Seaside Sweetness

Hello, friends!  I posted yesterday that through this weekend all digital stamps in the Power Poppy shop are on sale for 20% off, and even more fun is that Marcella's doing one of her Digital Blitzes -- 18 new digi downloads previously released only as clear stamps.  There are several I'd like to color, and will eventually, but I'm starting off with Seaside Sweetness.  I've loved this image in the clear set, Under Glass, but being able to enlarge it is one of the things I enjoy most about digis.  For this 5" card I made it big enough to be a significant focal point, but not so big that I couldn't play with the card design around it.

Coloring is with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol on student grade drawing paper.  I don't especially care for the look of this paper's texture, so after coloring I applied three coats of spray matte sealer which smoothed it out and gave it a nice finished look.

The designer paper is Mintay Marina.  Looks like the image and paper were made for each other, doesn't it?  All the Mintay pads come with several sheets of little images and frames and such that can be used for decoration.  In this case the bottle is cute with a sentiment from the Under Glass clear stamp set.  Is that a joy elixir in the bottle?

Here are the details on the sale again:

Marcella will be sending out a newsletter with lots of info and luscious photos, but you can find the entire Spring Digital Blitz Collection here.

You'll also enjoy these samples:

Broni Holcombe
Nancy Sheads
Christine Okken
Barb Walker

So much going on, so much beauty to color, sigh...  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Seaside Sweetness digital stamp set and Under Glass Clear set (sentiment)  Paper:  Mead student grade drawing paper, Neenah white card base covered with Mintay Marina designer paper  Ink:  Printer, Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Prismacolor Pencils with Gamsol odorless mineral spirits  Dies:  Spellbinders Standard Circles Large and Small, Sue Wilson Pierced Flags

Watch for This!

Sale starts today at Power Poppy.  Every digi in the store is 20% off.  All info in the graphic below.  I love when Marcella does a Digital Blitz!  I'll be back with a card sample tomorrow.  See you then!

Framed Dahlia

I have a card for The Flower Challenge today.  My big purple flower is Power Poppy's Dahlia XL clear stamp set.  I started coloring the flower a while back, then I saw the challenge -- "Embossing (Heat or Dry)" -- and thought I'd see what I could do to make it fit.  I ended up with a frame and sentiment that were heat embossed with a special EP concoction, plus an image panel that was dry embossed after coloring.

I recently found a tablet of student grade drawing paper in my closet and thought I'd give it a try with Prismacolor pencils, no Gamsol.  Maybe next time I'll try it with Gamsol as there were some imperfections in this paper which made it difficult to fill in all the nooks and crannies.  The dotty background was done with Copic markers.


I am trying to get better with pencil coloring as I think they may be a good travel medium.  I fixed up a tote bag -- lightweight yet roomy.  No concerns about a Copic marker running dry or going gummy in the middle of coloring.  Just sharpen the pencil and continue on.

To sweeten things up I mounted the framed Dahlia on a card base covered with Mintay Lovely Day designer paper.  You know I love my Mintay.  It's art that can make itself useful.  So beautiful.  I've added four new pads to my collection, sigh... 

Once more... The Flower Challenge #32 -- Embossing (heat or dry).  As mentioned earlier, I heat embossed the frame and sentiment, and dry embossed the image panel.

Supply list below my signature.  I hope you're having a lovely spring day!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Dahlia XL  Paper:  Mead student grade drawing paper, Neenah for frame, sentiment, and card base, SU Pool Party, Mintay Lovely Day designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark  Coloring:  Prismacolor pencils, Copics for background  Accessories:  Mix of Ranger Enchanted Gold and Queen's Gold embossing powder, iridescent sequins, Impression Obsession Rectangle 6-in-1 Frames, Cuttlebug Heritage Collection embossing folder

CAS Christmas: Stocking

Hi, there!  Quick post for a quick card today.  Just playing along in the CAS Christmas Card Challenge with the prompt of "Stocking".

I pulled out one of my pre-made Prima Fairy Flora card bases thinking I could probably make it work for Christmas.  Remember a while back I finished off that paper pad by designing 11 card bases.  Well, it sure helped.  I colored and cut the stocking, stamped the sentiment, hung the stocking with a little glue and a pink rhinestone and it was done!

The stamp set is Power Poppy's Poinsettia from 2014.  Still pretty!

Inside I cut a strip from one of the scraps I saved just for this purpose.

Total Christmas cards so far this year:  18

Thank you, CAS Christmas team!  Wishing everyone a happy weekend!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Poinsettia clear stamp set  Paper:  X-Press It Blending Card for coloring, Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White for card base, Prima Fairy Flora designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Rhinestone, Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangle Stacklets

Double D Challenge: Frames

Hello, friends!  It's Double D challenge time again and, as you may have guessed from the title, we're doing "Frames" this time around.  I hope you can play along!

I love working with frames.  Mostly I like to make my own, adding die cut embellishments to the corners and framing up a stamped and colored image, but today I made something very simple so I could use a new-to-me Poppystamps die.  It's the Greenhouse Potted Plants Sidekick Frame and Stencil.  It comes with some small birds and vines, but I left those off today and instead added a cheerful flower from the Poppystamps Sending Scribbles set.

