A Dynamic Duo!

HI all! Well, the big day is almost here! Today is the last peek at the brand new Swing into Summer release for Power Poppy and then tomorrow -- we'll have one heck of a hop with all the Bloom Brigade showing off just one more creation with the new sets as these beauties go on sale!

But first.... a look at a stamp set that might already have caught your eye!

This Dynamic Duo of Peonies and Tulips was released last month as an exclusive digi download. Well, Marcella heard from so many of you saying -- "Please! Bring this out on polymer!! Please!" Well, she is a woman who listens and now -- those gorgeous blossoms can be purchased as a digital stamp or as a brand new 4 by 6" set with both flowers and 8 brand new beautifully scripted sentiments! What fun! 

On to my creation!

I have to say, when I started to create -- I was feeling a simple card coming on. I didn't want a lot of stuff on my creation and actually struggled with the layout. I kept trying to add things, only to take them away later. So, this card is a little -- like I said -- simple -- but I think it works. ;-)

I stamped using Espresso Truffle Memento Ink. I have been using that a ton lately instead of black. It's like a deep, deep brown and not as harsh as black. Anyway, after I stamped, I colored up my tulips with Copic Markers using R21, YR01, YR0000, Y32, Y21, G20, YG61, YG63, BG0000, and BG10. Here's a close up below.... 

After I colored, I did use the Spellbinders Majestic Labels Twenty Five for my main image. And, while the die was still on, I sponged on some Peach Bellini Ranger Ink for a soft glow. I added some May Arts Ribbon, a bit of Queen and Co. bling and then matted it all up with some fun peach decorative paper (unknown) and then again on some mint green Prima paper. I love that this set offers some brand new sentiments. Isn't this one below super cute? I punched the sentiment out with a scalloped SU punch and matted it on a 1" punched circle. See?

And that, my friends, is it! not much more to this card! I have seen a bit of behind the scenes action with the Bloom Brigade and I mean to tell you -- you are going to want to hop on over and see their creations as well! And... head on over to the Power Poppy blog too for some fun-filled words from the artist herself -- Marcella Hawley! 

Danielle Kennedy

Julie Koerber >>>> you are here!
Katie Sims
Tosha Leyendekker

Be sure to tune back in tomorrow for a giant hop with all of the Bloom Brigade! See you then! 

~Julie

Sassy Succulents!

Hello all and welcome to Day 3 of Power Poppy's Swing Into Summer Release! Aren't the stamps too much fun? I sure think so and this next set is no exception! Ready to see?

Oh... there are so many colors and styles of these easy to care for plants! And now, you can have these fun and trendy plants on your cards and creations with this set called Sassy Succulents! This 4 by 6" set features not only this beautiful large grouping of Hens & Chicks but some adorable little planters featuring different kinds of these succulents! I can't wait for you to see these cuties! 

I have a handful of them featured on my creation -- so let's get to it!

Aren't these little pots of plants adorable? Me thinks so! I stamped them a row using Espresso Truffle Memento Ink and then colored them each up with Copics. I promised to try to take a photo of the markers when I have so many  involved. I made the mistake of just grabbing markers, using them and putting them back! Here's a peek at some of them -- YG00, YG21, YG23, YG23, B70, B72, BV00, V04, G11, G21, G24, G28, C00, C01, C03, C05, E97, YG61, YG63, RV21, RV32, RV35, W00, W01, W03 and BG0000, After I colored up the image, I did sponge on some Antique Linen and Rusty Hinge Distress Inks around the outside. I did that with the sentiment too after I punched it out with a Stampin' Up punch. I matted it all up, added some paper piercing and some fun little self stick candies (Stampin' Up).  Oh, I almost forgot. On the far right cactus, I did add some Raspberry Fizz Flower Soft for a little something extra. I thought this would be a fun way to add some razzle dazzle! And that, my friends is it!

Here's a close up of the sentie -- love that message!  

