Tag Archives: Big Boss

Beauty of the Earth Designer Series Paper

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We don’t see many traditional fall colors on Maui, but nevertheless I’ve fallen in love with Beauty of the Earth Designer Series paper. It conveys a feeling of autumn without having a strong regional sense, and the colors are so warm and inviting.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Beauty of the Earth DSP Forever Flourishing Dies handmade card
  • Stamps: Forever Fern, Art Gallery
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Garden Green, Merry Merlot, Pumpkin Pie
  • Accessories: Copper Foil sheets, Big Boss, Forever Flourishing dies, Scalloped Contour dies, Stitched Rectangle dies, Blending Brush, Linen Thread, Stampin Dimensionals

Beauty of the Earth is a stunning pack of autumn colored Designer Series papers. While it’s designed to coordinate with the Beauty of Friendship bundle, I’ve found it works wonderfully with many different stamps and dies. I had a hunch that the Copper Foil sheets would really shine (lol) as a focal point with this design.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Beauty of the Earth DSP Forever Flourishing Dies handmade card

I did a second version with a different paper from the same Designer Series paper assortment. I kept it simpler with fewer layers and a little spritz created by flicking my markers. I love the dash of Night of Navy in this paper – it’s not 100% realism, but sometimes I need a break from reality.

In the News You Can Use department, our seasonal sale is coming up! Mark your calendar and order early, as I predict these essentials will fly out the door. Save on

  • Card stock 10%
  • Stampin’ Up! ink (exclusive of bundles) 15%
  • Dies – yes, dies – 20%

When you order your ink pads, be sure to add the coordinating ink refill to your order. It’s just a few extra dollars, and trust me, you’ll be so glad to have it on hand! Plan your orders in the Online Store so you’re ready to go on November 16th.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Start With Savings Demonstrator Promotion November 2021

How would you spend $75? Through November 30, you can sign up to save on every order you place – and join a community of friendship, inspiration and fantastic support. Your $75 turns into $125 of Stampin’ Up! product that YOU choose – free of shipping – and is your ticket to the Maui Stampers and the inside world of Stampin’ Up! Contact me with your questions or join now!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Edens Garden

Don’t forget the gorgeous Eden’s Garden Suite, available now as a sneak peek from the January – June 2022 Mini Catalog.

October 2021 DIY: Clever Cat (and pumpkin!)

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I’ve embraced a Halloween theme for October this year. I don’t always, but this goofy jack-o-lantern from Clever Cat stole my heart. How can you resist him with that Sorting Hat on top?

Maui Stamper Stampin Up October 2021 DIY Easel Calendar Clever Cats
  • Stamps: Clever Cat
  • Color Palette: Memento Black, Basic White, Pumpkin Pie, Cinnamon Cider, Cajun Craze
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Forever Flourishing dies, Paper Snips, Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I fussy cut the cat and jack-o-lantern, and then cut apart a couple of leaf images from the Forever Flourishing dies to create some fall foliage (or what I imagine would be fall foliage, that’s not really a thing here on Maui.) Forever Flourishing is such a versatile set of dies!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up October 2021 DIY Easel Calendar Clever Cats

Stampin’ Blends are my favorite coloring medium, hands down. I’m still learning different techniques for color grading and shadowing, but that doesn’t stop me from playing with them every chance I get. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s handmade!

Be sure you stop by to see what Cheryl and Crystal have created for October.

If you’d like to create your own calendar, the 2022 DIY Calendar PDF is available for sale. Click on Contact the Maui Stamper and send me your email and I’ll invoice you. It’s just $5, and you’re welcome to create for your own use as well as for sale. Please note this is a PDF – you’ll receive a file and print your own copies.

September 2021 DIY: Hand-Penned Petals

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Don’t put any money on this yet, but I think Hand Penned Petals may be my favorite set from the 21-22 Annual Catalog. I love the images, and what’s more, they are REALLY fun to color with Stampin’ Blends.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up September 2021 DIY Easel Calendar Hand Penned Petals
  • Stamps: Hand Penned Petals
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Shaded Spruce, Black
  • Accessories: Stampin’ Blends, Big Boss, Penned Flowers dies, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Multi-Purpose Glue, Paper Snips, Blending Brushes

Because this image doesn’t quite fill the space, I was looking for something subtle to add behind it. I tried various leaves and backgrounds, but even when I used a very light hand it felt like too much. The moment I realized this was a perfect job for Blending Brushes, I knew I’d found what I needed.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up September 2021 DIY Easel Calendar Hand Penned Petals

I did a bit of fussy cutting and layered the flowers and leaves. It’s absolutely not necessary as this image stands on its own very well, but I was in a moooood.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up September 2021 DIY Easel Calendar Hand Penned Petals

Please take a moment to visit Cheryl and Crystal and see their September 2021 DIY Easel calendars!

