Waterfall Gift Card Folio Tutorial

December 1, 2025Leave a comment

When my cousin Valarie asked if I could make a Gift Card Folio like one she had seen on a social media, I watched the video she shared and said ABSOLUTELY!

Stampin' Up! Modern Christmas Gift Card Folio

This is a larger version of a classic interactive card design called a “Waterfall Card”, and this one presents FIVE GIFT CARDS (or would be an excellent base for a mini photo album). After a few tries and tweaks, I was satisfied with the result – give this a try! You can follow along with the video instructions below 🖥️

Inside the gift card folio featuring Stampin' Up! Modern Christmas Designer Series Paper

I’ve used the Modern Christmas Designer Series Paper from Stampin’ Up!® to embellish this folio, though I show a few other versions made with the retired “Season of Green & Gold” DSP in the video. The black, white & gold is just so elegant, and of course, you can choose any colors/patterns/paper that fit your occasion.

TIP: Add gift cards to each of the five panels with mini glue dots, or use the panels and both sides of the folder for photos of a event to remember!

When you pull the tab, the “waterfall” begins to cascade, and a “secret message” appears:

Maximizing the use of materials was important to me, so this version uses a full sheet of 12″ x 12″ card stock (and a full sheet of 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper, if you cut it wisely), plus a few extra pieces. WATCH the tutorial to see HOW TO CUT the card stock!

Measurements:

11-7/8″ x 9″ Basic Black card stock, scored at 4″ and 8″
12″ x 3″ Basic Black card stock, scored at 1″, 2″, 3″, 4″ and 5″
6″ x 1-1/2″ Basic Black card stock, scored at 1″ and 4-7/8″
5 pieces of card stock 2-1/2″ x 3-3/4″
Designer Series Paper: TWO 8-3/4″ x 3-3/4″ and TWO 8-3/4″ x 3-5/8″
Gold Foil sheet: 1-1/2″ x 9-1/2″ for the belly band
Scraps of card stock for label, scraps of Designer Series Paper for embellishments inside.

Making paper crafting easy for you is my goal. What did you think about this tutorial? Please leave a comment and tell me what you’ll use this idea for (comments are found at the top of the post, next to the posting date).

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DON’T MISS THIS!

If you’ve been waiting for a good time to subscribe to the BEST MONTHLY CRAFT KIT, OR you need a unique and creative gift for a friend, this is your sign! From December 1-9, pre-paid Paper Pumpkin subscriptions are discounted as follows:

3-month prepaid: $61.00 (regular price $81.00)

6-month prepaid: $122.00 (regular price $162.00)

12-month prepaid: $244.00 (regular price $324.00)

This price includes shipping! Now, here’s the fine print:

* Subscriptions purchased during this promotion start immediately with the December Watercolor in Bloom Kit. This kit cannot be skipped.

* Do not purchase multiple subscriptions for the same recipient. The subscriptions will all start with the Watercolor in Bloom Kit, so the recipient will end up receiving duplicates of the same kit each month.

* If you are already a Paper Pumpkin monthly subscriber, this is a great opportunity to save on your upcoming kits!

* If you ALREADY HAVE a pre-paid subscription and wish to take advantage of the sale, go into your account and PAUSE your currrent December kit, unless you wish to have 2 of the same boxes shipped to you (the other would be a lovely gift to give!).

Sign me up for Paper Pumpkin!

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Dino-Mite Card (and a Secret to Quick Cards)

August 9, 20252 Comments

Today’s creation is proof that you don’t need a craft room full of supplies (or a time machine to the Cretaceous period) to make something “dino-mite.” This cheerful congratulations card came together in minutes using the Celebrations Expressions Memories & More card pack from Stampin’ Up! and the adorable Darling Dinos stamp & die bundle.

If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you know I love a good sketch challenge to get the creative juices flowing. This design was inspired by Freshly Made Sketches #698. When you’ve got a great sketch, half the work is already done for you!

The Recipe for Easy Cardmaking

Card Base: Balmy Blue cardstock, because the white background of the cards need a contrasting color to stand out.

Panels: I cut down three different cards from the Celebrations Expressions pack to fit the sketch—two with fun, hand-painted patterns and one with bright, festive banners. Pre-printed designs are the secret sauce for fast crafting: no stamping, coloring, or choosing a color palette required – it’s done for you!

