Free Coloring Downloads • Winners for Week 1

Hello, my friends!

I’d first like to give a heartfelt thank you for being such a generous and brave group of gals. I love that so many of you felt comfortable submitting your FAVORITE quotes to our very first Power and Sparklette Challenge. And several of you have already left the most inspiring stories of “Doing It Anyway” for Week 2 of the Mini Challenges (haven’t seen that one yet, well click here to head on over.)

Well, I told you I would be announcing the “winners” of the Week 1 challenge, and I will not disappoint, even though it’s a bit late in the day... ahem. (Blaming computer problems, sorry folks, my Mac called in sick even though my pens were workin’ overtime.)

Just to remind you, we are hoping to cause a wonderful disruption in your creative flow by going a little deeper, to ignite courage, can-do spirit, and honestly, to give a jolt to the mental space that we artists get into when we set to work making art. And so, we asked:

Share a favorite quote, saying, or verse that inspires you. 

There were soooooo many wonderful quotes in the list, my ladies (and I do know there are a few gents out there). In fact, there was such enlightenment and encouragement on that thread of comments, I hope you’ll visit the original post if you haven’t done so yet, and jot down a few to add to your journals or your post-it notes or wherever it is you write down nourishing thoughts that catch your attention.

I said that I would choose a winning quote and illustrate it as FREE digital download for coloring and creating. But sugar-peas, I could not narrow it down to one. In reviewing the quotes, I noticed a few overarching themes: one was having the strength/courage/moxie to do what we need or want to do, and the other was letting go and releasing the need to be in control. Such a different type of message for different situations, but each obviously important to you all. So I have chosen TWO, and you may visit our website right now and download them for FREE from the store!! Right now! The first winning submission was from Diane, who wrote:

“Let it Be” from the Beatles. I having been reminding myself of this for years. I tend to be a “fixer” and I need to remember that I am not meant to fix everything for everyone. Let go and let God.

I give you, Let It Be. Click below to get this downloadable coloring image (it is about 5" across and is resizable to suit your needs):

Next we have a passage from the Bible that many of you found great comfort in, and I have to admit that I too feel both a tremendous relief and a firmer backbone when I remember this one... As Lisa K. said:

My favorite verse is “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 This speaks to me when I have hard days. I lean on Christ to give me strength as I often do not have it totally by myself.

Thank you to all who submitted this inspiring passage: Susan, Cheryl, Julie, and Lisa K, and here is I Can Do All Things:

Now folks, you’ll need to go ahead and check-out to get the downloads, but you will not be charged for either one, and you may get both if you’d like. You don’t even need a promotional code.

Thank you again for being such good, good people. You make my heart all cozy! I will probably end up using some of the other quote ideas in future stamp sets — my inspiration cup runneth over!

It’s not too late to enter our Week 2 Challenge (we all love to read what YOUR experiences have been, and you could win a $25 gift code in our store if you share). Be prepared for Week 3’s Mini Challenge to be announced on Saturday.

In the meantime... Thursday, Sept 15, we have a new digital stamp set release PLUS a big coloring and sale promotion kicking off with our friends at Passionate Paper Creations ... I hope you’ll be back to see us soon. We are running around like nuts with all of this excitement, ANNNNND there will SOON BE HOLIDAY CLEAR STAMPS!!! Phew. A lot of action in the Power Poppy HQ. Peace out!

Inspire Me Monday: Interactive Tag Card

Howdy all!  Welcome to Inspire Me Monday!  I'm Allison Cope your hostess today at Power Poppy.

I am a HUGE fan of fun and interactive cards.  I love being able to send a handmade creation where someone physically gets to interact with their card... for example, something pop-s up when you pull a tab or am element rotates or swings on the card front.

So today I thought that I would share a super-duper easy-peasy interactive tag card tutorial with you.

Since Autumn is just around the corner (it's showing it's self here already in Alberta!) I thought I would pull out a stamp set from last year and a brand new one too!  So I grabbed the amazingly gorgeous "Olive & Oak Expanded" stamp collection the "Prairie Cheer" stamp set too!

So first I'm actually going to start you off with how to make this super simple card and then below you'll find a sped-up video if you'd like to see the colouring of my focal image.  Enjoy...

And for those of you that really enjoy colouring, come and check out this video where I coloured the brilliant trio of oak leaves, acorns and olives...

Here's a quick peek of my card...

And here it is with it's tag showing...

I hope I've inspired you today to get out and colour and create!

~ Ally ~

Do It Anyway: Mini Challenge Week 2

Our kids at a local craft-it-yourself studio, where they grab armfuls of art supplies, figure out a craft project to make, and just go for it.

