Author Archives: mauistamper

A new look at Daisy Delight

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Rumor has it there’s a new Daisy set (with a coordinating mid-sized punch) in the 2019-2020 Annual Catalog. I don’t have it yet, but seeing some of the images from our April Demonstrator Event sent me to the craft room to play.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Daisy Delight and the Daisy Punch

I’m starting to get a little neurotic about plant parts. I decided I didn’t like the stems that came with the Daisy stamp, so I cut my own out of Basic Black card stock with my Paper Snips and adhered them with the Fine Tip Glue Pen. I’m starting to feel kind of renegade about stems and leaves (do you remember my orchid leaves?)

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Daisy Delight and the Daisy Punch

I embossed the daisy images on the Vellum so the lines wouldn’t run when I colored them. In retrospect, I could have stamped them with Stazon ink and colored them on the REVERSE side and gotten a very similar look. I call that Delayed Intelligence. When you’re coloring with Stampin’ Blends, you need to use Memento Ink to avoid smearing, but Stazon will dry much faster on Vellum and since it’s translucent, you can color from behind.

The Fine Tip Glue Pen dries clear behind Vellum so it’s the perfect adhesive, but it also leaves a lovely clear lacquer effect if you’re patient and allow it to dry.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Daisy Delight and the Daisy Punch

I’m leaving this one without a sentiment for now. I like to have a few cards ready-to-personalize for last minute card needs. What would you choose for this one?

If you’d like to purchase any of these products, please shop HERE.

Colour Inkspiration 54: Lift Me Up

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One more Black and White and POP card for Colour Inkspiration 54!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour Inkspiration 54 Lift Me Up

This one makes me a little dizzy and I’m not sure I like all the lines going different directions. Sometimes you just have to experiment! I think it’s the reflection technique of the Daffodil Delight and Memento Black inks on the sentiment that make me feel out of focus. But I’ll tell you, the Stamparatus makes that technique easy as can be!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour Inkspiration 54 Lift Me Up

The little clouds included in this stamp set really pop up the cute factor for me. I’ve only been in a hot air balloon once, and we never quite got up to the level of the clouds, so this is pure imagination.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour Inkspiration 54 Lift Me Up

Stop on by the Colour Inkspiration Facebook page for lots of Black and White and POP inspiration. Add a project of your own! And if you live in the US, please shop HERE.

Saying Farewell to Flowering Desert

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I’m late to the Flowering Desert party, and I’m sorry that’s the case. It’s such a versatile set, the images are charming, and it’s really easy to use. There’s not a whole lot of desert here on Maui – that’s my story and I’m standing by it.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Flowering Desert
Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Flowering Desert

Crystal and I had a crafty mini-retreat recently and we really dove into this. We used as many colors as we possibly could, but I got a little carried away with my paper snips.

We CASEd Tami Hewlett, beginning with her gorgeous background. Her technique is to drop little puddles of color onto a silicone craft sheet and smoosh Shimmery White or Watercolor paper onto the sheet. We LOVED the effect with Shimmery White! Please stop by her blog and give her the love she deserves for this great concept.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Flowering Desert

This is a really playful set! The fussy cutting isn’t all that fussy, and if you tend to make extras “just in case” as I do, you’ll have enough for another card.

But HURRY. This sweet set is guaranteed to be available only through May 24, 2019. Shop HERE.

May 2019 DIY Calendar: Best Birds

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Happy May Day! It’s the first of the month, and that means I’ve got a new calendar to share. This month, I’m featuring one of the charming birds from the Best Birds set – it retires in June and while I’m sad to see it go, I’ve seen enough to know that there are new birdies in my future!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! May 2019 DIY Easel Calendar Best Birds
Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! May 2019 DIY Easel Calendar Best Birds

I used Stampin’ Blends to color the bird, and I’m experimenting with some new coloring techniques. One of the things I thought I’d heard was to use circular motions to blend the colors, but as I’ve explored more it seems that short, flicked strokes layered on top of each other give a smoother result. It’s still a work in progress.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! May 2019 DIY Easel Calendar Best Birds

However you choose to color, it’s a lot of fun to play with different combinations. I have a couple more birds on my craft desk waiting for projects.

And yes, I know this guy isn’t exactly on the branch. Call it artistic license.

Please stop by and see what Crystal and Cheryl have done for May. We all enjoy putting these calendars together for you each month. I have both the 2019 and 2020 calendars available in PDF form for the great price of $5 each. Message me if you’d like to purchase one or both!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! May 2019 DIY Easel Calendar Best Birds

And if you’re ready to add this charming little avian to your next, shop HERE.

Colour Inkspiration 54: Wonderful Romance

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This is the first card I created for the Colour Inkspiration 54 challenge – Black and White with a POP of colour. I love how it turned out, but I didn’t feel it represented the POP very well.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour Inkspiration 54 Wonderful Romance

What do you think? I love the softness of the composition, but that’s exactly why I don’t think it qualifies for a POP of colour. It’s more muted, especially with the grey tones added in.

