Sigh…Back on Your Feet

Posted on February 21, 2021 by mauistamper

You know how it is. An unexpected injury, a surgery you’d hoped wouldn’t be necessary…and there you are, out of your routine and needing more help than you want to request. The Back on Your Feet stamps know how it feels, too, and are the perfect solution to send a little heartfelt commiseration to a friend in need.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Back On Your Feet

Stamps: Back on Your Feet, Forever Fern
Color Palette: Very Vanilla, Mossy Meadow, Petal Pink, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Basic Grey
Accessories: Stampin’ Cut and Emboss (The Boss), Layering Circle dies, Linen Thread, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Stampin’ Blends, very very old and retired printed vellum

The little sprig at the end of the branch looked a lot like the leaves from Forever Fern, and from there it was a very short leap to the printed vellum that has been lurking in my stash since Moses inked a stamp. It may have been an SAB choice, or it may not have, I have no idea – but it was perfect for this project. I colored it with Stampin’ Blends and used it as background.

Would you look at that face? If that isn’t the face of compassion and sympathy, I can’t tell you what would be.

And make note of this: Sale-a-bration ends next Sunday, February 28th. Don’t miss the chance for free – FREE! – stamps and paper available with your qualifying purchase. Shop HERE.

Lots of Heart for Valentines Day

Posted on February 13, 2021 by mauistamper

While it’s perfect for creating Valentines, the Lots of Heart stamps from the January-June mini catalog are truly year-round images. The companion Many Hearts dies provide great options as well, and I spent a delightful afternoon creating a variety of cards:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Lots of Heart Valentines Handmade Cards

Stamps: Lots of Heart, Lovely You
Color Palette: Basic White, Coastal Cabana, Poppy Parade, Gold
Accessories: Stampin’ Cut and Emboss, Many Hearts dies, Sunflowers dies, Curvy dies, Forever Greenery dies, Forever Greenery trim, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Vellum card stock

Do you keep a little stash of die cut bits? I can’t seem to bear to throw them away, but eventually it drives me crazy to have all those pieces. My goal this month is to use ’em or lose ’em!

One I got started, was on a roll. This version most closely resembles Melissa Davies card, which I used for my inspiration. I wanted to play with some non-traditional Valentine colors, and Highland Heather and Daffodil Delight were a great way to switch it up.

The greeting is from Itty Bitty Greetings – one of my most indispensable stamp sets. You can see just a hint of the Subtle Embossing Folder on the Highland Heather panel, and the end of the Purple Posy strip was shaped with the Lovely Labels Pick a Punch. There’s a little Wink of Stella too [wink, wink}.

My intent was to create a rainbow with that row of horizontal hearts, but I stopped after 4 rows. I liked the way it looked, and I was eyeballing it and they were lurching downhill! That’s Rich Razzleberry, Magenta Madness, Calypso Coral and Mango Melody, and the Bumblebee Gingham ribbon across the front.

I confess that I squealed a little teeny squeal when I realized the gingham echoed the design in the heart! A few Champagne rhinestones finished this one off.

I went monochromatic in my favorite blues and greens for this version. That’s Misty Moonlight, Just Jade, Bermuda Bay and Coastal Cabana in the lineup, and I used the Scripty Embossing folder on the Misty Moonlight panel. I left off the glitz and glamor to give this one a more masculine feeling.

I really love that horizontal row of tiny hearts!

I think I spent more time cleaning the stamps than I did putting these cards together! It was a lovely way to spend an hour or so, and these will be in the mail in time for Valentines Day.

If your heart is just bursting for any of these supplies, you can shop right HERE. You don’t even need to put on your shoes to do it! And don’t forget to make your Sale-a-bration choice – there are just a couple of weeks left.

Fairytale Toadstools: Snailed It

Posted on February 10, 2021 by mauistamper

These are the toadstools of childhood, the ones occupied by talking caterpillars or lining forest paths. They’re charming but carry the scent of foreboding, as if to say look but don’t touch. The whimsical nature of this design signals the friendly nature of these fungi:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Doodling Snailed It

Stamps: Snailed it
Color Palette: Basic White, Basic Black, Poppy Parade, Just Jade, Mint Macaron, Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Stampin’ Blends, Fine Tip Glue Pen

This one is doodled again, but I chose to doodle two sides instead of all four. I think this would make a charming post card!

The Fine Tip Glue pen has again made an appearance, giving my toadstool a shiny surface and a reflective gleam.

Ready for your own fantasy forest? Shop HERE.

