September 2021 DIY: Hand-Penned Petals

Posted on September 1, 2021 by mauistamper

Don’t put any money on this yet, but I think Hand Penned Petals may be my favorite set from the 21-22 Annual Catalog. I love the images, and what’s more, they are REALLY fun to color with Stampin’ Blends.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up September 2021 DIY Easel Calendar Hand Penned Petals

Stamps: Hand Penned Petals
Color Palette: Basic White, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Shaded Spruce, Black
Accessories: Stampin’ Blends, Big Boss, Penned Flowers dies, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Multi-Purpose Glue, Paper Snips, Blending Brushes

Because this image doesn’t quite fill the space, I was looking for something subtle to add behind it. I tried various leaves and backgrounds, but even when I used a very light hand it felt like too much. The moment I realized this was a perfect job for Blending Brushes, I knew I’d found what I needed.

I did a bit of fussy cutting and layered the flowers and leaves. It’s absolutely not necessary as this image stands on its own very well, but I was in a moooood.

Please take a moment to visit Cheryl and Crystal and see their September 2021 DIY Easel calendars!

And, yes, I’m happy to announce that today I have the 2022 DIY Calendar PDF available for sale. Click on Contact the Maui Stamper and send me your email and I’ll invoice you. It’s just $5, and you’re welcome to create for your own use as well as for sale, but please don’t share the PDF. Share the link to this post and encourage your friends to support a small business instead. You’ll feel so much better if you do.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up SALE-a-bration 2021 8-3 to 9-30

Today begins Month #2 of SALE-a-bration 2021 #2! Your qualifying order earns exclusive merchandise free of charge, including Beautifully Penned 12×12 Designer Series Paper. It coordinates perfectly with the Hand Penned stamps.That’s what you expect from Stampin’ Up!, right?

Shop HERE.

Penguin Place: August 2021 DIY Calendar

Posted on August 1, 2021 by mauistamper

In just a couple of days, Penguin Place – and a host of other new designs – will be available in the Online Store. I gave these little aquatic artists a tropical look. Who said penguins have to wear black?

Maui Stamper Stampin Up August 2021 DIY Easel Calendar Penguin Place

Stamps: Penguin Place
Color Palette: Basic White, Bermuda Bay, Polished Pink, Highland Heather, Daffodil Delight, Basic Black, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Penguin Builder Punch, Paper Snips, Glue Dots, Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Write marker, gold thread, sponge, Tombo Multipurpose Glue

I tried a number of penguin accessories, but in the end, I liked the fishing pole best. I used my paper snips to cut the thinnest strip possible from Crumb Cake card stock. I put a few tiny drops of Tombo on the back and gently placed a single strand teased from gold thread into place. I laid that into the penguin hand/paw/wing and then used a glue dot to position a fish I created with Polished Pink Stampin’ Blends.

I’m pretty pleased with that fish, because the entire reason I fell in love with rubber stamps is that I do not like the way I draw.

Choosing the direction of the gaze of each penguin ended up being a LOT of fun – I can see more stories to tell playing with that concept!

Please stop by and see what Crystal and Cheryl have to share for August! If you’re ready to shop, I’d be delighted to serve you as your demonstrator – shop HERE.

I’ve had a few enquiries about the 2022 calendar pdf. Never fear, it’s in the works and will be released in September.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up July Designer Series Paper Sale

TWO MORE DAYS TO SAVE ON DESIGNER SERIES PAPER!! DON’T MISS OUT – SEE IT HERE.

Flowers of Friendship: July 2021 DIY Calendar

Posted on July 1, 2021 by mauistamper

Flowers of Friendship is a brand new stamp-and-punch bundle in the 2021-2022 Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog and it caught my eye the moment I turned the page. This wasn’t my vision at that moment, but as I thought about my July calendar I imagined these bright colors:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Flowers of Friendship DIY Easel Calendar July 2021

Stamps: Flowers of Friendship, Forever Fern
Color Palette: Basic White, Daffodil Delight, Highland Heather, Polished Pink
Accessories: Flowers and Leaves punch, Playing with Patterns Resin Dots, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Water Painter, Ink refill

I chose to watercolor these flowers. I would have gotten different results had I thought to stamp and punch them from watercolor paper, but that’s not what happened today. You see, I’ve embarked on a massive project: I am giving my craft room the full KonMari. As a result, crafting has taken a bit of a back seat, and crafting supplies are no longer where they used to be.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Empty Craft Room

I removed EVERYTHING from the craft room and heaped it in the hallway and the bedroom across the hall. Once everything was out I cleaned (massive clouds of cat hair, UGH.) There was also an astonishing amount of adhesive stuck to everything: countertops, floors, cabinets, you name it. Apparently when I get tired I throw glue dots at the wall! Slowly but surely I have been returning things with intention. I haven’t exactly used the “spark joy” technique, but I am being very discriminating about what goes back, and I’m thinking carefully about where things go. I’ve been at this for nearly 2 weeks and I’m not done.

The good news is that today I’ve made something, and that means that at least some things are where they belong! It’s quite satisfying to work in an orderly space – the chaos has been very discouraging.

And oh, did I love working with these summery colors! This flower reminds me of clematis, although I’ve never seen a vine with all of these colors. The July calendar will be a joy to see all month long.

If you’re as smitten with Flowers of Friendship as I am, head over to the Online Store. You can purchase select DSP on sale this month while you’re there! And please take a look at the July calendars that Cheryl and Crystal have created this month – I know you’ll be delighted by their talent.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up July 2021 DSP sale

I’ve had a couple of requests for the 2022 DIY template. It will be available late this summer or in the early fall. I’ll be sure to let you know here, and if you’ve purchased in the past, you’ll get an email to notify you it’s ready for sale.

Friends Are Like Seashells: June 2021 DIY

Posted on June 1, 2021 by mauistamper

When I realized I had yet to create a seashells calendar I had a moment of disbelief: how had I neglected that? Never fear, the situation is remedied. And June is a lovely month to think of seashells and sandy shores and all things beachy:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Friends Are Like Seashells DIY Calendar June 2021 — Friends A

Stamps: Friends Are Like Seashells
Color Palette: Basic White, Petal Pink, Soft Succulent, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Big Boss, Seashells dies, Blending Brushes, Stampin Dimensionals, Wink of Stella, Silver and Clear Epoxy Essentials, Water Painter

I was inspired by a very talented Aussie demonstrator named Narelle Farrugia. She’s on the Artisan Design Team for Stampin’ Up!, and when you see her work it’s clear why she earned that opportunity. Check out her work – I’m sure she’ll inspire you!

I used Petal Pink and the Blending Brushes to create a soft, tropical background, and used the Brushes on some of those die cut images as well to soften them. Color is a never-ending experiment for me, which is one of the reasons I love stamping so much. I don’t have to draw – and I’ve never been happy with the results when I do – so stamping allows me to focus on the parts that I like. These die cut images are layered with dimensionals and multi-purpose glue to create a little dimension on this tiny canvas.

I’m looking forward to seeing these seashells each day in my crafting space. I’m in the midst of a re-organization, and that’s messy work. These soothing colors and reminders of the beach will help me keep my focus.

Maui Stamper Last Chance 2021 January-June

There are FABULOUS savings beginning today on the products featured in the January – June 2021 mini catalog. Do not hesitate – these deals will fly off the webpage! Shop HERE.

If you’d like your own printable 2021 calendar pdf, please contact me with your email. It’s $5 and you can print as many as you’d like! I know there are early-birds out there, but the 2022 pdf won’t be ready until the fall. I promise to let you know as soon as it is.

Stop by to see what Cheryl and Crystal have done for June – every month we have a teeny DIY calendar blog tour! And if you’d like to do add the Seashell stamps, dies, and embossing folder to your crafty stash, shop HERE.

….annnnd a little dose of Vitamin Sea from a sweaty but very happy Maui Stamper!! Mr. Maui Stamper and I have a tandem bike and take it out most Sundays for a spin. This past Sunday was especially gorgeous, even by Maui standards!

Sweet Strawberry: May 2021 DIY

Posted on May 1, 2021 by mauistamper

It’s time for fresh strawberries: strawberry shortcake, strawberry pie, strawberries eaten out of your hand with the juice running down! The Sweet Strawberry bundle is sadly on the not available list right now, but when it comes in, you’ll want to be first in line to get yours! I shared a strawberry card on Wednesday, and today I’ve made the May DIY calendar with the same images:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up May 2021 Sweet Strawberry DIY Calendar

Stamps: Sweet Strawberry, Natural Textures (21-22 Host Rewards stamp)
Color Palette: Basic White, Poppy Parade, Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight, Gray Granite
Accessories: Strawberry Punch, Pearl Jewels, Stampin Dimensionals, clear raindrops from the craft archive (pretty sure it was a long past Paper Pumpkin)

Can I just say that Poppy Parade could easily be renamed Sweet Strawberry? I’m not very good with alliteration, but the folks at the Head Office seem to have made it an art form.

The designs in the about-to-be-released Natural Textures stamp set are right up my alley. I stamped off the Gray Granite in this case because I wanted to showcase the berries. These textural images will be heaps of fun.

Cheryl and Crystal have a calendar to share with you too! Please stop by and give them a little blog-love. If you’d like to make your own 2021 DIY calendar, it’s just $5. Click Contact the Maui Stamper and give me your email address, and I’ll send you an invoice.

You have just 2 more days to shop the Retiring List, which would be terribly sad except that it means we are about to have access to the ENTIRE new 2021-2022 Annual Catalog! I am ready to fill my cart – how about you?

Beautiful Friendship: April 2021 DIY

Posted on April 1, 2021 by mauistamper

My heart stopped for just a moment when I saw that Beautiful Friendship would retire with the 2020-2021 Annual Catalog. I’ve made so many cards with this set (look HERE and HERE for examples) and I’ll miss these soft, color-saturated images and the sentiments that go with them. Today I’ll give you one last look at this Beautiful Stamp Set:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Beautiful Friendship DIY Easel Calendar April 2021

Stamps: Beautiful Friendship (retiring), Friends Are Like Seashells (dots)
Color Palette: Rococo Rose (retiring), Pear Pizazz, So Saffron, Seaside Spray (retiring)
Accessories: Paper Snips, Dimensionals, Wink of Stella, Pearls

I love the tiniest pearls on our sheet o’ pearls. They are almost lost on most projects, but these calendars are perfectly sized for them. The Wink of Stella looks a little bold in this photo, but it’s really pretty subtle.

You can see everything available in the Last Chance Product Sale HERE. These products are absolutely while supplies last, so if you love it, nab it – or you’ll have to let it go.

I invite you to stop by and see what Crystal and Cheryl have designed for their April calendars. If you’d like to make your own, I sell a pdf for just $5 – Contact Me with your email address and I’ll send you an invoice. (They print out perfectly – it’s my rat-fink-printer that doesn’t play well.)

Pretty Perennials: March 2021 DIY

Posted on March 1, 2021 by mauistamper

Pretty Perennials was my favorite sneak-peek stamp set in the January-June mini catalog, but as with all things topsy turvy in 2021, it has been waiting patiently for ink. As of today, it’s got it in the DIY Calendar for March!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Pretty Perennials DIY Easel Calendar March 2021

Stamps: Pretty Perennials
Color Palette: Basic White, Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Big Boss (Stampin Cut and Emboss), Perennials Petals dies, Stampin’ Sponge, Blue Adhesive-backed gem, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I wanted a soft look behind my die cuts, especially because I was working with tone-on-tone. I attempted to get the look I wanted with the stamping off technique, but with this type of screened stamp, the resulting image was irregular (ok, truth: when I saw it I exclaimed “now that’s UGLY!”)

Instead, I sponged the ink onto the stamp. It gave me the softer impression I wanted without going all ugly on me. The largest flower is in Pool Party, but the other two are Coastal Cabana. In the photo, you can’t see any difference and might wonder why I would go to that trouble, but in person it’s different. You’ll just have to trust me on that.

The little dots in the center of the 4 petal flowers are from the center of the 6 petal flowers. Perfect serendipity! I think I will go back and make them shiny with a splash from the Fine Tip Glue pen, but here in Hawaii it takes a loonnnnng time for that to dry, and I don’t want to take a chance of smudging it while I’m taking photos and such. March has 31 days, I’ll be good!

I still have the 2021 pdf available for $5. Click on Contact the Maui Stamper and send me your email address, and I’ll send an invoice via Square. These calendars are the perfect tiny canvas for inspiring new ideas – I have a dozen projects lined up now!

Hop on over to see what Cheryl and Crystal are doing for March. “Winter” is over here in the islands (unless you live above the 4000 foot level on the mountain) so it’s time to put the A/C back on! Yes, we have seasons – right now we’re in whale season, and it’s nearly lychee season! You have to learn the art of subtle observation to see the seasons change here.

If it’s Stampin’ Season (and when ever is it not??) pop on over to my Online Store for a little Shoppin’ Season!

February 2021 DIY: A Touch of Ink for Sale-a-bration

Posted on February 1, 2021 by mauistamper

This month’s DIY calendar doesn’t feature hearts or Presidents or any other traditional February images. I was clearing the Snails off my desk (I’m afraid I got a little carried away) and underneath the heaps was the Touch of Ink stamp set with its beautiful line art. My first thought was that the images were too big, but when I looked again, I realized they were perfect:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar February 2021 A Touch of Ink Sale-a-bration

Stamps: A Touch of Ink (Sale-a-bration 2021.1), Forever Fern
Color Palette: Memento Black, Sahara Sand, Crumb Cake, So Saffron, Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze
Accessories: Stampin Blends, Wink of Stella

This was so enjoyable! I dialed up an image of a Monarch Butterfly on Professor Google and started layering color. I’m not sure you would ever see this particular Monarch out in nature, but the way the colors worked together was very satisfying. I started light and worked my way through to the Light Cajun Craze – I didn’t use the dark version.

If you’d like to try your hand at this simple DIY calendar, I have the 2021 pdf available for $5. Just contact me with your email and your state of residence and I’ll get an invoice to you pronto.

Ready to shop? Visit the Online Store for Stampin’ Blends and Sale-a-bration rewards! These little calendars are so gratifying – easily an evening’s work, and a short evening at that! Thanks for stopping by today, and be sure to see what Cheryl and Crystal have done for February.

2021 DIY Calendar: Darling Donkeys Enjoy Every Moment!

Posted on January 1, 2021 by mauistamper

Welcome 2021! Last night at midnight we opened all the doors to the house – and a few windows for good measure – and said goodbye to 2020. It wasn’t a terrible year for us, but I don’t need to repeat it anytime soon. I learned a lot of things, and I’ll cherish those lessons. But let’s be honest: if you have to stay in one place, I’m in a pretty good spot for that!

Maui Stamper 2021 January Easel Calendar Darling Donkeys Enjoy the Moment

Stamps: Darling Donkeys (SAB 2021.1), Enjoy the Moment, Dragonfly Garden
Color Palette: Whisper White (retired!), Blushing Bride, Petal Pink, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Daffodil Delight, Flirty Flamingo
Accessories: Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Write markers, Paper Snips, Stampin’ Dimensionals

My donkey is kicking up her heels in anticipation of the New Year. She knows things could stay as they are for a while, but that they will eventually get better. She also believes in a positive attitude and a spirit of hope, and she embraces those things because she CAN. 2021 will be about the power of choice.

Hope – that’s her name – is colored with Crumb Cake and Soft Suede Stampin’ Blends. I fussy cut her with my paper snips. (Confession: I have a ridiculous number of snips. It’s my CHOICE.) I used the butterflies from Dragonfly Garden, and used the direct-to-stamp method with Stampin’ Write markers to color only a couple of the butterflies. I tried using the stamp as-is, but it felt overwhelming to have so many butterflies back there. And yes, I fussy cut one of the smallest butterflies, and one was enough, but clearly it was necessary.

About that Whisper White…Stampin’ Up! learned that the business producing our signature card stock was sadly a casualty of the pandemic. A new white card stock called Basic White has been sourced and is being produced, but it will be a couple of weeks before it’s available.

As you can see, my printer has attitude. I’ve tried all the DIY fixes, but I think this one is headed for recycling. It’s mildly annoying, but honestly, one of the gifts of 2020 is that I can say there are worse things than a printer with attitude!

Please hop over to see what Cheryl and Crystal are doing with their DIY calendars for January 2021. If you’re ready to shop, these products will all be available on January 5th right HERE. Well, unless you’re a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator – we’ve had them for a month or more. If you’re interested in joining, message me or check HERE for more information.

If you’d like the 2021 DIY Calendar pdf to print on your own printer it’s just $5. Send me your email address and I’ll send an invoice via Square.

Maui Stamper 2020 Giant Year End Closeout

And don’t forget there are just a few days left for the Year-End Closeout! There are still some great deals available, but you’ve only got a couple of days. Time to get shopping!

2020 DIY Calendar Review

Posted on December 31, 2020 by mauistamper

Let’s not have a review of 2020 The Year, okay? I don’t know about you, but much beyond early March the story is all the same. But there was a DIY Easel Calendar every month in 2020, and we can take a look through those! Click on the link for the details on each project.

First up, January and The Gang’s All Meer from Sale-a-bration:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up The Gang's All Meer SAB 2020 — **RETIRED!!!!**

Those happy faces put a smile on my face every time I see them! In February it was Lovely Lilypad for Leap Year 2020:

This was one of my favorites – another beautiful Sale-a-bration selection for 2020. I loved the soft colors with that crazy pop of Lovely Lipstick.

In March, I went back to critters and featured the Little Ladybug Host Set:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Little Ladybug March 2020 DIY Easel Calendar — **RETIRED!!!!**

Not my usual style, but really fun in this format. These petite easel calendars are really satisfying in that way – there’s just a little space to design, but plenty of room for creativity.

Next up is April with the Chunky Lamb from Welcome Easter:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar April 2020 — **RETIRED!!!!**

She’s so fluffy! And she’s sparkly, too.

In May I chose a retiring favorite – Tropical Chic:

Maui Stamper Tropical Chic May 2020 DIY Easel Calendar — **RETIRED!!!!**

Oh, I was sad to see this stamp set and the beautiful accompanying dies hit the retiring list! It’s in my archive of favorites and I know I’ll use it again and again.

In June I previewed Birds and Branches. If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you’ll know I have a soft spot for birds:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar June 2020 Birds & Branches

These aren’t colored after any particular species, they’re just happy, pudgy little brown-and-yellow birds!

For July I decided to Celebrate Sunflowers:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Celebrate Sunflowers DIY Calendar July 2020

This is the smaller flower, and the way it fit made me think of sunflower fields. I colored the images with Stampin’ Blends, which are one of the most forgiving coloring tools I’ve ever used.

In August I featured Timeless Tropical, our new tropical set. While it doesn’t replace Tropical Chic, I am thrilled to have these palms in my creative stash:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar August 2020 Timeless Tropical

A simple design for a simple setting – there’s an ocean out there somewhere! Check the original post if you’d like to see my first, more detailed version.

September was created with Love of Leaves:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar September 2020 Love of Leaves

Stampin’ Up! has gifted us with a wonderful assortment of stitched dies, and these leaves really take it to the limit (one more tiiiiime….🎶) They’re gorgeous left plain, but they were a lot of fun to spritz and watch the color move where it wanted.

October featured the Stitched Triangles and my favorite DSP ever:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up October 2020 DIY Easel Calendar Stitched Triangles

I didn’t buy pumpkins or make a jack-o-lantern this year since there wouldn’t be trick-or-treaters in my neighborhood. I just wasn’t feeling Halloween, so it was a forest instead.

For November I previewed Dragonfly Garden, a gorgeous stamp set with a coordinating punch:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar November 2020 Dragonfly Garden

This stamp set will be available on January 5, 2021 as part of an entire garden suite and I predict you will LOVE it!

Finally, the beginning of this month I featured my out-of-this-word Poinsettias:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Poinsettia Petals December 2020 DIY Easel Calendar

I’ve loved looking at these all month and I’m going to really have to work at it to top this one! (Who am I kidding? It’s done already and you’ll see it tomorrow 🤓)

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little stroll through my 2020 DIY year. If you’d like to make your own DIY for 2021, there’s still plenty of time! Contact me and give me your email address and I’ll send you an invoice via Square. For just $5 you’ll have a pdf of the calendars plus a set of covers so you can gift them to the people you love best.

And if you need supplies for any of the above, SHOP HERE. I appreciate it!