Are you ready for some Good Vibes?

Hi-dee Ho Sweet Power Poppy Fans! It's Friday and I have to tell you, it's been a few weeks since we've thrown some good vibes your way. So, I think I know the answer to the question, "Are you ready?" I know I am! There's so much goodness and fun to be witnessed with a little Power Poppy thread running through it all! Let's hop right in, shall we?

Your Good Vibe 5 Hit List

1. A Splash of Sparkle & Blue I have to say, when Ally Cope posted this card in the making using Power Poppy's O Holy Night stamp set, some Brusho and a wee bit of sparkle. I was completely taken by it. It's swoon worthy! I couldn't wait to see the final card and believe me, you're going to want to click HERE to see for yourself! She entered this one in one of our Creative Confetti Challenges. Click HERE to check out our challenges and play along if you feel so inspired!

2. Random Vibes  Okay, just like the title reads -- this good vibe is SUPER random. If you put  #powerpoppy in the search bar on Instagram, this image pops up on the feed. I was curious. Turns out the band Nasty Rumours just released some new stacks of wax and wanted to get the word out. Apparently, they are a Power Pop band. Why is this a good vibe? Well, I remember being a teen and spending HOURS in my room with the sounds from my coveted record collection blaring. And....the records that came out colored were way cool in my book. A red record? Way cool! So, this little photo just brought back memories! Thanks for indulging me! ;-)

3. The Power Pup! Oh my gosh, this photo of Mr. Tibbs is classic for so many reason and it gave me a chuckle. It's as if he's saying, "Why, my dear, are you taking my photo?" And second, it's a little teaser of some of the fun Marcy's been working on for her Christmas line. Mark your calendar for October 24th. That's when the sneaky peeks begin folks! Good vibes indeed!

4. FEARLESS coloring  Susan Wymer is rocking Power Poppy's Big Sexy Leaves and she's doing it on a little gift doled out at one of Kathy Racoosin's Coloring Roadtrips. Susan said she was coloring and trying to "Be Fearless" in the process. You go Susan! We happen to think this work in progress is smashing! Can't wait to see the finished project!

5. The Return of Someone Wonderful!   If you missed the big news earlier this week, Power Poppy welcomed back one of its very first Bloomies to our "family!" If you're a Leslie Miller fan (and let's face it, who isn't?), you'll be able to check out her Power Poppy creations on the Instant Gardener team. Goodness, I was so giddy to hear she wanted to join us again. She's a master in the cardmaking world and I've been a superfan for more than a decade! Welcome back Leslie! This little snippet shown is from a card she did HERE using Power Poppy's Winter Wonderland stamp set. Ahh... just gorgeous! 

Ready for a little more eye candy from these fant-a-bou-lous card designers? Well, click on through our little blog roll to see the amazing things they've been working on!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber
Katie Sims
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Thanks all for stopping by and catching some of our Good Vibes -- be sure to create a few of your own over of the weekend then join us Monday. Jessie Banks is going to be in the house with another edition of Inspire Me Monday. That girl has mad skills so you won't want to miss it! Then, Tuesday, I'll throw up some more Creative Confetti and Wednesday marks the start of the sneaky peeks for Power Poppy's Holiday Clear Stamp Release. Can you even stand it? So much fun in store! Squeee!!!

Be sure to come back & join us!

~Julie 

Time for some GOOD VIBES!

Hello Power Poppy Peeps! It's time for all the good feels in the stamping world right now! We hope by sharing a little fun that it does indeed trigger some soul-nurturing fun as you head on into a holiday weekend! Boy, do we have a fun-filled smorgasbord for you today! There's teasers, treats, and a little something sure to spark some happy endorphins!

Let’s get right to it! 

Your Good Vibes 5 Hit List! 

1. Do you feel the huge electric vibe coming from the creative epicenter of Power Poppy? Well goodness, Marcella’s illustrative pen has been so busy at work! Earlier this week she shared a little sneaky peek on Instagram of what's coming down soon at Power Poppy. Stay tuned for a SUPER CREATIVE and beautiful clear stamp release coming your way in September. AND we’ll be restarting our digital stamp releases on the 5th, 15th, and 25th of each month. Be ready for some new goodies!

2. Feeling Lucky? If so, you're going to want to visit THIS POST, take the little trip through the whole link list and leave some love for those on this one-of-a-kind hop! There's more than $1000 in prizes to celebrate Rubeena's blogoversary! You won't want to miss out! ;-) When you click on that post, you'll also see Ms. Marcy's AMAZING creation using Power Poppy's Wild Mushrooms set! Ahhhhhh!!!! 

