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

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!

Product List

Sweet Old Friends Bundle

Sweet Words & Labels Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

Party Banners Dies

Silly Old Bear 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad

Barely Blush 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Golden Glow 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Barely Blush Classic Stampin Pad

Hydrangea Hue Classic Stampin' Pad

Golden Glow Classic Stampin' Pad

Crisp Cantaloupe Classic Stampin Pad

Golden Glow Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack

Barely Blush Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack

Hydrangea Hue Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack

Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

Stampin' Seal

Stampin' Dimensionals

Stampin' Up! Masking Paper

2 3/8" (6 Cm) Circle Punch

Small Blending Brushes

Blending Brown Bears for Black Friday

November 25, 2025December 13, 2025Leave a comment

Bah, humbug to BLACK Friday. The only black piece of clothing I own is a pair of slacks I have to wear for the community choir, and would prefer a color, anytime. Can’t we call it “Happy-Shopping-in-your-slippers Day?” Maybe it doesn’t roll off the tongue…however, Stampin’ Up!’s holiday sale on some of our basic blocks of crafting starts today (and ends on December 1st)…and there is plenty of color to choose from!

If I had to choose between Basic White and Very Vanilla card stock, I’d pick Vanilla. It’s just a softer, elegant color. Both are very smooth to stamp and color on, and since the Stampin’ Blends Markers are on sale (and so is Vanilla card stock!), I made a card using a new November Online Exclusive bundle called Valentine Kisses that is unBEARably adorable:

The dies for the hugging bear even cut out a slot to tuck in a heart, a teddy bear or a bouquet of flowers!

I’m going to offer a Virtual Class using this bundle in January, and if you order it from my Stampin’ Store, you’ll receive an invitation to join the class!

And these cute bears aren’t stuck as Valentines, this card could be sent to anyone needing an extra squeeze:

Stock up on during the Black Friday sale on some of your basic crafting supplies, like adhesive and basic card stock. And if you have a newlywed couple, a new crafter or a teacher on your shopping list, snag a paper trimmer at 40% off as a gift!

Product List

Witches Wear Pink Halloween Card

September 10, 2025Leave a comment

Annabelle Broom is a non-conformist witch who would rather help than hinder, and is the protagonist of a children’s musical play = one source of inspiration for this cute Halloween card! The other prompt for my color choices was the #tgifc541 color challenge of Strawberry Slush, Timid Tiger and Secret Sea:

Secret Sea is a deep, dark navy blue, which is really lovely in real life, and a perfect substitute for black in Halloween cards. Using Basic Beige as my neutral background gave my card a bewitching-hour feel.

As Annabelle would rather wear PINK than black, this fantastic feline witch asserts her fashion sense with a pink (Strawberry Slush) tutu and is ready to fly to help lost children on her trusty broom!

If Spooky Season is your favorite, here are two opportunities to craft with me virtually, or in person:

Spooky Sweet VIRTUAL Crafting Class: Thursday, October 2nd at 4 pm MT

The video craft-along instructions will be broadcast on a private YouTube for those who register AND purchase the Spooky Sweet Suite Collection (an Online Exclusive). If you order the Suite from my store, the class is just $10 (includes shipping to you) and I’ll email asking if you’d like to join the class. Craft along LIVE with me -OR- watch later at your convenience.

Class kit includes card stock and envelopes, dimensionals, cutting guide and goodies for creating 5 projects SO CUTE, THEY ARE SPOOKY! ALSO NEEDED (not included): Adhesive, Paper Trimmer, Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad and the following Stampin’ Blends: Granny Apple Green, Petunia Pop, Pumpkin Pie, Smoky Slate.

If you have purchased the suite collection from another demonstrator (or as a demonstrator), the fee is $20 – contact me to register before September 22nd!

If you live in the Southern Utah area, you’ll want to come to the Cookies, Cards & Cocoa class at the Strap Tank Restaurant on October 16th, where you’ll learn to decorate 4 sugar cookies with LoveCookies Bakery and 2 paper crafting projects with me (DIFFERENT than the ones at the virtual class).

