Power Poppy: Day 1 Enchanted Garden Release!

Well folks, I am so excited that I can hardly contain myself! Why? Well, it's been a bit since Power Poppy released a fresh crop of polymer stamp offerings and this week, Marcella is unveiling not one, not two, but FIVE brand new stamp sets to tickle your creative taste buds! Today's stamp set is the first in the Enchanted Garden release and it's big and bold -- a perfect way to make a statement with just one stamp! Check it out!

Create a garden of Gerberas in seconds with Power Poppy's very first flower-filled background stamp -- Big Sexy Blooms! Hand-drawn details indicate where to place your shadows, mid-tones, and highlights — so you can make a masterpiece with every impression! Did I mention that this stamp is nearly 5" x 6"? So big and lush, one stamp covers an entire card front! 

On to my creation! 

I started by stamping this big and bold background on some white card stock and then picked out a section to fussy cut, so that the petals just hung on the page. What's fun is, my black Copic marker was the same color as the paper so in the white voids in the other part of the stamped image, I colored so that it would look like it was all just on a black piece of card stock with that big pop of white from the petals! I accented with some BG0000, BG11, BV01 and BV0000. The centers of the flowers were done with a mix of deep yellow and light orange. Then, I stamped the sentiment using Versamark ink and embossed with white detail embossing powder. The stamp is actually from the stamp set Hellebore and Hyacinth.  Add a few rhinestones and some fun stitched yellow ribbon and.. BAM! Done!

Here's a little closeup for you!

Before I let you go, you should take a little trip around blogland to see what some of the other Bloomies and Instant Gardeners did with this lush and bodacious stamp!

Allison Cope

Stacy Morgan

Christine Okken

Kathy Jones

Julie Koerber>> you are here! 

Leslie Miller

Nancy Sheads

Barbara Walker

Jennifer Dove

Power Poppy Blog

Be sure to stop back by tomorrow for day two! That's when flora, fauna and... fungi take center stage in a set that really celebrates the treasures of the forest floor! Doesn't that just sound delightful? I think so!

See you then!
~Julie

It's Flag Day!

Hello sweet stampers! Here in the States, it's Flag Day! And that's why earlier this week, I ushered in a fun-filled, flag inspired challenge to help you get that creativity rolling a bit. If you want to see what I mean, just clickety-clack on over HERE to check out this week's Creative Confetti Challenge! 

So the basic gist of the challenge was to pick the flag of any country as your launching pad for creativity! And, here's the clincher! Don't use your home country as inspiration! Use the flag of someplace you want to visit! Use the flag of one of your ancestors! Use the flag that just... "speaks to you!" Have fun with it and don't forget to share which flag inspired your creation.

ON TO MY INSPIRATION!

Being that Ms. Marce took a little Norwegian adventure, I decided to use Norway as my focus. I was inspired simply by the energy in the photos she posted. I mean, come on! Doesn't she look like she is having an absolute blast?

So, in honor of sweet Marce, here's a peek at the flag of Norway!

Knowing red and blue would be my focal colors, I went a flipping through all my clear and digital stamp sets! I stopped when I found this one --- Flower Bomb  --- a digital stamp set by Power Poppy. It was perfect! Roses are red, Violets are blue. I like the Norway flag, how about you? ;-) 

After printing, I used a stitched circle die to cut out my image and then went hunting for just the right colors of Copic markers! Here's a peek at what I used:

Roses: RV00, R00, R30. R32 R35, R39

Violets: V01, B60, B63, B66

Greenery: YG63, YG67 for Rose Leaves & YG00, YG06, YG17 for Violets

Here's a closeup! You can see that I did add some shading/color around my image and the edge of the die, for that I used R0000, R00 and R01 just for a soft glow. 

Add some fun blue and red decorative paper, a little bit of bling and a fun sentiment from the Power Poppy stamp set Juicy Strawberries (also a digital stamp set)

And that, my friends, is it! So, why don't you join me this week for a little world travel! Get to "Googling" and find that fun flag to inspire your next creation! After you finish up your card, don't forget to link it up HERE ON THIS POST! Every entry is one more shot at a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop!   

