Introducing The Keepsake Ornaments Extras Die

Good morning, friends! Today is a day full of projects and we have so much to see! Our first big introduction of this year is a die I am very excited about.

Once I really got going with the Homespun Holiday: Keepsake Ornaments kit last year, I realized that there were still so many design possibilities that were left untapped. The Keepsake Ornaments Extras Die (retails for $45 and comes with a one page Inspiration Guide) will give your original kit expanded versatility and style options to keep your ornaments feeling fresh year after year. This companion die is a great, affordable way to update your ornaments. Not only that, you'll see over the coming days that it pairs beautifully with our new kit too!

As I mentioned yesterday, last year Candice Hunter went above and beyond to showcase the Homespun Holidays: Keepsake Ornaments kit. She's back today to share how she used this additional die to design even more heirloom ornaments to add to her collection. See more of Candice's ornaments HERE!

We're also being joined today by Shara Crane. She has done some incredible things with these dies, friends. Really and truly, you don't want to miss it! See more of Shara's ornaments HERE!

I've also been diving back in to my holiday crafting with this new addition to the lineup. I've created two ornaments in each of last year's Color Stories, so you can really see the full range in action. Let's get to it!

Let's start with these two ornaments using the Frost Color Story.

I knew I wanted to add a simple snowflake design that could be stitched really quickly and had a cool starburst effect. I stitched the design with two threads to keep it delicate (I typically stitch with three) and added sequins and beads for extra detail. It's so simple, but super effective.

Next up, I have an oblong ornament that showcases two different dies; the line design and the petal design. These lines bring your eye toward the petal focal point in a really nice, subtle way. These lines can also be used to highlight the diamond band from the original kit. The petal medallion also fits on all four of the ornament shapes, so it's a super useful element!

Next up, let's move on to the Sugarplum Color Story.

Eagle eyed friends might notice the monogram there on the Onion ornament. That's a new addition to the line up this year too! But more on that in a bit. The scalloped oval frame on that ornament is included in the Keepsake Ornaments Extras Die. There are the opening and layer dies, making it really easy to incorporate a window effect on your ornaments. The scallops and points are both prime opportunities for embellishment!

The Curvy ornament features the radial stitching design. The three elements are separate, so you can use them on any of the ornament shapes. These designs look complicated, but a simple clockwise stitch is all that's required to get this dramatic effect. It reminds me of the vintage ornaments with the mirrored center cavity. Imagine doing this in metallic thread!

Next up, the Classic Yuletide Color Story!

I have another Curvy ornament to share. This one incorporates a scalloped layer that's included in the new die along with a teardrop from the original kit. The scallops on this layer are perfect for embellishment! And I love that it allows you to use a small amount of patterned felt to make a huge impact. The die includes both the scalloped layer shape die and a placement die that cuts the scalloped line easily, making lining up the pieces a snap! 

The Round ornament here features a circle window similar to the oval that I shared on the monogrammed ornament earlier. I'm so happy with this design option! These windows are incredibly versatile and fit beautifully on a variety of projects. This window also highlights a new snowflake design. This snowflake is stitched on with the optional accent "legs." I have an example of it without that detail on one of the Merry & Bright ornaments below. I truly enjoy the convenient points for embellishment!

Next up, I have the Elegance Color Story ornaments for the day!

The Oblong ornament features the large radial oval that I used on the Sugarplum Curvy ornament above. This design is so striking and I'll definitely be using it on more ornaments in the future! I bet it would be cool with alternating colors or even with a monogram over top. Ooh! Now I want to try that!

The Round ornament is another personalized monogram ornament. This time I chose to use the circle window dies rather than the oval option. I used the new Monogram Alphabet Die (retails for $38) and Inline Monogram Alphabet Die (retails for $28) to add the monogram.

The Monogram Alphabet Die cuts both the outline of the letter as well as the holes. The Inline version cuts only the holes. You can use the Monogram Alphabet by itself (especially if you're choosing to stitch over layers or embroidered frames) or you can pair it with the Inline Monogram Alphabet for easy placement with precut holes. You can also use the Inline Monogram Alphabet alone to achieve an embroidered look. So many design options!

And last but not least today, we have the Merry & Bright Color Story!

You can see that new snowflake from earlier here on the Oblong ornament. I paired it with the teardrops from the original kit. You can see the snowflake is a little simpler without the legs, so I punched things up with beads inside each loop of the snowflake. This design fits on all four of the ornament shapes, so it's a great, versatile element.

The Onion ornament showcases a diamond shape that may look familiar. This is the same design you'll find embedded in the center of the Oblong band in the original kit. I decided that I liked that shape so much, I wanted to be able to use it everywhere. So now we can! This image also fits on any of the ornament shapes, making it adaptable to any design.

A final note about the Homespun Holiday: Keepsake Ornaments Kit (last year's kit): The original plan was to keep the Homespun Holiday: Keepsake Ornaments Kit available for a full year from its original release date, but that didn't happen for a number of reasons. As a result, it will be available for a slightly extended limited time (through the end of the year) and will be restocked on Friday (10/1) alongside the new merchandise. It will only be available until December of 2021, so please plan accordingly.

There you have it! Again, all of these new products debut on Friday (10/1) on our website. Thank you for checking in today and I hope you'll join us tomorrow for the grand reveal of this year's kit!