A Petal Passion Thrill Ride

Posted on April 18, 2018 by mauistamper

Last month my Host Club members got to play with the Let the Good Times Roll bundle – that’s the one with the roller coaster pop-out. I was a little concerned that they might be annoyed with me, but they all embraced the challenge and created fabulous cards! We had a “creative opportunity” or two but they were all resolved with good humor.

Stamps: Let the Good Times Roll
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Lemon Lime Twist, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Big Shot, Thrill Ride Thinlits, Petal Passion DSP, Myth and Magic Glimmer Paper, Myth and Magic Specialty Washi tape, Black and white bakers twine, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Balloon Bouquet Punch, Tear ‘n Tape

I pre-cut absolutely everything I could so that they could focus on their assembly. You can watch Brandi from Stampin’ Up! in a video HERE on assembling this card type, but I found you just need to manipulate the paper a few times to get the feeling for it. If you have something special you’re going to use to make this card, cut it out in paper you have in abundance and practice, practice, practice! It’s the folding and scoring that takes time and little muscle memory, but it’s not hard. And the results are fabulous – even Mr. Maui Stamper said he’d like to have a couple of these to send!! That is high praise indeed.

Let the Good Times Roll and Thrill Ride are continuing into the 2018-2019 Annual Catalog, but the bundle is NOT. If you want to save, save now!

Petal Passion DSP is also being discontinued (to my great disappointment.) Yes, I have a stash. No, I probably won’t be sharing it. Yes, I probably will hoard it. Sigh.

Order your bundle and that gorgeous DSP HERE.

Stampin’ Up! 2018 Retirement Lists

Posted on April 9, 2018 by mauistamper

No, Sara Gardner isn’t retiring as CEO – it’s the annual list of products retiring from the Annual Catalog (2017-2018) and the Occasions catalog (2018).

There’s a color revamp – YAY – but that means some colors are retiring. If you have DSP that you love, or a color you cannot live without, you might be wise to stock up. The retiring colors are:

Always Artichoke
Chocolate Chip
Elegant Eggplant
Island Indigo
Marina Mist
Perfect Plum
Pink Pirouette
Rose Red
Soft Sky
Tangerine Tango
Tempting Turquoise
Wild Wasabi
Wisteria Wonder

As has previously been the case, some products which are bundled are continuing, but the bundle pricing is being discontinued. There’s lots to think about here!

ANNUAL CATALOG RETIRING PRODUCTS

OCCASIONS CATALOG RETIRING PRODUCTS

Retiring products are available while supplies last
In Color products tend to sell out rapidly, and retiring core colors may as well
The case for the stamp pads has been re-designed – don’t panic that the stamps pads are retiring
Final deadline is May 31, 2018 but all products are while supplies last

If there’s something you’d like, I strongly suggest you place your order early. Some fabulous stamps from the Occasions stamp set are retiring – the Magical Day suite (mermaid, dragon, knight and wizard) is a prime example. The fastest way is to go to my Online Store – use this Host Code EYZRZKAJ. If you’d like help placing the order, I’m happy to assist. I will have an order going in with Host Club tomorrow (Tuesday) night, so if you want something small and live locally, email your order and I’ll add it to the Club order.

Happy shopping! And keep in mind that all of these retiring products can only mean one thing: more Stampin’ Goodness is on the way!

Meet Bella

Posted on April 8, 2018 by mauistamper

Pookie – Captain Stupidhead – was supposed to be The Last Cat. If I said it once I said it a bajillion times. But somehow when my son was home for a few months last fall he persuaded us to visit the Maui Humane Society. I’m still wondering how it all happened, but the fact is, Bella is here to stay:

It is really, REALLY hard to get a decent photograph of a black cat, especially one that is almost never still. And when she is still, she is plotting something – pouncing on your foot, planning an attack, stealing something off the stamp desk, drowning a catnip mousie in her water bowl. She can be an absolute pain in the…neck.

But she’s also a very social cat, and she likes to hang around even if you’re doing something really boring. Move from one room to the next, and she’ll soon come around the corner. Forget to feed her, or fail to notice that she’s decided she’s hungry, and she’ll be relentless with her complaints and little snagging paws.

Bella is still a kitten, and she does some pretty dopey kitten things. This is a little nook in the kitchen where we stash old newspapers before recycling, and she decided it was a good spot for a nap. She’s asleep in there. Seriously. Look at those legs.

Speaking of legs, she’s also a bit of a kluge, and regularly falls off things. Maybe it’s poor balance, maybe it’s just not knowing where her body is, but there’s a lot of thumping and crashing in the Bella Universe. She sounds (and from the rear, looks) like a bowling ball when she goes down the stairs. (By the way, this is MY chair.)

