A RemARKable Last Minute Holiday Tour

Posted on December 10, 2015 by mauistamper

Time for a RemARKable Blog Tour – and this one is perfectly timed. It’s not quite the last minute, but it’s close enough.

I’m a big fan of using things that I have on hand when I’m looking for a last-minute solution, and last month I assembled the Oh What Fun tags kit (#139602, on sale for $14.70 for 30 tags) just for this purpose. I also try to keep our packaging solutions on hand – this is the Petite Café Gift Bag (#135826, $6 for 10 bags). Finally, this time of year I stock up on fun ribbon, and nothing says FUN like the Real Red PomPom Trim (#139617, on sale for $4.20 for 5 yards). I added a little 1/8″ Striped Ribbon to finish off the package (#139615, on sale for $6.40 for 5 yards each red and green stripe ribbon).

Here’s the same treatment using the Mini Muslin Bags (#132180, $10 for 8 bags). You’ll notice that other than the gift tags, there is no stamping involved. Make up the tags and you are ready to assemble your gifts and go!

My final project uses the Gift Box Punch Board (#135863, $20). I’ve used some retired heavy-weight printed kraft card stock, but it works just as well with the plain Heavy Kraft Cardstock in the Annual Catalog (#133674, $6 for 12 sheets of 12×12 cardstock) or with our regular cardstock. Our DSP will work in a pinch, but I find it makes a rather fragile box so I prefer the heavier paper.

Do you see a theme here? Fun Ribbon = Fast Packages!

There are 2 of these little hazelnut-chocolate delights inside each box. I used the 1.75 x 1.75 x 2.5 box and didn’t cut the angles (with the reverse punch) in the top. Instead, I used a glue dot to secure each set of flaps and let the ribbon finish the job. Because the box was tall, the chocolates are stacked. They didn’t want to play nicely at first, but I found a solution:

That little piece of scrap is 1 1/2″ wide and 4″ long, scored 1 1/4″ from each end. It slides easily into the box and keeps the chocolates nicely stacked. And just for your reference, I made 10 of these boxes in 40 minutes – starting with cutting the card stock and finishing with tying the bows. Not bad!

Don’t have these exact items on hand? Time to go dig into that stash you’ve been hoarding – that’s how I found that retired cardstock! Depending on where you live, an order put in tonight might well arrive in time for last-minute gifts – check out the Year-End Sale and you’ll be on your way to D.O.N.E!

As always, I hope you’ve been inspired. Heather‘s next on the tour – click below to see her wonderful projects. The full tour is at the end of the post in case you get lost in the woods.

Nancy Amato
Melissa Bolinger
Tamra Davis
Arden Dougan
Tracie Langley
Anne Matasci – you are HERE
Heather Mathieson
Audra Monk
Maria Pane
Michele Reynolds
Pam Staples
Janet Wakeland

RemARKable Holidays

Posted on November 12, 2015 by mauistamper

Welcome to the November RemARKable Blog tour. We’re featuring Holiday Bundles this month, and I know the other artists on the tour will have great inspiration for you.

For my part, I have two simple cards that could be produced in quantity – and since it’s nearly mid-November, simple is a plus! First up is the Jingle All the Way Bundle:

Stamps: Jingle All the Way
Color Palette: Whisper White, Night of Navy
Accessories: 2 1/2″ Circle Punch, Watercolor paper, Night of Navy Ink Refill, White Craft Ink, Big Shot, Sleigh Ride Edgelit dies, Delicate Ornament Thinlit dies, Softly Falling TIEF, Precision Base Plate, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer paper, Silver Cord, Stampin’ Dimensionals

The ornament concept isn’t my original idea – it’s all over Pinterest – but this combination is mine. Using the watercolor paper with the ink refill allows more depth and variety in the Night of Navy background.

My second bundled project features the Peaceful Pines bundle:

Stamps: Peaceful Pines
Color Palette: Very Vanilla, Pool Party, Lost Lagoon, Crumb Cake, Wild Wasabi, Mossy Meadow
Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Pines Framelits, Lucky Stars TIEF, Home for Christmas DSP, Gold Foil Sheets, Stampin’ Dimensionals

If you take a look at page 16 of the Holiday Catalog, you’ll see the inspiration for this card. Since my first card used a watercolor technique, I chose to use Designer Series Paper (DSP) for this one.

I hope you’re inspired – and I’m sure there is more inspiration coming your way. The tour links are featured at the end of the blog, but if you click on the image below you’ll be off to see Heather Mathieson! Thanks for your visit.

