and now…the Pants

Posted on February 25, 2013 by mauistamper

This card is almost entirely ~~stolen~~ CASEd from the very talented Mary Jo Price-Williams : I turned the sketch on its side and used ovals – cuz I have them! – instead of circles. Those two changes left something of a gap on the top, so I added a Summer Starfruit sun: Gotta love those pants. They’re cut by hand, but it’s just straight lines. A glue dot at the waist secures the pants to the Whisper White oval plus it holds the Linen Thread clothesline in place and allows you to curve the clothesline. I’m CRAZY about this new Cloudy Day TIEF – the definition is awesome!

I also changed the sentiment to use the phrase that’s on the Pants Stamp. I know a LOT of Smarty Pantses. (It’s a word, I made it up myself.)

That’s a Pool Party card base, Sycamore Street DSP, Island Indigo oval mat, and Tangerine Tango, Island Indigo and Pool Party FFIP. The sun is made of a 3/4 inch circle punch and heaps of points made from the Pennant Builder Punch – plus enough Tombo (the Wonder Adhesive) to stick together all your fingers and toes.

Just for fun, I made a landscape version using the ovals. There’s room for another sun, but I didn’t think it was necessary.

A dress for Hostess Club

Posted on February 23, 2013 by mauistamper

I was inspired by a beautiful card my daughter received – made by my dear friend and partner in crime/stampin’/eatin’ Cheryl. I tweaked it a little for my hostess club last week:

No Stamps!
Very Vanilla, Pear Pizazz (ret) and Blushing Bride (ret) card stock
Blushing Bride (ret) ink pad
Big Shot with All Dressed Up Framelits
Elegant Bouquet and Fancy Fan TIEF
Very Vanilla 1/8 inch taffeta ribbon
5/8 inch flower trim
Sponge daubers
Pearls
Stampin’ Dimensionals

I had some of the retired cardstock we used for Carol’s weddding and I haven’t quite let go of that color combination, so I chose to share it with the club. I told them there should have been the teeniest tiniest pearls to line that beautiful neckline, but they had all been used up on wedding favors 🙂 They’re my friends; they understood.

It just takes a few dabs of ink on those fabulous flower trim blossoms to get a little bit of color. This card has a lot of texture which gives it depth and complexity even though it is a very simple layout.

Everyone used something different to adhere that single flower – Tombo, SNAIL, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Glue dots…and each adhesive worked equally well.

Are you interested in Hostess Club? 6 stampers commit to spend $25 a month for 6 months, and each person has a month as hostess – and earns the hostess benefits. I’m forming a new group – contact me if you would like more information.

Time to move on to a new color scheme. Thanks for indulging me 🙂

A RemARKably Curious Day

Posted on February 9, 2013 by mauistamper

Welcome to the Collage Curios RemARKable Stamp of the Month tour! Whether you’re just beginning the tour here with the Maui Stamper or have been halfway across the USA with our many talented paper artists, I hope you’ll enjoy yourself today. Those of you in New England deserve a blog tour after strugging through all the weather that has come your way this weekend!

The Collage Curios set is made up of primarily small images, and my first inclination would be to go small – 3×3 cards, milk carton favor boxes, or even jewelry crossed my mind. The more I thought about it, the more I felt challenged to make a card that would still spotlight those small images but somehow find a balance. Tell me what you think:

DO YOU GET IT? There’s a little joke here…

Collage Curios and Delightful Dozen stamp sets
Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede and Primrose Petals card stock
Crumb Cake and Primrose Petals FFIP (Firm Foam Ink Pads)
Dazzling Details
1 inch circle and 7/8 inch scallop circle punches
Big Shot, Delicate Designs TIEF and Delicate Doilies Sizzlet
Primrose Petals 3/8 inch stitched satin ribbon
Stampin’ Dimensionals and Sponge

I love that little bee…my Valentine…

I couldn’t stop at just one card!

Collage Curios and Petite Pairs stamp sets
Calypso Coral and Chocolate Chip FFIP
Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Chocolate Chip and Crumb Cake card stock
Chocolate Chip and Calypso Coral Stampin’ Write Markers
Linen Thread
1 inch circle punch
New distressing tool!
Color Spritzer
Stampin’ Dimensionals
Stampin’ Sponge
Dazzling Details
Rhinestone Jewels

You know, I kept going with that “More is More” kinda thing here. The little hot air balloons just naturally floated across the page, but then the Color Spritzer wanted in, and the Crumb Cake card base wanted a little bit of spongin’ texture, and before I knew it there were jewels and Dazzling Details and we were off to the races! Kinda fun, though…

Now float on over to Robin Merriman’s Trinity Design Studios and see what she has come up with….she’s a talented stamper and I’m sure you’ll love wht she has done! Don’t forget to leave a little blog love (comments) as you do – all of these hard-working bloggers will thank you!

