Fall Colors in the Flower Shop

Posted on October 1, 2014 by mauistamper

This year for my October Easel Calendar I decided to take a break from Halloween:

I mean, Halloween is a lot of fun – and it’s a Really Big Deal in Hawaii – but I just couldn’t bring myself to look at spiders all month. Can you relate to that?

Stamps: Flower Shop
Color Palette: Crushed Curry, Tangerine Tango, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Pansy punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Crystal Effects

When I first order Flower Shop (AND the Pansy punch, of course – this kind of thing goes without saying) I discovered that Stampin’ Up! had pulled a bit of a fast one on us. The flower – and the punched image – are NOT symmetrical. You can’t just stamp that flower and punch it out any ol’ which-a-way. I developed a solution and posted a mini-tutorial: you can check it out HERE.

Take a look and see what Cheryl and Crystal have done with their calendars this month. We all hope you enjoy our mini-tour!

Today is also DAY 1 of Stamp, Stock and Save. Card stock, ink, adhesive and envelopes are discounted 15%, and a select group of stamps has 20% savings. This deal lasts only until October 6, so don’t miss it! Get all the details HERE.

It’s RemARKably Scary Fun!

Posted on September 11, 2014 by mauistamper

Welcome to the September RemARKable Blog tour – our theme is Scary Fun this month! Crafters are always thinking a month or two in advance, although some of us (names omitted to protect the innocent) don’t actually DO anything until the last minute 🙂

Let’s start with little treats:

The Tiny Treat boxes are 2″ all the way around – not too big and not too small. Just the right size for Halloween-sized chocolate!

These monsters from Freaky Friends remind me of Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak – an all time favorite in the Stamper Household!

The Very Vanilla panel is 1 5/8″ wide and 9″ long. There are two small holes in the lid which I used to thread the Two-Tone trim. I had help, too:

One more treat package:

The Decorative masks – Stripes and Dots or Hearts and Stars – are some of my favorites from the 2014-2015 catalog. A couple of minutes with a dauber and POW! Magic!

Did you see the images stamped right on the clothespin? We have big ones now, too!

Last but not least, a Halloween card to share a giggle. In my case, there’s a long story behind a broken vacuum in the Stamper household, and the broom really is getting a workout.

The goofy owl sees that broom and is worried it may be destined for her.

This cat, however, is smart enough to stay out of the way! All images are from Freaky Friends with the exception of the ticket from That’s the Ticket.

Now you’re off to Audra Monk’s Crafty Yogi to see what she has to share! Hope you’ve enjoyed this month’s RemARKable tour – Pin us, leave comments, share the love!

Here’s the full tour lineup:

Nancy Amato – http://stampinallnight.blogspot.com/2014/09/remarkable-pinworthy-blog-tour-scary-fun.html

Missy Bolinger – http://www.creativeblessingsbymissy/remarkable-pinworthy-blog-tour-scary-fun.blogspot.com

Tamra Davis –

Connie Deibler- http://www.conniestamps.com/2014/09/remarkable-scary-fun.htm

Anne Matasci – http://wp.me/pCcBw-1Jc You are HERE!

Audra Monk – http://thecraftyyogi.blogspot.com/2014/09/scary-fun-remarkables-blog-hop.html

Maria Pane – http://stampinandscrappinwithriri.blogspot.com/2014/09/scary-fun-remarkable-stampers-pinworthy.html

Andi Potler – http://www.absolutekreations.com/2014/09/11/remarkable-pinworthy-blog-tour-scary-fun

Michele Reynolds – http://inspirationink.typepad.com/inspiration-ink/2014/09/scary-fun-pinworthy-blog-tour.html

Pam Staples – http://wp.me/p3p2VA-MT

Janet Wakeland http://wp.me/pHIQD-6N0

Welcome to my Zoo

Posted on September 1, 2014 by mauistamper

September…it used to be all about back-to-school, but most Maui Scholars have been in the classroom for a month already!

I’ll confess that the phrase “what a zoo” entered my mind when I thought about back-to-school. You’ll never see these 3 characters in a zoo!

Stamp set: Zoo Babies
Color Palette: Rich Razzleberry, Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive

Did you notice the banner across the top? I did something I’ve never attempted before…I doodled it.

Take a look and see what Cheryl and Crystal have done with their calendars this month. I’m sure you’ll enjoy our mini-tour!

Bags for all Seasons

Posted on August 21, 2014 by mauistamper

My most faithful customers got a little something extra this month:

I’ve had the Decorative Masks (Hearts & Stars #133777, Dots and Stripes #133775) for a while and I’ve had this project in mind even longer! It was very easy to do and I’m pleased with the results.

The masks are quite inexpensive – $2.95! – and they’re very easy to work with. I used blue painter’s tape to hold them in place, and daubers to apply the ink straight from the ink pad. My bags were bigger than the masks and I found it very easy to line up the images in order to work across the full width of the bags.