Before I go, I thought I'd share one of the succulents growing right now on my back patio... Moss Rose a.k.a. Portulaca. I just love the bright and bold color of these little blossoms and they just don't die in this hot Montana summer heat! ;-)

With that little splash of summer fun, why not head on over to the Power Poppy blog HERE -- there you'll find some of Marcella's inspiration for this set! And, while you're hopping, pay a visit to the Bloom Brigade to see the beautiful things they created using this set!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Julie Koerber >>> you are here!
Katie Sims
Tosha Leyendekker

Tomorrow this fabulous release wraps and then all of these bits of gorgeousness will be on sale! What's tomorrow's clue? Here goes. You've seen these images before but now they are available a whole new way! Yes, that's your little hint! See you back here tomorrow!

~Julie

Let's all Play Ball!

Hello all and welcome to Day 2 of Power Poppy's Swing in to Summer Release! It's a special group of stamps that truly bring out the best of summer lovin' fun!

Ready for the next set???

This one is called -- Play Ball! And, the goal is to honor one of summer's favorite pastimes! It happens to be one that our family will be deeply involved in all summer long. This 4 by 6" set illustrated by Marcella Hawley has so many fun things -- I can't wait for you to see this set in its full glory! It also has a handful of fun mix-and-match sentiments to celebrate the "sluggers" in your life! 

On to my creation!

For my card, I have to say, I kept seeing a bit of a jersey on the front. So, a played around with my Silhouette Cameo and created this little number. Since my daughter's uniforms are sleeveless, I decided to keep the uni on the front sleeveless too! After I got the base of my card cut and set on to paper, I used a circle die cut to create the softball. This set comes with that fun stitching and so -- you can add it as an accent or do like I did and make your own softball! Using a grungy background stamp, I stamped on some Antique Linen Distress Ink to rough it up a bit and then stamped the sentiment inside the fun banner in this set and added a splash of color with some Copic markers (R24, R27, B32, B34, B39, E41, E50)! Now, this card is ready for any sporty birthday girl or guy in my life! 

Here's a closeup!

And speaking of little sluggers, I found this one of my DD waiting for the batter at her position at Short Stop. Look at that game face, will ya? ;-) This photo was taken a few years ago, but she's still at Short Stop and looking forward to a handful of summer tournaments! 

And that, my friends, is it! Head on over to the Power Poppy Blog HERE to read up on Marcella's inspiration for this fabulous baseball loving set! And, while you're hopping, don't forget to pay the Bloom Brigade a visit to get a glimpse at their fabulous creativity!

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

Stay tuned -- tomorrow we'll unveil another fabulous set -- this one features a beautiful and unique kind of plants that will add some sass and pizazz to your cards and creations! See you back here tomorrow!

~Julie

Sweet Smelling Goodness!

Hi all and welcome to a brand new release for the fabulous Power Poppy! Over the next four days, Marcella Hawley's illustrations are SURE to WOW! And... the Bloom Brigade cannot wait to show you what we've been up to creatively!

So, on to our very first sneak!

Introducing Lavender -- a beautiful array of sweet smelling herbs that are downright pretty too! How about a French market bucket full of lavender sprigs? Or, a sachet filled with this aromatic floral? Or, a trio of branches fresh picked and ready to savor? It's all in this brand new set! Want to hear Marcella herself share a little of the inspiration? Just head HERE to the Power Poppy Blog! 

Before you go... let's get to my creation!  

There's not a ton to this card. I stamped, cut with a 2" punch, colored with Copic Markers and then matted it all up! I used BG0000, BG10, G40, G43, G20, G46, V01, V04, V06, V09, E31, E42, Y21, and Y23.

The background strip is a funny story! When I used to teach classes at my local stamp store, I did a demonstration using walnut ink crystals -- remember these?

Well, for that demo, I made a ton of different samples and then they got stuffed in a drawer with my decorative paper. The one above is one sample that I made by spraying on diluted walnut stain and then dropping crystals on top while my paper was still wet to let it dissolve into a deeper color in areas. For this strip, I used the little lavender cluster and one of the background accent stamps. I stamped them using Memento Espresso Truffle ink. I love the little "extra" these stamps gave to this strip of paper! 

From there, I added some decorative paper, some stitching, a 4" doily, a little crochet lace, a ribbon slide (Stampin' Up), some Hug Snug Crocus Ribbon, and.... ta da! 