Since you are hippity hopping around today, Make sure to pay this fine lady a visit -- Christine Okken -- to see the absolutely amazing card she did using one of Power Poppy's Peony illustrations. It's WOW!!!

Happy Stamping!

~Julie

Friday Fun Day!

Hello folks & Happy Friday! I have a little bit of fun to share today and it just so happens to involve the challenge I hosted earlier this week on the Power Poppy blog. With a roll of the dice, those wanting to play along got to see just which challenge they would partake in for the week! If you are confused, don't worry, all the details can be found HERE! 

Since my challenge was to CASE one of my old creations, I spent some time scrolling through the Power Poppy blog and decided that THIS card would be a fun one to copy. And so.... off I went! Here's a peek at the finished card....

You can see I kept the composition and the colors pretty much the same. I used Power Poppy's Vibrant Thanks stamp set too! The only real difference is one of the papers and the shape of the punched sentiment accent. I also colored this all up with Copic Markers. In my first card, I used waterbased markers and a Wink of Stella glitter pen to color it all up. Here's a little closeup for you!

And here's another fun fact for you! I might have mentioned a few weeks ago that right now most of my craft room is boxed up while I get situated in a new room. Well, that's still the case folks! We have some painting to do and counters to install so, I am still in limbo! So, as I was searching for some gold paper and not finding it, I decided to make my own! I punched a circle, covered it with Versamark ink and then covered it in gold embossing powder! Just that simple!  

And GUESS WHAT? This isn't the only card I created! I actually created a trio using Power Poppy's Vibrant Thanks stamp set. Want to see?

Here's the second card....

Here's the third. This one might just be my favorite since I love purple. ;-)

And, here's a peek at all three together! 

Hope you join me by playing along with me this week! Just click HERE to find out all about this week's challenge and remember, every time you play along during the month, it's one more chance to win a $25 trip to the Power Poppy Shop! Who wouldn't want that?

Since it's Friday, some of my fellow Bloomies are on standby ready and waiting to show you what they've been working on this week. So, without further ado, please pay these fine ladies a visit!

Ally Cope
Christine Okken

Be sure to stop by the Power Poppy Blog for a fun little Weekend Stamp Steal announcement featuring a beautiful array of... ORCHIDS! You'll want to check out that post for sure! ;-) 

Thanks for stopping by everyone & happy creating!

~Julie

Friday Power Poppy Fun!

Hello folks! Hope your week is ending on a high note! Since it's Friday, that means I'm here with some Bloom Brigade action for Power Poppy and I'm sharing a little challenge that I ushered in earlier this week on the Power Poppy blog!  It's based on a tutorial I did forever ago and it is super duper fun. If you want to check out the tutorial, all you need to do is click HERE.  I used this tutorial for the heart of this week's Creative Confetti challenge!

So, let's get to it! 

HOW TO PLAY: Simply use the resist technique we spotlighted in our Inspire Me Monday this week HERE or use another resist technique to create something with us this week! If you need a little more inspiration, all you need to do is click HERE! I went over to Splitcoaststampers to see what kind of resist tutorials they had and, man, they have a lot! Tons to pick from! 

When I first did this tutorial, I used a Christmas set -- Power Poppy's Poinsettia set.  Well, I thought it would be nice to take this tutorial for another test drive and, instead, make it a birthday creation! I wanted to use most of the same supplies, just put a new spin on it! And so.... that's what I did! 

Just like in the first tutorial, I used Versamark ink and white embossing powder, only this time, I reached for the stamp set My English Rose.  After stamping and embossing with fine detail powder, I used my Distress Markers and did the palette pick up technique where you scribble marker on a palette and then pick it up using a water brush. This gives it a more subdued look, more of a watercolor wash.  

I also created a border, like I did in my first card using Post-It Notes and then colored the edge with a light Copic marker. I used RV0000 and R0000. 