One more Snail-y Mojo (Monday)

Posted on February 4, 2021 by mauistamper

When I first saw the Mojo Monday 552 sketch, I envisioned it in Designer Series Paper. Once I started working, I switched to textured paper, but the idea of using DSP was still in my head. I finally got it out of my head and onto a card:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Snailed It MojoMonday552 Dandy Garden

Stamps: Snailed It, Lots of Heart, The Right Angle
Color Palette: Basic White, Memento Black, Calypso Coral, Mossy Meadow, Bumblebee
Accessories: Big Boss, Snail dies, Stitched Shapes dies, Painted Texture 3D Embossing Folder, Blending Brushes, Bumblebee Gingham Ribbon, Wink of Stella, Fine Tip Glue Pen, Stampin’ Dimensionals

The card sketch is the same – I followed the dimensions in the challenge – but this is the original layout. My first card made for this challenge was a mirror image of the design, since that snail was traveling East. This snail is Westward Ho!

I’m totally sold on using Wink of Stella and the Fine Tip Glue pen to make eyes – any eyes – really sparkle. I don’t use the fine tip, I unscrew the entire top of the bottle and dip right in with a bamboo skewer. You need to let the excess drip back into the bottle, but I find it gives me better control when I want to “paint” with the glue.

The horizontal row of hearts in Lots of Heart is perfectly sized for adding to the envelope or the inside of the card – or both! Why be either/or when you can be both/and?? Ask yourself this more often.

Take that idea of Both/And with you to the Online Store and you too can be overrun with cute little paper snails! They’re highly preferable to the slimy kind, at least if you ask me. You may discuss amongst yourselves.

Snailed it for Mojo Monday 552

Posted on January 27, 2021 by mauistamper

I haven’t joined in for a challenge in ages. Mojo Monday popped up in my social media and I liked the layout and thought “why not?” Why not indeed? This was a great chance to celebrate the Snailed It snails!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Snailed It Ombre DSP MojoMonday552

Stamps: Snailed It, Itty Bitty Greetings, The Right Triangle, Stacked Stone
Color Palette: Basic White, Bermuda Bay, Granny Apple Green, Coastal Cabana, Pool Party
Accessories: Big Boss, Snailed dies, Stitched Shapes dies, Textured Textiles Embossing Folder, Greenery Embossing Folder, Ombré DSP (Sale-a-bration 2021.1), Blending Brushes, Stampin Blends, Wink of Stella, Fine Tip Glue Pen, Stampin’ Dimensionals, tiny clear dots from a long-past Paper Pumpkin

This card was all about texture. With all those layers, it required something too distinguish them! I used embossing folders, background stamps, sparkle and shine, dimensionals, and Designer Series Papers to create dimension on this project. The sentiment tab and the narrowest patterned paper were gently brushed with Blending Brushes and Pool Party ink to give them very soft color.

If you’ve missed The Right Triangle, check out all of the textures you can find in that stamp set!

I repeated my sparkly eyes trick, using Wink of Stella and the Fine Tip Glue pen to bring her eyes to life. I also did a little spattering with Stella on the Oh So Ombre DSP, and added some “dits” with a textural stamp from Right Triangle.

The sketch challenge really inspired me. I’d felt like I was in a rut, that everything I created had an element of sameness to me. Maybe it did, and maybe it didn’t, but working with a sketch helped me see paper and layers with fresh eyes, and I feel like my creative energy stores have been replenished.

If you’re ready to shop the January – June mini catalog and get in on the great deals available during Sale-a-bration, visit my Online Store! If you’d like to see more about Mojo Monday, take a look at what Julee is doing at Poetic Artistry. And thanks for stopping by!

Sending Snail Mail

Posted on January 22, 2021 by mauistamper

The only thing better than making cards is sending cards. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like getting a card in the mail, and I like to make cards! What a perfect match. The stars of my latest batch are the charming, bug-eyed snails from Snail Mail.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Snail Mail Pretty Perennials Happy card

Stamps: Snailed It, Pretty Perennials
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Black, Purple Posy, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Stampin’ Blends, Wink of Stella, Fine Tip Glue Pen

This is a pretty simple card without a lot of embellishment. The snail has a little Stella in her eyes, and I used the Fine Tip Glue Pen to make those black eyeballs good and shiny. Other than that, there’s some coloring and some doodling. This is a relaxing and enjoyable project!

Can you see the sparkle and shine? The combination really works for these hilarious eyeballs. I considered adding some Stella to the doodles running around the edge of the card, but it seemed a little too, well, snaily.

I mean, the truth is that I’m a gardener and snails are my arch-enemy out there! The Stampin’ Up! concept artists did an amazing job making these little critters so appealing, because in person, I like them NOT SO MUCH. (Also, in Hawaii we have ginormous snails, and that’s even more gross.)

Once I got started I was on a roll. Coloring the snails is addicting. I’ve always loved to color, and Stampin’ Blends are such a satisfying coloring tool.

