Category Archives: Tips and Techniques

DIY CALENDAR BLOG HOP: BRANCHING OUT (again!!)

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Welcome back to DIY Calendars! I’m grateful you’ve stopped by, and hope you’ll take the short tour to see what the DIY team has done in November. Be sure to read through to the end, as I have news about a fun new project.

  • Stamps: Branching Out
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Pean Pie
  • Accessories: DIY Calendar Template, Stampin’ Write Markers

I used the markers to create a few background splatters and to hand write the plant name. I just realized that I neglected the diacritical marks! There are two okina and a kahakō in the spelling of ‘ōhi’a lehua. I will fix that!

As I looked at the stamps in this set and tried to imagine alternative uses, I suddenly saw ‘Ōhi’a Lehua. I wasn’t sure it would work, but it’s close! It’s missing the bud clusters and the leaves that emerge down the stem, but choosing to eliminate those things allows the blossom to stand out. Let’s call it creative license.

I had ‘Ōhi’a Lehua in my garden – multiples, in fact. This is one of the first blooms I had and I was thrilled!

They were specifically chosen for my elevation and dry climate. They would grow, even thrive for up to 2 years, and then suddenly waste away. I wanted them to succeed so badly! After 5 separate plantings, I had to give up. Sometimes the garden decides what will grow.

Branching Out is a multi-season stamp set – you can see it along with its companion dies in the Online Store.

DIY CALENDAR BLOG HOP

Click the button to travel through the Blog Hop and see what Sharon, Cheryl and Malia have created this month. Thanks for stopping by!

Would you like to make your own DIY Calendars? The template is just $6. Visit my secure page to make your purchase. (You can also find the page on the banner across the top of my home page.) You’ll receive links to download the templates in an email after you’ve paid. You’ll need to cut and paste those links into your browser. (You may need to check your spam folder to find that email.)

You are only purchasing a template, which you can download and print for your personal use. I hope you’ll enjoy it!

If you’ve gotten this far, Bravo!! In January, I’ll be debuting an exclusive PINTEREST board as a companion to the board the team uses. The new board will be for crafters who have purchased the DIY Calendar Template. While anyone will be able to see it, only the “members” will have access to posting and saving to the board. Details will be available in December by email to anyone who purchased the template from me. I can’t wait to see your creations!

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USING CONEFLOWERS WITH COLLAGE STYLE BACKGROUNDS

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I love this coneflower image, but it’s big. It fills a card front pretty quickly, so I decided to focus on the background. After a few tries, I hit on the idea of a medley of background stamps. I had a pretty big mess on the my craft desk when I was done!

  • Stamps: Coneflower, Beautiful Motifs, Textured Notes, Elements of Text (retired)
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Daffodil Delight, Peach Pie, Timid Tiger, Old Olive, Pecan Pie
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Coneflower dies,Stampin’ Blends, Masking Paper, Stampin’ Dimensional

Both flowers are colored with Stampin’ Blends and cut with the Coneflower dies, but one is adhered directly to the card front and one is on Stampin’ Dimensionals. Is it even possible to make a card without Stampin’ Dimensionals?

I played with the layers for the collage for quite a white. I haven’t done much collage, so it takes a long time for me to find the color, shape and textural combination. There was a lot of trial and error, but isn’t that what crafting is all about??

Find yourself a nice big image and play with the background. Then come back an tell me how you did!

In the meantime, shop the Online Store.

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COLOUR INKSPIRATION CHALLENGE #CI193 FEATURING BRANCHING OUT

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Oh, I loved colour challenge #CI196 – Shy Shamrock, Summer Splash, Gray Granite and Early Espresso. I knew I wanted to use a lot of white space with those intense In Colours and Branching Out provided just the image I needed.

  • Stamps: Branching Out, Layers of Beauty
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Shy Shamrock, Summer Splash, Gray Granite, Early Espresso
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Branching Out dies, White 1/4″ ribbon, Woven Textures DSP, Blending Brush, Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Write Marker, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Shy Shamrock and Summer Splash are next door neighbors, but I assure you they’re both here. I used Shamrock for the greenery, then added a gentle wash of Summer Splash behind it with the Blending Brush. The layer under the Woven Textures DSP is also Summer Splash. And the Stampin’ Write Marker splatters are Shy Shamrock. (I may have to stock up on markers just so I can make those fine splatters!)

The white ribbon was transformed to Gray Granite ribbon with the magic of Stampin’ Blends. That ribbon is now on the Last Chance list (sigh) so you might want to stock up while you can.

I enjoy the Colour INKspiration challenges so much, and the team is the nicest group of crafters you could ask for. Take a look at their page – maybe you’d like to give this challenge a try! Here’s the inspiration photo for CI#196

And as always, I’m grateful for your support at my Online Store.