Focal Point: That sweet brontosaurus is stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink directly onto Balmy Blue card stock and simply colored with Stampin’ Blends.

Finishing Touches: A few Starburst Sequins add sparkle, and a simple “CONGRATULATIONS” sentiment was trimmed from the card pack itself. Easy-peasy.

Leftover 1″ squares of the pre-printed cards pull the party all the way to the inside of the card:

Why Memories & More Packs Are a Game-Changer

If you’ve never crafted with Memories & More cards, think of them as your personal cardmaking shortcut. They’re designed for pocket scrapbooking, but their patterns, colors, and ready-to-use sentiments make them perfect for quick cards, too. In this project, I didn’t have to stamp the sentiment or create background layers from scratch—they were already there, waiting to be trimmed and glued in place.

Because I also have team members whose promotions I want to recognize, I created a second set of cards from the same card pack:

No stamping on this one! Just the Memories & More cards and coordinating card stock paired together so the celebration can get started quickly.

Give yourself the tools to create happy mail whenever the occasion pops up—because a handmade card always makes the celebration a little brighter.

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Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Scrapbooking with Everyday Skies Suite & Virtual Event

June 23, 20253 Comments

Scrapbooking is about telling your stories and getting the photos off your phone! Myself, I tend to keep it simple to get it done. As part of our “Sweet, Suite Summer” series (since it’s the last week of our Suite BOGO50 Sale) I wanted to use the Everyday Skies Suite to show you how these products can be fantastic for memory albums!

My first page capturing a trip to Texas (many years ago) could NOT be more simple because the photo has the date and the front of the folder that the picture came in tells where it is. There are no Everyday Skies products on this page, but hold on…

On the second page, I start using the Everyday Arches dies, which is part of the suite. Cutting photos with the arches gives them a unique look. While my preference is 8.5″ x 11″ pages, you can do the same thing on a 12″ x 12″ page:

The title uses a few of our alphabet dies (listed in complete supply list, below) and a strip of the Everyday Skies Designer Series Paper makes it feel separated.

Moving to the third page (also the second page of the layout), I’ve added a whole 6″ x 6″ piece of the DSP to the lower corner to tie the colors together, and stamped the airplanes to indicate that we flew to Texas for this vacation:

To keep all the maps, ticket stubs and brochures together, page #4 actually acts as a pocket:

Just for fun, the postcard from the Alamo in San Antonio that I used on the bottom of the pocket page is 3-D, so when you move the page, a different image appears:

Try “framing” a larger photo with an arch outline, and watch the demonstration video to learn how I made the photo corners 😉

EXTRA! EXTRA! After the video, I made one more simple page to finish off my photos from that trip 21 years ago, and tie them together with the arches (and those photo corners show up again). This will face the Alamo page, completing the layout and telling the story:

The Everyday Skies suite was so popular when it launched a few months ago that it’s been out of stock. I’m super glad it is back in stock with time for you to get all of it (or just the parts you love most) before the BOGO50 Sale ends on June 30th!

If you are a scrapbooker, DON’T MISS the chance to join the VIRTUAL ALBUM RETREAT in July:

Don’t be put-off by the price: The kit includes FOUR stamp sets and 12 DOUBLE PAGE LAYOUTS (one pair for each month of the year) and the instruction you receive in the event will be worth the investment! Seriously….click to go check out the kit:

Month by Month Album Retreat Kit

Once you purchase the kit, you’ll receive an email in early July to the exclusive Facebook Event page, so make sure your account has the best email for you! ALSO: When you purchase the kit, you earn $25 BACK in Stampin’ Rewards (if you’ve opted in) to use on your next purchase, or save up for a binder to put your pages in!

You’ll be so happy you joined the Virtual Album Retreat – order your kit today before they run out!

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Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

New at SU!- Floral Impressions Scrapbook Layout

June 18, 2025June 17, 20251 Comment

We are having a SUITE summer! I’m joining my international demonstrator friends to fill your cup to overflowing with ways to use Stampin’ Up!®️ SUITES to make your paper crafting projects truly SWEET (…while you can Buy One Get One Half Off in June!)

Floral Impressions Suite Scrapbook Layout, The View From Here

My project is a two-page 8.5″ x 11″ scrapbook layout using pieces of the Floral Impressions Suite! Florals are always popular for paper crafters, though I limit myself when it comes to flowers, I must say this suite is VERY versatile.

I used the Designer Series Paper, Impressions Abloom stamps and dies for my layout.

It began with a sketch for the second page and to counteract the busy pattern of the Designer Series Paper, I layered plain card stock on top:

These are actual pages from a personal family album I’m catching up on from 2006. Don’t judge me.

Every scrapbooker needs a letter die set for titles; I used the Alphabet a la Mode dies to caption this.

Remember to take a picture of the view out your front window or out the back door occasionally! These photos warm my heart each time I look at them because happy memories of this home rush back, though we don’t live there anymore.

While I don’t always love my handwriting, I cherish anything hand-written by my ancestors, so I force myself to write on some of my pages. Also, a single stamped flower was all the accent needed to finish this page:

Have you ever used a sketch for a scrapbook page? Leave me a comment (at the top of the post, by the posting date) and tell me what you like, before exploring all the other ideas we are sharing today:

June 2025 New at SU! Blog Hop: New Suite Collections

Previous Blog Next Blog

1.iHeartCards2 – June 2025 New At Su! Blog Hop – Turtle-y Cute Suite Co

2.Stamping Flair (AU) – Floral Impressions Suite

3.Did You Stamp Today? (USA) – Beautiful Gallery Blooms

4.The Joy of Stampin’ with Rachael (US)- Kintsugi Inspirations Broken M

5.Furry Cat Designs (UK) – Celebratory Sips

6.Astrids Papiereuphorie (AT) – Box Florales Lächeln

7.Stampinxime by Ximena Morales (DE) -Neue Produktreihen kreativ kombin

8.De Kijkkast (NL) – Retro look with Boho Vibes!

9.scraphexe (DE) – Drinks und Gute Laune (Celebratory Sips)

10.Creative Juice by Loni (US)- Floral Impressions Scrapbook Layout

11.247 Inkspiration (US) – It’s A Party

Whichever SUITE appeals to you, now is the time to add your favorite to your shopping cart…and get a second suite half off! This deal applies to individual suite products, as well, so I’ve shared some tips (below) for you. I’d be happy to serve your creative needs, if you don’t have another U.S. demonstrator serving you!

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Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Travel Journal with On the Go Suite

June 16, 2025Leave a comment

Welcome to another Sweet Suite SIMPLE Summer Stamping project: A D.I.Y. Travel Journal crafted with the Stampin’ Up!®️ On the Go Suite Collection!

This easy-peasy book began with an inexpensive composition notebook that I covered with the travel-themed On the Go Designer Series Paper by Stampin’ Up!®️

Crafting with a suite of products, like the On the Go suite takes the stress out of choosing colors or finding coordinating items, because it’s all done for you…even down to the matching puffy stickers and colored twine for the tags!

The puffy stickers really add a level of whimsy and fun!

Remember to stamp the top of each page with the date stamp, and your journal is ready for adventure:

I’ve got measurements and tips to make this project speedy and fun~ watch the tutorial:

The On the Go suite collection is an ONLINE EXCLUSIVE group of products AND is also ideal for scrapbooking all travel adventures.

The suite – and each product of the suite – is BOGO50 during June:

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Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

A Sketch to Show a Palette

May 5, 2025May 15, 2025Leave a comment

As I prepare for my annual Stampin’ Soiree & BOGO Sale this Saturday (featuring a NEW Stampin’ Up!®️ Catalog and Online Exclusives), I wanted to make a few samples with some of the fresh products coming tomorrow, May 6th! Since multi-tasking is the only way this one-woman show can get things done, I chose a simple sketch, which doubles as a way to show the color palette, and used it for my lunchtime live crafting video, too:

The first card I demonstrated was inspired by the #tgifc523 color challenge of Petnunia Pop, Balmy Blue and Daffodil Delight:

Starting simple – no mat on this card (though you certainly could add one), I stamped flowers from a new Online Exclusive bundle, Impressions Abloom on top of the 3-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ panel, then added 1-3/16″ squares of the colored card stock to the bottom:

When crafting from a sketch, give yourself some freedom to make changes! I didn’t add the palette to the Poppin’ By card, but used the darling filmstrip die to add the border at the bottom:

My favorite thing about this set is probably the tennis shoes you could add to the bucket of popcorn:

Moving along, let’s take that sketch and turn it SIDEWAYS, which is what I did for the Notes & Totes bundle from the new catalog, which I paired with the 2025-2027 In Colors (from bottom to top: Secret Sea, Timid Tiger, Cloud Cover, Darling Duckling & Strawberry Slush):

And finally, I used some Celebration Expressions Memories & More Cards to make this Happy Birthday card, and my friend Barb’s Million Dollar Stamp Set Layered Thoughts, this time putting the color palette below the main panel:

To see me create two of these cards (and share some tips), watch this:

If one of these new items or colors is something you must have, visit my Stampin’ Store starting on May 6th to make an order, or click on the Stampin’ Supplies link under any card you love.

