December 2020 DIY: Poinsettia Christmas

Posted on December 1, 2020 by mauistamper

Ah, December. Not what we expected this year, is it? So let’s have some alternative poinsettias, shall we?

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Poinsettia Petals December 2020 DIY Easel Calendar

Stamps: Poinsettia Petals, Celebration Tidings, Forever Fern
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Just Jade, Calypso Coral, Mango Melody
Accessories: The BOSS*, Poinsettia dies, Fluid 100 watercolor paper, Watercolor pens, Vellum, Metallic pearls, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Wink of Stella

* Stamp Cut and Emboss Machine. Which takes a lot of space and typing, so I’m calling it The BOSS.

Poinsettias aren’t just red any more! They’re cream colored and speckled and variegated and even gold, so I don’t see why they can’t be Calypso Coral and Mango Melody! It’s 2020 and the rules are all useless, so I am making my own. So there.

This might have been my favorite month of all of 2020. The watercoloring, the vellum, the swirls and dots, and the metallic pearls all made me feel very in-the-zone, and heaven knows 2020 needs itself some ZONE.

Cheryl and Crystal have December calendars too, so take a moment to see what they have done. And then maybe, in the spirit of the holidays, take another moment to leave them a comment to tell them what you love about their work. Bloggers are funny like that, we like a little bit of attention every now and then.

Or just tell us what new rule you’ve made for 2020! What colors are your poinsettias??

If you’d like to make a 2021 calendar click Contact the Maui Stamper at the top of the page and send me your email. I’ll invoice you $5 and when you’ve paid I’ll email you a pdf of the 12 months of 2021 and a cover to finish it out and make a lovely gift. (I think we will still be making new rules in 2021, so a new calendar is a Very Good Thing.)

If you’re as smitten with this bundle as I am, click HERE to get your own. Thanks.

Ornamental Envelopes make great cards!

Posted on November 15, 2020 by mauistamper

A stamp and die set named Ornamental Envelopes may not evoke cards, but think twice, my dear Crafty Friends! You’ll want this combo all year long for the details that make a handmade card stand out from the rest.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Ornamental Envelope Handmade Christmas Card

Stamps: Ornamental Envelopes, A Merry Hello (host)
Color Palette: Whisper White, Shaded Spruce, Real Red
Accessories: Envelopes dies, Stampin Cut & Emboss, Stamparatus, Tis the Season Designer Series paper, Stampin Dimensionals, Red Rhinestone Jewels

I’ve CASEd this project from the classic style of Mary Fish. I’ve made very few changes, although I chose to simplify the DSP strip and layer it on top of the card front rather than recess it. I’m stamping this with a group, so simple made sense! The Stamparatus really helps when you want to be sure that group of ornaments is hanging perfectly straight off the top of your card.

The talented Ms. Fish embellished her envelope (how could we not?) but I had another idea. It was a little over-the-top, and I wouldn’t do it for a huge stack of envelopes, but I love how it turned out:

I am quite pleased with myself to have found a Santa postage stamp – this is last year’s edition (or who knows, it could be 2013.) The front of the envelope is stamped, but it’s the flap that is the pièce de résistance:

I created an envelope liner with the envelope die using a piece of the Tis the Season DSP and then I cut the envelope with this embellishing die. I ran that die through the Stamp Cut & Emboss again using Red Foil and picked out the little red circles and adhered them in the pukas (Hawaiian word for holes) using Tombo Multi Purpose Glue.

You NEED the Envelope dies, and if you’re going to order them, you really ought to take advantage of the savings you’ll get when you purchase the whole bundle. The bundle is only available until January 4, 2021, so get it while it’s hot!! Visit the Online Store and check that little to-do off your list.

You’re welcome! 💕

Stitched Triangle Trees Two Ways

Posted on November 15, 2020 by mauistamper

Our series of Stitched Dies – Stitched Triangles, Rectangles, Ovals, Circles, Labels – provide a quick and easy “step up” to any project. The Tree Angle stamps in the August – December mini catalog got me thinking, but in the end it was Tis the Season Designer Series Paper that made these cards come to life.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Tis the Seasons Stitched Triangle Tree handmade card

Stamps: Tree Angle, Poinsettia Petals, Birch
Color Palette: Whisper White, Real Red, Shaded Spruce, Mint Macaron
Accessories: Stitched Triangle dies, Stampin’ Cut & Emboss, Tasteful Textile Embossing Folder, All the Trimmings Embellishments, Rhinestone gems, Wink of Stella, Crinkle White Seam binding, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I love that little Bumblebee star at the top of the tree! That star was the reason I purchased the All the Trimmings Embellishments. I’m sure I’ll find a use for the Poppy Parade and Whisper White dots, but ooo that star!

