April Challenge: Are you getting your Vitamin ME?

Hello my sweet stamping friends! It's a new month, which means it's time to usher in a whole new challenge full of design power with a bit of a creative spark. This month, however, we're bucking the trend a little bit to talk about life instead of card making. Let me pose these questions for you all.....

What do you do that feeds your soul?

How do you get those positive vibes moving in your life?

What brings you joy?

If you have no idea how to answer those questions THEN MAYBE this challenge is for YOU! This month's challenge is all about making your heart sing by taking time to rejuvenate your spirit!

HOW TO PLAY: Recently on the Power Poppy newsletter, Ms. Marce shared just how important it is -- for our health, our vitality, our ability to do for others -- to soak up some "me" time and slow down to enjoy life's moments. So, this month's challenge isn't about making a card, following a sketch, or using a certain color palette. It's about YOU. Let's hear what Marcy has to say....

Hi, everybody! This month, I encourage you to reflect, revive, and rejuvenate your very being. I call it “soaking up Vitamin ME!” It is so important to fill your soul with the things that bring you peace, joy, and energy. Whether it’s exercise, prayer or meditation, time spent outdoors, time doing activities you love, taking a bubble bath — what fills you up with a renewed sense of purpose? LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS BLOG POST about what YOU will do to care for yourself this month!

One comment will be randomly selected to win a $50 gift code to spend at Power Poppy. If you’d like to post a card that celebrates how you get your Vitamin ME, we have a link for that, too!

xoxoxoxo and I am so proud of you for getting your Vitamin ME.
~marcella

And, I just have to share a wee bit about how Marcy soaks in a little extra Vitamin Me! So fun, and what a challenge for us all to sit back, reflect, be mindful and, well, for lack of a better way of saying it, just enjoy the life we are blessed to live!

So, to play along, simply comment below on what you do to carve out time for yourself! It's just as simple as that! Leave a comment on the comments section for this post to share and you'll be in the running to win a $50 shopping spree to the Power Poppy Shop! Share this little challenge on social media and SHOW us a photo of you doing those things that deliver a little extra Vitamin Me! #VitaminMe. We would love to see! Keep in mind, you have until April 30th at 8PM EST to enter your comment in order to be in the running!

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Hey now! WHO WON OUR MARCH “Inspired by Fabric” CHALLENGE? 

We had lots and lots of beautiful entries in our Inspired by Fabric Challenge, and loved seeing what got your wheels turning to create a card with the motifs of a favorite textile as a jumping off point! The winner for our March challenge is.....

****** Jennifer Lewis ******

@jennifrann on Splitcoast

I love how Jennifer cropped in super close on “Spring in My Step” from our Va-Va Valentines digital collection, and brought it into full splendor by using the fabrics we shared in our challenge post as her color palette:

CONGRATULATIONS, Jennifer! You've won a $50 Shopping Spree at Power Poppy. Send us an email at bloom@powerpoppy.com and we'll send you your shopping code!

I happen to know that the Bloomies look to coloring and sharing for an extra dose of Vitamin Me. So, be sure to click on through our little blogroll here and see what these fine ladies have in store! 

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber

Stacy Morgan

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to swing back for another "episode" of Inspire Me Monday! I'll be back to show you how to get the most out of your stamps with a little "Word Play!" -- yep, that was a hint! ;-) See you then!

~Julie

March Power & Spark: Inspired by Fabric!

Are you ready? Seriously, are you ready for a brand new challenge this month that just might have you perusing Pinterest for just a wee bit longer than normal? We love a good inspiration challenge around here and one of our queens of creativity, Ally Cope, dreamt up a super fun way to get some colorful ideas for your next creative cardmaking session. Check it out peeps!

HOW TO PLAY: Here's what Ms. Ally has to say....

We find inspiration all around us! I always am gawking at the amazing fabrics we wear, fabrics we use to upholster our furniture and the fabrics we lay over us at night. So this month, take a look at some fabric swatches that inspire you and use them as a stepping stone to create a fun card.

When it comes to inspiration, Ally DOES NOT disappoint. First up, she had a fabulous link to a board she created on Pinterest FULL of inspiration for you.

