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I just became a demo in April and I held off getting any Christmas sets because I didn't want to get any that were going to be retired. So I'm thinking about which one(s) to order, but I'm not loving any of them! What do you all think of the sets? Which ones do you think are the best for demonstrating, and which ones do you think would be the easiest to sell?
I got a TON of Christmas sets from last years catalog. I do have to say that there is NOT ONE in the new catty that I will be buying. It seems they are too "serious" for my taste. I LOVE snowman and NOTHING caught my eye. The whole catalog does nothing for me pretty much. I have looked through it about 20 times, and with cardstock, the new ink colors, some new accessories, and about 4 stamp sets....I have only managed a $300 order. Oh well!!!
I love "Snowflakes", because you can use it for the entire winter season. This set has been popular with my customers I also really like my "Flaky Friends" but those are not new.
None of the New Christmas sets screamed Get Me Now! I do enjoy the "Santa Post" and it would be so cute on envelopes of the Christmas Cards that I give to friends instead of mailing them- but I'm holding out for the Holiday mini, I got two sets from it last year.
I wasn't as impressed with the Christmas sets either. Merry Minstrels was the only one I thought was sorta cute LOL
I also was a bit confused because the "All Boy" cover led me to believe that there would be more "masculine" sets but as I reviewed and reviewed there isn't as much geared towards men/boys but an overall unisex theme/s.
I'm pretty bummed that there werent more scenery sets or mature nature type scenes that could be used for older men cards/scrapbook pages.
Oh well, I'll just make some flowers brown and navy LOL
Hugs ~ Val
__________________ Scrappy Val's SU Scrappin' & Stampin'
Valencia, CA
Mom to Austin, Aidan and Alec- My three Boys
Can someone remind me of the date around which customers receive the holiday mini? When do demos get it? (I usually get a sneak peak from my demo!) Is it sometime in August? I didn't see any Christmas sets in the catty that really bowled me over, either, but I did get one from last year's mini and loved it. I would love to start designing my Christmas cards, but I'm not sure whether to do something out of the box with some of the word sets, etc, or wait on the mini.
__________________ Paper Crafts Go-to-Gal member #1507gallery witticisms... a witty blog
Um, the holiday mini will go out to the demonstrators (their free copy) by August 1. Customers who get one mailed to them by their demo, from Stampin' Up!, should get one around August 15th or so. Customers will be able to purchase from the Holiday Mini from Sept. 1 til Nov. 30.
I have about half my cards done already, so when I get the mini, I'll be looking with an eye towards NEXT year's cards! I do like some of the sets in the catalog, but I have a bunch of Christmas sets, so will be very selective!
__________________ Kathy Wrose "Fun must be always." - Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks "It was fun." - Kirk, Star Trek: Generations
I like a few of the sets. None that I have to have. One or two that I will probably get. I already have 6 Christmas Sets. Of course the only current one is snowflakes, Oh and Flaky Friends too. I will probably get another current one just to keep the mix up for shows and all. I like this years catty a lot better then last years!
__________________ ~Sharon~ I'm a Proud wife of my OIF III & OEF veteran! Mommy of two beautiful girls! Ages 17 years & 2 years! We *heart* adoption! My Crafting BlogOur Family/Adoption Blog
I too wasn't as impressed with the Christmas sets either! I was really looking forward to the holiday set this year. I cannot wait to see what the holiday mini will have!
__________________ ~*~ An-Denise ~*~ {My Gallery} Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely but... to skid in sideways, with a bottle of Tabasco in hand and screaming woohoo! what a ride!
I loved Christmas Carolers! The sample is gorgeous and I'm looking forward to playing with it. I also liked Madonna and Child. Very simple and beautiful.
I am afraid I must some form of geek (no surprise there), but I just love this years Christmas sets!!!!! I was not impressed with last years (main and mini catalog sets). I am thrilled the variety of faith based sets, and I to love that Santa's Post!
