Avant Garden Welcome v2.0

Posted on March 9, 2017 by mauistamper

Once I decided I liked the Avant Garden stamps, I couldn’t stop playing with color combinations:

It’s a funny coincidence that I wasn’t all that crazy about the 2016-2018 In Color Sweet Sugarplum. Maybe it’s the name. Maybe it’s something else. But as much as I know a lot of people who loved this color at first sight, I did not.

I guess it just had to grow on me.

Stamps: Avant Garden (Sale-a-bration 2017), sentiment from a retired demonstrator-only set
Color Palette: Whisper White, Sweet Sugarplum, Crushed Curry
Accessories: Sweet Sugarplum ruched ribbon, Big Shot, Stitched Shapes Thinlits, Pearl Jewels, Stampin’ Dimensionals

The color gradations come from stamping off (inking your stamp, stamping lightly onto scratch paper, and then stamping your project with the ink that remains on the stamp.) One of the things that I liked about the way that process worked on this card was that by stamping off lightly, there were gradations remaining on the flower image.

There’s one more version to come – stay tuned!

Can you catch my “mistake”?

Posted on March 5, 2017 by mauistamper

Tasty Truck is my second favorite Sale-a-bration 2017 gift with purchase (right behind Hey Chick!). I think my favorite part is playing with all of the color combinations, and our gorgeous Watercolor Pencils make the coloring so easy:

This is an easy image to fussy cut as it is nearly all straight lines. Don’t be intimidated by the fussy cut!

Since this was a congratulations card, I chose to leave the counter blank. When I’m ready to send it, I may add in some balloons or a banner. I like to leave options when I’m creating a card without a specific intention.

Stamps: Tasty Truck Sale-a-bration 2017
Color Palette: Very Vanilla, Basic Grey, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Watercolor Pencils, Blender pens, Urban Underground DSP, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Paper Snips, Wink of Stella Clear, Big Shot, Layering Circles Framelits

The Blender pens are my hands-down, go-to choice for working with the watercolor pencils. If you’re using watercolor paper, then an Aquapainter is a great tool. But Very Vanilla and Whisper White card stock are susceptible to pilling if they get worked with too much water, and the Blender pen flows the color so smoothly that I don’t have to rework the same area.

When I came up with the concept for this card, I had one thing in mind. Putting it together, I inadvertently did something else. See if you can figure it out!

See the Sale-a-bration 2017 offering HERE. To qualify for the gift with purchase, shop HERE.

A Waterlily for March

Posted on March 1, 2017 by mauistamper

These little desktop calendars are so satisfying to create. Because they’re small, I’m challenged to find images that will physically fit in the space while still reflecting the time of year.

For March, I chose the water lily from Remarkable You. It’s a stylized shape that’s perfect for coloring, and I really love to color. I added a few splatters using the Wink of Stella Gold pen. Honestly, it’s not my favorite product – I find the gold color too strong and brassy for painting or highlighting – but it does a fantastic job of splattering. There’s a lesson in there!

I created this calendar page long before our new Watercolor Pencils were released, but it would be really fun to use them on this project.

Thanks for stopping by. Please head on over to see what Crystal and Cheryl have done for March. And while you’re there, leave a little comment for them. It’s a little thing that means a lot.

Still in love with Hey Chick

Posted on February 27, 2017 by mauistamper

I may just send a variation of this card to everyone I know.

Well, maybe every woman I know. I love these sassy chickens! This one looks like a hen to me, although in all honesty I haven’t a clue why.

This one MUST be a rooster. Look how he has his wings folded behind him. Classic rooster stance.

According to Stampin’ Up!, Hey Chick is the number one choice for Sale-a-bration this year. Don’t miss the fun – shop HERE and get yours for FREE!

A card to lift you up

Posted on February 24, 2017 by mauistamper

Most of the projects I make are cards. There’s a pretty simple reason: I like to send cards.

Packages and treat holders are mostly special events projects for me. They typically need to be filled, and they’re usually filled with chocolate (duh). The chocolate never works out perfectly, resulting in leftover chocolate sitting on my craft desk. And leftovers end up on my hips. So I make cards!

