Colour Inkspiration #35: Petal Palette in Gray

Posted on June 22, 2018 by mauistamper

I love monochromatic design, and lately it seems like the card-o-sphere does too. Colour Inkspiration challenge #35 is all about neutrals – anything from the Stampin’ Up! Neutral Colour family – and I chose gray:

Stamps: Petal Palette, Marbled, Flourishing Phrases
Colour Palette: Neutrals: Basic Gray, Smoky Slate, Whisper White, Basic Black
Accessories: Smoky Slate Stampin’ Blends, Big Shot, Subtle Dynamic TIEF, Layering Oval Framelits, Petals and More Thinlits, Vellum, Black Stazon Ink, Black rhinestones (retired), Silver Metallic Edge Ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals

In order to keep it tone-on-tone, the roses had to be gray. I used Stampin’ Blends to create some depth without losing the definition of the image. Blends are really forgiving, and despite my reservations, my gray roses worked.

I can’t say enough about the Marbled Background Stamp. I liked what I saw in the catalog, but I wasn’t sure how much I would use it. Well, buckle your seatbelts, crafty friends, you are going to see a lot of this! This design is exactly what I want in a background – it doesn’t distract but rather enhances anything you layer over it.

Colour Inkspiration is a closed group on Facebook, but if they let me in, they just might let you in too! The challenges are posted every other week, the quality of the submissions is high, and the camaraderie is excellent.

Do you need any of these products? I’m certainly glad I have them – you can shop HERE to add them to your crafty stash.

Varied Vases in Mint and Heather

Posted on June 10, 2018 by mauistamper

I’ve already made dozens of cards with Varied Vases, but this is one of my favorites:

Stamps: Varied Vases
Color palette: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Mint Macaron, Highland Heather
Accesories: Big Shot, Stitched Shapes Framelits, Basketweave Dynamic TIEF, Vases Builder Punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Watercolor Pencils, Basic Gray ribbon from SAB (retired).

I used a sticky note to create a mask for the stems. It was a bit of fussy cutting, but I couldn’t NOT do it. The beautiful stems in this versatile set lend themselves to tropical arrangement, and I’ve had so much fun arranging these flowers.

Fussy cutting isn’t my favorite thing, but when it’s worth it, it’s worth it. The only difference in this second stepped-up version is the fussy cut stems, but I love the added dimension. Sharp eyes will spot tiny dots of Daffodil Delight in the blossoms.

One more version, this time with the current Silver Metallic Edge ribbon. I also used a Blender Pen to hand color the stems so that I could vary the tones. You’ll want to do the coloring before you cut this one out, as the cuttings is VERY fussy.

Inspired? Find everything you need HERE. When you place your order, be sure to enter Host Code 32K6EETG for a special new catalog gift. Hint: it’s all about color!

Waterfront Four Ways

Posted on June 6, 2018 by mauistamper

Waterfront is a fabulous stamp set to use for tropical cards, but I recently started playing with the individual stamps and had a lot of fun thinking just a bit outside the box. With my favorite palette of blues and greens, I experimented with a very clean and simple concept and loved the results:

Stamps: Waterfront, Happy Birthday Gorgeous
Color Palette: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Lemon Lime Twist, Granny Apple Green
Accessories: Note Cards, Paper Snips, Stampin’ Dimensionals, thick Bakers Twine (retired), stapler

This is a super simple card, and the color combinations – and sentiments – are limitless. It would be possible to make this card without blue or green, but it would be a tragic loss. <wink>

Version two: Just palm trees. Nothing else! I thought about a LOT of different things to add, and maybe another time I’ll do a whole series (sun, surf, splatters…) but for now, it’s just about the palm trees. And the Linen Thread, of course. You MUST have Linen Thread. (Colors are Granny Apple Green and Soft Suede, in case you’re wondering.)

Next up: dots! You don’t get a whole lot easier than this! I subbed Balmy Blue in for the Coastal Cabana and used a little Ombre Lemon Lime Twist ribbon – it ties so beautifully and has such a soft hand.

This last card is inspired by the beach huts at St. Kilda near Melbourne, Australia. We were there about 5 years ago, and their whimsical, colorful rows along the beach are just delightful.

My son took this great shot, and it was the image I had in mind when I approached this card.

The Whisper White Note Cards are perfect for quick messages and can be mailed with standard First Class postage in the US. They lend themselves to creating sets, as well, and would make a great little gift.

Need supplies? Shop HERE.

June: Love What You Do

Posted on June 1, 2018 by mauistamper

How can it be June already? Crystal got it right: May is like December, but without the presents. And, I might add, without the cookies. The good news is that when the month changes, so does the calendar page:

Stamps: Love What You Do
Color Palette: Whisper White, Poppy Parade, and Lemon Lime Twist
Accessories: Blender Pen, Stampin’ Write marker

I am THRILLED that Poppy Parade has made a return to the Core Colors. It’s always been one of my favorite red tones – that vibrant, orange red that says LOOK AT MEEEE!

