Dreaming Tree Anniversary Card

A good marriage is one where each partner secretly suspects they got the better deal. 

 

Hey there from Nannyland, 

On the list of life's most momentous occasions, a 50th Wedding Anniversary has to be right up there among the most notable.  My husband and I will celebrate our 55th this year and are thrilled to be among the blessed 5% who reach the 50-year milestone.  Our dear friends are planning to celebrate their 50th next month by taking a sentimental trip to the California beach city where their marriage saga began. We were lucky to join in the merriment on their actual anniversary in December by cooking them a special dinner and gifting them a handmade quilt for their RV. (I'll post the quilt in a future post.)  

I knew this Dreaming Tree SVG would be perfect for a special Anniversary card.  The elegant couple are originally cut as silhouettes but I summoned up the courage to draw faces on them and I'm happy with my attempt.  I won't win any art awards, but both of the recipients are artists themselves,  so I knew they would appreciate my effort.  I paper pieced the wedding dress with gold and white glittered cardstock and found some marblish looking paper for the garden wall. I chose moon and sky digital papers for the background in my digi library.  The leftover flowers were colored with Copics, embellished with gems  and attached to the tree. I also added mini flowers with  pearl accents to my lady's dress and hair, and some tiny dots of white Nuvo Drops to her sleeve.   

The inside of the card cuts a circle and frame to add a photo.  I printed the sentiment in Cricut Design Space.

The original dies look beautiful with just the silhouettes if drawing faces isn't your thing.

Our friends loved their card and appreciated the effort that went into creating it.  I hope this inspires you to use your die cuts in new ways and create something unique for a special occasion.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit. 

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Through the Craft Room Door December 6 Challenge

A Place to Start December Challenge

613 Avenue Create Challenge #202212

Dragonfly Dreams Anything But Christmas

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge #292

Die Cut Divas Polkadoodles Month

QKR Stampede Challenge #457

Through the Purple Haze Challenge #199

Friends and Family Christmas Card - Anna Griffin Nativity Easel Card

Joy comes from and because of Him.
       Russell M. Nelson

Hey there from Nannyland,

Designing my yearly Christmas card to send to friends and family is always one of the most stressful  challenges I face during the busy holiday season.  Happily, this year I had Anna Griffin's Nativity Easel Card Dies to make the task simpler.  The die set includes the easel card base and all the layering pieces, so all I had to do was choose how I would use them and in what colors. And, of course, die cut and assemble the card. And address and send them.  Sooo...yeah. 

I  printed beautiful night sky paper from my digi library and I love the way it looks in my background.  I chose glossy gold foil  and white cardstocks for my layers because the embossing shows up nicely on them (much better in person). I created the sentiment "stoppers" in Cricut Design Space and signed them in a script font, which saved my tired pinkies from having to sign each card individually.  I have pared down my list to about 30 cards, which is still a little labor intensive, but when done in assembly line fashion, goes pretty fast.  I was able to finish my cards before Thanksgiving this year, which is a huge accomplishment for me.  It felt so good to have them done so I could concentrate on some handmade gifts for the people on my list, decorating the house and holiday recipes.    

Next year I'm determined to get my cards finished early again.  It was blissful knowing all I had to do was add envelopes and stamps when my holiday calendar began to squeeze me for time.

A lot of people don't know what an easel card is, so I printed this note on card stock, which also served as a protector for mailing my layered card.  

I didn't manage to get my Christmas quilting projects done this year, so one of my 2023 resolutions will be to start sewing them in July.  Seriously,  I think I can pull it off.  I'll be posting them next Christmas.  Another New Year's resolution is to think positively. 😀

Merry Christmas, everyone.  Stay well and have a blessed time with friends and family.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit. 

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Allsorts Challenge wk 707

Crafters Cafe Challenge #292

Crafts Galore Encore December Challenge

Moving Along With The Times Challenge #149

QKR Stampede Challenge #457

The Four Seasons Challenge Winter

Incy Wincy December Challenge

Die Cut Divas December

Conie Fong December Design Team Project #2 - Molly's Winter Friends Center Step Card

I pray this winter be gentle and kind - a season of rest from the wheel of the mind.
John Geddes

 

Hey there from Nannyland,

The snow in my beautiful part of the world is right where I like it...in the majestic mountains outside my window, far enough away that I don't have to shovel, drive or walk in it.  It's plenty cold here today, 43 degrees in fact, but I can bundle up and go for a walk without too much difficulty.  I may not be able to make a cute snowman like the one in this darling scene,  but it's chilly enough that I can imagine what a good time little Molly had making it come to life. 

