I’ve now used three different card kits from Spellbinders and I’ve reached the conclusion that they are AWESOME! I’ve made a lot of cards and even two mini albums (the first one using the Love the Moment kit and the next one from the Merry Everything kit). You can really create a lot of fun projects and cards using these kits. I know I’m just scratching the surface.
What Makes Spellbinders Card Kit of the Month Unique
There are a few things that really set these card kits apart from the others.
- All-in-One. It really comes with everything you need to make cards short of some basic supplies like a stamping block, ink, die-cutting machine, etc. You even get double-sided adhesive tape and foam adhesive!
- Quantity. The sheer volume of what you get is astounding. The standard card kit of the month comes with card bases and envelopes for 10 cards, but you can create much, MUCH more than that.
- Variety. You get the largest variety of products I’ve seen in any kit. There are some things that many kits include – card bases, envelope, card stock, ephemera, stamp and dies. And then comes the extra goodies — embellishments of all sorts. They vary from epoxy stickers, dimensional/foam stickers, rhinestones, sequins, etc. The only thing I’ve never seen in these kits is media items (e.g. Nuvo Drops), but there’s always a fun assortment to play with.
- Something for Everyone. Every time I sort through the die cuts I always come upon items that make me wonder how I would ever use them. There are just some things that feel like they come straight out of left field. However, I can really appreciate that Spellbinders includes some seemingly oddball things because those are likely the things that are hard to come by. And if those things speak to you, then you’re really in luck.
For example, in Love the Moment, there were a few boardgame related items (e.g. domino tiles and playing cards). I could see for someone who doesn’t play board games that those items seem very random and hard to use. However, I LOVE boardgames, so when I saw those it made me really happy and excited to use them… even if it seemed an odd fit for that month’s theme, they were still really cool.
- Stash builder & Project Kit. Most of the kits I researched fall into one of two categories — Stash Builder or a Project Kit. Stash builder kits generally have supplies that are long-lasting like stamps, dies, stencils, ink, etc. Project kits are more focused on consumable items that are one and done.
The Spellbinders kit straddles that line. If anything it leans more towards the project kit because of all the consumables you get. However, I’ve noticed that lately the dies are a little more generalized. The most recent few months I’ve noticed the die set includes things like frames and basic shapes, flowers, etc. In the past, the die set was more of an assembly set to create something very specific to the theme — like a car or a mermaid. With more general-use dies, that makes these kits more versatile. Let’s face it, how many cards are you going to put a unicorn or mermaid onto? 🙂
Projects I’ve Made Using Spellbinders Card Kits
Encouragement cards using the Hang With Me card kit.
The die set not only included the parts to make the cute little sloth but also the branch, leaves and flowers. Overall, a pretty versatile little die set.
This was my first mini-album using the Love the Moment card kit.
I turned the 10 card bases into 5 pocket page bases to create this fun little album.
I did a MEGA FLIP of the Merry Everything Card Kit.
I made over 40 cards in a variety of styles – Flat, Layered, Interactive and Pop-up. This particular kit was a special release and not part of the monthly card kit, so it did come with a lot more — namely 25 card bases and envelopes.
However, I also made a Mini Album using this card kit in addition to the over 40 cards!
What Would I change About the Kit?
If there was one thing I’d change about the kit it would be that they occasionally include media items. I’ve been getting into mixed media to create different textures and finishes. So it’s nice to have samples of different types of media to play with before investing in larger sets. Even something as simple as an ink cube would be nice.
One of the kits at the very top of my list is the Tonic Studios Kit. It’s more of a stash builder, which I like. And it always includes several types of media items from Nuvo — various drops, markers, etc. Technically, these are consumables since they will eventually all be used up but they will last a good long time before they do. Well-stored, they could last a year or longer and some will probably last me beyond that even. It’s really easy for Tonic Studios because they have an entire line of mixed media and offering samples gets people to buy the full-sized products.
Will I subscribe?
This is a tough one to answer. I actually really want to subscribe. However, I’m actually worried it comes with too much. LOL. It’s hard to use everything up and I don’t want to accumulate consumable supplies (e.g. card stock, ephemera, embellishments, etc.). I darn near finished up the Merry Everything kit but that resulted in a mini album and over 40 cards! I don’t sell my cards, and I personally only need maybe a handful of cards — in any given month — if that. So I’m worried that if I subscribe, these kits will just stack up.
What I’ve been doing instead is just waiting to catch sales. Granted, a lot of times the more popular kits will sell out at full price. Occasionally though, the older kits go on sale and they are an even better bargain and value for money than the subscription price (which I do think is a good value). If there’s something I really love, maybe I’ll buy it at the full price (e.g. I got the “Love the Moment” kit at full price but it was during a promotion when they were giving away the “Express Yourself” kit with a minimum dollar amount purchase. It worked out great since they were both kits I was eyeing).
So, while I won’t subscribe (yet), I’ll definitely be purchasing more kits in the future. I still have quite a few I haven’t used to tie me over until their next sale. 🙂