Stampin’ Up!®️ Waterside Retreat Shadowbox Card

Shadowbox Cards (& Paper Pumpkin Peek)

April 7, 2026Leave a comment

I’m revisiting an oldie, but a goodie: This classic shadowbox card is easy to make with any scenery-inspired Designer Series Paper and when it’s removed from the envelope, pops out to stand up!

Shadowbox card with Stampin' Up! Boardwalk Fun

What could be better than spun sugar (a.k.a. cotton candy) to celebrate any special occasion? This Strawberry Slush shadowbox is created from the same Beach Boardwalk Suite I spotlighted last week and it’s now on the LAST CHANCE list, so don’t hesitate!

To help you learn how to make a shadowbox card, I’ve made a tutorial video you can watch (you’ll find it as you scroll down) and features a sneak peek at the Waterside Retreat Suite coming in May, which coordinates with the April Paper Pumpkin Kit. As the PP kit will have it’s own unique stamp set, consider it an extension of the Waterside Retreat suite, with additional sentiments & images that will complement the suite. You REALLY DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS and must subscribe by April 10th:

This is the card I demonstrated in the how-to video:

There is room to write a message on the back of the card, and a fun anchor & rope detail on the front:

Naturally, I had to make a few more versions:

For the landscape shadowbox cards, you’ll score two pieces of 5-1/2″ x 4-1/4″ card stock at 1/2″ and 1″ from both short sides, but if you want to make a portrait card (as shown below), score at 3/8″ and 3/4″ on the long sides:

Watch this video and you’ll be stamping shadowbox cards in no time:

As I mentioned in the video, I also have a Designer Series Paper Share in May where you can get a 6″ x 6″ piece of EVERY pattern dropping next month! Sign up early, as there may be backorders delaying orders (crossing my fingers we don’t have a problem)

Reserve a Paper Share

While the Waterside Retreat suite is also a preview, you can order other supplies from my Stampin’ Store to create shadowbox cards, such as the previously mentioned Beach Boardwalk Suite, Cute as a Bug Suite and much more!

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Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Make a Date with Creativity

April 3, 20262 Comments

Do you have a standing appointment on your calendar for creativity? Not a someday, not a “when-I-have-time”, but a regular, reliable pause where ink meets paper and you focus on the divine act of making something from scratch.

One of the things I love most about Paper Pumpkin by Stampin’ Up!®️ is that each month, a fully coordinated, all-inclusive kit arrives at your door like a little box of possibility. No supply hunting. No decision fatigue. Just open the box and begin your date with creativity!

Here’s the part that might surprise you… the creativity doesn’t end when the kit is finished.

For this card, I used the stamp sets from the March 2026 “Fluttering Garden” Paper Pumpkin kit to create something entirely new for the Freshly Made Sketch challenge #FMS730. I wanted to see how far I could stretch those detailed stamps, and it turns out—they fly beautifully.

I discovered that my favorite way to color the hummingbirds is with blending brushes and ink pads. No need to be particular… JUST START BLENDING! The soft gradients give them a delicate, natural look and once you fussy cut them out, they look lovely.

The real gift of a monthly kit like Paper Pumpkin is that it builds your confidence while quietly expanding your skills. First, you follow the included designs. Then, you start to experiment with a new layout or color palette… until one day you realize you’re not just assembling—you’re creating.

I used two of the Nesting Essentials dies to create dual frames for this card, and the card colors are Very Vanilla, Pretty Peacock, Blackberry Bliss, Old Olive and Crisp Canteloupe (a returning In Color).

Having a monthly crafting ritual is grounding is grounding and you’ll find a Paper Pumpkin subscription is the mail you anticipate the MOST! The April kit, “Lakeside Retreat,” is available to subscribe to through April 10th. It includes a Peaceful Pine ink spot (an early release of a NEW IN Color!) and coordinates with the Waterside Retreat Suite which will be available in the May-August catalog:

Subscribe to Paper Pumpkin

It’s a flexible subscription, with the ability to skip a month or cancel at any time (but why would you?).

Stay tuned for some sneak peeks of this suite and the optional “Wonderful Scenes” Add On dies that coordinate with the April, May and June Paper Pumpkin Kits!

One more detail to point out on my hummingbird card: Add a wash of WINK OF STELLA GLITTER BRUSH over the wings for gorgeous shimmer & shine!

The best way to keep creating… is simply to begin.

Your Ticket to Crafting

March 30, 2026Leave a comment

I’ve been sharing Sunshine & Smiles with the Beach Boardwalk Suite for a few days here AND on my social media (FB & IG) ~ today’s projects include a card, a scrapbook layout and announcements for upcoming EVENTS where I hope to see your face!

