My Favorite Things: Stampin’ Up!’s 2016 Holiday Catalog

Stampin’ Up!’s 2016 Holiday Catalog is filled with out-of-this world goodness!  Stampin’ Up!’ Demonstrators have enjoyed the opportunity to play with these new items for the past month, but this week is the first time our customers get to order these amazing products.  I’m always excited to share the list of my favorite things in the catalog – it might help you to shuffle or whittle down your list – or it might inspire you to add some items you overlooked.  Either way, I’m happy to share my favorites.

In an effort to narrow down my list a bit, I’ve lumped my favorites into categories.  Some are themes, some are product lines and some are accessories.  Regardless, these are some of my favorite things in Stampin’ Up!’s 2016 Holiday Catalog.  I hope you enjoy them!


MY FAVORITE BUNDLES (there are two).  We all love the term “bundled savings,” right?  When we can buy two items we want – but get a discount on them as a pair – we’ve struck it rich.  In a catalog that is filled from end-to-end with amazing bundles, it was tough to pick a favorite.  I’ve chosen two – a fun bundle (we can call it “the fundle”) and a sophisticated, beautiful bundle (we can call it “the sophisticated, beautiful bundle).  It’s important to distinguish the two.

My Favorite “Fundle”.  The Cookie Cutter Christmas Bundle is a must-have.  With a wonderful collection of adorable characters, the Cookie Cutter Christmas stamp set and coordinating Cookie Cutter Builder Punch have to be first on your wish list.  The also coordinate perfectly with the Candy Cane Lane suite of papers and accessories.  The gingerbread man is my favorite character in the line-up, but the teddy bear (you have to build him with a couple of shapes in the set) is a close second.

Cookie Cutter Christmas Bundle, Stampin' Up!

Cookie Cutter Christmas Bundle, Stampin’ Up!

 

BONUS ADD-ON:  The Cookie Cutter Builder Punch also works well with Cookie Cutter Halloween – brilliant coordination, Stampin’ Up!.  Another cast of whimsical characters that work perfectly with this punch – could you ask for more?

Cookie Cutter Halloween, Stampin' Up!

Cookie Cutter Halloween, Stampin’ Up!

 

My Favorite Sophisticated, Beautiful Bundle.  I don’t know this catalog would be complete without the gorgeous Christmas Pines Bundle.  Not only does this stamp set contain some GORGEOUS sentiments in a fashionable font, but the pine cones and pine branches are amazing.  Pine branches, mistletoe and pine cones – there are many ways to stamp or crop these images that make me to want be in a Maine cabin at Christmas.  I used one of the sentiments from this set for a card I shared a couple of weeks ago (you can see it here), and I’ve got two great projects lined up for tomorrow and Tuesday that feature sentiments from this set.

Christmas Pines Bundle, Stampin' Up!

Christmas Pines Bundle, Stampin’ Up!

BONUS ADD-ON.  I admit that I don’t use a lot of ribbon and embellishments on my [mostly] clean-and-simple cards, but I absolutely adore the Mini Pinecones that accompany this suite of products.  I ordered them and then had to split them up to send out with my products shares – and they are perfect!  What cute, sophisticated accents to a Christmas Pines project!  This picture might be a little deceiving – the individual charms measure 1/4″ x 1/2″.  They are small and sweet.

Mini Pinecones, Stampin' Up!

Mini Pinecones, Stampin’ Up!


MY FAVORITE ACCESSORY.  If you weren’t looking for it, you’d miss it on the bottom of page 13 in Stampin’ Up!’s 2016 Holiday Catalog.  The Cable Knit Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder is the must-have accessory of the season.  What makes this embossing folder so special?  The impressions from this super-thick folder (you only use one cutting plate with it) are deep and rich – your friends will think you’ve covered the front of your card with an actual cable-knit sweater.

Cable Knit Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Cable Knit Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Here’s a video from my Stampin’ Up! friend, Shannon West, that features this amazing new folder:

One of the great tips from the video:  spritz the cardstock with a light mist of water so that the paper better bends with the embossing folder, reducing creases and tears in the cardstock.  Brilliant!


MY FAVORITE PAPERS.  You already know that I’m a huge fan of Stampin’ Up!’s printed Designer Series Papers, right?  I really can’t get enough of them.  The selection of papers in this catalog are great – such a great variety.  Before these papers arrived at my house, I was certain Candy Cane Lane would be my favorite pack of papers.  While I still love that pack very much, the Warmth & Cheer Designer Series Paper Stack really stole my heart.  The patterns are rich and can be used for Christmas, Winter, Fall or Thanksgiving.  Some are bold, while others are quite delicate.  You won’t be disappointed with these papers:

Warmth & Cheer DSP Stack, Stampin' Up!

Warmth & Cheer DSP Stack, Stampin’ Up!


MY FAVORITE DIE.  Rarely does a set of Thinlits or Framelits operate successfully without the coordinating stamp set.  While the Greetings from Santa stamp set is, by its merits, a good stamp set, the Detailed Santa Thinlits Dies offer a great set of images that can coordinate with any other sets.  What did we do when we didn’t have these amazing Thinlits to play with?  The detail in Santa’s beard is just beautiful!  While I would always suggest the bundle, this set of Thinlits Dies is a winner on its own:

Detailed Santa Thinlits Dies, Stampin' Up!

Detailed Santa Thinlits Dies, Stampin’ Up!

Think the Thinlit can only be used for a card front?  Check out this brilliant tag featured on the front cover of Stampin’ Up!’s Holiday Catalog:


MY FAVORITE ADD-ONS.  The last items on my Favorite Things list for this year’s Holiday Catalog are the brainchild of some brilliant and wonderful person (believe it or not, it wasn’t I who thought of it).  For a couple of years, Stampin’ Up! has sold packs of cardstock that coordinate with Designer Series Papers – brilliant!  In this catalog, Stampin’ Up! is offering three sets of Stampin’ Write Markers  that coordinate with suites in the catalog.  Love it!  These are a perfect add-on – in colors we use a lot.  THANK YOU, Stampin’ Up!

Crumb Cake and Real RedCrumb Cake and Real Red Markers

Cherry Cobbler and Garden GreenCherry Cobbler and Garden Green Markers

Old Olive and Pumpkin PieOld Olive and Pumpkin Pie Markers

 


What do YOU Think?  Did I find your favorites, too?  There are no right or wrong answers here – maybe you don’t like my choices, or maybe you have a favorite item I didn’t list.  Please let me know what your favorite must-haves are from this amazing catalog! I look forward to sharing more of these items with you in the months to come.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Brian

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10 Comments

  1. Great choices . . . I love that die cut santa more and more every time I see hi!

  2. I love all of your choices, Brian…and you’ve brought my eyes to some I didn’t notice. Thanks so much for sharing!

  3. You picked my favorite dsp stack ! I agree with you on all your selections . Something that I like that nobody else has chosen are those cute detailed Merry Tag Framelits ????
    And yay for SU coming up with those marker sets to coordinate with the cardstock ,etc . ….
    This was fun ….!

  4. Yes….I missed the folder and I agree with you on the markers. Brilliant idea…….a dsp stack, a marker set and coordinating paper pack allows a new customer to build a stash without breaking the bank.

  5. Oh Brian – so many new things to play with, so little time to play! I agree with your favorites list and even though I’ve entered my order I still have a wish list about 2 pages long! LOL Thanks for sharing your favorites, it’s always fun to know what others love.

  6. Your choice for sophisticated beautiful bundle the Christmas Pines set is my favorite. It’s on my wish list.

  7. The knit folder is absolutely fabulous!

  8. You did it again! Adding that Cable Knit Embossing folder to my next order!

  9. Looking forward to Christmas Pines bundle to arrive in my mailbox!Please post some ideas, you have the best eye for designing !

  10. I always enjoy your creative take on Stampin’ Up’s great products. Thanks to your “shout out” to Maine, my home state. If you ever do get up to a Maine cabin, we’d love to have you host a class here.

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