Inspired by LOVE!

In honor of the holiday that celebrates romance, I decided to dig into Marcella's photo reel to pick an image that honors that special kind of love as well! Wait until you see the icy and sweet....

Here's a little bit of the back story on this little piece of color inspiration. If you remember back to the fall, Marcella married the love of her life, Doug. What an event it was! Marce created a whimsical woodland wedding that just paid homage to their different loves as a couple. Can you imagine beautiful greenery (Marcy's love) intermixed with Doug's love of all things motorcycles! This photo showcases the sparkle-daubed bridal headpiece handmade by one of Marcella's friends who is a milliner. It has clusters of bling and vintage leaves with a splash of silvery sage! Here's a peek at your color cues for this week! (HERE'S a darling picture of Marcy actually wearing this beauty!)

Aren't those colors just delish together? I love not only the photo with that glint of mettalic (which you can use instead of the light grey), but the super vintage colors like that dusty rose and sage!

HOW TO PLAY ALONG WITH US: To play along with us is simple -- use these three colors to spark a bit of creativity in your crafting space and then, when you're done, link up your creation using our linky below! It's just that easy peeps! 

Want to see how I put these colors for a test drive?

When I picked this color combo, the image that first popped into my head was the digital stamp set Hellebores.  I knew these delicate flowers come in shades of pink and I have always loved the flouncy look of this illustration. So, off I went, printing, coloring and matting it up! I should mention that the sentiment is from the set Nice Things to Say! I ended up stamping it with Versamark and then embossing with a detail silver embossing powder. After printing off my image. I grabbed my Copic markers and used these to color the image from top to bottom...

Here's a closeup for you! 

And that, my friends, is it! Now it's your turn to take these colors and put our own spin on them! After you're done, don't forget to link up your creation below and let us all see your take on this color combo challenge!

And remember.... if you would like to be a guest hostess and share the weekly Hues, all you need to do is play along with us. We grab all of our guests right from the weekly link lists! So get those fingers inky and let’s see how you put these Hues to good use! Until next week!

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Simply Sweet Hues

Hello sweet peeps! Are you ready for a trio of colors so sweet that you just might get a cavity looking at them? Well, set your sights on this Valentine-inspired color combo that's at the center of this week's.....

Take a gander at those sugar-coated cranberries! Not only do they look delish but it is such a cool photo to boot. These cranberries were the culinary work of Marcy’s step-sister, Jennifer, who used them to top a chocolate cake. Can't you just taste those sour and sweet berries just by looking at this image? Too fun! In order to play along with us, all you need to do is cue up hues of pink, red and white and make them the centerpiece of your card or creation! After you are done creating make sure you link up your creation on the linky below! 

Now, to give us a dose of inspiration, we have 

another sweet treat! 

We have a fabulous guest joining us today to share not only the fun-filled color cues but a card she made to show it off! Let's meet...

Hello everyone! I'm Francine Dodwell. I’ve always been able to say I’m a “Born and Raised So. Cal. Girl,” until four years ago when my family and I found this wonderful home in a secluded area of North Idaho. I have a full-time job and in what free time I find, I enjoy spending it outside hiking, camping, fishing, snowshoeing and learning about the outdoors.  I think that is a part of why I love Marcella’s stamps. When I can’t be outside, I can enjoy her lovely creations inside.  She is such an amazing artist.  I love how she captures and combines various unique flowers and leaves and creates a beautiful image to enjoy.

I have been creative since I was little. I was always involved in something -- making banners for school, sewing and crocheting projects, or making gifts for holidays, to name a few. Within the last year, cardmaking has resurfaced in my life and I am so in awe of how the industry has grown.  I love all the different companies, products, techniques; there is so much to explore!

FRANCINE'S CARD

The project I am sharing today started with Power Poppy’s digital image: Tree Peony.  Power Poppy has a wonderful tutorial HERE on how to use digital images.  Digital images give you a bit of creativeness while keeping with the artist's original image. You can resize the image, flip the image, layer with other images -- there is so much you can do with a digital image.  I love how the Peony flower is so big and bold, so I choose to enlarge the image so it would just about fill the size of an A2 (4.25 x 5.5”) card. 

