Author Archives: mauistamper

A Japanese New Years Wish

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I’ve learned a lot about different cultures living on Maui. Our community is diverse for many reasons, but primarily because the sugar plantations brought in workers from many countries beginning in the mid-1800’s. While sugar is no longer grown commercially here, the many families who arrived to work in the fields have taken root and enriched our communities with their traditions.

The first Japanese workers arrived in the mid-1880’s. Their legacy is found in everyday life on Maui, including food, language, art, celebrations, and so much more. When Stampin’ Up! offered the New Years Celebration set to the U.S. market, I was excited to have the opportunity to craft with these images.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up New Year Celebration
Maui Stamper Stampin Up New Year Celebration

The characters for Happy New Year are embossed in gold and are written in Kanji, one of three writing systems. The colors are also very symbolic, as red and white are used to represent happiness and joy, and gold represents wealth and prestige. Bamboo represents wealth and prestige, and the chrysanthemum flower signifies longevity and rejuvenation. There’s a big message in this simple card!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up New Year Celebration

This set is not in any catalog, and it will only be available to the U.S. market through January 31, 2020. You can see samples and an interpretation of the images HERE, and of course, you can shop at the Online Store. These images are so Kawaii!

Happy New Year from Mt. Fuji

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Nah, I’m not on the road again – we just got home!

But I’m imagining myself in Japan, riding the Shinkansen and gazing out the windows at Mt. Fuji. We made that trip in 2012 (oh, can it be that long ago??) and the UNESCO World Heritage site was unfortunately hidden in the clouds. However, today the clouds are high in the sky and Fuji-san is clearly visible:

Without getting too personal here, let’s just say that my eyesight isn’t quite what it used to be (ahem). I was having a little trouble aligning the images, despite the fact that they’re photopolymer and theoretically I should have no problem.

(Distraction: theories aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.)

After a couple of unsatisfactory attempts at aligning the outline of the mountain, the interior, and the glorious rising moon, it occurred to me that the solution was within an arm’s reach. I got out my Stamparatus and the problem was solved nearly instantaneously.

This stamp set was originally designed for the Stampin’ Up! Japanese market, but was released to the US market just until January 31, 2020. It’s product #146391 and it’s $25. If you’d like to see a graphic that documents all of the images and their significance, click HERE.

Are you ready to ride the Shinkansen? Or just take a paper-and-ink trip?

Feelin’ Like Frost Like Kylie

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THIS card from the amazing Kylie Bertucci was one of the reasons I decided to get the Feels Like Frost DSP pack. You might have figured out that I am completely enchanted with the Gorgeous Grape/Highland Heather/Granny Apple Green color palette. This Designer Series Paper pulls all of those colors together and brings you right into the MOOD.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost You Are Loved
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost You Are Loved

I know I’ve said it before (who am I kidding, I’ve said it on every single post for crying out loud) – these images are so versatile that you could easily transition this card with any sentiment. It’s the One DSP To Rule Them All.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost You Are Loved

Don’t you think every single person needs to hear that he, she or they is/are loved? It takes so little to make a difference. Makes that $.55 postage stamp seem pretty darn cheap.

Make a card. Send a little love. If you need something to make it happen, shop HERE.

Aloha with the Stamparatus

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I was staring at my shelf of stamps the other day, looking for ideas to make another (yes, another!) wreath card. I’m not sure if this worked quite the way that I imagined it, but it was fun and it makes me laugh.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Waterfront and Make A Difference
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Waterfront and Make A Difference

I’m not sure if it looks like a wreath of palm trees or a really, really, REALLY bad hair day! Honestly, I don’t really care. I had such a great time with the Stamparatus that the results don’t change a thing.

The little shell is one of those Maui-Style kind of add-ons. It’s actually from a shell lei: if you live here, you end up with heaps of them. I’ve taken a few apart to craft with since the shells all have small holes.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Waterfront and Make A Difference

A-L-O-H-A! A little Aloha in our day

Spread a little Aloha in our world…

Feels Like Frost is Thinking of You

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Do you remember when I told you I’d challenged myself to make as many cards with the Feels Like Frost DSP as I could in an afternoon? I’m not finished yet!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost Thinking of You
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost Thinking of You

I really like the Scripty 3D Embossing folder. It’s very subtle and elegant. I also love that the silver Metallic Pearls take on a blue cast when they’re on blue paper! It works for me.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost Thinking of You

This is another tone-on-tone version from the endlessly versatile Feels Like Frost DSP stack. These cards almost put themselves together! If you need a stash of cards, I highly recommend you make a batch with these gorgeous photo-realism images and leave the sentiments off until you’re ready to send them. You’ll thank yourself later, I promise.

Are you ready to buy Feels Like Frost YET??? You know where to SHOP.

