A Poinsettia Thank You

Hello everybody and a Merry Christmas to you!  I hope you all had an amazing holiday spent with those dearest to you!  I think it's about time I ambled on back to my very neglected blog to share a little Power Poppy goodness with you.  I think I mentioned we had  moved back into our house a few weeks ago after some renovations....well throw in unpacking, getting ready for Christmas, some family medical issues, work, and just life in general and you get a blog in need of updating.....sooooo, here I am!  :)  I could not resist using the beautiful poinsettia image from Poinsettia again for this week's Power Poppy challenge.  We'd love it if you'd come play along with us and who knows, but you might be selected as a Peep of the Week!  How fun would that be?  :)

Ever since this image was released, I have wanted to use this image without coloring it.....I know, me and my Copics are pretty tight, but sometimes you just wanna do something a little different, right?  So, I decided I wanted to make my own toile pattern with that gorgeous poinsettia and since I am going to be needing some thank you cards in the next few days I thought I would go ahead a get started. 

I stamped my poinsettia image using Memento's Rhubarb Stalk on to some white card stock that had been die cut with Spellbinder's Labels Twenty Two.  I left the die frame on while I stamped so I could keep a nice edge on it and then sponged on some more Rhubarb Stalk ink before removing the frame.  Next, I die cut my sentiment  layer and stamped my sentiment.  Next I used Spellbinder's Classic Squares Small die set and Marvelous Squares set for the rest of my layers.  I used some ink to distress the edges of my layers, did a little stitching, added some gold leafing with my Krylon 18KT gold leafing pen, and assembled my layers.  At the last minute I added some sparkle to some of the pomegranates and the poinsettia centers with an Atyou Spica clear glitter pen....you can't really see it in the photos but it does add a nice subtle shine to the image.

Have I said how much I love this poinsettia image?  I am sure I probably have, but it certainly bears repeating.... the detail on this is stunning and I think it makes a fabulous toile print!  You could very easily stamp off a whole sheet of this and then do several die cuts from the sheet for mass producing. Well, that is all for my card today, but I know my Bloom Brigade sisters are rockin' the house so make sure you check out what gorgeousness they have for your inspiration and then get busy on your own Power Poppy creation, link it up to the Power Poppy blog and YOU could be our next Peep of the Week!  I can't wait to see what you create, and until next time.....take care!

Allison Cope 

Christine Okken    
Julie Koerber 
Katie Sims <------You are here

~Katie 

Supplies:  Image-Power Poppy's Poinsettia stamp set, sentiment from Papertrey Ink's In the Meadow stamp set; Ink-Memento's Rhubarb Stalk, Stampin' Up!'s Cherry Cobbler, Papertrey Ink's Chamomile and Chai inks; Paper-Classic White card stock from Flourishes, Naturals White card stock from SU!, patterned paper from Melissa Frances'  "Deck the Halls" 6x6 paper pad; Dies-Spellbinders sets in Labels Twenty Two, Marvelous Squares, and Classic Squares Small and Papertrey Ink's Photo Finish Strips die collection; Other-Krylon  18KT Gold Leafing pen, Atyou Spica clear glitter pen,  pearls from SU!

Power Poppy's December Blog Hop

Well hello again, and welcome back!  I hope you have been able to check in on the goings on over at the Power Poppy Blog....or what I like to call, Bloom Central!  :)  Lots of good stuff to see with December's all digital release and that brings us to today...where the Bloom Brigade joins together for one last look at all of the Marcella goodness for this month...

How about those lovely images?  Marcella has once again brought to life some of the most beautiful scenes for our crafting enjoyment.  Well you heard the Bloom Whisperer, let's HOP!  :)

So for my card today, I thought I would revisit the Camellias image but this time I paired it with a sentiment from the Geraniums Take Two stamp set.  I have in mind to send this card to a friend and I think she will like this image and sentiment.  I decided to color these two varieties of Camellias like two of the varieties in my yard.  I have two extremely large Camellia Japonicas  (sorry, do not know the proper names for these because they were here when we moved).  These particular ones have the prettiest deep pink blooms....they border on a violet and the blooms themselves are huge.  The leaves are also a good size.  These bloom around Christmas to as late as February and the blooms last for several weeks.  The photo I shared yesterday in my post has one of these in it.  One of the other varieties I have is a Camellia Sasanqua 'Setsugekka'.  It is espaliered at the front of our house and it blooms in the late summer/early fall.  The blooms on this variety are the prettiest white with a double row of ruffled petals and the daintiest yellow stamens.  The leaves on this one are smaller and darker green, the blooms are smaller, but the impact is still the same...but then again, I have never met a Camellia I didn't like!

