Creative Confetti: Mini Me!

Hello all and happy Tuesday! How is everyone doing this week? Here in my neck of the woods it has been a scorcher temperature-wise, so I was happy to get some time to create and stay cool and creative! Recently, I scrolled through some of my recent cards and thought about design and what I liked about certain creations and what I didn't love about others. That got me thinking about being inspired. And.... that's what helped craft the idea behind this week's Creative Confetti Challenge. Are you ready?

HOW TO PLAY: Be inspired by one of your past creations and use it to inspire a "mini" version of the original! Notice how I said, be "inspired?" If you want to get technical and create a mini layout, go for it! But, if you want to take some of the elements of the larger creation and share just a few of those on a mini card, let's see what you've got! I chose to be inspired!

Let's take a look at my creative process!

First of all, I want to share the inspiration for my mini. A few months back, I hosted the Inspire Me Monday tutorial and mashed up a few techniques to come up with what I call Embossed Silhouette. Ever since that tutorial, I've been looking for new ways to incorporate this look because it is so easy and ushers in dramatic results. So, here's a peek at some of the cards that inspired today's creation. And... HERE's a link to the original tutorial as well. 

And, here's a peek at my "mini!" Instead of using the Power Poppy set Vibrant Thanks, which is currently sold out, I decided to pick one that you could actually get your hands on now! ;-) I chose the stamp set Poppies. 

Instead of making a rectangle card, I decided to use some stitched circle dies to create not only my card base but the layers as well. I folded a 4" by 4" piece of black card stock and then set my die on top, leaving just a sliver of the card at the fold to keep the card's integrity and still have a circle shape. Then, I used one size smaller die for my white layer. And, I cut one smaller from that to serve as my mask so that I could sponge on that bold color.

First up, if you looked at the tutorial link, you know I stamped the poppies stamp in black ink and then colored it all up using a black marker to create a silhouette.

As you can see, I used My MISTI stamping tool to keep my circle in place because after I colored it (I didn't remove it from my MISTI), I inked up my stamp with Versamark ink and then heat embossed using white detail powder to get that detailed silhouette image. Afterward, I lined up my mask and using low tack tape, taped both the mask and the main image down real good so that it wouldn't move as I sponged on the ink. For my ink, I used Morocco and Lady Bug inks by Memento.

And then, the fun continued! Not only did I add a little pizazz to the envelope...

I added a little something extra to the inside of my mini card!

If you missed it, I also made an envelope liner using that pop of orange on the inside...

I added the "Dear Friend" sentiment from the stamp set Heart Abloom and a few iridescent sequins and.. ta da! Finished! I think it turned out so cute and you can still see the inspiration from the original creation.

And that, my friends, is it! Want to join me this week? Simply create, post and then link up using the linky below! As we always say, if you get those fingers inky and play along, each and every link is an opportunity to win a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! Woo Hoo!

Until next time!

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Creative Confetti: A Walk in the Garden

Hello all and Happy Tuesday! Today, I thought we'd take a trip outside to be inspired by the beauty around us! How many times, when you plant flowers in your yard, reach for the same flowers? The same colors? How do they make you feel? Well, this week's challenge is all about being inspired by those flowers and colors!

HOW TO PLAY: Take a look at your favorite flower or flowers and be inspired! Use your favorite flower in your creation or take the hues of their petals and leaves and use those colors as your creative palette!

On to my creation!

When I decided upon this challenge, I had several flats of flowers on my back patio, just waiting to be planted! So, this one was easy for me. In fact, the picture behind the graphic above is actually of a few of those flowers! One staple that I always use in my patio pots is geraniums. They are hardy, bold in color and bloom with tons of buds waiting in the wings. I love the promise of new color waiting to sprout!

For my creation, since I was being influenced by Geraniums, my choice for inspiration was super easy --  Power Poppy's stamp set Geraniums Take Two! This card is super straight forward. I stamped my image using Memento Espresso Truffle ink. Then, I colored it up with Copic markers, limiting myself to just a few. I used my "scribble" technique, brushing petals willy nilly, using the darker shades in the centers of the petals and working my way out as I go. I used R35, R32, R30 and R0000 for the petals. YG03, YG06, YG61 and YG63 for the leaves and then added a pop of blue using BG0000, BG10 and BG11 in the background for a little more color.

Here's a little closeup for you! 

From there, I matted it all up using a decorative paper with a little graphic punch and a sentiment stamped on black and heat embossed using white detail powder. The sentiment is from the Power Poppy stamp set called Cheerful Columbine, which sadly looks to be sold out at the moment.

By the way, have you checked out the Power Poppy sale that is still going on? There are so many clear sets that are deeply discounted and digital stamp sets that are on sale too! So many fun images that you can get for less!

So, now it's your turn! Take a look at the flowers that inspire you and use those feelings that they evoke... to create! It's just that simple! And, when you do, link up your creation using the linky below! Every single entry will be one more chance at winning a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop!

Until next time, happy stamping!

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Creative Confetti: Flowers for the Front Line

Hello to all you cardmakers, it's Barb here as your host today. Whether you are at home self quarantining or still working. We are all doing our part during this crisis. There is a lot of grief and uncertainty but there is goodness too in the world. That goodness will keep us together!  As a retired ER nurse, my thoughts are with all of the doctors, nurses, and first responders who are on the frontlines taking care of the sick with courage and resolve.  They are the Heros. That's why for today's challenge, I chose to make these front line workers the center of our challenge! 

HOW TO PLAY: Simply make a card with flowers on the front and a sentiment that shows how you feel about our Frontline.  It should be a thank you or an encouragement. I will urge you to not only make a card but to send it off to your local Emergency Room Staff.  I will be mailing mine to my friends that are working long hours to help. Let's spread some goodness and make them feel valued and appreciated. 

On to my Creation!

I used a digital stamp called Hummingbird Paradise. It comes with or without a hummingbird. I placed a sentiment in the middle from two different digital sets. One is Flower Bomb and the other is Acorn Ornament. They fit nicely in the middle. I printed it out with my laserjet printer which enabled me to use heat foil the sentiment. The rest was colored with my Copic markers.

Here you can see the foiled sentiment  

And now, Let's see you make Flowers for the Frontline! Share your creations by linking them up below using the linky below. Every single entry will be in the running for a $25 gift card to the Power Poppy Shop!

Please stay safe and well, until next time!

Barbara

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Creative Confetti: Small & Sassy!

Hello all and Happy Tuesday! Gosh, I made it here just in the nick of time, didn't I? It's been a crazy week at the Koerber house, so thanks for waiting for me! How is your New Year going? I hope 2020 is off to a rip roarin' good start for each and every one of you! 

With the new calendar, we have a new creative beginning! Who is ready? I know I am and can't wait to usher in a whole host of new challenges and different ways to spice up our weekly gathering. Get ready for some fun things down the road! Also, be sure to stick around to the end of this post when we unveil who was the winner of our December Creative Confetti Challenge!

Recently, I was in my craft room trying to scale back and organize and I stumbled upon some 4-1/2" square envelopes. They were so cute really. I know, it's an illness when we call an envelope cute but bear with me because those square little envies sparked this challenge! 

HOW TO PLAY: All you need to do is, just as the graphic suggests, create a card that's smaller than the typical A-2 size, which is 4.25" by 5.5". Anything goes! You can even choose a different shape. Make it square. Use a die-cut to create a circle card, whatever your little heart desires. Just do one thing -- make it small and sassy! ;-) 

On to my creations!

Being that I had a stack of these envelopes, I thought it might be fun to create not one, but a whole set of cards that maybe I could give as a gift. I have a few friends who really love these for birthdays and low and behold, one of them has a birthday coming up! So, winner, winner, chicken dinner!