CHECK OUT ALLY'S INSPIRATION BOARD HERE

And here's a look at the swatches of fabric that sparked this amazing creation! (Just CLICK HERE to see in the link directly in Pinterest) Oh my gosh, how fun are these sunset shades? 

Now let’s take a look at the card Ally created too using Power Poppy’s clear stamp set Pure Prairie Spirit. (We should mention this amazing illustration also comes as a digital stamp set - Pure Prairie Bouquet - as well...). Notice how Ally picked up on the blue flowers with hints of yellows and violets? What a lovely kickstart to a project. I know you are all going to have a blast playing along with us for this challenge. 

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!
• The winner will receive a $50 SHOPPING SPREE TO 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 March 31 @ 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. 

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So, drum roll please, time now to draw that winning name from our February Power & Spark Love to Sparkle Challenge! If you missed this month's entries, you have to click HERE to see them for yourself... 

Moving on to our winner! After random.org put all of the names in the virtual hat, the number drawn was....

And that means our lucky winner is.... 

SONJA VAN LAAR!

Check out the fabulous creation she whipped up using Power Poppy's Layer Cake digital stamp set (you can also create with the clear set by using Power Poppy's set Party Time!)

I personally love how Sonja created a little personalized gift certificate and included the code to the Power Poppy Shop for her crafty friend. I might have to do that sometime soon! It's way too fun, perky and colorful! Love!

 CONGRATS, Sonja! You've won a $50 Shopping Spree! Contact us at bloom@powerpoppy.com and we'll send you your shopping code!

Thanks for joining us sweet peeps! Before you go, you can't leave without hitting up these links below and seeing what some of our fabulous members of the Bloom Brigade have to share!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber
Stacy Morgan

And swing back by Monday when Marcella will reveal a brand new addition to the Power Poppy Instant Garden a.k.a. digital stamp collection. We can't wait for you to see!

Until next time!
Julie 

An InLinkz Link-up

February Power & Spark: Love to Sparkle!

Hello everyone and welcome to a post that is just bursting with razzle and dazzle! It's the first Friday of February, which means it's time for a brand new Power and Spark Challenge! Can I get a woot-woot??? This month, our hostess with the mostess is the fabulous Kathy Jones. We all know that February is the 'Love' month with Valentine's Day in the middle - so she's decided to take it a bit further and challenge us all to......

HOW TO PLAY: We'd love to see what you can make with either a Love theme or a Sparkle theme or combine them into a card that shows off BOTH!

Need a little inspiration? Well Ms. Kathy doesn't disappoint! She used the brand new digi image Rose All Day and matched it up with a sentiment from Soothing Sympathy (How could she resist using a  sentiment that said 'Love and Light'?) and then she packed it full of sparkly goodness with glitter paper, rhinestones galore, some glitter deco tape and even touches of sparkly Spica pen on the bees wings!!

Check it out!

Isn't that creation divine? Well, now it's your turn to take Kathy up on this challenge and show us all how you sparkle with LOVE!

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!
• The winner will receive a $50 SHOPPING SPREE TO 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 28th @ 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. 

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So, drum roll please, time now to draw that winning name from our January Power & Spark’s Grab A Map Challenge! If you missed this month's entries, you have to click HERE to see them for yourself... so MANY wonderful executions of the Page Maps designs. I absolutely loved seeing all the takes on the different sketches -- so much creativity and beauty! Thank you ALL for entering your cards with us.

Now let's get to that winner, shall we? After random.org put all of the names in the virtual hat, the number drawn was....

That means our winner is....  HEIDI FROM MY LITTLE STAMPING BLOG! 

Heidi's creation was so vibrant and spunky, I just had to share! Don't you love that mod decorative paper and how she so fabulously incorporated those same cheery colors in her colored up budgie? I do! Just in case you wondered, Heidi used Power Poppy's Short Stacks stamp set!

Now, if you want to see the project in full glory all you need to do is visit Heidi's blog HERE and check out the details! Thanks for playing along Heidi and CONGRATS! You've won a $50 Shopping Spree! Contact us at bloom@powerpoppy.com and we'll send you your shopping code!

