Creative Confetti: Think Spring!

Hello creative people! How are things in your neck of the woods? Are April showers getting ready to bring May flowers? Is Spring in the air? We feel it too! And, that's why we're smitten with all the beautiful things getting ready to sprout around us! It's why I decided to put the season in the spotlight for today's Creative Confetti challenge! 

HOW TO PLAY: It's as simple as using a spring flower, creating a spring-themed project or honoring the season in some way! It couldn't be any easier folks! ;-) If you need a little inspiration, just take a trip over to Ms. Marcella's IG feed to see ALL the beauty and color that has been popping up in her yard lately. I tell you, it's divine!

ON TO MY CREATION! 

If you checked in yesterday for Inspire Me Monday, you saw my step-by-step tutorial on how to make this little Easter Basket with a bit of a digital stamping spin! (click HERE if you missed it!) 

This little basket is small, perfect for a few pieces of candy, a handful of jelly beans or, what I am going to do, a gift card at the bottom with some grass and Robin Eggs on top -- got to be sneaky when you have teens and young adults! ;-) 

After making this little number, I thought, "Why not encourage everyone to have a little Spring in their heart when creating?" So, here you have it folks! Make something that showcases this season.

After you're finished, don't forget to link up your creation below! Every entry is one more chance at winning a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop!  So, get those fingers inky and let's see where your creativity takes you!

Happy Creating!

~Julie
a.k.a. The Creative Confetti Thrower

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Click here to enter

Creative Confetti: Just Go 3-D!

Hello, happy stampers! Sorry that we are a bit late today taking the lid off our Creative Confetti Challenge this week! But never fear, we're here now and this little challenge will have you thinking off the page and putting your creative juices in 3-D!

HOW TO PLAY: Simply use your stamping prowess to create something that's not a card! Of course, if you need a little inspiration. There's plenty here on the Power Poppy Blog or even over on Power Poppy's Pinterest Boards HERE!

Want to see a few of my favorite 3-D projects? 

I've compiled a fun little 'Hit List'.... just for you!

1.  Ally's Shrinky Dink Earrings If you missed this post yesterday, you'll have to click through to see the adorable mushroom inspired earrings she whipped up!

2. Tag Box This is one of my favorite 3D projects to make! While this little box is Valentine's Day inspired, with Easter coming up, you could switch up the stamps and change the theme, just in time to share a chocolate Easter egg or two!

3. How about a Gift Bag with a custom topper? This is a Tosha Leyendekker signature gift giving item and you can customize it for any gift giving need!

4. Spring Inspired Phone Case Ally gives you a step-by-step guide in personalizing your own cell phone case thanks to a few stamps and a little creativity!

5. Congrats to the Grad! Stacy Morgan tipped the scales of creativity with this graduation card delivered in a mortarboard inspired box! You'll want to pin this idea for sure when you need a little something fun for the grads in your life!

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So, how are you going to go 3-D with your project? We can't wait to see what you come up with! We know it will spark quite a bit of creativity with each and every link up! Remember, every project you link up on our linky below is one more chance at our monthly giveaway -- a $25 Gift Code to the Power Poppy Shop!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Get those creative juices flowing, get those fingers inky and then share your beautiful three-dimensional creations!

~Julie
a.k.a. Creative Confetti Thrower

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Creative Confetti: On the Grid!

Hello peeps! Are you ready for a fun little challenge to keep this creative week rolling? I am! If you joined us for our Inspire Me Monday Rewind & Unwind yesterday, we took you back to 2015 with the ever-so-talented Ms. Dina Kowal. If you missed it, click here!  She took us through -- step by step -- on how to create what she called a "9-block card." It was designed to mimic the effects of a quilted square and, my friends, that tutorial is the inspiration for today's Creative Confetti Challenge!

HOW TO PLAY: Simply cut up your stamped image to create that window pane or grid-like effect. While Dina did a 9 block, you can do literally any number and it doesn't even have to be a square! Try different shapes! Have a little hexagon punch? Or how about a circle die? It's up to you! We just want to see you create this grid-like effect, no matter what shape you choose!

On to my creation! 

So, I wanted to give you a reference point so that you could "see" where I was going through my little step by step tutorial below. I am giving you a tutorial because I did my grid creation just a wee bit differently than Dina. She had a grid die. I wasn't so lucky but in the process of making this card, I remembered a little trick a fellow stamper taught me once. So, I reached into the cobwebbed recesses of my mind and dug that little trick out! 

