On the Gonna Miss List: Gorgeous Grunge

Posted on May 9, 2017 by mauistamper

I remember the catalog when Gorgeous Grunge was released. I was at the Stampin’ Up! convention in Salt Lake City and if I’m not mistaken, the talented Pam Morgan introduced this stamp set and told us how much we were going to use it. At first glance, I wasn’t sure, but by the end of her presentation I was convinced.

Stamps: Gorgeous Grunge, Number of Years
Color Palette: Wild Wasabi, Sweet Sugarplum, Whisper White, Crushed Curry
Accessories: Stampin’ Write Markers, Thick White Bakers Twine, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Brights DSP pack (sold out)

I can’t begin to list the cards I’ve made using one of the images from Gorgeous Grunge. It adds a little bit of texture, fills a gap in a design, or creates a background as I’ve done here.

This particular stamp is very forgiving with regard to placement – really, they all are – and that makes it easy to create texture or a design element without beating your head against the desk. (Not that I do that often, but it’s possible.)

Gorgeous Grunge is available until May 31, 2017, or while supplies last. It’s going to stay in my stamp collection for sure. Get yours HERE.

Dragonfly Dreams and new Maui Stampers

Posted on May 6, 2017 by mauistamper

It’s been a busy time for the Maui Stampers team, and I put another welcome card in the mail:

Stamps: Dragonfly Dreams
Color Palette: Whisper White, Mint Macaron, So Saffron, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Big Shot, Detailed Dragonfly thinlits, Layering Circles framelits, Inside the Lines DSP (Sale-a-bration 2017), Vellum, Wink of Stella clear, Aquapainter

I LOVE VELLUM WINGS!! And I almost always give them a Wink of Stella. It’s irresistable.

(BTW, that DSP circle behind the band? It’s retired paper. I think it’s from Holiday 2016.)

There’s a peak of washi inside, too!

Grab the bundle and save 10% – shop HERE.

Botanical Blooms is retiring and there’s nothing I can do about it

Posted on May 3, 2017 by mauistamper

Every year when the retiring products list is published, I hold my breath and scan it for favorites. This year, there was a BIG sigh when I saw Botanical Blooms right there in black and white. It’s a go-to floral set for me, and has an unmistakeable tropical vibe. This is one retiring set that will go into my personal archive.

I created this extended card when I learned that a dear friend was going to be a mom for the first time. When I created the card, the baby’s gender hadn’t been revealed, so I mixed up the colors to be gender neutral.

This image makes the card look waaaaay longer than it is – it will fit in a standard medium envelope. Note that all the stamping is on the inside white panel – the actual embellishments are simply die cut, not stamped.

I’ve created a lot of cards using this basic technique. I cut a large stack of assorted shapes and start layering and placing them on my card. There’s a lot of texture with the shapes and layers, but the card itself is still flat enough to mail.

Stamps: Botanical Blooms
Color Palette: Crumb Cake, Shimmer White, So Saffron, Blushing Bride, Marina Mist
Accessories: Big Shot, Botanical Builder Framelits, Falling in Love DSP (retired and sold out), Pearl jewels, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Glue dots

There’s still time to add either the stamps, the framelits, or both to your craft room! Shop HERE.

An elephant never forgets

Posted on May 1, 2017 by mauistamper

The whimsical images from the 2016-2017 Host set Love You Lots have just the right size and energy for my little calendar pages. I prefer a clean and simple design for the months, and this little Ellie and her Mousie friend need nothing more than a little color.

Stamps: Love You Lots (Host)
Color Palette: Whisper White, Smoky Slate, Blushing Bride and Melon Mambo
Accessories: Aquapainter

There’s more DIY Calendar Goodness to be found today! Visit Crystal and Cheryl to see their May inspiration.

New Goodies on the CLEARANCE RACK!!

Posted on April 24, 2017 by mauistamper

Great deals on ribbon, paper, washi – all sorts of goodies for crafting! Many of these were some of my personal favorites from the 2016 Holiday catalog – but quantities are limited!

Don’t delay – shop HERE!

Candy Cane Washi Tape – $3.20!!

Mini Copper Pine Cones $3.00!! So many more embellishments, papers and ink at great savings – but they won’t last.

Egg Cartons: yes, they’re available!

Posted on April 15, 2017 by mauistamper

The charming Mini Egg Cartons were a bit of an availability nightmare for Stampin’ Up! this spring. The first batch sold out in a flash, and the next order was held up during the shipping process. They’re in the warehouse now, and are retiring the end of May. It’s not too late!

These made perfect gifts for my April club, and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy they were to spritz! If you’re noticing a tone difference between colors, you’re right. I used the Stampin’ Up! Spritzer and began with 8 – 10 drops of ink refill: Elegant Eggplant, Flirty Flamingo, Crushed Curry, and Bermuda Bay. I intentionally chose more saturated colors to allow me to play with the tone.

