A little project do-over!

Hello dear friends! I sure hope you had the merriest of Christmases and enjoyed friends and family --- just soaking it all in! I have to say that I did. We had a beautiful Christmas Eve that was quiet and peaceful as we awaited the birth of our Lord and then, the next day we were surrounded by more family the whole day long. It was a weekend of blessings and I sure hope it was for you too!

It honestly felt strange not showcasing a Christmas card today! I had to strain not to reach for a red and green scheme when I was putting this one together! I do have something fun to share however and it is actually a "re-do" of a creation from quite a while ago. I am not sure about you, but I have a box of finished cards and every now and then I look back and see -- what's not being used and why? It's during those times that I see if there is a card or colored piece that can get a makeover to make it more user friendly. And this time, I did find a finished project that needed a "do-over!"

This was the project from back on April 6th, 2015. Yes, this little number has been sitting for THAT LONG! Way back when I thought I would give it to my mom with some seeds but then I never bought seeds and shifted gears for Mom's Day and so this little envelope ended up sitting....

Just a note before I show you the "redo" that the silhouette and digital files for this project are still live over on the Power Poppy Blog HERE if you ever wanted to follow the project above! There's even a Silhouette cut file for the little envelope featured!

Now, onto my new, more user-friendly creation!

You can see that in order to have this do-over, I needed to cut out the image and make that my focal point instead of using the full she-bang. I used a stitched circle die and then matted it on a die cut shape to really accent it. This image is the digital stamp from Power Poppy called Countryside Bouquet. If you can "see" this in the photo, the blue piece of card stock was stamped with Versamark ink using the daisy stem from the clear stamp version of this set called Countryside Bouquet Deluxe! I thought the plain blue was just.... too plain!

From there, I added the sentiment running down the side from the Power Poppy set called Cozy Cupfuls. Even though this is a Christmas set, I think this sentiment is great for use all year round! Afterward, I added a little twine and a wooden button and ta da!!! Fini! Now I have a all-occasion card that I just know will be used in the next few months! 

Here's a close up for you!

Well folks, the fun doesn't end here! Be sure to hop on over and see what some of my fellow Bloomies have up their creative sleeves too! 

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber >>> you are here!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Cheers to a Happy New Year! Next time we "talk" it will be 2017!!

~Julie

I Wish You A Merry Christmas!

Can you feel the excitement in the air? Can you snap up a little bit of that joy? I sure hope you answered yes and that the beauty of this most holy season fills your heart to the brim -- no matter how you celebrate! I love this time of year and the fact that more people seem to wear smiles and seeing the wonder expressed in a child's face never gets old!! 

I am going to make this short and sweet because as we speak, there are a few gifts that still need to be wrapped and a little more Christmas cheer to be spread! And, my mom has cookies in the oven that I'd love to serve as a taste tester for! ;-)

This little creation that I am sharing is one that went out in the mail this week to a very special lady! I am not sharing who just in case it hasn't landed in her mailbox yet but I wanted to share with all of YOU!

First up, I have to apologize for the photo. I took this one at night and so natural light was non-existent. Second, for those that might have missed it, we are living with my mom as we build our house and the locations to take good pictures is limited --- especially at night! So bear with me peeps!

This card was made using Power Poppy's Wreath: Felt Leaves and Fruits. I printed it off and colored it up using my Copic markers using YG00, YG03, YG06, R27, R32, E31, and BG000 and C00. I didn't shade at all around the image like I normally do because I wanted this one to be clean and crisp and loved the image up against the country charm of the polka dots, doily, and gingham. What you can't see is that the enamel dots that I added are glittery, which matches the glitter that I added to those darling little pom-pom "flowers!" And that, my friends, is it! 

I did have a special bit of news from Power Poppy Central! If you happened to have stopped by after Thanksgiving, Power Poppy had a fun little “hunt” for a mystery digital download that you could nab for $1. GOOD NEWS!!!! Marcella is bringing it back for the next several days — go grab Candy Cane Classic for a dollar to use on those last-minute gift tags!

