CHARMING DAY IN TRUE BLUES

The Charming Day stamps have left the Online Store, but the dies are still available. I’m sad to see them go (how often do I say that???) but when something leaves, it makes room for something new. And our March Online Exclusives are just begging to be released (they’ll be available on March 3rd)!

  • Stamps: Charming Day
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Cloud Cover, Misty Moonlight, Memento Black
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Charming Day dies, Stampin’ Blends, True Blue DSP (Product of the Month), Stampin’ Dimensionals

The True Blue DSP is still available as a Product of the Month selection. Everyone is allowed just one Product of the Month purchase for a given month, whether you’re a demonstrator or a customer. If you haven’t purchased True Blue, take a look! The threshold for qualifying for a Product of the Month is the same as qualification for Free Shipping, available through February 20th. It’s a fabulous double dip!

The good news is that even if you don’t have Charming Day, we have a LOT of gorgeous florals. Pick one and try this simple layout! Shop the Online Store.

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A SUNNY ROUND OF HELLOS

HI FRIENDS!!

Today’s card is bright and cheery and meant to bring a bit of joy – what do you think?

  • Stamps: A Round of Hellos
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Daffodil Delight, Garden Green, Petunia Pop
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Lovely Stripes 3D embossing folder, Petunia Pop Bordered Ribbon (retired), Gathering Together DSP, Charming Shimmer Faceted Dots, Wink of Stella

The flowers are flipped up and down, and the curved sentiment is upside down in places. I think this reflects my personal style quite well 😆

There are a few retired products on this card, but our product selection is so diverse that you can easily find a substitute. The Round of Hellos stamp set is currently alive and well in the Online Store!

Happy Valentines Day 💕 I’ll be at the beach and riding the tandem with Mr. Maui Stamper. Can’t think of a better way to celebrate!!

Well, maybe shopping for Stampin’ Up! goodies at the Online Store for those of you who aren’t married to Mr. Maui Stamper 😉

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ADD COLOR TO THE SUNFLOWER 3D EMBOSSING FOLDER

It’s been a minute since I shared a Sunflower 3D Embossing Folder card but that doesn’t mean I’m ignoring it. I spent a very happy and relaxing afternoon playing with color on the embossed image, and I think you’ll love the end result.

  • Stamps: Retired sentiments
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Lemon Lolly, Daffodil Delight, Peach Pie, Timid Tiger, Pool Party, Bubble Bath, Coastal Cabana, Lost Lagoon
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Sunflower 3D Embossing Folder, various circle punches, retired ribbons, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I confess I took the opportunity to use up some retired bits and pieces I had languishing in the studio. These cards were to welcome new members of the Maui Stampers team, and I needed quite a few (so glad you’ve joined us!!). That gave me the perfect opportunity to play with the theme.

Each embossed panel has been colored using daubers and whatever color combination came to mind. I generally used analogous colors like Cloud Cover, Pool Party, and Lost Lagoon, but it was a pretty whimsical choice process. I had a LOT of embossed panels to experiment with!

I tore the edges and curled them a bit to add more dimension since there weren’t any embellishments aside from the ribbon. This was a very playful project!

I hope you’ll give it a try! The Sunflower 3D Embossing Folder is currently out of stock, but you can request an email notification in the Online Store.

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PEACEFUL GARDEN THIS OR THAT?

Can I tell you I LOVE the Peaceful Garden Designer Series paper? And this print in particular? It has that moody blue holiday feeling, but it transitions into so many other roles. Time for a good This or That!

The Christmas Words Hybrid Embossing Folder has every expression you can imagine. You can choose to use it as a background folder or add the die to the “sandwich” and cut each one out. I’ve added color with Cloud Cover Stampin’ Blends and it was very forgiving.

But then I turned the layout on its side and changed the sentiment – and I think it makes a lovely sympathy card. I really like the Linen Thread on this card.

So what do you think? Landscape or Portrait? Christmas or Sympathy? or maybe a mash-up? In either case, give it a try. It’s a quick and easy way to use that DSP stash.

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MAKING A CARD WITH THE TRADITIONAL WREATH EMBOSSING FOLDER

This holiday season, Stampin’ Up! has not one but two gorgeous embossing folders. You’ve seen the Peaceful Greenery Embossing folder – now say hello to the Traditional Wreath Embossing Folder!

  • Stamps: Seasonal Tags
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Shaded Spruce, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Traditional Wreath Embossing Folder, daubers, Circle Punches, Gold Stripe 3/8″ ribbon, Stampin’ Blends, retired red gems, Stampin’ Dimensionals

The easiest way I’ve found to add color to this wreath is to use daubers. Brush lightly and the raised images pick up the color, keeping the texture of the embossing. I colored the berries with Real Red Stampin’ Blends, and a few of them have a few sparkly gems from eons ago.

I love that this wreath isn’t so distinctively “holiday”. You could easily use it year around in other color combinations (stay tuned!) This is a 6″ square embossing folder. The entire wreath doesn’t fit on a traditional card front, but it works well as a partial panel.

