Missed it by that much…

Posted on August 16, 2010 by mauistamper

Anybody else an old Maxwell Smart fan? I loved Get Smart back in the day, but I thought the movie was dumb. Some things shouldn’t be re-done.

Anyway, what does all this have to do with the price of tea in China? (My we ARE digging out the old chestnuts today!) I had the ColourQ 45 Challenge colors listed on my craft table all week and finally finished the card yesterday, only to realize that I’d just missed the posting deadline. Well, I missed being considered for Colour Queen, but of course I can still upload to the site. Would you vote for me?

Just Believe stamp set
Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Early Espresso and Wild Wasabi card stock
Wild Wasabi and Early Espresso Classic ink pads
Regal Rose and Rose Red Stampin’ Write markers
Big Shot and Lattice Embossing folder; Stampin’ Dimensionals
Pretty in Pink 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon and Pearls Stick-on Jewels

I couldn’t get into the Tempting Turquoise in the Colour Q scheme, and I thought I would be really sneaky and just put a teeny tiny border in to satisfy the requirements. Who would have guessed that it would work so well?? I was astonished to say the least.

Today’s ribbon treatment does NOT involve sticky, tacky adhesive, thank you very much. There’s a simple running stitch on one side of a 2 inch scrap of ribbon, pulled together and knotted to make a half-rosette. A pair of those are on either side of the sentiment and I am very pleased with they way they turned out. I’m sure someone has done this before but I haven’t seen it done so for now I am claiming this brilliant concept.

You know you’re gonna need this stamp set…

I believe this is my favorite…

Posted on August 2, 2010 by mauistamper

It’s a gorgeous day today and it started in the best possible way with Irene’s gentle yoga class at Kihei Community Yoga. Everything gets put in the right place when I make the time for that class, and it helps me be energized and centered. It’s a perfect start for a busy week.

Today I’m sharing my absolute favorite Make-and-Take from convention. If you’ve read my last post you won’t be at all surprised to find we used Just Believe (wood mount #116948 $33.95, clear mount #120453 $25.95) for this project. Honestly, you need this stamp set!

Just Believe stamp set
Not Quite Navy and Bashful Blue card stock; Watercolor paper
Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue, Old Olive and Pear Pizazz Stampin’ Write markers
Old Olive Satin ribbon; Brights Designer Buttons; Linen thread
Color Spritzer tool; small spray bottle filled with water

I’m thrilled with the look of this card. The image is colored with markers and then lightly spritzed with water before being stamped on watercolor paper. Everyone at my table got different results depending on how they used the markers and how they spritzed the stamp, but each card was uniquely beautiful. I still struggle with tearing – I’m too particular by nature to just give it a cavalier rip and let it go at that. One of these days I’m just gonna let go and let ‘er rip and it will surprise us all!!

If you’re ready to let ‘er rip and put Just Believe on your craft desk, head on over to my Online Store and click that Shop Now button. It will be one of the most versatile, well-used, beloved stamp sets you own.

Just Believe

Posted on July 30, 2010 by mauistamper

One of the free stamp sets we received at convention was Just Believe. I have to tell you that I had mixed feelings when I saw the notice on the Demonstrator Website that told us that set would be part of our convention package. Part of me was really excited because I fell in love with that stamp set the first time I laid eyes on it, and part of me was terribly disappointed because I fell in love with that stamp set the first time I laid eyes on it and I didn’t want to wait until almost the end of JULY to get to stamp with it!

The set is worth the wait, believe me. (Get it? Believe? Ok, I know, you get it.) We did some beautiful projects during our Make and Take session at convention, and since then I’ve continued to experiement with this set. If you like this style at all, this set should be your very next purchase because you will reach for it over and over until it’s paid for itself ten-fold.

Here’s the swap we did:

This is a simple, one layer 3 x 3 card and envelope. We used the negative image from the Sizzix Originals Circles #2 die as a reverse mask to sponge the circle, then stemped the two images in Early Espresso. I decided to step it up just a little for one of my hostess club projects this week:

Just Believe stamp set
Pear Pizazz, Chocolate Chip and Whisper White card stock
Pear Pizazz, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight Classic ink pads
Chocolate Chip satin ribbon, Hemp twine, Designer Brights Buttons
Stampin’ Sponges, Hobby blade

The ribbon is threaded through a slit in the side of the card so that I could wrap it all the way around. The Chocolate Chip ribbon is retired, but you should use the Early Espresso ribbon, ink and cardstock because that new color is absolutely gorgeous. Never mind that coffee is my nectar of life…that deep dark brown is luscious.

I can’t wait to spend some more time with this set.