New at SU! Violet Dreams Corner Squash Birthday Card

July 15, 2026July 15, 20266 Comments

We know you like fun-fold cards, so the New at SU! Design Team is sharing BIRTHDAY cards you can learn to make and which are delightful to open.

This is a CORNER SQUASH (or Corner Explosion) card, and I crafted it from the Violet Dreams Designer Series Paper, which includes the die frame, flowers and leaves…so the only stamping I did was the sentiments:

Stampin’ Up!®️ Violet Dreams Corner Squash Birthday Card, Creative Juice by Loni

When you lift the label, it opens like this:

Basic card instructions:

Start with a 6-3/4″ x 8″ piece of Designer Series Paper that doesn’t have a direction (no pattern that needs to go up and down in a certain way). On the side you want to be the OUTSIDE of the card, score it on the TOP and RIGHT side at 2-3/4″.
Lay your card down flat with the scored sides still on the top and right side, and take the square you created (should be in the top right corner) and fold it toward you until the score lines match the score line across the top and bottom right. Burnish that diagonal fold well.
Now flip your paper over (so it looks like the open card above) and fold the sides and top into the card, tucking in the diagonal corners and allowing the square to stay on top. Optional: Cut a 2-5/8″ square of a contrasting pattern diagonally to add to the triangles, as shown.
Adhere the back to a 5-1/2″ x 4-1/4″ card stock base to give it a mat/frame around the Designer Series Paper.
Embellish as desired.

To give the label one more “edge” I laid it almost to the corner of a Gorgeous Grape Two Tone card stock and fussy cut a layer about 1/8″ around the edge of the Secret Sea frame, then sandwiched the corner of the Designer Series Paper square between both shapes, so I could stamp a greeting on the purple shape that is revealed when opened.

This lovely suite was released in the July Online Exclusive release.

Remember that you get a FREE VIRTUAL CLASS when you order the Violet Dreams Suite from my Stampin’ Store in July!

Don’t miss the other Fun-Fold Birthday cards these demonstrator artists are sharing:

July 2026 New at SU! Hop: Fun-Folds for Birthdays

Previous Blog Next Blog

1.Stampingscene (UK) – Simple Fancy Fold for Gardeners cards

2.Stamping Flair (AU) – Double Flap Envelope Card

3.The Joy of Stampin’ with Rachael (US)- Words & Wishes Easel Card

4.Did You Stamp Today? (US) – Summer Fun Birthday W-Fold

5.Creative Juice by Loni (US) – Violet Dreams Corner Squash Birthday Ca

6.247 Inkspiration (US) – Begonia Belle

7.Merrick Makings (AUS) – Birthday and fun folds blog hop

8.iHeartCards2 (US) – Lovely Arrangements Double Gatefold Card

9.De Kijkkast (NL) – Sunset Coast Diorama Funfold

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Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

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!®️ 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!

Shop Now

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.

Product List

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:

Product List

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, 20264 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

Product List

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, 20262 Comments

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!

Product List

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– 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!