Tag Archives: January April 23 Mini

EMBOSS RESIST with BIGGEST WISH

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I get pretty excited when something turns out on paper the way I see it in my head. This rainbow emboss resist technique birthday card REALLY made me dance! I wanted bright colors, and friends, I GOT bright colors!!!

  • Stamps: Biggest Wish
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Orchid Oasis, Tahitian Tide, Parakeet Party, Daffodil Delight, Flirty Flamingo, Polished Pink
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Deckle Rectangle dies, Painted Texture 3D Embossing Folder, White Embossing Powder, Embossing Buddy, Embossing Tray, Heat Tool, Blending Brushes, Glossy Dots, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I embossed a stack of Happy Birthday messages and started playing. Not all of them were Ready For Prime Time results, if you know what I mean. But that’s part of the process, and it’s just paper. This one surely made the cut!

It’s time to open a fresh jar of White Embossing powder. The humidity here in the tropics is brutal. My take on this is that it’s intentional, as it adds more texture. {wink} One little tip: Use a blender pen on top of those broad embossed lines to wipe off any excess ink from the ombré Blending Brush technique. Your white will pop!

I used a larger piece of paper to create the ombré effect with the blends. There are a lot of advantages to doing that: it helps hide any dark spots you might get from working over an edge, and it allows you to choose the best balance of colors when you die cut it. The Deckle Rectangles are my new go-to shape, and stacking them in layers really sets off your focal point.

Another bonus of working on a larger piece of paper is that I had a nice strip left over when I cut the rectangle, which gave me a perfect embellishment for the interior of the card. I love how it brings the rainbow theme inside.

Shop for all the supplies at my Online Store.

Have you been Sale-a-brating? There’s nothing quite as sweet as FREE – and it’s so easy to place a qualifying order. See the choices HERE. If you haven’t purchased our Embossing Tool Kit, add it to your order. You’ll thank yourself over and over again. (If you’ve held off because you have our old tray, wait no longer! This tray has a threaded cap instead of a cork-style cap. Your fingernails will thank you.)

Be sure to subscribe by February 10th for your Craft Escape in a box! The February kit has a sunny theme and includes everything you need to make 9 cards and envelopes. These cards are sure to brighten the day and for the first time ever, there are coordinating dies available as an add-on!

Paper Pumpkin subscriptions deliver ready-to-go projects to your doorstep every month, but you have ultimate control to skip or cancel 😱 if you decide it’s not for you. Don’t miss this kit!

New products in the January-April Mini Catalog are flying off the shelves! Even better, when you place a qualifying order you will choose FREE Sale-a-bration products. Sale-a-bration ends February 28th and as always, those products are while supplies last.

COUNTRY BOUQUET VALENTINE

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It’s nearly Valentines Day, my crafty friends! I’ve combined the Happiness Abounds bundle with the Country Floral Lane Designer Series Paper to create a pair of sweet Valentines. Check your stash of stamps and papers, because I’ll bet you have the supplies to make this card. (If you don’t, hurry off to the Online Store.)

  • Stamps: Happiness Abounds, Country Bouquet, Friendly Gnomes
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Petal Pink, Sweet Sorbet, Daffodil Delight, Mint Macaron
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Blossoming Happiness dies, Stitched Rectangle dies, Stylish Shapes dies, Country Floral Lane Designer Series Paper, Stampin’ Blends, White Crinkle Seam Binding Ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals

The colors in this paper are perfect for Valentines, but they don’t insist on it. This could be a Valentine, a birthday card, a girlfriend card, or a just-because-you’re-so-amazing card. I need to send more of those. I made this one a Valentine, and the “Love You” sentiment comes from Friendly Gnomes – that’s all I used from the set.

One of the delights of our DSP is that the colors, patterns and designs are so easy to mix and match. I flipped things around a bit, and colored the Happiness Abounds flowers with Sweet Sorbet instead of Petal Pink. One design will give you a lot of cards.

