Inspire Me Monday - Holiday Tags

Hello Everyone! How are you today? I am Kathy from The Daily Marker and I am so happy to be back for another Inspire Me Monday.

Today I am excited to share with you how to make some pretty quick tags with some easy coloring & this beautiful Poinsettia stamp set. My take away for this project is to skip a step when coloring by adding color with a spray. All you need to do is fill a mini mister with a color from a Copic refill bottle. Don't add water just the refill solution straight up. 

My assumption is that you can use any brand of alcohol marker fluid. I have the Copic brand so that is what I am using today. The best part of this technique is that you have that first layer of color quick and easy. Once you fill your mini mister be sure to label what color you are using.

After stamping my poinsettia, I punched a large circle in a sheet of copy paper & placed the paper with my circle top of my stamped poinsettia leaving a white border under the copy paper. (I wanted to keep the border white that I will be using for my tag) 

When the copy paper is sitting on top you only see the pink part that's in this photo. (Sorry, I don't have a photo of the before I sprayed with the mini mister.) Hold the mini mister spray bottle about 6" from your paper...and spray. If you hold the mister further way you get a more speckled effect which is so pretty. I suggest you experiment with different distances and different colors. Masking off an image and spraying the background this way yields an awesome result!! 

If you want leave me a comment and tell me if you would like a video for my next Inspire Me Monday showing a sprayed background. 

If you like you can push the color out of the leaves by using the "0" colorless marker. If you are using a darker green it's not necessary. Add red to the poinsettia leaves and buds. 

To blend out the red color you just added plus the pink color from the mini mister, it's pretty easy and you most likely have done this before? Scribble some of the red on a acrylic block, packaging, palette or a craft mat (just wipe using some blending solution or alcohol wipes when finished). Using the same color marker as the background, load the pink tip with the red from the acrylic block. 

The tip of the marker acts like a brush. You load the color on the tip of the darker color and use that to blend the color on the petals. You need to keep loading the tip with more color as you continue around the flower. You only need to load the tip maybe two or three times for the large petals depending on how much pressure you use when coloring. This is a great way to get more mileage from your markers. 

If you want to give your petals a more blended look you can take the "0" color again and place the tip where the light areas are and give the entire petal a once over with the "0" or just keep it on the edges of your petals. More importantly, don't worry just enjoy the process it always comes out beautifully. :)

I always like to go back after blending and add my darkest color in the nooks and crannies of the petals usually right up next to the lines in the corners. Keep in mind a little dark color goes a long way. If you add to much you can always blend it out with a lighter color. 

The rest goes super fast. Add some grey to add definition to the background if you like. Outline the flower and color the tiny areas of the background in the grey. Color the center of the flower a contrasting color. I prefer a dark and light brown. 

Give some straight up color on the leaves and pine branches. No blending at all. 

I am a nut about adding white dots and discovered some poinsettias have white dots. Adding some glossy accents to parts of a colored image really enhances what you have colored. In this case I added glossy accents to the green leaves, flower center and the buds. 

Photo Credit

Isn't this speckled poinsettia beautiful? So many lovely varieties and so many beautiful colors to use as inspiration.

This poinsettia would be fun to try and get a similar look by coloring the petals with some easy lines and no blending.

Have you ever used fun foam? This was my first time and I am addicted. The foam comes in sheets of 3mm and 5mm in many colors. I found mine at Michael's craft stores. I die cut my sentiment in the foam and the cardstock then glued the layers together. Punch a hole, thread some ribbon and you have some tags. Tis the season for tags and they can be used for a bottle of wine, handmade gift or a card. 

If you have more time and are into shaker cards you can make a shaker tag.

What ever you are creating, I hope you find joy. For Thanksgiving my goal is to have a table set up so my family can make a card or tag to give someone special in their life. Thanks to Power Poppy for always providing such inspiring images to create with and thanks to you all for your visit.

Hugs, Kathy

New Instant Garden Digi! A Partridge, a Pear Tree, and a Teapot

Feeling a bit like a yo-yo as we switch between seasons here at the Power Poppy headquarters, October was our big Holiday release in clear polymer, a week ago we released the digital set Maize for Days featuring that fall décor sensation, and this week we’re zig-zagging right back to the 12 Days of Christmas for our newest digi. Let’s just go with it, shall we?

Gather ’round and sing along my friends: On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to meeee... (a digi featuring a) Partridge in a Pear Tree!

That’s right, ya’ll, I’ve gone there... into the realm of the 12 Days of Christmas. But this pear tree is planted in a teapot, and the pear tree also has little round berry ornaments hanging from the branches. Because why not be as fanciful as you can when given the opportunity? I think that might be my unspoken mantra.

Speaking of fanciful, you are going to flip out when you see what our wonderful Instant Gardener digi design team has come up with for this release. Each designer had such a unique take! Don’t you love that!? When I conjure up the artwork for these stamps, I can hardly envision the creativity that will take hold on people’s craft tables — and these cards handily prove that. Go check ’em out!