Nancy Amato
Melissa Bolinger
Arden Dougan
Tracie Langley
Anne Matasci YOU ARE HERE!
Heather Mathieson
Audra Monk
Maria Pane
Michele Reynolds
Pam Staples
Janet Wakeland

It’s RemARKably Trick or Treat!

Posted on October 8, 2015 by mauistamper

Welcome to the October RemARKable Blog Tour. If you’re the type of person who does things sequentially, you’ve likely arrived from Tracy Langley’s blog. If you’re a Frank Sinatra, I-Did-It-My-Way kind of person, well, I’m happy you’re here!

Trick or treat!

Stamps: Howl-O-Ween, And Many More
Color Palette: Tangelo Twist, Whisper White and Basic Black
Accessories: Big Shot, Pillow Box Framelits, Window Sheet, Woodland TIEF, Black 3/8″ taffeta ribbon, Black Bakers Twine, Happy Haunting DSP, Toe-Bod-Butts*

*See the candy inside the package? It’s called Toe Bod Butts. The little white bit on the end is the Toe. The orange part in the middle is the Bod(y). And the yellow on the top is the Butt. And you eat it in that order.

Anyone who tells you they’re called Candy Corn has succumbed to the wonders of Marketing. Toe-Bod-Butts. That’s what they are.

I absolutely love the Happy Haunting Designer Series paper (DSP). This plaid is one of my favorites – if I lived where Fall was actually a season, I would have wool pants in this plaid. Love love love it…so much that I think I have used up all but a few tiny scraps of the ENTIRE PACKAGE OF DSP. Do you realize the enormity of that? I’m a DSP Hoarder. This is big, my friends, big.

You can put together a bunch of these watching a football game (ask me how I know) and have special treats for the kids in your son or daughter’s class, or your co-workers, or the football players for that matter. And you might even get to sneak in a few Toe Bod Butts for yourself. How fabulous would that be?

While you’re munching and cranking the Big Shot, click HERE to head over to see what Heather Mathiason is up to.

Saving with RemARKable Bundles

Posted on September 10, 2015 by mauistamper

This month the RemARKable Blog tour is focusing on the great savings you can enjoy with the many bundles offered from Stampin’ Up!

The Woodland Textured Impressions Embossing folder was at the top of my Holiday Catalog must-have-list so it was easy for me to choose that bundle – the TIEF plus the Among the Branches photopolymer stamp set.

The Mini Treat Bag is perfectly sized for Halloween treats and this great image fits perfectly in the Spider Web doilies.

The Woodland TIEF is a great background and shows up beautifully when the treat bag is made from the glassine sheets. A couple of tiny pearls colored with permanent black marker add the final touch.

Same stamps and accessories, but now there’s an Autumn feeling. The message underneath “To You From Me” is “and tasty dishes” – but I wanted to use this for a birthday, thinking of you, or other message.

If you look closely, you’ll note that I ran the TIEF through with the trees being de-bossed. If you really like that concept it’s as simple as turning your card inside out.

I love the elegance of this look, with the sparkle of the glimmer paper, the soft Mint Macaron color, and the shimmer on the trees added with white craft ink and Dazzling Diamonds.

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s tour – check out the beautiful work of the other RemARKables! Head on over to see what Heather Mathieson is doing next.

Here’s the full tour list:

Anne Matasci <— YOU ARE HERE

Check out the RemARKable Bundles!

Posted on August 13, 2015 by mauistamper

Welcome to the RemARKable Blog tour – this month, it’s all about bundles!

There are heaps of great bundles in the Annual Catalog, and I chose to focus on the Flower Patch stamps and framelits. I don’t know about you, but when I create a card with a set like this I often have a lot of little pieces left over. I pulled out those pieces to see what I could do:

I ALWAYS need tags, and 9 times out of 10, I need a tag AT THE LAST MINUTE. Can you relate?

As I worked on color combinations for these tags, it occurred to me that the best thing to do would be to make a lot of pieces, mix and match them to form pleasing combinations, and put them together to create a little stash for myself.

If I weren’t sharing these with you today, I would have left them without a sentiment. That way, I could add the exact phrase I needed when I was looking for a last minute tag.

Stamps: Flower Patch, And Many More, and Work of Art
Color Palette: Whisper White with Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Real Red and Soft Suede; Blushing Bride, Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo and Smokey Slate; and Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, Tangerine Tango and Tip Top Taupe.
Accessories: Flower Fair Framelits; Ornate Tag Topper Punch; Blushing Bride and Pool Party 1/4″ cotton ribbon; 1/8″ striped ribbon (sneak peek from Holiday catalog)

If you’re like me, you have lots of bits and pieces all over your crafting desktop. Grab a Tag Topper punch and craft up some tags!

Next stop on the tour is Heather Mathiason – enjoy her great projects!

Nancy Amato – http://stampinallnight.blogspot.com/2015/08/remarkable-stampers-blog-tour-bundle-up.html

Melissa Bolinger – http://creativeblessingsbymissy.blogspot.com/2015/08/remarkable-blog-tour-watercolor-wings.html

Tamra Davis – http://www.thecardladies.com/remarkable-blog-hop-ready-for-fall/

Anne Matasci – http://wp.me/pCcBw-1Vk YOU ARE HERE!!!

Heather Mathieson – https://inkyladybug.wordpress.com/?p=187

Audra Monk –
http://thecraftyyogi.blogspot.com/2015/08/remarkable-blog-hop-any-choice-bundle.html

Maria Pane -http://stampinandscrappinwithriri.blogspot.com/2015/08/remarkable-blog-tour-su-bundles.html

Michele Reynolds – http://inspirationink.typepad.com/inspiration-ink/2015/08/bundle-blog-tour.html

Pam Staples – http://wp.me/p3p2VA-14W

Janet Wakeland – http://wp.me/pHIQD-7m8

The RemARKable In Colors for 2015

Posted on July 9, 2015 by mauistamper

Each new Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog brings a new In Color collection, and everyone anxiously awaits the reveal of those new colors. One thing that is often lost in the excitement is the In Color Bundle – a selection of the 5 new ink pads plus an assortment of the new In Color card stock – for the price of the ink pads.

Maui Stamper 2015-2016 In Color Ink and Cardstock bundle

2015-2016 In Color Bundle #138358 $32.50

I have my favorites (and some not-so-favorites) this year. Today’s projects confirmed some of my opinions, but there was a surprise too!

Stamps: Awesomely Artistic, Watercolor Wings, Tin of Cards
Color Palette: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Watermelon Wonder, Blushing Bride
Accessories: Word Window Punch, Bold Butterfly Framelits, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Sticky Note, Paper Snips

I love tone-on-tone looks, but these In Colors are predominantly bold colors, and they needed a little softening to fit the vision in my head. I used a sticky note to create a mask for the floral image, allowing me to add leaves and texture “behind” the image.

Color Palette: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Mint Macaron, Lost Lagoon

Bermuda Bay complements Mint Macaron very well, but it was just too bright a look for this card and I switched to Lost Lagoon.

That little bitty Crumb Cake butterfly body could have been fussy cut, but I have a really hard time with straight lines. Here’s what I used:

Can you see the tape? Just a tiny bit held the word window punched piece to the end of the card stock, allowing me to feed it into the punch again and create that skinny little bit.

One last combination:

Color Palette: Whisper White, Soft Suede, So Saffron, Delightful Dijon, Crumb Cake

This combination surprised me – I didn’t expect to like it because I DON’T LIKE DELIGHTFUL DIJON. I don’t wear that color, I don’t decorate with that color, although I do like Dijon mustard. That’s as far as it goes.

What do YOU think – which combination is your favorite?

I couldn’t make this design work with Cucumber Crush. I’m waiting for Christmas before I try to make friends – that one has me stumped for now. And as much as I love Tip Top Taupe, it didn’t want to stand alone in this concept either. It would be a nice accent in place of Crumb Cake, but I chose Crumb Cake. My projects, my rules.

However, I am SURE some of the other RemARKables have featured Cucumber Crush or Tip Top Taupe or maybe even BOTH of them! You’ll have to make your way through the tour to find out…but there could be worse things to do, couldn’t there?

Next up is Heather Mathieson!

Nancy Amato
Melissa Bolinger
Tamra Davis
Anne Matasci – YOU ARE HERE!
Heather Mathieson
Audra Monk
Maria Pane
Michele Reynolds
Pam Staples
Janet Wakeland

Let’s Get Going Places – RemARKably!

Posted on June 11, 2015 by mauistamper

Welcome to the latest edition of the RemARKable Blog tour. We’re certainly going places this month and we hope you’ll come along! This is a long post with a lot of photos – if you want to move along, click on the graphic below to see what the talented Heather Mathiesen has done:

Mr. Maui Stamper and I love to travel. Sometimes we’re asked why we would ever want to leave our beautiful island. As much as we love our home, we also love seeing new places. More importantly, our three wonderful, independent, confident children are flung across 12 time zones in the world. We love them, so we travel!

