Category Archives: Colour Inkspiration

SPOTLIGHT ON NATURE: CI#172

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I haven’t joined the Colour Inkspirations challenges for ages, but this month I made a point of writing down the colours and creating with them. I wouldn’t have chosen the combination of Peach Pie, Garden Green and Pebble Path on my own, so it was a proper challenge.

(Please note that Colour Inkspirations is based in the South Pacific and uses an extra vowel, and I have done the same in today’s post.)

  • Stamps: Spotlight on Nature, Country Flowers
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Peach Pie, Garden Green, Pebble Path
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut and Emboss Machine, Spotlight on Nature dies, Changing Leaves dies, Birch Wood 3D Embossing Folder, Pebble Path Jute Trim, Stamp and Write markers, Blender Pen, 24-26 In Color Shimmer Gems, dauber, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I fussy cut the floral image since the dies in the Spotlight on Nature bundle are circular. I inked the stamp with Stampin’ Write markers and used a Blender Pen to add color to the stamped image. The Blender Pen allows a much softer touch than Stampin’ Blends, and I didn’t want to cover the detail on the stamped image.

I used a dauber to add a little extra Pebble Path to the new Birch Wood 3D embossing folder. It’s not perfect, it’s hand-made!

Have you played along with a challenge lately? I’d love to know which challenges you enjoy.

And if you need your own Spotlight on Nature bundle, shop the Online Store.

It’s finally LIVE! Check out the September – December mini catalog. As you know, new catalogs sometimes have supply and demand imbalances, so shop the Online Store soon.

Are you a scrapbooker? Stampin’ Up! has just released a scrapbooking companion to the September – December mini catalog. This is a digital-only resource – see it HERE.

Be sure to check out the Online Exclusives available ONLY in the Online Store! Many of my favorite bundles are there.

The September Paper Pumpkin Kit is Autumn Abundance. It includes everything you need for 9 cards and envelopes, and features copper foil details and a watercolored ephemera pack. Every Celebration, an exclusive set of dies coordinates with all 3 third quarter Paper Pumpkin offerings. Subscribe HERE by September 10th.

Paper Pumpkin subscriptions deliver ready-to-go projects to your doorstep every month, but you have ultimate control to skip or cancel 😱 if you decide it’s not for you. Stampin’ Up! also features an exclusive collection of kits that don’t require a subscription. Visit the Online Store to see what’s available.

The 24-25 Annual Catalog is filled with inspiration. New stamps, dies, tools, and gorgeous new In Colors are waiting for you!! Shop HERE.

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The World Needs More of You

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I guess you’re either a cat person or you’re not – and I am a cat person. When I saw Clever Cats in the mini catalog (available TODAY!) I put it at the top of my list. The set has a Halloween theme, but I had other plans:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Clever Cats Cat-in-a-box
  • Stamps: Clever Cats, Free as a Bird
  • Color Palette: Basic Black, Basic White, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake
  • Accessories: Stamparatus, Stampin’ Blends, Pattern Party DSP (Host), Stampin Dimensionals, shreddies
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Clever Cats Cat-in-a-box

This captures cats so well – in the box, no matter what. The shreddies were a bit of a wild inspiration as I looked at the image of the cat and the box, and as luck would have it, I had the right color on hand. Some things are meant to be.

The Stamparatus is an enormous help in getting a clear, even impression from this bold image. I used a number of colors, but Memento Black was clearly the winner in my mind. It took a 3 impressions for me to be satisfied with Memento Black, but only 2 with Stampin’ Up! Classic Ink. But regardless of the number, the Stamparatus creates a perfect image – and re-image – every time!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Clever Cats Cat-in-a-box

I put a 1/4″ strip of DSP across the bottom of the panel on the inside of the card, and I added a sentiment from the now-retired Ridiculously Awesome stamp set. I created this card with the colours of Colour INKspiration #104 in mind.

The Mini Catalog is now live in the Online Store, and Clever Cats can be yours with a couple of clicks. We’re celebrating Sale-a-bration V.2 in August and September, so you’ll choose free gifts with your $50 or $100 purchase. Shop HERE.

