Category Archives: cards

Happy Birthday, Little Elephant

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This Little Elephant was at the top of my shopping list for the 2018-2019 catalog. (I know, I know, I’ve already told you that. But TRUTH.)

Stampin’ Up! has cataloged this stamp under babies and kids, but I know a lot of adults who think it’s pretty dang cute and would be happy to see it in their mailbox on their birthday.

So I made a bunch of them.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Little Elephant Highland Heather

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Little Elephant Highland Heather

I hand cut the balloons. Little Elephant is available as a bundle with a punch, but it doesn’t include the balloons. Had to be done. Love my Paper Snips!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Little Elephant Bermuda Bay

You didn’t think I would make them exactly alike, did you? Of course not. I had a lot of fun playing with color – this is Bermuda Bay, Gorgeous Grape, and So Saffron.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Little Elephant Bermuda Bay

Please don’t ask me about that little black rhinestone for the eye. It’s retired, I have no idea how long ago, and I’m pretty sure it was on the Clearance Rack. It’s not there now, but when it was, I bought an “adequate” supply. (Don’t ask, don’t tell.)

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Little Elephant Granny Apple Green

The Pearlized Doilies are really easy to color with Sponge Daubers, and you get great coverage. Sponge Daubers are much firmer than Stampin’ Sponges and add a more dense layer of ink.  I only colored around the edge, because that’s what shows (sort of like just ironing the front of your shirt if you’re gonna wear a jacket anyway.)

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Little Elephant Granny Apple Green

The Subtle Dynamic TIEF is working really hard for me these days – do you need one? Shop HERE.

One Last Chance for Blended Seasons

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Today is your last chance to add Blended Seasons to your crafting stash! These gorgeous flowers officially retire at 7:50 pm HST tonight, and Stampin’ Up! demonstrators who decide to part with their stamps are required to wait a full year before they are sold. Don’t pay ridiculous prices at third party sites when you can order from your friendly SU! demo.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Color Your Season August 2018 ONLY

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Color Your Season August 2018 ONLY

Skit skat skoodle doot flip flop flee!  Click on the link to shop with me!

(apologies to fans of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom)

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Blended Seasons August 2018 exclusive

Shop HERE today!

If you’re shopping after 7:50pm HST on August 31, 2018, you can’t get this set but you can shop HERE, okay?

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Color Your Season August 2018 ONLY

Blended Seasons in Poppy Parade

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I know there are other stamps in this set, but I just can’t get enough of these gorgeous flowers. They lend themselves so well to coloring with Stampin’ Blends, guiding you along with well-placed lines to help you shade the images. I’ve done the flowers in lots of different colors, but I keep returning to Old Olive for the leaves. We’ve got a lot of fabulous new greens in our palette with the revamp this year, but Old Olive is still my favorite.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Color Your Season August 2018 ONLY

The Subtles Dynamic TIEF was a leap of faith for me. The catalog images don’t begin to do it justice! It provides just what the name says – a beautiful subtle texture that sits quietly in the background making everything else look great. If you’ve wondered about it, stop. Trust me, you need it! As for the Braided Linen Trim coming in the Holiday 2018 catalog, well, you know how I feel about Linen Thread – and this is Linen Thread in triplicate. I can’t wait til you can get it too.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Color Your Season August 2018 ONLY

I’ve used the words from Sunshine Sayings much more often than I imagined I would. They’re a little bigger than many of our sentiments, the font is a perfect Goldilocks font (not too serious, not too fussy, but just right), and they cover just about anything you’d like to say. I din’t expect to use them as much as I have, and I’m really glad I bought them.Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Blended Seasons August 2018 exclusiveBlended Seasons, the Stitched Seasons Framelits, and the Watercolor Pencil 2 assortment (Balmy Blue, Cajun Craze, Cherry Cobbler, Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry, Flirty Flamingo, Garden Green, Gorgeous Grape, Granny Apple Green, Night of Navy) are only available until the end of August. Shop HERE.

Colour INKspiration #CI40: Gorgeous Grape, Old Olive and Early Espresso

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I’ve missed a couple of the Colour INKspiration challenges and I was determined to submit at least one card to this fortnight’s challenge. The colours for #CI40 are Gorgeous Grape, Old Olive, Early Espresso, with neutrals or metallics. We had this gorgeous image to inspire our creativity:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! CI40 Inspiration

I’ve been fussy cutting this image from Blended Seasons all month, so that was where I began:
Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! #CI40 Blended Seasons

A special shout out to Vicki Boucher, who frayed her Copper Trim and inspired me to do the same. It’s addicting to pull those threads this way and that and play with the shapes that result.