I chose Flirty Flamingo, Calypso Coral, and Just Jade for this version. I used the same treatment on those big eyes – don’t you love the lashes?? Seriously. It must be such fun to dream these things up. I would need someone else in the room to call over and affirm my creative genius! I think that’s one of the things I miss most as a result of the pandemic. It’s such fun to craft alongside someone else, and try as she might, the cat doesn’t cut it.

So what do you think? Are these colors too far from reality? (Of course they are, I would freak out if I saw snails in my garden that looked like this.) I’m trying to decide if I dare try one in shades of blue…

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Sale-a-bration 2021-JaFe

Snail Mail is available as a bundle with snaily dies, or as a suite that includes the bundle, Designer Series Paper, and two different embellishments. If you’re ready for some paper snails that won’t snack on your herb garden, shop HERE.

Whale of a Time under the Sea

Posted on January 10, 2021 by mauistamper

Here’s a challenge for you: create a card without using any stamps. Our Designer Series Papers are the key!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Whale of a Time Designer Series Paper

This design is a CASE of one featured on the Stampin’ Up! FaceBook page during the Designer Series paper sale last fall. I made a few but not many adjustments, but the overall concept is very similar. Here are the supplies I used:

Stamps: None! (I will add a stamped message inside when I’ve decided to send this)
Color Palette: Pool Party, Pretty Peacock, and all the colors in the DSP
Accessories: Paper snips, Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals, retired color dots

I created this card for a group, and I was able to get 24 very similar sets of supplies with one package of DSP. You might be able to get more, but 24 was what I needed so that’s where I stopped! The color dots that I used on this particular card are retired so that I could send my supply of current dots out to the group. I recommend the 2020-2022 In Color enamel dots, but there are loads of other options – I love the idea of using the Opal Rounds too.

The turtles were easy to trim from the DSP, and there are jellyfish and whales you could choose as well. I also trimmed the wave on the dsp, and I roughed some but not all of the paper edges.

I love the richness of these hues and the range of tones in this paper! The Whale of a Time DSP is 6×6, and there are many other beautiful papers I didn’t choose for this project!

The card dimensions are 3 1/2″ x 8 1/2″. I cut the following:

card base (Pool Party) 8 1/2 x 7 scored at 3 1/2
mat layer (Pretty Peacock) 8 1/4 x 3 1/4
construction base for the panel (White) 8 x 3
DSP panels were all 3 inches wide. The top panel is 3 x 3, and subsequent panels down the design range from 1″ to 1 1/2″ tall.

I hope you’ll do me the honor of CASE-ing this project! The hardest part is choosing the DSP, I promise. It goes together very easily.

Ready to shop? Find the DSP and so much more at the Online Store. Don’t forget to add your Sale-a-bration choice when you get to $50!

Stitched Triangle Trees Two Ways

Posted on November 15, 2020 by mauistamper

Our series of Stitched Dies – Stitched Triangles, Rectangles, Ovals, Circles, Labels – provide a quick and easy “step up” to any project. The Tree Angle stamps in the August – December mini catalog got me thinking, but in the end it was Tis the Season Designer Series Paper that made these cards come to life.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Tis the Seasons Stitched Triangle Tree handmade card

Stamps: Tree Angle, Poinsettia Petals, Birch
Color Palette: Whisper White, Real Red, Shaded Spruce, Mint Macaron
Accessories: Stitched Triangle dies, Stampin’ Cut & Emboss, Tasteful Textile Embossing Folder, All the Trimmings Embellishments, Rhinestone gems, Wink of Stella, Crinkle White Seam binding, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I love that little Bumblebee star at the top of the tree! That star was the reason I purchased the All the Trimmings Embellishments. I’m sure I’ll find a use for the Poppy Parade and Whisper White dots, but ooo that star!

It’s hard to see the texture from the Tasteful Textile EF, but it makes such a difference. It’s my current favorite EF because it has presence and it’s subtle (but not as subtle as the Subtle folder, ha!). There are other ways to accomplish texture, though:

I used the Birch background stamp, and one of my new techniques is to paint directly onto the stamp with Wink of Stella. Stella has enough shimmer that you can see it even without lighting.

You knew this was coming, right? I could keep going, as there are so many fun patterns in the Tis the Season paper stack – did I mention it’s 6×6? So much easier to store, and mentally so much easier to chop up. I’m making a very intentional effort to actually USE all of my DSP. (I know, what a concept.) Shop for everything you need at my Online Store.

Are you a bear lover? Don’t miss out on this charming Paper Pumpkin kit to be shipped in December. Popular kits have sold out, and this one is a candidate – subscribe today to be sure this little red package shows up in your mailbox!

Ornamental Envelopes make great cards!