I started with the digital stamp set by Power Poppy called Forget-Me-Not Heart. I love this image because the flowers are just as sweet as can be and you can color it up in a jiffy. It made creating four of these cards a breeze! I started by opening up the file and used the heart with the sentiment "Thank You" already placed inside. I grabbed my Copic Markers and went to town coloring! All four cards had leaves colored up with YG00, YG23 and YG25. For the flowers below, I used R81, R83 and R85. All centers of the flowers were colored with Y11 and Y17. Then, when all was done, the centers were dabbed with a wee bit of white gel pen, just for a little extra something!

The petals on this card were colored with B60, B63 and B66. Using the blank Forget Me Not Heart, I added different sentiments to each of the remaining cards. For this one, I used the sentiment from the digital stamp set Pure Prairie Bouquet. 

The petals here took on Y02 and Y11 and the sentiment was from Power Poppy's Easy Breezy Coneflower digital stamp set. 

 And this one was colored with BG11, BG13 and BG15. The sentiment was from the Camellias digital stamp set. 

The fun part of creating this little four-card set was that I used four base cards from a set I bought at Michaels that offered up all kinds of colors and patterns in one box set with envelopes. I simply trimmed them all down to create a 4-1/4 by 4-1/4" square -- perfect for my little 4-1/2" envelopes! What I trimmed off the cards, I used as accents on the others. It couldn't have worked out any better! I added some little enamel dots and popped some of the die-cut hearts with foam tape and.. ta-da! I was done! All in all, it only took me a little more than an hour to whip up these four cards and now, I have some on hand for a friend! I will probably make a little coordinating box for these, perfect for gifting!

So, with that little dose of inspiration, it's your turn to create a " Small & Sassy" card and then, when you're done, be sure to link it up using the linky below! Every link during the month of January will be added to our random drawing for a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! 

So.... without further ado... let's get to that December 

drawing winner, shall we?

After all the names were thrown into the virtual hat, this is the number drawn by Random.org!

That means our lucky stamper is.... (drum roll please!)

**** LINDA PAIDER!!! ****

And, here is a peek at Linda's beautiful creation using Power Poppy's digital stamp set Season of Serenity... just take in the beauty y'all! 

Linda created this clean and classy creation after being inspired by the birds she sees while taking a gander out of her window. Sigh. I love the thought of being able to see a cardinal or two. You are lucky Linda! And your creation is just stunning! You are the lucky winner of our $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! To claim your prize, all you need to do is email us at bloom@powerpoppy.com and Marcella will go ahead and get your code right to you! Thanks so much for sharing your artistry! 

So, dear happy stampers, it's your turn! Let's see that small and sassy side come out in your creations this week! And, like I said, don't forget to link up your creation below so we can ALL see what you've whipped up! 

Until next time, 

~Julie
Creative Confetti Thrower

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It's World Card Making Day!

Hello sweet peeps! Are you ready to let your fingers get inky and watch the paper fly? Well, what are you waiting for? It's our day happy stampers!

It's World Card Making Day!

Power Poppy wants to help you celebrate! Just in case you missed it, Power Poppy released 10 -- yes TEN -- new digital stamp sets yesterday full of fall flair!

IT'S A POWER POPPY FALL DIGITAL BLITZ! 

Just CLICK HERE to see the gorgeous sets and CLICK HERE to see Marcella's post yesterday showing off some of the beautiful creations that some of the Bloomies and Instant Gardeners created for this release! Maybe we can enable you to pick a few up at the Power Poppy Shop to create some autumnal masterpieces in your own stamping spaces!

To help you creatively enjoy this beautiful season and add some beautiful fall-themed cards to your stash, we thought we'd usher in a little WORLD CARD MAKING DAY CHALLENGE! 

HOW TO PLAY

• Create on this World Card Making day with a fall theme in mind!
• We will enter your card twice if you create with fall in mind and use a sentiment that shares a theme of gratitude!
• We will enter your card three times if you create with fall in mind, use a sentiment of gratitude AND use a Power Poppy stamp!
• Link up your creation below so we can all see!