Vibrant Vases: Colour INKspiration #60

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I am just under the wire for the Colour INKspiration #60 challenge! It often catches me because the deadlines are in Australian Eastern Standard Time Zone, and that means it’s a day ahead because of the International Dateline. I should know better – my daughter lives north of Sydney – but even when I do the math correctly I’m often under the wire. But here’s my contribution:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Vibrant Vases CI#60

This is the inspiration image for CI#60. I’ll tell you, these colours are a bit of a challenge to put together! Terracotta Tile and Petal Pink are made for one another, but those other two, well, it was a stretch. This project sat on my craft desk for a few days in pieces.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Vibrant Vases CI#60

When I got the idea for the classic Blue-And-White for the vases, things started to come together. I used both Stampin’ Write markers and the Aqua Painter to get shading on the blooms, and used the Aqua Painter for the vases. I intended for it to have that slightly uneven, outside-the-lines look that old china pottery has.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Vibrant Vases CI#60

If you’ve never tried a Colour Inkspiration challenge, I highly recommend it! You’ll love the projects that have been submitted for CI#60.

And if you’d like to do a little shopping, click HERE.

Flourishing Phrases and Colour Inkspiration 58

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When I saw the colour palette for CI58 I thought OH YEAH. I love Crumb Cake with anything, and Blushing Bride and Metallic Gold seemed like the perfect match.

Tell my brain that!

I don’t know why I struggled, except for the sad reality that I’ve been away from my craft desk a lot recently and my mojo is rusty. (I think that would be a great title for a Country and Western song. Just sayin’).

Here’s what finally came together:

The gold Faceted Gem would have been better, but I didn’t have one in my stash (gasp). The dot on the i in friend is a metallic pearl because I lost both the white and the gold die cut dots. Like I said, I think my mojo is rusty. And I’ll quote from Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day : “Some days are like that. Even in Australia.”

(OH EM GEE. I just read the Wikipedia entry for this book and apparently Judith Viorst altered the text for Australia and New Zealand. In all of the other editions, Alexander wants to move to Australia because it just has to be better there. But in the Aussie and Kiwi versions he wants to move to Timbuktu. My sense of the world has been turned upside down. We have always said “Some days are like that. Even in Australia.” and I have always wondered if that didn’t have something to do with my eldest actually moving there! This is going to take some adjustment.)

Fortunately, there’s some news in the Stampin’ Up! world that will straighten out the globe and shine your mojo. For every $50 US you spend in July, you’ll get a $5 voucher towards any purchase in August. If you’re a US shopper, visit my Online Store to get started.

Colour Inkspiration 54: Lift Me Up

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One more Black and White and POP card for Colour Inkspiration 54!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour Inkspiration 54 Lift Me Up

This one makes me a little dizzy and I’m not sure I like all the lines going different directions. Sometimes you just have to experiment! I think it’s the reflection technique of the Daffodil Delight and Memento Black inks on the sentiment that make me feel out of focus. But I’ll tell you, the Stamparatus makes that technique easy as can be!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour Inkspiration 54 Lift Me Up

The little clouds included in this stamp set really pop up the cute factor for me. I’ve only been in a hot air balloon once, and we never quite got up to the level of the clouds, so this is pure imagination.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour Inkspiration 54 Lift Me Up

Stop on by the Colour Inkspiration Facebook page for lots of Black and White and POP inspiration. Add a project of your own! And if you live in the US, please shop HERE.

Colour Inkspiration 54: Wonderful Romance

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This is the first card I created for the Colour Inkspiration 54 challenge – Black and White with a POP of colour. I love how it turned out, but I didn’t feel it represented the POP very well.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour Inkspiration 54 Wonderful Romance

What do you think? I love the softness of the composition, but that’s exactly why I don’t think it qualifies for a POP of colour. It’s more muted, especially with the grey tones added in.

There’s one little trick you might not have noticed. The smallest rectangle in the Rectangle Stitched Framelits isn’t that small. I stamped my greeting and aligned one end of the framelit with the beginning of the message. Once I’d run it through the Big Shot, I carefully repositioned the framelit on the other end and rolled it through the Big Shot just enough to cut off the opposite end right where I wanted it!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour Inkspiration 54 Wonderful Romance

The Wink of Stella helps brighten these pretty white flowers. I wish there were dies of all three blooms in the set of framelits, because I think that would really enhance the composition and set off the floral aspect. I usually don’t mind fussy cutting, but I just wasn’t feeling it on this one. It is what it is!

I think this image could really work in a lot of other colour combinations. I currently have one in process on my craft desk, but it’s giving me a little bit of a fit trying to figure out how to finish it off. If I’m successful, I’ll share it with you next week. To share your own beautiful Black and White and POP project, visit the Colour Inkspiration Facebook page.

ColourINKspiration Challenge #54

In the meantime, there are all kinds of gorgeous products at great discounts available on the Clearance Rack. The retiring stamps, bundles, and accessory products are selling quickly, and when those products are gone, they’re gone. (Hint: bundles are priced with a 10% discount – they may continue into 2019-2020, but they won’t be bundled and you won’t have the opportunity to save.) If there’s something you love, I highly recommend you take immediate action. Shop HERE if you’re feeling inspired!

Colour INKspiration 54

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Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour Inkspiration Guest Designer

It’s such an honour to be chosen to join the Colour Inkspiration Challenge tour. I enjoy these challenges immensely, and love to see what the many talented and creative crafters imagine for each colour challenge. This round features one of my absolute favorite combinations!

ColourINKspiration Challenge #54

I LOVE crafting in black and white! There’s something about it that really satisfies me, and when I learned that was the combination for this challenge I was delighted! I created a lot of different cards for this challenge, and I’ll be sure to share some of them over the fortnight. I’ve chosen just one for today:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! ColourINKspiration Challenge #54 Climbing Orchid
Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! ColourINKspiration Challenge #54 Climbing Orchid

A few construction tips:

  • Because I used the Rectangle Stitched Framelits as a mat, I had to commit to that shape for my focal point. I assembled my orchids and arranged them on the card stock until I was satisfied before adhering them to the base.
  • The orchid layers are assembled with Stampin’ Dimensionals, and are also adhered to the base with them as well.
  • In my humble opinion, the leaves in the stamp set are Just Wrong. (I have orchids growing in my garden – nuff said.) I ended up free-hand drawing the stem and leaves with the Lemon Lime Twist Stampin’ Write Marker. By outlining first and filling in the shape with careful linear strokes I was able to create an interesting high/low colour texture.
  • The sentiment is inked in Stazon to avoid smearing on the vellum.
  • The vellum layer is adhered to the card front with a very thin line from the Fine Tip Glue Pen on either end. It dried and left no trace.
  • Start with your black and white elements. The pop will reveal itself.
ColourINKspiration Challenge #54

Are you ready to play? Just dive right in! Seriously, you just can’t go wrong with this combination! When you’re ready, share your project HERE and be sure to tag it #CI54.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Colour Inkspiration Tour NEXT

If you’d like a little more inspiration before you start, continue on the tour. You’re headed to Kelly Kent, and she’s created a very charming card. I think you’ll love it!

Apron of Love in Lovely Lipstick: CI43

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I hinted in my Guest Designer post (oh, it’s luscious to say that!) that I’d made other versions for the Colour INKspiration #34 challenge. The challenge is to use the 2018-2020 In Colors – 1, 2, 3, 4, or all of them – combined with neutral colours.

I’ve seen some gorgeous cards done with multiples of the In Colour palette, and I must acknowledge that it was a lack of inspiration on my part to find them difficult to use together. The 2018-2020 colours are bold, and I’m typically not a bold-combo crafter. That said, I created a card using Lovely Lipstick that’s kind of fun:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Apron of Love CI43

I have a couple of tips for you. The first one is regards to the Buffalo Check stamp. I’ve always bought my background stamps as wood mount, and that’s what I did with this one. I’ll be honest: you can get a great impression with the wood mount stamp, but it takes some effort. My technique is to lay the stamp on the wood side, rubber up, and thoroughly ink it with an ink pad. Inspect the inked stamp for even application. Carefully place your card stock panel onto the inked rubber, and cover with a piece of scrap paper. (This step keeps you from getting ink on your brayer.) Use a rubber brayer over the surface of the paper-covered-stamp to thoroughly transfer the ink to the paper. You can use your fingers, but the brayer is more accurate.

If I were to do it again, I’d buy the clear mount stamp and use the Stamparatus.  It’s a much quicker, easier process!

To get those apron strings and fabulous kitchen utensils to release from the Apron Builder Framelits, you need the Precision Base Plate.  I know, I know, your craft budget is limited. But this is a paper-saving, time-saving, hunk-a-hunk-a paper-crafting love, and you will thank yourself again and again for this small investment. I bought one when they first came out, and have used is constantly ever since, and it’s still working like a champ.