Moving on... earlier I mentioned that we are in the process of building a home. Early in November, I shared that we had a foundation and some framing. Well, it's amazing what a difference a little more than a month and a half makes! It's beginning to look a lot like... a house! ;-) The cold weather is hampering some of the progress on the outside but inside -- things are moving -- plumbing, electrical, ductwork and as we speak -- drywall! We should be in by March! YAY! 

That is it from me today! I'm going to turn things over to my fabulous fellow Bloomies to see what they've whipped up for you all to see! 

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Julie Koerber >> you are here!

Katie Sims

Stacy Morgan

Thanks so much for stopping by! I wish you all the joy possible during this most wonderful time of the year! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and wishes of love, peace, and kindness for all!

Old Saint Nick!

Hello all and the Happiest of Fridays to you! Are we in the Christmas spirit yet? You know there's only 16 days, right? ;-) Well, even though Christmas is a couple of weeks away, this week ushered in the feast of St. Nicholas (December 6th). So, in honor of the special day, I thought I'd give St. Nick a nod with my creation! 

This card uses the Glittering Glass Santa digital stamp set from Power Poppy. After printing it up, I fussy cut the image and then colored it up with Copic markers using G20, G21, G24, G28, R24, R27, R32, C03, C05, YG00, YG03, YG11, G000 and E0000 and RV00 for his skin and cheeks. I did add a little C000 and BG0000 to the beard for a little shading, although you can't really see it all that well and I added a little glitter glue to all the fluffy parts of his jacket too! 

Here's a closeup for you! 

The decorative paper is Stampin' up and the die is a stitched rectangle die from MFT. And that, my friends, is it! So far I have about 20 down, ten to fifteen more Christmas cards to make! Normally we do a family Christmas letter but I decided to put a personal spin on the holidays and make each and every card I send! Ask me on Christmas Eve how I did! ;-)

Before I go, don't forget to check out some of my fellow Bloomies' blogs to see what they've been up to this week! 

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber

Kathy Jones

Katie Sims

Stacy Morgan

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful (& warm) weekend!

~Julie

A Little Birthday SURPRISE!

Hello all and Happy Tuesday! Do we have a special surprise! Do you know....

WHO'S SASSY AND SPECIAL AND FABULOUS AND 50???

Well, I happen to know it's the creative and talented Ms. Rhea Weigand! To help her celebrate, Power Poppy is honoring this oh-so-special day with a special birthday digi in honor of the birthday girl's special day! Say hello to......

Isn't this just as lovely as the lady of the hour? Orchid Dreams comes not only with a beautifully scripted sentiment but a book with an island spin since one of Rhea's favorite places on earth just so happens to be Hawaii!  And, we've also been told that she's apparently prone to misplacing her glasses, so what a fitting and fun way to celebrate her! ;-) This little digi will be in the shop for $3 this week only. After that, it will stay in the shop but will be $5. So, get this beauty at a bargain now! 

On to my celebratory creation!

Recently, one of my stamping friends Nancy Sheads gave me some tips and tricks on how to print and cut images using the Silhouette Cameo. Well, after she shared, I couldn't help but give it a try! Don't worry, a little birdie told me that Nancy is prepping a tutorial for the Power Poppy Blog to share these tips with everyone so -- stay tuned! 

After the Orchid Dreams image was print and cut, I used Copic markers to color this image up! I used R81, R83, R85, RV00, G20, G21, G24, G28, E09, YR24, YR01, E31, and E33. After it was all colored up, I used some Stampin' Up decorative paper to mat it all up! Add some gold cording and a little pink button and.. done! Here's a close up for you! 

And here's a peek at the "dreamy" sentiment!

I happen to know that I am not -- by far-- the only one lighting the candles and cueing up the music to help Rhea celebrate! First up, be sure to share birthday wishes and see all the fun happening over at the Passionate Paper Creations and Friends Facebook Page HERE! And while you're hopping, I know these ladies below have some fun birthday creations to share as well!

