Sending Prayers....

Hello all and happy Friday to you! Goodness, where did this week go? I have no idea! I hope you have some fun plans ahead. I have to say, because of the speed of this week, I didn't have a ton of time to create and most of my creative pursuits simply involved coloring. When Power Poppy released a brand new digi last Wednesday -- Rose & Chamomile -- I knew I had to curl up on the couch with some good shows and my Copics nearby to settle in for a color fest!

On to my creation! I decided to color up just the single rose in this digital stamp set. I loved the clean and crisp beauty of it!

 After printing, I grabbed these Copic Markers - RV21, RV23, RV25, R01, RV00, G20, G21, and G24. The outside of my image was shaded in a drop shadow fashion with BV000, BV00 and BV02.

Here's a close up, see?

The rest is simply matting it all up! When I went through some of my decorative paper scraps, I was happy to find this little bit of rose and rose bud adorned decorative piece of paper! I added in a few different shades of solid decorative paper, a sentiment flag featuring the sentiment from this new digi set, some paper piercing and a little fun rhinestone flourish just to bring a bit of bling! I love to have these kinds of cards "on standby" just for those times when you want to send a hug or two across the miles!

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I sent this before the month was over and if I did, it would be perfect for this month's Power & Spark challenge....

This challenge is all about sharing some love for no particular reason -- sending happy or loving thoughts "just because!" You'll have to click HERE to read up on all the official details! You could win a FREE Power Poppy stamp set of choice!

And now, sweet stamping friends, it is time to turn things over to the rest of my Bloomies to see what creative things they whipped up and are sharing today on this Power Poppy Friday! Be sure to head on over and see......

Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Thanks so much for stopping by! I so love your visits and comments! Hope you have a fabulous weekend and I will see you all back here soon!

~Julie

A few of my favorite things!

Hello peeps and happy Friday to you all! Hope the sun is shining in your neck of the woods and that you have some fun weekend plans for the days ahead!

I am going to show a little card I made a bit ago after I dared myself to use up some paper scraps that had been on my craft table. Sometimes, I set aside these scraps for challenges just like this one or, I might like the way certain papers look together and so I set them aside to try to come up with a game plan for them later.

So, on to my creation!

I admit, this card is a little "loud" but also very happy! The image is from the Power Poppy stamp set Short Stacks and it truly showcases some of my favorite things! Reading, coffee and flowers. Who doesn't love those things? I had already colored up this image a LONG time ago. Before it was stamped, I did cut out the image with my Silhouette Cameo. Thankfully, these little scraps of paper went with what I had already colored. It was fate, I tell ya! On some of the strips, you'll see a wee bit of paper piecing. Then, I added a little strip of coordinating pink card stock, some crochet lace and a little button that had been accented with silver cording. 

Here's a little closeup for you! You can't see it in my photo, but I did accent the center of the daisies and the pom pom flowers with a little bit of glitter glue to give it a bit of razzle dazzle....

And that, my friends, is it! Don't forget about Power Poppy's Happy Mail Power & Spark Challenge! All you have to do is make a card and promise to mail it to someone! The only rule is that this be a "just because" kind of card to brighten someone's day. You can read up on the challenge HERE!

Now it's time to turn things over to my sisters in stamping -- The Bloom Brigade! I know you'll love to see the creativity that they have whipped up for you this week! 

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

Thanks for stopping by to spend a snippet of your day with me! I love that! Have a fabulous weekend and I'll see you back here real soon!

~Julie

A Challenge & A SALE!

Hello all and HAPPY WEEKEND AHEAD!  Can I just say that Power Poppy is hopping this weekend? And, YOU could truly get in on a whole bunch of creative fun! You know that we card makers love, love, love to create and share and there is a brand new challenge, hosted by the one and only Cindy "Marathon Mama" Lawrence, that is ALL ABOUT sharing! So, let's hear it for the...

HOW TO PLAY: How many times have you created a card only to have it sit in a basket waiting for that perfect occasion? This time, let’s flip that around and create a card with someone in mind and then, slap a stamp on that baby and put it in the mail! Keep in mind, we want this to be a card “just because.” Sure special occasions are important, but THE HAPPY MAIL CHALLENGE is all about simply sharing the love – not for birthdays or graduations or anniversaries—a “just because you care” kind of card for someone you’ve had on your mind. The challenge runs through June 30th at 8PM EST for a chance at a Power Poppy stamp set of choice. Click the link above to read up on all the official rules!

On to my creation!

