DIY CALENDAR BLOG HOP: DECEMBER 2025 TRADITIONS OF CHRISTMAS

Hi there friends! Welcome to the last calendar hop of 2025. Our calendars provide a little snapshot of what Stampin’ Up! released during the year, and it’s fun to reminisce. In December, I’m taking advantage of the gorgeous Traditions of Christmas Designer Series Paper to give my calendar a little extra pop.

These gold-enhanced, watercolored flowers come straight from the DSP and are die cut with the coordinating Christmas Greenery dies. I also cut the holly leaves with the same dies, giving them a little ink brush with my dauber to add dept.

The past couple of months I’ve been double-matting my calendars. This month, the design just begged for a little extra glimmer around the edge. I don’t expect to do it every month, in fact I don’t think it’s usually necessary – but I did it in December!

December is such a busy month, and Mr Maui Stamper and I were away for almost 3 weeks in November so I’m kicking into high gear! Using DSP is a great way to save a little time. Stop back on December 31st when I’ll have my annual DIY roundup – all 12 months in one glorious post!

Click the button to travel through the Blog Hop and see what Sharon, Cheryl and Malia have created this month. We’re so glad you’ve joined us!

Would you like to make your own DIY Calendars? The template is just $6. Visit my secure page to make your purchase. (You can also find the page on the banner across the top of my home page.)

You’ll receive links to download the templates in an email after you’ve paid. You’ll need to cut and paste those links into your browser. (You may need to check your spam folder to find that email.)

You are only purchasing a template, which you can download and print for your personal use. I hope you’ll enjoy it!

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ADD COLOR TO THE SUNFLOWER 3D EMBOSSING FOLDER

It’s been a minute since I shared a Sunflower 3D Embossing Folder card but that doesn’t mean I’m ignoring it. I spent a very happy and relaxing afternoon playing with color on the embossed image, and I think you’ll love the end result.

  • Stamps: Retired sentiments
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Lemon Lolly, Daffodil Delight, Peach Pie, Timid Tiger, Pool Party, Bubble Bath, Coastal Cabana, Lost Lagoon
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Sunflower 3D Embossing Folder, various circle punches, retired ribbons, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I confess I took the opportunity to use up some retired bits and pieces I had languishing in the studio. These cards were to welcome new members of the Maui Stampers team, and I needed quite a few (so glad you’ve joined us!!). That gave me the perfect opportunity to play with the theme.

Each embossed panel has been colored using daubers and whatever color combination came to mind. I generally used analogous colors like Cloud Cover, Pool Party, and Lost Lagoon, but it was a pretty whimsical choice process. I had a LOT of embossed panels to experiment with!

I tore the edges and curled them a bit to add more dimension since there weren’t any embellishments aside from the ribbon. This was a very playful project!

I hope you’ll give it a try! The Sunflower 3D Embossing Folder is currently out of stock, but you can request an email notification in the Online Store.

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DIY CALENDAR BLOG HOP: BRANCHING OUT (again!!)

Welcome back to DIY Calendars! I’m grateful you’ve stopped by, and hope you’ll take the short tour to see what the DIY team has done in November. Be sure to read through to the end, as I have news about a fun new project.

  • Stamps: Branching Out
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Pean Pie
  • Accessories: DIY Calendar Template, Stampin’ Write Markers

I used the markers to create a few background splatters and to hand write the plant name. I just realized that I neglected the diacritical marks! There are two okina and a kahakō in the spelling of ‘ōhi’a lehua. I will fix that!

As I looked at the stamps in this set and tried to imagine alternative uses, I suddenly saw ‘Ōhi’a Lehua. I wasn’t sure it would work, but it’s close! It’s missing the bud clusters and the leaves that emerge down the stem, but choosing to eliminate those things allows the blossom to stand out. Let’s call it creative license.

I had ‘Ōhi’a Lehua in my garden – multiples, in fact. This is one of the first blooms I had and I was thrilled!

