RemARKable Flowers

Posted on April 10, 2014 by mauistamper

It’s another RemARKable Pinworthy blog tour – and this time we are focusing on flowers. I think most crafters LOVE flowers, and I’m no exception. One of my favorite new flower products is the Sizzix Spiral Flower Originals die, and I thought I would tackle something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I’m pretty pleased with my first attempt:

I have been imagining crafting with our new Sizzix Spiral Flower Originals Die with fabric for weeks! I have SO MANY ideas for these flowers…but I’m getting ahead of myself. These are made from denim (specifically, an old pair of torn, destroyed jeans) and tulle (leftover from my bridal ensemble – really!)

My first idea was a wristlet:

I didn’t even get to the embellishment stage. This idea has potential, but the problem here is that I’m a Bash-and-Crash kinda girl, and this little confection wouldn’t make it through the first day on my wrist.

Cute idea – for someone else’s wrist. It was back to the drawing board.

I used two denim spirals and two tulle spirals for the flower on the right. The one on the left has one denim spiral and two tulle spirals – the tulle is very lightweight and soft, not the stiff variety.

The “double denim” flower is in the center – it’s definitely larger – with a single denim layer flower on either side.

I did learn a few tricks in the process of assembling these. If I were working with fabric only (no tulle) it would be fairly simple to roll first and hot glue second. However, the tulle is wispy and stubborn, and I found it easier to roll a little, hot glue a little, and roll a little more. Also, when you are working with paper, it’s very easy to adjust the tightness of the rolled flower once you’re done. With fabric (even if you haven’t hot glued it together already!) there’s too much friction in the layers and they don’t want to loosen up. I found I got the best results by practicing once or twice before I began to assemble with the hot glue.

Now that I have a few of these under my belt, I can’t wait to add Spiral Flower embellishments to…well, you’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, go see what the rest of the RemARKables have come up with – I’m certain you’ll be inspired!

Head on over to Audra Monk at the Crafty Yogi to continue the tour!

RemARKably Egg-stra Creative!

Posted on March 13, 2014 by mauistamper

Welcome to the RemARKable Pinworthy Blog tour for March! I’m glad you’ve joined us and I’m sure you’ll be inspired. Let’s dive right in:

Lately I’ve been hooked on the Card-in-a-Box concept. The possibilities are endless, and this particular process really suits my “More is More” mentality – it seems like you can add bits and pieces forever! The colors in the Eastern Elegance Designer Series paper really inspired me.

Stamps: Flower Shop, Petite Petals, Petal Parade, Best of Butterflies and Delightful Dozen
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Grey, Smokey Slate, Pool Party, Coastal Cabana, Daffodil Delight and Crushed Curry
Accessories: Eastern Elegance DSP, Pansy and Petite Petals punches, Corner Rounder punch, Little Leaves Sizzlet and the Big Shot, Rhinestone jewels, Simply Scored tool, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Glue Dots, Window Sheets

There are lots of ways to assemble this card, but here’s a tip: You need a BRAND NEW, full box of Glue Dots. I use a bamboo BBQ skewer to lift them off the roll and place them on my project. (I use those skewers for tons of things – rolling paper into curls, reaching elusive spots, dabbing Tombo, placing glue dots and jewels – the list is endless. And when it gets all sticky with Tombo the Wonder Adhesive I just pitch it.)

The card folds flat for mailing, too, although with all that extra card stock embellishment, you’re going to need a little extra postage. It’s worth it 🙂

I was on a roll with these colors, so I carried the theme over to a Tag-a-Bag Box. There’s no way this was going in an envelope, so I had more room to play.

Stamps: None
Color Palette: Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Basic Grey, Smokey Slate, Coastal Cabana
Accessories: Big Shot, Spiral Flower Originals Die and Lattice TIEF, Little Leaves Sizzlet, Tag-a-bag Box, Paper lace doily, Eastern Elegance DSP

The doily is cut in half and smooshed (yes, that is the authentic, technical, paper-crafting term for it). I used Sticky Strip to hold it in place under the belly band since it would be sliding back and forth as the box opened and closed. When something Absolutely, Positively has to stick, you need Sticky Strip.

A Textured Impressions Embossing Folder on the Spiral Flower Originals die helps to soften the card stock so it will roll more easily. The Lattice TIEF does an especially good job of this, although I still smoosh the card stock before I roll the flowers.

I also use those odd crafty tweezers that pinch when you let go (instead of having to be squeezed) when I roll up my roses. They make it easy to hold onto the center of the flower while you’re rolling.