I started by printing off the brand new digital stamp by Power Poppy called Bowl of Beauty. Man, is it a beauty or what? I did only print off a portion of the image and I did blow it up a bit so that you could "see it" when I cut it up and re-assembled! Here's what it looked like after I finished coloring it with my Copic Markers! I have to admit I had a hard time taking my paper cutter to this one. I actually said to my husband, "I can't do it!" And you know what he said? "Don't complain, you knew you were going to do it when you started. Just do it!" HA! A little tough stamping love for me! ;-)

Now here's the little trick! I cut a few slivers of card stock to measure 1/8" wide. This would serve as my guide for layering all my little 1" squares! I started at the top and side....  

And then kept moving my slivers of paper as I went!

You can see just how easy this made it!

And here's a look again at the final "puzzle" all put back together!

Here's a closeup. Don't look too hard! You can see that I am just a wee bit off on my top three boxes. The paper must have shifted as I was making my little squares. It's okay though. Most people won't notice that hopefully!
 

And here's the cheery little sentiment that I added onto a punched circle and put on my card thanks to some silver cording! The sentiment is from the Power Poppy set Potted Primroses. Love that set!

So, now it's your turn to color up something, cut it up and piece it all artistically back together! While it was a bit tough cutting up this image, I do love the effect and was glad I cued up Dina's tutorial for inspiration!

Before we go, we do have to share the winner of our March Creative Confetti Challenges! We threw all the names in a hat and thanks to random.org, here's our winner!

That means the winner is......

**** LISA  JOHANSEN! ****

You might already know this card making phenom. She not only plays weekly, she's hosted here a time or two as well. Want to see her winning creation?

Lisa played along with our Color Wheel Challenge and spun the wheel to find the color tied to her birthday month! She's an October Baby... so blue was the color she was supposed to create with. I love the sweet and simple design, really playing up that Easy Breezy Coneflower!  Congrats Lisa! You win a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! Just email us here at bloom@powerpoppy.com and we'll get your winning code right to you!

So peeps, now it's your turn to play along with us and show us what you've got! Remember, our linky is live all month long. So, play along one week or all four and each entry will be one more chance to win a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop!

We can't wait to see what you create!

~Julie 
a.k.a. Chief Creative Confetti Thrower! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Creative Confetti: Spin the Color Wheel

Hello, my sweet Power Poppy Peeps! How is your week going? Mine is already going fast, which means I am buckling up as we speak to get ready for the rest of the ride! ;-) Today, we have a bit of fun packed into our weekly challenge here on the 'ole Power Poppy Blog! It involves color and being challenged to maybe get out of our creative comfort zone. Here's what I'm talking about! 

HOW TO PLAY: The mission is as simple as the graphic above! What's your birth month? Were you born in March? Then 3 is your number! And, using the color wheel below, find your corresponding color and then use it to make a big colorific splash on your card or creation! Just that simple!

ON TO MY CREATION! 

If you want to see my creation this week, just click HERE! 

Since November is my birth month, I found 11 on the wheel and realized my color is that deep grass green. FUN! I don't often create with this color so this one will be fun. Sadly, I didn't have time to create a card this week but I did find one I love using this shade of green as the main focus! Check it out!

I used the Power Poppy background Big Sexy Leaves and went to town coloring it up with Copic Markers. Once I was done, I colored in all the white space with a Silver Wink of Stella Pen, added white gel pen accents, matted it up and then used one of the sentiments from the Power Poppy Set M-Powering Words as my focal point. Fun! I love it when a background can make such a HUGE statement!

Now, don't think I am letting myself off the hook! I do plan to follow this challenge so check back in with me later this week and I'll either post the new card here or on my blog for our Power Poppy Friday post! ;-) It will be fun to flip through all my Power Poppy sets looking for the right color inspiration!

Now it's your turn! What color will the wheel provide to YOU? And, how will YOU rock it? I can't wait to see! Remember, every entry you provide on our linky below is one more chance to win a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! Woo Hoo!

Thanks for stopping by! See y'all back here real soon!

 ~Julie 
a.k.a The Creative Confetti Thrower!

An InLinkz Link-up

Creative Confetti: Thank You... NEXT!

Hello everyone! Are you ready for a little Tuesday fun? I know I am! If you missed my Inspire Me Monday, you might want to start HERE because today's challenge is based on some tips and tricks I shared yesterday! How many of you out there (show of hands please) have a tough time creating cards en masse? If you answered "yes," then stay tuned! This challenge is just for YOU! 

HOW TO PLAY: Just as the graphic suggests, this week all you need to do is create a card that has elements that are easy to reproduce! Simple elements, clean lines, die cuts, smaller items to color, fun accents that add pizzazz! You choose! Just show us why this card would be a great card to produce many of at a time!

