Since my original posts where I compared monthly card kit “specs”, I’ve purchased several kits. I haven’t subscribed to any, but I’ve been on the lookout for when these kits go on sale so I can snag a couple… well, I’ve snagged more than just a couple.
Here’s what I’ve purchased (my shop has photos of the ones I purchased):
- Altenew – 2 kits
- Hero Arts – 1 kit
- Pink and Main – 3 kits
- Scrapping for Less – 2 kits
- Spellbinders – 7 kits (they had their Spring Clearance sale and the kits were selling for only $15/each! The subscription price is $40 and the retail price is $55. I couldn’t help but buy up all the ones I thought I’d realistically use. I think I bought all but one.)
- Tonic Studios – 4 kits (they rarely open their vault and sell past kits, so when they did earlier this year, I bought as many as I thought I’d put to good use)
I’ve opened them all, but I haven’t used them all in projects yet.
I have used one of the Scrapping For Less kits in two projects now, so I’ll review what I think of their kits.
First Impressions
Admittedly, I was a little underwhelmed by the packaging. From the looks of it, it didn’t seem like you got much for your money. Most of the other kits (Pink & Main, Spellbinders & Tonic Studios) kits come in nice boxes and the items are well-presented (e.g. wrapped in nice tissue paper). The Scrapping for Less (SFL) kit just comes in a large zip-lock baggie with each of the 4 collections in their own smaller cello bag. Nothing arrived damaged or bent though, and that’s probably the most important factor. And I do have to admit the extra packaging — while nice — is probably not great for the environment.
What Makes The Scrapping For Less Kit Unique
Getting past the packaging, the unique aspect of the SFL card kit is that there are 4 mini collections within the kit. They are all centered around the main theme for the month, but they each have their own spin. For example, the kit I used was themed around “Let’s Celebrate”. The four mini collections were: “Happy Birthday”, “Baby”, “Friendship”, “Ice Cream Celebrations”. Not only do you get a variety of themes but you also get a variety of products from different companies.
While my first impression was that the kit didn’t come with much, that couldn’t be further from the truth! Above is actually the Banana Split level kit, which comes with a 5th mini pack that includes a die, stamp set, multi-media item and an embellishment. Each of the four mini collections that comes in the standard kit has a handful of 6×6 pattern paper, a stamp set, embellishments and/or ephemera and an A2 size envelope. So in total, you’re getting 4 stamp sets at the Double Dip level and 5 at the Banana Split level. That’s an amazing deal! Most other card kit subscriptions come with one stamp set. You really are getting fantastic value for money here.
Variety
I also like that you get different themes within the larger theme. One of my hesitations with subscribing to a kit is what if I don’t like the theme that month? Then I’ll have a lot of product that I can’t put to good use. Since I make cards for personal use (not to sell), it’s hard for me to put something to use if it’s not something I personally like or know someone who will enjoy. With this kit, you are really getting 4 themes, so there’s bound to be at least a couple you are going to like.
Another aspect I really appreciate is that you’re getting products from different brands. SFL does produce its own papers, stamps, and dies, but they include products from a variety of other brands – not just their own. I think that’s such a great way to get introduced to new products, designs and styles. Every other card kit on my list above only includes their own product line (because that’s all they sell). But since SFL sells other products on their website alongside their own, they’ve included a variety in their card kits. I think that’s truly fantastic.
Projects I’ve made
At first blush, it might seem “skimpy” to only get 5-6 sheets of 6×6 pattern paper in each collection. Other card kits that include paper packs, usually include a full stack of around 24 sheets. But in total across the 4 mini collections, you essentially end up the same number of sheets. You just get a greater variety in the SFL card kit since each mini collection is a small smattering of sheets from a larger stack.
So far, I’ve used two mini collections from this card kit… well, really one and a half and you can really create quite a lot with 6 sheets of pattern paper.
First Project
The first collection I used was the “Happy Birthday” collection. This was a fun, bright vibrant collection. I made birthday cards for my young nieces, so it was perfect for them. I didn’t actually use the stamp set, as it turns out, but it’s definitely a cute stamp and I’ll get some use out of it on a future project I’m sure. You can check out my FLIP video of the cards I made.
Second Project
My second project was actually a mini album using the “Baby” collection — actually, less than half the baby collection. This mini theme pack included papers, stickers and tags themed for both baby girls and baby boys. Since I was making a mini album for a baby girl, I only used those items. The baggie of sequins seems like not much but considering a typical card only need a few sequins here and there, it’s actually more than enough for a single card – or in this case a single mini album.
I have a blog post with a walk-through video of the mini album if you want to see it. The tutorial will be posted too once I’m done editing it.
Will I Subscribe?
That’s the ultimate question, isn’t it? This one is tough to answer. It is definitely up there on my list.
While I really appreciate the variety, my only concern in actually subscribing is that with only a handful of sheets of pattern paper, I can’t make a more substantial mini album. For the small Trinket Box Mini Album I did only use 3 sheets of pattern paper, but I had to supplement with my own pattern paper and cardstock to complete the project. Plus, that was a rather small album (about 5″ x 3.5″). Albums with larger pages are going to require a lot more paper. I’m exploring whether I can combine a couple mini collections to see if I’ll have enough sheets, so I’ll see whether that’s achievable.
I’ve been looking at card kits as a resource for both my card making and my mini albums. I don’t create enough cards to necessitate a monthly card kit, so the kit needs to fill my other paper crafting needs too — namely mini albums. I’m not too sure if this one will fit the bill, but if I can combine the pattern paper from multiple collections, maybe I can make a larger mini album. Either way, the kit is still in contention.
Whether or not I subscribe, I’ll definitely continue to check out the past kits on the chance they’re available for sale and there’s one I want to pick up.