A RemARKable Last Minute Holiday Tour

Posted on December 10, 2015 by mauistamper

Time for a RemARKable Blog Tour – and this one is perfectly timed. It’s not quite the last minute, but it’s close enough.

I’m a big fan of using things that I have on hand when I’m looking for a last-minute solution, and last month I assembled the Oh What Fun tags kit (#139602, on sale for $14.70 for 30 tags) just for this purpose. I also try to keep our packaging solutions on hand – this is the Petite Café Gift Bag (#135826, $6 for 10 bags). Finally, this time of year I stock up on fun ribbon, and nothing says FUN like the Real Red PomPom Trim (#139617, on sale for $4.20 for 5 yards). I added a little 1/8″ Striped Ribbon to finish off the package (#139615, on sale for $6.40 for 5 yards each red and green stripe ribbon).

Here’s the same treatment using the Mini Muslin Bags (#132180, $10 for 8 bags). You’ll notice that other than the gift tags, there is no stamping involved. Make up the tags and you are ready to assemble your gifts and go!

My final project uses the Gift Box Punch Board (#135863, $20). I’ve used some retired heavy-weight printed kraft card stock, but it works just as well with the plain Heavy Kraft Cardstock in the Annual Catalog (#133674, $6 for 12 sheets of 12×12 cardstock) or with our regular cardstock. Our DSP will work in a pinch, but I find it makes a rather fragile box so I prefer the heavier paper.

Do you see a theme here? Fun Ribbon = Fast Packages!

There are 2 of these little hazelnut-chocolate delights inside each box. I used the 1.75 x 1.75 x 2.5 box and didn’t cut the angles (with the reverse punch) in the top. Instead, I used a glue dot to secure each set of flaps and let the ribbon finish the job. Because the box was tall, the chocolates are stacked. They didn’t want to play nicely at first, but I found a solution:

That little piece of scrap is 1 1/2″ wide and 4″ long, scored 1 1/4″ from each end. It slides easily into the box and keeps the chocolates nicely stacked. And just for your reference, I made 10 of these boxes in 40 minutes – starting with cutting the card stock and finishing with tying the bows. Not bad!

Don’t have these exact items on hand? Time to go dig into that stash you’ve been hoarding – that’s how I found that retired cardstock! Depending on where you live, an order put in tonight might well arrive in time for last-minute gifts – check out the Year-End Sale and you’ll be on your way to D.O.N.E!

As always, I hope you’ve been inspired. Heather‘s next on the tour – click below to see her wonderful projects. The full tour is at the end of the post in case you get lost in the woods.

Nancy Amato
Melissa Bolinger
Tamra Davis
Arden Dougan
Tracie Langley
Anne Matasci – you are HERE
Heather Mathieson
Audra Monk
Maria Pane
Michele Reynolds
Pam Staples
Janet Wakeland

Kit-Tastic Christmas

Posted on October 10, 2015 by mauistamper

Have you looked at the kits in the Holiday catalog? I mean really looked?

This is my favorite kit:

These tags (#139602, $21.00 for 30 tags) are CUTE and the stamp set (sold separately #140386 $21.00) is one of those Holiday Keepers that you will pull out year after year. I put them together myself:

Don’t you love my tree? I bought it a few years ago after Christmas on clearance and I use it for everything. You’ve got to act quickly when you see something great like this on Maui – it doesn’t last! There are birds 🙂

I mean, seriously – Holly, Happy Christmas (so Aussie!) and a BELL???

There are To: and From: stamps for the back of the tags – this kit has everything!

That big ol’ glitter snowflake is ah-mazing. And there are three in each kit – thirty tags, three each of 10 designs. It’s well worth the cost of the kit and the stamps to do at home.

However, Crystal and I will have stations to complete sets of tags and the shaker cards below at our annual Christmas Festivities on November 14th. Sign up early!! You can choose tags in sets of 10 (one each of 10 different designs) and/or cards in sets of 3 (one each of 3 different designs). You can even select multiples of each of our sets – for example, two sets of tag kits to make 20 tags. Don’t wait to sign up!

This is To You and Yours, a Shaker card kit that makes 18 cards. (#139647, $24.00) These are charming, eye-catching, and as fun to send as to receive.

This gorgeous wreath can be updated for Halloween, Autumn/Thanksgiving, and Christmas – and that’s just using the included pieces. Imagine Valentines decorations, Easter Eggs, Spring flowers – the list goes on. (Season to Season Wreath, #139645, $27.00)

We won’t be offering that as part of our Kit-Tastic-Christmas, but if you have a group of friends that wants to get together and assemble these, let me know and we will set a date!

Sign up for class projects by November 1st. Make all 10 Oh What Fun Tags (one of each design) for $12, or make 3 To You and Yours Shaker cards for $9 (again, one of each). Or make them both! Or make multiples of your favorite. It’s up to you.