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!

Keep your creative juices flowing! 🍊🧡– Loni Spendlove