I’ve learned to take an envelope with me every trip to collect the receipts, ephemera, and mementos that accumulate when you travel. At first it was a plain #10 envelope, then a 6×8 envelope, and finally, I’ve graduated to a travel wallet.

With a little tinkering, I found a size that worked well and was quick to put together, and now I make one for each trip. It gives me something pretty and new to use, and allows me to quickly locate the correct envelope for any given trip should I need to find a receipt or memento.

You’ll need:

a 12″ square piece of card stock
a 2 3/4″ x 9″ piece of DSP
a 2 3/4″ x 9″ piece of either card stock or DSP
The Simply Scored tool
a button or brad
a length of twine (about 14″)
a 1/8″ hole punch
adhesive – I use Tear and Tape and Tombo (the Wonder Adhesive)
Corner rounder punch

Let’s get started!

Place the card stock on the Simply Scored tool and score at 4″, 4 1/2″, 5″ and 9 1/4″.

Turn the card stock a quarter turn so that you are scoring perpendicularly to the first set of score marks. Score at 3/4″, 1 1/2″, 10 1/2″ and 11 1/4″.

If you don’t have the Simply Scored tool, you can measure and score the old fashioned way.

Fold gussets across the middle and on either side as indicated by the score marks. Your envelope will have a gusset along the bottom and on the sides.

Trim off the sides as shown. The narrow panel at the bottom of the photo will be your flap and will be 9 inches wide. The second panel will be adhered to the third (top) panel to create the envelope. Clear as mud?

Adhere your DSP to the 9 inch wide flap. I use Tombo (the Wonder Adhesive) so that I can get as close as possible to the edge. (I use a bone folder to smooth out any bubbles and assure a smooth fit.) This is the fabulous new Timeless Elegance DSP, and I think it is gorgeous with Basic Grey card stock. Use the Corner Rounder punch to (wait for it) ROUND THE CORNERS. Lol. I know. I crack myself up.

Fold in the gusset that will be at the bottom of the envelope, and then fold in the sides. Apply our new Tear and Tape to the flap as shown.

Snip a bit into the flap, because there’s some magic to be done. That little snip will create a space for the flap to leap over the gusset. When you adhere the sides this way, you won’t have a gap at the bottom for little things to slide through. Practice once or twice before you remove the tape from the adhesive to get the feel of it. It’s not hard!

Once the sides are together, trim the ends that stick out at the top to a pleasing angle.

Almost done! Punch a 1/8″ hole in the center of the top flap and thread through your twine. Tape into place – I use the Tear and Tape because I can. (This beautiful Basic Grey and Vanilla twine is from the Gratitude for Days Simply Created kit on the Clearance Rack. It’s a steal at $8.79!)

Loop the twine around the brad before you open the prongs to be sure there is enough clearance. Secure the brad.

Apply Tear and Tape around the bumpy parts where the brad and the twine appear on the bottom. (We’re going to cover those up!) Apply Tombo (the Wonder Adhesive) to that second piece of card stock (2 3/4′ x 9″) and cover that mess!

Yeah, I’m fussy like that. Your travel wallet is ready for your next trip – where are you going? I’m Salt Lake City bound next month for Inspire.Create.Share 2015!

The tour continues with Heather Mathieson, if you’ve been hardy enough to make it this far! The rest of the team is listed below – enjoy the creative projects!

Nancy Amato – http://stampinallnight.blogspot.com/2015/06/remarkable-stampers-blog-tour-going.html
Melissa Bolinger – http://creativeblessingsbymissy.blogspot.com/2015/06/remarkable-blog-tour-going-places.html
Tamra Davis http://www.theCardLadies.com/remarkable-blog-tour-going-places/
Anne Matasci – http://wp.me/pCcBw-1RL YOU’RE HERE!!!
Heather Mathieson – http://wp.me/p2wIuv-2f
Audra Monk – http://thecraftyyogi.blogspot.com/2015/06/going-places-remarkable-blog-hop.html
Maria Pane – http://stampinandscrappinwithriri.blogspot.com/2015/06/remarkable-stampers-blog-tour-moving-on.html
Michele Reynolds – http://inspirationink.typepad.com/inspiration-ink/2015/06/going-places-blog-tour.html
Pam Staples – http://wp.me/p3p2VA-12t
Janet Wakeland – http://wp.me/pHIQD-7ij