Here's our mood board for your inspiration:

The team has the very difficult task of voting on creative favorites, and a random winner will receive this prize:

I also used a new Poppystamps sentiment set -- Birthday Blowout.  All the clean white is not exactly what I had initially envisioned for this die, but I saw these colors in the mood board and thought I'd go with it.  Funny thing is, I like it!  Maybe it's that funky yellow flower.

Come see the team samples at Double D.  No two alike and all a delight!

There are more card details in the recipe below.  Thank you so much and I'll see you again soon!

Stamps:  Poppystamps Birthday Blowout, Sending Scribbles  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White, SU Cool Caribbean  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark, Cool Caribbean (sponged thru stencil onto white panel under frame, creating a halo around pots)  Accessories:  Signo Uniball white gel pen, white embossing powder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape  Dies:  Poppystamps Greenhouse Potted Plants Sidekick Frame and Stencil, Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangle Stacklets (inside)

CAS Watercolor: For a Child

Hello on a Monday, friends!  I can hardly believe I'm back so soon with another card.  I'm starting to feel like one of those people who stamps a lot.  I changed my morning routine, got new stamps and, well, things happen.  I don't know how long I can keep this up as we've already gone on our first camping trip (last week) and now that the weather has changed we'll be out and about a lot.

For the time being, I've been inspired by some challenges I hope to play in more often.  Today it's the CAS Watercolor Challenge.  This month's theme is "For a Child", and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to ink up my new MFT Picture Perfect set.  I didn't buy this set with kids in mind, but it works.  I made this into a birthday card which will go to one of the little girls next door.  Between us we have three dogs, so it's perfect -- picture perfect!

Per the challenge rules I watercolored and kept the card clean and simple.  I used Tombow markers and some MFT dies and mounted the image panel on a grocer's kraft card base.  The sentiment is MFT Die-namics #Captions, frame is Wonky Stitched Rectangle Stax, and leaf sprig is Wild Greenery.  I had to put the leaf sprig there to cover up a splotch where I dropped a marker, but the card is better for it.  Nice how that works out sometimes.

That's all for today.  Thanks, CAS Watercolor team, for the creative spark.  Have yourself a beautiful day... hug a furry friend and try on a smile!

Twofer Card Challenge #16: Things with Wheels

It's time for another Twofer Card Challenge, friends!  We're doing "Things with Wheels" this time, so put your thinking caps on and go traditional or unconventional with your trains, planes, and automobiles, bicycles, wheelbarrows, lawn mowers, whatever... you get the picture.  This should be fun!

Below are the rules in a nutshell, but please see the Twofer Blog for more info.

I used another one of my new acquisitions for my Twofer cards.  It's Spellbinder's Truckin' Through the Seasons, which was the October 2018 large die of the month.  It was available for a while to non-club members, then not available, then available again... I kept missing out.  This time when it became available I snatched it right up, no hesitation.  As I write this it appears to be unavailable again.  Whew, I feel lucky!

So... I have a birthday card and a baby card:

The birthday card will be mailed to a guy friend in July.  Nothing like stamping ahead!  I put a frame over a pre-made Distress Oxide ink background, then the truck over that.  I had to slip a dog from another die set into the truck.  Wally or LuLu?  Our friend will appreciate it.  Frame is Memory Box Pine Forest Frame and dog is Amy Designs Cats and Dogs.  Sentiment from Poppy Stamps Sending Scribbles set.

Baby boy gets a plaid truck.  Why not?  Wouldn't it be fun to see this driving down the street?  Maybe I'll do polka dots next.  I have a feeling I'll use this truck a lot!  Banner is La-La Land Random Flags Banner and sentiment is an older Impression Obsession set called Straight From Heaven.

Well, that was fun!  I just know we'll see all kinds of your fun wheeled things in the Twofer gallery before it wraps up on the 24th.  You'll get a kick out of all the team samples on the Twofer Blog, so be sure and pop over there.  We have Hilary Jane and Cornelia guest designing for the May challenge, too.  Happy day!

See you again soon.  Wishing you all things wonderful!

Something to Laugh About

Oh, hi!  I'm glad you stopped by because I really wanted to share a funny with you today.  I thought of each and every one of you when I bought the stamps I used on these cards.  I think you can relate.

That's a Rubbernecker sentiment called Any More Stamps and the Art Impressions Laughing Set.  Yes, they're part of my recent shopping spree and I'm having the BEST time playing.  However, I've curtailed the shopping for the time being because I told myself I wouldn't buy anymore stamps until I've used everything I have at home.  Hahahahahahahaha!  Honestly.

I'd like to send one of these cards to each of my stamping friends, but I only made four.  I used one of the sentiments from the Laughing Set inside each card.

My laughing girlfriends were all stamped on Arches 140 lb cold pressed watercolor paper and watercolored with Tombow markers, then cut out and glued onto the card.  I'll list more details in the recipe below.

Oh, my gosh, this was fun!  I hope it gave you a giggle.  Have a happy day!