Hues to Use honors... Mr. Tibbs!

Hello sweet peeps! Are you ready for a super cute, fuzzy, and sometimes comical bit of inspiration for this week's Hues to Use? Well, I sure am! It's been a while since we've put this little guy in the spotlight and so, we thought it would be fun to have not only a guest hostess today but a debonair man at the center of it all! Are you scratching your head, confused as to what the heck I am talking about? Well, check it out, will you? 

IT'S MR TIBBS! Can you even stand how incredibly cute he is? Oh, my. Don't you wish you could just sit on a giant pillow all day and stretch like this? Yep. Pretty much! So, to play along this week, all you need to do is grab this color combo above -- Navy, Denim and Tan -- and create! Just that simple folks! 

And guess what? We have, like I mentioned above, an absolutely fabulous guest hostess to show off these color cues for us all! Are you ready to meet her? Say "Hello" to this fine lady as we hear her share a little bit about herself and her gorgeous creation! 

"Hello, I'm Tress Smyth. I'm currently retired and living in SW Florida with my adorable and craft-spending forgiving husband, Greg (He's says I am more of a collector of craft supplies than a user, LOL -- each month I eagerly await Marcella's new digi offering). We celebrated our 10th anniversary this month. I have two grown children, a married daughter and a son who is in the Army. In addition to my family, crafting and travel are passions of mine. We are headed to Paris in June (first time overseas for my husband). I have not been there for nearly 40 years and I am looking forward to rediscovering the city! When we are not traveling, we enjoy spending our days hanging out in our pool with family and friends, hosting parties, golfing, and crafting.

My crafty hobbies include coloring digi stamps.  I actually detest physical stamps and I am so VERY happy Marcella is creating beautiful images for us digi gals. I love scrapbooking, and making Christmas ornaments and wreaths (stitched felt, ribbon, cross stitch, decorated pinecones). I just invested in some watercolor pencils and am eager to give them a try. My workspace is a total wreck when I craft. The piles grow until I cannot stand it and have to clean before starting the next project. I'll begin with a large area to work in and by the time I finish my project I'm down to about a 6 x 12 space and that is only because I move my keyboard out of the way, lol.

My creative process for Hues to Use is a tad different from my usual approach to card making. Typically I search my digi library/stash for an image that suits a specific project or just because I think it would be enjoyable to color (Marcella’s being my favorite for sheer indulgence). The next step is picking colors to work with. Playing in a Hues to Use challenge makes me switch up the order of picking a stamp and picking colors. Hues to Use pushes me to consider colors first, then choose an image that works with those colors. With a prominent butterfly, a Clusiana Tulip (I took a bit of liberty with color here), and a wild Anemone, a cropped version of Sunset Sway seemed the best candidate.

For this particular challenge, the colors appeared to me as camel, grayed turquoise, and indigo. The Copic markers that best matched were E31, BG18, and B99. The highlight and shading colors were built around this foundation. This color combo is outside my comfort zone (I gravitate to the bright spring hues), but it was fun to work with a more subdued palate.

After coloring the image with Copics and adding a touch of colored pencils, I chalked the background. I use chalk rather than Copics or other inks as the chalks are more subtle and more forgiving. The color or blend can be changed if the first try doesn’t look quite right.

Then it’s on to picking papers. Hmmmm….both a pleasure and a pain. If the process comes together quickly, it’s a joy. When I search my hundreds (yes, I sheepishly admit to hundreds) of 6x6 paper pads and still cannot find the “right” paper for the “right” look, the process is a total frustration. Thankfully by looking at a few of my unloved boy themed paper pads I was able to find a pleasing combination!

Embellishments are minimal on most of my cards. A fishtail banner and three enamel dots complete this card.

Thank you for asking me to be a part of this Hues to Use Challenge! It was a privilege, and I cannot wait to see how others will use this palate for their creations!"

Thanks, Tress! I absolutely love your card and the serene elegance you whipped up here! And to think that you reached for some "unloved" boy-themed paper packs to get the job done! LOL! I have to say that I am with you. I have a few of those myself and you've inspired me to dig through them and pick a few papers that I wouldn't otherwise use! :-)

Do you want to play along with us this week? Pick up these three colors, create, and then, link up your card using the linky below! We'd not only love to see what you create, you might just be like Tress in the future and be the hostess with the mostess here for an upcoming Hues to Use! 

Thanks for stopping by & thanks again Tress for hosting!

