RemARKable Flowers

Posted on April 10, 2014 by mauistamper

It’s another RemARKable Pinworthy blog tour – and this time we are focusing on flowers. I think most crafters LOVE flowers, and I’m no exception. One of my favorite new flower products is the Sizzix Spiral Flower Originals die, and I thought I would tackle something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I’m pretty pleased with my first attempt:

I have been imagining crafting with our new Sizzix Spiral Flower Originals Die with fabric for weeks! I have SO MANY ideas for these flowers…but I’m getting ahead of myself. These are made from denim (specifically, an old pair of torn, destroyed jeans) and tulle (leftover from my bridal ensemble – really!)

My first idea was a wristlet:

I didn’t even get to the embellishment stage. This idea has potential, but the problem here is that I’m a Bash-and-Crash kinda girl, and this little confection wouldn’t make it through the first day on my wrist.

Cute idea – for someone else’s wrist. It was back to the drawing board.

I used two denim spirals and two tulle spirals for the flower on the right. The one on the left has one denim spiral and two tulle spirals – the tulle is very lightweight and soft, not the stiff variety.

The “double denim” flower is in the center – it’s definitely larger – with a single denim layer flower on either side.

I did learn a few tricks in the process of assembling these. If I were working with fabric only (no tulle) it would be fairly simple to roll first and hot glue second. However, the tulle is wispy and stubborn, and I found it easier to roll a little, hot glue a little, and roll a little more. Also, when you are working with paper, it’s very easy to adjust the tightness of the rolled flower once you’re done. With fabric (even if you haven’t hot glued it together already!) there’s too much friction in the layers and they don’t want to loosen up. I found I got the best results by practicing once or twice before I began to assemble with the hot glue.

Now that I have a few of these under my belt, I can’t wait to add Spiral Flower embellishments to…well, you’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, go see what the rest of the RemARKables have come up with – I’m certain you’ll be inspired!

Head on over to Audra Monk at the Crafty Yogi to continue the tour!

Weekly Deals April 8 to 14, 2013

Posted on April 8, 2014 by mauistamper

It’s Tuesday and you know what that means – new DEALS;

There are new MDS downloads this week, too:

And if you’re working on MDS projects for Easter, the talented Robin Merriman has created this graphic to help you find just what you’re looking for:

I’m really happy this morning (despite the CRAZY tradewinds) because I’m officially registered for Stampin’ Up!’s annual craft-fest/love-fest/AllThingsStampin’Up!-fest in July!!

New demonstrators attend for free this year – there’s still time, you know! Come along with me!

Birthdays are wonderful things…

Posted on April 4, 2014 by mauistamper

I celebrated my birthday last month. It wasn’t one of those birthdays that end in zero, but like my dad always says, it’s good to be on this side of the grass. I had a fabulous day, including lots of card-love from my family and friends. I thought I’d share a few:

This girl certainly knows me well! Cheryl chose a coffee theme and made a card-in-a-box, since we’ve both become somewhat obsessed with them.

My friend Becky sent this sweet card featuring the oh-so-on-trend Filmstrip Framelits. Becky and I met at convention years ago when I burst into tears sitting next to her at a presentation (very long story). Suffice it to say that she wrapped me up in a hug and a very special friendship was born!My friend and fellow stamper Sharyl used the Sweet Sorbet DSP and a found seashell to create this beachy birthday card. I love the rhinestones on the slippers! (We do NOT call them flip flops, thongs, go-aheads, or zoris. They are slippahs. Rubbah slippahs.)

Crystal sent this gorgeous water-colored card. It is so very much her style – I would have guessed it was hers if I had seen it almost anywhere!

This last card isn’t hand-made, but it is so ME: OK, so I’m not 80 yet, and I don’t carry a white handbag, but I DO wear Birkenstocks. Every day. Like, 24/7. Wendy is my Maui Fashion Consultant, and this is what she wrote:

I think I can make that promise. ‘Cause those shoes aren’t Birks.

Weekly Deals and MDS Downloads April 1 to 7, 2014

Posted on April 2, 2014 by mauistamper

Hello there, crafters! Here are the Weekly Deals for April 1 to 7:

Every week Stampin’ Up! gives us a deal on a new group of goodies, and this week the deals include the 7/16 inch Natural Trim Ribbon. This ribbon is perfect for cards, bags and just about any 3-D project you want to DIY, but it’s also a great choice for home decor.

It’s also pretty sweet to see not one but TWO Bigz dies on sale this week. If your order is small and you’d like to save on the minimum shipping, let me know what you’d like by Sunday and I’ll add it into my weekly supply order.

Lots of perfect options for spring in this group of downloads! Visit my Online Store to place your order, and thanks!

Walkin’ on the beach…

Posted on April 1, 2014 by mauistamper

Happy April Fool’s Day! No foolin’ here today…just an April walk on the beach:

Have I mentioned how much I love making these simple little calendar pages? There isn’t a lot of fanfare, and the embellishment is minimal if there at all. It’s just the dates and a suggestion of a theme for the month.

Stamps: By the Seashore and Gorgeous Grunge
Color Palette: Whisper White, Pool Party and Crumb Cake

This soothing page will remind me to get out the door and take my beach walk every morning…not that I need a lot of encouragement. It’s one of my favorite indulgences and it’s something I never take for granted.

The Maui Stampers run an itty-bitty blog tour the first of the month. I hope you’ll spend a little time April-foolin’ around and check out what Crystal and Cheryl have done for their calendars this month. Thanks for stopping by!

See ya later, Alligator

Posted on March 30, 2014 by mauistamper

Who wants to see an alligator, anyway?

Well, maybe we can make an exception for this guy!