Register Here

Looking forward to brewing up some spooky sweet crafting with you!

Product List

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Birthday Cupcake Fun-Fold Card

July 11, 2025July 5, 2025Leave a comment

A simple card can be transformed by an easy fun-fold element, and in today’s free tutorial, I’ll show you how to make someone’s birthday brighter!

Behind this simple facade lies a fancy surprise as you open the card:

The Everyday Arches dies are the star of this card, and an essential set of paper crafting tools that belong in every stamper’s arsenal.

Let me know if you like this idea by leaving a comment (top of post, near posting date), order the supplies you need below the button, then download the tutorial and give it a go!

Download Cupcake Fun-Fold Tutorial

Product List

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Adventure Together- Reach for the Stars

January 31, 2025Leave a comment

Have you browsed through the Online Exclusive section of my Stampin’ Up! store recently??! There are so many hidden treasures there, and THIS is one of them:

Adventure Together Bundle

I loved the little camper so much that I used it for the last card swap with my Sprinkled Ink team!

This card paired the Stampin’ Up! Adventure Together bundle with the Everyday Skies Suite Collection (another Online Exclusive must-have) for a snapshot of camping under the stars and stories around a fire. Doesn’t it make you yearn for warmer weather?

It was wonderful to see how it paired with many of the designs in the Everyday Skies Designer Series Paper, and this one shows a different color combination and skyscape:

Which do you prefer- The blue night sky filled with stars or the purple clouds of the evening sunset? Comments are at the top of the post near the date!

Product List

Adventure Together Bundle (English)

Everyday Arches Bundle (English)

Everyday Skies 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper

Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Azure Afternoon 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Fresh Freesia 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

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

Azure Afternoon Classic Stampin' Pad

Misty Moonlight Classic Stampin' Pad

Fresh Freesia Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

Bubble Bath Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack

Azure Afternoon Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack

Lemon Lolly Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack

Smoky Slate Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

Basic Black Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

Old Olive Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

Stampin' Seal

Stampin' Dimensionals

Two Tone Sparkle Gems

Friendly Seagulls (SAB Sneak Peek)

December 13, 2024December 14, 2024Leave a comment

While Christmas is just around the corner, Sale-a-Bration is right on it’s heels!

Stampin’ Up! Sale-a-Bration is the best time of the year because when you SHOP or JOIN, there are extra products to choose as a bonus. Let’s take a first look at one of the stamp sets you could choose free with a qualifying purchase: Friendly Seagulls

This card was inspired by the #tgifc503 sketch challenge:

Rather than coloring the seagulls, I colored AROUND them with Stampin’ Blends markers, creating a seaside sunrise (or sunset?) background. I fussy-cut around two of the birds to set them in front.

The set comes with a few different sentiments than what I used here. For this card, I added words from the “Saying Hey” stamp set from the annual catalog.

If you have ordered from me in the last year, you should receive a January-April mini catalog AND Sale-a-Bration brochure in the mail this month! If you don’t yet have a demonstrator serving you in the U.S., I’d be happy to send you both, simply shoot me a message!

Like this card? It makes me happy to hear if it makes you smile~ scroll back to the top of the post and leave me a comment!

Simply Zinnia Thank You Card Slanted Background In Color 2024-2026

In Color Zinnia Card Duos

April 22, 2024Leave a comment

If there were a contest for the “most cheerful flower”, don’t you think ZINNIAS would take the prize?

Today’s card(s) feature the Simply Zinnia bundle (an online exclusive available now in my Stampin’ Store) as well as the 2024-2026 In Color products that will be in my store on May 1st!

This slanted background is a handy template to remember (or PIN!) because you can create TWO cards in about the same time it takes to make just one!

It all starts with a 6″ x 3-3/4″ piece of In-Color Designer Series Paper. Mark it at 2″ on the bottom long edge (on the back side of the design you want to use) and at 4″ on the top long edge. Then cut it from the 2″ mark to the 4″ mark. Layer each of those pieces onto a 4″ x 5-1/4″ piece of Basic Black card stock and you are halfway done.

