Friday

Foraging for flowers, fruit, and fun

Good day to you! Thanks for stopping by during our release week previews for June’s Cultivate Love Collection. I so hope you’ve been soaking up the sneak peaks and marvelous cards from the Bloom Brigade. Those ladies show off my work with such diverse talent and skill, beauty, creativity, and loving words—it’s a celebration every day of the release and I appreciate each of them SO VERY MUCH! (Where’s that little heart-shaped emoji thingamabob when you need it?!) So far we’ve shared a burst of bold beauty from tissue-papery Poppies, and the sweet country charm of an herb garden in Sage Advice.

Today we’re showcasing a stamp set that celebrates the simple beauty of flowers and foraged finds arranged in different vessels. This set has a little of everything: wildflowers, roses, herbs, berries on the vine, and, well, let’s just take a look behind the images, back to the seed of inspiration.


Many of you know by now: I crave the energy and ideas available to all of us from the natural world. Sometimes, that means dropping everything to run outside to soak up my surroundings and then conjure arrangements, vignettes, and scenes for you to stamp (or in some cases, print out) and color. We’ve talked about how soothing and joyful that experience can be — for me as an artist, and I hope for YOU as an artist!


Of course, admiring flora and fauna outdoors is one thing. But what about when you snip a few sprigs and bring them indoors to enjoy? And what if you place the foraged goodies into quirky containers? Above, the kitchen windowsill was the perfect perch for a sunflower the kids grew from seed, plunked into a vintage Gemco vinegar bottle. (By the way, even the stopper/top of that bottle is pretty cool, it’s bright green! I had it cozied up to the base of the bottle so it wouldn’t feel left out.)


Snapped these fresh white, perfectly perfect daisies a few days ago at Shaw Nature Preserve. Fear not, I don’t ever pluck flowers from the wild or from other people’s gardens. But I do photograph them like a madwoman. I wonder if they see me coming at them like a nature paparazzi.


At the OK Hatchery Feed & Garden shop the other day, I couldn’t help but notice this jumbo glazed pot just overflowing with strawberries! Do the arching stems of strawberries remind you of a certain digital stamp set we introduced last year? Hmmm.....


Did you know that before blueberries are blue, they are gorgeously green? And on this specimen, they are chalky blue-green with rosy pink, purple, blue, chartreuse.... I mean, they are like the ultimate berries! Had no idea they could be this cool until I came upon this developing fruit during one of my jaunts. These blueberry bushes happen to live in the Kemper Center for Home Gardening at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

What do all of these random pix have to do with one another? Well, I’ve brought together snippets of nature’s fine offerings and arranged them in a birthday-and-friendship-sentiment set called Go Wild. Check it out:


Go Wild can be as wild or as tame as you want it to be! As a fan of the windowsill garden-snip gallery (that is, taking whatever breaks off when you’re outside weeding, the extra fronds from your pruning, or just to showcase a gorgeous bloom that might otherwise go unheralded), I have THREE unique images that will offer loads of cardmaking and coloring possibilities!

The main windowsill image has a mishmash of repurposed bottles (I can’t be the only one who has so many of these things I refuse to get rid of, as they make the perfect vessels!), and these bottles hold single rose, a cutting of scented geranium that’s already started to root (they DO start almost immediately, it’s fascinating!), a few Coreopsis (the beautifully nicknamed “tickseed”... can we see somebody about getting that name changed?), and finally, a stalk of bushy basil in flower.

Of course, we all know that YOU can make these foraged snippings into whatever the heck you want!

Another Go Wild image that you’ll see today in our designers’ feeds features blueberries (that we now know don’t HAVE to be blue!) with a mix of flowers in a Mason jar. The other day I saw a tea towel that was fancifully handlettered with the words: Everything’s cuter in a Mason jar. Amen to that! Bring on the cuteness, we can’t get enough. Ever. Never enough.

And lastly... if you were a fan of our Arranging Roses digital image, and have been hoping it would someday come out in clear, well, your wait is over! The roses and strawberries are ready to be inked up and stamped (well, they will be after June 8th), and this version has the tiny fallen petals as their own little stamps, so you can make a background or an accent, or whatever you fancy.

Paired with lots of sentiments for birthdays and friendship, you really can’t go wrong with this one!

OK, enough talking, and on to the Bloom Brigade’s parade of beauty and bounty!


I know it seems crazy, but we still have TWO MORE SETS to reveal over the next two days. And I know tomorrow’s set is going to be an eye-opener, it’s different from anything else we have in the store... are you up for a wild ride that has nothing to do with wildflowers? :)


29 comments:

Jennifer Scull said...

I just adore this set as well as the herbs one from yesterday! so up my little alley! :)

will they ever be released in digital format?

enjoy your weekend!

CherylQuilts said...

Okay, Miss Marcy, I just read this and hopped over to the first blog and had to come right back! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! You are a treasure, sweet friend, and I love reading your post, visiting the Bloomies' cards, and then come back to comment. BUT, I just had to wish you a very happy birthday FIRST and tell you how much you have blessed us all with your amazing artistry and delightful gift of words. You make me giggle as I read, sigh and drool over the photos, and get so excited about what is new. I love how you inspire us all and share the beauty of all that God has created. You are amazing! Wishing you a most wonderful day! And now back to the blog hop! I'm already drooling! Hehe! Hugs, birthday girl!

