Pumpkin, pumpkin, who has a pumpkin?

Didja subscribe to My Paper Pumpkin?  Didja?

Well, I did, and it took me way too long to crack it open…I won’t bother you with the reasons because they’re not very good ones.  To be honest, I wasn’t all that thrilled with the idea of a kit anyway.  I am a Bona Fide Stampin’ Up! Independent Demonstrator! I don’t need a kit!!  I MAKE kits!!!

For the record, I was wrong, 100% wrong.  I LOVED MY PUMPKIN!  Loved the stamps, loved the papers, loved their concept card, and loved creating my own variations!  I was giggling and humming when I put these together, and in case you need to ask, the answer is yes, that’s a very good sign.

Here’s the My Paper Pumpkin card that you get when you follow their directions:

Maui Stamper My Paper Pumpkin Welcome Kit

Actually, this is the card you get when you mess up when you are following their directions.  I DROPPED the “hey there, friend” stamp when I was placing it on the card front, and it smudged.  I sat there looking at it as though it had betrayed me (when in fact, I had betrayed it.)  But Stampin’ Up! was clearly a step ahead of me and provided those little random dot things.  They are clearly intended to cover up messes, so that’s how I used them.

I almost never make more than one of the same card and I was curious to see what I could do with the project pieces.  I made three additional cards using some or all of the Paper Pumpkin supplies.

Maui Stamper My Paper Pumpkin Welcome KitA few Basic Grey circles, some Tempting Turqoise ink, my Uniball white gel pen, a snip of 1/8 inch Daffodil taffeta ribbon, some Pewter Embossing Powder (you NEED this) and some bling were all added into the mix for this card.  The stamps are You Rule from the Spring Catalog.

Maui Stamper My Paper Pumpkin Welcome KitI wanted a banner, so I cut the circle die cut like a pizza and layered it on Daffodil Delight.  The letters and the accents on the word birthday are from our new Designer Typeset Polymer stamp set – so easy to use – and the elephant and word Birthday are from You’re Amazing.

I think this card needs a little something, but it was the last card of the evening and I think I was out of mojo.  I’ll stare at it a while and something will come up.

This last one is my favorite:

Maui Stamper My Paper Pumpkin Welcome KitThat “Hey There, Friend” sentiment is going to get a lot of use in my studio!

Maui Stamper My Paper Pumpkin Welcome KitYou can have this same kit – just log into My Paper Pumpkin to sign up.  The Welcome kit is the first month’s kit for every new subscriber, and you can manage your subscription in case you’ll be away for a month and want to put a hold on your kit.  Stampin’ Up! has told us that they will not be previewing the kits, and each kit will be an exclusive offer – meaning if you miss it, it’s gone.  You need to commit by the 10th of each month to receive the current kit – don’t put it off, ok?

I would gladly pay you Tuesday…

For a hamburger today!

Stampin' Up! Maui Stamper Manly Burger CardALMOST looks good enough to eat, eh?

You can do this with just a few punches and some paper. I’m generally not a big fan of punch art but this was too perfect for a Dad card. Here you go:

Stampin' Up! Maui Stamper Manly Burger CardBirthday or Father’s Day, either way this card is a winner! We’re making this one at the Manly Cards class on May 5. There are still a few spots – let me know if you would like to join us.

And I am very sorry to report that not only is the First Editions dsp retiring, but it is sold out. We can only cross our fingers and hope that Stampin’ Up! Has something better in store in the new catalog. 😉

Once in a while you need a Manly Card

And oh, do those Manly cards pose a challenge!!

Manly cards are not lacy.  They don’t have bling or pearls.  They don’t have glitter, either – at least not in my house!!  Mr. Maui Stamper Does Not Like Glitter.  In general, they are very lean on embellishment.

What’s a stamper to do?

Stampin' Up! Maui Stamper Manly Squares Birthday

  • Wacky Wishes (hostess) stamp set
  • Designer Type polymer stamp set
  • My Paper Pumpkin Intro kit stamp
  • Naturals White, River Rock, Not Quite Navy, Lucky Limeade, Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze card stock
  • Not Quite Navy, Lucky Limeade, Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze FFIP
  • Large oval punch
  • Postage stamp punch
  • Scallop Square punch
  • 1 inch square punch
  • 1 1/4 inch square punch
  • Natural 7/16 inch trim
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals

I cased Wendy Weixler, an immensely talented Artisan Award Stampin’Up! demonstrator.  The use of repeating shapes isn’t unusual, but most often I have seen repeated circles and I loved that this was squares.  Talk about using up scraps!

This is one of the cards we’ll make at my Manly Card class on May 5, and if you’re going to be on Maui that day you are very welcome to join us!

Yesterday during the blog tour I was TERRIBLY tempted to share something that had me literally rolling on the floor, but I ultimately decided it was too much of a distraction to the flow of the tour.  However, today I have no such conscientious objections.

Last Wednesday night I stayed up very, very late stamping.  The Fountain of Creative Juices was flowing and I was taking advantage of it!  Crystal and I were texting pictures back and forth – it’s a kind of virtual stamp camp for the two of us.  About 11:30pm I get this weird image with no message…took me forever to realize what it was, but it took about 3 seconds to fall on the floor in hysterical laughter once I got it!  Definitely a moment to savor – and she blogged it, so check THIS out.

You’re welcome.

 

 

 

Best of RemARKable Flowers

Stampin' Up! RemARKable Blog Tour 25 Years with Stampin' Up! April

Welcome to another RemARKable Blog Tour!  If this is your first stop, welcome – and get comfy!  We are exploring the collections being released every month to celebrate 25 years of Stampin’ Up! goodness, and this month we are playing with Best of Flowers.  This set contains some of my favorite images from the archives, and it was a sweet trip down memory lane to ink this one up:

Stampin' Up! Maui Stamper Best of Flowers 25th AnniversaryI’m indulging my classical style in this card.  This image, originally sold as Upsy Daisy, was almost twice this size when it was initially released.  This “mini me” version is perfect!  It’s stamped in Pretty in Pink (soon to be retired) and Pink Pirouette (which I like better anyway, but don’t tell).  Hey There Friend is the exclusive My Paper Pumpkin image that every new Paper Pumpkin subscriber receives, so you can have one too!  I ran the panel through the Delicate Designs TIEF  and then used the scrumptious 1 1/4 inch Two Tone Ribbon to unite the elements.

Stampin' Up! Maui Stamper Best of Flowers 25th AnniversaryLet me channel my inner Rachel Ray – can you say YUM-O!! with me?  That ribbon is scrumptious, and I love how the grosgrain lines echo the stems on the flowers, but contrast with the eyelet-like scallops below.

Stampin' Up! Maui Stamper Best of Flowers 25th AnniversaryI began this card with the masked flower garland stamped in Regal Rose (another color about to start drawing Social Security), and yes, I cut it by hand.  (Late at night, no less.  I had one of those “Fountain of Creative Juices” nights and could have pulled an all-nighter except for the fact that I had to be someplace at 6:30 am the next morning!  Let’s just say that turned into a looong day.)  Once I cut the garland I had some trouble putting it onto a card.  I got the Crumb Cake and the Pink Pirouette going, but it was missing something. However, literally out of nowhere I got a BRILLIANT (in my opinion) idea:

Stampin' Up! Maui Stamper Best of Flowers 25th AnniversaryCan you see what I did??  I took a doily and shabbied it up with some Crumb Cake Ink and a Stampin’ Sponge.  Then I cut halfway through (as though I were cutting a slice of pie) and cut a circle out of the middle.  After straightening it out, I hit it with a little Champagne Mist Shimmer spray and scrunched it up!  It was damp so it scrunched well, and when it dried it held onto its shape.  I WAS STOKED!!

All righty then!  Back to our regularly scheduled blog tour…The Best of Flowers set, like all the Best of sets, iis available through March 2014.  Each set comes with a sticker, and when you have collected 6 stickers, you can send them in for a free stamp set ($14.95 or less) of your choosing.  Win-win!

Enough Maui Stamper Silliness…time to see what Robin has done!  Click on the link below, or check the RemARKable Best of Blog Tour line-up listed below!  and Stamp On!!

Stampin' Up! Maui Stamper Best of Flowers 25th AnniversaryNancy Amato  http://stampinallnight.blogspot.com
Linda Bartolucci   http://www.inkstampandscrap.com/
Ingrid Blackburn  http://TheCreativeGrove.com
Melissa Bolinger  http://www.stampinup.net/blog/2089191
Jackie Bottomley  http://www.jackiebottomley.blogspot.com
Susan Carlson http://stampinmomoffour.blogspot.com
Tamra Davis  http://www.thecardladies.com
Connie Deibler  http://www.conniestamps.com
Sherri Eddleblute   http://www.sweetestdesigns.blogspot.com/
Lynn Embrey   http://www.possibilitiestamperstudio.com/
Becky Evans  http://www.alwayshappystampin.com
Kathy Hamrick  http://www.countryroads.typepad.com/
Crystal Kondo  http://www.card-ed.com
Deb Lehigh  http://thestampinhut.typepad.com/
Debbie Lever   http://www.debbiescreativespot.blogspot.com
Anne Matasci  http://www.MauiStamper.wordpress.com
Robin Merriman  http://www.trinitydesignstudio.blogspot.com
Maria Pane  http://www.stampinandscrappinwithriri.blogspot.com
Andi Potler   http://www.absolutekreations.com
Michele Reynolds   http://www.inspirationink.typepad.com
Sharon Tisdale   http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/coveredbridgesstamper/blog
Janet Wakeland http://wp.me/pHIQD-4P4

a RemARKably SECRET Garden Tour

Stampin' Up! RemARKable Blog Tour April

Welcome to another edition of our RemARKable Stamp of the Month tour – this month we’re featuring Secret Garden and the coordinating Secret Garden Framelits.  RemARKables are a very creative group and I am certain you’re finding loads of great ideas.  Let’s see if I can’t share one or two more.

