April stamps: Available today! Plus a hop down the bunny trail...

Hellooooooo!!! I’m peeking out from behind a large tower of brand new stamps, can you seeee meeeee?

It’s the day we’ve been looking forward to all week, all the new clear photopolymer sets are available in the Power Poppy Shop, and girls. I have to tell you, when I stamped them out for the first time, I confess that I squealed a little bit—these might be some of the best I’ve done. I’m not a squealing type normally, more of a “Woo Hoo!” kinda gal. But I squealed because I couldn't believe how awesome and really true to my original drawings they are. PRETTY COOL. We have three showstoppers for you:

Lilac Time

Simply Camellias

Daffodils

And now they can be yours if ya tiptoe on over (by way of the conservatory, past the Camellias, past the Meyer Lemon trees, past the potted Aloes and cacti) to the Scents & Sensibility Collection. Have fun there.

Oh hold on, I have one more little route I’d like you to take time to walk through, before you head through the greenhouse of goodness..... because every member of the Bloom Brigade has one more card to share today. Can you stand it??!!! I might just squeal again!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Dawn Burnworth
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Julie Koerber
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

Who am I kidding... I have some photos to share tooooo! (“Woo Hoo”) Since Easter completely snuck up on me and is THIS Sunday, and since this release has a celebration of daffodils and spring flowers, I wanted to share a few images from Easter several years ago. My folks put on the most glorious egg hunt for Doug’s children and mine in their garden, lined with meandering brick pathways that my stepdad Steve designed and paved himself when I was back in highschool. My mom’s baskets for the kids were filled with carefully chosen goodies — and she has done this for the kids every single year since. Can you say luckiest daughter ever? I can:

I AM THE LUCKIEST DAUGHTER EVER! Thank you, Mom! I think you’ll see what I mean... p.s. All of these photos were taken by my true love, Doug. xoxo thank you, honey!

Clara with an eagle eye trained for exquisite egg-hunting

Annnnnnd they’re off down the bunny trail

Finners happy to show us the chocolate-y contents of one of his finds!

Mama Marcella busy snapping photos of all the cuteness while Clara plucks the perfect egg

Hello from my Mom, Susan Smith, from her lofty vantage point in “the Treehouse” that Steve designed and built. Someday we’ll do an entire post about the treehouse. Steve is a renaissance man!

Our oldest girls looking pretty in pink as they round up the goods in the back garden

The fantastic four... five years ago! :)

Wishing everyone a joyful, love-filled, very Happy Easter!

Can’t stop, won’t stop ... gushing about Daffodils

Daffodils are blooming all over St. Louis, and even though I am overwhelmed with deadlines for this, that, and about fifteen other things, I WILL TAKE TIME TO GUSH ABOUT THE DAFFODILS. And smell them. Admire them. I will study them. I will hold them by their straight stems and stare deeply into their coronas. I will snip several of them, carry ’em into the house, and then do these things all over again, as they look a little different when they are in the house - brighter and poppier and possibly even more beautiful. Here is a bouquet I trimmed last spring in the rain, and then enjoyed for days inside.

Try it sometime. Cut those flowers. Bring them inside or to work with you. Watch and marvel as your day edges up a notch in awesomeness. Or better yet, bring them to a neighbor’s house, and let them enjoy the glow of nature.

After the daffodils are finished, or heck, even while they are blooming, wouldn’t it be wonderful to capture the beauty of a mix of them, and keep it in your cards and creations for days, weeks, years? And to share that joy with your neighbors, friends, and family?

Let’s do this!!! Presenting my newest set in clear: Daffodils!

This set takes the highly popular (I would say I can’t keep it on the shelves, but it’s a digital image, so....) Dancing with Daffodils, presented in clear polymer. And then, a SECOND focal image that I worked and reworked, then reworked some more to get the right balance of daffodils, jonquils, and companion flowers — after erasing and retooling, I finally went with Grape Hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum). With these images I’ve given you some sentiments for those times when somebody needs a hug, and to know that you are there for them. Daffodils in clear is going to be one of those sets you just want to have in your arsenal. I can feel it. ;)

The Bloom Brigade, honestly, has outdone themselves on this one. I feel like I say that each time in some fashion, but people, how do they continue to up the ante on how cool a card can be? GO SEE WHAT I MEAN!!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

TOMORROW..... everything is available in the Power Poppy Shop - AND - we’re having a massive blog hop with the entire team. What a wonderful April it will be, with all three of the Scents & Sensibility sets to color! I will try to get in on some of the coloring fun in between mulching sessions!

Tip-toe through the conservatory

My new three-set stamp collection for Power Poppy is called Scents & Sensibility, as it features images and sentiments that touch and tingle those aspects of our lives.

Yesterday we previewed a set heavily associated with the “scent” side of that equation—the fragrance of fresh Lilacs sends folks back to fond, vivid memories of childhood or of the air outside their bedroom window—but today I want to share one that really hits the sensibility side! If you can just tiptoe through the conservatory with me for a moment...

Actually, it’s the Linnean House at the Missouri Botanical Garden, the oldest greenhouse west of the Mississippi River, in continuous operation since 1882. (Mighty impressive!)

While these blooms do not hold a scent, the stunning Camellia is a flower associated with a range of themes and significance. As a matter of fact, Camellias come in shades of pink, red, and white, and each color has its own meaning! Pink flowers represent longing. Note how the flowers nod downward on a Camellia plant, almost appearing coy.

It’s not hard to see why red Camellias symbolize passion. Check out this hot number:

White Camellias stand for adoration, loveliness, and perfection. (and, if you can believe it, nary a white flower was in bloom when I visited, so you’ll need to use your imagination to conjure the most perfect white Camellia and insert it right HERE. :)

I did capture this wonderful red and white striped variety, however, so let’s gaze upon this beauty....

Both pink and red Camellias most often symbolize romantic love, the pure white flowers are thought of to express love in many forms, including the love of a parent for a child. When given to a man, camellias represent good luck!

I found all of these so very charming — and with such depth of color and variety in the way the frilly petals open to be almost pom-pomlike! So inspired in fact, I took what started out as an image for our very popular digital set, Camellias, and created an entire set, with new images and sentiments. Introducing the clear version that will infuse your cards with meaning and innate beauty: Simply Camellias!

Oh, the Bloomies have really created a showy tour for you today with Simply Camellias. And I think you’ll see that the new floaty, scripty sentiments really freshen things up! I hope you’ll take some time to travel around their blogs and see what they’ve made!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Dawn Burnworth
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker

And my dears, I do hope you’ll come back tomorrow. I am almost concerned that the juiciness of the set we’re sharing might send some of you to the fainting couch.

A glimpse of April’s release - today!

Well, hello there! First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone for the wonderful notes you’ve sent and comments you’ve left wishing Power Poppy a Happy Birthday, and for participating in the treasure hunt-surprise party thrown by the Bloom Brigade. (It’s not too late to get in on it, and you might win $100 gift certificate in our store - click here!) I continue to marvel at the number of folks we are touching with our message and our stamp designs, and who in turn touch more folks with the cards they make!

It’s a really good feeling, and I do so appreciate you all sharing your happy vibes with us!!

OK - I have the suspicious many of you are awaiting what we have in store for you with our April release. I let you in on a little sneaky peek in the e-newsletter a few weeks ago...

Can you see the frothy blooms blasting out of that pitcher (see, tucked under my camouflage of markers, papers, and ribbon)? Folks went gaga for our French Lilac digi, and that made me very happy because you know, I just wasn’t finished with Lilacs yet. In fact, I actually drew a few other images for this set and couldn’t fit them all onto a 4 x 6" stamp set canvas! They will just live in my sketchbook for a while. But really, who can get enough lilacs?

Not this lady!

As a matter of fact, I’ve tried to grow lilacs on more than one occasion, and unfortunately, I didn’t have the ample daylight sun and space that Lilacs need to thrive (most space filled up by peonies!). But, I am entranced by the inspired lilac hybrids of Father Fiala, and I would reallllly love to have that lush scent in my yard come spring. And, not to get started on too big of a tangent, but let me show you a few of the Lilacs introduced to the world by this renowned and beloved hybridizer. The lilacs shown below can be ordered by mailorder from my favorite, favorite, favorite source for unique perennials and very special trees and shrubs, the lovely family-owned Klehm’s Song Sparrow Farm and Nursery in Wisconsin.

'Little Boy Blue' by Father John Fiala, Available by mailorder from Klehm’s Song Sparrow Farm and Nursery

'Fiala’s Remembrance' by Father John Fiala, Available by mailorder from Klehm’s Song Sparrow Farm and Nursery

'Atheline Wilbur' by Father John Fiala. Available by mailorder from Klehm’s Song Sparrow Farm and Nursery

Here’s a quick bio of the hybridizer Father Fiala, written by Roy G. Klehm. I designed and illustrated Klehm’s catalogs for many years, and Roy told me lovely stories about the man behind these plants, so I appreciate you indulging me in sharing this part of the plant world with you! Klehm’s has more than 20 varieties of hybrid lilacs — go find more inspiration for your coloring, or even better, plant one outside your window — CLICK HERE! :)

Now I think I might have to go pick up a bouquet of these from the flower market, they are going to be all I can think about today, and they’re aren’t even close to blooming yet!

Doh! I did go on a lilac tangent. Because today’s post is about peeking at my new stamp set, isn’t it... SO! Presenting a preview of our newest clear stamp offering, one that I think you will turn to again and again to usher in spring, and share a sense of “enjoying the moment” by slowing down and breathing in the goodness of life: It’s Lilac Time!

Come and see the lilac-y loveliness that our Bloom Brigade has created for today. You may find yourself needing to feel surrounded by the calming spring scent of lilacs, or maybe you’ll order up this set so you can color these up ANY TIME! Even after they finish blooming in the garden...

GO BLOOMIES, GO!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan

We’ll see you back here tomorrow... we have more to share and I’m going to tell you now, I’m trying to make it really hard for you to resist any of these sets. I put my heart into each of them! (It’s my way.) Have a spectacular day!