Top Ten List from the Holiday Mini

Well, I've had a little time to look over the new catalogue and try some of the products and I wanted to let you know my top ten picks from the Holiday Mini!

It wasn't easy to whittle my list down to only ten, and even then, I feel like I've left off products that I shouldn't have left off at all.  I even got some input from my daughter, to get the Gen Y take on things.

So after much careful research, I give you...
Playing with Papercrafting's Top Ten Products from the Holiday Mini:

1. Best Thanksgiving stamp set: Truly Grateful (w131730; c131733)

This might be my favourite overall product, as well!  Love the wood chevrons! And everything else as well!

There's so much texture!

2.  Best Christmas Stamp Set: Joyful Christmas (w131802; c131805)

I had a hard time choosing Christmas stamp sets, but I chose this one because you can do many different things with it.  You can stamp as is, or you can emboss the outline and then watercolour the flower and leaves.  You could also stamp the outline in StazOn black on some different background DSP and do some paper piecing.  You have some sentiments as well so it's a good choice if you can only choose one set.

3.  Best Fall Design Series Paper: Sweater Weather (132184)

Sweater Weather has such great colours, textures and patterns that you'll be wanting fall to start right away so you can use them in everything.  Or why wait?  They are versatile enough to use anytime!

 4.  Best Christmas Design Series Paper: Season of Style Design Series Paper (132340)

I absolutely love the combination of colours and patterns in this series, especially the plaids, stripes and polka dots.  And you will be able to use them long after Christmas is over as well.

5.  Best Christmas Design Series Specialty Paper: Winter Frost Design Series Specialty Paper (132341)

Okay, the way I got around having to choose between these two gorgeous DSP's was to have a separate category of Specialty Design Series Paper.  This one has two one sided papers with foil accents.  The Pool Party, Bermuda Bay and Smoky Slate are so awesome together.

6.  Best New Embossing Folder - Stylish Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (132174)

Looks stylin' for Christmas, but will work with any elegant card all year long.

7.  Best Sentiment Stamp Set - Christmas Messages Stamp Set (w131790; c131793)

Some lovely, some cute!  Lots of variety in this set.  I especially love the duel set:  All I want for Christmas is You! .... and a few other things but mostly YOU!

8. Best Bundle:  Festive Flurry Bundle:  (w133284; c133285)

This bundle includes the Festive Flurry Stamp Set and the matching Framelits!  These elegant snowflakes can be seen all through the Holiday Mini on cards, banners, tags and ornaments!

9.  Best Ribbon:  1 1/4" Burlap Ribbon (132140)

Rustic looking burlap goes great with fall designs or Christmas themes if you like the country look like I do.  It was hard to choose between this and the Cherry Cobbler Stitched Grosgrain and the 1/8" Silver ribbon though, so you have lots to choose from.

10.  Best Embellishments:  Frosted Finishes Embellishments (132150)

Sophisticated and full of bling, these can be used for so many different projects, over and above Christmas cards.  My upline Desiree Spenst, used them for little girls' hair clips in her Convention Demo Booth Display.







There you have it!  Hoped it helped you make some choices, but then you know that I am only one opinion and there are so many great choices that you could make!  Thanks for dropping by!

It's Here!

The 2013 Holiday Mini Catalogue!

(Click on the picture to link to the on line catalogue.)

Yes, today is the day you can begin to place your orders from the 2013 Holiday Mini!  So what are your favourite products?  What are the top 10 on your wish list??  Check out all the kits and bundles and all the decor items you can make this year.  This catalogue is a little different because all the project ideas are in the first half of the catalogue and all the products listed in the second half.  What do you think of that format?  Let me know and I will pass on your thoughts to Stampin' Up.  Don't forget the interactive feature I told you about yesterday, using the layar app for your smart phone.

 

As the catalogue goes live, I also have new Holiday Mini Product Shares for you.  You can check those out here.  Product Shares allow you to sample a greater variety of colours or designs or products at a lower cost than if you bought the full quantity of each thing.  I order, sort, package and mail for you.  The people who participated in my new Main Catalogue Product Shares were very happy with the variety of products they received.  The deadline for participating in the Holiday Mini Product Shares will be Aug. 31st.  Just sign up on the Product Share Page, or phone or email me with your selection.

I have also up-dated my Classes page with my schedule for August and September.  Check it out if you would like to start attending my classes.  There is something for everyone!  Especially note my class on August 28th.  We will be making the Fall Wreath pictured on page 185 in the Main Catalogue.  This is a product based class and I will need to have prepaid confirmed attendance ahead of time so I can order you all the products you need.

Email invites for all my classes will be sent to everyone on my mailing list, with links to registration sites, so make sure that you are on my mailing list if you want to receive this information.

I will have an order going in on Friday, August 2, so make sure you call or email before 8 pm on Friday!

Some new products are also available today:

They've been called flip cards, flip flop cards, swing cards, and more-but they have always been a bit tricky to create. Not anymore! Our amazing new Thinlits Card Dies cut and score to create a card that flips in just one step.

Item                              Description                                                Price

133479                   Label Card Thinlits Die                                     $40.95

133480                   Circle Card Thinlits Die                                     $40.95

And with August 1 comes a new Best of.... 25 years set.  For August, it's the "Best of Halloween"!

Best of Halloween (134381) $17.95

Happy Browsing!

Christmas in July!

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but there are only 148 days until Christmas! 


 Now, you're either squealing with excitement, or looking for something to throw at me. Hey, don't kill the messenger.  I'm just stating the facts.


But don't worry!  With Stampin' Up's help, you're going to be more than ready for the BIG DAY!  In just 3 days our Holiday Mini Catalogue will go live and it's just jam-packed with great cards, decor items, packaging ideas, cookie decorating and more, including a great planner journal for you.  I know some of you have seen it already and can hardly wait to get that first order in.

I have some great Christmas Stamper's Dozen classes planned along with some great wreaths and banners for home decor for the holiday season.  And start making your wish lists now and pass them on to your loved ones so they can get you what you really want!

But while we're waiting, I thought I'd show you a couple of cards I made using the new products this week. The first one was created for this week's Dynamic Duos Challenge #63 :

Here's the Challenge logo:

• I used Pear Pizzazz Core'dinations cardstock for the card base and embossed it using the Beautifully Baroque embossing folder.
• The stamp set is from the new Holiday Mini and it's called Calm Christmas and I certainly hope yours is this year!  The sentiment is also from that set.
• I used Pear Pizzazz 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon to tie a festive little bow and added some sprigs of mistletoe, created with the Bird Builder punch.
• The Rhinestone Basic Jewels add the finishing touch to this simple card.

If you haven't received your Holiday Mini yet, let me know and I will get one to you as soon as I can.  I am just waiting to receive a shipment of catalogues.  August 1st, I will have a link to the catalogue on this site for you to peruse as well.

Keep your eyes open this week for my new fall schedule and new Product Shares from the mini as well.  I am really excited about all the great classes I have planned for this fall!

Stamps:  Calm Christmas (w132736; c132739)*

Paper:  Pear Pizzazz Core'dinations cardstock from the Subtles Collection (129954); Garden Green (102584), Pear Pizzazz (131201) and Whisper White (100730) cardstock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pads in Garden Green (126973) and Pear Pizzazz (131180)

Accessories:  3/8" Taffeta Ribbon in Pear Pizzazz (131208), Rhinestone Basic Jewels (119246)

Tools:  Beautifully Baroque Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (130917); Bird Builder Punch (117191)

Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder

Bird Builder Punch

Rhinestone Basic Jewels

Subtles Collection Core'dinations Cardstock