I stamped the initials with the Larger Than Life Letters and Numbers (#135382) and layered them onto a coordinating Starburst Framelit (#1329670). A little bit of coordinating ribbon finished it off.

We have an ordinance in Maui County prohibiting the use of lightweight plastic bags, so these re-usable canvas bags are just the thing for catalogs, supplies and (of course) new product! Shop HERE to make your own – it takes less than 20 minutes!

Would you like to get these products – and EVERYTHING ELSE you choose – at a discount EVERY TIME you shop? Consider becoming a demonstrator – from August 21 to 28 you’ll get $150 worth of Stampin’ Up! product of your choice – plus all the business supplies you need to get started – for $99. It’s a great value, and there’s no risk and no long-term commitment. Learn more HERE or message me with your questions. Don’t miss this sweet opportunity – it’s a decision you won’t regret! ONE WEEK ONLY.

One more tag…

Posted on August 18, 2014 by mauistamper

This one is from Collage Tag Class a couple of weeks ago:

Stamps: Kinda Eclectic
Color Palette: Crumb Cake, Hello Honey, Blackberry Bliss, Coastal Cabana, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Big Shot and Apothecary Accents Framelits, Vintage Faceted Buttons, Tea Lace Doilies, Jute Ribbon, Elegant and Bitty Butterfly punches, Crumb Cake Seam Binding, Coastal Cabana Thick Twine

This is an “everything but the kitchen sink” kind of tag. In class, everyone had a lot of fun adapting and improvising – which is the name of the game!

One little detail I should point out: I pulled out the stitching on the side of the jute ribbon (yeah, I’ll admit it – it was a pain) in order to unravel the ribbon to create this fringe. It was worth the trouble.

Shop for supplies HERE.

A Tag Makes the Package

Posted on August 16, 2014 by mauistamper

I’m in love with all of our 2014-2015 Host Stamps – this one is I Like You, and it’s a natural to color with Blendabilities!

I chose Rich Razzleberry for the flowers to compliment the retired ribbon from ages ago, and added a bit of Daffodil Delight and Old Olive for accent. It was a very quick, easy tag to put together and I think it makes the package!

Shop for Blendabilities HERE

A Sweet and Feminine Tag

Posted on August 11, 2014 by mauistamper

One of the tags we made in the Collage Tags class a week ago was this Blush Blossom confection:

Stamps: Dictionary, Gorgeous Grunge, Kinda Eclectic, Mixed Bunch, Flower Shop, Four You
Color Palette: Blush Blossom, Whisper White, Soft Suede, Old Olive
Accessories: Big Shot and Ovals Framelits, Blossom, Pansy and Petite Petals punches, Little Labels Punch Pack, Antique Brads, White Bakers Twine, Old Olive 1/8″ Taffeta Ribbon, 5/8″ Organza Ribbon, Stampin’ Sponges

Everyone’s tags turned out a little differently – because everyone stamps a little differently! Collage is such a fun technique, but it does take a LOT of different images to work.

The flower is punched and stacked. I used a birthday greeting on this one, but it would be a beautiful bridal or baby shower tag too. Have fun with it!

August 2014 DIY Easel Calendar: For the Birds

Posted on August 1, 2014 by mauistamper

It’s summer, glorious summer! Here’s my August 2014 Easel Calendar page:

I’m so glad For the Birds carried over into the 2014-2015 Annual Catalog. I love these whimsical little images!! And if you’ve got a sharp eye, you’ll realize I’ve colored this with my Blendabilities. They are my absolute go-to choice for coloring!

Take a look and see what Cheryl and Crystal have done with their calendars this month. I’m sure you’ll enjoy our mini-tour!

Oh, and here are the Weekly Deals good through Monday August 4:

Inspire.Create.Share.2014: Collage Tags

Posted on July 16, 2014 by mauistamper

Shhh…don’t tell…this is a Convention Swap sneak peek:

Stamps: An Open Heart, Project Life Point and Click, Project Life Day to Day, Postage Due, World Map, Gorgeous Grunge
Color Palette: Naturals Ivory, Mossy Meadow, Calypso Coral, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, So Saffron, Encore Gold
Accessories: Circles Framelits, Aqua Painter, Linen Thread, 3/4″ and 1/2″ circle punches, 1/4″ hand held punch, 7/8″ Cotton ribbon, 3/8″ Stitched Satin ribbon, Thick Bakers Twine, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Although there are a lot of different elements to this tag, none of them are difficult to execute. I did fussy-cut the bird (LOVE THE BIRD) but World Cup soccer came to the rescue there. (I’m grateful it happened when it did as it was my entertainment while I was sick for 5 days, but I’m glad it’s over. Sheesh. That was a lot of Futbol.)

I’m really excited to see the tags the other swappers have to share! Convention is always such a great source of inspiration.

If you live – or will be visiting – Maui, I’m offering a Collage Tag class on Sunday, August 2nd from 1 to 3pm. We’ll make this tag and two others – let me know if you’d like to join us!