They were specifically chosen for my elevation and dry climate. They would grow, even thrive for up to 2 years, and then suddenly waste away. I wanted them to succeed so badly! After 5 separate plantings, I had to give up. Sometimes the garden decides what will grow.

Branching Out is a multi-season stamp set – you can see it along with its companion dies in the Online Store.

Click the button to travel through the Blog Hop and see what Sharon, Cheryl and Malia have created this month. Thanks for stopping by!

Would you like to make your own DIY Calendars? The template is just $6. Visit my secure page to make your purchase. (You can also find the page on the banner across the top of my home page.) You’ll receive links to download the templates in an email after you’ve paid. You’ll need to cut and paste those links into your browser. (You may need to check your spam folder to find that email.)

You are only purchasing a template, which you can download and print for your personal use. I hope you’ll enjoy it!

If you’ve gotten this far, Bravo!! In January, I’ll be debuting an exclusive PINTEREST board as a companion to the board the team uses. The new board will be for crafters who have purchased the DIY Calendar Template. While anyone will be able to see it, only the “members” will have access to posting and saving to the board. Details will be available in December by email to anyone who purchased the template from me. I can’t wait to see your creations!

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DIY CALENDAR BLOG HOP: OCTOBER 2025 BRANCHING OUT

Welcome back to DIY Calendars! We’re so glad you’ve stopped by this month. Be sure to take a look at what the rest of the crew has created for October.

  • Stamps: Branching Out, Everyday You and Me
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Timid Tiger, Old Olive, Pecan Pie, Pretty Peacock, Blackberry Bliss
  • Accessories: DIY Calendar Template, Stampin’ Dimensionals

October is always a bit of a predicament for me. I don’t want to look at a Halloween motif all month, although I know some of you have already had your decorations up for 3 weeks. 😉Maui doesn’t really have fall colors, and we don’t wear fuzzy sweaters either. But we do have lots of beautiful plants, and I ultimately chose my colors based on what’s in my garden.

I used Everyday You & Me, an older set currently on the Last Chance List, with Branching Out, a new set from the September – December 2025 Mini Catalog. Both have smaller foliage elements that combined surprisingly well. I confess there are no pine cones in my garden, but my Royal Poinciana has massive pods, and I decided that was close enough. Did I give you enough fall vibes??

Everyday You & Me is available as stamps, dies and a bundle. The bundle is NOT discounted, but the stamps and dies are. And the LAST CHANCE page has been updated today! Check it out.

Click the button to travel through the Blog Hop and see what my crafty friends have created in October. We’re so glad you’ve joined us!

Would you like to make your own DIY Calendars? The template is just $6. Visit my secure page to make your purchase. (You can also find the page on the banner across the top of my home page.) You’ll receive links to download the templates in an email after you’ve paid. You’ll need to cut and paste those links into your browser. (You may need to check your spam folder to find that email.)

You are only purchasing a template, which you can download and print for your personal use. I hope you’ll enjoy!!

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ADD LAYERS FOR A CONEFLOWER BIRTHDAY

I’ve had the Coneflower Celebrations bundle for a while, but as sometimes happens, I was busy with other things and left it languishing on the shelf. I decided it was time to see if I could play with the 3D aspect of the dies.

  • Stamps: Coneflower Celebrations
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Pecan Pie, Garden Green
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Coneflower Celebrations Dies, Linen Thread, Blender Pen, Blending Brush, Dauber, Wink of Stella

I used three different dies for the flowers. One layered the top set of petals and needed nothing more than a bit of ink – I brushed on Crushed Curry and daubed a little Pecan Pie on the edges.

The second layer went underneath. You can stamp one side and run it through the Stamp Cut and Emboss Machine with the double sided die, but then you need to align that image for the second side. These stamps are photopolymer, so it’s pretty easy. These petals had color added as well – you can see the difference in the top part of the two-sided flower.

The final die is the “cap” done in Pecan Pie with a very generous application of Wink of Stella. When all those pieces were assembled, I stamped the leaves and stem and colored them with the Blender Pen, then put it all together.

