Power Poppy - The Blog: Season's Greenings

Showing posts with label Season's Greenings. Show all posts

Monday

Inspire Me Monday is Back!

Hello, flower-loving friends! The Power Poppy Bloom Brigade is happy to announce that Inspire Me Monday is back! The team will be sharing inspiration projects every Monday of each month. Plus, on the third Monday, Christine Okken will be sharing a MONTH-LONG CHALLENGE!

Today is my day! I get to kick things off by sharing a project and some inspiration with you!

Raise your hand if you are happy it is spring! Where I live spring is a strange season, swinging between 90 degree days and 60 degree days, with cold nights. (And by cold I mean it drops into the 40's.) We can have 89 degrees at noon and in the wee hours it is only 42! So strange!

But, enough about the weather. Let's talk about spring themed projects with Christmas inspiration! Don't groan! I know....no one wants to hear about Christmas and winter right now! But, we all have those beautiful holiday stamps, papers, and dies that we never had a chance to use during the season, right? My favorite season and holiday is Christmas. I buy a lot of new things every year, and I never have time to use everything! Well, if you are in a creative rut, how about pulling them out and seeing if you can change them up to be used for a different holiday or theme?!!

I actually printed this image and sentiment for Christmas of 2020, I think! Then I never had a chance to color it! It was just sitting in a folder of other images that I had printed and never got around to!

The image is from the Season's Greenings: Wreath Digital Stamp Set. The sentiment is from Season's Greenings: Wheelbarrow Digital Stamp Set. (These images are also included in the clear set Season's Greenings.)

I printed the image at roughly 5" onto marker paper. I colored with Copic markers and a bit of gel pen. I loved the spring feel of the image, but I needed to get rid of the Christmas sentiment and add something...well...not Christmas-y!

I used a large circle die to cut out just the colored image. The circle is a bit large, and I did not have a suitable circle to use for a cardstock mat, so I used a black marker to "color" a black edge all around the circle.

Pro Tip: To avoid your marker slipping and making a blotch on your project, hold the pretty side of your project facing away from you, and then run the marker around the edge. That way if the marker slips, the blotch will be on the back of the colored image, not the front!

I chose bright, pale spring greens and soft, sweet pinks to color the image. I also changed the bird into a robin! I also used lots of spring colors for my card front. And, just like that, a Christmas image is now a spring image! (For a full list of markers, check out my personal blog.)

The finished card is 6" x 6" and fits perfectly into a square envelope. I used a die cut sentiment to turn this card into a birthday card, but you could use any sentiment you wish.

Thanks for joining us for Inspire Me Monday! Make sure to come back every Monday to see new inspiration!

Power Poppy Products Used:

Season's Greenings: Wreath Digital Stamp Set

Other Products Used: Copic markers, gel pens, cardstock, printed paper, die cut circle, die cut sentiment, adhesive

Inspire Me Monday: Confession Time!

HEY FRIENDS! I'm back today for Inspire Me Monday with something really different for me. And I'm going to start with a confession: I've been bored lately with my Copic markers. GASP! I know, but it's true.

I'm sure I'm not the only one for whom the past year was tough. But as things open up around here, I'm feeling a weird combination of languishing, but at the same time wanting to find a new way to express myself creatively. So it was time to try something different.

Actually, I think I'm bored lately with cardmaking in general. Or maybe just overwhelmed. I feel like I have two of everything and it doesn't help that I suffer from full set syndrome. In addition to having a full set of Copic markers, I also have three full sets of colored pencils - Prismacolor Premier, Faber Castel Polychromos, and Caran d'Ache Luminance. Full sets! And I rarely use them, mainly because I've struggled finding a paper that I like. So I decided to set my Copics aside for now and experiment with my numerous colored pencil sets.

Like Copic markers, you can't just use any old paper with colored pencils and expect good results. Here you'll want a paper with a bit of tooth that can grab the pigment off the pencils. Paper is such a personal choice and I tested A LOT of papers before I found a pencil/paper combination that I liked.

