April | 2013 | The Maui Stamper

Yes, my friends, it’s true: with the new 2013-2014 catalog, Stampin’ Up! will refresh the four color families! Never fear, there are familiar names here, and Stampin’ Up! will continue to provide outstanding coordination between ink, paper and embellishment.

But you want details, I know!

With one exception, the “new” colors are familiar – they are In Colors from years past. The exception is what promises to be a delicious new shade of grey called Smoky Slate!

I’m personally thrilled with these changes – the colors that are retiring are colors I have seldom used – with the notable exception of Baja Breeze. The In Colors from years past that are becoming permanent include some of my absolute favorites – Pear Pizazz, Soft Sky, and the recent 2011-2013 colors of Calypso Coral, Wisteria Wonder (yay!), Pool Party (double yay!) and Island Indigo.

Some remaining colors have changed color families – see if you can spot them!

Don’t delay in stocking up on your discontinuing favorites! There’s an added bonus – Stampin’ Up! is offering FREE SHIPPING April 6 through 8!! Free shipping on stamps, paper, ink, embellishments, This ‘n That, My Digital Studio orders – there’s free shipping on it all!!

In April, we usually bid farewell to the humpback whales that spend the winter off our islands. I say usually because their arrival and departures are guided by their own internal clocks rather than the calendar.

It’s hard for me to describe the thrill I feel watching whales in our waters. They’re huge – the size of a school bus – and yet they can launch almost their entire bodies out of the water to create a spectacular crashing splash. Naturalists believe that there are a lot of reasons for that behavior, including the simple desire for fun. It’s always a joy when the first sighting is reported, and as the sightings become fewer and farther apart there’s a sense of sad farewell.