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I just bought my first set of acrylic stamps and now I need a suggestion for purchasing some basic stamp supplies. What type of ink? (there are so many different kinds) I have no idea what the versamark is that I've been seeing at Hobby Lobby. Should I buy the embossing powder, heat gun, chalks, colored pencils, copic markers, colored inks? It's all confusing....what are the most versatile items to buy for a beginner stamper?
Get some good black ink (I love Momento Tuxedo Black) and some smooth white cardstock.
But the best advice is to go to a local stamp store and try some make-and-takes. Or find a demo near you that can walk you through some techniques without investing in all the tools up front. Stampin UP is great, but are wood mounted rubber stamps. Close To My Heart is acrylic stamps and IMHO more directed at scrapbookers. Both have demo locators that you can use to find someone near you.
A good black ink pad and some sort of coloring tools. I started with stampin up watercolor pencils and a blender pen. I do not emboss much. Also you need a good paper cutter, some good quality card stock and good adhesive.
__________________ Pia 2024 Scrapbook goals MAY /10 layouts YTD 113/120 Check out my gallery
A good black ink pad and some sort of coloring tools. I started with stampin up watercolor pencils and a blender pen. I do not emboss much. Also you need a good paper cutter, some good quality card stock and good adhesive.
Silly question here: If I use watercolor pencils do I need special card stock, like watercolor cardstock or paper? And I haven't been able to locate a blender pen at Hobby Lobby, What do they look like? Thank you
Welcome to SCS. This hobby is very addicting. I think the advice to find a demo in your area is great. A good demo will help you figure out your style and teach you the different techniques.
Ablender pen looks like a marker. Mine is Stampin Up so is black. I do not use a blender pen with my water color pencils or crayons. My favorite thing to use is a water color brush. You can find those in the art department at Hobby Lobby. I also like the Momento Tuxedo Black ink. Versamark ink is good for embossing if you want to use colored embossing powder. Versafine Onyx black is another good black ink but it does take longer to dry than Momento. If you want to use colored ink with clear stamps, I find that the chalk inks give a better image than some of the others do. These are good if your stamps are solid and not line art that need coloring. You can watercolor on white cardstock but I find that watercolor paper is much better. You can buy it at Hobby Lobby also. I like the hot press watercolor paper because it is smoother than cold press but it is also harder to find.
One mistake that I made when I first started stamping is buying cardstock that was not great quality and I never use it. I really like Stampin Up and Paper Trey Ink cardstock because of the quality. Both are great.
I think the most important piece of advice for a new stamper is not to run out and buy everything cool you hear about. There are more tools, techniques and products out there than any one person will use. Reading here and hearing from so many different stampers it sometimes seems like everyone has everything, but most people regret it if they had made too many purchases before knowing what their style was and what they like to use.
Obviously if you are just starting out it can be hard tot ell, but as long as you pace yourself and do a lot of research, you should be able to avoid too many unwanted purchases.
When I first started stamping I went through the General Stamping and Tool and Product forums and read over hundreds of old posts. I also went through the technique section and gallery to get an idea of what products were out there and what the end result would be. I also paced myself when trying new things. As a result, I feel liked I've made smart purchases and haven't gone completely broke!
Most of all, just have fun. Don't worry about doing anything 'right' or making your cards look like someone else's cards. If it isn't fun anymore, then there's no point.
I think the most important piece of advice for a new stamper is not to run out and buy everything cool you hear about. There are more tools, techniques and products out there than any one person will use. Reading here and hearing from so many different stampers it sometimes seems like everyone has everything, but most people regret it if they had made too many purchases before knowing what their style was and what they like to use.
Most of all, just have fun. Don't worry about doing anything 'right' or making your cards look like someone else's cards. If it isn't fun anymore, then there's no point.
I feel like I am stalking 'PandaGirl'---I left a message right after her yesterday! That is definitely the best advice for a new stamper. Start SLOW! Just a quick add---pick one project you would like to complete---something that catches your eye---something you are interested in, then buy the supplies needed to complete that project (from whatever company that sells it) and complete the project. Get your confidence and then build on those supplies. You will become very frustrated if you have products that are just gathering dust!
Silly question here: If I use watercolor pencils do I need special card stock, like watercolor cardstock or paper? And I haven't been able to locate a blender pen at Hobby Lobby, What do they look like? Thank you
I feel like I am stalking 'PandaGirl'---I left a message right after her yesterday! That is definitely the best advice for a new stamper. Start SLOW! Just a quick add---pick one project you would like to complete---something that catches your eye---something you are interested in, then buy the supplies needed to complete that project (from whatever company that sells it) and complete the project. Get your confidence and then build on those supplies. You will become very frustrated if you have products that are just gathering dust!
Nancy
A stalker? YES! I feel loved!
Hee hee!
Nancy makes a good point- you'd be surprised how many little things you may need to complete a whole project, so it's a good idea to make sure you get everything you need instead of buying things here and there. It's frustrating if you can't use the things you have, especially if you were excited when you bought them.
Silly question here: If I use watercolor pencils do I need special card stock, like watercolor cardstock or paper? And I haven't been able to locate a blender pen at Hobby Lobby, What do they look like? Thank you
Not self-promote, but Stampin' Up does sell blender pens and water color paper. I like the paper that is specifically for water color---the colors don't tend to run and are more vibrant. I think you can also find water color paper in the 'art' section of Michaels. You just want to make sure to find paper that isn't 'slick' or 'smooth' feeling---you want it a little rough to grab the color!
Nancy
Silly question here: If I use watercolor pencils do I need special card stock, like watercolor cardstock or paper? And I haven't been able to locate a blender pen at Hobby Lobby, What do they look like? Thank you
Welcome to the wonderful world of stamping!!! You'll now have an endless list of things you'll want to buy! It's most addictive! It's making me broke!
You might want to watch a couple of videos to see what are the tools people keep using for their cards and if you think you might use them too then purchase them. A good site is Kwernerdesign. I love the stuff she creates and look forward to her videos every week! You can see all of them here on YouTube.
I would say a Versamark pad is an essential for those starting out. It was one of my first ink pads along with a black ink pad. You can use it for tons of stuff. When I didn't have a wide variety of colours of ink I loved using my Versamark with chalk (another essential of starters, lots of colours at a reasonable price). You can watch a video on Scraptime.ca which shows various colouring techniques with chalk. (Here's a thread with a book with various chalk techniques) You can buy chalk (and tons of other stuff!!!) from Joann.com using a 40% coupon or something.. =) You can use chalk with a blender pen for colouring too.
Basics:
1. Black ink pad
2. White Card stock
3. Stamp cleaner (baby wipes for a start maybe?)
4. Versamark ink pad
5. Chalk - Pebbles, etc
6. Cutter
7. Scor tool (or bone folder)
8. Color Box Fluid Chalk queues. - less than $1 per colour (great ink, great value for money)
basic supplies for beginner stamper