Pool Party Valentines

Posted on January 24, 2013 by mauistamper

My first run through the Spring catalog was not exactly inspiring. I’m not sure what I was looking for or expecting, but whatever it was I didn’t see it. All my other demo friends were excited as can be and I was just kinda meh.

But of course I placed a pre-order and hoped for the best. The box arrived and I opened it and something happened. The things in the box were so much better than their pictures!! I take it all back!!! I am an Official Spring Catalog Fan. And as such, I have been busy creating:

Delightful Dozen stamp set (annual catalog)
Pool Party card stock
Primrose Pink Core’dinations card stock (Spring catalog)
More Amore DSP (Spring catalog)
Primrose Pink FFIP
Finishing Touches Edgelit
Hearts Collection Framelits
Needlepoint Border TIEF (Spring catalog)
Big Shot (well, duh!)
Stampin’ Sanding System

Those little peek-a-boo hearts are easy to achieve – just place a couple of Heart Framelits on your card front and run it through the Big Shot. Cut a piece of DSP – I used More Amore from the Spring Catalog – to 4 x 5 1/4 inches – just a hair smaller than your card front. Adhere it to the inside of the card and the DSP shows through the openings. Even better, you’ve got the reverse of the DSP as relief on the inside of the card.

The DSP also covers up the line where that strip of Embossed and trimmed Core’dinations is attached to the front of the card on the inside edge. I trimmed off 3/8 inch from the front of the card to make space for that trimmed piece.

We made these last week at Hostess Club. There’s a sweet little favor that matches, so tune in later this week to see it. There’s also a very special event coming soon in my family, and I’ll have some fun things to share from that too. I can’t wait to show you!!

Petite messages on a line

Posted on January 22, 2013 by mauistamper

Sale-a-bration BEGINS TODAY!!!!! And I am so loving these Sale-a-bration 2013 goodies!!

Pretty Petites SAB and Wacky Wishes stamp sets
Tangerine Tango, Pool Party and Island Indigo FFIP
Whisper White, Tangerine Tango, Pool Party and Island Indigo card stock
Sycamore Street DSP SAB
Petite Curly Label Punch SAB
Big Shot and Labels Collection Framelits
Festive Paper Piercing Pack
Piercing Tool (aka pokey doodle) and mat
Rhinestone jewels
Island Indigo Bakers twine
Stampin’ Dimensionals

This card is substantially CASEd from a talented stamper and I PROMISE I made a note of the image but it has evaporated!! I pinned it! I know I did! The pinner’s black hole must have eaten it up. I changed the background dsp and a few other minor elements, but this design belongs to someone else.

And isn’t it cute? If you tweaked the colors a little more it would be an excellent man-card, but I think it’s reasonably gender-neutral as it is. When you put it together, poke a small hole on the right side of the DSP and thread the Bakers Twine through without cutting it off. Tie a bow, then drape the long tail across the card front and secure it. Your sentiment will cover that end, and your Petite Curly Label punches can go on dimensionals right over it.

Now go make a card – any card!!

Only ONE You

Posted on January 20, 2013 by mauistamper

This is my favorite sentiment from the Vintage Verses Sale-a-bration stamp set:

Vintage Verses SAB stamp set
Island Indigo and Primrose Petals FFIP
Very Vanilla and Island Indigo card stock
Primrose Petals Core’dinations card stock
Big Shot and Vine Street SAB TIEF
Sycamore Street SAB Ribbon and Button pack
Stampin’ Sanding System
Dotted Scallop Ribbon Trim punch
Little Labels punch pack
Dazzling Details

Is that Core’dinations paper amazing or what? So much fun to sand… if you get carried away, no biggie, there’s plenty more in the package – 12 sheets!! And time for a confession – you could color a regular Rhinestone Jewel with a pink sharpie to get this look, but these particular itty bitty jewels are from the retired die cut flowers set that recently hit the Clearance Rack – and promptly sold out!

Only two more sleeps til SAB – are you ready??

Oh, Hello – and Thanks!