Well, fine friends, it's time to make the rounds to check in a few of our ab fab Bloomies! Pop by these blogs for a little inspiration and know that we just can't wait to see what YOU create with our challenge!!

Christine Okken

Kathy Jones

Stacy Morgan

And when you do create that marvelous creation, don't forget to link it up below with your name and an exact link to your blog post! Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a little of your day with us. We hope you have a wonderful and crafty weekend ahead, and we’ll see you back on Monday with a brand new digital stamp introduction....

Until next time!
Julie 

An InLinkz Link-up

January Power & Spark: Grab a Map!

Hello, Power Peeps! It’s a new month.... AND a NEW YEAR! And with all those new things, we thought we'd ramp up the fun and deliver not one, not two, but TEN ways to bring on a bit of design power with that undeniable creative spark. And, what's even better than all of that is the fact that we have a partner in crime for this month's challenge. Check it out!

HOW TO PLAY: For this month's Power & Spark Challenge, we're asking you to "Grab A Map!" and get in on some Power Poppy Fun! We've teamed up with Pagemaps.com's CardMaps to showcase 10 new sketches featuring some of Power Poppy's fabulous stamp sets. You can find all ten sketches along with design team samples HERE!  After you pick your favorite card sketch a.k.a. map, use it to spark a little cardmaking creativity and then, link your creation up at the bottom of this post! If you play along, you'll be in the running to win a $50 Shopping Spree to the Power Poppy Shop! But wait, there's more! Becky Fleck, the fabulous Pagemaps guru, is also offering a $25 Power Poppy gift card and all you need to do is leave a comment on THIS post! The Pagemaps contest closes January 22nd, so hop on over soon! We can't wait to see what you create. 

Now because there were 10 sketches that means TEN Power Poppy Designers got in on the mix to show off their creative prowess! You'll have to stay tuned for our link list showcasing these ladies' ab fab creations! But.... just because I love to do this, here's a little teaser! ;-) 

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!
• The winner will receive a $50 SHOPPING SPREE TO 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 January 31st @ 8:00 PM EST. At that point, we’ll draw the winner randomly and make the announcement right here on the first Friday in February.

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So, drum roll please, time now to draw that winning name from our December Power & Spark 12 Days of Christmas Challenge! If you missed this month's entries, you have to click HERE to see them for yourself! So many fun and festive creations to "Ooooo" and "Ahhhhhh" over!

After random.org put all of the names in the virtual hat, the number drawn was....

That means our winner is....

KATHY ASPER 

Check out her darling creation! She took Stacy Morgan's lead and decided to repurpose with super crafty results! Just take a peek at what she did with an old frosting container and Power Poppy's digital stamp set Gingerbread Family.  

So sweet and fun! Now, if you want to see the project in full glory all you need to do is visit Kathy's blog -  My Asperations - and check out all the photos and details! Thanks Kathy for playing along and CONGRATS! You've won a $50 Shopping Spree! Contact us at bloom@powerpoppy.com and we'll send you your shopping code!
Well, fine friends, it's time to make the rounds and see what some of our fabulous designers created when they were challenged by.....

All ten of these lovelies have a different sketch and a different sample to show off! While you can check out all the cardmaps HERE, you really need to give some love to these ladies below, pick a sketch and then, join us in the fun by creating and linking up your creation below! Hop on over and see....

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber

Katie Sims

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

Cheryl Scrivens

Barb Walker

Nancy Sheads

And, be sure to stop back by on Monday when Ally Cope takes over to share her design tips when using dies for our Inspire Me Monday feature!  And just because I can.... another teaser for you!

Until then, live life in full bloom...
~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up

Day 11: Festive Beverage Gift Tags

Howdy all!  Welcome the ELEVENTH day of our 12 Days of Christmas here at Power Poppy! I'm your hostess Allison Cope. We only have one more day to share some fun and festive gift ideas for this holiday season.

We should also point out this is a part of our Power & Spark Challenge. Instead of just one theme, create something inspired by one of our 12 days of tutorials, link up your creation HERE and you'll be in the running for this month's challenge. Just think you are creating something fun --creating a gift for someone -- AND you have a chance at winning $50 in Power Poppy Bucks at the Power Poppy Shop! 

