If you look through the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue there is so many Stamp Sets and Products that it can be overwhelming for someone just starting to learn this wonderful hobby of making Cards, Scrapbooking, or Paper Crafting.
I think that there are 6 things that you have to have to make this process a lot easier. Don't look at all of the Stamps Sets and Products, all at one time, but narrow your focus down to this 6 areas.
1) Stamp Set: There are so many to choose from, but to start out with you want an image that is versatile for a lot of Occasions, such as Birthday, Thank You, and Sympathy. I suggest Upsy Daisy #111710 on page 112 of the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue. It even comes with 3 sayings.
2) Inks: Next you will need a medium to stamp your image. Stampin' Up! offers a lot of different types of Inks but you should start with Classic Stampin' Pads. Classic Stampin' Pads are a Water Based Dye Ink that will dry very quickly or you could purchase Stampin' Write Markers. These are also Water Based and dry quickly. You can use the Stampin' Write Markers and color directly onto the Rubber Stamp. Classic Stampin' Pads or Stampin' Write Markers are sold individually or in Families grouped by Colors. For example if you like Real Red, Old Olive and Rich Razzleberry you could purchase the Bright Assorted Package of Stampin' Write Markers #119702 or Stampin' Classic Pads #119694.
3) Card Stock: No matter if you are making a Card, Scrapbooking or any Paper Craft, you need Card Stock. Stampin' Up! Card Stock is very high quality and is dyed completly through. There isn't a white core sandwiched between two colored cores, like some of the lesser quality Card Stocks. The Very Vanilla #101650 and Whisper White # 100730 Card Stocks are thinner then the regular Card Stock, because it is primarliy used for layering and is not reqired to be as thick. It is still thick enough to be used as a Card Base.
For example if you like Real Red, Old Olive and Rich Razzleberry you could purchase the Assorted Package of Card Stock in the Brights Collection, either in the 8 1/2" X 11" Card Stock #119706 or in the 12" X 12" Smooth Card Stock #119709 or 12" X 12" Textured Card Stock #121076.
The Classic Stampin' Pads, the Stampin' Write Markers and the Card Stock are grouped together in Color Families and are featured on pages 165-169 of the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue.
4) Tools: As with any hobby you do there are always gaugets that you want and there are tools that you need to make your life easier. The following are must haves:
A) Stampin' Scrub #105642 and Stampin' Mist #102394 are used to clean your Stamp Sets. It is very important to clean your stamps after each use. They will last longer and they will be ready to use the next time that the erg hits you to stamp.
B) Either the Tabletop Paper Cutter # 106959 or the Paper Cutter #104152 are great for cutting the Card Stock down to the size that you need.
C) You need some adhesives to put all of those layers together. I suggest SNAIL Adhesive #104332. This is a flat 2 sided tape that comes in its own dispenser. You just roll out the tape where you need it. Once you have purchased the SNAIL Adhesive including the dispenser and you run out, all you have to do is purchase the SNAIL Refills #104331. If you want a raised look, where there is space between the layers of Card Stock, then you want Stampin' Dimensionals # 104430. These are foam tape in small hexogon shapes. They seem to be the perfect size, but you can cut them if you need to.
D) Grid Paper #102787 has lines on it to help you line the different layers, as well as a ruler to help measure your Card Stock or Ribbon. For these reasons, I use a Grid Paper every time that I stamp and it protects my stamping surface.
E) I also use a Bone Folder #102300 to make clean crisp folds in my Card Stock.
5) Embellisments: These are the Ribbons, Brads, Paper Daisies, Eyelets, Buttons etc that all coordinate with Inks, Card Stock etc. My favorite Embellishment is the Ribbon. It comes in various colors and widths and there seems to be one that suits every purpose. It is high quality, easy to tie and it stays in place. An Embellishment gives your project a finish, polished look.
6) Punches: Stampin' Up! has a wide variety of punches to choose from that will make your life easier. I love the new design. They are ergonomically design to make it easier to use, especially if you don't have a lot of strength in your hands. The punching surface is bigger; therfore Stampin' Up! can come with even bigger designs. A lot of the punched images are sized so that they can layer on top of another one. As you look through that 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue look for the Stamp Sets that have an outline around it. This denotes that there is a matching Punch and it tells you which Punch it is. Punches will make it easier to cut a Stamped Image out. Punches are found on pages 200-203 of the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue.
There is a lot more that you could purchase, but these things are the essential to get you started. After you are stamping for awhile, you may want to add Designers Series Paper, more Embellisments, a Big Shot Die Cutting Machine or get into Em
bossing (raised look to you images), but for now keep it simple and have fun.
Click here to go to my Stampin' Up! Website to purchase any of these Products.