This week is starting out full of inspiration and I am excited to share this bicycle birthday card that I created with the FSJ August Kit of the Month set. Getting a kit delivered directly to me once a month is a new concept I am trying out so I can share my experiences with those of you who have been interested but can not decide which product line to go with or even if it is something for you. I have weighed the pros and cons for years now and finally decided that I cannot make an informed decision if I do not investigate more thoroughly. Aren't I nice to "take one for team" in the name of research :)?!
August was the first kit I received and I had no idea what would be included and whether I would think the monthly investment would be worth what was in the package. The research I had done in the past identified that these types of kits can range in price from about $18.00 (plus taxes and shipping/handling) to $69.00 (plus taxes and shipping and handling) and very few give you any specific details of upcoming so they can be creative or product trend sensitive. However, they do post what is in past kits so have been able to watch how they tend to go. I have noticed that most have lots of paper and accessory fillers but they are usually very light on the stamps provided. Some provide inks and adhesives but not all of them provide pre cut pieces or even ideas. Since I am a stamper first, I wanted one with an emphasis on the stamps themselves. Some organizations let you get the kit individually after it has been revealed if any are left after they send to the subscribers but a premium is then attached. Others do not have a subscription option but have a limited time offering and seemed to be a higher price tag. The Kit system I chose is retail $24.95 plus the s/h and tax and requires a 6 month commitment.
It really was kind of fun to have the stamp set, all the card stock already cut, the inspiration photos, instructions, and little bag of accessories all nicely put together so I just had to stamp. Since I was not sure what to expect exactly I enjoyed the surprise like anticipation when opening the package. The set included a full set of unmounted rubber stamps (11 stamps total, backer board, and nice storage envelope), accessories, papers, and full size color photo instructions to create four quite cute cards. It was kind of amazing how immediate my inspiration vibes kicked in...I had 2 cards complete by the end of the evening. The really stunning news for the family....I made a very minimum mess!!!! Wow! I found that I used the instructions just for inspiration because none of my finished cards looked exactly like the pictures. Another benefit of not following specific instructions for me...I had left over product and was able to make a 5th card...bonus :).
I am posting this example of one of the cards I created. I stamped the fence twice (using a gray ink) to cover the entire card focal front. I then went in with a dark gray colored pencil to create the shading. I used colored pencils to create the sky and used the grass stamp that came with the kit at the bottom. I stamped the bike on a scrap piece of white card stock and fussy cut out around the image. I did not cut in between the tire spokes. Instead, I lined it up where I planned to pop it up and pencil lined the outline of the fence and where the grass would be on both tires. After coloring the bike and the wheels, I used pop up tape and lined up the fence portion. Used a cool gray marker to create the shadow under the tires so it looked grounded and went with the direction of the sun. The layering papers were precut and pre pierced as part of the kit as was the ribbon and white card base. Hope you like the final product.
For this first Kit experience, I was quite pleased..product was quality, all pieces provided as needed, instructions clear and colorful. Based on the going price of an 11 piece set of stamps and cardstock I was satisfied with the overall value. Would liked to have seen some extra sheets or length of ribbon in case of a person messes up but there was a nice list provided that indicated additional products might need and the color of inks used which I thought was helpful. Excited because the September kit ships on the 10th and I am already looking forward to the surprise inside! I will keep you posted as I continue this experiment!
Thanks for stopping by and have a GREAT day!
Jeannette