Today I'm sharing a variety of festive beverage tags featuring all kinds of amazing stamp collections.

The beauty of wine tags is that they can be almost any size!!  Yup... you can make them wide or thin, tall or short, multi-layered or just one simple layer.  So each one of my tags today is not like the other.

If you know me, I'm a super-duper purple fan so I always find a way to incorporate it into my creations... event Christmas ones!  So my first tag is all about purple.  It features the large "Winter Wonderland" stamp set, colored in using Copic Markers.

To create the snowflake background, I used the snowflake cluster from the "Glitter House Village" and I used the simple sentiment from the "Berry Sweet Holiday" to finish off the tag.

My second beverage tag features one of my favorite new stamp sets.  It's called "Tweet Tidings".  This cheery tag has a few touches of silver to add some sparkle.

I colored my images using Prismacolor Pencils.

Not all of our hostesses are female!  So I tried to create a little more masculine feel to it.  So I grabbed my "Action Santa" and "Holly Golightly" stamp sets and created this more manly tag.

I chose to die cut the end of my tags in a little bit of a different angle.  I even matched it to my mini hanging tag.

My final beverage tag features the "Dream Wedding" stamp set.  I thought it would be completely fitting to give to your New Year's Eve party hostess.

I even made it to be a fun shaker element with some sparkly confetti inside.  Instead of die cutting a hole I chose to use a length of wide ribbon to hang my tag around the neck of my beverage.

For variations on these tags try:

• Adding a card to the tag so it opens up with a message for your recipient
• Add a pocket to drop in a gift card (coffee shop, liquor store, etc.)
• Add a detachable homemade ornament for the receipient's Christmas tree 
• Attach a gift certificate for the local taxi service or a mode of local public transportation

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Remember, if you try any one of the 12 projects featured during our 12 Days of Christmas -- be sure to link up your creation HERE so that you are in the running for the $50 shopping spree to the Power Poppy Shop! Be sure you pop back tomorrow for our final day of our Twelve Days of Christmas extravaganza as the lovely Kathy Racoosin dazzles us with her challenge inspiration! Until then... cheers! 

~ Allison Cope ~



Purple Blooms
Stamps: Power Poppy (Winter Wonderland, Glitter House Village, Berry Sweet Holiday)
Cardstock: Recollections (110# White), MFT (Wild Wisteria, Lavender Fields)
Dies: Catherine Pooler Designs (Circle Dies, Lattice Frame Die), Spellbinders (Scalloped Circles)
Inks: Simon Says Stamp (Wisteria), Copic Markers
Sequins: Studio Katia (Crystal Rainbow Fusion)
Ribbon: Celebrate It (Christmas Noel)
Corner Rounder: EK Success
Bells: ArtMinds
Thread: Sulky 

Chickadees
Stamps: Power Poppy (Tweet Tidings)
Cardstock: Recollections (110# White , 110# Black)
Patterned Paper: KaiserCraft (Christmas Edition 6x6)
Dies: Studio Katia (Stitched Loops), Catherine Pooler Designs (Spiro Doily, Circles)
Inks: Memento (Tuxedo Black), Prismacolor Pencils, Distress Oxide (Antique Linen)
Corner Punch: Fiskars

Skiing Santa
Stamps: Power Poppy (Action Santa, Holly Golightly)
Cardstock: Recollections (110# White, 110# Cloud)
Patterned Paper: Echo Park (A Perfect Winter 12”x12”)
Dies: Catherine Pooler Designs (Circles), MFT (Stitched Basic Edges, Basic Stitched Lines), WPlus9 (Timeless Tags 2)
Inks: Memento (Tuxedo Black), Copic Markers, Sakura (White Gel Pen)
Charms: Emerald Creek (Pinecone), Tim Holtz (Snowflake)
Twine: Bead Landing
Thread: Sulky, White 