Julie 

An InLinkz Link-up

Hues to Use inspired by ... VEGGIES!

Hello sweet peeps & welcome to yet another color combo to spark a bit of creativity! I am sorry that I am late getting these colors to you! I pulled a "human being" and completely spaced this post! Do you ever have those days where you ask -- "What day is it?" Well, Monday came and went. I had my card all ready to go and then -- BAM -- forgot to write the post! UGH! So, let's move on and see what I have in store for you this week!

Did you know a cruciferous veggie a day keeps the cancer at bay? Well, Marcy does and that's why she truly digs this plate above! This is all an effort to eat more broccoli, more brussels sprouts, more cabbage or as she calls it, "all that cruciferous jazz!" Above -- those fun oranges, greens and bits of off white are what Marcy whipped up as a kind of cruciferous slaw that she says was pretty good --  although not as good as the Salted Carmel Truffle Blizzard she had the night before! ;-) Regardless, I thought this plate of fresh and healthy goodness was the perfect dose of inspiration for this week's challenge!

SO, HOW DO YOU PLAY ALONG? Well, my friends, it is as easy as 1-2-3! Simply use all three colors in your next creation and then, don't forget to link up your fine work using the linky below! Just that simple! 

So, how did I take this trio of colors and put them into play? Here's a look! 

I took the digital stamp set -- Tulips in Hobnail Pitcher -- and printed it off. One quick note, if you like this digi, this beautiful image is also available in a clear stamp set with... DIES!  For the sentiment, I did use the one from the digital stamp set Orchid Cascade. I loved the font and how compact it was -- perfect for my little circular die!

So, to get the color scheme was easy -- I have greens in the foliage, a splash of white in the layout and of course, orange in those beautifully drawn tulips! Of course, I colored it all up with Copics and used a mix of greens plus YR00, YR04 and YR07. The greens were YG03, YG05 and YG17 (for the most part).

And, here's a closeup...

And that, my friends, is it! So get those fingers inky and play along with me! If you put these colors to use, don't forget to link up your card below to that we can all see! And, as I always mention, you never know when a card or creation might have us asking you to guest host this weekly challenge! Wouldn't that be fun? So, give these colors a try and have fun too! 

See you back here soon!

~Julie 

An InLinkz Link-up

Hues to Use -- show me some GREEN!

Hello, Hues to Use fans! Is it Tuesday already? Geez-o-Petes, it just felt like we were together yesterday! Fear not, just because time flies, it doesn't mean that we won't usher in a new color combo for you to cling to next time you need a little colorific inspiration when creating!  Are you ready?

 

This little lovely right above is something that, well, Marcy just "winged" for Kathy Racoosin's The Coloring Challenge Road Trip. If you want to see more of Marce's paintings at the event, all you need to do is click HERE. Spectacular! Truly! We felt it was the perfect dose of inspiration for this week's Hues to Use! 

SO, HOW DO YOU PLAY ALONG WITH HUES TO USE? Well, my friends, it is as easy as 1-2-3! Simply use all three colors -- green, black and white -- in your next creation and then, don't forget to link up your fine work using the linky below! Just that simple!

Well my friends, as promised, Hues to Use is getting back into the guest designer business and with it, boy do we have a treat for you! Let's all put our hands together to welcome this fine lady and hear a little bit more about herself and her design process!

"Hello, I'm Lynda! My husband of 39 years+ and I live in upstate New York. Our grown daughter lives a couple of hours from us, in Buffalo, with her husband and our two grandchildren (girls age 7 and 13).

About nine years ago, I closed the door to my rubber stamp store, The Stamp Pad, after 13 years in business. It was difficult to let it go, but it was time. My oldest granddaughter was three, and I really wanted to have more time to spend with her and my family. Shortly after, our pastor asked me if I would consider working as parish secretary, and I accepted. I loved everything about my job, and it was a piece of cake only working 32 hours a week after owning my own store and working almost double that!

Now the hubs and I are happily retired, and spending as much time as we can with our family. I created and run our church Prayer Shawl knitting ministry, and also the Card ministry. We make and send about 135 cards every two months to shut-ins, and cards to families of people who had died on the 3 month and 1 year anniversary of the funeral. We also have cards available on a rack in church for people to take, no charge, although almost everyone leaves a donation, which goes into the ministry for postage for mailing.