See all these samples IN PERSON – and MORE – at the Stampin’ Soiree, Saturday May 10th in Hurricane, UT. It’s FREE and open-house style, so plan to drop in with a friend between 1-4 pm!

One more announcement: If your wish list is long, the best value for Saavy Stampin’ Shoppers is the STARTER KIT, and starting tomorrow, May 6th, you can choose MORE in your starter kit, with no strings attached!

Scrapbooking with On the Go

April 30, 20251 Comment

Let me make you feel better about scrapbooking, as we gear up for National Scrapbook Day this Saturday, May 3, 2025! I’m working on photos from 2006 (I am indeed 20 years behind) and my style is “Git ‘er done!” Take a look:

The “On The Go” Suite Collection is a must have for memory keepers who also love to travel! It includes a cling stamp set, coordinating dies, Designer Series Paper, suitcase boxes, twine and puffy stickers (which I will be adding to my page, now that I remembered I have them 🤪). Of course, each product can be purchase individually, as well.

One more way to use your alphabet dies (and in the spirit of the #tgifc522 product challenge) is to use the negative section of the letters you’ve cut out:

Remember to save the centers of letters – like the O, R, P and A – and if you put an adhesive sheet on your paper before die cutting, your letters, the centers and your negative image will already be sticky to put on the page, just like a sticker.

I’m not a person who thinks every scrapbook page has to be a show-piece, or even have a bold title. Especially when creating multiple pages of one event, give yourself permission to make them simple. The people who are looking at your albums are there for the PHOTOS & MEMORIES, not the design and composition! Here’s my next page (another day of our Orlando adventure in 2006) and in case you were wondering, I prefer 8.5″ x 11″ pages because the albums I put them in fit easier on my bookshelf:

Seriously. Just get those photos on the page. Add a cute embellishment, then let your family flip through the walk down memory lane.

Need another push? Join Stampin’ Up! on Social Media this Friday for a free virtual event:

To start (or re-ignite) your passion for preserving your photos, Stampin’ Up!®️ is offering shoppers 2x times the reward points for 2 days on Friday & Saturday on orders over $20:

If you haven’t heard of our new Rewards Program (or don’t have an account with Stampin’ Up!®️) here’s how they work:

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(Plus a piece of Darling Duckling – a 2025-27 In Color coming May 6th)

Can You Mail a Scrapbook Page?

April 28, 2025April 28, 2025Leave a comment

The answer is YES!

In today’s live demonstration on the Creative Juice Facebook Page and YouTube channel, I showed how to create two sizes of scrapbook pages (8.5″ x 11″ and 12″ x 12″) you can mail memories with~ .

You’ll need a page layout that has quadrants, so you can fold it for mailing. This sketch features a long panel on the right and a cluster of photos on the left. Once you fold it up, it fits in a large envelope. I created the envelope from a 10″ x 10″ piece of the same Friends of the Ocean Designer Series Paper by Stampin’ Up! :

Both of these pages use the same layout and patterned paper, along with the Alphabet a la Mode and Mini Alphabet dies, fitting the bill for the TGIF Product Challenge this week #tgifc522:

These beloved funny faces were the inspiration for this project:

INSTRUCTIONS: Start by taking the card stock for your page and scoring it in half one direction, then in half the other way. You’ll cut along one of the score lines in to the middle – on my “Funny Faces” page, I cut it along the lower center score line, but if I were to do it again, I’d cut along the horizontal line on right or left, as I did for the “Feeling Beachy” 12×12 page.

Once folded, the 8.5″ x 11″ page fits into a Basic White Medium Envelope:

TIP for mailing in 2025: If it weighs more than 1 oz. you’ll need a two ounce postage stamp, or one regular stamp and an additional ounce postage stamp. For the 12×12 page, you’ll need a Non-Machinable 1 ounce stamp ($1.19) PLUS an additional ounce stamp ($.28) for a total of $1.47.