There’s a big, gorgeous new 2018-2019 Annual Catalog that goes live today – what’s on your shopping list?? There are so many new colors – returning favorites and brand new shades to love – and I want them all. Ordering begins by noon Mountain Time today (June 1st).

When you place your order, be sure to enter Host Code 32K6EETG for a special new catalog gift. Hint: it’s all about color!

Crystal and Cheryl have June calendars for you too – be sure and stop by!

One last Moon Baby

Posted on May 31, 2018 by mauistamper

Today’s the last day for lots of great stamps – including this one:

Stamps: Moon Baby
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Black, Peekaboo Peach, Daffodil Delight, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Wink of Stella, Naturally Eclectic DSP, Stampin’ Blends

Great news: Stampin’ Blends are available for purchase! They were such a hit when they were initially introduced that we broke the store, but they’re back in stock. The new colors being introduced in the 2018-2019 catalog won’t be available til mid June, but the existing color palette is available right now. Order them HERE.

Colour Inkspiration #34: Waterfront

Posted on May 25, 2018 by mauistamper

UPDATE: I WON!

I’m thrilled to have been voted the winner of CI34. This is a lovely group, and a new challenge – CI35 – has just begun. See the details HERE.

Time for another Colour Inkspiration challenge! I sat out the last round (remember? May is like December without the cookies) but when I saw this gorgeous photo my colour mojo kicked into gear:

My daughter lives in Australia, just north of Sydney, so I feel a special affinity for this group. I’m including the letter U in the word COLOUR in their honour.

I saw these fabulous colours as tropical sunset tones, and I’ve been looking for an opportunity to try a technique with the versatile Waterfront stamp set. You could say it was a perfect storm:

Stamps: Waterfront, Painted Harvest, Colourful Seasons
Colour Palette: Whisper White, Basic Grey, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral
Accessories: Leaf Punch, Everyday Label Punch, Seasonal Layers Thinlits, Calypso Coral 1/8″ ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I would have never added Basic Grey to this card, and I’m so glad it was included in the challenge because I love how it anchors the other colours. Waterfront is a photopolymer set, so keeping the lines horizontal was easy to do.

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve visited Australia, and more than that since I’ve been on the East coast. I think I’m due. (I keep telling Mr. Maui Stamper that I need my own plane. He agrees, but then starts in on this thing about what it costs. I just hear that he agrees.)

If you’d like to contribute to my airplane fund, shop HERE. Make a note: Colourful Seasons is a bundle only through May 31. After that, the stamps and thinlits will be available separately, but there won’t be a discount.

A Gorgeous Birthday In Color

Posted on May 24, 2018 by mauistamper

Crystal and I have decided that May is as busy with December but without the presents or the cookies. RIGHT???? How can we be a week away from the end of the month? That means we’re a week away from the end of the current Annual Catalog and the debut of the 2018-2019 catalog! It was high time I cracked open the 2018-2020 In Color Collection:

Stamps: Beautiful Bouquet, Happy Birthday Gorgeous
Color Palette: Whisper White, Lovely Lipstick, Grapefruit Grove, Pineapple Punch, and Lemon Lime Twist
Accessories: Big Shot, Bouquet Bunch Framelits, Stitched Shapes Framelits, Layering Ovals Framelits, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Pearl Jewels

The Beautiful Bouquet stamps and Bouquet Bunch framelits are available as a discounted bundle for one more week – don’t miss that great deal! This is a really versatile set.

I don’t usually share my progression, but I enjoyed the way this card evolved, and I thought I’d share the process with you. The first image is the first card, and some of those die cuts are covering up things I didn’t like. The result left me feeling I could do better, so I gave it another shot:

I like the left offset on this one, but the scalloped mat disappears into the stamped images. I also decided that the little green thingamajigs were better than the leaves for this design. It was back to the drawing board one more time:

This version was the winner in my mind! I skipped the tiny Lipstick flowers in favor of the green deely-bobbers. Changing the scalloped oval mat to Lemon Lime Twist helped pop the sentiment out of the floral arrangement. The differences are minor, but I’m convinced it’s the little things that count.

If you’d like to save on this bundle, get yourself to the online store and order today!

The Maui Stamper

papercrafts, my stories, and the occasional insight

Author Archives: mauistamper

Colour Inkspiration #35: Petal Palette in Gray

Varied Vases in Mint and Heather

Waterfront Four Ways

June: Love What You Do

One last Moon Baby

Colour Inkspiration #34: Waterfront

A Gorgeous Birthday In Color

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