Dynamic Backgrounds with 6×6 Patterned Paper

September 1, 2025December 27, 20252 Comments

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

Farm’s Best Tractor Card

August 11, 2025September 5, 2025Leave a comment

The Tractor & Co. stamp set was on my desk when I saw the Global Design Project color challenge:

And that’s how I got to this:

But let me back up (pun intended):

I’ve been making samples for Fall StampFest (spoiler alert!) and while I was doing some “research” on social media, these bright colors – Darling Duckling, Poppy Parade & Pool Party – scrolled by, and then I couldn’t really get any work done until I pulled the colors out and put it onto paper, so-to-speak.

Plaid, cornfields and tractors MUST go together, but I also love a peek of the torn leafy Darling Duckling Designer Series Paper, just beneath the farm vehicle.

But my FAVORITE detail is the blue ribbon! Can you tell what I used to make it?

The ribbon medallion is made with the TIRE DIES!

Pull in a sentiment from the “More than Autumn” stamp set and the card is worthy of grand prize at the county fair, don’t you think?

Another winning opportunity: Darling Duckling is a 2025-2027 IN COLOR, thus the ink, card stock and the patterned paper are all on sale for 15% off during August 2025!

When you are ready to make a tractor card of your own, you can add all the supplies you need to your cart here:

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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

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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.

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊- Loni Spendlove

For 2025 Grads: CASH in a Window Card!

May 12, 2025Leave a comment

There won’t be another opportunity to gift cash like this until the year 2050, so CREATE THIS CARD FOR EVERY GRADUATE YOU KNOW!

This clever card includes a pocket AND a window to see the gift, and I can’t think of another year that could be more ideal: You could give $45 (two twenties and a five) OR $27 (a twenty, a two dollar bill and a five). Either way, it spells “twenty-twenty-five”.

All the stamps and dies come in the Stampin’ Up!®️ Birthday Celebration Bundle:

I’ve walked you through exactly how to create this card in the video, and remember, you can always pause the video, slow it down or speed it up (click the gear icon on YouTube) and order all the supplies you need TODAY in time to make these cards for your 2025 Seniors.

You can modify this design to match the school colors of your graduate. While I used glimmer paper, you could also use foil sheets or Designer Series Paper – if you don’t have anything fancy on hand, peruse the specialty paper available now.

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Loyal customers are wonderful, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t let you know the BEST DEAL for any avid crafter is the STARTER KIT. Throughout May, it’s an even better value, for you can choose $165 in product (literally everything I used today…and MORE) for just $99 plus tax (shipping is included!).

It’s not “just” a great discount you’ll get on your future Stampin’ Up! purchases, it’s ALSO a family of creative people who cheer for you, experiences and events to look forward to, and personal growth that you will be grateful for.

There is no “catch”. There is nothing to “lose”…but a lot of JOY to GAIN!

Tell Me More About Joining Stampin’ Up!®️

Welcome New 2025 In Colors

May 9, 2025May 12, 2025Leave a comment

Before we get to colors, a quick reminder that tomorrow afternoon (May 10th) is my Annual Open House & BOGO SALE in Hurricane, UT. This only happens once a year, so you won’t want to miss it:

Meet the New Stampin’ Up! In Colors for 2025–2027

One of the most anticipated moments in the Stampin’ Up!®️ community is the annual debut of the trending HUES —and this year’s collection does not disappoint. These five colors offer a mix of fresh energy, soft sophistication, and playful charm that will breathe new life into your projects.

I appreciate that they work well together, as shown by this bold-striped card to mail to someone (like a teacher) who may be taking a well-deserved summer vacation:

The die cut images and stamps from the Notes & Totes bundle evoke a relaxing day on the beach!

As always, the In Color lineup includes ink pads, cardstock, Designer Series Paper, Stampin’ Write (water-based) AND Stampin’ Blends (alcohol-based) markers, embellishments, and more—so you can match your materials perfectly for a polished finish.

Shop all 2025-2027 In Color Products

There is ONE small glitch, but don’t worry…we have a workaround! CLOUD COVER will NOT have a coordinating Ink Pad, and here’s why:

One more option: For my card, I used a VERSAMARK stamp pad to add the floral background across all the colors. Versamark ink is like a watermark: It makes the color you are stamping on just a deeper tone of the same color-

Also, I may have already been through an entire package of those flat pearls, and we are only 3 days into the new catalog year…

Ready to start crafting with the 2025–2027 In Colors? You can begin collecting them here, and sign up for my newsletter to receive a new COLOR COACH, which includes 3 color combinations for all 51 of our amazing colors (153 combinations in all)!

IF YOU LOVE THE COLOR COACH, from June-October, each month you place an order of $50 or more, you’ll receive a set of 10 tutorials USING THE COLOR COACH, just like this one (a freebie for Basic Beige):

Download Basic Beige Color Tutorial

MAY ORDERS OVER 50+ will also receive a set of tutorials, but not focused on color. June – October customer gift tutorials will be color-palette centered.