I printed the image on paper designed for pencil coloring and used my Prismacolor pencils to showcase this amazing flower.  Pencil coloring is very relaxing and I simply colored away petal by petal through the flower.  I love how Marcella’s includes shading and highlighting, so as you progress you can easily tell where to use a dark shadow or a lighter highlight. When I finished coloring the peony, I found a piece of rose pink paper to compliment the red.  On the rose pink paper, I used a white gel pen and a ruler added some lines and dots to accent the paper.  I then trimmed around the peony and layered it on the pink background paper.  To create the tag sentiment, I adjusted the image size before printing on some pink paper and layering on black and adhering with foam tape.  Finally, to complete the card, I mounted on cherry red cardstock.

Thank you so much Francine! Your card is absolutely lovely and I just sighed when I saw that depth of color that you brought out in this image. Thank you so much for sharing your talents with us this week! If you'd like to check up on some of Francine's other designs, all you need to do is click on over to her Instagram HERE! She has some amazing cards just oozing with creativity and color! 

So take us up on this challenge and.... when you do, remember to link up your creation below! We love to see your take on our weekly color combos. They inspire! We also love to put you in the spotlight by making you, our Power Poppy Peeps, our guests here. So play along, link  up your creations and, who knows, we could be seeing you sometime soon as our hostess with the mostess!

Until next week!
~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Bursting for SPRING!

Hi all! Welcome to another color-coded blog post, designed to speak to your creative and crafty hearts! Today, since so many of us are ready for winter to bid us farewell, I thought it might be fun to cue up a trio of colors that had a springy edge! So, without further ado, this week's.....

THIS little number above was snapped in March of last year as branch after branch of Marcella's folks’ 'Butterflies' and 'Susan' Magnolias came into full bloom. Ahhh... just take a moment to envision these lovelies in real life. The time will soon be here when these beauties bud and open again-- bringing joy to the neighborhood! 

With that gorgeous color combo in front of us, we have another special treat! Check out this week's guest designer and let's learn a little bit more about her! 

Hello everyone! I'm Barbara Campbell and while I live in Wisconsin, I am happy to say that we are able to spend the winters in Naples Florida. Last winter, we bought our own home there. That means that I have two craft rooms! I am still trying to fill up my sunny Florida one. I am a retired Emergency Room nurse, and although I have been crafting for a long time, I really only was able to develop my craft after my retirement. I started a blog just to do the challenges that found fun and that is how I found Power Poppy. I have been Marcella's follower since her early days. Her designs are beautiful and so easy to color.

I have a very encouraging husband and we have 5 grown children and 7 grandchildren. We try to see them often as we can. They live all in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Connecticut and Cairo, Egypt. That gives us reason to travel. My husband and I have been to many exotic places including Bangkok, Morocco, Sicily, and river cruises on the Danube and the Rhine. Life is very good, and I am grateful.

I have been a designer for several challenges, doing the Mod Squad for this last year and representing Power Poppy there. Being asked to be a guest designer for Hues to Use has to be on the top of my accomplishments. I was thrilled when I saw Julie Koerber's name pop up in my emails recently.

MY CREATION

TO MAKE MY CARD I: 

1. Cut a piece of watercolor cardstock 8 1/2 X 6 1/2" and scored at 4-1/4 ( to accommodate the die)

2. I cut two of the dies from Sue Wilson's Australian collection Background die. The outside border
and the swirl in white cardstock applied strips of green cardstock to the back. That was added to the base.

3. Stamped the image from Power Poppy, Tea in the Garden in Archival ink

4. Colored it with Distress Markers: Shabby Shutters, Bundled Sage, Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry,
Scattered Straw. and Tea Dye. Shadows are Milled Lavender.

5. Die cut the finished image with Lil'inker Tag die.

6. I used my EK Tool 0.5 black pen to outline some of the images.

7. Added some Wink of Stella to the strawberries and the frosting.

8. Stamped the sentiment from Power Poppy Sassy Succulents in Black Versafine ink and added clear embossing powder and heat set on to vellum strip.

9. I applied the sentiment strip at an angle and used multi-medium glue to attach it.

Here's a close up for you! Thanks for letting me share with all of you. I hope you decide to join me and play along with this week's Hues to Use!

Thank you so much Barbara! If you'd like to check up on some of her other designs, all you need to do is click on over to her blog HERE! I really hope you give this little color combo a try! If you do, just remember to link up your creation below! Remember, each week, when we make the rounds to check out your creations -- we are wowed! Some of you are even invited to be the guest designer for the week and earn a digital stamp set of your choice! We love when you share your mad skills!

Until next week!
~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

An Earthy Color Cue.... for YOU!