Have you ever noticed how little kids have a sense that they can do anything? This can be applied to everything from jumping out of a tree to making up a recipe to building their own go-karts. They’re pretty much filled with confidence.

At some point as they mature, most folks start to lose this sense. We are told that we aren’t doing something the right way. Our actions are corrected, our spirits get a bit dimmed. We bounce back from most of this stuff, but being corrected doesn’t feel so great. Some of us start to wonder if we just aren’t good at whatever task. Maybe we shouldn’t try it again because we might fail, and we don’t like that feeling. As adults, many of us have years and years of these sorts of thoughts built up, so that trying something new can feel very scary. We may feel paralyzed by fear.

In the world of art and making, this sensation may be seen when one is afraid of pushing oneself further. For example, having an inner voice that says, “I’m really great at stamping, but I couldn’t draw anything more than a stick figure if my life depended on it.” This could translate to, “I’d better not even try to freehand draw, because if it doesn’t look perfect, then everyone will think I’m not as good of a stamper as they did before!” Think about that mental leap. Why would we send ourselves such messages? I’ll bet we all do it in our own ways.

What if we decided to be conscious of our inner fears of failure, and we turned them on their heads? If we took the feeling of not being great at something yet, and used it as a stepping stone to getting better? As a way to learn, to expand our abilities, and to just try for the sheer challenge of it? Replacing the inner voice that said, “Don’t try, you might fail” with “This might not turn out how I imagine, but I’m going to do it ANYWAY!”

Because why not, my friends? We are only on this planet for a little while. Why the heck not just go for it? Try that technique you’ve been curious about. Approach your creativity from a different angle than normal — instead of having everything centered like you always do, go asymmetrical and rotate! Run over the cardstock with your car to give it some texture. Draw all over it with scribbles. Tear it into tiny pieces and make a mosaic. Stamp off the edge of the paper! Close your eyes and grab the markers for your color scheme randomly. Why not? It might expand your creativity into a realm you had no idea was possible. Or it might look ridiculous. But at least you’ll be making something new, moving forward with your creativity, and broadening your artistic skill set. It could be the step you needed to take to break out of your fixed thinking, to a place of growth and learning and challenge.

I have a hard time thinking of a more encouraging, warm, uplifting group of people than those I’ve met through this crafting and cardmaking community. When we are trying something new, there are always dear folks who will chime in to say, “You’re getting better at your coloring!” or “What a nice effect that was with the matching ribbon, I’m so glad you tried it!” It is a neat thing to watch.

Here we are at Week Two of Power and Sparklette... let me remind you of my funky graphic for this month... which was actually a bit outside the box for my normal lettering style, but I let myself be inspired by some of the heavy metal album covers that my son Finn exposes me to. Here ’tis!

For the second mini challenge, I have a big question for you.

Power & Sparklette: Week 2

What is something you thought you could never do — and then you did it?

It can be in the artistic realm, or in daily life. It can be a personal triumph or a professional one. It can be BIG or it can be a tiny incremental thing that meant a lot in some way. Here’s one of mine....

I was a teenage skateboarder, but hadn’t thought about skating in about 20 years. I mean, I was a professional graphic designer working for big clients, a mother of two, and someone who worried about whether the silverware was polished for Thanksgiving dinner. After my divorce, it occurred to me that I needed a new hobby to keep myself occupied and get me out of the house. I had old friends who were taking their kids out to skateboard, and were starting to skate again themselves. Even though I felt totally awkward, I bought myself a new board and safety gear. At age 39 I got back out there. I was still able to do a bunch of tricks. Yes, it hurt when I fell, and falling was common on those first few outings. But if I hadn’t pushed myself to go out skateboarding, I would not have met Doug! That’s where we reconnected after 20+ years, on the deck of the mini ramp. :) Plus, I showed myself that I could do exciting and fun sports, no matter my age. Within a year, I then learned how to ride a motorcycle.

I will choose one entry from the Week 2 challenge to give a $25 gift certificate towards anything in the Power Poppy Shop. Entries will close Tuesday, September 20 at midnight central.

Now, you try. What is something you thought you couldn’t do, and then you did it?

P.S. WE ARE ALL LOVING YOUR QUOTE CONTRIBUTIONS!!! So much so, I’m going to keep it open a few more days, and pick the quote that I will illustrate on Wednesday. Tune back in to see if it is yours! I will make the chosen quote into a downloadable image for coloring. Click here to add your favorite quote.

Grab that Spark!

Hello peeps! How’s your week going so far? Smashingly, I hope! We have a bit of Friday fun for you today. In addition to linking up to the fabulous creations from our beloved Bloomies, we have some customer show & tell too! And, we have some last minute news about a new “pop up” feature here on the Power Poppy Blog! Did you hear about this?

Well, these little numbers are designed to spark MEGA creativity. Click HERE to get in on the first challenge before it fades into the sunset! Psst! Just a hint for you, you might want to check in on Saturdays here (as in, TOMORROW!) at the Power Poppy blog. Just sayin’!

OKAY, LET’S MOVE ON TO SEE WHAT SOME OF OUR POWER POPPY PEEPS HAVE BEEN UP TO LATELY! 

The first customer creation that we want to show off and talk about is by Elle over at Creative Card Sea. I love how she said in her post that a trip to a brand new Farmer's Market in her area inspired this little number using Power Poppy's Farmers Market stamp set! How fun is that? I agree Elle, there is something grounding and wonderful about picking up some local produce, and putting a plethora of freshness right on your dinner table! We happen to love the crisp layout on your card along with the colors you picked. That pop of sky blue just makes the whole card look downright delish! ;-)


With fall upon us, I can't help but swoon over these sunny sunflowers dressed up and decked out by Bloomie-at-Heart Leslie Miller. I've been in awe of her mad skills for more than a decade now and her talent never ceases to amaze me! Check out this no line coloring creation using Power Poppy's In Praise of Sunflowers stamp set along with some watercolor paints.  Like I said, "SWOON!"

In one of my little hops around the blogosphere, I stumbled upon this butterfly adorned bunch of blossoms. Funny story behind this card by Danni Bindel. Her son wanted his mom to create this little card so he could use it to ask his girlfriend to homecoming. Now isn't that the sweetest thing!?!?!? Good news, all that fabulous coloring and homemade love worked -- she agreed and said 'yes!' ;-) Danni used Power Poppy's digital stamp Countryside Bouquet for this bold, beautiful and cheery card. 

So how's that for a little show and tell? Hopefully it provides a shot of inspiration to your day. I know if you need a little more, the Bloomies are here to share a boatload more with you! ;-)

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to check back in on Monday when Ally Cope will be in the house for another episode of Inspire Me Monday! But first, go and enter our first mini challenge, it’s ending soon...

~Julie

New Digis on the 5s: Well Hello Dahlia

Fresh-picked Dahlias on the farm of Erin Benzakein of Floret Farm in Washington state. Follow her fabulous adventures as a farmer, florist, and teacher on Instagram: @floretflower

In the world of cultivated flora, there aren’t many as wildly diverse, and just plain wild as the Dahlia. Have you ever sat down and really examined one? It’s a bit imposing to have that many pointy petals staring back at you! Or maybe you’ve looked deep into the heart of one of the more rounded-petal varieties, and marveled at the complexities of the petal structure. I mean, how does nature fit that many petals inside a single bud? And again, the range of colors and the subtly of shading and gradation of tone — it’s enough to make you shake your head in disbelief at the gifts from Mother Earth.

I have no answers about how Dahlias got to be so darn stunning. I am as amazed as you are!

My response is not to ask, it is to study and draw! And that is what I’ve done in today’s remixed release, Well Hello Dahlia.

In this stamp set, available as a digital download for you to print out from your desktop printer, you get a range of images to work with. One large grouping of Dahlias in three bud vases, another grouping with two vases, and another with only one vase. Each image affords you the opportunity to color up a ton of pretty petals in various stages of opening.

Let’s see what our talented and dear-hearted designers have dreamed up with their versions of Well Hello Dahlia, shall we? I know I want to!

Tosha Leyendekker

Cheryl Scrivens

Barb Walker

Nancy Sheads

Remember, with a digital stamp set like this, you can be coloring and creating within a few moments of your purchase. You can also work with the image in a digital editing program to flip it, enlarge it, and tweak it to suit your crafty purposes. These are just some of the wonderful things about working with “digis”.

Have you heard the news about our mini challenges in September? Give a read and get in on the first one, just announced on Saturday...

We would LOVE to see your entry — and you don’t color on this first Power and Sparklette Challenge, this is meant to get that mind and soul workin’! Lots of good vibes coming your way, enjoy your day!

Power & Sparklette: Mini Challenge Week 1

Always take the scenic route. :)

Hey guys! If you’ve been hanging around us for any length of time, you’ve gazed upon, participated in, or maybe even WON one of our monthly cardmaking challenges. Power & Spark is hosted by the Bloom Brigade, and the themes are designed to get you excited to use your stamps in a fresh arrangement, to give you an inspiring push, and to focus your design in a direction that may not have occurred to you.

We love seeing the efforts you all share with us each month, they range from charming beginners to the exquisitely advanced, and I have to say, I am always impressed by what I see. It’s hard to color inside the lines of those tiny drawings, much less bring them together with other design elements to create a really cool card. And you guys are improving your skills and broadening your range of talents. You’re getting SO GOOD!

In fact, I would say we’re getting to the point where we can push your creativity even further, and maybe even deeper.

We’re going to take a quick hiatus from our monthly challenges to bring you something new. Each Saturday in September I’ll be sharing a challenge — and it will only last for a few days! Then we’ll throw out another idea. Short n’ snappy-like. Then another. You get the picture. My goal is get you into a zone of open-mindedness and fresh thinking before you even sit down to make a card. We’re just doing some creative re-calibration, and I hope that as many of you as possible will join us on this ride. Oh, and there will be prizes. ’Cause who doesn’t love prizes? Introducing:

For the first mini challenge, get this — we’re not even going to color or stamp.

Power & Sparklette: Week 1

Share a favorite quote, saying, or verse that inspires you in the comments section of this blog post.

It can be a jaw-dropper with huge insights. It can state the obvious, but in a way that’s clever. Maybe it helps shift you into another state of mind. Whatever it is, it speaks to you. It makes you go “hmm” or “wow!”, feel relief, deepen your faith, or bust out laughing. I would love if you would explain what it means to you, why you return to it again and again. Or if it’s new to you, why it has captured your spirit.

I’ll get us started with a quote that seems to do this for me without fail:

Talk about a perspective-changer! “You are not just a drop in the ocean, you are the mighty ocean in the drop.” The 13th-century poet Rumi wrote this observation, and I have scrawled it on more than a few Post-Its to remind myself that we are so much more powerful than we may think. We have all the tools already within us to do whatever we need to do.

Now, you try. I am hoping that we can fill up pages of inspiring quotes. That is my goal with Power & Sparklette Week 1. So that when you share your meaningful quote, you may also see other folks’ favorites, be it a Bible verse or one of Ben Franklin’s witty quips, or that funny thing that somebody’s Grandma used to always say. We’re going to do something with these, but I’m not ready to spill the beans on that yet. For now, let’s think about words that inspire us.

Next week, I’m going to choose one of the submitted quotes to illustrate (more neatly than the one I showcased above!) as a drawing that can be colored in, and I will share it as a free download on the Power Poppy blog!

So here we go, folks, what is one of your favorite inspiring quotes?

Hello Beautiful People!

What’s your creative world looking like these days? Need a little inspiration to whet that artsy whistle? Well then, you’ve come to the right place! We’re striking up the band for another Friday Bloom Brigade Parade! We also have a winner to share and a little inside info on a fun twist coming soon to Power Poppy challenges. I hope you’re buckled and ready to go?

First things first, we had such a fun time looking at all of your entries for our August challenge....

Your range of influence was wide and goodness, your creations were just as stellar as the inspiration cards. I absolutely LOVE challenges like this because it truly brings the goodness back full circle so that the designer knows that someone saw what they crafted and liked it so much, they wanted to copy it! Can you say WARM FUZZIES??? Tons of ’em! 

So, after all the cards were in, random.org drew the number.....

And that means (drum roll please) the winner is..... LINDA PAIDER! Check out her dreamy watercolor washed card. It is a WOW card for sure using Power Poppy’s digital stamp set Created to Create....

Reading the description of Linda’s card, you see that she entered this beauty in a contest where challenge participants had to do a bit of journaling on their card. Don’t you just love the thought that someone could hug you in their thoughts? If only we could all FEEL those thoughts -- what a different world this would be. Thanks Linda for sharing your amazing artistry. Those flowy bits of colorful bands you’ve created for a background are, like I already said, DREAMY! Love the speckled accents too! 

Linda, to claim your prize, all you need to do is shoot us an email at bloom@powerpoppy.com and let us know what clear or digital stamp set you would like us to send your way!

Now it is time to turn things over to our colorful cast of creative characters also known as the Bloom Brigade so they can show you some of the crafty fun they’ve been stirring up this week!

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber

Katie Sims

Stacy Morgan

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

If you are wondering where September’s Power & Spark Challenge announcement is, well, I have to tell you, I don’t keep secrets very well -- especially when they are harmless to share and they deliver a little excitement. I HAVE to tell you that Marcella has a bit of jollification to share on Saturday! (Yes, that's a real word. I looked it up!) So, come on by tomorrow and see what she has in store for us! You won’t want to miss out on this flash of fun, meant to spark your creativity with a fresh supply of bursts!

Have a beautiful day!

~Julie