Tag Archives: Watercolor paper

SEASON OF CHIC: WATERCOLOR

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I’m a late arrival to Season of Chic, but I’m now a true believer. It’s a versatile two-step stamping collection, and that makes it perfect for this simple watercolor technique:

Two white handmade cards with the sentiment "Happy Birthday", one with yellow flowers and one with purple flowers
  • Stamps: Season of Chic, Go To Greetings/Something Fancy
  • Color Palette: Basic White with Orchid Oasis, Highland Heather, Granny Apple Green and Parakeet Party/Basic White with Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Winter Wheat, and Old Olive
  • Accessories: Watercolor Paper, Stampin’ Spritzer, Dauber, Big Boss, Chic dies, Deckle Rectangle dies/Stitched Rectangle dies (retired), Metallic Ribbon/In Color Jute, Tinsel Gems/In Color dots

Do you have a favorite demonstrator (or two) whose work you never grow tired of? For me, Tami Hewlett is one of those people. She recently shared a stunning card showcasing a simple watercolor technique, and I really wanted to give it a try. Ink is applied to the stamp and the stamp is misted with water. Once it’s been stamped on watercolor paper, details are added using the two-step stamping technique.

Detail of a white handmade card with the sentiment "Happy Birthday” and yellow flowers

I don’t have the Tropical Leaf Bundle that she used, but these flowers made me happy. I tried a number of color combinations, and the range of yellows and purples were very satisfying. For this technique, it makes a big difference to have that two-step outline. It adds shape and definition to the soft, flowing watercolor.

Detail of a white handmade card with the sentiment "Happy Birthday” and purple flowers

I originally intended to use Orchid Oasis with Starry Sky, but the combination was too dark and didn’t have enough contrast. Highland Heather provided the balance I needed.

Each flower is unique, depending on where I placed the ink and how much water it got from the Spritzer. Tami applied the darker ink direct to the stamp, but I found it gave me more control to use a dauber.

A white handmade card with the sentiment "Happy Birthday” and yellow flowers

The watercolor paper makes a big difference. It absorbs the water, distributing the color evenly without distortion of the paper.

What color combination would you choose? I’m looking for more ideas! If you’d like to try this technique, shop for Season of Chic stamps and dies, or Tami’s choice, the Tropical Leaf bundle. Either way, I’m confident you’ll have a lot of fun!

Just a few more days to earn Bonus Days coupons! Through July 31st, with every $50 merchandise order you’ll earn a $5 coupon to spend in August. NO LIMITS!!

Online Exclusives are HERE. These Limited Edition products are fresh, seasonal, and sure to sell quickly – don’t wait to SHOP!

Be sure to subscribe by August 10th for your Craft Escape in a box! This kit includes 8 cards, 4 each of 2 designs, and 8 coordinating envelopes. The kit is special because of the way it uses the meaning of flowers. On each card, you’ll find a small inscription of what the flowers represent.

"Paper Pumpkin" on red banner, "Meaningful Flowers" in blue on a pale blue background with images of stamped flowers

And don’t wait, because anyone who subscribes to this month’s kit will get a FREE stamp set! This Distinktive stamp set is perfect for a variety of occasions! 

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. Stampin’ Up! also features an exclusive collection of kits that don’t require a subscription. Visit the Online Store to see what’s available.

June 2022 DIY: A Sparkling Moon

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The Floating Sunset technique is reappearing today as the Sparkling Moon for the 2022 June DIY Easel calendar! I have a lot of ideas in my head for this technique – it’s fun, it’s easy, it uses scraps, and I love the result.

June calendar with a three quarter circle and background of stars
  • Stamps: Sparkle of the Season
  • Color Palette: Basic White, Bermuda Bay, Daffodil Delight, Tranquil Tide for mat (retired In Color)
  • Accessories: Stamp Cut and Emboss Machine, window sheets, layering circle dies, watercolor paper, water painter, ink refill, Wink of Stella, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Trust me, the Stella is there and it is very sparkly. I had some odd-size pieces of watercolor paper left over from the Floating Sunset cards, so I watercolored them with Bermuda Bay ink refills and cut them into strips. I started with a pretty dilute solution and added more drops of ink as I went along, but you could just as easily start with a stronger solution and dilute it with water as you work.

portion of a calendar with a

This technique has my mind spinning: I’m going to try it with Designer Series Paper next. So many options!

calendar on a wooden easel with a three quarter circle and background of stars

What do you think? Would you like to make one of these? Next month I’ll have the 2023 Calendar pdf for sale for all of you planner-aheader crafters. In the meantime, please visit my crafty BFFs Cheryl and Crystal’s to see the calendars they’ve created for June 2022.

Last Chance Products January-June 2022 Mini Catalog

It’s LAST CHANCE time for the 2022 January – June Mini catalog, and these incredible deals won’t last! Many dies are 50% off, so do the math: the best deal may not be the bundle, but buying stamps and dies separately. Whatever you do, don’t wait! Sale begins June 1.

Stampin Up Paper Pumpkin Box with stamped bag and berries and title Pick of the Crop

The June Paper Pumpkin features fresh summer designs and sentiments to make 9 cards with matching envelopes. Your kit includes a customizable canvas bag – and you can order more mini bags to deliver your cards with style!

Be sure to subscribe by June 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.

Floating Sunset

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When I saw Laura’s Floating Sunset Palm card I did a little happy dance. I knew this was a card I would love making again and again, and the Paradise Palms bundle absolutely makes this project!

Handmade card with a blue watercolor background and a multi color circle with a palm tree
  • Stamps: Paradise Palms, Here Together
  • Color Palette: Sahara Sand, So Saffron, Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Mango Melody, Pumpkin Pie, Calypso Coral, Sweet Sorbet, Poppy Parade, Starry Sky, Very Vanilla, Old Olive
  • Accessories: Big Boss, Palms dies, Layering Circles dies, Watercolor Paper, Ink Refill, Water Painters, Window Sheets, Stampin’ Dimensionals
Handmade card close up with multicolored circle and die cut palm on a blue watercolor background

The technique is really simple: cut a circle from our window sheets and adhere strips of colored card stock. I chose to vary their width, which also allowed me to include more colors. 😁 I added a little color to the palm, and used Starry Sky to wash the watercolor paper with color for the background.

handmade card with a multicolored semi circle on a blue watercolor wash background with a palm tree and the words Hope you find a little paradise wherever you may be

I made a second version with the sun sinking into the water. I considered changing the color of the background for this, but honestly, this is how it looks when I watch the sun go down, so I kept it.

A card held open to show 3 small palm trees on the inside. Behind the card is a stamp case with palm images

The inside of this card was begging for these 3 palms, which I colored with Stampin’ Write markers.

Do you see that label on my stamp case? 22JJ? I embraced my inner nerd and made labels for each case to indicate the catalog where they first appeared. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to dig back for that information, so now when my order comes I get out my label maker and put labels on EVERYTHING.

22JJ means this bundle is made its debut in the January-June 2022 Mini Catalog. It has carried over to the 22-23 Annual Catalog, but it is NOT available as a bundle in the Annual Catalog. That means you have until June 30 to save 10% on this indispensable bundle, so SHOP NOW.

Is your wishlist $99 or more? Perhaps you’d like to become a discount shopper and purchase the customizable starter kit. For just $99 you’ll choose $125 in Stampin’ Up! product and receive a bonus of 22 – 24 In Color Grid Paper, ink pad assortment, cardstock assortment, and Designer Series paper – an added value of $66.50. Contact me with your questions, or click HERE to join the Maui Stamper team.

The June Paper Pumpkin features fresh summer designs and sentiments to make 9 cards with matching envelopes. Your kit includes a customizable canvas bag – and you can order more mini bags to deliver your cards with style!

Stampin Up Paper Pumpkin Box with stamped bag and berries and title Pick of the Crop

Be sure to subscribe by June 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.

