Making my own Bokeh

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The bokeh technique has been a very hot look for quite a while, and I wanted to try to create it on my own. Stampin’ Up! does have a stamp that creates this technique, but it’s not quite a full card size and I’m stubborn about things like that.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Dandelion Wishes Bokeh Technique

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Dandelion Wishes Bokeh Technique

I punched a number of circles from scrap card stock and put some SNAIL on the back of them. (You could cut them with framelits, but punches are faster. I recommend card stock over sticky notes because you’re going to accumulate ink on them, and the sticky notes get saturated.) Then I tapped the SNAIL with my fingers so it wouldn’t stick fast, but would be tacky and hold in place. Then it was sponge, sponge, move the circles, repeat!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Dandelion Wishes Bokeh Technique

You can do this with multiple colors, but I chose to stay monochromatic. I embossed the image and sentiment with Black Embossing Powder to make it pop a little. (When was the last time you re-inked your Versamark Ink Pad? Seriously…it makes a HUGE difference!)  Since I chose to make this into a sympathy card, I kept it very, very plain. (Maybe too plain. I’m still debating.)

Want to play with your own version? Shop HERE.

 

A CASE of a VASE with a lot of variations

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I am certain I CASEd this card just about verbatim, but I can’t find the source. If this is your card, A) Please let me know and I’ll give you credit, and B) I hope you’re flattered, because I really love this design! I’ve searched high and low through my files and on Google, and if Google can’t find it, well, I give up.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Varied Vases Mango Medley

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Varied Vases Mango Medley

 

The original version used the Birthday Wishes sentiment from Varied Vases, but as I started to recreate this card, I got tired of masking off the sentiment to place it on either side of the vases.  You could still stamp Happy Birthday on the inside – Thankful for You is a great birthday sentiment!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Varied Vases Melon Mambo

I started playing with color combinations and got a teeny tiny bit carried away – this is Lovely Lipstick.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Varied Vases Grapefruit Grove

I did this version in Flirty Flamingo, which I really love paired with Basic Gray.

As a completely irrelevant but fascinating aside, apparently Granny Apple Green gets translated to Little Green Frog in the European market. SERIOUSLY. I would MUCH prefer to have Little Green Frog in my color palette!  Granny Apple Green is a mouthful (sorry for the terrible pun) but even worse, I find myself abbreviating it GAG.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Varied Vases Highland Heather

This version is done in Highland Heather, and I think would work well for an expression of sympathy.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Varied Vases Poppy Parade

Last but not least, I created a version in Poppy Parade. I am thrilled to have Poppy Parade back in our color palette and I think it’s a stunner with GAG.

Which one was your favorite combination? I’m asking for a friend <wink>

Ready to add Varied Vases, the Vases Builder punch, or the bundle to your crafting options? Shop HERE.

A very cheerful Painted Harvest

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Painted Harvest is so versatile – it can be subtle and monochromatic, or it can be Put-On-Your-Sunnies-Bright! For this version, I CASEd (Copy And Share with Everyone) myself:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Painted Harvest

There were leftover “parts” from THIS card. (What do you do with “parts”?)

  • Stamps: Painted Harvest, Picture Perfect Birthday
  • Color Palette: Whisper White, Peekaboo Peach (retired In Color), Rich Razzleberry, Lemon Lime Twist, Call Me Clover
  • Accessories: Naturally Eclectic DSP (retired)

If you no longer have the Naturally Eclectic DSP, this look is easy to achieve with an Aqua Painter and Ink Refills. You can customize it to any color palette you like, or you can copy this one.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Painted Harvest

A lot of people work really hard to align those sunflower Two-Step Stampin’ images so they’re Just Right, but I didn’t. I just kind of slapped ’em in there, because I was really focusing on finishing this group of cards and getting those “parts” off my desk. I think it turned out okay.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Painted Harvest

This is a perfect birthday card for that friend who brightens up your life just by being who she is. She’s authentic and positive and just a little bit whack-a-doodle. You know the one.

Need supplies? Shop HERE.

A little Brusho experiment

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WEEKS ago, Crystal and I got out some watercolor paper and the Brusho and experimented. We were both a little unsure and apprehensive, and you’ll see we started pretty small. We stamped a bunch of small flower branches from Petal Palette (still one of the best stamp sets in the entire catalog) and started playing with the concept of watercolor. I’ve had the results sitting on my desk ever since, waiting to become something greater.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Petal Palette with Brusho

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Petal Palette with Brusho

I know I’ve mentioned the Subtle Dynamic TIEF before, but friends, YOU NEED THIS.

We used Ink Refills to watercolor the images, and then used Brusho to create a background. We were really experimenting more with the concept of a watercolored background than with Brusho as a product, but it ended up working extremely well and we were pleased with the control we achieved.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Petal Palette with Brusho

Adding the doily and the leaf embellishments takes this card up a notch while still making it absolutely mailable. I love ribbon, but I’m frustrated when any embellishment makes a card hard to mail. I don’t hand deliver many cards and they really need to go in an envelope and go out in the world!

Don’t miss that Marbled background stamp. It’s another sleeper. Shop HERE.

Soft Sea Foam – don’t let the name throw you

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Soft Sea Foam isn’t really an ocean color to me. I guess I should say I don’t generally see it in “my” ocean. I see Pool Party and Coastal Cabana and Island Indigo (sob) and way out there towards the horizon, I see a color that is somewhere between Pacific Point and Blueberry Bushel and maybe the long-retired Midnight Muse. But none of that is really relevant to this card – it’s about the “Soft” in Soft Sea Foam:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Color Your Season August 2018 ONLY

  • Stamps: Blended Seasons (retired, sorry!)
  • Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Black, Soft Sea Foam, Daffodil Delight
  • Accessories: Stamparatus, Big Shot, Stitched Seasons Framelits (retired), Wink of Stella, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Stampin’ Blends, Paper Snips

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Color Your Season August 2018 ONLY

 

The shimmer from the Wink of Stella is subtle in the photograph, but much more obvious in person. It’s the little things – like a Wink – that make a card special.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Color Your Season August 2018 ONLY

The Stamparatus makes this card really simple to assemble. I stamped the floral image 3 times – once on the background of Soft Sea Foam, once on the Whisper White front panel, and one more time on Whisper White to fussy cut with my Paper Snips. I didn’t cut everything, just the flowers, and I think it helps the image to stand out.

Hope you’re having a fabulous day – enjoy this little bit of inspiration. Shop HERE.

Happy Birthday, Little Elephant

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This Little Elephant was at the top of my shopping list for the 2018-2019 catalog. (I know, I know, I’ve already told you that. But TRUTH.)

Stampin’ Up! has cataloged this stamp under babies and kids, but I know a lot of adults who think it’s pretty dang cute and would be happy to see it in their mailbox on their birthday.

So I made a bunch of them.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Little Elephant Highland Heather

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Little Elephant Highland Heather

I hand cut the balloons. Little Elephant is available as a bundle with a punch, but it doesn’t include the balloons. Had to be done. Love my Paper Snips!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Little Elephant Bermuda Bay

You didn’t think I would make them exactly alike, did you? Of course not. I had a lot of fun playing with color – this is Bermuda Bay, Gorgeous Grape, and So Saffron.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Little Elephant Bermuda Bay

Please don’t ask me about that little black rhinestone for the eye. It’s retired, I have no idea how long ago, and I’m pretty sure it was on the Clearance Rack. It’s not there now, but when it was, I bought an “adequate” supply. (Don’t ask, don’t tell.)

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Little Elephant Granny Apple Green

The Pearlized Doilies are really easy to color with Sponge Daubers, and you get great coverage. Sponge Daubers are much firmer than Stampin’ Sponges and add a more dense layer of ink.  I only colored around the edge, because that’s what shows (sort of like just ironing the front of your shirt if you’re gonna wear a jacket anyway.)

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Little Elephant Granny Apple Green

The Subtle Dynamic TIEF is working really hard for me these days – do you need one? Shop HERE.