Stamping on a Budget

Hello everyone!

No cards to share right at the moment, but I wanted to leave a link to a series that I did back in 2008, as I had a question the other day about how to get started in stamping.  If you click on the link you'll get the whole series... but backwards... so you might want to scroll down and start at the beginning.  I'm going to reread through it again, too, cuz I'll definitely be on a stamping budget this year!

Stamping on a Budget

Blessings!

Tricia

Stamping on a Budget Questionnaire & Candy

OK, ladies! This is where "the rubber meets the road". We've talked all about budgeting, but now we need to actually face ourselves and think about where we are and where we're going. Here is a questionnaire for you to help you make some decisions about your stamping habits - or at least to help you think through them. I have to sit down with it this afternoon, too. I've thought through it, but not written my thoughts down on paper, and just now I'm struggling with a whole GOB of purchases that I'd like to make. I think this will help me.

So here you are!!

STAMPING ON A BUDGET QUESTIONNAIRE...

How much do I have available to spend each month or quarter? Will this amount harm my family?

Will I have any extra at certain times of the year?

Are there certain sales or promotions that I would like to save for? (i.e. the new catalog, double hostess benefits, a show you're going to host)

Do I have the basics?

What do I currently need that I use regularly? (adhesive, white ribbon, neutral cardstock, envelopes, etc.)

Are there images I could trade for to extend my stamping dollars?

Which sets & accessories do I have that make me smile? Which ones frustrate me?

What is my Stamping Purpose Statement?

Does the time I spend reflect that purpose, or am I out of balance?

Do I *send* the cards I make?

In this season of life, how can I best find time for my hobby?

Are my supplies organized? How can I improve in this area?

What is my stamping style?

Do I use my stash?

How can I bless others with my stamping?

--ooOoo--

Hope to hear from you soon!

Tricia :)

Stamping on a Budget - For the Demo

I'm pretty sure that the stamping demonstrator has the hardest time staying on a budget. Especially those of us that are hobby demos. While we love to stamp and have some customers and classes, we don't bring in enough extra money to warrant having all the new stuff. And we *want* the new stuff... we *need* the new stuff to keep our customers interested! (... or so we tell ourselves!) I could easily spend $100 a month in the TAC catalog and still want other things that I've seen just hit the market. Is there hope for demos to stay on a budget????

Here are just a few suggestions...

Don’t mortgage your family’s well-being to support your business. - If you can only afford to spend $50 cash, then don’t place a $150 order - even if you do get free stuff!!

If you have the money, consider choosing one accessory and one new stamp set for the month and teaching your customers how to use them. Base your classes, workshops, blog, etc., around them and you may sell more as they see how to use them in many different settings. Heres a blog from Canada with some great ideas... the link will take you to this months featured product... the Pretties Kit by Stampin' Up. Other ideas for featured products might be the cropadile, the bind-it-all, watercolor crayons, project kits, etc.

Determine your customer base’s financial ability. - If you have big spenders in your customer base, great! They will subsidize your hobby.

If you have customers who aren’t able to spend as much, consider offering a stamping club with a $10-$15 minimum, or a monthly class by mail for $15 or $20, or a Stamp-a-Stack where they can do all their monthly stamping. This will subsidize the purchase of your higher priced items, although it might not pay for them in full.

Don’t hang on to your demonstratorship so long that you jeopardize your family’s finances. - When I started with Creative Memories 15 years ago I was encouraged to always have inventory on hand, and told that the best way to order was $400 at a time because then shipping was free. When I left CM 5 years later we were $5000 in debt - even though Id been in the top 20 sales for the company a time or two!

Stampin’ Up has similar challenges.

“...But I’m only $70 short this quarter. It seems silly to drop for $70!”,

or “...If I only have $60 more in sales I earn another $10.95 set!”

or “... I know I only need brads right now, but I need to place a $40 order to make shipping worth while!”


I came out of Stampin’ Up ok, but only through great will-power at the end and by selling a number of things on Ebay. I’m now with The Angel Company (I just couldn't give it up altogether yet!), a company with much lower, easily attainable minimums. I still find however that the temptation is there to spend more than I have available. In fact I'm struggling with it today!! “Look at this great special!!” and "I love this Stamp of the Month! Do I have $30 to spend so I can get it, or is there something on my wishlist that I would like more??"

Always ask some questions before placing an order for yourself. -

Do I have the money available?
How many of these will I need to sell to get back my investment?
Do I love this enough to buy it even if I never sell one?
Is there something on my wishlist that I would rather have?
Am I out of anything (envelopes, cardstock, adhesive, etc.) that I should be getting with the money I have available?
Will I use this often, or will I want to get rid of it soon?

--ooOoo--

So there it is. I've tried to be honest with you and not pull any punches. Stamping is such a fun hobby! I hope that this series will help you take control of it, rather than having it control you.

Stamping on a Budget - Day 7

Sorry so late today! I've been out all day doing the grocery shopping for the next two weeks. It's makes for quite a busy day! Here's today's installment, and there's actually one more installment before I post your "homework". Tomorrow's post is for any demos that happen to read my blog... don't know if there are any of you, but I'm going to give some tips that may be helpful.

For today we're going to concentrate on ...

BUDGETING YOUR RESOURCES

Organize your current supplies so you know what you have. - After eliminating and concentrating comes consolidating - putting like things together - and containerizing - giving each group a home. There are many great ideas on the web for organizing your supplies!!

Decide on your stamping style. -Are you an elegant stamper, or do you tend toward cute cards? Are you a colorer or a bold stamper? Do you love new techniques, or would you rather challenge yourself with following a premade sketch? Don’t be afraid to establish your own style rather than trying to be like everyone else. Then give away, throw away or sell supplies that are just taking up space or that frustrate you when you try to use them. Use the money to buy a set or accessory that you just love.

Isn’t it interesting when you see a set and know instantly that it’s you? You can think of 12 cards or projects off the top of your head. It’s perfect. Learn to choose those sets rather than the ones you can only use a stamp or two and then only if you try hard. If you read my blog you'll notice that I love the little Magnolia girls. Another set on my wish list is the quilting set that Papertrey just released. These are all stamps that are on my wish list because I just love them and will use them over and over again.

We stampers are notorious for buying something simply because Stamper Suzy made a cute card with it, even though it really isn’t a set we care for at all. Am I saying you shouldn’t think out of the box? No. But if you only have limited funds to spend, why spend it on “ok” stamp sets rather than your favorites??

Challenge Yourself. - I have a drawer of designer paper, another drawer of cardstock, another pile of textured cardstock, a drawer of ribbons and a box of retired stamps... but what do I grab first? Anything I’ve just bought.

Challenge yourself to make a card with each of your old stamp sets every month or so. If you find that you dread or avoid using one, then it probably should be sold!

Remember to Bless Others - There are some stamp sets that I won’t get rid of, simply because they are great for stamping with children or groups of ladies.  These sets are stained and probably not in the latest style... but they have been used multiple times for VBS, Ladies’ meetings, 4-H, School Projects, etc, making them very worth the storage space!!

--ooOoo--

Thank you again for your emails and comments. I do read them all and they mean a lot to me! See you tomorrow!

Stamping on a Budget - Day 6

So far we've talked about the basics that every stamper should have, and we've talked about ways to budget our money. Today we'll explore a different area of budgeting...

BUDGETING OUR TIME -

Develop a Stamping Purpose Statement. - Why do I stamp? Is it to make cards for others? To participate in challenges or card swaps? To make samples for workshops? To make cards to sell? Your time should be budgeted in relation to the importance of your purpose. If I need the money I make from selling my cards in order to pay the rent, stamping should be a higher priority than needing to complete this week’s color sketch on SCS.

Make an appointment with yourself to stamp. - As you plan out your day / week / month, make an appointment with yourself to stamp in a way that will line up with your purpose. If I’m making cards for special occasions I might only stamp once a month and make all the cards I’ll need for the next month. If I’m determined to keep up with SCS challenges or a blog, I might need to stamp daily. A demo may schedule time to stamp samples once a week, or she may choose to get together with sister demos in the area once a month to exchange cards. A young mother may be lucky to stamp once a month at a Stamp a Stack, while someone in another season of life may have hours everyday to devote to their craft. Take stock of your life and schedule a stamping sanity break where it fits! :)

Be sure to schedule time for cleanup! - This is one of my downfalls (as I sit next to an overflowing desk.) It’s much easier to carve out a few minutes to stamp if your area is clean and organized!

After you’ve made the cards - make time to write in them and SEND them out. If we cardmakers don’t keep Snail Mail alive, we will soon be overtaken with email and nothing else!! Another idea is to take the cards to a local nursing home or church to be used to bless others. Dont be selfish and hoard your supplies!!

