Petal Passion DSP: Something to hoard

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The Craftosphere is all about using up your DSP right now (Kylie Bertucci’s #LoveItChopIt is a trending example).  MOST of the time, I’m right there – use it up – and it’s Designer Series Paper, if you’ve been wondering. But I jump right off that bandwagon with Petal Passion.  I bought extra and I’m gonna hoard it. This card is a great example of why:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Flirty Flowers Petal Passion DSP Gatefold

  • Stamps:  Flirty Flowers, retired Paper Pumpkin
  • Color Palette:  Basic Black, Whisper White, Lovely Lipstick, Emerald Envy, Daffodil Delight
  • Accessories: Petal Passion DSP, retired ribbon (Holiday 2017), Blender Pen

I used the Blender Pen to fill in the small floral images included in the sentiment. I just wanted a touch of color, and the Blender Pen allowed me to layer in the right amount.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Flirty Flowers Petal Passion DSP Gatefold

This is a simple card despite the extra fold. The front panel opens into a small card, then the full gate opens to a traditionally proportioned card. It’s especially nice for sending a gift card, or including a special quotation. Put your message on the small card, then use Glue Dots to adhere the gift card to the inside panel.

There’s still time for your own stash for Petal Passion!  Shop HERE.

 

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The view from my beach

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My family has a spot at the beach near our home. When I say we have a spot, I mean there’s a place along the beach where we always sit. I laugh when I see my kids’ Instagram posts, because I know exactly where they were sitting when they took their photos.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Waterfront Picture Perfect Birthday

We live near Keawakapu Beach, known as Sidewalks to the surfers. It’s a relatively long stretch, at least in Maui terms, because many of our beaches are really just coves. There are two entrances to the beach, and our spot is midway between them.

Often on holiday weekends, the space around the entrances is crowded with families and umbrellas and coolers and beach chairs.  We just smile and walk down the beach to our spot, where there always seems to be room. Yesterday, Mr. Maui Stamper and I spent a few glorious hours there, watching an enormous pair of turtles feeding quite close to the shore.

You can see Kaho’olawe from our beach, so we really do look across at another island, although it is very small.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Waterfront Picture Perfect Birthday

  • Stamps: Waterfront, Picture Perfect Birthday
  • Color Palette: Whisper White, Soft Suede, Daffodil Delight, Soft Sky/Crumb Cake or Wild Wasabi/Sahara Sand
  • Accessories:  Big Shot, Stitched Shapes Framelits, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Linen Thread, Wink of Stella

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Waterfront Picture Perfect Birthday

I was playing around with retiring colors, so I made a second version with a Soft Sky mat. Not sure which one I like best – what do you think?

And just in case you want to compare, here’s my spot:

Maui Stamper Keawakapu Beach Maui

Flying Home for Mother’s Day

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I’m not going home for Mother’s Day – it’s a long trip, and there are conflicts I can’t re-arrange. But my heart will be there, and I have a selection of cards that will go to the wonderful women who have mothered me throughout my life. This is one of my favorites:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Flying Home Stampin' Blends

  • Stamps: Flying Home, Thoughtful Banners
  • Color Palette: Whisper White, Not Quite Navy, Pear Pizazz, Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Basic Black
  • Accessories: Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Write markers, Stitched Shapes framelits, Big Shot, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Linen Thread

4 packages of Linen Thread is the acceptable minimum to have in my embellishment drawer – I get nervous if there are fewer than that. It’s my absolute favorite, go-to, never-fail choice to add that little something to a project. It doesn’t add bulk and can be mailed without any concern. I don’t even want to think about it ever retiring.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Flying Home Stampin' Blends

I love coloring these bird houses. Every time I do it, I choose different elements and different color combinations. I use a combination of Stampin’ Blends and Stampin’ Write markers as the tip of the marker is much finer and allows me to work inside those narrow lines.

Flying Home is retiring – shop HERE to get it before it’s gone.

Fly me to the Moon, Baby

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The People Who Decide at Stampin’ Up! have decreed that Moon Baby will retire at the end of May. It’s such a sweet set of images and phrases, and it will be one of the special retired sets that makes it into my Permanent Collection.

{My Permanent Collection is growing, and I may have to revisit some of those choices. But not today.}

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Moon Baby Stampin' Blends

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Moon Baby Stampin' Blends

This was an early Brusho experiment for me, and one of the first things I noticed was that I liked the results much better using Watercolor paper. I was able to move the color around more easily and didn’t have to worry about over-working the smooth texture of Whisper White.