Here's a close up....

And that, my friends is it! I just love this image and I can't wait to use it again and again! I have a secret recipe (not really so secret -- I found it on Pinterest) for a fabulous Lavender body lotion and I can see using this stamp set to personalize gifts! Fun stuff, huh?

Be sure to see what the rest of the Bloom Brigade created with this darling set! I know you are going to love what they have in store!

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

Tomorrow's set is all about getting in on the action with a sport that is just about as American as apple pie! Yes, that was your clue! See you back here tomorrow with more Power Poppy fun! 

~Julie

A Sweet Smelling Sneak!

Hello everyone! It's almost time to kick off a new crop of fabulous Power Poppy goodness!  Tomorrow kicks off day one of Power Poppy's new release for June! And the sneak I am showing off today happens to be my favorite set of the bunch!  

Can you smell the lavender just looking at this little snippet? Ohhhhh.... I wish you could! I love the scent! So relaxing!! Okay, enough about that --- there's little doubt the Bloom Brigade is ramping up the creativity. So, get ready for four days of intense fun with eye-popping, jaw-dropping, color infused fun! So I'll see you all back here tomorrow as we launch some Power Poppy fun! 

~Julie

Sketch It Out!

Hi all and welcome to the very last challenge this month designed to celebrate Power Poppy's Instant Garden! This one is like finding that perfect little piece of inspiration to set your art in motion! Isn't that what a sketch is? A guide? A starting point? A sketch takes the guesswork out of creating so that you can get to the fun stuff -- coloring, picking out just the right papers and accenting with just the right embellishments! So, join us and GET SKETCHY! 

THE CHALLENGE:  Find inspiration in this sketch! And, here's the fun part -- flip it any which way when you use it! Turn it 180 and use it that way! Flip it to the right or flip it to the left! You choose! When you create, just be sure to use one of Power Poppy’s new digital stamps to make your card or creation!

On to my creation!

For this card, I started by creating a kind of "frame" with my Tulips Digital Stamp. I created a canvas that was 5 inches wide and 4 inches tall in Photoshop Elements and then dragged and dropped the flowers, tilting until they were "just so!" After I had them where I wanted them, I tried to fit the sentiment from this digital download in the center. It was a little too big. You can see the file here below....

So, since this was a digital file... I shortened the sentiment! Instead of saying "May Life's Smallest Blessing Bring you the Greatest Joy," I erased parts and moved it around so that it could just read, "May Life Bring You Joy." That works!

After I printed my image, I colored it up with Copic Markers and used RV00, R81, R83, R85, G20, G40 and G43. I die cut my image with a large oval and while the oval was still on, I sponged some Spun Sugar Distress Ink to give it a soft glow. I also paper pierced around the die's edge too. The rest is just matting it all up! My paper is Echo Park Love Story and Carta Bella Alphabet Junction. I added some sewing and some BasicGrey buttons threaded with twine and.. ta da! Oh, I almost forgot, the die that my oval was matted on is Spellbinders Labels Seventeen. Now, we're done my friends!

Here's a close up!

Hope you play along in this "Get Sketchy" Challenge! If you want to see the official rules, just head on over to the Power Poppy Blog HERE and check them out! And, while you're hopping, be sure to see the fun-filled creativity that the Bloom Brigade whipped up with this sketch!

Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Julie Koerber >>>>>you are here!
Leslie Miller
Tosha Leyendekker

Don't forget.... there are more ways to WIN Power Poppy Goodness!

• Don’t forget that if you follow the Power Poppy boards over on Pinterest you could win the entire release for June! We’ll be drawing a random follower to win! If you don’t follow us yet, you have until May 30th. Just click HERE and then click on the red “Follow All” button. 
• Want to win a stamp set of your choice? Join us for the Pop Goes the World Challenge HERE! OR, join us HERE for the Unabashedly Upbeat Challenge! 
• Winners will be announced June 2nd after Power Poppy's June Release!

That's it my friends! So glad you stopped by!

~Julie

Play along and WIN a FUN Prize!!

Hi all! Did you know the fabulous PageMaps just turned 8 and during the entire Month of May, PageMaps is giving YOU chances to win to help THEM celebrate!

For my little part in the celebration, I wanted to show you that the sketches over on PageMaps for Scrapbooking don't have to be ONLY for scrapbooking. With a creative eye, you can transform these fabulous layouts into cards!

So, let's take a peek at the scrapbook layout I chose.....

And here's a peek at the card that was inspired by this sketch! 

You can see that I simplified the sketch quite a bit but the elements are there! Can you see them? I used Power Poppy's Gerbera Daisy Digital Stamp for my image and sentiment and colored it all up with Copic Markers! Instead of sharing all the details about this card... here's something fun... Becky Fleck, PageMaps creator and hostess with the mostess created a PDF file that shares the details of my card. Click on the link, print it off and save it to use in your own crafting space! 

Today's anniversary post is sponsored by Fancy Pants. For your chance to win a collection of Be Different papers and embellies, just leave a comment OVER HERE on the PageMaps Blog and tell us what you love about card making. Oh, and double your chances of winning, by commenting on the corresponding post on our Facebook page (Post is on May 20th)!

Here's a peek at the fun things up for grabs for the winner!

Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

~Julie

Bright & Bold Poppies!

Hello all and happy Monday.... PageMaps Monday here on my little blog! It's a day where I scour the CardMaps sketches looking for just the right inspiration! So, want to see my sketch? Here goes! I got this from the December 2011 edition. Loved the clean and classy layout!

And... here's my creation!

I used one of the brand new stamps illustrated by Becky Fleck for Penny Black Stamps called Friendship Flowers. I just loved these dainty little poppies! :-) I stamped using Versafine Black Onyx and heat set before adding a splash of watercolor. I actually used Ranger Distress Ink Reinkers to color these little flowers! I used Barn Door, Peeled Paint and Broken China for the wash behind. All you do is add a drop of reinker to a paint palette and then pick up your color thanks to a water brush -- easy peasy! The sentiment is also from the set! I added a couple Queen & Co. Rhinestones, some white Hug Snug Seam Binding and the paper is a mix of Echo Park 5th Avenue, and Authentique Gathering.

Here's a close up! You can see, I literally just dropped color on. I wanted a kind of "messy artsy look!" ;-)

And that, my friends, is it! If you ever want some layout inspiration -- just hop on over to the Pagemaps Cardmaps HERE -- for literally hundreds of design ideas and samples!

Hope your week gets off to a good start! I'll see you back here soon!

~Julie

Be Unabashedly Upbeat!!

Hello folks! I hope you've enjoyed this month's Instant Garden escapades so far over at Power Poppy! Today, I'm here to usher in even more fun! I've got a little challenge for you and it's all about mixing it up, getting inspired and letting your creativity take you in new directions!

What's this you say? It's a chance to see if this album cover by famed American jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk could be a card. How? Well, you've got to let the rhythm move you! See those splashes of blue? Those lines in black? The shading in grey? The overall feel and layout? Well, all those things could be transformed into inks, cardstock and, dare I say, embellishments! Just like Thelonious himself -- you could come to be known here for your own unique, improvisational style! (Just in case you didn't know -- we happen to love the fact that Thelonious Monk used to stop playing music and let his band continue just so he could dance for a bit before getting back to the piano. We encourage you to do the same as you create with reckless abandon!)

THE CHALLENGE:  Turn this album cover into a card -- in any way that it inspires you. Take the colors, the layout, the style and use it to help you create! Just that simple. This one is open to interpretation! Just be sure to use one of Power Poppy's digital stamps to make your card or creation! You can read up on all the official rules HERE. 

On to my creation! 

I have to say, this wasn't a 10 minute card, but it wasn't a whole lot more than 20! I started by printing off the Gladioli image and then really went to town adding some background color with the help of some background stamps! I used a mix of inks. One is Heavenly Blue (a discontinued ink from Close To My Heart), Lavender and Bermuda Blue Vivid! inks. Afterward, I took a few Copic markers ( BG000 and BG0000 with BV00, BV02 and BV23) and just "flicked" on some color. I didn't even blend -- just created messy strokes until I added a soft bit of color! 