Hello all! With the new year, as promised, we have some new faces here on the Power Poppy Blog to welcome in a whole new batch of color combos for you to try. Today's trio has an earthy vibe that is just rich, warm and, dare I say, elegant. Check it out peeps -- this week's.....

This little photo above was snapped after Marcy picked some hellebores from her mom's winter garden. She then dried these beauties as a way to honor her dear mom and remind her of the beauty not only in these flowers but in the thought that her mom is there with her, all around her. What a loving thought and a beautiful image. 💗

HOW TO PLAY ALONG WITH US: To play along with us is simple -- use these three colors -- reddish plum, sage and greige -- as inspiration for your card or creation and then, when you're done, link up your creation using our linky below! Easy peasy!

And now we get to our big reveal of our first guest in 2018! Let's read a little bit about her and be sure to say "hello" to...

"Hello! My name is Camille. I'm an Arizona transplant from Michigan. I've been playing with paper for 13 years - but since retiring three years ago, you can nearly always find me in my craft room. Guest Designing for Power Poppy can now be checked off my Bucket List!

CAMILLE'S CARD

Today’s Hues to Use are a favorite color combination. I always wanted a cream house with green and burgundy shutters, but my HOA has something to say about that. So second best is to be able to use these hues on a card. I chose the Wish You Luck set in particular, because the shamrock bouquet includes flowers, letting me add color into the green bouquet. I own just about every coloring media out there, but after years of classes and practice, I’ve lost my patience and GIMP (a free photo-editing program) has become my coloring medium of choice. GIMP also allows me to use digital paper patterns in my coloring – the ribbon on the bouquet is actually a textured paper pattern. You can also see, I was able to change the color of the sentiment from black to burgundy to better match my card. I used my electronic cutter to cut the lattice pattern in the background. To give the card dimension, I layered two shamrock bouquets, crumpling the top layer.

Thank you, Julie and Power Poppy, for inspiring us all with your images, Hues to Use, and blog extraordinaire. 

Thank you, Camille! Your creation is absolutely divine! And what perfect timing! Now we can all sock this idea away for not only St. Patty's Day creations but maybe a card for a job change, retirement, or any new event in a people's lives where they need to know you are thinking about them and cheering them on! Love it! 

Okay folks! Now it's your turn to take these colors, shake them up and use them in new and creative ways. After you're done, don't forget to link up your creation below and let us all see your take on this color combo challenge! And remember.... if you would like to be a guest hostess and share the weekly Hues, all you need to do is play along with us. We grab all of our guests right from the weekly link lists! So get those fingers inky and let’s see how you put these Hues to good use! Until next week!

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Hues in Blues!

Hello all and welcome to a color-infused Tuesday, designed to help you spin the color wheel and create with a color combo that you just might not choose yourself! It's time for another fun-filled edition of....

Will you look at those steely blue hues? If you missed this little shot on Marcella's Instagram, there is a super duper fun story behind this photo. She and her friend, Trenna, decided to make candy agates over the holiday season and this is one in progress! Once baked, THIS is how they turned out -- little color infused candy slices that could be edible or could be spray sealed to enjoy as ornaments for seasons to come! You can click HERE, HERE and HERE for more progress photos! Marcy decided to seal some to treasure down the road so she painted the edges but you can choose non-toxic edging that makes these little numbers as delicious as they are eye-catching!

HOW TO PLAY ALONG WITH US: To play along with us is simple -- use these three colors -- navy, sky blue and silver or gray -- as inspiration for your card or creation and then, when you're done, link up your creation using our linky below! Easy peasy!

So, with that inspiration at the heart of this week's hues... here's my creation!

I have to admit, when I sat down to create, this was not what I anticipated or saw with my mind's eye, but, I do like it! I used all of the colors but did so in a very soft way. The navy is in the ink that was chosen when I printed out my Tree Peony digital stamp. And then used as well in my Copic markers that I picked to add a little color here and there. Here's a peek at the markers that I used. As you can see... not many!

After I colored up my Tree Peony, I did use the sentiment from the Peony Muse clear stamp set and using Versamark ink and silver detail embossing powder, I added the sentiment on a punched heart shape. Add a little silver cording and that's pretty much it for this card other than the double mat in silver and light blue papers! Actually, I forgot a step! I did lay down a stencil and using Summer Sky Memento Ink, I sponged on some ink through aTim Holtz dotted stencil. I love the depth it added without being over the top! 