It really is uncanny how closely these two blooms resemble two of the varieties we have in our yard. For this card, I kept it really simple.....I guess you could call this my "clean and simple" design style....lol.  I think this is as simple as it gets for me!  ;)  

No buttons, no bows....just a few layers of designer paper and card stock, an image colored with Copics, a little sponging, a little gold leafing and there you have it!  So that is all for my card and garden tour today but you really must make sure you check out all of the goodness that my Bloom Brigade teammates have created for you...AND as an added bonus, if you leave a comment on each of the Bloomies' blogs you could win this month's digital release!  So make sure you leave a little love while you hop!  Thank you so much for stopping by today and I hope we can get together again real soon...until then, take care!  :)

Allison Cope 

Christine Okken 
Cindy Lawrence   
Julie Koerber 
Kathy Jones 
Katie Sims <------You are here
Leslie Miller 
Stacy Morgan 
Tosha Leyendekker
and .....
Marcella Hawley

~Katie

Supplies:  Images-Floral from Power Poppy's new digital image "Camellias" and sentiment from Power Poppy's "Geraniums Take Two" stamp set; Paper-Classic white card stock from Flourishes, Naturals White and Night of Navy card stocks from Stampin' Up!, navy patterned paper from The Paper Studio's "The Classics" 4.5" x 6.5" paper pad; Inks-  HP Printer ink, Ranger Distress inks in Antique Linen and Frayed Burlap; Dies-Spellbinders Marvelous Squares set and Classic Squares Large set, Marianne Designs Petra's Square Frames set; Other-Krylon 18 KT Gold Leafing pen, Atyou Spica Clear Glitter pen, and these Copic colors:  W0, W3, W4, W7, C1, C3, B0000, RV52, RV55, RV63, RV66, RV69, BV02, E41, E44, E49, Y13, Y19, YG61, YG63, YG67, YG91, G28, G40, G43, and G46.

Power Poppy's December Release- Day 2

Hello there to you and welcome back for Day 2 of December's all digital release at Power Poppy!  Didn't you just love that sweet Winter Pick-Me-Up bouquet from yesterday?  Well hold on to your hats because that Marcella has got another beauty just waiting for her debut...Camellias.

Have I ever told you about my love affair with Camellias?  No?  It's almost as bad as my azalea obsession, almost.  I have five of these beauties in different varieties in my yard right now and have plans to add a few more in the coming seasons.  Several months ago we were asked to share a photo for the Bloom Brigade debut and the photo needed to depict us doing something dear to us....well, here was my photo and yep.....that is one of my big ol' Camellias that I am pruning!  (I am also wearing my Georgia Bulldogs shirt but after yesterday's game, that is a subject still way too painful to discuss).

So you can imagine my excitement when Marcella showed us this image.  I am really itching to get a variegated Camellia....I think those are so striking, so when I saw this image I knew immediately I wanted to color one of the two varieties in this image as a variegated bloom.  

And here she is in all her glory....Marcella made me one happy girl, for sure!!  Just look at all of that gorgeous detail...again, a true dream to color up because of all of the shading cues in the image.  I used many Copics to color this image and then I used a die cut for my main panel.  Next, I printed the sentiment and used a couple more die cuts to layer it.  For my card base, I kept it to a few very simple layers and some stitching....no ribbon on this one because I did not want to cover up one tiny bit of those beautiful blooms.  I did pull out my Krylon 18KT gold leafing pen.....I mean, if Camellias don't deserve a little gold leafing, then I don't know what does!  ;)  And if gold leafing wasn't enough, I added some shimmer to the blooms with a Atyou Spica clear glitter pen.  Remember, these are Camellias!  :)

How about that sweet sentiment?  Life certainly is better with friends!  I know I am blessed to have several dear friends in my life.  Speaking of friends, don't forget to check out what my incredibly talented Bloom Brigade sisters have created for you....I can't wait to see for myself!  I know it will be swoon-worthy, for sure!  I am so glad you could stop by today and remember, tomorrow is the Power Poppy Blog Hop, so you will have another look at what the Bloom Brigade has been up to for your inspiration.  Hope to see you back here soon, and until then...take care! :)

Allison Cope 

Christine Okken   
Dina Kowal  
Julie Koerber 
Kathy Jones 
Katie Sims <------You are here
Leslie Miller 
Stacy Morgan 
Tosha Leyendekker
and .....
Marcella Hawley

~Katie

Supplies:  Image and sentiment from Power Poppy's new digital set, Camellias; Paper-Classic White card stock from Flourishes, Naturals White card stock from Stampin' Up!, pink paper from my stash, and patterned papers from My Mind's Eye's Miss Caroline "Dolled Up" 6x6 paper pad; Ink- HP printer, Ranger Distress inks in Antique Linen and Tumbled Glass; Dies-Spellbinders' Labels Twenty Two, Grand Squares, Grand Scalloped Squares, Classic Oval Large, and Deckled Edge Classic Oval Large; Other- Krylon 18KT Gold Leafing pen, Stampin' Up!'s Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, and these Copic colors- R000, R20, R22, R24, R27, R30, R32, R35, R37, R39, RV69, W00, W2, W5, C1, B0000, E43, E55, E59, Y08, Y17, YG61, YG63, YG67, YG91, G20, G21, G24, and G28.

Power Poppy's December Release-Day 1

Well, hello there and a Happy Saturday to you!  Can you believe it is already time for another Power Poppy Release?!  If you are a digi fan, then this release is going to make you very happy because it is an all digital release this month!  If you haven't crossed over into using digi images yet, then may I ask...what are you waiting for?!  I know, I know....they can be intimidating if you are not the savviest of computer folks (and let me tell you, I am not the savviest.....just ask my husband....lol).  But truly, digis certainly have their place in your craft room....the thing I love the most about them is they can be altered to whatever size you want but that is not all....they can be downloaded immediately so no waiting on the mail, they are stored on your computer so no extra space in your craft room is needed, and price wise...they are a steal!  AND, the amazingly talented Julie Koerber and Allison Cope have wonderful tutorials on the Power Poppy blog that you can look at again and again until you become a digi expert yourself!  Click here for Julie's tutorial.  Click here for Allison's tutorial.  So, I can think of no reason now why you shouldn't give these jewels a try, can you?  ;)  Why don't we take a peek at today's digital image, Winter Pick-Me-Up, shall we?

Is that not the prettiest little bouquet? I love how Marcella combines so many unexpected blooms in to her bouquets....and the name of this image couldn't be more fitting!  This would certainly perk me right up during those long winter days and remind me that Spring is just around the corner.  :)  Let me show you what I created using this sweet image...

Ok, I had in mind to do something totally different for this card but that pretty spring green paper was calling my name, so I went with it.  I sized my image and sentiment to fit the dies I wanted to use and printed them out.  Next, I colored my image using Copics and sponged on some ink.  I also sponged ink on my sentiment panel.  Then, I layered several papers and did some stitching to give some extra detail.  Once I had layered my colored image on the black scallop die cut, I held my breath and punched two holes in it to tie my bow.  All that was left was to assemble the rest of my card layers and add my sentiment.  I did layer the sentiment too so it would stand out a little more.  I don't think you can see it in the photos but I added some shimmer with my Atyou Spica Clear glitter pen to the blooms.  