I take it back... I do really like a some of the Christmas sets A LOT! Especially Merry Minstrels! I just can't get something that requires coloring, though, when I usually make around 150 cards. I like the idea of the lion and the lamb set a lot, but it's kinda hard to make out the image unless it's colored, KWIM? I would love to see people Christmas card ideas already, though... have there been many in the gallery yet?
__________________ Paper Crafts Go-to-Gal member #1507gallery witticisms... a witty blog
I just ordered the poinsettia wheel and plan to play around with a variation using those..... I'm about 1/3 of the way into my cards right now. My other cards use Paint Prints.
I have so many of the Christmas sets in the new catalog on my wish list...I am mad because I have to CHOOSE! I want them all! I was surprised, for one, that we got so many new ones in the big catalog!
I don't even look at the Christmas sets! I try never to buy any holiday sets, prefering to buy sets that I can use year round. I have a few Christmas sets that I got for nothing, and I did buy Loads of Love (but that has a myriad of other uses!), but I prefer to use non-Christmas sets and make them "look" like Christmas! Last year I used the leaves from In Full Bloom to make a poinsettia, and I've also colored the berry stamp in Botanicals to look like holly berries. I've used Fresh Flowers to stamp a reindeer, and the bare trees and fir tree from Lovely as a Tree make great Christmas cards. I guess I just want all my sets to be versatile.
__________________ "Life is much too important to be taken seriously." Oscar Wilde Proud to be a member of Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge DT! My BlogMy Gallery
I think Madonna and Child is beautiful but it is very much like Miracle of Christmas which I have so I probably won't buy it. I have a lot of Christmas or could be Christmas sets so I probably won't buy any this year but who knows I'm flighty.
I liked the Christmas sets this year much better than last year, but I told myself I wasn't going to buy any this year. I'm planning to use stamps from my year round sets like Stipple Celebrations, Shapes and Shadows, etc for my cards this year. I really like Peace and Love, 'Tis the Season, and the Merry Minis. I also really like Peace Be unto You, but I would only buy it this year if it ends up on the retirement list.
Happiest of Holidays isn't brand-new, but I like it and the accompanying wheels a lot. Depending on which of the block stamps you choose, you could get a lot of different looks from it.
My favorite of the religious sets is Madonna and Child.
THe only set that I am really interested in is Ornament Elements.... I am holding off on ordering any holiday sets until the new mini comes out since last year I had to have almost everything in the catalog!
I too was very disappointed I only really like 4 sets in the whole catty and 2 are from last years catty that I never got a chance to order. I guess my dh will be happy, I'll spend less this year. I must say I do love the layout of the catty and all the new colour and accessories. Hopefully the holiday mini will have a few Christmas set I love.
I love the new selection and I wish I didn't becasue I have enough holiday stamps! But I will get more because as I tell DH, I can still use them in my scrapbook! ;) So, I am hoping that I don't fall in love with anything in the mini because I'm already getting these sets:
Santa Post, Christmas Carolers, and Cruisin Christmas
still considering getting Merry, Sleigh Full of Toys, and Peace & Love
I think whether you like the new Christmas sets or not really depends on your style. Last year I found most of the new offerings too "cutesy" for me, but this year there are at least six that I like, including "Santa Post" and "Christmas Carolers." A friend of mine, on the other hand, doesn't like any of them.
What disappointed me most was the lack of offerings for certain other holidays, like Thanksgiving. There is only one set that has an image suitable for that holiday, "Always on My Mind." I like it, but was bummed it was the only one in there. Hopefully there will be something in the mini catalogs that will help ease the disappointment!
Heather
__________________
When you follow the sheep, you end up in sheep dip.
I'm not a demo so I don't know how you work out a good stamp set to demonstrate for customers, but as a customer, I love the Poinsettia wheel (I'd decorate wrapping paper with that).
I like Peace & Love, and Happiest of Holidays - that's all.
Personally I'm just going to use half a dozen Christmas/winter stamps from Year-Round Fun II to do my Christmas cards. And for my Hannukah cards, I'll use the Star of David from my Mazel Tov set.
