A Congratulations Easel Card

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I’ve gotten VERY creative with projects for my clubs the past couple of months, as we’re crafting together via zoom. It’s not quite the same as being together in one place, but it’s much better than not being together at all! Since I can only provide paper and my club members have to go through their stashes to find stamps, ink, and any extras they want, I’ve been working to come up with designs that are flexible. Last month we created an easel card for a graduate:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Congratulations Easel Technique
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Congratulations Easel Technique

This card is more about the concept than the execution. The card base is 4.25″ x 11″ and is scored at 5.5″ and 2.5″. I cut a Whisper White panel to 2.5″ x 4.25″ (the same size as the bottom half of the card front) so that I could be sure and get a perfect Buffalo Check grid. The Stamparatus is an indispensable resource.

The little label from the Ornate Labels dies is the “bumper” for the folded top of the card. It’s mounted on two mini-dimensionals, which are just high enough to hold the easel, but still soft enough to mail with regular first class postage. I’ve used a piece of rogue washi across the card below that bumper, and I can’t begin to tell you anything about it other than the fact that I’ve had it along time!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Congratulations Easel Technique

On the inside of the card, I created an optional gift card pocket. If your graduate was naughty, well then, leave the pocket off – this is only for graduates who have earned a little reward! The pocket is 4 5/8″ x 2 5/8″ and is scored on 3 sides at 1/2″. Use a circle punch to create a little extra space to slide the card in and out. It looks like it’s upside down, but when you hold the card upright it’s right side up.

There are so many ways to stamp and embellish this card! But if you need a quick and simple version, this will do. And if you need supplies, please visit the Online Store.

Cutting and Pasting: Scrappy Strip Technique

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These cards have been everywhere – I’ll bet you’ve seen them too. Kylie and Bruno Bertucci in Australia popularized this technique they call #ScrappyStripTechnique and created a video to show how it’s done. It’s just as easy as they say!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Scrappy Strip Technique Paper Piercing
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Scrappy Strip Technique Paper Piercing

Once I got started, it was hard to stop! I had a desk full of strips cut every which way and spent a delightful afternoon arranging, adhering, and adding sentiments to my cards. (The sentiment and dies are from the So Sentimental Bundle.)

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Scrappy Strip Technique Paper Piercing

I think this one is my favorite. I used all neutrals with a few Bermuda Bay strips added in for contrast and no DSP. It would be a great masculine card, but I think it works for anyone. I love the way the neutrals are so, well, you know, neutral.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Scrappy Strip Technique Paper Piercing

This one is based on the Lily Impressions DSP offered as a SAB 2020 choice (and no longer available, I’m sorry!) This was one of the first cards I did and it has a decidedly chaotic feeling.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Scrappy Strip Technique Paper Piercing

The fun thing is that this is the reverses side of the above DSP. Even though some of the colors are repeated, the feeling of the design is completely different.

Honestly, I could go on and on (actually, I did!) I hope you’ll pull out some scraps and your paper trimmer and have some fun. The video gives great instructions so I’m not going too replicate the Bertucci’s fabulous effort – just cut up some paper and get started with cut and paste!

LAST CHANCE products are available WHILE SUPPLIES LAST or through June 2, 2020, whichever comes first. Don’t miss out.

If you happen to be flat out of paper (SERIOUSLY? Is that possible?) or perhaps if you’ve used the last of your Multipurpose Glue, I’d be delighted if you chose to shop HERE.

Inspired by Designer Series Paper

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I love our DSP. The colors are rich, the designs are versatile, the finish of the paper is smooth, and the weight is Goldilocks perfect – not too heavy, not too light, but juuuuuust right. I’ve been challenging myself to dig into my stash (it’s a little embarrassing) and create with all of the beautiful paper I’ve found there.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Peaceful Poppies

I used a Stampin’ Sponge to lightly shade the front edge of my Whisper White card. I didn’t want the bold color of Pool Party card stock, but the WW seemed too stark. Sponging was the perfect solution as it provided a hint of color and a very simple technique.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Peaceful Poppies

That Peaceful Poppies DSP is gorgeous and completely IN YOUR FACE. The colors and images are really bold, but they’re really easy to use. I reached for this combination first when I decided to dig into my DSP stash.

The So Sentimental bundle is a versatile bundle with unique and very useful stitched shapes that layer in a multitude of ways. This one is a keeper, and it’s carrying forward into the new Annual Catalog.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Magnolia Lane
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Magnolia Lane

This same layout has a simpler construction. The DSP panels stand on their own without a complimentary mat behind them, and the Whisper White card base is left in its natural state. I struggle with simple stamping (ink, stamps, paper) but this is pretty close for me.

Are you a DSP hoarder? I confess that I am, but I have been sending a lot of cards lately, and my stash is getting a little thin. Cutting into this gorgeous paper is hard – you know, the first cut is the deepest – but the results are worth it!

A lot of our beautiful DSP is on sale in the Online Store. Hurry, supplies are limited!

Farewell to Tropical Chic: May DIY Calendar

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Tropical Chic is one of my favorite, go-to suites, and it’s retiring on June 2, 2020. It will have a permanent place in my archives, for both practical and sentimental reasons. This set is the one I am most sorry to see retire this year.

Maui Stamper Tropical Chic May 2020 DIY Easel Calendar

The Tropical Dies are on sale for $18.90, and I can highly recommend them even as a standalone product without the stamps (although why you would do that is beyond me, but a lot of things are beyond me, especially lately). There are beautiful tropical leaves and a versatile “leaf window”.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Tropical Dies 146831

I used these dies to create the Save the Date cards for my daughter and son-in-law’s wedding this past January, and I cut a LOT of Tropical Leaves!!! It’s amazing that my dies are still working so well, because I really put them to the test.

Maui Stamper Tropical Chic May 2020 DIY Easel Calendar

I used the last few Grapefruit Grove Enamel Dots from my stash of Happiness Blooms embellishments for the center of these hibiscus. A true hibiscus has a gorgeous, feathery style, but that’s a very difficult thing to create out of paper, much less embellishments. I’m happy with this look even if it’s not perfectly botanically correct.

As always, Cheryl and Crystal have creations to share in our little monthly Blog Tour. I hope you’ll stop by and see what they’ve come up with for May. If you’d like to add a set of Tropical dies or any other Stampin’ Up! product to your craft archive, please shop HERE.

One Layout Three Ways

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Earlier this month I sent my club members the card stock and ribbon for this layout, and we crafted our own versions via Zoom. Who knew that I had chosen to create my samples with 3 stamp sets from the 2020 Last Chance List? Not sure if I was prescient or just lucky. I’m guessing lucky.

The process worked far better than I anticipated (OK, I had no expectations!). We shared images while we worked, asked for and got great advice, and had a good opportunity to catch up. It wasn’t quite the same as getting together (one group is notorious for fabulous food!) but it was a good substitute under the circumstances. We’ve already planned our next Zoom!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Little Elephant
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Little Elephant

The Elephant Builder punch is what really MAKES this card, and it’s currently on sale in the Online Store. It’s the ear. I love the ear!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Piece of Cake
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Piece of Cake

A note on Stampin’ Blends: You’ve seen them on the Last Chance list – I know I did, and I may or may not have said a Very Bad Word when I saw them! They’re NOT RETIRING. They will be repackaged and sold in pairs, one light, one dark, instead of as single markers. No need to panic.

Both Piece of Cake and the Cake Builder punch are retiring, and the punch is on sale for $10.80. Take a look at this set, because there are a lot of great sentiments as well as really fun images! The self-adhesive Gingham Sequins are on their way out as well.

I stamped the cake layers multiple times on Whisper White and Highland Heather card stock using Memento Ink. I cut the layers apart (the stamp has them stacked together, one large, one small) so that I could alternate the White layer with the Heather layer.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Painted Harvest
  • Stamps: Painted Harvest
  • Color Palette: Basic Black, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight
  • Accessories: Paper Snips, Same ol’ retired DSP and Ribbon. Sorry!

Three cards, three pops of color, three retiring stamp sets, and one layout – I think it’s pretty fun, don’t you? Grab some DSP and have some fun with this concept. And shop the Last Chance products HERE. Don’t delay – many have already sold out.

One last SAB Birthday

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Sale-a-bration 2020 has been over for more than two weeks, but I’m still wrapping up a few projects left on my desk. Do you have bits and pieces? I have so many random “parts” that I could probably make cards for weeks without cutting into anything new. This card has been in my head for at least a month, and it finally came together this week:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Happy Birthday To You SAB 2020
Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Happy Birthday To You SAB 2020

This stamp and die combo just begs to be colored over and over again with Stampin’ Blends in every possible color combination. I have multiple sets of these images on my craft desk, some of which are in the most unexpected colors you can imagine! I’m going to have to do a wild, bring-on-all-the-colors card in order to put them all to use.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Happy Birthday To You SAB 2020

It’s really satisfying to use up the “parts” as well as to bring my vision to life. Tell me, how many random bits and pieces are lurking around on your craft desk??

If you’re done with pieces and ready for some full sheets of card stock, I’d be grateful and honored if you shop HERE.

A Cute Chick to Welcome Easter

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If you’re lucky enough to have a Kit Kat bar (…break me off a piece!) in your Stay Home Stash, I’ve got a cute idea for you. I found these bars weeks ago, back in the olden days when you walked through a store browsing. I wanted to use this idea for a group, but even then there must have been some panic buying because there were just a few in stock:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Welcome Easter Kit Kat Bar

The Stitched So Sweetly dies have an awesome assortment of shapes that are really versatile. They’re currently available as a bundle with the So Sentimental stamp set, and I’m crossing my fingers that they’ll carry over to the 2020-2021 Annual Catalog because I have more ideas than time right now!

To create a box for any candy bar, just measure the bar and add a SMIDGE – maybe 1/8″ – to those dimensions for the dimensions of your box. Use the Simply Scored tool to quickly create that box, being sure to leave a 1/4″ tab to adhere the sides, and enough extra in the height of the box to create overlap when you close the flaps. Choose a die that fits inside your largest side and cut out one section. You may have to be a little creative to fit things through your die cutting machine!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Welcome Easter Kit Kat Bar

It didn’t take long to cut the chick out, but fussy-cutting Happy Easter took a couple of tries. I always want to get it reaaaaaallllly close, and that doesn’t always work!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Welcome Easter Kit Kat Bar

I hope you have something yummy to enjoy on Easter morning! Mr. Maui Stamper and I will have a delicious home-cooked brunch (who am I kidding, EVERYTHING WE EAT is home cooked these days. SHEESH.) We’re looking forward to an exuberant visit with our family via the wonders of Zoom. We are spread over MANY time zones so coordinating these calls is quite complex. (what is it with me and ALL CAPS today? Apparently I am tired of being alone and feel the need to shout. Sorry.)

We’re still shipping, and Stampin’ Up! is being extremely conscientious about staffing and environment in the warehouse in order to protect the SU team as well as each of you receiving your box o’ happiness. If you need a little something crafty to brighten up your day, you can shop HERE – and mahalo.

A Chunky Lamb…again!

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How can you not love this lamb? This is the I-can-do-yoga, Upavista Konasana lamb! She is fluffy and has a perfect little half-smile that says “If I can do this, you can too!”

Well. But I cannot. My legs will not do that, no matter how I try. Even as a young girl, I could never do anything resembling the splits. But once again, I digress.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Welcome Easter
Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Welcome Easter

Just cuz she’s fluffy doesn’t exclude the possibility that she’s sparkly too!!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Welcome Easter

The Parisian Blossoms DSP is a specialty paper with foil embossing on one side of each sheet, and I think it adds the perfect glimmer to this card. That little silver foil ornamentation is from the Painted Labels dies which are sadly unavailable right now. Don’t have them? If you rummage through your stash of dies and even trims, I’ll bet you can find a substitute!

Have some fun with what you have – that’s the name of the game right now! And if there’s something you truly need, you can shop HERE!

30 Day Challenge: Boys are back in town

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There’s a new card challenge on Instagram, hosted by the very talented @MartinMayhem. He’s a Stampin’ Up! Artisan and has come up with 30 days of card prompts to keep us inspired.

I’m not very good at challenges because I have consistency issues. Today’s card is a case in point: this is the prompt from Day 3, which was, oh, I don’t know, a few days ago. But hey, there’s a pandemic on, I’ll make my own schedule. RIGHT?

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Rooted In Nature

I wanted to soften that Whisper White card stock just a little. I experimented with a couple of techniques and came up with the idea of the Stamping Sponge. You can layer the color and it keeps the image crisp, unlike watercoloring that blurs the edge.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Rooted In Nature

I added a few leaves on the inside too. That leaf is from Timeless Tropical rather than the Rooted in Nature leaf, as I preferred the serrated edge for this card. If you look closely, you’ll see a little line detail on the Garden Green strip between the two sets of leaf panels.

Martin Stone is a Stampin’ Up! Artisan and you can find him – and his challenge – on Instagram @martinmayhem. You might be inspired to try one of his challenges too! He’s quite generous about timing, so pick a day, any day, and make a card!

If you need supplies, the Stampin’ Up! warehouse is still shipping! Shop HERE.

A Chunky Lamb for April

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Happy First of April!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar April 2020
Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar April 2020

I’m smitten with this little sheep, with her posture and her fluffiness. I can’t decide if she’s doing a seated wide angle yoga pose (Upavista Konasana) or if she’s a cheerleader doing the splits, but I know this: she’s pretty flexible!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar April 2020

Crystal and Cheryl have calendars to share as well on this April morning. Please stop by and say hello! And if you need a little Wink of Stella or your own Chunky Lamb, please shop HERE. There’s also a brand new early release suite from the 2020-2021 Annual Catalog called Ornate Garden – be sure you check it out! That big bold THANK YOU is going to be amazing.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Ornate Garden