It helps to think out your panel sizes before you start cutting. 😉 Our 12 x 12 DSP yields 6 panels measuring 4″ wide and 5 1/4″ tall if you cut carefully. That’s a perfect card front layer, and you’ll still have a nice 1 1/2″ x 12″ strip to play with.

This is a standard 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ card base with that 4″ x 5 1/4″ DSP layer. The smaller DSP panel is cut from the 4th Stitched Rectangle die (counting from largest down to smallest) and the card stock behind it is 2 3/4″ x 4 1/8″. You can do this!!

Whether you choose this design or one of your own, a paper Valentine sent through the mail is a message of love. You can make someone’s day a little brighter doing something you love! Send a Valentine or two to someone who won’t be expecting one. ❤️

Sale-a-bration 2023 is a great time to stock up on basics – or add something new and special to your craft stash. Earn product for FREE with a qualifying purchase. See the choices HERE.

Be sure to subscribe by February 10th for your Craft Escape in a box! The February kit has a sunny theme and includes everything you need to make 9 cards and envelopes. These cards are sure to brighten the day and for the first time ever, there are coordinating dies available as an add-on!

Paper Pumpkin subscriptions deliver ready-to-go projects to your doorstep every month, but you have ultimate control to skip or cancel 😱 if you decide it’s not for you. Don’t miss this kit!

New products in the January-April Mini Catalog are flying off the shelves! Even better, when you place a qualifying order you will choose FREE Sale-a-bration products. Sale-a-bration ends February 28th and as always, those products are while supplies last.

FEBRUARY 2023 DIY: Beautifully Happy

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I did not expect Beautifully Happy to be one of my favorite Sale-a-bration stamp sets*, but there are a lot of things I don’t see coming! I’ve heat embossed a number of these images and colored them with blends. It was a happy surprise to realize this would fit on the top of my DIY Easel Calendar!

*NEWS FLASH!!! New Sale-a-bration items are available as of today, February 1, 2023!! See the bottom of the post for details.

  • Stamps: Beautifully Happy, Forever Fern
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Fresh Freesia, Soft Sea Foam, Highland Heather, Daffodil Delight
  • Accessories: White Embossing Powder, Embossing Buddy, Embossing Tray, Heat Tool, Stampin’ Blends, Wink of Strella

Technically, this image is sideways because that’s the way it fits. I claim artistic license! I’ve used a number of color combinations each time I’ve colored this image, and I’ve found it’s easier to start with the green tone. When that’s done, the flower tells me what color it wants to be. (Yes, I talk to flowers…and markers, pets, my kitchen stove, you name it.)

Coloring with the Stampin’ Blends over an embossed outline is REALLY easy. It gives you a tactile guidance, and I find it you do a quick outline holding your image at an angle it’s easier to see the white lines. The little “dits” from Forever Fern are one of my favorite accents. I hope Forever Fern is around for a very long time!

This is a lovely, soothing color palette and this soft, sweet image is a perfect compliment. We’ve actually had quite a bit of rain and almost a week of grey skies on Maui! I live on the dry, south side of the island so typically if we get rain I barely have time to make a pot of chili before the sun is out again. I’ve even dragged out my “Mainland” clothes from the back of the closet (pants and 3/4 sleeve tee shirts) to ward off the chill. I know, you’re feeling really sorry for me right now.

Take a minute to visit my stampin’ buddy Crystal and see her February calendar. Our “Third Musketeer” is taking a break this month, but you can stop by her blog Create with Cheryl to see her progress on her Alphabet Book she’s making for her Grands.

Thanks for stopping by today – you can find all the supplies you need at the Online Store. I’m happy to help if you have questions about this project.

Sale-a-bration begins MONTH TWO today and kicks off 10 (yes, TEN!) new SAB options! Earn product for FREE with a qualifying purchase. See the new options HERE, and the full offering HERE.

