Sunset sail

Posted on September 29, 2011 by mauistamper

I’m sorry that this single sailboat stamp retired. I love the image, and it lends itself to a lot of fun techniques. There must be a few of you who bought it and are still looking for ways to use it, right?

A Note of Thanks, Wonderfully Worn, Woodgrain (ret) and Sail Away (ret) stamp sets
Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Pear Pizazz and Not Quite Navy card stock
Pear Pizazz, Soft Suede and Not Quite Navy Classic ink pads
Not Quite Navy, Rich Razzleberry, Calypso Coral, More Mustard and So Saffron Classic ink pads (sunset)
Stampin’ Sponges
Big Shot and 3 inch circle Originals die

The sunset is just Stampin’ Sponges tapped on the Classic ink pad and dragged across the cardstock circle. I stamped the sailboat image first, created my background, and then stamped the sailboat again on a scrap of Whisper White and cut out the sails. It was easier to piece them than to try to mask them and keep them in place with all of that dragging!

Vintage sailboat

Posted on June 4, 2011 by mauistamper

A successful experiement:

Sail Away, Wonderfully Worn and Occasional Quotes (Level III Hostess) stamp sets
Naturals White, Naturals Ivory and Soft Suede card stock
Soft Suede and Poppy Parade Classic ink pads
Stampin’ Sponges
Antique buttons and Linen thread
1 1/4 inch square punch

I was afraid this would be too boring. Instead, it makes me think of an old fashioned sepia photograph. The sailboat is stamped on Naturals White cardstock and I used Stampin’ Sponges to brush just about every surface except the sails so that they would pop out. The banner and background are Naturals Ivory, which makes the white stand out even more. The perfect “V” at the end of the banner is made using the corner of the square punch. There’s a little tiny flag at the top of the mast, and I colored it with the Poppy Parade marker, but I didn’t get the proportions right and so the banner covers it up. Shoots, it’s only paper.

Sail Away

Posted on May 16, 2011 by mauistamper

There’s something romantic about a sailboat. Sailboats evoke feelings of freedom in me, and though I’m not a sailor I love watching them on the water.

Sail Away and Hope Happens stamp sets
Whisper White, Night of Navy and Baja Breeze cardstock
Random Designer Series Paper in Tangerine Tango and maybe So Saffron??
Night of Navy Classic ink pad
Night of Navy and Cajun Craze Stampin’ Write Markers
Aquapainter and Blender pen
Big Shot and Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

OK, first order of business is to make sure you know I am not sneaking in some other company’s sentiment stamp – that is a VERY carefully inked stamp from the Hope Happens set. The verse is “Do not put off until tomorrow what can be Enjoyed Today” and I used a marker to ink just the letters I wanted. I know, now you’re full of remorse for thinking I would have committed Rubbah-dultery, as Jan Tink calls it. If you want to make it up to me, you can come pick the orange cat hair out of my Stampin’ Scrub, because it’s full of the stuff and it’s a pain in the patootie! It makes funny lines on my stamps when I ink them up. That Darn Cat.

Anyway, I digress. We were talking about sailboats, no?

I don’t go out on the water a lot, because the truth is that if it’s not perfectly smooth I get queasy. I make an exception for whale season and trips to Lanai, and I take something to settle my stomach and pray for good weather. Heading out on a boat provides such a different perspective of our island, and as long as my stomach cooperates I can stay out for hours just watching. A sailboat has the added bonus of being quiet – just the sound of the waves and the wind in the sail – and it can be very meditative. If you’re lucky enough to have a whale surface nearby, you hear that big WHOOSH when it breathes (but don’t breath in, because whales have the fishiest halitosis EVAH). If you hit the jackpot and one breaches nearby, nothing compares with the sound of a school bus hitting the water.

I digress again. It’s not even whale season. Sigh.

This sailboat card is simple and flat by design. Lately I’ve been frustrated when I needed to send a card and couldn’t find one that would actually Fit In An Envelope. Can you imagine that? What a concept! I’m making an effort to create cards that can be put in an envelope and mailed, no fuss no muss, and this one qualifies. It takes a little discipline and I was sorely tempted by ribbons, buttons and brads but I held out for simple. We’ll see if I can do that again.