Sharing Nothing but GOOD Vibes!

Hello peeps! Welcome to another fun-filled Friday here on the Power Poppy blog when we fill your basket of life with a handful of goodies for you to take in, ponder and hopefully let blossom somehow in your day! In today's Good Vibe 5, are you ready for a little trip? We head to the 'Great White North' for a little escapade with Bloomie Christine on our first stop! 

GOOD VIBE 1 

Goodness gracious, will you look at that canyon? What a picturesque gem in the heart of the Canadian Rockies! Now, that you've taken in that sight, you have to check out Christine Okken's  "people" on one of the bridges while on a hike through the Maligne Valley in Jasper National Park. Squint your eyes and you'll see those blond-headed beauties a.k.a. her three children! They are the only ones actually looking and posing for the camera! ;-) You might know this, you might not. But if you look at the Power Poppy team, most of us have been together in one form or another for going on 10 years. That means when I look at this picture and now see two legal adults and one that keeps growing? Oh, my! What wonderful human beings! Want to read more about this breathtaking view? Click HERE and maybe you'll be inspired to put YOUR hiking shoes on!

GOOD VIBE 2



I don't know about you but I would love to be a fly on the wall in Kathy Jones' stamping space to just watch her reach for colors and bring some of Power Poppy's images to life! That's why I love this image above. You get an up close and personal view of her in action! If you'd like to see how this beauty turned out using Power Poppy's digital stamp set Sunset Sway, I won't tease you any longer! 😀 All you need to do is click HERE!

GOOD VIBE 3

I am so sorry but I got the giggles when I found this post from Power Poppy fan Christina Dauven. It was filed under the caption, "How I feel every morning!" I'm with you, Christina. I am WITH YOU! I found my way to her IG when she hash-tagged Power Poppy on one of her projects. I thought this little photo above was the perfect reminder that IT IS FRIDAY FOLKS! Thanks Christina for the laugh!

GOOD VIBE 4

Okay, can I get a show of hands from all of you who remember when Twinkling H20s were ALL the rage? If you have absolutely no idea what I am talking about -- Twinks are those little shimmering paint pots that give a metallic edge to watercolored projects. I actually have a shoebox full! They literally last forever! And, thank goodness, because recently I was drooling over this project above by the absolutely fabulous Leslie Miller using Twinks and Power Poppy's stamp set My English Rose. Ahhhhhh! If you love to bring the bling then check out her post HERE and find ways to add a little sparkle in your own special way! 

GOOD VIBE 5

Can you even stand it -- the cute factor meter just broke with this photo above!! Meet Mr. Tibbs -- the official Power Puppy! I decided to make this little guy the Good Vibe #5 because studies show that taking a gander at darling puppy photos not only releases endorphins a.k.a. "happy feels" but actually helps your focus in your day. Yep. That's science folks, so by sharing this totes adorbs photo of Mr. Tibbs, I am just doing my duty to make you happy and smart! ;-)  By the way, if you wondered why Tibbsy has his little ears taped, I learned that these pups need a little help keeping their ears up as the cartilage hardens. As you can see by his "smile" -- he doesn't seem to mind a bit! 

There you go folks, a touch of nature, a bit of color inspiration, a way to bring a bit of bling, a little bit of funny and a whole lot of cute = Good Vibe 5! 

Now it's time to take this show on the road with a bit of a hop!

Stop by and see these wonderful ladies and the creativity they whipped up this week just for you!

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Katie Sims

Stacy Morgan

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to swing back by on Monday when Jessie Banks will be here for another Inspire Me Monday! She's going big and showcasing one of Power Poppy's larger than life images by taking it to a whole new color level!

Have a great weekend!
~Julie

Hues to Use with Lisa!

Hello Friends! Remember when... a few weeks ago... I shared that we would be having guests join us from time to time with our weekly Hues to Use color combo challenge? Well, sweet peeps, the day has finally arrived and we are giddy to be sharing the work of one of those guests!

First things first, bear with me as I get to a bit of the background on this week's hues! Oh my, be still my heart as I share this picturesque scene from Marcy's recent vacation. Don't you love the way the dappled light falls on that brick-paved walkway? Ahhh... some days I wish I could teleport. I would LOVE to just jump into that scene right now! That, I've decided, would be the ultimate super power.

So, just in case you wondered, Marcella took this pic just outside the Williamsburg Inn on a recent jaunt with her kiddos to see the D.C. area and then some. I don't have a green thumb, so I can't look at that blossoming beauty and say that's a.... such-and-such blossoming fancy schmancy beautiful tree of the genus gorgeous maximus, but I am sure Marcy will be able to chime in on the comments section to tell us! ;-) I would guess it's a cherry blossom but??? It is lovely just the same!

