Inspire Me Monday: Valentine's Day Inspiration!

 

Hello all! And welcome to another edition of Inspire Me Monday.... albeit a little late today! ;-) Given that tomorrow is a day surrounded by love with Valentine's Day, I thought I'd share some old and new projects designed to help you share in the holiday in a jiffy! All of these projects are quick to create but not at all less heartfelt! So, let's get to it! Shall we? 

This first project is one I created a few years ago and is still one of my all-time faves. If you click the link, it will take you right to the tutorial! 

Sweets for your Sweetie! Create this darling box out of just a few strips of paper! Make it as large as you like or downsize it for some smaller goodies! The digital image is one of the best bangs for your Valentine buck with Va-Va-Valentines. This set features six different darling images and some small senties in one digital stamp set! What? Seriously? Yep. Seriously.  

Just Take 10! These two creations from Tosha Leyendekker only take ten minutes but don't look like they did! Since we are less than 24 hours away from this sweet holiday, why not try one of these? While this was stamped using a sentiment no longer available from Power Poppy, you could easily swap something in your Power Poppy stash like LaVie En Rose.

Speaking of La Vie En Rose, the last little digital delight I am going to show you a new creation that takes almost ZERO stamping! The only thing I stamped was the sentiment. I have to say this card was CASED from a kit that I subscribe to -- when I saw it, I immediately knew I could repeat the vibe using Power Poppy stamps. Whoop whoop! 

I started by downloading LaVie En Rose and removing the background with some of the tools in Photoshop Elements. I also found some royalty-free watercolor backgrounds that I knew would be fun to lay this rose over top. 

I added a stamped sentiment from an old Power Poppy set, add some silver cording, some sequins and Ta-Dah!! Fini! This is truly a 10-minute card! 

Well folks, since we are down to the last hours before Valentine's Day -- if you haven't gotten a card for your honey, try one of these 10-minute creations! 

Until next time,

Inspire Me Monday: Your Biggest Fan!

 

GOOD MORNING POWER POPPY FANS! I'm back today with another Inspire Me Monday blog post. It's hard to believe that it's already the last week of January and we're coming up on yet another holiday. I don't usually send out Valentine's Day cards, but I do send out friendship cards. So I wanted to make something that gave a nod to the holiday, but was versatile enough to be used at other times of the year.

So let's take a look at today's project! I decided to feature one of the images from the Va-Va-Valentines Digital Stamp set. The set includes six illustrations and four sentiments so you're bound to find something to fit the occasion.

For my project I used the "biggest fan" illustration. I colored the image with Copic markers (see list below) and kept the card design relatively simple. 

Speaking of which -- I have a habit of coloring first and then looking for design paper to coordinate with my image. Why? For me, the fun is in the coloring so I always want to jump right in. But that also means that I spend a lot of time trying to coordinate paper after the fact. This time, I actually decided on the layout and the papers BEFORE coloring the image. And of course, it was much easier to pull the card together. Duh!

New to digital images? We've got you covered! Check out this DIGITAL TUTORIAL by Julie Koerber with creative tips for working with our digital images as well as this step-by-step tutorial by the Bloom Brigade’s Allison Cope for working with digital images using GIMP, a free downloadable photo-editing program. And I have a YouTube video showing show I use Microsoft Word to print out digital images. 

If you missed any of the previous Inspire Me Monday posts, just click HERE to scroll through all the fabulous projects and.... get ready to be inspired! Thanks for stopping by!

Nancy

SUPPLIES

• Va-Va-Valentines Digital Stamp set
• COPICS: R14, R24, R46 (fan blades & letters); BG01, BG05, BG07 (fan base); R20, R22 (hearts)

Inspire Me Monday Rewind!

Hi all and happy Monday to each and every one of you! I hope the sun is shining in your neck of the woods. Here, under the big sky of Montana, it's rainy but I decided I would make sure the sun was shining in my heart. So, there you go!

Maybe I am feeling a little schmoopy because Valentine's Day is right around the corner. In light of this day of love, we decided to cue up some of our favorite tutorials that put this holiday in the spotlight. All are a little different and ALL inspire! So, let's get to it!