These colors make a gorgeous Easter color scheme, and I was delighted to find plastic eggs in Coastal Cabana! Maybe you’ll choose a different DSP, but I hope you’ll have some fun playing with new ideas for Easter this year.

Time to move on and see what Audra has in store. Thanks for stopping by!

(If the link doesn’t work for you, cut and paste this link into a browser window: http://thecraftyyogi.blogspot.com/2014/03/eggstra-creative-ideas-for-easter.html)

Woo Hoo! Its Two!

Posted on February 13, 2014 by mauistamper

Welcome to this month’s tour. The big news in these parts is that one of my favorite people in the whole wide world is expecting…TWINS! She’s RemARKable in so many ways – as a matter of fact, if you are following this Pin-Worthy tour in sequence, you’ve just come from her blog. I’m ruining the surprise factor, but today I’m going to share a bit of the decor for her baby shower.

A party begins with invitations and I’ve made TWO. These are designed to have the details on the back. Crystal has chosen bright colors for her nursery, and I chose Bermuda Bay and Calypso Coral tones for these projects.

The li’l Giraffes are stamped in Pool Party and Crisp Cantaloupe, and are corralled in our new On Film (LOVE!) framelits. There are so many awesome new framelits available in the Occasions catalog that it’s tough to choose – thank goodness for Sale-a-bration 🙂

Love this Retro Fresh DSP – it coordinates with EVERYTHING. These little birds – from the For the Birds stamp set – are seriously under-appreciated. To keep these really versatile, I didn’t use a “Shower” sentiment, so these cards could just as easily be announcements or thank you notes.

I quickly colored the wings and tails with markers, then used the Aqua Painter for a light wash over their little birdie bodies. Check these out – I’m telling you, For the Birds is a sleeper.

The second Party Sneak Peak is the banner. Gotta love those new banner framelits too!! Yes, you can hand cut your own banners. Yes, it’s not that hard. But cranking them out with the framelits gave me 13 IDENTICAL banners and you know that’s not easy to do by hand! So worth it…

The message is loud and clear, don’t you think? And I had such fun embellishing each banner. I used a lot of Retro Fresh DSP, plus embossing folders, buttons, ribbon – if I could reach it I used it!

I used the Natural Trim to string my banner, both for the color and the fact that the texture helps hold things firmly in place. And if you know me, you’ll know those buttons are actually sewed on with Linen Thread. It had to be done.

Each letter from the Timeless Type Sizzlets is mounted on an embellished circle from the Pennants Bigz die. I kept them uniform and relatively uncluttered to tie the message together since each banner was unique.

I’m telling you, it was a lot of fun to embellish all of these! Definitely Stand-Up-Stamping. (Do you stand up? I think we need a club.)

The new Bigz Spiral Flower die is getting a lot of action in my craft room. You can adjust the tightness of the spiral to give you an entirely different look each time, or even (as I’ve done here) add a big ol’ pearl to the middle.

If you’ve held off on making a banner because you thought it would be too hard, hold off no longer! The letters don’t have to match – mix-and-match is a great look. It’s a great way to use up scraps and bits, and although it might turn into a treasured memento, I view it more as an in-the-moment kind of project. Enjoy it for today, or this week, or even a month, and then replace it with something new!

Hope you’ve enjoyed this stop on the RemARKable PinWorthy tour. Time to head over to see what Audra has created this month. Thanks for checking in!

A RemARKable Sale-a-bration

Posted on January 19, 2014 by mauistamper

What a way to go out – our last Best of 25 Years Anniversary Blog Tour features stamps from Sale-a-bration. Everyone is an SAB fan!

These images shouted “Tags” to me – as so many of the 25th Anniversary sets have done. Making tags is even more fun with our two new tag punches – I’ve used the Scalloped Tag Topper Punch (#133324) on these tags, along with a generous helping of Washi Tape.

Don’t you think Pale Pistachio and Blushing Bride are a pleasing combination? Say yes 🙂

This was one of my favorite images when it came out the first time and I was a happy stamper to see it again. I had the oh-so-brilliant idea to add speckles to the flowers with my white gel pen:

Super simple – just dots – but I love the pop. Did you know…if your gel pen gets fussy, open it up, push a slim bamboo bbq skewer down the ink chamber and give it a stir. Works like a charm!

