Color, Layer, Cluster: Design Principles for Cards

July 6, 2026July 6, 2026Leave a comment

Artists learn formulas and principles that make their designs better, and as a paper crafter, there are skills you can gain, as well! Today’s lesson is a tried-and-true trio that enables you to create a lovely card EVERY. TIME.

Color. Layer. Cluster.

In it’s simplest iteration, this principle begins with a background color on paper, that paper is layered onto a card base, then images and sentiments are clustered together. Watch and learn in today’s video tutorial:

The first simple card uses Lost Lagoon ink added to the top layer with a blending brush. That layer is added to the card base with dimensionals. The vacation vibe is added with Under the Sun Ephemera and a greeting from the Sincerely Noted Ephemera pack.

This second card example shows how blending a bit of color to a black & white design layer (Artisan Sketched Garden Designer Series Paper) and clustering a few colored vases from the other side of the paper makes a marvelous mailable masterpiece!

Side note: The Artisan Sketched Garden DSP is DELIGHTFUL to color, and this Saturday, July 11th is a COLORING WORKSHOP featuring this paper at 1 PM or 7 PM in Hurricane, UT…RSVP by Wednesday to ensure you may attend:

The last example of the “Color. Layer. Cluster” principle is demonstrated in a Violet Dreams version, where the “color” part comes from the frame, and the cluster of violets was a pre-printed die cut, making it speedy to craft from start to finish:

While you may not be close enough to attend one of my classes in person, I do have a special offer during JULY 2026: When you order the Violet Dreams Suite Collection from my Stampin’ Store, you’ll get a FREE virtual class, along with the consumable supplies you need to make three projects:

If you are a demonstrator or customer who has purchased this from a different source, OR you only want to order the stamp set and die bundle, you can still register for the virtual class! Learn more HERE.

This formula for designing cards would work with stamped images as well. You may have already created a project following these steps, and didn’t even know it! If the concept is new to you, or clarified, I’d love to hear your thoughts: Does it help to think of creating a card like this?

Thank you for supporting my small business by shopping any of the links ~ Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni

Stampin’ Up!®️ Violet Dreams Appreciation Card

Violet Dreams Suite: 3 for Free!

July 1, 2026July 1, 20261 Comment

I am welcoming new Online Exclusive products in my Stampin’ Store in July with a SPECIAL OFFER, so read the whole post!

This month brings new Stampin’ Up!®️ products from “Fall-idays” to this LOVELY Violet Dreams Suite which will be every purple-lover’s 💜 favorite:

I love writing in PURPLE INK (and have a box full of violet pens) so I’m looking forward to sending some matching messages in the cards I create, and don’t miss how beautiful these products look on a scrapbook page! The suite includes a stamp set, coordinating dies, 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper, Ribbon and the prettiest embellishment blooms.

Dowload July Online Exclusive List

My first project with the Violet Dreams Suite was a simple card using one of the die cuts from the Designer Series Paper as the focal point:

This quick video tip will help you get a perfect layer for any shape of sentiment: Use the outline of the photopolymer stamp to trace & cut the shape FIRST, flip it over (lay on a contrasting background to see where to stamp) and add your saying! While I heat emboss this example, it could simply be stamped in a coordinating color.

It’s been a while, so I’m offering a “3 for Free” Virtual Class with the purchase of the Violet Dreams Suite from my store!

Here’s how it works: When you purchase the Violet Dreams Suite from my Stampin’ Store by July 31st, I’ll send you the rest of the supplies you need to make 3 exclusive cards (which you won’t see anywhere else!) and the link to the craft-along YouTube instructions. Supplies and link will be automatically sent to the address and email on your order!

This is a PERK for my customers, but here are two other ways to participate:

If you choose to order just the Framed Violets BUNDLE (stamps & dies) from my store, I’ll email you an offer to purchase the supplies & Virtual Class for just $10. This offer is also available for demonstrators on MY Sprinkled Ink Team.

If you are a demonstrator or customer who has ordered this from another demonstrator, you may purchase the Violet Dreams Class (includes supplies) for $25. Sign up via PayPal by July 31st.

I DO appreciate you, and love hearing what you are learning, what you are creating, and how I can best serve your art!

Stampin’ Up!®️ Silly Old Bear Old Friends for TGIF Sketch Challenge

Silly Old Bear & Friends

June 15, 2026June 13, 2026Leave a comment

Nostalgia reigns whenever I craft with the Silly Old Bear suite, and not just from my childhood, but my own kids spent many happy hours watching Winnie the Pooh and singing classics such as “I’m just a little black rainCLOUD! Hovering under the honey tree!” A.A. Milne’s characters are truly “old friends” at our home.