I snooped through Pinterest for ideas and saw a lot of cards that included round or oval shapes with the Secret Garden flowers.  I thought about making a round card, but ultimately came up with an oval card that I am very pleased with.  Tell me what you think!

Maui Stamper Secret Garden Baby Girl cardThis is the largest oval framelit, cut from So Saffron and embossed with the Lattice TIEF.  It’s layered over a card cut from Whisper White – Stampin’ Up! Whisper White is just a little lighter weight, and you can cut two layers with a framelit.  The various flowers from the Secret Garden stamp set are inked in either Perfect Plum or So Saffron and stamped on either Whisper White or Perfect Plum card stock.  A little ribbon, a few pearls, and a banner finish it off!  The message on the banner is from the new Cuddles and Kisses stamp set – great fonts and great messages!

I cut a LOT of flowers to play with, and when I was finished with the card there were still a LOT of flowers left over!  After a few false starts, I came up with a fun gift to go with this card:

Maui Stamper Secret Garden FrameThis frame has moved around my studio a half dozen times begging to be embellished.  It took a major expedition to find the dog-gone thing once I realized I needed it.  Isn’t that how it goes?  Of course, I’m not showing you what my studio looks like, because you would see the problem immediately.

Maui Stamper Secret Garden FrameThe framelits do such a quick, clean job of cutting things out.  Fussy cutting looks great, but it’s a bother to do!  This takes the trouble out of the process.

Time to take a peek over the fence at Robin’s Secret Garden!  She always has gorgeous projects to share – I know you’ll love it!

blogtour-stampmonth-next

Link not working?  Try this:  Robin Merriman

Nancy Amato  http://stampinallnight.blogspot.com
Linda Bartolucci   http://www.inkstampandscrap.com/
Ingrid Blackburn  http://www.createwithingrid.wordpress.com
Melissa Bolinger http://www.stampinup.net/blog/2089191
Jackie Bottomley http://www.jackiebottomley.blogspot.com
Susan Carlson  http://www.stampinmomoffour.blogspot.com
Tamra Davis http://www.thecardladies.com
Connie Deibler http://www.conniestamps.com
Becky Evans http://www.alwayshappystampin.com
Crystal Kondo http://www.card-ed.com
Deb Lehigh http://thestampinhut.typepad.com/
Debbie Lever   http://www.debbiescreativespot.blogspot.com
Anne Matasci   http://www.MauiStamper.wordpress.com
Robin Merriman  http://www.trinitydesignstudio.blogspot.com
Maria Pane  http://www.stampinandscrappinwithriri.blogspot.com
Andi Potler   http://www.absolutekreations.com
Michele Reynolds   http://www.inspirationink.typepad.com
Jeannette Swain  http://www.stampsnwhatnot.com/
Janet Wakeland   http://wp.me/pHIQD-4P4

Miracles happen.

Talking with a friend this morning, I realized that I have become much more accepting of things I cannot change.  We were discussing some pretty significant challenges in our lives and the lives of people we love, and I said I was at peace with how I had responded to a particular situation.  I guess I’m more grown up than I thought I was.

Funny thing is, I have no tolerance for the little piddley things that I can’t change, like being stuck in traffic.  I hate traffic.  I shout at the other drivers (inside my car with the windows rolled up of course) to Get Off MY Road.  This is completely irrational behavior.  My children joke about it but I think they see it as the beginning of the end for their loony tunes mother.  Little do they know I have been loony tunes all of my life.

All of this leads up to the fact that I also believe in miracles.  I believe in little miracles, the sort that make you giggle – like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack.  I also believe in big miracles, the kind of miracles that make you drop to your knees in thanksgiving.  I made a card to celebrate a miracle:

Maui Stamper Miracles Happen Sale-a-bration 2013

  • Bloomin’ Marvelous stamp set (Sale-a-bration 2013)
  • Very Vanilla and Soft Suede card stock
  • Prints Pack Designer Series paper
  • First Edition Specialty Designer Series paper
  • Calypso Coral and Crumb Cake FFIP
  • 2 3/8 inch scallop circle punch
  • 1 3/4 inch circle punch
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals
  • Linen Thread
  • Piercing tool (aka pokey doodle)
  • Big Shot and Honeycomb TIEF

This won’t take you long at all to do, and you can substitute practically any stamp set you have on hand – don’t fret that this Sale-a-bration set is already retired.