I have just finished a six month Dirty Dozen design team assignment at Splitcoaststampers. I am currently on the Technique Junkies design team, and the Penny Black Saturday Challenge team.

When I am not stamping, or with my family, you will find me working in my garden, reading, writing, blogging, knitting, or walking along the river trail behind our home. I also love to `tangle' (Zentangle) and am teaching myself modern brush calligraphy. My latest endeavor is Bible art journaling. My hands don't know what it is to be still! I thank the Lord for the gifts he has given me, and the joy they bring me. I seek ways to help others discover and develop their own talents and encourage them on their life's journey in any way I can.

LYNDA'S CARD

I copied the Power Poppy digital image Chinese Lantern onto green cardstock. For my coloring, I used Polychromos colored pencils, choosing three shades of green, the deep indigo blue, and white. I began by coloring most of the ‘lanterns’ with the lightest shade, being careful to leave a highlight spot, Then I gradually added the other two shades of green, and then the white highlights. I used a ‘flicking motion’ when applying my layers, so as to give the lanterns some texture and shape. 

The final step was the deep indigo blue for shadow contrast. I repeated this with the leaves and stems. For the berries, I colored them mostly white, with a little green and indigo blue for shading. I went over the image with a Micron black fine pen to bring back some of the stamped lines.

Once that was finished, I felt that it needed some additional texture and interest. With a small piece of nylon screening (from the hardware store), I sponged ColorBox white pigment ink through it, intermittently, onto the card. I buffed it out a little with tissue to dull it so that it would recede into the background and not compete with the image. I cut it out with a stitched square die.

For the phrase, I used the happy birthday from the Dynamic Duos Peonies & Tulips Power Poppy clear set. I cut the words apart so that I could use them stacked instead of drawn out. I white embossed it onto a scrap of black cardstock, then used a circle stitched die.

I added some dimension and additional interest by cutting around a small portion of the lantern and berries image and slipped the circle under the cut edges. To balance the black and white, I added a narrow strip of striped patterned paper along the left edge. I layered it onto black cardstock, then onto a white 5” top-fold square card.

On the inside, I used a lightbox to trace just a piece of the stem with two of the lanterns and three berries with my Micron pen. I colored it with the colored pencils. The verse is from the Power Poppy Short Stacks clear set, and stamped it with distress ink, layering it onto the same green cardstock. That's it! 

Thank you so much Lynda for sharing! I am actually blown away by all you do and what a beautiful thing -- to create cards as a ministry for those grieving a loss? That is such a precious use of your talent. Maybe we should all send some cards your way! Your creation is stunning and all the detail you added with colored pencils is perfection. We are so glad you decided to step into the spotlight with us this week and share your gorgeous creation!

Okay folks, now it is your turn to take this color combination for a spin! And, when you do, be sure to link up your card using our linky below! We can't wait to see what you come up with! Thanks again Lynda for guest designing! Stay tuned -- there are more talented designers set for the weeks to come! Until then, get those fingers inky and join us in the fun! 

Thanks for stopping by!

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Gilded Hues!

Hello sweet peeps & welcome to yet another set of color cues that are ripe to use for all of your creative and crafty endeavors! Today, I not only have the hues for your viewing pleasure, but a sneaky peek of a fun little technique that I am going to share for Power Poppy's next Inspire Me Monday! So... so much to stay tuned for!

First, let's check out the color palette for this week's.....

So, what's this little sight above? Well, according to the fabulous Ms. Marcy, it's a photo she snapped just a few weeks ago showcasing the Yellow Bishop's Hat and Virginia Bluebells that were sprouting up all over her "terrarium" a.k.a. her backyard garden! Don't they just look like they are reaching up to the camera to say "Well, hello there?" ;-)

SO, HOW DO YOU PLAY ALONG? Well, my friends, it is as easy as 1-2-3! Simply use all three colors in your next creation and then, don't forget to link up your fine work using the linky below! Just that simple! 

Today, I am sharing a little bit of an experiment using Deco Foil, Copics, and a little digital manipulation! If you want the full low down on how I created this card, you'll have to stay tuned for a step-by-step tutorial coming your way next Monday. But, for now, here's a peek at what I whipped up using the color palette above! 

So, as you can see, I took Power Poppy's Graceful Still Life and did a little "surgery" on it before I colored it up with Copic Markers. Word art is really big in stamping right now and I knew I wanted to try my hand at doing some digitally. After I was done creating this image, I grabbed my Copic markers and used these ones below to color it up! I really wanted to create an image with an antique feel so, most of the colors are dusty in tone! The earth tones were used to color up the letters and bring out that sandy color in the color palette. The flowers are the purple in this week's hues and my card base is the lighter shade of purple in the Hues to Use!