I love this pretty mixed font sentiment....just the thing to send to a dear friend, don't you think?  I know I will be using it and this lovely image again and again.  That is all for my card today but you really need to hop around and see what my sweet Bloom Brigade team mates have created for you...pure gorgeousness awaits you, of that I am sure!  Make sure you leave some blog love along the way....And, just wait til you see the newest addition to Marcella's garden tomorrow!  I can honestly say, it had my little ol' southern heart beatin' double time.....yep, I still get giddy thinking about it and I know you will love it too!  Hope you have a wonderful day today and I look forward to your next visit.  Until then, take care!  :)

Christine Okken  
Katie Sims <------You are here
Leslie Miller 
Stacy Morgan 
Tosha Leyendekker
and .....
Marcella Hawley

~Katie

Supplies:  Images from Power Poppy's new digital set, Winter Pick-Me-Up; Paper-Classic White card stock from Flourishes, black card stock from Stampin' Up!, patterned papers from My Mind's Eye's Lost & Found Two "Rosy" 6x6 paper pad, green card stock from stash; Ink-HP printer, Ranger Distress ink in Antique Linen and Peeled Paint; Dies-Spellbinders Grand Ovals and Grand Scalloped Ovals, Flourishes Perfectly Pierced Classic Window Template; Other-  Ribbon "Certainly Celery" from SU!, Atyou Spica clear glitter pen, Singer Sewing machine, and these Copic Colors:  BV000, BV02, BV04, BV08, BV20, BV34, Y04, Y08, Y11, Y13, Y15, Y18, Y26, E35, W0, W2, W5, C1, YG 00, YG11, YG13, YG17,  E71, E77, E84, and E87.

A Little Black Friday News...

Hello there everybody!  Hope you are having a wonderful week and for all of my USA friends....a wonderful Thanksgiving "Eve"! Speaking of Thanksgiving....I wanted to share with you a little Power Poppy news.....our first ever Black Friday Sale!  Yes, you heard it right here...Power Poppy is having it's first ever Black Friday sale for all in stock clear stamp sets so be getting your shopping list ready because you can save 20%!

AND....a little more news....Power Poppy now has gift cards!  While gift cards aren't eligible for the Black Friday discount, you can still toss a couple of these in your shopping cart for stocking stuffers!  That Marcella thinks of everything, doesn't she?

 That's all the news I have today, but make sure you check out the happenings at the Power Poppy Blog starting on Saturday because the new digi release starts then and you won't want to miss that! Until then, here's wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with precious time with your families, lots of memory making, and, of course, plenty of turkey!  ;)

~Katie

Ho Ho HO!

Hi there friends and Happy Friday!  Do you have anything fun planned for the weekend?  There will be lots of cleaning and unpacking going on around here this weekend.....we have just finished up some renovations around here and are finally moving back in!  Whew...what an adventure that has been!  Anyways....it's Friday and you know what that means....another Power Poppy Peep of the Week Challenge!

Are you up for a little challenge?  Why don't you c'mon and play along with us this week?  For my card, I decided to use one of the adorable sets from the Happiest Holiday Collection, Bottlebrush Holiday.  I used the "HO" stamp and also the sentiment stamp "Sending Holiday Cheer" from the set.....but, I only used a small portion of the sentiment stamp (two letters to be exact...lol).  I wanted a Ho Ho Ho card but I wanted the card size to stay on the small side so I used the "H-O" letters from the word "Holiday".  What do you think?  

As you can see, I am trying out the CAS style again....channeling my inner Stacy Morgan, because I am still convinced one day CAS will become easier for me.....but not yet.  That girl does CAS style like nobody's business!  Oh well, there's always next time.  I added a little stitching "sampler" detail across the bottom of my image panel because it looked a little bare and needed something to kind of ground it.  I colored the main "HO" with copics and added a little sparkle with my Atyou Spica Clear glitter pen and added a little shine to the berries with some Ranger Glossy Accents.  A button in the center of the wreath adds a little something unexpected.  The rest of the card a few very simple layers and a bit of stitching.  

I just love that sweet little wreath!  Ok, so that is all for my little CAnsS card....(Clean and NOT so Simple) card.  I wonder if that sweet Stacy could give me a few lessons....lol.  Make sure you check out all of the gorgeousness from my Bloom Brigade sisters and leave a little love along the way.  Then.....get cracking on your own Power Poppy masterpiece and link it up on the Power Poppy blog!  Maybe YOU will be the next Power Poppy Peep of the Week!  :)  Hope you have a great weekend and until next time....take care!

