Tags are the new cookies

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Hear me out now, before you start shouting at me! I love cookies as much as the next girl but this time of year they seem to be lurking around every corner, and it gets dangerous. One of my host clubs exchanged tags every year instead, and it’s such fun!

  • Stamps: #Elfie
  • Color Palette, Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red, Shaded Spruce, Daffodil Delight, soft Suede, Ivory Seaside Spray, Rococco Rose
  • Accessories: Stampin’ Blends, Snowfall Puff Paint, Heat Tool, Wink of Stella

The puff paint is amazing! It’s a quick way to add some fun texture. Be sure to let it puff up all the way, and then I find it’s more durable if you let it sit for half an hour or so before touching or stacking it. I make it the last step and then set the tags aside to “cure”. Watch this video for more: https://s.tamp.in/yo-AGL

A dozen of these went together really quickly – but you need to enjoy coloring. I didn’t do any shadowing because it’s such a small image.

To create a little blush in #Elfie’s cheeks, I dabbed a dot of Rococco Rose Blends and then blurred it with the color lifter. Do this BEFORE you add the skin tone (I used ivory) or you’ll see a funny circle.

Make a tag, swap a tag! There’s still time!

Clearance Rack Update!

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The Rack is updated and there are lots of great deals – heaps of embossing folders and ribbons!

Stampin Up Clearance Rack December 2019

This is just a sample – shop the Clearance Rack now!

December 2019 DIY

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I’m smitten with #Elfie! He’s just the guy I want hangin’ out on my craft desk this month!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar December 2019 #Elfie
Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar December 2019 #Elfie

I went a little over-the-top with the Snowfall Accents Puff Paint. Well, actually, I went over-the-top with the Paper Snips, too. In the stamped image, #Elfie is leaning against the bottom of the signpost, but that makes the image too tall for a little calendar! I REALLY wanted to use this image, so out came the snips and I disassembled the whole business.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar December 2019 #Elfie

When I figured out how to settle him into a snowbank with the post popping out I was pretty pleased with myself. But…it looked a little empty. Maybe it was just lop-sided, but it needed something. That’s when I dug into my retired stash for the set from last year. It’s just the packages, and I could have probably hand-drawn them…HA. Imagine how successful that would have been!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar December 2019 #Elfie

This turned out just the way I imagined it, which is quite a feat. If you’re imagining your own set of DIY Easel Calendars for 2020, there’s still time to purchase the PDF! It’s just $5 and you can print your own set of months to play with all year long. Click Contact the Maui Stamper above and give me your email, and I’ll send you an invoice.

Be sure and stop by to see what Cheryl and Crystal have crafted for your inspiration this month! Happy December!

A little punkin banner

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I don’t do a lot of fall decorating since fall in Hawaii doesn’t match up well with traditional decor, but I couldn’t resist this little pumpkin banner from the Dollar Spot at Target.

I know. It looks a little funny with that orchid there. I think that just serves to emphasize my point!

These little wooden pumpkins are perfect for embellishing with paper flowers. I pulled out a variety of retired and even not-Stampin’-Up! dies to do the job.

This is a Sizzix did but it wasn’t in our catalog. It’s actually kind of oversized for this project, but shoot, go big or go home, right? I did use the flower from the Magnolia die and was very happy with that result.

Sometimes it’s just fun to work outside the box, and that’s what I did with this project. I hope you enjoy!

Gratitude 2019

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My thoughts are increasingly focused on being grateful, and this time of year the focus intensifies. It’s not just the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, but the approaching holiday season that causes me to dive into thankfulness. My November 2019 calendar is born out of this focus and will maintain it as well:

  • Stamps: Soft Spring (HOST)
  • Color Palette: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Pineapple Punch, Grapefruit Grover, Terracotta Tile, Cajun Craze

I like to play with words, and using the Soft Spring Host set for an Autumn themed calendar page makes me smile. First of all, I think it works quite well! It doesn’t represent any particular flower (at least not one I know) but it represents the feeling of Fall because of the colors I chose. Secondly, it’s Spring now in the Southern Hemisphere, and since my daughter lives there I’m more aware of that juxtaposition.

My technique was super simple. I inked the outline image in Crumb Cake and stamped it on the calendar. I inked the floral fill image completely in Pineapple Punch, then about 75% in Grapefruit Grove, about 50% in Terracotta Tile, and finally added Cajun Craze to the top 25%. I didn’t wipe off previous colors – they’re all piled on top of each other!

Maui Stamper 2020 DIY Calendar

If you’d like to make your own 2020 DIY Easel calendar, I’m selling the PDF for $5. Just click on Contact the Maui Stamper above and message me your email address. I’ll get an invoice out to you, and as soon as it’s paid, I’ll email the file including the cover page and a set of cutting instructions. You’ll be on your way!

I also have a Pinterest Board with literally years of these pages for your inspirational enjoyment. Crystal and Cheryl have created their own version of the November 2019 calendar, so be sure to visit them too.