Be sure to subscribe by February 10th for your Craft Escape in a box! The February kit has a sunny theme and includes everything you need to make 9 cards and envelopes. These cards are sure to brighten the day and for the first time ever, there are coordinating dies available as an add-on!

Paper Pumpkin subscriptions deliver ready-to-go projects to your doorstep every month, but you have ultimate control to skip or cancel 😱 if you decide it’s not for you. Don’t miss this kit!

New products in the January-April Mini Catalog are flying off the shelves! Even better, when you place a qualifying order you will choose FREE Sale-a-bration products. Sale-a-bration ends February 28th and as always, those products are while supplies last.

A COUNTRY FLORAL LANE VALENTINE Z-FOLD

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I love templates that yield great results without a lot of effort. The Z-Fold card created with the Country Floral Lane Designer Series paper requires one extra score line and a focal panel that you would have made anyway, right? Take a look:

  • Stamps: Country Bouquet
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Mint Macaron, Sweet Sorbet, Petal Pink
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Deckle Rectangle dies, Water painter, Country Floral Lane DSP, Country Gingham DSP, Country Bouquet Punch, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Unfortunately, the Country Bouquet punch is out of stock until the week of April 17th. Maybe you have another heart punch or some dies that will do the trick! This template would work with a lot of different patterns. Let yourself be inspired!

I scored the front panel 2 1/2″ from the center fold of the card, leaving 1 3/4″ to turn back towards the card front. I used a big sheet of Country Floral Lane DSP on the inside of the card because I liked the look, but also because it left just a small panel to write a note. Sometimes you don’t have a lot to say – but what you do want to say is important.

I used a similar pairing of these papers for some Valentines earlier this month (see it HERE). The mix of patterns, colors, and monochrome designs make it easy to put together a card that pops, but nicely. Happy Valentines Day to all my crafty friends!

Sale-a-bration is halfway through month #2 and new choices are available. Earn product for FREE with a qualifying purchase. See the choices HERE.

Be sure to subscribe by March 10th for your Craft Escape in a box! The March kit is fresh and botanical, and includes a bonus stamp set to celebrate 10 years of Paper Pumpkin. It makes 9 cards and includes coordinating envelopes, and this month’s Stampin’ Spot is Polished Pink.

Paper Pumpkin subscriptions deliver ready-to-go projects to your doorstep every month, but you have ultimate control to skip or cancel 😱 if you decide it’s not for you. Don’t miss this kit!

New products in the January-April Mini Catalog are flying off the shelves! Even better, when you place a qualifying order you will choose FREE Sale-a-bration products. Sale-a-bration ends February 28th and as always, those products are while supplies last.

Love Cats in Dainty Flowers

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Everyone loves an orange cat, right? This Love Cat is suspended in a Dainty Flowers DSP garland that I fussy cut exactly ONCE. I love the surprise in the color combinations of this card!

  • Stamps: Love Cats
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, Basic Black, Polished Pink
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Timeworn Type 3D Embossing Folder, Stamparatus, Paper Snips, Basic Black Journaling Pen, Wink of Stella, Stampin’ Dimensionals, daubers, Dainty Flowers DSP (Sale-a-bration 2023)

I fussy cut that oval from the new Dainty Flowers DSP. It was definitely an act of love, because I got all OCD about it and really worked the edges. I inked up this kitty in Crushed Curry on the Stamparatus, then added some details with Cajun Craze on a dauber and stamped again. This is an ideal application for the Stamparatus!

It’s hard to see the Stella – there must be a trick to capturing it, but it’s not in my toolbox! You can see that Timeworn Type though. It’s an ideal background when you don’t want to draw a lot of attention, but want a little texture. And I pulled the Rich Razzleberry for the card front straight from the DSP. There’s a lot of inspiration in those designs!

The Dainty Flowers DSP includes shapes like this on paper that has a textural element. That background in the center of the floral oval isn’t embossed, it just has a wonderful stucco kind of printed texture. I think it adds a lot!

If this isn’t a great Valentine message, I don’t know what is. Add the Love Cats stamps to your shopping cart right HERE.

