The Gang’s All Meer for 2020!

Posted on January 1, 2020 by mauistamper

Happy New Year! January First is the original fresh start, new leaf turned over, time to renew…you’ve heard them all. It’s also 2 days before Sale-a-bration 2020, and I think it’s safe to say that The Gang’s All Meer will be a huge favorite.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up The Gang's All Mere SAB 2020

Stamps: The Gang’s All Meer (SAB 2020)
Color Palette: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Seaside Spray, Flirty Flamingo, Early Espresso, Granny Apple Green, Garden Green
Accessories: Watercolor Pencils, Watercolor Pencils Assortment 2, Blender Pen, Stampin’ Sponge

Maui Stamper Stampin Up The Gang's All Meer SAB 2020

I used our Watercolor Pencils to color the image and softened the lines with the Blender Pen. I took the liberty of adding hair-bows to a couple of the ‘cats and even added a little color on lips and eyes.

I was able to add those fine details because I found a LIFE CHANGING pencil sharpener. Really. This tool has a little dial on the front, and you can have it make your pencil super-dee-duper sharp or wider and softer for coloring. Life changing, I tell you!

It comes in turquoise or pink or black (ho hum) and you can even get a two-pack. I got mine on Amazon.

The 2020 DIY Calendar PDF is still available and it’s just $5. Please click Contact the Maui Stamper above and message me your email (we’re all a lot less likely to be spammed if I do it this way).

Crystal and Cheryl are sharing their calendars again this year – stop by to see how they’re kicking off 2020.

And of course, if you need supplies, check out the Online Store. The Holiday Catalog will be finished, kaput, complete at close of business Mountain TIme on January 2nd.

The (DIY CALENDAR) Year in Review

Posted on December 31, 2019 by mauistamper

Tomorrow – NEWS FLASH – is January 1st and there will be a new DIY Calendar to begin the year. As I planned that project, I took some time to reflect on 2019 and I thought you might enjoy seeing all 12 months. Click on the month and it will take you to the page with all the details.

Kind of fun to look back, isn’t it? I have such a great time with these little pages, precisely because they’re small. I couldn’t pick a favorite if I tried, but it’s clear I like birds and flowers!

You can make your own DIY Calendar for 2020! The PDF is just $5 and if you click on Contact the Maui Stamper above and send me your email, we’ll get you set up in a jiffy.

Be safe tonight! I’ll be back tomorrow with – you guessed it – the first 2020 DIY Easel Calendar!

Gratitude 2019

Posted on November 1, 2019 by mauistamper

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!

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!

October 2019: Spooktacular Bash DIY Easel Calendar

Posted on October 1, 2019 by mauistamper

Happy October First! It’s the month of ghosties, ghoulies and mummies as well as yummy treats – I’m not sure I’m as excited about these treats as the mummy is, but to each their own, right?

Stamps: Spooktacular Bash
Color Palette: Whisper White, Pool Party, Smoky Slate, Granny Apple Green, Petal Pink
Accessories: Ornate Frames Dies, Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I’m kinda in love with the Mummy. I think it’s the eyes. I mean, really, look at them all side-eye! Perfect for the jars o’ bits, and perfect for coloring with Stampin’ Blends.

Enjoy your October! It’s a fun month as autumn starts to feel real (OK, who am I kidding – I live on Maui – all we’re asking is that the insane heat we have had all summer Goes Away!!) Halloween is a fun time here in the islands, because trick-or-treating doesn’t require boots or parkas.

Please stop by to see what Crystal and Cheryl have created for October. If you are interested in creating your own DIY Easel calendar, I have the 2020 pdf for sale. It’s only $5 – let me know if you’re interested.

August 2019 DIY: Lilypad Lake

Posted on August 1, 2019 by mauistamper

It’s been HOT. Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere have had some really hot summer days in the past few weeks, and here in South Maui it’s been no exception. When it’s this hot, the best place to be is on the water! I’ll be there as much as possible this month, even when I’m at my craft desk.

Stamps: Lilypad Lake
Color Palette: Whisper White, Mango Melody, Pretty Peacock
Accessories: Big Shot, Lakeside Dies, Memento Black Ink, Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I usually look through the previous months when I sit down to create a new calendar card, but apparently I haven’t done a very thorough job! When I reviewed the first half of the year, I found birds and flowers. Lots of birds, and lots of flowers. I know, you’re shocked, right? I needed to break the pattern this month.

You could create this calendar in just about any color combination you like, and I think it would be fabulous in rainbow hues. I’m pretty smitten with Pretty Peacock right now, especially as that’s about the color of my ocean in the late afternoon.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to visit Crystal and Cheryl and see how they’re keeping cool in August. If you’d like to make your own calendar, I’ve made the 2020 pdf available. Each calendar page is 3.5″ square, and I pair them with a 3.75″ mat so they fit very nicely on the small wooden easels available in just about any craft store. The pdf is $5 and you can print as many copies as you like! Contact me and I’ll send you an invoice.

Keep cool! And shop HERE!

July 2019 Calendar: Free as a Bird V2

Posted on July 1, 2019 by mauistamper

The namesake birds in the Free as a Bird set are the July stars:

Stamps: Free as a Bird
Color Palette: whisper White, Basic Black, Old Olive, Pool Party, Soft Suede, So Saffron, and Rococo Rose
Accessories: Stampin’ Blends

I really enjoy coloring with Stampin’ Blends. I’m not an expert by any stretch but that hasn’t stopped me from experimenting! These calendars sit on MY craft desk and I’ll color them any way I please. 😊

These calendars are such a delight to create. The format is small and they only sit out for a month, so they provide a perfect opportunity to try something new.