After I was done, I did iron my image like in the first card -- using NO steam and sandwiched between two pieces of typing paper until all the embossing powder was essentially melted off my creation. You can't tell, but this image is completely flat and so, when the white powder is melted, it vanishes and looks like a true resist!

After I was done, I stamped the sentiment from the Artistic Bouquet set using Versafine Onyx Black Ink. After that, mat it all up, add some rhinestones and... ta da! Finished! Hope you join me this week for Power Poppy's Creative Confetti challenge! I'd love to see your take on it and what resist technique you pull out of your little bag of tricks! ;-)

Want to see what one of my fellow Bloomies has up her creative sleeve? Check out this fine lady! Word has it she is serving up some Mother's Day inspiration for you all!

Christine Okken

Thanks for stopping by everyone & happy creating! For all the moms out there, I hope you have the most amazing weekend surrounded by all those you love!

~Julie

Spread a little kindness!

Hello Power Poppy Fans! Hope you've had a wonderful week! Being that it is Bloomie Friday, I thought I would share a creation I posted earlier this week over on the Power Poppy blog. It's for our Creative Confetti challenge and there are still a few days left to get in on the fun! 

In honor of this wonderful thing we call card making, Power Poppy thought it would be nice, every now and then, to focus on why this community of creators is so special! Instead of focusing on color, shape or layout or being inspired by a photo or season, let's be inspired simply by the art of making something and sharing it! So, that was this week's challenge! You can read all about it HERE. 

I love that old Aesop quote which reads, "No act of kindness, however small is ever wasted." So, with that beautiful thought in mind, I dug through my stamp sets and got to creating with the pure intent of spreading some kindness.

I ended up using the Well Hello Dahlia digital stamp set and pairing it with the sentiment from the Potted Primroses stamp set.  Orange is my favorite color and so, when I think happy, I think orange. In fact, if you look at color theory -- orange and purple emote the happiest feelings when we see them! So, if you really want to send some kindness and "happy thoughts," think orange and purple! I need to restock my purple stash of decorative paper -- I didn't have the right shade, so I reached instead for a cool, easy blue! 

After printing off my image, I got to work coloring with Copics and used nearly every yellow and orange I own! For the flowers, I picked up:YR68, YR04, YR07, Y02, R14 for the large flower; Y15, Y35, and Y38 for the yellow flower off to the right; BG01, BG04 for the right vase; BG000 and BG10 for the left vase; R01, RV00, and R32 for the left flower; G20, G21, and YG67 for the greenery and B00, B91, B93 and B95 for the center vase. The bottoms of the vases were shaded with BV0000 and BV01. The highlight around my image was done with G0000. Whew! That's a lot of markers! I did have fun though.... 

And here's a peek at the sentiment that I stamped on a dark blue with Versamark ink and then embossed with white detail embossing powder. Mat it all up on some fun blue and orange decorative papers, add a little twine and a button and... ta da!  

So, who will you shower with a little kindness? What will YOU create? I hope you play along with me! After you're done creating, don't forget to link up your creation over on the Power Poppy blog HERE so we can ALL see! Remember, every entry is one more chance at a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! So, spread some kindness, and maybe, just maybe, have kindness returned when you win! ;-)

Speaking of good things, Power Poppy is offering a little splash of spring as a part of its Weekend Stamp Steal! Check it out!

For inspiration on how to put these sets in bloom in your own crafting spaces, be sure to stop by these fine ladies to see what they've created!

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a beautifully creative weekend!

~Julie 

On the Grid!

Hello peeps! Earlier this week over on the Power Poppy Blog,  I ushered in a different kind of Creative Confetti Challenge. I hope you check it out and play along with moi! ;-) It was based on a tutorial the talented Ms. Dina Kowal did more than a few years back. Want to see? Click here!  She took us through -- step by step -- on how to create what she called a "9-block card." It was designed to mimic the effects of a quilted square and that, my friends, was the inspiration! You can check out all the details on the challenge HERE but I thought I'd share the process of creating my card here on my blog too! 

