Tropical Playtime

Posted on July 19, 2018 by mauistamper

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!

Stamps: Tropical Chic, Itty Bitty Greetings
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Black, Blushing Bride, Granny Apple Green, Shaded Spruce, Flirty Flamingo
Accessories: Big Shot, Tropical Escape DSP, Tropical Thinlits, Layering Circles Framelits, Duet Banner Punch, Linen Thread, Tropical Elements, Pearl Jewels, Sponge Daubers, Stampin’ Dimensionals

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.

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.)

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

Posted on July 11, 2018 by mauistamper

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:

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

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.

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.

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

Posted on June 29, 2018 by mauistamper

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:

Stamps: Bouquet Blooms
Color Palette: Soft Sea Foam, Mint Macaron, Tranquil Tide, Whisper White, Fresh Fig
Accessories: Big Shot, Gatefold Blossoms Framelits, Tranquil Textures DSP, Layering Circles Framelits, Stampin’ Dimensionals

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.)

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

Posted on June 24, 2018 by mauistamper

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:

Stamps: Petal Palette, Picture Perfect Birthday
Colour Palette: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Early Espresso
Accessories: Big Shot, Subtle Dynamic TIEF, Petals and More Thinlits, Stitched Shapes Framelits, Linen Thread, Wood Textures DSP, Corrugated Elements, Metallics Sequin Assortment, Stampin’ Blends, Glue Dots, Stampin’ Dimensionals

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.

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.

Colour Inkspiration #35: Petal Palette in Gray

Posted on June 22, 2018 by mauistamper

I love monochromatic design, and lately it seems like the card-o-sphere does too. Colour Inkspiration challenge #35 is all about neutrals – anything from the Stampin’ Up! Neutral Colour family – and I chose gray:

Stamps: Petal Palette, Marbled, Flourishing Phrases
Colour Palette: Neutrals: Basic Gray, Smoky Slate, Whisper White, Basic Black
Accessories: Smoky Slate Stampin’ Blends, Big Shot, Subtle Dynamic TIEF, Layering Oval Framelits, Petals and More Thinlits, Vellum, Black Stazon Ink, Black rhinestones (retired), Silver Metallic Edge Ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals

In order to keep it tone-on-tone, the roses had to be gray. I used Stampin’ Blends to create some depth without losing the definition of the image. Blends are really forgiving, and despite my reservations, my gray roses worked.

I can’t say enough about the Marbled Background Stamp. I liked what I saw in the catalog, but I wasn’t sure how much I would use it. Well, buckle your seatbelts, crafty friends, you are going to see a lot of this! This design is exactly what I want in a background – it doesn’t distract but rather enhances anything you layer over it.

Colour Inkspiration is a closed group on Facebook, but if they let me in, they just might let you in too! The challenges are posted every other week, the quality of the submissions is high, and the camaraderie is excellent.

Do you need any of these products? I’m certainly glad I have them – you can shop HERE to add them to your crafty stash.

Varied Vases in Mint and Heather

Posted on June 10, 2018 by mauistamper

I’ve already made dozens of cards with Varied Vases, but this is one of my favorites:

Stamps: Varied Vases
Color palette: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Mint Macaron, Highland Heather
Accesories: Big Shot, Stitched Shapes Framelits, Basketweave Dynamic TIEF, Vases Builder Punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Watercolor Pencils, Basic Gray ribbon from SAB (retired).

I used a sticky note to create a mask for the stems. It was a bit of fussy cutting, but I couldn’t NOT do it. The beautiful stems in this versatile set lend themselves to tropical arrangement, and I’ve had so much fun arranging these flowers.

Fussy cutting isn’t my favorite thing, but when it’s worth it, it’s worth it. The only difference in this second stepped-up version is the fussy cut stems, but I love the added dimension. Sharp eyes will spot tiny dots of Daffodil Delight in the blossoms.

One more version, this time with the current Silver Metallic Edge ribbon. I also used a Blender Pen to hand color the stems so that I could vary the tones. You’ll want to do the coloring before you cut this one out, as the cuttings is VERY fussy.

Inspired? Find everything you need HERE. When you place your order, be sure to enter Host Code 32K6EETG for a special new catalog gift. Hint: it’s all about color!