This creation came about kind of by accident! I wanted to emboss in white and color and before I knew it, I was sponging Ranger Distress Ink in Spun Sugar all over my die cut base. From there, I added some Inktense Watercolor in shades of pink, green, yellow and brown somewhat sparingly to just give a little oomph! When I was done, I thought the background looked too flat, so I held my breath and then splattered some water on the image to get some watermarks and create the look of texture! I also stipped on some Ranger Distress Ink in Worn Lipstick. You can see those darker dots that was created by the stippling.... See? 

I thought it was a fun effect! And, I think it is one that I will try again! The rest is just matting it up with some decorative paper, some die cut pennant piecces, a couple of sequins and the sentiment from the set, also embossed in white. Ta da! So, now that my card is complete, you might wonder who is getting got this "thinking of you" creation bathed in pink?

If you can see that little bit of name peeking out on the envelope, you can see it landed in the mailbox of my fearless leader -- Marcella herself! Being that we are one giant sisterhood here at Power Poppy, sometimes you just need to send a little sunshine, stuff it in an envelope and wish that you could just skip the card and mail yourself instead! :-)

So, share the love and join us this month in our Happy Mail Power & Spark Challenge! Before I go.....

MORE FUN NEWS!

Power Poppy is hosting a fun-filled weekend over at the Passionate Paper Creations & Friends Facebook Page -- ALL WEEKEND LONG!

Grab your favorite coloring medium and let’s see what you’ve got! Show us your finished colored Power Poppy image. Put your link as a comment in the Power Poppy post on Passionate Paper Creations & Friends' Facebook page and Ms. Marcella will draw one lucky winner to nab a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop. Want to stock up on Power Poppy stamps to play along? Enter discount code MORECOLOR at checkout to get 10% off any clear or digital stamp sets that your little heart desires!

Well, there has been a lot of blossoming going on in the stamp rooms of some of our favorite card designers. Stop by, say "hi" and as I love to say, prepare to be amazed at the creative talents of our Bloomies!

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


If all of this wasn't enough, I should tell you that Power Poppy is back on with it's "Digis on the 5s" digital stamp set releases! Sunday, Marcella will release a trio of digital stamp sets that are PERFECT for the dudes in your life. These outdoorsy images come just in time to wish those men in your life a very Happy Father's Day! So, be sure to swing by and see what our Power Poppy Peep in Chief Marcella has up her insanely talented sleeve!

~Julie

I'm a Copy Cat!

Hello all and Happy Friday! I hope you have some nice, relaxing plans for the next few days! While the Memorial Day weekend always brings that somber reminder of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, I do enjoy having my family close while we take time away from the rush of daily life. And, that's why we'll be at the softball field all weekend, watching my D.D. play! I'm hoping for some sunshine!

Not too long ago, I was watching Jennifer McGuire's Youtube channel HERE where she was showcasing how to make a vellum overlay card. I absolutely LOVED the result and so I went on to CASE (copy and steal everything) this one. She used a solid layering stamp but I wanted to showcase one of my colored Power Poppy Images -- this one is from the Simply Camellias stamp set!

So, here's a peek at the finished card front....

The front is done by stamping the main image with Versamark ink and then dusting it with white ultrafine detail embossing powder and then heat setting it. I am always so careful when using vellum and making sure not to keep my heat tool in one spot for too long. The paper tends to buckle and warp when you let the heat stay in one spot. After the image was embossed, I did stamp the image again on a strip of white paper. From there, I had to make sure to trim my image so that I could mount it perfectly underneath the vellum to show the colored portion. I colored with Copics and used RV00, RV0000, R81, R83, R85, G20, G21, G24, and G28 and then highlighted around my flower with BG000, BG0000, and BG11. See? 

After I was done coloring, I matted my image onto a folded piece of bright pink paper so that there was 1/4" around all sides. From there, I matted the image on the inside of my vellum shell, again, making sure to line up my image perfectly underneath the white embossed lines. 

Here's a peek at the embossed portion. I also added a bit of clear Wink of Stella Clear Glitter from their brush tip pen. You can't really see the sparkle -- but trust me -- it's there! I also added some fun crystal sequins and the sentiment Take Good Care, also from this stamp set. 

And that, my friends, is it! I know this was a CASE but goodness, sometimes it is just too much fun to watch a pro and take her tips for a spin. I love trying new things and now I wonder how many more videos I'll take in in the days and weeks to come. Forget Netflix, I might end up binge watching some of Jennifer's work! ;-)

Speaking of talented ladies, the Bloomies are here to share a bit of what they've been working on this week! You'll have to stop by and pay them a visit! I know I will! 

Allison Cope

Cindy Lawrence

Christine Okken

Julie Koerber

Thanks for stopping by and spending a little bit of your day with me! :-) I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I will see you all back here real soon! 

~Julie

Peony Love!

Hello everyone! With another Friday, it's another time for a little Power Poppy show & tell! I am actually showing off a card that I could actually have entered in the brand new Power & Spark Challenge!

Katie is the hostess this month and she wants you to pull out your favorite Power Poppy blooms and make them the centerpiece of your card or creation. If you haven't checked out this challenge, just click on over HERE to see what it's all about and find out how YOU can be in the running for a free Power Poppy stamp set of choice!

On to my creation! I am showing you this little number late because I didn't want my mama to see it before I got a chance to GIVE it to her! ;-)

I am not sure if you saw the brand new digital stamp set that Power Poppy released last week but it's a beauty! Peony Love is a lush peony laden wreath that is just begging to be colored and savored! The set comes with a few sentiments but I modified one of them for the front of my card. I wanted something simple -- To You Mom -- so the the real message could be on the inside.  After printing off the wreath I colored with almost EVERY pink and rose shade of Copic in my stash. I would list them all but, trust me, 30 markers later your head would be spinning! ;-)

Here's a close up! You can see that I did add a little razzle dazzle with the help of some glitter glue! 

And here's a look at the inside. I added the sentiment, plus enlarged and changed the color of the accent flower in this set! If you haven't played around with changing colors and the size of images, I have to say, it really makes these little numbers so versatile! I also added the Happy Mother's Day portion of the sentiment too. See what I mean about being versatile?

And just like the setiment shares -- You make life so very lovely -- that's exactly what my fellow bloomies do, week in and week out! They have some visual treats for you to see over at their places on the blogosphere! So, check 'em out, will ya?

Christine Okken

Julie Koerber >>> you are here! 

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

And that, my friends, is it for this week! We do have a bit of fun coming up in the next few days! Sunday will bring another new addition to the Power Poppy Instant Garden. This brand new illustration from our Peep-in-Chief Marcella is one that offers a little somethin' somethin' for those card makers with grads on their list! So be sure to stop by the Power Poppy blog and see this beauty for yourself!

~Julie

What's your favorite floral?

Hello happy stampers and T.G.I.F wishes to you all! I have a big 'ole dose of fun for you today. Why, you ask? For starters, there is a brand spanking new Power & Spark challenge hosted by the talented Katie Sims, just for you to try. Check it out!

HOW TO PLAY: If April showers bring May flowers, what kind of blossoms does this month of beauty deliver for you? To play along in this challenge, simply reach for your favorite Power Poppy stamp floral and make it the centerpiece of your design. You can check out all of the official details HERE and you have until the end of the month to play along! So get those fingers inky and join us for a little bit fun!

On to my creation....

I have to say that when I saw Katie's card, I chuckled because I picked the same exact stamp set for my all time favorite Power Poppy floral!

This Azalea branch masterfully illustrated by Marcella just exudes beauty. When I created this card, I actually did a remix of THIS card that I created way back when this set was first released. I had a ton of fun with this spotlight technique back then, so I opted to try it again only from a different angle by flipping it to a vertical orientation.

I stamped the large branch both on my decorative paper and then on a scrap of white. I took a 1-1/4 circle punch and chose the area that I wanted to take center stage. From there, I grabbed my Copic markers and had fun trying to bring this Itty bitty part of the flower to life!

Here's a little close up for you.....

The rest is adding a sentiment (printed from the Olive & Oak digital stamp set) and adding a little color and pizazz with a splash of decorative paper. And that, my friends, is it!

The rest of these fine Bloomies are on standby hoping you will pay them a visit to check out their creative pursuits for the week!

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

Hope you have a wonderful weekend & I will see you back here next week- same time, same place!

~Julie

Created to Create!

Hello all! Just a quickie quick post today to share a little something I colored up earlier in the week. Sadly, my entire family is under the weather so energy is at an all time low! :-(

When I saw this new digital stamp Marcella whipped up called Created tp Create, I could not help but want to print it up and color away. It was one of those that I printed and literally worked on all night while watching TV. I would ponder it, color, wait a bit, color some more, get caught up in a show, color a little, grab a snack, and yes, finish coloring! I love when I can just take my time and enjoy every bit of the creative process.

