Wow Bow Fun Fold Card

January 5, 2026January 5, 2026Leave a comment

We card creators are constantly faced with a dilemma: Which side of this pretty paper should I use when both front and back designs are beautiful? The Wow Bow Fun Fold lets you use BOTH sides and is easily crafted from ONE PIECE of 6″ x 6″ Designer Series Paper:

This idea was adapted slightly from my friend Frances Martin of Frenchiestamps.com and you can see her versions HERE.

As I explain in the tutorial video, I like to pair bold designs with small patterns, and most of the time, Stampin’ Up! does the work for us by creating Designer Series Paper (DSP) that coordinates on front and back with contrasting colors and patterns. You can take your cue for the colors of your card from the DSP itself, as well. For my demonstration card (above) I chose a Fresh Freesia card base and Old Olive layer on the front, which matches the Lovely & Beautiful Designer Series Paper I used.

Two more versions: One showcasing the Made with Love DSP and the other featuring Cute as a Bug paper — tomorrow can’t come soon enough for you to collect all these patterns!

All of these papers will be included in the Paper & Ribbon Share, where you’ll receive a 6″ x 6″ piece of each paper arriving TOMORROW (Jan. 6, 2026) to play with! Don’t hesitate, the deadline for reserving your share is TODAY (Jan. 5, 2026). If there are any shares left over, they will be offered first-come-first-served at the Card Cafe Class in Hurricane, UT on January 15th.

The video will walk you through making this easy fancy fold card, and the measurements are below.

Card Measurements:

Card base 5.5″ x 8.5″ card stock
First layer 4″ x 5.25″ card stock
Designer Series Paper 6″ x 6″ – cut 3/4″ off bottom and score remaining piece at 1.5″ and 4.5″
Use 3/4″ strip INSIDE the card!

This final sample uses the Hobby Haven Designer Series Paper available now in my Stampin’ Store. It is NOT included in the Paper Share, but sure makes beautiful cards for folks with hobbies such as crafting, baking, houseplants (shown), sewing, self-care, etc. :

COMING TOMORROW, January 6th:

Customers may begin to order from January-April Mini Catalog and January Online Exclusives!
NEW Product of the Month drops!
NEW KITS available!
BONUS DAYS earning period begins: Earn $5 coupon for each $50 spent (in addition to collecting 10% back in Stampin’ Rewards!) to redeem between February 3-28, 2026!

Dynamic Backgrounds with 6×6 Patterned Paper

September 1, 2025December 27, 20251 Comment

Have ever looked at a stack of pretty designer series paper and think, “It’s too pretty to cut”? I hear you—but here’s the good news: when you do cut it, you can get the most out of every single sheet! I created this cutting map that turns any 6” x 6” piece of designer paper into perfectly sized layers for the front of your cards:

In my live video today, I walked through the process step by step and made the card shown here from the Autumn Toile pack of paper that will be available on September 2nd. (You’ll find the replay below if you want to craft along!) The cutting map is below so you can print it out, tuck it near your paper trimmer, and use it anytime you want to make lovely layers of backgrounds for your greeting cards.

Cutting guide for 6" x 6" Designer Series Paper

The first cut you make (circled) will be 3-7/8″ into the square. The second cut will be to cut the leftover pattern down to 4-1/2″ tall, then other cuts as shown.

Layer the two large rectangles on a contrasting card stock base, and the two long strips go on a piece of card stock that is 2-1/2″ x 4-3/4″, which can be attached with dimensionals to either the left or right side of the front of the card.

For my samples, I used a mix of Stampin’ Up! designer series paper. Four of the patterns come straight from the September Paper Share I’m offering — fifty-three 6″ x 6″ sheets of Stampin’ Up! Designer Series Paper, all cut down and ready for you to create with. It’s a perfect way to try every new design without committing to full packs, and it gives you plenty of variety for projects like this.

My last two examples of this sketch feature the Painterly Pears Suite and the Spooky Sweet Suite. Isn’t it terrific how the same cutting map works across completely different styles—fall-inspired pumpkins, happy holiday greetings, fresh pears, or playful Halloween motifs?! It’s proof that a simple template can stretch your supplies and spark new ideas.

Whether you’re making cards in bulk or just want a foolproof way to get more from your paper, this card design is one you’ll use again and again. Scroll down for the video, save all six card samples, and grab your trimmer—you’ll be amazed how quickly 6” x 6” papers can turn into a gallery of handmade cards.

The 1″ x 3-7/8″ piece from the cutting map goes INSIDE the cards, like this:

TWO more opportunities before you go:

The Autumn Toile paper (on the first card I demonstrated) coordinates with the September Paper Pumpkin kit, so if you adore autumn and those detailed designs, you will certainly want to subscribe by September 10th to receive a fall-filled box of coordinating crafting!
While the Spooky Sweet Suite paper is NOT included in the Paper Share, I *WILL* be teaching a Virtual Halloween class with the suite on October 2nd – Add the suite to your cart for an invitation to join the party, or visit the Facebook event page (link above) to find out how to register.

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Cutting Map for 6×6 Designer Series Paper

February 3, 2025Leave a comment

If you create cards, you know the satisfaction of using EVERY. INCH. of patterned paper! Let me use the Stampin’ Up! Fruit Salad Designer Series Paper for Sale-a-Bration to show you how to quickly cut a sheet of 6″ x 6″ paper to make TWO cards!

The first cut you make will be 1″ off the side, then turn your DSP 90 degrees and cut an inch off the other side (you’ll have a 5″ x 5″ piece left over):

The third cut you make will be to cut your 5″ square into two 2.5″ sections. BEFORE YOU CUT, make sure you know which orientation you want your card to be, if there is a direction in the pattern! Watch the video below to see me explain.

The last cut is to take 1″ off the 6″ x 1″ strip, but DON’T THROW THAT TINY SQUARE AWAY!

Once you have your two sets of paper pieces, lay them onto a 4″ x 5.25″ card stock, leaving space in between them. Embellish, then mount the layers onto a card base:

Video instructions:

Here are the cards I created or showed using the Fruit Salad paper and the cutting guide. Add ribbon, a greeting, a focal point, a strip of card stock:

This pattern/layout is good for most double sided paper, especially when one side has a bold pattern and the back side has more subtle pattern. Try mixing up patterns from a package, like this card using the Sale-a-Bration Toadstool Gardens paper:

A sentiment stamp set and coordinating punch make finishing these greeting cards speedy, or create a scene (like the toadstools) on a 2″ x 3-1/4″ rectangle. Alternatively, fussy cut an image from the paper itself: