Five days of February clear stamp previews - starting.... NOW!

Hello there! I hope you’ve been following along lately to see that we have a whole WEEK of excitement to throw at you. (Don’t duck, it’s actually fun stuff that you won’t want to miss!) Whether it was our folk-artsy new digital stamp, Flowers, Always, which we introduced yesterday showcasing gorgeous cards by the Instant Gardeners, or an outstanding coloring tutorial by Kathy of the Daily Marker for Inspire Me Monday, we’ve started this week with some real flower power.

And now, I have a new clear stamp collection for you. This February release is called Grow Everyday, and features a range of springy botanicals (I know y’all love those), some all-occasion stamps that are easy to stamp-and-go without a big to-do about coloring and shading, and finally, something I’ve been wanting to bring to you since we first started Power Poppy, a set of positive affirmations. Five lively sets in all — you might recognize a few of the images from our digital collection, as I pluck out my faves and pop them into polymer when the time is right — and I hope you’ll see something that catapults you into creativity! Our Bloom Brigade has been working hard behind the scenes to develop beautiful and inspiring cards to share with you each day. On Sunday, February 21, we’ll have a bouncing blog hop with the entire team, and the week of February 22nd, our Grow Everyday collection will be in stock and ready to ship!

Let’s start peeking...

We’re going to start rolling with a set I’ve been dreaming about doing for years. Showcasing the flowers and branches and emerging buds of this flowering tree was so much fun, it took all my willpower not to create about six different sets, each featuring a different variety!! I actually did a watercolor featuring lots of Magnolias in 1996 (holy smokes, that was 20 years ago already), featured in the Klehm Nursery mail-order catalog, which I designed and illustrated:

But sometimes I have to reel myself in (not often, but sometimes), and here I’ve culled a few favorites. Want to see some of my inspiration? Many of these photographs were taken in my parents’ garden, which they nicknamed Magnolia Folly, owing to Mom’s love for Magnolias. Others were snapped at the Missouri Botanical Garden, where I seem to go so often in the spring, the gardeners there might think I’m an employee! (Maybe I should bite the bullet and apply to work there?)

Let’s start it off with a bang! Yellow magnolias make my life that much better, there, I said it. This one is Magnolia x ‘Butterflies’ in the front yard of my folks’ Magnolia Folly.

Photographed in the bulb garden last spring at Missouri Botanical Garden. Not sure of the cultivar. Let’s just refer to it as Magnolia ‘Awesomeness Maximus’.

Mom’s absolute favorite, the rare coral-color and double-flower make this one a total standout. It’s called Magnolia Coral Lake.

Again with the Coral Lake. Look at these radiant jewels! This is in the side garden at Magnolia Folly. :)

Magnolia stellata, or Star Magnolia. Check out the skinny petals of pink sweetness! This cultivar is one of the first to open at my parents’, and if it doesn’t get bitten by frost, produces gobs and gobs of starry blooms. Cultivar is M. ‘Leonard Messel’.

A branch of Magnolia stellata ‘Leonard Messel’ that Steve cut for me and I arranged in my dining room last spring, along with a myriad of Hellebores and tiny Daffodils displayed in test tube vases.

I cannot claim to know the name of this white Magnolia. Can anyone help me? I photographed its bubbly blooms a few years ago at Missouri Botanical Garden and forgot to write down the cultivar. Arrgh!

What a sultry center. The stamens look almost like a sea urchin... or teeny tiny french fries.

Lastly, here’s my lil red Yamaha parked next to Magnolia ‘Elizabeth’, at Magnolia Folly. This tree is over 2 stories tall and LOADED with flowers. Kind of a neighborhood showpiece!  I had ridden over to my folks’ house on a balmy spring day, and the only downside to riding is that you can’t bring home a bouquet...

I want to add that most of the Magnolias shown here, and MANY MANY MORE are available by mailorder from my favorite nursery of all time, Klehm’s Song Sparrow. Here is a link directly to the Magnolia offerings on their website. Go here for inspiration — and maybe pick out a tree or two!

Ok, that’s it for the show and tell. Now let’s get to the stamp set inspired by all this beauty! Presenting, Planning for Magnolias.

I’ve clipped a branch straight off the tree, and whether you color it in pink, purple, yellow, white, coral, or any combination thereof, I think you’ll find this stamp a pretty addition to your stamping garden! There isn’t a ton of complicated shading on these plants, so this set works well when you don’t want to invest too much time, but still want a showy card or creation. Other images in this Planning for Magnolias have a more casual take... and one features a fun “planner” scene inspired by the kinds of tabletop set-ups we have all over our house... open books, calendars, journals with lots of cute stuff spilling out all over the place. Only this one has a Magnolia stellata along for the ride.

Oh, hey look!! The Bloom Brigade is breezing in to show us some of the many ideas you can try with this set of flowering Magnolias and friendly sentiments.

TAKE IT AWAY, BLOOMIES!

Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker
Cindy Lawrence
Leslie Miller
Kathy Jones
Allison Cope
Katie Sims
Christine Okken
Julie Koerber

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope you’ll make a note to come on back tomorrow, for something a bit folksy, fun, and just a little bit “crewel.”

A Special Note: 
 It is with the heaviest heart that I must share with you this news. My beloved mother, Susan H. Smith, passed away on February 6th. You can read my special post about Mom’s life here. We cannot thank you enough for the prayers and good thoughts everyone has been sending.

With love and beauty to all of you... my sweet friends.