Beauty of the Earth in a Fun Fold

Cheryl, one of my Stampin’ BFFs, shared this fold with me. At the moment she did, I had Beauty of the Earth DSP on my craft desk and knew immediately what I wanted to do. I absolutely love the way these two designs work together, and I’m quite pleased with the end result:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Beauty of the Earth DSP Fun Fold handmade card
  • Stamps: Peaceful Moments (my absolute fave sentiment set!), Forever Fern
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Crushed Curry, Mossy Meadow
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Painted Labels dies, Stitched So Sweetly dies, Beauty of the Earth Designer Series Paper, Champagne Jewels, Stampin’ Dimensionals

This is a design called Double Dutch Door. It’s very simple, but the cutting takes a little time and precision. When you remove the belly band, the top panel opens upward, and there are 2 mini panels at the bottom that open out to the sides.

You can customize this one to your heart’s delight! I used both Mossy Meadow and Crushed Curry ink on the Forever Fern images – I just dunked the bottom half in one color and the top half in the other. You could call that a specific technique, or you could just call it lazy 😁

I’ve been making more of an effort to embellish my envelopes. Most often I add a layer of Designer Series paper to the flap, which would have been a great choice with this one, but I chose to use my “dunking” technique with the leaves instead. Do you embellish your envelopes? It doesn’t take much time at all – you just need to remember to do it.

There’s an entire suite called Beauty of the Earth. I chose to use just the paper for this project, but there’s a lot of inspiration in the Suite!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Sale-a-bration FREE STAMPS January-February-2022

Everybody loves FREE!! Choose FREE goodies from January 4 to February 28, 2022!! Shop HERE.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Sale-a-bration Join FREE STAMPS

Before you place that order, consider the Very Best Deal – joining Stampin’ Up! as a demonstrator! If you join by February 28, 2022, there’s a super opportunity. Choose 2 FREE stamp sets PLUS:

  • $125 additional product of your choice for $99
  • Free shipping on your kit
  • 20% savings on your own purchases
  • 6 months to try us out without risk – continue with just a $300 quarterly minimum
  • Earn Sale-a-bration and host rewards on RETAIL price not your discounted price
  • An incredible community of crafters
  • Early access AND sneak peeks (you know you want to know!)

Join by February 28th for those two free stamp sets! Message me if you have questions or want to chat.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Paper Pumpkin February 2022 Safari Celebration kit

Be sure to subscribe by February 10th for your Craft Escape in a box! Paper Pumpkin subscriptions deliver ready-to-go projects to your doorstep every month, but you have ultimate control to skip or cancel 😱if you decide it’s not for you. The February kit will make 9 playful cards with envelopes that you can tailor to your card-sending needs. Don’t wait!

Thanks: Plentiful Plants

I needed a few thank you cards and found this great layout using our Designer Series paper. I have (ahem) “some” DSP that needs to be used, and I love the pop of color with Basic White:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Plentiful Plants Poinsettia Dies You Touched My Heart
  • Stamps: Plentiful Plants
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Shaded Spruce
  • Accessories: Shimmer White paper, Retired DSP (and sorry, NO IDEA, it was one of the bits), Big Boss, Stitched Rectangle dies, Poinsettia dies, Messages die, Tasteful Textile embossing folder, White Crinkle seam binding, Stampin Dimensionals
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Plentiful Plants Poinsettia Dies You Touched My Heart

You might have noticed there aren’t any stamped plants. The sentiment is from Plentiful Plants, but all that white-on-white “greenery” is from the Poinsettia dies. I’ve been trying to use up all the bits that are floating around on my craft desk, and it’s a challenge. Apparently in order to use up the bits, I need to create a few more to coordinate with them. Net result? MORE BITS.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Plentiful Plants Poinsettia Dies You Touched My Heart

How are you using up your bits? Please don’t tell me I’m the only one who keeps them. I’m trying to edit, use, and share them to clear my brain and my space, but it’s going slowly I’m afraid.

