Power Poppy's January Power & Spark Challenge with CardMaps!

Hello there and Happy Friday to you!  Today I have a special post.... this week Power Poppy teamed up with PageMaps by Becky Fleck to bring you some card samples using Becky's CardMaps wonderful card sketches!  AND it just so happens to coincide with our January Power & Spark challenge so that crafty and clever Julie Koerber has come up with an incredible challenge theme for you!  Just take a lookie at this...

And here is what Julie has to say about her challenge...

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!  So grab a map, use it to spark a little cardmaking creativity and then, link your creation up HERE. 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 doesn't that sound like fun?!  Here is the sketch I was given...

I just l-o-v-e square cards so this sweet sketch was right up my alley!  For my card, I chose to use Power Poppy's Bloomin' Wonderful stamp set for my image and paired it with the "Sending Love" sentiment from the Dynamic Duos: Glads and Gerberas stamp set.

My card base is actually a tag die but I thought it would make a fun card shape!  I stamped my image with Memento's Tuxedo Black ink on to a die cut and stitched card stock/patterned paper panel and colored it up with Copic markers.  Next, I die cut my sentiment pieces, stamped my sentiment, sponged on a little ink and assembled the layers.  Lastly, I adhered everything to my card base.  Oh, I did also add some shimmer with a Wink of Stella Clear brush pen.  Gotta have some shimmer on those blooms, right? ;) This finished card measures 3 5/8" x 4".

Just check out all of the beautiful little details in this bouquet!  That Marcella doesn't miss a thing, does she?  :)  Isn't this the perfect little winter floral arrangement?

So that is all for my card today, but several of my Bloomie AND Instant Gardener sisters have created some beauties for your card making inspiration.  You can see the link list here.  Make sure you leave a little blog love while you are there and then c'mon and play along with us!  Make sure you link up your CardMaps sketch inspired card for a chance to win a $50 shopping spree in the Power Poppy store!  Thank you so much for stopping by today and I hope to see you again soon....until then, take care!

~Katie

Supplies used:  Ink-Memento's Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress ink in Tumbled Glass; Paper-Classic White card stock from Flourishes, patterned paper from My Favorite Thing's "Plaid Patterns Merry & Bright " 6x6 paper pad, Lucky Limeade card stock from Stampin' Up!; Other-Tag Sale Quilted die from Papertrey Ink, Stitched Square die from My Favorite Things, Classic Circle and Scalloped Circle dies from Spellbinders, Wink of Stella Clear brush pen, and these Copic colors-BG0000, BG000, BG01, BG02, B60, B63, B66, B69, B79, BV0000, BV00, BV13, C1, C3, C5, W1, E55, E71, E74, E79, YG0000, YG21, YG23, YG25, YG61, YG67, Y13, and RV02.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas with a Power Poppy favorite!

Hello there and happy Friday to you!  Can you believe that we are just a few short days away from Christmas??!!  Where did this year go?  Do you feel like we must've missed a couple of months along the way too?  How in the world are we already so close to the end of another year?  To wrap up the crafty year at Power Poppy, our darling Julie Koerber thought it would be fun to highlight a favorite past Christmas project.    I can think of oodles of Christmas favorites that I have seen my incredible Bloomie sisters create....I mean, seriously....these ladies constantly amaze and inspire me!  Not to mention our dear Bloom Whisperer herself, Marcella, from whom all swoon-worthy, amazingly detailed, and  gorgeous botanical images flow.  Where it becomes a little more difficult for me is when it comes to picking out a favorite project of my own!  Hmmmm, do you find that you too are way more critical of your own work?  What is up with that?  

So, for my favorite, I actually decided to choose a card that I really stepped out of my comfort zone on in terms of color choices.  What made me think of a black background for a Christmas card, I really can't say.  I can tell you that while I was coloring this card up, I must've asked myself a dozen times if I had lost my mind....I can also say that a couple of times when said background was looking quite scary, I came very close to filing it in the circular file....you know the file, right?  ;)  In the end, I am glad that I saw it through.  I will definitely try a dark, dramatic background again....and maybe next time, it wont be quite so scary. :)  In any event, the true star here is Marcella's incredibly gorgeous and truly dreamy image from her Winter Wonderland stamp set.  An inspiration from her own wedding bouquet, this Christmas bouquet is definitely a show stopper!  If you don't have this set yet, you really should add it to your "short" list!  :)    You can find all of the card details from this earlier post here.

Here is one last little lookie and this glorious image that Marcella has created just for us....

I am so happy you stopped by here today for a visit.  Please know that I am wishing you the Merriest Christmas ever.  I hope that you have an abundance of time spent with family and friends and also time to just relax and enjoy the true reason for this season.  Your visits here, as well as your encouraging comments and emails have meant more to me than you can imagine.  I am certainly feeling blessed for all of your kindnesses.  Enjoy this beautiful holiday and I look forward to your next visit soon....until then, take care.  :)

Allison Cope 

Christine Okken 

Cindy Lawrence    
Julie Koerber 
Kathy Jones 
Katie Sims <------You are here 
Stacy Morgan 
Tosha Leyendekker

~Katie

Power Poppy's The Twelve Days of Christmas Challenge!

Hello there, and welcome to today's post kicking off  Power Poppy's December Power & Spark Challenge with our Twelve Days of Christmas twist!  Have you seen the goings on over at Bloom Central today?  This month's Power & Spark Challenge has been amped up times twelve!  Just take a lookie at this...

Here is what our fearless leaders, Marcella and Julie have to say about this fun challenge:

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 HERE (include master link to December 1st post) 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! 

Now doesn't that sound like f-u-n?!  And it just so happens that I am the lucky girl that gets to kick things off today so let's get to it! :) 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 chalk board.  A little sponged white ink and some shimmer with a Wink of Stella pen finishes 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 card 
stock panel and a die cut panel and stitched them together to form a tag that opens like a top fold 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, spritzed a little ink around, 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?!  Seriously! :) 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 on the Power Poppy blog 'cause we want to see your beautiful work and you wouldn't want to miss out on a chance to win a prize!  Thanks so much for stopping by today and make sure you pop over to the Power Poppy blog  tomorrow for Day 2 of our Twelve Days of Christmas extravaganza hosted by the always charming and incredibly talented Stacy Morgan! Until then....take care! :)

~Katie


Supplies used not listed above:  Paper-Kraft card stock, Rustic White card stock, Basic Black card stock from Papertrey Ink, patterned papers from scraps; Ink-Memento's Tuxedo Black ink, PTI's Chai, Chamomile, and Fresh Snow inks, Tsukineko's Versamark  and Versafine  (Onyx Black) inks, Stampin' Up!'s Baja Breeze ink and Crumb Cake, Sahara Sands markers with Spritzing tool; Dies- PTI's Tag Sale Quilted Die, Mat Stack 5 dies, Half & Half dies and My Favorite Things Stitched Square die and Cross Stitch oval die; and these Copic colors:  B0000, B00, B01, B02, B05, BG0000, BG000, BG10, BG32, BG72, E40, E41, E43, E44, E50, E71, E74, E79, YG61, YG63, YG67, G29, R21, R32, R35, R59, C1, W1, W7, N3, N5, and N7.

Power Poppy's Happiest Holiday 2017 Stamp Release~Day 8!

Hello there and welcome!  I hope you have been enjoying Power Poppy's Happiest Holiday 2017 stamp release thus far!  Haven't Marcella's images been incredible?  Well, hang on because today's set is really going to make your head spin....just take a look at this lovely arrangement inspired by Marcella's very own wedding bouquet, Winter Wonderland!

Now, how about that stunning bouquet?!  I'd say she saved the best for last, but honestly.....I think ALL of the sets are incredible, don't you?  :)  So for my card, I started by coloring this beauty up with  Copics then die cut the image out.  I kept the card design very simple so the bouquet and the beautiful scripty sentiment could really shine.  Speaking of the sentiment, it is on a strip of vellum to add a bit of a frosty texture for this wintry floral image.  My card base is from the same die set.  I decided to make the background really dark to pop the blooms out...so I swallowed hard and pulled out the  Copic N's and a bit of BV.  I will list all of the Copic colors below.  :)

This really is one of the most striking bouquets I have seen Marcella create.  As always, her attention to every teeny tiny detail makes coloring this up a pure dream!  Thank you, thank you, thank you....dear Marcella!  :)

One last look at this lovely image....I'll bet you are already writing this stamp set down on your wish list, right?  Well, that is all for my card today, but some of my Bloomie sisters have some pretty amazing creations to inspire you and entice you....lol!  Make sure you leave them a little blog love while you are there and also check out Marcella's post on the Power Poppy blog for details on today's stamp set.  I thank you for stopping by today, and I hope you can pop back in tomorrow for the Power Poppy blog hop showcasing the new images once more.....AND the really exciting part....all of the stamps will be available in the Power Poppy store!  Yay!  Until then, take care!  :)

Allison Cope 

Christine Okken     

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

~Katie

Dies set used:  Papertrey Ink's Noted: Scalloped A2 Vertical die set; Copics used:  C0, C3, C5, C7, N1, N2, N3, N5, N7, N9, BG90, BG93, BG96, BG99, YG0000, YG21, BV000, BV00, BV04, BV08, BV17, RV000, RV00, RV17, RV52, RV55, RV66, and RV69.

Power Poppy Abundance Stamp Release~Belated Day 3 Post!

Hello there!  This post is for Power Poppy's Abundance stamp release Day 3 that was on Friday.  Unfortunately, I was delayed in getting this up, but equipment seems to be working properly now and I am so excited to share my card.  This new set is called Tree of Life, and it is a beaut.....

Isn't that the prettiest tree you've ever seen?  I l-0-v-e all of the little birds perched on branches, the pomegranates...sigh.  I chose to keep my card light on the layers and have one big image panel to show off this beautiful  tree.  I started by die cutting my image panel and stamping my image with Memento's Tuxedo Black ink.  Next, I stamped the darling sentiment from this set with three inks to give it a gradient look.  Using my MISTI made this a snap to do!  Once that was done, I colored up my image with Copics.

After all the coloring was done, I sponged on a little Ranger Distress Ink in Tumbled Glass and adhered the image panel to my assembled card base.  This card measures 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".  Mercy, how I love this image.  Marcella really outdid herself with this one....can't you just hear the birds chirping?  :)

Yes, indeed....it is a beautiful life!  Complete with pretty illustrations to color compliments of the Bloom Whisperer herself....Marcella.  :)  I know you are going to want to add this dear set to your collection.  Did you see what all of my Bloomie team mates created with this set?  They really knocked it out of the park...let me tell you!  If you haven't checked them out, please do....and leave a little blog love while you are there.  :)

Well, that is all for this card....but I do have another post today that I would love for you to see....it is for Day 5 of Power Poppy's stamp release.  Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you'll stop in again soon.  Until then, take care!  :)

Allison Cope 

Christine Okken 

Cindy Lawrence    
Julie Koerber 
Kathy Jones 
Katie Sims <------You are here 
Stacy Morgan 
Tosha Leyendekker

~Katie

Supplies not listed above:  Paper-Rustic White and New Leaf card stocks from Papertrey Ink, patterned paper from My Favorite Things' "Tiny Check Brights" 6x6 paper pad; Ink-Memento's Tuxedo Black, Pear Tart, Bamboo Leaves, and Cottage Ivy;  Other-Wink of Stella clear brush pen, "Noted:Scalloped A2 Vertical Die" set from Papertrey Ink,  and these Copic colors-YG11, YG13, YG17, YG21, YG61, YG63, YG67, YG91, G29, G40, G43, G46, E40, E43, E44, E47, E49, E50, E51, E53, E55, E57, E59, R30, R32, R35, R37, R39, Y08, Y19, B91, B93, B97, B99, and BV13.

Power Poppy's Abundance Stamp Release~Day 3!

Hello there and Happy Friday to you!  Today is Day 3 of Power Poppy's Abundance stamp release.  Due to a few technical difficulties, I was unable to post photographs today, but I did want to have a link for you to check out today's incredibly beautiful stamp set...Tree of Life.  

Make sure you check out the Power Poppy blog for details and a hop list.  Those Bloomie teammates of mine really knocked it out of the park!  I hope you will stop back by on Sunday for the finale of the stamp release. 

Until then....take care!  :)

~Katie

It's Another Power Poppy Friday!

Happy Friday to you and welcome!  I hope your day is going well.  Got anything special planned for the weekend?  I am looking forward to some quiet (and hopefully crafty) time at home.  :)  I have a card to share with you that was inspired by that darling Julie Koerber's latest Hues to Use challenge over on the Power Poppy blog.  You can see all of the details here!  :)

Aren't those blues a lovely combination?  There are so many possibilities!  For my card, I chose to use the Sweet Memories stamp set for my image and the sentiment is from the Burst of Kindness set.  

I started by stamping my image with Memento's Tuxedo black ink on a piece of cream card stock trimmed slightly larger than the navy frame that it would be layered underneath.  After coloring it up with Copics and adding some shimmer with my Wink of Stella clear brush pen, I used my Krylon 18KT gold leafing to give the edges a nice finish.

Next, I assembled my card front using a couple of different patterned papers, a strip of navy paper at the top and a bit of punched trim at the bottom.  After stitching it all together, I adhered it to a navy card base.  This card measures 3 5/8" x 5 5/8".  *If you've ever wondered why my cards sometimes have some pretty strange measurements, it's because many times I use a layering die for one of my panel cuts and then I either build the card out or in based on what size I used.  In this case, I used a rectangle die for the largest patterned paper cut and then trimmed the other patterned paper to fit inside it. 

For my sentiment, I stamped it on to a banner die cut using Stampin' Up!'s Night of Navy ink.  *I will add here that I used Papertrey Ink's Chamomile and Chai inks to distress the edges of my panels before I put everything together.  

Isn't that delicate swirling stem detail simply precious?  Marcella really did a beautiful job capturing that Sweet Pea's dainty personality, don't you think?  :)  

So that is all for my card today, but some of my Bloomie sisters have some beautiful cards to share with you for your crafty inspiration.  Make sure you leave them a little blog love while you are there and then I hope you will pop back in soon for another visit.  Have a great weekend and until next time, take care!  :)

Christine Okken      

Katie Sims <------You are here 
Stacy Morgan 
Tosha Leyendekker

~Katie

Supplies not listed above:  Paper-Classic Ivory from Flourishes, Blueberry Sky card stock from Papertrey Ink, Night of Navy card stock from Stampin' Up!, patterned papers from Anna Griffin's "Madison" 6x6 paper pad; Other-dotted scallop ribbon border punch from Stampin' Up!, rectangle die from Spellbinder's 5x7 Matting Basics B set, banner die from PTI, Stitched Rectangle Frames die from My Favorite Things and these Copic colors:  B91, B93, B95, B97, B99, E40, E42, E44, E47, W00, W0, W1, and W3.

Power Poppy's March Stamp Release~Day 1!

Hello, hello, hellooo! I am so glad you could pop in today for Day 1 of Power Poppy's March stamp release!  Let me just tell you, Marcella has been at it again and has a stamp release like you will not believe!  Eight, yes....eight new stamp sets will be revealed over the next several days and they are all stunners!  But don't just take my word for it...you can see for yourself today....starting with this darling new stamp set, Natural Beauties.  

Pretty sweet little image, right?  Well, just you wait....I'll bet you will be able to spy them all along the hop today!  For my project, I chose to use the wee little trillium with mushrooms for my main image and then used the lily of the valley and star flower along with the trillium for some background stamping.  My idea was to make a gift bag using a simple brown paper bag.  I like to use these for gift cards.  :)

So I started by stamping my bag with my background images.  Next, I went to work on my belly band to hold the bag closed.  I started with a tag die cut, stamped my sentiment and  trillium and colored it with Copics.  After some distress inks, and some added detail with a Sakura white glaze pen and a Wink of Stella Clear brush pen it hit me that I could turn this tag in to a mushroom.  So, I cut out the mushroom top using some red card stock and an oval die.  I cut both ends off the oval to serve as the front and back of my mushroom cap.  Next, I took a couple of circle punches to add the spots to my mushroom cap then added some white card stock in between the front and back layers.  I added the assembled mushroom cap to my tag to form the mushroom stem.  All that was left was to add the ribbon and button to a strip of patterned paper and then attach the assembled mushroom.

Just look at those teeny tiny little mushrooms!  They are so adorable, don't you think?  I did add some shimmer to the centers of my punched dots on the mushroom cap with the Wink of Stella pen but I am not sure if you can see it in the photos.  

One last look at these darling images.  Don't you just love wee images that you can use on tags?!  The detail on all of these are really incredible!  

Ok, so now that I have shown you my project I can't wait for you to see what my Bloomie sisters have created for your inspiration! Oh, the beautiful cards you will see....truly.  :)  I thank you for your visit today, and I hope that you will stop back by tomorrow for Day 2 of our Spring Fling stamp release!   Until then, take care!  