Rethink your blogging, yahoogroups and message boards - If there is one thing that can overtake my day it is this. I can easily spend all morning online and get nothing else done. No laundry, no dishes, no meals, no vacuuming, no dusting... And that didn't even include time to actually stamp! Try scheduling "computer time" - just as you would for your children. Go through your blog list and pick out those that match your philosophy and stamping style. Pare down your groups and message boards, making sure that they fit into your overall purpose. If your family sees that they are more important than your computer friends and stamping time, they will be much more understanding of your hobby!

So on that note, I'm off to pick up my house, make menus and a shopping list for next week and plan my day. I have one more day of budgeting tips for you tomorrow, and then some homework. :) Be sure to stop back!

P.S. Thank you for all the lovely emails and comments about these posts. If I can encourage just one person they will have been worthwhile!!

Stamping on a Budget - Day 5

Our topic for today is BUDGETING OUR MONEY.

Here are some tips...

Determine a monthly or quarterly spending amount. - Contrary to popular belief, this amount is not determined by how much you can hide from your husband!!

What can you spend that will not harm your family budget? For some people this may be $100 a month, for others it may be $30 a quarter. At my house that amount varies. Some months I might have $30 - some months its only $5. For me, that money has to cover all my fun for the month - cross stitch, quilting, stamping, clothes, haircuts, postage, etc. I usually only get extra to spend if my husband gets a bonus or if I sell something on EBay, so I have to be super careful with my purchases, and I keep a running list of wishes for birthday and Christmas gift ideas. (... and Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day and Groundhog’s day..... You get the picture! :)

Keep a list. - Write down the things that you are interested in. Don’t buy them the first time you see them. For example, if you are at a stamping workshop or browsing some blogs and you see the coolest thing in the world - write it down. Allow yourself a “deprogramming” time before you buy it. You may see something else tomorrow that you like better, or in 2 or 3 days you may know that it is something you really would like and use.

Buy needs before wants. - If I am out of adhesive, buying all the stamps in the new catalog will do me no good! Usually what happens is we’ll pick out a new stamp set or a cool gadget that our demo just showed us with the money we actually have available, then when we remember we actually need things like envelopes or adhesive, we feel justified in putting the purchase on the credit card.

Don’t be pressured by sales. - If you’re like me, the word SALE is a word that means I must buy it NOW - even if I really don’t have the money and even if Im not sure I’ll use it more than once or twice.

Remember, there will be other sales, and if it’s limited edition, chances are it will show up on Ebay if you miss it this time. Of course, if it’s something that’s been on your list and you have the money... by all means, go for it!!

Buy with Cash - If you don’t have the money available to spend, don’t spend it. Even if the money is coming and will be in your account by the end of the month, don’t buy it until you actually have the money. If you do, you’ll always be paying on old things, when there are new things that you really want or need. Trust me. I speak from experience. There is great satisfaction in paying cash for your pleasure!!

Plan your spending - If you know that you'll be placing a large order in October to get supplies for Christmas cards, or that you want to place an order during one of the online sales on Black Friday, you'll need to plan ahead to fit it into your budget. This may mean that you'll have to postpone getting something you've been wishing for or that you may need to sell some of your unused or retired sets and supplies to come up with extra money.

Buy groups when you can - Be sure your supplies coordinate so you can use them. Both Stampin Up and Papertrey Ink carry cardstock with matching ink, designer paper and ribbons. Simply purchase color groups as you can, coordinating them as you go.

Another example of the "group" theory would be to buy a circle punch and scalloped circle punch at the same time, or a hole punch and brads. Its frustrating to start to put together a project and to be missing one supply item. Its like putting together a 1,000 piece puzzle that's missing one piece.

Be yourself - Don’t measure yourself against the other stampers that you see around you. Set your sights on making the nicest cards you can with the supplies you have!

On that same note... if you are on a tight budget, spending time on SplitCoastStampers or visiting a lot of blogs may be counterproductive. Realize that many of these ladies do not buy all the new stamps and supplies that you see. They are given to them to publicize a certain company... and it works, doesnt it!! The - “I want it all, and I want it now” - philosophy is not really very healthy. By spending our time wishing for all the new things that we see, we rob ourselves of the pleasure of enjoying yesterday’s blessings!

USE what you have! (I think I've heard this somewhere.... hmmmm....) We have wonderful supplies around us, but we love to hoard them. We seldom use them up before we see something new that wed like to play with, and then our stash just sits because its no longer the lastest and greatest.