The final touch was ink splatters – I used a different splat die, then realized that Coneflower Celebrations has a gorgeous splatter! In my house, we call that delayed intelligence. Hope you enjoy! All products are available in the Online Store.

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DIY CALENDAR BLOG HOP: SEPTEMBER 2025 LONG TIME NO SEE

It’s the first of the month, and it’s time for another DIY Calendar! The DIY Team stands ready to inspire you this month and every month. Fun Fact: We do not discuss what we’re doing each month. The other posts are as much a surprise to me as they are to you! Let’s see what’s happening in September.

  • Stamps: Long Time No See, Textured Notes
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Summer Splash, Granny Apple Green, Fresh Freesia, Memento Black
  • Accessories: DIY Calendar Template (2026 is now available! see below), Stamp Cut and Emboss Machine, So Swirly Embossing Folder, Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I’m not usually on the Cute Animal Train, but I made an exception with this set. My husband grew up with dachshunds, and he tells some pretty fabulous stories. When we were first dating, the dachshund in residence was Max, and he was a very stubborn dog. But that’s a story for another time…

If you look carefully, you’ll see the Summer Splash mat is embossed with the So Swirly 3D Embossing Folder. I don’t usually do that, but when I went to find a scrap for the mat, this one was there begging to be chosen. Why not? It’s kind of fun.

Now go and see what the Team has created for September!

Did you think I would forget 2026? I know some of you have been waiting for September!! Yes, the 2026 template is available. You can now purchase and download it right away – no more waiting til it’s daytime in Maui for me to respond 😆

Technology has a price, though. The template will be $6 this year, just 50 cents a month! You’re welcome to print multiple copies for yourself and for gifts. You are purchasing JUST a template: you’ll need to print and trim the pages.

I recommend Stampin’ Up! Basic White standard card stock. My printer doesn’t give me a crisp enough image, so I take my template and my paper to my local print shop. It’s worth the effort. I hope you’ll enjoy making your own DIY Calendar!

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DIY CALENDAR BLOG HOP: AUGUST 2025 CHEERS AND SIPS

Happy August, and welcome back to DIY Calendars! We’re glad you’ve stopped by for a little late-summer inspiration. I’m thinking cool and refreshing adult beverages this month with the Cheers & Sips bundle from our Online Exclusives line.

Mr Maui Stamper is a fabulous bartender. He’s a measure twice, cut once kind of guy anyway, and during the pandemic he put that mindset to creating refreshing adult beverages. He’s become an expert, and I’m always happy to test his new creations!

I had a lot of fun blending watercolors for this card, but not half as much fun as he has blending spirits and mixers. So yes, Cheers to Us!

Click the button to travel through the Blog Hop and see what Sharon, Cheryl and Malia have created in August. We’re so glad you’ve joined us!

Would you like to make your own DIY Calendars? 2025 is still available, and 2026 will be available next month. I know some of you are champing at the bit to get to it!

The template is just $5 – let me know that’s what you want and I’ll send you an invoice. Please tell me you’re a real being in the message box – I’m getting increasing amounts of spam. Everything is done digitally, so you’ll have it quickly.

You are only purchasing a template, which you can download and print for your personal use.

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SUNFLOWER TOTE

The Sunflower 3D Embossing Folder was at the very top of my July Online Exclusives list. It’s the large format 6″ x 8″ folder, so the options are endless for cards as well as 3D projects. I turned it into a sweet little tote.

  • Stamps: Spring Corners
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Darling Duckling, Timid Tiger, Mellow Moss
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Sunflower 3D Embossing Folder, Spotlight on Nature dies, Spring Corner dies, daubers, 25-27 In Color Flat Pearls, Paper Snips (gone 😭), Mossy Meadow 1/4″ Gold Ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals

It’s quick work to color the embossing folder with daubers. I began by dragging my Mossy Meadow ink pad lightly across the side of the embossed card stock where the sunflowers were recessed. (It’s called the debossed side, but who knows that?) Add ink to the design using daubers, and the result is a rustic, homespun look. If that’s not your style, use Stampin’ Blends, Watercolors, or Watercolor Pencils – but it will take a lot longer!

