Heidi Swapp's Stop the Blur

I took it from June to October, which is a pretty lot for me because I hardly ever take classes like that. For me it worked because the videos are short, and she divides up the techniques. I never really did a planner/daily type documenting so I enjoyed getting some fresh ideas. You get a set of printables each time and she also includes other various printable type things. I did actually use them because they were versatile. I enjoy Heidi's delivery, she shows her mistakes and how she covers things up, etc. Mostly everything she creates can be done with basic supplies. She shows a lot of creative ways for pockets, tags, hidden journaling, adding in mini pages/books, lots of stuff like that, which for me is easier to see someone else do first than me try to figure it out.

I only quit because I wanted to spend money on some Christmas crops and things like that, so I just wanted to change it up. But I still have access to all the content from the classes I paid for, it was super easy to cancel, no issues. I would consider doing it again if I need to freshen it up, but I also think the 5 months of content is stuff I will use over and over again.

I think the $10/month is worth it if there is no commitment required. If they required some sort of subscription, I would not do it, I prefer a month to month type choice.

*eta*
Also I find HS's planner products, stamps, etc super affordable. Esp if you get them on a Joann's sale. I purchased most of the planner type stamps for $5 or less and they are ones I use over and over again. 

I am interested in it too....I've been getting sucked in thanks to Facebook ads, lol. There's a code for $5 for your first month: STOPTHEBLUR5

For $5, I'll check it out.

I believe they are slightly "off" from a composition notebook size. Of course hers are not standard so that you have to buy her albums. I ended up buying Webster's Pages Just Start Undated Calendar Notebook because I got them for $2.50, and they are composition notebook size. I really like them but I believe they are now sold out.

There's a really annoying lack of detail in the descriptions of the products. Like, Studio Calico level vague. It took me ages to figure out that the Journaler inserts are 3 different styles inside. I want all dot grid, but can only get the 3 pack with 2 other styles (lines and grid? I think) I ended up getting the Scrapbooker ones and pasting dot grid printed paper in on a lot of pages. sigh.

OMG yes! I tried to order new planners and one set tells you the number of layouts, the other doesn’t. They don’t name the products consistently so you can’t tell if they’re they same basic product (layout, number of pages), but in a different colour way or something completely different. Some are blank white pages, some are lined, some have a printed texture so are a grey/off-white, some are the weekly layouts.

And for the past two years they’ve been short one week spread so in the two planner books you supposedly need to do a complete year you can only do 51 weeks because of the day of the week the year starts on. When I asked them about it they suggested adding the last week of the year into the following year’s planner - but couldn’t confirm if there would be enough weeks to do the complete new year in two planners let alone add in the ‘extra’ week from the previous year. 

It’s so confusing to me - it’s actually more work to write up a blurb for a product then it is to copy/paste the description between all the products that are the same size/layout and just have a different cover. And if the pages are the same inside then there’s no reason to show three monthly spreads for one product and only two for the others - suggesting that product only includes two months, since the photos have already been taken/edited. Heidi usually shows the products but in the middle of hour long videos that you have to watch and hope to catch what you’re looking for - why they don’t film or at least bookmark the time when she shows the product in detail, I have no idea. 

We’re international, and if the group of us want to do a common project her stuff is the style and price that most of us agree on but 90% of the time we end up buying something else because we can’t tell exactly what we’re ordering and if we’re ordering enough. I think that they’re doing well enough in the economy/with the somewhat limited popularity of scrapbooking that they don’t pay much attention to it. But everyone I know avoids ordering anything of hers unless they’ve seen it in person, or in someone’s YT video showing all the details, and then avoids subscribing to her classes, etc. I don’t think they know how much business they’re missing out on. The last crop (prepandemic) I was at, there wasn’t a table without someone who wanted to order her stuff but couldn’t find out enough information. 

🤭rant over 🤗

I didn’t clue in that it was all Inked. It’s so true. I’ve gone back and forth on her style but do like what she’s doing now with the Stop The Blur and mini book stuff. There’s been enough free stuff - either her IG or videos, or other people’s IG featuring her products, that I haven’t felt an interest in subscribing. There are a few others who do similar stuff but in their own style with free YT videos or IG accounts that I don’t feel like not having a HS sub means I’m struggling for inspiration. I really like the basic layout and size of her STB planners/project, but there are other ways to get a similar basic setup - notebooks by other companies, slightly different sized books, printable, etc.