Two Poppies Four Ways

Our two Poppy bundles are clearly meant to work together, and spent a happy afternoon last week putting them through their paces. I was pleased with the results, and especially impressed with how well all the pieces in both sets of stamps and dies work together:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Peaceful Moments

It’s almost a tragedy to use the reverse side of the Golden Honey Specialty DSP. The stripes are really the “B” side, and the “A” side is all buzzing bees and golden swirls and general delightfulness. But the bees are too large and distracting for this application, and the stripes are just right, so the sacrifice Must Be Made. Fortunately, I have stashed away a couple of packages of this paper and I don’t feel too badly about this decision.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Peaceful Moments

Once the card was designed, it was a short leap to move to other colorways. This is Coastal Cabana and Pool Party, and uses Glitter Enamel Dots instead of the Champagne Rhinestones. Those Enamel Dots are sadly overlooked in my opinion – they have just the right amount of sparkle, they come with multiple sizes on the sheet, and are packaged in very trendy colors!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Peaceful Moments

One of the things Stampin’ Up! does VERY well is color – especially tonal colors. This is Rococco Rose and Blushing Bride. If you are VERY observant, you’ve noticed the change in the label – this isn’t the punch, but the label from the Painted Labels dies in the Painted Poppies Bundle. The two Poppy bundles combined are a complete crafting suite, with images, sentiments, shaped dies and labels included.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Peaceful Moments

This last combination is Gorgeous Grape and Highland Heather. I played with the color roles in this one, reversing the background color from the large flower to the smaller one, and I like the effect. It’s hard to see with the black card stock, but there is a layer to the leaf as well – these dies are really thoughtfully made!

I used our Whisper White Note Cards and Envelopes for these cards, so they’re a little more petite at 3 1/2″ x 5″. They are accepted as First Class USPS mail, too. The back flap of the envelope was the ideal size for two rows of those fabulous tall-stemmed poppies – I think that image may be the most versatile one of the entire suite.

What’s your favorite combination? There are many more options in the Stampin’ Up! color palette, and it would be fun to make a Poppy Rainbow. Hmm…

Ready to shop? All of the products are available HERE with the regrettable exception of the Champagne Rhinestones. They have been so popular that they have exceed the backorder allocation and are currently unavailable to order. Current expected availability is late March, so in the meantime, we will have to be creative with Glitter Enamel Dots!

Waterfront Four Ways

Waterfront is a fabulous stamp set to use for tropical cards, but I recently started playing with the individual stamps and had a lot of fun thinking just a bit outside the box. With my favorite palette of blues and greens, I experimented with a very clean and simple concept and loved the results:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Waterfront

 

  • Stamps: Waterfront, Happy Birthday Gorgeous
  • Color Palette: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Lemon Lime Twist, Granny Apple Green
  • Accessories: Note Cards, Paper Snips, Stampin’ Dimensionals, thick Bakers Twine (retired), stapler

 

This is a super simple card, and the color combinations – and sentiments – are limitless. It would be possible to make this card without blue or green, but it would be a tragic loss. <wink>

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Waterfront

Version two: Just palm trees. Nothing else! I thought about a LOT of different things to add, and maybe another time I’ll do a whole series (sun, surf, splatters…) but for now, it’s just about the palm trees. And the Linen Thread, of course. You MUST have Linen Thread. (Colors are Granny Apple Green and Soft Suede, in case you’re wondering.)

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Waterfront

Next up: dots! You don’t get a whole lot easier than this! I subbed Balmy Blue in for the Coastal Cabana and used a little Ombre Lemon Lime Twist ribbon – it ties so beautifully and has such a soft hand.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Waterfront

This last card is inspired by the beach huts at St. Kilda near Melbourne, Australia. We were there about 5 years ago, and their whimsical, colorful rows along the beach are just delightful.

Maui Stamper St. Kilda Melbourne pc Matt Matasci

My son took this great shot, and it was the image I had in mind when I approached this card.

The Whisper White Note Cards are perfect for quick messages and can be mailed with standard First Class postage in the US. They lend themselves to creating sets, as well, and would make a great little gift.

Need supplies? Shop HERE.

Candy Cane Christmas

The Candy Cane Christmas Designer Series paper is my go-to paper for quick, coordinated cards:

Maui Stamper Candy Cane Christmas notecards

Have you tried our note cards? They come in Crumb Cake and Whisper White, and each set of 20 cut and scored card bases comes with 20 beautiful coordinating note cards.  The cards are 5 x 3 1/2″ and are perfect for quick notes or gift enclosures.

Maui Stamper Crumb Cake Note Cards

Have you shopped the Online Extravaganza?  Click HERE for the full listing of the sale items.  If your order is under $150, please use Host code BDVJER7D.

 

DIY Easel calendar kits are available for 2017!

Maui Stamper 2017 DIY Calendar Kit

The DIY Easel Calendar kit is $9.00, and I also make a DIY Calendar Refill available for $6.00.  The calendar images are 3 1/2″ square, and the mats are 3 3/4″ square.

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 $.68.  Easel Calendar Kits are shipped Priority Mail Small Flat Rate with postage of $6.80.  I can ship multiple kits in one box.

Maui Stamper 2017 DIY Calendar Kit

Mats are Dapper Denim, Marina Mist, Emerald Envy, Cucumber Crush, Mint Macaron, Sweet Sugarplum, Real Red, Watermelon Wonder, Flirty Flamingo, Peekaboo Peach, Tip Top Taupe, Delightful Dijon and Daffodil Delight.

Maui Stamper 2017 DIY Calendar Kit

To order, leave a comment or email me directly at AnneMatasci@gmail.com.  I’ll need your order and your email address, and will send an invoice via Square.  At this time, I’m not shipping these outside of the United States.