Power Poppy - The Blog: Abundance

Showing posts with label Abundance. Show all posts

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Abundance, Day 5: Under Glass, and ALL SETS AVAILABLE!!

Hello my friends — and thank you so much for coming by the Power Poppy blog today, I’ve been enjoying my visits with you all week. Our fifth clear stamp set from the Abundance collection is being revealed, and now you can shop for any stamps that might’ve piqued your fancy this week. I’m offering a fun promotion where you can save up to $30 on your order — scroll all the way down for the discount codes!

But first, let’s take a look under the glass...

Introducing a really sweet new clear stamp set, Under Glass. This set is pretty near and dear to my heart, because I love the idea of displaying objects under glass — whether you call it a cloche, bell jar, or glass dome, the concept is the same. Elevating what might be everyday objects by arranging them under sparkling glass, what a neat concept. It’s very “in” right now in the decorating world, and I thought it would be way too cute to bring into our card making world, too. Here are a few Pinterest photos of what I’m referring to....

Aren’t these the sweetest, most charming little scenes? Cloches were originally intended to act as miniature greenhouses, you’d place them atop tender plants in the garden to help generate warmth in the soil to keep a young or at-risk plant alive during chilly temps. But now, as you can see, people are coming up with all kinds of neat uses for these special glass domes. (I actually saw terra-cotta cloches when visiting Monticello, and thought that was SO neat, yet kind of a bummer that you could not peek at the vegetables underneath!)

Just wait until you see what the Bloom Brigade did with this set — I SWOON!!

NOW — GET THIS — EVERYTHING IS AVAILABLE TODAY!! And, when you buy two or more clear stamps at Power Poppy, you can save $$$$$. Check this out:

That’s some pretty big bucks back in your pocket, AND really cute stamps on top of that! :) Here are the codes for you to copy and paste into the discount code box at checkout:

$5 OFF When you buy 2 or 3 clear stamps

USE CODE ABUNDANCE5

$15 OFF When you buy 4 or 5 clear stamps

USE CODE ABUNDANCE15

$30 OFF When you buy 6 or more clear stamps

USE CODE ABUNDANCE30

You can use this promotion on ANY in-stock clear stamps – it does not have to be the newest of the new. Come stock up!! Promotion ends on Saturday, August 5 at midnight central time.

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Now for a recap of the stamps, and the BIG REVEAL of all 5 we’re offering in the Abundance Collection:

Whew, I think that’s it for now! I hope you enjoyed this week’s beautiful work by the Bloom Brigade — don’t you think this was some of their most amazing work YET? I hope their ideas and explosions of color and pattern rubbed off on you, and have you in the mood to MAKE!

One last thing... Power Puppy Tibbs says “Good Morning! And I’m going to chew all the things today!” Except for the stamp sets. No chewing on the stamp sets, Tibbs.

xoxoxo!

Saturday, July 29, 2017

Abundance preview, Day 4: Dahlia XL

Good golly, it’s a BIG day today, and we aren’t even at the end of the release yet. When I say “big,” I mean a day of terrifically beautiful card samples by the Bloom Brigade — all featuring a large scale flower that you just might recognize! But first, some background.

Earlier this year, Finn and I ventured to the St. Louis Art Museum to check out their exhibit, “Cross-Pollination: Flowers in 18th-Century European Porcelain and Textiles.” Girl, you know that kind of thing is right up my alley! We learned how botanical engravings and paintings influenced housewares, fashion, and textile design in the 1700s. The image above of Hibiscus flowers is from a massive tome called Hortus Indicus Malabaricus, published in 1686, the first book sharing the flora of India. I found this link if you’d like to see more drawings from these pages — there are multiple volumes and the drawings are quite exciting! I love how gigantic these flowers are, sweeping across the layout spread.

Seeing the intricate image of huge Hibiscus flowers got me in a huge flower state of mind! I decided not to draw a Hibiscus on this go ’round (to quote the show Hamilton, “Just You Wait!”), but I have been captivated for some time by the prettiest pastel Dahlias I see on Instagram that are grown by Erin Benzakein of Floret Flowers in Skagit Valley, Washington (@floretflower — Erin is a MUST-follow, her sun-splashed photos of life as a farmer-florist delight the soul!). After geeking out on Erin’s photos for hours, I got to sketching, adjusting my pencil to a “go big or go home” state of mind.