So, I wanted to give you a reference point so that you could "see" where I was going through my little step by step tutorial below. I am giving you a tutorial because I did my grid creation just a wee bit differently than Dina. She had a grid die. I wasn't so lucky but in the process of making this card, I remembered a little trick a fellow stamper taught me once. So, I reached into the cobwebbed recesses of my mind and dug that little trick out! 

I started by printing off the brand new digital stamp by Power Poppy called Bowl of Beauty. Man, is it a beauty or what? I did only print off a portion of the image and I did blow it up a bit so that you could "see it" when I cut it up and re-assembled! Here's what it looked like after I finished coloring it with my Copic Markers! I have to admit I had a hard time taking my paper cutter to this one. I actually said to my husband, "I can't do it!" And you know what he said? "Don't complain, you knew you were going to do it when you started. Just do it!" HA! A little tough stamping love for me! ;-)

Now here's the little trick! I cut a few slivers of card stock to measure 1/8" wide. This would serve as my guide for layering all my little 1" squares! I started at the top and side....  

And then kept moving my slivers of paper as I went!

You can see just how easy this made it!

And here's a look again at the final "puzzle" all put back together!

Here's a closeup. Don't look too hard! You can see that I am just a wee bit off on my top three boxes. The paper must have shifted as I was making my little squares. It's okay though. Most people won't notice that hopefully!

And here's the cheery little sentiment that I added onto a punched circle and put on my card thanks to some silver cording! The sentiment is from the Power Poppy set Potted Primroses. Love that set!

So, now it's your turn to color up something, cut it up and piece it all artistically back together! While it was a bit tough cutting up this image, I do love the effect and was glad I cued up Dina's tutorial for inspiration! You should give it a try!

Time to take a little trip to see what these lovely ladies whipped up for us all this week!

Christine Okken
Julie Koerber >>> you are here! 
Katie Sims
Stacy Morgan

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have an amazing and creative weekend and I'll see y'all back here soon! 💗

~Julie 

Happy Friday!

Hello sweet stamping friends! Hope your week is ending on a creative high note!  Earlier this week, yours truly ushered in a brand new Creative Confetti Challenge that involved color and being challenged to maybe get out of our creative comfort zone. Check it out! 

HOW TO PLAY: The mission is as simple as the graphic above! What's your birth month? Were you born in March? Then 3 is your number! And, using the color wheel below, find your corresponding color and then use it to make a big colorific splash on your card or creation! Just that simple!

ON TO MY CREATION! 

Since November is my birth month, I found 11 on the wheel and realized my color is that deep grass green. FUN! I don't often create with this color so this one was a bit of a challenge! I thought long and hard about making a monochromatic card but then I spotted an image that was half colored that would be a perfect fit for this challenge. Take a peek at what I did with Power Poppy's Heart Abloom digital stamp set! 

I think I literally used every single Copic marker I own to color up this incredible bouquet! I spent a ton of time on Google, looking at flower photos to try to get just the right effect. Those kinds of color fests are always the most fun, don't you think? After I was done coloring, I fussy cut my image just to make it POP on my card. And, of course, I reached for the dark green to serve as my color anchor for the challenge! I was lucky that there was the possibility of so much green in my colored up image that this seemed to work beautifully! 

Here's a close up for you! You can see that I kept my card layout rather simple just because I had so much going on with my main image. I just sanded down some white core embossed paper, added some fun yellow decorative paper, a scalloped die cut frame and that's about it!

If you want to check out this week's challenge, just click HERE and know there's a new one right around the corner, coming your way on Tuesday!  It's a new month, so there will not only be a new challenge but the winner from March will be announced as well for a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! You still have 3 days to get in on the fun for March! What are you waiting for? Let's see what you've got! ;-)

Before I let you go, you should click HERE to check out the Power Poppy blog! Marcy has another one of her savvy little Weekend Stamp Steals going on and you could get your hands on some truly gorgeous images.... for a steal! Click on over to see what I mean!