Embossing the image made it much easier to “color within the lines”. That’s not a hard and fast rule for me, but it was more appropriate for this image with a small face and hands. It’s amazing how I’ll get myself all whipped up about having to emboss something, and then when I sit down and do it I wonder why I make such a big deal out of it. Embossing gives you lots of bag for not very much buck and it’s a quick technique.

It goes without saying that Wink of Stella was a non-negotiable.

Shop for Moon Baby and all of the rest HERE.

Flying Home for the Summer

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Ah, I miss those days when May meant my collegians were headed home for a summer with good ole Mom and Dad! (Just to be clear, I DO NOT MISS paying collegiate tuition.)

I’m still trying to use my 2016-2018 In Colors – you’ll see a couple in this project.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! DIY Easel Calendar May 2018 Flying Home

  • Stamps: Flying Home (Occasions 2018)
  • Color Palette: Whisper White, Sweet Sugarplum (16-18), Smokey Slate, Daffodil Delight, Pear PIzazz, Pool Party, Flirty Flamingo (16-18)
  • Accessories:  Paper Snips, Stampin’ Dimensionals (both sizes), Stampin’ Write Markers, Watercolor Pencils

The bird houses were just a smidge (that is a scientific measurement and it means what it sounds like) too big for the calendar format. After scratching my head for a bit, I came up with the idea of stamping the images in Smokey Slate twice – once on the calendar, and once on a scrap. I fussy cut the houses and lifted them on dimensionals. I was really happy with the way it turned out.

I cut off the rooster weather vane and the little strings on the end of the banner because they were already on the calendar, and they would have been ridiculous to cut out. Even I have my limits.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! DIY Easel Calendar May 2018 Flying Home

Cheryl and Crystal have May calendars to inspire you as well – check them out and let them know what you think!

Need Occasions goodies before the catalog ends on May 31? Shop HERE.

This Little Piggy is a ColourInkspiration

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This Little Piggy was sitting in the middle of my craft desk when I happened to see the latest Colour Inkspiration palette image:

Maui Stamper ColourInkspiration 32

This is such a gorgeous, clean combination – with a glimmer – and I had an idea pretty quickly. I ended up using a retired DSP to get the effect I wanted, but everything else is current:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! This Little Piggy CI32 ColourInkspiration

I fussy cut the Piggies for two reasons:

  1. I could group them so closely and still show depth (thank you, Stampin’ Dimensionals
  2. I wanted to layer them on that fabulous Night of Navy (retired) DSP

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! This Little Piggy CI32 ColourInkspiration

I’m really working at learning to shade with the Stampin’ Blends.  It takes practice, and a little light and color theory can only help as well! I’m happy with the overall look, but I’m still developing my technique when it comes to the details. It’s so therapeutic to color.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! This Little Piggy CI32 ColourInkspiration

I stamped the envelope with a blossom from Petal Passion, and added a few of the same image on a Whisper White panel on the inside of my card. Even when I use I pale tone like Pink Pirouette for my card base, I like to add a white panel inside. I creates a crisp look and helps to define the card.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! This Little Piggy CI32 ColourInkspiration

I hope you’ll take a look at the Colour Inkspiration page and enjoy all of the beautiful projects shared in response to CI32! And if you’d like to do a little shopping, click HERE.

A Petal Passion Thrill Ride

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Last month my Host Club members got to play with the Let the Good Times Roll bundle – that’s the one with the roller coaster pop-out.  I was a little concerned that they might be annoyed with me, but they all embraced the challenge and created fabulous cards! We had a “creative opportunity” or two but they were all resolved with good humor.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Let the Good Times Roll - Thrill Ride

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Let the Good Times Roll - Thrill Ride

I pre-cut absolutely everything I could so that they could focus on their assembly.  You can watch Brandi from Stampin’ Up! in a  video HERE on assembling this card type, but I found you just need to manipulate the paper a few times to get the feeling for it. If you have something special you’re going to use to make this card, cut it out in paper you have in abundance and practice, practice, practice! It’s the folding and scoring that takes time and little muscle memory, but it’s not hard.  And the results are fabulous – even Mr. Maui Stamper said he’d like to have a couple of these to send!! That is high praise indeed.

Let the Good Times Roll and Thrill Ride are continuing into the 2018-2019 Annual Catalog, but the bundle is NOT. If you want to save, save now!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Petal Passion DSP

Petal Passion DSP is also being discontinued (to my great disappointment.) Yes, I have a stash. No, I probably won’t be sharing it. Yes, I probably will hoard it. Sigh.

Order your bundle and that gorgeous DSP HERE.