Allison Cope
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber >>> you are here!
Barb Walker
Nancy Sheads
Jessie Banks

And be sure to pop into the Power Poppy Blog to see what Marcella created using this new illustration! Thanks for stopping by!

  HAPPY 50TH RHEA!! May you have the absolute best day ever and CHEERS to an even more blessed and beautiful year ahead! 

~Julie

Sweet Treats!

Hello Sweet Stamping Friends! Welcome to another Power Poppy Friday that's designed to share a healthy dose of positivity and creativity in one fell swoop! It's the first Friday of the month, which means that The Bloom Brigade is here to help kick off a brand new Power & Spark Challenge! 

This month's hostess is the wonderful Christine Okken and today, she's challenging us all to make up some.....

HOW TO PLAY: The idea behind this Power & Spark Sweet Treats Challenge is just as easy as it appears. As Christine shares, it's really all about the spirit of giving! 

"The idea is to create something that will be a sweet treat for someone else (so think card, tag, hostess gift, etc) designed to help with those quick Christmas gifts."

You can read up on all the official details and check out Christine's fabulous creation HERE!  And just in case you missed it, a few weeks ago I whipped up a tutorial on making gift card tags for one of Power Poppy's Inspire Me Monday posts -- below is a peek at what I did and you can see all of the samples with step-by-step instructions HERE!

MOVING ON! I have to say that for Christine's challenge, I had the  best of intentions to whip up some tags after the release of Power Poppy's digital Whimsical Wreaths stamp sets! But, all I managed to do was color them up and boy what a treat that was!!! Here's a peek at all four!

And here's a peek at each one, starting with Wreaths: Succulents and Baubles! I will say I used a mix of Copic markers for all. On the Wreaths: Boxwood and Cranberry, I accented with a white gel pen. On Wreaths: Felt Leaves and Fruits I added a bit of glitz thanks to glitter glue! If you can't tell, I had a blast coloring them up! 

Here's Wreaths: Birch and Evergreens.....

And Wreaths: Felt Leaves and Fruits! 

Last but not least, Wreaths: Boxwood and Cranberry! 

I have to say that I took close to an hour to color each one up and while I could have most certainly done it much faster, I just took my time and let the peaceful easy feeling that I get when I color just wash over me! These are just images to be cherished and the varieties in design are just charming! I should tell you that you can buy each wreath individually or in a bundle for a discount! You can click HERE to see for yourself! They work well in so many different ways - tags, as a focal point on a card or to dress up boxes or bags! Perfect for this time of year! 

Now it's time to turn things over to the best bunch of designers in all of blogland -- the Bloomies! They've been busy in their creative spaces and I know you'll want to see firsthand what they've been up to! ;-)

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber >>> you are here!

Kathy Jones

Stacy Morgan

Stay tuned to the Power Poppy blog because on Monday, Marcella will have a treat for you all! It's the 5th, which means we'll have another Digi on the 5s release, adding another illustration to the ever-expanding Instant Garden i.e. digital stamp collection of Power Poppy! See you back here soon!

~Julie

Hey there Chickies!

Hello all and happy Friday! I don't know if you "tuned in" last Friday but if you missed it, you can click HERE if you want to catch up! I decided to color up Power Poppy's Chickadee in Barberry for Kathy Racoosin's 30 Day Color Challenge. I didn't make a card, but promised to show the card once I actually put it together and so....... here it is!

Because this image is on the large side, I decided to keep my layout rather simple and just dressed it up with some decorative kraft and red papers. I added a half oval that was die cut thanks to a double stitched oval die and the sentiment was from the Power Poppy Poppies stamp set. I thought it worked since birds can "pop in" can't they? ;-) I added a little twine and a wooden button and... ta da! Done! 

Here's a close up of the little guy!

You can click HERE if you want to see what markers I used to color up this cute image! Sorry to be so short and sweet today! I happen to know there's more out there in blogland for you to see since my stampin' sisters -- the Bloomies -- have been in their craft rooms this week and are ready to share! Stop on by and see......

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

Thanks for stopping by and sharing a bit of your day with me! Hope you have a fantastic weekend and I'll see you back here real soon! 

~Julie 

Happy Friday!

Hello all! Boy, do I have a short and sweet post for you today! It's been one of those weeks that I really didn't have a ton of time to stamp and so, instead of sacrificing crafty time, I colored! And, I had a good excuse!

If you haven't heard or played along with Kathy Racoosin's 30-Day Coloring Challenge over at The Daily Marker, you're missing out! It's her "schtick" that all it takes is 10 minutes each day if that is all you have! So, I took her up on the challenge and colored up an image that I had been longing to color since it was released -- CHICKADEE IN BARBERRY -- by, of course, Power Poppy. 

And here's how it turned out!

I do love that little guy, don't you? I colored him up using these colors below (sorry for the not so great photo!) and shading with the BV markers shown. You can also "kind of" see that I added glitter to the snow as well as streaks of white gel pen to accent the birdie's feathers. 

I have to say that the reason why I haven't had a ton of time to craft is because of this.....

Right now, we're building this place. Take a peek at our basement! I could move in right now, don't you think? Well, long story short, we are living in my MOM'S basement as our new abode comes into being. So, living out of boxes doesn't really lend itself to crafty endeavors. Thank goodness my mom crafts too and she carved out some space for me in her craft room. Pretty sweet of her, huh? I think so!

Okay, that's enough of my jabber. Hope you take some time to color and join in Kathy's 30-day Challenge. Coloring-- it is good for the soul, don't you know? 

Have a fabulous weekend and I'll see you back here soon!

~Julie

A Little Friday FUN!

Goodness, gracious! Doesn't it seem weird to be talking about when you're going to carve pumpkins one minute and then, sharing a card you've already got in the bag for Christmas? Well, I think it is! But, that's exactly why I am here today!

While Power Poppy popped the lid off its 2016 Happiest Holiday Collection, I did have a card I made for release, and can you believe it, forgot to share! Fully Stocked is one set that has a mix of whimsical, elegant and earthy all packed into one stamp set. I love that! So, here's my take on the stocked stuffed for those who are young and... young at heart!

I just love this little teddy bear popping out the top! I had a blast coloring this image up and then fussy cutting it so that it took center stage on a holiday-themed piece of background paper. I used Copics, of course, and reached for nearly every family of green and red that I had! After I was done coloring, I added some sparkle thanks to a Spica glitter pen and some accents thanks to a white paint pen. You can't see the glitter, but trust me, it's there! 

Here's a close up view for you!

From there, I just matted it all up, added some grosgrain ribbon and gold cording and then stamped the little cluster of buttons from the stamp set on strips of kraft cardstock to create my own kind of decorative paper. It's all ready to be stuffed in an envelope and mailed to someone across the way!

Want to check out what some of my fellow Bloomies whipped up this week... just for you? Well, head on over and see these fine ladies, will you?

Ally Cope
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber >> you are here!
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker


Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a snippet of your day with me! I so appreciate and enjoy it! I'll be back Monday with a little teaser of a holiday gift giving idea that you can literally make in minutes!

See you back here then!
~Julie

The Happiest Holiday Collection is HERE with a Power Poppy Hop!

Hello folks and welcome to RELEASE DAY for Power Poppy! After teasing you for five days, the Bloomies are on standby, ready to show you one more fabulous creation from the 2016 Happiest Holiday Collection. WARNING: It's designed to release sudden cheer and evoke feelings of instense Christmas joy so... watch out! ;-)

On to my creation!

I had colored up this little mason jar full of goodies on a recent color fest and decided -- it needed a home on the front of a card! I used Power Poppy's new set Holly Golightly and I think this set is full of simple, classy charm! After stamping, I grabbed my Copic markers of course and went to town coloring in the leaves, berries and accenting that darling little mason jar.

After coloring and die cutting with a double stitched oval die, the rest is just matting it all up! I used a decorative paper pack I picked up from Hobby Lobby and just used three coordinating papers. Add a little red and white twine and an ink-sponged, scallop-edged circle perfect for a sentiment and.. ta da! I kept this layout sweet and simple! I am really loving sweet and simple these days! ;-)

Here's a close up for you!

And that, my friends, is it! You will have to truly take in this Power Poppy Hop and see the rest of these fine ladies as well!

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber >>> you are here!

Kathy Jones

Katie Sims

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

BEFORE I LET YOU GO -- TAKE A GANDER AT THIS SUPER SWEET SPECIAL! Just to "enable" you a wee bit more, check out this fabulous deal Marcella is offering up through October 25th at midnight CST!

That's right! There are two special offers.... just for YOU! Buy ANY 4 clear stamps and get the 5th clear set free!  Enter discount code: INTHECLEAR at checkout. - OR - Buy ANY 5 digital sets and get the 6th one free!  Enter discount code: DIGILOVE at checkout!

These promotions are good on all in-stock stamp sets at PowerPoppy.com. Promotions cannot be combined in the same transaction. However, customers can complete one transaction for clear stamps, and one transaction for digital stamps if they would like to take advantage of both specials. Now isn't that special??? What are you waiting for? Click HERE to visit the brand new Happiest Holiday Collection and while you're there, shop around and see what stamp sets you'd like to stock up on and... save! 

Thanks for spending a bit of your week with me -- hope you had fun! I know I did! 

~Julie

Sneak Peeks Day 5: Glistening Paperwhites!

Hello folks and welcome back to the sneaks for Power Poppy's Happiest Holiday 2016 Collection! Today, imagine one of the most glorious and elegant Christmas botanicals and then, set your sights on Marcella's take on these beautiful blossoms.....

You can't have Christmas without boughs of beautiful greenery. This special grouping will breathe a whoosh of fresh winter air into your card making, with an illustration of classic Paperwhites paired with Juniper and Seeded Eucalyptus. The natural elements in this brand new set -- Glistening Paperwhites -- would be shimmeringly lovely embossed in metallics, dusted with glitter, or colored in cool shades of green, blue, and ivory. What's even more wonderful is the fact that this set comes with a handful of  accent images and six sentiments to help you make cards for the most wonderful time of the year!

On to my creation!

Being a lover of Paperwhites, I knew that I wanted to play off the icy shades of blue to bring to life the juniper berries and add a little cool shades to the flowers themselves. I used B60, B63 and B65 for the berries, accented the flower with BG0000, RV0000, and then colored the centers with Y11, Y13 and added dots of Y15. The Eucalyptus seeds were colored up with G20 and BG72 and the leaves were colored with G20, G21, G24 and G28. Add a little shading around the image with RV00 and ... ta da! Here's a close up!

The rest is just matting it up! I added some rock candy glitter to parts of the berries. You can't really see it in any of the photos because it is more of a textural glitter but it does add a little shimmer in real life. The sentiment from the set was added to a banner die cut. The pale pink decorative paper and blue strips were just a part of my stash. Add a little glittery ribbon and some bling and that's it my friends!

I know with an image this beautiful that my fellow members of the Bloom Brigade will make jaws drop with their creations! So, see for yourself and hop on over to pay these fine ladies a visit! 

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber >>> you are here!

Kathy Jones

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

Tomorrow is the big day my friends! Tomorrow we get to roll out the entire collection with a big party -- showcasing more of the sets and letting you know how you just might be able to get your hands on this swoon-worthy designs! Can't wait? Me neither! 

See you back here tomorrow!

~Julie

Happiest Holiday Sneak Peeks Day 3!

Hello all! If the thought of cheerful packages covered in bright berries and greenery make you swoon, then today's stamp set reveal showcasing Power Poppy's Happiest Holiday 2016 Collection has its sights set on YOU!

Check out the latest sneaky peek.....

With Holly Golightly, what you have is an essential ingredient of Christmas cheer: Holly! Done up three ways, will you go with the hollyberry branch, used as a focal point, a bough, or a pattern piece? What about the sweet little Mason jar with boxwood and holly for a humble holiday scene? Or, you can try the happiest holly tag that you ever did see with a whole bunch of Holly Jolly sentiments! This set offers so many mix and match opporutnities with 12 stamps total in this fabulously merry set!

On to my creation!

I started by stamping my image and then, reaching for my Copic markers in shades of neutral browns, greens and, of course, reds! I used G05, G07 and G09, blending with G20. The reds were R24, R27 and I blended with R20 and R01. I added a little E55 to the stem and then the tag was done up with E81, E50, E51 adn E53. I also accented with a little white gel pen. And... ta da! Oh, I should mention that when it came to inking up and stamping the sentiment I selectively added ink using a Memento Dew Drop to get the inner phrase with Ladybug Red and the outer portion with Cottage Ivy. 

Here's a little close up! I matted this little tag up with a decorative paper stack that I picked up at Hobby Lobby along with a kraft colored doily. Sweet.. and ... simple! 

And that, my friends, is it! There are so many cute elements in this set that you'll have to make the rounds to the lovely ladies below to see their creative take using this new Power Poppy set -- Holly Golightly! 

Allison Cope

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber

Kathy Jones

Stacy Morgan

Thanks for stopping in today, be sure to hit up the Power Poppy Blog tomorrow  for the next sneaky peek. This one is stocked full of fun and just can't wait to be hung by the chimney with care! Yep, that's your little hint! ;-)

See you back here soon!

~Julie

Happiest Holiday Sneaky Peek Day 2!

Hello all and welcome to Day 2 of the sneaky peeks for Power Poppy's 2016 Happiest Holiday Collection! I can't tell you just how much I adore the set that's being revealed today! I mean, just take a look at this, will ya??

So what does Santa do when he's not overseeing all of the hustle and bustle at the North Pole? Well, he doesn't always take his trusty sleigh to get packages to the good little boys and girls world wide. He's a 21st century kind of guy! At least that's the vision Marcella had when she whipped up this new offering -- Action Santa! This chocked-full-of-cheer clear stamp set offers two whimsical views of Santa on his way paired with five holiday greetings and several little accents to help set the scene!

On to my creation!

Since this little stamp set tells Santa to get a move on, I decided to take Ally Cope's Make It Move Power & Spark Challenge and put 'Ski Santa' in a snow covered winter wonderland a.k.a. a shaker card! ;-) If you've never made a shaker card, Ally offers a fabulous tutorial HERE to get you started. It's a good one to pin for later! 

After stamping my Santa, I have to tell you that I used pretty much every marker in my stash to bring Ole Saint Nick to life! I wish I could name them all but honestly, there are far, far too many! After I was done coloring, I used the tips and tricks Ally offered to make my shaker, added different sized sequins for a little snowy sparkle and... ta da! Add some twine, a sentiment from the set and some sparkly decorative paper!

Here's a little close up to show you "what's shakin'" with this creation!

And that, my friends, is it! If you want to read up on the inspiration behind this set and see some of the other fabulous creations from my fellow Bloomies, just head on over to...

THE POWER POPPY BLOG!

Tomorrow, you'll have to swing by to see how one festive berry takes on a holly jolly feel as we continue the sneaky peeks for the 2016 Happiest Holiday Collection!

See you back here then!

~Julie

Happiest Holiday Sneak Peek Day 1!

Hello all and welcome to day one of the Happiest Holiday Sneaky Peek Week for Power Poppy! All this week, the Bloom Brigade will be sharing some of their creations with this soon-to-be-released Christmas Collection! And today, we start this kick off with some SIMPLE JOYS! 

Take a gander at this set and you're bound to get that feeling of homespun country charm. A rusty old watering can primed for the Christmas season, a glass ornament hanging cheerfully on an evergreen branch or a fresh-clipped group of holly berries decked out with holiday sparkle and joy. That's what Simple Joys -- a set of vignettes delivers! 

On to my creation!

When I first set my sights on this new set, I just keep seeing blues and reds. Not sure why but I thought of that steely blue that you see so much in country decor. And so, my sweet stamping friends, I grabbed for those colors when I started coloring up this image! I had B91, B93, B95, E31, E33, R27, R29, C00, C01, C03, C05, YR27, YR24 and E81. I shaded the bottom with some of the grey toned BV markers. BV20 BV23. From there, I matted up my card using some scraps in my stash, added some twine and coordinating buttons and... ta da! Fini!

Here's a close up for y'all! 

Easy, peesy, lemon squeezy! I honestly love when a simply designed card and layout can really make an image sing! Oh, I should mention, that darling sentiment is also a part of the Simple Joys stamp set (along with 6 other beautifully scripted greetings!)

When it comes to this day of sneaky peeks, you could say the gang's all here! You'll have to hop on over to see the rest of my beloved Bloomies to see their take on this stamp set full of country charm!

You can find the full linky list over at.....

THE POWER POPPY BLOG

Coming up tomorrow, the fun continues with a set that not only keeps Santa on his toes but on two wheels too! Just wait until you see this cute-as-can-be set! When's the full collection going to be released? Mark your calendars for October 21st! 

Until then!

~Julie

It's Amost Time!

Hello friends! I am giddy as I type this because in just a matter of days, Marcella is going to take the lid off her Happiest Holidays Collection for 2016.  There are so many fun elements to this Power Poppy collection that I just KNOW there is something for every kind of card maker! Check out this little teaser, will you?

And... just to tease you a bit more, here's a little snippet of one of the cards that I am going to share in the coming days....

Just look at that little fuzzy bear peeking out at you all! Can you even stand how cute he is? So here's the rundown my friends. TOMORROW, Power Poppy's Instant Gardeners will be kicking off a heavy dose of holiday spirit sharing the first holiday digital stamp set for the year! SUNDAY OCTOBER 16TH through THURSDAY OCTOBER 20TH, look for sneak peeks of the brand new clear stamp sets and then on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21st, join us for a Power Poppy Hop, when the Bloom Brigade shares some extra inspiration on release day!

On that bright note, I know some of the other Bloomies have cards and snippets to share so, be sure to hop on over and see.....

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker
See you back here Sunday for the start of the holiday cheer -- just in time to get you ready for the Christmas cardmaking season!

Until then!
Julie

Movin' & Groovin'!

Hello happy stampers! Gosh, do I have so much to share with you today! First, I sure hope life is treating you all well and giving you lots of time to pursue all your crafty endeavors! Although, you and I both know there's never enough time for that!! ;-)

Since it's a brand new month, that means there's a brand new challenge over at the Power Poppy blog! Check it out sweet peeps!

Want your cards to jump, jive, move & groove? Well, you're in luck! For this month's Power & Spark Challenge, Ally Cope is encouraging us all to do just that! Here's what this creative phenom had to say.....

"For this month, we want to see You Move It, Move It! That is, we want to see an element of your card move. It could be anything from a pull-out tag, to some sequins in a shaker card to a fun element that jiggles all on its own! Let's see you Move It!"

I know before the month is over I am definitely going to have to give this challenge a try! You can read up on all the official details HERE!

On to my creation this week!

As you can see, I used Power Poppy's new freebie digital stamp set called I Can Do All Things which just so happens to feature one of my favorite Bible verses of all time! That's why I loved coloring this up so very much. When it comes to the Copic Markers that I used, I sadly didn't write down which ones I specifically used, but I can tell you that I chose a light, medium and dark in each of the color families and went from there. After I was finished, I added some shading thanks to E81, E0000 and R0000. As you can see, I also added a few accents here and there with a white gel pen. Here's a little close up for you!

The rest is just matting it up and adding a few candy dots. Easy peasy lemon squeezie! Now it's time to turn things over to my partners in crafting crime -- the Bloomies -- to see what they've been up to this week!

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

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me! I hope you have a wonderful weekend planned!

See you back here soon!
~Julie

Keep The Faith

Hello all and happiest of Fridays to you! The feel of autumn has fallen on my neck of the woods, which made for some chilly and rainy days -- perfect weather for a little bit of coloring and creating! 