Everybody loves FREE!! Choose FREE goodies from January 4 to February 28, 2022!! Shop HERE.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Sale-a-bration FREE STAMPS January-February-2022

Everybody loves FREE!! Choose FREE goodies from January 4 to February 28, 2022!! Shop HERE.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Sale-a-bration Join FREE STAMPS

Before you place that order, consider the Very Best Deal – joining Stampin’ Up! as a demonstrator! If you join by February 28, 2022, there’s a super opportunity. Choose 2 FREE stamp sets PLUS:

  • $125 additional product of your choice for $99
  • Free shipping on your kit
  • 20% savings on your own purchases
  • 6 months to try us out without risk – continue with just a $300 quarterly minimum
  • Earn Sale-a-bration and host rewards on RETAIL price not your discounted price
  • An incredible community of crafters
  • Early access AND sneak peeks (you know you want to know!)

Join by February 28th for those two free stamp sets! Message me if you have questions or want to chat.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Paper Pumpkin February 2022 Safari Celebration kit

Be sure to subscribe by February 10th for your Craft Escape in a box! Paper Pumpkin subscriptions deliver ready-to-go projects to your doorstep every month, but you have ultimate control to skip or cancel 😱if you decide it’s not for you. The February kit will make 9 playful cards with envelopes that you can tailor to your card-sending needs. Don’t wait!

Amazing Thanks – One of Two

Have you seen the Amazing Thanks dies? You’re going to need them. 😁 Today I’m showing the first of two cards, one with the positive image and one with the negative image. Who doesn’t need to say thanks?

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Amazing Thanks Hand Penned DSP
  • Stamps: None!
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Basic Black, Blushing Bride, Cinnamon Cider, Daffodil Delight, Garden Green, Highland Heather, Mint Macaron, Misty Moonlight, Pale Papaya, Pool Party (all from the DSP)
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Hand-Penned Designer Series paper, Amazing Thanks dies, White Crinkle Seam Binding ribbon, Iridescent Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Stampin Dimensionals
Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Amazing Thanks Hand Penned DSP

Cut the reverse, tone-on-tone DSP side 1/4″ smaller on two sides from the negative panel. (I am absolutely smitten with our DSP, with this DSP in particular, AND with the way each page has a patterned side and a tone-on-tone side – maximum flexibility!)

Adhere them, then add a Garden Green panel that’s 1/4″ larger on two sides from the negative panel. Pop that up on dimensionals with a bit of ribbon underneath and stick some sparkle in the corner and you’re set! (My negative die cut panel is 1.75 x 4″, the DSP is 1.5 x 3.75″, and the Garden Green panel is 2 x 4.25″)

I’ll be back next week with a great way to use that positive THANKS die cut! Visit the Online Store for your own set of dies!

Everybody loves FREE!! Choose FREE goodies from January 4 to February 28, 2022!! Shop HERE.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Sale-a-bration Join FREE STAMPS

Before you place that order, consider the Very Best Deal – joining Stampin’ Up! as a demonstrator! If you join by February 28, 2022, there’s a super opportunity. Choose 2 FREE stamp sets PLUS:

  • $125 additional product of your choice for $99
  • Free shipping on your kit
  • 20% savings on your own purchases
  • 6 months to try us out without risk – continue with just a $300 quarterly minimum
  • Earn Sale-a-bration and host rewards on RETAIL price not your discounted price
  • An incredible community of crafters
  • Early access AND sneak peeks (you know you want to know!)

Join by February 28th for those two free stamp sets! Message me if you have questions or want to chat.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Paper Pumpkin February 2022 Safari Celebration kit

Be sure to subscribe by February 10th for your Craft Escape in a box! Paper Pumpkin subscriptions deliver ready-to-go projects to your doorstep every month, but you have ultimate control to skip or cancel 😱if you decide it’s not for you. The February kit will make 9 playful cards with envelopes that you can tailor to your card-sending needs. Don’t wait!