And, here's a closeup so that you can see how I used the Deco Foil! I will say, I didn't let my laminator warm up long enough and you can see that the coverage of my foil isn't perfect. In real life, you can't tell there are spots missing -- it looks really crisp -- but in this photo-- you can see them!

And that, my friends, is it! Like I mentioned, be sure to come back and see how I created this card and a few others! And be sure to put these colors into play and join me for this week's Hues to Use! You never know when a card or creation might have us asking you to guest host this weekly challenge! Wouldn't that be fun?

So get those fingers inky and join me!

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Hues Inspired by Nature!

Hello sweet folks! This week's Hues to Use is one inspired by the wonder of nature! Are you ready to have a brand new color combo thrown your way to try to spark a little color creativity? Well, I am ready to do the throwin'! ;-) It's time for another edition of....

Well I have to say that I have no real idea what is going on with the photo above but Marcy nailed it when she posted this pic and said simply, "Nature, being all awesome!" I couldn't agree more! This little number was posted almost a year ago, so, whatever this is being awesome, it's probably being awesome again as we speak! 

HOW TO PLAY: Playing along with us for Hues to Use is easy as 1-2-3 -- use all three colors in your card or creation and then make sure to share a direct link to your creation so we can all see! YIPPPEEE!

Moving on to my card! Now, I have a few birthdays coming up and when I chose this color combo, I knew in my heart of hearts that I would use it to create a few "man cards!" My brother-in-law is a beer lover and it's funny when we hit happy hour together every now and then, he often reads the craft beer menu and he will look at me and say, "Will I like that?" So, more times than not, I end up choosing his beer for him. I figured this image below -- Power Poppy's Hops and Barley -- would be perfect for him! 

I started printing this digital image in a kind of sepia/brown tone and so that's where that color on the 'Hues' is used along with some of the accents in the barley. Then, I grabbed these Copic colors for the barley.....

And these colors for the rest of the image -- the hops and some of the highlights around it! 

After I was done coloring with my Copic markers, I did go back in to add some depth with a few Prismacolor pencils -- using an indigo pencil along with a burnt umber shade as well. I am really loving how a sharpened colored pencil can add that intricate detail that a Copic marker tip can not. 

For the inside of my card, since I knew how I would be using this card and who I would be giving it to, I went ahead and did this (below) on the inside! Printing a faint version of the hops and barley image with one of the sentiments that is included in this digital stamp set! Love! 

And that, my friends, is it! An earthy mix of colors inspired by nature herself! I hope you hand-pick these colors to use next time you create and will play along with me! When you do, just link up your creation below! Like we always share, our guest designers are all chosen from our weekly link list, so we would REALLY love to see what you've got up your creative sleeve! It could have you playing with some digital stamp set freebies followed by some time in the Power Poppy Spotlight! Can't wait to see who our next designer will be!

Happy stamping & we'll see you back here soon!

~Julie 

An InLinkz Link-up

Hues to Use -- Budding with Spring Beauty!

Hello all and happiest of Tuesdays to you! Are you ready for a spring-infused color combo that's just dying to be used next time you create? Well, ready or not, here it comes! It's Hues to Use day! And this next inspiration photo is about as pretty and sweet as they come! 

This image was freshly picked from Marcella's Instagram. When I saw it, I gasped -- there's so much beauty in a little snapshot! So much! Look at those freshly picked hellebores, some of her mom's treasured transferware, and did you see the "find" that Marcy encountered when she reached high to get one of those little cups down? OH MY GOSH -- YEEESSSS! Tiny little eggshells, just looking as beautiful as can be!

HOW TO PLAY: Playing along with us for Hues to Use is easy as 1-2-3 -- use all three colors in your card or creation and then make sure to share a direct link to your creation so we can all see! I know you won't be able to help yourself. You're going to HAVE to join us this week! ;-)

When I reached for a digital image to color up, I just had to print off the newest member of the Instant Garden -- Cup of Columbine. It had the flowers, the teacup AND the little egg! It was made for this color combo!

So, I started with the no-line version of this image and did a little "digital surgery" to the image. If you want to see exactly how I did it, all you need to do is visit THIS post for step by step instructions!

