What' the best starter kit for a beginner card maker please?

[Sparkler]

Never done it before, thinking about taking it up but there's just soooo much out there I don't know where to start. Is there a starter kit that's in anyway better than others. I don't want to buy one and find that I don't use half of it.
Please help.
Thankyou.

Do Crafts do some nice kits - Argos sell them, and a lot of craft shops.

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There are so many different aspects to papercrafting...eg.decoupage, die cutting, rubber stamping....have you looked at any magazines/sites to get an idea of what you want to start with?

I think iniatially I started out with a few kits from QVC but to be honest, I found a lot of the stuff wasn't really what I wanted and P&P costs bumped the price up!

I would be happy to make you up a starter pack of die cuts, hunt around for some nice papers (loads of crafty sales on ATM.) Have a search online and see if there is a Paper Mill Shop nearby - Card there is very resonable.

Get yourself some DS tape, some glue and a couple of pens and you will be away!

Try craftcreations dot co dot uk or craftsulove dot co dot uk - the latter has a sale on ATM. I use a Sizzix machine for loads of my cards, and sell some at local crafts fairs when I get the time - and as Fubsy says it is very very addictive. DH finds it v amusing when I spend my evening surrounded by paper and card.

... and any good websites for easy ideas? I've got quite a few bits and pieces, have made a few but not very good. Bought a book but it wasn't very good. Perhaps websites would be better. Am sure Sparkler wouldn't mind my asking that on this thread as she'll also find that useful.

I do belong to another few forums that are solely crafting and I try to join in things such as challenges or swaps. I do get loads of inspiration and motivation from them.

Also by swapping things like stamped images or die cuts you can try out different things before committing yourself.

I like magazines for inspiration, I took a couple of books out of the library when I started, they were good for techniques but low on style.

theres loads of mags, WHS seems to stock most of them. They tend to have slightly different styles, so it is worth browsing to see what you like.

The Do-crafts web site has a library of examples.

I used to like QVC for crafting, but now I find a lot of their kits are a bit samey, unless you want to make hundreds of japanese style cards or ones with butterflies on. And most of their other stuff is cheaper elsewhere.

The upside to QVC is that you could buy a kit, make some cards from it, then send it back as long as you do it within 30 days!

They have a craft day soon, next Friday I think.

The Works is quite good too - I think they had 3 kits for £5 so not too expensive if you decide you don't like it. Only thing is you just get the bits but not instructions, but all you have to do is stick them together.

I started out with things from the works & then just added to them & now have rather a lot of different things! It is VERY addictive.

There was somebody in FOR SALE selling card making kits yesterday, will try to link.

Testing water.. Anyone be intrested in card making kits?

Thats the title, for some reason cant link, sorry