My current favorite combination is Prismacolor pencils with Stonehenge Drawing Paper, especially the toned papers. The paper is 100% cotton with a slight tooth. I tend to have a heavy hand (I need to work on that!), but the paper can handle several layers of color, which is what gives colored pencil drawings their rich color and blend. I bought one of the Stonehenge Multi Pads which includes papers in warm white, natural, cream, fawn, and pearl gray. Although I started with the white paper, I found it easier to work with the pearl gray paper.

So to be really different - I pull a holiday stamp - Season's Greenings. I love the Santa image and I never got around to coloring it when the stamp was released. Since I was using the polymer set, I stamped the image with VersaFine ink. For those of you who prefer digital, the image is also available in the Planta Claus digital stamp set.

First, I'll show you my finished card.

And here's what I learned along the way:

Allow lots of time to color. This is going to take a lot longer than coloring the same image with Copic markers. So settle in and enjoy the process.
Experiment with some of the toned papers. As a Copic colorist, I tend to automatically reach for white paper, but colored pencils provide a perfect excuse to try out other colors.
Work in layers. For the first layer, I tend to block out where I want the shadows and highlights and use the subsequent layers to refine placement and blend the colors.
Keep a light hand. If you press too hard on the first layer, you'll flatten the tooth and the paper won't be able to take on additional layers.
If your hand is getting cramp or sore, you are gripping the pencil too hard so loosen your grip. If you hold the pencil further back rather than close to the point, you will automatically lighten up on your grip and pressure on the paper.
I prefer a sharp pencil so I had to experiment to find a good pencil sharpener that created the point I wanted. So don't be surprised if you have to test more than one sharpener to get the perfect point for you.
Most of all, just have fun. Experiment with pencil combinations. You can always find suggestions on Pinterest, but use those as a starting point. You'll get to know your pencils better if you just grab some and experiment with the blends.

Thanks for joining me today! I haven't ditched my Copics entirely so be sure you check out my Power Poppy coloring videos on YouTube.

Nancy

SUPPLIES

Stamp: Season's Greenings Clear Polymer Stamp Set. Image also available as Planta Claus digital stamp set.
Paper: Stonehenge Drawing Paper (I have the 9"x12" Multi Pad)
Ink: VersaFine Clare in Nocturne
Prismacolor Premier Pencils:

Greens: Spring Green (PC913), Apple Green (PC912), Grass Green (PC090)
Reds: Carmine Red (PC926), Crimson Red (PC924), Crimson Lake (PC925), Tuscan Red (PC932)
Yellows: Canary Yellow (PC916), Yellowed Orange (PC1002), Mineral Orange (PC1033)
Greys: 30% French Grey (PC1070), 50% French Gray (PC1072), 70% French Gray (PC1074)

Friday

12 Days of Christmas - Day 11!

Hello Everyone!

It's the penultimate day of our 12 Days of Christmas here at Power Poppy - DAY 11! Its me Jenny Colacicco and I'm thrilled to be joining you here on the blog today to share some more Christmassy goodness featuring the gorgeous and hilariously punny Season's Greenings stampset. Ally already shared some beautiful inspiration using this set that comes in both clear and digital versions, (in case you missed it you can check it out here).

I'm going to be watercoloring my card today and have a few behind the scenes process shots to give a little insight to my card creating. This is a fully one layer card so great for mailing too!

I first stamped my image using a watersoluble ink as I'm doing 'no-line' watercolor - I want the outline to blend in with my coloring rather than being a stark outline. I typically use Distress Ink for this. There are other 'no-line' inks that are also great such as Amalgam from Gina K or Barely Beige from Simon Says Stamp, but Distress seems to be my constant go too. I use a stamp positioner to stamp - particularly when stamping on watercolor cardstock (I'm using Arches hotpress) which is textured - the positioner lets me stamp a couple of times to get a clear impression. Im using Old Paper Distress ink.

When I do no-line watercoloring on small detailed images I like to use small brushes - I'm using a 00 round (and I might go up to a 2 round for larger areas) which helps me control the paint and add my outlines where I want them. I focus on each 'item' at a time, outlining the image with my brush where there would be shadow, pulling out the coloring with a damp brush and then building up layers and shading.

I'm using pan watercolors from Altenew for my watercoloring. I particularly like to have pans so I can stamp my image, set it on a clipboard and then sit down in front of the TV one evening to color! Here's a close up of the wreath itself. I just love that little chickadee perched on the top of the wreath. You'll see I free handed a hanging hook from the wreath up to the top of the panel too. I wanted to give a sense of an outside door.

I also stamped the bird from the set down at the bottom of the scene as if he was talking to the little guy on the wreath, and shaded in the background and ground loosely to ground the bird and the wreath.

I flicked white paint over the panel when dry for some snow in the scene. To finish, I heat embossed the sentiment in Metallic Copper embossing powder (from WOW! Embossing). It's a little hard to see in the photo but I added a few clear Nuvo Crystal Drops to the berries for a little dimension.

And don't forget...!

ALL DIGITAL STAMPS 20% OFF — NO CODE NEEDED

and

10% OFF CLEAR STAMPS — USE CODE 12DAYS

- - - - - - - -

Wanna WIN some amazing prizes?

Be sure to head to the Day 1 post on the Power Poppy Blog, HERE for more details on the 12 Days of Christmas fun and frolics! Stay tuned for the final day tomorrow and enjoy! Stay safe and happy holidays everyone!

Jenny

Thursday

12 Days of Christmas ~ Day 3

Happy Day 3 of the 12 Days of Christmas! I'm Ally and I'm here sharing a card made with the adorable "Season's Greenings" stamp set today.

This simple card uses the clear stamp set. I colored in my wreath with Copic Markers. The background was created by heat embossing a tarnished gold color over top of an embossed cover plate.

Note from Marcella: Let’s break this down for a glimpse into the genius that’s happening here, and take cues you can use in your next card.

Take a look at Ally’s choice of background texture. See how the raised circles echo the roundness of the berries in the wreath? Notice how she colored the berries in shades of ivory, cream, and gold — playing up on the tones of the gold in her background. The red hollyberries, ribbon, and the tiny tag on a bunch of twine in the illustration were all colored red — which Ally underscores by choosing a red ink color for the sentiment and musical note border. Then, an elegant red cardstock border encases it all together with class.

Small choices like this add up in the end for a cohesive card that feels absolutely perfect.

Now, don't forget we offer all the parts of this gorgeous plant-arific clear stamp set in digital form!

There is "Season's Greenings: Wheelbarrow":

And "Season's Greenings: Wreath":

And also "Season's Greenings: Planta Claus":

Don't forget...

ALL DIGITAL STAMPS 20% OFF — NO CODE NEEDED

and

10% OFF CLEAR STAMPS — USE CODE 12DAYS

- - - - - - - -

Wanna WIN some amazing prizes?

Don't forget to check out all the festive fun on our Day 1 post on the Power Poppy Blog, HERE.

Can't wait to hear from you! Happy Holidays everyone!

~ Ally ~

Saturday

Introducing: Season's Greenings

If you wonder why I’ve been hootin’ and hollerin’ about what a GREAT time I had designing all of the stamps for the Quiet Christmas collection, it’s because it FELT. SO. GOOD.

Getting into the creative flow of any endeavor — whether it’s artistic or not — must release some major endorphins. I hope that the joy of creation is evident in the holiday designs we’re sharing with you right now. I got so silly while drawing these, that I even came up with a special character called Planta Claus. You heard me right.

Introducing: Season’s Greenings

Gardening images with a holiday bent to take your cardmaking from Christmas through Spring. Season's Greenings to all! There are three focal images and three accents in the clear polymer version. A wheelbarrow is loaded up with the freshest plants from the nursery for decorating: a burlap-bagged tree, poinsettia, holly, and mistletoe. Who is going to plant that Christmas tree? Why, PLANTA CLAUS, of course! He’s got the "hoe hoe hoe" to get the job done right. And to help remind everybody that "It's the most wonderful thyme of the year", I've drawn a garden-themed wreath with gifts any gardener would love: Bulbs tied with twine, tiny flower pots, a trowel, and berries to attract the birds. Of course, thyme is woven all through.

Sentiments for the holidays and beyond complete this larger-sized 6 x 6" set.

Order Season’s Greenings

Special note from Marcella: All images in this set will be available as digital downloads by this weekend. I’m admittedly a little bit behind getting them ready for you, sorry about that, my patient friends!