Planning for Magnolias!

Hello Everyone!  It's Power Poppy Friday and time to have a peek at what the Bloom Brigade have been up to this week!  I can't wait to see where the Bloomies creativity has led them each week and I'm sure, like me, you can't wait to see what gorgeousness they have in store today!  :)

Today I've been playing with the now back in stock, Planning for Magnolias!  This big branch of blooms was just begging to be coloured and I was feeling in a bit of a 'pink' mood, so away I went!  I've used a base of cream and layered with green and some Apple Blossom DP, then added an alternate strip from the same paper pad and attached some cream ribbon.  I've stamped the Magnolias and sentiment from Planning for Magnolias in Memento Tuxedo Black onto X-press It Blending Card and coloured with Copics (RV000, RV52, RV63, RV66, Y21, Y26, YR30, YR31, E84, E87, YG11, YG23, YG17).  I've cut it out with Large Circle Nestabilities and matted with pink cut with Royal Circle Nestabilities and popped it up on X-press It Foam Tape.  To finish I've added some Crystal Drops to the top corner.

Stamps - Planning for Magnolias (Power Poppy)
Paper - X-press It Blending Card, Cream, Green, Pink, Tilda Apple Blossom DP
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories - Copics, Spellbinders Large Circle and Royal Circle Nestabilities, Cream Ribbon, Crystal Drops - Sweet Lilac, X-press It Foam Tape

Time to check out what the other girls have been up to this week, so swing by these blogs for a little eye candy!

Allison Cope

Christine Okken

Cindy Lawrence

Julie Koerber

Kathy Jones
Katie Sims

Power Poppy Blog - Marcella 

That's all from me today, thanks for taking a peek and hope you are inspired to stamp!  :)

JustRite Window Flower Garden

Hello Everyone!  Today I've been playing with a new die set by JustRite Papercraft called Flower Garden Dies!  There are so many options to play with so I decided to make a window flower garden!  Wouldn't it be nice to look out your window at some pretty flowers, I guess a paper flower garden will have to do for now!  :)

I've used a base of cream and layered with blue.  Next I've taken a piece of white and airbrushed it with Copic E97 and a brick wall stencil.  Next I found the window template at Silhouette and cut out the pieces I needed.  Then I had some fun with the Flower Garden Dies - using up a lot of my scraps in various colours - and constructed my window garden!  I airbrushed the window top and bottom in B32 and glued them in place and popped it up on foam tape.  I finished by adding a sentiment from Large Oval Celebration stamps to the bottom corner.

Stamps - Large Oval Celebrations (JustRite)
Paper - White, Cream, Blue, Pink, Yellow, Green, Purple
Ink - Versafine Black
Accessories - JustRite Flower Garden Dies, Silhouette Cameo, Silhouette Window Download, Copic Airbrush System, MFT Brick Wall Stencil, X-press It Foam Tape.

That's all from me today, thanks for visiting and hope you are inspired to stamp!  :)

JustRite Sympathy

Hello Everyone!  Today I'm showing one of the stamps from JustRite's new Large Oval Sympathy Stamp set.  Sadly, it's one of those occasions that you have to have cards for and sometimes finding the right words can be difficult.  Large Oval Sympathy has 16 different sentiments to choose from to help bring comfort at such a sad time.  I really liked the sentiment I've used on today's card, because often there are no words, but your heart hurts for them and you want the recipient to know how much you care.

I've used a base of Soft Sky and layered with white cut with Stitched A2 Banners and Rectangles and a piece of Maja Designs DP (also cut with Stitched A2 Banners and Rectangles).  Around this I've attached to pieces of green ribbon.  The sentiment from Large Oval Sympathy has been stamped in Gray Flannel and cut with Joy Oval Frame Dies, matted with Soft Sky cut with the largest of the die in the same set.  To accent I've added some flowers and cut the leaves of green with Open Leaf Vine Dies.  Finally I've added a few drops of Nuvo Crystal Drops in White to the top corner.

Stamps - Large Oval Sympathy (JustRite)
Paper - White, Soft Sky, Maja Designs DP
Ink - Memento Gray Flannel
Accessories - JustRite Joy Oval Frame Dies, JustRite Stitched A2 Banners and Rectangles, JustRite Open Leaf Vine Dies, Flowers, Nuvo Crystal Drops - Gloss White

That's all from me today, thanks for popping by and hope you are inspired to stamp. 

Juicy Strawberries!

Hello Everyone!  Have I got a mouthwatering card for you today featuring.... Juicy Strawberries!  Say hello to one of the latest digis from Power Poppy which includes an image and two sentiments!  This pretty image was begging to be coloured up ASAP and I loved being able to sit down and happily colour away - it's amazing how soothing and relaxing it can be!  I'm sure you ALL know what I'm talking about!  :)  Now there is a double lot of excitement for you - did you miss the Instant Garden Release that was supposed to happen on 15th April?  Well......we were running a wee bit late, so today there are TWO releases and the Bloom Brigade are joining the Instant Gardeners as we show them off to you!!  Make sure you pop by the other blogs to find out what the other one is!

I've used a base of Wild Wasabi and layered with cream card.  I've sized the Juicy Strawberries image, printed it out on X-press It Blending Card and coloured with Copics (G20, G21, G24, G28, R30, R32, R35, R37, Y00, E40, E21, E23, E25, B0000, B000, B91).  It's been cut out with Labels 8 and matted with Kraft cut with Decorative Labels 8.  Around this I've attached some taupe gingham ribbon.  The sentiment from Juicy Strawberries has also been sized and printed out, cut with Large Circle Nestabilities and airbrushed while still in the die with B01 Copic and then popped up on X-press It Foam Tape.  To finish I've added a couple of buttons!

Stamps - Juicy Strawberries (Power Poppy)
Paper - X-press It Blending Card, Wild Wasabi, Cream, Kraft
Ink - Printer
Accessories - Copics, Spellbinders Large Circle, Labels 8 and Decorative Labels 8 Dies, Taupe Gingham Ribbon, Copic Airbrush System, Buttons

Don't miss ALL the girls from the Bloomies and the Instant Gardeners who have some gorgeous new cards to show off with these two new digis!!  Oh, and say HELLO to our dear friend Dina Kowal who is also joining us today!!

Jennifer Dove
Broni Holcombe
Cheryl Scrivens
Debbie Olson
Barb Walker

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Kathy Jones
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker
Dina Kowal

Marcella Hawley - The Power Poppy Blog

That's all from me today, thanks for popping by and hope you are inspired to stamp!  :)

Poppies for ANZAC Day

Today is a special day in the Australian and New Zealand Calendars - 25th April marks ANZAC Day (Australian New Zealand Army Corp) and originally was created to remember those lost during World War 1.  The ANZACs landed at Gallipoli, Turkey on 25th April 1915 with great loss of life and two thousand wounded.  The following year, 1916, the first ANZAC commemorations began and since then the countries of Australia and New Zealand stop and remember all those who have fought in all wars for their countries, remembering those who lost their lives and thanking those who came home.  This is not to glorify war, rather a day of remembrance.

Today we attended the local ANZAC Day service, our three children marched in the parade with their respective schools and my eldest laid a wreath on behalf of his school.  It is a solemn and poignant day and we thank those who served in defence of our country.  After the ceremony, I felt like creating, but as you can see, not in my usual style.  I was drawn to watercolours - which are most definitely not my strength - perhaps it was the symbolism of water and tears, but I enjoyed creating this card.

I used a base of cream, then a layer of dark red (although it looks darker than that in the photo), with more cream.  Around this is an olive May Arts Ribbon.  I've taken a piece of Watercolour Paper and stamped the image from Power Poppy's Poppies stamp set in Stazon Black and used Bruynzeel Aquarel pencils to colour it with a brush and water.  After the poppies were done, I placed a brick wall stencil over the top and created the background around it.  The sentiment is from Bloomin' Wonderful - a thank you sentiment which is appropriate for today don't you think?  To finish I added a couple of small white pearls for the top - perhaps more symbolism as pearls are for tears.

Stamps - Poppies, Bloomin' Wonderful (Power Poppy)
Paper - Watercolour Paper, Cream, Cherry Cobbler
Ink - Stazon Black
Accessories - Bruynzeel Aquarel Pencils, Brush, Water, Olive May Arts Ribbon, Kaisercraft Snow Pearls

I'll leave with the Ode of Remembrance....

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

LEST WE FORGET

 

Thanks for visiting and reading right through to the end, have a good day and hug your loved ones.

Create a JustRite Flower Garden

Hello Everyone!  Today I've done a little gardening.....stamping style!  JustRite Papercraft have brought out a new stamp set called Create a Flower Garden......and that's exactly what I've done!  Using many of the stamps in the set, I've created my own little, low maintenance flower garden and added a little fence for good measure!

