Bikes & Blooms – Creative Juice by Loni

If you are a paper crafter but aren’t a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, perhaps this will change your mind!

A kit is a starting point for creativity: You can assemble a kit “as is” or find ways to extend the use of the supplies in the kit (as I did) OR use them in a completely different way (for scrapbook pages, gifts, decor, etc.) This month, I took the LOVELY June Bikes & Blooms kit and added exactly 4 sheets of coordinating card stock to make 14 cards instead of 9:

June 2026 Bikes & Blooms Paper Pumpkin Expansion

Here’s what I added:

4 Basic White Card Bases
2 Lost Lagoon Card Bases
Two 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ Lost Lagoon panels for the Congrats and Thank You flip cards
Two 4-1/2″ x 2-3/4″ white card stock to stamp on for Lemon “Lovely Day” cards (cut at 3″ to split)
Four 1/2″ x 4-1/2″ strips of Calypso Coral card stock to add behind stamped panels.

Watch the process as I cut the lemon bike panel AND one of the pink card bases in half, then added some Lost Lagoon card stock! For some reason, I can only share the YouTube link here:

https://youtube.com/shorts/LYFnApqnpaE

Because the REFILL for this Bikes & Blooms kit is available while supplies last (for subscribers only…you CAN subscribe by July 10th for the next kit, then shop the past kits and refills immediately) I wanted to show that it’s easy to complete the kit with any sentiment stamps you already own, since the stamps and ink spot are NOT included in the refill. I used sayings from Banner Sayings and Reason to Celebrate sets and the cards on the left are gift card holders:

If you received the Bikes & Blooms Paper Pumpkin kit, then you have the stamp set, which is what I used to finish off the other Lemon Lolly card bases. The April and May kits included the Peaceful Pine and Misty Moonlight ink spots, so I used a blending brush with those colors to create grass and sky, stamped the bike and sentiment in Misty Moonlight and the flowers and butterflies using the Calypso Coral ink spot from this month’s kit:

Bikes & Blooms June 2026 Paper Pumpkin Alternative, Split Panel Card

The butterflies are from the sold-out add on Wonderful Scenes dies. Once you subscribe, you’ll want to remember to order the dies that coordinate with kits for the quarter: The July/August/September kits are enhanced by the Detailed Flora add-on, which are only $14:

Finally, because I cut one of the pink card bases in half for the Thank You and Congratulations cards, I cut the other pink card base down to 4-1/8″ x 5-3/8″ and added each to the front of white card bases to use the other pieces for that design from the kit:

Before I answer some Frequently Asked Questions about Paper Pumpkin (the BEST monthly craft kit by mail!), let’s peek at the July kit (shipped around the middle of the month):

If these answers aren’t enough to help you SUBSCRIBE and anticipate a fabulous craft kit next month, PLEASE leave a comment and I’ll answer any other questions!

Paper Pumpkin FAQ:

Q. Why didn’t I get a clear block in my kit?

A. Blocks are only included in the Welcome Kit for new subscription purchases. You will not find a clear block in your monthly subscription after your first kit, in refills, or in past kits.

Q. How do I make changes to my subscription?

A. Log into your Stampin’ Up! account, open the account dropdown, and select Subscriptions to manage your subscription(s).

Q. Can I skip a month?

A. Yes, simply log into your Stampin’ Up! account, open the account dropdown, and select Subscriptions. Click on the subscription you want to manage, then click Skip [MONTH] in the Need a Break Box on the right side of the screen on or before the 10th of the month to skip Paper Pumpkin for that month. If you skip any day past the 10th, the current month’s kit will bill and ship, and the following month’s kit will be skipped. Note: You won’t be able to skip or modify a newly purchased subscription until after the first monthly kit(s) ship.

Q. What if I need to cancel my subscription?

A. For a pay-as-you-go subscription, log into your Stampin’ Up! account and open the account dropdown. Click on the subscription you want to manage, then click Cancel on or before the 10th of the month to cancel completely. If you cancel on (or after) the 11th of the month, you’ll receive that month’s kit and will not receive any more Paper Pumpkin kits after that time. You CAN suspend for a month (at any time after the first shipment) and we will not count the suspended month against your prepaid subscription.

Q. When does my subscription expire?

A. A pay-as-you-go subscription will renew until you cancel it, and a prepaid subscription lasts for the duration of the purchased subscription. We will send an email with a link to the subscription product page to remind you and your subscribers when your prepaid subscription is about to expire.

Q. How much is a Paper Pumpkin Subscription?

A. $29 month plus tax. Shipping is included in that price! You may also purchase a 3-, 6- or 12- month pre-paid subscription. ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS QUALIFY for you to earn Stampin’ Rewards *if you’ve opted in* for that free program!! Log into your Stampin’ Up! account, open the account dropdown, and select REWARDS to check!

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The Global Design Project color challenge #GDP553 felt “retro” to me, so I grabbed the stamp set from the June “Bikes & Blooms” Paper Pumpkin Kit and started playing.

I was reminiscing about the freedom we had during the summer growing up in the 1970’s: We would leave on our bikes and ride/play until dark, with a stop at one house or another for lunch. The rule was that we had to be home by dark! It was glorious to feel safe and to have the mobility our “wheels” provided.

TRUE STORY: One of my granddaughters just learned how to ride a bike without training wheels and she called me from her watch/phone as I was writing this post to tell me she was taking a ride around the block! While things are a little different than they were 50 years ago, I’m grateful she has acquired a new skill and a taste of her own freedom.

Back to our card of the day: Following the diagonal card fold shared earlier this month, I added a sliding channel lock piece that keeps the front flaps together, and slides off to open. TIP: When you cut your scored card stock diagonally to get two card bases from one sheet of 8.5″ x 11″ card stock, cut it *slightly* shorter (like 1/16″) so there is a small gap between the edges when folded to allow the locking piece to slide easily.

The Perennial Postage dies were perfect for giving the bike image a frame and creating the mechanism. Watch how to create a channel lock and how this card works:

To fit the Peaceful Pine/Barely Blush/Timid Tiger color scheme, I colored one of the 2026-2028 In Color Butterflies with the Timid Tiger Stampin’ Blends marker. It was easy because it was already orange-ish in Crisp Cantaloupe. The extra embellishments actually cover up an ink smudge I made with my finger, and I wasn’t about to start over again 😆 FYI: The Card base is Basic Beige, which really gives it a 70’s Vibe.

This was a fabulous stamp set from the June “Bikes & Blooms” Paper Pumpkin kit.

If you missed the Bikes & Blooms kit, the good news is that the REFILL is in my store…and you don’t really need the stamp set to complete the cards because you can add your OWN sentiments and use an ink pad you already own. BUT, you do have to be a subscriber.

Paper Pumpkin (a marvelous monthly craft kit) is FOR YOU IF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBES YOU:

You’re just starting to paper craft or rubber stamp
You don’t have a lot of space to store supplies (a year’s worth of stamp sets and ink spots fit in one of the kit boxes which is smaller than a half a shoe box!)
You are traveling and need something fun to take along!
You enjoy a creative experience that is carefully curated for the season and includes everything you need (except a pair of scissors).

You can subscribe NOW and you’ll receive the July “Hooray for Birthdays” kit which guides you through creating 9 Easel Birthday Cards which stand up to display in a delightful way. Pause your subscription or cancel anytime (but you won’t want to!).

Already a subscriber? Remember to add the Detailed Flora Add-On Dies to your next order, for it will extend the usefulness of the stamp sets in the July, August and September kits!