Use the faces from the Meant to Bee and/or Bee My Valentine on Daffodil Delight card stock and punch them out with a 1/2″ circle punch to create the emoji buttons!

I’ll add this to the list of Mailable Gifts we’ve been building- bookmark that list HERE, then watch the video for more information on how to #mailamemory :

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Did you know it’s National Scrapbook Day this Saturday, May 3rd? Join Stampin’ Up! LIVE for a free kickoff event on Friday, May 2nd at 1 pm!

Pink Goes Good with Green

December 2, 2024December 2, 2024Leave a comment

In a touching moment when two different girls connect as friends in the movie “WICKED”, Galinda makes the (grammatically incorrect) observation that “Pink goes good with green,” and it’s true not only because these two colors are part of a triad of colors that are proved to coordinate!

I met Cathy (and Janet, across the street from her) when I moved to Southern Utah in 1973 and we became dear friends and playmates. Something we ALWAYS looked forward to each year was the evening that the WIZARD OF OZ movie was shown on television, and since we had to watch it at the time it was scheduled to be broadcast (no “on demand video” back then), we made it a watch PARTY!

2024 was the 75th anniversary of the classic film, so we went to view it in the theater in January (with our friend Jolene, left, as Janet was out of town).

They have a poster from the Wizard of Oz hanging in the theater, as Cathy is pointing out. OBVIOUSLY, we had to repeat the party when WICKED arrived in theaters last month…however…guess who forgot to take a photo while 8 of us were gathered at the movie…

Never fear, we meet for lunch about once a month, and I’m going to snap a picture of us in December

This 2-page 8.5″ x 11″ layout was created in landscape orientation so you can imagine that it would make a terrific 12″ x 12″ layout as well. The teeny-tiny stars connect the pages from top to bottom, with a bit of sparkle. Isn’t it WONDERFUL that WICKED gave us a reason to use the Spells & Potions dies for more than Halloween? They may not last long, so don’t hesitate to grab them if you think you may want to use a broomstick or a witch hat for any memory keeping.

The titles on these pages come from the musical number “For Good” which will be in PART 2 of WICKED, coming to theaters in November 2025. This song really captures how a friend can make us better through their good influence, and I can say that Cathy has shaped who I’ve become. She is loyal, filled with faith, and truly good. BONUS: She has the world’s best MEMORY, so as friends, we rely on her to remember the things we don’t!

Some handy tips are shared in the “How-To” Video for laying out titles and extending an embossed design when the folder is small, among other things:

Follow me on Facebook for more Pink & Green projects this week!

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Life is Grand Mini Album, Lighter than Air Designer Series Paper

New at SU!- CASEing Karen’s Mini Album

April 17, 2024April 17, 20248 Comments

What a creative challenge we have for April’s New at SU! Blog Hop! We are “CASE”ing (= Copy And Share Everything) each other on the design team, and I was inspired by Karen Henderson’s fabulous MINI ALBUM that she made for our last hop AND her OnStage 2024 experience!

Nature’s Sweetness Mini Album for New at SU! Blog Hop – March 2024

If you didn’t see Karen’s album last month, you’ll be visiting her Furry Cat Designs blog next, or you can click on the link above to see how she used the Nature’s Sweetness products to create her album in March.

I chose to use the Lighter Than Air Designer Series Paper and the Mini Alphabet Dies to capture the fun of being GRANDparents and make my album with a fold over closure to keep it all together.

Karen’s idea to score the 6″x6″ pages at 4″ was brilliant, so I did the same. On the “short” pages, I added a photo or journaling flap:

Here are some of the pages in my album (just starting to journal our recent visit to see the grandkids…):

Because my pictures are larger, I cut some of them to spread across two pages.

The album base is 6.5″ x 11″, scored at 4.25″, 4.75″, 9″ and 9.5″ and used 11 sheets of the 6″ Designer Series Paper to create the pages, gluing them back to back. On a few (like the tulip page above), I just adhered the edges and bottom of two pages together, so I could create a pocket between them with a large tag I can pull out and journal on! Other supplies listed below.

Perhaps this type of album should be a class? Would you be interested in attending?

I’m so glad you visited me and hope you’ll leave a message for me before you hop over to Furry Cat Designs to see how Karen was inspired by Angie!