Her favorite toy is something called Da Bird, a gift from Sara. It requires a willing fool with an opposable thumb to keep it moving. She will play FOREVER with it and is never still long enough to be more than a blur in a photo. However, watching the lizards on the lanai – through the door – is a close second. I’m pretty sure she’s going to give herself an NFL-sized concussion one of these days trying to get through that glass door.

What she really loves is to be in the way. Trying to get something done? She’ll hop up behind you in the chair and weasel around to your lap. Walking from one room to the next? Bella will scoot in front of your feet and get them all tangled up, leaving you shouting and stumbling to keep from falling on your face. Putting on shoes? Forget tying those laces – they’re her personal playthings.

And don’t get me started on Bella and ink. She wants to be in the middle of everything, including ink pads. She would be Bella of the Technicolor Coat if she were anything but a black kitten.

Did you want to sit here?

Things will never be the same.

I think we’ll adjust.

By the way, the Maui Humane Society does WONDERFUL work, including their innovative Wings of Aloha program. Please consider supporting them – we do!

The Unicorn and the Rainbow

Posted on April 3, 2018 by mauistamper

I’m many years distant from our My Little Pony days, but the unicorn from the Magical Day Suite takes me right back! Pairing the unicorn with a rainbow is in keeping with that trip down memory lane, and this card inspired me to create my own version:

Stamps: Magical Day and Sunshine and Rainbows
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Grey, Real Red, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Lemon Lime Twist, Island Indigo, Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Big Shot, Magical Mates dies, Rainbow Builder dies, Myths and Magic glimmer paper, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Eastern Palace Specialty DSP, Aquapainter

This card is an easel card, as was my inspiration. I chose not to put anything on the inside layer to act as a stopper. I’ve done that in the past, but find it isn’t really necessary and adds bulk. If I were coloring that rainbow mane again, I would use Stampin’ Write markers as they’re more precise than the Aquapainter, and some of those spaces are pretty narrow.

Wouldn’t this be a perfect birthday card for a young fairytale dreamer? You could even add a glimmer number above the unicorn to personalize it even more.

April First and Petal Palette

Posted on April 1, 2018 by mauistamper

Happy Easter!

April Fools! (well, not really – I don’t have a fool)

And welcome to the first of April and our mini-DIY-calendar blog tour! I’m starting to feel anxious about the retirement of the 2016-2018 In Colors (Flirty Flaming, Peekaboo Peach, Dapper Denim, Emerald Envy and Sweet Sugarplum). I’ve used them a lot these past two years, and I’ll miss having them in my color palette. I’m making an effort to use them all I can.

Of course, they’ll still be in my stamp room, but I’ll be stingy with them because I won’t be able to get more paper – or ribbon, or ink refills, or embellishments. Take it from me, you don’t want to wait to stock up on these colors. They often sell out before the end of the catalog!

Stamps: Petal Palette
Color Palette: Whisper White, Flirty Flamingo, Lemon Lime Twist, Basic Grey
Accessories: Big Shot, Petals and More Thinlit dies, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Rhinestone Pearls, Aquapainter, Wink of Stella, Sharpie brand permanent marker

Petal Palette comes as a bundle with the Petals and More thinlits, and you save 10% when you purchase as a bundle. Since this is an Occasions catalog suite (oh, the DSP!!) it will be available as a bundle only through the end of May. If Stampin’ Up! does choose to include Petal Palette in the 2018-2019 Annual Catalog, it more than likely will not be available as a bundle. The message here is buy it now!

Those little birdie eye-bubs aren’t googlie eyes. They’re our Rhinestone Pearls with an eyeball drawn on in Sharpie. They’re the perfect size for these little birds!

Crystal and Cheryl have calendar inspiration for you too – head on over to see what they’ve designed for April. Ready to shop? Start HERE.

The waning hours of Sale-a-bration 2018

Posted on March 31, 2018 by mauistamper

Ah, it’s been a great Sale-a-bration. We’ve had pandas, peacocks, lavender, Tutti Frutti card and envelope sets, and my all-time favorite, Springtime Foils Specialty DSP. There’s so much more – but after tonight, it will all head to the archives.

I have loved coloring the Springtime Foils DSP with Stampin’ Blends. It’s a little discouraging to note that they have been taken out of inventory due to supply problems, but Stampin’ Up! assures us they are working as hard as possible to address that concern. In the meantime, if you were lucky enough to get the paper and some blends, try fussy cutting one of the floral images for a stunning focal point.

The shimmer from the paper sets off the shimmer in the ribbon.

