Rooted in Nature with the Acrylic Block Technique

Posted on September 16, 2020 by mauistamper

I’m at it again with the Acrylic Block Technique, and I’m very pleased with this version. This is a single layer card with very limited embellishment, but the background technique catches your eye:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Rooted in Nature Acrylic Block Technique

Stamps: Rooted in Nature, Beautiful Friendship, Forever Fern
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Black, Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, Pool Party
Accessories: Rhinestone jewel, Water brush, Acrylic Block H, Wink of Stella, Stampin’ Write Markers, Stampin’ Spritzer

The technique is simple. Scribble on an acrylic block with Stampin’ Write markers. If you place the block on a piece of white paper, you can see your color distribution and coverage. Mist the inky block with as little or as much water as you’d like – the amount you choose will impact the look you get – and press the block firmly into a Whisper White card stock panel. Lift and admire!

You need very sharp eyes to see the sparkle, but I painted the little splooshes stamp from Forever Fern with Wink of Stella and stamped it directly onto the card. It’s quite lovely in person, but challenging to photograph.

I also used our Water Painter and a bit of Pool Party ink to make very soft shadows underneath the trees.

This could just as easily have been a Christmas card, or a birthday card, or any other type of card. I originally intended to post it without the sentiment, as I often leave that step for the moment I need a card. Having a variety of cards without sentiments allows me more flexibility when I need something at the very last minute. But this one looked forlorn, and I’m very glad I added the linear element of this wish.

Don’t you agree? It’s more versatile to keep it this way but it’s much better with the sentiment (and my sentiment hides that little black bit that doesn’t belong!)

These is my favorite set of tonal colors: Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, and Pool Party. Add them to your stash and see how happy they can make you! Shop HERE.

DIY July 2020: Celebrate Sunflowers

Posted on July 1, 2020 by mauistamper

There are SO MANY GORGEOUS FLOWERS in the 2020-2021 Annual Catalog! I am a complete pushover for a gorgeous flower stamp set, and Celebrate Sunflowers definitely sent me over the edge. Two sizes of flowers, lots of leaves, great sentiments – well, what’s not to like?

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Celebrate Sunflowers DIY Calendar July 2020

Stamps: Celebrate Sunflowers
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Black, So Saffron, Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Crumb Cake, Mossy Meadow
Accessories: Stampin’ Blends, Wink of Stella

These sunflowers are really fun to color with Stampin’ Blends. I have a pretty simple formula: follow the lines, start dark in the center and end up light on the ends.

It’s hard to see, but I added a l’il Wink of Stella to the center of the flowers. Stella makes EVERYTHING better. I’ve also used the masking technique to add a little dimension. There are die cuts for this set if you prefer that look, and they’re sold as a bundle with the stamp set so you can save when you choose both!

These little calendars are really fun to design, and they’re gratifyingly small when you need a little project to start and finish all in one go. I have both the 2020 and the 2021 calendar pdf available, and if you’d like one please click on Contact the Maui Stamper to securely provide your email address. Each pdf is $5 and you can make all the copies you like, making it a great purchase for a crafty gift. Be sure to let me know if you want 2020, 2021, or both!

Please visit Crystal and Cheryl to see their July calendars. It’s our pleasure to share these images with you every month for your inspiration and amusement!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Bonus Days Promotion July 2020

Ready to add some sunflowers to your crafty stash? It’s a great day to do it – July marks the return of BONUS DAYS and you’ll earn a $5 reward to spend in August for every $50 in merchandise you purchase in July. You can get started right HERE.

A Chunky Lamb…again!

Posted on April 7, 2020 by mauistamper

How can you not love this lamb? This is the I-can-do-yoga, Upavista Konasana lamb! She is fluffy and has a perfect little half-smile that says “If I can do this, you can too!”

Well. But I cannot. My legs will not do that, no matter how I try. Even as a young girl, I could never do anything resembling the splits. But once again, I digress.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Welcome Easter

Stamps: Welcome Easter, So Sentimental
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Black, Pool Party, Petal Pink, Basic Gray
Accessories: Stampin’ Blends, Painted Labels dies, Parisian Blossom DSP, Silver foil sheets, Wink of Stella, Gingham Gala Adhesive Backed Sequins, Stitched Shapes dies, Stitched Rectangle dies, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Retired Artisan Pearls, die cutting machine

Just cuz she’s fluffy doesn’t exclude the possibility that she’s sparkly too!!

