Dino-Mite Card (and a Secret to Quick Cards)

August 9, 20252 Comments

Today’s creation is proof that you don’t need a craft room full of supplies (or a time machine to the Cretaceous period) to make something “dino-mite.” This cheerful congratulations card came together in minutes using the Celebrations Expressions Memories & More card pack from Stampin’ Up! and the adorable Darling Dinos stamp & die bundle.

If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you know I love a good sketch challenge to get the creative juices flowing. This design was inspired by Freshly Made Sketches #698. When you’ve got a great sketch, half the work is already done for you!

The Recipe for Easy Cardmaking

Card Base: Balmy Blue cardstock, because the white background of the cards need a contrasting color to stand out.

Panels: I cut down three different cards from the Celebrations Expressions pack to fit the sketch—two with fun, hand-painted patterns and one with bright, festive banners. Pre-printed designs are the secret sauce for fast crafting: no stamping, coloring, or choosing a color palette required – it’s done for you!

Focal Point: That sweet brontosaurus is stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink directly onto Balmy Blue card stock and simply colored with Stampin’ Blends.

Finishing Touches: A few Starburst Sequins add sparkle, and a simple “CONGRATULATIONS” sentiment was trimmed from the card pack itself. Easy-peasy.

Leftover 1″ squares of the pre-printed cards pull the party all the way to the inside of the card:

Why Memories & More Packs Are a Game-Changer

If you’ve never crafted with Memories & More cards, think of them as your personal cardmaking shortcut. They’re designed for pocket scrapbooking, but their patterns, colors, and ready-to-use sentiments make them perfect for quick cards, too. In this project, I didn’t have to stamp the sentiment or create background layers from scratch—they were already there, waiting to be trimmed and glued in place.

Because I also have team members whose promotions I want to recognize, I created a second set of cards from the same card pack:

No stamping on this one! Just the Memories & More cards and coordinating card stock paired together so the celebration can get started quickly.

Give yourself the tools to create happy mail whenever the occasion pops up—because a handmade card always makes the celebration a little brighter.

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Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Come to a Craft Event -Live or Virtual!

August 7, 20251 Comment

You can watch a lot of videos, but nothing compares to getting your fingers IN THE INK! If you are like most people, you learn best by DOING, and there are so many exciting stamping events coming up, so choose the one(s) that work best for you:

Coming first is the “Remember the Adventure” Travel Journal class that is one week away in Hurricane, UT, so register quickly to ensure your seat! Bring 20-35 photos of a recent adventure and you can complete the album to show off your last adventure. Class Fee: $20 (a STEAL!) Find class details on the Facebook event HERE.

Next on the calendar is the September Paper Share!

Twice a year I offer a 6″ x 6″ sampler of all the new Designer Series Paper released by Stampin’ Up! in a mini catalog. With the September-December mini catalog coming (AND the September Online Exclusive release), there are 53 pieces of gorgeous papers that span through autumn and the holidays, and you can get a piece of each one to play with! Learn more HERE and reserve a share by September 1st!

The Southern Utah Fall StampFest will be Saturday, September 13th and you will want to bring a friend to this cozy crafternoon event! Save $10 when you register by August 30th!.

We’ll be offering the same projects to happy crafters in Utah County just a few weeks later (on September 27th). Grab your spot early before someone schedules your day for you!

Spooky Sweet Suite Class: October 2nd at 4 pm MT

The creativity continues into October, this time in a VIRTUAL CLASS for all those who love Halloween! The Spooky Sweet class will be one you can participate in while in your pajamas, as it will be broadcast on a private YouTube video for those who register and purchase the Spooky Sweet Suite Collection. 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, once you’ve checked out with the suite in your cart!

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

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!

You will also need: Spooky Sweet Suite Collection, Adhesive, Paper Trimmer, Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad and the following Stampin’ Blends: Granny Apple Green, Petunia Pop, Pumpkin Pie, Smoky Slate.

Finally, put these events in your calendar and watch for details coming soon:

Stamp Therapy Class – October 9th (Hurricane, UT)

Christmas Cards & Cocoa Class – November 20th (Hurricane, UT)

Keep your creative juices flowing at a class! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Popcorn Faux Shaker Card

August 4, 2025August 5, 2025Leave a comment

Creative Juice LIVE Crafting (on YouTube & Facebook) IS BACK…with a twist! Going forward, I’ll be going live in my channels at 12:30 p.m. MT ON THE FIRST MONDAY OF EACH MONTH. As I *pop* back into your social feed, I have an a-maize-ing Faux Shaker Card tutorial to share with you in today’s video!