Mini Curvy Spooktacular Keepsakes

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The Curvy Keepsake die in its first form (slightly larger than this one) was one of my favorites, but I confess that it was expensive to fill a big batch of them with treats (I like expensive chocolate, lol.) This Mini Curvy Keepsake die is perfectly sized for exactly ONE Ferrero Rocher. Did I say it was perfect?

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Spooktacular Mini Curvy Keepsakes
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Spooktacular Mini Curvy Keepsakes

We have Googly Eyes!! And not just white ones, but green ones and orange ones and purple ones!!! Be still my heart.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Spooktacular Mini Curvy Keepsakes

This guy is really fun, too. But trust me, really, when I say you NEED the Stamparatus for him. Solid images, especially solid black images, almost require being stamped more than once. Now I don’t know about you, but my eyes aren’t sharp enough and my hands aren’t steady enough to pull this off. But I can do it with the Stamparatus!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Spooktacular Mini Curvy Keepsakes

I think it’s hilarious that the mummy is giving the side-eye to the left and Vampy is doing it to the right. What a pair.

If you’re ready to invite these two spooky guys into your home (say it like the old wild and crazy guys skit from SNL), shop HERE.

October 2019: Spooktacular Bash DIY Easel Calendar

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Happy October First! It’s the month of ghosties, ghoulies and mummies as well as yummy treats – I’m not sure I’m as excited about these treats as the mummy is, but to each their own, right?

Maui Stamper Stampin Up October 2019 DIY Easel Calendar Spooktacular Bash
Maui Stamper Stampin Up October 2019 DIY Easel Calendar Spooktacular Bash

I’m kinda in love with the Mummy. I think it’s the eyes. I mean, really, look at them all side-eye! Perfect for the jars o’ bits, and perfect for coloring with Stampin’ Blends.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up October 2019 DIY Easel Calendar Spooktacular Bash

Enjoy your October! It’s a fun month as autumn starts to feel real (OK, who am I kidding – I live on Maui – all we’re asking is that the insane heat we have had all summer Goes Away!!) Halloween is a fun time here in the islands, because trick-or-treating doesn’t require boots or parkas.

Please stop by to see what Crystal and Cheryl have created for October. If you are interested in creating your own DIY Easel calendar, I have the 2020 pdf for sale. It’s only $5 – let me know if you’re interested.

A CASE of DoneMark Papercrafts

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When I saw THIS card by Karen Varley, a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator in England, I knew I had to have Beautiful Friendship. I’d been resisting it for weeks, trying to tell myself I had enough flower stamps, but it was not to be. My version is very similar:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Beautiful Friendship
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Beautiful Friendship

I pierced a couple of holes in the Stitched Rectangle shape and threaded the linen thread through to tie the bow. I don’t like glue dots for this purpose, because the bow comes off. It’s one of my fussy bits.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Beautiful Friendship

I chose to make the floral images more dominant on the page, and I used a sticky note to mask the flowers so that the leaves would peep out from behind them. Other than that, this is a pretty simple card that you could mass produce for a variety of uses: congratulations, thank you, birthday, even a sympathy card.

How will you craft yours? If you need supplies to get started, shop HERE.

Finding the hidden colors in Feels Like Frost

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I spent a lot of time playing with color palettes to go with the various Feels Like Frost papers. I wanted to bring out the unexpected and non-traditional colors, and I feel like I accomplished that with this birthday card:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost Happiest Birthday Wishes
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost Happiest Birthday Wishes

I tried using Stampin’ Blends to color the Dotted Tulle Ribbon, but the color came out much darker than I wanted even with the light toned marker. I decided to try dying it with the ink refill. It worked – the second time! The first time I thought I should rinse it out and the color immediately left the ribbon. I made another batch (a bunch of ink in a little water, it’s really about how dark you want it) and once I’d reached the color I wanted I let it dry on top of a paper towel. I’m going out on a limb here to say I don’t think it’s colorfast!!!!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost Happiest Birthday Wishes

I’m pleased with the end result. I think if you swapped the Night of Navy and the Rococco Rose all around, you’ d have a great masculine card. Hmmm…

If you’re ready, you can shop HERE.

Another Little Elephant

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Little Elephant is one of my favorite animal stamp sets. It’s whimsical, but it’s not cartoonish. Does that make sense? I created a baby card using this same template in yellows and greys, and wanted to try it in pink. I chose Rococco Rose, and I haven’t decided if it’s too dark for a baby. What do you think?

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Little Elephant
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Little Elephant

Once you make a template for the Stamparatus, the wreath cards are super simple! I have a few more to share with you, and I have a feeling that won’t be the end of them, either. Every time I look at a new stamp set now, I imagine it as a wreath!

The Envelope Punch board is on the Clearance Rack, too – just the thing to make a coordinating envelope for a square card. Shop HERE.