Once you link up, you'll be entered to win a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! And, if you do decide to load up on some of the new sets, here's an extra little incentive for you!

Just use the coupon code above to get five bucks off any purchase of $15 or more! Woot Woot! What a deal! 

In honor of World Card Making Day, we have some of the Bloomies and Instant Gardeners on standby to give you a shot of inspiration before you get to crafting! So, be sure you stop by and say "hey" to these lovely ladies! 

Ally Cope

Nancy Sheads

Julie Koerber 

Thanks for stopping by on this special day! Play along with us -- you have until Thursday night at 8PM EST! We'll draw a winner and announce next Friday here on the Power Poppy blog! So, even if you don't have time this weekend, you still have plenty of time to take part!

Happy World Card Making Day Everyone!
~Julie 

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Creative Confetti: Thank You... NEXT!

Hello everyone! Are you ready for a little Tuesday fun? I know I am! If you missed my Inspire Me Monday, you might want to start HERE because today's challenge is based on some tips and tricks I shared yesterday! How many of you out there (show of hands please) have a tough time creating cards en masse? If you answered "yes," then stay tuned! This challenge is just for YOU! 

HOW TO PLAY: Just as the graphic suggests, this week all you need to do is create a card that has elements that are easy to reproduce! Simple elements, clean lines, die cuts, smaller items to color, fun accents that add pizzazz! You choose! Just show us why this card would be a great card to produce many of at a time!

On to my creation! 

As I mentioned yesterday in my little tutorial HERE, I used THIS card as my inspiration from a Stampin' Up kit (lower left corner), knowing that I could recreate the same look and feel with a little Power Poppy goodness! Is it exact? No! But, does it have some of the same elements? I think so! I could have watercolored the background and added some accents as my inspiration card did, but I wanted to make it "easy!"  

The result was this below! Six cards in about an hour including choosing papers, die cutting, coloring and assembly! I chose Power Poppy's Abundant Petals stamp set along with the set's coordinating dies. 

So, hop on over, read my tips and tricks and then, share a design that you think would be easy to mass produce! I think it would be fun to see your creations and then bookmark your designs to mass produce more cards in the future! Wouldn't it be great to have some other themed creations on hand to have for those times when only a handmade card will do! 

Remember Power Poppy Peeps! Every time you play along and link up your creation, you will be in the running for a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! So, get those fingers inky and show us your creations! We can't wait to see what you come up with!

Thanks for stopping by & happy creating! 

~Julie 

a.k.a. Creative Confetti Thrower 

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Creative Confetti: All You Need Is LOVE!

Hello Sweet Peeps! Today, as we throw up the Creative Confetti to inspire a new batch of artsy endeavors, we are honing in on an upcoming holiday that's designed to share the love! That's what we do as card makers, right? So, this little challenge should be a piece of cake! Or, maybe a box of truffles....  ;-)

With Valentine's Day just 9 days away, do you need a little nudge to dig deep into your stamp stash to pull out those love-inspired images? Or, do you need to be enabled to hit up the Power Poppy Shop for some "love"-ly illustrations? Check out all the LOVE stamps HERE! Some are digis, which means that you get some instant gratification with that purchase! And if you want to narrow it down to Valentine's Day, just click HERE! 

On to my creation! 

If this little number looks familiar, it's because this project took center stage yesterday for Inspire Me Monday! You can click HERE to see the full tutorial on how to make this little Valentine's Day Box. It is a super easy project and you can whip it up in no time. It's the perfect size for a few pieces of chocolate -- just enough to let those you love know that you are "sweet"on them! ;-) I used the Va-Va-Valentines Digital Stamp Set, which just so happens to be on sale right now. Six images and four sentiments for just $7.99! I love this set because you can create a half dozen different little Valentines in one fell swoop! I plan to make two more of these little boxes so that I can give one to my hubby, my son and my daughter too! 💗

Because we have a new month, we have a new linky below AND, we have a chance to pull a winner from the virtual hat for a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! So, let's get right to it! Random.org says the winner is......

which means our lucky stamper is....

***AMY MARSHALL***

Amy, feel free to contact us at bloom@powerpoppy.com and we will get your winning code sent your way! 

Before we go, want to see the cute creation Amy whipped up for one of our Creative Confetti Challenges? Check it out!

Amy played along with our sketch challenge HERE last week and I absolutely adore her card, which uses Power Poppy's Cozy Cupfuls stamp set!  I just love the distressed feel of this little cheerful card and you know I love the splash of sparkle that she added! Well done, Amy! Well done! 

So, what will you make for our "All You Need Is LOVE" Challenge this week? I can't wait to see... and be inspired! Once you're done creating, don't forget to link up your card using the linky below so that we can see your handiwork and, at that point, you'll also be in the running for a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop too! So, as I love to say, get inspired then get those fingers inky!

Until next time!

~Julie 
Creative Confetti Thrower

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Creative Confetti: Let's throw up a sketch!

Hi folks! How's your week shaping up so far? Grand, I hope! I thought since it had been a while since we did a sketch, maybe it was time to cue up one to inspire some crafty endeavors this week!

Instead of recreating the wheel, I decided to pull up a card from my personal blog and use THAT as inspiration! To pick just one, I decided to go with the card I created closest to this date last year. And, that's where the inspiration sprouted for this week's sketch! So, after scrolling back, here's the sketch!

And here's the card that inspired it!

As you can see, I used Power Poppy's stamp set Poppies and colored it all up with Copic Markers. I love, love, love the red and purple color combo and that splash of yellow helps give that bit of visual punch! It will be fun to see what color combo you rock! Just a little note, I used the clear stamp set but there is a similar set you can download in a digital stamp set called Perfect Poppies. It is JUST as beautiful! Be sure to check it out! ;-) 

And here's a close up for you, so you can see those vibrant poppies! 

Now, for those of you who love a little extra bit of a challenge, check out Power Poppy's Sketch board over on Pinterest HERE. If you want "extra credit" and want to try a different sketch to upload for this challenge, head on over to that board and choose one! Just that simple! I noticed we need to get more in the habit of ushering in sketch challenges because that board has just shy of a dozen. It would be nice to build on this and have dozens to pick from! ;-) So, keep playing along and we'll add to that board every now and then.

Until then, let's see your take on one of these layouts! Feel free to flip it any which way you like as well. Just make sure you reference the original sketch so we can see how you interpreted it! Once you're done creating, don't forget to link up your card using the linky below so that we can see your handiwork and, at that point, you'll also be in the running for a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop too! So, as I love to say, get inspired then get those fingers inky!

Until next time!

~Julie 
Creative Confetti Thrower

An InLinkz Link-up

“Pick” a fruity focal point!

Hello everyone! Are you ready for a fun-filled and -- dare I say -- delicious challenge this week that puts some sweet tasting bits of nature in the spotlight? Let's throw up some Creative Confetti to see how those little artsy bits fall, shall we? 

With the release of My Favorite Pair over the weekend, I thought the time was perfect for a fruit-inspired challenge! Don't you think?

HOW TO PLAY: To play along in the Tutti Fruitti Challenge, pick one of your favorite fruit images and.... create! Power Poppy has plenty of inspiration to "pick" from! ;-) To make it super easy, I've listed them for you! Some are digital stamps, which would make it super simple to get your hands on. The others are clear stamp sets that you just might have in your polymer stash! 

DIGITAL STAMPS 

Apples in Season
Berry It
Cherries and Berries
Juicy Strawberries
Lilac & Lemons
My Favorite Pair
Partridge in a Pear Tree
Tea Cake with Strawberries
Wreath: Boxwood & Cranberry 

CLEAR STAMPS

Farmers MarketGo Wild  -  there are berries in that bouquet!

Lilac Time -- check out the lemons!
Tea in the Garden
Tree of Life - that tree is loaded with fruit!

Whew, that's quite a few stamps, huh? Lots to pick from folks -- lots to pick from! 

On to my creation!

I have to be honest, with my work week being as it is, I didn't have time for a full-fledged card but I did have a blast coloring up the latest digital offering from Power Poppy!

I colored up My Favorite Pair using Copic Markers and the no-line version of the digital stamp set. I did kind of get lost in the process and it was divine! I was going to list all the Copic Markers that I used but honestly, I have about 40 on my desk as we speak and they just weren't going to fit in one photo together! After I colored up my image, I did add further definition to the leaves using a dark green Prismacolor colored pencil. I love how it brings out the veins of the leaves and delivers just the right amount of visual punch.

Now because I didn't have time to create a card, you'll have to stay tuned! I hope when the Bloomies come back for our Good Vibe Friday that I'll be in the mix with a card! So, you'll have to swing back to see what this colored up image turned in to. 

So take a trip into the Instant Garden over at Power Poppy or dig into your stamp set stash and pick out a fruity image to create with me this week! If you play along and link up your creation below, you'll be in the running for a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! So, as I like to say, get those fingers inky (and fruity!) and play along! One more note, our Creative Confetti link goes up at the beginning of the month and stays up all month long, meaning you can link up any one of the challenges for the month of January -- as many times as you like! Fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I can't wait to see what you create! 

~Julie 

Creative Confetti Thrower

An InLinkz Link-up

Creative Confetti: Tag You're It!

Hi Power Poppy Peeps! If you celebrate this beautiful season, are you ready? Have you made your lists and checked them twice? I have to say, I am about 2/3 of the way there. I am trying to "be still" however and realize that the real reason for the season is so much more important than if I bake cookies or get that one last gift. :-)

Having said that, we all need a "time out" to create, don't we? Well, for this week's challenge, I tried to focus on something small that you could do to 1. get in the spirit and 2. take some coloring time for yourself!

HOW TO PLAY: It's just as simple as the graphic says! Create a gift tag! Now, while my little bit of inspiration below is a Christmas tag, it doesn't have to be! Make one to have on hand for birthdays or any other holiday for that matter. I just knew this was something quick and easy that would still give you some time to create! 

On to my creation! 

I decided, for my tag, to pick up a medium that I don't often gravitate toward  -- watercolor! It's soothing and I love the dreamy feel it creates when your project is all wrapped up. To get started, I picked up the Power Poppy set called Let Your Heart Be Light. I love, love, LOVE those poinsettias!

To create, I have to say I followed some of the same principles that Ally used in THIS tutorial. Now, I don't have Brusho but I did use Distress Inks to both stamp (Vintage Photo) and paint (Barn Door, Peeled Paint, Scattered Straw, Wild Honey, Antique Paper).  I started by stamping in Vintage Photo and then added a wash using Tattered Rose Distress Ink using a water brush. From there, I just added droplets of ink from my reinkers to a palette and diluting the color, gradually built up my color to where I wanted it to be. Now, I don't pretend to be an expert on watercolor. I have a lot still to learn about shading and really controlling the color but, each project is a chance to hone in on that. 

Here's a close up for you! I am kind of a "scribbler" when I watercolor and just let the ink flow where it wants to. Again, stuff I need to work on! ;-) 

Now, it's your turn! Do you have a last minute tag you'd like to create for that special gift or special someone? I hope you play along with me this week because "Tag, You're It!" After you get those fingers inky, remember to link up your creation below. If you play along, you'll be in the running for a $25 gift code to the Power Poppy Shop! 

Thanks for stopping by! I will say that Creative Confetti will be taking a 2-week break to enjoy the holidays. I will go ahead and leave this linky open, just in case you want to revisit any of the challenges we've ushered in this month. And... we'll announce the December winner when we come back January 8th! I hope you have a beautiful holiday with family and make some amazing memories to cherish for years to come!

Blessings & Peace!

~Julie

An InLinkz Link-up