Walkin’ on the beach…

Posted on April 1, 2014 by mauistamper

Happy April Fool’s Day! No foolin’ here today…just an April walk on the beach:

Have I mentioned how much I love making these simple little calendar pages? There isn’t a lot of fanfare, and the embellishment is minimal if there at all. It’s just the dates and a suggestion of a theme for the month.

Stamps: By the Seashore and Gorgeous Grunge
Color Palette: Whisper White, Pool Party and Crumb Cake

This soothing page will remind me to get out the door and take my beach walk every morning…not that I need a lot of encouragement. It’s one of my favorite indulgences and it’s something I never take for granted.

The Maui Stampers run an itty-bitty blog tour the first of the month. I hope you’ll spend a little time April-foolin’ around and check out what Crystal and Cheryl have done for their calendars this month. Thanks for stopping by!

See ya later, Alligator

Posted on March 30, 2014 by mauistamper

Who wants to see an alligator, anyway?

Well, maybe we can make an exception for this guy!

Stamps: Later Gator (SAB 2014) and Zoo Babies
Color Palette: Daffodil Delight, Gumball Green, Very Vanilla
Accessories: XL Oval punch, Jute twine (My Paper Pumpkin kit), Epic Day This n That DSP

That Epic Day DSP is on sale through Monday night on Weekly Deals and it’s a keeper! Sale-a-bration ends Monday night too – at 7:50pm HST – so if you’ve been waiting for the last minute, never fear, it’s here! Shop ONLINE!

Bring on the candles

Posted on March 29, 2014 by mauistamper

My son turned 20 earlier this month. His birthday coincided with the start of a fabulous spring break trip sponsored by the university, so he has only seen his card recently. I’m pretty sure he’s not a regular reader, but I didn’t want to spoil the surprise in the rare event he checked in.

I got a little carried away…yes, there are 20 candles.

I hope you like my candle flames! They’re cut from the end of the stem from the Bird Builder punch. The candles themselves were hand-cut and are primarily Soho Subway DSP with a little Early Espresso and Island Indigo thrown in for contrast.

The cakes are floating on sheets of Window Strips. They’re hand cut, too. This was for my son, after all!

I made little packages and put them on the side of the card with dimensionals. Honestly, I go through a LOT of dimensionals. I quit worrying about it a long time ago – about the time I figured out they cost just over a penny apiece. Seriously.

The other side has balloons:

The “strings” are held in place with Glue Dots. If you decide to make one of these cards (and I hope you do) trust me in this, you need Glue Dots. Just open up a fresh box and knock yourself out. I use a pokey doodle to pull them off the roll, but a bamboo bbq skewer works really well too.

Since my handsome son is away at school, I had to mail this card, and it required a custom envelope. I used to dread making custom envelopes, but not any more. The Envelope Punch Board is my BFF.

I didn’t use any bulky embellishments (such as buttons) so I just needed a little extra postage for the weight of all the extra card stock. I made the envelope on the roomy side since the card is thicker than usual.

Stamps: Make a Cake, You’re My Hero, Perfect Pennants
Color Palette: Island Indigo, Crushed Curry, Early Espresso, Calypso Coral, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Oval Framelits, Window Sheets, Bird Builder, Small Oval, Corner Rounder, and 1/2 inch circle punches, Early Espresso 1/8 inch taffeta ribbon, Island Indigo Bakers Twine, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Hello – just Hello

Posted on March 28, 2014 by mauistamper

Sometimes Hello is enough:

This subtle Designer Series paper is one of the hidden gems in the Sweet Sorbet Sale-a-bration offering. I love having these single tone papers in my stash – they provide interest and texture without distracting. If you’re pairing Melon Mambo with ANYTHING you want to be careful not to get too distracted!

Take a good look at this detail – it’s not what you might initially think. The Melon Mambo oval is a frame, not a mat. Typically, to achieve this look I would cut two ovals: the larger would be Melon Mambo, the slightly smaller would be the DSP. However, in this case I wanted a different type of texture, so the two ovals are actually cut the same size, but there’s a smaller oval cut out of the center of the Melon Mambo oval. That creates a raised frame instead of a mat that sits behind the paper. It’s subtle, but I like the difference.

It’s VERY difficult to see in the full-card photos, but the first one is done with the frame style and the second is done with the mat style. As I said, it’s a very subtle difference, but you notice it when you hold the card in your hand.