Here's a closeup for you! 

And that, my friends, is it! Now it's your turn to take these colors, shake them up and use them in new and creative ways. After you're done, don't forget to link up your creation below and let us all see your take on this color combo challenge!

And remember.... if you would like to be a guest hostess and share the weekly Hues, all you need to do is play along with us. We grab all of our guests right from the weekly link lists! So get those fingers inky and let’s see how you put these Hues to good use! Until next week!

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Rich Hues for YOU to Use!

Hello all and welcome to a new week of color cues designed to get those creative juices rolling! This one looks a little more like it took a nod from fall but the jewel tones are so rich, I thought, why not reach for these colors, even if it is the dead of winter???

So, check out this week's.....

Just in case you wondered, this little beauty above is Hypericum androsaemum 'Alderbury Purple' and is a must-have for Marcella's garden someday! I love the rich red, the golden yellow and delish reddish purple -- all colors perfect for the world of card making!

HOW TO PLAY ALONG WITH US: To play along with us is simple -- use these three colors as inspiration for your card or creation and then, when you're done, link up your creation using our linky below! Easy peasy!

On to my creation!

When I check out the hues, I often stare at the palette and say - "What stamp set would rock this color combo?" Sometimes, the choices are easy. Other times, not so much. For some reason, I kept coming back to Poppies. I am not sure if I have been craving a colorfest with this stamp set or if I really, deep down felt that stamp set was the perfect pick. Regardless, I inked it up and let it fly! 

After stamping in Memento Tuxedo Black ink, I grabbed my Copic Markers and these were the ones I picked! The reds were used on the poppies, the yellow plus YG03 and YG06 were used for the centers, the BV0000 and V01 were used to shade my flower and the greens took care of the leaves and stems! 

After coloring up my image, the rest is just matting it up! I actually picked some Stampin' Up and My Mind's Eye scraps from my decorative paper stash and felt lucky that I had just the right purples, reds and yellows! I should also mention that the sentiment is also from the Poppies set. 

Here's a little close up for y'all! You can see that I did go ahead and add some white gel pen accents to the center of my poppies. 

And that, my friends, is it! We're so glad you decided to stop in this week! We hope this color combo will inspire you to play along with us for this week's Hues to Use. And remember.... if you would like to be a guest hostess and share the weekly Hues, all you need to do is play along with us. We grab all of our guests right from the weekly link lists! So get those fingers inky and let’s see how you put these Hues to good use!

Until next week!
~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Happy New Hues!

Hello all and Happy New Year to you all! As we ring in this New Year, know we are sending wishes for all the blessings possible for 2018! And, if we have anything to say about it, we are going to try to make sure it's your most creative year yet! ;-)

Boy, oh boy, do we have a special treat for you as we kick off the very first color cues of 2018! 

Just take a look at these lush daffodils and breathe in their soft color! Were you one of the lucky ones to get in on our latest Weekend Stamp Steal featuring THIS amazing stamp set or THIS digi? I should have had Marcella tease you a bit and share why these stamp sets would be PERFECT for this week's hues! 

Moving on! I know many of us -- myself included -- are in the middle of a Snowpocolypse. So, seeing these fresh shades of spring might just be what the creative doctor ordered for us all! Just in case you wondered, these snippings were direct from Marcella's mom's garden. If you didn't know it, Mama Susan LOVED her daffodils! And this is a beautiful array if I don't say so myself! 

GUESS WHAT? WE HAVE A SUPERSTAR IN THE HOUSE TO SHARE THIS COLOR COMBO! 

The lovely and wonderful and kind and creative STACY MORGAN is here to share a bit of her creativity with this trio of colors! Let's take a look at how she taste-tested these delish hues!

 
Here's what Ms. Stacy had to say about this gorgeous offering!

"My thought when I saw these colors were soft and early spring feeling -- the Lilac Time stamp set was perfect! Now if you don’t have this set, don’t worry as the digi version is just as great. It's called French Lilac. My Lilac is stamped using Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white cardstock. The petals of each flower are colored with Copic markers Y11, Y13 and a hint of Y15. To make the blooms stand out a little bit more I added some B000 and B00 to the small spaces in between the branch and petals for depth. The leaves are colored with G40 and G82 with a touch of YG00. Then I simply die cut with a standard circle die the main panel.