This card was inspired by the #tgifc581 Sketch Challenge

The only thing I stamped on this card was the sentiment, which I cut apart to scatter across the frame. Everything else was die cut from the Designer Series Paper!

Another demonstrator was kind enough to share that this is what you can die cut from one sheet of the paper which has the characters on it, The dies cut both the images on the patterned paper AND the images you can stamp!

The SUITE includes the Sweet Old Friends AND Sweet Words & Labels bundle, Designer Series Paper and the Hundred Acre Wood embossing folder. It makes adorable nursery decor, baby books, and of course greeting cards.

Whomever I send this to better display it on a mantle for a good long time…it’s already framed and reminds me of the blessings of good friends!

Product List

Silly Old Bear Suite Collection

Peaceful Pine 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Barely Blush 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Pecan Pie 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Pecan Pie Classic Stampin' Pad

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

Adhesive Backed Metallic Gems

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Stampin’ Up!®️ Wild Bunch Highland Cow card for a friend.

Wild Bunch & Save on Shipping (3 Days Only)

June 10, 2026June 9, 2026Leave a comment

Dear loyal friends & customers,

This is your advance notice that there are 3 days of FREE SHIPPING coming on June 11-13 (this Thursday-Saturday) on orders over $75 PLUS when your order reaches $75, you can choose a Product of the Month for just $5 (while supplies last).

To maximize your crafting investment, check the last chance list, buy SUMMER BOREDOM BUSTERS (a.k.a. KITS) and restock adhesive and card stock. The new Paper Pumpkin add-on dies (Detailed Flora) will also drop on the first day of free shipping, so remember to add them to your cart because they coordinate with the July-September kits!

Each month, I add the newest Product of the Month to the right column of this website, and in case you haven’t paid attention to June’s product, it’s the cutest critters in stamp set form!

The sketched plaid brought to mind the Misty Moonlight Checkered Trim that I’ve been itching to use, and my UK demo friend Helen Read shared a card map that I borrowed:

I believe you’ll find it easiest to color these animals with the wonderful Stampin’ Up!®️ Watercolor Pencils, and you can really blend them nicely when the tips of the pencils are dull, not sharp. If you want to enhance the colors, lightly color over the pencils with a Water Pen, starting with the lightest colors first.

The details definitely define the card, and while the flower embellishment is part of the Violet Dreams Suite coming in July, both ribbons and Designer Series Paper are available now and are listed in the supplies below, moving your order toward the minimum for free shipping and the Product of the Month!

On the inside of the card:

Product List

One final reminder: Today (6/10) is the deadline to subscribe for the June Paper Pumpkin Kit “Bikes & Blooms” which includes everything you need to create 9 cheerful summer-style greeting cards with silver accents and matching envelopes! This is happy mail you’ll look forward to every month.

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

World Bicycle Day: Card(s) to Celebrate!

June 3, 2026June 3, 2026Leave a comment

It’s the day the world looks to the marvelous machine, the bicycle! This short reel by National Geographic explains a bit about how this invention affected the world:

View this post on Instagram

Like myself, you probably have fond memories of the freedoms provided because of a bicycle! I felt so grown up when I was able to ride my bike to the Market Basket 3 blocks from my house to spend a quarter on a candy bar and having “wheels” allowed me to ride to work at the hotel my father managed. Though it was uphill to the hotel, I was grateful to coast home after stripping sheets from all the beds.

To commemorate the mechanics and freedom of a bike, I’ve created a birthday card:

Fussy cutting a bike from the Waterside Retreat Designer Series Paper got me rolling, and a label from the same paper provided a place to stamp.

I sprayed the Pecan Pie with water, crumpled it up and then spread it out to dry flat, giving it a leather-like texture, then distressed the edges of the seagull print.

Ready to celebrate the bicycle through crafting? June’s Paper Pumpkin is the Bikes & Blooms kit and it’s going to be fabulous:

You’ll enjoy creating 9 cheerful cards which include shiny silver foil and embellishments and you can transform your kit into alternate projects, like scrapbook pages. Make sure to subscribe to the world’s best craft kit by June 10th to get the Bikes & Blooms kit!

Subscribe to Paper Pumpkin

The supplies I used for my bike card are listed below, and when your cart reaches $75, you could add the June Product of the Month for just $5…and who wouldn’t want this Wild Bunch in their craft arsenal? Note: it’s actually NOT a two-step stamp, and I think this one will sell out quickly, so don’t delay your order.

