Short History of Valentine Cards

January 13, 2026Leave a comment

Long before die cut hearts and doilies, Valentine’s Day began as the feast of Saint Valentine, a priest martyred on February 14th for performing marriages for despite a ban by a Roman Emperor. By the Middle Ages, poets were already linking the date with romance, and lovers began exchanging handwritten notes and verses to mark the occasion. Early valentines were intimate, the declarations of affection carefully folded and sealed with wax.

By the 1800s, new printing techniques and affordable postage turned those private notes into something more playful and decorative. Elaborate lace trimmed cards, colorful illustrations and clever verses filled Victorian mailboxes. In America, Esther Howland helped popularize these printed valentines, transforming the tradition into the greeting card exchange we know today.

Something that hasn’t changed is the heart of the practice: Valentine cards focus on taking time to say “you are loved” with paper, ink and imagination.

This card, inspired by the #creativechallengesu January sketch, carries history forward in a fresh way. The soft layers of Stampin’ Up!®️ Love Notes Mix & Match 6″ x 6″ Designer Series Paper give it a collage charm (nod to the past), while the stamped elements from the Valentine Kisses bundle dish a dash of whimsy (embracing today).

You can play along, as well! Create a card inspired by this sketch and post it on your social media with the hashtag #creativechallengeSU during January 2026.

Paper changes and styles evolve, but the magic of sending love through a handmade card keeps fluttering along, like a blue bird of happiness winging a love letter to it’s intended 💌

Interested in a longer history of Valentine cards? Visit this excellent article by Rare Bird Antiques!

For supplies to create your own Valentine cards, thanks for shopping my Stampin’ Store ~I’ll mail a hand-stamped thanks!

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Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

close up Stampin' Up! Reason to Celebrate and Seasonal Celebration birthday card

Celebrating New Creativity

January 8, 2026January 8, 2026Leave a comment

The beginning of a new year makes me want to clear a little creative space and ask a simple question: how do I want to show up for the people I love? For me, one of the easiest and most meaningful answers is birthdays. A handmade birthday card is a small thing, but it carries a reminder that someone was thought of before the day even arrived.

This bright, happy card was created by pairing the Reason to Celebrate stamp set from the new January–April Mini Catalog with Seasonal Celebrations from the January Online Exclusives, which serendipitously pair together perfectly (certainly it was good planning on the part of Stampin’ Up!®️). The bold greeting anchors the card with confidence, while the playful stamped party elements on blocks of color bring in movement, color, and a sense of joy. Together, they strike that sweet balance between cheerful and heartfelt, which is exactly what birthday cards should feel like.

Beyond birthday celebrations, there are many ways to combine these bold images and fun fonts for many special occasions!

As the year unfolds, I’m prepared to remember the lives of people I love, not just with faceless texts, but with something tangible they can hold. A birthday card says, “You matter. I planned ahead. I made time.”

With the release of the January-April Mini Catalog AND new Online Exclusives that have been added to my Stampin’ Store, there are some other promotions to be aware of:

In addition to the opportunity to earn Bonus Days Coupons for every $50 spent between 1/6-2/2, a new Product of the Month has been added for January (while supplies last):

Here’s to a creative year ahead, to new stamps finding old favorites, and to celebrating birthdays, one handmade card at a time.

See all the New Products for January 2026

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I appreciate being a part of your crafting journey~ Keep your creative juices flowing!

🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

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!

Sympathy Quilt Card

December 21, 2025December 20, 2025Leave a comment

When your heart hurts for a friend’s grief and you just want to wrap them up and cry with them, use your hands to create a hug-with-a-fold-in-the-middle (a.k.a. a one-of-a-kind sympathy card).

The True Blue Florals Designer Series Paper – the Stampin’ Up!®️ Product of the Month for December 2025 – reminds me of material a quilter would use, so I chose to craft a paper quilt card. I started by cutting two 1-3/4″ squares of each of the 6 double-sided sheets, then cut each in half diagonally. The sentiment square is the same size. Then it was time to “piece” them together:

Finished card size: 4-1/8″ x 5-1/2″ (the Balmy Blue panel is 3-7/8″ x 5-1/8″). There were enough triangles to go across the front of the envelope AND a similar row inside the card, so they all feel stitched together as a matching set.