Stamps: Lift Me Up
Color Palette: Whisper White, Mint Macaron, Smoky Slate, Peekaboo Peach, Watermelon Wonder
Accessories: Up & Away Thinlits, Precision Base Plate, Big Shot, Carried Away DSP (Sale-a-bration 2017), Stampin’ Dimensionals, Silver thread

This color palette is completely inspired by the Carried Away DSP. It’s a combination I would have NEVER chosen on my own. That doesn’t mean I don’t like it – but it does mean it’s entirely out of my comfort zone. I had to make a conscious decision to work with those colors, because I chose the cloud print from the DSP primarily because it was one color – Mint Macaron – offset with Whisper White.

The hot air balloon thinlits are designed to let you add as much color as you like. This would be a gorgeous rainbow balloon (stay tuned!) Popping up a few cloud die cuts on dimensionals added texture without overwhelming all of the detail in the balloon itself.

This stamp set features a great selection of sentiments. I send lots of birthday cards, so this was an easy choice. I wanted to feature Mint Macaron on the inside panel so you would see it at the top when the card is closed. Stamping the sentiment on a narrow band of Whisper White allows the message to pop.

Enjoy! The Lift Me Up stamps and thinlits are a great bundle, and come in both clear and wood mounted red rubber. I highly recommend the Precision Base Plate for best results cutting out the hot air balloon with your Big Shot. The beautiful designs in the Carried Away DSP are free as a gift with purchase during Sale-a-bration. Shop HERE.

An Avant Garden Welcome

Posted on February 22, 2017 by mauistamper

I’ll be honest with you. I was not impressed with Avant Garden when I first opened my 2017 Sale-a-bration brochure. I mean, flowers again already? I should have known better. There have been very, very few stamp sets that I have not grown to love. (It does happen. I try not to talk about it.)

The first step towards learning to love Avant Garden was to apply some of my favorite colors. Second step was to remember that hey, it was free – that starts the love flowing!

Stamps: Avant Garden (2017 Sale-a-bration), retired demonstrator exclusive sentiment
Color Palette: Whisper White, Soft Sky, Pool Party, Island Indigo, So Saffron
Accessories: Stitched Shapes Thinlits, Pool Party Stitched Satin Ribbon, Very Vanilla Lace Trim, Metallics Sequin Assortment, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Glue Dots

I almost didn’t include the lace trim. It’s Very Vanilla. The card is Whisper White. I decided to get over it and I’m glad I did. This may be a first for me!

There are many ways to adhere sequins to a card, but I use Glue dots 99.99% of the time. They’re clear, they’re the same shape, and it’s the fastest way I know to get the job done. Bam!!

I’m thrilled to be welcoming more demonstrators to the Maui Stampers. There’s still time to join and reap the awesome Sale-a-bration benefits: you’ll earn two additional FREE stamp sets of ANY price when you sign up during SAB. There’s no risk and no requirement to continue. It’s a great way to test drive being a demonstrator, and there will be some fabulous sneak peeks in the next few months (2017-2018 Annual Catalog, anyone?). Demonstrators always get the news first! Learn more HERE.

It’s RemARKably…Succulent!

Posted on February 19, 2017 by mauistamper

Welcome to the February 2017 RemARKable Blog tour. Our primary focus this month is succulents – and it seems everyone is just a little succulent-crazy these days! What’s not to like about these diversely shaped, easy to grow, low-water-use beauties? Especially when they’re made out of paper – talk about easy care!!

I used the Oh So Succulent bundle to create a generous little heap of die cuts in a variety of greens and began to layer them. I used the Woodgrain TIEF to suggest a log and to give them a neutral base without overwhelming them.

The fun for me was not just in the placement of the die cuts, but in adding the textures from different stamps, the gold thread, and ultimately, diamond jewels. Imagine them as drops of water on the canvas and you’ll see what I saw!

When I finished the traditional card, I had some leftovers and realized how easily the same layout would adapt to a 3×3 note card. It would certainly work with a larger square format, but I’m quite fond of this size.

Enjoy the rest of the tour! Click HERE to move forward to Audra Monk – the full tour is below.

Anne Matasci – you are HERE!!