Cheers Shaker Tag
Stamps: Power Poppy (Dream Wedding)
Cardstock: Recollections (110# White), Stampin’ Up! (Cherry Cobbler), Acetate
Dies: Pretty Pink Posh (Stitched Duo 1), MFT (Stitched Ovals, Let It Snowflake)
Sequins: Little Things from Lucy’s Cards (Champagne), Studio Katia (Sparkling Crystals Mix)
Inks: Memento (Tuxedo Black), Versamark, Copic Markers, Catherine Pooler Designs (Juniper Mist), Pen-Touch (Gold)
Ribbon: Offray

Day 3: Gift Bag Topper

Hello!!! Hello!!! Hello!! Tosh here with Day 3 of our super fun 12 Days of Christmas December Power & Spark Challenge! If you haven't seen Katie's tags, or Stacy's Gift Card Holder, be sure to click on the links. You won't want to miss either of them!! They are clever and gorgeous!!

If you play along with us during any one of the 12 days and try our project at hand, link up your creation HERE and you’ll be in the running for our Power & Spark 12 Days of Christmas Challenge. That’s right – you’ll have 12 ways to enter. Play along once or try all 12 days for more chances to win a $50 shopping spree to the Power Poppy Shop!

Okay...now for today's project!!

A couple of decades ago, I started making Gift Bag Toppers. I actually learned how from a Stampin' Up demonstrator, but since it was about 22 years ago, I can't for the life of me remember her name. The basics are pretty much the same, I just make my borders a bit different. I made a tutorial for it a few years ago that you can find HERE.

Now, for today's bag, I used three different Power Poppy Stamp sets: Tweet Tidings (front panel), Holly Golightly (border and tag), Glitter House Village (top of topper and background tag).

For the border of my topper, I cut out the size, and scored where instructed. Then, I stamped the holly all the way around with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink. I colored it with Copics and then stamped the snow background (from the Glitter House Village set), with Versamark and embossed it using Clear Embossing Powder (SU!) Then came the challenging part...fussy-cutting around all the holly.

 
I didn't get really particular, and it turned out beautifully, so it doesn't have to be perfect. Lastly, I ink distressed the whole topper with Antique Linen Distress Ink (Ranger), so make the snowflakes pop, and to age everything so it blends with the kraft gift bag. The flakes are hard to see in the photo, but in real life, they are a subtle charming little addition.

Next came the main panel. I started by die cutting the square (6x6 Matting Basics B - Spellbinders) and while the X-Press It cardstock was still in the die, I stamped the two separate Tweet Tidings Chickadees onto it with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink. That way I could maintain a clean white border. I then Ink Distressed the panel with Antique Linen Distress Ink again, and colored the images with Copics. Lastly, I added some White Liquid Applique to the snow portions of the image, sprinkling some Dazzling Diamonds glitter (SU!) on it before heating it with my heating tool. I love the sparkle and fun dimension.

Lastly, every gift bag needs a tag. And fortunately for us, Marcy has designed a fabulous set with a charming tag included. So, I stamped the tag along with one of the sentiments (from the Holly Golightly set), colored it with Copics and cut it out. I felt like it needed a base, so I took my Spellbinders Christmas Tag Set, die cut one of the tags using a piece of decorative paper from Echo Park's I Love Winter 6x6 paper pad. It was kind of plain, so I added an evergreen branch and a portion of a sentiment from the Glitter House Village set. It was stamped with Smokey Gray Versafine ink.

I hope you'll try your hand at decorating a gift bag with a topper. They are easy, and they eliminate the need for tissue paper, and the temptation of the recipients to peek. The topper makes it a bit harder after all. ;) If you do try this project, make sure to share by linking up your creation HERE! Of course, we would all love to see and if you link up your project, you'll be in the running for a $50 shopping spree to the Power Poppy Shop! 

Please stop by again tomorrow to see how Mindy Baxter makes a little treat aimed at keeping better tabs on all your hoiday gift purchases!

That is finally it y'all!!  Happy Stamping!!

November Power & Spark: We Have A WINNER!

Goodness gracious --- with all of the excitement abounding with our 12 Days of Christmas extravaganza, we sugar plum forgot to announce the winner of the November "Portion Control" Power & Spark Challenge!

So, without further ado, let's find who our lucky stamper is! 