Allison Cope 

Christine Okken 
Cindy Lawrence 
Dawn Burnworth 
Julie Koerber  
Katie Sims <------You are here
Leslie Miller  
Tosha Leyendekker

~Katie

Supplies:  Images from Power Poppy's "Bottlebrush Holiday" stamp set; Ink:  Memento's Tuxedo Black and Rhubarb Stalk inks; Paper:  SU! Naturals White card stock, red card stock from scrap, patterned papers from lilybeedesigns; Other:  Die from Spellbinders A2 Matting Basics A, button, string, ribbon, Atyou Spica Clear glitter pen and these Copic colors-  R22, R24, R29, YG 61, YG63, YG67.

Power Poppy's November Blog Hop!

Well hello there and welcome back for one last look at all of the fabulousness from this month's Power Poppy Release....the Power Poppy Blog Hop! 

 Marcella has really outdone herself.....adding four new sets to her Happiest Holiday Collection and what beautiful sets these are!  I decided to use the totally gorgeous Heaven and Nature Sing.  My idea was to make the sweet little birds look like the Black Capped Chickadees that I see so often around my feeders in the yard.

I stamped my image with Tuxedo Black ink from Memento and colored it in with Copics. Next, I die cut my image out, sponged on some ink and used my Krylon 18KT Gold Leafing pen around the edges.  I layered a couple of pretty Christmas papers, punched a border, stitched it all together, added a bow and adhered it to a cream card stock base.  To finish it off, I stamped this beautiful sentiment and adhered it to my card with some foam dimensionals.  I did cut out a little notch so the bow could cozy up to my flowers.

Oh, I did also use some Ranger Glossy Accents on my berries and my Wink of Stella Clear glitter pen to add a little shimmer in the flower centers.  I love this sweet sentiment and beautiful image...there is so much detail and it really does color up more quickly than you would think.  Actually, I think it would look gorgeous stamped in a single color with no extra coloring.....I may test that theory a little later on and will report back if I do .....I have never know a Marcella image that didn't look amazing no matter what you did or didn't do to it though....;).  

So, that is all I have for you today but the rest of the incredible Bloom Brigade has some pretty amazing things for you to see....make sure you leave them a little blog love while you're there and then if you haven't already, start making your wish list because all of the amazing sets from this release go on sale today!  You could get an early start on some Christmas shopping for friends, or even for yourself!  ;)  I hope you have a wonderful weekend and can stop by again soon....until then, take care!  :)

Allison Cope 

Christine Okken 
Cindy Lawrence 
Danielle Kennedy 
Dawn Burnworth
Dina Kowal  
Julie Koerber 
Kathy Jones 
Katie Sims <------You are here
Leslie Miller 
Stacy Morgan 
Tosha Leyendekker
and .....
Marcella Hawley

~Katie

Supplies:  Image and sentiment from Power Poppy's "Heaven and Nature Sing"; Ink-Memento's Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress ink in Antique Linen and Frayed Burlap; Paper-Stampin' Up!'s Naturals White card stock, Classic White card stock from Flourishes, and patterned papers from My Mind's Eye's Lost & Found Christmas Special Edition; Other:  A2 Matting Basics A die set from Spellbinders, Stampin' Up!'s Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, White Stampin' Chalk marker and foam dimensionals, ribbon, Ranger Glossy Accents, Wink of Stella's Clear Glitter pen, and these Copic colors:  N1, N3, N5, N7, N9, E40, E42, E44, E47, E50, Y02, YG0000, YG11, YG13, YG17, YG61, YG63, YG67, YG91, R32, R35, R37, R39, R56, R59, R89, and RV99.

Power Poppy's November Release Day 3

Hello there, friends and welcome back for another day of fun and festivities as we help Marcella introduce her newest additions to her Happiest Holiday Collection.  I hope you have enjoyed what you have seen so far, but there is still so much to see in the coming days....

Today's offering is the darling stamp set, Merry Littles.  These small scaled images are so versatile....you will find yourself reaching for these again and again!