1. Box Up Some Love! 

This first one is a sweet little tutorial to create in a flash to deliver up a few little goodies. The good news is that you can make this box as big or small as you like depending on the size of strips of paper that you use. Click HERE for the tutorial!

2.  Accessorize with a Little Love! 

Have a teen or tween who loves their phone as much as you? Hehe! Well, show them you love them by giving this little tutorial by Ally Cope a go for a personalized cell phone look! When they tweet, snap or post, they will have to look at all the love you created just for them! Click HERE for the tutorial!

3. Wow Them with Vellum!

Take a ride with Christine Okken as she leads a whirlwind tour on all the ways you can use vellum on your cards or creations. This tutorial isn't specifically geared toward Valentine's Day but she has more than a couple samples of creations that would definitely fit the bill for a card for your love! Click HERE to see what she whipped up!

4. English Rose Remix! 

Have you ever looked at a digital stamp and thought, "I like it but I'd like it more if that leaf didn't do that or that sentiment wasn't on it?" Well, I surely have. Thank goodness for editing software that lets us take our digital stamps to a different level. Click over to THIS tutorial to see how I took the digital stamp La Vie En Rose and made it my own with this creation above!

So, no matter what approach you want to take, we kind of have it covered with this round up of tutorials above! We have a box, an altered gift, a little splash of vellum or a digital remix! We hope you click on over to give at least one of them a try! If you do, be sure to share a link in the comments section so we can all see!

Have a happy week full of LOVE! 

Creative Confetti: All You Need Is LOVE!

Hello Sweet Peeps! Today, as we throw up the Creative Confetti to inspire a new batch of artsy endeavors, we are honing in on an upcoming holiday that's designed to share the love! That's what we do as card makers, right? So, this little challenge should be a piece of cake! Or, maybe a box of truffles....  ;-)

With Valentine's Day just 9 days away, do you need a little nudge to dig deep into your stamp stash to pull out those love-inspired images? Or, do you need to be enabled to hit up the Power Poppy Shop for some "love"-ly illustrations? Check out all the LOVE stamps HERE! Some are digis, which means that you get some instant gratification with that purchase! And if you want to narrow it down to Valentine's Day, just click HERE! 

On to my creation! 

If this little number looks familiar, it's because this project took center stage yesterday for Inspire Me Monday! You can click HERE to see the full tutorial on how to make this little Valentine's Day Box. It is a super easy project and you can whip it up in no time. It's the perfect size for a few pieces of chocolate -- just enough to let those you love know that you are "sweet"on them! ;-) I used the Va-Va-Valentines Digital Stamp Set, which just so happens to be on sale right now. Six images and four sentiments for just $7.99! I love this set because you can create a half dozen different little Valentines in one fell swoop! I plan to make two more of these little boxes so that I can give one to my hubby, my son and my daughter too! 💗

Because we have a new month, we have a new linky below AND, we have a chance to pull a winner from the virtual hat for a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! So, let's get right to it! Random.org says the winner is......

which means our lucky stamper is....

***AMY MARSHALL***

Amy, feel free to contact us at bloom@powerpoppy.com and we will get your winning code sent your way! 

Before we go, want to see the cute creation Amy whipped up for one of our Creative Confetti Challenges? Check it out!

Amy played along with our sketch challenge HERE last week and I absolutely adore her card, which uses Power Poppy's Cozy Cupfuls stamp set!  I just love the distressed feel of this little cheerful card and you know I love the splash of sparkle that she added! Well done, Amy! Well done! 

So, what will you make for our "All You Need Is LOVE" Challenge this week? I can't wait to see... and be inspired! Once you're done creating, don't forget to link up your card using the linky below so that we can see your handiwork and, at that point, you'll also be in the running for a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop too! So, as I love to say, get inspired then get those fingers inky!

Until next time!

~Julie 
Creative Confetti Thrower

An InLinkz Link-up

Inspire Me Monday: Sweets for your Sweeties!