**Oh, oh.....I can't believe I almost forgot to share a little tidbit that I know you are going to l-o-v-e....Marcella will be offering coordinating dies for some of the stamp sets this release! How exciting is that?!  Stay tuned on the Power Poppy blog for more intel on this amazing development at Bloom Central!  ;)  

Allison Cope 

Christine Okken 

Cindy Lawrence    
Julie Koerber 
Kathy Jones 
Katie Sims <------You are here 
Stacy Morgan 
Tosha Leyendekker

~Katie

Supplies not listed above:  Paper- PTI Rustic White and Pure Poppy card stock, green patterned paper from scrap box; Ink- Memento's Tuxedo Black, PTI's Chai and Chamomile, PTI's Dark Chocolate, Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap; Other- paper bag from Stampin' Up!, ribbon and button from PTI, oval die from Spellbinders, tag die from PTI, circle punches from Stampin' Up!, Stampin' Up! spritzer tool with Crumb Cake and Early Espresso markers, and these Copic colors: R22, R24, R29, G40, G43, G46, G28, E40, E41, E44, E47, E50, E51, E55, E57, B0000, B000, C1, C3, and C5.

Are You Ready for Power Poppy's March Power & Spark Challenge?

Hi there and Happy Friday to you!  I am so glad you could stop by today.  It is time for Power Poppy's March Power & Spark challenge and I get to be the hostess this month!  So can you guess what the theme is? ;)  Let's take a peek at the details, shall we?

Yep, Let's Go Green!  I really was inspired by Pantone's 2017 Color of the Year~Greenery.  Here's a little bit about the challenge....

In honor of Pantone’s 2017 Color of the Year choice, “Greenery”,  let’s create projects featuring green!  

Here is an excerpt from Pantone’s  description of “Greenery”…

Greenery is a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew. Illustrative of flourishing foliage and the lushness of the great outdoors, the fortifying attributes of Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate.

Now, doesn’t that sound like a color highlighting the Power Poppy vibe?!  I think so!  So, let’s go wild with green! But, you don’t have to limit yourself to just using the color green!  You can also “Go Green” by using a "recycled" element on your project.  However you choose to play along, just make sure you show us your green!

So, are you up for the challenge?  I hope so, 'cause we would love to have you play along this month....and the best part is, if you share your creation with us on the Power Poppy blog, you could win a prize!  Yay!  :)

So lemme show you my card for the challenge...

There's a bit o'green there, I would say...lol!  I started by printing the darling digital image Wish You Luck on to some Papertrey Ink Rustic White card stock and coloring it up with Copics.  Next, I die cut my image and also some additional die cut layers in a mix of papers.  As you can see, I pulled out the big guns for this one....my highly coveted Marianne Design die set in Anja's Square.  Sigh...yep, I still hear angels sing when I use this one...and now maybe a bagpipe, lol!  

Anyway, I couldn't resist adding some gold leafing with my Krylon 18KT Gold Leafing pen then some shimmer to the shamrock blooms with some Martha Stewart clear glitter.  And because I just had to add the "one more thing"....I added some wee little pearls to the centers of the shamrocks.

One way to really add some dimension when you are coloring up a bouquet of the same bloom is to grab your darkest color that you are using and color in between the blooms.  That will instantly pop out the blooms in the foreground giving you instant depth.  Really...it works like a charm every time!  You could even say, it works like a lucky charm.....hee!  Ok, I couldn't resist that one!  ;)

I sized and printed the sentiment from the same digital set and die cut it with a fishtail banner.  

One last close up to show off Marcella's handiwork.  Isn't it something how she always manages to give us these glorious images and also pairs them up with sweet sentiments in darling fonts?!  I know, right?

Ok, so that is all for my card today, but some of my Bloomie sisters have worked their magic and created cards for your Friday inspiration.  Make sure you check them out and leave them a little blog love while you are there.  Then, c'mon and play along with us!  We would love to see what you create.  I am so glad you were able to visit today and here's wishing you luck on your challenge entry!  Until next time, take care.

Allison Cope 

Christine Okken

~Katie

Supplies not listed above:  Paper-Papertrey Ink's Spring Moss, Graphic 45's "Twelve Days of Christmas" 6x6 paper pad; Other-Spellbinders Standard Circles Large, Classic Scalloped Circles Large, and Blossom Three die sets, Papertrey Inks Tag Sale Quilted die, Ranger Distress Ink in Weathered Wood, PTI's Chamomile ink, and these Copic colors: YG21, YG61, YG63, YG67, G29, V93, BV20, BV23, and BV25.