Thanks: Plentiful Plants

I needed a few thank you cards and found this great layout using our Designer Series paper. I have (ahem) “some” DSP that needs to be used, and I love the pop of color with Basic White:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Plentiful Plants Poinsettia Dies You Touched My Heart
  • Stamps: Plentiful Plants
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Shaded Spruce
  • Accessories: Shimmer White paper, Retired DSP (and sorry, NO IDEA, it was one of the bits), Big Boss, Stitched Rectangle dies, Poinsettia dies, Messages die, Tasteful Textile embossing folder, White Crinkle seam binding, Stampin Dimensionals
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Plentiful Plants Poinsettia Dies You Touched My Heart

You might have noticed there aren’t any stamped plants. The sentiment is from Plentiful Plants, but all that white-on-white “greenery” is from the Poinsettia dies. I’ve been trying to use up all the bits that are floating around on my craft desk, and it’s a challenge. Apparently in order to use up the bits, I need to create a few more to coordinate with them. Net result? MORE BITS.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Plentiful Plants Poinsettia Dies You Touched My Heart

How are you using up your bits? Please don’t tell me I’m the only one who keeps them. I’m trying to edit, use, and share them to clear my brain and my space, but it’s going slowly I’m afraid.

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Maui Stamper Stampin Up Sale-a-bration FREE STAMPS January-February-2022

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Before you place that order, consider the Very Best Deal – joining Stampin’ Up! as a demonstrator! If you join by February 28, 2022, there’s a super opportunity. Choose 2 FREE stamp sets PLUS:

  • $125 additional product of your choice for $99
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Join by February 28th for those two free stamp sets! Message me if you have questions or want to chat.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Paper Pumpkin February 2022 Safari Celebration kit

Be sure to subscribe by February 10th for your Craft Escape in a box! 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. The February kit will make 9 playful cards with envelopes that you can tailor to your card-sending needs. Don’t wait!

Stampin’ Blends and the Alcohol Technique

I spent a marvelous afternoon a couple of weeks ago playing with Stampin’ Blends and the alcohol technique in Crystal’s Stampin’ Garage. It took a few tries to get the hang of it, but once we got over that bump we couldn’t stop. All you really need are Stampin’ Blends, vellum, a small paintbrush, and 91% rubbing alcohol.

(Who knew 91% Rubbing Alcohol was so hard to find? Thanks, Covid.)

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Stampin Blends Alcohol Technique Happy Birthday card
  • Stamps: Art Gallery
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Misty Moonlight, Garden Green, Balmy Blue
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Stitched Rectangle dies, Forever Flourishing dies, Poinsettia dies, vellum card stock, 91% rubbing alcohol, small paint brush, small dropper, Stampin’ Spritzer, Stampin’ Dimensionals

You need a non-porous paper like vellum for this technique to work. It’s pretty simple: add color with Stampin’ Blends in any pattern you like. Use 91% rubbing alcohol to reactivate the ink and gently move it around, color by color. Finally, add interest by dripping the alcohol with a small dropper, the Stampin’ Spritzer, or the flick of your paintbrush.

I chose to add these leafy elements, but some of my results needed nothing more than a sentiment. I learned that I like more monochromatic combinations, especially blues and greens. (HUGE surprise there, eh?)

Maui Stamper Stampin Up SALE-a-bration 2021 8-3 to 9-30

Shop early, shop often – your supplies for this project or your holiday crafting can earn free stamps, paper and accessories! SALE-a-bration runs through 30 September 2021, but supplies are limited! Shop HERE.

December 2020 DIY: Poinsettia Christmas

Ah, December. Not what we expected this year, is it? So let’s have some alternative poinsettias, shall we?

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Poinsettia Petals December 2020 DIY Easel Calendar
  • Stamps: Poinsettia Petals, Celebration Tidings, Forever Fern
  • Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Just Jade, Calypso Coral, Mango Melody
  • Accessories: The BOSS*, Poinsettia dies, Fluid 100 watercolor paper, Watercolor pens, Vellum, Metallic pearls, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Wink of Stella

* Stamp Cut and Emboss Machine. Which takes a lot of space and typing, so I’m calling it The BOSS.

Poinsettias aren’t just red any more! They’re cream colored and speckled and variegated and even gold, so I don’t see why they can’t be Calypso Coral and Mango Melody! It’s 2020 and the rules are all useless, so I am making my own. So there.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Poinsettia Petals December 2020 DIY Easel Calendar

This might have been my favorite month of all of 2020. The watercoloring, the vellum, the swirls and dots, and the metallic pearls all made me feel very in-the-zone, and heaven knows 2020 needs itself some ZONE.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Poinsettia Petals December 2020 DIY Easel Calendar

Cheryl and Crystal have December calendars too, so take a moment to see what they have done. And then maybe, in the spirit of the holidays, take another moment to leave them a comment to tell them what you love about their work. Bloggers are funny like that, we like a little bit of attention every now and then.

Or just tell us what new rule you’ve made for 2020! What colors are your poinsettias??

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Poinsettia Petals December 2020 DIY Easel Calendar

If you’d like to make a 2021 calendar click Contact the Maui Stamper at the top of the page and send me your email. I’ll invoice you $5 and when you’ve paid I’ll email you a pdf of the 12 months of 2021 and a cover to finish it out and make a lovely gift. (I think we will still be making new rules in 2021, so a new calendar is a Very Good Thing.)

If you’re as smitten with this bundle as I am, click HERE to get your own. Thanks.

Poinsettia Place: The Slimline Card

I’m a little late to the party on Slimline cards, but I’m happy with my first effort. Poinsettia Place was the first thing on my list for the August-December mini catalog, even though back in July my heart just wasn’t into Christmas crafting! News flash: it’s November and it’s time to get cracking.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Poinsettia Place Slimline card handmade with custom envelope
  • Stamps: Poinsettia Place
  • Color Palette: Garden Green, Old Olive, Real Red, So Saffron, Soft Suede, Whisper White, Gold foil
  • Accessories: Poinsettia dies, Stamp Cut & Emboss, Poinsettia Place DSP, Gold Foil, Forever Greenery Trim Combo pack (Gold thread), Metallic Pearls, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Fluid 100 watercolor paper, Water Painters, Detailed Trio Punch, Red Rhinestone gems, Wink of Stella. (Phew! Did I miss anything?)
Maui Stamper Stampin Up Poinsettia Place Slimline card handmade with custom envelope

When I first started using the Gold trim, I struggled to keep it from unraveling. (TIP: put a little glue from the Fine Tip Glue pen on the cut end to stop it from fraying.) My OCD self has experienced enlightenment now, and I encourage it to unravel – I love all those little threads!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Poinsettia Place Slimline card handmade with custom envelope

This card measures 3 3/4″ x 8 3/4″ folded, or 7 1/2″ x 8 3/4″ unfolded. The envelope is very simple to create with the Simply Scored tool. I began with a piece of 8 1/2″ x 11″ card stock and with the long end across the top of my Simply Scored I marked 1 1/2″ and 10 1/2″. I turned the card stock a quarter turn so that the short end was across the top of the Simply Scored and marked 2″ and 6″. Cut away the rectangles at the four corners, fold along the score lines, and assemble the envelope with Stampin’ Seal+. I trimmed the top edges of the envelope before I adhered it so there would be a small reveal, and I cut a piece of Designer Series paper 3 3/8″ wide and 3″ long to line the top of the envelope. The Detailed Trio punch rounds the corners perfectly!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Poinsettia Place Slimline card handmade with custom envelope

I used a few drops of ink refill in Real Red, Garden Green and Old Olive to watercolor the poinsettia and the leaves with our fabulous new Water Pens. These images are really forgiving, which made the watercoloring really enjoyable. I don’t have any formal art training, so it’s always an adventure to see how things turn out.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Poinsettia Place Suite

Ready to add this gorgeous suite to your collection? These are timeless, classic images that you’ll reach for again and again. Shop HERE.