A special gift for mom

Posted on May 20, 2011 by mauistamper

I made a special Mother’s Day gift for my mom this year:

This is the 1 1/2 inch Simply Adorned charm with an insert made with the Charming stamp set. I love that the charms are deep enough to allow a small embellishment like a jewel to fit inside the case, and that the back of the charm is clear so that another image can be viewed from the other side. My plan was to make a set of inserts for my mom to enjoy, and then I stumbled upon this:

This is the front of the project by the incomparable Jackie Topa, and here’s what you find inside:

Turn the page for more…

and still more…

…and there are more pages with Designer Series paper inserts, but I’ll spare you all those details!

Check Jackie’s post for construction details. Working in this tiny format is absolutely addicting, and loads of fun. And to think it all starts with just a little bit of paper and ink!

A Triple Punch

Posted on May 6, 2011 by mauistamper

Do you have the new Summer Mini catalog? It’s full of gorgeous new stamps, and I think it has a nice focus on masculine and travel themed images. We get a little carried away creating things for our feminine selves, don’t you think?

Stampin’ Up! didn’t forget about the Girly stuff though. One of my favorite new products – and there are a few – are the two new Triple Layer Punches. I snapped up the Blossom Boquet in my demonstrator pre-order last month, and now I’m struggling with whether or not I NEED the Doily. Ha! Silly Maui Stamper. Who doesn’t need another punch? Go ahead, raise your hand.

I’m not going to go into detail on these – but they’re all done with the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch. The stems are from the XL Two Step Bird – and no doubt about it, you NEED that one!! I just did like the name said and layered everything together, then added some Crystal Effects in the little windows – you can see it best in the one on the far right.

One thing I do have to add – that Soft Suede Polka Dot ribbon is in the Clearance Rack right now for $3.99. Need I say more?

Here’s what I put inside – and don’t laugh, ok?

This is one of those sad, sad stories about projects that aren’t completed on a timely basis. This is Avon hand cream – and luxurious cream it is – yes, I confess – in Christmas packaging. Just didn’t get to it! Very embarassing, I know. Better late than never, and I certainly didn’t want to wait until Christmas 2011!

Bloomin’ Madness

Posted on April 21, 2011 by mauistamper

The Blossom Petals punch from the Summer Mini catalog inspired me to think about a flowers class…one that would show lots of ways of embellishing with flowers. The Bloomin’ Madness class last Saturday was the result, and one of our projects was a bookmark:

Charming and All Holidays Stamp sets
Shimmer White and Baja Breeze card stock
Baja Breeze and Rose Red Classic ink pads
Big Shot and Two Tags Bigz die
Blossom Petals and 1 inch circle punches
Vintage Flower Adornments
Crop-a-dile
White 5/8 inch satin ribbon
Tombo the Wonder Adhesive

Peggy’s idea was to use this as a bottle tag when you give a gift of wine. I like the way that woman thinks.

When I construct a flower like this, I invariably start with a small circle of cardstock. I get enough Tombo (the Wonder Adhesive) all over my fingers as it is without having to keep track of all the pieces. The punched circle provides a platform to build on so that I can concentrate on getting Tombo on just the ends of my fingers instead of halfway up my arms. (Don’t laugh. It’s been done.)

Those little Adornments have really grown on me – I only have a couple left from the package of 24. They’re not being carried over into the Summer Mini catalog (which I have in my hot little hands) and we can only hope that they’ll make an appearance in the 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog. Honestly, I would love to be in on one of those meetings when they decide what stays and what goes. Is it based on sales? Trends? Shelli’s favorites? A dartboard? Seriously, you’ve got to wonder sometimes. (Don’t get me started on Branch Out.) Make a note of June 1 on your calendar, though, because that’s the traditional release date for the Retirement list for the current year catalog.

Re-use, reduce, recycle

Posted on April 11, 2011 by mauistamper

I was in search of a bigger basket, one that would be sturdy enough to hold more than a couple of pieces of chocolate. I found a beautiful example on Mary Jo Albright’s blog, complete with a tutorial:

Elements of Style stamp set
Marina Mist and Rose Red card stock
Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper
the stiff white 12 x 12 sheets that come in the back of the Stampin’ Up! DSP package
Marina Mist Classic ink pad
Victoria Crochet Trim; Tombo the Wonder Adhesive
Vintage Flowers Adornments; brads
Big Shot and Scallop Envelope and Fun Flowers Bigz dies

You read that right – this basket is made from the Scallop Envelope cut out of the stiff white sheets from the back of the package of the DSP. I stamped on them to disguise them , and I was pleased with how strong they made the project. And it’s so green!