Traditional shaker cards are quite thick, so using a clear envelope to hold the shaker elements makes the card thinner to mail, and easy to make.

Colors used: Darling Duckling, Strawberry Slush and Secret Sea, which are all 2025-2027 In Colors, and an announcement you’ll appreciate is that tomorrow (August 5th) is the beginning of an IN COLOR SALE!

Many In Color products are 15% off through August 31st, and I need to remember to order refills for my ink pads…my shopping list is started.

Without further adieu, here is the VIDEO TUTORIAL for the Faux Shaker Popcorn Birthday card, and you may add the supplies to your cart with the list below the video:

Crafting cards doesn’t get “butter” than this!

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Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

It May Sound Corny…

August 2, 2025Leave a comment

…but I’m poppin’ by to say HI!

Rifling through my specialty paper, the In Color 2024-2026 Glimmer Paper caught my eye (because it *is* very sparkly)! I wanted to use it, because these colors are on the last-chance list (and discounted), so the #tgifc536 color challenge gave me the perfect excuse:

Peach Pie brought to mind the popcorn I picked up at Costco earlier in the day, and the “Poppin’ By” stamp set was chosen for my stamping project.

The Shy Shamrock glimmer paper gives just the right amount of bling for the background layer, but I didn’t want to waste the part I covered up, so my tip is to use your Paper Trimmer (or a punch!) to cut a section out of the center to use on another project, and no one will be the wiser:

Here’s to being a bit “corny” and crafting a cute card of your own this weekend with the same color combo!

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A”pear”ently Online

July 21, 2025July 5, 2025Leave a comment

Pears have long held a place in the world of art~ they’ve been painted for centuries as a way to capture natural beauty and evoke a sense of calm and abundance. Let me share a handmade card inspired by that same timeless charm—created with the brand-new Painterly Pears Suite from Stampin’ Up!®️

This easy card layout is one you could use with practically every stamp set you own that matches some beautiful Stampin’ Up!®️ Designer Series Paper!

Have you ever added watercolor pencil OVER your stamped image? To shade the pears and flowers, that’s just what I did, no water added. They do blend better when the tip of the pencil is dull.

Use a strip of the same pattern on the inside of the card to carry the theme all the way through:

Isn’t this pretty? Sometimes simple is the loveliest, and the Painterly Pears will make you feel like a classic artist, without paying tuition or spending years learning painting techniques (which is why I love rubber stamping).

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Painterly Pears Suite Collection (English)

Misty Moonlight 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Very Vanilla 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Misty Moonlight Classic Stampin' Pad

Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad

Petal Pink Classic Stampin' Pad

Watercolor Pencils Assortment 2

Perennial Postage Dies

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

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Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Sunflowers & Tractors

July 2, 2025July 2, 2025Leave a comment

Did you know Stampin’ Up!®️ releases NEW products every other month? July is one of those months, and I wanted to mix two of the new items together for a large slimline card: The T ractor & Co. bundle (photopolymer stamps + dies) and the fabulous Sunflower 3D embossing folder!

To make the sunflowers pop, after you’ve embossed an 8.25″ x 3.25″ of Darling Duckling card stock with this extra-large embossing folder, drag the Garden Green ink pad across the flat side (where the flowers are pushed down, not up).

An 8.5″ x 3.5″ Garden Green Mat behind the sunflowers frames it nicely, and the tractor is popped up with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

The Pool Party card base is 9″ wide and 8″ tall, scored in half at 4″. This fits into a legal sized envelope.

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Those are just two of the new products launched yesterday! Also check out the two new KITS for July (click on images to see the kits):

One more thing I’m looking forward to this month is the Sweeter With You Paper Pumpkin kit! In case you aren’t familiar with Paper Pumpkin, it’s a craft kit subscription by mail, and each kit includes an exclusive stamp set, ink spot and all the supplies prepared for you to enjoy a stress-free moment of creativity!

