The Eastern Palace Suite

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I’ve had this early-release product for some time, but if I’m absolutely honest, it kind of intimidated me. The stamps coordinate perfectly with the framelits, and there are a million and one ways to use the framelits – and that was what had me holding my breath. Fortunately, I’ve survived that crisis and am happy to share the results with you today:

Maui Stamper Eastern Beauty Premier Bundle

  • Stamps:  Eastern Beauty
  • Color Palette:  Very Vanilla, Pool Party, Tranquil Tide
  • Accessories:  Big Shot, Softly Falling TIEF, Eatern Medallions Thinlits, Precision Base Plate, Copper Thread, Eastern Palace Specialty DSP, 1 1/4″ circle punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I kept this card intentionally simple, partly because it was for a swap, and partly to keep myself from freaking out.  I wasn’t sure if the color combination would work, but I LOVE IT!  I lean towards monochromatic color combinations and this made me very happy.

Maui Stamper Eastern Beauty Premier Bundle

I used two separate thinlits on the Very Vanilla piece, and was thrilled to discover that they lined up perfectly together so that I could get this look with just one pass of the Big Shot. (Remember: this was for a swap so I needed a bunch!)

The Very Best Part about this card is something you wouldn’t know if I didn’t tell you (GUESS WHAT? I’M GONNA TELL YOU!!)  If you purchase the Premier Bundle, not only do you get the stamps and thinlits and DSP and embellishments and ink and paper (new In Colors too!), but you get our brand new, not-yet-released-but-in-the-new-catalog THICK VERY VANILLA CARD STOCK!!!!

I know.  I’m sorry.  I keep shouting.  But as you can tell, I’m just a teeny tiny bit excited.

There are two bundles featuring the Eastern Palace Suite.  Both include free gifts!! One is a Basic Bundle, and the other is the Premier Bundle. Either one will keep you happily crafting for days, but you’ll get that Very Vanilla card stock as a free gift in the Premier Bundle. And I promise it will make you very, very happy.

Shop HERE.

Maui Stamper Eastern Palace Bundle with free gift

 

A late Mother’s Day post: edited

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I knew I had CASED this card but didn’t realize how closely my card resembled the original. I want to give credit to Charlett Mallett for the design and color scheme for this card!

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A belated Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers, moms, grandmas, nanas, aunties, and any woman who has nurtured a child (teachers, this means all of you!). Loving and guiding a child through life’s ups and downs is one of the most challenging and fulfilling experiences of my life.

Maui Stamper Oh So Succulent

I’m very proud of my three children, as well as the many young people I’ve loved through family, school, scouting, church, neighborhoods and even Facebook. I absolutely believe the adage that it takes a village to raise a child, and in today’s world of increased mobility, the village has become global in nature as well. I turned to circular images for this card to reflect the continuous nature of mothering.

Maui Stamper Oh So Succulent

Maui Stamper Oh So Succulent

There’s a 1 1/4″ Very Vanilla circle punch behind the Swirly Scribble die cut, as the center of the doily is very lacy and I found it distracting.

Many of these products are retiring, and stamps are guaranteed availability only through May 22.  After that date, they’ll be sold on a while supplies last basis. Don’t miss your favorites!  Shop HERE.

 

 

Spring flowers, mainland style

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I love tropical flowers – a lot! – but in the spring, I miss the spring flowers I grew up with.  You know the ones: daffodils, tulips, iris, paper whites…you might be able to grow them in some parts of the island where it gets cold at night, but the heat of the day forces them open way too fast. The markets often have bouquets in the spring, but I suspect they’re flown in, and by the time I get them home they’re already looking like they need a couple of hours in the fridge.

Fortunately, I can enjoy paper flowers all year round without having to pick up the wilted petals:

Maui Stamper Basket Bunch Daffodil

Maui Stamper Basket Bunch Daffodil

The flowers were fun to color – I used Stampin’ Write markers this time – and I was quite pleased to actually capture some of the Wink in this photo!

Maui Stamper Basket Bunch Daffodil

Basket Bunch, Gorgeous Grunge and the Festive TIEF are all retiring – shop HERE to get yours before they’re gone!

