My Top Five Favorite Items in the Occasions Catalog

What did you do yesterday?  Did you spend the entire afternoon flipping through the catalog and dreaming about all the things that could be yours?  Did you mark your book and plan your next order?  If so, you’re not alone.  🙂

Now that the catalog has been shared online, I want to help you prioritize your list.  As such, I’ve selected my five favorite items from this amazing book, and I’m happy to share them with you today.  It was difficult to control my list, and I’m sure my “likes” will fluctuate a bit over the next couple of months, but I gave it my best.  Without any further ado, here are my favorite items in the 2015 Occasions Catalog (you can click on the product pictures to see the items in my online store, and you can click on the projects I’ve shared to see the original posts):

You Plus Me + Stacked with Love DSP Stack Bundle.  Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and what better way to prepare than with this great paper/stamp set bundle?  I love the colors in this Designer Series Paper Stack (Basic Black, Real Red, Calypso Coral and Crisp Cantaloupe) – with bold and subtle patterns and colors, this paper stack has everything you need for every Valentine in your life.  🙂Here’s a card I made with this combination of stamp set and designer paper.  Although I’m mesmerized by the black-and-white patterns in this paper, I chose the softer shades and textures in the paper for this project:

You Plus Me, Stampin' Up!, Brian King, PP232

Balloon Bash Photopolymer & Birthday Bash Specialty Designer Series Paper.  These two products are not bundled together in the Occasions Catalog, but they presented in a suite of products – and let’s be honest, they belong together.  The patterns in this paper are some of my all-time favorites, and (as you already know because I go on and on and on about it) I love fonts.  These fonts and sentiments are FABULOUS!  I don’t want to presume, but you NEED both of these.  🙂

If you will recall, I used this combination of paper and stamps to make my birthday card last month (why does that sound so sad when I type it out?).  Here’s my project:

https://stampwithbrian.com/2014/09/06/making-spirits-bright-with-santa-co/

Sheltering Tree.  It’s rare that I fall in love with a stamp set the moment I see it.  Sure, when I’m first introduced to a new set, ideas often pop into my head about how to use an image or sentiment, but I’m rarely head-over-heals.  That all changed one day in early December when I first met Sheltering Tree and knew I just had to have it.  This set speaks for itself – a bold tree with great accessories and sentiments for days.  Who doesn’t need this one?As soon as I had this stamp set in my crafty, little hands, I made this card:

Sheltering Tree, Festival of Trees, Endless Wishes, Stampin' Up!, Brian King, MM139

Crazy About You & Hello You Thinlits Bundle.  I received this bundle at Founder’s Circle last September.  Because I couldn’t sell it then, I didn’t promote it.  I love that this stamp set of great sentiments is available in wood, clear and photopolymer.  As such, there’s a wide span of prices on this bundle.  Mine is photopolymer – and that’s likely what I would have chosen if I had to buy it, too.

As soon as my first pack of Best Year Ever Designer Series Paper (one of the Sale-a-Bration offerings this year) showed up at my door, I knew I’d combine the two to make this fresh, Spring card of happiness:

Crazy About You, Stampin' Up!, Brian King

Butterfly Basics Bundle.  I’ll be honest about this last choice – it didn’t make it into my first order, and I’ve never made a project with any of the items in the bundle.  Yet, here I’ve added it to my five favorite things.  Why?  Because I’ve seen some really amazing projects with these butterflies and this stamp set – and they have changed my mind about my need for this bundle and how I can use it.  If this one hasn’t  made it onto your list, double think that decision.  🙂  Like Crazy About You, this stamp set is offered in wood, clear and photopolymer.  Woo hoo!  Options!

To view all the Occasions Catalog items in my Online Store, CLICK HERE.

I hope this countdown of my favorites has helped you to prioritize your list of favorites.  What items are your favorites?  What can you not live without?

Thanks for stopping by today!

Brian

Shop Now

Join during Sale-a-Bration.  Stampin’ Up!’s premiere sales event of the year kicked off yesterday.  During this event, customer earn free product, hosts can earn free product and you can earn free products when you join my team.  You can choose between two Sale-a-Bration items or one of the kits in the Occasions Catalog when you buy the Starter Kit during Sale-a-Bration.  If you’ve EVER wanted to earn a discount on Stampin’ Up! products, here’s your chance.  Please reach out to me at [email protected] if you’d like to discuss further with me – I’d LOVE to talk with you.  To buy the Starter Kit, please CLICK HERE.

 

 

 

17 Comments

  1. Brenda from Indiana

    Best Catalogs Ever……………So much to Digest and Absorb. Easy solution……I want it all.

  2. Brian,
    I love the Sheltering Tree Card~which set is that beautiful cardinal bird from?

    • Thank you! The cardinal is from Festival of Trees (from the Holiday Catalog). It carried over to the Occasions Catalog and can be found on page 49 of the Occasions Catalog.

  3. My favorite was the Butterfly Basics. It is the only one I picked out as a MUST have and my demo daughter ordered it. There are so many elements to this set but the fern alone had me sold. The words “sending wishes your way” can be used in more ways than birthday so……a must have. I predict it to be the most uploaded set to be used on splitcoast. I could be wrong but I’ll enjoy my set either way.

  4. Hey Brian! I’ve moved and was wondering if I could get the new catalog from you?

    Hugs! Hope you had a fantastic Christmas and New Years!

  5. This catalog is one I’ve had to look at cover to cover several times. There are so many things that I want.

  6. Sandy Fiddler (Lake Havasu, AZ)

    I’m right there with you on the sheltering tree. When I first saw it, I seen Halloween. I can’t wait for my set to try it. Over stamping the leaves onto the tree, with a few bats running around. What could be better. Even using 2 trees with the witch’s clothes line sounds super!

    Enjoy what you do.

  7. can you explain the difference between photopolymer stamps and the clear stamps?

    • Thank you for the question you left on my blog. There are three types of stamps offered by Stampin’ Up!:

      Wood mount – These are red rubber stamps mounted on wood blocks. You can’t see through them at all.
      Clear mount – These are also red rubber stamps but aren’t mounted. You can adhere them to clear blocks to give you a better idea of where to stamp the image. These come in a thinner case and take less space on your craft shelf.
      Photopolymers – These also mount on clear blocks but are not red rubber – they are made from a clear rubber and are are completely see through so you know exactly where you are stamping the image.

      I’m a wood mount guy. I’m warming up to photopolymers. I have some stamps in clear mount but am not partial to them.

  8. Great choices ! Almost the same as my list ! There are a lot of items that I want in this catty . Thank heavens it`s around until June . Of course you must get at least one freebie from the SAB catty before March ….decisions …decisions !

  9. Great top five…Butterfly Basics bundle is my number one! seems everything I have made in last week is with that set and /or dies! I like my clear mount but glad stamp set is offered in three choices!

  10. Yep you inspire me a whole lot Brian, I got the butterflies but not the stamp set that’s on my next order, I also love the word framlets, but I think I better get the Valentine kids set , my 10 yr old grand daughter already ask me for school gifts for her school classmates , so I better stick with that , there always another order rite ? Lol!!!!
    Thanks Brian, all you do !!!!
    Hugs and love Frenchie,

  11. Oh, you’re starting such trouble! That’s why we love you!!!!!

  12. Great choices Brian! In fact, I love the whole darn book…AND the Sale-a-bration catty. Such wonderful products…. and I’ve been chomping at the bit to get back into my room and create! I love your cards too my friend. Thanks for sharing your favs!

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