I had yet to print off Power Poppy's Pure Prairie Bouquet and so I took this time to grab my markers for one big color fest! 

As you can see, I blew up the image so that it would more than cover the front of my card. I chose all kinds of colors -- too many to count or list -- and then highlighted my image with some soft blue shades. After I was done, I fussy cut around the top and bottom and then matted the image onto a piece of soft blue decorative paper. From there, I added the Keep the Faith sentiment from the stamp set Happy Crabapple. Because thse coloring was such a huge part of this card, I chose to keep it simple in design and let the flowers do the talking! And that, my friends is it-- now I have a card full of color that can hopefully send a little cheer to a friend in need.

Moving on! Since it's Friday, that means the Bloomies are here to share a bit of what they've whipped up this week creatively, so be sure to stop on by and see what they have to share today!

Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber >> you are here!
Katie Sims
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a fabulous weekend ahead and I'll see you all back here soon! And, if you are looking for some creative fun and a bit of a challenge, don't forget to stop by Power Poppy's blog tomorrow to see if Marcy has another element to her Power & Sparklette challenge for you all!

~Julie

A Weekend of Creative Fun!

Hello peeps and happy Friday!  There's a flurry of Power Poppy activity to share with you all and guess what? It. Is. ALL. FUN! 

First off.... did you see the Instant Gardeners strut their creative stuff yesterday with Power Poppy's brand new digital stamp set - Black-Eyed Susan? If not, you can take a step back and check it out HERE! This little dose of fall-themed sunshine is ready and waiting to buy up, download, print and color! And if you missed THIS news, there are two new digital freebies for you to grab up too! Just click the linky to learn more!

That leads me to the second big bit of news! Power Poppy is having a first-of-its-kind bundle sale that lets you decide if you want to save a little or a LOT!

Between now and Monday at midnight CST, some of Power Poppy's most beloved digital stamp sets are going on a FAB 5 SALE  and are therefore, super ripe for the pickin'! Check out these lovelies above that you can steal buy for just $4 apiece! If you want to save even more, you can pick up all five of these sets for just $15! Woot woot! I hate to enable you my sweet stamping friends, but this sale is a doozy!

One you've picked up one of these fine fall-themed illustrations, then you can hop over to our good buddies at Passionate Paper Creations and Friends for this....

To get in the running for this festive affair all you need to do is color up (you don't even need to make a full-fledged card) Cuppa Buttercups, Apples in Season, Pure Prairie Bouquet, Sunshine of My Life or our newest - Black Eyed Susan and link it up on the Power Poppy post over HERE on the Passionate Paper Creations and Friends Facebook page. If you play along, you could be picked the winner of our random drawing for a $20 gift card to the Power Poppy Shop. So grab those colored pencils, watercolors or markers and get ready for a little colorfest this weekend! ;-)

In light of Power Poppy's little contest, I decided to print off and doll up the new digital stamp Black-Eyed Susan! Check it out!

I printed it in a dark sepia tone and then went on to color it in nearly every shade of yellow Copic marker that I had -- Y02, Y06, Y35, Y38 -- just to name a few and then the leaves were colored with YG03, YG13, YG00 and a bit of G20 to soften the glow a bit. After it was all colored a used my warm grey tones to shade around it and give it a kind of antiqued feel. Add a few dots from the white paint pen, some paper piercing, a paper pierced sentiment (also from the digital stamp set) and mat it all up! Easy peasy lemon squeezy! 

Now it's the Bloomies' turn to "grab the mic" and sing you into the next scene! We've got pretty much the whole team here so let yourself "roll" through this link list and see what they've been up to!


Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber >>> you are here!
Kathy Jones
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker


Thanks for stopping by! I hope you stop by the Power Poppy Blog tomorrow to see what Marcy has up her creative sleeve and don't forget about playing along in the Coloring Contest HERE. I just know that I will love looking at all the entries!

See you back here real soon!
~Julie