I used far too many markers to mention-- choosing sunny yellows, earthy shades for shadows and then my full color of the rainbow for the little watercolor palette. The shading was done with V0000 and V01. The sketchbook page was given a little bit of depth with the E81 marker in multiple layers. I should mention that I stamped the sentiment in the middle of the blank canvas and that sentiment is from the Power Poppy set Folk Heart. Loved how it seemed to fit perfectly!

Here's a little close up for you!

And then, the sparkle, of course, was added with different size sequins. I added some paper piercing and then some splotchy effects to my card base thanks to a paint splotch background stamp. I am not good enough to add those watercolor drops on my own! ;-)

And that, my friends, is it! I know some of my fellow Bloomies have some creative pursuits to share, so hop on over and see.....

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber

Kathy Jones

And, I will be back again real soon with some more fun stuff to share. One reminder, I do have quite a few goodies FOR SALE HERE! I am trying to pare down my craft room and make it a little less jam packed! So, my spring cleaning effort just might be your GAIN so be sure to check it out! ;-)

~Julie

Colorful & Creative

Is your weekend about to blast off? Well, I sure hope the answer is YES and that you have some fun planned to make life joyful! To start this blog post, I have a confession to make -- yes. I. DO! Well, some of you might remember THIS little post, where I colored up a card and promised to share the results. Well, guess what? I never did! What? I know! I never did!

So, lucky for me, I remembered to finally do that! And, TA DA!

For this creation, I grabbed not my Copic Markers but my Distress Markers. I figured they had been ignored enough and needed to come out of the drawer! I used these colors....

And, the background was created at the same time I made THIS card, which I used Christine Okken's tutorial HERE over on the Power Poppy Blog on how to bring dimension to your cards using embossing paste. I had never used this stuff and so, I was wowed! I will admit, I am not a messy stamper, so this took me a little bit out of my comfort zone, only in a good way! ;-) Here's a close up of the dimension......

And then, a close up of my colored area!

The rest is pretty self explanatory, add a strip of decorative paper, a little twine accented button and... voila! Done!

Before I go, did you know we are almost nearing the end to this fun-filled challenge?

It's Christine Okken's You Pick 3 challenge! Just pick three markers -- ANY KIND of markers -- and use them to color up your card's main image! You can click HERE for more on the official details and linky for your finished creation. Winner gets her pick of a Power Poppy stamp set! :-) So, join in the fun and good luck to you! 

Now it's time to turn things over to one of my fellow Bloomies who whipped up some colorful fun for you all this week! Stop by and say "hey" to.....

Christine Okken

Thanks for stopping by and spending a wee bit of your day with me! You'll have to tune in to the Power Poppy Blog on Monday for a Big & JUICY digital stamp set reveal!!! Marcella has not one, but TWO digital stamp sets to tickle your creative taste buds! One is just about as sweet as they come, another stretches us to live and love sharing beauty on the canvas of life!

See you back here then!

~Julie

MORE STUFF FOR SALE!

HELLO FOLKS! I've reloaded my Stamps & Dies for Sale page HERE with a boatload of new items up for grabs! This is good stuff people -- all items are priced below wholesale prices even though they are in excellent condition. I just need to make some room in my tiny space. Keep in mind, because these sales tend to be pretty fast moving, I can't hold items for you without an agreement for payment. You can see all the details of the sale at the top of the sale page. Thanks for looking!

I also have several dozen new cards on my Cards for Sale page as well that you can check out HERE! 

~Julie

Check it out!

Hello folks! I am the hostess over on the Power Poppy blog today for Inspire Me Monday! So, if you click HERE, you'll see......

Have a fabulous week everyone! :-)

~Julie

Happy Friday!

Hello all and happiest of Friday's to you all! I sure hope that the sun is shining and the flowers are starting to bloom in your neck of the woods! Being in the northern part of the country, I am just starting to see daffodils and hyacinth sprout and the little spots of color are just so heart-warming! It's like these little creations have personalities all their own! I love the jewel tones and just the over all dainty feel of these tiny plants! I digress!

Before I get to my creation, I did want to share a special post I helped write over on the Power Poppy Blog HERE sharing some news about one of my fellow Bloomies, Leslie Miller. I truly I wish this dear lady ALL THE BEST!!!!

For this Friday, I did have a quickie card to share and it's all inspired by the latest round of CardMaps over at PageMaps! This is a peek at my sketch....