Visit Crystal and Cheryl for their July DIY calendars. If you’d like to purchase the pdf for either 2019 or 2020 please message me. It’s just $5 and it’s a great way to explore your own tiny desktop creativity.

June 2019 DIY Calendar: Free as a Bird

Posted on June 1, 2019 by mauistamper

Happy June First! Just a couple more days until the debut of the 2019-2020 Annual Catalog. My calendar for June features a new stamp set, but I’m not using the birds. Instead, I chose these sweet flowers and our new In Color, Rococo Rose:

Stamps: Free as a Bird (available June 4), Good Morning Magnolia (available June 4)
Color Palette: Whisper White, Pear Pizazz, Rococo Rose (available June 4), Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Stampin’ Write Markers, Aqua Painter

I used a sticky note mask to layer the floral images, and added a touch of Daffodil Delight in the center to brighten them up. Other than that, this is a very simple and quick design that can be incorporated into a variety of designs. The sentiment is from Good Morning Magnolia.

I have both the 2019 and 2020 DIY Easel Calendars available for $5 as a PDF – they’re such fun to create! Message me and we’ll get you started today.

Be sure to visit Cheryl and Crystal to see what they’ve done for June.

If you don’t have a demonstrator and need a 2019-2020 catalog, message me and I’ll get one into your hands. This one’s a stunner.

DIY Calendar April First, and that’s no Fool

Posted on April 1, 2019 by mauistamper

It’s no April Fool! The first of each month I share a DIY Easel calendar for your pleasure and inspiration and today is April 1! (I checked!!)

Stamps: Vibrant Vases
Color palette: Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Granny Apple Green
Accessories: Stampin’ Write markers, Wink of Stella

I’m not sure what possessed me to get all Stella, but it was fun! I started with the Bermuda Bay Stampin’ Write marker, because I wanted to add a little color to the vases. It just took off from there.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Stampin' Storage Solutions 2019

Today there is a brand new product line that I think you will LOVE! We have a modular storage solution for ink pads, markers, Stampin’ Blends, Ink Refills, and whatever odds and ends you can imagine. Visit the Online Store for details!

Be sure to check out what Cheryl and Crystal have created for April!

All That You Are – March 2019

Posted on March 1, 2019 by mauistamper

If you’ve followed the Maui Stamper, you’ll know that the first of each month I share my version of a small desktop easel calendar. It’s a delightful format precisely because it is so small, and I’m finding that I enjoy coloring these little pages.

Stamps: All That You Are
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Black, Mint Macaron, Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Petal Pink, Flirty Flaming
Accessories: Memento Ink, Stampin’ Blends, Sticky Notes

I often have help in the craft room these days, and even more so in the morning when the sun streams in the windows. It’s been a cold winter on Maui – this morning it was 61°.

(Before you tell me how cold it was in Minnebraska this morning, remember that we live in sundresses and rubber slippers and don’t have heat in our homes. Our bodies are accustomed to 78°, partly cloudy with scattered showers. I live on the dry side of the island where annual rainfall is 11 inches and it seldom gets below 76°. 61° is cold!)

Ahem. So, back to my helper. She’s adorable, but she’s a big pest. I can’t tell you how challenging it is to color with Bella “helping”. She’s never still for long, and she likes to bump things to tell you how much she likes them. I’ll bet there are plenty of you who can relate:

Crystal and Cheryl and I have a mini-blog hop with our DIY Calendars each month, and I hope you’ll visit them as well to see what they’ve created for March. You can search DIY Calendar or click on the tags to see years worth of these little calendar pages! I have the pdf available for you to create your own as well – message me and I’ll send you an invoice. It’s just $5!

There’s news on the Sale-a-bration front as well! Stampin’ Up! has added product from the Annual Catalog to the $50 Level Sale-a-bration rewards. There are also new coordinating products for Sale-a-bration available. I’ll be back soon with more details. Happy Crafting!

February 2019 DIY: Hey Love

Posted on February 1, 2019 by mauistamper

Welcome to February at the Maui Stamper! I’m celebrating with these crazy long-legged birds from Hey Love in the Occasions 2019 catalog. You don’t see them there? Well, I do have a little trick…

Stamps: Hey Love
Color Palette: Memento Black, Flirty Flamingo, Granny Apple Green, Balmy Blue
Accessories: Sticky note, Paper Snips, Stampin’ Write marker, Stampin’ Blends

I masked off the little short legs that this birdie was given by the (awesome) artists at Stampin’ Up! using a sticky note. I inked them in Memento Black and stamped them up and down across the calendar – and as you can see, one of them is on the way out. Using a Basic Black Stampin’ Write marker, I drew legs on each bird. I was inspired by Sharni Haines in THIS POST.

It’s not too late to create your own 2019 DIY Easel Calendar. I’ve made the pdf available for your personal use at a cost of $5. It includes 12 months plus a cover should you choose to gift your own version of a DIY calendar. Just message me your email and I’ll be glad to send you an invoice.

My favorite crafty buddies in the whole wide world have February calendars to share with you too. Visit Crystal and Cheryl for more 2019 goodness.

If you’d like to draw legs on your own set of birds, shop HERE.