I've used a base of So Saffron and layered with Pistachio Pudding cut with A2 Card Front Basics, Soft Sky cut with A2 Stitched Banners and Rectangles and wrapped some grosgrain ribbon around it all.  I've cut another rectangle of white card using A2 Card Front Basics and then stamped the flowers and grasses from Create a Flower Garden in a variety of Memento inks.  I've added details with Copics (Y00, Y13, YR21, YG11, YG61, YG63, RV52, RV55) and Kirarina Wink Pens (Gold, Pink, Purple).  I've fenced my garden with a Woodgrain Fence Die and added a little greenery with a Grass Die.  To finish I've used the new Best Wishes Sentiment Die to add the sentiment across the fence.

I've also decorated the inside using the leftover piece of fence and grass and stamping another flower!

Stamps - Create a Flower Garden (JustRite)
Paper - White, So Saffron, Pistachio Pudding, Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive
Ink - Memento Inks; Bamboo Leaves, New Sprout, Rose Bud, Canteloupe, Lulu Lavender
Accessories - JustRite A2 Card Front Basics, JustRite A2 Stitched Banners and Rectangles, JustRite Best Wishes Sentiment Dies, Woodgrain Fence Die, Grass Die, Grosgrain Ribbon, Kirarina Wink Pens - Gold, Pink, Purple

A quick note before I go - thank you so much to everyone for their sweet comments about my last card, the Jacaranda Trees.  I had no idea than many of you had never seen or heard of them before! Those of you who have (looking at you Gab) - also had a cool story to tell!  I'm just glad that it resonated with you all and that is what craft and art are all about!  :)

That's all from me today, thanks for popping by and hope you are inspired to stamp!

JustRite Jacarandas

Hello Everyone!  Today I'm playing with lots of new JustRite Papercraft goodies to make my card!  I really like this Multi-Step Seasonal Trees set - just imagine all the tree scenes you can create and as the title says, make it to suit any season at all!!  Here in Australia, very few trees actually change colour and lose their leaves - most are just green all year round!  I guess that is mostly because compared to my friends in the Northern Hemisphere, it's pretty warm all year round and not a flake of snow to be seen!

With that said, I've made the tree on my card into a Jacaranda!  Where I live these trees bloom twice a year, in May and October, lose all their leaves and leave only the purple flowers.  When the flowers die, the green leaves grow back.  They really are beautiful to see in full bloom and very soon my suburb will be full of them!  Here's a picture (not taken by me) for those of you who aren't familiar with them.

I've used a base of purple card and layered with cream, Baked Brown Sugar and some Graphic 45 DP.  Down one side is another piece of DP topped with purple ribbon.  I've taken a piece of white card and used Multi-Step Seasonal Trees to create my tree scene.  I've stamped the trunk in Rich Cocoa and the flowers in Lulu Lavender and Violet inks.  I've added the green grass and black bird using stamps from Multi-Step Seasonal Trees as well.  :)  I've sponged a little green ink across the bottom and blue around the tree.  I've cut this out with Hope Oval Frame Dies and matted with purple card using the largest die from the same set.  I've used the sentiment from Large Oval Sympathy, stamped in Violet ink and cut it out with the tag die from A2 Card Front Basics.  To finish I've added a few dots of Nuvo Crystal Drops in Crushed Grape.

Stamps - Multi-Step Seasonal Trees, Large Oval Sympathy (JustRite)
Paper- White, Purple, Cream, Baked Brown Sugar, Graphic 45 DP
Ink - Memento Rich Cocoa, Bamboo Leaves, Lulu Lavender, Versacolor Violet
Accessories - JustRite A2 Card Front Basics, JustRite Hope Oval Frame Dies, Purple Ribbon, Nuvo Crystal Drops - Crushed Grape

That's all from me today, thanks for popping by and hope you are inspired to stamp!  :)

Happy Birthday Brother

Hello Everyone!  Hopefully everyone caught the big Power Poppy Sale over the week-end when this Layer Cake digi image was only $2, if not it's now only a few dollars more at $5!  This is such a fun image and you can colour it up in so many different ways!  Perfect for males, females and kids - who doesn't love a birthday cake!?  This release came at a perfect time as today is my 'little' brother's birthday and I thought this would be awesome for his card (we all know how hard those MAN cards can be!).  Unlike the last time I coloured up this cake, I've gone with the Ombre style cake with the top layer the lightest shade of blue and slowly darkened to the the deep shade at the bottom.

I've used a base of Marina Mist and pierced all around the edge.  I've layered this with cream and some random DP from my stash.  Down one side I've added a notched tag of Marina Mist.  I've downloaded the Layer Cake digi image and then edited out the sentiment on the banner and replaced it with 'Happy Birthday Craig' in a fun font.  I've printed this out on X-press It Blending Card and coloured it with Copics (B0000, B000, B00, B12, B14, B16, B18, B39, E50, E51, E40, E41, E42, E43, E23, E25, E27, C1, C0, YR30).  I've cut this out with Labels 29 die, attached to the middle of the card and finished with a couple of Enamel Dots.

Stamps - Layer Cake (Power Poppy)
Ink - Printer
Paper - X-press It Blending Card, Marina Mist, Cream, Dotted DP
Accessories - Copics, Spellbinders Labels 29, Paper Piercer, Mat Pack, Enamel Dots

Happy Birthday Craig - hope you have an awesome day with your family and friends!  BIG HUGS!

That's all from me today, thanks for popping by and hope you are inspired to stamp!!

Happy Birthday Power Poppy!!

Hello Everyone!!!  Are you ready to PARTY??  Power Poppy is turning TWO and we want to celebrate with you!  WOOHOO! We want to THANK YOU, our sweet and encouraging peeps around the world, for helping us spread the botanical abundance and zest for life. Your creativity, love, and generosity of spirit is SO STRONG! We are thrilled to kick off another year of flowering and empowering together.  From Friday through Monday, we're offering 20% OFF all Stamps, Digital and Clear. Use discount code: MARCELLA at checkout to receive the special savings. PLUS, for four days only we have a special birthday digi for only TWO BUCKS! Did you see the cake and sentiment I've used for today's card, well this is the fabby new set (plus one more sentiment) called Layer Cake!  Visit Power Poppy to learn more.

It's also Power Poppy Friday and as it's the first Friday of the month, that also means a brand spanking new challenge hosted by the lovely Christine!  This month she's challenged you to use just three colours (which as you can see above, I'm not playing that challenge today!!) and by playing along you could win the stamp set of your choice from Power Poppy!

Power & Spark - 3 Marker Challenge - only use 3 markers to colour. 
1.  Pick three markers from the same colour family to create a monochromatic design
2.  Pick three markers from complementary colour families  - easier to blend
3.  For the courageous or expert....pick three random markers and colour away!

In my 'real' job, I work in a cake supplies store selling all sorts of cake making products, so of course I had to colour up this beauty ASAP!!!  Now you could turn this into an Ombre Cake with the different levels the same colour going from the lightest to darkest shade, but I was in the party mood and gone the full rainbow cake!  I've used a base of Marina Mist and layered with Very Vanilla (with some orange ribbon wrapped around it and some Wild Wasabi cut with Valiant Honor die.  I've printed out the Layer Cake image and sentiment onto X-press It Blending Card and coloured with Copics......LOTS of Copics (so I totally failed the 3 Marker Challenge today!).  I've cut this to fit the green panel and chomped the corners with a corner punch.  To finish I've added a little paper bunting and some sequins for a little birthday sparkle!  :)

Stamps - Layer Cake (Power Poppy)
Paper - X-press It Blending Card, Marina Mist, Very Vanilla, Wild Wasabi, MME Six by Six DP
Ink - Printer
Accessories - Copics, Spellbinders Valiant Honor Die, Buntings and Button Die, Orange Ribbon, Sequins

So many fabulous cards on offer today, for the 3 Marker Challenge, for Power Poppy Friday, for the Birthday Digi release, you won't want to miss it, so pop by and leave a little love!

Allison Cope
Christine Okken
Cindy Lawrence
Julie Koerber
Kathy Jones
Katie Sims
Leslie Miller
Stacy Morgan
Tosha Leyendekker
Cheryl Scrivens
Marcella Hawley - The Power Poppy Blog

Before I sign off for the day, I want to say Good-bye to our totally sweet team member, Leslie who is off to enjoy her retirement with her hubby and making the most of all life has to offer.  As happy as we are for her, we will miss her dearly.  Bye Leslie, it has been such a joy to be on this team with you, enjoy every day and each new adventure and hopefully we will still see you in blogland!  We will MISS YOU!!  HUGS!!!

That's all from me today, enjoy the party and hope you are inspired to stamp!!  :)