I’m still researching which monthly card kit I want to subscribe to. It’s not getting any easier, folks. Not only have I discovered more card kits but I haven’t eliminated any! When I started my “in-depth analysis” of card kit subscriptions, I created a comparison chart (you can check it out on this blog post). Well, since then I’ve discovered a couple more card kits, created my own DIY card kit (read all about it here) and I’ve also ordered several past one-off card kits that were on sale to try them out. All of this with the hope of discovering what card kit(s) are going to be the best fun and value for me.
I thought I’d share an update to what I’ve learned and where I’m at on this shopping research project of mine. Firstly, I want to update the comparison chart to include the new card kits I’ve research. However, the original chart was already a bit large, so to give some order to it, I’ll break up the information a bit. I would have to say that if I had to create buckets to broadly describe a card kit, I would classify them in one of two categories.
- Stash builders – These are kits that are centered more around supplies that will last forever (e.g. stamps and dies) or a good long while (e.g. embossing powders, markers, etc.). Typically, the stamps & dies are more “design” oriented — so they follow the theme and are more than your basic sentiment or shape cutout. Sometimes these kits do also include pattern paper and embellishments too. They are great to extend your stash because often the stamps & dies have a strong design element to them. These kits feel centered around the stamps & dies. I like to think of Stash builder kits as being heavy on reusable supplies and lighter on consumables (the stuff that’s one and done).
- Projects – These are kits that have nearly everything you need to make cards. They typically have everything from envelopes & card bases to pattern paper to ephemera & embellishments and even stamps & dies. All of these kits do have stamps and/or dies and they do match the theme — sometimes the stamps are mostly sentiments and sometimes the dies are simple shapes or word cutouts. However, the real beauty of these kits are the pattern paper and all the ephemera — die cuts, stickers, chipboard elements, etc. They really making it easy and fast to create a LOT of cards. I think of Project kits as heavy on consumables and light on reusable supplies. While they often do include stamps, dies, etc. often, I find these are smaller design elements that augment the paper pack and ephemera.
Card Kit Comparison Charts
With that in mind, I’ve divided my comparison chart into two – Stash Builder Kits and Project Kits. Keep in mind that card kits vary month-to-month and not just by theme. That’s the beauty of them. But as a result compiling a chart like the one below isn’t easy so keep in mind what I’m summarizing is based on looking at a few past kits to see what is generally included. Some companies make it harder than others to see a full kit content list, so if you spot any inaccuracies, let me know!
Stash Builder kits
| Hero Arts | Tonic Studios | Altenew | Queen & Co | Simon Says Stamp | Brutus Monrow | Hedgehog Hollow | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Retail Price
(if you purchase without subscribing) | |||||||
Subscription Price | |||||||
Shipping Cost (to West Coast US) | Free with Subscription | $6-10 | $6-10 | $6-10 | $6-10 | ? | $9 for One-off, $4 for subscription |
Variation Month-to-Month | Fairly similar each month | Some variety - especially in multi-media materials | Lots of variation | Pretty much the same - just different theme | Fairly similar each month | Fairly similar each month | Fairly similar each month |
Die Set | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | A lot of shaker shapes | ✔ | Sometimes | |
Stamp Set | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Sentiment stamps | ✔ | ✔ | Usually more than one set |
Stencil | Sometimes | Many | ✔ | ✔ | |||
Embossing Folder | ✔ | ||||||
Multi-media material (e.g. Ink, Embossing powder, Nuvo drops, markers, color pencils, etc.) | ✔ | Several different types | Some kits include some | Most of the time | Sometimes | ✔ | |
Foam, adhesive, washi, etc. | Sometimes | Some kits have washi | Foam pre-cut to shaker shape | Sometimes | Sometimes | ✔ | |
Cardstock and/or Specialty Paper (8.5 x 11) | 4 | A handful | A few kits include it | A few sheets | 5-6 | 6 A2 panels + some specialty paper | |