Stamps: Later Gator (SAB 2014) and Zoo Babies
Color Palette: Daffodil Delight, Gumball Green, Very Vanilla
Accessories: XL Oval punch, Jute twine (My Paper Pumpkin kit), Epic Day This n That DSP

That Epic Day DSP is on sale through Monday night on Weekly Deals and it’s a keeper! Sale-a-bration ends Monday night too – at 7:50pm HST – so if you’ve been waiting for the last minute, never fear, it’s here! Shop ONLINE!

Bring on the candles

Posted on March 29, 2014 by mauistamper

My son turned 20 earlier this month. His birthday coincided with the start of a fabulous spring break trip sponsored by the university, so he has only seen his card recently. I’m pretty sure he’s not a regular reader, but I didn’t want to spoil the surprise in the rare event he checked in.

I got a little carried away…yes, there are 20 candles.

I hope you like my candle flames! They’re cut from the end of the stem from the Bird Builder punch. The candles themselves were hand-cut and are primarily Soho Subway DSP with a little Early Espresso and Island Indigo thrown in for contrast.

The cakes are floating on sheets of Window Strips. They’re hand cut, too. This was for my son, after all!

I made little packages and put them on the side of the card with dimensionals. Honestly, I go through a LOT of dimensionals. I quit worrying about it a long time ago – about the time I figured out they cost just over a penny apiece. Seriously.

The other side has balloons:

The “strings” are held in place with Glue Dots. If you decide to make one of these cards (and I hope you do) trust me in this, you need Glue Dots. Just open up a fresh box and knock yourself out. I use a pokey doodle to pull them off the roll, but a bamboo bbq skewer works really well too.

Since my handsome son is away at school, I had to mail this card, and it required a custom envelope. I used to dread making custom envelopes, but not any more. The Envelope Punch Board is my BFF.

I didn’t use any bulky embellishments (such as buttons) so I just needed a little extra postage for the weight of all the extra card stock. I made the envelope on the roomy side since the card is thicker than usual.

Stamps: Make a Cake, You’re My Hero, Perfect Pennants
Color Palette: Island Indigo, Crushed Curry, Early Espresso, Calypso Coral, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Oval Framelits, Window Sheets, Bird Builder, Small Oval, Corner Rounder, and 1/2 inch circle punches, Early Espresso 1/8 inch taffeta ribbon, Island Indigo Bakers Twine, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Hello – just Hello

Posted on March 28, 2014 by mauistamper

Sometimes Hello is enough:

This subtle Designer Series paper is one of the hidden gems in the Sweet Sorbet Sale-a-bration offering. I love having these single tone papers in my stash – they provide interest and texture without distracting. If you’re pairing Melon Mambo with ANYTHING you want to be careful not to get too distracted!

Take a good look at this detail – it’s not what you might initially think. The Melon Mambo oval is a frame, not a mat. Typically, to achieve this look I would cut two ovals: the larger would be Melon Mambo, the slightly smaller would be the DSP. However, in this case I wanted a different type of texture, so the two ovals are actually cut the same size, but there’s a smaller oval cut out of the center of the Melon Mambo oval. That creates a raised frame instead of a mat that sits behind the paper. It’s subtle, but I like the difference.

It’s VERY difficult to see in the full-card photos, but the first one is done with the frame style and the second is done with the mat style. As I said, it’s a very subtle difference, but you notice it when you hold the card in your hand.

Stamps: Petite Petals and Four You
Color Palette: Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Petite Petals punch, Sweet Sorbet DSP, Rhinestone jewels, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Early Espresso Stitched 1/4 inch grosgrain, Ovals Framelits, Decorative Dots TIEF an the Big Shot

You Make Me Happy

Posted on March 27, 2014 by mauistamper

…you make me happy, whether the skies are gray or blue!

Sweet Sorbet Designer series paper makes me happy, too – especially when it’s punched into banners! Stampin’ Up! has really hit the mark with Sale-a-bration DSP the past few years. I’ve got a little stash of Sweet Sorbet set aside just for me, myself and I.

Stamps: See Ya Later and Banner Blast (both SAB 2014)
Color Palette: Whisper White, Pool Party, Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe
Accessories: Pearl jewels and the Banner punch (SAB 2014)

This is an easy card sketch that will adapt to whatever sentiment and DSP you happen to have on your craft table. I made another card using my favorite sentiment from the See Ya Later SAB stamp set:

Don’t tell Mr. Maui Stamper you saw this one, because one of these days it’s gonna be in his carry-on when he’s headed off on business. When I met him, it really did change everything. 🙂

The little heart from the Owl punch fits perfectly at the top – it’s not as modern as the one on the stamp, but the change in color gives it an extra pop.

You’ve got until Monday to pick up these 2014 Sale-a-bration winners. Shop HERE.

A last look at Petal Parade

Posted on March 26, 2014 by mauistamper

March is almost over {gasp} and that means we’ve nearly reached the end of Sale-a-bration 2014. I know some of you folks on the East Coast had snow yesterday – my son told me it snowed on campus too. (There was deep disgust in his voice. He knows full well what the weather is here at home. I was a good mommy – for once – and didn’t mention the warm sunshine.)

If it snowed at your house yesterday, please accept my condolences and this bright Spring bouquet!

Stamps: Petal Parade and Yippee Skippee
Color palette: Summer Starfruit, Gumball Green, Melon Mambo, Pool Party, Basic Black and Whisper White
Accessories: Petite Petal punch, Victorian faceted buttons, Calypso Coral Baker’s twine, Sweet Sorbet DSP

Those faceted vintage buttons are very handy to have around. They come in 3 sizes and reflect colors around them very nicely. I have a nice little stash of them 🙂