Moving on! We have a guest designer to introduce! One that is going to show off this week's hues in her own special way. So, put your hands together if you will for the fabulous......

"Hello to everyone out there in Power Poppy land! I'm Lisa J and I live in beautiful Alaska with my husband of over 23 years. We're about to be empty nesters, as our youngest will be heading off to college in a few weeks to study film. Two of our other kids live out of state and our oldest lives across the valley from us. I work nights for our local school district so that will leave me at home during the day with our 4 dogs and 2 cats. Luckily, they all love to keep me company in my craft room when I'm creating! I've been stamping since 1994 and if I'm not outdoors looking for moose and other Alaska wildlife I'm usually in my craft room. I'm thrilled to be a guest on Hues to Use this week!

Moving on to my card....
The pink in this week's Hues to Use really pops so I wanted to make sure the image I used highlighted that color. The digital set Bees in Foxglove was a great way to have the pink take center stage. Fun fact - foxglove doesn't normally survive in my part of Alaska because of the winters, but it is quite prevalent down in SE Alaska.

After printing out my image I die cut it out with a rectangle panel and I used my Copics R81, R83 and R85 to color in the foxglove blooms. The leaves and stems were colored with Copics YG03 and YG25. I threw in a bit of Y04 to color the bees visiting the foxglove.

To bring in that light sandy color I used the same die I cut the image panel with to cut a piece of sandy colored patterned paper. I also used the die to cut a piece of pink patterned paper and set both of those at angles behind the main image panel. The card base is green embossed with a large polka dot folder, carrying on the polka dot theme of the patterned paper.

To finish off the card I used the sentiment from the Bees in Foxglove set, changing the color of the text to green. I cut the sentiment panel to the size I wanted and then cut the corners with a round corner punch and adhered it to the front of the card.

Thank you again to Julie and Power Poppy for having me as a guest this week!


No Lisa, thank YOU! I have to say, having a guest take a stab at the weekly colors is going to be the favorite part of my week! And guess what, now it is YOUR turn. Take Lisa's lead and give those colors a whirl. We can't wait to see what you create. Who knows, your card could be just the nudge we need to ask YOU to be a guest designer for the week.

THAT'S RIGHT, YOU COULD BE OUR NEXT GUEST! 

To get on our radar, simply play along! We want to see you work your magic using these color combos! If chosen from one of the week's linkys, we'll share the color combo for your hosting week, gift you with a digital stamp set of your choice and then, you go to town creating! So get those fingers inky and show us your stuff by linking up your creation below!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Inspire Me Monday - Finding Your Mojo

Hello Everyone! It's Kathy Racoosin here today. How are you this Monday? It's always good to be back on the Power Poppy blog and I thought I would address "mojo". Have you ever lost your mojo? Mojo apparently means " a magical charm bag used in voodoo" or something having to do with libido lol.

The Urban Dictionary says that mojo can be "some ability that brings good luck or helps you be good at something."

I admit I always thought it related to crafting and losing your creative energy.

I found this chart on google and looks like the term mojo has risen over the years.

If you want to see my process here is a video or you can click here to watch it in HD.

If you get stuck or loose your mojo hopefully this set of cards will get you back in your game. I love this stamp called, "Sweet Memories" The flowers are illustrated so beautifully that they stand on their own. (Thanks Marcy!!!) Perfect for some stamping and simple coloring.

There are so many flowers in the stamp set it was easy to lay them out on a misti and stamp several at one time. 

Coloring is something I love to do and when my mojo isn't around I discovered you can still color and create cards. Coloring backgrounds is super relaxing and it's nice to not worrying about shading or coloring multiple flowers. 

Minimal supplies make this an easy to pack for travel. Some Copic friendly ink and 2 Copic markers. First I outlined the flowers and then I filled in the spaces around them. Don't worry about the coloring not looking smooth because I have a remedy for that. Copic Colorless Blending Solution!

I use it on a regular basic and it's super easy. All you need is a tiny rag/towel that is nubby. (my rag is about 1.5"square and I use it over and over ... I cut mine from an old shabby towel)

I just pulled this towel off the internet to show the texture. When you moisten a towel that has texture with Copic Blending Solution .... dab it on the background & you get beautiful texture on your coloring. You need to play around on some scrap paper how wet you want your towel/rag. If you want to dab on more solution I suggest using your heat gun to dry the paper between because if you over saturate it ... the color bleeds into the image. (Always keep the lid on the solution and read the warning labels)

If the color bleeds into the images that fixable ... just a little more time consuming. Use your colorless blender marker to remove any color in the image. (If it's a dark color you need to repeat multiple times letting it dry in between. )

This technique was repeated on the stock under the front of the card. I colored only the edges on the paper and then used the rag technique. A sentiment or die cut can always be added later that suits the occasion of the recipient if you want to add a little something extra.

While I was writing my post I realized that my blouse resembles my cards lol. When I purchased the blouse I loved the fabric ... maybe I tucked that inspiration way back in my brain and didn't realize it when I was looking for some mojo?

I hope today's post was beneficial for you today and wishing you a good start to your week.

Hugs, Kathy

Good Vibe 5 -- Julie Style!

Hello folks! Yours truly is filling in for Ms. Marcella who is on one of the most eventful, fun-filled family road trips EVAH! She hit the nation's capital with the kiddos and her Instagram is lit up with all kinds of epic escapades! 

I have to share just one picture that made me laugh pretty darn hard. Check her out, will you? She completely rocks the Colonial vibe, don't you think? hehe! Love that little lady! 

So, in the spirit of her Good Vibe 5 Friday posts, I thought I'd take a stab at sharing warm fuzzies and inspiration! So, here goes folks, buckle up and get ready for the ride!

GOOD VIBE 1

Can you even handle that smile and ... THAT FISH?? This is Bloomie Tosha's idea of a grand "girls only" getaway -- deep sea fishing off in the Morro Bay in California. At last check, she caught 9 and the day wasn't even done yet! You go -- you fish slayer, Ms. Tosh! She has some AMAZING photos from her adventure. So check them out HERE. Who knows, maybe seeing her excursion will inspire you to plan your own "girls only" getaway! 

GOOD VIBE 2

Okay, this good vibe might not be fair. This amazing glimpse of Elizabeth Zaffarano's creation is just that, a snippet. Sadly, I can't send you a link to show more of this project using Power Poppy's Orchids Rock stamp set but I can tell you this is a work in progress for an upcoming Power Poppy post. SQUEEEEEEEE! Okay, I just let the giant cat out of the bag there. Yes, Ms. Elizabeth will be doing some guest hosting of Inspire Me Monday in the not-so-distant future. Stay tuned peeps -- BIG THINGS ARE HAPPENING! 

GOOD VIBE 3

Friends, take a gander at this creation above. That is not a light shining on a stamped, dimensional image. That is the phenomenal job Shelby Thomas did of creating depth with the help of grey-toned Copic Markers and Power Poppy's Hellebores digital stamp set. Can we all take just a second to breathe out a collective sigh and say "WOW!" Yes, please join me. And, if you want to see another example of her shadow work, click HERE. I dare you to give this technique a try! I know I am going to give it a whirl!  

GOOD VIBE 4

Remember playing with "plastic" as a kid -- hunkering down in front of the oven and watching all the excitement as your Shrinky Dink creation twisted and turned to create a "mini me" version of its original self? Those were the days, right? Well, as Ally Cope shares, we can all still be a kid at heart! Check out a sneaky peek above of the whimsical bookmark she created then click HERE to see her video tutorial using Power Poppy's Tiger Lily XL!

GOOD VIBE 5

Well, my sweet stamping friends, the fun continues at the Power Poppy Shop! Since Marcy's vacation was extended a bit -- guess what else is still ongoing? YES! You are right! It's our sale on all digital stamp sets! WOO HOO! Through the weekend, you'll be able to grab any of the digis in the shop for 20% off! Like the graphic says, simply use the code VACATIONDIGIS at the time of checkout!  

And with the new techno-friendly images you purchase, why not dabble in one or, maybe two of the challenges we've got going on right now! Have you seen this week's monochromatic Hues to Use? Don't walk, run and check it out! And then, of course, grab that design power and play along in this month's Power & Spark. It's a fun one because Ally Cope is challenging you to CASE a Bloomie! Not sure what that means? Never fear! You can read all about it HERE! ;-)




Speaking of the Bloomies, a few of them are on stand-by -- AS WE SPEAK -- just ready and waiting for you to stop by and see some of the fun and crafty goodness that they've been working on this week! So, stop by, will you?

Christine Okken

Katie Sims

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

Thanks so much for spending a little bit of your day with us! Be sure to tune back in on Monday when our good friend Kathy Racoosin will be "in da house" sharing some colorful ways to add pizazz to cardmaking en masse! You will not want to miss this one folks! 

See you back here soon!

~Julie 

Awash in BLUE!

Hello all! It's Tuesday, which means we dig deep into the infinite hues available here in this big and beautiful world, pull from a little social media and challenge YOU to use the trio of colors we pick the next time you hit your craft room to create!

Today's colorific combo is one that's more than a little special. Last month, I had a chance to meet these two cuties below -- Lulu & Sylvia -- two of Marcy and Doug's kiddos. I mean to tell you, I found them charming in social media. In real life, these two sparkle with mega-watt smiles and personalities! When we had our Bloomie Reunion in St. Louis, these little ladies actually made a banner that said "Welcome Bloomies!" When I met them, (I laugh when I think about this) I said, "You're real!" :-) So, when I spotted this photo on Marcy's Instagram, I knew this dynamic duo had to be center stage in this week's Hues to Use with a mix of Sky, Coneflower Blue, and Midnight Blue. Check it out peeps!

Now since I am afraid of heights, you would NOT find me on this creaky observation tower! According to Marcy, these two tromped to the top until they had a beautiful view of the sun setting over the green vistas of Hillsboro, actually all of Jefferson County, Missouri! Brave souls!

Moving on to my creation....

Since I loved the monochromatic theme this week, I just knew whatever image I chose had to have that "peaceful, easy feeling!" So, I reached for Power Poppy's Burst of Kindness with it's interesting and bodacious blooms and fuzzy bumble bees!

To get this "look" I stamped the main image using Memento Paris Dusk. I then colored up the image just adding a bit of depth with a trio of Copic Markers - B60, B63 and B66. As you can see, I did add a touch of black. Feel free to add to the trio of colors in minor ways. The idea here is to create a monochromatic feeling creation that's awash in blue!

As you can see, when I was done stamping my main panel, I stamped the same image on a larger piece of paper using Versamark ink and giving it a dusting of white embossing powder, then heat setting to create some texture. I then took the Paris Dusk ink and a water brush and picking up the ink from a palette, washed that paper with ink and water to create a mottled look, revealing the white embossed image underneath. While my brush was loaded, I also flicked some Paris Dusk ink spots onto my main image panel for a little bit of interest!

Here's a close up for you! You can see that little bumble even has some sparkle on his tiny wings!

From there, stamp the sentiment, also from the set, punch it out with a circle punch, add a little silver cording and mat it all up! Done! 

So, my sweet stamping friends, join me this week and use hues of BLUE! After you're done, be sure to link up your creation below. We LOVE to see what fun things you whip up in the name of all that is crafty! ;-) 

Remember, if you play along, you could be one of our guest stars of this column in upcoming weeks! 

To get on our radar, simply play along! We want to see you work your magic using these color combos! If chosen from one of the week's linkys, we'll share the color combo for your hosting week, gift you with a digital stamp set of your choice and then, you go to town creating! 

I will let you in on a little secret too -- I am going to start sending emails this week to invite our first guest designers! Squeeeee! I can hardly wait! 

See you back here soon!

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Inspire Me Monday: Playing with Plastic

Howdy and Happy Monday to all of you out there in cyber land!  It’s Allison Cope here with another Inspire Me Monday tutorial for you today!

This week I thought I’d pull out a medium that I haven’t used in awhile, some fun Shrink Plastic!  I remember as a kid having printed “Shrinky Dinks” to color and create with.  I remember kneeling at the oven door, peering through the glass and watching them curl and contort and become cool little trinkets.  Is this something you did as a child?

Well we’re going to play with them again today and go through a few tips and tricks of inking them, coloring them and uses for them.

So let’s go to my crafty desk and create something fun.  Today I’m showcasing the bold and beautiful “Tiger Lily XL” clear stamp set on all my projects.

Watch the video in HD here.

 Here’s another quick look at the 2 simple cards I made using my first two plastic lilies…

I attached both blooms with large glue dots.  The plastic is pretty thick and you can't see the glue dots beneath it at all.

And here’s my final project, I quick bookmark using the Tiger Lily I colored with you on screen…

I hope you too get a chance to play with some fun stamps and cool plastic.  Give some of that plastic packaging that you have hanging around a try.

Thanks for joining me today!

~ Allison Cope ~


stamps:  Power Poppy (Tiger Lily XL)
inks: Staz On (Jet Black), Memento (Tuxedo Black), Versafine (Onyx Black), Copic Markers, Ranger Distress (Picked Raspberry), Ranger Distress Oxide (Wilted Violet, Worn Lipstick), Catherine Pooler Designs (Melon Ice)
dies:  My Favorite Things (Stitched Circles)
cardstock:  Recollections (110# White Cardstock)
stencil: Simon Says Stamp (Falling Snow)
sequins: CraftMedley (Princess Sequins)
shrink plastic: Ranger Inkssentials

July Challenge: Copy a Bloomie

Hello folks and Happiest of Fridays to YOU! This month, we're back with a new challenge designed to deliver a little design power full of creative spark!  Last month you blew our socks off with your June Bug Challenge entries and we just know you'll do the same this month! If you missed out on the action last month, visit our challenge post HERE to see all the AMAZING cards and creations submitted. I have one word -- "Woah!!" You guys rocked it!

This month, we have a new hostess and she's challenging you to sleuth around the web to find creative inspiration thanks to our beloved Bloomies! 

HOW TO PLAY: Instead of letting me share all the deets for this month's challenge, let's let the hostess with the mostess -- Ms. Ally Cope -- share!

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“Your challenge for the month of July is to CASE a Bloom Brigade member! What is CASE-ing you ask? CASE stands for Copy And Share Everything! It's as simple as being inspired in any old which way by another person's card. Most people copy a few aspects of the card, like the layout of the card layers and basic elements but change up a few things like the embellishments, colors or even the theme. So, copy a few things but change a few things too!”

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I chose to CASE this recent glorious holiday card below by the lovely Stacy Morgan. She featured the festive stamps from Power Poppy's Merry Littles stamp set. 

Here's my take on Stacy's card featuring Power Poppy's Sweet Memories and Burst of Kindness clear stamp sets. I loved Stacy's design, so I chose to take the basic layout of her card and rotate it to fit a top folding A-2 sized card. While I loved the bold holiday colors, I chose to change my card to a softer, more subtle color palette instead. 

Instead of grabbing some patterned papers, I chose to stamp a greeting all over my background and create my own. Stacy's card is a holiday theme and so I changed my card to be something different, a Thank You (& Miss You) card. 

So there you go! Go and get inspired by our Bloom Brigade members by clicking on our Bloomie Blog Roll off to the right. Remember to link up the Bloomie's creation that you chose to CASE in your own blog post and then link it up your version below on our challenge linky! Happy creating! ~Ally

Thanks so much Ally! Remember folks, if you get your fingers inky and your lucky name is drawn at the end of July, you win a......

$50 SHOPPING SPREE

AT THE POWER POPPY SHOP! WOOT WOOT!

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THE OFFICIAL RULES:

• Use Power Poppy stamps if you have them. If not, it is a great way to win some! 
• Link your creation below using our Linky (please use the exact URL from your post instead of a generic blog address.)
• Please mention Power Poppy in YOUR blog or gallery post with a link back to THIS challenge
• The winner will receive a $50 SHOPPING SPREE TO THE POWER POPPY SHOP! 
• Enter as many cards as you’d like, as long as they fit the theme of the challenge!
• Deadline to enter is July 31th @ 8:00 PM EST. At that point, we’ll draw the winner randomly and make the announcement right here on the first Friday in August. 

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Moving on, we have a winning name to draw! After random.org put all of the names in the virtual hat, the number drawn was...

                                                  

Which means the winner is.....

MARSHA DRAIN! 

You have to check out Marsha's beautifully colored and distressed creation that comes complete with a fluttering butterfly! She used Power Poppy's digital stamp set Pure Prairie Bouquet to perfection!

CONGRATS MARSHA! You've won a $50 Shopping Spree — contact us at bloom@powerpoppy.com and we'll send you your shopping code!

Before I let you go, I do have a few fun-filled announcements! 

I'm sure you've heard the old saying when the cat's away, the mice will play? Well, since Marcy decided to hit the road on a fun-filled family vacation, Power Poppy hopes you get... SHOPPY! See what I did there? Anywhoo, if you need to stock up on some digital stamps, NOW IS THE TIME! All digital images, ALL OF THEM, will be on sale through July 14th when you shop and use promo code VACATIONDIGIS at the time of checkout. How fun is that? 

Keep in mind, if you purchase clear stamps during that time frame (between July 6 and July 14), orders will be mailed on or after July 17th. The store isn't closed, the mailing department is just taking a little nap! ;-)  

And now, let's turn it over to some of the most talented card designers in all of blog land!

Stop by, say "hi" and see what these fine ladies have been up to this week!

Cindy Lawrence

Kathy Jones

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to swing back by Monday when Ally Cope will be at it again -- wowing us with her mad stampin' skills for another edition of Inspire Me Monday. She'll share an oft-forgotten supply that not only is fun to use but creates a little wow factor on your cards and projects! Here's a hint -- it changes before your eyes! How's that for a teaser? Have a fabulous weekend and we'll see you back here real soon!

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up