Digis on the 5s release: Pansies

Hey hey hey do I have something really fun to color today! I can speak from personal experience on this one, as I spent a bit of time in the predawn hours painting in my studio before the pitter patter (or electric guitar amp) of four children and a snoozing man broke the sweet silence. I enjoyed my coffee accompanied by a trio of Pansies and a palette of watercolors and gouache. Can’t really think of a better way to start the day!

Here’s what I came up with, after Googling images of peach and purple pansies, and then on the last one, “let’s throw in some blue!” What do you think?

I really can’t underscore enough the value of Googling the flowers you’re coloring to help you along in your color choices. It frees you up from feeling like you have to come up with everything by staring blankly in to your art supply stash and thinking, “where the heck do I start?” You can start directly from nature! And that handy Google!

Here’s what Pansies, our newest digital stamp set download, looks like without my extra leafy fluffery:

In my painting above, you can see that I added extra leaves and green background shading, as I don't cut out my paintings and make cards like many of you all do. (I hope to do this someday!) But for now I tend to make little artworks from my stamps, and often I will enlarge the image a bit to be sure I can get my paintbrush in those tiny areas (another reason I love digis!)

For the artwork above, I changed the opacity of the image to 60% so that it was a light grey, and then printed it at 130% of the original size.

Now, Pansies come in such a gigantic range of cultivars that your coloring options are endless. And what is really great about this new digi is that the “faces” of the pansies are large enough that you have quite a nice canvas on which to get super artsy. There aren’t too many teeny tiny petals the way I have in many of my sets. These are broad, with lots of shading and veining to help you determine where to put in your highlight and shadow. You can really get into artful experiments with these beauties, I know you can!

Would you like to see what some of our Bloom Brigade designers came up with using Pansies? Each creation is so unique and so FUN, I do think you’ll be inspired to try this one for yourself!

Cindy Lawrence

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

Thank you for popping over to the blog today to check out our new Pansies download, and be SURE to come back on Monday to get some wonderful coloring tips from a very special guest!

February Challenge: Say YES to NO Lines

Hello Peeps and welcome to another wildly creative and wonderful Friday here on the Power Poppy Blog. Not only do we have fun things to share, we have a brand new challenge to kick off the month, hosted by the lovely, and warm-hearted Cindy Lawrence. So, let's share those details first!

HOW TO PLAY: If you've ever reached for your coloring medium of choice in the hope that the stamped lines below would fade into the background, then this little challenge is just for YOU! No Lines coloring allows your stamped image to appear more like an original drawing or watercolor, and it’s all about stamping or printing the image in a light ink and avoiding dark lines.

Here’s what Ms. Cindy had to share about her challenge “Say YES to NO Lines!” She was even sweet enough to offer a few tips if you've never tried this fabulous technique before!

To color an image using the ‘No Lines Coloring’ technique, stamp or print your image in a light color.  I try to choose a color that makes sense with my image.  For example, if I’m coloring an image of a person, I’ll use a light skin tone or tan ink. For floral images, I often use a pale green, particularly if they have a lot of leaves. I find it also helps to stamp the image again in a black ink on another piece of paper. You can use this image as your reference while you're coloring the lightly stamped image.

When I color up the image, I will often use my lightest ink color to lay out where I’m going to put my shadows and highlights first. This allows you to plan your image without fully committing right away. Next, I color dark to light from the shadows out towards the highlight areas. I find this easier when doing the ‘No Lines Coloring’ technique. You may find the light to dark technique works best for you.

Keep in mind, as you color it is going to look pretty bad before it looks good. It will have an ugly stage for sure. Don't give up on it! I promise it will get better!

Not being able to see the lines of the image presents a little more of a challenge than usual, but it is so worth it for the beautiful painterly look you get in the end. I hope you have fun with it!

Thanks, Cindy! I have to admit, I have never used this technique, so the challenge is ON in my own stamp room as well.