The Parisian Blossoms DSP is a specialty paper with foil embossing on one side of each sheet, and I think it adds the perfect glimmer to this card. That little silver foil ornamentation is from the Painted Labels dies which are sadly unavailable right now. Don’t have them? If you rummage through your stash of dies and even trims, I’ll bet you can find a substitute!

Have some fun with what you have – that’s the name of the game right now! And if there’s something you truly need, you can shop HERE!

A Chunky Lamb for April

Posted on April 1, 2020 by mauistamper

Happy First of April!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up DIY Easel Calendar April 2020

Stamps: Welcome Easter, Painted Poppies
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Black, Mint Macaron, Pool Party, Petal Pink
Accessories: Wink of Stella, Stampin’ Blends

I’m smitten with this little sheep, with her posture and her fluffiness. I can’t decide if she’s doing a seated wide angle yoga pose (Upavista Konasana) or if she’s a cheerleader doing the splits, but I know this: she’s pretty flexible!

Crystal and Cheryl have calendars to share as well on this April morning. Please stop by and say hello! And if you need a little Wink of Stella or your own Chunky Lamb, please shop HERE. There’s also a brand new early release suite from the 2020-2021 Annual Catalog called Ornate Garden – be sure you check it out! That big bold THANK YOU is going to be amazing.

Sparkly Ladybugs for March

Posted on March 1, 2020 by mauistamper

Little Ladybugs is a charming collection of images suitable for young and old alike. I think that makes it perfect for my March DIY Easel calendar!

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Little Ladybug March 2020 DIY Easel Calendar

Stamps: Little Ladybug (SAB 2020 Host), Painted Poppies
Color Palette: Whisper White, Poppy Parade, Pear Pizazz, Basic Black, Petal Pink
Accessories: Wink of Stella, Stampin’ Blends, Mini Stampin’ Dimensionals, Paper Snips

I used my Snips to fussy cut all the Ladybugs (Officially Lady Bird Beetle, from the family Coccinellidae. (There are dies, I just didn’t have them at hand!) If you are using anything other than Stampin’ Up! paper snips, do yourself a ginormous favor and spend the $10. You won’t believe how they will Change Your Life.

I’ve seen a lot of them colored with red wings, but I just couldn’t do it. This girl clearly has her hands full with those four roly-polys, and she needs a little sparkle to get through the day. I certainly would.

I’ ve said it before, and I’ll say it again (and again, and again). That field of poppies image from Peaceful Poppies might just be the best image in the entire January – June spring catalog.

If you’d like your own 2020 template, click on “Contact the Maui Stamper” and I’ll send you an invoice. For $5, you can print all the calendar pages you’d like! And for those of you EARLY BIRDS who are looking for 2021, hold on! We’ll get there, I promise, and you’ll be the first to know.

Stop by to see what Cheryl and Crystal are doing for March. If you’re ready to do a little shopping to start the month of right, head over to the Online Store.

September 2019: This Little Piggy Can Fly

Posted on September 1, 2019 by mauistamper

If a pig can fly, she can certainly be purple – Purple Posy, that is! My September 2019 DIY Easel Calendar will keep me smiling all month.

Maui Stamper Stampin Up This Little Piggy DIY Easel Calendar 2020

All of the piggies in This Little Piggy are charming, but I think this one is my favorite. Since this set was released last year, it’s languished a bit as I’ve focused on new things. It was time to change that!

Stamps: This Little Piggy , #Elfie *
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Black, Purple Posy, Smoky Slate, Silver*
Accessories: Stampin’ Blends, Wink of Stella

Wink of Stella is one of those non-negotiable, indispensable products on my craft table. It’s controlled sparkle, and if you know anything about Mr. Maui Stamper, you’ll know he believes that sparkle needs to be under control.

*There are a couple of sneak peeks in my September calendar. The Holiday catalog will be available to everyone on September 4, but demonstrators have had a month to play. There are new metallic inks – Silver, Gold and Copper – and of course plenty of new stamps!

Be sure you hop on over to see what Cheryl and Crystal have done for September. If you need more STELLAAAAAAA, shop here.

