Power Poppy Sneaks Day 1: Orchids Rock!

Hello all and welcome to an exciting week here on the 'ole blog! Today is just day one of five in all where I get to join my fellow members of the Bloom Brigade to show off the latest offerings from Power Poppy! 

This first set is nothing short of elegant! Feast your eyes on this....

Imagine a beautiful Cymbibium and a breathtaking Lady Slipper Orchid just ripe for coloring! That's what Marcella has masterfully crafted with this set called Orchids Rock! Did you know orchids symbolize beauty and strength? It's also why you'll find an array of sentiments designed to share just that kind of vibe. 

On to my creation!

I started by coloring up this beauty with Copic Markers on Cougar Opaque White paper. I used R81, R83, R95, RV00, G24, G21, G20, YG00, YG03, BG0000, E33, and E31. After I was done coloring, I cut out my image (cutting out the branches at the top and making sure that they sat above the die so they wouldn't be cut). While the die was still on, I sponged on some Ranger Distress Ink in Spun Sugar. The embossed white base is an embossing folder from Stampin' Up and the teal decorative paper is Carta Bella Yesterday. Add a little Hug Snug ribbon (Pink Aster) and a bit of bling and.. ta da! Done!  I will say that the sentiment is one that is a part of a set that will be released later this week -- so stay tuned! 

Here's a close up of those fantastically illustrated orchids! Marcella has once again outdone herself if you ask me! 

And that, my friends, is it! I've seen some of the beautiful things that the Bloom Brigade created with this set and I mean to tell you, my jaw dropped! See for yourself! Hop on my and see these fine designers!

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

Be sure to stop back tomorrow! The set we'll be sneaky peeking is one that's full of inspiration for love notes gallore! I know I don't use the word "darling" a lot but man, this set is just that! See you then! 

~Julie

Welcome La Vie En Rose!

Are you ready for something NEW & EXCITING? How about a beautiful image from Power Poppy that can be bought, downloaded and colored up with wreckless abandon --- in an instant? Introducing a new line of digital stamps affectionately called The Instant Garden Collection! And, here's the newest addition!

La Vie en Rose is a beautiful rose with an oh-so-sweet little love note tucked underneath. There are two ways to buy this image -- one with a couple of cute sentiments already stuck inside the note and one that is more of a DIY (blank tag that you can drag and drop sentiments into or stamp inside)! So, click on the link and see for yourself! In addition to this fabby image, did you see the news about the brand new digital team a.k.a. the Instant Gardeners that will be helping us show off these digital sets each month? You can click  HERE to learn more! And, mark your calendar too! The 15th of each month, we'll be adding a new plant to our Instant Garden! Woo Hoo!

On to my creation! When I first saw this image, I decided I wanted to make my card look a little more edgy. I wanted it to have the feel that I just dug in the junk drawer, grabbed a Post-It,  and some crumpled up scrap paper to scribble out a little love note. That's kind of how it's done in my world! ;-) Well, what do you think?

I started by printing off my image not once, but twice. You can't really tell, but there are portions of my image that are layered over the base image. I colored it up using Copic markers and I used R81, R83, R85, E40, E42, E0000,W00, W01, G20, G21 and G24.The decorative paper is Carta Bella Words of Love. 

On the base image, I stamped a few different background stamps using Distress Antique Linen Ink and then, afterward I sponged and used a ripped notebook paper die cut to serve as an edge. Add a little twine, a brad and a few staples and... ta da!

Here's a close up! 

And that, my friends, is it! If you want a little eye candy from the Bloom Brigade showcasing what they created with this beautiful digi, click on this fabulous link list and pay them a visit!

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

And don't forget to visit this link HERE to see our new digi design team and all the fun creations they whipped up as well! Thanks so much for stopping by! See you back here soon!

~Julie

Thinking of You!

Hello all and happy Friday! Hope your week is ending on a high note! Last Friday, I shared a little sketch from the latest crop of Cardmaps sketches over at pagemaps.com and today, I am bringing you another! So, let's get to it, shall we?

Here's a peek at my card.....

And, here's a peek at the sketch I used!

I started with digital stamp from Power Poppy called Camellias. Isn't it a lovely image? I sure think so! I printed on white Cougar Opaque card stock and then colored it all up with Copic markers! I used RV0000, R81, R83, G20, YG61, YG63, Y21, Y35 and BG0000. 

