August Only: Blended Seasons Stamps, Framelits and Bundle

Posted on August 1, 2018 by mauistamper

Blended Seasons is a brand new stamp set (with framelits and a bundle price as well) available exclusively during the month of August. It’s perfect for coloring with Stampin’ Blends, watercolor pencils or brushes, or any other coloring technique you enjoy. I thought I’d see if it would work on a DIY calendar:

Stamps: Blended Seasons
Color Palette: Whisper White, Gray Granite, Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green
Accessories: Wink of Stella

I used Gray Granite to ink the outline. It’s not a recommended ink for use with Stampin’ Blends, but I stamped off before I made my impression so there was less ink to smear. The colors I chose didn’t muddy even when I got close enough to the edge for a little blur. I like living on the edge once in a while (lol).

I’d intended to color the flowers, but decided to do the leaves first. As I finished the leaves, I turned the panel and something caught my eye. I decided to leave the blooms white and add a little Wink of Stella as an accent. There’s a native Hawaiian poppy called Pua Kala that looks quite a bit like this flower, and I think that’s what made me stop.

We have a mini-DIY-Easel Calendar tour – stop by and see what Crystal and Cheryl are sharing today. And if you’d like your own Blended Seasons stamp set, shop HERE.

Animal Outing Rhino and Birdie BFF

Posted on July 31, 2018 by mauistamper

I am a complete fool for charming animal images. It’s really outside my everyday aesthetic – I don’t have cute Rhino tee-shirts or Kangaroo print tote bags or Giraffe prints on my walls. But these guys, along with a half dozen other Stampin’ Up! Critter Stamps, just plain make me happy:

Stamps: Animal Outing
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Basic Black, Pool Party, Call Me Clover, Pool Party, Granny Apple Green
Accessories: Animal Expeditions DSP, Big Shot, Stitched Shapes Framelits, Animal Friends Thinlits, Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Dimensionals, 1/8″ Grosgrain ribbon

Animal Outing and the Animal Friends Thinlits are available in a convenient bundle. Did you know that you’ll automatically save 10% on all Stampin’ Up! bundles? Every little bit helps.

Crafty Friends, if you have not yet invested in the Stitched Shapes Framelits, I highly recommend you consider that purchase. I use them on EVERYTHING. You’ll get an assortment of circles, ovals and squares in one convenient package! Believe me when I tell you that you NEED this product.

I’ve spent some time working with Stampin’ Blends, and I’m starting to get a feeling for it. My fundamental approach is Use The Lines. Shading this Rhino was simply a matter of using the Dark Basic Gray Blend along the lines and the Light version everywhere else.

This super-simple layout is made possible by Designer Series Paper, aka DSP. Today is the very last day to Buy 3, Get One Free. Get thee to the Online Store in great haste.

Colour INKspiration 35: Petal Palette in Khaki

Posted on June 24, 2018 by mauistamper

I loved my own layout so well that I did a second version. The gray version, lovely as can be, is a bit somber. I wanted to lighten things up:

Stamps: Petal Palette, Picture Perfect Birthday
Colour Palette: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Early Espresso
Accessories: Big Shot, Subtle Dynamic TIEF, Petals and More Thinlits, Stitched Shapes Framelits, Linen Thread, Wood Textures DSP, Corrugated Elements, Metallics Sequin Assortment, Stampin’ Blends, Glue Dots, Stampin’ Dimensionals

This card parallels my first CI35 submission with just a few exceptions. I added the Linen Thread and the Corrugated Elements tag – much lighter in feeling – as well as a few clear sequins from the Metallics collection. I don’t know which came first – the chicken or the egg – but Glue Dots fit PERFECTLY underneath our sequins.

Which version do you like better? If you’d like to try your hand at this, all the supplies can be found HERE. Happy Crafting!

PS. Back in the day, Crumb Cake was called Kraft in the Stampin’ Up! Colour Palette. When I created my title, Petal Palette in Khaki just sounded better to my ear.

Colour Inkspiration #35: Petal Palette in Gray

Posted on June 22, 2018 by mauistamper

I love monochromatic design, and lately it seems like the card-o-sphere does too. Colour Inkspiration challenge #35 is all about neutrals – anything from the Stampin’ Up! Neutral Colour family – and I chose gray:

Stamps: Petal Palette, Marbled, Flourishing Phrases
Colour Palette: Neutrals: Basic Gray, Smoky Slate, Whisper White, Basic Black
Accessories: Smoky Slate Stampin’ Blends, Big Shot, Subtle Dynamic TIEF, Layering Oval Framelits, Petals and More Thinlits, Vellum, Black Stazon Ink, Black rhinestones (retired), Silver Metallic Edge Ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals

In order to keep it tone-on-tone, the roses had to be gray. I used Stampin’ Blends to create some depth without losing the definition of the image. Blends are really forgiving, and despite my reservations, my gray roses worked.

I can’t say enough about the Marbled Background Stamp. I liked what I saw in the catalog, but I wasn’t sure how much I would use it. Well, buckle your seatbelts, crafty friends, you are going to see a lot of this! This design is exactly what I want in a background – it doesn’t distract but rather enhances anything you layer over it.

Colour Inkspiration is a closed group on Facebook, but if they let me in, they just might let you in too! The challenges are posted every other week, the quality of the submissions is high, and the camaraderie is excellent.

Do you need any of these products? I’m certainly glad I have them – you can shop HERE to add them to your crafty stash.

One last Moon Baby

Posted on May 31, 2018 by mauistamper

Today’s the last day for lots of great stamps – including this one:

Stamps: Moon Baby
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Black, Peekaboo Peach, Daffodil Delight, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Wink of Stella, Naturally Eclectic DSP, Stampin’ Blends

Great news: Stampin’ Blends are available for purchase! They were such a hit when they were initially introduced that we broke the store, but they’re back in stock. The new colors being introduced in the 2018-2019 catalog won’t be available til mid June, but the existing color palette is available right now. Order them HERE.

Flying Home for Mother’s Day

Posted on May 5, 2018 by mauistamper

I’m not going home for Mother’s Day – it’s a long trip, and there are conflicts I can’t re-arrange. But my heart will be there, and I have a selection of cards that will go to the wonderful women who have mothered me throughout my life. This is one of my favorites:

Stamps: Flying Home, Thoughtful Banners
Color Palette: Whisper White, Not Quite Navy, Pear Pizazz, Daffodil Delight, Crumb Cake, Basic Black
Accessories: Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Write markers, Stitched Shapes framelits, Big Shot, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Linen Thread

4 packages of Linen Thread is the acceptable minimum to have in my embellishment drawer – I get nervous if there are fewer than that. It’s my absolute favorite, go-to, never-fail choice to add that little something to a project. It doesn’t add bulk and can be mailed without any concern. I don’t even want to think about it ever retiring.

I love coloring these bird houses. Every time I do it, I choose different elements and different color combinations. I use a combination of Stampin’ Blends and Stampin’ Write markers as the tip of the marker is much finer and allows me to work inside those narrow lines.

Flying Home is retiring – shop HERE to get it before it’s gone.

Fly me to the Moon, Baby

Posted on May 3, 2018 by mauistamper

The People Who Decide at Stampin’ Up! have decreed that Moon Baby will retire at the end of May. It’s such a sweet set of images and phrases, and it will be one of the special retired sets that makes it into my Permanent Collection.

{My Permanent Collection is growing, and I may have to revisit some of those choices. But not today.}

Stamps: Moon Baby
Color Palette: Brusho Moss Green, Prussian Blue, Yellow, Island Indigo, White
Accessories: White embossing powder, Embossing buddy and heat tool, Brusho Color Crystals, Watercolor paper, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Wink of Stella, Ivory Stampin’ Blends

This was an early Brusho experiment for me, and one of the first things I noticed was that I liked the results much better using Watercolor paper. I was able to move the color around more easily and didn’t have to worry about over-working the smooth texture of Whisper White.

Embossing the image made it much easier to “color within the lines”. That’s not a hard and fast rule for me, but it was more appropriate for this image with a small face and hands. It’s amazing how I’ll get myself all whipped up about having to emboss something, and then when I sit down and do it I wonder why I make such a big deal out of it. Embossing gives you lots of bag for not very much buck and it’s a quick technique.

It goes without saying that Wink of Stella was a non-negotiable.

Shop for Moon Baby and all of the rest HERE.

This Little Piggy is a ColourInkspiration

Posted on April 28, 2018 by mauistamper

This Little Piggy was sitting in the middle of my craft desk when I happened to see the latest Colour Inkspiration palette image:

This is such a gorgeous, clean combination – with a glimmer – and I had an idea pretty quickly. I ended up using a retired DSP to get the effect I wanted, but everything else is current:

Stamps: This Little Piggy, Sunshine Sayings
Color Palette: Night of Navy, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Gold Foil
Accessories: Big Shot, Layering Squares Framelits, Pink Pirouette Stampin’ Blends (currently unavailable), Vellum card stock, Gold thread, Tree Builder Punch, Rhinestone Jewels, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Paper Snips, retired DSP

I fussy cut the Piggies for two reasons:

I could group them so closely and still show depth (thank you, Stampin’ Dimensionals
I wanted to layer them on that fabulous Night of Navy (retired) DSP

I’m really working at learning to shade with the Stampin’ Blends. It takes practice, and a little light and color theory can only help as well! I’m happy with the overall look, but I’m still developing my technique when it comes to the details. It’s so therapeutic to color.