Conie Fong Molly and Friends digi, Cricut Design Space, Copic markers,
clearn gems, silver leafing pen 

This delightful digital stamp called Molly's Winter Friends from Conie Fong Art is colored with Copic markers in cool, winter hues.  To make my card, I cut out a scalloped center step base in Cricut Design Space and created a matching sentiment tag with the writing feature.  I edged the scallops on the frame and base panels with a silver leafing pen. Clear gems added to the scallop openings add sparkly dimension. 

I hope I have inspired you to create a project with a frosty winter scene to celebrate the gorgeous peaceful setting this time of year, whether you enjoy it from near or far.  

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.  

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #238

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #563

The Paper Funday Challenge #48

Digi Choosday Challenge - Wk 50

Passion for Markers Challenge #670

A Place to Start Challenge - December

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #12

International Art & Soul Challenge #148

Morgans ArtWorld Challenge #12

Classic Design Challenge #12

Kit and Clowder Pencil Class - Every Day is a Gift

Don't be a cotton-headed ninny muggin.
Buddy the Elf

Hey there from Nannyland,

I guess I'm what the paper crafting community calls a "Copic Colorist." Cards with intricate die cuts are also some of my faves, but I usually end up adding Copic touches for detail.  So now I have decided to step out of my little Copic bubble and add pencil coloring to my artistic repertoire.   And guess what!  I absolutely love it.  It takes much more time and patience, but I remember learning to color with Copics also used up a bunch of my brain cells in the beginning.  

I was excited to pull the November 2017 pencil class out of my Kit and Clowder library and give this beautiful Christmas image a go. Alyce Keegan is the Copics and pencils instructor at Kit and Clowder and she has taught me so much over the years...mostly to have confidence and just follow my coloring bliss.  I found the blending on this darling girl easier than some of the images I've colored in the past, so I'm very excited to continue my pencil odyssey.

I sized the lacy background frame in Cricut Design Studio and created the tag with the cutting and writing feature.  The snowy background is digital paper I printed on my inkjet printer.  I lined my panels with a gold leafing pen and added details to my image with a white gel pen...two of my cardmaking staples. I used a little Glossy Accents on my pears to add some shine and make them stand out.  I added sparkly pink gems and a glitter enamel heart for my finishing touches.  

I love how she turned out and I'm proud of myself for being patient and sticking to it, even though my skills have a long way to go. It's kinda thrilling to rev up my artistic juices and embark on a new creative journey.  I hope I have encouraged you to do the same.   

 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.  

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

The Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge - Christmas or Winter

The Paper Funday Challenge #48

Shopping Our Stash #485

TTCRD - December 6

Arty Divas November Challenge

Classic Design Challenge #12

Die Cut Divas - Polka Doodles Month

LeAnn's World Challenge #57

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #12

Let's Craft and Create Challenge #190 - Inspired by a Song

Conie Fong December Design Team Project #1 - Noelle's Gift

Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought to getting.
Thomas S. Monson

Hey there from Nannyland,

Although my home is full of Christmas flair and I've been watching Hallmark movies for a couple of weeks, I feel the full-on holiday festivities can officially commence now that Thanksgiving is over and December is here.  I'm thrilled that all my cards are made and most of my presents are bought.  I have even completed two quilts for some special people on my gift list. It's kind of a scary feeling to be so on top of things for a change...what could go wrong? 

I colored and fussy cut this absolutely adorable Conie Fong digital stamp called Noelle's Gift for my first Design Team project this month.  There are so many fabulous holiday images in Conie's Etsy Shop to choose from, and I loved coloring this one with feminine pinks and blues along with the traditional reds and greens. I think she looks so darling in her Santa outfit surrounded by colorful gifts and poinsettias.  I colored and fussy cut this Noelle's Gifts Bonus image with extra flowers and presents to layer on her for dimension. I thought she needed a card base as girly as she is, so I created a shaped frame from a lacy layered die in pink and white.  I added a few gold gems to the poinsettia centers and embellished her gifts with white gel pen accents.  The silver edged sentiment tag was created in Cricut Design Space.

