Paper Cuts and Delightful Deals

August 12, 2026August 12, 2026Leave a comment

If you’ve filled your cupboards, drawers, desk and closets with pretty paper, then you understand the passion for paper. It’s not just a flat material, but infinite possibilities when you hold a piece in your hand! “Should I make a card? A gift? Seasonal decor?” are the questions that run through my mind when I open a fresh pack of card stock or patterned designs.

While Stampin’ Up!®️ is hosting a SALE on select DSP and card stock in August, I wanted to share ideas to inspire you to CUT INTO THAT PAPER you love!

Glow of Harvest and Peaceful Garden greeting cards following same sketch

Each of these cards follows the same “sketch” and use different Designer Series Paper. Since the Peaceful Garden (bottom card) paper is part of the sale, we’ll take a closer look at it first:

I used only the Peaceful Garden DSP, card stock (Misty Moonlight & Secret Sea) and a pre-printed sentiment from the Greetings for All Ephemera pack…no stamping required for this card.

Stampin’ Up!®️ Glow of Harvest Keep Looking Up greeting card

The second card follows the same sketch, and shows off the August Product of the Month, the Glow of Harvest Designer Series Paper…

My team had a challenge to use this paper for a project and share it, thus my version does dual duty! It also gives a sneak-peek at a new embossing folder coming in September (Softly Woven). I added a sweet sentiment and acorn accents from the Sweet Words & Labels bundle.

Sketch Details:

Background papers: 1.5″ x 3″ and 3″ x 3″ (optional mat: 3.25″ x 4.75″)
Banner: 2″ x 3-7/8″
DSP strips or labels: approx. 1/2″ tall by however long you’d like.

HEADS UP: The September Paper Share is also OPEN and you can reserve a 6″ x 6″ piece of each NEW design being released next month! It will be shipped to you around September 9th, but you must pay for your share by September 1st.

If you need storage options for your paper, you may check out the deals at Stamp-n-Storage for the next week: Each day is a different daily special and I love their paper storage options (pockets work well for me!):

Stampin’ Up!®️ Wild Bunch Penguin Black & White Thank You Card

What’s Black & White with a POP of Color?

June 13, 2026June 13, 2026Leave a comment

With all the makings of a silly joke, I’m back with a Penguin card from the Wild Bunch Stampin’ Up!®️ Product of the Month! Isn’t he looking dapper in his everyday tuxedo paired with a POP of Crisp Cantaloupe?

You don’t even need to emboss the checkered background- simply stamp the image over and over again in Whisper White Craft ink on Basic Black card stock. I *did* emboss the sentiments, and cut them apart so there would be a trio to draw the eye in a triangle.

I “cheated” on the double ribbon: I just taped two 5″ strips of ribbon to the back of the top layer, then tied another length around them on the front in a bow.

The inside is a la “Madagascar” (the movie) style: with another trio of precocious penguins peeking out playfully:

The Wild Bunch stamp set is available *while supplies last* as an option to choose for just $5 once your order reaches $75. Which is serendipitous because today (6/13/26) is the last day of our Summer FREE SHIPPING on orders over $75 as well!

SHOP NOW

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If this dramatic combination of Black & White plus a pop of color appeals to you, you’ll want to attend the Paint a Paper Garden class, where you’ll learn 5 different coloring techniques for the elegant B&W Artisan Sketched Garden Designer Series Paper. This will be held in Hurricane, UT on July 11th:

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:

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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:

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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.

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close up Stampin' Up! Reason to Celebrate and Seasonal Celebration birthday card

Celebrating New Creativity

January 8, 2026January 8, 2026Leave a comment

The beginning of a new year makes me want to clear a little creative space and ask a simple question: how do I want to show up for the people I love? For me, one of the easiest and most meaningful answers is birthdays. A handmade birthday card is a small thing, but it carries a reminder that someone was thought of before the day even arrived.

This bright, happy card was created by pairing the Reason to Celebrate stamp set from the new January–April Mini Catalog with Seasonal Celebrations from the January Online Exclusives, which serendipitously pair together perfectly (certainly it was good planning on the part of Stampin’ Up!®️). The bold greeting anchors the card with confidence, while the playful stamped party elements on blocks of color bring in movement, color, and a sense of joy. Together, they strike that sweet balance between cheerful and heartfelt, which is exactly what birthday cards should feel like.

Beyond birthday celebrations, there are many ways to combine these bold images and fun fonts for many special occasions!

As the year unfolds, I’m prepared to remember the lives of people I love, not just with faceless texts, but with something tangible they can hold. A birthday card says, “You matter. I planned ahead. I made time.”

With the release of the January-April Mini Catalog AND new Online Exclusives that have been added to my Stampin’ Store, there are some other promotions to be aware of:

In addition to the opportunity to earn Bonus Days Coupons for every $50 spent between 1/6-2/2, a new Product of the Month has been added for January (while supplies last):

Here’s to a creative year ahead, to new stamps finding old favorites, and to celebrating birthdays, one handmade card at a time.

See all the New Products for January 2026

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I appreciate being a part of your crafting journey~ Keep your creative juices flowing!

🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Sympathy Quilt Card

December 21, 2025December 20, 2025Leave a comment

When your heart hurts for a friend’s grief and you just want to wrap them up and cry with them, use your hands to create a hug-with-a-fold-in-the-middle (a.k.a. a one-of-a-kind sympathy card).

The True Blue Florals Designer Series Paper – the Stampin’ Up!®️ Product of the Month for December 2025 – reminds me of material a quilter would use, so I chose to craft a paper quilt card. I started by cutting two 1-3/4″ squares of each of the 6 double-sided sheets, then cut each in half diagonally. The sentiment square is the same size. Then it was time to “piece” them together:

Finished card size: 4-1/8″ x 5-1/2″ (the Balmy Blue panel is 3-7/8″ x 5-1/8″). There were enough triangles to go across the front of the envelope AND a similar row inside the card, so they all feel stitched together as a matching set.

Sometimes your hands show your love more than your words can. I hope this will be the case for this heart-felt piece of art.

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The True Blue Florals Designer Series Paper (DSP) is available with qualifying purchase only while supplies last. A new POTM is released on the first Tuesday of each month.

While the True Blue Florals DSP is NOT included in the January Paper Share, you could create a quilt card similar to this one with some of the other patterns which WILL be included. Reserve your share by January 5th by clicking the image or link.

Fab-Ewe-Lous Sheep & Free Ship LAST DAY

December 12, 20252 Comments

Some cards leap off the desk and insist on being created -this one was definitely in that category!

When the new Wooly Friends bundle arrived on my porch (available to customers beginning January 6th), the sheep all but marched themselves to my craft table. I paired them with December’s Product of the Month, the True Blue Florals Designer Series Paper (which you can add to any $75 order for just five dollars). The rich blues felt like the perfect stage for these fuzzy little scene-stealers.

To give the sheep their soft, pettable charm, I stamped them on All-Season Velvet specialty paper. It adds a texture that turns the card into something people instinctively want to touch, the way you might absentmindedly run your fingers over a cozy blanket.

My card follows the Global Design Project Sketch #gdp526, the lambs as the 3 circles drawing the eye:

Today is an especially good day to treat yourself to some craft supplies: It’s the last day of Stampin’ Up!’s free shipping offer on orders over $75, which makes this the perfect moment to tuck a few favorites into your cart and scoop up that $5 paper special along the way. BONUS: If you are a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, you can also shop the PP product sale, with past kits, refills and add-on dies included!

Consider this your gentle nudge to craft something that makes you smile. These little wooly faces certainly did the trick for me.

Introducing: Product of the Month!

December 3, 2025December 3, 2025Leave a comment

While it is bittersweet to bid adieu to Stampin’ Up! Sale-a-Bration, I am pleased to announce the Stampin’ Up!®️ Product of the Month, which gives you the opportunity to collect an exclusive product you can’t get anywhere else 12 times a year (with a qualifying order), starting with the True Blue Florals 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper in December, 2025: