I was color challenged and the coordinating 48 really appealed to me and the color wheel would have appealed to me.

stamp some labels and wrap them around small candy nuggets and have on the table for them..or make snowman soup and decorate the top of a baggie...anything to wow them with how easy it is to use the stamps,

HTH - I'll try and think of some more?? Andrea

[Jillgunter]

I used the cropodile last night for the first time at my demos house. It was wonderful. Now i must buy one lol. I would also say some embossing supplies. Its amazing how you can make a image pop with clear embossing powder. Another thing that I have been getting alot of lately are the punches. They really help make a card. My favs are scallop punch, round tab punch. You would be amazed at sales when people see ya demo a new punch.

[stampinchampin]

I was amazed at my first SU party that I went to how easy making cards was. I know the crimper WOW'd me and also a large alphabet set to make monogram cards. I loved the brads as well to dress the cards up. I really like the sentiment stamps. Some demonstrators use something inside the card and some don't (at parties). I prefer to have something stamped inside. Just a preference!

Good luck!

[AprilJP]

These are such great ideas, thank you!

[Babsnelson]

When I first found SU, I was amazed by all the matching stuff - ink, paper, brads, buttons, ribbon. I was amazed at how coordinated it all could be!

However, when I first started stamping, it was all about embossing. I still *heart* embossing. I think it makes a simple card look amazing!!

[bamagal]

I'm a non-demo stamper; I was introduced to this hobby almost a year ago.

I think the heat embossing was the thing that impressed me the most. I think the clear embossing powder is so versatile, and I use it with Versamark and a heat gun a lot. I sometimes add a little fine glitter directly to the embossing powder as well.

Also, I think you can get a lot of impact with simple shapes, like the Best Blossom stamp set (which is old, but that's the type of thing I mean) that you can stamp and then cut out and mount with a dimensional. I made some cards several months ago and gave some of them away as door prizes at a ladies' meeting at church, and the ones of that design were the ones that they were really saying "wow" to.

I also think that layering your cards and stamping the inside of your cards with a simple design and an appropriate sentiment makes a big difference.

Hope this helps!

[Lisadwb]

I would say anything you would consider in a "starter" kit. Papers, inks, a couple of stamp sets- then share LOTS of ideas using those. I know I have some friends that will never get into stamping and scrapping because of the cost. On friend told me she paid $20, did a one page LO with hardly any embellies, then she didn't know what to do with it. That really turned her off. SO, I would say nothing to costly for a newbie. (Let them get hooked first. LOL)