On to my creation! 

As I mentioned yesterday in my little tutorial HERE, I used THIS card as my inspiration from a Stampin' Up kit (lower left corner), knowing that I could recreate the same look and feel with a little Power Poppy goodness! Is it exact? No! But, does it have some of the same elements? I think so! I could have watercolored the background and added some accents as my inspiration card did, but I wanted to make it "easy!"  

The result was this below! Six cards in about an hour including choosing papers, die cutting, coloring and assembly! I chose Power Poppy's Abundant Petals stamp set along with the set's coordinating dies. 

So, hop on over, read my tips and tricks and then, share a design that you think would be easy to mass produce! I think it would be fun to see your creations and then bookmark your designs to mass produce more cards in the future! Wouldn't it be great to have some other themed creations on hand to have for those times when only a handmade card will do! 

Remember Power Poppy Peeps! Every time you play along and link up your creation, you will be in the running for a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! So, get those fingers inky and show us your creations! We can't wait to see what you come up with!

Thanks for stopping by & happy creating! 

~Julie 

a.k.a. Creative Confetti Thrower 

An InLinkz Link-up

Creative Confetti: Feelin' Lucky!

Hello folks! In just a matter of days, many will dig deep in their closets, looking for green, claiming to be a little bit Irish -- just for the fun of it (or to avoid getting pinched)! It's time when the Luck 'O the Irish rules and folks who live in the whimsy of the St. Patrick's Day holiday go on the hunt for the end of the rainbow, where there just might be a pot of gold waiting!  🌈 😊 So, to get in the spirit, why not share a little luck in the best way we know how -- a handmade card! That's what this week's Creative Confetti is ALL about!

IF YOU WERE LOOKING FOR THE WINNER OF THE FEBRUARY CHALLENGE... SCROLL DOWN! I JUST ADDED THE WINNER! 

HOW TO PLAY: This challenge is two-fold. Choose to add a little green to your card OR use an image or sentiment that signifies luck! Just that simple peeps!

On to my creation! 

For my creation, I used the new digital stamp set Shamrock 'n' Roll! I just love this sweet illustration and it's perfect for this time of year. The good news? This little darling digi is only $1.50 in the Power Poppy Shop. It's the perfect little image to grab, download and print in a jiffy to send some lucky wishes to those in your life who need it most! 

I printed the lighter, no-line version and then, grabbed these copics to color the image up!

And, here's a closeup! As you can see, I added some white gel pen to accent the clover leaves, used BG markers to add some fun stippling and then accented with sequins too! 

So, how will you add a splash of green or a dash of luck to your creation this week? I can't wait to see! I added a bit of both -- a little bit of green along with a "lucky" little sentiment to send good wishes to a friend who just so happens to have her birthday on St. Patty's Day! ;-  Remember, when you play along, don't forget to link up your creation below using our linky! Every entry is one more chance at a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop!  Woot Woot! The winner will be drawn and announced the first Tuesday of April! So, plenty of time to play in any one of our Creative Confetti Challenges for the month!

Speaking of challenge winners, we need to announce the name of the winner for February! So, let's get right to it! After Random.org threw all the entries into the virtual hat, the winner is....

That means the winner for February is....

*** BARBARA CAMPBELL!!! ***

Barbara created a number of cards this past month. You can see one HERE and another one HERE and yet another one HERE! (Do you see what I mean about the more you play, the better your chances of winning?) This fine creative work below turned out to be the winner! 

This was Barb's creation for our All You Need Is Love Challenge! And, I think it's absolutely perfect! I love the creative license she took with the color of the tulips and the extra pizazz she added with embellishments and a fancy die! Just beautiful Barbara! 

So, will you follow Barbara's lead and enter the challenge this month not once but four times? If you do, you might just be the lucky stamper whose name is drawn for this month's drawing for a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! Thanks for stopping by! We can't wait to see what YOU create!

~Julie

Creative Confetti Thrower

An InLinkz Link-up

Creative Confetti: Merci Bouquet!

Hello my happy stampers! Okay, show of hands. Who is ready for spring? (Yes, I am raising my hand!) And, who feels like they are stuck in "Sprinter" -- the season where it should be spring but it still is winter. (Yes, I am still raising my hand!) I am not sure where it is like where you live but this week in Montana, we've had below zero temps and snow, lots of it. Today the high was -1! Yay! It's a day where I really needed a little bit of flower power in my life! So, that's why for this week's Creative Confetti Challenge, I thought I'd throw this little bit of inspiration up. Bouquets! Yes! Beautiful, lush bouquets! Check it out sweet peeps! 

