New Catalog Review

Just had my first flip through of the Stampin' Up! 2010 - 2011 Idea Book and Catalog.   I like it.  I like it much, much more than last year's catalog which was disappointing in so many ways.  Some thoughts...

• By now, I'm sure you have heard that Stampin' Up! has reorganized the color families, bringing back several favorite In Colors and adding just a few other new colors.  I'm pleased to have River Rock and Baja Breeze back especially.  I like the new colors, but will know more when I get the real cardstock in my hands.  I'm still disappointed that there is no lavendar or medium purple at all.  Also there is really no true medium blue.  I do think trimming down the number of colors has made sense.
• They are offering some make-up packs of things like watercolor crayons and markers to get the new colors without having to buy complete sets that include colors you already have.  What I don't get is the pricing.  The 17 new watercolor crayons are $40 whereas a set of 10 (one of the color families) is only $16.  This makes no sense.
• Speaking of pricing, cardstock went up quite a lot.  However, as far as I can tell that is the only thing that increased in price.  I think that is remarkable so I won't complain about the cost of paper. 
• Stamp sets are always a matter of preference.  I found a few I wanted, not loads, but some.  There are quite a few of the past and current mini catalog sets in this annual catalog. I'm glad to see one I wnated from the mini available all year.  Gives me a lot more time since I'll be spending money initially on new inks and papers.
• All the new sets are available in wood and unmounted.  I had hoped they would go back and make at least some of the more expensive wood sets available in unmounted to but so far they haven't.
• LOVE all the Level 1 hostess sets!!!  I hated all of them last year so I'm delighted to have so many to choose from when it is my turn to be club hostess.
• The catalog has a lot of organizational and reference changes that add great value.  There are markings around stamps that have a coordinating punch, plus the punches are listed with the set.  There's a table about what adhesives work with what type of media.  You can see what ribbons and accessories come with a color just like you can the inks and paper.
• The tone-on-tone designer paper is now in packs by color family and has a couple of new patterns but far fewer patterns total.  Not sure how I feel about this yet.  Really like the patterns in the hostess Level 1 paper pad which is In Colors this year. 
• If a color comes in ribbon, it comes in all the ribbons.  But this still leaves a ton of colors that have no coordinating ribbon.  For example, in the Regals, only Night of Navy has ribbon.
• Lots of great embellishment options - you can buy pearls and rhinestones separately as well as flowers.  That is nice.  And I love, love those new Antique brads.  Those will be at the top of my list for July order.  The designer buttons have more buttons per pack and coordinate by color family.

I'm pretty pleased and look forward to July when we can order.