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DIY CALENDAR BLOG HOP: OCTOBER 2025 BRANCHING OUT

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Welcome back to DIY Calendars! We’re so glad you’ve stopped by this month. Be sure to take a look at what the rest of the crew has created for October.

  • Stamps: Branching Out, Everyday You and Me
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Timid Tiger, Old Olive, Pecan Pie, Pretty Peacock, Blackberry Bliss
  • Accessories: DIY Calendar Template, Stampin’ Dimensionals

October is always a bit of a predicament for me. I don’t want to look at a Halloween motif all month, although I know some of you have already had your decorations up for 3 weeks. 😉Maui doesn’t really have fall colors, and we don’t wear fuzzy sweaters either. But we do have lots of beautiful plants, and I ultimately chose my colors based on what’s in my garden.

I used Everyday You & Me, an older set currently on the Last Chance List, with Branching Out, a new set from the September – December 2025 Mini Catalog. Both have smaller foliage elements that combined surprisingly well. I confess there are no pine cones in my garden, but my Royal Poinciana has massive pods, and I decided that was close enough. Did I give you enough fall vibes??

Everyday You & Me is available as stamps, dies and a bundle. The bundle is NOT discounted, but the stamps and dies are. And the LAST CHANCE page has been updated today! Check it out.

DIY CALENDAR BLOG HOP

Click the button to travel through the Blog Hop and see what my crafty friends have created in October. We’re so glad you’ve joined us!

Would you like to make your own DIY Calendars? The template is just $6. Visit my secure page to make your purchase. (You can also find the page on the banner across the top of my home page.) You’ll receive links to download the templates in an email after you’ve paid. You’ll need to cut and paste those links into your browser. (You may need to check your spam folder to find that email.)

You are only purchasing a template, which you can download and print for your personal use. I hope you’ll enjoy!!

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ADD LAYERS FOR A CONEFLOWER BIRTHDAY

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I’ve had the Coneflower Celebrations bundle for a while, but as sometimes happens, I was busy with other things and left it languishing on the shelf. I decided it was time to see if I could play with the 3D aspect of the dies.

  • Stamps: Coneflower Celebrations
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Pecan Pie, Garden Green
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Coneflower Celebrations Dies, Linen Thread, Blender Pen, Blending Brush, Dauber, Wink of Stella

I used three different dies for the flowers. One layered the top set of petals and needed nothing more than a bit of ink – I brushed on Crushed Curry and daubed a little Pecan Pie on the edges.

The second layer went underneath. You can stamp one side and run it through the Stamp Cut and Emboss Machine with the double sided die, but then you need to align that image for the second side. These stamps are photopolymer, so it’s pretty easy. These petals had color added as well – you can see the difference in the top part of the two-sided flower.

The final die is the “cap” done in Pecan Pie with a very generous application of Wink of Stella. When all those pieces were assembled, I stamped the leaves and stem and colored them with the Blender Pen, then put it all together.

The final touch was ink splatters – I used a different splat die, then realized that Coneflower Celebrations has a gorgeous splatter! In my house, we call that delayed intelligence. Hope you enjoy! All products are available in the Online Store.

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PEACEFUL GREENERY IS NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS!

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I took a very good look at the Peaceful Greenery 3D Embossing Folder and said to myself, “SELF, that is not just for Christmas!” I grabbed the Peace on Earth dies and a few odd floral die cuts languishing on my craft desk and set to work.

  • Stamps: With You In Mind
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Lost Lagoon, Pretty Peacock, Lemon Lolly
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Peace on Earth dies, Delightful Wishes dies, Peaceful Greenery 3D Embossing Folder, 1/4″ White Ribbon, Dauber, Party Dots (retired), Stampin’ Dimensionals

Those flowers are Lemon Lolly, cut from the Delightful Wishes dies. They have a little Daffodil Delight ink daubered on them for dimension, and there are some flecks amongst the Peaceful Greenery as well.

I added a few white die cuts on top of the Embossing Folder, and tucked in a Lost Lagoon one as well. The text from With You In Mind was cut out with my trusty Snips (oh, I hope we have a substitute soon!)

I had a moment of complete inspiration and ran the back flap of the envelope through the Stamp Cut and Emboss Machine with the embossing folder and let me tell you, it is GORGEOUS. Run, don’t walk to the Online Store for the Peaceful Greenery 3D Embossing Folder. Your SELF will thank you!

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MAKE THIS BEAUTIFUL GALLERY DSP FLOATING FLIP CARD!

