Friday, June 17, 2016

A NEW Green Thumb! ;-)

Hello all and happy Friday to you! Ready for a little Power Poppy Parade? We sure have one and it is just for YOU! We scoured blog land for some inspiration and boy did we find it! So without further ado.....


IT'S POWER POPPY SHOW & TELL TIME! 

Leslie Miller is a name you've surely come to know and love over the years, not only because she used to be a member of our beloved Bloom Brigade, but because she's an amazing artist and all around awesome person too! When I stumbled upon this card she made using the Juicy Strawberries digital stamp set, I couldn't help but 1. squeal and 2. want to share! I love the perfect decorative paper she found and then, the addition of the little die cut leaves and flowers that truly take on the blossoms of a strawberry plant. Add in coloring perfection and a fun layout and BAM -- we have a winner folks! Don't you agree?



Speaking of perfect, I think Jessie Banks knocked it out of the park with this Simply Camellias creation. Ee Gads! Look at that coloring, will you? I love how the sentiment takes center stage but the flowers truly bolster the beauty! Way to go Jessie, we love sharing pretty much anything you create! 


Goodness, I love our Show and Tell time here at Power Poppy! Before we turn things over to our Bloomies to see what they have up their creative sleeves, I wanted to share something that you may have missed! First up, on Wednesday, Power Poppy released a brand new addition to the Instant Garden called Rose & Chamomile. This digital set features not one but two stunning rose illutsrations and a sentiment that helps share words of comfort. You can check out the set HERE. 

When it comes to new additions -- we also have a brand new paper crafting green thumb that we've added to the team of Instant Gardeners! We briefly introduced her the other day but I'd love it if you gave a big round of applause and heck, if you're a hugger, send along a virtual hug while you are at it to......


NANCY SHEADS! 

Nancy is the creative genius behind Rowhouse Greetings, where she shares her creations on her blog and at her Etsy shop. Here she is above with her hubby at "the happiest place on earth!" Here's what Ms. Nancy had to say about her creative pursuits! 


I’ve been a crafter for years – my grandmother taught me to crochet when I was five years old – and over the years, I’ve learned how to sew, knit and cross stitch. A couple of years ago, I wandered into Photo Scraps, my local scrapbook store, and Tracy Beck and her staff introduced me to the world of papercrafting. On a whim, I tried out Copic coloring at the store’s Demo Day and the rest, as they say, was history. I had found my medium! I’ve had the opportunity to study with some of the best instructors – Rhea Weigand, Jennifer Dove, and Cindy Lawrence -- who have always gone out of their way to help me improve my craft. I live in a nineteenth century rowhouse in the heart of Baltimore with my husband and three very spoiled cats. My husband is my biggest cheerleader and has encouraged me every step of the way. More importantly, he looks the other way when I run up my credit card buying Copic markers (and even MORE scrapbook paper). He’s my home team and I wouldn’t have come this far without him to cheer me on.

Thanks Nancy! How sweet is it when you have beautiful people to support you, teach you and cheer you on! You can rest assured that when you joined this Power Poppy family, you added more than a dozen extra cheerleaders to the mix! :-) Welcome sweet lady!

Time now to move things along and see what our sisters in stamping, the Bloom Brigade, whipped up this week to share!






Thanks for stopping by!  Be sure to tune in next Monday when Ms. Kathy Racoosin of thedailymarker.com swings by to drop a little stamping and coloring knowledge on all of us! Can't wait! See you all then!

~Julie

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Our June Instant Garden Intro is: Rose and Chamomile

Hello, all! I’m writing to you from a little vacation time away with my family surrounded by beaches and seashells, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still pine for ROSES! But first, hello from the beeeeeeaaaaach!


Not only do we have a new downloadable digital stamp set for you, but I’m thrilled to share with you that we’re adding a wonderful new team member to add to our Instant Gardeners roster. Please welcome Nancy Sheads! We love her chic, graphic style and feel sure that you will too! I will share a separate post getting to know Nancy very soon, as if you’ve seen her work, you’ll know how neat it is that she is here with us helping to share the Power Poppy love.