New products in the January-April Mini Catalog are flying off the shelves! Even better, when you place a qualifying order you will choose FREE Sale-a-bration products. Sale-a-bration ends February 28th and as always, those products are while supplies last.

Be sure to subscribe by February 10th for your Craft Escape in a box! The February kit has a sunny theme and includes everything you need to make 9 cards and envelopes. These cards are sure to brighten the day and for the first time ever, there are coordinating dies available as an add-on!

Paper Pumpkin subscriptions deliver ready-to-go projects to your doorstep every month, but you have ultimate control to skip or cancel 😱 if you decide it’s not for you. Don’t miss this kit!

The 2023 DIY Template is available for just $5. You may use it to make as many calendars as you like. It includes a page of covers, 12 monthly calendar blocks (4 to a page), and a set of cutting instructions. The blocks are designed to be cut to 3 1/2″ square.

Maui Stamper 2023 DIY Easel Calendar template $5

Contact me to make your payment – I use Square to invoice, and you don’t need an account to use it.

JANUARY 2023 DIY: Friendly Gnomes

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Here’s a Sneak Peek for the New Year: Friendly Gnomes!

  • Stamps: Friendly Gnomes
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Flirty Flamingo, Highland Heather, Soft Succulent, Daffodil Delight, Sweet Sorbet, Naturals 500, 700, 800, Memento Black
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Gnome Dies, Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Dimensionals

More gnomes! As of January 5, the Friendly Gnomes stamps will be available to everyone – but if you were a demonstrator, you could have had them in your hands since December 1st. Just sayin’.

I love that little squirrel! It’s included with the Friendlies, along with the balloons, the greenery, and a Gnomey Mushroom House. There are lots of creative possibilities ensuring that there will be Gnomes A-Plenty at the Maui Stamper in 2023.

While the Friendly Gnomes aren’t available until next Thursday, they coordinate with the dies from the July-December 22 Mini. The Kindest Gnomes stamps are sold out, but you can see the Gnome Dies HERE.

I considered a palette that reflected winter, but in the end I really wanted to use pastel, springtime tones. Mr. Stamper and I spent some time around Thanksgiving in the Southwest, and we had our share of cold and snow, so I was ready to put that behind me. (If you live in a place that is currently snowy and cold, believe me, you have my deepest sympathies. I was ok with it for a couple of weeks, but clearly I have a tropical constistution.)

The DIY Easel Calendar is the perfect place to play with Stampin’ Blends! It’s a small space, so everything is quick and easy. If you need to add to your Blends collection (or replace a worn-out, beloved color) you can find them all HERE.

Please visit my dear friends Crystal (Hannie Joy and Crafts) and Cheryl (Create with Cheryl) to see what they’ve chosen for the first day of January. We really enjoy creating these calendars for you!

Thanks for visiting today, and Happy New Year!

Our Mini Catalog is in the final days! Don’t miss the Last Chance Products. While you’re in the store, take a look at the Clearance Rack as well – some of those goodies are perfect for Valentines!

January 2023 Paper Pumpkin Key to My Heart Card Kit

Be sure to subscribe by January 10th for your Craft Escape in a box! The January kit is a sweetheart theme and includes everything you need to make 9 cards and envelopes. It’s a nod to the tradition of hanging a lock on a bridge with your sweetheart – but this one is all paper!

Paper Pumpkin subscriptions deliver ready-to-go projects to your doorstep every month, but you have ultimate control to skip or cancel 😱 if you decide it’s not for you. Don’t miss this kit!

Maui Stamper 2023 DIY Easel Calendar template $5

The 2023 DIY Template is available for just $5. You may use it to make as many calendars as you like. It includes a page of covers, 12 monthly calendar blocks (4 to a page), and a set of cutting instructions. The blocks are designed to be cut to 3 1/2″ square.

Contact me to make your payment – I use Square to invoice, and you don’t need an account to use it.