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!

December 2020 DIY: Poinsettia Christmas

Posted on December 1, 2020 by mauistamper

Ah, December. Not what we expected this year, is it? So let’s have some alternative poinsettias, shall we?

Stamps: Poinsettia Petals, Celebration Tidings, Forever Fern
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Just Jade, Calypso Coral, Mango Melody
Accessories: The BOSS*, Poinsettia dies, Fluid 100 watercolor paper, Watercolor pens, Vellum, Metallic pearls, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Wink of Stella

* Stamp Cut and Emboss Machine. Which takes a lot of space and typing, so I’m calling it The BOSS.

Poinsettias aren’t just red any more! They’re cream colored and speckled and variegated and even gold, so I don’t see why they can’t be Calypso Coral and Mango Melody! It’s 2020 and the rules are all useless, so I am making my own. So there.

This might have been my favorite month of all of 2020. The watercoloring, the vellum, the swirls and dots, and the metallic pearls all made me feel very in-the-zone, and heaven knows 2020 needs itself some ZONE.

Cheryl and Crystal have December calendars too, so take a moment to see what they have done. And then maybe, in the spirit of the holidays, take another moment to leave them a comment to tell them what you love about their work. Bloggers are funny like that, we like a little bit of attention every now and then.

Or just tell us what new rule you’ve made for 2020! What colors are your poinsettias??

If you’d like to make a 2021 calendar click Contact the Maui Stamper at the top of the page and send me your email. I’ll invoice you $5 and when you’ve paid I’ll email you a pdf of the 12 months of 2021 and a cover to finish it out and make a lovely gift. (I think we will still be making new rules in 2021, so a new calendar is a Very Good Thing.)

If you’re as smitten with this bundle as I am, click HERE to get your own. Thanks.

DIY Calendar November 2020: Dragonfly Garden

Posted on November 1, 2020 by mauistamper

What is this Dragonfly Garden, Maui Stamper? It is not in my catalog!! It is not in my mini!!

Nope. You’re right. It’s a super-dee-duper sneak peek of a set we’ll all be lovin’ up big time in January. Demonstrators who signed up for our fall virtual event were given the opportunity to buy it early. And yes, I did!!

Stamps: Dragonfly Garden (2021), Right Triangle
Color Palette: Whisper White, So Saffron, Calypso Coral, Cinnamon Cider
Accessories Dragonflies punch (2021 oh YES), Stampin’ Blends, Dimensionals

Choosing colors for this was HARD. I went through multiple combinations, but this one felt right for fall. It was hard to keep it clean too – I started experimenting with backgrounds and quickly realized that in such a small space, less is truly more.

The 2021 Easel Calendar pdf is for sale! For just $5, I’ll send you a pdf and cutting instructions to make your own calendar. If you start this month, you’ll have plenty of time to make them as gifts, and this small format (3.5 x 3.5) is an easy size for creating. Don’t put your email in the comments – click on Contact the Maui Stamper to send it to me securely, and I’ll send you an invoice via Square. Requested one in the past and never paid it? No shame, I don’t judge, send again and we’ll get it done!

It will be time to order this soon enough – but this month there’s another sneak peek with a Christmas bonus!

This sneak peek bundle is available with benefits – you’ll get the stamps and dies that will be featured in the January – June mini catalog PLUS a coordinating Christmas stamp set and a stack of holiday Designer Series paper! Shop HERE and have it first on your block (Zoom block? It could happen!)

Ready for more November DIY Calendar inspiration? Visit Cheryl and Crystal to see what they’ve created this month. And join us with your own!

October 2020 DIY: Stitched Triangles (and a DSP sale!)

Posted on October 1, 2020 by mauistamper

I visited two Maui State Parks and a National Park last week, and big trees were on my mind when I started thinking about my October DIY Easel calendar. Stampin’ Up! has Designer Series paper on SALE this month, and the Stitched Triangles dies gave me a way to tie it all together:

Stamps: None
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Black, Garden Green, Pear Pizzazz, Just Jade, Pretty Peacock, Shaded Spruce, Soft Sea Foam, Seaside Spray
Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss, Stitched Triangle dies, Forever Greenery Designer Series paper, Stampin’ Sponge

I used a Stampin’ Sponge and Seaside Spray and Soft Sea Foam ink pads to create a light color wash on the calendar page. I cut a bunch of tiny triangles (our new Stamp Cut & Emboss machine is a dream!) and started arranging them on the sponged page..and arranging them…and arranging them.

Eventually I settled on this arrangement, but honestly, any of them would have worked!

Visit Cheryl and Crystal to see what they’ve done for October.

The Forever Greenery DSP is my absolute favorite this year, and it’s one of many on sale in October! Check the list HERE, and shop HERE to see the gorgeous designs included in the sale.

Finally, here are a few pictures from our adventures last week:

Maui Stamper Pīpīwai Trail Kīpahulu District Haleakalā National Park — Waimoku Falls at the top of the Pīpīwai Trail in Haleakalā National Park (Kīpahulu District)

Maui Stamper Wai'ānapanapa State Park — The Black Sand Beach at Wai’ānapanapa State Park

Maui Stamper Redwood Trail Polipoli State Park — The Maui Stamper – with Mr. Maui Stamper – on the Redwood Trail at Polipoli State Park

Hope you enjoy! We certainly did – one of the small pleasures of the pandemic has been how calm the island has been. Tourism is our lifeblood, but we have enjoyed this little silver lining in the Covid Cloud.

If you’d like to make your own DIY Easel calendar, click on Contact the Maui Stamper above and send me your email. The pdf is just $5 and you can make as many as you’d like!