There’s one little trick you might not have noticed. The smallest rectangle in the Rectangle Stitched Framelits isn’t that small. I stamped my greeting and aligned one end of the framelit with the beginning of the message. Once I’d run it through the Big Shot, I carefully repositioned the framelit on the other end and rolled it through the Big Shot just enough to cut off the opposite end right where I wanted it!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour Inkspiration 54 Wonderful Romance

The Wink of Stella helps brighten these pretty white flowers. I wish there were dies of all three blooms in the set of framelits, because I think that would really enhance the composition and set off the floral aspect. I usually don’t mind fussy cutting, but I just wasn’t feeling it on this one. It is what it is!

I think this image could really work in a lot of other colour combinations. I currently have one in process on my craft desk, but it’s giving me a little bit of a fit trying to figure out how to finish it off. If I’m successful, I’ll share it with you next week. To share your own beautiful Black and White and POP project, visit the Colour Inkspiration Facebook page.

ColourINKspiration Challenge #54

In the meantime, there are all kinds of gorgeous products at great discounts available on the Clearance Rack. The retiring stamps, bundles, and accessory products are selling quickly, and when those products are gone, they’re gone. (Hint: bundles are priced with a 10% discount – they may continue into 2019-2020, but they won’t be bundled and you won’t have the opportunity to save.) If there’s something you love, I highly recommend you take immediate action. Shop HERE if you’re feeling inspired!

Colour INKspiration 54

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Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour Inkspiration Guest Designer

It’s such an honour to be chosen to join the Colour Inkspiration Challenge tour. I enjoy these challenges immensely, and love to see what the many talented and creative crafters imagine for each colour challenge. This round features one of my absolute favorite combinations!

ColourINKspiration Challenge #54

I LOVE crafting in black and white! There’s something about it that really satisfies me, and when I learned that was the combination for this challenge I was delighted! I created a lot of different cards for this challenge, and I’ll be sure to share some of them over the fortnight. I’ve chosen just one for today:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! ColourINKspiration Challenge #54 Climbing Orchid
Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! ColourINKspiration Challenge #54 Climbing Orchid

A few construction tips:

  • Because I used the Rectangle Stitched Framelits as a mat, I had to commit to that shape for my focal point. I assembled my orchids and arranged them on the card stock until I was satisfied before adhering them to the base.
  • The orchid layers are assembled with Stampin’ Dimensionals, and are also adhered to the base with them as well.
  • In my humble opinion, the leaves in the stamp set are Just Wrong. (I have orchids growing in my garden – nuff said.) I ended up free-hand drawing the stem and leaves with the Lemon Lime Twist Stampin’ Write Marker. By outlining first and filling in the shape with careful linear strokes I was able to create an interesting high/low colour texture.
  • The sentiment is inked in Stazon to avoid smearing on the vellum.
  • The vellum layer is adhered to the card front with a very thin line from the Fine Tip Glue Pen on either end. It dried and left no trace.
  • Start with your black and white elements. The pop will reveal itself.
ColourINKspiration Challenge #54

Are you ready to play? Just dive right in! Seriously, you just can’t go wrong with this combination! When you’re ready, share your project HERE and be sure to tag it #CI54.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour Inkspiration Tour NEXT

If you’d like a little more inspiration before you start, continue on the tour. You’re headed to Kelly Kent, and she’s created a very charming card. I think you’ll love it!

Saying Farewell: All That You Are

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The 2018-2019 and Occasions Retiring Products Lists have been released, and it’s a bittersweet thing. There are some stamps I’m quite happy to see move on, and others that break my heart just a teeny tiny bit. All That You Are kind of breaks my heart.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! All That You Are Occasions 2019

This is a simple technique with very satisfying results. The image is inked with Versamark ink and embossed with Clear Embossing Powder. To get the best results, I highly recommend using the Embossing Buddy to prepare your paper. Using the Stamparatus to ink your card stock enables you to ensure even, thorough coverage with the Versamark ink, resulting in a high quality embossed image.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! All That You Are Occasions 2019

It’s easier than you might expect to see the embossed image. Coloring an embossed image is especially enjoyable because there is a tactile response – you feel the lines, helping you stay within them (if that’s how you roll!)

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! All That You Are Occasions 2019

I used both light and dark Stampin’ Write markers in each color,. Sometimes I’m literally adding just a dot of color, other times a line or a full blending effort. I’m one of those people who find coloring to be very therapeutic, so it’s a pleasure for me.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! All That You Are Occasions 2019

If you’re as fond of All That You Are as I am, shop HERE before it’s retired for good. While you’re shopping, there are a few additional products you might want to think about:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! All That You Are Occasions 2019

Stay crafty, my friends. Shop HERE.