Since it's Friday, that means that some of the Bloomies are on hand to share some of what they've been working on this week! Get ready to be wowed! 

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

Loved seeing you here today! One more little note! Power Poppy will also have some fun tomorrow with a ..... 

That's right! The Instant Gardeners will be in the Power Poppy house with a BRAND NEW DIGITAL STAMP SET that features an overflowing bouquet full of spring treasures delivered with a charming vintage feel. You're going to love this one! 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

 ~Julie

May the Luck 'O the Irish be YOURS!

Hello folks & Happy Friday! In just a matter of days, many will dig deep in their closets, looking for green, claiming to be a little bit Irish -- just for the fun of it (or to avoid getting pinched)! It's time when the Luck 'O the Irish rules and folks who live in the whimsy of the St. Patrick's Day holiday go on the hunt for the end of the rainbow, where there just might be a pot of gold waiting!  🌈 😊 So, to get in the spirit, why not share a little luck in the best way we know how -- a handmade card! That's what this week's Creative Confetti -- hosted by yours truly -- is ALL about! Check it out! 

Want to play along with me? Just click HERE for more details and the linky to link up your card or creation!

Speaking of creations, on to mine! 

For my creation, I used the new digital stamp set Shamrock 'n' Roll! I just love this sweet illustration and it's perfect for this time of year. The good news? This little darling digi is only $1.50 in the Power Poppy Shop. It's the perfect little image to grab, download and print in a jiffy to send some lucky wishes to those in your life who need it most! 

I printed the lighter, no-line version and then, grabbed these Ccopics to color the image up!

And, here's a closeup! As you can see, I added some white gel pen to accent the clover leaves, used BG markers to add some fun stippling and then accented with sequins too! 

So, how will you add a splash of green or a dash of luck to your creation this week? I sure hope you join me HERE because I can't wait to see! I added a bit of both -- a little bit of green along with a "lucky" little sentiment to send good wishes to a friend who just so happens to have her birthday on St. Patty's Day! ;- )

Now it's time to check in and see what these lovelies whipped up for you this week! 

Christine Okken

Julie Koerber >>> you are here!

Katie Sims

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

Thanks for stopping by and sharing a bit of your day with me! Hope you have a wonderful weekend and....

HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY! 

~Julie

Check it out, it's a steal!

Well hello there Power Poppy fans! I'm here to share a little bit of a treat for you all today! There are more than a few well-loved illustrations in the Power Poppy Shop and today, a few of them are being offered at a steal. It's a Weekend Stamp Steal! Check it out sweet peeps! 

In some parts of the country, it's almost time for these lovelies to sprout after the winter thaw. And, that's exactly why Marcella wanted to make sure you had these drool-worthy images in your stamping stash!

Helebore & Hyacinth features both of these illustrations in one 4 by 6" clear stamp set. I love the delicate petals of the hellebore  -- they come in the most unique shades! The hyacinth in this set is another charmer that gives us stampers a chance to flex our coloring muscles by coloring up that beautiful vintage glass bulb vase.

If you're a digital stamp lover, you're not left out of this love fest. In fact, you have two sets you could pick up for a steal this weekend! Hellebores is the digital version of this image and you can find Hyacinth in Bulb Glass here.

Because I love these sets so much, I decided to dig deep into my stamping archives to share a couple of the cards I've whipped up using these beauties! 

My creation using Hellebore & Hyacinth!

Creation using the digital stamp set Hyacinth Bulb in Glass Vase!

So there you have it my friends, a fabulous Weekend Stamp Steal for the taking! If you like what you see, don't hesitate! This offer is only good through Sunday! Like the graphic says -- 3 days only peeps!

Since it's Friday, that means that some of the Bloomies are on hand to share some of what they've been working on this week. So, stop by and see for yourself the artistry they've crafted just for YOU!

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber >>> you are here! 

Tosha Leyendekker

Thanks for stopping by y'all! I hope you have a fun and fabulous weekend and.... I'll see you back here real soon! 

~Julie