PageMaps Monday!

Hi all! Like most Mondays, I like to share a little PageMaps fun to get that creativity started for the week! There's nothing better than picking out a fun sketch and putting it to paper! And, this month, there's a whole new crop of Cardmaps Sketches! Just check them all out HERE!

On to my card! Here's a peek at the finished creation..... 

And here's the sketch that inspired it! 

I used Penny Black's stamp set called A Bunch for this one. I love the fact that this set has a variety of blossoms and then a handful of ways to display them -- a terra cotta pot, a vase or... like I chose -- I mason jar! ;-)

The images were stamped with Memento Espresso Truffle and then colored with Copic markers Y32, Y35, Y38, Y00, G20, G21, and G24. The jar was stamped on decorative paper, cut out and overlayed so that my flowers looked like they were just happily sitting inside!

Here's a close up!

The rest is just matting it up! All of the papers were from Carta Bella's Hello Again paper pack. I followed the sketch pretty much to a tee -- using an EK Success border punch, some May Arts Twine and a Spellbinders die for the curvy edge. 

And that, my friends, is it! Need some inspiration to kick start your week? All you need to do is hop on over to CardMaps and see all the fun sketches for this quarter! 

I'll be back soon and hope you will too! 

~Julie

Psst!!! I have something fun to share!

Hello all! Just a heads up -- I've got a fun tutorial over on the Power Poppy blog HERE that's perfect for the gift giving season!

Want a peek?

So click on over and see what I have in store!

~Julie

More World Card Making FUN!

Well folks... I'm BACK for more fun on this HAPPY WORLD CARD MAKING DAY!  Like I mentioned HERE, Power Poppy is celebrating this oh-so-special day and honoring all of the creativity that is at the heart of this craft with... a handful of challenges! It is a day that you can WIN some Power Poppy goodness! You'll have to click HERE to see all the fun challenges that Power Poppy has in store!  

SO WHAT'S THE NEXT CHALLENGE? 

PPWCMD04: FAVORITE THINGS! 

HOW TO PLAY: Look around for some of your favorite things and be inspired! Take a photo of a few of those things and then, see it as a bit of an inspiration challenge -- spark a little creativity with the textures, the colors, or even the objects themselves! This one is wide open for interpretation! Not sure about your favorite things? Click HERE and see a photo of some of Marcella's faves and use that as an inspiration piece! Just that simple! You'll also find the official rules HERE along with how long you have to get those entries in! 

For my creation, I looked to my kitchen window sill for a little spark of inspiration! 

I have no idea why, but I have a "thing" for cute little owls. The owl was my sorority's symbol, so maybe that just stuck with me! My mom and I were shopping one day and I came across this cute little guy. My mom laughed at it and thought it was kinda sorta awful, but I said -- I LOVE IT! Another thing I love are African Violets. I have been growing them literally since my son was born 17 years ago. During all of those years, there hasn't been a time when I haven't had a trio of these bright and bold beauties sitting in my kitchen window! 

So for my creation, I chose to be inspired by the teal, ivory, green and bold pink! And, here's my card!

This card is pretty easy peasy. I started by stamping the large floral spray from the BRAND NEW Power Poppy stamp set called Poinsettia! I stamped using Memento Toffee Crunch and then colored it up with Copic Markers. I used: E81, E42, E0000, G21, G11, G24, Y26, Y28, YR0000, R81, R83, RV00, BG0000, and BG11. The papers are all Stampin' Up. The die is Spellbinders Petite Labels One. Add a little bling, some silver cording and a fun rhinestone button! 

Here's a close up! 

And that, my friends, is it! A pretty simple and sparkly creation that is ready to rock and roll for the holidays! I should mention that one of my fellow Bloom Brigade members, Leslie Miller also joined in on this challenge, so be sure to stop by her place (just click on her name to get there) and see the absolutely gorgeous creation she whipped up!  

And... click  HERE  to read up on this challenge and HERE to see all of the challenges going on in this very Happy World Cardmaking Day! Get those fingers inky and join us for some FUN!

~Julie

Happy World Card Making Day! Here's a challenge for you!

Hello all and.... HAPPY WORLD CARD MAKING DAY! Power Poppy has a ton of fun planned to honor this special day! It's a day for the card making community to unite and celebrate the connection and creativity that is at the very heart of card making! 

So, on this day we not only celebrate the hobby we know and love BUT we also say -- join us in the creative effort! And that's why Power Poppy is ushering in a handful of challenges! I took part in the one that kicked off at 8AM this morning! But, you'll have to click HERE to see the other challenges taking place over on the oh-so-fun Power Poppy blog! 

SO WHAT'S THE CHALLENGE? 

PPWCMD03: CHOOSE HOPE, THINK PINK! 

HOW TO PLAY: During this entire month, we honor our mothers, sisters, aunties, friends, grandmothers, and all women facing breast cancer. Let's spark awareness by Thinking PINK on our cards or creations! As a Pink Ribbon Sponsor for Splitcoaststampers' Hope you Can Cling To Campaign, simply join in on one of the Challenges HERE on SCS this month! Link your creations up there and be sure to share your card creation over on the Power Poppy blog as well! 

For my challenge creation, I picked Holly Brown's Stripped Down Challenge, where you use strips on your card front for a bit of punch! On to my creation!

I do want to share a bit of what influenced my creation. Rececently, I had the priviledge of meeting a lady who fits wigs for women undergoing chemo for breast cancer. She is a vibrant lady and what struck me about her was the fact that she loves to tell women during this difficult time to live it up when picking a wig -- choose a red wig if you've always wanted to be a red head or why not give a short and sassy cut a try? Basically, she tells women to live with excitement even in the midst of treatment! I loved how she sees cancer as a "life sentence" -- a time to fight with all you've got to live. So, for my card, I wanted to be bold, daring and tell someone else to live with excitement -- and to Breathe in & Breathe out in the process. I chose spunky and bold prints with sass, just like my wig-fitting friend Susan.

You can see above that I stamped two 1" strips with Power Poppy's Azalea stamp set. One time using Memento Espresso Truffle and the other time using Memento Rosebud ink. I then took some Copic Markers to accent the images -- I used C00, C01, R81, R83, RV00 and then I used YR0000 to shade around both stamped strips. The paper is from Echo Park's Love Story paper pack. The sentiment is from the Good Thinking: Renewal stamp set. I really thought this sentie was perfect for those facing cancer treatment.

Here's a close up of those fun and spunky strips!

Add a few punched strips and added a bit of bling and that, my friends, is it!

Now, back to the challenge! Click HERE  to play along in the Power Poppy challenge... AND... here's the fun news! If you play along in this challenge, you are "killing two birds with one stone!" You can get in on the challenges over at Splitcoast where there are more than $5000 up for grabs in prizes-- FYI Power Poppy is a prize sponsor! And, after you link up your creation there, link your creation on THIS post as well and double your chances for a prize! Fun stuff, right?

Some of my fellow "Bloomies" joined in on the fun, so be sure to stop by and see what these fine ladies have up their creative sleeves!

Katie Sims
Stacy Morgan


Happy World Cardmaking Day and I'll see you back here soon!

~Julie

Psssst! Did you know?

Grab your scissors, your favorite embellies and decorative paper and get ready to get your craft on! Why? Well, tomorrow is....

Throughout tomorrow, October 4th starting at 8:00 AM EST, the Power Poppy Bloom Brigade will be ushering in some full-tilt fun  with a World Card Making Day Extravaganza! Watch for a brand new Bloom Brigade hosted challenge every few hours! We'll have four in all, which means four ways to win some Power Poppy goodness! Be sure to check back throughout the day to see what's new! And... SQUEAL! We'll have blog candy to give away for each challenge!

LET’S GET READY!

• Check the Power Poppy Blog starting at 8AM for the first challenge
• Play in all four for a chance at a GRAND PRIZE
• Winners of individual challenges will receive their pick of a stamp set or 3 digi downloads in the Power Poppy Shop!
• Enter as many times as you like!
• Use Power Poppy Stamps if you have them but if you don't -- now is your chance to win some!
• Link your creations on the linky tied to the challenge blog post
• Use the keywords mentioned for each challenge if you load your cards to an outside gallery! 
• Mention Power Poppy in YOUR blog post with a link back to the challenge! 
• Deadline to enter will be next Friday at 3PM EST with the winners announced right here on Saturday, October 11th.Winners will be randomly picked!
• GET READY TO HAVE SOME FUN! 

Thanks for stopping by! I'll see you back here tomorrow!

~Julie

Happiest Holiday Blog Hop!

Hi all! It's a fabulous day at Power Poppy! Why? Well, after showcasing the Happiest Holiday Collection all week, today is the day when YOU can order and get your hands on these beauties!!!

Oh my! When you see this collection all together, it's rather stunning, wouldn't you say? You can see all of these sets HERE in the Power Poppy Shop

As a way to celebrate this release, the Bloom Brigade is ushering in a holiday card making parade! It's a time when we reached for our favorite images, created with them and joined together to share them all with YOU! 

On to my creation!

    

For my card, I knew I wanted to use that darling little gingerbread house in the new Frosted Gingerbread set! Oh my, isn't it sweet? I started by stamping my image in Memento Espresso Truffle and then I colored it up with Copic Markers using E31, E55, R27, R21, Y01, Y06, YG17, YG13, YG11, BG0000 and G28. After I was done coloring, I did add a bit of razzle dazzle with the help of some glitter glue!

See?

I should mention that the paper is a mix of Bazzill and C'oredinations. I used a snippet of May Arts ribbon and a few Spellbinders dies -- Classic Circles LG and Beaded Circles. The embossed scalloped edge is from Stampin' Up and the top is a Swiss Dot Embossing Folder from Cuttlebug. Add a splash of rhinestones and some Antique Linen Distress ink and... voila! Done!

Want to see what the Bloomies (a.k.a. the Bloom Brigade) whipped up with this oh-so-fabulous release? Well, 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

Power Poppy Blog! 

And then..... you can visit the Power Poppy Shop HERE to see these beauties for yourself! This is a release that you won't want to miss out on because it's got classic, sweet, elegant and whimsical images all rolled into one very special collection! Thanks for joining us this week -- hope you had fun seeing all the fun new Power Poppy offerings! :-)

~Julie

Power Poppy Sneaks: Poinsettia!

Hello all and welcome to the final day of the Power Poppy Sneaks showcasing the Happiest Holidays Collection! Don't you just love these images so far? Well, just like I promised, today's set is as pretty as it is classic. It's a set that I just KNOW I will be reaching for time and time again to deliver some Christmas cheer!

Ahhh..... doesn't this Poinsettia image just beg to be colored? Can't you just smell the pine needles and feel the soft and silky Poinsettia petals? I just love the beautiful imagery in this set and I know you will too! 

In addition to that stunning image in the graphic above, you'll find this elegant stocking adorned with a poinsettia, a splash of ribbon and stuffed with goodies. I just love the sweet feeling captured in this image! Don't you??

I started by stamping my image in Memento Espresso Truffle and then colored it up with Copic Markers (R81, R83, R85, G40, G43, G46, G20, Y21, YR0000, and E81). After coloring it up, I cut out my image and the rest is just matting it all up! My papers are a mix of Theresa Collins' Santa's List, Stampin' Up and a bit from my paper scrap bin. I stamped the sentiment on a strip that I notched the end off for a pennant effect. I used a couple Spellbinders dies -- Layered Poinsettia and the die cut behind my image is Fancy Lattice.  I added a bit of bling and some paper piercing and... ta da! Done!

Here's a close up! 

And that, my friends, is it! I can guarantee that if you hop around and see what the rest of the Bloom Brigade whipped up with this set, you  won't regret it! So... what are you waiting for? ;-)

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

The Power Poppy Blog >>>> Get Marcy's take on these fabulous new sets!

Well folks, the fun continues tomorrow when the entire Bloom Brigade gathers back for one heck of a card making parade! We'll all share one of our favorite images AND guess what? These gorgeous sets will ALL be available for sale in the Power Poppy Shop! Too much fun to miss..... so I'll see you back here tomorrow!

~Julie

Power Poppy Day 3: Frosted Gingerbread!

Hi folks and welcome to day 3 of the oh-so-fabulous Power Poppy Happiest Holiday Collection Release! I cannot wait to show you a sneaky peek of today's set! It's so sweet, you could get a cavity stamping with it! :-)

Say hello to Frosted Gingerbread! I just love the spicy smell of gingerbread fresh from the oven. And the thought of spending an afternoon with the kiddos decking it out -- what's better than that? Well, this set is darn close! ;-) It comes not only with this darling little house (as shown above), but a sugary sweet border that makes a wonderful centerpiece on a card as well! Want to see?

I stamped this darling border with Memento Espresso Truffle ink and then colored it up with a mix of Copic Markers. I used YG11, YG13, YG17, E31, E23, E25, R21, R27, R81, R83, R85, Y35, YG00, YG03, and YG06. I took YR0000 and highlighted around the images to give it a warm glow.The word "Sweet" was colored thanks to a red Copic glitter pen. In real life, it really sparkles!

Here's a close up! 

I added some paper piercing, a cute little ruffled trim gingham border and a few die cut hearts with a little bling! The paper is a mix of Stampin' Up and a bit from my decorative paper stash. And that, my friends is it! Want to see the fabulous ways the Bloom Brigade used this set? Just hop on over and see.......

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber >>> you are here!
Katie Sims
Leslie Miller
Tosha Leyendekker
Power Poppy Blog -- get Marcella's take on these fun new sets!

Keep in mind, all of these sets that we are showing off this week will be available OCTOBER 1st in the Power Poppy Shop!  What fun! 

You'll have to swing back tomorrow to see an absolutely gorgeous set that is just as beautiful as it is classic! We know it will be a Christmas favorite for years to come! See you back here then!

~Julie

Hello Friends!

Hi all and happy Monday! Ready for a little Pagemaps Monday creative spark? I'm ready to share!! This card one actually one that I made a couple months ago and never blogged! Shame on me! So, let's get this show on the road, shall we?

This sketch was from the July Cardmaps & here it is!!!!

And, here's my card!

This shows that darling little pocket that is a part of the sketch! I actually had a kraft colored envelope and using Memento Toffee Crunch, I stamped the poppies from the Penny Black set called Friendship Flowers. The paper is a mix of Bo Bunny and Stamping up. I added some paper piercing, some fun buttons, a bit of May Arts lace and twice. That's it for the outside. Wanna see the inside of the tag?

I stamped the poppies using Memento Espresso Truffle and then colored them up using Copic markers. I picked up R20, R24, R27, G40, YR0000, and YR01. Just that simple!  And that, my friends, is it! If you are ever in need of something to spark you mojo -- check out PageMaps! If you just click HERE, you'll find dozens upon dozens of sketches to give you a shot of creative inspiration! 

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a wonderful start to the week! See you back here soon!

~Julie

Joyful Arrangements -- Power Poppy Sneaky Peek!

Hi all! It's a fun day here on my blog because today I am joining in on the Happiest of Holidays Power Poppy release! That's right.... it's Power Poppy's FIRST release of holiday images and I know you are going to love them! The set the Bloom Brigade is sneaking today puts a new spin on holiday sentiments!

Joyful Arrangements is just what the description above says -- four whimsical sentiments that are PERFECT for quick and easy holiday cards! Just to show how quick, I decided to keep my card on the simple side. Want a peek?

I stamped the Joy to the World sentiment in Memento Espresso Truffle and then colored it up with a splash of Copic Markers - G40, G43, R21, R27, Y26, Y28, Y21, and YR0000. After I was done coloring, I did take a Red Copic Spica glitter pen and added some berries to the word Joy with some little dots! They DO sparkle in real life! ;-)

From there, I have some BasicGrey and Bazill decorative papers, May Arts trim and ribbon, a Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Square die cut and, on my bow, a trio of mini jingle bells! Fun stuff, right?

And that, my friends, is it! Thank you so much for stopping by my "place!" Be sure to hop on over and see these fine ladies below and the creative artisty they used with this set!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Danielle Kennedy
Julie Koerber >>> you are here!
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Power Poppy Blog >>> Marcy's got a peek here on what inspired this fabulous release!


Be sure to come back tomorrow when the Bloom Brigade unveils a sugary sweet set that is SURE to make you smile! ;-) See you then!

~Julie

A little sketch to kick off your week!

Hi all and happy Monday! I took a bit of a hiatus from Pagemaps Monday this summer... but now I'm back and I realized there were a couple cards that I made.... and hadn't shared! What's up with that? I guess no time like the present, right?

So, this sketch was from the July Cardmaps & here it is!!!!

And... here's my take! I stamped the flower bucket from the Penny Black set called Friendship Flowers using Memento Espresso Truffle ink. And then? I picked up my Copic markers and went to town! I used V01, V04, V06, Y01, Y04, BG01, BG03, BG05, and G20. The sentiment (also from the set) was stamped on a Spellbinders tag die and then sponged with a little Broken China Distress ink. The ribbon is Hug Snug. The enamel dot is from Stampin' Up and the paper is just a mix from my scrap bin. 

Here's a look!

And here's a close up! You can see I  cut out the bucket and then added a little bit of razzle dazzle with the help of some glittle glue on the centers of the flowers!

And that, my friends, is it! If you are ever in need of something to spark you mojo -- check out PageMaps! If you just click HERE, you'll find a plethora (that's a big word for a Monday!) of sketches to give you a shot of creative inspiration! 

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a wonderful start to the week! See you back here soon!

~Julie

Well hello there!

Howdy ho there stamping friends! Hope your week was wonderful! Mine FLEW by and I honestly can't believe I am typing this prepping for a Friday. What? Huh? Really? The good news is, even though this week went by at lightning speed, I did get some crafty time in my stamp room which always makes my heart smile!

On to my creation!

For this card, I simply picked an image that I had really wanted to color up -- Power Poppy's buttercup image from Marcella's Mixtape Vol. 1 --- and then I went searching on my Get Sketchy Pinterest Board for a sketch to try! I ended up choosing this one HERE! With that done, the rest is really just stamping my image, coloring, and matting! I used Memento Espresso Truffle and then colored up my image with Copic Markers using YG21, YG000, YG25, Y21, Y35, BG0000, C01, and C00. I used a mix of Echo Park and BasicGrey papers, added some paper piercing, a bit of ribbon and, of course, some glitter glue! Just that simple! The sentiment is from the Good Thinking: Renewal set and was stamped using Memento Teal Zeal!

Here's a close up!

And that, my friends, is it!

Play along and your Power Poppy Creations might just be recognized on the Power Poppy blog and on their Pinterest Customer Favorites board! 

HERE’S HOW TO PLAY: Create and share a new Power Poppy card or creation! Just that simple! It can be anything — a card, an altered item, a 3D creation, a set of cards, ANYTHING! We love to see what you’re making. Just click HERE to find out how you can link up your creations!

Before I go, the Bloom Brigade has a bit of eye candy to share with all of YOU! So, hop on over and see.....

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber >>>> you are here!
Kathy Jones
Leslie Miller

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have fun-filled plans for your weekend ahead! Mine will be FULL of sports -- football for my son, fastpitch softball try-outs for my daughter along with basketball practice. Go team!!! I really wouldn't have it any other way though. Enjoy and I'll see you back here soon!

~Julie

Dose of Friday Fun!

Hello all and happy Friday! Gosh, what a fast week this was - so glad the weekend is here! I have a little Power Poppy goodness to share, so let's get on with the show!

I have to say, posting this card I feel a bit like a pheonix rising from the ashes. Don't laugh. I am sure you've all been there at one point or another! ;-) So, you stamp the card, and then that mysterious ink that was on your finger decides to make it's appearance on your card. And then, when you are adding your little doo-dads and decided to use glue but the glue is stopped up, so you squeeze harder (you think you're doing this away from your card) and it explodes leaving splatter all over your card front? Yup, that happened too. Long story short, this creation is a survivor! ;-) 

I stamped Power Poppy's Azalea using Memento Espresso Truffle and colored it up with Copics using R01, R21, RV21, RV23, BG0000, G20, G21, G24. When I was done coloring, I did add a little glow around my image with some pink chalk and a bit of razzle dazzle with some glitter glue. My decorative paper was all from my scrap stash. I literally just dug in and grabbed bits and pieces to come up with this combo.  I should mention, the sentiment is from the new Sunny Harvest set! I added some Teresa Collins enamel dots and a few sequins and... ta da! Fini! 

Want to see what some of my ever-so-talented stampin' sisters from the Bloom Brigade have been up to? Hop on over and see.....

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

One quick note, if you have Power Poppy stamps and create this next week, don't forget to link up your creation HERE and let the team see what you've got! You could win a free stamp set and be honored with a Power Poppy Peep of the Week title! :-) Thanks for popping by my place! Have a fabulous weekend and I'll see you back here soon!

~Julie