It’s hard to see the texture from the Tasteful Textile EF, but it makes such a difference. It’s my current favorite EF because it has presence and it’s subtle (but not as subtle as the Subtle folder, ha!). There are other ways to accomplish texture, though:

I used the Birch background stamp, and one of my new techniques is to paint directly onto the stamp with Wink of Stella. Stella has enough shimmer that you can see it even without lighting.

You knew this was coming, right? I could keep going, as there are so many fun patterns in the Tis the Season paper stack – did I mention it’s 6×6? So much easier to store, and mentally so much easier to chop up. I’m making a very intentional effort to actually USE all of my DSP. (I know, what a concept.) Shop for everything you need at my Online Store.

Are you a bear lover? Don’t miss out on this charming Paper Pumpkin kit to be shipped in December. Popular kits have sold out, and this one is a candidate – subscribe today to be sure this little red package shows up in your mailbox!

Poinsettia Place: The Slimline Card

Posted on November 12, 2020 by mauistamper

I’m a little late to the party on Slimline cards, but I’m happy with my first effort. Poinsettia Place was the first thing on my list for the August-December mini catalog, even though back in July my heart just wasn’t into Christmas crafting! News flash: it’s November and it’s time to get cracking.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Poinsettia Place Slimline card handmade with custom envelope

Stamps: Poinsettia Place
Color Palette: Garden Green, Old Olive, Real Red, So Saffron, Soft Suede, Whisper White, Gold foil
Accessories: Poinsettia dies, Stamp Cut & Emboss, Poinsettia Place DSP, Gold Foil, Forever Greenery Trim Combo pack (Gold thread), Metallic Pearls, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Fluid 100 watercolor paper, Water Painters, Detailed Trio Punch, Red Rhinestone gems, Wink of Stella. (Phew! Did I miss anything?)

When I first started using the Gold trim, I struggled to keep it from unraveling. (TIP: put a little glue from the Fine Tip Glue pen on the cut end to stop it from fraying.) My OCD self has experienced enlightenment now, and I encourage it to unravel – I love all those little threads!

This card measures 3 3/4″ x 8 3/4″ folded, or 7 1/2″ x 8 3/4″ unfolded. The envelope is very simple to create with the Simply Scored tool. I began with a piece of 8 1/2″ x 11″ card stock and with the long end across the top of my Simply Scored I marked 1 1/2″ and 10 1/2″. I turned the card stock a quarter turn so that the short end was across the top of the Simply Scored and marked 2″ and 6″. Cut away the rectangles at the four corners, fold along the score lines, and assemble the envelope with Stampin’ Seal+. I trimmed the top edges of the envelope before I adhered it so there would be a small reveal, and I cut a piece of Designer Series paper 3 3/8″ wide and 3″ long to line the top of the envelope. The Detailed Trio punch rounds the corners perfectly!

I used a few drops of ink refill in Real Red, Garden Green and Old Olive to watercolor the poinsettia and the leaves with our fabulous new Water Pens. These images are really forgiving, which made the watercoloring really enjoyable. I don’t have any formal art training, so it’s always an adventure to see how things turn out.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Poinsettia Place Suite

Ready to add this gorgeous suite to your collection? These are timeless, classic images that you’ll reach for again and again. Shop HERE.

DIY Calendar November 2020: Dragonfly Garden

Posted on November 1, 2020 by mauistamper

What is this Dragonfly Garden, Maui Stamper? It is not in my catalog!! It is not in my mini!!

Nope. You’re right. It’s a super-dee-duper sneak peek of a set we’ll all be lovin’ up big time in January. Demonstrators who signed up for our fall virtual event were given the opportunity to buy it early. And yes, I did!!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar November 2020 Dragonfly Garden

Stamps: Dragonfly Garden (2021), Right Triangle
Color Palette: Whisper White, So Saffron, Calypso Coral, Cinnamon Cider
Accessories Dragonflies punch (2021 oh YES), Stampin’ Blends, Dimensionals

Choosing colors for this was HARD. I went through multiple combinations, but this one felt right for fall. It was hard to keep it clean too – I started experimenting with backgrounds and quickly realized that in such a small space, less is truly more.

The 2021 Easel Calendar pdf is for sale! For just $5, I’ll send you a pdf and cutting instructions to make your own calendar. If you start this month, you’ll have plenty of time to make them as gifts, and this small format (3.5 x 3.5) is an easy size for creating. Don’t put your email in the comments – click on Contact the Maui Stamper to send it to me securely, and I’ll send you an invoice via Square. Requested one in the past and never paid it? No shame, I don’t judge, send again and we’ll get it done!

It will be time to order this soon enough – but this month there’s another sneak peek with a Christmas bonus!

This sneak peek bundle is available with benefits – you’ll get the stamps and dies that will be featured in the January – June mini catalog PLUS a coordinating Christmas stamp set and a stack of holiday Designer Series paper! Shop HERE and have it first on your block (Zoom block? It could happen!)

Ready for more November DIY Calendar inspiration? Visit Cheryl and Crystal to see what they’ve created this month. And join us with your own!

Brightly Gleaming Coffee Carrier

Posted on October 9, 2020 by mauistamper

The ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS Brightly Gleaming Designer Series paper was so popular last year that it’s making a “Hana Hou” (one more time!) appearance this year. Those metallic accents work beautifully with the kraft composition of our charming Mini Coffee Carrier.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Brightly Gleaming Mini Coffee Carrier gift packaging

Stamps: Christmas Gleaming
Color Palette: Very Vanilla, Poppy Parade, Pretty Peacock, Night of Navy
Accessories: Mini Coffee Carrier, Scalloped Tag Topper punch, Brightly Gleaming Designer Series paper, Copper Foil, Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Write markers, Paper Snips, Old Olive/Pretty Peacock reversible ribbon, Star Designer Elements, Stampin’ Dimensionals

This tag makes me happy.

I love the play of colors, the gleam of the copper, the tonality of the Stampin’ Blends and the slightly-off-tradition combination of Poppy Parade and Pretty Peacock.

I choose to cut the DSP into four panels rather than try to wrap it around in one piece. It’s really hard to get it even when you wrap it! My pieces are all 2 1/4″ high: the long side is 5 5/8″ and the short side is 2 5/8″. The fit is tight, which is what I wanted.

Our printed gusseted cello bags are a perfect fit to hold candies or other small treats, and of course our coordinating Mini Coffee Cups are a perfect fit. A bottle of hand soap or moisturizer fits well, and a 3″ candle is a perfect fit too. At $5 for a package of 8 carriers, this is an economical way to beautifully package small holiday gifts!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up 2020 Designer Series paper sale

Don’t miss our DSP sale this month! Buy as few or as many packages you want at great savings. There are 15 papers included in this promotion, including 5 holiday assortments and some beautiful neutrals as well. See all the details and stock up HERE.

October 2020 DIY: Stitched Triangles (and a DSP sale!)

Posted on October 1, 2020 by mauistamper

I visited two Maui State Parks and a National Park last week, and big trees were on my mind when I started thinking about my October DIY Easel calendar. Stampin’ Up! has Designer Series paper on SALE this month, and the Stitched Triangles dies gave me a way to tie it all together:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up October 2020 DIY Easel Calendar Stitched Triangles

Stamps: None
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Black, Garden Green, Pear Pizzazz, Just Jade, Pretty Peacock, Shaded Spruce, Soft Sea Foam, Seaside Spray
Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss, Stitched Triangle dies, Forever Greenery Designer Series paper, Stampin’ Sponge

I used a Stampin’ Sponge and Seaside Spray and Soft Sea Foam ink pads to create a light color wash on the calendar page. I cut a bunch of tiny triangles (our new Stamp Cut & Emboss machine is a dream!) and started arranging them on the sponged page..and arranging them…and arranging them.

Eventually I settled on this arrangement, but honestly, any of them would have worked!

Visit Cheryl and Crystal to see what they’ve done for October.

The Forever Greenery DSP is my absolute favorite this year, and it’s one of many on sale in October! Check the list HERE, and shop HERE to see the gorgeous designs included in the sale.

Finally, here are a few pictures from our adventures last week:

Maui Stamper Pīpīwai Trail Kīpahulu District Haleakalā National Park — Waimoku Falls at the top of the Pīpīwai Trail in Haleakalā National Park (Kīpahulu District)

Maui Stamper Wai'ānapanapa State Park — The Black Sand Beach at Wai’ānapanapa State Park

Maui Stamper Redwood Trail Polipoli State Park — The Maui Stamper – with Mr. Maui Stamper – on the Redwood Trail at Polipoli State Park

Hope you enjoy! We certainly did – one of the small pleasures of the pandemic has been how calm the island has been. Tourism is our lifeblood, but we have enjoyed this little silver lining in the Covid Cloud.

If you’d like to make your own DIY Easel calendar, click on Contact the Maui Stamper above and send me your email. The pdf is just $5 and you can make as many as you’d like!

No trick – oh, what a TREAT!

Posted on September 30, 2020 by mauistamper

You know that friend…the one who always knows? I have a friend like that, and she’s in one of my regular stamping groups. She always has little favors for every holiday, but since we’ve been meeting and stamping on Zoom she hasn’t been able to share them. Yesterday I found a package in my mailbox:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up No Tricks Just Treats

Oh, da cute!!! Some is current, some is retired, but there are just so many goodies and so much detail. LOOK:

LOOK. AT. THE. TIC. TACS.

Oh. Emm. Gee. They’re just adorable!

Way before Covid and Pandemics and Masks and ALL THAT, Robbie was the Queen of the little bitty hand sanitizer. I’m sure she must have had to stand in line for hours, days maybe, to get these for all of us. But that’s the kind of friend she is, and you’d better believe I will be using this gift!

Inspired to send a little box of hand-made love? Find all the crafty supplies you need right HERE.

Split Circles

Posted on September 28, 2020 by mauistamper

Playing with shapes – circles, squares, triangles – yields great graphic images. Well, maybe not every single time, but when it happens, it pops! I’ve seen this Split Circle Technique and spent a couple of afternoons with a desk full of circles.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Split Circle Technique

Stamps: None!
Color Palette: Whisper White, Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Soft Suede
Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss, Layering Circles Dies, Well Written Dies, Subtle Embossing Folder, Tombo Multipurpose Glue

Now you can see the texture – there’s a reason it’s called Subtle! Note that the Daffodil Delight strip that runs across the width of the card is actually two layers glued together. Because there are 3 layers of circles, it looks odd if that strip is only one layer thick.

Same concept, different colors and embossing folder. This is the Old World Paper Embossing Folder with Just Jade, Daffodil Delight, and Rich Razzleberry.

If you look closely, you’ll see a subtle difference in these two cards. The Poppy/Daffodil/Suede circles are reversed to create a color flow. Notice that the top largest circle is Daffodil, and its edge aligns with the smallest circle on the bottom. The reverse happens with the smallest circle on the top and the largest on the bottom.

In the second card, all circle pairs are the same color, so the only place where you see a “flow” from top to bottom is in the center set of circles.

Here’s one more alternative! This is the Scripty Embossing folder with Blushing Bride, Flirty Flamingo, Whisper White, and Poppy Parade circles, and the word Thanks. I’ve used 4 circles here and worked small to large from the outside in.

You can see how I ended up with heaps and heaps of circles on my craft desk – it was hard to stop once I got going! If you’re one of those people who keeps odd die cut bits, pull out the circles and get to work. These cards go together really quickly.

Get your Layering Circles and Well Written dies HERE.

ONE DAY STAMP SALE!

Posted on September 22, 2020 by mauistamper

Stampin’ Friends, get ready! The One Day Stamp Sale starts at midnight tonight Mountain time – and that’s 8 pm Hawaii time! Check out all the fabulous images, words and backgrounds you can choose at 15% off!

Visit my Online Store beginning at 8pm tonight HST/midnight MST – check out with Host Code 3VMBKDTG unless you’re spending $150 – then you should earn your own host rewards!

Open this file to see a list of all stamps, page numbers, product numbers and sale prices!

us-market_24-hour-stamp-sale-alphabetical-order-1 Download

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Beautiful Friendship — One of my absolute favorite sets – Beautiful Friendship – is on sale!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Waterfront Picture Perfect Birthday — Another favorite and island essential is Waterfront

But whatever you do, don’t delay! This sale is 24 hours only, and stamps have been allocated for this special pricing. If they get to the end of the allocation, the price goes back up!

Shop HERE.

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