Creative Confetti: Go Big!

Hello everyone and happy Tuesday to you all. 

Today, I decided to Go BIG for this week's Creative Confetti. Yep! You know the saying, "Go big or go home?" Well, that saying applies this week my friends! Check it out...

What sparked this challenge was actually one of YOU! Last week, with the Roll of the Dice challenge, I spotted this beauty below by Irene Rhodes. (She has other super pretty, clean and classy butterfly cards on her blog too!) I was taken by its clean design and the pop of color that just made it special! The greyed out Azaleas Forever background was stunning and I love that die cut edge too. My mind started spinning as to how I could recreate the look in my own way. And so, this challenge sprouted!

HOW TO PLAY: Use a large digital image (blow it up peeps!), a background stamp or create your own background with a series of stamps! Make it BIG and BOLD!

So, when I thought of this challenge, I started by scrolling through all the digital stamps. I knew I wanted to expand the size and make it, just like the challenge says, big and bold! And, I found THIS ONE! Power Poppy's Monarchs and Milkweed digital stamp set.

I knew, however, that I would have to do a little digital manipulation if I wanted the butterflies to be black and the background to be soft. I started with the no-line grey background.

 Then, I opened up the black version, "erasing" everything but the butterfly.

I laid down a few of the butterflies, keeping them black and really helping them, like in Irene's card, POP!

While I liked the grey, I decided maybe a bit of soft color was in order. So, using the tools in Photoshop Elements, I adjusted and "colorized" the background to a soft green. If you need a little help in how to change up the colors of your background, just click HERE for a tutorial I did on getting the most out of your digital stamps! 

From there, it's all about coloring, matting and making these big and bold creatures into a card!

I ended up coloring the butterflies up with Copic markers and used a range of orange and yellow markers just splashing on a little color here and there. I did accent with a white gel pen too! For the shaded portions, I used BV0000, BV20 and BV23. The sentiment from the set, I kept just in black to help it pop as well.

Here's a closeup...

I added a little gold cording -- I'm really into metallic cording these days -- and then attached the sentiment with a little foam tape and... ta da! Fini!

So will you go BIG & BOLD this week? I sure hope you do! Remember to link up your creation below so we can all see. Every entry is one more shot at a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! Thanks for stopping in this week!


Happy Creating!

~Julie 
a.k.a. Official Creative Confetti Thrower

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Inspire Me Monday with Kathy Racoosin

Hello Friends! Welcome to another Inspire Me Monday. My name is Kathy Racoosin from The Daily Marker and I am super excited to share with you today. 

Today I hope to inspire you grab a pencil and alter one of your stamps for a new look literally drawing a few lines. I am inking up this beautiful Amaryllis Bliss. 

Even though this is a holiday flower I love the wide open spaces on the petals for watercoloring. Tombow markers are super easy to watercolor with and awesome for on the go watercoloring. 

Gina K. Designs amalgam ink is great for "no line" watercoloring plus the ink can be used for alcohol markers. 

This card is pretty tall and narrow measuring at a pretty solid 10 inches. 

The paper that I prefer is cold pressed and 140 lbs . I love the texture of cold pressed paper instead of the hot pressed that is smooth and no texture. 

Cut your watercolor paper to it's desired size. Draw two lines from the top of the flower. If your lines are crooked that can be even better ... more natural so don't worry about how your lines might look. 

Sketch a vase and stamp the sentiment inside the vase. Stamp a leaf onto your stem. 

Start watercoloring on one of the flowers that doesn't stand out as much. I like to think of it as a warm up. Be sure to leave some areas white without any color. 

Start with a first layer of color and once it's all dry add another layer color on top of the first layer. 

To make the smaller flowers stand out I used some dark grey on the parts of the flowers that touch the main center flower. 

You can see how intense the color can be when you add a second layer. When I travel and talk about my coloring tips this is my mantra. 

Don't worry about what direction the light is coming from because that is to stressful. If you create a darker area and a lighter area on each petal or stem etc. that will please the eye and your coloring will look great. I like to say that I am faking it because I really don't know where the light is coming from but, it looks pretty good because I have those light and dark areas. Does that make sense? I sure hope so! 

Let's bring back the joy of coloring or painting. Step outside of your comfort zone and draw a stem for a tall and dramatic card. Don't be afraid to add those dark areas because that will really enhance your coloring. 

Thanks for your visit today and have a great week! Hugs, Kathy Racoosin

Bloomie Friday & A Weekend Stamp Steal!

Well hello there Power Poppy fans, it's Friday so that means we will not only have a little eye candy from some of the Bloomies, but we have another little surprise to throw your way!  Ms. Marcella decided that it is about time for another WEEKEND STAMP STEAL! This one offers a couple of images that come complete with peaceful, easy feelings! And, to think this weekend you'll be able to get these illustrations at a discount even delivers a little more in the good vibe category. All you need to do is check out the deal, and then make a quick trip to the Power Poppy Shop!