Waterfront Four Ways

Posted on June 6, 2018 by mauistamper

Waterfront is a fabulous stamp set to use for tropical cards, but I recently started playing with the individual stamps and had a lot of fun thinking just a bit outside the box. With my favorite palette of blues and greens, I experimented with a very clean and simple concept and loved the results:

Stamps: Waterfront, Happy Birthday Gorgeous
Color Palette: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Lemon Lime Twist, Granny Apple Green
Accessories: Note Cards, Paper Snips, Stampin’ Dimensionals, thick Bakers Twine (retired), stapler

This is a super simple card, and the color combinations – and sentiments – are limitless. It would be possible to make this card without blue or green, but it would be a tragic loss. <wink>

Version two: Just palm trees. Nothing else! I thought about a LOT of different things to add, and maybe another time I’ll do a whole series (sun, surf, splatters…) but for now, it’s just about the palm trees. And the Linen Thread, of course. You MUST have Linen Thread. (Colors are Granny Apple Green and Soft Suede, in case you’re wondering.)

Next up: dots! You don’t get a whole lot easier than this! I subbed Balmy Blue in for the Coastal Cabana and used a little Ombre Lemon Lime Twist ribbon – it ties so beautifully and has such a soft hand.

This last card is inspired by the beach huts at St. Kilda near Melbourne, Australia. We were there about 5 years ago, and their whimsical, colorful rows along the beach are just delightful.

My son took this great shot, and it was the image I had in mind when I approached this card.

The Whisper White Note Cards are perfect for quick messages and can be mailed with standard First Class postage in the US. They lend themselves to creating sets, as well, and would make a great little gift.

Need supplies? Shop HERE.

One last Moon Baby

Posted on May 31, 2018 by mauistamper

Today’s the last day for lots of great stamps – including this one:

Stamps: Moon Baby
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Black, Peekaboo Peach, Daffodil Delight, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Wink of Stella, Naturally Eclectic DSP, Stampin’ Blends

Great news: Stampin’ Blends are available for purchase! They were such a hit when they were initially introduced that we broke the store, but they’re back in stock. The new colors being introduced in the 2018-2019 catalog won’t be available til mid June, but the existing color palette is available right now. Order them HERE.

Colour Inkspiration #34: Waterfront

Posted on May 25, 2018 by mauistamper

UPDATE: I WON!

I’m thrilled to have been voted the winner of CI34. This is a lovely group, and a new challenge – CI35 – has just begun. See the details HERE.

Time for another Colour Inkspiration challenge! I sat out the last round (remember? May is like December without the cookies) but when I saw this gorgeous photo my colour mojo kicked into gear:

My daughter lives in Australia, just north of Sydney, so I feel a special affinity for this group. I’m including the letter U in the word COLOUR in their honour.

I saw these fabulous colours as tropical sunset tones, and I’ve been looking for an opportunity to try a technique with the versatile Waterfront stamp set. You could say it was a perfect storm:

Stamps: Waterfront, Painted Harvest, Colourful Seasons
Colour Palette: Whisper White, Basic Grey, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral
Accessories: Leaf Punch, Everyday Label Punch, Seasonal Layers Thinlits, Calypso Coral 1/8″ ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I would have never added Basic Grey to this card, and I’m so glad it was included in the challenge because I love how it anchors the other colours. Waterfront is a photopolymer set, so keeping the lines horizontal was easy to do.

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve visited Australia, and more than that since I’ve been on the East coast. I think I’m due. (I keep telling Mr. Maui Stamper that I need my own plane. He agrees, but then starts in on this thing about what it costs. I just hear that he agrees.)

If you’d like to contribute to my airplane fund, shop HERE. Make a note: Colourful Seasons is a bundle only through May 31. After that, the stamps and thinlits will be available separately, but there won’t be a discount.

Petal Passion DSP: Something to hoard

Posted on May 18, 2018 by mauistamper

The Craftosphere is all about using up your DSP right now (Kylie Bertucci’s #LoveItChopIt is a trending example). MOST of the time, I’m right there – use it up – and it’s Designer Series Paper, if you’ve been wondering. But I jump right off that bandwagon with Petal Passion. I bought extra and I’m gonna hoard it. This card is a great example of why:

Stamps: Flirty Flowers, retired Paper Pumpkin
Color Palette: Basic Black, Whisper White, Lovely Lipstick, Emerald Envy, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Petal Passion DSP, retired ribbon (Holiday 2017), Blender Pen

I used the Blender Pen to fill in the small floral images included in the sentiment. I just wanted a touch of color, and the Blender Pen allowed me to layer in the right amount.

This is a simple card despite the extra fold. The front panel opens into a small card, then the full gate opens to a traditionally proportioned card. It’s especially nice for sending a gift card, or including a special quotation. Put your message on the small card, then use Glue Dots to adhere the gift card to the inside panel.

There’s still time for your own stash for Petal Passion! Shop HERE.