And, yes, I’m happy to announce that today I have the 2022 DIY Calendar PDF available for sale. Click on Contact the Maui Stamper and send me your email and I’ll invoice you. It’s just $5, and you’re welcome to create for your own use as well as for sale, but please don’t share the PDF. Share the link to this post and encourage your friends to support a small business instead. You’ll feel so much better if you do.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up SALE-a-bration 2021 8-3 to 9-30

Today begins Month #2 of SALE-a-bration 2021 #2! Your qualifying order earns exclusive merchandise free of charge, including Beautifully Penned 12×12 Designer Series Paper. It coordinates perfectly with the Hand Penned stamps.That’s what you expect from Stampin’ Up!, right?

Shop HERE.

Stampin’ Blends and the Alcohol Technique

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I spent a marvelous afternoon a couple of weeks ago playing with Stampin’ Blends and the alcohol technique in Crystal’s Stampin’ Garage. It took a few tries to get the hang of it, but once we got over that bump we couldn’t stop. All you really need are Stampin’ Blends, vellum, a small paintbrush, and 91% rubbing alcohol.

(Who knew 91% Rubbing Alcohol was so hard to find? Thanks, Covid.)

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Stampin Blends Alcohol Technique Happy Birthday card
  • Stamps: Art Gallery
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Misty Moonlight, Garden Green, Balmy Blue
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Stitched Rectangle dies, Forever Flourishing dies, Poinsettia dies, vellum card stock, 91% rubbing alcohol, small paint brush, small dropper, Stampin’ Spritzer, Stampin’ Dimensionals

You need a non-porous paper like vellum for this technique to work. It’s pretty simple: add color with Stampin’ Blends in any pattern you like. Use 91% rubbing alcohol to reactivate the ink and gently move it around, color by color. Finally, add interest by dripping the alcohol with a small dropper, the Stampin’ Spritzer, or the flick of your paintbrush.

I chose to add these leafy elements, but some of my results needed nothing more than a sentiment. I learned that I like more monochromatic combinations, especially blues and greens. (HUGE surprise there, eh?)

Maui Stamper Stampin Up SALE-a-bration 2021 8-3 to 9-30

Shop early, shop often – your supplies for this project or your holiday crafting can earn free stamps, paper and accessories! SALE-a-bration runs through 30 September 2021, but supplies are limited! Shop HERE.

You’re A Peach and Biggest Wish Birthday

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Birthday cards mean a lot to me. Of course I love to get them, but let’s face it: that’s once a year. Rather, I love to send them. Most of us get so little personal mail anymore, so I like to be a little bit of sunshine in someone’s mailbox. As a result, I make a LOT of birthday cards!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up You're A Peach Biggest Wish Birthday
  • Stamps: Biggest Wish
  • Color Palette: Petal Pink, Basic White, Calypso Coral
  • Accessories: You’re A Peach Designer Series Paper (on sale til August 2!), Big Boss, Stitched Rectangle dies, Petal Pink Organdy Striped Ribbon, Pearl jewels, Stampin’ Dimensionals, staple

The You’re A Peach DSP is a stunner!! And it’s on sale (along with 8 other collections) through August 2nd. Every single piece of this paper is gorgeous, and the designs on the “B” side are beautiful, versatile monochromatic prints that make great accent elements on a card. It’s a perfect summertime paper, even if you choose to get it without the coordinating Sweet as a Peach bundle. (But why would you?)

I had a narrow strip left over when I cut my panel for the front of the card, so I used it along the bottom of the inside of the card. Little extras like this are what set apart a hand-made card, and this one is easy as can be. Card base, DSP, one die cut with a sentiment, a couple sticky jewels and a stapled ribbon! I choose to line the inside of every card with a 4″ x 5 1/4″ Basic White panel unless the card base is Basic White. I prefer the finished look that extra step provides, and it literally costs just pennies.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up You're A Peach Biggest Wish Birthday

When you have paper this gorgeous, you can create beautiful cards and have them in the mail before breakfast! (NOT BEFORE COFFEE. BEFORE BREAKFAST.) Every design in the You’re a Peach pack will give you these results, and if you add in the versatile Biggest Wish stamp set, you could have a month’s worth of cards with a quick morning’s work. Ready to get started? Shop HERE.