The handles are two big Spotlight on Nature circles, cut with a smaller circle centered inside. TIP: if you use washi tape across the circles, you can get an even and repeatable ring. Just be sure to take some of the stickiness off the washi by pressing it onto whatever you’re wearing once or twice so it doesn’t tear the paper when you remove it. There’s something about sending it through the Stamp Cut and Emboss Machine and smashing the daylights out of it that makes it want to stick to paper.

My tag is hand cut. I used a piece of chipboard from the back of a DSP package to make a pattern for the angles at the top. I snipped the corners with my Paper Snips and added the corner die cut from Spring Corners, along with a tiny 25-27 In Color Flat Pearl. A bow with the Mossy Meadow and Gold ribbon finishes it off!

Paper Snips, we will miss you. 😭😭😭 They sold out in a hot minute after Stampin’ Up! announced that they would no longer be available from the manufacturer. Stay tuned for an update on a replacement. In the meantime, take good care of your Snips!

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DIY CALENDAR BLOG HOP: JULY 2025

I blinked and it was July. We have 6 months of beautiful DIY Calendars behind us, and 6 ahead – so let’s get started with this one! I’m featuring a brand new set, available today, called Perfectly Pears.

  • Stamps: Perfectly Pears
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Old Olive, Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight, Lemon Lolly, Darling Duckling
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut and Emboss Machine, Perfectly Pears dies, DIY Calendar Template, Daubers, Blender Pen, Masking Paper

Not much to this one! The outlines were first, done in Old Olive. I inked the pears in Darling Duckling, then added some Granny Apple Green with a dauber. I gave them the lightest of mists before I put them to paper. The flowers are outlined in Darling Duckling, colored with a Blender Pen in Daffodil Delight and Lemon Lolly. I added Granny Apple Green to the centers because there was a lot of yellow.

I die cut the leaves and added them across the top for a little dimension. I considered die cutting the “front” pear but yeah, nah. The leafy branch isn’t included as a stamp, so it had to be a die cut.

You can find Perfectly Pears in the Online Exclusive release for July. But I’m warning you, there are a lot of glorious new products in the Online Store!

Ready to see what the rest of the DIY team has done? Click the button below to see! And thanks for stopping by this month.

2026 Calendars will be available in September!

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DIY CALENDAR BLOG HOP: June 2025

Welcome to the June DIY Calendar Blog Hop. I took a look at the last few months and decided it was time I focus on something other than FLOWERS. Almost everyone loves them, but I think there can be too much of a good thing! My June calendar is definitely different:

  • Stamps: Along These Lines, Elements of Text
  • Color Palette: Memento Black, Basic White, Secret Sea, Misty Moonlight, Azure Afternoon, Crumb Cake, Smoky Slate
  • Accessories: DIY Calendar Template, Stampin’ Blends, Paper Snips, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I was inspired by Jay Soriano’s blended ocean background. He does a masterful job of creating a smooth transition in his colors. I chose a slightly different palette from Jay, but I followed his technique and was very pleased with the outcome.

If you don’t have Elements of Text, consider adding it to your next order. It’s my GO-TO set whenever I need a little extra something. Well. On a card, anyway. 😉

I fussy cut the dolphin so they would really stand out. I considered masking them, but I was afraid the movement of the brushes might dislodge the masks. They’re small and simple, and fussy cutting allowed me to put one of them up on a dimensional.

Please take a moment to follow along on our hop and see what Malia, Cheryl and Sharon have created for the month of June. We’re very glad you chose to join us!

Would you like to make your own DIY Calendars? The template is just $5 – let me know that’s what you want and I’ll send you an invoice. Please tell me you’re a real being in the message box – I’m getting increasing amounts of spam. Everything is done digitally, so you’ll have it quickly.

You are only purchasing a template, which you can download and print for your personal use.

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