Author Archives: mauistamper

Pretty Perennials: March 2021 DIY

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Pretty Perennials was my favorite sneak-peek stamp set in the January-June mini catalog, but as with all things topsy turvy in 2021, it has been waiting patiently for ink. As of today, it’s got it in the DIY Calendar for March!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Pretty Perennials DIY Easel Calendar March 2021
  • Stamps: Pretty Perennials
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight
  • Accessories: Big Boss (Stampin Cut and Emboss), Perennials Petals dies, Stampin’ Sponge, Blue Adhesive-backed gem, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I wanted a soft look behind my die cuts, especially because I was working with tone-on-tone. I attempted to get the look I wanted with the stamping off technique, but with this type of screened stamp, the resulting image was irregular (ok, truth: when I saw it I exclaimed “now that’s UGLY!”)

Instead, I sponged the ink onto the stamp. It gave me the softer impression I wanted without going all ugly on me. The largest flower is in Pool Party, but the other two are Coastal Cabana. In the photo, you can’t see any difference and might wonder why I would go to that trouble, but in person it’s different. You’ll just have to trust me on that.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Pretty Perennials DIY Easel Calendar March 2021

The little dots in the center of the 4 petal flowers are from the center of the 6 petal flowers. Perfect serendipity! I think I will go back and make them shiny with a splash from the Fine Tip Glue pen, but here in Hawaii it takes a loonnnnng time for that to dry, and I don’t want to take a chance of smudging it while I’m taking photos and such. March has 31 days, I’ll be good!

I still have the 2021 pdf available for $5. Click on Contact the Maui Stamper and send me your email address, and I’ll send an invoice via Square. These calendars are the perfect tiny canvas for inspiring new ideas – I have a dozen projects lined up now!

Hop on over to see what Cheryl and Crystal are doing for March. “Winter” is over here in the islands (unless you live above the 4000 foot level on the mountain) so it’s time to put the A/C back on! Yes, we have seasons – right now we’re in whale season, and it’s nearly lychee season! You have to learn the art of subtle observation to see the seasons change here.

If it’s Stampin’ Season (and when ever is it not??) pop on over to my Online Store for a little Shoppin’ Season!

She Sells Sea Shells…

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Well, actually she stamps them. And in this case, she embosses and die cuts them and then just sponges them, and it is so darn easy!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Friends Are Like Seashells handmade card
  • Stamps: Friends Are Like Seashells, You Are Amazing
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Petal Pink, Mint Macaron, So Saffron
  • Accessories: Shimmery White paper, Big Boss (Stampin Cut and Emboss Machine), Seashells 3D embossing folder, Seaside Shells dies, Stitched Rectangle dies, White Crinkle Ribbon, Basic Pearls, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Stampin’ Sponges

You don’t need to be super precise with the sponges, as you can see. I chose sponges over the fabulous Blending Brushes because I felt more in control, but either one will work. I layered the ink, especially using Petal Pink, to get variations in the depth of color. The Shimmery White paper takes the ink easily and really adds to the effect in person.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Friends Are Like Seashells handmade card

These soft tones create a very feminine and rather ornate looking card with a minimum of effort – The Boss does most of the work! The hardest part for me is getting the ribbon bunched up right. I do not understand crafters on videos who just wad it up in their hands and smack it down. My solution is to put a bit of Stampin’ Seal on the back of the panel and stick the ribbon down in that, adjusting each loop as I go. Must be the Recovering Perfectionist in me.

Sadly, the Seashells 3D folder is not orderable right now. More are expected the week of March 8th. The stamps and dies – in a convenient bundle – are in stock, and you get see them HERE.