The rest is just matting it all up! The paper is from My Mind's Eye. I used a Classic LG Circle die from Spellbinders and while the die was still on, I added a splash of paper piercing around the inside edge of the die. I also added some glitter glue Add some Stampin' Up buttons threaded with twine and... ta da!!!

And that, my friends, is it! I have to say that I love using sketches, I grab some fun coordinating decorative papers and let the paper fly as they say! I have found that putting together my card without my stamped image is actually so much easier than stamping, coloring and trying to match up the papers afterward. For so long, that's how I did it! Leave it me to make things harder than they ought to be! ;-)

Want to see some more Power Poppy goodness? Well, the Power Poppy Bloom Brigade is at it again -- sharing their talent and creativity in the blogosphere! So, be sure to stop on by and say "hi" to these lovely ladies!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderfully creative weekend ahead and I'll see you back here soon! In fact, mark your calendars! On the 15th of January (next Thursday) we will have a brand new release from Power Poppy that's ALL DIGITAL. In fact, on the 15th of EACH month, the Bloom Brigade will be showing off new images in its Instant Garden (all digital blooms and plants!). We'll also have some fabulous designers joining us for the big reveal! So, come on back now, y'hear? :-)

~Julie

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Hello all and HAPPY NEW YEAR! And, on this first post of mine for 2015, do I have a treat for YOU! There's a whole new crop of sketches over at Pagemaps.com's CardMaps! So, if you need a little help with your mojo, or just want to try a new layout, head on over HERE and see all the cardmaking fun you could have! 

The fun thing about these latest sketches is the fact Power Poppy's Bloom Brigade took the sketches and put their creative spin on them! Want to see my creation?

Above is my card and below is the Cardmaps Sketch! 

Instead of hearts, I simply used one of Power Poppy's Digital stamps called Winter Pick Me Up in the lower right corner. I printed it directly on decorative paper and then added a splash of color thanks to Copic Markers. I used YG03, G20, YG13, E23, B02, B00, BG0000. Once I was done coloring, I did add a bit of razzle dazzle thanks to some glitter glue! I also used BG0000 around my image to highlight it and then blended with a colorless blender. 

See?

The papers I used were a mix of My Mind's Eye, Bo Bunny and Bazzill. The ribbon is May Arts and the die is one of the Fancy Tag dies from Spellbinders! While the die was still on my paper, I did sponge some Adirondack Willow ink around the die. Add a few Prima sparkly gems and start matting it all up!

The sentiment is from the Sassy Succulents Power Poppy stamp set. It just fit perfectly in the center of my die cut ribbon slide. Don't you think?

And that, my friends, is it! Like I said, the Bloom Brigade took this latest round of sketches for a test drive. Again, you can find the sketches HERE. And, after you've taken a gander at the sketches, roll on over to these talented ladies below to see their spin on these different layouts!

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


Thanks so much for stopping by! I'll see you back here soon!

~Julie

a holiday full of thanks!

Hello all! Goodness, it's been two weeks since I've posted here on my little ole place in the blogosphere! I got caught up with Christmas spirit and literally spent the last two weeks trying to round up some holiday cheer with shopping and baking and decking the halls! It's been nice to just be with family and enjoy all that this time of year has to offer.I hope you are enjoying the season as well!

Today, I thought I'd share a card I whipped up last night. I have to have some holiday "thank yous" on hand and so this will be the first of many to come! ;-)

On to my creation!

I have to say that I was in a bit of a food coma from eating toooooooo much on Christmas day, so when I set out to color up this grouping of Lenten Rose from the Power Poppy stamp set Heaven and Nature Sing, I needed a "blue print" for my card a.k.a. a sketch! I started this this little Sweet Sunday Sketch from Karen Giron. This sketch is a few weeks old (from November 30th) but I loved it, so I decided to use it as my inspiration! 

To start, I stamped my image using Memento Tuxedo Black and then grabbed some Distress Markers and used these ones to color up my flowers, leaved and berries!

And, here's a close up! 

For my card, I sponged on some Antique Linen Distress Ink, added some paper piercing and bling. You can see too that with my coloring, I really just scribbled on the color. I took an acrylic block, scribbled the marker on the surface and then picked the color up with a Dove Blender pen, again, scribbling on the color. I like the uneven and unpredictable look. ;-) The paper is a mix of Teresa Collins and Echo Park papers that I had in my scrap bin. The "Thanks" stamp is actually from Power Poppy's Play Ball set!