I love the sheet of tickets and tags included in the Beach Boardwalk Designer Series Paper because they can be stamped to evoke a “winning” feeling for any celebration, like you won a drawing 🎟️ or a stuffed animal in a boardwalk game! On the inside of this card, I added one more ticket to remind the recipient that life is quite the adventure:

IN CASE YOU DIDN’T KNOW, this Beach Boardwalk paper also comes in a different package with a sticker sheet, all ready to preserve the memories of a day at the park, carnival, beach or fair on a scrapbook page or complete album:

If you have a tropical vacation planned, a summer party or camp, pick up these products soon! And if you crave crafting adventures in southern Utah, here are the next few events I’m hosting ~ click on the images to learn more on the Facebook Events, or click the button to register!

Register for Cookies & Cards Class

The Catalog Carnival & BOGO SALE is Open House style, so just bring a friend and drop in for all sorts of fun freebies and snacks at 350 S 400 W ~ it’s a ticket to create!

VIEW UPCOMING EVENTS ANYTIME: CLICK THE “CLASSES & EVENTS” LINK IN PINK BAR ACROSS THE TOP

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Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Happy Birthday: Enjoy the Ride!

March 25, 2026March 24, 2026Leave a comment

When our kids were all teenagers, we took a trip to Magic Mountain in California where the ONLY thing we rode were the ROLLER COASTERS! We were on a mission to ride them all and just before the park closed, we checked off the last one, and it was a memory that was stirred when I saw the Beach Boardwalk Suite by Stampin’ Up!®️

This was the card I created to swap at OnStage (our company convention) in Long Beach a few weeks ago. As someone who loves the swoop and speed of a roller coaster (and BRIGHT colors), it’s just my style:

Wouldn’t that be a fun birthday card to send to a friend who enjoys a day at an amusement park? And for the person who prefers a slower ride, here’s a color-block Ferris Wheel birthday card using the same sentiments and the soon-to-be-retiring 2024-1016 In Colors:

I started with four 2″ x 3″ rectangles and cut them in half diagonally, then arranged them to meet off center on a 4″ x 5″ panel and trimmed off the excess from behind. For the ticket “edge” detail, die cut the arrow (with circles running down the center) then cut it in half lengthwise and tuch both pieces under the starburst panel.

You can cut 6 little “buckets” from one die and adhere them to the Ferris Wheel with just a tiny dot of liquid glue. TIP: Use the putty-end of the Take Your Pick Tool to pick each bucket up and place on the glue you’ve added to the wheel.

I have appreciated how these colors together create a feeling of celebration, and I’ll miss Petunia Pop and Pretty in Pink the most. Make sure you’ve got the ink refills and card stock you need to continue using these colors!

Would you ride a roller coaster or a ferris wheel? And which card would you make first?

These are the supplies you need for the Roller Coaster Card (plus any embellishments you want) and thanks for shopping my store! Your support allows me to share more inspiration with you.

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Boardwalk Fun Bundle (English)

Blueberry Bushel 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Coastal Cabana 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Strawberry Slush 8-1/2″ X 11″ Card Stock

Lemon Lime Twist 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Beach Boardwalk 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

Blueberry Bushel Classic Stampin' Pad

Strawberry Slush Classic Stampin' Pad

Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Pad

Ferris Wheel Card:

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Swapping cards at OnStage with my friend Ann! You’ll be seeing more Boardwalk Fun cards over the next week~come back soon!

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

New at SU! ~ Berry Sweet Bag with Online Exclusives

March 18, 2026March 18, 20263 Comments

Let’s take a simple treat bag and give it a little glow-up… or should I say a gussie-up! 🍓

For our March New at SU! Hop, we are turning your attention to the Online Exclusive products that Stampin’ Up! releases every other month—including March! My project started with the Hearts Gusseted Treat Bag and I dressed it up with the Filled with Sweetness bundle and Homemade Sweetness Designer Series Paper, which I’ve been featuring for a few weeks (scroll back through for ideas when you have the time).

This bag is generously sized (4″ x 6″ x 1-1/4″) and could hold a sweet treat like Strawberry Pretzels, a berry cute kitchen towel, or a Berry Burst Ink Pad and spool of matching Ribbon! It’s proof that packaging can be just as meaningful as what’s inside.

The Stampin’ Up!®️ release of new products every other month feels a bit like opening a fresh batch of inspiration on a regular rhythm. If you haven’t already, it’s worth making a habit of browsing those new supplies. You never know when you’ll find a hidden gem that sparks your next project—just like this bundle did for me.

As you hop along, may this inspire you to look at your basics in a new way: The shelf-life of these treat bags extends beyond February with a little love shared anytime during the year in a fresh & fruity way!

Here are the faces of a few of the New at SU! Design Team members from the U.S.A.~ L to R: Amanda (Did You Stamp Today?), Rachel (The Joy of Stampin’ with Rachel), Loni- ME! (Creative Juice by Loni) and Diane (24/7 Inkspiration). We met up at OnStage last week (Stampin’ Up!®️’s convention) to snap a quick photo to say Hi!

Keep hopping to see more Online Exclusive inspiration from those ladies and others… there’s plenty of sweetness ahead! 🍓✨

March 2026 New at SU! Hop: Online Exclusives

Previous Blog Next Blog

1.New at SU! Online Exklusive Produkten !

2.iHeartCards2 (US) – New At SU! Blog Hop – Online Exclusives

3.Stamping Flair (AU) – Cutest Crew

4.247 Inkspiration (US) – Capturing Smiles

5.The Joy of Stampin’ with Rachael (US)- Honey Fun

6.Astrids Papiereuphorie (AT) – Gartenpoesie

7.Did You Stamp Today? (US) – Cutest Birds Hello

8.Creative Juice by Loni (US)- Berry Sweet Bag with Online Exclusives

9.De Kijkkast (NL) – Springtime Scenes Online Only

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Stampin’ Up!®️ has been knocking our ONLINE EXCLUSIVE products OUT OF THE PARK, but we do still offer physical publications three times each year, and they make for wonderful reading material (and shopping lists)! My customers who have purchased recently will receive one of the new May-August catalogs in the mail, but if you don’t have a demonstrator serving you, send me a message with your mailing address and I’ll add you to the list!

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Filled with Sweetness bundle by Stampin' Up, A spoonful of thanks card

A Spoonful of Blueberry Thanks

March 13, 2026March 9, 2026Leave a comment

The jar from the Stampin’ Up!®️ Filled with Sweetness bundle is quite large, so I wondered if I could just use part of it on the front of a card, and the answer is YES! Be sure to print the tutorial for this card below

Using Vellum Card stock (like my pull-out fruit jar card), I stamped the jar with STAZ-On ink (to make it quick to dry and not smudge) then colored on the BACK of the vellum to fill the jar with Blueberry Jam.

I remembered to use the curved-line die to create a slit in the top of the jar to slide my spoon handle through! Silver foil sheets really make the handle look like a metal utensil.

Print the instructions to make your own, and the supplies are listed below for easy shopping! If I’ve served you well, I would appreciate your support in my Stampin’ Store 😃 🧡 🍊

Print .pdf Tutorial

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Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Twisted Easel Card Love You Berry Much

March 10, 2026March 9, 2026Leave a comment

A card that pops up to say hello always brings a little extra fun to the mailbox. This one does just that with a playful twisted easel fold that lets the sweet strawberry jar take center stage. This is how it fits in the envelope as a flat card:

The trick is to fold your card base from the front lower left corner back along the fold as evenly as you can. If you’d like to score it, mark at 1-1/4″ in from the top right corner and score back to the fold on the opposite corner. As you open it, it twists and props against the raised strawberry on the inside of the card:

I created this card using the Filled with Sweetness Bundle from Stampin’ Up!®️ – which we are playing with for a few days on Creative Juice by Loni – and the little strawberries make it feel like you’ve captured sweetness in a jar! “Love you berry much” seemed like the perfect message for a grandchild. It’s the kind of happy mail that could arrive in a mailbox hundreds of miles away… and still feel like a hug.

This week inside my VIP Facebook Group, we’re having a fun brainstorming session about long-distance grandparenting through snail mail. Many grandparents can’t always be nearby for everyday moments, but a handmade card can travel where we can’t. Imagine a grandchild setting this card on their desk or dresser, the strawberry jar standing proudly like a tiny reminder that Grandma or Grandpa is thinking of them!

Make an order of $50+ (before tax & shipping) from my Stampin’ Store and you’ll receive a set of 19 exclusive papercrafting tutorials (including another great idea for the Filled with Sweetness bundle from me!), a handmade card AND you’ll be invited to join my private Facebook group for my VIP customers!

Handmade cards don’t just carry ink and paper. They carry love, encouragement, and a sweet connection across the miles. 🍓💌

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Revisit for more projects “filled with sweetness” here and on my social media, which will help “squeeze your creative juice”!

Stampin’ Up!®️ Filled With Sweetness Vellum Thank You card

A Jar Card Filled with Thanks

March 7, 2026March 9, 20261 Comment

There’s been a bunch of FRESH products drop for March, so let’s create a pull-out card shaped like a jam jar from one of my favorites: the Homemade Sweetness products!

Just because the Ladybug Picnic embossing folder is backordered, don’t fret! The rest of the products ARE AVAILABLE: The Filled with Sweetness stamp and dies are bundled together to save you 10% and the Homemade Sweetness Designer Series Paper, ribbon and embellishments are all ready to come home to your craft room!

The jar is large enough to create a good sized card – this card is about 4-3/8″ square – and the die cuts a front and back of the card as the same time, with a fold in the middle, so you can make it into a card. I stamped the jar on vellum, die cut it out (including a slit in the top of the jar, and there is a die for that!) then sealed the open side and bottom with tear and tape to create a pocket.

I stamped the jar on vellum with Jet Black StazOn ink (so it dries fast and doesn’t smear), and added the die that makes the slit in the top of the jar as I cut out the card. Fold it in half and seal the open side and bottom with Tear & Tape adhesive, and remember to adhere the top of the jar to the back so the card slides in easily – it’s the part that’s behind the fruit and tag at the top in the photo above!

The Designer Series Paper is 2-7/8″ x 7-1/2″, folded in half and adhered to the checkered jar cover. When you open up the card, there is space to write your note of appreciation:

TIP: Because the jar stamp is so large, and can easily stretch out of shape, lay the die on your desktop and “fit” the stamp into it, then lay your clear F BLOCK on top. Then when you stamp, you know the die will cut it out properly!

Take a moment to explore all the NEW ARRIVALS and add the products to make this fun card to your card below!

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Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Christ-Centered Easter Card, Empty Tomb Card, Stampin' Up! Reason to Celebrate and Seasonal Celebrations

Empty-Tomb Easter Card

March 2, 2026March 2, 2026Leave a comment

As we come to the end of our Reasons & Season week, I have one ultimate #celebrationcombination card for you, and it’s the VERY BEST REASON to celebrate: The Life, Atonement and Resurrection of the Savior of the World!

In my first-Monday-of-the-Month LIVE crafting video, I demonstrated this “Empty-Tomb” card which testifies of the greatest gift we have ever received:

I am grateful to combine more than just two stamp sets, but also my love of paper crafting with my testimony of Jesus Christ. Because of His life, sacrifice and resurrection, we can have HOPE for better things to come! We can repent of our sins and strive to become the person He wants each of us to be. Without Easter, there would be NO joy at Christmas!

For this card, you can use any picture that shows your gratitude for Christ’s atonement. This is the picture I printed depicting a risen Christ speaking to Mary which I used in the first card, but perhaps you have another illustration that strikes your heart-strings. Obviously, there were no cameras to mark this event most central to the history of all creation, but I appreciate those who attempt to capture the awe and reverence of the moment.

In this video, I share tips and tricks to make this card simple to prepare, stamp and assemble:

Thank you for visiting, for saving your favorite project of the past week (scroll through to see them all), and for supporting my Stampin’ Up!®️ business in many ways.

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Wishing you PEACE in CHRIST and joy in stamping ~ Loni Spendlove

Daffodil Card Stampin’ Up!®️ Reason to Celebrate and Seasonal Celebrations

Another Wonderful Year Daffodil Card

February 28, 2026February 28, 2026Leave a comment

Day number 6 for our Reasons & Seasons #celebrationcombination week using the Stampin’ Up!®️ Reason to Celebrate and Seasonal Celebrations stamp sets, which were designed to stamp bold images with sensational sentiments together.

Some of these occasions which occur at the beginning of the year aren’t given the attention they deserve. For instance, have you ever thought of sending NEW YEAR cards instead of Christmas cards? While I haven’t shared a New Year card with this set here on my blog, my VIP Facebook Group did get to see the card I created for the turning of the year! When you make an order from my Stampin’ Store, you’ll be invited to join the VIP group, which gets EXTRA inspiration shared with them.

Let’s move on to the combination card, which could be for a birthday, and anniversary or any yearly celebration:

Yellow and Purple are complementary colors, so when I was considering what colors to pair with this daffodil, Highland Heather and Gorgeous Grape popped into mind!

Remember the die we used on the missing middle Special Day card earlier this week? It also makes a lovely scalloped edge for a focal point! I also grabbed the background die from the same Lovely Arrangement die set to create a peek-through background from the Garden Green layer.

TIP: The perfect size for the Gorgeous Grape rectangle inside the scallops is 3-1/8″ x 1-15/16″ and yes, that is an unusual measurement, but it perfectly layers over the circles! The Basic White layer is 3″ x 1-13/16″ (or one tick over 1-3/4″)

Adding a circle for the sentiment embossed in white mirrors the scallops and pulls the purple in one more time.

I’ve loved these bold stamps for striking images paired with celebratory sentiments, haven’t you? Because they are flat, there is no coloring required, though I’ve done a bit of fussy cutting, as there are no dies to coordinate with the images…but they are super easy to cut out!

Your comments fuel my creativity, so please pause and say hello!