Posted on January 18, 2013 by mauistamper

Don’t look now, but I think I actually made a Genuine Manly Card:

Oh Hello stamp set
Basic Grey, Whisper White and Baja Breeze card stock
Basic Grey and Baja Breeze FFIP
Big Shot and Honeycomb TIEF
Ovals Framelits
Basic Grey/Basic Black Two Tone 1 1/4 inch ribbon
White Bakers Twine
Silver Basics Designer Button

Today I am VERY proud of myself because this is a CASE and I know from whom it came! (plus, grammar bonus points, I used whom correctly in a sentence!) Credit goes to Melissa Davies for this design – when you see her card, you’ll see a close resemblance. My goal was to make this card 100% masculine – no flowers or girly colors. I think I was successful – what do you think?

And here’s a sneaky trick for you: bother trying to stamp the messages straight on the flags. Just stamp ’em and trim ’em. Waaaayyyy easier.

Madison Avenue, Sale-a-bration Style

Posted on January 16, 2013 by mauistamper

Honestly, I don’t TRY to make everything in blue and green, it just SEEMS that way:

Madison Avenue and Vintage Verses SAB stamp sets
Lucky Limeade and Whisper White card stock
International Bazaar DSP
Summer Starfruit, Lucky Limeade and Pacific Point FFIP
Summer Starfruit Stitched Satin Ribbon
Itty Bitty Punch Pack
1/2 inch Circle punch
Stampin’ Dimensionals

What would I do without Stampin’ Dimensionals? They are the unsung heroes of my craft table…along with Glue Dots, Sticky Strip, and Tombo the Wonder Adhesive, that is. But dimensionals stand above the rest (GET IT??? Stand above??? Think…think…) Love the lift they give my projects!

The SAB sets this year are real winners – love both of these but especially those Vintage Verses – so much you can do with them! Coming January 22nd!

Call Me Maybe

Posted on January 14, 2013 by mauistamper

And who wouldn’t want to make a call from one of these?

Feeling Sentimental and Pretty Petites SAB stamp sets
Crumb Cake and Early Espresso FFIP
Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake and Early Espresso card stock
First Edition Specialty DSP
Stampin’ Distress Tool
Linen Thread and Natural 7/16″ Trim
Petite Curly Label Punch (SAB)
Stampin’ Sponge

Feeling Sentimental was the Sale-a-bration set at the TOP of my list and I knew this was what I wanted to do with it. It has a great vintage look and that monochromatic scheme was shouting in my head. (yes, it had to shout in my head because there are a LOT of voices going on there…)

I sponged the dickens out of the Very Vanilla pieces to give them some age, and even hit that fabulous new Natural 7/16″ trim with a little Crumb Cake ink. The new Stampin’ Distress tool from the Spring Catalog is an AWESOME addition to your toolbox – saves your fingernails (and your fingers – anyone else hit skin using Paper Snips to distress, or am I the only klutz?)

Sale-a-bration is coming January 22…have you made your wish-list?

RemARKable Hearts A-Flutter Blog Tour

Posted on January 12, 2013 by mauistamper

Are you lovin’ what you’re seein’??? The RemARKables come up with some fabulous designs and it’s an honor to be included in this tour. The hearts are a-flutterin’ in my house with not just Valentines’ Day but a wedding coming up in February:

Yep, it’s my favorite blue-and-green color combo again! This time I chose Wild Wasabi and Tempting Turquoise, a well matched pair in hue and intensity. Let’s start with the favor jar:

Pretty simple – a 4 ounce quilted glass jar with a couple of embellishments and some seam binding ribbon. You can tell by the shimmer on the green strips that I used Wild
Wasabi embossing powder to make that color pop. The coordinating framelits are key to getting all of these elements cut out in no time flat! (and if you’re an M&M fan, those are Dark Chocolate Mint M&Ms, and yes they are all shades of green!!)

Next up is a luminaria made from the Bigz XL Fancy Favor bag in vellum. It’s hard to see, but there’s a little flameless tea light inside with Tempting Turquoise shreddies. Hang a group of these in the trees for a sunset reception, or use them to line a pathway or even the edge of a table!

This simple geometric design was created with a man in mind… not too fluffy or fussy. I’ll confess I was seriously tempted to try my hand at the ruffled, romantic look with this set but all of those linear designs pulled me towards a cleaner style instead. I used my Simply Scored (most awesome scoring tool evah!) to create a simple linear border on this card. By the way, no fussy measuring for the placement on these – your eyeball can do the job. And did you spot that bit of Bakers’ twine? I used a ittle Tempting Turquoise ink refill to dye the twine, but my initial effort was way too dark. On an impulse I stuck it under the faucet for a second and that did the trick!