Product List

Diagonal Arch-Lock Card: Uncommonly Fun!

June 1, 2026June 2, 20261 Comment

Card makers relish the ability to astonish and delight loved ones with mail that is outside “normal” parameters, and this card combines a diagonal fold with an interlocking nested frame that makes it different in a cool way.

On the first Monday of each month, I share a live crafting video on my Facebook Page/YouTube channel and the first design I created today was this elegant card.

Use the 3rd and 4th largest from the Stampin’ Up!®️ Everyday Arches Dies to layer with dimensionals (in the lower left corner only). The top triangle folds down between the two arch frames to “lock” the card closed.

It beautifully shows off each of the items in the Moonlit Flora Suite, from stamps & dies to gasp-worthy paper and coordinating embossing folder:

A second version of this card design is timely for Father’s Day and uses the Waterside Retreat Suite. A little ink blending on the Basic Beige front arch makes a lovely sunset background. You can see both arches when you unlock the top flap:

Use any “nesting” frames for this idea, and to help you visualize it, I used the Silly Old Bear Designer Series Paper with it’s matching Sweet Words & Labels bundle from the suite. It was the easiest of all because I simply die cut the image on the front of the label directly from the paper! There are so many labels in graduating sizes, so it’s an ideal choice for the locking layers.

I’ve got step-by-step instructions for you in this video: Please leave a comment if you watch it~ that signals YouTube to share it to a wider audience! And of course, I deeply appreciate your support of my Stampin’ Store…you can click on any of the above links!

Scallops from Circles

May 28, 2026Leave a comment

Which. of the circle punch ideas shared during this month have been useful to learn? Have you saved some to try later? If you are visiting for the first time, scroll back through the posts of May 2026 to see why this tool is a stamping necessity!

Did you know you can create a scalloped edge from circle punches? This small slimline card utilizes the 1-3/4″ circle punch and you don’t even need to punch the entire circle- just enough to layer behind your paper, so it’s a great way to use up scraps:

The “party color palette” of the Beautiful Ordinary Life Designer Series Paper was all this simple card needed. Some of the Stampin’ Up!®️ demonstrators on my Sprinkled Ink team are close to promoting to a higher title, and this celebratory card will be ready to send in it’s matching envelope!

The contrast of a white sentiment embossed on a black banner stands out on these colors, and a sweet bow along with the coordinating Array of Dots embellishments top it off.

Here’s a tip for making your cards look professional: Add a layer inside to carry the colors or designs from the front of the card all the way through!

PROJECT MEASUREMENTS: Card base is 6-1/4″ x 7″ (score in half at 3-1/2″) and envelope is a 3-5/8″ x 6-1/2″ that is a standard size for mailing an old-fashioned check 😉 Designer Series Paper is 6″ x 2-1/2″

Product List

FOUR DAYS LEFT to take advantage of the Starter Kit Special for May ~ try it, you’ll love being part of our team! No strings attached – email me with your questions!

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

New at SU! In Color Golden Glow Cherry Card

May 20, 2026May 20, 20264 Comments

Our updated banner hints at what we are sharing this month in our New at SU! blog hop: The 2026-2028 In Color lineup is one we have been anxious to share, and you are going to discover that these beautiful colors are MUST HAVE hues!

While I was thrilled to have Crisp Cantaloupe back in our rainbow of colors, I wanted to challenge myself to try a combination outside my preferred palette, so I selected GOLDEN GLOW as my In Color and gave it some unexpected companions:

Stampin’ Up!®️ Cherry Card using Golden Glow (2026-2028 In Color), Made with Sweetness dies, and Banner Sayings Bundle

This color combination of Golden Glow/Bubble Bath/Berry Burst came from the new printable Color Coach and I just added stems and leaves in another new In Color, Peaceful Pine.

Print New Color Combinations

This center-flap fun-fold card was a pattern we used during my team virtual meeting this month ~ a cute twist on a traditional card, with a small area for a quick message. Of course, it had to use a circle punch, as that’s what I’m spotlighting in May…

The base of the card is just 5.5″ x 4.25″ with a layer of Designer Series Paper, and the flap added to the center is 8.5″ x 2.75″, folded in half. Doesn’t get easier than that!

I embossed the Berry Burst layer on the front with the Ladybug Picnic 3D embossing folder and lightly added Berry Burst ink to the ladybugs with a sponge dauber, which also gives the cherries a little shading as well.

Another new product you’ll want to add to your next order is the set of white gel pens! Adding a little highlight to the cherries with the pen is a pro-tip that gives them an illusion of shine.