I used Old Olive Stampin’ Blends on the leaves, but there’s no Gorgeous Grape Blend (at least not yet!) I ordered a set of the Watercolor Pencils available this month, and sure enough, there was Gorgeous Grape! Problem solved.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! #CI40 Blended Seasons

I was a little challenged to add Early Espresso to the card, but when I added the Wood Textures DSP and the copper ribbon, foil and embossing powder, the tones of the card changed. I used an Early Espresso card base and tucked in a few little die cut embellishments from Petals and more. The Shimmer White card stock added to the overall gleam of the card.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! #CI40 Blended Seasons

To keep the intensity of the Gorgeous Grape Watercolor Pencil, I used a Blender Pen to smooth the strokes out. The Blender Pen does a beautiful job but doesn’t dilute the color in the way an Aquapainter might.

Colour INKspiration challenges are open to anyone – visit the Facebook group to see the quality images that are submitted.

Looking for supplies to create your own card? Blended Seasons and Watercolor Pencils 2 are only available until the end of August, so time’s a wasting! If you’re in the United States, shop HERE.

Animal Outing Rhino and Birdie BFF

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I am a complete fool for charming animal images. It’s really outside my everyday aesthetic – I don’t have cute Rhino tee-shirts or Kangaroo print tote bags or Giraffe prints on my walls. But these guys, along with a half dozen other Stampin’ Up! Critter Stamps, just plain make me happy:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Animal Outing

Animal Outing and the Animal Friends Thinlits are available in a convenient bundle. Did you know that you’ll automatically save 10% on all Stampin’ Up! bundles? Every little bit helps.

Crafty Friends, if you have not yet invested in the Stitched Shapes Framelits, I highly recommend you consider that purchase. I use them on EVERYTHING. You’ll get an assortment of circles, ovals and squares in one convenient package! Believe me when I tell you that you NEED this product.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Animal Outing

I’ve spent some time working with Stampin’ Blends, and I’m starting to get a feeling for it. My fundamental approach is Use The Lines. Shading this Rhino was simply a matter of using the Dark Basic Gray Blend along the lines and the Light version everywhere else.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Animal Outing

This super-simple layout is made possible by Designer Series Paper, aka DSP. Today is the very last day to Buy 3, Get One Free. Get thee to the Online Store in great haste.

Little Gray Elephant: Colour INKspiration 38

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I missed the last Colour INKspiration challenge, and creating something for #CI38 was a high priority this weekend. The Little Elephant bundle has been on my desk this week and it didn’t take me long to imagine how it would work perfectly with the palette of Gray Granite, Petal Pink, Berry Burst, Basic Black and Whisper White:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Little Gray Elephant #CI38

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Little Gray Elephant #CI38

Stampers in the know might have already spotted that Berry Burst Tropical Elements flower. They don’t come in that color, and I had to get pretty creative to make it happen! Stampin’ Up! doesn’t currently sell a Berry Burst Stampin’ Blends marker, which would have been my first choice. I used a Sponge Dauber to add Berry Burst ink to the button, then lightly tapped it into the Versamark Ink and dusted it with Clear Embossing Powder. When I heat set that combination, the color was too light. I ended up repeating the process two more times with just the Berry Burst Ink and the Embossing Powder to get the color I wanted. I used the end of a wooden skewer to hold the button while I blasted it with the Heat Gun.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Little Gray Elephant #CI38

I also used Sponge Daubers to color the edge of the Pearlized Doily, and I used a Gray Granite Stampin’ Write marker to tone down the Linen Thread. I keep a nice little stash of Sponge Daubers because they are such a quick and easy solution to coloring just about anything. Need some – or need to make a last minute order of Designer Series Paper before the Buy 3 Get One Free sale runs out on July 31? Shop HERE if you’re in the United States.

Here’s the inspiration photo for the Colour Inkspiration challenge. It’s a Facebook group and you don’t need a blog – you can upload directly to their page to participate. It’s an absolutely lovely group of crafters, and the projects are always top notch.  Be sure to tag your post with #CI38.  Enjoy!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour INKspiration 38

Tropical Playtime

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The Tropical Escape Suite is Right. Up. My. Alley.

Holy Moly. These stamps, the DSP, the accessories – they speak my language! I love the splash of Blushing Bride mixed in with all of the green tones. These leaves are growing in my back yard – literally – and the thinlit shapes are gorgeous. This is a set I’ll keep!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Tropical Chic Tropical Escape DSP

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Tropical Chic Tropical Escape DSP

I had such fun with the details. I used a sponge dauber to add a little Flirty Flamingo ink to the center of the flower. The thinlits cut out the stamped images, but there are also dies to cut detailed leaves out of cardstock. The possibilities are endless.

The Designer Series Paper is Buy 3, Get One Free for the rest of July. I purchased multiple packages.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Tropical Chic Tropical Escape DSP

Using this darker DSP in the background completely changed the feeling of the card. The designs are gorgeous, and can stand on their own as a card front with minimal embellishment. (I was not feeling minimalistic.)