Sassy Snailed It Snails

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Here’s one last peek at the Sassy Snailed It snails! It’s a snail parade, celebrating great accomplishments – I’ve die cut and colored this lineup with Stampin’ Blends. I have LOVED this stamp set, and I’ll be sorry to see it retire in just a couple of weeks.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Snailed It Handmade Card DIY
  • Stamps: Snailed It, Picture Perfect Birthday (retired sentiment)
  • Color Palette: Poppy Parade, Pale Papaya, Granny Apple Green, Pool Party, Highland Heather, Gray Granite, Basic Black, Basic White
  • Accessories: Snailed dies, Big Boss, Stampin Blends, Peony Garden (retired Designer Series paper)

(My apologies: I used a couple of retired elements for this card.)

I cut out a bunch of these snails and started playing with colors. I decided I liked using Gray Granite as a neutral body color to offset the rainbow of snail shells, and once that was in place, the fun of combining the colors began!

I thought that setting alternate snails up on Stampin’ Dimensionals helped separate them and give more sense of motion. The shading got easier as I went along, as I could just repeat the process with different colors.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Snailed It Handmade Card DIY

I created another version with a Gorgeous Grape card base and Flirty Flamingo, Daffodil Delight, Mint Macaron, Balmy Blue and Gorgeous Grape snail shells. I used the Gray Granite blend to shadow underneath the die cut snails.

This bundle leaves the lineup for good on June 30. Shop the Online Store for your own Slither of Snails!

Color and Contour and Stampin Blends

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Can I just go out on a limb and say you NEED the Color and Contour Bundle? The images and sentiments make gorgeous cards, and the dies – especially the layering scalloped rectangles – are indispensable. Oh, and Blends: you’ll need Stampin’ Blends.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Color and Contour Stampin Blends #handmadecard #DIY #makeacardsendacard #fancyfold
  • Stamps: Color and Contour, Sweet Strawberry
  • Color Palette: Pale Papaya, Mint Macaron, Basic White, Memento Black
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Scallop Contour dies, White Crinkled Seam Binding ribbon, 21-23 In Color DSP, Champagne Rhinestones, Stampin Dimensionals

This card is a Fancy Fold. It’s pretty tricky to photograph and get the full impact, but the scalloped focal point opens on a hinge to the right, and the card opens the normal way to the left. My inspiration was a Stamptastic Designs Youtube video and she does a great job of explaining how the card is constructed.

I used the dark Mint Macaron Stampin’ Blend to color the White Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon. It is VERY easy to do, and dries in the blink of an eye. (Really.) I also used the leaf image to create an abstract border on the white panel inside of the card. Those little extras aren’t necessary – but they make a card so personal.

Each scalloped rectangle has a different detail on the edge, but they nest beautifully. The large stitched scallop edge die is also part of the set, and I confess I clapped my hands and laughed out loud when I figured out that I could add that to the edge of the card. Those details are truly a Stampin’ Up! trademark.

Spend a little happy time coloring with Stampin’ Blends this weekend. And don’t forget the Last Chance products from the January – June Mini Catalog! They’re available while supplies last, but gone for good on June 30th. Find all of them HERE, and click HERE if you’d rather just see those on sale.

Maui Stamper Last Chance 2021 January-June

Hand-Penned Petals and Stampin’ Blends

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I need to practice my coloring skills with Stampin’ Blends, so I produced a handful of images from Hand-Penned Petals and got to work. To my delight, this image is a PERFECT image for the purpose! Not too big, not too small, not too complex – it’s just right. Here’s what I did with the results:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Hand Penned Petals handmade card
  • Stamps: Hand-Penned Petals
  • Color Palette: Pale Papaya, Pumpkin Pie, Granny Apple Green, Basic White, Memento Black
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Penned Flowers dies, Stitched Rectangle dies, 21-23 In Color DSP 6×6 pack, White Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon, Stampin Dimensionals, Champagne Rhinestones

Today’s serendipity: The Champagne Rhinestones are a FABULOUS match with Pale Papaya! (Forgive me shouting, please.)

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Hand Penned Petals handmade card

The White Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon is my favorite. When tied, it’s still soft enough to slip through the USPS without extra postage. You can add color with Stampin’ Blends. And it’s just so pretty! It’s part of my Must Have Stash.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Hand Penned Petals handmade card

My technique with Stampin’ Blends is pretty simple. I start with an overall light blend wash, then add the deeper tones and go back with the light tone to do the blending. I use the shading marks in the stamp to guide me, but I don’t have a sophisticated system for dark/light placement. Learning that is on my to-do list <wink>

The Hand Penned stamps and dies are available in a bundle, saving you precious crafting dollars! Stop by the Online Store to get yours today.