You can nab these florals that symbolize beauty and strength at a low price — sale ends Monday at midnight central

Weekend Stamp Steal — going on now

Orchids Rock clear stamp set

Did you know that orchids really do rock? This powerhouse set features two varieties: Cymbidium and Lady Slipper Orchids. It also includes some empowering sentiments to support the “you go girl” vibe. Use this beautifully encouraging, bold set when somebody needs a bravery boost, or simply, would be rocked by an awesome Orchid.

If it’s a digi you prefer, never fear. These showstoppers can be picked up, cherished and downloaded in an instant. 💗

Orchid Cascade digital download

This showy Cymbidium Orchid is a delight to color in any rainbow of hues, with a pretty arched design that works perfectly with a sentiment tucked to the right. This is one you'll turn to again and again!

Lady Slipper Orchid digital download

This little Lady Slipper is looking so feisty, she’s sort of getting up in your face! This digital download comes with a no-line version allowing you to color up this beauty to your heart's content! It comes with a simple sentiment perfect for sharing a little hello to a friend who needs a bit of happy snail mail! 

For inspiration, we pulled a few of our Bloom Brigade favorites using these images for beautiful, soothing cards...

So, run don't walk to take advantage of the WEEKEND STAMP STEAL and save up to $5 on these classic images.

Since it's Friday, that means that some of the Bloomies are on hand to share some of what they've been working on this week. Put on your seat belt...

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Julie Koerber

Loved seeing you here today for our Stamp Steal and Bloomie round-up. Be sure to come back and see us soon! We'll have Kathy Racoosin on tap this coming week for another edition of Inspire Me Monday! See you then! 

~Julie 

Creative Confetti: Roll the Dice!

Hello folks! It's time (well, actually past time) for another fun-filled edition of Creative Confetti! Julie here, your trusty Creative Confetti thrower! Today, I thought I'd mix things up and let the creativity roll --- literally! I was struggling to come up with a challenge this week because I was downright wishy-washy! So, I figured, why don't I let it roll and let a little shake of the wrist decide! Want to see what I mean?

Let's get to it! 

HOW TO PLAY: Simply roll the dice, any die will do and see what number pops up. Then, based on the number rolled, create accordingly! Just match the die to the number below! If you're feeling like an over-achiever, why not roll a few times and make a few cards. This one is so fun, we know you might like to play this one more than once! 

So, in order to see which challenge I'd be pursuing, I had to roll the dice myself!

Which means I was about to be CASE-ing one of my old creations! I spent some time scrolling through the Power Poppy blog and decided that THIS card would be a fun one to copy. And so.... off I went! Here's a peek at the finished card....

You can see I kept the composition and the colors pretty much the same. I used Power Poppy's Vibrant Thanks stamp set too! The only real difference is one of the papers and the shape of the punched sentiment accent. I also colored this all up with Copic Markers. In my first card, I used waterbased markers and a Wink of Stella glitter pen to color it all up. Here's a little closeup for you!

And here's another fun fact for you! I might have mentioned a few weeks ago that right now most of my craft room is boxed up while I get situated in a new room. Well, that's still the case folks! We have some painting to do and counters to install so, I am still in limbo! So, as I was searching for some gold paper and not finding it, I decided to make my own! I punched a circle, covered it with Versamark ink and then covered it in gold embossing powder! Just that simple!  

And GUESS WHAT? This isn't the only card I created! I actually created a trio using Power Poppy's Vibrant Thanks stamp set. I'll share those cards later this week on my blog.... so stay tuned! I'll have those to show off in my Friday Bloom Brigade Parade post! ;-) 

 Once you're done, don't forget to link up your creation below so that we can all see and be amazed! ;-) Remember, each time you enter is one more chance at a $25 trip to the Power Poppy Shop! Who wouldn't want that?

Thanks for stopping by everyone & happy creating!

~Julie
a.k.a. Creative Confetti Thrower

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Inspire Me Monday ~ Colouring on Coloured Paper

Happy Monday to you all!  I’m Allison Cope and I’m your hostess today for Inspire Me Monday.

Today I’m going to be heat embossing on coloured cardstock and then colouring in my images using Polychromos Pencils.  This technique is very easy and takes a relatively short time to colour.  I decided to use the beautiful “Peony Muse” stamp set for my images and then the “My English Rose” stamp set for my sentiment.

 Come and join me at my crafty desk today for a fun and easy tutorial.

Click here to see in HD.

Here’s a quick peek of the final card again…

I hope you’ve enjoyed this simply tutorial today and give a try sometime soon.  Happy creating!

~ Ally ~

Creative Confetti: Simply Resistible!

Hello folks and welcome to another fun-filled edition of Creative Confetti! Julie here, your trustee Creative Confetti thrower! Today, we are going to take a trip back in time to .... yesterday! If you missed our Inspire Me Monday Rewind & Unwind, you are going to want to click HERE and visit the tutorial that we pulled from our creative archives and see what it is all about. Why? Because that very technique is at the heart of our challenge today!