I hope I have inspired you to change up some of the traditional holiday colors in your card making to add a feminine touch for some of your girly images.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.  

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Ally's Angels Challenge #64

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #11

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge

The Creative Crafters #58

Crafters Cafe Challenge #291

The Corrosive Challenge #11

Sweet Stampers #74

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #12

Classic Design Challenge #12

Conie Fong November Design Team Project #3 - Red Robin Christmas Tags

 They serve God well who serve his creatures.
 Caroline Norton

Hey there from Nannyland,

A pretty tag on a beautifully wrapped present or colorful bag can make a gift seem extra special.  It was super fun to size this adorable Red Robin with Berries image from Conie Fong's Etsy Shop to create some holiday tags for some special people on my list this year. 

 

                                  

I created the tag base in Cricut Design Space and  cut it out twice for each tag, once in white and once in patterned paper.  After I colored and fussy cut my image, I sandwiched it between the two tag layers with some coordinating card stock for backing. I embellished the corners with some seasonal die cut sprigs and gems.  All that was left was to add some festive ribbon as ties and my tags are ready to spruce up (pun intended) some special gifts for family and friends.  And one of my favorite things is they double as a cards!  

I'll bet you have lots of seasonal images in your stash that would make fabulous holiday tags.  I hope I have inspired you to dust them off and create some fancy packaging for some of your besties.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.  

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Colour Crazy wk 47

Creative Challenge #243

Winter Wonderland - Robin Redbreast

Simon Says: Not a Card

Sparkles Christmas Challenge #142

Make My Monday - Things with Wings

Use Your Stuff #471

Crafting Happiness November 24

Conie Fong November Design Team Project #2 - Puppy Cuddles Digital Stamp

 To be creative is to let little pieces of your heart go
and place them into each project you make.

Hey there from Nannyland, 

I've been loving the spectacular snowy scene posts from my FaceBook friends across the country and decided it was time to create a wintry forest z-fold card for this cute Conie Fong girl and her darling puppy.  The image is called Puppy Cuddles and you can find her here in Conie's fabulous Etsy Store here.   

Conie Fong Puppy Cuddles digi, Copic markers, Dreaming Tree card base,Cricut Design Space,
white gel pen, snowflake dies, clear gems, foam tape. digital dp

I used this Dreaming Tree card base svg that I had downloaded in Cricut Design Space for a past Christmas card and changed out the house focal image for this adorable miss.  I die cut snowflakes and added clear gems for some added background dimension.  My image is colored with Copic markers, fussy cut, and then layer onto my background with foam tape.  The silver "Peace" sentiment tag on the back fold was created in Cricut Design Space.

We're still waiting for our annual day of snow here in the desert, which usually happens in January and lasts less than a day.  That's just the way I like it!  The pretty photos and winter card-making paraphernalia are enough to keep me happy through these chilly days.  I hope I have inspired you to  create something full of snowy goodness to celebrate this lovely season.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.  

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Christmas with the Cuties Challenge #65

Avenue 613 Create Challenge #202211

CD Sundary Plus Challenge #98

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge - Christmas

Craft Rocket Challenge #98

Dream Valley Challenge #282

Use Your Stuff Challenge #471

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #11

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #11

Classic Design Challenge #11

Autumn Blessings - Grazia Salvo Women of Flowers Digital Stamp

Creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye. 
Dorothy Parker

Cricut Design Space, Heartfelt Creations stamps,dies, mold: Copic markers, assorted
gems and beads, lavender glitter card stock, Grazia Salvo digital stamp, pearl flourish

Hey there from Nannyland,

On my walk this morning along the trails by my home, the beautiful shades of fall were bursting forth all around me.  I've been creating so many Christmas cards to get ahead of the holiday frenzy, I have almost forgotten to sit back and relish my absolute favorite season.

I was eager to choose Copics in fall hues to color THIS lovely Women of Flowers image by Grazia Salvo.  I used a warm autumn palette and added a handmade Heartfelt Creations flower and a pearl flourish to add to the elegance of this amazing image.  I created the frame and sentiment tag in Cricut Design Space and added silver rimmed pearl gems to embellish each corner. 