Stamps: Petite Petals and Four You
Color Palette: Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Petite Petals punch, Sweet Sorbet DSP, Rhinestone jewels, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Early Espresso Stitched 1/4 inch grosgrain, Ovals Framelits, Decorative Dots TIEF an the Big Shot

You Make Me Happy

Posted on March 27, 2014 by mauistamper

…you make me happy, whether the skies are gray or blue!

Sweet Sorbet Designer series paper makes me happy, too – especially when it’s punched into banners! Stampin’ Up! has really hit the mark with Sale-a-bration DSP the past few years. I’ve got a little stash of Sweet Sorbet set aside just for me, myself and I.

Stamps: See Ya Later and Banner Blast (both SAB 2014)
Color Palette: Whisper White, Pool Party, Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe
Accessories: Pearl jewels and the Banner punch (SAB 2014)

This is an easy card sketch that will adapt to whatever sentiment and DSP you happen to have on your craft table. I made another card using my favorite sentiment from the See Ya Later SAB stamp set:

Don’t tell Mr. Maui Stamper you saw this one, because one of these days it’s gonna be in his carry-on when he’s headed off on business. When I met him, it really did change everything. 🙂

The little heart from the Owl punch fits perfectly at the top – it’s not as modern as the one on the stamp, but the change in color gives it an extra pop.

You’ve got until Monday to pick up these 2014 Sale-a-bration winners. Shop HERE.

A last look at Petal Parade

Posted on March 26, 2014 by mauistamper

March is almost over {gasp} and that means we’ve nearly reached the end of Sale-a-bration 2014. I know some of you folks on the East Coast had snow yesterday – my son told me it snowed on campus too. (There was deep disgust in his voice. He knows full well what the weather is here at home. I was a good mommy – for once – and didn’t mention the warm sunshine.)

If it snowed at your house yesterday, please accept my condolences and this bright Spring bouquet!

Stamps: Petal Parade and Yippee Skippee
Color palette: Summer Starfruit, Gumball Green, Melon Mambo, Pool Party, Basic Black and Whisper White
Accessories: Petite Petal punch, Victorian faceted buttons, Calypso Coral Baker’s twine, Sweet Sorbet DSP

Those faceted vintage buttons are very handy to have around. They come in 3 sizes and reflect colors around them very nicely. I have a nice little stash of them 🙂

I hope you have a little bit of spring weather!

Weekly Deals March 25 to 31, 2014

Posted on March 25, 2014 by mauistamper

This week’s deals are top shelf!! Core’dinations paper – in assortments – is a MUST HAVE, and I have used every design in the Soho Subway AND the This and That Epic Day DSP packs – they’re that good!If you live on Maui and have an order under $70 I’ll be glad to place your order as an add-on to mine to keep your shipping costs down. I’ll be ordering on Sunday – let me know if you’d like to join me.

And these digital designs are perfect for spring…get your crafty going!

This is the last week of Sale-a-bration, and the 25th Anniversary “Best of” series is also bowing out on March 31st. Click HERE to see the 25th Anniversary sets; click HERE for the SAB brochure.

You can DIY – Order ONLINE!

Lovely Sale-a-bration

Posted on March 23, 2014 by mauistamper

Time to be honest: I almost didn’t order the You’re Lovely stamp set available through Sale-a-bration 2014. I got hung up on “You’re Lovely”. I mean, really? Who says that? If you know me even a little, you’re probably laughing your head off imagining me saying “You’re lovely” with a straight face.

But of course I did break down and get it, and here’s what I did:

Stamps: You’re Lovely and TBA*
Color Palette: Crisp Cantaloupe, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla
Accessories: Soho Subway DSP, Very Vanilla Seam Binding, Stampin’ Write markers, Scallops TIEF, Deco labels framelits and the Big Shot, Stampin’ Dimensionals

*The “TBA” part is one of my Lazy Stamper tricks. I keep a stash of cards with no sentiment. When I get caught short on time (or more likely, last-minute-forgetful) I can run through my stash, quickly add the appropriate sentiment – ie “sorry I forgot your birthday again” – and off we go.

I used a marker this time to color in the image – usually I choose the Aqua Painter because it seems to give me more control, but I was feeling daring.

I’m glad I ordered this stamp set!

