Sweet cupcake

Posted on June 26, 2016 by mauistamper

Cupcakes say “BIRTHDAY!!” better than any other treat I can imagine:

Stamps: Sweet Cupcake
Color Palette: Whisper White, Blushing Bride, Flirty Flamingo, Watermelon Wonder
Accessories: A Little Foxy DSP pack, Stampin’ Write markers, Wink of Stella Clear, Big Shot, Gently Falling TIEF, Cupcake Cutouts Framelits, Project Life Cards and Labels Framelits, Corner rounder punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals

The Little Foxy DSP stack has wonderful designs – they’re very easy to use on a card – and I was thrilled to discover that while one side is in full Technicolor, the reverse is a design in grayscale. I have a lot of ideas about playing with those designs.

Say Happy Birthday with a cupcake that won’t derail anyone from a healthy eating plan! Shop HERE.

Swirly Bird: One set to rule them all

Posted on June 21, 2016 by mauistamper

There are many, many gorgeous new products in the latest version of the Stampin’ Up! annual catalog, but Swirly Bird gets my vote for the set that does it all:

Stamps: Swirly Bird, Tin of Cards
Color Palette: Pear Pizazz, Tangerine Tango, Peekaboo Peach, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Big Shot, Swirly Scribbles Thinlits, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I love the variety in the images, and I love the versatility of both the stamps and the thinlits. This card is quick and easy to put together and I already have a few ideas for changing it up. I also love that Stampin’ Up! brought the original 2015-2016 Tin of Cards stamp set back, but also added a new Designer Tin of Cards set for 2016-2017.

I want you to note that I avoided the (very strong) urge to make this a blue and green card. It would be gorgeous with Pool Party or Island Indigo. I’m making an effort to expand my horizons, and since orange isn’t exactly at the top of my list of favorites, I stretched.

I inked the Swirly shapes in Peekaboo Peach and then tapped the edges with Tangerine Tango. Each one came out a little differently from the last, which is what flowers do in real life, right? I like that.

Ready to add the Swirly Birds bundle to your craft table? Shop HERE.

Craftin’ with my Bestie

Posted on June 16, 2016 by mauistamper

I made a date yesterday to craft with my bestie:

She brought over her new things, and I set up a space for the two of us on my dining room table. My craft room is just a little bit messy right now, and it’s not quite spacious enough for two crafters. My bestie is a little bit of a space hog, anyways {wink}. Don’t deny it, you know it’s true!

She had the new Love You Lots Host Rewards set, and I enjoyed those cute little critter images a lot more than I anticipated. Cute isn’t really my thing, although every now and then something cute will catch my eye.

Stamps: Love You Lots
Color Palette: Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White, Emerald Envy
Accessories: Emerald Envy Ruched Ribbon, Stampin’ Write markers, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Fruit Stand DSP

For the amount of time we were crafting, you would think we would have a mountain of cards. That’s not the way it worked out. But we did have a good time trying new things, and we got caught up on lots of news, and of course we had a lovely lunch! (edited to add: Cheryl posted too – see what she made HERE.)

After she left, I got more productive. I think it just took a while to get my mojo going.

Ready to give your mojo a kick in the pants? Shop HERE.

All Swirly Whirly

Posted on June 14, 2016 by mauistamper

I had no idea I would be so crazy about this Swirly Bird bundle:

Shoosh now. Don’t tell my Dad. This is his Fathers Day card and it’s going in the mail today. I love the open sea feeling of it.

Stamps: Swirly Bird and Crazy About You
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Grey, Real Red, Dapper Denim
Accessories: Swirly Scribbles Thinlits, Layering Circle Framelits, Duet Banner Punch, Stampin’ Sponges, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Wink of Stella clear glitter brush

The new 2016-2018 In Colors are absolutely scrumptious. (I always have a little heart failure when there’s a new set of In Colors and I have to put that 2-year-away date out there. 2018? Holy Mackerel Andy.) Dapper Denim is a beautiful shade of blue!

This card is based on a layout done by Janet Wakeland. I tweaked it a bit – can you see the Wink of Stella? {wink, wink} I’ve been busy turning out all kinds of Swirly projects!