Bloom Where You’re Planted

I’ve been working on clearing out the stamp room and I found a package of printed card bases with coordinating envelopes from a Sale-a-bration long past. Bloom Where You’re Planted was on my craft desk too, as were some odds and ends from the Pattern Party DSP. Before I knew it, I had a card!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Bloom Where You're Planted handmade card
  • Stamps: Bloom Where You’re Planted
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Memento Black, Granny Apple Green, Garden Green, Soft Suede
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Perfect Plants dies, Scalloped Contours dies, Pattern Party DSP, Bakers Twine Essentials, Stampin’ Dimensionals, retired card bases

My card stash is running low, and I’ve been working on relatively simple designs that I can produce in groups. I don’t like mass production, and I don’t like having a LOT of one card, but working in groups of 4 suits me well. It’s not too tedious to stamp and die cut in fours, and I can almost always use that many of one design. I can easily set up 4 cards-in-process in my craft space, making assembly go quickly.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Bloom Where You're Planted handmade card

I snipped the ends of the sentiment panel with my snips – that’s not a die, although somewhere deep in my brain I think we have or had one in this shape. I separated the threads of the Black Bakers Twine so the knot wouldn’t be too thick, and everything else is just Stampin’ Dimensionals. You can see how easily this went together.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up November 2021

Would you like to save with every order you place? Join the Maui Stamper team – wherever you live – and take advantage of an incredible offer this month. You’ll choose a fully custom kit worth $125 in product for $75 with no further commitment required. But wait, there’s more 😁 You’ll gain access to early releases, an incredible online resource, exclusive demonstrator events, and a community of wonderful people who love crafting as much as you do. Contact me at the Maui Stamper with your question, or visit the Online Store to get started.

Color and Contour and a CASE

Color & Contour just keeps coming back to my desktop. The floral images are so appealing and the sentiments are right on target – and in such a great combination of fonts. I love such versatile stamp sets!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Pattern Party Color and Contour
  • Stamps: Color & Contour
  • Color Palette: Poppy Parade, Mint Macaron, Bumblebee, Very Vanilla
  • Accessories: Stampin Blends, Big Boss, Scallop Contour Dies, Pattern Party DSP (Host), Dimensionals
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Pattern Party Color and Contour

I find so much inspiration in the work of other crafters. Chris Smith created THIS gorgeous card for a SplitCoast Color Challenge, and the only real adjustment I made was to change out the flowers to these beauties from Color & Contour.

The Pattern Party Designer Series Paper is my Go-To these days! One side is printed in color, the reverse is in black and white, and every sheet is gorgeous. It’s available as a Host Reward with a qualifying workshop.

Ready to add your own creative touch? I’d be honored if you CASE’d my CASE (Copy And Share with Everyone)! All the supplies you need are available in my Online Store.

Have a big Wish List? Joining Stampin’ Up! is a great way to bring it all home – and you’ll enjoy all the benefits (discount, early access, exclusive events) plus during Sale-a-bration you can choose one of these bundles in addition to all the great products in your kit. $99, no tax, no shipping, no obligation to ever buy again. Contact me to chat about the possibilities, or visit my site to learn more. I promise no hard sell!! It has to be right for you.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up JOIN Sale-a-bration 2021 Free Bundle

Floral Squares and Fun Folds in Black and White

Oh, I do love black and white with a pop of color! My dear friend Robbie showed me this fun fold, and I thought it was perfect for our Host Pattern Party DSP and the Floral Squares. I confess I was also inspired by the black and white gingham ribbon in the current mini as well!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Floral Frames Pattern Party fun fold handmade card
  • Stamps: Many Messages
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Basic Black, Daffodil Delight
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Floral Squares dies, Messages dies, Stampin’ Blends, Pattern Party DSP (Host), Black & White Gingham ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals

The papers in Pattern Party have gorgeous color on one side (both tone-on-tone and rainbow brights). The reverse side for every sheet is a black and white pattern. I LOVE THEM ALL (oops, sorry, got carried away with myself.) This huge pack has 48 sheets, so there are 4 of each design – plenty for a big project, and enough so that you don’t fear cutting into one sheet.

The Fun Fold part of this card is that front panel. Mine is 2 3/4″ wide and 5 1/2″ tall, with a DSP layer that’s 2 1/2″ wide on the front and a Basic White panel of the same width inside. Pro tip: Make your inside panel a smidge (highly scientific mathematical term) shorter – maybe 5 7/’16” tall – so that it doesn’t crowd the top fold and make your card wonky (highly scientific paper management term.)

Please note this is a highly scientific blog.

The dies for the Floral Squares include small flower dies that coordinate with the floral images in each square, but I preferred coloring with my Stampin’ Blends. I find it so therapeutic to sit with a stack of die cuts and just color. I did a few with Watercolor pencils as well, but I love the vivid color and shading of the Stampin’ Blends.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Floral Frames Pattern Party fun fold handmade card

This is a different die, combined with Poppy Parade and Old Olive. I love the bold stripes on the back panel – they begged to pair up with Poppy Parade.

My Floral Square panels are adhered to a 2″ square of Basic Black card stock, letting the image and the color stand out. You can leave them without color and adhere them to a patterned paper background, but that wasn’t the look I wanted for this project.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Floral Frames Pattern Party fun fold handmade card

Fresh Freesia made a softer looking card, and that criss-cross railroad track pattern was a great match for the lighter look. I used the dotted lines on all the card fronts to let the bold backgrounds be, well, BOLD.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Floral Frames Pattern Party fun fold handmade card

I oriented this last square on what seemed to be the side for me. A slightly different direction gave it a casual look, and the combination of Daffodil Delight and Calypso Coral added to that laid back style.

Which is your favorite? Leave me a comment and if you’re feeling frisky, tell me why!

There are stamps (All Squared Away) that coordinate with the Floral Squares dies, but I didn’t use them this time. I left off the sentiments as well so that I could add them when it was time to send each card. I like having options <wink>

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

Don’t miss everyone’s favorite promotion, SALE-a-bration! Earn free stamps, dies, or gorgeous paper at two sales levels! Available while supplies last through September 30th.

Ready to shop? Please visit the Online Store.

The World Needs More of You

I guess you’re either a cat person or you’re not – and I am a cat person. When I saw Clever Cats in the mini catalog (available TODAY!) I put it at the top of my list. The set has a Halloween theme, but I had other plans:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Clever Cats Cat-in-a-box
  • Stamps: Clever Cats, Free as a Bird
  • Color Palette: Basic Black, Basic White, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake
  • Accessories: Stamparatus, Stampin’ Blends, Pattern Party DSP (Host), Stampin Dimensionals, shreddies
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Clever Cats Cat-in-a-box

This captures cats so well – in the box, no matter what. The shreddies were a bit of a wild inspiration as I looked at the image of the cat and the box, and as luck would have it, I had the right color on hand. Some things are meant to be.

The Stamparatus is an enormous help in getting a clear, even impression from this bold image. I used a number of colors, but Memento Black was clearly the winner in my mind. It took a 3 impressions for me to be satisfied with Memento Black, but only 2 with Stampin’ Up! Classic Ink. But regardless of the number, the Stamparatus creates a perfect image – and re-image – every time!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Clever Cats Cat-in-a-box

I put a 1/4″ strip of DSP across the bottom of the panel on the inside of the card, and I added a sentiment from the now-retired Ridiculously Awesome stamp set. I created this card with the colours of Colour INKspiration #104 in mind.

The Mini Catalog is now live in the Online Store, and Clever Cats can be yours with a couple of clicks. We’re celebrating Sale-a-bration V.2 in August and September, so you’ll choose free gifts with your $50 or $100 purchase. Shop HERE.

Sassy Snailed It Snails

Here’s one last peek at the Sassy Snailed It snails! It’s a snail parade, celebrating great accomplishments – I’ve die cut and colored this lineup with Stampin’ Blends. I have LOVED this stamp set, and I’ll be sorry to see it retire in just a couple of weeks.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Snailed It Handmade Card DIY
  • Stamps: Snailed It, Picture Perfect Birthday (retired sentiment)
  • Color Palette: Poppy Parade, Pale Papaya, Granny Apple Green, Pool Party, Highland Heather, Gray Granite, Basic Black, Basic White
  • Accessories: Snailed dies, Big Boss, Stampin Blends, Peony Garden (retired Designer Series paper)

(My apologies: I used a couple of retired elements for this card.)

I cut out a bunch of these snails and started playing with colors. I decided I liked using Gray Granite as a neutral body color to offset the rainbow of snail shells, and once that was in place, the fun of combining the colors began!

I thought that setting alternate snails up on Stampin’ Dimensionals helped separate them and give more sense of motion. The shading got easier as I went along, as I could just repeat the process with different colors.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Snailed It Handmade Card DIY

I created another version with a Gorgeous Grape card base and Flirty Flamingo, Daffodil Delight, Mint Macaron, Balmy Blue and Gorgeous Grape snail shells. I used the Gray Granite blend to shadow underneath the die cut snails.

This bundle leaves the lineup for good on June 30. Shop the Online Store for your own Slither of Snails!

Color and Contour and Stampin Blends

Can I just go out on a limb and say you NEED the Color and Contour Bundle? The images and sentiments make gorgeous cards, and the dies – especially the layering scalloped rectangles – are indispensable. Oh, and Blends: you’ll need Stampin’ Blends.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Color and Contour Stampin Blends #handmadecard #DIY #makeacardsendacard #fancyfold
  • Stamps: Color and Contour, Sweet Strawberry
  • Color Palette: Pale Papaya, Mint Macaron, Basic White, Memento Black
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Scallop Contour dies, White Crinkled Seam Binding ribbon, 21-23 In Color DSP, Champagne Rhinestones, Stampin Dimensionals

This card is a Fancy Fold. It’s pretty tricky to photograph and get the full impact, but the scalloped focal point opens on a hinge to the right, and the card opens the normal way to the left. My inspiration was a Stamptastic Designs Youtube video and she does a great job of explaining how the card is constructed.

I used the dark Mint Macaron Stampin’ Blend to color the White Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon. It is VERY easy to do, and dries in the blink of an eye. (Really.) I also used the leaf image to create an abstract border on the white panel inside of the card. Those little extras aren’t necessary – but they make a card so personal.

Each scalloped rectangle has a different detail on the edge, but they nest beautifully. The large stitched scallop edge die is also part of the set, and I confess I clapped my hands and laughed out loud when I figured out that I could add that to the edge of the card. Those details are truly a Stampin’ Up! trademark.

Spend a little happy time coloring with Stampin’ Blends this weekend. And don’t forget the Last Chance products from the January – June Mini Catalog! They’re available while supplies last, but gone for good on June 30th. Find all of them HERE, and click HERE if you’d rather just see those on sale.

Maui Stamper Last Chance 2021 January-June

Hand-Penned Petals and Stampin’ Blends

I need to practice my coloring skills with Stampin’ Blends, so I produced a handful of images from Hand-Penned Petals and got to work. To my delight, this image is a PERFECT image for the purpose! Not too big, not too small, not too complex – it’s just right. Here’s what I did with the results:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Hand Penned Petals handmade card
  • Stamps: Hand-Penned Petals
  • Color Palette: Pale Papaya, Pumpkin Pie, Granny Apple Green, Basic White, Memento Black
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Penned Flowers dies, Stitched Rectangle dies, 21-23 In Color DSP 6×6 pack, White Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon, Stampin Dimensionals, Champagne Rhinestones

Today’s serendipity: The Champagne Rhinestones are a FABULOUS match with Pale Papaya! (Forgive me shouting, please.)

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Hand Penned Petals handmade card

The White Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon is my favorite. When tied, it’s still soft enough to slip through the USPS without extra postage. You can add color with Stampin’ Blends. And it’s just so pretty! It’s part of my Must Have Stash.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Hand Penned Petals handmade card

My technique with Stampin’ Blends is pretty simple. I start with an overall light blend wash, then add the deeper tones and go back with the light tone to do the blending. I use the shading marks in the stamp to guide me, but I don’t have a sophisticated system for dark/light placement. Learning that is on my to-do list <wink>

The Hand Penned stamps and dies are available in a bundle, saving you precious crafting dollars! Stop by the Online Store to get yours today.

While you’re shopping, don’t forget to check out Last Chance shopping for the January – June 2021 Mini Catalog! June 30 is the retiring date for products in that catalog that don’t carry forward in the new 21-22 Annual catalog. Don’t miss out – check the Mini Catalog page HERE.

Maui Stamper Last Chance 2021 January-June