Good Vibe 5: Sweet, Juicy Color

Howdy friends,

How about some smashing examples of colorful fun to gaze upon this weekend? I’ve been immersed in drawing with pencil, ink, and Photoshop tools for the last few weeks, so I have to say, I’m craving COLOR — BIGTIME. Let’s check out these good vibes... and then run off and play in our art supplies!

Only a few more days until our massive Power Poppy clear stamp (and die) release. CREATIVE + CURIOUS Collection previews begin May 16. Here’s a juicy peek at a card by Stacy Morgan... she’s really amping up the saturation and sass factor with this supersize bloom. Can you name that flower? It’s one folks have been asking for, and I absolutely loved doing the research on this one, just fields of color and crepe-papery form to wade through to find the perfect bloom to illustrate.

What is the key to deepening your coloring skills? Why, practice is one biggie. But what about continuing the learning process, and gleaning knowledge from a range of teachers? Our own Julie Koerber has been taking Vanilla Arts’ coloring classes featuring Power Poppy, and every card she shares seems to be more and more magnificent, luminous, and lively! See the full card in this week’s Hues to Use — with a color palette inspired by my favorite Gummy Bears.

Mother’s Day is TOMORROW — Sunday, May 12 — and Instant Gardener Elizabeth Zaffarano took the opportunity to make a few clever cards for the occasion featuring our brand new digital stamp, Springtime Love Roundel. See the cards and learn about Elizabeth’s process on her Instagram page!

The Daffodils are still blooming — in some folks’ yards, in some folks’ cards, and the last few are still going strong in my refrigerator! (Seriously, they keep for months in there.) I just love the lemony richness of Instant Gardener Jennifer Dove’s dramatic Daffodil Bouquet card — it just screams sunshine and happiness. See the whole card, plus the markers Jenn chose for this splashy card here on her blog.

P.S. Here is a bit of Daffodil inspiration provided by my own backyard, along with several stems from my mom’s garden while it was in Full Daff Mode. Looks like a few of the Daffodils in the above photo totally match up with Jennifer’s card — I love when that happens!

Remember, you can draw on the colors and patterns of nature for your cardmaking at any time — whether you grab stems from your garden, the grocery store florist, or pictures from the internet. 

When I saw this card posted in our weekly Hues to Use challenge, I knew I wanted to be sure you guys saw it. Look up the word “showstopper” in the dictionary, and this card is right there! Lisa Johansen, you really nailed it — the colors, the layout, and the pattern play really took this creation to the next level. See Lisa’s card and read about her composition here on Lisa’s blog.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: 

Get ready for a Coordinating Die for the Dahlia XL stamp set... coming soon!

I’ve mentioned coloring classes already, I know, but I mean, how can I not mention them again when Amy Shulke is coming up with lessons, ideas, and concepts that I so passionately agree with? She gets it, folks. She gets it, and she can help you become a better colorererer. (We've got to come up with a better word than colorer. Is it colorist? Colorette? Leave any ideas you may have in the comments PLEASE!) ANYWAY — Amy has another class coming up next week to help you nail realism (and charm!) in your coloring technique. Check it out here.

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As we gear up for this weeks’ giant stamp release — and I mean giant, this is the most stamps I’ve let loose on the scene in the history of Power Poppy — our designers are cranking out so many incredible cards for next week. But we have a few GORGEOUS creations to share with you TODAY! Come see...

Katie Sims
Christine Okken

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Be sure to check out the new Power and Spark Challenge for May — hosted by Christine, who has yet another inspiring example in her post today — sure to get those wheels turning for your own projects this weekend. This one is really cool!

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Never did see the APRIL INSTANT GARDEN DIGI?

That’s because it’s coming out in May, along with the May digital introduction. Sorry for the wait, I’ve been drawing my little fingers off and can’t wait to share.

xoxoxo,