The designer paper is from Authentique Latest and Greatest paper pack which was the perfect to tie in more of the green color. That was then layered onto some white cardstock and pierced around the edge before adding it to the yellow base. Stamped the sentiment from the Lilac Time and die cut with a matching scallop circle for behind the sentiment circle. Finished it off with some added sparkle and sequins. Voila!"


Thanks Stacy! We are so glad you decided to show our Hues to Use for the week!

HOW TO PLAY: To play along with us is simple -- use these three colors as inspiration for your card or creation and then, when you're done, link up your creation using our linky below! Easy peasy!  

We're so glad you decided to stop in this week! We hope this color combo and Stacy's beautiful sample will inspire you to play along with us for this week's Hues to Use. And remember.... if you would like to be a guest hostess and share the weekly Hues, all you need to do is play along with us. We grab all of our guests right from the weekly link lists! So get those fingers inky and let’s see how you put these Hues to good use!

Until next week!
~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Hues with Holiday Cheer!

Hello peeps! Goodness, with our 12 Days of Christmas extravaganza, Hues to Use has taken a little break. But today, it is back with a little holiday flair, just for those peeps who need to pop a few last minute Christmas wishes into the mail! I, my friends, am one of those peeps! Every year, it seems like my mailing gets later and later and every year, I address those envelopes only to fall just a wee bit short. So, this color challenge was perfect for me! 

Now, to our inspiration! 

Check out this beautiful scene straight from Marcella's living space last year! Those bottle brush trees! That beautifully decked tree! That ambient candlelight! It all adds up to one gorgeous space that just deserves to be savored and cherished! So take a gander, and then let these cheery hues help you finish up a card or two. Or, maybe you want to deck your table or craft a little handmade box? Be sure to check out the 12 Days of Christmas HERE and let that holiday mojo flow. Only a few days folks -- so soak up that cheer!

On to my creation!

If you are looking for a digital bargain, look no further than Candy Cane Classic. This digi stamp made a comeback this Christmas! This trio of candy canes and holly berries adorned with a swirling ribbon bow makes the perfect accent on cards and tags! And, it's available for only a dollar between now and December 31st! Grab it now before it's gone!

This card was easy peasy to put together. I actually used some die cut shapes that I had lying around. Isn't it wonderful when the things you need are 1. in the right color and 2. perfect for your layout! It was like an early Christmas gift! ;-)  I even had the candy cane digi printed and cut out already! I was testing some images when the amazing Nancy did this tutorial way back when. If you have a Silhouette, you REALLY need to give her tutorial a try. It's a super time saver for fussy cutting digis! You can check it out HERE! 

I only used a few colors to color up this cute little candy cane! I used R32, R35, R39, YG03, YG67, YG00, G20. Then, I accented not only with white gel pen but also check out this glitter! I wanted this little candy cane to sparkle just like it had been freshly kissed by the sugar plum fairy herself!

And, here's a peek at the inside! Not too decked out, just a little extra pop of color with a sentiment from Spice it Up! 

Okay fine stamping friends, now it's your turn to take this color trio for a ride! Have all your cards created this year? Well, what about a few Christmas Thank Yous? Or, last minute gift tags? We know you've got it in you! ;-) Once you're done with your creation, make sure you link it up below! As we always say, our link list is where we find our future guest designers! We have taken a bit of a break from guests over the holidays but will be sending out a fresh crop of invitations to get us off to a creative start in 2018! So, look for some new faces to share in the coming year!

And on that note, I bid you farewell! May this holiday week bless you abundantly and bring you nothing but wonderful times with friends and family!

Merry Christmas!
~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Hues to Use -- Pure Gold!

Hello all and happy Tuesday to YOU! I hope for those of you living in the States, you have successfully awoken out of your food comas and are back to the land of the living! ;-) What a week! Hopefully, you were surrounded by all of those you love with some amazing food to boot!

Here at Power Poppy, we are still recovering from the massive sale over the weekend that so many -- SO MANY -- of you took advantage of! We are surely thankful for that! And today, it's back to throwing up glitter dust and sharing that spark of colorful creativity with you all! It's time for another edition of....

This little trio of color cues is rather fun if I don't say so myself! This little crochet bag is one that Marcy picked up at a craft fair. Well, she felt that all that red crochet needed a little creative pick-me-up, so she raided her button jar, pulled out her faves and adorned this little number with a whole host of vintage buttons she had in her stash! Simply delightful in my book! 

HOW TO PLAY: To play along with us is simple -- use these three colors as inspiration for your card or creation and then, when you're done, link up your creation using our linky below! Easy peasy! 

I have to say, we've been super blessed with amazingly talented designers joining us from week to week to help us usher in this weekly challenge. And guess what folks? Today is no different! As you can see by my blog post title, this week's guest designer is PURE GOLD! ;-) Let me introduce you to....

Hi, I'm Nicola. I'm from South England, but I now live in Canada with my husband and two children. I'm a stay-at-home mum and help out at my daughter's pre-school when I'm needed. I've been doing all sorts of crafts from a young age, but my biggest passion now is colouring and paper crafting. I am super thrilled to have been asked to guest design for Hues To Use this month. I've been in love with Marcella's florals since I discovered them, but only recently had the confidence to colour such detailed images (thanks to Alyce's classes at Kit & Clowder).

NICOLA'S CREATION

When I saw the colour palette I decided to go a bit 'wild' and opted for a two-colour flower. The back petals were going to be two-tone but it didn't look right, so I went over with red. I actually like how it turned out as it makes the lighter red of the front petals really pop.

These flowers are so beautiful I didn't want to clutter them with embellishments, so I went with a layered and textured card to show them off instead. I just bought some new corner dies and thought these little squares would perfectly accent all the fluffy ruffles. I don't always have something complete in mind when I'm making a card, so I originally put the white die-cut card onto the red layer and straight onto the blue. 

This red to blue contrast actually made my eyes go a bit funny though, so I added another white layer. Once I had all the layers complete, I finished off with the sentiment, twine and a few sequins.

While I was having fun with the colours I decided to make a tag too, but with the flowers in the opposite colourway. I added the sentiment directly over the image on the same layer and die-cut just a little at the bottom corner. I used the same twine and a few sequins to bring everything in line with the card.

Here's a closeup for you...

Thank you so much for joining me this week! I hope this color combo and my projects inspire you to play along with us for this week's Hues to Use!

Thank you so much, Nicola! What a vibrant pair of projects, masterfully colored and beautifully put together! We are so lucky, like I said, to have such a fine caliber of artists willing to share their time and, more importantly, talents with us. We should point out if you'd like to see more of Nicola's work, all you have to do is hop on over to her blog HERE!  And remember.... if you would like to be a guest hostess and share the weekly Hues, all you need to do is play along with us! We grab all of our guests right from the weekly link lists! So get those fingers inky and let's see how you put these Hues to good use!

Until next week!
~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Hues that Give Thanks!

Hello fine folks! It's that time in the week when we spin the color wheel and see what "Hues to Use" for our creative endeavors! Since this week brings a special holiday here in the States, I thought I would cue up a charming little photo from Marcella's IG Feed that truly shares the mojo of the Thanksgiving Holiday! Take a look at the shot below and *try* not to lick your computer screen! I know it will be tempting, but please try! ;-) 

To play along, all you have to do is use these rich shades of pumpkin, latte and cocoa in one of your creations! Then, don't forget to link it up below and share with us all! We LOVE to see your take on our weekly trio of colors! 

With that treat, I get to usher in yet another! We have a fabulous guest designer who's making this trip over to the Power Poppy blog from the eastern half of the states. Say "hello" will you to......

Hi, my name is Julie Gearinger and I live in Frederick, Maryland with my wonderful husband of 34+ years and two beautiful kitties, Angel and Victoria. Since childhood, I have been artistic and was always drawing and/or painting- my mother would have to pry me away from my artwork to help with the housework- lol!!

In 1999 I attended my very first stamping home party and was immediately hooked! I love the fact that with stamping, we can create something beautiful that will encourage others in addition to sharing with them how they can be artists as well!

I started my blog Stamping with Julie Gearinger in 2010 and have enjoyed being on several Design Teams over the years. I feel so honored to be the Guest Designer for this challenge at Power Poppy and hope that --- after you see my card -- you'll be inspired to join us!

JULIE'S CARD

I know, many of you may cringe at the thought of digital stamps and feel that digital images are too intimidating, but trust me, they are so easy to use!! You can import them into photo editing software (I generally use the retired Stampin’ Up! My Digital Studio™ program or Word) or you can use another word processing program. You can enlarge or reduce the image, flip it and/or crop it, then print it out on cardstock, watercolor or other paper. Then you just color as you would a stamped image. It is so easy to create different looks with just one image plus another major benefit for me is that they do not take up space in my stamping studio :-)

This week’s "Hues to Use" neutral palette is perfect for so many different types of cards and with the celebration of Thanksgiving this week here in the States, I decided to use the main image from the Olive and Oak digital stamp set and the sentiment from the Bittersweet Wreath digital stamp set.

TO CREATE THIS CARD:

1). Open an 8 ½” x 11” document in your word processing/photo software program, import or insert the Olive & Oak image into the blank document (I enlarged it a bit) and import the sentiment from Bittersweet Wreath into another area of the document. I positioned them both on the same page but made sure I had enough room to cut out the main image panel and that the sentiment would be the correct size for the 4 ¼” card (again, this is what I love about digital images!!). Print the images using black printer ink onto white cardstock. FYI- you can use watercolor paper or other colored cardstock as well – just as long as your printer will handle the weight. I tend to use an 80lb weight white cardstock that has a very smooth surface.

2). Use a water brush with antique linen distress ink, watercolor the entire image. Use a heat tool to speed up the drying and continue to color the image using watercolor pencils, distress ink and markers and shadows with a water-soluble graphite pencil until you are satisfied with the results. I also used an alcohol marker for the background (to try to achieve an antique paper look). Use a stencil with antique linen distress ink to lightly stencil in the background.

3). Die cut the image with a rectangle stitched die, mount onto rust cardstock, trim close to the die cut edge and mount onto espresso cardstock. Create the photo corners using a square punch from rust cardstock and trim the edges for the photo corner. Add the chocolate brads in the corners and mount the entire panel onto a piece of rust cardstock.

4). Using a tutorial from Splitcoaststampers for an easel card (see tutorial here), I cut a piece of espresso cardstock to 4 ¼” x 11” and scored at 5 ½” and 8 ¼”. I folded on the score lines to create the easel.

5). Hand trim the sentiment to approx. 3 ¾” wide, watercolor with the antique linen distress ink and watercolor pencils for a wash over the sentiment panel and stencil around the edges with the same stencil as used above for the main image panel. Mount the sentiment onto rust cardstock, trim and mount onto espresso cardstock, trim and mount onto rust cardstock again for the layers.

6). On a separate piece of espresso cardstock (approx. 4 ¼” wide by 5” tall), add the crochet lace and chocolate ribbon. Wrap the ribbon ends behind this panel and adhere the panel to the lower portion of the easel card. Mount the sentiment with dimensional foam (this is the part of the card that will help keep the easel portion open).

7). Adhere the front panel onto the small flap of the easel card, test out the easel movement to make sure that it will work smoothly.

8).To finish off the card, add shimmer to the main oak leaf with a clear shimmer pen.

Stamp Sets: Olive and Oak, Bittersweet Wreath (both digital stamps from PowerPoppy)

Ink/Mediums: Inkjet Printer- Black Ink, Tim Holtz® (TH) Antique Linen Distress Ink, TH Gathered Twigs Distress Marker, Stampin’ Up! (SU!) Markers- Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Rexel Derwent® Watercolor Pencils-#53 Sepia, #57 Brown Ochre, #62 Burnt Sienna, #64 Terra Cotta; Derwent® Water Soluble Graphite Pencil- HB Light Wash; Spectrum Noir™ GV1 Alcohol Marker & Clear Glitter Pen

Cardstock/Paper: Whisper White, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso (all Stampin’ Up!)

Accessories: Big Shot™, MFT Stitched Rectangle STAX Dies, AquaPainter™, Ivory Crochet Lace, Chocolate brads, 1” Satin Ribbon from my stash

Thanks again for taking the time to stop by! I hope I have inspired you today and that you will be able to join us for the Power Poppy “Hues to Use” Challenge! Thanks again for the honor of being your Guest Designer for this challenge! Hugs and I hope you have a very blessed Thanksgiving and Christmas!!

Well, thank YOU Julie! You created an absolutely gorgeous easel card that is picture perfect for this time of year. The richness in color truly brings on the WOW factor! We were lucky to have you this week! Remember folks, the "Hues to Use" Challenge is a weekly color challenge that's never ending -- meaning you can create using that color palette any old time and link up whenever your heart desires! I invite you to travel back in Hues to Use time and see what color combos we've already played around with! Then, link up your creation! We also use these linkies to pick future guest designers! All the more reason to play along with us!

Thanks for stopping by! Get those fingers inky & link up your colorific creations below!
~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up