Livin’ La Vie En Rose!

Oh my goodness! Too much fun going on over here at Power Poppy Home Base! First, there was THIS big announcement. Then, there was THIS Gaaaa-ORE-GEE-ous image that Marcella unveiled yesterday -- the newest addition to Power Poppy's Instant Garden......

Stay tuned because at the end of this post, we’ll be sharing the Bloom Brigade’s links and you have GOT to see what they all whipped up using this brand new digital stamp. In the words of Marcella.... “YOU ARE GOING TO FREAK OUT!” Love that girl. Really, I do!

Before we get to the eye candy, let's get to our weekly showcase of Power Poppy goodness thanks to.. YOU... our Power Poppy Fans!

HERE’S HOW TO PLAY IN OUR PEEP OF THE WEEK CHALLENGE: All you need to do to get in the running for the Power Poppy Peep of the Week is use the linky below and share a new Power Poppy creation. Just that simple! It can be anything — a card, an altered item, a 3D creation, a set of cards, ANYTHING! We can't tell you how much we love to see what you create!

OFFICIAL RULES:

• Use Power Poppy Stamps on your creation! 
• Link up your creation using the Linky below (It helps us to find you! Although it’s not a necessity to win. We scour creations all over the web!).
• Could you please mention the Peep of the Week challenge in your blog or gallery post with a link back to this blog post? We would sure love it if you did! 
• We’ll accept entries up until Thursday @3PM EST and will announce the Power Peeps of the Week next Friday for our Peep of the Week post. 
• Every link counts as one entry in our monthly drawing for a FREE STAMP SET OF CHOICE!

AND NOW, TIME TO MEET OUR PEEP!

Last week, we had a handful of beautiful, beautiful, BEAUTIFUL entries! One, however, turned our heads in a major way for the designer's beautiful coloring and fabulously clean and classy design! This card does indeed sparkle & shine Tracy MacDonald! Tracy used our digital stamp called Countryside Bouquet. You can tell she printed the bouquet it a wee bit larger onto watercolor paper and then painted it up using Distress Inks. My reaction? WOW! Love the little splash of dewy sparkle too thanks to those sequins!

Tracy, we are so excited to add your beautiful creation to our Power Poppy Peep of the Week Board over on Pinterest! How can YOU end up being honored in this way? Simply show us your card making style using Power Poppy Stamps and then link up your creation below! And, if you’re a Peep of the Week Winner and would like our POWER POPPY PEEP OF THE WEEK BLOG BUTTON to “wear” on your blog with pride? Simply email us at bloom@powerpoppy.com and we’ll send that button right to you!

Now, as promised, the link list showcasing our star-studded design team and the brand new digi -- La Vie En Rose! Take it away gals!

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

Thanks so much for stopping by and be sure to link up any of the Power Poppy creations you make this week. We’d love to see! ;-) 

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

The Instant Garden: New Digital Release TODAY!

Well, hello there!

It’s Marcella here, and I hope this New Year is treating you wonderfully so far! I’m verrrry excited to share this news, so I’m just going to cut to the chase. We have a new release today, it’s a digital stamp set, and it’s available in the Power Poppy Shop right now!

La Vie en Rose is the first stamp set from our new monthly program of botanical-based digital releases. We’ll be bringing you a fresh picked digi stamp set every single month — in addition to our clear stamp releases!! Learn all about it in Julie’s post — CLICK HERE!

We call our new program the Instant Garden. Those of you who have been following Power Poppy for a while know that every so often I would introduce digital sets, and really, ya’ll wanted a more predictable schedule for finding them in the shop, and you wanted MORE OF ’EM. Then, our clear stamp fans wanted to know that they, too, would still get their polymer fix. Ohhhh girls, we have you ALL COVERED, we’re doing the whole kit and kaboodle. Digis, clear stamps, and lots and lots of beauty, creativity, and all-around positivity from your Power Poppy HQ, the Bloom Brigade, and now joining us for the ride....

THE INSTANT GARDENERS!

Our new rockstar digital release Design Team, the Instant Gardeners, will be sharing the digital sets for the first time every 15th of the month. For today, we have a spectacular showing from these highly talented creative Special Ops forces!! Come check out their blogs, won’t you.....

