Only ONE You

This is my favorite sentiment from the Vintage Verses Sale-a-bration stamp set:

Maui Stamper Vintage Verses SAB

 

  • Vintage Verses SAB stamp set
  • Island Indigo and Primrose Petals FFIP
  • Very Vanilla and Island Indigo card stock
  • Primrose Petals Core’dinations card stock
  • Big Shot and Vine Street SAB TIEF
  • Sycamore Street SAB Ribbon and Button pack
  • Stampin’ Sanding System
  • Dotted Scallop Ribbon Trim punch
  • Little Labels punch pack
  • Dazzling Details

Is that Core’dinations paper amazing or what?  So much fun to sand… if you get carried away, no biggie, there’s plenty more in the package – 12 sheets!!  And time for a confession – you could color a regular Rhinestone Jewel with a pink sharpie to get this look, but these particular itty bitty jewels are from the retired die cut flowers set that recently hit the Clearance Rack – and promptly sold out!

Only two more sleeps til SAB – are you ready??

Maui Stamper Vintage Verses Sale-a-bration

Oh, Hello – and Thanks!

Don’t look now, but I think I actually made a Genuine Manly Card:

Maui Stamper Oh Hello Thanks So Much

  • Oh Hello stamp set
  • Basic Grey, Whisper White and Baja Breeze card stock
  • Basic Grey and Baja Breeze FFIP
  • Big Shot and Honeycomb TIEF
  • Ovals Framelits
  • Basic Grey/Basic Black Two Tone 1 1/4 inch ribbon
  • White Bakers Twine
  • Silver Basics Designer Button

Today I am VERY proud of myself because this is a CASE and I know from whom it came!  (plus, grammar bonus points, I used whom correctly in a sentence!)  Credit goes to Melissa Davies for this design – when you see her card, you’ll see a close resemblance.  My goal was to make this card 100% masculine – no flowers or girly colors.  I think I was successful – what do you think?

And here’s a sneaky trick for you:  bother trying to stamp the messages straight on the flags.  Just stamp ’em and trim ’em.  Waaaayyyy easier.

Madison Avenue, Sale-a-bration Style

Honestly, I don’t TRY to make everything in blue and green, it just SEEMS that way:

Maui Stamper Madison Avenue SAB

  • Madison Avenue and Vintage Verses SAB stamp sets
  • Lucky Limeade and Whisper White card stock
  • International Bazaar DSP
  • Summer Starfruit, Lucky Limeade and Pacific Point FFIP
  • Summer Starfruit Stitched Satin Ribbon
  • Itty Bitty Punch Pack
  • 1/2 inch Circle punch
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals

What would I do without Stampin’ Dimensionals?  They are the unsung heroes of my craft table…along with Glue Dots, Sticky Strip, and Tombo the Wonder Adhesive, that is.  But dimensionals stand above the rest (GET IT??? Stand above???  Think…think…)  Love the lift they give my projects!

The SAB sets this year are real winners – love both of these but especially those Vintage Verses – so much you can do with them!  Coming January 22nd!

 

Call Me Maybe

And who wouldn’t want to make a call from one of these? Maui Stamper Sentimental Feeling

  • Feeling Sentimental and Pretty Petites SAB stamp sets
  • Crumb Cake and Early Espresso FFIP
  • Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake and Early Espresso card stock
  • First Edition Specialty DSP
  • Stampin’ Distress Tool
  • Linen Thread and Natural 7/16″ Trim
  • Petite Curly Label Punch (SAB)
  • Stampin’ Sponge

Feeling Sentimental was the Sale-a-bration set at the TOP of my list and I knew this was what I wanted to do with it.  It has a great vintage look and that monochromatic scheme was shouting in my head.  (yes, it had to shout in my head because there are a LOT of voices going on there…)

I sponged the dickens out of the Very Vanilla pieces to give them some age, and even hit that fabulous new Natural 7/16″ trim with a little Crumb Cake ink.  The new Stampin’ Distress tool from the Spring Catalog is an AWESOME addition to your toolbox – saves your fingernails (and your fingers – anyone else hit skin using Paper Snips to distress, or am I the only klutz?)

Sale-a-bration is coming January 22…have you made your wish-list?

Maui Stamper Feeling Sentimental SAB

RemARKable Hearts A-Flutter Blog Tour

Are you lovin’ what you’re seein’???  The RemARKables come up with some fabulous designs and it’s an honor to be included in this tour.  The hearts are a-flutterin’ in my house with not just Valentines’ Day but a wedding coming up in February:

Maui Stamper Hearts a Flutter Project SuiteYep, it’s my favorite blue-and-green color combo again!  This time I chose Wild Wasabi and Tempting Turquoise, a well matched pair in hue and intensity.  Let’s start with the favor jar:

Maui Stamper Hearts a flutter favor jarPretty simple – a 4 ounce quilted glass jar with a couple of embellishments and some seam binding ribbon.  You can tell by the shimmer on the green strips that I used Wild
Wasabi embossing powder to make that color pop.  The coordinating framelits are key to getting all of these elements cut out in no time flat!  (and if you’re an M&M fan, those are Dark Chocolate Mint M&Ms, and yes they are all shades of green!!)

Maui Stamper Hearts a Flutter LuminariaNext up is a luminaria made from the Bigz XL Fancy Favor bag in vellum.  It’s hard to see, but there’s a little flameless tea light inside with Tempting Turquoise shreddies.  Hang a group of these in the trees for a sunset reception, or use them to line a pathway or even the edge of a table!

Maui Stamper Hearts a Flutter cardThis simple geometric design was created with a man in mind… not too fluffy or fussy.  I’ll confess I was seriously tempted to try my hand at the ruffled, romantic look with this set but all of those linear designs pulled me towards a cleaner style instead.  I used my Simply Scored (most awesome scoring tool evah!) to create a simple linear border on this card.  By the way, no fussy measuring for the placement on these – your eyeball can do the job.  And did you spot that bit of Bakers’ twine?  I used a ittle Tempting Turquoise ink refill to dye the twine, but my initial effort was way too dark.  On an impulse I stuck it under the faucet for a second and that did the trick!

Thanks for stopping by, and click on the link below to see what the uber-talented (and might I add uber-busy!!) Robin Merriman has in store!

blogtour-stampmonth-next

See you next time!

Maui Stamper Hearts a Flutter detail

On Maui this Saturday? Let’s make some cards

I’m reviving my famous – or infamous – 2-5-10 card class this weekend.  2 hours, 5 cards, $10.  I’m previewing some of the Sale-a-bration products that will be available later this month, so you can be among the first of your friends to get your hands on these goodies!

Maui Stamper 2013 January 2-5-10 Class

These are much prettier in person, I guarantee it 🙂  All you need to bring is yourself and an all-purpose adhesive like Tombo or SNAIL.  I’ll provide everything else including specialty adhesives and envelopes.

RSVP by email to AnneMatasci (at) gmail (dot) com or by commenting on this post.  Be sure and let me know how to reach you if you’re new to my classes.

Hope to see you on Saturday, and don’t forget the RemARKable Blog Tour on Sunday!

blogtour-stampmonth-smJan

Sycamore Street, c/o USPS

Thanks for stopping by this Sunday morning – or any other day or time you’re checking out this post!  Just want to remind you that next weekend the RemARKables will host another blog tour – the featured stamp set is Hearts A-Flutter!  Yep, Valentines’ Day is on the way…time to start thinking hearts and flowers!

Maui Stamper RemARKable Blog Tour 2013

I’ve got another Sale-a-bration peek for you.  The Sycamore Street Designer Series paper is awesome!  Stampin’ Up! has again come up with a fabulous suite of products for SAB and the DSP is no exception:

Maui Stamper Sycamore Street SAB 2013

 

  • Trust God stamp set
  • Island Indigo FFIP
  • Sycamore Street Designer Series paper
  • Whisper White, Pool Party and Island Indigo card stock
  • Pool Party Seam binding
  • 1 3/4 inch circle punch
  • Big Shot and the Circles Originals Die

Sale-a-bration starts January 22, so get working on your wish list.  Even better, gather a few friends and let’s plan a little crafting fun!  Everyone gets free products with SAB, and of course hostesses get SAB goodies PLUS free product from Stampin’ Up!