Hello Peeps and Happy Monday! I don't know about you but every Valentine's Day, I go on the hunt for a cute little project to make for my lovelies -- hubby plus my darling son and daughter. This little project that I am showcasing today is perfect for a sweet little treat for those you love! 💗 The good news is, if you like this project, you can change the width of the box and make it just a smidge bigger or smaller.

Want to see? Here's a peek at my finished project so you know where we are going!

To start, let's take a look at the supplies you'll

need to grab to get ready!

• 2-1/2" circle punch or die with a slightly larger scalloped circle to create a mat
• 3 different decorative paper designs
• Paper cutter 
• 1/4" hole punch
• Coordinating ribbon, about 8" length
• Ruler
• Valentine or love-inspired stamp, I used Power Poppy's Va-Va-Valentines digital stamp set. (Pst. did you see this one is on SALE right now?) 
• Coloring medium of choice
• Corner rounder punch
• Strong adhesive, I used Scor-Tape in a 1/4" width
  

To create this box in a flash, I cut my decorative paper before I even got started. I dug deep into my decorative paper stash and pulled out three coordinating sheets of Echo Park paper that I had been holding on for quite some time!
 

• Start by cutting 2 strips of white card stock to measure 2-1/2” by 11”. From the long side, score at 1-3/4”, 4 - 1/4”, 6-3/4”, and 9-¼”. Do this to both pieces.
• Corner round all of the edges of your strips.
• Cut decorative paper #1 into 4 pieces that measure 2.5” by 1.25”
• Cut decorative paper #2 into 4 pieces that measure 2.5” by 2.5”
• Cut decorative paper #3 into 2 pieces that measure 2.5” by 1.75”

Let's Get Started!

Remember the two long strips that you created and scored? You'll want to criss-cross them adhering them in the center square. 

And, after you adhere the two pieces, here's what your project will look like so far! 

Next, adhere decorative paper #2 so that it looks like the picture below.

Adhere decorative paper #1 so that it overlaps decorative paper #2 and looks like the picture below.

Once you have all your paper layered, it's time to mark the center of each end and punch a 1/4" circle roughly 1/2" from the top. I started by finding the center of my box with all my flaps overlapped.

Then, after punching that hole, I started to line up each flap, one by one to make sure the next hole lined up perfectly before marking the hole and punching. 

From there, it's time to deck out the box! As you can see, on the top two flaps, I did add that third design of decorative paper. After adhering it, I punched the 1/4" hole in each flap and rounded the corners. 

Now, it's time to create your main image! I printed off the You Totally Rock image from the digital set, then used a 2-1/2" circle to punch the image. Next step, coloring it all up! I used a wide range of Red and grey Copic markers and accented with a white gel pen, once I was all done. 

Knot the coordinating ribbon and thread through all four flaps, starting with one at a time and folding the flaps in until you have the two that you want on top showing with the decorative paper edges.

To keep the flaps secure, I slid a few punched hearts over the top, like this. Of course, I had to have a sparkly heart! ;-)

And here's my project again! I liked adding the punched hearts and adhering them to fly off the edge just for a little extra pizazz! Now all I need is some fun treats to stuff inside!

This project is super fast and allows you to use up some coordinating decorative paper in a truly fun way! I can't wait to send one to my son at college and hide one in my daughter's room for her to find on Valentine's Day. Fun!

Thanks for stopping by and joining me for Inspire Me Monday! I'll be back tomorrow to usher in another Creative Confetti Challenge! See you then!

~Julie 

A few little tidbits from the Good Vibe Tribe!

Hello, sweet stamping friends and happy Friday! Are you ready for a restful and relaxing weekend ahead? I know I am. For those of you in the States, I hope you cherish this pre-holiday weekend and enjoy all the sparks in life (in the air and in your heart!)

Okay, since we have a ton of good vibes to share, let's get right to it, shall we? Get ready for sudden squeals of excitement, feelings of wonder and maybe even a little silent introspection! It's all here for you this Friday! 

Some of the Power Poppy gals had a chance last year to meet the amazing (and sweet) Michelle Houghton and so it is ALWAYS a treat when she takes one of Marcella's images for a spin. This week, she posted this little number above (using the Va-Va-Valentines digital stamp set) with a FUN video that you can cue up to watch her create this whimsical creation. Grab a cuppa something you love and settle in my friends! 

I am so glad that Elizabeth Zaffarano jumped on the alcohol inks and foil bandwagon because the cards that she's been pumping out using this marbled and colorful effect have been stunning! Take a trip over to her IG page HERE and see for yourself! And, if you want to watch a fun little video of one talented woman doing this technique as a tutorial, just click HERE. I haven't tried this one yet but, I have all the tools to do it and know I am going to have to give it a try... soon! 

Every year at about this time, we love to remind you that there is a series of digital freebies aimed at sharing messages of freedom and independence! They are awesome for cards to boost the spirits of the military men and women in our life. The quotes are great for all occasion cards as well! Want to check out the full line of liberty-inspired freebies? Just click HERE!  You can also see a few creations over on our Power Poppy Rocks Pinterest board HERE!

Okay, let's be honest. Did you gasp when you saw this bold and beautiful dahlia above colored up by the skilled hands of Amy Shulke? I sure as heck did! That woman is a master. It's on my bucket list to meet her and spend a little time coloring with her! ;-) The good news for all of us is that the next best thing is actually available! She is teaching this little number above in one of her upcoming Livestream classes! Not only will you learn, step-by-step to color up Power Poppy's Dahlia digi, but intermixed in that lesson comes a few tips on underpainting when coloring up sunshiny florals -- basically creating depth without muddying up those bright and bold colors! Click HERE to check out all the deets peeps! 

Warning! If you aren't in the mood for a little quiet introspection, fast forward to the link list with our beloved Bloomies. If you wouldn't mind some contemplation, keep reading. Have you asked yourself, "Whats my why?" It's a question that keeps rising to the surface in my life -- mostly with my work day. I think about it, journal about it, and even bought THIS daily time management journal based on working by your "why". I'm in that mode where I really need to dissect my day so that I can experience great joy in the morning, waking up with a clear sense of why this day matters professionally, why every day matters. What's your "why?" What's your "why" at work? What's your "why" in life? What's your "why?" when you hit your crafting room for a little creative time? Share your "why" in our comments -- let's inspire others to take this step and bring a little extra beauty to our days! 😍

And that concludes our Good Vibes for this Friday! I know some of the Bloomies have more on tap...

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Katie Sims

Stacy Morgan

Thanks for stopping by and sharing a bit of your day with us! Inspire Me Monday will be taking a holiday break next Monday but will be back in full force on July 9th! Also, look for a brand new Power & Spark challenge next Friday too! So much fun brewing!


Until then, happy stamping!

~Julie 

Nothin' but GOOD Vibes!

Hello all you sweet peeps and welcome to another colorful, sparkly, energy-infused post here on the 'ole Power Poppy blog!

We start today with a bit of a look forward! Okay, raise your hands if you are ready for winter be over and spring to move on in? Wow. That's a LOT of hands! Hello to you all! Well, in my neck of the woods, we just got another six inches of the white stuff with more on the way. So, in light of those who have a bit of spring fever that just wants desperately to break out, check out our first of many good vibes!

And, if you are just longing for the day when those little flowers will start to sprout and the trees start to bud, keep in mind my fine folks that we can always have a little spring in our hearts and color up this beauty too! Hhhmmm... what would I recommend? Here are a few of my digital faves for that heavy dose of spring-time instant gratification! How about a little Blossoming Cherry? Or, French Lilac (complete with an itty bitty super cute ladybug)? Of course, there are sunshiny daffodils and tempting tulips too! Heck, take your pick from any one of Marcella's amazing florals and you're bound to make the heart a wee bit happier!

Good Vibe 2 just makes me smile that crazy big smile that you just can't help but express! After a week of radiation, Ms. Marcella is not only feeling good, but this afternoon she finishes having to hop inside an MRI machine twice a day for targeted radiotherapy. I told her, that's a HUGE reason to celebrate, don't you think? So, my sweet friends, our Peep-in-Chief is good vibe 2!

We spotted this good vibe on Instagram as Liz Vefall whipped up a beautiful creation to celebrate her mom! Did you know February 11th is Mother's Day in Norway? Well, it is and Liz cared enough to send the very best in the form of a handmade creation that is just bursting in color! She used Power Poppy's Countryside Bouquet that, I am happy to tell you, comes in both clear HERE or as a digital stamp set HERE!

Linda Paider is just one BIG good vibe this week. Check out this little number (using Va-Va-Valentines Digital Stamp Set) she whipped up for her granddaughter for Valentine’s Day! So darling! And, she entered it into our Power & Spark ‘Love to Sparkle’ Challenge. Linda’s got it ALL going on with a theme of love and a splash of sparkle. To see her full creation, hit her up over at Splitcoaststampers.com HERE. If you need a little extra challenge, don't forget our Hues to Use weekly color challenge comes without a deadline, meaning you can traipse through all the past posts and take those colors for a test drive!

It’s always a delight to announce a Kit and Clowder coloring class featuring Power Poppy digital stamps, and this brand NEW one might just be the best yet. Alyce Keegan is the marvelous mastermind behind these classes, and this lovely soul wants you to know that YOU CAN DO THIS! Alyce shares her knowledge and assists you along with one-on-one tutoring to help you feel confident in your coloring skills. I’ve seen it happen time and again. These are absolutely great classes for beginners — though if you’re further along in your coloring, you’ll love them, too! Learn some of the secrets to bringing your coloring to another level. This session has two offerings, coloring our Hellebores and Joyful Lilies. Class members get a great discount, learn more HERE.

Special Note: If you have purchased Hellebores or Joyful Lilies previously, you are entitled to the updated illustrations offered in these classes (Joyful Lilies in a VASE, and both images larger and lighter for no-line coloring.) Send an email to bloom@powerpoppy.com and we will make sure you get your updated digis. Thank you!

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

So, there you have it -- good vibes times five! Hopefully, you savored the thought of spring, gave Ms. Marce a cheer, found some inspiration in other's amazing projects or found a way to polish up your coloring skills!

Need an added dose of inspiration? Well, my friends, I have it for you!

Check out these lovelies below and just some of their crafty pursuits for the week!

Christine Okken

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

Thanks for stopping by and sharing a wee bit of your day with us! Have a fabulous weekend and be sure to pop back by on Monday when Kathy Racoosin -- the star-studded host of The Daily Marker will be in the house to share some colorific goodness ... AND a very exciting announcement for fans of her Coloring Challenge Road Trip...

See you then!
~Julie 

Introducing a giant set of LOVING digital designs

Hello folks — we interrupt our normally scheduled Good Vibe 5 to share the newest digi introduction, which is quite a large affair, actually... check out Va-Va-Valentines!

Aren’t they a hoot? You can do SO MUCH with this plump set of Va-Va-Valentines, their charm extends way beyond Valentine’s Day! They would work equally well for birthdays, anniversaries, a card to cheer up somebody, to say congratulations... why did I call them Va-Va-Valentines? Because it is fun to say!!

For $6, you get a zipped folder containing 6 digital images as shown above, the wording is integrated into the design. Then you get 4 separate love-themed sentiments for card interiors. Is that a deal or what? This is limited time pricing, so come grab this bonanza of coloring fun before it’s too late.

Come grab Va-Va-Valentines right HERE.

So many of our designers have been making cards with this digital download set — come see what everyone has been up to... AND AND AND be SURE to scroll down on a few of the posts for MULTIPLE cards. These women are so prolific, I am totally dazzled and I know you will be too!

Allison Cope 

(Be sure to see Ally’s lovely Rose card posted today, and Valentines yesterday!)

Christine Okken

Tosha Leyendekker

Broni Holcombe

Barbara Walker

Nancy Sheads

Elizabeth Zaffarano

I even got in on the excitement of coloring these images, and posted a few on Instagram... here’s a peek at the Springy Step image from Va-Va-Valentines...

Time to sign off... I look so forward to working on new images for clear and digital designs this weekend, I’m feeling a creative flurry coming on!! Wishing the very same for you, my dears.

xoxoxo,