One of the varieties grown at Floret that’s positively incredible — so beloved that it’s now a huge trend in the garden world — is called ‘Café au Lait’. The flower heads are stunning in size, and would be referred to as Dinnerplate Dahlias. Perfect as a model for an “XL”-sized stamp! What a multitude of glowing petals that twist and turn in a frenzy of beauty.

Source: Floret Flower

I’ve not grown large Dahlias before — I stick to the smaller ones I can grab our local St. Louis nurseries. If you’re interested in seeing some photos that will make your head spin, along with sharing invaluable Dahlia growing information, here’s a wonderful post from Erin at Floret to read when you have a few moments.

Café au Lait Dahlias go through a number of color phases, and can be shades of pink, peach, vanilla, rose, creamy yellowy apricot — all the way to lavender — sometimes all on the same flower! I tried my hand at painting my first impression from our new stamp set — Dahlia XL — in these beautiful rosy-peach tones.

I can say from personal experience that this flower was a BLAST to color. The shading in the petals shows you exactly where to put your deepest shadows and your midtones, leaving the remaining areas for highlight. You’re almost guaranteed great results. The flower is so large (4-1/2 inches across!) so you can really get your coloring medium inside the petals without trouble. I didn’t even have to dig out my teeniest tiniest paintbrushes, I used an “0” sized sable brush rather than the “000” that some of our images might require. And you know what? You can color this thing in SOOOOO many ways.

Dahlia XL is a LARGE SCALE flower, it comes on a 5" x 5" canvas, and is complete with a few leaves and sentiments! It will be available to purchase on Sunday, July 30. Hey, that’s TOMORROW!!

Now to see what the Bloom Brigade has made to help get you in the mood.... please, remain seated while viewing these cards. For it is possible that you could topple over in a shear state of swoon-osity.

Folks, we have ONE MORE adorable set to share tomorrow — and THEN, you can start shopping! If you are a fan of the vignettes in our Short Stacks and Cozy Cupfuls clear sets, then this new design will be right up your alley.

We’re launching a special promotion to be announced tomorrow — if you’re planning on getting multiple sets, you can save big bucks, so stay tuned.

xoxoxo!

Friday, July 28, 2017

Abundance preview, Day 3: Tree of Life

We’re sharing a stamp set today that has roots that go back to the beginning of time — a theme I’ve been wanting to explore for some time, because the imagery that is created in its honor is always so richly colorful, filled with lush flowers and fruits, and just totally fascinating. This theme is the Tree of Life!

The Tree of Life concept appears in nearly every culture and every religion, in folklore and mythology, and nearly always symbolizes life and abundance. Branches decoratively curving, heavy with fruit, lush leaves, birds and creatures galore — a hub of activity and source of giving.

Before I share previews of my new set and let you lose with the Bloom Brigade, I want to share a few images of beautiful artworks dedicated to the Tree of Life.

Early 17th century English needlework depicting 12 different fruits on the same tree, with flowers and animals of every stripe.

Ancient Egyptian design on papyrus.

Traditional Indian mithila painting on fabric.

Embroidery design for bed tapestries by William Morris’ daughter, May, which includes every flight of fancy, and greatly influenced my design.

Gustav Klimt’s famous Tree of Life frieze

Sonia Patwardhan’s Tree of Life work done in the ancient Indian Kalamkari method of painting on cloth and dying the colors directing into cloth.

Are you inspired yet?? I know I feel charged up just looking at all of that vitality — so many interpretations, so many ways to bring this theme into full color. The possibilities are endless (and you’ll see that the Bloom Brigade’s creativity is endless as well, WOW what COOL cards they’ve made to share with us!!) Introducing my newest clear stamp set: Tree of Life.

I think you’ll have more fun than you know what to do with using this set. It’s just a FUN one to work on! The leaves are shaded such that you’ll know exactly where to put your shadows and highlights — which really brings this design to life. I’ve included extra critters, more flowers, and plenty of pretty sentiments that underscore the theme of the image. The image itself is rather large, so whether you color the entire piece or crop into it, you will have a very detailed and dynamic creation.