September 2020 DIY: Love of Leaves

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Are you as stunned to discover it is September as I am? My sense of time is completely disoriented, and that makes me really grateful for calendars. I have the feeling that I need a big board in my kitchen that says TODAY IS TUESDAY. IT IS SEPTEMBER 1, 2020. And then it needs a big picture of, oh, LEAVES:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar September 2020 Love of Leaves
  • Stamps: Love of Leaves
  • Color Palette: Shaded Spruce, Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody
  • Accessories: Stampin’ Cut and Emboss (available TODAY!), Stitched Leaves dies, Watercolor paper, Ink Refills, Stampin’ Spritzer, 2020-2022 In Color Enamel dots, Linen Thread, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Yes, I’m still smitten with the Love of Leaves bundle. If you follow that link and add it to your shopping cart and wait for it to arrive on that big Brown Truck, you’ll be smitten too, I promise you!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar September 2020 Love of Leaves

I got my Watercolor paper pretty wet with the Stampin’ Spritzer and added color from the Ink Refills. The design was pretty random, but I enjoyed moving the Stitched Leaves dies around the paper to visualize how best to use it. (Prepare yourself, it’s pretty bold!)

When I looked at this result I was pretty skeptical. But I Kept Calm and Cut and Embossed On, and was pleased with the end result.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Love of Leaves bundle

That long strip die is what I used to create the background on the paper. It works on the flap of an envelope, tooo. Each leaf can be cut out, leaving a stitched leaf-shaped opening behind, and the solid dies create the stitched vein pattern in the leaves. This set has covered ALL the bases!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar September 2020 Love of Leaves

September…wow…hard to believe we are here! I have the 2021 pdf available for just $5 if you’d like to create your own calendar. Click Contact the Maui Stamper at the top of the page and send me your email, and we’ll get you started!

Cheryl and Crystal create these fun little calendars too, and I hope you’ll stop by and see what they’ve done for September. If you’re ready to browse, SHOP HERE.

Technicolor Thanks

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I love making custom cards, and I had a very special order a couple of weeks ago. I took my inspiration from the graphic design in a proposal to create these thank you cards for the team that put the proposal together:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Artistan Textures Love What You Do

  • Stamps: Love What You Do, Artisan Textures, Handcarved (retired)
  • Color Palette: Whisper White, Gorgeous Grape, Lemon Lime Twist, Tempting Turquoise (retired)
  • Accessories: Big Shot, Subtle Dynamic TIEF (swoon), Watercolor Paper, Ink Refills, Brush, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Artistan Textures Love What You Do

First things first. When I first saw the Subtle Dynamic TIEF in the catalog, I thought it was just a titch TOOO subtle – I couldn’t see anything. But it really sounded like the sort of thing I would love, if it were what it seemed to be – get my drift?

Oh Em Gee.  It is gorgeous. I highly recommend giving your cardstock a very light spritz before running it through the embossing folder. I use rubbing alcohol because it dries very quickly, but you could use water. The results are stunning.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Artistan Textures Love What You Do

I was looking for some DSP to put into that angled section between the two Tempting Turquoise panels, and I started to play with water and ink and the light went on. I used an ordinary paintbrush with ink refills to draw lines across some Watercolor Paper, and I was thrilled with the results. Cutting it into sections really made it pop.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Artistan Textures Love What You Do

I can’t show you the source of my inspiration, but the graphics and colors are similar. (I hope you’ll forgive me for using Tempting Turquoise, but that was the best match and I still had some in my craft room.) There was a LOT of measure twice, cut once-ing and I still had a few things that went wonky on me, but this was a really fun project. You can find inspiration in the most unexpected places…

…but if you want to shop for supplies, it’s easy. Shop HERE.

 

 

A very content cat

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This cat has a very satisfied face and wears coats of many colors!

Maui Stamper Holiday 2017 Cat Punch and Spooky Cat

I had a fabulous time punching cats from the Spooky Night DSP (the deep orange and black cats). I played with watercolor on both watercolor paper and Thick Whisper White card stock, and stamped over some of them to create different looks. Love this Cat Punch!!

Maui Stamper Holiday 2017 Cat Punch and Spooky Cat

I added little Black Mini Sequin Trim collars and used them to embellish boxes of chocolate.

Maui Stamper Holiday 2017 Cat Punch and Spooky Cat

The Clear Tiny Treat acetate boxes were just the right size for the cat – and for a little Ghiradelli.