HOW TO PLAY: Simply use a Power Poppy image that has a collection of different flowers. There are so many to choose from that it will be super fun this week to see which blossoms you choose! Just in case you need a little bit of inspiration, click HERE to see just some of the wonderful offerings from Power Poppy that could help you show off a bouquet of blossoms! I honestly started to link up all the sets and then after 20 I decided listing them ALL would create quite the list! ;-) The good news is, there are so many options in both clear and digital stamp sets that you should be able to find something -- even in an instant! ;-)

To serve as a wee bit of inspiration, I decided to pull some creations that would fit the blossom-filled bill for this challenge!

Don't have a bouquet set? Why not create one yourself with some fussy or die cutting and a floral set like Power Poppy's Abundant Petals? 

Artistic Bouquet is the epitome of a lush, beautiful bouquet. This card above might be one of my favorites of all time. I took Amy Shulke's online class on coloring up this beauty and am still amazed at how her tips really helped me create something with so much depth -- more so than I have created on my own in the past. Thanks Amy!

Sunset Sway is one of those easy breezy bouquets that doesn't take a ton of time to color up! And, who doesn't love that little fluttering butterfly? 

And last, but not least, this one above is more of a spray of flowers but it still fits the bill! I adore this image from Power Poppy's So Grateful set because of the range of colors you can use to bring it to life!

So, there you have it my friends! A bounty of bouquet options and my samples really only scratched the surface of possibilities! So pick your petals, get those fingers inky and link up your creation below! Every single entry is one entry into our monthly random drawing for a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! YIPPPEEEEE!

Thanks for stopping by! We can't wait to see what YOU create!

~Julie
Creative Confetti Thrower

An InLinkz Link-up

Creative Confetti: Color It Up!

Hello, happy stampers! Hope your week is off to a great start! Today, as we throw up the Creative Confetti, we pay homage to a magical little challenge in card making and coloring land! If you popped on over to the blog yesterday, you saw the amazing Kathy Racoosin share a little coloring experiment with all of us! It was a part of her 30 Day Coloring Challenge! You can check out her post HERE and all the details about the challenge HERE!  Simply stated, Kathy is challenging us to make time to color, every day, even if you only have ten minutes! 

So... because we have 9 days left of the challenge, we thought we'd take it one step further and not only encourage you to color but try one image a few different ways OR just try a coloring medium you haven't dabbled in for a while! Here, my friends is your official challenge! 

HOW TO PLAY: The challenge is just as simple as it is stated! Just pick up a coloring medium that you haven't used for a while and play! No need to create a card, simply color and join along in The Daily Marker's 30 Day Coloring Challenge!

On to my creations!

For my creations today, I decided that I wanted to take one image -- I chose the little peony from Power Poppy's Soothing Sympathy stamp set -- and color it up in four different ways. I picked watercolor pencils (both on watercolor paper and card stock), chalk and Copic Markers. I also picked up some markers here but decided that the look was too similar to the watercolor pencils, so I left that little photo out.

So, after stamping my image multiple times in a variety of inks, I put on some tunes and went to town coloring! 

First came watercolor pencils scribbled directly onto the watercolor paper. The ink used was Memento Toffee Crunch. I blended with a Dover Blender Pen as I went along. 

Next came pastel chalks. This one was tricky. The chalks were so soft that I really had to get in there and blend and keep adding more and more chalk layers. It created a soft look but didn't really have a ton of dimension to it. It was a more "loose" feel. 

Next, I went back to my watercolor pencils and added the color on regular card stock. The depth of color really struck me! I then blended again with my Dove Blender Pen. 

And last, but certainly not least is my all time favorite medium -- Copic markers! I just find such joy in the easy blending of this medium and how rich in color it can be! 

So here, below, is a peek at all four next to each other with a little background color added to each image. I thought once I popped that background a bit, it did make all of the coloring (even the mediums I wasn't completely happy with) look a whole lot better. 

So, my friends, what medium will you reach for to spend a little time with The Daily Marker's 30 Day Challenge? One medium I have that I didn't use was pearlescent paint. I have some, so who knows, maybe I'll stamp this little flower up once more and give it a whirl!

As always, I can't wait to see what you come up with! Once you're done, don't forget to link up your creation below so that we can all see! Every entry is one chance at winning a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! Woot Woot!

So, get those fingers inky so we can see what you've got! Until next time!

~Julie 
Creative Confetti Thrower

An InLinkz Link-up