For my card, I chose to use one of the adorably scripted sentiments and the Santa hat.  I also chose to try my hand again at the CAS style.....I know I have mentioned that I don't think I possess that particular gene, but I am convinced  that with practice eventually it won't take me longer to make a simple card than it does to make one of my usual cards.....lol.  Well...I think I need more practice because this "simple" card took me quite a while!  ;)

I stamped my Santa hat with Memento's Tuxedo Black ink and colored it with Copics and fussy cut it out.  Next, I made my white card stock panel, scored a channel down the left side to fit a piece of gingham paper in, and stitched it up.  Next, I stamped my sentiment, colored it with a few more Copics, and added my Santa hat with some foam dimensionals.  Then, I added my green bow and adhered the assembled panel to a green card stock base....and that is it.  Why it took me as long as it did is still a mystery.  Sigh.

Don't you just love that long, tall Santa hat?  I did add some sparkle to the hat with my Wink of Stella Clear glitter pen and that is all for my clean and not-so-simple Christmas card.  I am so glad you could stop by today!  Make sure you check out all of the awesomeness from my Bloom Brigade sisters...and believe me, I have already seen some of their handiwork...prepare to be amazed.  :)  Make sure to leave them a little blog love while your there and then make sure to check out tomorrow's release on the Power Poppy Blog....another beauty!  I will be joining everyone back on Saturday for the Blog Hop so I will see you then!  Until then, take care....

Allison Cope 

Christine Okken    
Kathy Jones 
Katie Sims <------You are here
Leslie Miller 
Stacy Morgan 
Tosha Leyendekker
and .....
Marcella Hawley

Supplies:  Image and sentiment from Power Poppy's Merry Littles stamp set; Ink:  Memento's Tuxedo Black, Copics; Paper:  SU!'s Naturals White and Lucky Limeade card stocks, Flourishes' Classic White card stock, gingham paper from lilybeedesigns "Double Dutch" 6x6 paper pad; Other:  Martha Stewart Score board, foam dimensionals, Wink of Stella Clear glitter pen, green grosgrain ribbon.

Power Poppy's November Release Day 2

Hi there everybody!  Did you enjoy Day 1 of Power Poppy's November Release?  Well, hold on to your hats because there is a whole lot more in store for you this week!  And how about that sweet news of Marcella's....aren't they the most adorable couple?  I cannot wait to see what all of her wedding plans inspire her to create, can you?  Well, while we think about all of the possibilities, why don't I show you what she has created for you today?  Marcella is continuing her Happiest Holiday collection this month with four more offerings.....

and today's will certainly be a favorite.....O Holy Night.

This is one of the sweetest images I have seen Marcella create.  Small country churches hold a special place in my heart because my grandfather was a minister at a small rural church....treasured memories from my childhood, for sure!  I had such a wonderful time coloring up this beautiful image...

I kept the card simple in design to show off this beautifully intricate image.  I used my Copics in Warm Grays for the church, and then colored in my trees and sky.  I added some Tulip Slick fabric paint and glitter on the trees and roof for a little dimension.  I then layered my image panel with blue gingham paper, and some other die cut layers from SU! Natural White card stock.  My card base is some navy card stock from my scrap box.  I used another die cut to show off one of the lovely sentiments that come with this set and added a few pearls.  A little Ranger Distress ink in Antique Linen sponged on to the edges gives this a little age and finishes it off.  

Doesn't that look like the most wonderful place to be on Christmas Eve?  That Marcella.....I am thinking there is absolutely nothing that she can't draw!  I know this will be a set that I will reach for again and again....not only for this gorgeous image but also for the lovely sentiments and scripture that comes with this set.  Go ahead and put this one on your list.... :).  Well, that is all for my card today but as you can imagine....my Bloom Brigade teamies have been busy and I am sure that today's hop will be a stunning display.  Make sure you leave these lovely ladies a little love while you are there.  I will be back tomorrow for Day 3's darling set....until then, take care!

