Bloomin’ June

Posted on June 1, 2014 by mauistamper

Although parts of the country were extremely dry this year, we had more rain than usual on the Valley Isle. As a result, it seems that anything that could bloom is blooming. That includes my June calendar:

I’ve been slightly obsessed with birds recently. This one is looking for a little snack beneath the flower bed.

I used Petite Petals and Everything Eleanor for this calendar page, and did a little bit of masking to create some dimension amongst the flowers. These calendars are fun precisely because the area to embellish is small, and it’s more of a challenge than you might think to get the image balance right. A little sparkle makes it all work out…

You may be wondering where I’ve been…it’s been a while since I’ve posted. My family is literally spread across the world from Western Australia to Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Maui Stamper and I got it into our heads that we should have a reunion, and that a nice middle spot would be in England. We had a fabulous time with the family, including loads of sight-seeing, great food, and of course photos. My son was tremendously amused when I tried to take a selfie with the Tower Bridge in the background, and once he started taking pictures of me taking pictures of myself…well, it was pretty hopeless:

At least I ended up with a photo – or three – of myself with the Tower Bridge in the background.

There are three of us posting these little calendar pages today – take a look and see what Cheryl and Crystal have done with their calendars this month. I’m pretty sure they’re not posting selfies.

the May Paper Pumpkin

Posted on May 20, 2014 by mauistamper

Have you tried My Paper Pumpkin?

I had some fun with the kit for May:

Love the stamps that come with these kits! They’re so fresh and fun. And I couldn’t resist making it REALLY 3-D:

I wanted to play with that chubby bird from Betsy’s Blooms. I haven’t used that set much lately but I’m fond of that goofy birds. Actually, I’m fond of birds in general.

Im also going to miss those Lovely Words. I like the font and I like the words themselves. But it’s time to make room for new things.

Circles and lines

Posted on May 17, 2014 by mauistamper

I can’t remember much of high school geometry – I was good at math, but I didn’t enjoy it – but I do love playing with shapes.

Stamps: Oh Hello (retiring)
Color Palette: Basic Black, Whisper White and Tempting Turquoise
Accessories: 1/8 inch Black Taffeta ribbon, Cute Clips, Kaleidoscope DSP, the Big Shot and Circles Framelits, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I love using Basic Black and Whisper White (or Basic Black and Very Vanilla) as a foundation for my color palette. Change out the contrasting bright color and change the feeling of the project! This DSP is from Kaleidoscope, which is retiring, as is the Black/Vanilla combination in Modern Medley – my favorite 2013-2014 DSP.

I used a Post-it® note to mask the words and stamped that fabulous chevron image from Oh Hello above and below them. Don’t try to do both sides at once. Trust me.

Now that’s geometry I can love.

A Housewarming Giftcard

Posted on May 10, 2014 by mauistamper

I feel really blessed to have lots of young couples in my life. It’s a joy to watch them settle into their marriages, and lately that has included moving into new spaces. Mr. Maui Stamper and I were invited to a celebration last weekend; he couldn’t attend as he was busy surprising his sister for her birthday, but I went and had a fabulous time.

Being a practical sort of mama, I thought the perfect gift was a gift card to a home improvement store. Being a Maui Stamper, it needed a little dressing up:

Stamps: Oh Hello, On the Grid, Yippee Skippee and Day to Day (Project Life®)
Color Palette: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Tangerine Tango, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Antique Brads, Gold Clothespin, Big Shot and Polka Dots TIEF, Fringe Scissors, Circles Framelits, Word Window punch, Tangerine Tango Embossing Powder, Piercing templates, Chevron Gift Bags, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Older-than-the-hills-retired Ribbon.

Here’s the note card that fits in the back of the bag. I grunged it up a bit with On the Grid and the piercing template – just a double line of dots.

Sometimes the best things happen when you make a “mistake”. I originally stamped the word “happy” in ink, but it needed some oomph so I decided to emboss it. I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig (TOTALLY ESSENTIAL TOOL, friends) to stamp “happy” again in Versamark ink and must have jiggled it, because it was offset just a bit. I think it’s PERFECT.

Gotta make it personal. Don’t know what I would do without all my Stampin’ Write markers. I am addicted to coordination.

Needless to say, this was presented in a clear envelope. Who would want to cover it up?

Weekly Deals May 6 to 12

Posted on May 6, 2014 by mauistamper

Check out this week’s DEALS – retiring products are selling out quickly!

Shop for these HERE – and if you haven’t treated yourself to our 1 1/4″ Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, this is your chance to fall in love at a discount!

Digital Crafters, there’s something for you too:

Download these gorgeous new images HERE!