I was not impressed with the Christmas sets at all---Guess I will wait for the Holiday mini to see whats in there. I was not very impressed with the big catalog at all this year. Outside the new colors of cardstock, inks, and some accessories I only found about 5 sets that I will be purchasing.
The new holiday sets did not impress me either.... hoping that the holiday mini has more to offer. All of my old holiday sets I have used and I like to have a different look for my cards each year. So....I will be waiting for August and more choices!
The new set I like the most is Cruisin' Christmas, and the jumbo wheels. I still really like Snowflakes. But like others said there are other stamp sets that i have that I could use for christmas. Pines is one i used for some cards last year.
I love Peace & Love and it's on my first order list (for catalog kick-off next week), and I think Cruisin' Christmas and some of the other new ones are great, but I will probably be buying out of the holiday mini as well. I loved Spruced Up and the Stars & Swirls (whatever the name is) wheel last year, but Gift of Love has been my very favorite Christmas set from SU!.
I just became a demo in April and I held off getting any Christmas sets because I didn't want to get any that were going to be retired. So I'm thinking about which one(s) to order, but I'm not loving any of them! What do you all think of the sets? Which ones do you think are the best for demonstrating, and which ones do you think would be the easiest to sell?
Sarah
What do I think of the sets -- Well I love a lot of them --- mostly I can see the versatility of a few of them, I used to be a demo and actually thinking of re-signing up becuase my list from the new catty is over $500, LOL. Page 49 the set up top with the matching wheel is a good set to get with the matching wheels becuase of the crossover selling market -- the three stamps I would like to show as many variations -- stamp in red, in green, emboss in silver, in gold, etc. Use the wheel on pages and on cards and on gift bags and wrapping paper. Make tags.
Speaking of tags, the other page, 48 the Holiday Tag team I think is a great set to get -- so much versatilty here. Can stamp our metal edge tags, our tag sheets, bags, etc.
Best of all, making sure you have samples using one set and all the things/colors you can stamp on/in makes them want to get it so they don't see it as just buying for cards.
The older set Snowflakes and the snowflakes wheel is nice and very versatile also, great with white and night of navy -- and also embossed winter white on night of navy, my favorite combo when it comes to snowflakes/men!
Oh, and the Merry Minis is a good set to get for splitting up for prizes also -- there are 28 of them for 29.95 so for that use, and also to market to people giving gifts some of those with a stampin spot or marker for stocking stuffers or small gifts for kids.
I have family that makes candy and bakes for the holidays so I think of the marketing there also -- the wheel with the peppermints, the Sweet Holidays set, etc. for candy boxes, etc.
The whole catalog does nothing for me pretty much. I have looked through it about 20 times, and with cardstock, the new ink colors, some new accessories, and about 4 stamp sets....I have only managed a $300 order. Oh well!!!
I am so glad I'm not the only one! I was afraid to say anything here on SCS about it, but the catty did not measure up to my expectations. There's really no stamp set I just HAVE to have, kwim? There are a couple I like and will probably purchase over the year, but none I have to have RIGHT NOW. My first order will consist of color supplies and Itty Bitty Backgrounds (how I don't have that yet, I don't know . I'm hanging my hopes on the minis.
__________________ Jennifer, SU Demonstrator
"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment" -Ben Franklin
There's really no stamp set I just HAVE to have, kwim? There are a couple I like and will probably purchase over the year, but none I have to have RIGHT NOW. My first order will consist of color supplies and Itty Bitty Backgrounds (how I don't have that yet, I don't know . I'm hanging my hopes on the minis.
I have the same thought. But I have several new sets I'm on the fence about - I'll be watching the gallery to see if I can be convinced . In the meantime, I need to add old and new colors (only have about 15 and I think half changed/ retired). That should help my demo... And I ordered Itty Bitty Backgrounds & Canvas since both are so practical.
Not thrilled with the Christmas sets