Allison Cope 

Christine Okken 
Cindy Lawrence 
Danielle Kennedy 
Dawn Burnworth  
Julie Koerber 
Katie Sims <------You are here
Stacy Morgan 
and .....
Marcella Hawley

~Katie

Supplies:  Image and sentiment:  Power Poppy's O Holy Night stamp set; Paper:  SU! Naturals White and Night of Navy card stock, blue gingham paper from lilybeedesigns's "Double Dutch" 6x6 paper pad, Classic White card stock from Flourishes; Ink:  Memento's Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Ink's Antique Linen; Dies:  Marianne Desings Square Frames, Spellbinders dies in Fancy Framed Tags One, Classic Squares Large and Classic Scalloped Squares Large;  Other:  Tulip Slick paint in white, Martha Stewart glitter, Wink of Stella Clear glitter pen, and these Copic colors:  W1, W3, W5, W7, C0, C1, B0000, B000, B91, B93, B95, B97, B99, G28, G40, G43, G46, YR30, Y32, Y15, R27, YG63, and YG67.

Happy World Cardmaking Day and a Power Poppy Challenge!

Hi there everyone and a very Happy World Card Making Day to you today!  This is one of my most favorite days of the year...a day which celebrates the craft the we all love so much!  There is a lot going on around her today for sure....today it's my turn to host the card making party for a group of my friends.  There are 12 of us and we take turns once a month hosting a party with lots of food, we sit around and catch up with what everyone has been up to, and somewhere in all of that our SU! demonstrator has a make and take for us that we manage to do...then that is usually followed by another pass around the food table again....lol.  I volunteer for the October party just for this day.....I mean really, isn't this the perfect day for that kind of thing?  ;)  AND, to really make things extra fun, Power Poppy has challenges all day today, Woo Hoo!  I chose to go with challenge #3 to day which was to Choose Hope, Think Pink.  We get to choose a challenge over on the Splitcoast Stampers site for their Hope You Can Cling To month for Breast Cancer Awareness.  You may remember from some of my other posts that this is a cause very near and dear to my heart.  So, for my card I chose Splitcoast's challenge "Hold On to Your Hope" hosted by our own dear Dina Kowal!  For this challenge, we need to use something on our card with a handle on it......

I immediately thought about the darling cup with buttercups image from one of Marcella's first stamp sets, Marcella's Mixtape Vol. 1.  I decided to go all out pink for this card, so the buttercups are now pink!  :)  

This card is some very simple layers of diecuts and punched borders to frame up my stamped image panel.  Like I said, I kept my color scheme in the creams and pinks and I wanted the sweet cup of flowers to be front and center.  I stamped my image with Memento's Tuxedo Black ink, colored it in with Copics, added some shimmer with my Atyou Spica Clear Glitter pen and then sponged some ink around it.  I finished it with my stamped sentiment from another of Marcella's sets, Dynamic Duos: Peonies and Tulips stamp set and a little bow.  My card base is Spellbinder's Romantic Rectangles  and then I just added some layers cut with my paper trimmer, sponged with some distress ink, and then stitched.  For the polka dot layer, I added a punched border for a little fancy edge.  

You can't really tell in the photo, but I added some wee little pearls to the centers of some of my flowers for a little extra dimension.  I think this little image is just as sweet as can be!  Well, that is all for my little card today, but I am hoping that you are going to play along with us at Power Poppy for our day of challenges to celebrate World Card Making Day!  There are prizes to be won.....just sayin'!  Make sure you link up your card on the Power Poppy site AND the Splitcoast Stampers site to double your fun!  Here is wishing you a wonderful day today, and I hope you get to spend it crafting to your heart's content!  Until next time, take care and I am so happy you could stop by today for a visit!

~Katie

Supplies:  Paper-Classic White card stock from Flourishes, Naturals White card stock from Stampin' Up! and patterned papers from Authentiques' Essentials Collection 6x6 paper pad and My Mind's Eye's Lost & Found Market Street 6x6 paper pad; Ink-Memento's Tuxedo Black ink, Ranger Distress ink in Antique Linen, Papertrey Ink's Chai ink; Dies-Spellbinder's die sets in Romantic Rectangles and A2 Matting Basics A; Other-SU!'s Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, SU! ribbon and pearls, Atyou Spica Clear Glitter pen, and these Copic colors-  R30, R32, R35, R37, R39, E70, E74, E77, E79, W00, W0, W1, and W3.