From there, the rest is matting it up! The sentiment is from the Good Thinking: Renewal stamp set. I used a Stampin' Up brad that I embellished with a rhinestone, added some paper piercing and an embossed background (Cuttlebug Textile Texture) and.... ta da!

Here's a close up! 

And that, my friends, is it! Need a little inspiration to move and groove with???? Turn up some tunes and head on over to see...

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Julie Koerber - you are here!
Danielle Kennedy

There are more ways to WIN Power Poppy Goodness!

• Don't forget that if you follow the Power Poppy boards over on Pinterest you could win the entire release for June! We'll be drawing a random follower to win! If you don't follow us yet, you have until May 30th! Just click HERE and then click on the red "Follow All" button. 
• Want to win a stamp set of your choice? Join us for the Pop Goes the World Challenge HERE!
• Winners will be announced over on the Power Poppy Blog on June 2nd! 

~Julie

Pop Goes the World!

Power Poppy is traveling the world for their FIRST EVER challenge & it's one where YOU can WIN! Ready???

We call this the "Pop Goes the World" Challenge because the Bloom Brigade is literally finding inspiration by taking a virtual trip to a different part of the world! We didn't travel out of the U.S. for this one though. This is a beautiful sunset captured in Loveland, Colorado by photographer Michael Menefee. Isn't it breathtaking? Did you know each year more than 160,000 cards are mailed to Loveland from more than 110 countries just to be sent back at Valentine's Day with Loveland's postage cancellation stamp? Each year, the city uses a new stamp and new verse for the program and it's really quite the draw! So, let's use this little place on the map to spark some creative card making of our own! If you want to read up on the challenge rules -- just CLICK HERE!  Use the photo as color inspiration AND be sure to use one of Power Poppy's new Digital Stamps -- Peonies, Tulips, Gladioli or Gerbers -- for your creation! Just that simple!

On to my creation!

For starters, I used this week's Sketch Challenge -- SC487 -- over on Splitcoast for my layout. Isn't this fun?

I printed my Gerbera Daisies off on Cougar Opaque White, punched with a Stampin' Up 2-1/2" circle and then let my Copics do their work! I picked up V01, V04, V15, V17, and V0000. The stems were colored with G40, G43 and G20.  After I was done coloring, I did add a few dots from my Molotow White Paint Pen -- love that thing. I honestly think I am addicted!

With a layout picked, my card was really a breeze! Papers are from Stampin' Up and Close to My Heart. I accented my image using the dots in the sketch with white enamel dots from Theresa Collins. And last but not least, the sentiment is from the Good Thinking: Renewal set!

Okay... you might look at the graphic and said where is the yellow or orange from the photo? Well, I used a soft orange for my shading. See? So, you see that it doesn't have to be a big splash of color in your card!

And that, my friends is it! The Bloom Brigade loved their little virtual trip to Loveland and you can bet your bottom dollar they have tons of inspiration to share over on their little homes in the blogosphere! So, hop on over and see.....

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber -- you are here!
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

And, did you know???

Did you know that if you follow the Power Poppy boards over on Pinterest you could win the entire release for June? Yep, you can! And on top of all of that, if you follow us you'll be staying in touch with instant inspiration! The Power Poppy boards are chocked full of Bloom Brigade creations and they are all categorized by set! So, if you don't follow us yet, just log into your Pinterest account, click HERE and then click on the red "Follow All" button. We'll draw one lucky name from all of our followers and the winner will be announced on June 2nd after we unveil our fun-filled June release! 

So sign up now and then play along in Power Poppy's Pop Goes The World Challenge! I can't wait to see the beautiful things you create!

~Julie

You Bought The Digi Stamp... Now What?

Hi all! If you're new to the digi stamp world, never fear -- I have a tutorial today over at the Power Poppy Blog showcasing ways to use them. The Bloom Brigade will be sharing their tips and tricks all month long so that you can truly make your digis shine!

This is one of the cards I will show you how to make over on the Power Poppy Blog today!

So hop on over HERE and see what I have in store!

~Julie