THE OFFICIAL RULES:

• Use Power Poppy stamps if you have them. If not, it is a great way to win some! 
• 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
• Winner will receive a free clear or three digital stamp sets of their 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 February 28 @ 8:00 PM EST. At that point, we’ll draw the winner randomly and make the announcement right here on the first Friday in March.

Here’s the full peek at Cindy’s full-of-blue hues creation:

Goodness gracious, that is a feast for the eyes, isn't it? If you want to read up on “how” Cindy created this look, just hop on over to her blog using the link list below! Cindy used Power Poppy's digital stamp set Tulips in Hobnail Pitcher to create this look. If you'd like a few tips on how to change the color of digital stamps after you've snatched them up, just click HERE to one of our tutorials on the topic!

Moving right along! Now that you have all this inspiration and insight, it's time to reach into our bag of tricks to see who won our Power & Spark Winter Blooms Challenge from January! 

We had 49 players last month submitting 56 beautiful entries -- Wowza! There were so many lovely ones, I swear I might have had to pick my jaw up off the floor more than a few times! Random.org threw all those entries into its little random generator and the winner it drew was.....

That means the lucky stamper is....

***BARBARA CAMPBELL*** 

And here's a peek at her absolutely fabulous creation using Power Poppy's Glistening Paperwhites!  

Congrats, Barbara! Your card is so very clever, lively, and well executed. Just a wintertime dream, really! Simply email us at bloom@powerpoppy.com and let us know which clear stamp set or three digital stamp sets you'd like us to send your way.

Before we hand things over to our Bloomies, there were a few Power & Spark entries that deserve a major SHOUT OUT. First up, Nancy Kirk shared an amazing way to get a watercolor look with Copic markers using at least one material most of us have around the house! Here's a peek at her cards and you can catch her video tutorial HERE!

And second, Laine Webb made a gorgeous ribbon-accented box using Power Poppy's Dynamic Duos: Peonies & Tulips. Click HERE for a step-by-step tutorial on how to create this beautiful little gift in and of itself. Just delightful, Laine, we enjoy your work immensely.

Now it’s time to turn things over to our classy and sassy members of the Bloom Brigade to see what they’ve whipped up today for your viewing pleasure! I am 100% sure you'll see even more inspiration for this month's Say YES to No Lines Power & Spark Challenge...

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Katie Sims

Stacy Morgan

Thanks for stopping by and spending a little bit of your day with us!

We’ll see you here on Sunday with a freshly remixed digi from Marcella’s archives... it’s sure to put some joy in your day with flowers that have a sunshiney personality all their own.

THEN: Tune in on Inspire Me Monday when Guest Designer Corinne Jones joins us to share insights into how she gets all that depth in her Copic Coloring. See you soon!

~Julie

P.S. We know some of you have been having troubles linking up your creations for the past Power & Spark Challenges, especially if you live an ocean away from the U.S. Please try again. We think have figured out the problem, so please see the notes below about how you enter in your link information, it is a bit picky about how the web address is entered -- allowing everyone to share with JOY!

If you continue to have issues, please drop an email to bloom@powerpoppy.com and we will help you get your entry posted! We LOVE seeing your beautiful work, peeps!

---

An InLinkz Link-up

Inspire Me Monday - Congratulations Card

Hello Friends, How are you this Monday? It's  Kathy today and I am excited to be back for another Inspire Me Monday post .... my first for 2017. :)

A few weeks ago I was lucky to be asked to facilitate an engagement proposal. The gentleman had a wonderful scavenger hunt planned for his bride to be but, didn't know how to present his plan to her.  His mom, a friend of mine asked me to help & it was such a joyous time. Once the proposal/scavenger hunt part was all finished I wanted to make a special congratulations card for the newly engaged couple. "The Dream Wedding" stamp set was perfect to celebrate this happy occasion.

 A toast with champagne bubbles, bubbly, sequins and hearts was the celebratory look I was going for.

So many fun elements in this stamp set to work with but, I chose two of the images to stamp a background incorporating a few of the sentiments. An extra Fizz bottle was stamped to color and pop on the card. 

I know I would be adding a heavy weight vellum on top of the background so I didn't need to carefully color the background. To add a subtle touch I outlined the images with a darker warm grey marker. 

Once the images were outlined it was quicker to color the background with a lighter grey. If you color over the outline it softens that harsh darker grey line. Once the background was finished I glued it on some white card stock and trimmed some vellum to soften the background.

Adding glossy accents is always the finishing touch. When I am covering something like this I like to add the glossy to the image... with something slippery underneath like some packaging so the image doesn't stick to paper. (yup this has happened to me) 

 When I was assembling my card I realized my card needed a little more so I stamped the champagne flutes to round out my card panel. I fussy cut them and added some glossy accents.

 Incorporating a die cut can add more dimension and interest to your card and so can some bling. Matte Medium works great and seems to keep those pesky sequins down especially on vellum. 

After coloring some of the hearts pink I glued vellum on top. Some of the hearts I left open. 

Hopefully you picked up a tip or two and we are grateful for your visit today it's always to appreciated. Have a great day! Hugs, Kathy 

Creativation Wrap Up & MORE

HELLO ALL and happy Friday to you! Goodness, what a whirlwind week it's been here at Power Poppy Headquarters. If you read last week’s post, you know Marcella and I were bound for Phoenix to take in Creativation 2017 (formerly CHA)!

Goodness, it was a lot to take in! Imagine all the different elements within the crafting and creative  industry ... under one roof! It was four days of taking it all in and dreaming about the possibilities. Marcella, of course in all of her creative wonder, had to make sure we displayed just the right Power Poppy vibe. Can you believe she hand-painted these totes just for us to be prepared to walk the massive Creativation floor? Good Vibe Tribe represent!

And, we were in GREAT company the whole weekend long! Do these ladies look familiar??? What an amazing treat to hang out with fellow Bloomies Tosha Leyendekker and Cindy Lawrence... EVERY DAY! Love!!! We got to spend time with a few of our fabulous Instant Gardeners. Debbie Olson, Rhea Weigand, AND Jennifer Dove! Bounced ideas off talented folks and talked upcoming collaborations... let’s just say that this was a four-day inspiration fest!

L to R: Marcella Hawley, Tosha Leyendekker, Cindy Lawrence, Julie Koerber

If you want to see some of the sights from this amazing blast of colorful creativity, check out Instagram's feed for Creativation 2017 HERE! Wowza.  SO. Much. FUN! I know for a fact Marce was inspired and wait until you see what this next year holds for Power Poppy. I guarantee, it will be an exciting one for all!

Moving right along... After coming back home, it was a blast to see what you creative peeps have been up to! So, let's get to it!

When surfing, our eyes stopped on this gilded beauty from Emily White (@tessnowhite on Instagram) who crafted it for her dad. First of all, how heartwarming! And second, what a splendid watercolor and gold embossed display of Power Poppy's Olive and Oak Expanded stamp set. If you spend some time in Emily’s Instagram feed, you can see that she loves to emboss and color, and she comes up with magical combinations. Thank you for sharing the beauty, Emily!

Nancy Sturtz wowed me with her clean and classy design sprinkled with pearls and tied up in twine! How fun to see TWO of the large sunflowers together, created with masking. Love the two-tone effect of her coloring, stamped with Power Poppy's In Praise of Sunflowers stamp set.

Be still my heart! That's what I thought when I first set my sights on this totally adorable creation by Christina Hor using Power Poppy's Move the Soul stamp set! A motorcycle kicking up a little heart-shaped love? Check out how the hearts get smaller as they go back in to space... Oh my! Creative and cute at the same time.

And last but certainly not least, Linda Paider wanted to show us a bit of life-influencing art! This burgundy orchid was one her family got as a gift and as you can see, it inspired a watercolored version in a step out card! How delightful! Just in case you wondered, Linda used Power Poppy's Orchid Dreams digital stamp set.

One quick reminder! You only have a few days left -- 5 to be exact -- to play along in this month's Winter Blooms Power & Spark Challenge! So check out the deets HERE and then get those fingers inky and play along for your chance to win a stamp set of YOUR choice in the Power Poppy Shop!

And now it's time to turn things over to the fabulous, beautiful, talented Bloomies to see what they've been up to this week!

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

And be sure to tune back in on Monday when Kathy Racoosin helps host Inspire Me Monday -- just in time to kick off your creative week! Just a side note. We met her at Creativation too -- what an amazing woman! Wait until you read up (soonish) on one of her creative endeavors that is impacting women in need! Stay tuned for that!

Thanks for stopping by and spending a little bit of your day with us! See you back here soon!
~Julie

Digis on the 5s Release: Ruffled Wild Orchids

Hey there! I’m finding it hard to contain my enthusiasm for today’s digital download release, as this image is super near and dear to my heart. Orchids are one of my most favorite indulgences, even though I’ve left a few too many to meet an untimely demise. But! But! You can always go and visit a plethora on display at the Botanical Garden (or in my folks’ greenhouse for that matter) and your senses will be rewarded richly. Just check this out...

Ruffled Wild Orchids cards by Christine Okken and Jessie Banks

We’ve got a positively exquisite plethora of cards to share with you today from our Bloom Brigade and Instant Gardener teams featuring the newest remix from my archives, Ruffled Wild Orchids. Available for download now from the Power Poppy Shop!

This is an exotic image of two Cattleya Orchids who are ready to dazzle from the front of your cards, and wish a wildly wonderful birthday greeting to a friend. Come see a few of the possibilities from our inspiring design teams:

Barbara Walker

Broni Holcombe

Christine Okken

Jessie Banks

Nancy Sheads

Stacy Morgan

Ready to take on Ruffled Wild Orchids for yourself? Come grab it HERE!

Enjoy and have a wildly wonderful day!

Your Friday Splash of Inspiration!

Hello folks and Happy Friday! I will be honest, this little blog post is going to be a quick splash of inspiration to get your weekend GOING! Why? Well, in a matter of hours yours truly and the Chief Creative Peep of Power Poppy, Marcella Hawley herself, will be on a plane bound for Creativation 2017, formerly known as CHA.

WHAT?
Yes, I know. It is almost too much to bear. Why? You might ask? Because in the nearly 10 years Marcy and I have "worked" together, we have never met in person. Never. Not. Even. Once. We have a LOT of catching up to do, don't you think?

So, in addition to floating the trade show floor and soaking in all the new design ideas and trends, we will be POPPING with ideas to make Power Poppy  even bigger and even better so that you can vicariously, through Marcy's design prowess 'Live Life in Full Bloom!'

CAN I GET AN AMEN??? 

Wonderful! Moving on! We'll share some of the fabulous finds we discovered on our weekly hop around the blog-o-sphere! They are beauties, I tell ya!

First up, Lori Craig knocked our socks off with this sparkly, embossed and beautifully colored up bevy of roses using a blown up version of our digital stamp set, Arranging Roses! 

Heidi over at "My Little Stamping Blog" made us smile with this sweetly colored budgie from Power Poppy's set Short Stacks! We loved the vibrant colors and the contrast with that peaceful, easy pastel background. And, who doesn't love a bit of bedazzling! 

Elizabeth Zaffarano showed us just how lovely Power Poppy's digital stamp set Flowers, Always can be... gilded in foil!

And, Jenny Colacicco made me swoon at her interpretation of Power Poppy's newest digital stamp set Sweet Pea Show in a delicate wash of watercolor!

Like I said folks, short and sweet! Now it's time to 1. remind you to play along in our Power & Spark Winter Blooms Challenge! You can read all about it HERE. And, 2. share the linky so that you can "Oooo" and "Ahhh" over the Bloom Brigade's latest Power Poppy Creations!

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber

Katie Sims

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker 

Thanks for stopping by and as the kids used to say.... "See Ya on the Flip Side!"

~Julie

Inspire Me Monday: Sentiments in the Spotlight!

Hello all! Julie here with another “episode” of Inspire Me Monday!

How many times have you made a card, and then had to cross everything you had in the hopes that your card arrived at its destination in one piece? Well, today I am not only going to show you a few cards that are very mail-friendly, they use a different kind of thought process that puts your sentiments in the spotlight!

Here's a peek at what we are making! The decking out will come later -- so you'll have to stick with me to see how this all turns out! ;-)

Every single one of those above is a single layer. Fun right? So, let me share some of what I did to create these looks!

ONE BIG HELLO! 

For the first card, I started by stamping the word "hello" from the Big Scripts stamp set. Then, I took a clear ruler and a fine tip black marker to make the lines above and below my sentiment. I will say that I did run the marker over the ruler a couple times, just to make sure the line was solid and not broken in any way.

Afterward, I added some dimension thanks to a paper piercer and template. I think it just helped make this area stand out a bit!

Now the fun begins! I used a Post-It note to mask my sentiment section...

Then, I took the Ranunculus from the Dynamic Duos: Foxglove and Ranunculus stamp set and stamped it above the black line using blank ink and then moved the Post-It to cover the other direction and then I stamped the lower portion of the ranunculus bunch to make it look like the bunch was shooting out from underneath my sentiment section. See?

And, after it was all colored up with Copic markers, I layered it on some distressed looking pink decorative paper and added some minor accents with glitter glue and rounded corners.

LOVE & THANKS

For the next card, I wanted to use some of my dies as stencils. This rectangle die is a super simple shape but just think of the shapes you could use as word windows! Any shape and every shape!! All it would take is a steady hand with your fine-tipped marker!

I started by stamping my sentiment, then secured the die using bits of washi tape. I traced the inner part of the die using the same fine-tipped black marker. 

Ta da!

From there, I made a mask of that box simply by tracing the inner part of the die onto a Post-It Note and cutting it out....

After that, I stamped the branch from Power Poppy's Happy Crabapple clear stamp set several times over top until I covered the entire front of the 4" by 5.25" piece! I colored with Copic markers, matted it up and here's a peek at the finished card! As you can see, I accented the inner portion of the box with some ivory Copic Markers and some paper piercing, just to make that pop a little bit more. I also -- which you can't see really well -- accented my flower centers with a wee bit of glitter glue to make it sparkle. While I have three layers, this one is still extremely "mail friendly!" 

SENDING LOVE

This last card I whipped up by creating a little sentiment window with a punch! I started by stamping the sentiment from the Dynamic Duos: Glads and Gerberas. Then, I matched it up with just the right circle punch and created a mask by punching a circle out of the top sticky part of a Post-It Note, covering the sentie! You can see, I set this up in my Misti Stamping Tool and there's a reason for that! 

I am going to start by stamping the Gerbera Daisies from the set over top in black...

 Now, the fun part! Because I used my Misti, I am going to remove that mask, clean off my stamp and ink it up using a faint pink ink (Memento Angel Pink) and stamp right over the top! 

You can barely see the pink, but in real life it just gives it that extra bit of dimension! From there, I punched the circle out of a heavier card stock and let my fine-tipped pen do some work again as you can see in my finished card!

While I added some glittery enamel dots, those little guys are still pretty flat making this another card I can pop in the mail without a worry! So there you have it -- three ways to make your sentiments stand out -- with Post-It Notes, Punches and Dies! 

Thanks for popping in and joining me for another Inspire Me Monday! I hope you dig through your supplies and see what you might be able to use to put your sentiments in the spotlight!!!

Have a fabulously creative week!

~Julie