Then, I grabbed my Copic markers -- a whole fistful, literally -- and went to town coloring. These were the ones I used!

After I was done coloring up the individual portions, I did go back and add some depth with an Indigo Blue, Dahlia Purple and Chartreuse Prismacolor pencil -- just to get into those little nooks and crannies that are hard for that brush-tip of the Copic marker to reach. I also accented the centers of the flowers with a little white gel pen.

And here's a closeup for y'all!

Now that you see my closeup -- can you spot my MAJOR boo-boo? Well, as I was coloring, I accidentally colored petals from the columbine in front as leaves. UGH! I was so far in the process of coloring that I just decided to "own it" and roll with it! LOL! So, it's not natually accurate but... oh well! Life happens, right?

And that, my friends, is it! I loved coloring up this image and now have one to set aside for any kind of occasion that comes my way, since I left the inside blank for now.

So, are you going to get those fingers inky and play along with me? I sure hope so! When you do, just link up your creation below! Like we always share, our guest designers are all chosen from our weekly link list, so we would REALLY love to see what you've got up your creative sleeve! It could have you playing with some digital stamp set freebies followed by some time in the Power Poppy Spotlight! Can't wait to see who our next designer will be! We will have a new round of guests coming up in the next few weeks so, stay tuned!

Thanks for popping in and we'll be back with more inspiration.... SOON!

~Julie 

An InLinkz Link-up

Hues to Use: Melting Winter!

Hello my sweet peeps! It's Tuesday, which means that yours truly is popping into the Power Poppy Blog to share a little color-infused fun to help keep those creative juices flowing as we move through the week. This week's inspirational photo has a fun vibe to it because it shows a melting of winter into spring. Take a gander, will you please?

Check out this showy and fragrant Koreanspice viburnum. Marcy snapped this pic around this time last year meaning.......spring is really close people! It. Is. CLOSE! At least that is what I am telling myself as I glance out the window and still see larger than life snow mounds here in the snowy north. Moving on....

HOW TO PLAY: Playing along with us for Hues to Use is easy as 1-2-3 -- use all three colors in your card or creation and then, lickity split, upload your direct link to our linky below so that we can all see and OOOoooo and Ahhhhhh and your marvelous creativity! Doesn't that sound like so much fun??

If you need a little bit of inspiration before you get crack-a-lacking on this challenge, I am prepped to show you what I whipped up using this trio of colors!

As you can see, the layout on this one is super duper easy. I took two green patterned papers and then on the solid piece, I added some texture thanks to my Scor-Pal and a little sanding block. Add some twine and a gold button and that's pretty much it! I did, as you can see, cut my main image with an oval die cut. I thought since this image was so large, it needed something but I was limited in the shapes I could use since, like I said, the image was so large!

What image did I use? Well, I had some digital fun with the Cherries & Berries digital stamp set. I moved the arch of the raspberries twice to create a digital frame around the digital stamp sentiment from the set. To color my berries, I used a mix of light red and hot pink shades. I realize mine is a wee bit more vibrant than the dusty rose in the photo but... it's close! ;-) I used Spica Glitter Pens on the sentiment and added some pizazz thanks to a white gel pen.

And that, my friends, is it! You can't see really in this photo but the pinkish ivory was used to highlight around my image. Those light colors can be tough to photograph at times -- but that color is there -- I promise!

So, are you going to get those fingers inky and play along with me? I sure hope so! When you do, just link up your creation below! Like we always share, our guest designers are all chosen from our weekly link list, so we would REALLY love to see what you've got up your creative sleeve! It could have you playing with some digital stamp set freebies followed by some time in the Power Poppy Spotlight! YIPPPEEEEE! Can't wait to see who our next designer will be! We will have a new round of guests coming up in the next few weeks so, stay tuned!

Thanks so much for popping in this week and seeing the latest color cues with Hues to Use! 

We'll be back with more inspiration.... SOON! 

~Julie 

An InLinkz Link-up

'Leaf' the inspiration to us!

Hello folks! Are you ready for a gorgeous color combo inspired by Mother Nature herself? Well then, have we got just the weekly challenge for you! It's Tuesday, which means we have a trio of hues handpicked to help you next time you hit up your card making space! Check it out my stamping friends! And then, just breathe in its loveliness!

These Callery Pear leaves bearing an explosion of color were handpicked by Ms. Marcella herself and immortalized thanks to Instagram. Yes, they may be images snapped during the height of fall, but that's what is great about Hues to Use -- we are inspired by ALL seasons. Isn’t that right?

