I’m delighted to announce – for all you get-it-done-early crafters – that the 2020 DIY Calendar template is ready for purchase! I’ve had a number of requests to advance the availability of the template, and I’m quite pleased to be able to oblige. The cost is still just $5. Are you ready to get crafty?
And just a note…I depend on your integrity with this purchase. It’s easy enough to share the file with a friend, so what’s the harm done? Well, the harm is that I’m a small business, and those shared files add up. I truly appreciate you sharing my contact information with your friends and fellow crafters, and I’m grateful for your support.
I’m not sure what possessed me to get all Stella, but it was fun! I started with the Bermuda Bay Stampin’ Write marker, because I wanted to add a little color to the vases. It just took off from there.
Today there is a brand new product line that I think you will LOVE! We have a modular storage solution for ink pads, markers, Stampin’ Blends, Ink Refills, and whatever odds and ends you can imagine. Visit the Online Store for details!
Be sure to check out what Cheryl and Crystal have created for April!
Pootles (if you don’t know her, you should!) recently shared this charming little tent box, and I was immediately inspired to try it with the Botanical Butterfly DSP available for just a few more hours during the final moments of Sale-a-bration 2019.
These little bags go together in a heartbeat and would make great Easter, graduation, or birthday favors. Don’t waste your time as you’ve only got until 7:50 pm HST or 11:50 pm MT to make one last Sale-a-bration purchase!
If you haven’t checked your calendar recently, this Friday is the last day of Sale-a-bration 2019. You have 3 days to bring Lasting Lily into your craft room – don’t miss out!
It took me a while to fall in love with Lasting Lily. The images caught my eye from the beginning, but I struggled to get the image right. It wasn’t until I learned to use a spoon to create a “dry spot” on my ink pad that I was satisfied with the image. It’s worth the effort!
I used the Daffodil Delight Watercolor pencil to add detail to the stamen on the lily – it was very easy to get just a hint of color. I also used the Calypso Coral pencil to define some of the edges and lines in the flower.
Prior to the arrival of the Stamparatus, I always bought my background stamps on wood blocks. I liked being able to reach up and grab them just as they were. Now I’m choosing clear mount stamps, and the Crackle Paint stamp is one of our new cling stamps. If you haven’t given them a try, you are going to LOVE them! Matter of fact, sometimes I don’t even take them out of the case. If I just need to ink a little part of the background stamp, I ink it up right in the case, place my card stock on the inked portion of the stamp, lift it up and then give the stamp a swipe with the Shammy and move on!
If you’re ready to place one last order before Friday, head on over to the Online Store. You won’t regret it!
There’s discouraging news from Stampin’ Up! this morning:
The Doily Builder dies have run out and are not being carried forward in the 2019-2020 Annual catalog. They are discontinued effective immediately.
The following dies are in low inventory status. When the supply is exhausted, they will also be discontinued as they are not continuing into 2019-2020:
In addition, the Hop Around and Call Me Cupcake coordinating dies (marketed as limited supply for SAB) have sold out. Stampin’ Up! has expressed concern about this situation, and understands it is a frustrating and disappointing experience for everyone. They’re working on a solution, but in the meantime, if these dies (or their associated bundles) are on your shopping list, place your order as soon as possible in my Online Store.
I’m heading into my craft room. Nothing cures the blues faster than a little time with paper and ink!!
When someone does something especially nice for you, it feels really good to create a card just for them. You can think about them in the process, both in terms of their preferences and tastes as well as their general goodness and importance in your life. Making a card for someone has really good energy.
I used Stampin’ Blends to add a little color to the image stamped in Memento Black on Whisper White card stock. In some cases I went right over the black images, and the result is more subtle color.
I used a needle to thread the Old Olive Linen thread through the stitches in the Daffodil Delight circle, making the thread bow more secure on the card. I’ll use a glue dot in a pinch, but I like my cards to stick together for a long time! A bow that is tied in place will hold on for much longer than one that is glued on.
This card is for a real gentleman. He is a genuine, warm, kind man – one of a kind.
If you need a few supplies to make just-the-right-card for someone who went out of their way to be kind to you, Shop HERE.
If you’ve followed the Maui Stamper, you’ll know that the first of each month I share my version of a small desktop easel calendar. It’s a delightful format precisely because it is so small, and I’m finding that I enjoy coloring these little pages.
I often have help in the craft room these days, and even more so in the morning when the sun streams in the windows. It’s been a cold winter on Maui – this morning it was 61°.
(Before you tell me how cold it was in Minnebraska this morning, remember that we live in sundresses and rubber slippers and don’t have heat in our homes. Our bodies are accustomed to 78°, partly cloudy with scattered showers. I live on the dry side of the island where annual rainfall is 11 inches and it seldom gets below 76°. 61° is cold!)
Ahem. So, back to my helper. She’s adorable, but she’s a big pest. I can’t tell you how challenging it is to color with Bella “helping”. She’s never still for long, and she likes to bump things to tell you how much she likes them. I’ll bet there are plenty of you who can relate:
Crystal and Cheryl and I have a mini-blog hop with our DIY Calendars each month, and I hope you’ll visit them as well to see what they’ve created for March. You can search DIY Calendar or click on the tags to see years worth of these little calendar pages! I have the pdf available for you to create your own as well – message me and I’ll send you an invoice. It’s just $5!
The Botanical Butterfly DSP from the 2019 Sale-a-bration catalog is really versatile. One side of each design is a full color butterfly based design, and the reverse is a black and white design. Some are geometric, like these dots, while others would be excellent choices for coloring. I love it when our products can meet so many needs!
We did this in one of my clubs, and some of the crafters chose to use the reverse side with the colored butterfly design. It’s just a different look, and I love that they explored their own ideas.
That little flower at the top of the cake seemed like the perfect touch to finish this sunny card. I stocked up on the black Rhinestone Jewels when they were on the Clearance Rack, and if you don’t have any you can always use a Black Sharpie to color a traditional Rhinestone Jewel.
Do you have a February birthday? Be the first person to comment with your date – no year necessary – and I’ll put this in the mail to you. You can pm your address, as we don’t need that kind of information all over the interwebs!
This card is just a few rectangular pieces of paper, one stamp, one color of ink, two short bits of ribbon, and some adhesive. The ribbon is made into loops and secured with Mini Glue Dots. The sentiment panel is raised on Stampin’ Dimensionals (which allows room for the ribbon to breathe). The colors are bright and suitable for nearly any occasion (except perhaps a sympathy card…I don’t think I would choose this design for that purpose.)
Pretty cards don’t have to be difficult! Have some fun with stamping. If you need supplies, check out the Happiness Blooms suite HERE.
I’m channeling my inner ND Mom (thankfully, the days of tuition payments are over) with the colors in today’s card. I’ve always loved the various combinations of blue and green, and these particular tones bring back fond memories. The Happiness Blooms DSP is a real winner!
There’s still time to join us tomorrow night to make cards! I’ll have all the supplies ready for you to make 6 fun cards using this great stamp set – just $15. There will be a variety of sentiments so that you can customize each card to your needs. Message me today!
The Maui Stamper 