Lynne said...

Happy Birthday Marcella. May this year be your best ever.

Madeleine Barnett said...

Happy Birthday Marci I just love all your floral images

thank you

Christina Hor said...

Happy birthday Marcella! Oh I LOVE this GO WILD set! Gorgeous :)

CherylQuilts said...

Back from my blog hop, and WOW, Marcy! The Bloomies have outdone themselves again. But then again, they have THE most amazing images to work with ever! Happy birthday and much blessings to you...so now celebrate. You are dearly loved! Hugs!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, have a super wonderful day! Love the new stamp sets. You keep this up and you will have me broke. Ha ha I have been trying to control myself and not buy every thing but then you come up with these gorgeous stamps and I can't help myself. Mary L Schreiber

Mildred said...

Happy birthday, Marcy! Your renderings are beautiful.

Maria Rodriguez. said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARCELLA!!!!! I want to join in to wish you a beautiful birthday and many more. We all are fortunate and grateful that you share your immense creativity and boundless imagination to create the wonderful and endearing images on all your stamp sets. The day I discovered you through Flourishes was a truly fabulous day and now, here you are, blossoming again though your own company still gifting all of us with your gorgeous images.
The countless hours I've spent in my craft room coloring this delightful images are some of the best in my busy day.
Your images are loved far and wide across the USA and also overseas. My family in The Netherlands and friends in The UK and Germany, have received my cards with your images and they are all loved and treasured.
I can't wait till I can get the new sets, it's so hard not to get them all at once.
So once again Marcella, Happy Birthday to you my dear and continuous success doing what you do best.
Many hugs.
Maria Rodriguez.

www.swimbikerunandstamp.blogspot.com

Karen W said...

Happy Birthday Marcella!! I hope you have a fabulous day and many more to come. Thanks for all the eye candy from the DT's and the wonderful new sets, I can hardly wait until Monday!!

Dawn@Petals.Paper.SimpleThymes said...

Happiest Birthday, Marcy! May your year be filled with beauty and inspiration, for that is what you share with the world! Katie S. says that you are the 'Bloom Whisperer.' That's oh-so true!! Birthday hugs! ♡

Misti said...

Happy Birthday, Marcy!!!! You have created another gorgeous release!!! I can't wait to get my hands on them.

Jennifer Scull said...

stopping back by to wish you a most lovely birthday! I hope your day was wonderful! :)

Tina Rathbone said...

Happy Birdie, Darling Marcy!! When do we learn who won the "Cut it Out" Challenge? I have searched and searched tahis blog .... every post ... Could you, would you, please make it easier for those of us who enter your challenges to finf the winners?

Marcella Hawley said...

Hi Jennifer! Thanks for your note! The entire set is released only in clear. But one of the images in the set IS available in digital, as it was released last summer! Go peek at http://powerpoppy.com/products/arranging-roses

Marcella Hawley said...

Hi Tina! Thank you so very much for the cheery wishes! :) And I'm so sorry you've been looking, looking, looking... and coming up empty. We had to move back the announcement of the winner until Friday, June 12th and haven't been too good at getting the word out. Will aim to make it clearer in the future. There is a tab for Challenge Winners in the blog sidebar, but that doesn't help you find it when we had to push back the date and didn't make an announcement. A bit of confusion at homebase (aka: my brain). Thank you for entering, and for your patience! xoxo

Marcella Hawley said...

Thank you so much, Jennifer! :)

Marcella Hawley said...

Misti, thank you! And so glad you're enjoying the release!!! :)

Marcella Hawley said...

Well Dawn, that is just the sweetest message, thank you so very much! I am honored that you would say that, and isn't that Katie a doll? I appreciate both of you!! :)

Marcella Hawley said...

Thank you so very much, Karen, what a wonderful message! :)

Marcella Hawley said...

Oh, Maria, thanks a million for this very, very special note! Appreciate your birthday wishes!! I am so touched to know what my artwork means to you, and then in turn, to the lucky people who get your cards. It's a big circle of love, I'm telling you. Blessings to you!

Marcella Hawley said...

Thank you, Mildred! So nice of you to say! :)

Marcella Hawley said...

Hehehe! Don't you know I have a conspiracy of trying to entice you with every single thing I make? I can't help myself, Mary! :) Thank you for your sweet note, good to hear from you!

Marcella Hawley said...

Thank you, Barbara!

Marcella Hawley said...

Thank you very much, Lynne!

Marcella Hawley said...

Cheryl, you dear person, thank you SO MUCH for all of your posts here, you are just the master of making people feel good!! :) I appreciate you greatly!

Marcella Hawley said...

Awesome to hear that, Christina! And thank you for the bday wishes!

Marcella Hawley said...

Madeleine, thank you so very much! Happy to know you're loving the flowers!! They are so much fun to draw, I will never stop finding new ways to get them on paper!

Marcella Hawley said...

Oh Cheryl.... once again you just fill me with 100% smiles. Thank you for always taking the time to cheer us on, and especially for these words here. Some days I'm just typing away and I think, "Does anyone really care about why I drew that sage plant?" and the answer might be no, but I do try to present it in a way that's at least entertaining! :) And I do love knowing that you find it entertaining, I do, I do! YOU are the amazing one. I don't know how you keep up with all the blog posts but you are a one-woman superpower of positivity and I love being in your circle!! :) xo