Posted on November 15, 2020 by mauistamper

A stamp and die set named Ornamental Envelopes may not evoke cards, but think twice, my dear Crafty Friends! You’ll want this combo all year long for the details that make a handmade card stand out from the rest.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Ornamental Envelope Handmade Christmas Card

Stamps: Ornamental Envelopes, A Merry Hello (host)
Color Palette: Whisper White, Shaded Spruce, Real Red
Accessories: Envelopes dies, Stampin Cut & Emboss, Stamparatus, Tis the Season Designer Series paper, Stampin Dimensionals, Red Rhinestone Jewels

I’ve CASEd this project from the classic style of Mary Fish. I’ve made very few changes, although I chose to simplify the DSP strip and layer it on top of the card front rather than recess it. I’m stamping this with a group, so simple made sense! The Stamparatus really helps when you want to be sure that group of ornaments is hanging perfectly straight off the top of your card.

The talented Ms. Fish embellished her envelope (how could we not?) but I had another idea. It was a little over-the-top, and I wouldn’t do it for a huge stack of envelopes, but I love how it turned out:

I am quite pleased with myself to have found a Santa postage stamp – this is last year’s edition (or who knows, it could be 2013.) The front of the envelope is stamped, but it’s the flap that is the pièce de résistance:

I created an envelope liner with the envelope die using a piece of the Tis the Season DSP and then I cut the envelope with this embellishing die. I ran that die through the Stamp Cut & Emboss again using Red Foil and picked out the little red circles and adhered them in the pukas (Hawaiian word for holes) using Tombo Multi Purpose Glue.

You NEED the Envelope dies, and if you’re going to order them, you really ought to take advantage of the savings you’ll get when you purchase the whole bundle. The bundle is only available until January 4, 2021, so get it while it’s hot!! Visit the Online Store and check that little to-do off your list.

You’re welcome! 💕

Poinsettia Place: The Slimline Card

Posted on November 12, 2020 by mauistamper

I’m a little late to the party on Slimline cards, but I’m happy with my first effort. Poinsettia Place was the first thing on my list for the August-December mini catalog, even though back in July my heart just wasn’t into Christmas crafting! News flash: it’s November and it’s time to get cracking.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Poinsettia Place Slimline card handmade with custom envelope

Stamps: Poinsettia Place
Color Palette: Garden Green, Old Olive, Real Red, So Saffron, Soft Suede, Whisper White, Gold foil
Accessories: Poinsettia dies, Stamp Cut & Emboss, Poinsettia Place DSP, Gold Foil, Forever Greenery Trim Combo pack (Gold thread), Metallic Pearls, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Fluid 100 watercolor paper, Water Painters, Detailed Trio Punch, Red Rhinestone gems, Wink of Stella. (Phew! Did I miss anything?)

When I first started using the Gold trim, I struggled to keep it from unraveling. (TIP: put a little glue from the Fine Tip Glue pen on the cut end to stop it from fraying.) My OCD self has experienced enlightenment now, and I encourage it to unravel – I love all those little threads!

This card measures 3 3/4″ x 8 3/4″ folded, or 7 1/2″ x 8 3/4″ unfolded. The envelope is very simple to create with the Simply Scored tool. I began with a piece of 8 1/2″ x 11″ card stock and with the long end across the top of my Simply Scored I marked 1 1/2″ and 10 1/2″. I turned the card stock a quarter turn so that the short end was across the top of the Simply Scored and marked 2″ and 6″. Cut away the rectangles at the four corners, fold along the score lines, and assemble the envelope with Stampin’ Seal+. I trimmed the top edges of the envelope before I adhered it so there would be a small reveal, and I cut a piece of Designer Series paper 3 3/8″ wide and 3″ long to line the top of the envelope. The Detailed Trio punch rounds the corners perfectly!

I used a few drops of ink refill in Real Red, Garden Green and Old Olive to watercolor the poinsettia and the leaves with our fabulous new Water Pens. These images are really forgiving, which made the watercoloring really enjoyable. I don’t have any formal art training, so it’s always an adventure to see how things turn out.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Poinsettia Place Suite

Ready to add this gorgeous suite to your collection? These are timeless, classic images that you’ll reach for again and again. Shop HERE.

The Maui Stamper

papercrafts, my stories, and the occasional insight

Category Archives: cards

Sigh…Back on Your Feet

Lots of Heart for Valentines Day

Fairytale Toadstools: Snailed It

One more Snail-y Mojo (Monday)

Snailed it for Mojo Monday 552

Sending Snail Mail

Whale of a Time under the Sea

Stitched Triangle Trees Two Ways

Ornamental Envelopes make great cards!

Poinsettia Place: The Slimline Card

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