After adding the ink to the Spritzer, I filled it with rubbing alcohol and spritzed away. The cartons are quite absorbent and took the color extremely well, and each carton used about 2/3 of the Spritzer. (HELPFUL NOTE: Wear gloves!!! I did the Bermuda Bay cartons first, and have the dyed thumb to prove it.) I added just a couple of additional drops of ink to the solution remaining in the Spritzer and then filled back up with alcohol, and that gave me the lighter shade you see on the right.

Since these were an Easter gift, Easter candy went inside. My plastic eggs were on the large side, so I opted to skip the shreddies, but another time I will absolutely skip the plastic eggs in favor of all that glorious grassy fill.

Each carton was closed and simply tied with a generous white ribbon and bow. There is more retired ribbon in my stash than I care to admit, but I stayed true to the white ribbon because I loved the clean look and it tied together the differently colored boxes. (LOL)

The tag features the retiring Decorative Label with the retiring Elegant Butterfly punch. The labels are cut from coordinating colored stock, and the butterfly is Shimmery White with a sparkly strip of jewels.

These boxes make a delightful presentation for candy, fruit, jewelry, art supplies, or anything you can fit inside. I’d love to know how you filled yours! They’re still available HERE.

The Retiring List – what’s a crafter to do?

Posted on April 11, 2017 by mauistamper

I’ve had a little time to look through the list of products retiring from 2016-2017, and I have a few things to share with you. Products are selling out VERY QUICKLY, so don’t delay. Here are a few things I consider noteworthy:

Bundles are retiring – in some cases, stamps will continue. Many have already sold out.
Many suites, especially in the Occasions catalog are retiring. Stock up on DSP and embellishments for things you already have
Project Life products are retiring, many at a discount. The cards packs are GREAT for card making!!
Gorgeous Grunge – Clear and Wood – is retiring. Don’t miss that one.
Botanical Blooms (discounted!) and the Pineapple Clear and Wood stamp are retiring – if you do tropical cards, snap these up!
The Owl Builder punch is retiring. So.Much.Punch.Art.
Christmas Greetings Thinlits are retiring – one of my absolute favorites.
Stars Framelits are retiring. These are a holiday staple.
The Adhesive Remover is retiring, and I consider it a crafting essential.

Did I mention things are selling out quickly?? If you want the

Retiring Products page, start HERE.

Retiring Stamps page, start HERE.

Retiring Bundles page, start HERE.

Retiring Everything Else, start HERE.

But start NOW!!

RETIRING 2017!!! HOT OFF THE PRESS!!!

Posted on April 10, 2017 by mauistamper

I’ve just had few minutes with this list and am still processing. I’ll post later with some thoughts, but I want to get it in your hands.

As always, these items are WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. Don’t delay if one of your favorites is on the list! There are some fabulous discounts available and those items often sell out quickly.

Note that all of the Project Life products are on the list. At the end of this catalog year (May 31, 2017) Stampin’ Up! will be ending its relationship with Becky Higgins and Project Life. Many similar products will be available through Becky Higgins, but they will not be designed to coordinate with the Stampin’ Up! palette.

Click HERE to see the list. Then go HERE to shop.

There’s a new baby boy in the family!

Posted on April 6, 2017 by mauistamper

My cousin’s daughter – our Goddaughter – had a baby boy earlier this year. I sent a selection of some of my all-time favorite children’s books, including of course Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. The big monster from Yummy in My Tummy was the logical choice to welcome Nolan to the family:

Stamps: Yummy in My Tummy, Any Occasion (SAB 2017)
Color Palette: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Bermuda Bay, Basic Black
Accessories: Big Shot, Lucky Stars TIEF, Paper Snips, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Retired Washi tape

I had to fussy cut him. HAD TO. I don’t mind when it’s for a single card.

He looks just like Max in his wolf suit.

Got my ducks in a row

Posted on April 1, 2017 by mauistamper

Every now and then I challenge myself to give an under-appreciated stamp set a little love. Barnyard Babies is filled with petite, line drawn images of farm animals, and it was an early must-have from last year’s annual catalog. I’ve used it for some really fun cards (as well as August 2016), but it’s been collecting a big of dust as of late.

A stamp, a sticky-note mask, and a marker or two – and April is ready! The fact that duck beaks and feet could be colored in Daffodil Delight was a bonus. What color speaks April more eloquently than daffodil yellow?

Visit Cheryl and Crystal to see what they’ve done for their version of the April calendar.

The Maui Stamper

papercrafts, my stories, and the occasional insight

On the Gonna Miss List: Gorgeous Grunge

Dragonfly Dreams and new Maui Stampers

Botanical Blooms is retiring and there’s nothing I can do about it

An elephant never forgets

New Goodies on the CLEARANCE RACK!!

Egg Cartons: yes, they’re available!

The Retiring List – what’s a crafter to do?

RETIRING 2017!!! HOT OFF THE PRESS!!!

There’s a new baby boy in the family!

Got my ducks in a row

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: