Making a Peep!

Hello Power Poppy fans and welcome to the end of another creative week! Are you ready to see what the Bloom Brigade has been up to? Or, are you excited to see who the next few Peeps of the Week are? WE  SURE ARE!

What's the Peep of the Week you ask? It’s only the most fun, colorful, creative, and easiest way to show off your Power Poppy goodness!

HERE’S HOW TO PLAY: All you need to do is use the linky below and share a new Power Poppy creation. Just that simple! It can be anything — a card, an altered item, a 3D creation, a set of cards, ANYTHING! We love to see what you’re making.

OFFICIAL RULES:

• Use Power Poppy Stamps on your creation! 
• You CAN combine challenges — we love to see just how creative you can get using our stamps! 
• Link up your creation using the Linky below 
• Mention the Peep of the Week challenge in your blog or gallery post with a link back to this blog post! 
• We’ll accept entries up until Thursday @3PM EST and will announce the Power Peeps of the Week next Friday for our Peep of the Week post.

By the way, have you checked out our Pop Goes the World Challenge HERE? It's a fabulous color inspiration challenge and if you win, you get a free stamp set of your choice! You have until August 31st — so get those fingers inky!! We'll announce the winner next Friday along with the monthly Power Peep winner as well...

ONE NOTE OF BUSINESS BEFORE WE UNVEIL THIS WEEK’S PEEPS! 

Mark your calendar for a super exciting 5-days to help you celebrate the holidays in full sparkly splendor. That’s right, we’ll be revealing the FIRST EVER Power Poppy Holiday Release! Squeel! Oh my! Wait until you see this holiday collection full of whimsy! I really wish I could give you a sneaky peak, but that kind of action is above my pay grade! ;-) You'll just have to wait until September 27th when we kick off 5 days of spirited fun guaranteed to get you in the Christmas mood!

**NOW TO OUR SUPER DUPER POWER POPPY PEEPS OF THE WEEK!**

Doesn’t this beauty above just make you say Ahhhhhhhh...? Aside from the fabulous combinations of papers, a crisp layout, and all that wonderful stitching to give it some POP — look at that coloring job from the talented Becky TE! The overlapping flower images from Geraniums Take Two make you feel as if you’re sitting in the middle of a windowbox!

And check out the feminine beauty crafted by the talented hands of Helen Airton! Helen always has a way of adding those decorative touches that just take a creation to the next level! It’s romantic, lacy, and pink — but those snappy black accents give her card such depth. I have to add that she’s masterfully colored up the gladioli from the stamp set Dynamic Duos: Glads & Gerberas! 

Ladies, we can’t wait to add these beauties to the Power Poppy Peeps of the Week board over on Pinterest! And remember, if YOU plan to use Power Poppy stamps in a creation this week -- join in on our Power Poppy Peeps of the Week Challenge simply by linking up your creation below! Next week, we'll take all of the entries for August and pick one lucky winner to walk away with a STAMP SET OF CHOICE! You still have time to enter, so what are you waiting for?

Want to see some of the latest eye candy, courtesy of the Bloom Brigade? You’ll have to hop on over and see...

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Dawn Burnworth
Katie Sims
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Be sure to leave these fine ladies some love in the form of a comment, link up your Power Poppy creations below and we’ll see you all back here soon! 

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

A time for tomatoes and basil

Well hello there! 

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been able to write a blog post, and I miss letting everyone in on our family’s silliness and my artistic adventures. I don’t mind saying that you all have kept me busy busy busy getting orders mailed out from our last stamp release, and I am so grateful for each and every one of you!!! With the kids home from school, going on a quick trip to the Ozarks, working on the upcoming release (more information on that coming Friday), several summer birthdays and celebrations, starting school and open houses and ah heck, JUST LIFE — it’s been tough for me to keep up.

Blogging isn’t the only area that has been affected by the far-from-lazy summer. I am sad to admit this. It’s embarrassing, really. And it’s a downright bummer for the foodie and pleasure-seeker in me. But I have not made my summer go-to dish of tomatoes & basil a single time this summer. NOT ONCE!!

There was a time, like, say every single summer before this, when tomatoes and basil were consumed 1-2 times a week, in some configuration or other. I’d buy tomatoes at the farmers market, or get them from my sweet neighbors and friends who had abundant crops. I would resort to good Italian canned ones if fresh weren’t handy. I grow basil in pots, along with my other herb obsessions: marjoram, lemon thyme and anything else I can cram into the containers. I’d snip up the herbs with kitchen shears or pull the leaves off by hand, chiffonade it all up with a chef’s knife, or throw the entire sprigs into the dish, but one way or other, tomatoes and basil USUALLY make their way into what I’m cooking all summer long. 

Last summer, I found myself with so many gorgeous heirloom tomatoes (red, orange, yellow, shades of pink and green and everything in between!), I took to photographing my concoctions. This one had fat blobs of fresh goat cheese from Baetje Farms. Check out that juicy yellow-pink number!

I’d add a drizzle of olive oil, and something acidic (whether lemon or lime juice, Balsamic or white wine vinegar), and always big, flaky kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper. Lunch is served!

 

Girl, you know I added avocado, smoky local bacon, and blue cheese to this one! HOW could I have let a summer pass without having made this?! I’m shaking my head at myself as I type.

  

Lulu and I made our own fettucine using the heavy (do not let it drop on your foot) Italian pasta maker I inherited from my Grandmother Dorothy. We simmered a slew of homegrown tomatoes with a whole chopped onion and lots of garlic, a little red wine, and a hunk (or 2... or 3) of butter — it was pure divinity! Lulu asked if she could “style the photo” (she is so my child) and she ran out to the overstuffed pots, picked the herbs, and placed them “just so” for our picture. Needless to say, I’m a big fan of her work!

One afternoon called for tomatoes and basil with gorgonzola, and the pièce de resistance was several nasturtium blossoms and tiny leaves. Whew, they are peppery!

 

Even scrambled eggs weren’t safe from my tomato-basil rampage. This creation was for dinner, as evidenced by the glass of white wine waiting in the wings.

OK. Just writing this post is seemingly enough to get my rear in gear to correct this problem.

About midway through writing just now I found myself running downstairs and yanking a bunch of purple basil, marjoram, and lemon thyme out of their pots in the garden. I found the lone tomato leftover from last week’s shopping, and, after I publish this very post, I am going to EAT IT ALL UP. The time for tomatoes and basil is nigh! 

Hope you are enjoying your last days of the warm summer, with tomatoes and herbs, the bounty of your farmers markets, or maybe you’re making cards with the Farmers Market stamp set (did you notice them tucked into the group of fresh veggies? I even DRAW tomatoes and basil!). Have a lovely, lovely day, and don’t forget to pop back over on Friday to read news about my upcoming release, find out who we’ve chosen as our latest Power Peep of the Week, PLUS who wins a free Power Poppy stamp set! Bye bye!

Inspire Me Monday: Layered Paper Strips

Good Monday to all of you Power Poppy Peeps out there! It’s Christine here and today for Inspire Me Monday. I have something that will take your colouring to a whole other level, in more ways than one!  I’m calling it Layered Paper Strips, and it’s a really neat way to add dimension and interest to your coloured project.  

Here is what the lovely finished project looks like, and I’ll take you through the steps it takes to create it!  

First I began with our lovely Countryside Bouquet - Deluxe Stamp set, stamping in in Memento Tuxedo Black onto XPress It Blending Cardstock.  

I actually stamped 3 of these bouquet images, one that I would be using for the card face (about 4 x 4) and then two other images of the same stamped onto more of the cardstock.  

There are a couple of ways you can proceed from here.  You could colour all three images individually (using the same colouring on each image) and then cut the second and third images into strips, or you can also proceed like I have.  Going this direction requires a little less colouring time.   Start by by colouring your main 4 x 4 image as you like and set aside.  

Then, with the extra two stamped pieces I oriented them exactly the same direction (here with the stems at the bottom and the bouquet running above.  Then I took out my paper trimmer and trimmed these images into uneven-width strips going horizontally with one image and then vertically with the other.  These become the popped up strips of the design.   Next you can take some of the strips from each directionally cut image (leaving some strips behind) and colour those up (I chose every other piece or so).  

It’s important that if you’re doing this method that you colour up your main image first - when the pieces are cut into strips it’s not always as easy to orient what lines or parts you are colouring so this way you can always refer back to your main coloured design, matching it up for reference as needed.  Trust me - I know this from experience :).  Those tiny lines don’t always make sense when they are just in thin little pieces in front of you.  

Here you can see the two vertical pieces I’ve chosen and coloured and the three horizontal pieces I’ve  coloured up.  

Next you’re going to layer your strips over the main image matching the designs exactly.  You could chose to weave the strips between horizontal and vertical, but I chose to lay all my horizontal images first with a thin popped adhesive square, and then add the vertical strips on top.  Your main image peeks out underneath the popped up layers adding all sorts of fun dimension.  

Now, because of the way I stamped the main image in the corner running diagonally, the strips are actually form more of an X than a cross.  You could do either way, it’s just up to you!   Both are visually effective.  

Here you can see the vertical strips added with a thicker popped adhesive square so you get more dimension to the layers.  

A bit of a side view letting you see that sort of basket design it forms.  

Here’s a close-up of the finished design also showing a peek of the sentiment from our lovely Dynamic Duos:  Peonies and Tulips set, stamped in a soft green ink.  

Because I wanted the design from the strips to really play center stage I didn’t add any other embellishments, so it’s a really neat Clean and Simple design with some definite punch!  

Thanks for joining me today and I hope you enjoyed learning a new way to jazz up your images!  Let me know if you tried it out, I’d love to come and see!  

(Copics for those of you who’ve asked:  BV60, BV63, BV66, Y15, Y35, Y38, YR14, YR15, BG90, BG93, BG96, BV02, BV04, V02, G21, G24).

Jeepers Peepers!

Howdy Ho there stampers! TGIF! It's the end of another creative week and just to get your weekend kick-started, we have a little extra treat for you today! Not only is the Bloom Brigade here to show off some fabulously creative eye candy, but we'll share the latest round of Power Poppy Peeps of the Week! Can I get a "Woo-Hoo?"

Before we get to all of that excitement, just in case you missed it, Power Poppy took center stage over at the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog with their Card Cafe Thursday! And today, there's another surprise! Head on over to their blog HERE to the and see how YOU could win a.....

That's right! A $25 gift certificate to the Power Poppy Shop! Who wouldn't want one of those? Like I said, just click HERE to find out how you can walk away a winner!

Now to our super fun weekly announcement! The winners for this week's Peeps of the Week Challenge! They are outstanding! Don't take my word for it -- check it out yourself!

First up, this charming and beautifully decked out box that is perfect for gifting seeds to a friend! This little number was whipped up by Elizabeth Zaffarano using Power Poppy's Farmers Market set! Love that bold pop of color!

Next up is this beauty created by Holly Brown using Power Poppy's Azalea set. I love those soft shades of green and peach with a hint of earthy brown! And, check out that texture Holly created using Crackle Paint -- way cool!

Ladies, these wonderful splashes of creativity will be live and in color on our Power Poppy Peeps of the Week board over on Pinterest so that cardmakers far and wide can see them. I just know they will find them "Pinteresting!" Maybe they will even be "Pinspired!" Okay, I'm done now. 

And, if you plan to use Power Poppy stamps in a creation this week -- join in on our Power Poppy Peeps of the Week Challenge!

HERE’S HOW TO PLAY: All you need to do is use the linky below and share a new Power Poppy creation. Just that simple! It can be anything -- a card, an altered item, a 3D creation, a set of cards, ANYTHING!

OFFICIAL RULES:

• Use Power Poppy Stamps on your creation! 
• Link up your creation using the Linky below 
• Mention the Peep of the Week challenge in your blog or gallery post with a link back to this blog post! 
• We’ll accept entries up until Thursday @3PM EST and will announce the Power Peeps of the Week next Friday for our Peep of the Week post.

Hey, before I forget! Have you checked out our Pop Goes the World Challenge HERE? It's a fabulous color inspiration challenge and if you win, you get a free stamp set of your choice! You have until August 31st -- so get those fingers inky and let us see whatcha got! After you link up your creation on that post, come back here and enter again for the Peep of the Week! That's what I call double duty fun! 

Need some inspiration to get those creative juices flowing? Run, don't walk, (without scissors of course) to visit these fine Bloom Brigade members over at their places on the web! 

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Danielle Kennedy
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Don't forget to link up your creation. Also, mark your calendar for our next Inspire Me Monday! Christine Okken is our hostess with the mostess! She has a beautiful technique/layout that will help give a whole new kind of dimension to your cards and creations! 

See you then!

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Inspire Me Monday: Chalkboard tags

Hi there! Dina here for another Inspire Me Monday!

I have a habit of looking for things to alter when I shop... at thrift stores I’m always looking for paintable boxes, wood pieces or frames. A couple of months ago I spotted a set of wooden chalkboard tags at Michaels – grabbed them... tucked them in my “things to paint” drawer... then forgot about them. You know you’ve done it too... ;)

When I found them again I had a new stack of Power Poppy stamps on my desk! Perfect combination for a fun little chalkboard technique.

I started by stamping the apple box image from Farmers Market using Memento Luxe ink – this is a great bright white on black surfaces.

I added highlights to the image using a white Prismacolor pencil after heat-setting the ink. I normally color shading and leave highlights white, so this takes a bit of practice. Highlights hit where the image is closest to the light and curving toward the light. I pictured a light source to the upper left... I normally don't bother with a light source, and just imagine myself as the light source when I color.

Here’s the completely colored image – I sketched in a horizontal line to give the box something to sit on, and stamped the sentiment, adding a few highlights with a pencil there too. The tags came with twine hangers, which I removed for stamping.

Here’s another tag I added some color to – I’d suggest coloring the white highlights first. The color added is the ‘true color’ of the image (a poppy from Countryside Bouquet Deluxe). Leave the shadows uncolored, and let the black show through in those areas.

One more tip for adding texture to a background – this is drywall tape that you can get at any hardware store. It’s great as a stencil or even a stamp! You can see how I used it on the completed tags below.

If you don’t have wooden tags, you coul get the same effect with die cut chipboard or wood pieces painted with chalkboard or matte acrylic paint.

Enjoy the close ups!

(This reminds me... I’m heading to my parents’ house today in N. Idaho – can’t wait to go to the farmer’s market with my Mom!)

Share what you love!

Hey Peeps!!!

What’s shakin’ Power Poppy Peeps? It’s FRIDAY! And that always brings a bevy of fun here on the Power Poppy Blog! It’s a day when we get to honor the talents of YOU -- our customers, see some fabulous creations from the Bloom Brigade AND invite you to show off your Power Poppy works of art!

HERE’S HOW TO PLAY: All you need to do is use the linky below and share a new Power Poppy creation. Just that simple! It can be anything -- a card, an altered item, a 3D creation, a set of cards, ANYTHING!

OFFICIAL RULES:

• Use Power Poppy Stamps on your creation! 
• Link up your creation using the Linky below 
• Mention the Peep of the Week challenge in your blog or gallery post with a link back to this blog post! 
• We’ll accept entries up until Thursday @3PM EST and will announce the Power Peeps of the Week next Friday for our Peep of the Week post. 