If you don’t believe me, come see what the Bloomies have made with Tree of Life — you are gonna love these cards — I feel that I could look at them for hours!! You’ll find that you can make an outstanding card even without coloring in the stamp design. Which of our designers tried this approach? You’ll have to go peek for yourself:

Thank you marvelous Bloomies — what exquisite works you have been making for this week — TOTALLY AWESOME STUFF! Just when I think it can’t get any better, they go and blow the lid off. But wait — you haven’t even seen what we have in store for TOMORROW!!! See you then.

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Abundance Preview, Day 2: Pure Prairie Spirit

Hey hey hey! Have you been following along on our Abundance stamp collection sneak peeks? We got underway yesterday with a versatile floral set called Vibrant Thanks, and today we’re jumping back into the world of flowers for a bouquet that’s been on our best seller list since as a digital stamp.

I often go for walks in a park nearby that’s designated as a “prairie restoration” — landscapers took what was once a grassy field and totally revamped the area into rolling hills of native wildflowers. Now, I’ve drawn a lot of wildflowers in my time, but there is something about prairie fields buzzing with local color that really brings a smile!

Getting out my illustration go-tos (Bristol illustration board and a pencil) I concocted a free-flowing bouquet based on prairie-esque stems picked from my garden, and then I whittled around, got out the eraser, and supplemented areas with flowers more common to prairies out west. After doing a little research, I brought in favorites like little bluestem, New England asters, purple prairie clover, and Indian paintbrush.

This bouquet may look a bit familiar, because the digital stamp form, Pure Prairie Bouquet, has been quite popular with our digi-loving customers, and NOW we are offering this image (updated and enhanced a bit here and there!) for our clear stamp-loving customers. It is so much fun to bring this image to life with color — whether you stick to the true shades of the flowers, or go rogue and bring in your own imaginative palette! Introducing: Pure Prairie Spirit.

Such an eyeful of flowers, I tell ya! As if it was plucked from the prairie fields and brought inside to plunk into a pitcher. You’ll find what makes the Pure Prairie Spirit clear stamp set different from the digital set is that the butterflies (there are 2!) are not a part of the bouquet itself, you can add butterflies, or skip them altogether. There is an array of sentiments — including a fun birthday blurb that really pairs up nicely with the theme of this wild, wonderful set. Want to see how you can use this set? Let’s go see what the Bloom Brigade has created for release day — they have had so many art supplies out for this bouquet, I’m sure craft tables were flooded with color (and marker caps).

Take it away, Bloomies!

Thank you so much for coming to see the colorful fun we’ve been working on — and hope you’re feeling inspired to create some of your own. Pure Prairie Spirit will be available on July 30, along with the other 4 sets in the Abundance Collection. One more is coming tomorrow, and I promise, it’s a pretty BIG deal!! ;)

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Abundance! New release preview starts today

Guys and gals, I am tickled pink, purple, red, yellow, and green to get to share beautiful previews of our newest clear stamp collection at Power Poppy. With images that capture the essence of the good life as I see it - a profusion of flowers large and small, scenes filled with wonder, sentiments of thanks and kindness — I call it: Abundance! We’re kicking off five days of cardmaking fun — starting now.

First up: Inspired by scenes from my garden and those further afield... a beautiful set for beginners and experts alike, starring flowers that are familiar to many of us:

Drops of sunshiny Coreopsis at Missouri Botanical Garden.

Zinnias planted this spring in my garden — just a small grouping of what has grown exponentially.

A sweet and perky Monarda, also known as Bee Balm — as the bees buzz around these flowers like crazy!

I chose an array of flowers that are both fun to color and grow in a large array of shades to maximize your coloring options — though, as you could see from Monday’s tutorial with Jessie Banks — you can color in any shades you darn well please! :) There are so many options here, paired with the versatile sentiments in the set, that you could make dozens and dozens of cards and never end up with the same card twice. Let’s take a peek at Vibrant Thanks!

Come see the AWESOME (I am not throwing this word around lightly, I’m talking AWESOME!) cards made by the most fabulous designers of the Bloom Brigade using Vibrant Thanks. I promise you’ll come away with ideas galore for using this clear stamp set.

The Vibrant Thanks stamp set will be revealed in full on Sunday, July 30. If you can wait until then, you’ll see that we will have a special promotion to save big on your next order!

See you back here tomorrow for another stamp set preview — keep dreaming about those floral cards, because this next one satisfies your urge to color botanical beauty. Thank you so much for stopping by, dear ones.