2025 DIY Calendar Year in Review

It’s the last day of December, and it’s my tradition to review my DIY Easel Calendar month-by-month. Are you ready? Let’s start with JANUARY:

I started the year with Terrific Toadstools for January 1, 2025. Such cheery little fungi!

Delightful Wishes is still a current set, and it made me think of lilac blossoms. See the details in my post on February 1, 2025.

Everyday You and Me remains one of my favorites, though it’s retired now. Check out the original post on March 1, 2025.

If you’ve followed me for a bit, you know I love my garden! Impressions Abloom is on the last chance list now. See this post for my April 2025 calendar.

In May I stayed in the garden, but kept it simple. There’s a soft wash behind the flowers from Pretty Florals. Can you identify the colors before you check the May 1, 2025 post?

I used another wash but this one got a LOT of color! Along These Lines is still current if you have a thing for dolphins. Read the details for this calendar page from June 1, 2025.

Perfectly Pears was just the thing for July. You can see the details on July 1, 2025.

In August, it was time for something cool and refreshing. Cheers and Sips is another classic on the Last Chance list. You can see it all HERE.

I have had so much fun with Long Time No See, and I’m sad to see it on the Last Chance. Look at this adorable pooch featured in my September 1, 2025 post.

I went another direction for October this year, focusing on fall foliage. The tropical images from Branching Out worked perfectly. See the October 1, 2025 post.

I loved Branching Out so well I repeated it with the November 1, 2025 post.

And finishing up the year was Traditions Of Christmas. Sharp eyes might have noticed that I initially created the December calendar on the November page. Aiyah. Some days are like that! See it HERE.

That’s it for 2025. I hope you enjoyed all of our creations, and perhaps followed the links to see what my DIY friends did each month. It’s such a joy to create these little pages and share them with you.

If you feel inspired, you can create your own calendar for 2026. The 2026 DIY Template is just $6 and you may use it to make as many calendars as you like. It includes a page of covers and 12 monthly calendar blocks (4 to a page). The blocks are designed to be cut to 3 1/2″ square. Visit my secure ordering page to purchase your own template.

Thanks for following the Maui Stamper and sharing in my crafting journey. Tomorrow starts a New Year, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you. Aloha 🌺

LAST CHANCE MAUI STAMPER FAVES

It’s almost bedtime here on the Valley Isle, but I can’t rest until I share these favorites that are on the Last Chance list. Take a look and tell me if you agree!

Branching Out is a classic, year round set. It can be evergreens, or florals, or a wreath…don’t let this one slip by.

I personally think Wishing You Joy is a sleeper. It hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, but it should! 4 classic sentiments, expressed in 4 classic fonts – you’ll reach for it year after year.

The Traditions of Christmas DSP is a fabulous mix of florals and neutrals that will give your holiday crafting a quick boost. BONUS: the coordinating Christmas Greenery dies cut out multiple images from this DSP. If you want the companion stamps, order the dies and stamps as separate products. The bundle isn’t discounted, but the individual products are. IYKYK!

I was pretty sure Petal Arrangements would be on this list as it is a red rubber cling set. If you love tropical flowers, check this one out – the 6 images can be assembled as shown and stamped, or can be separated and used individually. I’m sad to see this one on Last Chance.

Our card and envelope sets are a great value. Design with the Christmas Greetings Cards & Envelopes and your cards will be done in a flash!

Awww…I really wanted these guys to stick around. Sigh. Pick up Long Time No See while you can and think of me when you make a card, ok?

LOVE LOVE LOVE the 6″ x 6″ Traditional Wreath 3D embossing folder! The card-front-sized Peaceful Greenery 3D Embossing Folder is also on Last Chance.

There’s so much more on the list…Stampin’ Up! really cleaned house this time. Take a look and see if your list is different from mine. Either way, you’ll find it all in the Online Store.

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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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WISHING YOU JOY WITH PEACEFUL GARDEN

If you know Mr. Maui Stamper, you know he likes all the colors as long as they’re blue. The Peaceful Garden DSP makes both of us happy – he gets his blues, and I get my florals.

  • Stamps: Wishing You Joy
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Cloud Cover, Misty Moonlight
  • Accessories: Peaceful Garden DSP, Misty Moonlight and Silver ribbon, Hues of Blue Flowers, Stampin’ Dimensionals

You have to look for those little flowers, but in person they’re much easier to spot. This could be a holiday card, a wedding card, or a birthday card.

Wishing You Joy is another sleeper stamp set in the September-December mini catalog. There are 4 sentiments: Wishing You Joy, Sending You Cheer, May Your Christmas Be Bright, and Noel. They’re offered in 3 different fonts, in different sizes and shapes. It’s a perfect all-purpose holiday stamp set! Find it in the Online Store.

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PEACEFUL GARDEN THIS OR THAT?

Can I tell you I LOVE the Peaceful Garden Designer Series paper? And this print in particular? It has that moody blue holiday feeling, but it transitions into so many other roles. Time for a good This or That!