And that, my friends, is it! Some of my fellow Bloom Brigade members whipped up some craftiness thi week too! You'll have to stop on by and say "hi!"

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Julie Koerber >>>> you are here!
Katie Sims


Thanks for spending a part of your day with me! Hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead and I'll see you back here soon!

~Julie

Sh-Sh-Sh-Shake It Up!

Hi all and happy Friday! I'm here with another dose of Power Poppy snappy happiness! How's that to describe a bit of cardmaking? ;-) Actually, the card that I am going to share today is one that I have had in my head for AWHILE! 

I envisioned this pretty church scene (from the O Holy Night stamp set) bathed in red! And, I had also seen some very cool creations using this stamp set and making it a shaker card. I immediately said, "Ooooo, I wanna try that!" So, my dear friends, here's my creation!

I stamped the church image using Love Letter Memento Ink, cut it out using a circle die from Spellbinders and then, I used one of the Shake It Pouches from Impression Obsession. These little numbers not only make shaker cards easy but they have adhesive on the back of them to make assembly a breeze! Before I attached it over my stamped image, I did add glitter, sequins, and snowflake confetti. See? (I have to mention my stamp room is so dry I had an issue with static. I am hoping that the glitter stuck on my shaker eventually falls off!)

The rest is just matting it up! I used (for the most part) decorative paper from the Candy Cane Lane collection from Teresa Collins. I added some rhinestone swirls, some May Arts Ribbon, a Queen and Co. bit of bling and a little tag featuring the word "Peace" from the Merry Littles stamp set from Power Poppy! Even though it looks like there's a lot going on with this card, it was really quite fast and easy! One more Christmas card done! Now they just need to sign and address themselves so I can get them in the mail! ;-)

Need a little more inspiration to get your wheels spilling for weekend creating? Never fear, the Bloom Brigade is here! Stop on by and say "hello" to these lovely ladies!

Allison Cope
Cindy Lawrence
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber >>> you are here!
Leslie Miller
Tosha Leyendekker

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have some fun things planned for the weekend! I am going to go watch my daughter play basketball and HOPEFULLY get some Christmas shopping done. To date, I have one present, YES ONE purchased for the big day. Need to get moving, shopping and baking before the big day arrives! ;-)

~Julie

Celebrate the Season!

Hello all! Hope your week is ending on a high note! I have to tell you, I am looking forward to a little down time this weekend! ;-)

Being that it's Friday, that means the Bloom Brigade is here to share a little Power Poppy goodness! Even though Power Poppy just released some AMAZING digi stamps HERE, I decided I really need to keep going on my Christmas cards! So, here's my card!

I picked up the Bough Wow Wow stamp set for this one! The beauty of this card is the fact that the image is one I actually colored up a few weeks back during some coffee talk with my mom. I stamped using Espresso Truffle Memento ink and then, grabbed a WHOLE BUNCH of Copic markers! Here are the colors I used: B00, B02, B04, YG28, YG26, YG21, G20, G43, G40, G46, R20, R24, R27, V01, V04, V06, Y21, Y35, Y38, YR0000, E42 and BG0000. 

My image was cut out with Majestic Labels Twenty Five and the rest.... is just matting it all up! I actually found my card base in a package on clearance at Michaels -- I loved the mod design and the fact that the pack came with five different colors! I added a strip of decorative red, a strip of gold bling, some May Arts ribbon, gold cording and then a Stampin' Up button! I needed (of course) a little extra razz-a-mat-azz, so I added some glitter glue (Stickles Diamond), on to the berries. See?

And that, my friend, is it! A colorful card ushering in Christmas well wishes! I'm not the only "Bloomer" sharing the fabulous illustrations from Power Poppy, check out these ladies creations too!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Julie Koerber >>> you are here!
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan

Thanks so much for stopping by this Friday! I'll see you back here soon!

~Julie

It's a Winter Blitz Power Poppy Hop!

Are you ready for an all out Power Poppy Hop? Well, I am! The past two days, the Bloom Brigade has been showing off Marcella Hawley's latest illustrations and the fun thing about this release? It's all digital-- meaning you can order, print, color and ENJOY immediately! 

And here's a peek at the florals you can cherish.... right now!

Camellias and Winter Pick-Me-Up are both digi images that come with beautifully scripted sentiments to help you in your card making all year long! 

So to honor this oh-so-special hop, the Bloom Brigade is joining forces to show off another take on this mini digi release! And the fun news? If you comment on all of the designers' blogs today, you'll be in the running to WIN this entire digi release! FUN!