If your demo or a blog personality has made something with supplies you just “have to have” - focus on the sketch or technique to try to recreate it with things you have on hand. Could I use a scallop scissor instead of this punch? Could I punch my holes the old-fashioned way if I cant afford a CropADile right now? Is there another color scheme that would work? Another stamp set?? What if I - GASP - used last year’s designer paper instead of the new design? If you really want that particular card, but can't afford the supplies, then book a workshop, go to a class or ask if you can buy it! :)

Participate in image swaps - Wanting more stamp sets than your budget allows? Check out the Wish RAK image swap on SplitCoastStampers!! You can list 3 wishes of sets you would like stamped images from. You earn more wishes by granting wishes yourself. Very, very fun!! :)

OK... enough for today. Come back tomorrow when we'll talk about budgeting our time. I know this is an area that is a constant struggle for me. Maybe it is for you, too?? See you then!

Stamping on a Budget - Day 4

As stampers, we have a lot of fun "toys", but there is always something new that would be great to add to our collection.  Copic markers are all the rage on the blogs, along with Cuttlebugged backgrounds and Nestabilities.  There is patterned paper galore and there are wonderful ribbons.  There are Bind-It-Alls and Twinkling H20's.  Not to mention that TAC just released a new catalog, Stampin' Up's new catty comes out in a few weeks, and there are at least 50 other companies with cute stamps constantly bombarding us.  How do we stamp on a budget??

Here is a quote that I have been trying to internalize...  "Happiness is in wanting what you have, not in having what you want."

Look at the supplies that you have gathered.  Do they make you smile??  Are there things in your drawers, totes, rooms, etc., that you just had to have but have never used??  Here are two words that will help those of us who need to stay on a budget.  Eliminate and Concentrate.  (Yes, I did borrow those from Messies Anonymous!!)

Eliminate - What kind of a stamper are you?  Do you need 17 birthday greetings if you only use two of them?  What is the worst thing that would happen if you got rid of them?  Do you have twelve flower sets, but always reach for a certain one?  Has your taste changed over time?  Do you have 25 background stamps sitting in order on your shelf, but always use patterned paper instead?  Are you always looking for a certain size saying, but don't have any that size?

Sit down and take inventory of your stamping style.  Look at your cards.  Which ones do you just love?  What have you seen on the blogs that you like and that would be doable for you?  Now look through your supplies.  Are there things you could sell to get some of the product for the looks that you admire?  Or are there things you could *use* - GASP - before buying something else??

Concentrate - Think about it.  If your entire stamping room was burned up in a fire, what would you replace or buy new?  What things would you have to have??  Concentrate on setting aside money for those things, then USE them when you have them!!

                                               --ooOoo--

Come back tomorrow for ideas on Budgeting our Money... :) & I hope to even have a card for you then as well! :)

Stamping on a Budget - Day 3

Found some more storage space??  Let's talk today about the...

FILE BOX STAMPER

The file box stamper has a little more room available.  There are a few things that I would suggest that will multiply your stamping options...

1.  A good 12" paper trimmer.

2.  8 1/2" x 11" packs of cardstock - both neutrals and colored.  I use this smaller size often because it is easy to store and because a normal invitation size card uses a 1/2 sheet of cardstock for a base.  I also use textured cardstock which comes in 12x12 sheets, as well as a lot of patterned designer paper.  A nice 12x12 plastic craftkeeper box solves the storage problem nicely!!

3.  Envelopes

4.  Adhesive - monoadhesive, glue stick, double stick tape...  Everyone has their favorite!

5.  Dimensionals or foam mounting tape

6.  A good pair of Craft and Rubber scissors - imperative for cutting out stamps!

7.  A roll of neutral ribbon of your choice - white or ivory is a good choice!

8.  Gold Brads

9.  A set of punches that would enhance your stamps - perhaps a circle and scalloped circle set?

10.  Stamping sponges to add color to the edges of your work

11.  A paper piercer

12.  A pack of designer paper in your favorite colors.

After this... the sky is the limit!!  Most of us can't stop with just the basics.  We enter the world of blogs and catalogs, websites and stamping stores and see more and more new things that we'd love to try.  How do we stay on a budget??  Come back tomorrow for more!!! :)

Stamping on a Budget - Day 2

THE SWEATER BOX STAMPER

The sweater box stamper is usually a newer stamper who wants to start acquiring the basic supplies necessary to stamp, without breaking their budget.  They would really like to try it out before they really take the plunge.  Here are a few things you'll want to be sure are in your box...

A stamp set - Choose an all purpose type stamp set with greetings that you will enjoy using for many different occasions.

Ink - Look at the stamp set you chose.  Is it a coloring book type set?  One that you will want to color inside the lines?  Or is it mostly a solid image?  If it is a coloring book image, you'll need a black ink pad.  My favorite black ink is Palette Noir.  I find that it stamps cleanly, dries quickly, doesn't smear and works with most coloring applications.  Staz-On is another good option, but I'm not fond of the smell.

