Power Poppy FRIDAY!

Hello all! We hope your week is ending on a super fun and crafty note! It's Friday here on the Power Poppy blog and that means we've got a parade of eye candy for YOU! Not only is the Bloom Brigade here to share their crafty pursuits, but we’d love to remind you to play along in our...

EACH MONTH, we’ll usher in a new designer-led challenge and you have all month long to submit cards, chat it up with our designers (feel free to ask questions in our comments section below -- we’ll check in from time to time) and get YOUR chance to win a Power Poppy stamp set of your choice! Click on over the first Friday of each month and you’ll see what this fun-filled journey is all about! For all the details on THIS MONTH’S CHALLENGE, just click HERE! And then, get your fingers inky and link up your creation below!

And now... to our BLOOMIES! As promised, it’s an eye candy parade with our uber-talented designers creations! So, hop on over and see....

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber

Leslie Miller

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

And MARK YOUR CALENDAR! This Sunday, our Instant Gardeners will be here to showcase the latest addition to our Instant Garden Digital Stamp Collection! This one is so lush, so beautiful, and so colorful that we know you'll take one look and say, “Je l’adore!”

See you back here Sunday!

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Inspire Me: Watercolor Effect with Copics

Howdy Power Poppy people! It's Monday... time for another fun and fabulous Inspire Me Monday!

I'm Allison and I'm your hostess today and I'm going to share two mini tutorials today; one showing your how I cut my focal image from my cardstock and the other, how to use Copics to achieve a watercolor effect!

Let's start off by showing you how I cut out my image...

I first began by dusting my cardstock with my powder tool so no stray embossing powder flecks would stick where I didn't want them. Then I inked up my Potted Primroses stamp with Versamark ink and stamping it onto smooth light cream cardstock.  I then sprinkled some detail black embossing powder all over my image and then heat set my powder to a shiny black finish.

I took my image and placed my circular die over top of the image and centered it to where I was happy with the placement.  Then I traced the inside AND the outside of the die with a pencil.  Using my scissors, I then cut only the leaves that crossed over the inner circle - I cut them from the leaf's tip to just a few millimeters (1/8") past the inner pencil line.

Then I placed my image into the die and very carefully pulled the leaves that were cut up and over the edge of the die.  This allows for the circle shape to be cut without chopping off any of those gorgeous leaves.  A held my die in place with a little washi tape and sent in through my die cutting machine.

And this is what the final focal point looked like before colouring!

Now, let me show you how I coloured this image using Copic Markers to look like a water color effect!

Here's another quick look at the finished card...

And here's a little close up...

Thanks for joining me today!  I sure hope you enjoyed my two mini tutorials for you.  I sure hope you grab your Copic Markers and give this watercolor effect a quick try!

Happy colouring!

~ Allison ~


Supplies:
stamps:  Power Poppy (Potted Primroses)
cardstock:  Recollections black cardstock, Stampin' Up! cream cardstock 
dies:  Spellbinders (Class Circles, Picot Edges Circles), Avery Elle (Gift Tags Die)
Copic Markers: Blooms (BG53, BG49, BG57, Y19) Leaves (YG25, YG17, Y19) Back ground/Tag (E33), Colorless Blender Solution
patterned papers: Graphic45 (Typography)
twine:  Darice
other:  thread.

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!

Do you ever sit with all of your stamps, papers, and inks, but just long for a dash of design power or splash of creative spark to get you going? We thought so! We can’t all be creative geniuses 100% of the time, can we? ;-)

That’s why TODAY we’re kicking off an exhilarating new way to get that mojo a flowing for your creative pursuits!

Let me introduce you to...

.... our Power & Spark Challenge! Each month, we’ll usher in a new designer-led challenge and you have all month long to submit cards, chat it up with our designers (feel free to ask questions in our comments section below -- we'll check in from time to time) and get YOUR chance to win a Power Poppy stamp set of your choice! Click on over the first Friday of each month and you’ll see what this fun-filled journey is all about!

HOW TO PLAY: So you can see by the graphic above, there’s picture I took of a Montana sky. Our VERY FIRST CHALLENGE is all about being inspired by the lush and radiant colors that our atmosphere offers us each and every day! The good news is, you have all February to take on this challenge — so look to the skies WHERE YOU LIVE and snap a picture of a breathtaking sunrise, a grand blue cloudless sky, a snow-speckled horizon, or a heart-stopping sunset, whatever it may be. Then, let that vision of the sky help inspire your card. The colors, the tone, the textures, let the sky be the starting point. Please feel free to share your sky photo in your blog or gallery post -- we'd love to see!

OFFICIAL RULES:

• Use Power Poppy stamps if you have them, but if you don’t, this is a great way to WIN them!
• Link your creation below using our Linky
• Please mention Power Poppy in YOUR blog or gallery post with a link back to our challenge
• The winner will receive a free clear or digital stamp set of your choice from the Power Poppy Shop
• Deadline to enter is February 28th, at 10:00pm EST. The winner will be randomly picked and announced here the first Friday of March.
• Have fun & submit as many times as you like! 

On to my creation ...

You can see I took a pretty literal translation of the little photo I snapped off in the sky above my home. I loved the way the sky transitioned from orange to blue and while I didn't add a little spot for the moon, I decided to add some sparkle to give that effect thanks to rhinestones and sequins! I ripped some Post-It Notes to mask off the sides before I sponged on some ink to give it that uneven edge. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy! When all is said and done, this card was indeed a ten-minute creation. I love the Big Scripts sentiment that I embossed in white. Because these senties are so large and in charge, THEY are the focal point and I love that -- especially when you need a card in a jiffy!

If you want to read a little more about how this challenge was inspired by another well-loved hobby of mine, just click on over HERE to read up!

ONE IMPORTANT NOTE! With this new challenge, we decided to say a fond farewell to our Power Poppy Peep of the Week Challenge. We LOVED seeing everything you all whipped up from week to week, whatever happened to be stirring in your studios! We are starting a fun, interactive monthly challenge that will really get those sparks flying. Don’t fret, we’ll still be scouring the web and SCS galleries and will still be adding fabulous creations from our customers to our Pinterest Board: HERE! If you’re looking for our weekly winners and the winner of our monthly giveaway, just click on over HERE and see who walked away with these final honors!

And now... to our BLOOMIES! They have a bit of wonderfulness to show off this Friday! I can't wait to see what they have to share today!

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Dawn Burnworth

Julie Koerber
Leslie Miller

Stacy Morgan

Thanks for stopping by! We hope you join us in our POWER & SPARK Challenge! Look to the skies and be inspired as you create! We will love seeing the photos of your little corner of the world and how it inspires creativity in your stamp rooms.

See you back here soon!

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Peeps of the Week Winners!

Looking for this week’s Power Poppy Peeps of the Week Winners? You’ve come to the right place! In case you missed the news on THIS post, this will be our last Peep of the Week Challenge. We decided that while we LOVED seeing everything you whipped up from week to week, we thought it might be more fun, and more interactive if we held a monthly challenge instead! Don't worry, we'll still be scouring the web and will still be adding fabulous creations from our customers to our Pinterest Board HERE!

So, this last post will be a little nostalgic! Let's get to it and....

MEET OUR FINAL WINNERS!

First comes this beauty from Kerry2 over on Splitcoaststampers. Doesn’t this creation using the Arranging Roses Digital Stamp just make you smile? Look at the depth and variation in color in those beautiful roses and all the little “extras” Kerry added to make this creation shine! Ahhhhh.... the pinked heart border, the lacey die cut peeking out off the right side and the fanciful stitching all adds up to one fabulous card!

You know when Pauline Godfrey makes a card, it’s going to be swoon-worthy! This one using the rose and bluebell sprigs from Springtime Love is no exception! I love the lace trim, that bow that's tied to perfection and the exquisitely colored floral with the soft lilac background! Oh, Oh... don’t overlook her addition of teeny tiny little lilac and pink butterflies and the posh pearls!! It’s soft. It’s feminine! It’s so Pauline! 