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Well! Can you say that 3 times?? I’m calling this a Floating Flip. The idea came from Susan Seki, and I’ve followed her design pretty closely with just a few adjustments to the floating strips. It’s a great fun fold, and the Beautiful Gallery Designer Series paper makes it quite suited as a Manly Card.

  • Stamps: Beautiful Motifs
  • Color Palette: Mossy Meadow, Pecan Pie, Basic White
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Exposed Brick 3D Embossing Folder, Textured Notes dies, Window Sheets, Beautiful Gallery Designer Series Paper

The DSP is trimmed to fit the sides of the card, which are stationary. The center panel is mounted on a window sheet, which is then added to the moving part of the Split Fold card. It’s another way to use your DSP stash!

Inside the flap is a panel for your message. I’ve matted it with Pecan Pie to emphasize and pull together the earth tone color palette.

You can stamp on DSP! This piece was a remnant from trimming the panels to fit the card, and I love the textured look it offers. A solid color would be distracting from all of that gorgeous scenery.

How are you using your DSP? I hope you’re using it up! Here’s one more card with the gorgeous Beautiful Gallery DSP – I hope you have it in your stash!

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ANOTHER MANLY BIRTHDAY: TIMELESS PLAID

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There are lots of ways to use our Timeless Plaid DSP, and my latest-favorite-layout is a great example. Trim a piece to 3 3/4″ by 4 3/4″, cut it in quarters, and you’ve got a card!

  • Stamps: Elements of Text, Spooky Halloween, Something Fancy (retired)
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Old Olive/Misty Moonlight OR Gray Granite/Misty Moonlight OR Lost Lagoon/Pool Party
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Textured Notes dies, Linen Thread, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I made a bunch of these the other evening, because we’re entering Manly Birthday season in my family! Timeless Textures has two different designs in the same color way on each sheet, so I cut the paper to size, cut it in quarters, and flipped over two of the four quarters. Done!

Are you sold on this layout? I sure am!! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – get out that stash and make some cards!

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MAKING MANLY CARDS: USE YOUR DESIGNER SERIES PAPER!

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Manly Cards shouldn’t be hard to design, but I always struggle a bit. I came across this great card layout using Designer Series Paper and realized it had a lot of Manly Potential. Best of all, it’s quick and easy!

  • Stamps: Elements of Text (Last Chance), Something Fancy (Retired)
  • Color Palette: Very Vanilla, Secret Sea/Mossy Meadow, Smoky Slate/Crumb Cake, Cloud Cover/Basic Beige
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Textured Notes dies, Linen Thread, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I tried this layout with two different designs from the Beautiful Gallery DSP pack. The DSP comes in 6×6 sheets, and I trimmed an inch and an eighth from top and bottom to get a 3 3/4″ height. I trimmed the sides to 4 3/4″ based on the image, centering the part I wanted to feature. The last step was to cut the resulting rectangle into quarters.

Elements of Text is such a great textural set of stamps! I wish it would be around much longer, but you can still snap it up from the Last Chance list. The sentiment, I’m sorry to say, is retired, but there are a number of current sets with similar fonts and sizing. Just search “happy birthday” in the Online Store. And the Textured Notes dies are truly indispensable- have I said that before??? 😆

This layout using Designer Series Paper is a great way to use up that DSP stash, and the end result is a stack of Manly Cards in a flash! Guys have birthdays too, you know.

Pull out your stash and start chopping.

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LLAMA CHRISTMAS OR LLAMA CELEBRATION??

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Llamas are back – this time in landscape! Their necks aren’t quite as long, but there’s room for more of them, and more llamas can only be a good thing. Please tell me you agree.

  • Stamps: Long Time No See, Spooky Halloween
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Memento Black, Gray Granite, Smoky Slate, Lost Lagoon, Granny Apple Green, Poppy Parade
  • Accessories: Stampin’ Blends, Paper Snips (no longer available), Sweet Sorbet Bordered Ribbon (retired)

I really wanted this to be a Christmas Card, but when I switched out the sentiment I had second thoughts. This sentiment is from Coneflower Celebrations, and I think it fits better. Ugh. I need to find order a Christmas sentiment this shape!

Either way, this card was colored with Stampin’ Blends much the way Tuesday’s card was. The llama-neck-sweaters have 3 colors, and if you look closely you’ll realize that some of the llamas are Smoky Slate and some are Gray Granite. Those funny starry background bits are from Spooky Halloween, because it was sitting on my desk begging to be included (Yes, the stamps talk to me, and I respond. And yes, that probably means I’m certifiable.)

Look at their perky ears! They’re waiting for you to tell them how handsome they are!! Go ahead, make their day. And then shop the Online Store for your own perky llamas.

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