3. You say it’s your BIRTHDAY! I just love how Kerry2 over at Splitcoaststampers dressed up Power Poppy's wedding cake from our set Dream Wedding. She loved the cake illustration and wanted to use it for birthdays too -- so she added her own candles. Genius! Just genius Kerry! Click HERE to see this beauty in its full glory! 

4. A Creative Fountain!  I was surfing the Power Poppy Rocks boards over at Pinterest and was floored when I saw just how many tutorials there are for the sampling! More than 170 my friends, from some of the most amazing card designers known to humankind! Need a little help with your mojo? Or, want to dabble in a crafty endeavor that's new to you? Click HERE to check out the plethora of Power Poppy Tutorials just waiting to be tried!

5. OMGosh, the Cute Factor is on OVERLOAD! I know I put Mr. Tibbs, the Power Poppy Pup, in the spotlight not too long ago but how could I possible resist with a photo like this one? Can you even stand it? Look at those happy ears just flopping in the breeze? Yes, a good vibe indeed!

These fine ladies are bringing on their own heavy dose of eye candy and inspiration today. Roll through this link list and see what they have in store...

Cindy Lawrence
Christine Okken
Allison Cope

Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

And that, my Power Poppy friends, is it from home base! We all hope you leave here with some new ideas swirling in your head (and then, don't forget to share!) We will be taking a break this Monday for the holiday from Inspire Me Monday but stay tuned -- Creative Confetti will be here Tuesday and we'll not only have a new challenge but the winner of our August series of challenges! So... that's super exciting! Wednesday, September 5th we’ll debut a new digital stamp set, too. Big week!

Until then, enjoy your holiday weekend!

~Julie

Friday Feels!

Happy Fri-YAY Peeps! It's time to cue up all 

the "good feels" and bring you....

Your Good Vibe 5 Hit List

1. Playing with Poppies Jessie Banks is at it again with that wonderful water brush of hers! This time, she's taking some new liquid watercolors for a test drive and putting Power Poppy's Poppy XL in the spotlight. Click HERE to see her add all that beautiful shading with the flick of a brush!

2. Raising It Up! Be still my heart. Can you even handle the beauty Susan Wymer created with Power Poppy's Azaleas Forever digital stamp set? That background! The die cut squares lifted off the card! Check out her blog HERE for all the deets. Can you say CASE? I can!

3. What are YOU????? I can almost hear our Power Poppy Pup Mr. Tibbs checking out that creature in nature and saying, "Are you gonna play with me?" Meantime, the deer is wondering what the heck that large-eared furry ball is. I, no doubt, know that the deer's heart probably melted a wee bit at the sheer cuteness of the sight. Take it in people! Love our Power Poppy Pup!

4. Confidence Clock  Imagine looking at that beauty every time the second hand ticked? This is the brain child of Alyce over at Kit & Clowder and it is pure GENIUS! Sigh. Really, all I can do is sigh. While this little number was at the center of a recent retreat, Alyce is always sparking creativity over at Kit and Clowder HERE!

5. Shades of Blush & Bashful Anyone else love the Steel Magnolias reference? Well, Jeannean Marshall put those shades into action. She said she adored the Lady Slipper Orchid Digital Stamp Set, so she blew it up to truly take center stage! The background stamp shares "the beauty of a woman." Perfect in EVERY way Jeannean, just perfect!

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Katie Sims

Tosha Leyendekker

And that,  my friends, is it! Be sure to pop back in as we kick off the week with another Inspire Me Monday! Amy Shulke -- that amazing colorista -- will be in the house to share some coloring tips. Any time that fine lady shares, it's pure gold so you aren't going to want to miss this one folks!

Until then, enjoy your weekend!

~Julie 

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

Thank Goodness it's FRI-YAY!!!!!

Hello, sweet peeps! What's going on in your neck of the woods? We here at Power Poppy are jam-packed with good vibes so get ready for a fast moving, high powered, combustion of creativity with the latest edition of....

With the official first day of spring just a week away, I have the FEEE-VAH folks -- a bit of spring fever! That's why when I was strolling through my Instagram feed, my heart skipped a beat with this one by Karen HERE using Power Poppy's stamp set Go Wild. Don't you just love the huge blast of color and the clean design?  I sure do! Good vibes Karen -- Good Vibes! 

I don't know about you, but I absolutely love progress shots showing coloring in action. They all remind me of my "happy place," when I can take a deep breath, grab my favorite coloring medium and... color. So, that's why I picked this little snapshot HERE by Kathy Jones using Power Poppy's Graceful Still Life.  Ahhh... love! I can't wait to see how Kathy finishes up this little colorful wonder!

Good Vibe #3 is all about the Power Pup! It's been a bit since we've seen the notorious Mr. Tibbs in action. This one shows him out with one of his fearless leaders, Doug. I am not sure which is more regal, the rich-in-history St. Louis statue in Forest Park... or the four-legged gentleman Mr. Tibbs! I don't know about you but I just really wish I could crash through the computer screen to get a little cuddle from the Power Pup himself!

Tomorrow is the big day when we can pretend that we are all a wee bit Irish! So, why not let the luck 'o the Irish rule the day and snap up one of Power Poppy's luck-inspired digital stamp sets??? Did you see this lovely set  --- Wish You Luck --- is on sale now through tomorrow for just a buck and 25 cents? Yep, you heard me right -- $1.25! You can't even buy a coffee for that! Hit the Power Poppy Shop before the sale ends on this digi designed to bring nothing but good vibes!! And, if you're looking for some ways to use this fun stamp set, Ally did a video showing how she colored up this set and even has a schnazzy little Irish tune underneath her coloring tutorial! Click HERE to check it out!

 

This last little snippet just made me happy at first sight. Look at that little baby succulent. It appears as if it is just "reaching" for the sunshine to soak it all in! Christine Okken shot this little guy, who just happens to be hers. So, soak up the happy and reach for the sunshine in your own lives -- #moregoodvibes! 

Well sweet peeps -- how's that for some good vibes? Hopefully, you'll leave here smiling just a little bit more than you were before you came this way! 

We have a few... just for YOU!  First up, have you checked out our monthly Power & Spark Challenge? This one is hosted by the fabulous Ally Cope! All you need to do is dig into your fabric stash and be... inspired! Check out the challenge HERE that could send you to the Power Poppy Shop as the winner of a $50 Shopping Spree! Yipppppeeee! 

And, of course, you can always get in on the action with our weekly Hues to Use. This week, we pulled the lid off on a new trio of colors that are springy and fun and just begging to be used the next time you hit your crafting space! Click HERE to see for yourself!

And fine folks, it's that time when we turn things over to the ever-fabulous Bloomies, who would love nothing more than for you to hop on over to their place on the web to see what beautiful things they've whipped up to share with YOU!

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber

Katie Sims

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

Thanks for popping in! Enjoy your weekend and we'll be back here real soon to share a little kick of creativity to brighten your day!

~Julie 

Nothin' But Good Vibes!

Hello Power Poppy Peeps! It’s been a few weeks since we've shared good vibes from the tribe! Of course, every single word written here on this place we call home is filled with good vibes for all of you. But this post is extra special since we hand-pick all of these delicious items to share with YOU — some of our favorite people of all time! So, let’s get right to this little bit of show and tell...

GOOD VIBE 1. 

We know some of you remember our official mascot like THIS, when he was just a newcomer at the Power Poppy residence. But this, my friends, is what happens when time moves on. You get a pup who ditches the babyface for a more dapper look. Just look at this handsome man at 5 months, will you? We thought Mr. Tibbs (the Official Power Puppy) was posing in such a debonair way, we couldn’t help but share!

GOOD VIBE 2. 

The night of fright is upon us..... and Patti Wiley is helping us get in the spirit with this "boo-ti-ful" creation using Power Poppy's clear stamp set Feeling Fall. Isn’t her coloring and color palette divine? I love all the extras she added like the embossed base, all the fussy cut images and that fabulous die cut backdrop. If you click on Patti's name above, you'll see ALL of the fall-themed creations she's put up on Instagram that are equally as crisp, creative and colorful!

GOOD VIBE 3. 

Would you take a look at that? Do you even know what's in that picture? Well, this is what happens when the UPS man finally delivers freshly produced polymer for our Happiest Holiday 2017 release. You get towering stacks of stamps! Marcella admits she is going to be one happy picker and packer, fulfilling the multitudes of orders that have been rolling in! As the graphic says... time to stalk the mailman!

Just a heads up, if you have yet to place your order for this oh-so-fab collection, you have a few more days to take advantage of this beauty of a sale!

GOOD VIBE 4. 

What do you get when a professional illustrator and artist picks up a little bit of Power Poppy goodness? You get EVEN MORE GOODNESS! Amy Shulke of Vanilla Arts just let the cat out of the bag on one of her upcoming classes, and we couldn't be more overjoyed that she chose Power Poppy's Olive and Oak digital stamp set to share her coloring tips and tricks! The class is called Amy’s Color Kissing and it's a priceless live tutorial to help you tint your Copic Markers with colored pencils. When you sign up, not only will you gain admittance to her online class planned for November 18th but you get a discount on the digi as well! To learn more, just click on over to her site on Patreon HERE! You'll want to stay tuned, Amy will have some little tips to share as we get closer to class time. We can't wait...

GOOD VIBE 5. 

Speaking of digital stamps, in case you missed it (I.C.Y.M.I.), Power Poppy has a freshly baked digi with some darling holiday characters just ready for your creative juices to get a hold of them! Click HERE to check out Power Poppy's new Gingerbread Family, and then head on over to my blog HERE to see for yourself why this digi is so darn fun to play around with!

And here's I.C.Y.M.I. Part 2! We have a fabulous guest designer this week for Hues to Use! Berina Febin is showing us all what happens when a little apple crumble cake inspires your latest round of card making! Check her card out below and then click HERE to join her in this week's bit of color-coded fun!

There’s been a lot to absorb over the past 10 days here at Power Poppy. We not only released 8 new clear Holiday stamps and all... but be sure to soak up a few more cards from the Bloomies:

Christine Okken

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

THINK SMALL: Have you made a card for our Mini and Mighty October Power & Spark Challenge, hosted by our rocking Bloomie, Stacy Morgan? There’s a $50 Shopping Code on the line, peeps. You have until Tuesday night at 10pm to enter your creation:

Thanks so much for stopping by and picking up the good vibes we’re putting down!

Be sure to tune back for a fresh edition of Inspire Me Monday, coming your way in just a few days. Elizabeth Zaffarano will be in the house with a beautiful tutorial featuring vellum.

Take care & have a great weekend!
~Julie

Good Vibe 5: A Mish Mash of Inspiration

Hello peeps and welcome to a smorgasbord of ideas designed to give you a la carte bits of inspiration! We call it Good Vibe 5. We hope you agree that it is nothing but positive beams of creativity designed to bring out the best in life and in your crafting spaces!

GOOD VIBE 1

You've heard of Pop Art. What about Pupp Art? Just look at the way Jane Crisci captured our very own Power Puppy Mr. Tibbs!!!! Can you even stand how cute this is? Jane mentioned using digital images to create this "scene" with Power Poppy's Easy Breezy Coneflowers in the forefront, but can you believe how awesome her rendition of Tibbs is, drawn from a photo in THIS Hues to Use challenge. Aall of us here at Power Poppy are completely taken by her creativity and talent! And Jane -- just a note -- Mr. Tibbs applauds your artistry. It reminded him of THIS MORNING when he nibbled on some of his master's precious zinnias for breakfast.

GOOD VIBE 2

When Elizabeth gets to creating and then dares to give us little sneaky peeks, you kind of feel like saying, "Dang it, Elizabeth, why do you tease us like that???" ;-) Check out her latest masterpiece in the making where she digitally mastered Power Poppy's newest member of the Instant Garden, Cherries and Berries. Okay, now that we are all on the edge of our seat, I honestly can't wait to see the colored up version.  And, if you've not given digis a try, take this tutorial for a test drive. You're almost guaranteed an instant dose of gratification when you download, color and enjoy within minutes!

GOOD VIBE 3

If you've been hanging with me on Tuesdays for Hues to Use, you know that I am just not ready for fall to color our world in shades of russet, amber, and plum. I adore this season, don't get me wrong. I truly love this season. I just am not ready to say goodbye to summer. That's why when I spotted this photo above of the lovely Bloomie Christine, I just had to celebrate her living life in full bloom! Even her tootsies are colored up in a summery shade! Christine, I so wish I could have joined you!

GOOD VIBE 4

Do you ever have those days when you stamp out an image and have no idea what colors to reach for in order to bring that illustration to life? I was thumbing through the Power Poppy tutorial archives and stumbled upon this old tutorial from color whiz Ally Cope. Not only does she have a handful of samples showcasing how to mix and match colors, she prepped a video on color theory for sure-fire ways to pair different hues for stunning and visually appealing results! Grab a cuppa your favorite beverage and sidle up to the computer to give this a watch before you kick off your creative weekend.

GOOD VIBE 5

Speaking of color, have we got some exciting news for you here in the Good Vibe 5! Mark your calendar people! Kathy Racoosin is just days away from kicking off another 30-Day Coloring Challenge! Yes, you heard it here! That's not all!!! A little birdie told me that when Kathy kicks off this challenge, she'll also be sneak peeking one of Power Poppy's newest images! Squeee! Like I said.. Mark your calendars! It's going to be a fun thirty-day ride!

We hope you got did indeed get a jolt of good vibes with us today! You've got a smile from Mr. Tibbs, a sneaky peek with Elizabeth, a dose of summer with Christine, a kaleidoscope of color with Ally and an invitation from Kathy! How much fun is all of that?

Now you get to have some more fun when you hop on over to see these fine ladies....

Christine Okken

Julie Koerber

Katie Sims

Tosha Leyendekker

Well, that does it for us here on the Power Poppy blog! Be sure to "tune in" Monday when Jessie Banks takes center stage with her tips and tricks for the next Inspire me Monday!

See you back here then!
~Julie