Broni Holcombe

Cheryl Scrivens

Danielle Kennedy

Debbie Olson 

Jennifer Dove
Rhea Weigand
(Rhea will be posting with us starting in February!) 

Thank you for stopping by! We’ll be back TOMORROW with the fabulous Bloom Brigade’s take on this new digital stamp set. But... La Vie en Rose is available to purchase and start coloring — right now!

Au revoir, and mwah, mwah, mwah!!!

Gettin' Ready to BLOOM & GROW

Hello Power Poppy fans! Did you know something beautiful is about to sprout at the Power Poppy Shop? It’s something that’s sure to bring out the nature-lover in each of us and help us cultivate our creativity — INSTANTLY! What on earth are we talking about?! Well, here’s the dirt!

On the 15th of EVERY MONTH, we’ll share a

new plant for your Instant Garden! 

What is an Instant Garden? It’s the new digital stamp collection from Power Poppy by Marcella Hawley. You can buy, download, print, and color the digi images with reckless abandon — in an instant! Digital stamps are nothing new to Power Poppy, but goodness gracious, since we introduced them in the summer of last year, you haven’t stopped asking Marcella for MORE! We listened! And now, we are dreaming up new images, planting them, watering with love and waiting for them to sprout each month!

Join us TOMORROW to see what will be blossoming for January’s Instant Garden offering...

With every garden, you need special people to nurture it and help it to grow. That’s why we'd love to introduce you to an amazingly talented team of Instant Gardeners a.k.a. our digital stamp design team. These women honestly need no introduction. They are household names and their talent and creativity are beyond description! We’re so excited to introduce:

• • • THE INSTANT GARDENERS • • •

It is Jennifer Dove here to tell you a little about myself. I am 44 years old, married, and mom of two boys 18 and 20, and a wee little one — a girl born September 18th, 2014. When I am not being a full time mom, I am being a creative color artist. I am a heavy equipment operator by trade. I moved to Arizona from Alaska where I have kept myself very busy teaching classes. I have been published in numerous magazines and Copic books as well as have two fun learning videos on coloring with Copic markers through Annies Attic Publishing company. I’ve recently been hired as a Fine Arts Instructor for Copic. I love being apart of this team, as there are such amazing images and a wonderful group of talented ladies. I know you will fall in love with them too, if you haven't already. You can keep an eye on my coloring and tutorials at: just4funcrafts.blogspot.com

Hello, it’s Broni Holcombe, I’m a mother to 2 lovely daughters, and a Nana to 3 handsome grandsons and an adorable granddaughter. I live in beautiful South Carolina, where I’m an accountant by day for a major beverage distributor. I spend as much of my non-working time as possible in the papercrafting world…either creating, or sharing and learning online. I started stamping in 2005 and was honored with being chosen as a member of the Splitcoaststampers Dirty Dozen design team 2 years later. Coloring is my passion, and Copic markers are my preferred medium, but I still enjoy my first love of watercolor quite often as well. When I’m not crafting or online, you can find me playing with the grandchildren, kayaking, swimming, or planning my next trip to the beach! For more of my designs, visit me at: bronih.typepad.com/splashesofwatercolor

Hello, Cheryl Scrivens here! My wonderful husband Walt and I have lived in South Florida for nearly 27 years, and we have three sons, two daughters-in-law, and two grandsons. I have been a crafter since I was a child – from sewing to stained glass and lots more in between. Now my craft room is now totally dominated by stamping. My favorite images are floral, which is why I love ALL of Marcella’s artwork dating back to Flourishes and now to Power Poppy. Whenever I feel stressed, I put on beautiful music, and color away! I also have a love for anything to do with technology, and I totally love digital images, being able to resize, easily mask, and finding all sorts of wonderful ways to use them. I especially love that they are delivered instantly! In April 2014, I was honored to be a Dirty Girl on Splitcoaststampers. It is such an honor to join this amazing group of “Instant Gardeners,” and I look forward to sharing with you in the months ahead as Marcella delights us with her beautiful artistry! You can find my blog at: cherylquilts.blogspot.com

