Believe

Posted on December 1, 2013 by mauistamper

Isn’t this the perfect message for December?

Snowflake Soiree and Snow Swirled (retired) stamp sets
Whisper White and Marina Mist card stock
Marina Mist and Night of Navy FFIP
Pool Party Shimmer Spray*
Rhinestone Jewels

December is about Believing…believing the spring will come, believing in Santa and all the goodness he represents, believing in the Christ Child born in Bethlehem, born to redeem us all.

*Shimmer spray is made with a few drops of Stampin’ Up! ink refill mixed with 70% rubbing alcohol and Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint. To my deep dismay, Champagne Mist is now retired. However, as I’ve noted before, these calendar cards were made in a class last January when Champagne Mist was still part of our product line – as was the Snow Swirled stamp set. You’re welcome to improvise!!

And…it’s time to look ahead to 2014! We’ll be making the new Easel calendar this Saturday, December 7 at 9am. It’s $13 for the calendar plus easel or $10 if you have your own easel. Contact me ASAP if you’d like to join us.

Finally, stop by this morning and visit me at the St. Theresa Church Cookie Walk and Craft Fair. It’s in Stawasz Hall at 25 West Lipoa Street, Kihei from 8am until noon. Cookies PLUS Crafts? I don’t see how you could resist 🙂

Thinking ahead

Posted on November 13, 2012 by mauistamper

As much as I believe in each holiday having its own time, I make a lot of Christmas cards well in advance of December 25. It takes me a while to settle on a favorite, and crafting and the creative process don’t respond well to last-minute pressure. The honest truth is that I haven’t decided on one for this year, but here are a couple of candidates:

Ornament Keepsakes stamp set
Whisper White, Naturals Ivory and Gumball Green card stock
Silver Glimmer paper
Gumball Green FFIP
Champagne Mist Shimmer paint
Gumball Green stitched ribbon
Big Shot and Holiday Ornament Framelits
Holiday Frame TIEF
Rhinestone jewels

The Holiday Frame TIEF is embossed onto the Naturals Ivory cardstock for this card. My experience with Whisper White cardstock is that it is smooth and little bit lighter weight than our other cardstock, and as a result may crease with these larger, more elaborate TIEFs. The Naturals White paper holds up better to the pressure of the TIEF and adds some textural interest as well. For stamping, I prefer the Whisper White card stock as it is so very smooth and takes the ink so well.

Snowflake Soiree stamp set
Very Vanilla, Elegant Eggplant and Brushed Silver card stock
Elegant Eggplant FFIP
Illuminate Glimmer watermark pad
Very Vanilla taffeta 3/8 inch ribbon
Rhinestone jewels

This card would be VERY easy to produce in multiples. I’m not thinking about that right now as I just completed a very special project that took HOURS. It was well worth every moment, but I’m running from the idea of production right now. Give me a week, I’ll be fine 🙂

RemARKably Luxurious: A Regal World Card Making Day

Posted on October 6, 2012 by mauistamper

So glad you’ve come back for a little more WCMD RemARKable blogging goodness! A hand made card is a very special gift, and although today I’m featuring cards for birthdays, thank yous and Christmas, the best card is the one that arrives “just because”. It’s a simple act but it means a lot.

This third round on the hop is full of rich, royal colors: the Stampin’ Up! Regal Color Family

If you know me at all, you know that I run late. I’m not proud of that, and I have developed a variety of habits designed to get me out the door on time, but the sad truth is that I run on Maui Stamper time. Fortunately, Maui time and Maui Stamper time are similar concepts!

This little mollusk has a good excuse for being tardy – he had to wait for the Crystal Effects to dry! (don’t tell, but I did a Maui Stamper No-No. I broke out the Dazzling Diamonds. Mr. Maui Stamper DOES NOT LIKE GLITTER. It has to do with an incident at least 10 years ago involving a teenager’s glittered tee shirt and a pair of cycling shorts in the same load of laundry. I almost never use DD, but I just couldn’t resist!)

This card might take that extra bit of postage, but that lumpy knot on the Cherry Cobbler tulle is worth every penny! The tulle is luxurious and soft, and ties easily and gracefully. It can be pleated – I use sticky strip because hot glue, while it is somewhat more effective, has an unnatural affinity for my fingers. And it burns.

I am an ENORMOUS fan of Sizzix Textured Impressions Embossing folders (TIEF). Give a piece of cardstock a quick run through the Big Shot and it goes from hum to HUM BABY! (I am also an enormous fan of caps, because I talk with my hands – caps are not shouting to me, they are gestures.) This oval is my new holiday fave. As far as snowflakes go, we see them about once every 10 years at the summit of Haleakala – but this one looks like a design for a traditional Hawaiian quilt, and that suits me.

Having fun? Full to the brim with ideas? Fingers weary from all that Pinning? Get some rest, because there are two more posts to come before the day is through! In the meantime, let’s check out what Maria has up her sleeve…