Forever Greenery meets Lovely You

The Forever Greenery Suite practically designs itself. These gorgeous colors lend themselves to any kind of card for anyone on your card-sending list!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Forever Greenery Suite

I am so delighted with this Forever Greenery Suite! The Old Olive/Pretty Peacock two-sided ribbon is absolutely gorgeous with this DSP, and right now I can honestly say this would be my marooned-on-a-deserted-island suite.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Forever Greenery Suite

I did a little stampin’ magic to create this sentiment. “Hello” is part of the Forever Fern stamp set, but I markered just the word “Friend” from the phrase “Cherished Friend” in the Lovely You set to finish this look. Stampin’ Up! found a winner in that font selection!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up June 2020 Bonus Host Dollars

Don’t forget that June 2020 Hosts (or regular shoppers with BIG budgets!) earn an extra $25 in Host Rewards when their workshop/order reaches $250. I’ve got the Zoom Workshop down to a science, and there’s room in my schedule for a couple before the end of the month. I’ve just done a couple of workshops with this suite, and everyone loved it!

Rather just order it for yourself? Shop HERE.

Birds with Gorgeous Branches

When demonstrators got our first look at the 2020-2021 Annual Catalog, Birds & Branches caught my eye right away. My stampin’ bff teased me about it, saying she knew it would be at the top of my list. OK, fine, so we’ve established there are some things you can predict about me!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Birds and Branches card
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Birds and Branches card

My die cutting machine got quite the workout with this project! (SHHHH – Big News – we have an availability date for the new Stampin’ Cut & Emboss machine! Demonstrators have a chance to order first – another reason you might want to sign up and take advantage of the June Bonus Bundle offer!)

I love the layered look of the new Old World Paper 3D Embossing Folder behind the Subtle 3D Embossing Folder. I allowed a little reveal around the edge as well, and added a layer of Stampin’ Dimensionals between the Very Vanilla Subtle EF and the Crumb Cake Old World Paper EF.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Birds & Branches card

Coloring those birds with the Stampin’ Blends went quickly as they’re small and are mostly stamped – just a few Daffodil Delight accents and they were good to go. And we ALL KNOW that every project is better when there’s a little bit of linen thread, right?

Are you smitten as I was? Shop HERE.

All the New In Colors

My first full-catalog order arrived this afternoon and I WAS READY:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up 2020-2022 In Color Collection Painted Poppies

This card was designed, cut and ready for my 2020-2022 In Color inks and blends! It doesn’t often happen that way, but I was inspired by these gorgeous colors. I love the statement it makes when you feature a single color with black and white accents. (Note to self: Magenta Madness is VERY pink!)

Maui Stamper Stampin Up 2020-2022 In Color Collection Painted Poppies

Oh, Magenta Madness is glorious! I love this sentiment from the Peaceful Moments stamp set, because it sets the stage for just about any message – thank you, thinking of you, happy birthday, you name it. I’ll add an additional sentiment on the inside of these cards when it’s time to send them.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up 2020-2022 In Color Collection Painted Poppies

Stampin’ Up! hasn’t produced a Bumble Bee Stampin’ Blend, so I used Daffodil Delight with a little Mango Melody. You could easily use Stampin’ Write markers to color this image.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up 2020-2022 In Color Collection Painted Poppies

Any of the designs available with this DSP would work well for this technique, but I chose the dots because they echoed the repetition of the poppy blooms on the stems.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up 2020-2022 In Color Collection Painted Poppies

I wasn’t sure how Cinnamon Cider would work for this card, but I’m very happy with it! It reminds me of a vine that is quite common (actually it’s invasive) here in Hawaii called wood rose. The flower is yellow, but the seed pod looks like a soft wooden flower.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up 2020-2022 In Color Collection Painted Poppies

I don’t want to play favorites, but I *think* Just Jade is going to be my go-to In Color for this new suite of colors. It’s not as bright as Bermuda Bay and I can’t wait to explore new color combinations.