While you’re shopping, don’t forget to check out Last Chance shopping for the January – June 2021 Mini Catalog! June 30 is the retiring date for products in that catalog that don’t carry forward in the new 21-22 Annual catalog. Don’t miss out – check the Mini Catalog page HERE.

Maui Stamper Last Chance 2021 January-June

Friends Are Like Seashells: June 2021 DIY

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When I realized I had yet to create a seashells calendar I had a moment of disbelief: how had I neglected that? Never fear, the situation is remedied. And June is a lovely month to think of seashells and sandy shores and all things beachy:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Friends Are Like Seashells DIY Calendar June 2021
Friends A
  • Stamps: Friends Are Like Seashells
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Petal Pink, Soft Succulent, Crumb Cake
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Seashells dies, Blending Brushes, Stampin Dimensionals, Wink of Stella, Silver and Clear Epoxy Essentials, Water Painter

I was inspired by a very talented Aussie demonstrator named Narelle Farrugia. She’s on the Artisan Design Team for Stampin’ Up!, and when you see her work it’s clear why she earned that opportunity. Check out her work – I’m sure she’ll inspire you!

I used Petal Pink and the Blending Brushes to create a soft, tropical background, and used the Brushes on some of those die cut images as well to soften them. Color is a never-ending experiment for me, which is one of the reasons I love stamping so much. I don’t have to draw – and I’ve never been happy with the results when I do – so stamping allows me to focus on the parts that I like. These die cut images are layered with dimensionals and multi-purpose glue to create a little dimension on this tiny canvas.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Friends Are Like Seashells DIY Calendar June 2021

I’m looking forward to seeing these seashells each day in my crafting space. I’m in the midst of a re-organization, and that’s messy work. These soothing colors and reminders of the beach will help me keep my focus.

Maui Stamper Last Chance 2021 January-June

There are FABULOUS savings beginning today on the products featured in the January – June 2021 mini catalog. Do not hesitate – these deals will fly off the webpage! Shop HERE.

If you’d like your own printable 2021 calendar pdf, please contact me with your email. It’s $5 and you can print as many as you’d like! I know there are early-birds out there, but the 2022 pdf won’t be ready until the fall. I promise to let you know as soon as it is.

Stop by to see what Cheryl and Crystal have done for June – every month we have a teeny DIY calendar blog tour! And if you’d like to do add the Seashell stamps, dies, and embossing folder to your crafty stash, shop HERE.

….annnnd a little dose of Vitamin Sea from a sweaty but very happy Maui Stamper!! Mr. Maui Stamper and I have a tandem bike and take it out most Sundays for a spin. This past Sunday was especially gorgeous, even by Maui standards!

Hand-Penned Petals and a DIY background

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I did my best to create a simple card, using one stamp set and just the Big Boss and some dies. It’s not an absolute beginner card, but it’s an easy one to re-create. I’d love it if you gave it a go:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Hand-Penned Petals hand-stamped card DIY
  • Stamps: Hand-Penned Petals
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Memento Black, Pear Pizazz, BumbleBee
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Stitched Rectangle dies, Penned Flowers dies, Stampin Dimensionals

My technique was VERY simple. I stamped the focal point with Memento Black ink on a piece of Basic White and stamped the flowers and petals each twice without re-inking (that’s what creates that lighter color layer particularly visible on the flowers). Then I inked the focal point in Pear Pizazz and lightly stamped it off on a scrap, then stamped it onto my Basic White Stitched Rectangle (that technique is called stamping off). I repeated that process until my background was sufficiently filled, stamped the sentiment right on top of it with Memento Black, and positioned the focal point with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Hand-Penned Petals hand-stamped card DIY
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Sooo…about the inside. It’s a special double panel inside. It didn’t start out that way, but when I opened the card to add the panel, I placed it on my craft table upside down, so the panel was on the wrong side. I tried to lift it, but oh no, I did a good job of pressing my Stampin’ Seal in place and it wasn’t going ANYWHERE. So I made this a double panel card.

Tell me you’ve never done that.

The Hand-Penned bundle is a great beginner set. The images can be hand colored, or stamped with our Two Step Stampin’ process to be quick and easy. Shop for it HERE.