However, our Standard Cutting Pads need to be replaced more often. They’re acrylic, and the dies really chew them up. Do yourself a favor and get new ones with your next order. I know you can put them in the oven and run them through your dishwasher and send them to the dry cleaners (not really!) to give them another life. But get the new ones. You deserve it.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Apron of Love CI43

Don’t overlook the Make a Difference stamp set. It has both block and italic letters, and it’s photopolymer, so you can see just where you’re placing them. You know you’ve got something special you want to say!

If you’re still with me, well, thanks for reading along. And be sure to check out the Colour INKspiration Facebook page. You won’t meet a nicer, more supportive group of creative people! You’re welcome to join the group and contribute, and I recommend it!

Need stamps? Shop HERE.

Colour INKspiration 43: In Colours!

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Maui Stamper ColourINKspiration Banner

Welcome to Colour INKspiration Challenge #43! I’m honoured to have been chosen to join the talented Colour INKspiration Crew as a Guest Designer for this celebration of the Stampin’ Up! 2018-2020 In Colour Collection.

The guidelines are to choose 1, 2, 3, 4, or all In Colours plus any Basics for your design.

Maui Stamper Colour INKspiration 43

This In Colour Collection is BOLD! Individually, the colours are beautiful, intense hues, and together, they are dominant. As I contemplated my options for this challenge, I considered – and discarded – a lot of combinations. I don’t often use really strong colour palettes, and the first card I created for this challenge was well outside of my comfort zone. I’ll share that one later in the challenge, because I came up with the one I’m sharing today that sits squarely in the center of what I love:

Maui Stamper Colour INKspiration 43 Wishing You Well Pineapple Punch

I’ve been shopping for new accent pillows, and variations on yellow and gray are everywhere. As I thought about the challenge, I decided to focus on the neutral tones and let that punchy Pineapple be the accent.

Maui Stamper Colour INKspiration 43 Wishing You Well Pineapple Punch

I added a bit of Stella to the leaves to echo the silver edge of the ribbon, and I used a Stampin’ Write marker to add a bit more Pineapple Punch to the simple bunch of stems. I didn’t try to add the Pineapple Punch directly to the stamp, but layered it on top of the Smoky Slate – faster, and combined with the underlying Slate, stronger.

I also discovered a trick with the bow from the Wishing You Well set. Some colors are prone to blotchiness with this image, and I had that problem with Pineapple Punch. I was determined to make it work, and after a bit of exploration, found that applying the ink with a Sponge Dauber evened the colour out and avoided the problem. Give it a try!

Maui Stamper Colour INKspiration 43 Next Blog

The talented, creative, delightful Lou Kitzelman is your next stop on the blog tour. Enjoy!

 

 

Colour INKspiration #CI40: Gorgeous Grape, Old Olive and Early Espresso

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I’ve missed a couple of the Colour INKspiration challenges and I was determined to submit at least one card to this fortnight’s challenge. The colours for #CI40 are Gorgeous Grape, Old Olive, Early Espresso, with neutrals or metallics. We had this gorgeous image to inspire our creativity:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! CI40 Inspiration

I’ve been fussy cutting this image from Blended Seasons all month, so that was where I began:
Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! #CI40 Blended Seasons

A special shout out to Vicki Boucher, who frayed her Copper Trim and inspired me to do the same. It’s addicting to pull those threads this way and that and play with the shapes that result.

I used Old Olive Stampin’ Blends on the leaves, but there’s no Gorgeous Grape Blend (at least not yet!) I ordered a set of the Watercolor Pencils available this month, and sure enough, there was Gorgeous Grape! Problem solved.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! #CI40 Blended Seasons

I was a little challenged to add Early Espresso to the card, but when I added the Wood Textures DSP and the copper ribbon, foil and embossing powder, the tones of the card changed. I used an Early Espresso card base and tucked in a few little die cut embellishments from Petals and more. The Shimmer White card stock added to the overall gleam of the card.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! #CI40 Blended Seasons

To keep the intensity of the Gorgeous Grape Watercolor Pencil, I used a Blender Pen to smooth the strokes out. The Blender Pen does a beautiful job but doesn’t dilute the color in the way an Aquapainter might.

Colour INKspiration challenges are open to anyone – visit the Facebook group to see the quality images that are submitted.

Looking for supplies to create your own card? Blended Seasons and Watercolor Pencils 2 are only available until the end of August, so time’s a wasting! If you’re in the United States, shop HERE.