This card uses the same technique with the blends, but I also used the Direct-To-Paper method (just like it says – ink pad straight on the paper – you’ll need to blot with a paper towel for best results) on a sheet of dotted foils to get that steely background. It’s a stretch for me to mix copper and steel, but I like the contrast that resulted.

This entire color combination is a change of mindset for me!

I was late to the Lots of Lavender party, but it’s a really sweet set that’s easy to use. I chose Sweet Sugarplum partly because it was the right tone, and partly because it’s a retiring In Color and I want to enjoy it these last few weeks. Don’t miss out on all of the 16-18 In Colors!

If you look closely at that Linen Thread, you’ll note that it doesn’t go across the card. It’s not stuck on with a glue dot, either – that’s not secure enough for me. I punched a 1/8 hole about an inch from the edge of the Whisper White panel and tied the Linen Thread around that edge. It looks suspended, but it’s quite secure.

You can place a Sale-a-bration order until 11:50pm Mountain Time tonight. I recommend you add the 16-18 In colors to your order! Shop HERE

Springtime Foils Narrow Note Cards

Posted on March 17, 2018 by mauistamper

The Springtime Foils DSP available through March 31 as a free Sale-a-bration choice is one of my favorite SAB offerings EVER. Seriously. This paper is absolutely beautiful on its own, and can be dressed up left, sideways and upside down as well. I may or may not have splurged on some extra supplies just to stock up on this paper.

Last month’s Host Club got to play with this paper as a simple background for some charming note cards:

Stamps: Beautiful Bouquet
Color Palette: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Peach Parfait, Lemon Lime Twist, Bermuda Bay, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Narrow Note Cards, Ombre Lemon Lime Twist ribbon, Bermuda Bay shimmer ribbon (SAB 2018), Big Shot, Bouquet Bunch Framelits, Layering Circles Framelits, Tutti Frutti Adhesive Backed Sequins, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Rhinestone gems, retired ribbon

The Beautiful Bouquet bundle has the perfect assortment of flowers, leaves and sentiments to satisfy any card occasion, but it’s the subtle patterns and glimmer in that Springtime Foils DSP that really sets the card apart. You’ve seen plenty of great techniques with these papers, but don’t forget that they have great impact just as they are.

Truth: I thought the Tutti Frutti Adhesive Backed Sequins were kind of a dumb idea and a waste of money. WRONG. WRONG. WRONG. These little sparklers pack a big punch and are super easy to add to any project. I am seriously in love and regret ever doubting their marvelousness.

I chose Crumb Cake for the mat in this suite of cards to tie them together and to allow the bright colors to pop. This is the sort of card I would keep in my desk at work for that moment when you want to dash off a quick note of appreciation and leave it in someone’s bag to discover on the way home

This final design features the sparkly ribbon in the Shimmer Ribbon pack (SAB 2018). It’s sparklier than you can see in the photo, and when we’d finished crafting for the evening it took a while to figure out where all the glimmer on the table had originated. Mr. Maui Stamper is NOT a fan of glitter, so I had to get out a microfiber cloth and apply some elbow grease to make sure all traces were eradicated. It’s a small price to pay to live with that wonderful man.

What’s a cute note card set without a custom box? The last part of the ensemble is a package made with the Lots to Love Framelit dies. I used a Pool Party Stampin’ Blend to add color to the leaves on the Springtime Foil paper, and stamped and punched a pair of Daisies (Daisy Delight stamps and the Daisy punch – and there’s a bundle!) for the embellishment on the top. The center of that embellishment is supposed to be a Clear Faceted Gem, but for the life of me I cannot find them in the chaos of my craft space. I know they’re there. I’ve used some of them, recently even. It drives me crazy when this happens. CRAZY!!

Yesterday Stampin’ Up! announced additional products to the 2018 Sale-a-bration lineup. These products are items from the Annual Catalog that you can choose with you $50 or $100 product order. If you choose one of those Annual Catalog items, be sure to use the unique Sale-a-bration reward code and not the product code in the catalog.

There are some great values, and one in particular is worth noting: the Color Me Happy project kit is valued at $25 and you get it for free with a $50 order! There is a coordinating Color Me Happy stamp set that will get you started with your Sale-a-bration order, or you can use stamps from your existing collection. The cards are delightful, the envelopes are luxurious, and you have to look far and wide find another deal like this. But don’t take my word for it: shop for yourself.

The Maui Stamper

papercrafts, my stories, and the occasional insight

A Petal Passion Thrill Ride

Stampin’ Up! 2018 Retirement Lists

Meet Bella

The Unicorn and the Rainbow

April First and Petal Palette

The waning hours of Sale-a-bration 2018

Springtime Foils Narrow Note Cards

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