Sometimes your hands show your love more than your words can. I hope this will be the case for this heart-felt piece of art.

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The True Blue Florals Designer Series Paper (DSP) is available with qualifying purchase only while supplies last. A new POTM is released on the first Tuesday of each month.

While the True Blue Florals DSP is NOT included in the January Paper Share, you could create a quilt card similar to this one with some of the other patterns which WILL be included. Reserve your share by January 5th by clicking the image or link.

New at SU! Sketch with Hobby Haven

December 17, 2025December 17, 20252 Comments

Did you know that NEW PRODUCTS are added to the Stampin’ Up!® Store EVERY MONTH? No more waiting for a catalog launch…there is ALWAYS something NEW at SU!!

Speaking of that, I’m proud to be a part of a creative team of demonstrators from around the globe who share stamping ideas with you every month, focusing on the latest and greatest products from our wonderful company. For December, we’re all following the same CARD SKETCH, and will demonstrate how it can be used with many different Stampin’ Up! products:

This is one of the sketches included in the
2026 January-April Mini Catalog!

My birthday card combines the delightful Hobby Haven Designer Series Paper with the Banner Sayings Bundle (stamps + punch), both of which arrived last month. Apparently some of you knew to look for new items, for the Banner Sayings bundle is backordered until late January, but the good news is you can request an EMAIL NOTIFICATION to be sent to you when any item is back in stock: Just click on it to add to your cart, and enter your address in the pop-up box which alerts you that it’s out of stock.

The Hobby Haven pack of Designer Series Paper includes 2 sheets of pre-cut images, so that made it easy to group all these kitchen/baking items together, along with the kitchen-themed patterned paper. In addition to BAKING, there are patterns and die cut images for SEWING, READING, SELF-CARE, GREEN-THUMBS/PLANTS… all the cozy hobbies!

This card already has a home to go to: It’s for my sister’s birthday in May! She’s an avid & generous baker, and my husband often says if there is such a thing as reincarnation, he wants to come back as her child, just to enjoy her baking 🧁

Drop me a message (comments at the top of post, under date) before moving along to see how Rachael interprets this card sketch!

December 2025 New at SU! Hop: Follow the Sketch

Previous Blog Next Blog

1.Did You Stamp Today? (US)- Beary Sweet Celebration

2.Creative Juice by Loni (US) – Sketch with Hobby Haven

3.The Joy of Stampin’ with Rachael (US)- Sketch This!

4.Astrids Papiereuphorie (AT) – Follow The Sketch

5.iHeartCards2 (US) – New At Su! Blog Hop – Peace On Earth

6.Anke Heim (DE) – Sketch & Gallery Blooms

7.De Kijkkast (NL)- Brushed with Beauty, following the sketch

Thank you for supporting a demonstrator with your purchase!

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Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Fab-Ewe-Lous Sheep & Free Ship LAST DAY

December 12, 20252 Comments

Some cards leap off the desk and insist on being created -this one was definitely in that category!

When the new Wooly Friends bundle arrived on my porch (available to customers beginning January 6th), the sheep all but marched themselves to my craft table. I paired them with December’s Product of the Month, the True Blue Florals Designer Series Paper (which you can add to any $75 order for just five dollars). The rich blues felt like the perfect stage for these fuzzy little scene-stealers.

To give the sheep their soft, pettable charm, I stamped them on All-Season Velvet specialty paper. It adds a texture that turns the card into something people instinctively want to touch, the way you might absentmindedly run your fingers over a cozy blanket.

My card follows the Global Design Project Sketch #gdp526, the lambs as the 3 circles drawing the eye:

Today is an especially good day to treat yourself to some craft supplies: It’s the last day of Stampin’ Up!’s free shipping offer on orders over $75, which makes this the perfect moment to tuck a few favorites into your cart and scoop up that $5 paper special along the way. BONUS: If you are a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, you can also shop the PP product sale, with past kits, refills and add-on dies included!

Consider this your gentle nudge to craft something that makes you smile. These little wooly faces certainly did the trick for me.