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Tropical Chic Tropical Escape DSP

As you can see, I just kept going! I didn’t know that I needed Tropical Elements until I opened the package, but now I’m convinced. I think they look particularly smashing with Linen Thread (everything looks smashing with Linen Thread.)

Need a little Tropical Escape? Shop HERE.

Technicolor Thanks

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I love making custom cards, and I had a very special order a couple of weeks ago. I took my inspiration from the graphic design in a proposal to create these thank you cards for the team that put the proposal together:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Artistan Textures Love What You Do

  • Stamps: Love What You Do, Artisan Textures, Handcarved (retired)
  • Color Palette: Whisper White, Gorgeous Grape, Lemon Lime Twist, Tempting Turquoise (retired)
  • Accessories: Big Shot, Subtle Dynamic TIEF (swoon), Watercolor Paper, Ink Refills, Brush, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Artistan Textures Love What You Do

First things first. When I first saw the Subtle Dynamic TIEF in the catalog, I thought it was just a titch TOOO subtle – I couldn’t see anything. But it really sounded like the sort of thing I would love, if it were what it seemed to be – get my drift?

Oh Em Gee.  It is gorgeous. I highly recommend giving your cardstock a very light spritz before running it through the embossing folder. I use rubbing alcohol because it dries very quickly, but you could use water. The results are stunning.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Artistan Textures Love What You Do

I was looking for some DSP to put into that angled section between the two Tempting Turquoise panels, and I started to play with water and ink and the light went on. I used an ordinary paintbrush with ink refills to draw lines across some Watercolor Paper, and I was thrilled with the results. Cutting it into sections really made it pop.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Artistan Textures Love What You Do

I can’t show you the source of my inspiration, but the graphics and colors are similar. (I hope you’ll forgive me for using Tempting Turquoise, but that was the best match and I still had some in my craft room.) There was a LOT of measure twice, cut once-ing and I still had a few things that went wonky on me, but this was a really fun project. You can find inspiration in the most unexpected places…

…but if you want to shop for supplies, it’s easy. Shop HERE.

 

 

Bouquet Blooms and Gatefold Blossoms: Annual Catalog Sleepers

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I recently chanced upon this bundle in the new 2018-2019 Annual Catalog, and honestly, I think it’s a real sleeper! The stamps and framelits don’t really jump off the page, but oh, my, can you do fabulous things with them:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Bouquet Blooms Gatefold Blossoms

All the stamped images are from Bouquet Blooms – a sleeper, am I right? I left off the sentiment because a) I like the uncluttered appearance of the focal point and b) I like to have a few cards in my stash without a sentiment so that I can add an appropriate one when I need a card pronto.  I’ll add it on the inside for this one.

The Tranquil Textures DSP is GORGEOUS and starting on Sunday, you can indulge yourself because it’s part of the Buy 3 Get One Free promo running the entire month of July. I’ve got my list ready – do you? (Hint: In addition to Tranquil Textures, you absolutely NEED the Wood Textures DSP pack – maybe TWO packs. Trust me.)

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Bouquet Blooms Gatefold Blossoms

I stamped off a few leaves – yes, from Bouquet Blooms – to dress up the inside of the card. The framelits are easy to use and create a beautiful gatefold enclosure. This card is notecard sized – 3 1/2″ x 5″ – and as my friend Desiree pointed out, would be perfect as a gift card enclosure.

The circle stamp was cut out in one pass with the Layering Circles Framelits. Use the Magnetic Platform and line up the inside and outside of the image with nesting circles and you’re all set.

Check out this video from Stampin’ Up! to see exactly how everything works together:

If you’ve made it this far, there’s even more news! Stampin’ Up! has gotten the shipment of the new tones of Stampin’ Blends and they are in the Online Store. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that these new colors will be HOT HOT HOT and you might want to act quickly.

Colour INKspiration 35: Petal Palette in Khaki

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I loved my own layout so well that I did a second version. The gray version, lovely as can be, is a bit somber. I wanted to lighten things up:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! CI35 Petal Palette in Khaki

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! CI35 Petal Palette in Khaki

This card parallels my first CI35 submission with just a few exceptions. I added the Linen Thread and the Corrugated Elements tag – much lighter in feeling – as well as a few clear sequins from the Metallics collection. I don’t know which came first – the chicken or the egg – but Glue Dots fit PERFECTLY underneath our sequins.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! CI35 Petal Palette in Khaki

Which version do you like better? If you’d like to try your hand at this, all the supplies can be found HERE. Happy Crafting!

PS. Back in the day, Crumb Cake was called Kraft in the Stampin’ Up! Colour Palette.  When I created my title, Petal Palette in Khaki just sounded better to my ear.