HOW TO PLAY ALONG WITH US: All you need to do is use these colors in your next card or creation and then, link up your card using the linky below! The good news is, the linky never expires so you can be inspired by this or any of the color combos featured in Hues to Use for eternity! :-)

And, like we've been sharing, all of our guest designers are picked from the list of players in our weekly challenge. This week, we have yet another talented and super special guest! Let's hear a little bit about and meet...

"Hello! First, a little bit about me....Melanie Ann MacKenzie! I live on a small farm in eastern Ontario, Canada about an hour from Ottawa, our nation's capitol, with my hubby Frank, our yellow lab, Amber, and a bunch of chickens who are more pets than livestock. My first love is gardening, so naturally, I simply adore all of Marcy's delicious floral images. They are wonderful to work with. My summers are spent in the garden and winters find me in my little craft room making cards and doing needlework, which is another passion of mine. A friend introduced me to stamping about 20 years ago with a PSX stamp and there was no looking back after that.

My creative process for making a card always begins with a sketch - often one of my own or sometimes one from Pagemaps or another site. Then, I select the stamps and dies that I want to use. Oddly enough, colour comes last, at least for a regular card. I generally stamp out a mock-up first to see how things look before I begin on the actual card. Then, I stamp and colour my focal image and begin the process of putting the card together. I do not like to rush, so this can often take me some time (often hours) to complete a single card. And, I always work standing up, other than when I am colouring. Somehow this seems to give me a better perspective on the card."

MELANIE’S CARD

CARD CLOSE UP...

Thanks Melanie! I love what you did using Power Poppy’s Folk Heart stamp set! That sweet tweety little bird gets me every time -- I am sure he’s singing so sweetly! I also love your card layout with the whimsical heart and splashes of sequins! So cheerful! If you'd like a little more inspiration by Melanie, all you need to do is hop on over to her blog HERE, Tuppence and Bob.

Thanks again for hosting this week Melanie... and thanks to the rest of you for stopping by and checking out the latest Power Poppy happenings! We hope you take these colors for a spin and join us! Remember, if you would like to be one of our hostesses with the mostess, simply play along and let us see how you rock these colors with your own personal style! Each guest hostess gets a free digital stamp set to play along with for hosting -- so there's even some extra “candy” you win for being in the spotlight! 

So get those fingers inky and play along! 

~Julie 

An InLinkz Link-up

Hues that Make You Swoon!

Hello peeps! Are you ready for a nature-inspired color cue that's just begging for you to pick up and use? Goodness knows I am! It's Tuesday, so let's cue up the latest round of....

When Marcella spotted this amazing swirl of color, she was at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in our nation's capital. This, my friends, is Tight Malachite and as Marcy said when she first set her sights on it, "Dare you not to swoon!" Well, I did indeed swoon and then I decided this would be a wonderfully fun color combo for.. HUES TO USE!  I'll admit, it's a bit tricky at times to pull off monochromatic color combos. But, you know what? I know you can do it! And, I can't wait to see how you pull it off!

HOW TO PLAY ALONG WITH US: To play along with us, simply 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! Sweet & simple! 

Want to see how I took these colors for a whirl?

For starters, I picked up Power Poppy's Succulent Singles and Prairie Cheer stamp sets (for the sentiment). I stamped two of the smaller leaves directly on my decorative paper and then, stamped a bunch onto white cardstock to cut out later. Actually, I could have used the Succulent Singles Die Set that goes with this stamp set but I had a lapse in judgment and forgot to do that! EEK!  

Now, here's the fun part. I decided that instead of letting ink play a prominent role in my creation, I would heat emboss. I dug deep into my drawer of embossing powders. Deep! I have so many embossing powders and many of them are more than 15 years old -- so underused! Take a look at the three powders I picked. They are from a company called BMuse. The company is still around but no longer makes these amazing colors of embossing powder. I have Copper, Aged Copper and Bronze. Here's a peek at what they look like, pre-emboss.  

And, because you really shouldn't use Copic Markers with embossing powder (I hear that it damages the tip of your marker), I decided to reach for my Distress Markers and picked up these colors below. I never color directly onto my image when using Distress Markers. I scribble them onto a plastic palette or even a large acrylic block and then pick up the marker with either a blender pen or water brush. This time I used my Dove Blender pen. I love how this allows you to add color gradually and almost with a watercolor effect. 

And here's a close up of how those embossing powders turned out! It's so hard to photograph the metallic sheen but they are really quite fun in real life. The Aged Copper has that bit of navy in it, which picks up on the navy in the base portion of my card. I love that blue tint, the distressed bronze and the copper. LOVE! 

And here's a little better shot of the coloring! I love the almost dreamy wash on each petal. And, to be honest with you? I just scribbled on the color -- didn't really spend a ton of time on it! Isn't that the best?

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

Let Them Color Cake!

Hello all of you Happy Stampers! How is your week so far? I hope it is grand with the sun shining ever so brightly -- if not in the sky -- in your hearts! We have a colorific Tuesday for you with amazingly fun pops of color to throw at you! So, let's get right to it, shall we? Check out these hues with a purely electric vibe! 

I have to laugh at this photo because this is 100% Marcy -- hamming it up for the camera in front of all things -- trolls. Yep. Trolls. Marce was chilling with a friend who works at Target headquarters and this was just one of the treasures inside -- motion detecting, rotating trolls complete with that wacky hair. Actually, now that I think about it, I am not sure if I would laugh or be freaked out. Marce just takes it all in stride and sees it as an opportunity to snap a pic and laugh. Like I said, this is our peep-in-chief in the truest sense!

Okay folks, now that you've seen the color cues, time now to see who is helping host this week! Say hello to......

Donna Cervantez, a.k.a. "Nana Donna" agreed to not only share her talents, but a little bit about herself as well! So, let's give her the floor, shall we? 

"Hello everyone! My name is Donna and I have always done some sort of crafting. In 1996, a friend at work talked me into going to a Stampin' Up party. I tried to resist because I know how I am, I just jump in with 2 feet, heck I jump in with all I got.

I bought my first stamp from Michael's and still have it. I now have a vast collection of stamps from various companies. Then, they came out with digital stamps and of course, now I have a nice collection of those too. I love Marcella's stamps/digis because there is so much detail and the shading she adds guides you on where to shade the image. I color using Copics, watercolor, pencils and Zig Clean Color brush markers.

About me, I was forced to stop working in 2007 due to a medical issue. I had a tumor in my spinal cord. So after surgery, I have some walking issues and need to use a walker. I always look at the bright side of things and when this happened, it meant I can stay home all day and craft, and that is pretty much what I do.

I am married to the greatest guy ever. He does most the housework and takes care of me and is always there if I need him. The poor guy has had to re-do my craft room numerous times to make it easier for me to function in. Shhh! Don't tell him I am thinking about doing yet another re-arrangement. We have a bunch of grandkids and great-grandkids that we love to spend time with and one great-granddaughter loves to craft with me. I also love to cook and spend time with friends and family.

When I got the email from Julie asking if I would be interested in designing for a Hues to Use challenge, I was thrilled. I had played along with the Hues to Use challenge before, so I was familiar with it. I love having a color scheme to follow and mostly create my cards following a sketch.

So here is my card using the Layer Cake digital stamp. It just so happens that Amy Shulke at Vanilla Arts was going to be doing a livestream class coloring the Layer Cake image.

I colored the image using Copic markers on Cyrogen paper, the background was made using Distress Inks. I struggled with exactly how to make the card -- then I got the idea to frame it, using a die cut.

I also used the sentiment words from the Layer Cake set and had them printed and cut out, added a few sequins for some bling and that was it.

Here's a closeup for you... 

Amazing work Donna! And, what a treat to see the results from one of Amy's livestream classes! For those of you who aren't familiar, Amy Shulke of Vanilla Arts has used Power Poppy digital stamps for a few of her online classes. You can check them out HERE!

Well, that was a super treat, don't you think? I look at the depth Donna created with this layer cake and it makes me want to grab my markers and see what I can do -- how about you? If you'd like to see more of Donna's creations, all you need to do is hop on over to her blog HERE and see what she's got cookin'! Just in case you wondered, THIS is one of my favorite Donna cards! ;-)

Thanks again Donna for being our host this week! Remember, if YOU would like to host one of our upcoming Hues to Use posts, all you need to do is play along! Once you link up your creation below, we'll all see that spark of creativity and before you know it, you'll be here showing off your mad skills! 

So, get those fingers inky and play along! And like I said, don't forget to link up your creation!

Until next week!

~Julie 

An InLinkz Link-up