I really need to go back and give this basket a little step-up treatment. It was a club project, and I knew we would be challenged to finish in the amount of time we have, so I left the handle pretty plain. We did make a layered flower to put on the top, but it looks a little lonesome sitting there by itself.

I wanted the bottom to be finished, and I also wanted to stabilize the base to make the basket sturdy. I cut a hexagon from Marina Mist to put inside, and a second one to finish the bottom. Wow. It looks so simple, written like that. Have you tried to cut a hexagon lately? A nice, symmetrical one? Let’s just say it’s been a long time since geometry! I tried a number of techniques, but in the end I do what I generally end up doing: I winged it. And for being winged, I thought it came out pretty well:

Ha – oops, you can see my stitches. I get teased all the time because I like to sew things on. I hate it when things fall off!! Just don’t look too closely at my hexagon, ok?

Why you shouldn’t roast Peeps

Posted on April 7, 2011 by mauistamper

I have permission to share this with you:

That’s what a Peep looks like when it’s been roasted at Girl Scout camp! And if that isn’t the perfect sweatshirt for a Girl Scout Leader, I don’t know what is. The best part was when Cheryl started to eat it…but I think I was doubled over laughing so hard I didn’t get that photo.

Moving on…

Well Scripted (Retired) stamp set
Pear Pizazz, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White and Pretty in Pink card stock
Pear Pizazz Classic ink pad
Scallop oval, large oval and oval punches
Pear Pizazz 1/2 inch stitched poly ribbon and white crochet thread
Ice Cream Parlor (retired) buttons
Big Shot, Scallop Circle Bigz, Petals a Plenty Embossing folder and Beautiful Wings embosslit
Tombo, the wonder adhesive

I would love to tell you that I came up with this idea myself but I cannot tell a lie; I did not. Brenda, aka QBee, designed this deceivingly simple basket and even made a video tutorial that is clear and very easy to follow. Please check out QBee’s Quest, and tell her I sent you. She put the little handle across the narrow portion of the basket, but I switched it to the wide end. It’s cute either way.

Here’s another view:

You could make a bunch of these very quickly, because once you’ve done one you can do oodles. These would be very cute little Easter place card holders, filled with chocolates (aaack! no!!) or an Easter egg on a bed of grass.

A Paper Carrot for Peter

Posted on April 6, 2011 by mauistamper

I’ve been on a basket theme lately. There was the basket class, and the basket club, and a few other baskets that I did just for fun. Here’s one from the class:

Teeny Tiny Wishes, Woodgrain and Forest Friends stamp sets
Pumpkin Pie, Peach Parfait, Early Espresso and Whisper White card stock
Play Date and Ice Cream Parlor (SAB) Designer Series Papers
Pumpkin Pie and Early Espresso Classic ink pads; Versamark ink pad
1 1/4, 1 3/8, 1 3/4 inch circle punches; 2 1/2 inch scallop circle punch
Crop-a-dile and Pear Pizazz Seam Binding
Embossing powder and heat tool; Pearl Jewels; Stampin’ Sponge
Big Shot and Petal Cone Bigz die

I’m still on my “carrot” kick, and I’ll confess I had a lot of fun with this project. I thought the Woodgrain background stamp was perfect for carrot texture.

Looks like I need to find some tangerine Jelly Bellies to put in a cello bag and tuck into the cone. Actually, I need to bring Jelly Bellies into my house about as much as I need the proverbial hole in my head. I’m a nibbler, and little candies like Jelly Bellies or Dove Chocolate eggs (Dark Chocolate, please) or little snack size ANYTHINGS are my downfall. I’ve actually purchased some Easter candy, but it’s well hidden. I purchased it because when you live on a small island if you see something you want you’d better buy it Now. Heaven forbid we arrive at Easter and the only things left on Mr. Safeway’s shelves are the yucky kind of jelly beans and Peeps.

Speaking of Peeps…I don’t eat them, my kids don’t eat them, but I generally buy a package for each kid and put them in their baskets just to be silly. About 5 years ago, I took a group of high-school aged Girl Scouts to camp and at the last minute threw in a couple of boxes of Peeps with the marshmellows for our campfire. Honestly, you have never seen anything so strange as a roasted Peep – except perhaps for the look on Cheryl’s face when she decided to eat one. (I have no idea what posessed her to attempt such a thing.) According to Cheryl, not only are roasted Peeps vile, but they do this kind of foaming thing. I wouldn’t know.

Honestly…I’d better quit now. Such a ridiculous story, and I haven’t even gotten to the part about the Roasted-Peep contest at my son’s birthday party.

A tisket, a tasket

Posted on April 4, 2011 by mauistamper

Try to get away for a little anniversary weekend and what happens? Captain Stupidhead thinks he’s been abandoned (he wasn’t, my son was here) and hasn’t left me alone for a second today. He’s like a two-year-old, and if you could see me this very minute you would see his big orange cat-self leaning on the keyboard. In case I miss that, he gets up every few minutes and sticks his head in my face. This has the effect of showering me with cat hair, which is oh-so-pleasant. (It’s better than him yawning, because his cat-breath is indescribable.)

Earlier today, when I was putting dishes away, he wrapped himself around my legs and cried like a baby. I swear he’s saying “UP! UUUUUPPPP!!” in that briefly endearing but quickly annoying way that toddler’s have. Prior to that, I was trying to take some photos for you:

This is the “before” basket, a 2-4-6-8 basket trimmed with retired Designer Series Paper bits and pieces run through the Big Shot with the Tasteful Trim die. I had a better idea and my plan was to show you the two projects, but I had “help”:

The photo is blurry because he is in motion, rapidly approaching my “photo shoot”. This is after a lot of whining and winding around under my feet. Since I failed to acknowledge him, it became necessary to move in a little closer.

I’m attempting the photo of the second basket, but it’s impossible to get a picture because A) there is a cat in the way and B) he is giving me the “head-butt” treatment so it is impossible to focus the camera.

I tossed him to the floor but he must have hit the trampoline, because before I could get a photo HE WAS BAAACK.

However, I’m experienced in the art of diversion and found some shreddies for him. They make a great rustling sound, which always gets his attention, and I can get them to wiggle just a bit which means he has to inspect.

He’s checking the shreddies to see if they’re tasty. This photo cracks me up, because he looks like a fat orange Easter bunny – sans the ears.

Flourish stamp set
So Saffron and Bashful Blue card stock; retired Designer Series Papers
So Saffron Classic ink pad
Designer Button and Pretty in Pink 1/8 taffeta ribbon
Oval Scallop Frame and Tasteful Trim XL Bigz dies and the Big Shot
Eyelet border punch
brads (to attach the handle)

THIS is the project I was trying to photograph. I apologize for the crimped handle, but as you can imagine, I was happy to get this picture as it was. The Flourish stamp set is one of the single stamps that were available as a Sale-a-bration option, and you can see it better from the side. You realize, of course, there isn’t a photo of the side.

And yes, Mr. Maui Stamper and I had a lovely weekend on Lanai celebrating our 30th anniversary, which is actually today. We stayed at the amazing Lodge at Koele, and did whatever we felt like doing. Apparently next year we will be expected to take a companion with us. Oh, as if that would ever happen.

P.S. Ha! Just as I was about to click publish, he leaned over and hit the speakerphone button with his chin. It’s very childish of me, but I always crack up when he does this as the dial tone is loud and he looks around to see who or what did this annoying thing. Serves him right. Knucklehead.

It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s a…carrot??

Posted on March 31, 2011 by mauistamper

Here’s Not Quite Ready For Carrot Time candidate #2:

French Script stamp set
Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizazz and Always Artichoke card stock
Pumpkin Pie Classic ink pad
Big Shot, Petal Cone Bigz Die, Beautiful Wings Embosslit
Scallop Circle punch, gold brad, Always Artichoke Seam Binding

I tried a number of arrangements but finally had to content myself with these carrot-crazed butterflies – they looked better in my head than on paper. Don’t you hate it when that happens? It’s always fun to play with all of the butterflies you end up with using the Beautiful Wings Embosslit – each crank of the Big Shot turns out 5 from itty bitty to thunb-sized, and I confess that I love just seeing them heaped up on my desk.

Captain Stupidhead has been especially needy recently. He was really stressed out by all the noise and disruption that Builder Dan brought indoors, and now that the house is quiet he spends too much time worrying about where I am and what I am doing (and why it does not involve scratching his head). I was trying to apply some rub-ons yesterday afternoon, and he kept shoving his head against my hand. He ruined 3 rub-ons that way, pushing them out of alignment while I was trying to rub them in place. Big Baby. If he could have his way, I would hold him and brush him and feed him and open/close/open/close the door all day long. He is seriously mis-informed.