So, let's get to it! 

HOW TO PLAY: Simply use the resist technique we spotlighted in our Inspire Me Monday this week HERE or use another resist technique to create something with us this week! If you need a little more inspiration, all you need to do is click HERE! I went over to Splitcoaststampers to see what kind of resist tutorials they had and, man, they have a lot! Tons to pick from! 

So if you tuned in yesterday or checked it out through the link today, you know that when I first did this tutorial, I used a Christmas set -- Power Poppy's Poinsettia set.  Well, I thought it would be nice to take this tutorial for another test drive and, instead, make it a birthday creation! I wanted to use most of the same supplies, just put a new spin on it! And so.... that's what I did! 

Just like in the first tutorial, I used Versamark ink and white embossing powder, only this time, I reached for the stamp set My English Rose.  After stamping and embossing with fine detail powder, I used my Distress Markers and did the palette pick up technique where you scribble marker on a palette and then pick it up using a water brush. This gives it a more subdued look, more of a watercolor wash.  

I also created a border, like I did in my first card using Post-It Notes and then colored the edge with a light Copic marker. I used RV0000 and R0000. 

After I was done, I did iron my image like in the first card -- using NO steam and sandwiched between two pieces of typing paper until all the embossing powder was essentially melted off my creation. You can't tell, but this image is completely flat and so, when the white powder is melted, it vanishes and looks like a true resist!

After I was done, I stamped the sentiment from the Artistic Bouquet set using Versafine Onyx Black Ink. After that, mat it all up, add some rhinestones and... ta da! Finished!

So, what resist technique will you try? Once you're done, don't forget to link up your creation below so that we can all see and be amazed! ;-) Remember, each time you enter is one more chance at a $25 trip to the Power Poppy Shop! Who wouldn't want that?

Thanks for stopping by everyone & happy creating!

~Julie
a.k.a. Creative Confetti Thrower

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Inspire Me Monday: Rewind!

Howdy folks! Today, we have a bit of a throwback tutorial for you all! We thought, with so many great tutorials in the mix, why not recue a few and let them work their magic, all over again! So, every now and then, we'll be offering up a "Rewind & Unwind" feature, helping you to tap back into some creativity that we first ushered in many years ago! This one is from 2014 and is one that I put into play! Even though this is a Christmas image, let's see what you can do with non-holiday offerings! And, here's your hint, this might not be the last time this week you see this technique! :-) 

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

I love this time of year when I can take my time and really enjoy the upcoming season. There’s no better time for a card maker than.... CHRISTMAS! Yet, with this beautiful season, I sometimes struggle. How do I create “mailable” cards to send holiday smiles across the miles? So today, I’m taking some time to show you how -- with a little creative coloring -- you can add the appearance of depth on a flat creation!

LET’S GET STARTED!

Here’s a peek at what you’ll need....

I started by stamping the beautiful floral spray from Power Poppy’s Poinsettia stamp set with Versamark Ink and then I sprinkled white detail embossing powder over top and then heat embossed the image.

Now comes the fun part of softly framing my image. I tore off strips (from the sticky side) of a Post-It Note and then layered the sticky notes like this....

From here, I grabbed my Copic marker BG0000 and then added shading around the edge of the Post-It Notes and then also around a portion of my Poinsettia...

It's a little hard to see, but when you take off the Post-Its... it reveals itself! You can see, I started to color my image as well!

I used Distress Markers to color up this image because I’ve been told that coloring embossed images with Copic markers can potentially ruin the tip of your Copic marker, so I chose Distress Markers instead. Any water soluble marker would work similarly. I did shade with Copics but tried not to touch the embossing much.

Here’s a peek at the markers I used....

And here’s a look at my finished and colored product! I love the washed out look that the Distress Markers create! I got that look by scribbling the markers onto an acrylic block and then picking up the color with a blender pen. If I wanted more color, I would simply pick up more color and go back over that area of my stamped image!

HERE’S WHERE THE EMBOSSING BECOMES.... RESISTIBLE!

This next part was something I wanted to try to get a muted and more washed out effect. I took my main image, sandwiched it between two pieces of copy paper, set my iron -- yes my regular old iron that I use to get wrinkles out of clothes --  to “cotton” setting without steam and for about ten seconds, I ironed over my image to basically melt off the embossing powder to create the look of a soft resist and also to get rid of the dimension of the embossing powder.

Afterward, I matted up my image with some raspberry pink and blue hues and I added an iridescent bow (which could be ditched if you really want to keep this creation 100% flat).

And here’s a peek at my finished card! I added a sentiment from the Poinsettia set using Memento Rose Bud ink.

And that, my friends, is it! A card that is almost 100% flat that still has depth and interest, thanks to some creative coloring, an embossed resist technique and... your iron! You know I’d rather use that iron for fun things like this! ;-)

Thanks for stopping by! We'll be back with more Power Poppy fun -- right here -- real soon!

~Julie