The Seasonal Tags are a bit of a sleeper, so don’t let them pass you by. You’ll reach for them again and again!

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PEACE ON EARTH

Do you love DSP that does all the heavy lifting the way I do??????? Here’s Traditions of Christmas again with a completely different feeling. This luxurious red and gold poinsettia motif does all the work.

Friends, you NEED the Embossing Additions Tool Kit. The tray has an end cap that screws on and off – no more breaking fingernails pulling out the plug! There’s an embossing buddy, a brush, and THE BEST craft tweezers you’ve ever held in your hand. Run don’t walk to get this one!

This DSP is amazing. Snap it up while you can – it’s in the Online Store.

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TRADITIONS OF CHRISTMAS DSP AND THE PEACEFUL GREENERY EMBOSSING FOLDER

The Traditions of Christmas DSP does it again! This image can also be cut with the Stamp Cut and Emboss Machine using the Christmas Greenery dies. You’d be surprised how quickly this card comes together when you have a ready-made focal point.

This image is plentiful on the page of DSP, and comes in 3 color ways. Look closely at the background of the Pool Party die cut, as it’s been stamped with our new Lasting Linen stamp. The texture is GORGEOUS and I hope this one sticks around for a very very very long time.

When the coloring is done for you, the cards go together very quickly. I don’t know about you, but it seems as though this time of year I need a LOT of cards. Head over to the Online Store if you need a little more DSP or some dies.

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QUICK CARD MAKING WITH THE CHRISTMAS GREETINGS CARDS & ENVELOPES

Our card and envelope packs are one of my favorite short cuts to card making. The Christmas Greetings Mix and Match cards and envelopes remind me of a Hawaiian fabric pattern called palaka, so I snapped up a couple of packs in my sneak peek order. Turns out they are a great match to the Traditionsmof Christmas DSP!!

Multiple images from the DSP can be cut with the coordinating dies, another big time saver. You’ve seen my coloring: it’s not like this!! And all that gold detail is just glorious.

Our Gold Mesh ribbon was on Last Chance and has sold out, but there’s a beautiful new option in the Online Store. And that new Christmas Words Hybrid Embossing Folder is AWESOME. You can cut out the individual words, but I like it just as it is!

The cards come with coordinating envelopes and the overall look is luxurious but just a little bit country. Pick up a couple of packages for your holiday cards and you’ll be halfway done! Shop the Online Store.

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USING CONEFLOWERS WITH COLLAGE STYLE BACKGROUNDS

I love this coneflower image, but it’s big. It fills a card front pretty quickly, so I decided to focus on the background. After a few tries, I hit on the idea of a medley of background stamps. I had a pretty big mess on the my craft desk when I was done!

  • Stamps: Coneflower, Beautiful Motifs, Textured Notes, Elements of Text (retired)
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Daffodil Delight, Peach Pie, Timid Tiger, Old Olive, Pecan Pie
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Coneflower dies,Stampin’ Blends, Masking Paper, Stampin’ Dimensional

Both flowers are colored with Stampin’ Blends and cut with the Coneflower dies, but one is adhered directly to the card front and one is on Stampin’ Dimensionals. Is it even possible to make a card without Stampin’ Dimensionals?

I played with the layers for the collage for quite a white. I haven’t done much collage, so it takes a long time for me to find the color, shape and textural combination. There was a lot of trial and error, but isn’t that what crafting is all about??

Find yourself a nice big image and play with the background. Then come back an tell me how you did!

In the meantime, shop the Online Store.

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COLOUR INKSPIRATION CHALLENGE #CI193 FEATURING BRANCHING OUT

Oh, I loved colour challenge #CI196 – Shy Shamrock, Summer Splash, Gray Granite and Early Espresso. I knew I wanted to use a lot of white space with those intense In Colours and Branching Out provided just the image I needed.

  • Stamps: Branching Out, Layers of Beauty
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Shy Shamrock, Summer Splash, Gray Granite, Early Espresso
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut & Emboss Machine, Branching Out dies, White 1/4″ ribbon, Woven Textures DSP, Blending Brush, Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Write Marker, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Shy Shamrock and Summer Splash are next door neighbors, but I assure you they’re both here. I used Shamrock for the greenery, then added a gentle wash of Summer Splash behind it with the Blending Brush. The layer under the Woven Textures DSP is also Summer Splash. And the Stampin’ Write Marker splatters are Shy Shamrock. (I may have to stock up on markers just so I can make those fine splatters!)

The white ribbon was transformed to Gray Granite ribbon with the magic of Stampin’ Blends. That ribbon is now on the Last Chance list (sigh) so you might want to stock up while you can.

I enjoy the Colour INKspiration challenges so much, and the team is the nicest group of crafters you could ask for. Take a look at their page – maybe you’d like to give this challenge a try! Here’s the inspiration photo for CI#196

And as always, I’m grateful for your support at my Online Store.

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