That’s today’s In Color Suite – what do you think? If you’re ready to shop, consider two specials going on for the month of June. A workshop or single order that reaches the $250 level gets an extra $25 of Host Rewards. I’m hosting events on Zoom with great success, and if you’re interested I would be delighted to talk about how we could make that work for you.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up June 2020 Bonus Host Dollars

If your shopping list is over $99, it’s a great time to sign up as a demonstrator. Your $99 kit includes your choice of $125 of Stampin’ Up! product, a selection of business supplies, and through June 30, you’ll add another stamp/die or stamp/punch bundle at no additional cost. There’s no obligation beyond purchasing the kit, but every order you place once you’ve signed up is discounted a minimum of 20%.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Recruits Get a Free Bundle 06-2020

There are so many choices! It’s a good problem to have, don’t you think?

Cutting and Pasting: Scrappy Strip Technique

These cards have been everywhere – I’ll bet you’ve seen them too. Kylie and Bruno Bertucci in Australia popularized this technique they call #ScrappyStripTechnique and created a video to show how it’s done. It’s just as easy as they say!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Scrappy Strip Technique Paper Piercing
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Scrappy Strip Technique Paper Piercing

Once I got started, it was hard to stop! I had a desk full of strips cut every which way and spent a delightful afternoon arranging, adhering, and adding sentiments to my cards. (The sentiment and dies are from the So Sentimental Bundle.)

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Scrappy Strip Technique Paper Piercing

I think this one is my favorite. I used all neutrals with a few Bermuda Bay strips added in for contrast and no DSP. It would be a great masculine card, but I think it works for anyone. I love the way the neutrals are so, well, you know, neutral.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Scrappy Strip Technique Paper Piercing

This one is based on the Lily Impressions DSP offered as a SAB 2020 choice (and no longer available, I’m sorry!) This was one of the first cards I did and it has a decidedly chaotic feeling.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Scrappy Strip Technique Paper Piercing

The fun thing is that this is the reverses side of the above DSP. Even though some of the colors are repeated, the feeling of the design is completely different.

Honestly, I could go on and on (actually, I did!) I hope you’ll pull out some scraps and your paper trimmer and have some fun. The video gives great instructions so I’m not going too replicate the Bertucci’s fabulous effort – just cut up some paper and get started with cut and paste!

LAST CHANCE products are available WHILE SUPPLIES LAST or through June 2, 2020, whichever comes first. Don’t miss out.

If you happen to be flat out of paper (SERIOUSLY? Is that possible?) or perhaps if you’ve used the last of your Multipurpose Glue, I’d be delighted if you chose to shop HERE.

Inspired by Designer Series Paper

I love our DSP. The colors are rich, the designs are versatile, the finish of the paper is smooth, and the weight is Goldilocks perfect – not too heavy, not too light, but juuuuuust right. I’ve been challenging myself to dig into my stash (it’s a little embarrassing) and create with all of the beautiful paper I’ve found there.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Peaceful Poppies

I used a Stampin’ Sponge to lightly shade the front edge of my Whisper White card. I didn’t want the bold color of Pool Party card stock, but the WW seemed too stark. Sponging was the perfect solution as it provided a hint of color and a very simple technique.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Peaceful Poppies

That Peaceful Poppies DSP is gorgeous and completely IN YOUR FACE. The colors and images are really bold, but they’re really easy to use. I reached for this combination first when I decided to dig into my DSP stash.

The So Sentimental bundle is a versatile bundle with unique and very useful stitched shapes that layer in a multitude of ways. This one is a keeper, and it’s carrying forward into the new Annual Catalog.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Magnolia Lane
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Magnolia Lane

This same layout has a simpler construction. The DSP panels stand on their own without a complimentary mat behind them, and the Whisper White card base is left in its natural state. I struggle with simple stamping (ink, stamps, paper) but this is pretty close for me.

Are you a DSP hoarder? I confess that I am, but I have been sending a lot of cards lately, and my stash is getting a little thin. Cutting into this gorgeous paper is hard – you know, the first cut is the deepest – but the results are worth it!

A lot of our beautiful DSP is on sale in the Online Store. Hurry, supplies are limited!

A Chunky Lamb…again!

How can you not love this lamb? This is the I-can-do-yoga, Upavista Konasana lamb! She is fluffy and has a perfect little half-smile that says “If I can do this, you can too!”

Well. But I cannot. My legs will not do that, no matter how I try. Even as a young girl, I could never do anything resembling the splits. But once again, I digress.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Welcome Easter
Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Welcome Easter

Just cuz she’s fluffy doesn’t exclude the possibility that she’s sparkly too!!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Welcome Easter

The Parisian Blossoms DSP is a specialty paper with foil embossing on one side of each sheet, and I think it adds the perfect glimmer to this card. That little silver foil ornamentation is from the Painted Labels dies which are sadly unavailable right now. Don’t have them? If you rummage through your stash of dies and even trims, I’ll bet you can find a substitute!

Have some fun with what you have – that’s the name of the game right now! And if there’s something you truly need, you can shop HERE!

Happy New Year from Mt. Fuji

Nah, I’m not on the road again – we just got home!

But I’m imagining myself in Japan, riding the Shinkansen and gazing out the windows at Mt. Fuji. We made that trip in 2012 (oh, can it be that long ago??) and the UNESCO World Heritage site was unfortunately hidden in the clouds. However, today the clouds are high in the sky and Fuji-san is clearly visible:

Without getting too personal here, let’s just say that my eyesight isn’t quite what it used to be (ahem). I was having a little trouble aligning the images, despite the fact that they’re photopolymer and theoretically I should have no problem.

(Distraction: theories aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.)

After a couple of unsatisfactory attempts at aligning the outline of the mountain, the interior, and the glorious rising moon, it occurred to me that the solution was within an arm’s reach. I got out my Stamparatus and the problem was solved nearly instantaneously.

This stamp set was originally designed for the Stampin’ Up! Japanese market, but was released to the US market just until January 31, 2020. It’s product #146391 and it’s $25. If you’d like to see a graphic that documents all of the images and their significance, click HERE.

Are you ready to ride the Shinkansen? Or just take a paper-and-ink trip?

Feelin’ Like Frost Like Kylie

THIS card from the amazing Kylie Bertucci was one of the reasons I decided to get the Feels Like Frost DSP pack. You might have figured out that I am completely enchanted with the Gorgeous Grape/Highland Heather/Granny Apple Green color palette. This Designer Series Paper pulls all of those colors together and brings you right into the MOOD.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost You Are Loved
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost You Are Loved

I know I’ve said it before (who am I kidding, I’ve said it on every single post for crying out loud) – these images are so versatile that you could easily transition this card with any sentiment. It’s the One DSP To Rule Them All.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost You Are Loved

Don’t you think every single person needs to hear that he, she or they is/are loved? It takes so little to make a difference. Makes that $.55 postage stamp seem pretty darn cheap.

Make a card. Send a little love. If you need something to make it happen, shop HERE.

Aloha with the Stamparatus

I was staring at my shelf of stamps the other day, looking for ideas to make another (yes, another!) wreath card. I’m not sure if this worked quite the way that I imagined it, but it was fun and it makes me laugh.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Waterfront and Make A Difference
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Waterfront and Make A Difference

I’m not sure if it looks like a wreath of palm trees or a really, really, REALLY bad hair day! Honestly, I don’t really care. I had such a great time with the Stamparatus that the results don’t change a thing.

The little shell is one of those Maui-Style kind of add-ons. It’s actually from a shell lei: if you live here, you end up with heaps of them. I’ve taken a few apart to craft with since the shells all have small holes.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Waterfront and Make A Difference

A-L-O-H-A! A little Aloha in our day

Spread a little Aloha in our world…

Saying Farewell to Hey Love

These little critters have wiggled their collective way into my heart and I am really sad to see them retire on June 3. Even though this set is designed as a Valentine’s Day set, I’ve used it for many other purposes and been delighted with the results. Here’s one last look:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Farewell to Hey Love
Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Farewell to Hey Love

These Narrow Note cards are not big enough to mail through the USPS, but they’re perfect enclosures for a small gift or a quick message. I like to have a few on hand as they’re perfect for last minute notes.

Hey Love is retiring on June 3, but is guaranteed available only through May 24, 2019. Don’t miss out – shop HERE.