Each quarter, a coordinating set of dies is also offered to Paper Pumpkin subscribers, and they match all the kits released in those three months. The Circle of Seasons die set is only $12 and the strawberry die will also create an acorn (hint at the September kit!):

My Paper Pumpkin subscribers also receive a special email from me on the last week of the month, with ideas to use the stamp set, ink spot and add-on dies AFTER the kit is complete! I know you’d look forward to a kit in your mailbox each month, so give it a try!

Check out all the new products released this month HERE:

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Mailable Gift for Men

June 12, 20251 Comment

Adding to the growing “Mailable Gifts” list (you’ll want to PIN or bookmark that link) ~ this time it’s one a guy would appreciate!

Since it’s Father’s Day, I like to remember my sons and sons-in-love (I do the same for the girls on Mother’s Day). A gift card for a CAR WASH doesn’t break the bank (when you have many gifts to mail), and when I was at Quick Quack Car Wash purchasing gift cards, I saw that they also had AIR FRESHENERS for just $1!!

Of course, I had to come back to make a slimline card that would fit both the Duck Scent and the gift card! The Stampin’ Up!®️ Party Alphabet dies are large enough to show off the contrasting pattern on the front, and this is the inside of the card style:

I did have to cut off just a bit of the bottom of the “Duck Scents” to fit into a small envelope (as shown) – it’s a 6 3/4″ security envelope, like you can buy a box of at Dollar Tree. The card size is 3.5″ x 6.25″ when folded, and I’ll give you material measurements in just a moment.

One thing you will have to do is manipulate the sentiment on your clear block, so it will curve around the first letter, and fit on the Designer Series Paper. That’s easy to do with Stampin’ Up!®️ photopolymer stamps, like the Everyday Arches set I used for this card. Make sure to stamp this sentiment close to the left side of the patterned paper so you have room for the letters!

I’m here to make all the mistakes so you don’t have to- I had to make this card style 3 times before I got it right! Once I got it down, I made multiple versions. Here are the measurements:

11″ x 3.5″ cardstock for card base, scored at 6.25″ and 9.75″ (fold the smallest flap over and secure edges with Tear & Tape adhesive to create a pocket for a gift card).
Designer Series Paper for front layer: 6″ x 3.25″
Cardstock for inside of card: 5-7/8″ x 3-1/8″
Designer Series Paper AND card stock for 3 letters (and the shadow behind them): 2.5″ x 5″

Stamp any designs you want on your letters (like the birds) BEFORE you offset the card stock behind them for a shadow effect, then pop them up on the front of your card with dimensionals.

These cards turned out terrific with a combination of papers from the Everyday Skies 6″ x 6″ Designer Series Paper pack! Supplies listed below, and the SON card uses Cajun Craze, Blueberry Bushel and Cloud Cover (inside) card stock; the DAD card uses Azure Afternoon, Blackberry Bliss and Basic White (inside) card stock.

Would you give this card style a try? Leave me a comment (at top of post, next to the posting date) to let me know how you like it.

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Fantastic Dad Slimline card with Stampin' Up! Party Alphabet dies

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Sweet Suite Simple Thank You Cards

June 9, 2025June 9, 2025Leave a comment

“Summertime! And the Stampin’ is Easy!” (if you sang that in your mind~ Greetings, fellow musical geek!)

Since Stampin’ Up!®️ Suites (and suite products) are BOGO50 during June, I’ll be sharing some SIMPLE ways to use our current Suites for sensational summer stamping projects. In today’s video, I’m also revealing a BEAUTY SECRET!

Crafting in June, July & August has to be easy & breezy, so coordinated products in a suite bring a speedy card together in moments. Using the Impressions Abloom stamp set, you can keep this Thanks card ultra simple, or add layers and leaves:

The only thing to stamp on the second card is the sentiment! If you die cut a few extra pieces while catching up on your favorite television episode, you’ll have all the pieces prepared to put an “I appreciate you” card together in seconds:

Embossing a piece of Stampin’ Up!®️ Two-Tone card stock with the Pressed Flowers embossing folder and rubbing it with an emery board to reveal the white center makes this background terrific and touchable.

Some of the Impressions Abloom Dies have detailed inserts, so you can die cut them from cardstock, or remove the details to cut out the stamped image.