You need an envelope to match, so I just used a leftover strip of polka-dot Golden Glow patterned paper layered on Berry Burst card stock on the left side to coordinate.

Gosh, this turned out even cuter than imagined ~ I’ll admit I was skeptical of the color combination until I tried it, and now I’m a bit obsessed (and that’s saying a lot since I believe that word is extremely overused).

Let’s see what the other artists did with the In Colors…

May 2026 New at SU! Hop: Creating In Color

Previous Blog. Next Blog

1.Stamping Flair (AU) – Extraordinary Life

2.The Joy of Stampin’ with Rachael (US)- Help Me Grow with New In Color

3.Astrids Papiereuphorie (AT) – In Colors 2026-2028

4.Creative Juice by Loni (US): Golden Glow Cherry Card for In Colors

5.Did You Stamp Today? (US) – So Many Balloons

6.247 Inkspiration (US) – All Aflutter

7.scraphexe (DE) – InColors 2026 – 2028

8.iHeartCards2 (US) – New At SU! Blog Hop – Heirloom Boutique with New

9.De Kijkkast (NL) _ Soft shimmers with Lily of the Valley

Golden Glow leans less toward mustard and more toward a warm yellow-tone. It’s truly growing on me after this project. If you want to get your hands an all FIVE new In Color Ink Pads – Barely Blush, Crisp Cantaloupe, Golden Glow, Hydrangea Hue and Peaceful Pine – consider the Stampin’ Up!®️ STARTER KIT because you could choose all of them as a bonus in May, which is a smart shopping decision AND a chance to begin a very colorful adventure with me.

You’re welcome to simply order the supplies you need and allow me to serve your creativity! Here’s what I used on my cherry card:

Product List

Fluttering By to CASE the Designer

May 19, 2026May 19, 2026Leave a comment

I’ve been literally dreaming of a card by Kim Gibbons Fee since I saw it shared by the Global Design Project and couldn’t wait to finish my housework so I could escape to my craft room to put my Creative Juice spin on it!

The texture, the patterns, the ribbon and the POP just captivated my imagination! To CASE means to take the art and give it your own interpretation, whether it be the colors, the layout, the products, etc. I chose to mimic the layout and use the new 2026-2028 In Colors, landing particularly on Crisp Cantaloupe and Hydrangea Hue, as orange and blue are complementary colors!

Stampin’ Up!®️ All Aflutter bundle with The

My take on the #gdp548 challenge also uses the new All Aflutter bundle from the May-August catalog – a stamp set with a matching butterfly punch? You know I had to have it!

The Bloom Boutique Designer Series Paper combines all the new In Colors (PLUS a bit of gold bling!), and the Lazy Daisy embossing folder provided the background texture which just makes you want to feel it. My own “featured product” shows up as the circle punch for the sentiment (scroll back through previous posts this month to see the ways it’s been used so far in May).

Finishing touches included a double bow of ribbon and twine and a few teensy butterfly embellishments, then it needed an envelope to build excitement when discovered in the mailbox.

It’s just so pretty, and I’m glad Kim primed the pump for stamping today! You’ll love the new ink pad designs that these In Colors come in because they are super easy to open and magnetic to stack on top of the lid or other magnetic pads. The pad itself has returned to fabric, so remember to tap a few times in different spots when inking up your images.

See below for a way to get all the new In Color Ink pads FREE!

Product List
———->

P.S. Come back tomorrow (5/20) for another amazing color combination featuring Golden Glow!!

Getting AROUND to Piglet & Pooh Bear

May 16, 2026Leave a comment

One of the techniques I wanted to show you with the circle punch was Reverse Masking with a torn edge. This makes for beautiful mountain backgrounds, or in this case, a sunset walk with a friend.

Stampin’ Up!®️ Silly Old Bear card for a friend, reverse masking technique, circle punch, Winnie the Pooh and Piglet

The secret to this technique is MASKING PAPER which you can punch and lightly stick to your card stock so it won’t move. Then I tore the sticky edge of a Post-it note to make the ragged edges, as you can see in this quick video tutorial:

Remember to carefully peel off your Masking Paper once you’ve finished blending the ink. Did you see a few more tricks-of-the trade, like making the banner longer by cutting it in half? And of course, add this technique to your circle punch repertoire as a card maker.

One thing to note: Golden Glow Stampin’ Blends are the *PERFECT* colors for Winnie the Pooh, and this iconic friendship duo will warm your heart and your craft room.

Remember: When you invest in the Stampin’ Up!®️ Starter Kit this month, you could choose the 2026-2028 In Color Ink Pads as a BONUS!