Creative Stamping Kit of the Month Club.

I recently joined the Creative Stamping Club after it was recommended on Splitcoast stampers, and wanted to share my observations of the kits so far.

This is a picture of the projects included in the first kit I received:

I loved the colors, loved the projects, hated the stamps. Out of the sheet of 7 or 8 stamps, TWO were defective. I did manage to complete the big project tho, a magnet board to put of the fridge. Mom thinks it is too pretty to cover up, so it was a success.
Here is a close-up. The kit projects feature cutting and layering the stamped image to give it a 3-d effect.

I emailed and complained about the stamps, and they sent me a complete replacement kit! I am happy to report that the replacement stamps work fine- at least the two that were defective the first time, I haven't checked the others. The layered flower is a neat focal point for a card, and I have done several featuring it.

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Kit Two- distinctly classic

For this kit, I loved the stamps, and the papers, but hated the projects.

The main project is a decorated mat for a frame. I think it looks cheesy, plus you have to decorate it, then find a frame it will fit in, which seems backwards to me. Plus you pry have to leave the glass out of the frame to fit the mat in with all the added embellishments!

However, I did like the stamp designs. The cards they made were too fussy for me, so I adapted them to my own style. The technique showcased is doing two images on different color cardstock, with different ink, then cutting them in half and joining them together. I have been quite ill, so I had trouble getting the images straight, lol, so it was hard for me, but turned out cute.

The stamp set included 6 or 8 mini car stamps also- perfect for stamping on envelopes.

Here is my card, inside it says "You're a Classic!"

Now, my only complaint about this kit was, again, the stamps. They weren't defective, but they were super thin clear stamps. They are so thin I am nervous about them tearing, plus it is near impossible to get the phrases lined up straight- the stamp bends and curves all over the place and you just have to keep adjusting and adjusting on the block. You definitely need a block with lines to have a hope of getting it straight. Plus, the thinness of the stamps made them harder to stamp with- you have to press very very carefully, both when inking and when stamping. Press too hard when inking, and the areas not meant to stamp get ink on them, and then when you stamp, they are so thin that those areas do end up touching the paper. So it is harder to get a good image.

I am anxious to see what kind of stamps are in the next kit! I am guessing they will have some problem I haven't thought of yet.. but hopefully will be usable! Otherwise... cancelling I will be....

Anne