If you missed out on all the fun, you truly need to take a little trip back in time OR just click HERE to see all the fabulous entries that linked up this past month. Cindy Lawrence challenged us all to use some self control and only use a PORTION of a stamp or image! Great little reminder for this time of year! :-)

So, after random.org threw all the entries into the virtual hat, it pulled out the number....

Which means our lucky winner is.....

LYNDA PLECKAN! 

Lynda created this gorgeous little number above using Power Poppy's Winter Pick-Me-Up digital stamp and the sentiment from Acorn Ornaments, also a digital stamp set. Love, love, love the way she colored up her creation with the watercolor wash background paper and the embellishments to tie it all together. It's also a nice touch to add a piece of the image on the sentiment circle as well with those softly sponged edges! We say -- well done!

Lynda, just email us at bloom@powerpoppy.com and let us know which digital or clear stamp you'd like us to send your way. If choosing clear, don't forget to share your snail mail address!

Thanks everyone for playing along! We had so many new participants and we really hope you all play along in the coming months. We'd love to see YOU win! Of course, you can play along many times during this months' challenge!

That's right, 12 days of projects that you can try and enter for your chance at winning a $50 shopping spree to the Power Poppy Shop! Click HERE for all the fun-filled and festive details!

Have a great weekend everyone and don't forget to tune in tomorrow for Tosha's day of the 12 Days of Christmas. I heard it through the grapevine that's she's going to be giving us some pointers on how to dress up that ho-hum gift bag with stunning results!

Stay tuned!
~Julie

Power & Spark with a Twelve Days of Christmas Twist

Note: TO SEE ALL 12 DAYS OF IDEAS, CLICK HERE.

Hello there! It's Katie here and I am so excited to be kicking off Power Poppy's December Power & Spark Challenge with our Twelve Days of Christmas twist! As visions of sugar plums dance in your heads, is the paper still flying in your crafting spaces? If you love to put a colorful and personal spin on your holiday creations, we love to hear it and we’re here to help! For the next week and a half, get ready for Power Poppy’s festive and fun take on the 12 Days of Christmas – a time to get inspiration to deliver that homespun charm not only to your loved ones but around your home as well. Each day starting today, our designers will be sharing ideas on all kinds of projects from home décor to accents for your holiday dinner table to ideas on how to package up those holiday goodies with style!

And guess what? If you play along with us during any one of the 12 days and try our project at hand, link up your creation right here at the bottom of this post and you’ll be in the running for our Power & Spark 12 Days of Christmas Challenge winnings! That’s right – you’ll have 12 ways to enter. Play along once or try all 12 days for more chances to win a....

 $50 shopping spree to the Power Poppy Shop!

Here on DAY ONE, I chose tags for my theme so I picked a stamp set I have been itching to get inky, Tweet Tidings, and whipped up three tags. I did borrow a sentiment from another stamp set, Heaven and Nature Sing, for one of my tags. So let me show you what I created using Marcella's darling images...

Only one of these tags is die cut from a tag die....the others are from different die cut shapes! Don't limit yourself to a dedicated "tag" die because you can create a tag from any shape you choose....simply punch a hole in it and add a ribbon! Ta DA!

For my first tag, I used a dedicated tag die for my base panel, then layered a trimmed patterned paper layer, and finally my image layer. I stamped my images and sentiment using Versamark ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder to resemble a chalkboard. A little sponged white ink and some shimmer with a Wink of Stella pen finish the image off....all that is left is to add a bright blue bow!

For my second tag, I used a combination of a trimmed cardstock panel and a die cut panel and stitched them together to form a tag that opens like a card. The top border of my tag was cut with pinking shears. My image was stamped and colored up with Copics then layered on the tag top layer with a bit of patterned paper, some pom-pom trim, and stitching. The bottom layer is stamped with my sentiment and some of those sweet musical notes. The bottom edges were rounded with a Corner Chomper and the tag was softened up by sponging some white ink around the edges. Once again, a little shimmer from a Wink of Stella pen to make the image really shine and to finish it off...a ribbon with a couple of berries and a boxwood twig.