Renovation Update

Posted on March 30, 2011 by mauistamper

It’s too dark to take photos, but Builder Dan has been packed up for a week and things are slowly but surely returning to normal. There are no longer extraneous pieces of furniture in my living room, the Room Formerly Known as Carol’s Room now contains a bed complete with bedding, and my gorgeous stamping space is orderly enough that I can once again create without saying bad words.

A few things are MIA, most importantly my “handmade by Anne Matasci” stamp. I’m sure it will turn up eventually, but tonight I ordered a new one as I’m not willing to waste any more time searching for the old one. Of course, since I’ve placed the order, the old one will miraculously appear in front of my face. Never fails.

My son thinks my stamping room and its beautiful, broad work space are a perfect place for doing homework. The first night he worked up there he asked if it would be okay, but since then he just disappears and pretends he doesn’t hear me when I come into the room. He has a desk, mind you, it’s just piled with so much, um, STUFF that he can’t sit there. So be it. I can share for now.

I do have a project to share:

Texture Jumbo Stampin’ Around Wheel
Peach Parfait, Old Olive, and Pumpkin Pie card stock
Peach Parfait Classic ink pad
Big Shot and Petal Cone Bigz die
2 Step XL Bird punch; Boho Blossoms punch
Pearl Jewels; Crop-a-dile; Tombo the Wonder Adhesive
Old Olive 1/4 inch grosgrain and Linen thread

I made a series of Petal Cones that were supposed to be “carrot-like” but in my opinion they failed to look like any vegetable whatsoever. I still like the way they turned out, I just don’t think they have any resemblance to carrots! This one is pretty simple – I rolled the card stock with the wheel, assembled the cone, and attached miles and miles of little green stems and a whole bunch of Pumpkin Pie Blossoms using Tombo (whatever did we do before Tombo??). The “carrot top” is 8 pieces of grosgrain folded over, with one piece measured double the length and folded twice to make a loop. I wrapped the whole thing with one more piece of grosgrain and tied a tight knot, then used Linen Thread to attach it to the top of the Petal Cone die. Somehow it works as most of the grosgrain stands upright, but the pieces closest to the outside of the bunch flop over. Not a very sophisticated description, is it?

One last thought…because this renovation involved so many rooms in our house, I had to empty closets that hadn’t seen the light of day in a while. Who knew that I had collected so much memorabilia? I’ve had the best intentions to scrapbook so many things…trips, milestones, family photos…you know what I’m talking about. All of those boxes are carefully stacked in the guest room, and beginning next week I will sort through SOMETHING every day. My goal is to sift through and keep the meaningful mementos, then give myself the freedom to discard the junk. I’ll keep you posted.

Thinking in blue and green

Posted on February 24, 2011 by mauistamper

There’s a color thread running through my days:

Bliss (Sale-a-bration) stamp set
Old Olive, Whisper White, Marina Mist, Pear Pizazz and Night of Navy card stock
Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper
Old Olive, Marina Mist and Night of Navy Classic ink pads
Old Olive taffeta 3/8 inch ribbon
Piercing tool, template and mat
Sticky Strip and Mini Glue Dots
Corner rounder punch

DANG! I just noticed that I rounded the corners of the cover and not the DSP panel!! I really don’t like it when I miss details like that. Back to the drawing board!

Ah, but I still like this cover for my Circa Notebook. I love shades of blue and green together. Even the vivid tones seem restful to me, and using natural elements like flowers and butterflies enhance the peaceful feeling. Good thing, because when I open those pages and see all the stuff on my list, I can use a little deep breathing! Nothing ventured, nothing gained – so I put it all on my lists and put the pedal to the metal!

One little construction note for you…the Old Olive taffeta ribbon is laid down on Sticky Strip, with a little flap created above each butterfly panel. After the panels were attached, I added a Mini Glue dot under the ribbon flap to make it stay down. It’s more 3-dimensional in person.

I’m off to tackle my list!

The Maui Stamper

papercrafts, my stories, and the occasional insight

Category Archives: 3-D

A special gift for mom

A Triple Punch

Bloomin’ Madness

Re-use, reduce, recycle

Why you shouldn’t roast Peeps

A Paper Carrot for Peter

A tisket, a tasket

It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s a…carrot??

Renovation Update

Thinking in blue and green

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