TIP: Washi tape keeps both the outline and the details together while you run them through the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss machine.

All these products are part of the Floral Impressions Suite, and can be purchased as a complete collection or individually:

REMEMBER: For the Buy-One-Get-One-50% off special, the LOWEST priced items will receive the discount, so shop smart! Make separate orders and purchase 2 suites together in the first order (to get one suite half price), then use the *Stampin’ Rewards you earned on your first order for an additional discount on your second order, where you may order individual items from other suites (like more Designer Series Paper or embellishments).

*Stampin’ Rewards: Make sure you’ve OPTED IN to earn 10% back each time you shop! Save them or spend your rewards next time!

Scroll back up to the top to the comments (under the posting date) to tell me if you took the beauty secret and tried it!

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One more day to SUBSCRIBE and receive the Floral Charm Paper Pumpkin kit in the mail!

Paper Pumpkin is a complete stamping experience in a box, and the June kit actually coordinates with a new Suite coming to my store in July: the Floral Charm Suite. If you are a current subscriber, you will also want to include the Hugs Abloom add-on die set to your next order, as it coordinates with the 2025 April-June kits:

Subscribe to Paper Pumpkin

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

It’s a Sweet Suite Summer- BOGO50 Sale!

June 5, 2025Leave a comment

There’s sweet offer during June on Stampin’ Up!®️ Suites – AND individual products from the suites! It is a bit tricky, so read carefully to understand how this BOGO sale works, then I’ll share summery stamping projects using the suites all month long!

What is included in the Buy One, Get One 50% off sale? All available suites and suite products from the 2025–2026 Annual Catalog and Online Exclusives. If a suite product is out of stock, there is no rain check, but come back often during the month to see if they return!

Which item will be half off? The 50% off discount will apply to the lower-priced item (for example, if you buy a full suite collection and a stamp set from a suite, the suite would be full price, and the stamp set would be 50% off).

Do the products I choose have to be from the same suite? NO- you can mix and match products from any suite!

How can I tell which item will be 50% off? The lowest priced item(s) will always get the discount, and the discount will appear in your cart once you’ve added two items within the sale parameters to your cart. You might choose to place separate orders: One with higher-priced items bundled together, and another with less expensive suite products.

I’ll be sharing simple projects with the Stampin’ Up!®️ Suites throughout the month, so let’s start with the Turtle-y Cute Suite and a fun-fold card you can create quickly, without doing any coloring, thanks to the Designer Series Paper:

Download Card Tutorial

The designs on the paper cover every occasion from weddings to picnics, and everything in between! My favorite pieces of the suite (after the DSP) are the Turtle Textures embossing folder and the Shades of Green Hexagons – a delightful little detail with a nod to a turtle shell!

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Crafting Cards with Party Dies

May 19, 20251 Comment

Sometimes you have to invest in your hobby, and when you are ready to do so, may I suggest the Stampin’ Up! Party Banners Dies and Party Alphabet Dies? You’ll save 10% when you bundle them together in one purchase, and, as I mention in the instructional video below, you can claim them as “exercise equipment” 😅

A shaped card is as fun to create as it is to receive! The 5th largest banner die is just about 5.5″ x 4.25″, so these cards fit into the basic white Medium Envelopes:

We made the Pretty Peacock version (left) in the live crafting video, then when we were done, I looked at it and realized that the Damask Designs Embossing folder probably needed to be turned vertically, so created a second with the “Thanks” from a previous Paper Pumpkin kit Add-On die set called “Thanks & Beyond” (shoutout to my PP Craft Kit subscribers!).

This week is high school graduation in southern Utah, and I’m still making cards for grads! This Shy Shamrock card is the banner turned sideways, with letters cut from 2024-2026 In Color Glimmer Paper, and the lock/key/sentiments from Tags to Go.

Finally (for today, at least), I demonstrated this slimline card to remind you of the Eclipse Technique with alphabet dies:

A card for any cake-consumption celebration!

Learn how to make all these banner-themed cards in this video:

If I’ve inspired you to add the Party Die bundle to your list, please shop in my Stampin’ Store!

Better yet…choose these dies as part of a Starter Kit and only pay $99! The other perks of being a demonstrator are even better than the discount: A community of friendly crafters, the opportunity to create a business you love – or a hobby that brings you purpose and passion.