On to my creation!

Doesn't this little bouquet of winter blooms just make you SWOON? It sure made me and I have to say, I could not wait to print this beauty off to color it up! I printed, grabbed my Copic markers and had a blast just trying to bring this floral burst to life. I used these Copic colors: R01, R0000, E23, E25, BV01, BV0000, B61, B63, B66, V01, YG21, YG23, G20, YG0000, YG01, Y35, Y38, Y21, E40, E42. E0000. 

The rest is just matting this all up! I kept my layout rather simple. I used Spellbinders Labels Fourteen for my main image and while my die was still on the stamped image, I took a sponge dauber and sponged on some Cool Peri Ranger Adirondack Ink. I also added (while you can't really see it) some glitter glue to the base of each pussy willow for a little splash of fun. The sentiment was punched out with a Stampin' Up punch and accented with some tiny gold embellishments. Add a kraft doily, some May Arts lace and gold cording and... ta da! Done!

What did the rest of the Bloom Brigade whip up for this Winter Blitz Power Poppy Hop? Well, you'll have to see for yourself! I know you won't be disappointed! And remember, every comment you make on their blogs is one more chance to win this digi release!

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

Thanks so much for stopping by! I'll be back with more.... SOON!

~Julie

A beautiful breath of Winter!

Hello all! I have something extra special today -- brand new designs from Power Poppy. This one is a break from the holiday to celebrate the Winter Blitz Collection, a beautiful array of later winter blooms. They are without a doubt -- breathtaking! And guess what? These designs are all digital, meaning that you can click, buy, print and COLOR all in a matter of minutes!

If you missed yesterday's release, just click HERE to see the digital stamp called Winter Pick-Me-Up. It's a stunner!

On to today's release! Take a gander at these lovelies called Camellias!

This twiggy floral is actually two varieties of the flower intertwined in an extra special way! Again, the beauty of this release is the fact that you can have this image now HERE to color up your own way! ;-) 

On to my creation! When I saw this image, I knew that I wanted to use this image twice as a border on my main panel. So, using Photoshop, I removed the background and then layered the images. I added the sentiment and then.... started to color! 

To color my flowers, I used Distress Markers in Shabby Shudders, Peeled Paint, Tattered Rose, Worn Lipstick, Spun Sugar and Scattered Straw. After I was done coloring, I did add some shading around my image with Copic markers and I used R01, R0000, and E40. I also added some of the shading around the edge of my panel too and then added a bit of goldleaf pen around the edge too. 

There's really not a ton to my layout -- I wanted to make sure that my panel took center stage. so, I matted my main image onto a pink piece of decorative paper and then again on an ivory card stock base. I added a little pennant flag accent with a gold button strung with gold cording. Here's a close up!  

And that, my friends, is it! With this beautiful branch of blossoms, it's a given that the Bloom Brigade will create a feast for the eyes! So, hop on over and see....

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Dina Kowal

Julie Koerber
Katie Sims
Kathy Jones
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker
Marcella -- the Power Poppy Blog

Thanks so much for stopping by! Tomorrow the Bloom Brigade will be back to wrap this release with a good ole fashioned Power Poppy Hop! And, if you hop around and see what we've created for you and comment on our creations, you'll have a chance to win the entire digital release! So, come on back now, y'hear? ;-)

~Julie

Listen up Power Poppy Fans!

A Mini Post for a Mini Card!

Hello all and Happy Friday! Hope you had a fantabulous week and are looking forward to a restfully creative weekend ahead! I have plans to fire up my crock pot, put on Pandora, maybe snuggle up with a movie and.... COLOR! That's one of  my new favorite things-- to grab my Copics, a clipboard and a comfy blanket and cozy up to color while watching something fun. It's so "Winter!" ;-)

One of the Power Poppy things I colored recently is this little doo-dad....

So easy, right? Well, this image is from Power Poppy's Merry Littles stamp set. I happened to find these fun little 3" by 3" cards while exploring Michaels the other day...

How cute are these??? And, with a pricetag of just a $1 -- who can afford to go wrong for 10 mini cards and mini envelopes! They also come in red and white too! I think they are perfect for gift bags or to top off a hostess gift of some sort! 

Now to the card deets --- I stamped in Memento Espresso Truffle and then colored up my image with R20, R24, R27, G20, G40, G43, G46, Y21, Y23, E40 and BG0000. I punched with a 1-1/4" circle punch and then matted it on one of Spellbinders Blossom dies. I can't find the die on Spellbinders' store, so it might be retired? After I matted it up, I added some pennant style flags in coordinating decorative paper. Add some bling, some glitter paper and.. ta da... DONE!

Here's one last peek! You can see I decked out the envelope using the little bow from the Merry Littles set too! 

Need some more Friday inspiration? Well, the Bloom Brigade is full of it! You'll have to hop on over to their places on the web, take a gander and tell them "hi!" :-)

Allison Cope
Julie Koerber >>>> you are here!
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan

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

~Julie

Have yourself a 'Merry Littles' Christmas!

Hi all and happiest of Fridays to you! I've got some Power Poppy goodness to share with you today that's quick... and FUN! I hadn't yet played around with the Merry Littles set that was just released earlier this month by Power Poppy. After looking at the set and all the little pieces and parts (did you know there are 18 stamps in that set????) I thought I would try my hand at making my own wreath!

So, here's a peek at my finished card so you know what I'm sharing!

And here's the super quick and easy way I put this together! I took one of my Spellbinders circle dies and using a pencil, traced the shape onto a 4" by 4" piece of card stock. Using Memento Cottage Ivy ink, I stamped the branch, following the line of the circle. See?

Here's a peek at the stamp set so you can see which stamp I used! I also used that darling little bow!

I stamped the bow in Love Letter Memento Ink and then colored it up with R27, R24 and R32 Copic Markers. I cut the bow out and then popped it up with a little foam tape. After my wreath was "assembled" I stamped the word Merry Christmas from the Poinsettia stamp set and added some red glitter glue to those "berries!" Here's a close up! 

And that, my friend is it! The rest is just matting it up! I used some of the scraps from my decorative paper bin. I also found some red glitter paper to try to bring out the glitter dots that I added to my wreath! Oh, and I erased my pencil lines after my ink was dry! That's it!

You'll have to make the rounds to see what the rest of the Bloom Brigade has in store! I know they always have fabulously creative things to share, just in time for some weekend creating!


Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber
Katie Sims
Leslie Miller
Tosha Leyendekker

Thanks for stopping by and sharing some time with me! See you back here soon!

~Julie

Power Poppy FUN!

Hello all! Just a little note to say that I'm hosting Inspire Me Monday over on the Power Poppy Blog today!!! Want to learn how to create with resistable embossing? What's that you say? Well, you'll just have to hop on over HERE to check it out! :-)

See you back here soon!

~Julie

The BIG DAY is here!

Hello all! The big day is here! After "teasing" you all with beautiful images that we KNOW you want to get your hands on to create and color with, you don't have to wait any longer!

 

There's Bough Wow Wow, O Holy Night, Merry Littles, and Heaven and Nature Sing! Just click the links to see them for yourself in the store!

Well, it's pretty much tradition for the Bloom Brigade to take one of the sets from the week and show it off one more time for our Power Poppy Hop on Release Day! So, here goes!

Yesterday, I was telling you how I was using a new medium and I laughed -- I pretty much used Distress Markers for each card of this fabulous release! I am having a ton of fun playing. For this creation, I knew I wanted to make that little Lenten Rose accent in the set Heaven and Nature Sing -- well, SING! It's just too beautiful to  be an accent or even a background, don't you think?

I stamped using Memento Espresso Truffle and then reached for these markers - Shabby Shudders, Peeled Paint, Worn Lipstick, Barn Door, Forest Moss, Scattered Straw and Wild Honey. I added some spritzing with the Distress Marker Spritzer using Antique Linen and then I used W01, and W03 Copic markers to shade around my image, blending with a Copic blender. I also added some white paint pen dots on the berries. And... that's it for coloring! 

The paper is Teresa Collins Christmas Cottage. Add a half doily, a Labels Twenty Two die cut (embossed and sanded around the edges), some 1/2" satin ribbon some red pearls, a splash of paper piercing,  a little gold ribbon and... ta da! 

Here's a close up!

And that, my friends, is it! You'll have to see what the rest of the Bloom Brigade chose to show off for this oh-so-fun Power Poppy Hop! I guarantee, it will be a fun way to spend a part of your Saturday! ;-)

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


Thanks for stopping by and sharing a little creative fun with me! I'll be back in my stamp room this weekend to have some more fun to share ... real soon! Have a fabulous weekend!

~Julie