AND... DID YOU KNOW??

Peeps of the Week Winners will have their creations posted in a special gallery on the Power Poppy Pinterest Boards! All players from this month's Friday challenges will have their names thrown into a hat and the winner for the month will get to pick a FREE STAMP SET OF THEIR CHOICE! So, the more you play, the more chances you have! Remember too -- our Pop Goes the World Challenge is still LIVE so you can click HERE, read all about it and then.... get those fingers inky to ENTER A CREATION and maybe even win a free stamp set!

Let's get to those winners... drum roll please!

First up, you can really see the colors of the Italian Riviera in this little number by Helen Airton! We LOVE those lushly colored Geraniums and the bold shades of red and yellow! Well done Ms. Helen!

Cammie Murphree whipped up a beautifully colored bouquet with this stunner using Countryside Bouquet Deluxe! The depth in her coloring just makes me sigh! 

And last, but certainly not least is this creation using the set Sunny Harvest by the ever-so-talented Theresa Pollack! I just love the way she oriented this little bouquet of sunshine! The papers and colors she used just make me smile!

Ladies, we loved being able to add these beautiful creations to the Power Poppy Pinterest Page! They are just splashes of joy and we are proud to display your fabulous talents!

Speaking of talent, let's turn it over to the Bloom Brigade who have some beauties of their own to share this week!!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Leslie Miller
Tosha Leyendekker

And don’t forget to link up your new creations for next week's Power Poppy Peeps of the Week challenge! We love, love, love seeing your creativity at work!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

A Splash of Color!

Hi all and welcome to another Inspire Me Monday!

It’s Julie here and today I am going to show you a quick and easy way to add monochromatic color! As you follow along -- keep in mind -- there are a few steps, but they go very quickly and in the end, you have a piece that can take center stage on a card in minutes! Unlike some of the colored creations that I can work on for well over an hour, this look can be done in 10 minutes or less!

So, here’s the splash of monochromatic color that I want to showcase today.....

 Here’s What You’ll Need:

• Dye-based ink (I used Memento Rosebud)
• Blender Pen
• Water Brush
• 2 complementary shades of Alcohol-based Markers
• Acrylic Block

Let’s Get Started!

I started by stamping the largest Azalea image from the stamp set Azaleas in Rosebud Memento Ink. 

Using the Rosebud ink pad, “smoosh” (yes, that's the technical name) some ink onto a clean acrylic block. 

Using a blender pen, pick up the ink from the block and add color to areas of your flower.

Keep in mind, I didn't pick up the ink and color directly onto the flower. I usually colored a bit off on a scrap page so that the color would be a little more subtle. Here's a peek at my scribble sheet!

After I was done adding color to the flowers and branches, I used RV0000 and RV00 to add some shading around the outside of my flower. I think this adds a bit of depth!

Then, I had some fun with the left over ink on my acrylic block with a water brush. Make sure you squeeze some water out of the water brush so you have a very damp brush. I picked up the ink and then I took my finger tip and flicked/tapped the brush right below the brush, forcing the color onto the piece of paper. 

Depending on how wet your brush is, you can get different sized water splashes. On this one below, my brush was more wet. You'll see in my other card, the splashes were more fine. 

And here's one of my finished cards.....

Here's the other one!

Be sure to test drive different monochromatic color schemes! This one below is using Memento Sweet Plum with V01 and V0000 Copic Markers.

Here's a peek at Memento Teal Zeal with BG0000 abd BG53.

And here's what Lilac Posies looks like with the RV00 and RV63 Copic Markers.

I know I mentioned it before but gosh, what a fun way to add a splash of color -- using a variety of mediums -- blender pen, water brush and alcohol markers! Each main panel was finished in under 10 minutes! It actually took longer to put the whole card together than it did to color up my main image! 

Thanks for joining me today -- hope you give this technique a try and have a wonderfully creative week!

~Julie