The Christmas Words Hybrid Embossing Folder has every expression you can imagine. You can choose to use it as a background folder or add the die to the “sandwich” and cut each one out. I’ve added color with Cloud Cover Stampin’ Blends and it was very forgiving.

But then I turned the layout on its side and changed the sentiment – and I think it makes a lovely sympathy card. I really like the Linen Thread on this card.

So what do you think? Landscape or Portrait? Christmas or Sympathy? or maybe a mash-up? In either case, give it a try. It’s a quick and easy way to use that DSP stash.

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MAKING A CARD WITH THE TRADITIONAL WREATH EMBOSSING FOLDER

This holiday season, Stampin’ Up! has not one but two gorgeous embossing folders. You’ve seen the Peaceful Greenery Embossing folder – now say hello to the Traditional Wreath Embossing Folder!

  • Stamps: Seasonal Tags
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Shaded Spruce, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Traditional Wreath Embossing Folder, daubers, Circle Punches, Gold Stripe 3/8″ ribbon, Stampin’ Blends, retired red gems, Stampin’ Dimensionals

The easiest way I’ve found to add color to this wreath is to use daubers. Brush lightly and the raised images pick up the color, keeping the texture of the embossing. I colored the berries with Real Red Stampin’ Blends, and a few of them have a few sparkly gems from eons ago.

I love that this wreath isn’t so distinctively “holiday”. You could easily use it year around in other color combinations (stay tuned!) This is a 6″ square embossing folder. The entire wreath doesn’t fit on a traditional card front, but it works well as a partial panel.

The Seasonal Tags are a bit of a sleeper, so don’t let them pass you by. You’ll reach for them again and again!

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PEACE ON EARTH

Do you love DSP that does all the heavy lifting the way I do??????? Here’s Traditions of Christmas again with a completely different feeling. This luxurious red and gold poinsettia motif does all the work.

Friends, you NEED the Embossing Additions Tool Kit. The tray has an end cap that screws on and off – no more breaking fingernails pulling out the plug! There’s an embossing buddy, a brush, and THE BEST craft tweezers you’ve ever held in your hand. Run don’t walk to get this one!

This DSP is amazing. Snap it up while you can – it’s in the Online Store.

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TRADITIONS OF CHRISTMAS DSP AND THE PEACEFUL GREENERY EMBOSSING FOLDER

The Traditions of Christmas DSP does it again! This image can also be cut with the Stamp Cut and Emboss Machine using the Christmas Greenery dies. You’d be surprised how quickly this card comes together when you have a ready-made focal point.

This image is plentiful on the page of DSP, and comes in 3 color ways. Look closely at the background of the Pool Party die cut, as it’s been stamped with our new Lasting Linen stamp. The texture is GORGEOUS and I hope this one sticks around for a very very very long time.

When the coloring is done for you, the cards go together very quickly. I don’t know about you, but it seems as though this time of year I need a LOT of cards. Head over to the Online Store if you need a little more DSP or some dies.

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QUICK CARD MAKING WITH THE CHRISTMAS GREETINGS CARDS & ENVELOPES

Our card and envelope packs are one of my favorite short cuts to card making. The Christmas Greetings Mix and Match cards and envelopes remind me of a Hawaiian fabric pattern called palaka, so I snapped up a couple of packs in my sneak peek order. Turns out they are a great match to the Traditionsmof Christmas DSP!!

Multiple images from the DSP can be cut with the coordinating dies, another big time saver. You’ve seen my coloring: it’s not like this!! And all that gold detail is just glorious.

Our Gold Mesh ribbon was on Last Chance and has sold out, but there’s a beautiful new option in the Online Store. And that new Christmas Words Hybrid Embossing Folder is AWESOME. You can cut out the individual words, but I like it just as it is!

The cards come with coordinating envelopes and the overall look is luxurious but just a little bit country. Pick up a couple of packages for your holiday cards and you’ll be halfway done! Shop the Online Store.

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PETAL ARRANGEMENTS IN WATERCOLOR PENCIL

I had forgotten how much I love our watercolor pencils until I put them to use with these beautiful tropical images. The coloring does not need to be precise, which makes it so relaxing. I used the blender pen to smooth the colors together.

I stamped the images in Memento Black ink, more out of habit than necessity. I colored the leaves with Garden Green and added Granny Apple Green accents, then colored the flowers with Daffodil Delight and added Crushed Curry accents. When the coloring was done, I gave each flower a soft brush with the Blender Pen. It smooths and brightens the color, but it leaves a more translucent look than the Stampin’ Blends.

Petal Arrangements has three unique plumeria designs and 3 unique protea designs. They’re red rubber stamps, which means that they’re not going to last forever. As supplies of red rubber dwindle, our red rubber stamps will retire. Needless to say, if you like this one, get it now! You’ll find it in the Online Store.

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