Don’t judge me or anything, but Swirly Bird was a bit of a last minute, oh-why-not addition to my first big new catalog order. I thought it was interesting, but I wasn’t exactly over the moon about it.

I also ordered the Layering Circle Framelits only because I had a demonstrator award that allowed me to get them for free. I have the old Circle Framelits. Why would I possibly need these? There couldn’t be that much difference, could there?

I was wrong. There is.

Want your own? Shop HERE.

A Muted Garden

Posted on May 31, 2016 by mauistamper

I find the combination of these shades of blues and taupes to be very soothing:

Stamps: Botanical Blooms
Color palette: Very Vanilla, Tip Top Taupe, Soft Suede, Pool Party, and Island Indigo
Accessories: Botanical Blooms framelits, Big Shot, Designer Pearls, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Timeless Elegance DSP

How can you go wrong with these beautiful shapes? I cut out a stack and started playing.

There’s no greeting for now. I’ll add one when I’m ready to send this card. I like to have a stash on hand that I can personalize with just the right greeting.

It’s SO Timeless!

Posted on May 28, 2016 by mauistamper

i can’t resist this paper! It’s the perfect background for anything and everything:

Stamps: Serene Silhouette, Hello (retired SAB 2016)
Color Palette: Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey, Mossy Meadow, Tip Top Taupe
Accessories: 2 1/2″ circle punch, Greetings thinlits (retired and sold out, sorry!), Linen thread, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Timeless Elegance DSP

I really like this layout. You may have seen it – and a few variations – a time or two this month {wink}

Same card, different layout

Posted on May 26, 2016 by mauistamper

My gate fold card from earlier this month began life as a simpler layout:

The color scheme and stamps are the same,but I added a little piercing and the Very Vanilla seam binding. The more I use the Timeless Elegance DSP, the more I’m tempted to add a couple of packs to my last Retiring Products order!

Funny, it seems that paper piercing had fallen out of favor. I hardly ever think to add it to a card, and I seldom see it in the work of other paper crafters. Do you still use it?

We’re proud of our grad

Posted on May 24, 2016 by mauistamper

Our son graduated this month and Mr. Maui Stamper and I are immensely proud of him. Of course, a special card was in order:

Stamps: Beautiful Ride, World Map
Color Palette: Notre Dame Blue and Gold 😄
Accessories: Aquapainter

We’re proud of all three of our children – seems odd to say that when they are all adults. I call them my chickens, and I’m always happy when we are all together. It’s been a good month.

Circles and Squares

Posted on May 22, 2016 by mauistamper

I’m still playing with the Everything set from the April Paper Pumpkin. For this gate-fold card, I chose to layer a circle onto a square – not my usual combination, but I’m happy with the result:

Stamps: Everything
Color palette: Watermelon Wonder, Tip Top Taupe, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Crushed Curry
Accessories: 2 1/2″ circle punch, corner rounder punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Tip Top Taupe lace, Timeless Elegance DSP

The Taupe lace is very soft and has nice stretch and give, so you can knot it and then manipulate it to your liking. I think I’ll be able to get away with regular postage if I add a single card stock layer in front of the bow before I put the card in the envelope.

Blackberry Birthday

Posted on May 14, 2016 by mauistamper

The Everything stamp set that was included in the latest Paper Pumpkin really does cover, well, anything:

Stamps: Everything Paper Pumpkin bonus)
Color palette: Blackberry Bliss, Blushing Bride, Mossy Meadow, Hello Honey, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Gold thread, Timeless Elegance DSP

I’ve worked hard this year to use as much of my DSP stash as I can. I tend to hoard it – for what, I’m not sure. How about you? What’s the oldest DSP in your stash?

Time is slipping away on the Retiring List. Last day to order is May 31st!

The Maui Stamper

papercrafts, my stories, and the occasional insight

Category Archives: cards

Sweet cupcake

Swirly Bird: One set to rule them all

Craftin’ with my Bestie

All Swirly Whirly

A Muted Garden

It’s SO Timeless!

Same card, different layout

We’re proud of our grad

Circles and Squares

Blackberry Birthday

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