Introducing: Product of the Month!

December 3, 2025December 3, 2025Leave a comment

While it is bittersweet to bid adieu to Stampin’ Up! Sale-a-Bration, I am pleased to announce the Stampin’ Up!®️ Product of the Month, which gives you the opportunity to collect an exclusive product you can’t get anywhere else 12 times a year (with a qualifying order), starting with the True Blue Florals 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper in December, 2025:

HOW DOES THE PRODUCT OF THE MONTH WORK?

Follow these steps, or watch the video below:

Let’s look at the December POTM and the calm vibe these patterns of paper provide:

And a few projects you could create with them:

When you see a product you can’t resist, don’t hesitate, because these products are only while supplies last!

To help you reach the minimum order, you will be happy to know that the Last Chance List has been updated, and many holiday items are on sale:

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Waterfall Gift Card Folio Tutorial

December 1, 2025Leave a comment

When my cousin Valarie asked if I could make a Gift Card Folio like one she had seen on a social media, I watched the video she shared and said ABSOLUTELY!

Stampin' Up! Modern Christmas Gift Card Folio

This is a larger version of a classic interactive card design called a “Waterfall Card”, and this one presents FIVE GIFT CARDS (or would be an excellent base for a mini photo album). After a few tries and tweaks, I was satisfied with the result – give this a try! You can follow along with the video instructions below 🖥️

Inside the gift card folio featuring Stampin' Up! Modern Christmas Designer Series Paper

I’ve used the Modern Christmas Designer Series Paper from Stampin’ Up!® to embellish this folio, though I show a few other versions made with the retired “Season of Green & Gold” DSP in the video. The black, white & gold is just so elegant, and of course, you can choose any colors/patterns/paper that fit your occasion.

TIP: Add gift cards to each of the five panels with mini glue dots, or use the panels and both sides of the folder for photos of a event to remember!

When you pull the tab, the “waterfall” begins to cascade, and a “secret message” appears:

Maximizing the use of materials was important to me, so this version uses a full sheet of 12″ x 12″ card stock (and a full sheet of 12″ x 12″ Designer Series Paper, if you cut it wisely), plus a few extra pieces. WATCH the tutorial to see HOW TO CUT the card stock!

Measurements:

11-7/8″ x 9″ Basic Black card stock, scored at 4″ and 8″
12″ x 3″ Basic Black card stock, scored at 1″, 2″, 3″, 4″ and 5″
6″ x 1-1/2″ Basic Black card stock, scored at 1″ and 4-7/8″
5 pieces of card stock 2-1/2″ x 3-3/4″
Designer Series Paper: TWO 8-3/4″ x 3-3/4″ and TWO 8-3/4″ x 3-5/8″
Gold Foil sheet: 1-1/2″ x 9-1/2″ for the belly band
Scraps of card stock for label, scraps of Designer Series Paper for embellishments inside.

Making paper crafting easy for you is my goal. What did you think about this tutorial? Please leave a comment and tell me what you’ll use this idea for (comments are found at the top of the post, next to the posting date).

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DON’T MISS THIS!

If you’ve been waiting for a good time to subscribe to the BEST MONTHLY CRAFT KIT, OR you need a unique and creative gift for a friend, this is your sign! From December 1-9, pre-paid Paper Pumpkin subscriptions are discounted as follows:

3-month prepaid: $61.00 (regular price $81.00)

6-month prepaid: $122.00 (regular price $162.00)

12-month prepaid: $244.00 (regular price $324.00)

This price includes shipping! Now, here’s the fine print:

* Subscriptions purchased during this promotion start immediately with the December Watercolor in Bloom Kit. This kit cannot be skipped.

* Do not purchase multiple subscriptions for the same recipient. The subscriptions will all start with the Watercolor in Bloom Kit, so the recipient will end up receiving duplicates of the same kit each month.

* If you are already a Paper Pumpkin monthly subscriber, this is a great opportunity to save on your upcoming kits!

* If you ALREADY HAVE a pre-paid subscription and wish to take advantage of the sale, go into your account and PAUSE your currrent December kit, unless you wish to have 2 of the same boxes shipped to you (the other would be a lovely gift to give!).

