@dex As others have said, there's definitely a learning curve. However, "cheap" in the nail stamping world can mean the super cheap plates from China that end up being so poorly etched that even an expert will have problems using them. s far as a gift for a newbie.
Piggy backing on the excellent list that @BlackMagic provided, Lantern & Wren and What's Up Nails both offer a nice selection of stamping supplies. I only recently received my first order with Lantern & Wren. My most recent order of many from What's Up Nails should be delivered today. I've also purchased quite a bit from Bundle Monster. They have some very nice kits that would make a good starting point. Also, I see Moyou London has lots of kits on their site. I've purchased quite a few of their plate elsewhere, but never checked out their site till just now (which translates to "I'm in trouble.")
Just like we all vary as far as which polish brands work best for us, the same holds true for stampers. Here I did go "cheap" and ordered several different styles from Amazon vendors who ship from China (meaning several weeks to arrive). I ended up finally figuring out the process with a big, sticky, marshmallow stamper. On the other hand, I've read that those aren't good for beginners. Maybe watch a few of the comparison videos on youtube and get a couple of types? Also, in case your DL doesn't already know this, some stampers need priimng, other don't; care & maintenance varies, etc. Avoid the metal edged scrapers.
The size of the images designed to cover the full nail varies between brands. A good place to start might be with a "buffet" stamping plate. That means not having to worry about the image being too small/too large/not long enough to cover the nail. It also minimizes the need to precisely line up the image on the nail.
I want to touch on a couple of things that @JeanLouiseFinchwrote. Starting out, it's probably best to purchase stamping polish, maybe at least a black and a white. Depending on the size of her polish collection, she may well have polishes that will work. Highly pigmented, slightly thicker cremes have the most potential. Finish the base mani with a thickish layer of top coat and be sure mani is completely dry before stamping. If you make a mistake, you can usually very gently remove the messed up stamping without destroying the mani underneath. Also, you can practice picking up the image and stamping it onto your sticky lint roller or a paper towel until you get the pick-up technique down. If you want to see how a polish stamps over another one, you can put your base polish onto a swatch stick or a stamping mat rather than testing on your nails.
Handy add-ons to get include a sticky lint roller (or a roll of transparent tape) to clean the stamper after each transfer and a cotton grabber (to keep polished nails away from acetone when cleaning plate). Also 100% acetone polish remover to clean plates after each use (to prevent residue from being left on plate). Other things some find helpful include latex barrier (I find it easier to just use my clean up brush) and a silicone nail mat (the main thing is something to protect the work surface).
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