And this is my take on it using Power Poppy's My English Rose stamp set! 

A quick and easy "how to" goes a little something like this: stamp using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, fussy cut and cut out just some of the foliage. Color using Copic Markers in these shades: R01, RV0000, R81, R83, R85, G20, G40, and G43. The rest is just using scraps of decorative paper to follow the sketch. add a doily and threaded button and... ta da! I also added a little paper piecing for a finishing touch around my sentiment. And that, my friends, is it! Some of the other members of the Power Poppy team took the Cardmaps sketches for a test drive as well and so, if you want a little more inspiration, I have good news! It is just a click away! HERE! 

And here's a look at the close up!

And that, my friends, is it! Time now to take a break and check in on the rest of the Bloom Brigade! ;-)

Christine Okken
Julie Koerber
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker


Thanks for stopping by and saying "hi!" I hope you have the best weekend possible! See you back here soon! :-)

~Julie

It's a BIRTHDAY Celebration!

Howdy Ho there fellow stampers! Boy do I have a ton of fun to share today. Today is a pretty special day! Not only is it the start of a new month with a new Power Poppy Power & Spark Challenge to unveil, it's actually, the start of a new year for Power Poppy! Yes, TODAY marks the 2nd birthday of this fine, fun, FANTASTIC company!

To help us mark this momentous occasion, Marcella has a few gifts up her sleeve! Isn’t that just like her? It’s her company’s birthday and she wants to give YOU the gifts! ;-) So, stay tuned for the deets on that at the end of this post...

With the mark of a new month, we have a brand-spankin’-new Power & Spark Challenge and this one will have you stretching the bounds of your coloring creativity! 

Ms. Christine Okken is the hostess for this colorific quest to create something wonderful with — just THREE markers! Did I hear you gasp? You can’t fathom picking just three? Yes, I know, it sounds like a true (and FUN) challenge! Here’s how Christine explains HERE (that's also where you'll find the official rules and the linky to link up your creation!). In a nutshell, choose three markers by picking three in the same color family, pick three from complementary color families, or, BE COURAGEOUS, close your eyes and choose three randomly! Not sure I am brave enough to do that, but we'll see, the month isn't over yet! ;-)

On to my 3-color creation! Not only did I choose just three colors, I paired it up with one of the latest Pagemaps.com CardMaps sketches! The Power Poppy Bloom Brigade was asked to design cards using these fresh and fun new card recipes and you can find all TEN of the sketches HERE! 

Here was my sketch.....

And, here's my take on it!

As you can see, I kept pretty close to the sketch and, I'll admit, I had a lot of fun doing it! I had some dies that I honestly, haven't put my hands on in a long time -- like the fun edge die and the file folder die with the decorative tabs. It was a great excuse to use a few different tools to get creative! 

And, in line with Christine's challenge to use ONLY three markers, here's the three I picked. You can see I took my inspiration right from the challenge graphic! ;-)

I used BG15, YG23 and R81. You might look at my creation and say, "Hey, how did you get the color range with just three markers?" Here's a tip for you. 1. Grab an acryllic block or plastic palette, scribble off a little color and 2. Use your blender pen to pick up that color. Draw the excess ink off the nib by scribbling on a scrap piece of paper too! I colored dark to light and after I added all the dark that I wanted, used the scribble technique to add lighter layers of color. You can see below what I'm talking about! See the variations of green? Of pink? and of blue? I even used this scribble technique to add the blue shadows around my heart shaped wreath! After I was done, I did add a wee bit of razzle dazzle thanks to some glitter glue too! 

Here's a close up for you! 

And that, my friends, is it! :-) Fun stuff on a few different levels! Speaking of fun -- before we get to the Bloomies and their wonderful weekly creations, we interrupt this blog post to bring you a birthday special from the Chief Peep — Marcella Hawley herself! Since Power Poppy is 2, she wanted to kick off another flowering and empowering year by sharing with all of you! Check out these fun deets! 

Well after all that fun, it's time to pass the baton to my fellow Bloomies. Be sure to check out these fine ladies below and see what they whipped up for your viewing pleasure! I should point out that along the way, you'll see not only a few 3- color creations but some of the sketches in play from the April edition of CardMaps over at Pagemaps.com!  You can find all of the inspiration HERE!

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber >>> you are here!

Katie Sims

Leslie Miller

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

Cheryl Scrivens

Thanks for stopping by and spending a little piece of your day with me! :-) Have a great weekend!

~Julie