For my third tag, I stamped my image and sentiment then colored it up with Copics. Next, I die cut my image with a stitched oval die, sponged a little ink around the edges then followed it with some gold leafing. I used a very fine grit sander to remove a little of the gold leafing....did you know that when you do that, you get the neatest aged look to the gold leafing?! I finished the tag by layering with a couple of die cut patterned papers, punching a hole in the top and adding a ribbon and twine.

So that is all for my tags today but I hope that you will be inspired to look at your dies in a new way....as fun tag shapes! I also hope that you will play along with us.....not only today but for the next twelve days! Make sure you link up your gorgeous creations here 'cause we want to see your beautiful work and you wouldn't want to miss out on a chance to win a prize!

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!
• The winner will receive a $50 SHOPPING SPREE TO 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 December 31 @ 8:00 PM EST. At that point, we’ll draw the winner randomly and make the announcement right here on the first Friday in January. 
  
  
  
  Here’s some more inspiration from the
  Bloom Brigade today....
  
  
  Christine Okken
  Cindy Lawrence
  Katie Sims
  Stacy Morgan

Thanks so much for stopping by today and make sure you pop back in tomorrow for Day 2 of our Twelve Days of Christmas extravaganza as that darling Stacy Morgan dazzles us with her challenge inspiration! Until then....take care! :)

~Katie

An InLinkz Link-up

November Power and Spark Challenge: Portion Control

Hello, Power Peeps!  It’s a new month and we’re bring you a brand new way to bring on the design power with that undeniable creative spark. Today, the insanely talented Cindy Lawrence is in the house. So fine folks, let's get right to it, shall we? All November long, Cindy is challenging us to have a little...

HOW TO PLAY: Well, if you live in the good ole U.S. of A. you know November brings its share of comfort foods. As we sit around the holiday table, we are enticed by all the flavors and down-home goodness that's dished up at dinner tables far and wide! So, here we are challenging you to engage in a little PORTION CONTROL! Here's what Ms. Cindy has to say about this challenge that celebrates snippets! 

Create a project using a only portion of an image or of multiple images if you like. No full images allowed! We are practicing some “portion control”.

What does she mean? Well, take a look at her challenge creation where she colored up a bold and beautiful card using Power Poppy's Winter Wonderland stamp set.

See how the full image is never used? It's just pieces here and parts there! And, I might add, they are gorgeously put together and colored up with that expert touch Cindy uses so well! So, take her lead and let's see if you can show a little Portion Control this month! Why should you play you say? Because other than growing that incredible brain by thinking a little out of the box, you have a shot at a......

$50 SHOPPING SPREE AT THE POWER POPPY SHOP! 

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!
• The winner will receive a $50 SHOPPING SPREE TO 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 November 30th @ 8:00 PM EST. At that point, we’ll draw the winner randomly and make the announcement right here on the first Friday in December.

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So, drum roll please, time now to draw that winning name from our October Power & Spark Mini & Mighty Challenge! If you missed this month's entries, you have to click HERE to see them for yourself! So many magnificently mini creations to "Ooooo" and "Ahhhhhh" over!

After random.org put all of the names in the virtual hat, the number drawn was....

That means our winner is....

MARIANNE of STAMPIN'DIPITY! 

Just take a gander at her super cute and oh-so-festive snow guy all decked out in holiday red with that must have bit of sparkle!

Marianne used Power Poppy's digital stamp set called Let’s Chill! We should point out that Marianne upped her chances of winning by entering this past month's challenge not once, not twice but FIVE times! And all of her cards are just too sweet! You'll have to visit HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE to see what I mean!

Thanks for playing along Marianne and CONGRATS! You've won a $50 Shopping Spree! Contact us at bloom@powerpoppy.com and we'll send you your shopping code!

With all of that color bursting forth today, time now to turn things over to some of the most talented card designers in all of blog land!

Stop by, say “hi” and see what these fine ladies have been up to this week! I know they'd love the visit!

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber

Katie Sims

Stacy Morgan

Tosha Leyendekker

And, be sure to stop back by on Monday when guest blogger Amy Shulke stops in to share a few coloring tips and tricks that just might rock your world! I. Am. Serious. 

Until then, live life in full bloom...

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up