SO MUCH NEWS. But first, the Cling Wrap Technique

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This technique has been making the rounds again as the Press’n’Seal Floating Frame card, and if I had Press’n’Seal I would have used it…but my entire kitchen is Furnished By Costco, so it’s the Kirkland Cling Wrap technique today, my friends!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Wonderful Romance Cling Wrap Technique
Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Wonderful Romance Cling Wrap Technique

This is a really enjoyable technique, but it takes time and patience to color all of the elements you need to create the floating frame. It’s a great project for when you’re at home recovering from the flu (ahem). One of the complaints I read when crafters used Press ‘n Seal was that it stuck too well to the card stock, causing the surface to tear. Trust me, that’s not a problem with the Kirkland wrap!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Wonderful Romance Cling Wrap Technique

As you can see, when I ran everything through the Big Shot it cut the pieces quite nicely, but things moved around quite a bit once I removed the cutting plates. I had to be patient when I adhered the pieces to the frame, but by using the corner shapes as anchors everything else fell into place nicely. It’s quite similar to assembling a puzzle! You’ll want to be VERY VERY generous with the Stampin’ Dimensionals on this one – be prepared to find a lot of those little paper hexagons floating around your craft room!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Big Shot

Speaking of the Big Shot, you may have heard the announcement that Stampin’ Up! is terminating its relationship with Sizzex at the end of the 2018-2019 Annual Catalog period, effective June 3, 2019. This change will streamline design and production, and allow Stampin’ Up! to work directly with a manufacturer. This in turn will provide a more nimble response to inspiration, supply and demand. While Stampin’ Up! will still sell dies and embossing folders that are compatible with the Big Shot, we will no longer market the machine itself or any accessories (cutting pads, specialized platforms, etc). A new die cutting machine is in development, but it is not ready for the 2019-2020 catalog. If you need any accessories, I encourage you to shop soon, as supplies of retiring products are not guaranteed.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Stampin' Trimmer

Similarly, Stampin’ Up! is also discontinuing the Stampin’ Trimmer. While this product has been extremely popular, recent concerns with blade quality have caused Stampin’ Up! to seek an alternate supplier. Again, a new Trimmer is in development but will not be available in time for the 2019-2020 Annual Catalog. If you would like to stock up on cutting blades, I urge you to act quickly as these accessories will also retire at the end of the catalog. As we all know too well, supplies of retiring items are not guaranteed! There is currently a limit of 3 packages of cutting blades per order, but that limit will be raised to 6 when the Retiring Products List is released on April 15, 2019.

2019-2021 InColor What Do You Think

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations – you get a bonus question! Lyssa Zwolaneck, a generous demo friend, created a fun graphic now that demonstrators have seen the NAMES of the 2019-2020 In Colors but not the shades!! What do YOU think???

Cling Wrap Part Two: Wonderful Romance

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One of the serendipities of the Cling Wrap Frame technique is that it’s a “two-fer”: when you cut the frame, you get an extra piece that functions as a beautiful focal point on a second card. Today I’m sharing that card!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Wonderful Romance Cling Wrap Technique Wonderful Romance

The Stitched Rectangle shape was the middle of the frame from THIS post, and I was pleased with the balance of color and shape. It really didn’t need much embellishment, but I decided to emphasize it a bit by adding a narrow black mat.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Wonderful Romance Cling Wrap Technique Wonderful Romance

The sentiment was stamped on a little strip of paper and trimmed to fit. I kept it small and simple to offset the detailed design and images from the focal panel.

Are you ready to try this for yourself? It’s not hard and the results are so satisfying.

And there’s more good news! The Bunny Builder Punch and the Best Bunny Bundle are back in stock, just in time for your Easter crafting. Shop HERE!

Tropical Chic Colour INKspiration 52

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The Colour INKspiration team always selects fabulous inspiration images for their color challenges, and #CI52 made me think Manly Cards. It was timely inspiration, as I needed a Manly Card for a good friend who happens to be a man!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour INKspiration 52 Tropical Chic
Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! CI52

I didn’t add the Soft Sea Foam, but focused on the other 3 colours. I was pretty pleased with myself to discover how nicely the Wood Textures Designer Series paper stack worked in this project!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour INKspiration 52 Tropical Chic

Those little Tropical Elements are a really nice addition to a card, and they’re not especially bulky. If you add an extra sheet of card stock to the front of the card when you put it in the mail, most Post Offices will send it through!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour INKspiration 52 Tropical Chic

In this case, I chickened out. As I prepared the card to mail, I added DSP to the envelope flap (I just traced the shape and adhered it with Tombo, the Wonder Adhesive). Then I pulled off the embellishment and added the flower on a dimensional. Melon Mambo isn’t part of the challenge, though, so I’m sharing both versions!

Visit the Colour INKspiration facebook page for more projects using this great colour palette. They’re such a lovely bunch of crafters!