Biff! Pow!! Socko!!! Wow!!!!

Posted on February 16, 2017 by mauistamper

Biff! Pow!! Socko!!! Wow!!!!

Doesn’t that bring back Saturday morning cartoon memories? So does Everyday Heros, an under-appreciated stamp set from the Occasions 2017 catalog.

Back the in days before DVR, Netflix, DVDs, even videos, kids were programmed to get up early on Saturday – the same kids who were pulled kicking and screaming from their beds Monday through Friday. The reason? Network cartoons. I can still sing (or at least hum) way more cartoon theme songs than I care to admit. And this stamp set revives them all.

Stamps: Everyday Hero
Color Palette: Crushed Curry, Calypso Coral, Night of Navy, Pacific Point, Watermelon Wonder, Very Vanilla, Basic Black
Accessories: Falling in Love DSP, Stampin’ Up! Watercolor Pencils, Blender Pens, Paper Snips, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Rhinestone Jewels

Watercolor pencils are back in stock but we have been warned that the supply is limited. This hot product is So.Much.Fun. If you don’t have them, trust me, you need them. An image like this heroine is detailed and small enough that traditional watercoloring, especially on Very Vanilla cardstock, would be a challenge. The Watercolor pencils plus Blender pens are the HEROS of this card!

And don’t forget your Free Sale-a-bration Gift with Purchase! New items arrive on February 21st.

Growing a team

Posted on February 10, 2017 by mauistamper

This Sale-a-bration has been busy for the Maui Stampers. Our team is growing, and it’s such a pleasure to welcome new members to our community. Even though we live on a small island, it may be a while before I have the opportunity to meet some of my new downline members. Of course, that’s why we make cards!

This big, beautiful pineapple is such fun to stamp. I use a combination of ink pads and markers to add color variety and texture, and the Wink of Stella clear (my fave!) to add sparkle.

The beautiful Metallic Ribbon Combo Pack is a free gift with your qualifying Sale-a-bration order. It’s just the right combination of softness and body for a card.

I chose Baker’s Twine and changed the mat for this one just to make it a little different, but it’s really the same card.

What does it mean to join the team? There’s no obligation, and during Sale-a-bration you’ll choose two extra stamps sets! Enjoy the discount, have a class or craft party with your friends, or generate real income with a full-time business – it’s all up to you! Check it out HERE and discover what happy stampers all over the world have learned for themselves: Stampin’ Up! is ohana – that’s how we say family in Hawaii. I would love to welcome you to the Maui Stamper’s team.

Lotsa Hedgie Love

Posted on February 1, 2017 by mauistamper

Hedgehog, groundhog, whatever – it’s February, and if Puxatawny Phil sees his shadow tomorrow, legend has it there will be 6 more weeks of winter. Here on Maui, that’s not much of a concern – maybe it just means the whales will stay a bit longer.

Stamps: Love You Lots (Host)
Color Palette: Whisper White, Mint Macaron, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Sweet Sugarplum
Accessories: Aquapainter, Stampin’ Write markers, DIY Easel Calendar kit

Love You Lots is my favorite host reward stamp set. If you enjoy following my calendars, I’m warning now you that you’ll see this set again. It won’t be available after May 31, 2017, so if you like it, you might want to take action now. Just sayin’.

Coloring the hedgies was pretty simple. I used the Crumb Cake Stampin’ Write marker to accent the stamped lines on their bodies and then used an Aquapainter to add a little wash to both their bodies and as a ground. That little touch of Sweet Sugarplum is my nod to Valentines Day on the 14th.

Looking for more inspiration? Visit Cheryl and Crystal to see what February looks like from their craft rooms. Want to make your own calendar? There are still a few DIY Calendar refills available for $6 plus shipping. Click HERE for details.

The Maui Stamper

papercrafts, my stories, and the occasional insight

Avant Garden Welcome v2.0

Can you catch my “mistake”?

A Waterlily for March

Still in love with Hey Chick

A card to lift you up

An Avant Garden Welcome

It’s RemARKably…Succulent!

Biff! Pow!! Socko!!! Wow!!!!

Growing a team

Lotsa Hedgie Love

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