Sunset sail

Posted on September 29, 2011 by mauistamper

I’m sorry that this single sailboat stamp retired. I love the image, and it lends itself to a lot of fun techniques. There must be a few of you who bought it and are still looking for ways to use it, right?

A Note of Thanks, Wonderfully Worn, Woodgrain (ret) and Sail Away (ret) stamp sets
Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Pear Pizazz and Not Quite Navy card stock
Pear Pizazz, Soft Suede and Not Quite Navy Classic ink pads
Not Quite Navy, Rich Razzleberry, Calypso Coral, More Mustard and So Saffron Classic ink pads (sunset)
Stampin’ Sponges
Big Shot and 3 inch circle Originals die

The sunset is just Stampin’ Sponges tapped on the Classic ink pad and dragged across the cardstock circle. I stamped the sailboat image first, created my background, and then stamped the sailboat again on a scrap of Whisper White and cut out the sails. It was easier to piece them than to try to mask them and keep them in place with all of that dragging!

Vintage sailboat

Posted on June 4, 2011 by mauistamper

A successful experiement:

Sail Away, Wonderfully Worn and Occasional Quotes (Level III Hostess) stamp sets
Naturals White, Naturals Ivory and Soft Suede card stock
Soft Suede and Poppy Parade Classic ink pads
Stampin’ Sponges
Antique buttons and Linen thread
1 1/4 inch square punch

I was afraid this would be too boring. Instead, it makes me think of an old fashioned sepia photograph. The sailboat is stamped on Naturals White cardstock and I used Stampin’ Sponges to brush just about every surface except the sails so that they would pop out. The banner and background are Naturals Ivory, which makes the white stand out even more. The perfect “V” at the end of the banner is made using the corner of the square punch. There’s a little tiny flag at the top of the mast, and I colored it with the Poppy Parade marker, but I didn’t get the proportions right and so the banner covers it up. Shoots, it’s only paper.

Two-Steppin’

Posted on November 29, 2010 by mauistamper

If you don’t mind, I’m taking a little break from holiday cards. The holidays are a wonderful time to make and send cards, but enough is enough already – too much of the same thing makes the Maui Stamper a dull girl.

Fast and Fabulous, Charming, Just Believe and Wonderfully Worn stamp sets
Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler and Not Quite Navy card stock
Cherry Cobbler and Not Quite Navy Classic ink pads; Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Write marker
XL Decorative Label punch
Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding

Fast and Fabulous is a Level II hostess set, and I recently added it to my stamp library. (Doesn’t that sound glorious? So much better than heap.) It’s a two-step stamp, which I consider a double dip because you can use the two step technique when you want a fast card, or you can just use the outline and then watercolor when you have more time. It’s almost December first – any question about which technique I’ll be using??

I made a 3×3 note card with this same design just because I could:

Remember, these photos were from my “Not Using This Again” photo set-up, so they look kinda wonky. I don’t know how you can take a perfectly square card and make it look this distorted, but if it takes talent then I am the Distortion Queen. Trust me when I tell you this card is perfectly square in real life.

Tomorrow is the last day of the fabulous $87.50 Demonstrator Kit Special, so if you’d like to become a card carryin’ Stampin’ Up! demonstrator skedaddle yourself to www.AnneMatasci.StampinUp.net and sign up pronto! My card-carryin’-demonstrator password is themauistamper.

Blue and green…my favorite combination

Posted on August 4, 2010 by mauistamper

You didn’t think I’d show you all the cards I made in one post, did you?

Friends Never Fade, Inspired by Nature and Wonderfully Worn stamp sets
Whisper White, Chocolate Chip and Marina Mist cardstock
Greenhouse Garden Designer Series Paper
Marina Mist, Pear Pizazz, Daffodil Delight and Chocolate Chip classic ink pads
Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon (retired, substitute Early Espresso)
Stampin’ Dimensionals; brayer

I think I love the monochromatic designs in the Greenhouse Gardens Designer Series Papers as much as if not more than the beautiful multi-colored pages. And in case you haven’t figured it out, blue and green is my all-time favorite color combination ever. It doesn’t matter which blue or which green – but don’t go trying to find some hideous combination and make me look ridiculous, ok? You know what I mean.

This is my debut of the Wonderfully Worn background stamp. You know I’m a tone-on-tone kinda girl, and this stamp is perfect for adding just a little depth to a layer without being distracting. Just to be thorough, let me remind you that the best way to cover a background stamp is to brayer it – it’s the easiest method for getting an even coat of ink.

You could so cut that yellow center out with the 3/4″ circle punch, but it wasn’t doing it for me so I trimmed it with my paper snips.