Sigh…Back on Your Feet

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You know how it is. An unexpected injury, a surgery you’d hoped wouldn’t be necessary…and there you are, out of your routine and needing more help than you want to request. The Back on Your Feet stamps know how it feels, too, and are the perfect solution to send a little heartfelt commiseration to a friend in need.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Back On Your Feet
  • Stamps: Back on Your Feet, Forever Fern
  • Color Palette: Very Vanilla, Mossy Meadow, Petal Pink, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Basic Grey
  • Accessories: Stampin’ Cut and Emboss (The Boss), Layering Circle dies, Linen Thread, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Stampin’ Blends, very very old and retired printed vellum

The little sprig at the end of the branch looked a lot like the leaves from Forever Fern, and from there it was a very short leap to the printed vellum that has been lurking in my stash since Moses inked a stamp. It may have been an SAB choice, or it may not have, I have no idea – but it was perfect for this project. I colored it with Stampin’ Blends and used it as background.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Back On Your Feet

Would you look at that face? If that isn’t the face of compassion and sympathy, I can’t tell you what would be.

And make note of this: Sale-a-bration ends next Sunday, February 28th. Don’t miss the chance for free – FREE! – stamps and paper available with your qualifying purchase. Shop HERE.

Lots of Heart for Valentines Day

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While it’s perfect for creating Valentines, the Lots of Heart stamps from the January-June mini catalog are truly year-round images. The companion Many Hearts dies provide great options as well, and I spent a delightful afternoon creating a variety of cards:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Lots of Heart Valentines Handmade Cards
  • Stamps: Lots of Heart, Lovely You
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Coastal Cabana, Poppy Parade, Gold
  • Accessories: Stampin’ Cut and Emboss, Many Hearts dies, Sunflowers dies, Curvy dies, Forever Greenery dies, Forever Greenery trim, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Vellum card stock
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Lots of Heart Valentines Handmade Cards

Do you keep a little stash of die cut bits? I can’t seem to bear to throw them away, but eventually it drives me crazy to have all those pieces. My goal this month is to use ’em or lose ’em!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Lots of Heart Valentines Handmade Cards

One I got started, was on a roll. This version most closely resembles Melissa Davies card, which I used for my inspiration. I wanted to play with some non-traditional Valentine colors, and Highland Heather and Daffodil Delight were a great way to switch it up.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Lots of Heart Valentines Handmade Cards

The greeting is from Itty Bitty Greetings – one of my most indispensable stamp sets. You can see just a hint of the Subtle Embossing Folder on the Highland Heather panel, and the end of the Purple Posy strip was shaped with the Lovely Labels Pick a Punch. There’s a little Wink of Stella too [wink, wink}.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Lots of Heart Valentines Handmade Cards

My intent was to create a rainbow with that row of horizontal hearts, but I stopped after 4 rows. I liked the way it looked, and I was eyeballing it and they were lurching downhill! That’s Rich Razzleberry, Magenta Madness, Calypso Coral and Mango Melody, and the Bumblebee Gingham ribbon across the front.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Lots of Heart Valentines Handmade Cards

I confess that I squealed a little teeny squeal when I realized the gingham echoed the design in the heart! A few Champagne rhinestones finished this one off.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Lots of Heart Valentines Handmade Cards

I went monochromatic in my favorite blues and greens for this version. That’s Misty Moonlight, Just Jade, Bermuda Bay and Coastal Cabana in the lineup, and I used the Scripty Embossing folder on the Misty Moonlight panel. I left off the glitz and glamor to give this one a more masculine feeling.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Lots of Heart Valentines Handmade Cards

I really love that horizontal row of tiny hearts!

I think I spent more time cleaning the stamps than I did putting these cards together! It was a lovely way to spend an hour or so, and these will be in the mail in time for Valentines Day.

If your heart is just bursting for any of these supplies, you can shop right HERE. You don’t even need to put on your shoes to do it! And don’t forget to make your Sale-a-bration choice – there are just a couple of weeks left.

Fairytale Toadstools: Snailed It

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These are the toadstools of childhood, the ones occupied by talking caterpillars or lining forest paths. They’re charming but carry the scent of foreboding, as if to say look but don’t touch. The whimsical nature of this design signals the friendly nature of these fungi:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Doodling Snailed It
  • Stamps: Snailed it
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Basic Black, Poppy Parade, Just Jade, Mint Macaron, Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight
  • Accessories: Stampin’ Blends, Fine Tip Glue Pen

This one is doodled again, but I chose to doodle two sides instead of all four. I think this would make a charming post card!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Doodling Snailed It

The Fine Tip Glue pen has again made an appearance, giving my toadstool a shiny surface and a reflective gleam.

Ready for your own fantasy forest? Shop HERE.

Another Donkey, Another Rose

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Snails and Donkeys! Who would have thought I would be so crazy about such, hmmm, non-traditional creatures? I mean, neither one is especially snuggly. But here we are, with The Rose:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Darling Donkeys Quite Curvy
  • Stamps: Darling Donkey, Quite Curvy, Forever Fern, Ridiculously Awesome
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Crumb Cake, Real Red, Soft Suede, Petal Pink
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Curvy dies, Linen Thread, Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Paper Snips, Red gemstone, retired corrugated heart and DSP
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Darling Donkeys Quite Curvy Forever Fern

How did I ever create a card without Stampin’ Blends? I’m sure I did it, but I find Blends indispensable now, not to mention therapeutic. It’s so relaxing to color, especially when I can blend and re-blend the tones and hues until I get exactly what I want. Seriously – what else can you do and get just what you want???

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Darling Donkeys Quite Curvy Forever Fern

The messages and hand-lettering in the Ridiculously Awesome are, in fact, ridiculously awesome. I could never write p.s. i love you and have it look like that. And why should I? There’s a stamp for that.

There’s still time to make a Valentine. Quick. Shop HERE.

One more Snail-y Mojo (Monday)

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When I first saw the Mojo Monday 552 sketch, I envisioned it in Designer Series Paper. Once I started working, I switched to textured paper, but the idea of using DSP was still in my head. I finally got it out of my head and onto a card:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Snailed It MojoMonday552 Dandy Garden
  • Stamps: Snailed It, Lots of Heart, The Right Angle
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Memento Black, Calypso Coral, Mossy Meadow, Bumblebee
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Snail dies, Stitched Shapes dies, Painted Texture 3D Embossing Folder, Blending Brushes, Bumblebee Gingham Ribbon, Wink of Stella, Fine Tip Glue Pen, Stampin’ Dimensionals

The card sketch is the same – I followed the dimensions in the challenge – but this is the original layout. My first card made for this challenge was a mirror image of the design, since that snail was traveling East. This snail is Westward Ho!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Snailed It MojoMonday552 Dandy Garden

I’m totally sold on using Wink of Stella and the Fine Tip Glue pen to make eyes – any eyes – really sparkle. I don’t use the fine tip, I unscrew the entire top of the bottle and dip right in with a bamboo skewer. You need to let the excess drip back into the bottle, but I find it gives me better control when I want to “paint” with the glue.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Snailed It MojoMonday552 Dandy Garden

The horizontal row of hearts in Lots of Heart is perfectly sized for adding to the envelope or the inside of the card – or both! Why be either/or when you can be both/and?? Ask yourself this more often.

Take that idea of Both/And with you to the Online Store and you too can be overrun with cute little paper snails! They’re highly preferable to the slimy kind, at least if you ask me. You may discuss amongst yourselves.

February 2021 DIY: A Touch of Ink for Sale-a-bration

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This month’s DIY calendar doesn’t feature hearts or Presidents or any other traditional February images. I was clearing the Snails off my desk (I’m afraid I got a little carried away) and underneath the heaps was the Touch of Ink stamp set with its beautiful line art. My first thought was that the images were too big, but when I looked again, I realized they were perfect:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar February 2021 A Touch of Ink Sale-a-bration
  • Stamps: A Touch of Ink (Sale-a-bration 2021.1), Forever Fern
  • Color Palette: Memento Black, Sahara Sand, Crumb Cake, So Saffron, Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze
  • Accessories: Stampin Blends, Wink of Stella

This was so enjoyable! I dialed up an image of a Monarch Butterfly on Professor Google and started layering color. I’m not sure you would ever see this particular Monarch out in nature, but the way the colors worked together was very satisfying. I started light and worked my way through to the Light Cajun Craze – I didn’t use the dark version.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar February 2021 A Touch of Ink Sale-a-bration

If you’d like to try your hand at this simple DIY calendar, I have the 2021 pdf available for $5. Just contact me with your email and your state of residence and I’ll get an invoice to you pronto.

Ready to shop? Visit the Online Store for Stampin’ Blends and Sale-a-bration rewards! These little calendars are so gratifying – easily an evening’s work, and a short evening at that! Thanks for stopping by today, and be sure to see what Cheryl and Crystal have done for February.

A Darling Donkey Valentine

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I hope there’s room for more Darling Donkeys in your heart. I’ve been working on Valentines, and what says I love you any better than a donkey with a rose in his teeth?

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Darling Donkeys A Wish for Everything Valentines
  • Stamps: Darling Donkeys, A Wish for Everything
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Memento Black, Rich Razzleberry, Smokey Slate, Petal Pink, Shaded Spruce
  • Accessories: Ombré Designer Series paper (Sale-a-bration 2021.1), Big Boss, Messages die, Heart dies (retired, but there are current ones), Stampin’ Blends, Paper Snips, Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals, Clear Epoxy Droplets, Well Suited Twine Combo pack

The technique is really simple. I used a heart shaped die placed overlapping the edge of the top panel on the card. The DSP just needs to be big enough to cover the opening, and once they’re secured I added a mat and adhered it to the card front. My donkey is fussy cut with snips and set up on mini-dimensionals, and I unraveled the grey twine to make it softer and less bulky.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Darling Donkeys A Wish for Everything Valentines

I stamped off “happy” for a tonal effect to coordinate with that fabulous Ombré paper. Let’s not talk about how many orders I’ve placed to be sure I have enough of that paper now, can we agree on that?

If you really need that Ombré paper like I need that Ombré paper, pop over to the Online Store and make an order of at least $50 and then choose that paper as your free gift! Ombré?? and Free?? in the same sentence? Must be my lucky day.

Snailed it for Mojo Monday 552

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I haven’t joined in for a challenge in ages. Mojo Monday popped up in my social media and I liked the layout and thought “why not?” Why not indeed? This was a great chance to celebrate the Snailed It snails!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Snailed It Ombre DSP MojoMonday552
  • Stamps: Snailed It, Itty Bitty Greetings, The Right Triangle, Stacked Stone
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Bermuda Bay, Granny Apple Green, Coastal Cabana, Pool Party
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Snailed dies, Stitched Shapes dies, Textured Textiles Embossing Folder, Greenery Embossing Folder, Ombré DSP (Sale-a-bration 2021.1), Blending Brushes, Stampin Blends, Wink of Stella, Fine Tip Glue Pen, Stampin’ Dimensionals, tiny clear dots from a long-past Paper Pumpkin
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Snailed It Ombre DSP MojoMonday552

This card was all about texture. With all those layers, it required something too distinguish them! I used embossing folders, background stamps, sparkle and shine, dimensionals, and Designer Series Papers to create dimension on this project. The sentiment tab and the narrowest patterned paper were gently brushed with Blending Brushes and Pool Party ink to give them very soft color.

If you’ve missed The Right Triangle, check out all of the textures you can find in that stamp set!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Snailed It Ombre DSP MojoMonday552

I repeated my sparkly eyes trick, using Wink of Stella and the Fine Tip Glue pen to bring her eyes to life. I also did a little spattering with Stella on the Oh So Ombre DSP, and added some “dits” with a textural stamp from Right Triangle.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Snailed It Ombre DSP MojoMonday552

The sketch challenge really inspired me. I’d felt like I was in a rut, that everything I created had an element of sameness to me. Maybe it did, and maybe it didn’t, but working with a sketch helped me see paper and layers with fresh eyes, and I feel like my creative energy stores have been replenished.

If you’re ready to shop the January – June mini catalog and get in on the great deals available during Sale-a-bration, visit my Online Store! If you’d like to see more about Mojo Monday, take a look at what Julee is doing at Poetic Artistry. And thanks for stopping by!