TIP: The leftover 6″ x 2-1/4″ piece of Designer Series Paper fits perfectly on the flap of your envelope, giving you terrific coordination!

Watch the tutorial (speed it up, if desired) to learn how to finish up the card:

And why stop at 2 cards when you can make 10? Two in each of the 2024-26 In Colors: Petunia Pop (shown above), Summer Splash, Peach Pie, Pretty In Pink and Shy Shamrock!

These colors coordinate beautifully, so you can even mix up the colors on the flowers- with the alcohol-based Stampin’ Blends markers, the colors bleed together smoothly:

Here are a few wonderful ways to collect the new IN COLORS:

Join my IN COLOR COLLECTORS CLUB and receive a package each month (May-September) filled with a sampling of ALL the products in each of the colors, including an exclusive projects each month…PLUS a FREE BASIC BEIGE BONUS the last month!
Too impatient to collect slowly? Purchase ALL the colors in May or June from my Stampin’ Store and earn the Basic Beige Bonus FREE!
Join my Sprinkled Ink Team in May and receive 4 new In Color Products in the Starter Kit FREE!! Offer good May 1-31, 2024.

Make It Yourself: Paper Snip Gift Box

December 4, 2023Leave a comment

Just as bakers are always thrilled to receive a new spatula (my favorites are from Pampered Chef), CRAFTERS are delighted to add another set of scissors to their collection! The Paper Snips from Stampin’ Up! are essential for fussy cutting, plus you can make a second pair “ribbon only” scissors.

The trick is how to WRAP a gift that’s triangular shaped, and I have just the tutorial for you today!

This box is PERFECT for SNIPS and can be created for the holiday season OR any other time of gifting.

Start with a 12″ x 3.5″ piece of card stock OR Designer Series Paper, then follow the instructions here (warning: I make a mistake at the 6 minute mark, but quickly get back on track!). The layer starts with a 5.5″ x 3″ piece of card stock or Designer Series Paper.

Tip to make this box for any size: Measure the triangular object you want to wrap and add 1/2″ to the length and double it, then add 1/2″ to the width. That’s how I got the size of paper to begin my box with!

Here’s the box opened:

If you start with card stock and add Designer Series Paper, keep the two sides you trimmed off and layer them on the sides of the box- they fit perfectly and keep the “scene” wrapping around the edges:

I’d love to hear if you make these boxes- comment or tag me on social media @creativejuicebyloni on Facebook or Instagram.

Product List

Beary Christmas 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper

$12.50

Regals 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Cardstock

$13.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$10.50

Night Of Navy & Gold 1/2" (1.3 Cm) Glittered Ribbon

$9.00

Beary Cute Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

$25.00

Crafting With You Bundle (English)

$54.00

Holographic Trio 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper

$10.00

Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad

$9.00

Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad

$9.00

Regals Stampin' Write Markers

$35.00

Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blends Combo Pack

$10.00

Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

$66.00

Mini Glue Dots

$5.75

Paper Trimmer

$26.00

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

$5.50

Copy the Catalog

October 30, 2023October 30, 2023Leave a comment

Need paper crafting ideas? Look no further than any Stampin’ Up! catalog!

In today’s live video, I demonstrated how to use the So Very Merry stamp set to re-create cards made with the Circle Sayings bundle (if you have one, you *need* the other!).

The card on the left is found on page 147 of the annual catalog and the card on the right is the one I stamped:

Let me show another example. Card on left from catalog, card on right I created to show you how well these two sets interchange!

In my Angel version of the cupcake card from the catalog, the More Dazzle paper is truly heavenly, and I embossed the angel image on Vellum cardstock in gold embossing powder, then colored it from the back with Stampin’ Blends markers. TIP: To adhere the vellum to the white background, lightly sponge liquid glue to the back of the vellum for a no-show adhesive.

With two days left of our 35th Anniversary Starter Kit promotion, you may consider getting the starter kit for 35% off -OR- choosing 35% more in the starter kit ($168.75 product value) for the regular price of $99…and if you don’t know what to choose, these two interchangeable sets/bundles are a good place to begin, plus you can copy the cards I showed! More Starter Kit suggestions in the video: