My New 2018 Holiday Catalogue Favourites…and some things you might have missed!  

There are piles of cool and fun things from the Holiday Catalogue Stampin’ Up! just released. Have you had a chance to study(!) it by now?  And have been drooling over all the new stamp sets, bundles and everything else? 

Every year I  seem to miss out on tons of cool things so I’ve spent a whack of time poring over this one and I think I’ve almost memorized it😜!   And I want to make sure you don’t miss out on one ounce of fun stuff either so today I’m going to share what I noticed.  So grab your catalogue and a cup of tea and here we go!

• On the front inside page is the amazing Christmas Tradition Punch Box. In your haste to get to the “good stuff”, you might have missed it.  But take a peek at the wonderful card designs on page 3 and I think you’ll agree how versatile this punch and matching stamp set are.  Look! You get a perfectly sized acrylic block plus two Stampin’ Spots, Call Me Clover and Real Red.  Just add cardstock and adhesive and you’ve got your tags  D-O-N-E like Christmas dinner.

 

• If you take a closer peek at the beautiful green embossed card on page 4, you’ll notice two things.  The oh-so-awesome Swirls & Curls embossing folder on the bottom of page 5.  And the fabulous vellum “doily” framing the sentiment.  No, we don’t have any vellum doilies.  But we do have a detailed thinlit from the Detailed Baubles on page 10 to cut whatever paper you want to make this beautiful frame.  (Pssst.  Check those doilies out again on the Dashing Deer banner on page 8.

 

• If you’re a ribbon fan like me, you could miss the beautiful Mixed Satin Real Red 3/8” ribbon on page 6.  I did at first so it didn’t make it onto my first pre-order.  (But it did on the second one! 😋) With its different textures, it’s almost like getting two ribbons in one – a smooth and a grosgrain.  The sample on the bottom of page 15 gives you a close-up peek.

 

• It’s easy to miss the Corrugated Dynamic Textured Embossing folder on the bottom of page 13.  Seriously I skipped over it a few times before I found out how they made the fab designs on page 12.  Remember when we cranked EVERYthing through the corrugator years ago?  Now your Big Shot will give you an even deeper impression than that.  How cute would that be to make sleeves for your coffee cups?

 

• Already own the Stained Glass Thinlits dies from the Annual catalogue?  Look how fabulously the Illuminated Christmas set on page 14 and 15 coordinates with them.  Add your Stampin’ Blends just like this pretty card and it’ll seem like the sun’s streaming through your window.

 

• Turn to page 16 and look at the first box at the top of the page. Notice how they added the strips of silver “tape” like curling ribbon? They’re thinlits so you can make your own in whatever colour you want! How COOL is that?  And that super pretty bow?  The smaller bow and tails are stamped and embossed on silver foil and cut out a couple times.  So GORGEOUS!

 

• Crazy for candy canes?  Don’t miss the stamps and matching punch on page 20.  (I had wondered where the holly stamp and little snowflakes on both the little Santa sacks on page 18 came from.  They’re both in this set!)  

 

• Have you ever thought of using the Memories and More Card Packs to make your seasonal cards? For only $13.50 you get 50 panels with stickers to make your Christmas cards lickety-split. Grab the Santa’s Workshop Memories & More cards and envelopes and some adhesive and you’ve got this year’s cards made in the shade!  (Or, even better?  Put in code 150095 and get everything on page 21 and CASE like crazy!)

 

• Wondering where the glitzy wash tape is?  I just about missed the copper, silver and gold rolls In the Suite Season package on page 24.  

 

• The Nothing Sweeter set on page 25 is super cute for the holidays but many of the stamps can be used year round; omit the Christmas greetings stamp and the garland from the tree and the rest of the set will work for just about anytime.

 

• And did you see the Sweetly Stitched Framelits?  Little x’s for the heart, needle-like dashes for the tree and regular stitches for the pretty present.  And make stitched chevrons and scallops just like they did on the tiny presents or tree cards. How gosh-darned cute are they?  

 

• Debating the Sprig Punch? It’s actually bigger than you think.  Look closely at the Noel box half way down page 28 to see how it adds polish and punch to the greeting.  Or punch a bunch of green and glimmer-y sprigs and make your own mini wreaths for cute decorations like they did on the glass candle holder. Your grandkids will be occupied for hours with some liquid glue and your punch!

 

• Not a big Christmas fan but want a new suite from this catalogue?  The Frosted Florals suite on page 37 is made for YOU!  With its beautiful shimmery designer series papers and ribbon, it will easily get you through the late summer, fall, winter and even into spring!  Grounded with Grey Granite and Tranquil Tide, several of the patterns can even work for masculine designs.

 

• Don’t miss the super duo Frosted and Clear Epoxy Shapes near the spine at the bottom of that page. Perfect for water droplets on flowers and leaves or just to fancy up your design, there are 96 pieces for all your holiday projects.  See how they coloured them with the Stampin’ Blends on the top middle fower card on page 36.

 

• Mad for plaid?  This catalogue is chock full of the stuff!  Plaid papers on page 13, background Buffalo Check stamp on page 38 and think how great the different lines in the Bring on the Presents stamp set on page 16 would look by stamping first one way, then the other with a different (or the same colour).  It will be so easy to get “plaided” up this year.

 

• Are you like a magpie with all things glimmery?  Love creating backgrounds like watercolour and Brusho? Then the four new colours of Shimmer Paint on page 38 are right up your alley. Add subtle shine to just about anything, including the sweet muslin Santa bags on page 19.  Or add ink refills to coordinate with all the Stampin’ Up! colours.

 

• Trying to save time and get more from a sheet of cardstock?  Cut out 17 absolutely gorgeous snowflakes at once with a standard card panel 4” x 5 1/4” and the Blizzard Thinlits die.  Add the snowflakes to cards, tags and pretty parcels like you see on page 39 (and everywhere else in the catalogue).  Then use the cutout panel for a card front overlay.  No fuss, no muss, no waste! 

 

• Please do NOT miss the super versatile Making Every Day Bright set on page 47. Pair it with the Christmas Bulb Builder punch and you’re set for almost every holiday.  Easter, Christmas, Hallowe’en, Valentines, St. Paddy’s.  Look how adorable that penguin card is.  Change out the greeting and wouldn’t that be ideal to welcome a new baby?

 

• Do you bake up sweet treats for holiday gift giving?  Pile on the pizza boxes and the new super cute Baker’s Boxes on page 49.  With a clear window built right in, your treats won’t last an hour!  And sneak a peek at how sweet they are when they’re coloured and spritzed up for trick or treaters on page 48.

 

• Also on page 48, look how clever the spooky spider web “doily” is on the Baker’s Box.  They just pieced together 8 of the corner webs.   How darling is that?

 

• And check out how they used that same web thinlit on page 51 for the trick or treat tag.  Cut it out, lay it on your Whisper White, spritz some Gorgeous Grape over top and you’ve got a cool resist web design.

 

• On pages 50 and 51, where you will also find my Candy Countdown mini Takeout box Thinlits dies, the Takeout Treats set will work all the year through not just for Hallowe’en.  The dies include a banner, a tag, the box only takes a half sheet of cardstock and it’s the perfect size for any kind of treat.

 

• OK, can we just talk about paper for a minute?  There are so many new and fabulous papers in this catalogue, I’m having a hard time deciding which is my favourite.  Seven different gorgeous designer ones – some with beautiful copper and shimmery details – each with its own cardstock pack. Poppy Parade and Garden Green 12x12 (pg. 19) cardstock, galvanized metallic (pg. 43) and shiny black foil (pg. 49)  Lots can be used throughout the year and will come in handy for making manly cards.

 

Isn’t it amazing how much we might have missed in this gorgeous new catalogue?  And I’m sure there’s still lots for me to still discover too! 

Keep flipping through this awesome catalogue and be sure to let me know if you have any questions about all the goodies you see. 

And make sure you keep checking back here for more great ideas.  Like on Sunday for a quick video for a super simple Christmas card.  Then next week I’ve got another sweet Candy Corn Countdown project, guaranteed to get you ready for the ghosts and goblins – all using my new 2018 holiday catalogue favourites!