Stampin’ Up! Host Rewards: Soft Spring

Posted on August 5, 2019 by mauistamper

Host sets are a bit of a mystery to me. They’re a great value, but they don’t get the exposure or interest they should. They’re available at a discounted price, but the twist is that you have to use Host Rewards to purchase them. Today I’m featuring Soft Spring:

Maui Stamper Stampin Up Soft Spring Host Rewards

Stamps: Soft Spring (Host), Birch
Color Palette: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Blushing Bridge, Metallic Gold
Accessories: Word Wishes dies, Stitched Nested Labels dies, Gold Foil sheets, Stamping Sponge, Aqua Painter, Fine Tip Glue Pen, Wink of Stella

I used the Stamping Sponge to add a little texture and soften the Crumb-Cake-on-White look of the Birch background. I cut the word THANKS out twice, once in Blushing Bride and once in Gold Foil, and offset layered them for added dimension. This is a perfectly flat, no-questions-asked MAIL WORTHY card!

Those Stitched Nested Label dies (also sold as part of the Free as a Bird bundle) are going to be a constant crafting companion! And there’s a bonus in the set: a single long die to make a line of stitching anywhere you’d like it.

I originally created this as an entry for Colour Inkspiration #58, but decided to submit THIS CARD instead. I think I made the right choice! That’s the fun of color challenges: you can repeat them over and over again with such different results.

If this post has resulted in the desire/need to shop, click HERE.

Saying Farewell to Hey Love

Posted on May 16, 2019 by mauistamper

These little critters have wiggled their collective way into my heart and I am really sad to see them retire on June 3. Even though this set is designed as a Valentine’s Day set, I’ve used it for many other purposes and been delighted with the results. Here’s one last look:

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Farewell to Hey Love

Stamps: Hey Love, Itty Bitty Greetings
Color Palette: Whisper White, Soft Suede, Calypso Coral, Crumb Cake, Pool Party
Accessories: Whisper White Narrow Note Cards and Envelopes, Wink of Stella,Stampin’ Blends

These Narrow Note cards are not big enough to mail through the USPS, but they’re perfect enclosures for a small gift or a quick message. I like to have a few on hand as they’re perfect for last minute notes.

Hey Love is retiring on June 3, but is guaranteed available only through May 24, 2019. Don’t miss out – shop HERE.

DIY Calendar April First, and that’s no Fool

Posted on April 1, 2019 by mauistamper

It’s no April Fool! The first of each month I share a DIY Easel calendar for your pleasure and inspiration and today is April 1! (I checked!!)

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! DIY Easel Calendar April 2019 Vibrant Vases

Stamps: Vibrant Vases
Color palette: Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Granny Apple Green
Accessories: Stampin’ Write markers, Wink of Stella

I’m not sure what possessed me to get all Stella, but it was fun! I started with the Bermuda Bay Stampin’ Write marker, because I wanted to add a little color to the vases. It just took off from there.

Maui Stamper Stampin' Up! Stampin' Storage Solutions 2019

Today there is a brand new product line that I think you will LOVE! We have a modular storage solution for ink pads, markers, Stampin’ Blends, Ink Refills, and whatever odds and ends you can imagine. Visit the Online Store for details!

Be sure to check out what Cheryl and Crystal have created for April!

Soft Sea Foam – don’t let the name throw you

Posted on September 6, 2018 by mauistamper

Soft Sea Foam isn’t really an ocean color to me. I guess I should say I don’t generally see it in “my” ocean. I see Pool Party and Coastal Cabana and Island Indigo (sob) and way out there towards the horizon, I see a color that is somewhere between Pacific Point and Blueberry Bushel and maybe the long-retired Midnight Muse. But none of that is really relevant to this card – it’s about the “Soft” in Soft Sea Foam:

Stamps: Blended Seasons (retired, sorry!)
Color Palette: Whisper White, Basic Black, Soft Sea Foam, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Stamparatus, Big Shot, Stitched Seasons Framelits (retired), Wink of Stella, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Stampin’ Blends, Paper Snips

The shimmer from the Wink of Stella is subtle in the photograph, but much more obvious in person. It’s the little things – like a Wink – that make a card special.

The Stamparatus makes this card really simple to assemble. I stamped the floral image 3 times – once on the background of Soft Sea Foam, once on the Whisper White front panel, and one more time on Whisper White to fussy cut with my Paper Snips. I didn’t cut everything, just the flowers, and I think it helps the image to stand out.

Hope you’re having a fabulous day – enjoy this little bit of inspiration. Shop HERE.