Those smudges on my ribbon are not really there – I just checked. So much for photo editing! I had loads of fun combining ribbons for these tags. Sometimes you need to step back and just LOOK at your stash instead of go forward with a purpose.

One of my favorite people in the UNIVERSE is expecting a baby girl this spring, so I have babies on my mind. (She’s also expecting a boy – twins! But baby boys don’t want flowered tags.)

The new gold Washi tape in the Occasions catalog looks fabulous with Soft Suede. It’s a burnished gold rather than a bright gilt, and that makes it a lot more versatile. Versatile, just like each of the 25th Anniversary Best of stamp sets!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tour as well as the entire year of tours. The 25th Anniversary Best of Stamps are all available through March 31, 2014, and each set is priced at $14.95 US. If you want to go back to revisit the entire “Best of” series, you’ll find it on the third Sunday each month beginning February 2013 – I’ve listed the links below. You’ll notice that my posts appear a day early – that’s because our tour begins each month at midnight Eastern time. I usually got the math right!

Now head on over to see what Maria has created for you, and thanks for stopping by.

http://www.stampinandscrappinwithriri.blogspot.com/

February 17, 2013 Best of Birthdays

March 17, 2013 Best of Love

April 21, 2013 Best of Flowers

May 19, 2013 Best of Butterflies

June 16, 2013 Best of Brides and Babies

July 21, 2013 Best of Greetings

August 18, 2013 Best of Shelli

September 15, 2013 Best of Halloween

October 20, 2013 Best of Autumn

November 17, 2013 Best of Christmas

December 15, 2013 Best of Snow

Introducing the New RemARKable Pin-Worthy Blog Tour!

Posted on January 9, 2014 by mauistamper

Pinterest is my favorite Black Hole on the internet – I have spent hours there looking at anything and everything. Our new tour features a Pin-Worthy theme every month and we are starting off with a flourish on the theme of True Love – or as our fearless leader Jan puts it, “Lovey-Dovey”.

Our Crumb Cake note-card sized envelopes have been on my desk lately – I’m SUPPOSED to be making (and sending!) thank-you notes! The new Retro Fresh DSP (that’s Designer Series Paper to the uninitiated) paper pack has Crumb Cake in its color palette, so it seemed a natural pairing:

Stamps: Yippee Skippee, Petite Petals
Color Palette: Whisper White, Real Red, Crumb Cake and Coastal Cabana
DSP: Fresh Prints
Accessories: Deco Labels Framelites, Petite Petal Punch, Dimensionals, Rhinestones

Love those Petite Petals from the new Occasions catalog – and they are bundled with the coordinating punch. I’m a sucker for deals like that 🙂

There’s something about these Crumb Cake envelopes that begs for lining. I played with all the patterns before choosing this open, floral pattern. Honestly? I just liked it the best.

On the inside I added a sentiment from Memorable Moments – I love that the words are separate (Happy and Anniversary – there’s also a Birthday stamp). No Stamp-a-ma-jig this time, just stamp-a-ma-GO!

I was inspired by this sketch – it’s this week’s Mojo Monday Sketch – so I made a second card with it using the same color palette:

Out with Real Red and in with Pool Party and Baked Brown Sugar. A minor change like that makes a major difference, don’t you think? This is still Retro Fresh DSP. Piercing seems to be out of trend right now, but I’ve always loved how it adds texture and design without adding color, so I pulled out my Piercing Tool (aka Pokie Doodle) and the guide. It also reflects the little dots on the DSP (really, I planned it that way.)

This card needed a coordinating envelope as well. Love those dots!

The smallest heart is punched with the Owl Punch, and the larger one is a single punch. And what card doesn’t NEED some Linen Thread? Perfect touch.

Finally, the inside is stamped with the brand new Hip Notes image – don’t tell Mr. Maui Stamper, but this just might be his Valentine.

Hope you like this Inaugural post for the PinWorthy Tour! Your next stop is Audra Monk at the Crafty Yogi – I’m sure you’ll enjoy her projects.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Posted on December 14, 2013 by mauistamper

Welcome to the RemARKable Best of Snow blog tour. There is no snow on Maui today, but I’m gonna play along anyway. How could I resist these Hedgies?

We don’t have hedgehogs either. They would be considered an invasive species, which seems like an awfully mean thing to say about something so cute. It’s a serious problem, but this pair is no threat at all to our islands – so stamp away and enjoy their adorable roundness!

There’s a teeny sneak peek here – we have silver (and gold!) baker’s twine coming in the Occasions catalog! Here it adds a little more dimension.