Host stamp sets are a bit of an under-appreciated category in the catalog. They’re a great value, because they’re priced below market. The catch is that you have to use Host Rewards to purchase them, but those begin to accrue when your order or workshop reaches $150. You can start shopping the Online Store, or contact me about hosting an event of your own, either in person or online. Crafting is a lot more fun with a friend!

A Japanese New Years Wish

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I’ve learned a lot about different cultures living on Maui. Our community is diverse for many reasons, but primarily because the sugar plantations brought in workers from many countries beginning in the mid-1800’s. While sugar is no longer grown commercially here, the many families who arrived to work in the fields have taken root and enriched our communities with their traditions.

The first Japanese workers arrived in the mid-1880’s. Their legacy is found in everyday life on Maui, including food, language, art, celebrations, and so much more. When Stampin’ Up! offered the New Years Celebration set to the U.S. market, I was excited to have the opportunity to craft with these images.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up New Year Celebration
Maui Stamper Stampin Up New Year Celebration

The characters for Happy New Year are embossed in gold and are written in Kanji, one of three writing systems. The colors are also very symbolic, as red and white are used to represent happiness and joy, and gold represents wealth and prestige. Bamboo represents wealth and prestige, and the chrysanthemum flower signifies longevity and rejuvenation. There’s a big message in this simple card!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up New Year Celebration

This set is not in any catalog, and it will only be available to the U.S. market through January 31, 2020. You can see samples and an interpretation of the images HERE, and of course, you can shop at the Online Store. These images are so Kawaii!

Happy New Year from Mt. Fuji

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Nah, I’m not on the road again – we just got home!

But I’m imagining myself in Japan, riding the Shinkansen and gazing out the windows at Mt. Fuji. We made that trip in 2012 (oh, can it be that long ago??) and the UNESCO World Heritage site was unfortunately hidden in the clouds. However, today the clouds are high in the sky and Fuji-san is clearly visible:

Without getting too personal here, let’s just say that my eyesight isn’t quite what it used to be (ahem). I was having a little trouble aligning the images, despite the fact that they’re photopolymer and theoretically I should have no problem.

(Distraction: theories aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.)

After a couple of unsatisfactory attempts at aligning the outline of the mountain, the interior, and the glorious rising moon, it occurred to me that the solution was within an arm’s reach. I got out my Stamparatus and the problem was solved nearly instantaneously.

This stamp set was originally designed for the Stampin’ Up! Japanese market, but was released to the US market just until January 31, 2020. It’s product #146391 and it’s $25. If you’d like to see a graphic that documents all of the images and their significance, click HERE.

Are you ready to ride the Shinkansen? Or just take a paper-and-ink trip?

Feelin’ Like Frost Like Kylie

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THIS card from the amazing Kylie Bertucci was one of the reasons I decided to get the Feels Like Frost DSP pack. You might have figured out that I am completely enchanted with the Gorgeous Grape/Highland Heather/Granny Apple Green color palette. This Designer Series Paper pulls all of those colors together and brings you right into the MOOD.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost You Are Loved
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost You Are Loved

I know I’ve said it before (who am I kidding, I’ve said it on every single post for crying out loud) – these images are so versatile that you could easily transition this card with any sentiment. It’s the One DSP To Rule Them All.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost You Are Loved

Don’t you think every single person needs to hear that he, she or they is/are loved? It takes so little to make a difference. Makes that $.55 postage stamp seem pretty darn cheap.

Make a card. Send a little love. If you need something to make it happen, shop HERE.

Aloha with the Stamparatus

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I was staring at my shelf of stamps the other day, looking for ideas to make another (yes, another!) wreath card. I’m not sure if this worked quite the way that I imagined it, but it was fun and it makes me laugh.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Waterfront and Make A Difference
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Waterfront and Make A Difference

I’m not sure if it looks like a wreath of palm trees or a really, really, REALLY bad hair day! Honestly, I don’t really care. I had such a great time with the Stamparatus that the results don’t change a thing.

The little shell is one of those Maui-Style kind of add-ons. It’s actually from a shell lei: if you live here, you end up with heaps of them. I’ve taken a few apart to craft with since the shells all have small holes.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Waterfront and Make A Difference

A-L-O-H-A! A little Aloha in our day

Spread a little Aloha in our world…

Feels Like Frost is Thinking of You

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Do you remember when I told you I’d challenged myself to make as many cards with the Feels Like Frost DSP as I could in an afternoon? I’m not finished yet!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost Thinking of You
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost Thinking of You

I really like the Scripty 3D Embossing folder. It’s very subtle and elegant. I also love that the silver Metallic Pearls take on a blue cast when they’re on blue paper! It works for me.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Feels Like Frost Thinking of You

This is another tone-on-tone version from the endlessly versatile Feels Like Frost DSP stack. These cards almost put themselves together! If you need a stash of cards, I highly recommend you make a batch with these gorgeous photo-realism images and leave the sentiments off until you’re ready to send them. You’ll thank yourself later, I promise.

Are you ready to buy Feels Like Frost YET??? You know where to SHOP.