Sign me up for Paper Pumpkin!

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove

Blending Brown Bears for Black Friday

November 25, 2025December 13, 2025Leave a comment

Bah, humbug to BLACK Friday. The only black piece of clothing I own is a pair of slacks I have to wear for the community choir, and would prefer a color, anytime. Can’t we call it “Happy-Shopping-in-your-slippers Day?” Maybe it doesn’t roll off the tongue…however, Stampin’ Up!’s holiday sale on some of our basic blocks of crafting starts today (and ends on December 1st)…and there is plenty of color to choose from!

If I had to choose between Basic White and Very Vanilla card stock, I’d pick Vanilla. It’s just a softer, elegant color. Both are very smooth to stamp and color on, and since the Stampin’ Blends Markers are on sale (and so is Vanilla card stock!), I made a card using a new November Online Exclusive bundle called Valentine Kisses that is unBEARably adorable:

The dies for the hugging bear even cut out a slot to tuck in a heart, a teddy bear or a bouquet of flowers!

I’m going to offer a Virtual Class using this bundle in January, and if you order it from my Stampin’ Store, you’ll receive an invitation to join the class!

And these cute bears aren’t stuck as Valentines, this card could be sent to anyone needing an extra squeeze:

Stock up on during the Black Friday sale on some of your basic crafting supplies, like adhesive and basic card stock. And if you have a newlywed couple, a new crafter or a teacher on your shopping list, snag a paper trimmer at 40% off as a gift!

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New at SU!- Simply Christmas Notecards

November 19, 2025November 19, 20255 Comments

Christmas is the time to be joyful – not stressed – so the New at SU! Design Team is here to help simplify your holiday crafting!

Ideally, a handmade Christmas card or gift lets someone know they are loved, but if time is running out, these demonstrators have united around the world to bring you quick & easy projects. Whenever I need a bunch of cards in a hurry, I turn to Stampin’ Up!® Note Cards & Envelopes because they are already cut, scored and ready to decorate…and they are only $10 US for a set of 20 cards and 20 envelopes!

The “recipe” for this card is as simple as 1, 2, 3:

Cut a layer of Basic White card stock 3″ x 4.5″ and add a 3″ square piece of patterned paper to the top (I used Traditions of Christmas Specialty Designer Series Paper because it has gold foiling, which makes it fancy).
Stamp a sentiment in the lower right corner, then add a 4″ strip of ribbon, adhered to the back.
Attach layer to card front with Stampin’ dimensionals!

You can then tie a knot or bow around the ribbon on the front left (optional):

Make your card MERRIER by stamping on the flap of the envelope (photo at top), and you are ready to mail (or gift) Christmas Wishes!

These make lovely gifts, and you could make 5 sets of four cards in less than 30 minutes, just wrap them up in a ribbon. Tip: Switch out “Merry” for “Thanks” and they’ll be sending one to you!

As you jump to the next “Simply Christmas” project, make sure to save or pin your favorites: You could even create a “Simple Stamping” folder for all these incredible ideas.

November 2025 New at SU! Blog Hop: Simply Christmas

Previous Blog Next Blog

1.Creative Juice by Loni (US) – Simply Christmas Notecards

2.The Joy of Stampin’ with Rachael (US)- Simple Silent Night with a Chi

3.Astrids Papiereuphorie (AT) – Simple Christmas

4.Did You Stamp Today? (US) – Easy Peaceful Christmas

5.iHeartCards2 (US) – New At SU! November Blog Hop – Homemade Treats

6.Stamping Flair (AU) – Make it in Minutes – Simply Christmas

7.247 Inkspiration (US) – Jolly Delivery

8.Stampinxime by Ximena Morales (DE) – Einfach Weihnachten – schnelle B

9.Furry Cat Designs (UK) -Quick and easy Christmas Tags & More card

10.De Kijkkast (NL) – Woodland Scenery: superquick cards!

There is still time to order supplies for Christmas crafting, and make your cards during one Hallmark Holiday Movie! If you live in the U.S. and don’t yet have a demonstrator serving you, pick me!

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