The hedgies are back as a tag – and I would be spoiling the surprise to say more, but this tag is going to be perfect for a certain gift I’m giving this year. The tag itself is another sneak peek…

I added a little Frost White shimmer paint to the card (it was on the Clearance Rack at the time, but so goes the Clearance Rack! It’s gone.) I left it off the tag and added a little Pool Party accent around the snow. I like both looks but I think I prefer this one.

I also played with the snowflake image and found it fit nicely into the Festive Flurry Framelits.

I put them on some silver ribbon and have had them all over my house – on the banister, across the buffet, and finally on the tree – I think this is where they’ll stay.

Get on your sled and head on over to Robin‘s – I’m pretty sure she’s got plenty of snow at her house!

Nancy Amato http://stampinallnight.blogspot.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
Sherri Eddleblute     http://www.sweetestdesigns.blogspot.com/
Kathy Hamrick http://www.countryroads.typepad.com/
Crystal Kondo      http://www.card-ed.com
Deb Lehigh    http://thestampinhut.typepad.com/
Anne Matasci         http://www.MauiStamper.wordpress.com      YOU ARE HERE!!!
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://www.remarkablycreated.com

RemARKable Monsters

Posted on December 7, 2013 by mauistamper

This month’s RemARKable Blog Tour features a pair of stamp sets that don’t get nearly enough attention. These Design Challenge winners aren’t in any catalog so we are giving you a good look today. I’ve featured Spread the Joy a couple of times, so today it’s…

MONSTER MANIACS!

I paired this guy with the greeting from Yippee Skippee – isn’t the look on his face perfect?? These images are really fun to color, and I think it’s because they’re so fabulously whimsical. I mean, where’s the body? And look at those Mickey Mouse hands with only 3 fingers!!

MonsterManiacs is available as clear mounts stamps for $14.95 #134972

Don’t look now, but this is the same card sketch turned on one side and in a different color palette. I crack up every time I look at those crossed eyes! (This image would make an AWESOME preggo card – that middle eyeball gives new meaning to “Mommy is growing a new baby in her tummy”)

I made a tall card for the last one – and yep, the sketch should look familiar. That black ribbon made its first appearance a year ago in the Holiday Mini Catalog, but you can get your hands on it for a few more weeks in the Halloween Banner Simply Created Accessory kit.

This card measures 3 1/2 x 7 inches, so you know it needed a custom envelope. If you get dizzy easily, you might want to skip this next photo:

Talk about waking up the postal carrier!! Gotta love that Envelope Punch Board 🙂

Head on over to see what Audra has in store for you. If you want to 4-wheel-drive your own tour, the links are below. Enjoy the monsters!

Nancy Amato http://stampinallnight.blogspot.com

Melissa Bolinger http://www.stampinup.net/blog/2089191

Tamra Davis http://www.theCardLadies.com

Crystal Kondo http://www.card-ed.com

Deb Lehigh http://thestampinhut.typepad.com

Anne Matasci http://www.MauiStamper.wordpress.com YOU ARE HERE

Audra Monk http://thecraftyyogi.blogspot.com

Maria Pane http://www.stampinandscrappinwithriri.blogspot.com

Robin Merriman http://www.trinitydesignstudio.blogspot.com

Andi Potler http://www.absolutekreations.com

Michele Reynolds http://www.inspirationink.typepad.com

Pam Staples http://www.sunnygirlscraps.com

Janet Wakeland http://www.remarkablycreated.com

A RemARKable Christmas

Posted on November 16, 2013 by mauistamper

Welcome to the RemARKable 25th Anniversary Best of Blog Tour – hard to believe we’re near the end of these great sets!

The soft color palette in this card provides contrast with the traditional manger scene. It was simple and quite enjoyable to color the vignette with Stampin’ Write markers – I actually did quite a few of these for a craft fair later this month.

I’ve learned to give myself permission to be a little messy with my coloring. That’s a big step for this perfectionist!

All the images in this set are perfectly sized for 3 x 3 gift enclosure cards, but I think this manger works especially well:

Almost the same, and just as easy to do!

Here’s another very traditional holiday image, this time in very traditional colors.

Again, this is a card you could produce very easily as the coloring is simple and then it’s just punch, punch, snip, snip, stamp, tie a knot and send!

I recommend you use the fine point of the Stampin’ Write markers to color the Holly leaves and berries first, then fill in Santa’s cap. I used an Aquapainter with a little Blushing Bride ink for Santa’s face.