Maui Stamper Holiday 2017 Cat Punch and Spooky Cat

Maui Stamper Holiday 2017 Cat Punch and Spooky Cat

There’s a cat image in the Spooky Cat photopolymer set, but I would have bought it just for this face.

Maui Stamper Holiday 2017 Cat Punch and Spooky Cat

There was a children’s book when I was small about cats…lots of cats…and I think I’m re-living that story.

Maui Stamper Holiday 2017 Cat Punch and Spooky Cat

Good news! DIY Easel calendar kits are available for 2018!

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! 2018 DIY Easel Calendar Kit

You can see all of the details HERE

  • DIY Easel Calendar Kit is $9.00
  • DIY Calendar refill is $6.00

Shipping is by USPS and will be sent First Class or Priority Mail.  I ship the best possible method at the best possible price and will calculate based on what you order.  Typically, a single Calendar refill can be sent in a First Class envelope with postage of $.91.  Easel Calendar Kits are shipped Priority Mail Small Flat Rate with postage of $7.15.  I can ship multiple kits in one box.

Many crafters have asked for the template over the years. I do not sell the template. I didn’t create it and I don’t own it, and the crafter who does own it does not want to sell it as a template.

To order, leave a comment or email me directly at AnneMatasci (at) gmail (dot) com.  I’ll need your order, your delivery address and your email address. I will send an invoice via Square, and you can choose your payment method.  Your calendars will not ship until the fourth week of September. At this time, I do not ship outside of the United States.

More gorgeous succulents

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If you liked the card from the last RemARKable Blog tour, I think you’ll enjoy what I did with some of the leftover die cuts.  This is a CASE from Krista Driessen – with variations!

Maui Stamper Oh So Succulent

This is quite similar to her card. Using watercolor paper for this technique really helps! I used the Gold Wink of Stella pen to splatter the main panel for this card, and my watercolor wash wasn’t completely dry. As a result, the wash has taken on a gold tone, and some of the splatters ran a bit. I considered it a lovely serendipity.

Maui Stamper Oh So Succulent

I just kept playing with the watercolor wash, as well as the colors and placement of the succulents. I wasn’t happy with the way the sentiment embossed with my Very Vanilla embossing powder – I think it’s too old – so I tried another option.

Maui Stamper Oh So SucculentThis one got out of control!  Not my favorite, but it’s a much bolder look.  I decided to skip the wash altogether:

Maui Stamper Oh So Succulent

I’m not sure if I prefer this one, or the first one. The supplies are the same:

  • Stamps: Oh So Succulent
  • Color Palette:  Ecru (watercolor paper), Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Basic Black, Pear Pizazz, Always Artichoke, Garden Green, Wild Wasabi
  • Accessories:  Big Shot, Succulent Framelits, Aquapainter, Wink of Stella Gold, Diamond Jewels, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Glue dots, White Perfect Elements, Aquapainter

Have some fun! Mix and match elements of a card design – start with your own design, or CASE another paper artist.  You never know what you’ll discover.

 

Thinking of you, Little Koala

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This sweet face is on the list of stamps to retire on May 31st.  I’ll be keeping Kind Koala in my permanent collection:

Maui Stamper Thinking of You Koala

  • Stamps:  Kind Koala (retiring 5/31/16)
  • Color Palette:  Basic Black, Smoky Slate, Blushing Bride, Daffodil Delight
  • Accessories:  Neutrals Designer Series Paper (DSP) pack, Watercolor paper, Aquapainter, White Perfect Accents, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Sharpie, Wink of Stella

For the most satisfying results, you really need to use Watercolor paper with the Aquapainter to color a larger image like the Koala.  Watercolor paper allows you to move the color around, to add and even subtract color.  I find I can get acceptable results on Whisper White if I’m working with small images, but if you work the color too much the finish of the paper will start to get rough.  The Watercolor paper is much more forgiving.

Maui Stamper Thinking of You Koala

I used a yellow Sharpie to color the White Perfect Accent.  It did the job, but the more I look at it the more I think it needs to be a different color.  Or perhaps it just needs to be another COLOUR.  That may be my problem right there.

Bring this sweet little face into your life right HERE.