I stamped the envelope with a blossom from Petal Passion, and added a few of the same image on a Whisper White panel on the inside of my card. Even when I use I pale tone like Pink Pirouette for my card base, I like to add a white panel inside. I creates a crisp look and helps to define the card.

I hope you’ll take a look at the Colour Inkspiration page and enjoy all of the beautiful projects shared in response to CI32! And if you’d like to do a little shopping, click HERE.

Springtime Foils Narrow Note Cards

Posted on March 17, 2018 by mauistamper

The Springtime Foils DSP available through March 31 as a free Sale-a-bration choice is one of my favorite SAB offerings EVER. Seriously. This paper is absolutely beautiful on its own, and can be dressed up left, sideways and upside down as well. I may or may not have splurged on some extra supplies just to stock up on this paper.

Last month’s Host Club got to play with this paper as a simple background for some charming note cards:

Stamps: Beautiful Bouquet
Color Palette: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Peach Parfait, Lemon Lime Twist, Bermuda Bay, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Narrow Note Cards, Ombre Lemon Lime Twist ribbon, Bermuda Bay shimmer ribbon (SAB 2018), Big Shot, Bouquet Bunch Framelits, Layering Circles Framelits, Tutti Frutti Adhesive Backed Sequins, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Rhinestone gems, retired ribbon

The Beautiful Bouquet bundle has the perfect assortment of flowers, leaves and sentiments to satisfy any card occasion, but it’s the subtle patterns and glimmer in that Springtime Foils DSP that really sets the card apart. You’ve seen plenty of great techniques with these papers, but don’t forget that they have great impact just as they are.

Truth: I thought the Tutti Frutti Adhesive Backed Sequins were kind of a dumb idea and a waste of money. WRONG. WRONG. WRONG. These little sparklers pack a big punch and are super easy to add to any project. I am seriously in love and regret ever doubting their marvelousness.

I chose Crumb Cake for the mat in this suite of cards to tie them together and to allow the bright colors to pop. This is the sort of card I would keep in my desk at work for that moment when you want to dash off a quick note of appreciation and leave it in someone’s bag to discover on the way home

This final design features the sparkly ribbon in the Shimmer Ribbon pack (SAB 2018). It’s sparklier than you can see in the photo, and when we’d finished crafting for the evening it took a while to figure out where all the glimmer on the table had originated. Mr. Maui Stamper is NOT a fan of glitter, so I had to get out a microfiber cloth and apply some elbow grease to make sure all traces were eradicated. It’s a small price to pay to live with that wonderful man.

What’s a cute note card set without a custom box? The last part of the ensemble is a package made with the Lots to Love Framelit dies. I used a Pool Party Stampin’ Blend to add color to the leaves on the Springtime Foil paper, and stamped and punched a pair of Daisies (Daisy Delight stamps and the Daisy punch – and there’s a bundle!) for the embellishment on the top. The center of that embellishment is supposed to be a Clear Faceted Gem, but for the life of me I cannot find them in the chaos of my craft space. I know they’re there. I’ve used some of them, recently even. It drives me crazy when this happens. CRAZY!!

Yesterday Stampin’ Up! announced additional products to the 2018 Sale-a-bration lineup. These products are items from the Annual Catalog that you can choose with you $50 or $100 product order. If you choose one of those Annual Catalog items, be sure to use the unique Sale-a-bration reward code and not the product code in the catalog.

There are some great values, and one in particular is worth noting: the Color Me Happy project kit is valued at $25 and you get it for free with a $50 order! There is a coordinating Color Me Happy stamp set that will get you started with your Sale-a-bration order, or you can use stamps from your existing collection. The cards are delightful, the envelopes are luxurious, and you have to look far and wide find another deal like this. But don’t take my word for it: shop for yourself.

Blending the Birdies

Posted on March 10, 2018 by mauistamper

Do you think it’s a coincidence that there are HEAPS of great images in the current Stampin’ Up! line that are absolutely perfect for coloring with Stampin’ Blends?

I don’t think it’s a coincidence either. But either way, I’m pretty happy about it.

Stamps: Flying Home
Color Palette: Whisper White, Pear Pizazz, Old Olive, Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie, Blushing Bride, Daffodil Delight, Basic Black
Accessores: Big Shot, Stitched Shapes Framelits, Lemon Lime Twist Striped Ribbon, Stampin’ Blends, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I choose to color these images pretty quickly, without a lot of finesse in the shading. I wanted to see what my results would be, and in my humble opinion, it worked out just fine.

It also gives me great delight when I discover that I can “fudge” the color coordination. Lemon Lime Twist, Pear Pizazz and Old Olive are unique and distinct colors, but that Lemon Lime Twist ribbon works perfectly with Pear and Olive. It’s the happy co-existence of different types of fruit, don’t you think?