Best of December #134384 $14.95

Don’t forget that when you have ordered 6 of these stamp sets, you can send in the little “25” images to receive a free set valued at no more than $14.95.

It’s time to see what Andi Potler has created at http://www.absolutekreations.com! We hope you’ve enjoyed these projects as much as we have!

Here’s the entire lineup for your blog-hopping pleasure!

It’s RemARKably Festive!

Posted on November 9, 2013 by mauistamper

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

This is more snow(flake) than we will see here on Maui, and after a couple of weeks on the chilly Mainland, I’m perfectly happy with that! Festive Flurries is one of our featured stamp sets this month on the RemARKable Stamp of the Month tour.

Festive Flurry Wood #131778 $39.95 Clear #131781 $29.95

Festive Flurry Framelits #132193 $24.95

OR BUY THE BUNDLE AND SAVE 15%!! Wood #133284 $54.95 Clear #133285 $46.95

I wrapped a Styrofoam tubal wreath with some organza (can I get a cheer for the inventor of the hot glue gun?). The snowflakes are built using the stamps and framelits, and the layers are assembled with Stampin’ Dimensionals to provide, well, DIMENSION.

I used Silver Glimmer paper, Brushed Silver card stock, Island Indigo card stock and ink, Pool Party card stock and ink, Whisper White card stock, and the Winter Frost Designer Series paper stack to create the snowflakes. I accessorized with the Frosted Finishes Embellishment, Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons, and the Silver Basics Designer buttons that are still available on the Clearance Rack. The wreath is finished with a handful of ribbon that will flutter nicely in the trade winds 🙂

This project is absolutely NOT rocket science! YOU can do this – really! Even the wrapping part was super easy because the organza is so forgiving. The hardest part is keeping your fingers out of the hot glue when it’s still hot. (Ask me how I know.)

Your next stop on the tour is Maria Pane. I usually link to the talented Robin Merriman, but she has a family situation that is occupying every moment of her time. If you believe in the power of prayer, please say one for her and her family.

Here’s the rest of the tour should you choose to view it to the beat of your own drummer!

Nancy Amato           http://stampinallnight.blogspot.com
Melissa Bolinger      http://www.stampinup.net/blog/2089191
Jackie Bottomley     http://www.jackiebottomley.blogspot.com
Tamra Davis            http://www.thecardladies.com
Connie Deibler         http://www.conniestamps.com
Sherri Eddleblute      http://www.sweetestdesigns.blogspot.com
Crystal Kondo           http://www.card-ed.com
Deb Lehigh               http://thestampinhut.typepad.com
Anne Matasci            http://www.MauiStamper.wordpress.com
Maria Pane               http://www.stampinandscrappinwithriri.blogspot.com
Andi Potler                http://www.absolutekreations.com
Michele Reynolds     http://www.inspirationink.typepad.com
Pam Staples             http://www.sunnygirlscraps.com
Janet Wakeland        http://www.remarkablycreated.com

A RemARKable Autumn Anniversary set

Posted on October 19, 2013 by mauistamper

I think it’s fall, y’all…

And if those leaves were shaped a little differently that would look quite a bit like the plumeria tree in my back yard.

But we are celebrating Autumn, the season of crisp air, apples and pears, and falling leaves. Or on Maui, the return of the snowbirds, the first humpback sighting, and lilikoi season!

I’m hooked on these Thinlets cards – fun, easy AND a guaranteed wow! The “DSP” panel on the front is a piece of Very Vanilla card stock cut with the Thinlets die and trimmed to fit.

Funny how much difference placement can make…this was my first attempt with this idea:

This feels all wrong to me – the front panel is receding, the back panel is approaching, and the whole thing feels out of balance. When I re-made the card (and realized how much better the falling leaves stamp suited the theme) I was much happier. And that’s what counts in my book 🙂

While I was playing with these stamps, I inked a few of the images in Smokey Slate. Not sure why I chose that color, but I loved the muted look. (It made me happy…see above.) I tried them out as gift cards:

The ultimate in simplicity – perhaps too simple for some, but not for me. Perhaps a single word in the corner, perhaps not…I just loved it. I tried them all:

This bucket of apples worked so well with the Smokey Slate! Featuring just one of the apples gave this image a pop! without being overwhelming.

I wouldn’t normally put Tangerine Tango with Smokey Slate, but I had a theme going here! Black would have been too sharp, and would have evoked more of the feeling of Halloween.