One of my New Year’s goals is to focus on cards that can be mailed.  Cards that can be mailed get sent to people; cards that can’t be mailed or are expensive to mail sit in my drawer!  I’ll still have fun from time to time with “More is More” cards, but I’m really going to make an effort to create cards that will meet USPS standards.  Stay tuned!

 

A glimpse of good things to come

Sale-a-bration is on the way…

Maui Stamper 2013 Sale-a-bration Patterned Occasions

  • Patterned Occasions Sale-a-bration (SAB) stamp set
  • Sycamore Street Sale-a-bration Designer Series paper (DSP)
  • Sycamore Street Sale-a-bration Ribbon and Button bundle
  • Tangerine Tango, Island Indigo and Whisper White card stock
  • Tangerine Tango Firm Foam Ink Pads (FFIP)
  • Stamp-a-ma-jig (SAMJ)
  • Big Shot and Honeycomb Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (TIEF)

Whoever said the military has a corner on the acronym market?  I use some of these so often that I have begun to feel guilty, and decided I’d better clear up any questions.  Feel free to print this page and keep it for reference!!

This card is one of the cards we’ll make on Saturday, January 12 (9 am) at 2-5-10:  2 hours, 5 cards, $10.  Leave a comment to RSVP.

I am THRILLED with all of the SAB options this year.  Stampin’ Up! has done an outstanding job of creating coordinated but wonderfully varied options and each SAB offering is FREE with a $50 product order.  Plan your purchases now, and stay tuned – over the next few weeks I’ll be offering some suggestions to Get to Fifty.

Welcome, 2013

As clichéd as it may sound, I love the fresh start that a new year brings.  In my wildest dreams, January First begins not only with a fabulous, champagne-sparkled celebration with my most loved family and friends, but also dawns on an immaculate house with every object impeccably in place.

I was close on part one, still dreaming about part two.

There was champagne, along with Mr. Maui Stamper and Son of Stamper (home from Notre Dame).  My two beautiful daughters were in their respective homes halfway around the world, but they will be here soon to celebrate the wedding of my firstborn.  Knowing that we will all be together in such a short time made their absence over the holidays bearable.

Maui Stamper January 2013 calendar

Crystal and I have made these calendars in the past, purchasing the template online.  This year she got together with her BRILLIANT sister and they have created an eternal template for us.  You could also make your templates through MDS, and if I were more brilliant I would have thought of that before I printed these out.

  • Happy Hour stamp set
  • Wild Wasabi FFIP
  • Primrose Petals, Wild Wasabi and Pink Pirouette Stampin’ Write markers
  • Whisper White and Primrose Petals card stock

Many blessings to you and yours in the new year!

 

 

Beautiful AND useful? A double win

Cheryl made these beautiful hangers for a gift exchange that didn’t happen, and I  happened to be in the right place at the right time:

Maui Stamper Deck the Halls with Beautiful Hangers

Aren’t they gorgeous?  I haven’t decided what outfit is worthy of these fabulous, cushy hangers – lovingly hand-made!  (My floor looks pretty good too – I made sure it was clean before I put them down.)

Cheryl stamped a gorgeous bag for the gift exchange:

Maui Stamper Flower bag

I love how she used Soft Suede and Regal Rose with the Watercolor Winter stamp set, but I pointed out to her that I am NOT naughty.  At least, not most of the time.

Look at the detail on these hangers:

Maui Stamper hand made embellished clothes hanger

It takes a lot of patience to thread that Scalloped Polka Dot ribbon through button holes!!

Maui Stamper hand made embellished clothes hanger

There’s a Spring Catalog sneak peak on this one – that big beautiful flower embellishment will be available as part of a special Artisan’s Embellishment package.  My customers should be receiving their Spring Catalog in the mail any day now – don’t mix it up with yet another Christmas catalog!

Thanks, Cheryl – I love these!!