On the Gonna Miss List: Gorgeous Grunge

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I remember the catalog when Gorgeous Grunge was released. I was at the Stampin’ Up! convention in Salt Lake City and if I’m not mistaken, the talented Pam Morgan introduced this stamp set and told us how much we were going to use it. At first glance, I wasn’t sure, but by the end of her presentation I was convinced.

Maui Stamper Gorgeous Grunge and Number of Years

  • Stamps:  Gorgeous Grunge, Number of Years
  • Color Palette:  Wild Wasabi, Sweet Sugarplum, Whisper White, Crushed Curry
  • Accessories:  Stampin’ Write Markers, Thick White Bakers Twine, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Brights DSP pack (sold out)

I can’t begin to list the cards I’ve made using one of the images from Gorgeous Grunge. It adds a little bit of texture, fills a gap in a design, or creates a background as I’ve done here.

Maui Stamper Gorgeous Grunge and Number of Years

This particular stamp is very forgiving with regard to placement – really, they all are – and that makes it easy to create texture or a design element without beating your head against the desk. (Not that I do that often, but it’s possible.)

Maui Stamper Gorgeous Grunge and Number of Years

Gorgeous Grunge is available until May 31, 2017, or while supplies last. It’s going to stay in my stamp collection for sure.  Get yours HERE.

Dragonfly Dreams and new Maui Stampers

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It’s been a busy time for the Maui Stampers team, and I put another welcome card in the mail:

Maui Stamper Welcome to the team Dragonfly Dreams

  • Stamps:  Dragonfly Dreams
  • Color Palette:  Whisper White, Mint Macaron, So Saffron, Bermuda Bay
  • Accessories:  Big Shot, Detailed Dragonfly thinlits, Layering Circles framelits, Inside the Lines DSP (Sale-a-bration 2017), Vellum, Wink of Stella clear, Aquapainter

Maui Stamper Welcome to the team Dragonfly Dreams

I LOVE VELLUM WINGS!! And I almost always give them a Wink of Stella.  It’s irresistable.

(BTW, that DSP circle behind the band? It’s retired paper.  I think it’s from Holiday 2016.)

Maui Stamper Welcome to the team Dragonfly Dreams

There’s a peak of washi inside, too!

Grab the bundle and save 10% – shop HERE.

Botanical Blooms is retiring and there’s nothing I can do about it

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Every year when the retiring products list is published, I hold my breath and scan it for favorites.  This year, there was a BIG sigh when I saw Botanical Blooms right there in black and white.  It’s a go-to floral set for me, and has an unmistakeable tropical vibe. This is one retiring set that will go into my personal archive.

Maui Stamper Botanical Blooms

I created this extended card when I learned that a dear friend was going to be a mom for the first time.  When I created the card, the baby’s gender hadn’t been revealed, so I mixed up the colors to be gender neutral.

Maui Stamper Botanical Blooms

This image makes the card look waaaaay longer than it is – it will fit in a standard medium envelope.  Note that all the stamping is on the inside white panel – the actual embellishments are simply die cut, not stamped.

Maui Stamper Botanical Blooms

I’ve created a lot of cards using this basic technique.  I cut a large stack of assorted shapes and start layering and placing them on my card. There’s a lot of texture with the shapes and layers, but the card itself is still flat enough to mail.

  • Stamps:  Botanical Blooms 
  • Color Palette:  Crumb Cake, Shimmer White, So Saffron, Blushing Bride, Marina Mist
  • Accessories:  Big Shot, Botanical Builder Framelits, Falling in Love DSP (retired and sold out), Pearl jewels, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Glue dots

There’s still time to add either the stamps, the framelits, or both to your craft room!  Shop HERE.

 

 

An elephant never forgets

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The whimsical images from the 2016-2017 Host set Love You Lots have just the right size and energy for my little calendar pages. I prefer a clean and simple design for the months, and this little Ellie and her Mousie friend need nothing more than a little color.

Maui Stamper DIY Easel Calendar Love You Lots

  • Stamps: Love You Lots (Host)
  • Color Palette:  Whisper White, Smoky Slate, Blushing Bride and Melon Mambo
  • Accessories:  Aquapainter

Maui Stamper DIY Easel Calendar Love You Lots

There’s more DIY Calendar Goodness to be found today! Visit Crystal and Cheryl to see their May inspiration.