Thanks for stopping by today!

A Glorious Birthday Card in a Box

Posted on May 3, 2014 by mauistamper

I love that word – Glorious. It’s one of Crystal‘s favorites 🙂 And it’s very appropriate for this card:

Yes, it’s full of Sale-a-bration product that you can no longer get…and I’m sorry. But for those of you who have leftover Sweet Sorbet paper, you need some ideas, right?

I had a fabulous time with this one – there’s a lot crammed into a little space. I used the Tasteful Trim Bigz XL die (so sad this is retiring!!) to help stabilize the folds. In my excitement I scored them a leetle bit too hard and they were thinking about breaking, so that Calypso Coral scallop actually folds and adheres inside the wall of the box to give it strength.

Lots of flowers – Petal Parade from SAB but also Petite Petals and the little scallop from the Itty Bitty Punch Pack (also retiring). That gorgeous Happy Birthday is from the retiring stamp set You’re Amazing – and is only available now in wood.

Some of the flowers and cut and layered for extra dimension, and you can just see the window sheet strip that allows that Petite Petal to fly.

There’s a cupcake with a single candle right in the middle!

I even made a coordinating envelope. Hope you enjoy!

Shorebirds

Posted on May 1, 2014 by mauistamper

I’m going to be very happy every morning in May to walk into my kitchen and see this month’s little Easel Calendar:

I love this Wetlands stamp set, especially these little shorebirds. I used my Aquapainter to add a little Basic Gray around the waterline. I sponged a little crumb cake below and Pool Party above that line to create a sense of the sand and the sea. The sun is the circle that was in the middle of one the Daydream Medallians stamps – I have a DVD case for all the funny bits that I think would make interesting stamps.

Take just another minute to pop on over and see what Crystal and Cheryl have done for their calendars this month. We hope you’re inspired!

Weekly Deals April 29 to May 5

Posted on April 30, 2014 by mauistamper

Some of these deals are on the Retired List – be prepared! Shop ONLINE.

When a card is really a hug

Posted on April 30, 2014 by mauistamper

Sometimes a friend is hurting and it’s not possible to deliver a hug in person. What is it about the touch of another person that brings such comfort? I called a friend today and she said “I was just thinking of you. I need an Anne hug.” It was a reminder to me that a small gesture can have the great impact – and I may never know that it did.

There’s a woman in our church – and she’s a saint, she really is – who has taken on the unseen task of sending cards to people in our community who are hurting. It’s a big job, and I’m happy to help by keeping her supplied with cards. Sometimes I have trouble coming up with a design that is generic enough to suit whatever need arises, but still has that hand-made touch. They also have to be 100% easy to mail:

Stamps: Simply Soft (Retired 13-14 Hostess) and Trust God stamp sets
Color Palette: Very Vanilla, Pool Party and Wild Wasabi
Accessories: Etcetera DSP, 3″ Circle Bigz, 3 1/2″ Circle Bigz, Big Shot, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Aqua Painter

Simply Soft is one of those retired stamp sets that I can’t bring myself to sell. I used it for my daughter’s engagement party invitations. I am so fond of those Dandelion-like flowers – or maybe they’re Alliums, or perhaps Agapanthus. It doesn’t matter. I like them.

I have to admit that I’m a little anti-OCD when it comes to this sort of two-step stamping. I kind of LIKE that it’s not lined up perfectly. On the other hand, I would have really liked to put a little ribbon on this card…but it needs to be flat.

This copycat uses Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Crisp Cantaloupe and Calypso Coral. The Polka Dots TIEF (it survives another year!!!!!) adds a little texture, and the Sweet Sorbet DSP from Sale-a-bration adds a bit more with its tone-on-tone colors. The flowers from Too Kind (another survivor!) are a lighter version of the Dandelion/Agapanthus/Allium flower, and the contrasting mat distracted my eye, so I let the Very Vanilla circle to stand on its own. The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes….BIG SIGH OF RELIEF…my right-hand-stamp will also be around for at least another year.

Here’s a little more “rock the boat” two step stamping. Now you’re seeing my rebellious side.

The Etcetera DSP, the 3″ Bigz and the 3 1/2″ Bigz are all retiring. If you have circles framelits, you really don’t need the Bigz – unless you make multiples. I’ve gotten my money’s worth many times over cutting 6 or more circles at one time with these dies.

If you’re anything like me, you have a small stash of cards that have been collecting dust for a while. Each one of those cards has the potential to make someone’s day…you just need to write a line or two, sign your name, and attach a stamp. Shoots, you don’t even have to lick the stamp any more. Go send a card. You’ll be glad you did.