Tag Archives: Just Believe

Choosing colors

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The way I look at it, sympathy cards pose a unique challenge.  I want them to convey hope, warmth and comfort, while still acknowledging the fact that a family is grieving.  The challenge for me is in choosing the colors; I want them to lift the spirit but still be soothing.

Just Believe With Sympathy

  • Just Believe and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp sets
  • Concord Crush Classic ink pad
  • Whisper White, Pear Pizazz, So Saffron and Concord Crush card stock
  • Stampin’ Sponge
  • Pearl Jewels
  • Modern Label Punch
  • Crop-a-dile
  • Pear Pizazz Seam Binding

I made 10 of these for a ministry group at my church.  When they need cards, I’ll come up with 2 or 3 designs and make 10 of each – it’s much more enjoyable for me than 20 or 30 of the same design.  10 is my magic number when it comes to production – more than that and I start wondering why on earth I said I would do this!

I’m very fond of the Just Believe stamp set, but I have a feeling it may be on the retired list this year.  It was a convention set in 2010.   Stampin’ Up! gives us heaps of free stamps at Convention, and they’re always brand new.  I’ve heard that the Powers That Be are planning on cleaning house a little bit and giving us a fresh start with a lot of new product, so I’m trying to put myself in the right frame of mind to say good-bye to some old favorites.  Cross your fingers that Teeny Tiny Wishes makes the cut and remains to stamp another year – that set is my absolute sentiment anchor!!!

The most difficult thing to let go of will be Pear Pizazz.  It’s a 2010-2012 In Color, and since it’s 2012 now that means Pear Pizazz (plus Blush Blossom, Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait and Concord Crush) will be retiring to make room for a new group of colors.  Embrace change!!

So what do you think?  Are these colors hopeful or hopelessly bright?

The Wonder of Wisteria

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Wisteria Wonder was the first 2011-2012 In Color selection featured in my Getting to Know the In Colors class series.  I had one of those happy moments when I held it up and everyone ooohed and aahhhed:

  • Just Believe and Bella Toile stamp sets
  • Crumb Cake Classic ink pad
  • Wisteria Wonder and Concord Crush Stampin’ Write markers
  • Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake and Concord Crush card stock
  • Wisteria Wonder Patterns Prints Designer Series Paper (In Color collection)
  • Wisteria Wonder 3/8 inch ruffled ribbon
  • Blender pen
  • Pearl Jewels

It’s a very simple card, but I love the combination of colors, and I love that Just Believe stamp set.   Someone in class asked if that was an “old” stamp set – it was brand new LAST year!  It doesn’t seem old to me, because I always find new ways to use the images in the set.

The main image in this card is inked with Crumb Cake ink, and the ink is removed from the flower portions of the image with a Blender Pen.  We used the Wisteria Wonder Stampin’ Write marker to add color back to the flowers, and then used the flat edge of the Concord Crush marker to accent the centers of the flowers before we stamped the image.

I’ve seen many cards using Wisteria Wonder and neutrals.  That seems to be a really popular pairing, especially Wisteria Wonder and Crumb Cake.   (hijack:  I know Stampin’ Up! likes colors to have two-word, alliterative names, but really, what was wrong with Kraft??)  I like that look myself, but enough is enough.  We did some projects with other color combinations too. (stay tuned)

Here’s the inside of the card:

Just Believe In Wisteria Wonder inside

Oh dear, my title is going to create havoc with Google searches by gardeners in love with a vine.  My bad 🙂

 

 

Two-Steppin’

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If you don’t mind, I’m taking a little break from holiday cards.  The holidays are a wonderful time to make and send cards, but enough is enough already – too much of the same thing makes the Maui Stamper a dull girl.

Fast and Fabulous Cherry Cobbler

  • Fast and Fabulous, Charming, Just Believe and Wonderfully Worn stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler and Not Quite Navy card stock
  • Cherry Cobbler and Not Quite Navy Classic ink pads; Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Write marker
  • XL Decorative Label punch
  • Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding

Fast and Fabulous is a Level II hostess set, and I recently added it to my stamp library.  (Doesn’t that sound glorious?  So much better than heap.)   It’s a two-step stamp, which I consider a double dip because you can use the two step technique when you want a fast card, or you can just use the outline and then watercolor when you have more time.  It’s almost December first – any question about which technique I’ll be using??

I made a 3×3 note card with this same design just because I could:

Fast and Fabulous 3x3

Remember, these photos were from my “Not Using This Again” photo set-up, so they look kinda wonky.  I don’t know how you can take a perfectly square card and make it look this distorted, but if it takes talent then I am the Distortion Queen.   Trust me when I tell you this card is perfectly square in real life.

Tomorrow is the last day of the fabulous $87.50 Demonstrator Kit Special, so if you’d like to become a card carryin’ Stampin’ Up! demonstrator skedaddle yourself to www.AnneMatasci.StampinUp.net and sign up pronto!  My card-carryin’-demonstrator password is themauistamper.

Thankful

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And a very belated Happy Thanksgiving to you all:

Happy Thanksgiving

  • Just Believe and Thankful For stamp sets
  • Very Vanilla, Peach Parfait and Chocolate Chip card stock
  • Early Espresso, Peach Parfait and Cajun Craze Classic ink pads
  • Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon (retired)
  • Big Shot, Top Note Bigz die and Beautiful Wings Embosslit

The problem with taking an extended blogging leave of absence is that when I return I have WAY too much to tell you in one post, plus there’s always the extraneous blather I ladle over the top.  It’s sort of like a Thanksgiving dinner plate, overloaded with food and drowned in gravy.

I feel obliged to begin by saying that I took a number of photos using a new set up and I don’t much care for the results.  I am too lazy to go back and re-take the photographs, so I ask your indulgence and hope you’ll forgive the odd tint these photos share.  I don’t want you to get the impression that my “set-up” is anything sophisticated.  It consists of a couple of sheets of foam core (which have just about reached the end of their useful lives) and my much-abused Casio point-and-push camera.  I normally take the photos in the morning downstairs in my kitchen, because the light is absolutely gorgeous.  For some unfathomable reason I decided to change something that wasn’t broken and tried taking them upstairs at night in my stamp studio with the Ott light.  Bad decision.  If it’s not broken…and all that.  I’ll go back to the kitchen.

And back to the kitchen is what I really want to talk about.  I’ve worked and sat and talked in a lot of kitchens in my life.  They’ve been places to cook, eat, talk, confess, cry, laugh and make memories.  This past Thanksgiving I shared a kitchen with two wonderful friends and can’t wait to repeat the experience.  I’ve been the Thanksgiving Executive Chef for most of the past 20 years we’ve lived in Hawaii, and it was a tremendous joy to share the responsibilities this year.  Three talented cooks joining forces yielded one fabulous meal – and we were all relaxed and able to enjoy the meal.  I know – what a concept!

Meanwhile, a quarter of the way around the world my firstborn was preparing her first solo Thanksgiving feast.  We held a number of consultations online and on the phone as we tried to compensate for her lack of resources – some due to finances and being in that “just starting out” stage of life, and some due to location.  Her 11 pound Thanksgiving turkey cost $85 – in Perth, Australia!  The one store that carried canned pumpkin (at $8 a can) was sold out, and the frozen cranberries had seeds.  A little Yankee ingenuity and shared effort throughout her international community of friends yielded marvelous results, and I’m looking forward to seeing the photos (hint, hint, Carol!)

I hope your Thanksgiving kitchen was rich in love and memories.

Autumn Birthday Garden

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I hope you aren’t weary of this set because I can’t believe I’ll ever be:

Happy Birthday, Mom

  • Just Believe stamp set
  • Very Vanilla, More Mustard, Cajun Craze and Early Espresso card stock
  • Early Espresso Classic ink pad
  • Gold Glow and Log Cabin Smooch Spritz
  • Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint; Sponge dauber
  • Big Shot and Lattice Textured Impressions folder
  • Victoria Crochet Trim

This card was designed specifically for my Mom for her birthday.  She’s a gardener with a November birthday and this image paired with these colors seemed to fit together just right.  I left the front without a sentiment to keep it cleaner but stamped her birthday wishes inside.

The Shimmer paint is applied to the top of the Lattice texture with a sponge dauber.  I’m not sure how we made ANYTHING before Shimmer paint.  The fact that it lends sparkle without leaving traces that float throughout the house has created a truce in the Glitter Wars in my household.

Don’t blink, it just might change…

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…not the post, but the look of the Maui Stamper.  I’ve been playing around with My Digital Studio, a VERY cool program.  It does so much!  I’m just experimenting with blog headers right now, so bear with me.  You could compare it to changing your hair, except this transforms in the blink of an eye.  That’s actually something of a problem.  Imagine if you could go long to short to straight to curly to auburn to blond…all with a couple of clicks.  How’s a girl supposed to make up her mind?

How about a hint of Razzleberry  to offset all this green?

Just Believe in Razzleberry

  • Just Believe and French Script stamp sets
  • Very Vanilla, Rich Razzleberry and Wild Wasabi card stock
  • Rich Razzleberry and Wild Wasabi Classic ink pads
  • Rich Razzleberry 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon
  • Oval and Scallop oval punches
  • Basic Pearls, a Blender pen and a Stampin’ Sponge

It’s all about the color and the pearls, girls.  I can’t see myself walking out of the house in these colors but I sure love them on a card.  I suppose if they were put together just right in a print I would wear them, but it would have to be in measured doses – I’m too short for more than that.  You can dream about long skinny legs all you want, but for me it will just be a dream.  Closer to the floor when you trip, that’s my motto.

What all of that has to do with cards is a mystery to me, but it’s late and I’ve played too long with my new header.  Take a good look because I’m not promising it will stick around!!

Just little tags…

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The convention Make-and-Takes always include some sort of 3-D project… Stampin’ Up! likes to keep us well-rounded.  This year was no exception.  We made a charming pouch style package that was quick and easy:

Just Believe pouch with tags

  • Just Believe stamp set
  • Pear Pizazz, Peach Parfait, Daffodil Delight and Whisper White card stock
  • Pear Pizazz, Peach Parfait, Daffodil Delight and Early Espresso Classic ink pads
  • Versamark ink pad
  • Word Window and 1 1/4 inch circle punches
  • Crop-a-dile and Early Espresso striped grosgrain
  • Small flat cello bag and Sticky Strip adhesive

This is a simple project that would make a great gift and can be easily re-interpreted to suit any color scheme or season.  When you open the pouch you can see the bag inside all ready for the little tags:

Just Believe pouch open

Look how cute those tags look in the cello bag – and they just jumped right in there!  The bag is attached to the pouch with some Sticky Strip so you can take the tags out one at a time – the top stays open.

That ribbon is cracking me up.  You can’t begin to imagine how many times I positioned and re-positioned it while I was taking the photos, and every time it made me think of a handlebar moustache.  Maybe the ribbon is just too long, but more likely my brain is just too weird.

A Paisley Pumpkin, Just for You

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One last convention sample for you…I told you I’d overlooked a few!  Actually, I felt badly about posting too many sneak peaks from the Holiday Mini before the products were available so I’ve saved them for this first week.  Wasn’t that thoughtful of me??

Convention Paisley Pumpkin

  • Paisley Prints and Just Believe stamp sets; Paisley Party wheel
  • Old Olive and Whisper White card stock
  • Old Olive Classic ink pad; Pumpkin Pie and Cajun Craze Stampin’ Write markers
  • Pumpkin Pie 5/8 inch grosgrain and Linen thread
  • Brights Designer buttons
  • Sticky Strip and Glue dots

Look at that gorgeous ribbon and that button!  The perfect color coordination of all the Stampin’ Up! products was the thing that sealed the deal for me when I saw my first catalog.  It’s so hard to find things that really match, especially on a small island 2500 miles out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.   I love our stamps, but it’s the details that make the project and our coordinating accessories really make my day.  Go ahead, Stampin’ Up!

I hadn’t tried the pleating technique with the ribbon and was happy to find it to be very simple.  There’s a line of Sticky Strip underneath the ribbon, and there are Glue Dots under the folds.  I’m a visual person (I know, and you thought I was the Queen of Words) so you may just have to play with it to get it.  Trust me:  it’s really easy.

Putting your heart on paper

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My brother and his wife had to make the painful decision to put their dog to sleep last month.  Anyone who has had a pet knows how agonizing that process is, and the thought that your fur friend is depending on you to do the right thing makes it that much harder.   I never met Ghostrider, but we loved her from the photos and stories and know that Don and Theresa are missing her.  It took me a while to get the feeling right, but I finally finished the card that’s been in my heart:

Thinking of you

  • Just Believe and Silhouette Sentiments stamp sets
  • Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, River Rock, Whisper White and Melon Mambo card stock
  • Crumb Cake, River Rock and Melon Mambo Classic ink pads
  • Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Melon Mambo and Rose Red Stampin’ Write markers
  • Antique brads, Linen thread and Stampin’ Dimensionals

That Melon Mambo panel has a fluorescent pink cast – trust me, it’s our lovely Mambo pink.

The message I’m sending is simple – I’m so sorry.  As much as I love words, I’ve never found any more profound than that when someone has lost a loved one.

Beautiful crochet lace

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I can’t believe it took me so long to use this lace!  Sometimes I’m stubborn about using something new like that.  I should have gotten over it sooner.

All of the images in the Just Believe stamp set are gorgeous, but I found myself returning to that same fabulous wildflower bouquet image so I challenged myself.  Yeah, I do that…sometimes with rather disastrous results.  I’m happy to report that this time the results were kinda cool – at least I thought so:

Just Believe Thanks in Jewel colors

  • Just Believe, En Francais and Vintage Vogue stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Concord Crush, Always Artichoke and Riding Hood Red card stock
  • Always Artichoke and Concord Crush Classic ink pads
  • Riding Hood Red and Concord Crush Stampin’ Write markers; Blender pen
  • Corner rounder, Crop-a-dile, Big Shot and Top Note Bigz die
  • Victoria Crochet Trim and Antique brads

I did NOT have to use the Stamp-a-ma-jig for the sentiment in the middle of the label because with our beautiful Clear Mount stamps I could see just where to put it!  I like that 🙂  I also fell in love with this color combination so watch for it again.

This has a real vintage feeling with the brad and that gorgeous crochet lace ribbon.  It’s really soft and easy to work with, and I’m looking forward to using it for some of my holiday projects.  There are some beautiful new products in the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Mini that will be available to the general public on September 1 – be sure you check with your demonstrator to be sure your copy is on the way!