This is the last week for Sale-a-bration. It officially ends on March 31st, and in Hawaii it ends at 7:50pm when you account for the time difference. If you haven’t placed an order yet, you’ve got a week to put it together and choose your free product – click HERE to see the whole SAB brochure.

There’s one other thing to consider. During Sale-a-bration, Stampin’ Up! sweetens the pot when you choose to become a demonstrator. The cost is still $99, but you’ll choose extra product – a total of $150 worth of product, to be precise. Once you’re a demonstrator, you’ll have access to All Stampin’ Up!, all the time. This year, new demonstrators even get a free convention registration – and I can guarantee you’ll have a good time! There’s no financial obligation besides purchasing the kit and the kit is made up of items you choose – the product is completely up to you. And no matter where you live, you’ll become a Maui Stamper!

Becoming a demonstrator provides an immediate 20% discount on Stampin’ Up! products. It can be a vehicle for providing extra income for your family, or just enough extra to support your craft habit. There’s no pressure to make it one thing or another – that’s completely up to you.

One of the things that has kept me firmly planted in my Stampin’ Up! experience is the quality of the product and the commitment the company makes to the demonstrators. Our support is outstanding, and I am very proud to be a representative of this company. If you’d like to join me, I’d be honored to tell you more about it. If you’re ready to start now, click HERE! And welcome to the family 🙂

Soft and Subtle Collaged Tags

Posted on March 20, 2014 by mauistamper

I have wonderful neighbors. One of them loves to bake, and she is very generous with her goodies. She knows I love – and therefore have to control – my sweets, so she regularly drops by a little parcel with just a few goodies for Mr. Maui Stamper and me. A couple of weeks ago I decided to make her a little thank you gift:

Stamps: Flower Shop, Fabulous Phrases, Mosaic Madness and the Music Notes Wheel
Color Palette: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede and Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Scallop Tag Topper Punch, Pansy Punch, Corner Rounder, Stampin’ Sponges, Linen Thread, Vintage Buttons

The sponging adds softness and depth and you really can’t over-do it.

I made two of each design and then packaged them up.

There might be a couple more stamps in the background – I lost track. I cut the tags and then started layering images until I was happy. Looking at them now, I think I could add more! When I gave them to my neighbor, I cut twine to size for her to use to tie the tags to her packages.

You can’t go wrong with the Fabulous Phrases stamp set. There are so many choices that I had a hard time narrowing it down, although the width of my tag was a factor.

I wish I would have thought to take a picture of the package of them all together. I used one of our Chevron printed Tag a Bag gift bags with some ribbon and a tag of its own.

Gotta have a Happy Birthday tag to round out the set! It made a small gift with a heartfelt message of appreciation.

Did you appreciate a My Paper Pumpkin kit and wish you had the supplies to make additional projects? Stampin’ Up! announced three new refill items today, and there are also four past issues available for purchase as the full kits – click HERE for details. This offer is available only to CURRENT My Paper Pumpkin subscribers. Not subscriber? That’s easy enough to remedy – click HERE! Please select me – Anne Matasci, zip code 96753 – as your demonstrator. And thanks!

Silly Rabbit….

Posted on March 15, 2014 by mauistamper

Can you stand another box card?

Cheryl and I got together last week to work on samples for our Step Into Spring class – today is the early bird deadline for all you Maui Crafters! We wanted to have an Easter Bunny option and she came up with this Silly Rabbit.

It’s amazing what you can do with a few punches!

Our class is Sunday afternoon, March 30, 2014 at the Kahului Masonic Lodge. Cost is $20 if you register today, $23 if you register tomorrow. All supplies are provided including your very own full box of Glue Dots – and you are going to love using Glue Dots when you put together a Card in a Box! The class projects will feature the Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Paper.

We’re also making an embellished Tag a Bag box perfectly sized for chocolate eggs or other treats, and a charming single-treat holder made with the Scallop Tag Topper punch:

Here’s the “publicity shot” of all 3 original samples:

I hope you’ll join us!

The Maui Stamper

papercrafts, my stories, and the occasional insight

Category Archives: Stampin' Up!

Walkin’ on the beach…

See ya later, Alligator

Bring on the candles

Hello – just Hello

You Make Me Happy

A last look at Petal Parade

Weekly Deals March 25 to 31, 2014

Lovely Sale-a-bration

Soft and Subtle Collaged Tags

Silly Rabbit….

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: