Inspire Me Monday: The Best of FALL!

Well folks, we are now a few days into one of the most colorful seasons of the year -- my personal favorite -- Autumn! And, what better time to pull out the orange, crimson and amber shades of decorative paper, ribbon and buttons than now! We thought since we are fresh into fall, it would be fun to comb through the Inspire Me Monday archives to find some of the best tutorials that truly capture this beautiful time of year.

ARE YOU READY FOR OUR TOP 5?

5. Sunflower Spinner! 

Click on over to Ally Cope's tutorial where she puts the spin on one of our favorite harvest time blossoms (Sunflower Power) with a truly unique and fall-themed spinner card! 

4. Dimensional Wonder 

Have you ever used embossing paste? Well, Christine brings out the feel of fall with this beautiful background and then puts a gorgeously colored autumn scene on display! (So Grateful) Psst. if you like this image in clear, I have a little hint for you... you might want to check back for tomorrow's digital stamp set release. Yep, that was a hint! ;-) 

3. Ink Smash! 
Sometimes, we just gotta get messy and let that vibrant color take over. That's exactly what Dina Kowal did with this fun technique called Ink Smash. Click the link and you'll even find a video showing you a step-by-step video giving you all the deets you need to pull off this look with Power Poppy's Sunny Harvest set. 

2.  Coloring Up Fall
Colorista Mindy Baxter shows us exactly how to color up these fall fruits in rich hues using Copic Markers. Cue up this tutorial, grab your markers, your Fall Haul digi stamp if you have it and a cuppa your favorite beverage and that's what I call a great way to spend an afternoon!

1. Chalkboard Sunflowers
Use the trendy look of chalkboard behind your digital stamps in this ab fab video by Ally Cope. She used a chalkboard design behind Power Poppy's Sunflower Power image, but honestly, if you follow the tutorial, you can add all kinds of patterns behind any one of Power Poppy's digital stamps. This, my friends, is one of those "can't miss" tutorials! We happen to love it now because of it's fall flair!

We hope you've enjoyed this "Best Of Inspire Me Monday," and we hope you found some inspiration! Sometimes, you just need to scroll through past tutorials to realize how many there are in the Power Poppy archives that maybe you didn't try yet or really need to try again!

Have a wonderful week everyone! Be sure to tune back in tomorrow for another Instant Garden release. I can't wait to see what new image "sprouts" in the Power Poppy Shop! 

Until next time!
~Julie 

Are you feeling the (good) vibes?

Hello Power Poppy Peeps! It is.... FRIDAY! And, you all know what that means, right? Come on... of course you do! Not only will we have some eye candy to share from some of the Bloomies, we have a hit list of fun things to click on and check out designed to bring nothing but GOOD VIBES! 

This week we have some extra surprises hidden in this list, so make sure you are reading in between the lines! ;-)

Your Good Vibes 5 Hit List! 

1. Giving a little Power Poppy Love We absolutely sigh when we see Power Poppy fans bring Marcella's illustrations to life and Corinne Jones did just that this week -- several times over! You really need to click HERE to take a little trip to her blog to see exactly what I mean. She has a half dozen cards including this one above using Power Poppy's Trumpet Vine Visitor that are eye-poppingly vibrant and dripping with her coloring talents! 

2. Mixed Media Marvel What do you get when you combine a digital stamp, a stencil, some modeling paste and some mixed media inks? Heidi Jakobs gives us the answer with this showstopper using Power Poppy's Olive & Oak digital stamp set. Click HERE to check out her step-by-step tutorial and.... prepare to be amazed! 

3. I've got a secret! Have you been following the fun over at Passionate Paper Creations and Friend's Facebook page this week? Well, Power Poppy is a sponsor and not only does Ms. Rhea cue up a fun video showing how to transform a spring peony into a autumnal delight, if you become a member of this talented and upbeat group, there just might be a sweet surprise that you could cash in on at the Power Poppy Shop. (Yes, that was your hint!)

4. Delight on Dark I love it when people stretch their creative comfort zones to try new things. "Aussie Annie" knocked our socks off giving texture paste and powders a try to take part in our Creative Confetti Design in the Dark Challenge. Click HERE to check out her experiments using Power Poppy's Azaleas stamp set! 

5. Large & In Charge! Last Saturday the Instant Gardeners hand picked a brand new digi from the Power Poppy Shop and I mean to tell you, there are so many different takes on our brand new set Bountiful Bouquet that you might just want to take a trip back in time -- or just click HERE -- to see all the fabulous ways these designers used this stunning fall-themed bouquet! 

Now these next few tidbits could easily be number 6 and number 7 on the good vibes list but that would push us over the edge! So, oblige me as I share! ;-)

If you love a good bargain, check this out...

That's right - 15% off STOREWIDE ends this Monday! Okay, who doesn't want  need a little more Power Poppy goodness in their lives? And, to think you can get some of the images on your wish list for a little less? Like I said, sale ends Sunday so, hit the Power Poppy Shop before then and use the code WONDER15! 

And don't forget about this page-turner of a challenge!

Hit the Books with Ms. Katie Sims and earn a chance at a $50 Shopping Spree at the Power Poppy Shop! All you have to do is create a book-inspired creation. The options, my friend, are endless! Just click HERE to read all about our latest Power & Spark Challenge! 

Need a little inspiration to help jump start your creative weekend? Well, this Bloomie duo is happy to share! Just hop on over to see... 

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

Thanks for stopping by my sweet peeps to see what fun we had in store! We have much more coming your way as we kick off next week, so as they say, "Don't be a stranger!"

Until then, enjoy your weekend!

~Julie

Bring on the (Pumpkin) Spice!

Okay, raise your hand if you can't wait until fall when Pumpkin Spice Season starts!! Yes, I know I raised my hand before I even finished asking the question. The only thing better than a pumpkin spice latte would be a calorie-free pumpkin spice latte. Can't they please invent that? Pretty please? 

Since the season is here, why not add a little bit of fall flavor to our card making? I say YES! Let's do it! That brings us to this week's Creative Confetti Challenge from yours truly, the Creative Confetti Thrower! ;-)

HOW TO PLAY: It's just as simple as choosing a pumpkin spice color scheme, or like I mentioned, a "spicy" stamp set. Want some ideas on which Power Poppy set just might be a perfect fit for this flavor of fall? How about...


Get Wool Soon -- isn't that a pumpkin spice latte in the coffee mug?
Gingerbread Family
Lavender
Soothing Sympathy
Spice it Up
Feeling Fall
Frosted Gingerbread
Apples in Season (think spiced cider, my friends!)

With so many options, I can almost see the visions of pumpkin spice dancing in your heads! Want to see my take on this challenge?

When I dreamt up this challenge, I knew I had to use Power Poppy's brand new stamp set, Fortunes of Fall! I just love the vignettes in this set and the pumpkin trio was pretty much perfect for a Pumpkin Spice Challenge! I started by stamping with Memento Rich Cocoa and then grabbed my Copic markers to color this image up. 

Here's a close up look at this colored up image....

To mat it all up, I reached for shades of olive, kraft (to bring out the nutmeg color) and orange (for my pumpkin) and ta da! It's a wrap! I added some twine, a button and some fun die cut accents and that, my friends, is it! 

HOW TO PLAY:

• Create a card or project with a pumpkin spice color scheme or... use a Power Poppy stamp set with a "spicy" theme. (See the links above for ideas!)
• Use Power Poppy stamps if you have them, if not, you might win some if you're randomly chosen. Each month, we'll round up all those that play in any of the month’s Creative Confetti challenges, and draw a name from the entries to win a $25 GIFT CARD for the Power Poppy Shop!
• To enter, link up your creation below, sharing the direct link to your card from your blog, Instagram, or card gallery. 
• Our link will be open all month for you to play along with us! Try one Creative Confetti Challenge or partake in them all for extra chances to win!

So let's capture all the Pumpkin Spice "feels" as we head to our crafting spaces. Since this is my favorite time of year -- who doesn't love sweater weather, the changing leaves and the savory comfort food that brings families to the table together? Let's capture a little bit of all this as we create and then... once you do ... don't forget to link your project below so that we can all see. You'll also be in the running for a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop, and that, my friends, is a fun prize!


Until next time!

~Julie 

a.k.a The Creative Confetti Thrower

An InLinkz Link-up

Inspire Me Monday - Emboss Resist

Hey everyone! Long time no see! I am back with you all today, and to ease back into floral videos for you all, I decided to keep things pretty simple with a little emboss resist technique using Poppy XL.

I of course have a video of this soft watercoloured card for you all as well!

I had a ton of fun playing with this stamp set and the handmade watercolours. The soft splashy look of this card really makes me happy I love watching colours move around!

Thanks for stopping by,

Hugz,
Jessie

NEW Instant Garden Release & Winners Announced

I’ve been looking soooooooo forward to sharing this new digital download set with you all, it’s pretty much the culmination of the end of summer and the first blush of fall. Fruits, flowers, and berries in a pretty mixture — and not just ONE pretty mixture — BUT TWO!! Introducing...

Bountiful Bouquet

A digital stamp set, Bountiful Bouquet features two unique focal images, plus two unique sentiments — basically it’s like getting two sets in one.

I’ve loaded up a pitcher with three things that I’d love to have in a real life bouquet. I think the colors are fantastic together. Why, the pokeweed was something I found growing along a fence while I was out walking Tibbs. 

Note: All parts of Pokeweed are toxic — do not ingest! And if touching it, handle with heavy gloves.

Pretty, but toxic, Pokeweed puts out the coolest berries on HOT PINK stems! Hubba hubba! What a shocking burst they give our bouquet. Then we have branches from a persimmon tree (here’s one I saw in full fruit last fall, look at all of those wonderful orange orbs!). And finally, three large blooms of Rudbekia gloriosa (Gloriosa Daisies) or Rudbekia hirta (Black-eyed Susan) — or color it up to be whatever you'd like! There are zillions of directions you can go.

Would you like to see what I did with the bouquet plopped in to the pitcher? I colored it up and then photographed it surrounded with flowers from my end-of-summer garden. There’s still lots happening out there:

Isn't it fun with the bits of hot pink and purple tucked in around the autumnal oranges and warm yellows? I used watercolors and gouache for the base of my coloring, then accented and added depth with Prismacolor colored pencils, my new best friends.

What does the OTHER image in this set look like? 

Well, you’re going to have to go find out for yourself, by visiting our designers’ blogs!

Jessie Banks

Nancy Sheads

Cheryl Scrivens

Rhea Weigand

Ohhhh these women are SO GOOD, aren’t they?? Thank you, dear IG team, for sharing your glorious  work, what a treat for us today!!

Did you know that you can get 15% off your entire order at Power Poppy right now? To celebrate our Natural Wonders Clear Stamp Release — check this out:

Just enter the code WONDER15 during the checkout process, and you can save on this very digi set, too! But while you're there, surely there are a few more things you can pick up... :)

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GIVEAWAY WINNERS:

Congratulations to the following folks who left wonderful comments on our Bloomies’ blogs during this release!! Even if you didn’t win, know that you are ALL so awesome, and so thoughtful! We love you and thank you for taking the time to visit our blogs and leave such thoughtful comments.

Jane Crisci

Mary Holshouser

Helen Budz

Heidi MyLittleStampingBlog

Woohoo!! Ladies, please send me an email at bloom@powerpoppy.com, and let me know which clear stamp set you'd like to receive, along with your address. 

Congratulations again, and have a great weekend, friends!

Release Day AND Storewide Sale

Hello, everybody! We made it to our exciting release day for the Natural Wonders Collection of clear stamps. I sure have enjoyed showing off the Bloomies’ cards and reading your wonderful comments!! Thank you, thank you for each special word that was shared — if you left a comment on one of the Bloomies’ blogs, you’re in the running to win a stamp set — I'll announce the winners at 5pm central today. It’s not too late to comment! :) 

And oooOOOooo, here’s our big sale!

Use code WONDER15 at checkout to save 15% off your entire order — even sale items.

Now I’d like to share the inspiration for today’s reveal...

You can call it a fascination, obsession whatever you want, but I have a huge crush on ornamental cabbage and kale. In fact, the more research I’ve done and photos I’ve looked at, I’m convinced that they might be the coolest foliage plants in the world. Now that’s saying something! Usually in the fall, I’ll tuck a few in with the pumpkins on the stairs out front, but after researching for this stamp set, I feel like planting the entire front yard with purple and pink kale!

Introducing Cabbage and Kale

This stamp set is probably one of my favorite things I’ve ever drawn, my friends!! And surely it’s one of the most unique. I’ve already colored up a whole bunch of these things and started playing with them myself... 

Cabbage and Kale has four images of varying sizes — and I’m offering coordinating dies too! Whether you design a little garden straight out of a Beatrix Potter story, or layer them up in fun ways,  or make little round gift tags, these illustrations are just a blast to color and bring to life. I can't wait for you to see the Bloom Brigade’s cards — they are TOTAL SHOWSTOPPERS.

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Now let’s get to the BIG REVEAL of the full stamp sets in Natural Wonders — EVERYTHING is available for purchase in at powerpoppy.com

Chrysanthemum XL

O Hoppy Day

Fortunes of Fall

Cabbage and Kale

Yahoo! I know that this collection of images will help you make incredibly creative cards, and I can’t wait to see them! Be sure to use code WONDER15 at checkout to get 15% off your entire order.

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber

Kathy Jones

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

The Bloomies have TOTALLY AMAZED ME this week — can’t tell you how many times I sat there slack-jawed, staring at the intricate awesomeness they create!! We are so lucky to have them, thank you, Bloomies, you ladies are the absolute BEST!

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Comment on the Bloom Brigade’s blog posts during ANY of this week’s Natural Wonders release (including the Power Poppy blog). We will select FOUR blog commenters to win the stamp of their choice.
Winners will be announced by 5pm central time on September 15 (today!) on the Power Poppy blog. The more comments you leave, the better chance you have to win. Hop to it, loves!

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I will be back later today to announce the winners of the stamp sets —AND to share our newest digital download, just added to the Instant Garden! See you soon...

xoxoxo,

Natural Wonders clear collection: Day 3

Day 3 rolling along here... and this one should really get you in the fall spirit if you aren’t already. Gotta say, though... each of the stamp sets in this collection can really be used year-round. I’ve tried to make the imagery versatile enough to not get stuck in a pile of fall stamps in the corner of your craft room. These babies can be used in spring, summer, AND fall — you’ll soon see how even today’s set has a cross-over vibe.

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Comment on the Bloom Brigade’s blog posts during ANY of this week’s Natural Wonders release (including the Power Poppy blog). We will select FOUR blog commenters to win the stamp of their choice.
Winners will be announced by 5pm central time on September 15 on the Power Poppy blog. The more comments you leave, the better chance you have to win. Hop to it, loves!

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Let me get you in the mood for today’s peeks...

When you come upon a scene this enchanting, you gotta stop and take some pumpkin pix! Like the hops vine I shared yesterday, this antiques shop is also in one of the picturesque towns in Brown County, Indiana. I loved how they made fun displays throughout their shop featuring pumpkins mixed with country-quaint antiques. It got me to thinking....

Introducing Fortunes of Fall

First, take a minute and soak in that adorable card in our graphic up there!! Isn’t Ally Cope’s card OFF-THE-CHARTS CUTE? Be sure to visit Ally’s blog to see the whole thing, there are details covered up in the graphic that you gotta see in her post.

We’ve got the sweet lil’ pumpkin vignette, and two more scenes for you to stamp and color. What do you think about Zinnias?

I thought you’d like those!! What delicious shades of these marvelous varieties, I could hardly capture them all in one shot. This is the bounty from visiting the most darling booth (Flower Hill Farm) at the Schlafly Farmer’s Market the other day — a couple selling herbs, interesting fruits and vegetables, AND flowers by the stem while their toddlers toddled about underfoot. What a heartwarming spot to visit! 

Fortunes of Fall features a whimsical scene of vintage bottles and vases, each with a perky Zinnia popped inside. The inspiration for the illustration came directly from my kitchen, where earlier this year, I grouped a bunch of random vessels together to hold Oriental Lily sprigs, which had broken off their larger stalks. Our Bloomie Stacy Morgan said, “That would be a great idea for a stamp! A mix of vases, but all with the same kind of flower in them!” I had to agree and set to work drawing it. When it comes to Zinnias, though, there is so much variety to the flower forms, I had to mix them up a bit. I snapped photos of Zinnias in my own garden, and in those of my neighbors’ who had some awesome selections. It takes a village to design a stamp set! 

One last hint at the images in today’s peeks... 

Might look familiar from a certain digital stamp in our line up! And now it’s coming out in clear, streamlined a bit, and ready to be colored up in a harvest rainbow!

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Katie Sims

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

Quick reminder: 
Place your order on release day, September 15, and get a discount on your new stamps with a code we’ll announce tomorrow. We’ll have sale prices on summer and fall stamps and a new digital image to boot! Saturday is going to ROCK. 

xoxoxo,