Breathe in the Beauty!

Sweeping and free, this set simply named Azalea is begging to be colored with reckless abandon. It could inspire an outrageous upsurge in your use of pink markers, colored pencils, and paint! Use the lush blooms of these images to let a friend know how much she is missed, or to say thanks to another who is just plain amazing! This 4" by 6" set was illustrated by hand with a whole lotta love by Marcella Hawley. 

I just adore the thought of being able to go out into the garden and snip off a flowering branch just to enjoy! And this stamp allows you to do that -- all year long! I stamped my image with Tuxedo Black ink, colored with Copic Markers (R81, R83, R85, R00,  RV0000, G40, G43, G20, BG0000) and then I accented with a white pain pen and some glitter glue! I kept my layout really simple because I wanted those flowers to be the star of the show -- so to speak! Use a Stampin' Up embossing folder, add a little paper piercing, some silver cording and then.... stamp that darling little Azalea tag from the set and add it into the mix! The gems are from Queen and Co. and on one of the layers I silver leafed the edge (thanks to a silver leaf pen).

Here's a close up!

Doesn't that image just make you swoon? Don't wait to exhale, breathe in the beauty and hop on over to see the rest of the Bloom Brigade!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Tomorrow's set is sure to deliver a little dose of serenity. Need some? Check on back to see the Bloom Brigade and all its Zen-like creativity! 

~Julie

Are you ready to move to a different beat?

Get that toe a-tapping, because this set will have you Celebrating Good Times -- Come On! Build up those Buttercups in your life. Tell the crazy chicks you hang with that they are way too Superfly! We can almost guarantee you'll break into song while you stamp these musical memories. Mix and match the sentiments and graphics to create combinations that will have your besties saying, "Word Up!" This 4" by 6" set -- Marcella's Mixtape Vol. 1 -- was hand-drawn from the wonderfully creative pen of Marcella Hawley.

When I first set eyes on this set, I just FELL IN LOVE with that little tea cup of buttercups! Oh my -- so cute! So sweet! So, I just colored away. Even though this image is cute and sweet, when I saw it I just kept thinking of denim -- something easy breezy! That's why I paired up my image with some Bo Bunny polka dot paper. The yellow was a scrap I had in my bin - I thought the color was perfect! Add the sentiment, some wooden buttons threaded with burlap twine. I paper pierced the strip of blue paper and then sanded the holes so that it would look a little worn. Add some glitter to the center of the flowers -- and that, my friends, is it!

Here's a close up!

So, now that you have a little tune stuck in your head, why not dance it out? Twist on over and see the rest of the Bloom Brigade!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber -- you are here!
Katie Sims
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Tomorrow's set is sure to take your breath away. It's a beautiful botanical that symbolizes strength and beauty! Stop on back to see for yourself!

~Julie

The BIG Day is Here!

Ok, I have to admit that I've been kind of like a kindergartner squirming in her seat this past week. I am here with some of my best stamping friends in the world about to embark on a new journey to live life in FULL BLOOM! After what seemed like a LONG wait, we are here to sneak the first set!

Our first Power Poppy set, hot off the presses, may have you hearing the alluring tones of a French accordion and whispering Ooh La La!! Springtime Love  is in the air and this set embodies romance -- with passionate petals and love-laced sentiments. Illustrated by Marcella Hawley as she went in for the kiss, this beauty of a set measures 4" by 6". Now doesn't that just sound sweet?

On to my creation!

Doesn't this image just make you sigh? I mean, it's a feast for the eyes! Daffodils, roses, tulips, poppies, some grape hyacinth, and a splash of sweet peas. Could you fit more flowers? Why yes! Yes, you can! There's bleeding hearts, dianthus, and foxlove too! Coloring this image was an absolute treat. I put on some peaceful music and literally lost track of time! I also lost track of the Copic markers I used and I am pretty sure my fingers touched nearly every marker in my collection for this one. You can see I did use a die cut circle to cut out the image and while the die cut was still attached, I did sponge on some Spun Sugar Distress Ink to add a soft glow. Mat it on a fun doily, add some lace trim, a button threaded with white and pink twine and almost done! The paper is from a 6" by 6" paper pack from Carta Bella called Wildflower. Add a little paper piercing and the fun sentiment from the set and... just like they say in France... "Fini!"

Here's a close up for you to show you these bold and beautiful blossoms!

And that, my friends, is it! Now that you've been swept away with that free-feeling Springtime Love, why not traipse around to take in some more? The Bloom Brigade has plenty to share!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

See you back here tomorrow, when we'll have you movin' and groovin' to a spunky and fun Power Poppy beat! 

~Julie

The "Teasing" is Almost Over!

Tomorrow kicks off day one of the sneaky peeks for Power Poppy and if you couldn't tell, we're bursting at the seams! Is it the day? Is it the day? Well, it almost is! Want to see just a bit of what I've been up to????

While the Bloom Brigade has been busy in their own creative spaces, Marcella has been pulling out her watercolors, grabbing her pencils, flipping through her sketch books and dreaming up stamp sets that you will use and cherish! Each and every sketch was a work not only of art but works from the heart! She pored over floral illustration books, took a trip to the botanical gardens, and tip toed through her own back yard searching for inspiration. Want a peek into her sketch books and hear in her own words how these soon-to-be released stamp sets came to be? Just click HERE!

~Julie

Meet The Bloom Brigade!

With a little bit of the story of Power Poppy unveiled yesterday, today we get to share some of the "faces" that will help bring Power Poppy to full bloom! We affectionately call this fabulous and fierce team "The Bloom Brigade" because as you'll soon see - each one has a wild and beautiful facet that they bring with them! Want to learn a little more about this creative force of artistic talent? Marcella asked each of us a question and many of them made us say... "Hmmmm...." Here's mine below! 

Q. Who did you write fan letters to as a teen? 

A. Truth is, I haven't written a fan letter in my life! But, when I was a tween, I loved Michael Jackson. You know that young swoony kind of love? Now I look back and think it's pretty hysterical. I would spend hours dancing and dancing and singing and dancing. I had pretty much every MJ poster ever made and even had a red "Member's Only" jacket that kind of, sort of looked like his trademark "Thriller" jacket. When I was 11, my family got cable and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I could watch the Thriller video on MTV over, and over, and over again (they played it for days on a loop) and I could learn the "infamous" dance. I think that's why Marcella and I "jive" so well -- we both know beyond a shadow of a doubt that dancing is a form of communication. Feeling down? Dance! Feel over the moon excited? Dance! Need to improve your work mojo? DaNcE! Want to make your kids turn a special shade of embarrassed red? DANCE! Another fun fact? The Thriller album that I listened to from dawn to dusk as a teen is now on a shelf in my teenage son's bedroom. He thought it was pretty darn cool. Score one in the "Cool Mom" column!

These wonderfully dynamic women all have different "sides" to their lives! See what makes their creativity click! Learn a little more as you hop on over and see.....

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber -- you are here!
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Tomorrow, we get one step closer to the big sneaks with a peek into Marcella's sketch books. What inspired her first Power Poppy release? She'll share with all of YOU!

~Julie

The Story of Power Poppy!

For the past ten days the fabulous and fierce Bloom Brigade (a.k.a. the Power Poppy Design Team) has been busy suggesting all kinds of fun and downright goofy things to get you moving and grooving to the Power Poppy beat. Behind the scenes, we've been sweating the details, keeping it real, and loving every minute of it. While you can see a sneaky peek of what's to come above in the days ahead, today the mistress of ceremonies, Marcella Hawley herself is going to tell you all a little story -- HER story -- of how this beautiful company came to be! Be sure to stop by HERE to read all about it!!

~Julie

New Goodies Up For Sale!

Added some new goodies to my stamp sale page HERE! Check it out -- there are some beauties up for grabs! ;-)

~Julie

Can you Dig It?

Did you know you're marvelous?

Mama DOES Know Best!

Turn up some tunes because.....

Do I need a helmet for that?

Who doesn't need a good laugh?

Good Things Are Cookin'!

OoooOOOOO La La!

So Excited... we could POP!

We've got a bit of excitement to share!