Hello! I’m Rhea Weigand, I am a stay-at-home wife to my best friend, Jeff, and a color artist, designer, and instructor. We recently moved from Phoenix to Central New York so “Hubs” could enjoy a position as an Ad Director. We are enjoying small town living and the country life. I have to say, the Finger Lakes region is a beautiful place to live. As for creating, I consider it a blessing as I get to play every day! I've always been creative - from wood working and painting and crocheting to paper arts. I try not having a particular “style” although a few of my students will call it “fussy” due to all the details. I’m self-taught on all of my crafts - researching, reading and watching videos to understand. Then, I put my own spin on the technique. I hope I can bring you lots of inspiration! Visit me at: passionatepapercreations.blogspot.com

Hi from Danielle Kennedy! Taking care of two boys, ages 11 and 9, can sometimes seem a challenge...they definitely keep me on my toes! We are always running around to various sporting activities and school functions. As the weather warms up I love to walk, run, ride my bike, and hike with my family. My husband and I have always hiked with the boys, even before they could walk on their own, and instilled a love of nature and the outdoors. One of my favorite getaways is to take weekend excursions with my fellow photographers and head north to the Adirondacks. My favorite photography is nature; landscapes, wildlife, and macro. Landscapes don't talk back. Or move. Great subjects! So, when I am not going in 10 different directions or at 100 miles per hour, sipping a glass of wine and enjoying a quiet evening at home with my husband, dog, cat, various small animals and reptiles, oh, and maybe the kids, is one of my most favorite things to do! It's a crazy, fun, full of love (and animal hair) kind of household and I wouldn't trade it for the world. For more on my designs, visit me at: wilddragonflydesigns.blogspot.com

Hello there from Debbie Olson! You could call me a designer with a passion for teaching. While my background is in graphic design and education, teaching paper crafting has proven to be a natural outlet for me to fulfill the creative urge on a time-budget. I have been privileged to work with many industry leaders, including several stamp companies, plus paper and accessory companies. I also travel all over the country as one of the design and education team members for Copic products. During my non-paper crafting free time, I play piano, work with stained glass, and I enjoy spending time with my husband and my teenage son in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan. For a look at my designs, you can visit me at debbiedesigns.typepad.com

So, there you have it — our amazingly talented 

team of digital green thumbs! 

Join us back here tomorrow to see our first Instant Garden image and see what our “Special Ops” team of Instant Gardeners did to make it blossom and shine! Then on Friday, our beautiful Bloom Brigade will show you their take on our new digi release. See you back here soon!

Camellias: A Paper Tole Tutorial

Hello fellow Power Poppy fans! I'm Ally and I'm here to today to teach you the technique of paper tole and digital stamps.

Here is the card I'm going to make today. It's a super simple design but with lots of hidden dimension...

For the PAPER TOLE technique you will need the following tools:

• 3-4 printed (or stamped) images: I used the fabulous digital Camellias stamp set for my main image and the clear Geraniums Take Two stamp set for my sentiment.
• scissors and tweezers
• a stylus and firm foam mat
• a dark marker for edging: like a Copic W4 or W5
• 3 dimensional glue like OLBA glue

And to make it even easier, I created a video for all my Power Poppy fans on how this technique is done.  So grab a cup of something warm because it's been cold out there and enjoy!

And here's a side view of all the dimension created by the paper tole technique...

Why not PIN this tutorial for future reference...

Thanks for joining me today! We have lots of exciting stuff coming towards the end of the week so stay tuned for more Power Poppy goodness to come your way.

~ Ally ~


Supplies:
stamps:  Camellias, Geraniums Take Two
cardstock:  X-Press It cardstock, Bazzill
patterned papers:  Bo Bunny (Crazy Love)
dies:  Spellbinders (Labels 4), Lawn Fawn (Stitched Rectangles)
inks:  Memento (Rich Cocoa), Copic Markers (G20, G21, G24, G28, R59, R81, R83, R85, R89, W4, YG63, YG67, YG91, Y08)
adhesive:  OLBA glue, Scotch ATG.

Drum Roll Please......

Hello all and Happy Friday! It's that time of the week when we not only share the latest bit of eye candy from the oh-so-fabulous Bloom Brigade, but we put customers like YOU at center stage  with our Power Poppy Peep of the Week Showcase! Woot-Woot!

HERE’S HOW TO PLAY IN OUR PEEP OF THE WEEK CHALLENGE: All you need to do to get in the running for the Power Poppy Peep of the Week is use the linky below and share a new Power Poppy creation. Just that simple! It can be anything — a card, an altered item, a 3D creation, a set of cards, ANYTHING! We can't tell you how much we love to see what you create!

OFFICIAL RULES:

• Use Power Poppy Stamps on your creation! 
• Link up your creation using the Linky below (It helps us to find you! Although it’s not a necessity to win. We scour creations all over the web!).
• Could you please mention the Peep of the Week challenge in your blog or gallery post with a link back to this blog post? We would sure love it if you did! 
• We’ll accept entries up until Thursday @3PM EST and will announce the Power Peeps of the Week next Friday for our Peep of the Week post.

TIME TO MEET OUR PEEPS FOR THIS WEEK!

This first beauty was crafted using Power Poppy’s Azalea set by one sweet lady who has been a Power Poppy fan since the very beginning -- Maria Rodriguez! She just started a blog and we couldn't be more excited! Mary, you're going to love having a blog and we are going to relish getting to see your work in living color! I love this pretty-in-peach creation and the romantic sheer ribbon treatment off to the side!  

We have to say that Patti Willey has been on a roll and this card using Geraniums Take Two just proves it. Look at that soft watercoloring and that FABULOUS layout! Don't you just love that little punched heart and the mini clothes pin? I sure do!

Ladies, we are so excited to add your beautiful creation to our Power Poppy Peep of the Week Board over on Pinterest! How can YOU end up being honored in this way? Simply show us your card making style using Power Poppy Stamps and then link up your creation below! And, if you’re a Peep of the Week Winner and would like our POWER POPPY PEEP OF THE WEEK BLOG BUTTON to “wear” on your blog with pride? Simply email us at bloom@powerpoppy.com and we’ll send that button right to you!

As we make our way to the weekend, I am sure you'd love a little creative inspiration? Well, these "Bloomies" below have a special treat! Hop on over and see.....

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence
Dawn Burnworth 
Julie Koerber
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan

Thanks so much for stopping by! Oh, before I go! Mark your calendar for next Wednesday, January 14th. WE HAVE SOME EXCITING NEWS THAT WE CAN'T WAIT TO SHARE!!! Come back and see the fun that we have up our sleeves! ;-)

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Taking It Day by Day!

Hello all and welcome to the very first Inspire Me Monday of 2015!! Now that we have a new year, we need a way to keep track of those days, don't we? I have to admit, I am a bit old fashioned and I love having a calendar on my work desk to have at a glance. So, I decided I would pair a digital calendar file with some of Power Poppy's GORGEOUS digital stamps and create my own custom calendar for 2015!

Here’s a peek......

Can you imagine the fun I will have coloring up all those beauties? Too much! Do you want to create your own digi-calendar? Well, you can find this DARLING calendar download HERE, over at Mye De Leon. And from there, just use your favorite Power Poppy Digital Stamps to deck it out! Not sure how to do that? Never fear, I'll give you a step by step!

HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN DIGITAL CALENDAR!

I started by downloading the calendar file. It is a .zip file, so you need to download, extract files and then open them one by one in a photo editing software program. I used Photoshop Elements to create a base for my calendar.

I have to add that this calendar has a fun diagonal stripe border on the edge. While I liked it, I didn't want the design to get in the way of those beautiful blossoms! So, I cropped my calendar to do away with that border. I created a "new" file and made my canvas 4.5" wide by 5.5" tall. And after dragging and dropping my calendar on top, this is what it looked like below! I wanted my calendar off to the side so that I could add in some of Power Poppy's fabulous digital flowers to deck out the side of each calendar month!

 From there, I opened up my Winter Pick Me Up image and knew I needed to do some work!

In order for me to overlay this image onto my calendar, I needed to erase the background. So, I used this fun little icon that sits off to the left side of my screen called the Magic Background Eraser.

Using this tool, I just clicked on the background and... voila! My opaque background is gone! See?

Afterward, I dragged and dropped my digital stamp to my calendar canvas and size it "just so!"

Now, before I show you this finished page, I want to share a fun tidbit that you may or may not know about when using Photoshop Elements. What if you want to change the orientation of your image or, in other words, flip it? You can!

All you need to do on Photoshop is click Image, then Rotate in the drop down menu and then, Flip Horizontal. What will this do? Well, this.....

It's not as noticeable with this image but, changing the orientation put the snowdrop floral on the top left side instead of the right. this could be important if you want to layer flowers and not have it appear that you just stacked them on top of each other on the side. In this image below, you can see that I switched the orientation of the digital stamp Camellias to make it appear like I have one unified image of flowing florals!

And so, without further ado, a peek at my creation for January!

To color up my image, I did use Tim Holtz Distress Markers and picked up these colors: Shaded Lilac, Dusty Concord, Mustard Seed, Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, Antique Linen, and Pumice Stone. I did a mix of techniques with these markers, coloring directly onto the image and then softening the color by scribbling on an acrylic block and picking up the color with a blender pen.

Moving on.... I did find this fun little easel at Hobby Lobby, which I thought was perfect to hold on to  my monthly calendars! And, because I believe there are very few cards that DON'T need a little extra sparkle, you can see I added some razzle dazzle to the pussy willows thanks to some glitter glue! See?

So, knowing this will have a home on my desk, I will have so much fun coloring up each month as I move through 2015! I will remind myself to share my new calendar each month over on my blog HERE!

If you want to make your own custom calendar, just follow the link above to the downloadable calendar and, of course, accessorize with some of those beautiful Power Poppy Digital Stamps! The good news is, I happen to know Marcella is making more (new digital varieties will be coming soon!) So, you can truly make this as you go with new images all along the way! What fun!

Thanks for stopping by and joining me for this edition of Inspire Me Monday!

~Julie

Hello 2015!

Hello all and Happiest of New Years to you! I am hopeful that by the end of this year, 2015 and I will be BFFs. I am praying and wishing for nothing but the best for all of YOU as well! As we kick off a new year, let's let you in on a little secret! Okay, so it's not a secret. We LOVE looking at what YOU create with Power Poppy Stamps! And that's why each week, we invite you to share your fabulous creations with our little linky below. Each week we'll draw a card or two to be honored as the Peep of the Week! 

HERE’S HOW TO PLAY IN OUR PEEP OF THE WEEK CHALLENGE: All you need to do to get in the running for the Power Poppy Peep of the Week is use the linky below and share a new Power Poppy creation. Just that simple! It can be anything — a card, an altered item, a 3D creation, a set of cards, ANYTHING! We can't tell you how much we love to see what you create!

OFFICIAL RULES:

• Use Power Poppy Stamps on your creation! 
• Link up your creation using the Linky below (It helps us to find you! Although it’s not a necessity to win. We scour creations all over the web!).
• Could you please mention the Peep of the Week challenge in your blog or gallery post with a link back to this blog post? We would sure love it if you did! 
• We’ll accept entries up until Thursday @3PM EST and will announce the Power Peeps of the Week next Friday for our Peep of the Week post.

MEET OUR PEEP OF THE WEEK!

Pauline Godfrey created an absolute beauty -- so much so -- we decided her creation should be a solo act this week for Power Poppy's Peep of the Week Challenge! We love the soft sage hues that serve as a backdrop to this exquisitely colored Winter Pick-Me-Up digital stamp from Power Poppy! And, if the coloring and die cut frame isn't divine enough for you, how about that sweetly tied bow and splash of pearl accents? Beautifully done Pauline! We are so excited to add your beautiful creation to our Power Poppy Peep of the Week Board over on Pinterest! 

How can YOU end up being honored in this way? Simply show us your card making style using Power Poppy Stamps and then link up your creation below! And, if you’re a Peep of the Week Winner and would like our POWER POPPY PEEP OF THE WEEK BLOG BUTTON to “wear” on your blog with pride? Simply email us at bloom@powerpoppy.com and we’ll send that button right to you!

As we make our way to the weekend, I am sure you'd love a little creative inspiration? Well, these "Bloomies" below have a special treat! They are not only sharing their latest Power Poppy Creations, some are even showing off the brand new Pagemaps.com Cardmaps sketches! So, hop on over and see.....

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

Thanks so much for stopping by! Be sure to stop back next Monday! I'll have a fun little tutorial that's sure to get your 2015 off to a great start! ;-)
~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up