One more Manly Card

Posted on May 13, 2013 by mauistamper

Earlier in May I hosted a Manly Card class. I don’t know about you, but cards you can send to a man, or for men to send to other men, are the most challenging for me to design. I want to add ribbon, or sparkle, or at least a little button. The cards in this class had none of that (well, one of them used that fabulous Natural Trim ribbon, but it’s practically rope.)

This is card No. 5:

Woodgrain, Feeling Sentimental (SAB) and Itty Bitty Banners stamp sets
Very Vanilla, Island Indigo and Riding Hood Red card stock
More Mustard, Riding Hood Red and Island Indigo FFIP
Fanfare DSP
Bitty Banners Framelits
Stampin’ Dimensionals

This is a super simple layout but it’s a great way to feature textures and colors without getting too busy. While the Fanfare DSP has some very feminine paperes, many of them work surprisingly well on a masculine card.

It’s RemARKable By the Tide

Posted on May 11, 2013 by mauistamper

Welcome to another Stamp of the Month RemARKable Blog Tour! If you’re starting the tour here at the Maui Stamper, our featured set this month is By the Tide. We hope you’ll enjoy the creative expressions of this talented group of stampers.

Not sure what it was that inspired me to start embossing but I nearly burned down the studio with my heat gun, I embossed so many images! This seashell was embossed with Irridescent Ice embossing powder on Very Vanilla cardstock and was then sponged with Island Indigo. The sparkle is hard to see in the photo, but it’s there in real life.

A Baja Breeze card base (say au revoir to Baja Breeze!), a little 1/8 inch Very Vanilla ribbon and some stamped – and stamped-off – coral branches are all it took to finish this card off. The sentiment is from Loving Thoughts, with those beautiful script capital letters.

I tried over and over to capture this card, but my little camera was having nothing of it. Trust me when I say that the embossed coral image – again in Irridescent Ice – is sparkley and elegant and would be perfect to attach to a wedding gift.

There. Can you see it now? At least you get the idea, right? And Best Wishes is from Petite Pairs, a very useful little set to have on your stamp shelf.

I got a little bit giddy with this last card. I used clear embossing powder for the coral image (have you guessed which image I like the very best in this set?). I stamped some sea horses and cut one of them out, and then I started playing with my ink pads and some Stampin’ Sponges. The results surprised me – this is Lucky Limeade and Baja Breeze ink:

The yellow and green tones were much stronger than I expected, but I liked the finished card all the same. I think they call that serendipity 🙂

Time to sail on over to the Trinity Design Studio and see what Robin is up to. I’m sure she has a briny treat in store for you. Thanks for making the tour with us today!

Can you Honeycomb?

Posted on May 8, 2013 by mauistamper

When it comes to a WOW product, I can’t think of a better bang-for-your-buck than the Sizzix Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (TIEF – you don’t think I’m typing all that every time now, do you??). For just $7.95 – well, plus the cost of a Big Shot, but you needed that anyway – you can take any project from Ho, Hum to Whoo Hoo! in a matter of moments! The Honeycomb TIEF from the Spring catalog is one of my current favorites, and the Very Good News is that we will see it in the 2013-2014 catalog as well.

Now I’ll bet you’ve seen people do this Honeycomb mosaic thing and thought “WHAT A PAIN!! I could never cut out all those.”

There is a trick, my dears.

Run your DSP through the Honeycomb TIEF. Then take your paper snips and go zigety zagety down the line of combs, in that little trough. You’ll end up with a row of hexagons with very little effort. Now snip off what you need and whoop-dee-doo you are done! What’s more, those hexagons just scoot right into their spots on the honeycomb panel. No fuss, no muss.

You’re Amazing stamp set
Very Vanilla and Midnight Muse card stock
Print Poetry DSP pack (gone with the end of the Spring catalog!)
Summer Starfruit FFIP
Marina Mist Stampin’ Write marker
Blender pen
Apothecary Accents Framelits and the Big Shot
Brights brads (gonna retire!)
Stampin’ Dimensionals (Had better not retire, never ever ever!!!)

You could do this with any DSP you have – even scraps – and you could do it for Moms and Dads, Brides and Grads and Birthdays and Babies and – well, anything!

Go on, go and make a card.

EDITED TO ADD:

Here is the latest update of the Retired Accessories List, with availability as of May 8:

Stampin’ Up! Retired Accessories Availability as of 5-8-13

Soft and sweet for Mother’s Day

Posted on May 5, 2013 by mauistamper

A talented fellow stamper from the RemARKables Stampin’ Up! team (her name is Kim Fields – I don’t think she has a blog) made a beautiful monochromatic card that inspired this:

Bordering on Romance, Delightful Dozen and Best of Butterflies stamp sets
Whisper White, Certainly Celery (so long!) and Pretty in Pink (farewell!) card stock
Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink and Bashful Blue (auf wiedersehen!) FFIP
Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Certainly Celery and Bashful Blue Stampin’ Write markers
Elegant Butterfly punch
Stampin’ Dimensional

Easy as can be, and the little bit of coloring with the Stampin’ Write markers is amazingly therapeutic.

Honestly, I’m not really going to miss these colors too terribly, but I’ve enjoyed them a great deal. Stock up while you still can.

Pumpkin, pumpkin, who has a pumpkin?

Posted on April 28, 2013 by mauistamper

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:

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.

A 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.

I 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:

That “Hey There, Friend” sentiment is going to get a lot of use in my studio!

You 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…

Posted on April 26, 2013 by mauistamper

For a hamburger today!

ALMOST 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:

Birthday 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

Posted on April 22, 2013 by mauistamper

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?

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

Posted on April 20, 2013 by mauistamper

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:

I’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.

Let 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.

I 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:

Can 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!!

Nancy 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

Posted on April 13, 2013 by mauistamper

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!

This 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:

This 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.

The 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!

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.

Posted on April 9, 2013 by mauistamper

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:

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.

Yes, 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!

The Maui Stamper

papercrafts, my stories, and the occasional insight

Category Archives: cards

One more Manly Card

It’s RemARKable By the Tide

Can you Honeycomb?

Soft and sweet for Mother’s Day

Pumpkin, pumpkin, who has a pumpkin?

I would gladly pay you Tuesday…

Once in a while you need a Manly Card

Best of RemARKable Flowers

a RemARKably SECRET Garden Tour

Miracles happen.

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