Finally and with great fanfare, we have this wispy and wonderful creation by Robyn Oliver using Power Poppy’s Countryside Bouquet Deluxe with a sentiment found in Good Thinking: Renewal. I loved this one because of the fun technique she used. If you’ve never tried it, you can find the video tutorial that Robyn used HERE! Super fun! And, if you would prefer a photo tutorial, Joan Ervin did one for SCS HERE that’s great fun too! Thanks for sharing this clean and classy creation Robyn, I loved the results!

Thank you all so very much for sharing your wonderful creations. We are so excited to add them to our Power Poppy Customer Creations Board on Pinterest!

Since January has wrapped up, we took ALL of the names of the folks who entered cards and creations for our Peep of the Week Challenges, threw them into a hat and drew a name! And, drum roll please, the winner is.....

TRACY MACDONALD!

Tracy, email us at bloom@powerpoppy.com with your stamp set of choice and your snail mail addy and we'll get your winnings sent right to you!

Thanks to all for supporting this challenge, we just LOVE getting to see what you’re making with our stamp designs. If you want to stay on the top of your creative game, why not try our new Power & Spark Challenge -- it’s one that shares your design power and offers a creative spark! You can read ALL about it HERE!

Thanks for stopping by and again, congrats to our Power Peeps!!

~Julie

O is for Orchidaceae

Let’s let this post ooze with affection for Orchids, can we do that today please?

To give you splashes of inspiration to create with our new Orchids Rock stamp set, which features Lady Slipper (Paphiopedilum) and Cymbidium Orchids, I’m sharing photos from my recent paparazzi fling through the Missouri Botanical Garden’s annual Orchid Show. The show runs until March 22, and if you are near St. Louis, I highly recommend it.

While I’ve highlighted Orchids included in my stamp set, the Orchid Show has mannnny more rare and wonderful types from all over the world, from ruffled Cattleya and butterflylike Phalaenopsis to spidery Caladenia and vivacious Vanda, to mysterious species Orchids that most of us have never heard of before — all in bloom, and displayed with gorgeous complementary foliage plants, moss, ferns, and statuary. Get thee to the Garden!

1. Grandiphyllum divaricatum  2. Paphiopedilum (did not get name on this fella)  3. Paphiopedilum Naomi II  4. Paphiopedilum Orange Sunset  5. Cymbidium Red Back 'Solid Gold'  6. Paphiopedilum Millmanii

1. Paphiopedilum Varuna  2. Cymbidium Jill 'Katalnica'  3. Cymbidium Valley Blush 'Magnificent'  4. Paphiopedilum Olona 'Open Arms'  5. Cymbidium Mini Beacon 'Red Torch'

1. Cymbidium Maluka 'Brilliant'  2. Paphiopedilum MacBeth’s Ghost  3. Paphiopedilum Ilemianum ('Rudolph' X 'MO')  4. Cymbidium Starbright  5. C. Starbright with P. Rainbow   6. Cymbidium (missed the name on this beauty)  7. Paphiopedilum hybrid

1. Paphiopedilum hybrid Veribest X Paph. Lunar Orbit  2. Paphiopedilum Insigne 'Brilliance'  3. Cymbidium Sleeping Angel  4. Cymbidium Sylvia Miller  5. Paphiopedilum (did not get name, drats!)

Are you ready to bring the Orchid stamps to life? These clear photopolymer beauties are ready to roll out... and I’ve noticed in my informal stamping trials (yes, I made that up) that the Big Scripts lettering looks quite cool paired up with Orchids Rock!

One more teeeny, tiny thing to share.... just a wee snippet of the Instant Garden digital set that will debut on February 15th, a week from Sunday...

What do you think it is? As I mentioned before, G is for Giveaway: Leave a comment below with your guess — or about anything in today’s blog post — and I’ll draw a random winner to receive the February Digital Stamp Set FREE! Winner will be announced on Feb. 15th.

ADDENDUM - January, 2017 — This Giveaway is from a blog post from 2015, the offer is now closed and the winner received her free digital stamp! :) Entries are now closed.

xoxoxo and enjoy this rockin’ day!

A Rose is NOT just a Rose!

Hi all! Julie Koerber here with another edition of...... INSPIRE ME MONDAY! Today, I'm going to drop a little digi knowledge on you that will hopefully get you seeing your digital images in a whole new way! 

I'll be using this digital stamp....  La Vie En Rose! Isn't it a beauty?

What I love about this set is that darling little love note tucked underneath that gorgeous rose! Did you know though that if you don't want to see that little love note, you can "erase" it thanks to Photoshop Elements (or any photo editing software)? 

I decided that while I love that portion of the image, I wanted my rose to look like it was a tea rose, freshly cut from the garden for my sweetie! How? Let me show you! I started by opening up this digital stamp -- La Vie En Rose -- in Photoshop Elements....

On the left side of the screen above, you can see that the paint brush tool is highlighted. I started by taking the ink dropper (fourth tool down from the top on the left side), and I used it to click on the white on my image. Afterward, I clicked on the paint brush. This told the brush the exact color of my background so that I could, in essence, color that same white over parts of my image to erase the portions that I don't want to be seen.

You can see below that I've started to do just that!

And, here's my image without the note. I even removed the little stippled dots so that it wouldn't appear as if my rose was laying on a surface.

I decided to rotate my canvas so that I could see what the rose looked like in a more upright position.

After turning it, I decided it was still a bit too top heavy for the way I wanted to use it, so I started "painting/erasing" again! You can see below, I got rid of the bud that was off to the left.

But, I decided again that the image above still wasn't enough. I decided to take off those two leaves off to the left hand side of my image.

You can see above that I am getting close! But, see those little bits of shading underneath that rose petal? I want to make sure those little lines are gone too.

Using the "Control" button and then clicking on the "+" sign, I zoom in, make my brush small (decrease it to roughly 7 pixels) and that allows me to get into those tight areas to remove those last few lines.

And you can see, I'm all done! I love the way this rose now appears as a single stem rose. It's perfect for what I had envisioned in my head.

Want to see how my card turned out?

I colored my image up with Copic markers and I used these colors, R00, R30, R32, R35, G20,G21, G24, G0000, E40, and E42. I then cut out my image using a Spellbinders die and while the die was still on my image, I sponged on some Antique Linen Distress Ink. The sentiment from Power Poppy's brand new set called Good Thinking: Love Notes. I punched it out using a 1-1/4" circle punch and then distressed it a bit by sponging on some ink. The paper is Carta Bella's Yesterday -- I loved how the paper really matched my rose! Add some paper piercing, some crochet lace trim, a decorative brad and... done! 

Here's a close up! 

Thanks so much for joining me this Monday! I hope you use this tutorial and then take a closer look at some of your digi images. You don't have to use the whole image if you don't want to thanks to photo/image editing software! Doesn't this open up the possibilities? I sure think so!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Julie

Storm of Creativity: 5 New Sets Available Today!

Hello to everybody! It’s been such fun to read your enthusiastic comments all week long in preparation for our big release today. Thank you so much for the awesome support! xoxo

Well, let’s get right to the action, here is the ALL NEW Storm of Creativity collection — come and get yourself swirled up in the fun, presented in the highest quality clear photopolymer: 

Orchids Rock

Good Thinking: Love Notes

Short Stacks

 
Big Scripts

Potted Primroses

 

As if this week’s showstopping previews weren’t enough (I’m still reeling from seeing the Bloom Brigade’s cards!) they have ONE MORE to show you, to really put that excitement over the top. Come tour around, and then let’s get a Storm of Creativity into all of our craft rooms!

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

Ever-so-fondly yours,