If the stamps you've chosen are mostly solid images, you'll need colored ink or waterbase markers.  Markers are less expensive and work well for occasional stamping.  It's somewhat frustrating, however, to have to use a marker if you're mass producing.  If you choose colored ink you will need to choose between ink spots (1" cubes of color) or full size pads.  I have personally gotten rid of all of my full size pads, except black and brown, and purchased a number of colored ink spots from different companies.  They fit perfectly in my drawer and work well for me, as most of my stamping is the colorbook style.  I'm happy to put up with the slight inconvenience of the size in exchange for more room and lower cost, however, if you do a lot of stamping with solid stamps, this might not work for you.

Notecards with Envelopes - Many companies offer precut notecards with envelopes in different sizes.  These are a good choice if you don't have much room.  We'll look at other paper choices in later levels.

Coloring Medium - If you have chosen a color book style image, you will also need to have a coloring medium.  Here are some options...

Chalks - soft color applied with a q-tip.  Not much preciseness working with detailed images.

Watercolor Pencils - My favorites are Staedtler and Prismacolor.  These are more precise.  They are applied dry, then blended with a watercolor brush or blender pen.

Watercolor Crayons - I think you either love or hate these.  Not as precise as watercolor pencils, but usually have a richer color.  Not my favorite... :)

Reinkers - As you acquire reinkers for your colored inkpads you can watercolor with a few drops of the ink from the bottles.  This is a vibrant form of watercolor.  Very striking.

Markers - Both waterbased (Tombow or SU) or alchohol based (Copic).  Copics are better than waterbased markers for detailed images.

Colored Pencils - This is my favorite form of coloring at present.  I use artist quality colored pencils (Prismacolor) and blend the color using Odorless Mineral Spirits and blending stumps from the art section of a craft store.  This is great for open or detailed images and is very precise.

Finally, be sure to add a cleaning mat and some stamp cleaner to your box, in addition to your adhesive and scissors, of course. Keeping your stamps clean and conditioned will extend their life and maintain their stampability.

Questions so far??  If you need product suggestions or have comments or questions as we go, feel free to email me!

See you tomorrow!

Stamping on a Budget

Over the next couple weeks - since my stamping time is v-e-r-y limited right now - I'd like to share some ideas about Stamping on a Budget.  This will be a continuing post, so be sure to come back each day for the next installment if it's something that interests you.   :)

So, without further ado, let's get started...

STAMPING ON A BUDGET...

Where do I start???

Before we get into tips on budgeting we need to cover the some of the basics.  What kind of a stamper am I?  How much storage space do I have?  What are the basic supplies that I need?

Here are a few questions to help you as you choose stamps and supplies to add to your collection...

1.  What do I use - or plan to use - my stamps for?  

Making cards?  Stamping on fabric?  Decorating my home?  Scrapbooking?  

2.  Are there certain occasions that I will stamp for more than others?

Will I be making notecards to write to friends or do I always use email?

Will I be sending birthday cards or do I send them online?

Would I make or buy a wedding card?

3.  How much room do I have to store my collection?

No matter how much you love them, stamps are just another "thing" to collect if you do not use them.  Let's pretend that you have a certain space available to store your stamping supplies and see what are the most helpful and useful ways to spend your stamping dollars.

THE SHOEBOX STAMPER

The shoebox stamper doesn't have much time or storage space.  Usually they are busy people who would love to make cards and projects, but can't spare a lot of time and don't want to buy something that they may not use.

There are a few options for the shoebox stamper...

1.  Attend a stamping class.  Classes are wonderful ways to do a complete project in a structured amount of time.  Your supplies are provided, you have minimal distractions and you go home with completed projects or enough cards for a month.

Don't have a teacher in your area?  Feel free to contact me with your wishes and I'll send you a class by mail! :)

2.  Buy a kit.  I offer card kits every month or so (edited 2011... hmmm - would this help anyone?  I could start it up again!),Taylored Expressions offers a kit each month, Stampin Up has Simply Sent card kits.  Kits offer you another opportunity to sit down and make a number of cards or finish a project in one sitting.  You will need to carve out a little time, of course!! :)  Prices can vary from $10 to $60.

3.  Basics for the Shoebox Stamper?  Adhesive - permanent double sided tape works well - and a scissors, to start with.  Other supplies will vary - depending on which kit you choose!

Stop by tomorrow when we'll talk about the SweaterBox Stamper!! :)

Thanks for stopping by!