Today’s set features a rose, like I mentioned, but this particular rose set has a few special guests... take a peek:

http://powerpoppy.com/products/rose-and-chamomile

It’s overflowing with friends, actually! Rose and Chamomile floats along with a charming accompaniment of chamomile and rosehips. And if you aren’t so in to all that jazz, get this: the set ALSO comes with the rose image all by itself! Plus a simple sentiment to help soothe some who is in need of some friendship and support.

I’d love to you to take a tour through ALL SEVEN of our Instant Gardeners’ posts today, each featuring this set, Rose and Chamomile. What a treat it is to see all of our superstar designers rocking together!!

Jennifer Dove
Rhea Weigand
Nancy Sheads 

Hope you enjoy our latest downloadable rose design — remember, now our downloads are truly “instant” — you can download them directly from our website after purchase. And if you ever have a problem or do not like the new system, just drop us a note, and we are happy to email the files as attachments like we used to. You just need to tell us each time with a little note in your order, or with an email nudge, as it is not automatic. THANK YOU for the opportunity to create for you! 

Monday, June 13, 2016

Inspire Me Monday: Color Theory

Happy Monday everyone!  Welcome to Inspire Me Monday!  I'm your hostess Allison Cope and we're going to talk a little bit about COLOR THEORY!

Come and find out a little bit more about the fabulous color wheel...


Here's a quick look at the cards I used as my examples today...
Featuring Folk Heart and Short Stacks

Featuring Folk Heart

Featuring Peony Love and Potted Primroses 


Featuring Folk Heart


Featuring Orchids Rock

Thanks for joining me today!  So the next time you begin to color your latest and greatest Power Poppy image, think about how you're going to use color to the fullest!

Happy coloring everyone!

~ Ally

Friday, June 10, 2016

A Creative Smorgasbord!

Hello lovelies and happy Friday to you all! Before I get started on the big show of creativity we have here each and every Friday -- did you see these little numbers that came out last weekend? Goodness gracious, if you have someone who loves to hit the river in search of a great catch, this series of digital stamp sets are just for YOU! There's Fly Guy, Leaping Trout and Reel Deal!  A little birdie told me that some of the Bloom Brigade are showing off these new sets with their Friday posts, so you will HAVE to hop on over to see their creations for yourself!

Moving on -- a new week -- a new chance to show you our inspirational round up of fantabulous projects out there in blog land using Power Poppy! Woo hoo!

I have to start my little show and tell this with beauty by the uber talented Mindy Baxter! 


Not only did Mindy do an amazing job bringing these roses from Power Poppy's Everything's Rosy digital stamp set to life, but she has a tutorial over on her blog HERE to showcase just how she did it! Don't you just love that? I bookmarked it already in hopes of grabbing just the right markers to follow along! 

On top of that, Mindy entered this little number in Cindy Lawrence's brand new....


You will definitely have to play along in this month's Power & Spark Challenge because folks, it is just too easy! All you have to do is create a card, promise to put a stamp on it, and mail it off as a random act of kindness to someone you want to share a little happy mail with! What's better than that? You can read up on this month's challenge HERE and find out how you could win a Power Poppy stamp set just for playing along! 

Okay, I have a few more creations to share with you all before I pass things over to our Bloomies! I was strolling through the gallery at Splitcoaststampers and stumbled upon this stunning creation from Linda Paider a.k.a. Holstein. Woah... is that not dreamy? Linda used reinkers to color up Power Poppy's digital stamp Climbing Clematis and then, get this, hand lettered the sentiment! I love the bit of embossed detail she added too! 


Last but not least, Nancy Bramucci Sheads, over at Rowhouse Greetings wasted no time pulling out the Copic markers and taking our new digital stamp Fly Guy out for a fishing trip! And, I might add, I am sure glad she did. Take a peek for yourself! 


I not only love the way Nancy colored up this outdoorsy dude, but I adore her layout as well! It's got spunk and style! 

Our Bloomies definitely have got it going on in the spunk and style department and we almost have a full house today of those designers playing along and showing off some of their latest creations! So, hop on over and see what they've got going on in their creative bag of tricks!



Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to tune in on Monday for another "episode" of Inspire Me Monday, designed to start your week off with just the right creative kick! :-)

Have a fabulous weekend!
Julie

Monday, June 6, 2016

Summer Has Arrived!


Hello all our flower lovers!  This is Rhea here today for Monday Inspiration.
How about this 8x8 framed wreath of Flowers with a touch of metal?


This digi is called Peony Love


I increased the size to be 7.75" x 7.75" so it would fit within the 8x8 frame.  I wanted to make it unique and happy.  As I was framing it the inside was missing something then I realized what it was.
It was a butterfly.  I searched for dies and had a couple picked out then I remembered I had metal!!!
What a way to make it even more unique.  

The colors used were:
YG13, 97, 99 and YG21 as a highlight on leaves
Pink Flowers:  V01 highlights, RV11, 52, 66, 69
Purple Flowers:  BV31, 43, 04, 08, C9
Yellow Flowers:  Y11 highlights, Y21, YR21, 23, 24, 27, Y28

Another framed piece for my Flower Wall.



Sunday, June 5, 2016

Ode to the Outdoors: Three New Digis

To kickoff summer, I’m adding three outdoorsy images to our digital download arsenal — yep, three in one day! They share a common theme, admiration for the sport of fly fishing. I hope you’ll find these images are a nice complement to my florals and garden images, and can see them as focal points for more masculine cards, or when that outdoorsy feel is just the right look!

Growing up, my brother and I could frequently be found near beautiful Missouri streams, springs, and
secret spots that our dad had staked out as good places for kids to fish. We fished from boats and from the shore, then a little later in life, while outfitted in waders and standing right there in the water! Dad bought both of us kids a fly tying vise and an array of threads, feathers, and beads, and he taught us to tie our own fishing lures, called flies. Daddy is a fisherman and particularly a fly fisherman to the core, having fished streams across America and central America and restoring antique bamboo fly rods. Andy caught the bug as well, often catching (and then releasing) lunkers in the Metolius and Deschutes Rivers of central Oregon, and leading fly fishing trips in Patagonia!

While I didn’t quite hang on to fishing as one of my core loves the way these two did, it is certainly a part of my life in a big way, even today! Working with a fly tying and fishing outfitter in my design business, it’s great fun to help serve up fishing enthusiasts their catalogs throughout the year.

Let’s take a look at these new sets, three of them all together, that might be perfect for the fishing enthusiast in YOUR life! Introducing our latest Digis on the 5s release, ready for you to download today:

http://powerpoppy.com/products/leaping-trout

http://powerpoppy.com/products/fly-guy






http://powerpoppy.com/products/reel-deal

Remembering those mornings waking up before dawn to get in just the right spot on the stream, and knowing what peace and joyfulness it brings to the fisherman — I so hope you can capture those good feelings in your cardmaking! The recipients will surely feel the fantastic fly vibes with these digital stamp sets! Each one comes with three sentiments for lots of fun and versatility.

Some of our wonderful and talented Bloom Brigade and Instant Gardeners have made cards with these sets today. I know you’ll love seeing how they’ve brought these outdoorsy sets to life:


Enjoy your tour around the blogosphere, and here’s wishing you a fabulous day.

Friday, June 3, 2016

So Much HAPPY!

Hello all and HAPPY WEEKEND AHEAD! We have so much fun headed your way, you might just want to grab a cup (or glass) of your favorite drink and settle in for a little visit! What’s going on, you say? We have a new challenge! A fun weekend celebration! A sale! A winner from last month’s Power & Spark Challenge and.... some extra fab creations from our beloved Bloomies!

LET’S GET ON WITH THE SHOW...

First up, we card makers love, love, love to create and share and this challenge, hosted by the one and only Cindy “Marathon Mama” Lawrence, is ALL ABOUT sharing! So, let’s hear it for the...



HOW TO PLAY: How many times have you created a card only to have it sit in a basket waiting for that perfect occasion? This time, let’s flip that around and create a card with someone in mind and then, slap a stamp on that baby and put it in the mail! Keep in mind, we want this to be a card “just because.” Sure special occasions are important, but THE HAPPY MAIL CHALLENGE is all about simply sharing the love – not for birthdays or graduations or anniversaries—a “just because you care” kind of card for someone you’ve had on your mind. The challenge runs through June 30th at 8PM EST for a chance at a Power Poppy stamp set of choice.

You might have picked up that I called Cindy the "Marathon Mama" -- well, last weekend she entered her very first! So, this little challenge was a beautiful way to share a little love with the friend that trained each and every day with her. How sweet is that and how sweet is this little number? 


Cindy used one of my absolute favorite images -- the little cup of buttercups -- in the set Marcella's Mixtape Vol. 1. and dressed it up in such a cute and folksy way. I love the gingham, the twine and the fun little enamel dots she used to set off her perfectly colored image! (Note, this stamp set is out of stock, but look for this sweet up of flowers coming soon to our Instant Garden of digis!)

Doesn't that make you want to jump in your creative space and figure out who to send your work of heart to? Goodness, what fun! 

THE OFFICIAL RULES:
  • Use Power Poppy stamps for this challenge please!
  • 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 June 30 @ 8:00pm EST.  At that point, we’ll draw the winner randomly and make the announcement right here on the first Friday of July!

WE HAVE A WINNER!

Did you play along in last month’s May Flowers Power & Spark Challenge? Well, if you did, listen up! After putting all the entries into our fancy schmancy number generator, this is who was chosen!


And that means the winner is....... 

PAULINE GODFREY! 


The way Pauline colored up those flouncy tulips (from the Tulips in Hobnail Pitcher digital stamp set) is to die for! The fun die cut, sequins, decorative paper and lace all just bring this little number to life! Beautiful Pauline! Simply beautiful! For winning our Power & Spark May Flowers Challenge, you get to choose a clear or digital stamp set to add to your collection! Just email us at bloom@powerpoppy.com to let us know your snail mail addy and your pick and we’ll get your winnings in the mail!

MORE FUN NEWS!

So, we’ve shared the Power & Spark Challenge for June but that’s not all that's going on right now with Power Poppy! We are hosting a fun-filled weekend over at the Passionate Paper Creations & Friends’ Facebook Page -- ALL WEEKEND LONG! 


Play along and be a Power Poppy Peep all weekend long! Grab your favorite coloring medium and let’s see what you’ve got. Feeling fruity? Ready to Blossom? Need to crank up the tunes? We feel your passion! Now, put it on paper and show us your finished colored Power Poppy image. Put your link as a comment in the Power Poppy post on Passionate Paper Creations & Friends' Facebook page and we’ll draw one lucky winner to nab a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop.

10% OFF thru SUNDAY
Stock up on Power Poppy stamps to play! Enter discount code MORECOLOR at checkout to get 10% off any clear or digital stamp sets that your little heart desires! We can’t wait to see what you pick and help make blossom with your creative skills. (In-stock clear sets only, offer ends Sunday, June 5th at midnight central).

Well, there has been a lot of blossoming going on in the stamp rooms of some of our favorite card designers. Stop by, say “hi” and as I love to say, prepare to be amazed at the creative talents of our Bloomies!



If all of this wasn’t enough, we should tell you that Power Poppy is back with our Digis on the 5s digital stamp set release, next one is June 5. Sunday, we’ll release a trio of digital stamp sets that are PERFECT for the dudes in your life. These outdoorsy images come just in time to wish those men in your life a very Happy Father's Day! So, be sure to swing by and see what our Power Poppy Peep-in-Chief Marcella has up her insanely talented sleeve!

Until then!
~Julie