Cheryl Scrivens

Broni Holcombe

Debbie Olson

This digital set features FOUR stamps. Two versions of the Partridge in a Pear Tree are included for cardmaking versatility: One has my hand-lettered inscription on the teapot, and one has the teapot left plain. (They are both the same exact size when you get your digital files, one is not super tiny as it appears in the graphic.) Then two scripty sentiments with the ol’ Christmas carol lyrics. Come ’n get yours and start on those Holiday cards today!

Thanks for coming by the Power Poppy blog and happy day to you!

 

Cozy In & Create!

Hello all and the happiest of Fridays to you! I am not sure about you, but when the chill starts to fill the air, there is something just delightful about cozying up indoors with my favorite hot beverage to nest! There's no time like the present to grab the medium that delights along with, of course, your favorite Power Poppy stamps to CREATE! 

And you have some reasons to get crafty my stamping friends! Did you see that last week we kicked off a BRAND NEW Power & Spark Challenge? Well, here it is!

The fabulous Kathy Jones kicked off the contest and it's delightfully simple! Just dig into that ole embellishment drawer and pull out some things you'd love to create with and EMBELLISH to your hearts content! You can click HERE for all the official details!

Meantime, the cards are already starting to roll in -- embellished to the nines! Be that as it may, I thought I'd share one of them to give you a peek at just a bit of the loveliness that is being shared this month so far!

Check out this A-Maize-ing creation from the sweet as can be Mary Schrieber! I love the plaid she picked to set off the beauty of the image. And, the bits of gold bring just the right kind of sparkle! This digital stamp set -- Maize For Days -- was just released on the 5th and comes just in time to share a little bit of fall on your cards and creations! Now, dear friends, it's YOUR turn to take this challenge to task and strutt out with your mad embellishment skills! Once your done, don't forget to link up your creation HERE!

Our Bloom Brigade has been at it again, letting the paper fly and watching those creative juices flow, just to share a bit of their handiwork with all of us! So, make sure you pop on over to see what they've been up to! 

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber

Katie Sims

Leslie Miller

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to tune in on Monday. Kathy Racoosin of The Daily Marker will be here to share some tidbits for our next Inspire Me Monday! 

See you soon!
Julie

Happy Monday Everyone!

We’ve got a WINNER ... and an ALL-NEW challenge!

It’s a brand new month with a brand new way to create design power with a creative spark! That's right folks, it’s time to unveil this month's Power and Spark Challenge! Not only will we share the challenge, stay tuned, we've got the winner from last month's challenge PLUS links to a little creative eye candy thanks to the Bloom Brigade! So, without further ado.......

This month's challenge is hosted by our Blossoming Aussie Kathy Jones! She dares all of us to dig deep into that embellishment drawer to see just what fun we can pull out and use on a card or creation!

HOW TO PLAY: In the words of Kathy Jones, think “Buttons, Pearls, Rhinestones, Sequins, Ribbon, Brads, Eyelets, Flowers, Micro Beads... use them simply or in interesting ways! Don’t have any? Make your own! Wrong colour? Use your markers to colour them up to match your project. Most importantly, have fun and play along!”

And, just to help spur on some artistic ingenuity, here’s a peek at the card Kathy designed especially for this month's challenge!

Isn't Kathy's card a dream? Me thinks so! She used one of Power Poppy's brand new sets from the Happiest of Holidays collection called Cozy Cupfuls! I would say she nailed this challenge with the bevy of bling, splash of sequins, plethora of pearls and who could forget the pop of poinsettia!

So, stamping friends, let's all rally and join her in this Embellish This Power & Spark Challenge! Not only will you have fun stretching your creative muscles, but you could have a shot at winning some Power Poppy stamps in the process! That's a win-win!  

THE 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 use the exact URL from your post instead of a generic blog address.)
• Please mention Power Poppy in YOUR blog or gallery post with a link back to THIS challenge
• The winner will receive a free clear or digital stamp set of choice from the Power Poppy Shop
• Enter as many cards as you’d like, as long as they fit the theme of the challenge!
• Deadline to enter is November 30 @ 8:00pm EST. At that point, we'll draw the winner randomly and make the announcement right here on the first Friday of December!

.... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ...

Before we move on over to see what our Bloomies whipped up for all to see this week, we have to share the winner for our October Bits & Pieces Power & Spark Challenge! Random.org threw all the entries into its computeristic hat and drew the number 14, which means last month’s winner is......

*** BERINA FEBIN! ***

And here’s a picture of Berina’s creation! She decided to use a snippet of her stamp and make it sing all the way down her card in soft and pretty hues! And, that bow is tied to perfection as well! Fabulous Berina — thanks so much for joining us for this month’s Power and Spark Challenge! Simply email us at bloom@powerpoppy.com and let us know which three digital stamp sets or which one clear stamp set you would like us to send your way and we’ll get that right to you!

Now.... drum roll please! It’s time to let our Bloom Brigade take center stage! It’s always too fun to see what they've created during the week! So, be sure to hop on over and say “hey!” to get that dose of weekend inspiration! 

Kathy Jones

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

Christine Okken

Julie Koerber

Leslie Miller
Cindy Lawrence

Thanks so much for checking in this Friday and paying us a little visit! We hope you have a wonderfully creative weekend ahead! 

See you back here soon!

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

New Digital Stamp Set: Maize for Days

Hello and Happy Fall! After the beautiful blowout of Holiday stamps the past few weeks, it feels a little funny going backwards to fall, but such is the course of the crafting calendar. For any of us who love to celebrate fall color, who want to indulge in those crimsons and carmines, raw and burnt umber, burgundy, royal purples, yellow ochre and all things orange — we don’t want to miss our chance!

Does anyone else get excited to see “Indian Corn” come fall at the market? Indian Corn, or Native American Corn—the real name of these gorgeous jewels is MAIZE. Originally domesticated thousands of years ago (we’re talking 9,000 years!) by the indigenous people of America, maize was cultivated into the corn we see today across the world. The wonderful colors of Indian Corn usually turn up come fall in grocery stores and farmers’ markets, and can be found festooning the front doors and Thanksgiving centerpieces of folks all over the land.

We often had a little bunch of Indian Corn on our door when I was growing up (my Mom did not miss a decorating beat!). This year I couldn’t help myself and picked up a few ears myself for the first time in several years, and they are just as glorious jewel-rific as I remember. Now, if I were to get super-duper crafty, maybe I could braid the husks together to form something gorgeous to hang on our front door... but more likely, I’ll tie some twine around ’em and call it a day! But a beautiful day, at that. Will you try something decorative (or otherwise) with Indian Corn this year?

For our digital release today, I’ve remixed a drawing that’s really one of my all-time favorites, and there’s something about how this set came out that pleases me... maybe it’s the subject matter, maybe it’s the composition, maybe it’s the corny jokes — but I hope you’ll enjoy it too! Introducing Maize for Days!

With this digital stamp set, you’ll get one image of Indian Corn tied up into a nice, wide ribbon with tendrils of Bittersweet — PLUS THREE SENTIMENTS! Originally, we were going to have two sentiments with this set, but then our Bloom Brigade designer, Allison Cope, declared that this set was “a-maize-ing” and well, a third sentiment was born. I can’t pass up a good pun like that! Thank you, Ally, it’s my favorite one of ALL!

Today we have some awesome autumnal cards to share with you using Maize for Days, created by women who put so much heart and talent into their work, it warms me up every time I visit their blogs. Let’s go see what they’ve made for us today...

Stacy Morgan

Christine Okken

Cheryl Scrivens

If you come back here on Friday, we’ll have even MORE cards to share with you from our fabulous designers! And, and, and — we’ll announce the winner of the Power & Spark: Bits & Pieces Challenge — AND (can you believe all of these ands?) — we’ll kick off an all-new challenge with Kathy Jones!

Go have an a-maize-ing day, my friends!

Inspire Me Monday: Tips + Tricks from Rhea

Hello Power Poppy Fans!  Rhea Weigand here to bring you Monday Inspiration!!

Today I am using Heaven and Nature Sing Stamp Set.

You can find all of Power Poppy Clear Stamps Here just in case you want to try this on some of the NEW HOLIDAY STAMPS JUST RELEASED!

There are a few techniques I used in this design.

1. Monochromatic with a Color Pop - With this being a Christmas design I used the E80's.  This color set has a nice green hue to them.  The forward pieces are lighter and are accented with Karina Wink white.  The pieces in back were colored with the darker colors.  This gives the overall appearance of depth.  The Color Pop is the stamped sentiment in Red.
   
2. No Line Coloring - I used Memento Desert Sand being that I was coloring with the E's.  Keep in mind with out the black lines your overall color can look a little different because you loose the details of the stamped image.
   
3. Using an Embossing Folder Over the Colored Image that Matches the Background - Once I was done and I knew the Copics were dry I had a thought to run this through my machine with a dot embossing folder....what's the worse that could happen?  I had to start over?  As it turned out I thought it was awesome!  So I did a piece in the background to match :)  I don't usually have a plan for a design it just all comes together in the end.
   
4. Using Matching Dies to Create a Frame for the Original Die Cut - It looked a little plain and I wanted to really have the "Color Pop of Red"  So I took the original size die and the next size die.  Perfectly nested them, taped them together so they wouldn't move and created a frame with red card stock.   Once it was attached with a thin layer of glue I then used glossy accents to frame the inside with beaded chain for further effect.
   
5. Using a Drop of Matching Stickles and Covering with Faber-Castels Texture Gems (a thick totally clear drying that creates a dome) - Which magnifies the little bit of glitter at the bottom.  I did this on all the berries and the inside of the flowers. 

Now, here are the few colors I used.

Thanks for visiting, and if you would like to visit my blog I would love to see you over there!

PassionatePaperCreations.blogspot.com