Maui Stamper Miracles Happen Sale-a-bration 2013Yes, I poked a pair of little holes in the card stock and ran my linen thread through them so that I could tie it directly onto the card.  I know a lot of people use Glue Dots.  I’m not one of them.  I LOVE Glue Dots for a lot of things, but not for sticking embellishments on the front of cards.

I hope you have your own little miracle today…or maybe even a big one.

And stop by the OnlineStore to see the new Bombs Away Birthday Photopolymer stamps!

 

Prints Poetry

Woo hoo!  More designs from the gorgeous Prints Poetry Designer Paper pack!  I can’t get enough of these designs!  They coordinate really well, and the colors are gorgeous together.  You know how sometimes the scale of the designs is hard to work with?  Not here!

Maui Stamper Best of Birthdays

  • Best of Birthdays stamp set
  • Whisper White card stock
  • Prints Poetry Designer Series paper
  • Raspberry Ripple FFIP
  • Primrose Petals Stitched 3/8 inch ribbon

Super simple card!  These little flags are only 3/4 of an inch wide.  Say it with me:  Use up your DSP scraps!

Wonder if there’s a lime in that pool?

Color combinations shouldn’t always be safe.  This one isn’t particularly adventurous but it’s not run-of-the-mill either!

Maui Stamper Best of Birthdays

  • Best of Birthdays Stamp set
  • Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade, Pool Party and Whisper White card stock
  • Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade and Pool Party FFIP
  • Pool Party and Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Write markers
  • Big Shot and Argyle TIEF
  • Adorning Accents Folders
  • Dazzling Details
  • Bitty punch pack
  • Bitty Buttons
  • Wisteria Wonder Bakers Twine

This was another card we made in the Best of Birthdays class.  I’m telling you, you NEED this set!  Do I need to get out that dizzy hypnotizing oval from Oh Hello again??  Make you get sleepy…sleepy…sleepy…

Maui Stamper Best of Birthdays Dazzling DetailsAnd while you’re at it, put some Dazzling Details on your order.  Can’t get much cheaper (#124117 for $2.50) and it’s on the Mr. Maui Stamper Approved Forms of Glitter List.  What more could you ask?

 

 

No ribbon, no flowers. Less is more.

It’s a challenge to make masculine cards.  Ribbon?  Nah.  Flowers?  Nope.  More is more?  Huh uh.  Less is more.

This is Not My Way.  But I have challenged myself this year to make more cards that are suitable for men.  It’s taking some time, but I’m getting there:

Maui Stamper Manly Thanks So Much

  • Oh Hello and Beyond Plaid stamp sets
  • Naturals Ivory, RIver Rock and Always Artichoke card stock
  • River Rock and Always Artichoke FFIP
  • Metallic Brads
  • Essentials Paper Piercing Pack and Pokey Doodle (aka paper piercing tool)
  • Large oval punch
  • Sponge daubers

Did you see those three brads?  There is no way on God’s Green Earth that I would be able to line those up so symetrically without Stampin’ Intervention in the form of the Essentials Paper Piercing Pack.  Some things I can do, and some things I cannot.  Eyeballing straight lines?  I cannot.

That Oh Hello stamp set with the big, blocky font works really well for masculine sentiments.  Stampin’ Up!, we need Happy Birthday in that font, OK?  Imagine it!

Maui Stamper Manly Thank You

 

Birthday hypnosis

I paired the Best of Birthdays with Oh Hello and loved the results:

Maui Stamper Best of Birthdays

  • Best of Birthdays and Oh Hello stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler and Summer Starfruit card stock
  • Black Staz-on Ink
  • Cherry Cobbler and Summer Starfruit Stampin’ Write markers
  • Cherry Cobbler seam binding
  • Ovals Collections Framelits
  • Rhinestone jewels
  • Honeycomb TIEF and the Big Shot
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals

That Honeycomb TIEF is awesome – bold but not overwhelming. But I’m warning you, if you stare at that chevron stamped oval from Oh Hello for very long you will be hypnotized!  It is positively dizzying, but I love how it looks.  Just don’t look at it too long or your eyes will start to water 🙂

Or maybe you can put it to good use.  You are getting sleepy, very sleepy.  You NEED that Best of Birthdays stamp set!  You WANT that Best of Birthdays stamp set!  You MUST HAVE that Best of Birthdays stamp set!  You will go to the Online Store and BUY the Best of Birthdays stamp set!

Hmm.  Could be useful.