It’s RemARKably hard to say GOODBYE

Posted on May 14, 2015 by mauistamper

Welcome to the May 2015 RemARKable Blog tour, where we explore all things GOODBYE. I’ve chosen to focus on the Stampin’ Up! 2014-2015 catalog retiring list, and I’ve based my projects around one of my favorite all-around stamp sets, For the Birds:

This is a (sort of) Clean and Simple card. There’s just one image, and there are no sentiments, but there are multiple layers. It’s a very quick card to assemble and employs one of my favorite card-making tricks: have plenty of cards on hand with NO SENTIMENT.

I could add Miss You, Sorry, Love You, Thinking of You, even Happy Birthday – or Happy New Baby in a real pinch! (It’s a nest – get it?)

If you’re lucky enough to have Blendbilities, For the Birds is a great choice because of the detail and variety, but today I chose to use colored pencils. If you’ve ever had a kid in grade school, you more than likely have colored pencils in your house. Even if there are no kids, colored pencils are inexpensive and working with them is easy and generally trouble free.

With this much magnification, you can see the shading, but the general effect is much more subtle. If you see a few fuzzy bits in that top left corner, your birdie-eye has spotted bits of the white jute ribbon cut apart and tucked behind the image.

For the Birds Clear #126407 $24.95 Wood #132001 $32.95

I must confess that when I spotted this DSP from the Back to Black (retiring) collection I did a little happy dance around my studio. FEATHERS. Need I say more?

Look closely and you’ll realize that I am no rock-star-pencil-colorist. But I do find it relaxing and enjoyable to play with shading and color, and this stamp set is a great all-around addition to your stamping birdhouse!

Enjoy the tour – I love the unique manner with which everyone interprets the theme – and I’ll see you here next month. Head over to see what Heather Mathiesen has created!

Get RemARKably Moving!

Posted on April 9, 2015 by mauistamper

Welcome to the April edition of the RemARKable blog tour. This month we’re featuring things that move and moving on. I’m very fond of the Life’s Adventure Host Rewards stamp set, and this bicycle is my favorite image in the set. I love the retro feel, especially the flag off the back.

Stamps: Life’s Adventure and Remember This
Color palette: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White and Basic Black
Accessories: Cherry Cobbler seam binding, Cherry Cobbler embossing powder, the Embossing Buddy, the Heat Tool, Back to Black Designer Series Paper and Rhinestone Jewels

Every time I pull out my embossing powder I wonder why I don’t use it more often. It’s such a quick technique with such a big WOW factor.

Head over to visit the new kid on the RemARKable tour – Heather Mathiesen! Welcome Heather – we can’t wait to see your projects!

RemARKable Memories

Posted on March 12, 2015 by mauistamper

My favorite way to preserve memories is with photos – just ask my family!

I began with the Hello Life Project kit (#137949 $24.95), but chose to change it up with my own color palette. Most of my accents are Bermuda Bay, with a little bit of Pool Party thrown in.

I used the On Film framelits (#132969 $29.95) to create an additional photo mat – it’s a bit larger than the ones provided but coordinates perfectly. I also chose to make a tassel instead of pom-poms using the Pool Party Bakers Twine available in the Occasions catalog. The technique is the same, but you only cut one end of the looped twine, and you tie off directly underneath the end that remains looped. I used thin white Bakers Twine to tie off the tassel and wrapped Bermuda Bay 1/8″ taffeta ribbon over that, securing with a glue dot.

I punched some flowers to create a blossom at the end of the banner, and added stamped images from the coordinating Hello Life stamp set (#137136 $24.95).

I stacked banner pieces from the kit and pinned them on with the clothes pins which were included. Everything on the frame can be moved, allowing maximum flexibility as I have new photos to enjoy, and I have heaps of pieces left over for additional embellishments and projects.

This was an AMAZING tip we learned from Carrie Cudney at convention last summer! Line up your self-adhesive stickers on a window sheet…

Place them where you want them, press down the exposed top half to secure, and gently remove the window sheet to press them in place in a gloriously straight line!!

Crystal and I worked on these together, and as you can see, the same kit in two different sets of hands can turn out as two completely unique projects.

She made flowers too, and hung them from our gorgeous new White Jute.

It would even be possible to just FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS and make the kit exactly as it was produced! Just print some photos – you know you have them stored on your phone, your hard drive, discs, wherever – and get them in front of your eyes!