Envelopes | A few kits include it | A few | 6 | ||||
6x6 Paper Pad | A couple kits include it | ✔ | 6-12 sheets | Printed A2 panels for coloring or foiling | ✔ | ||
Ephemera - Die Cuts | Sometimes | Chipboard cutouts | |||||
Ephemera - Stickers | |||||||
Epoxy, enamel accents | A few kits include it | ||||||
Sequins, gems, etc. | ✔ | Most the time | LOTS of "toppings" as shaker bits | Sometimes | ✔ | Sometimes | |
Ribbon, twine, etc. | ✔ |
Project kits
| Spellbinders | Pink & Main | Scrapping for Less (Double Dip) | Scrapping for Less (Banana Split) | Love From Lizi | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Retail Price
(if you purchase without subscribing) | |||||
Subscription Price | |||||
Shipping Cost (to West Coast US) | $5 | $8.50 | $8.50 | $8.50 | $18.00 / Free with Subscription |
Variation Month-to-Month | Fairly similar each month | Fairly similar each month | Pretty much the same - just different theme | Pretty much the same - just different theme | Fairly similar each month |
Die Set | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
Stamp Set | ✔ | ✔ | 4 | 5 | ✔ |
Stencil | Sometimes | Sometimes instead of a die | |||
Embossing Folder | Sometimes instead of a die | ||||
Multi-media material (e.g. Ink, Embossing powder, Nuvo drops, markers, color pencils, etc.) | ✔ | Always Nuvo Drops, Sometimes also embossing powder | |||
Foam, adhesive, washi, etc. | ✔ | Sometimes includes washi | Sometimes includes washi | ||
Cardstock and/or Specialty Paper (8.5 x 11) | 10-12 | ~8 | 8 | 8 | A handful of sheets |
Envelopes | 10 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
6x6 Paper Pad | ✔ | ✔ | 24 sheets (6 sheets in 4 themes) | 24 sheets (6 sheets in 4 themes) | ✔ |
Ephemera - Die Cuts | ✔ | Chipboard or foam cutouts | Sometimes a handful | Sometimes a handful | ✔ |
Ephemera - Stickers | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
Epoxy, enamel accents | ✔ | Usually some type of 3D embellishment | ✔ | ✔ | Sometimes |
Sequins, gems, etc. | ✔ | ✔ | Some type of embellishment | ✔ | |
Ribbon, twine, etc. | Sometimes | ✔ | Sometimes | Sometimes | ✔ |
Some kits could easily fall into both categories — I’d say the Scrapping for Less is one of those if you like stamps and don’t care for dies too much. They have four mini-collections so while the entire kit shares a common motif, within that motif there are 4 different themes.
Which Kit Am I Getting?
So far, I’ve purchased several past kits. Some of them were even on sale (some dated back to 2018). Most the time these kits are sold out so you can’t be too picky if you’re looking to get a past kit. But I managed to find some that I really like (and find hard to believe are still available).
Here are the ones I’ve purchased (not many have arrived yet):
- Hero Arts
- Spellbinders
- Pink & Main
- Scrapping For Less
- Altenew
I would try out Tonic Studios, but it doesn’t look like their past kits are for sale. This is a real bummer because I think they would be at the top of my list of kits to try.
For me, I value Stash Builders slightly more than Project Kits. I created my own DIY card kit based on pattern paper to mimic a Project Kit and I did find it immensely fun so all the Project Kits are still in the running, but if I could only pick one, I’d lean towards a Stash Builder because of it’s long-term usefulness.
The other thing to factor in is if you really like a particular brand’s products or style. For example, I tend to like Hero Arts, Altenew and Tonic designs. And of course Tonic Studios is going to include a lot of their own multi-media supplies, which is awesome. If you really like a company’s products and/or designs, in general, then it’s more likely each month’s theme will be something you like. For example, if you love shaker cards, the Queen & Co’s kits probably won’t disappoint.
If you don’t have a lot of tools and supplies, the Project Kits are fantastic because they really have everything you need. Plus, if you’re not big into stamping, coloring and die-cutting, the Project Kits save you loads of time. Also, if you tend to send a lot of cards out during various holidays, it’s well-worth it to get a project kit because you can make so many cards. You may need to add some additional cardstock of your own but it definitely looks like the amount of ephemera and embellishments is generous — especially Spellbinders and Love from Lizi.
I will definitely share my cardmaking as my kits arrive and I find time to make some beautiful cards with them!