I have vowed to take some time to stop and enjoy this glorious gilded season before it slips into the whirlwind of sparkly red and green. I hope I have inspired you to do the same.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.  

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

 Playing along with:

Promarker Challenge #666

TTCRD - November 8th Challenge

A Place to Start Challenge 202211

Crafting Happiness Challenge #136

CD Sunday Plus Challenge #97

Allsorts Week 701

Sweet Stampin' - Attitude of Gratitude

Colour Crazy Challenge - Wk 14

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #11

Classic Design Challenge #11

Conie Fong November Design Team Project - Christmas Leilani

I like to compare the holiday season with the way a child listens to a favorite story. 

The pleasure is in the familiar way the story begins, the anticipation of familiar turns it takes,

 the familiar moments of suspense and the familiar climax and ending.  

Fred Rogers

Hey there from Nannyland, 

Choosing from among the many gorgeous holiday images in Conie Fongs Etsy shop has made my Design Team projects a joy to create.  This fabulous image is called Christmas Leilani and you can find her in Conie's shop here.

I printed her out twice on Xpressit blending paper and colored her with Copic markers.  The poinsettias are fussy cut and popped up with pop dots over the base image for dimension.  I had created and saved the card base for an earlier project in Cricut Design Space and I loved that my image fit so perfectly on this fun design.  Glitter gold and red cardstocks, and a touch of metallic gold make this card festive and elegant.  The blue snowy paper is digi paper printed on my computer.

Yes, I'm aware we haven't even celebrated Thanksgiving yet and I will be posting an autumn card next week.  I have vowed not to put up any Christmas decorations until the weekend after Thanksgiving, and so far, so good.  But I might sneak in a Hallmark movie or two before then.  

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.  

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

    Playing along with:

Try it on Tuesday - Sparkle and Shine

Through the Craft Room Door - October 25

Peace on Earth Challenge #26

A Gem of a Challenge - wk 22

Colour Crazy Challenge - Week 43

613 Avenue Create #202210

A Perfect Time to Craft Challenge #11

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #10

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #11

Classic Design Challenge #11

Fall in Love With Autumn - Mo Manning Harvest Mercy

I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.
Anne of Green Gables

Hey there from Nannyland,

I agree with Anne Shirley of Green Gables, Octobers are magical!  The mountains around me are starting to take on lovely rich fall hues and there's even a little snow the tops!  The air is crisp and the sky is an expanse of clear blue, just like the one that cute little Mercy is enjoying as she carries her basket of apples across an autumn orchard. 

 I began coloring this little beauty from Mo's Digital Pencil with neutral, pilgrim-ish colors, but my Copics went in another direction, and before I knew it I had a bright primary thing going on.  Oh well, I think the bright shades harmonize with the rich reds, oranges, yellows and browns of the changing leaves very well.  I fussy cut Mercy and adhered her to a fall digi scenic background.  I used white Tattered Lace nesting die cuts to frame her and glued the panel to a subtle striped dp background.  I added polka dots to her skirt with a white gel pen for a little pizazz. 

Mo Manning Harvest Mercy digi, Copic markers,
Tattered Lace nested frame die, white gel pen, striped
dp, digital autumn background

 

Yes indeed, Anne, a world with Octobers is truly enchanting!

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.  

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Fab 'n' Funky Seasons Greetings Challenge

Sisterhood of Crafters Fall Colors

TTCRD October 25 Challenge

Inspiration Station Challenge #40

CD Sunday Plus Challenge #96

Dragonfly Dreams Halloween/Autumn

International Art and Soul Challenge #145

Stamping Sensations - All Things Autumn

We Love Stamping - Autumn Colors

Allsorts Challenge Week 699

Conie Fong October Design Team Project - Penelope Pumpkin Digi Stamp

♪Apple peaches pumpkin pie, soon your love will be all mine. ♪
♪Then I'm gonna take you home, marry you so you won't roam. ♪
Jay & The Techniques

Hey there from Nannyland, 

I've had the best time creating Design Team projects with Conie Fong's Halloween images this month.  This little cutie is called Penelope Pumpkin and she can be found in Conie's Etsy stop along with tons of other wonderful images.  I love Penelope's sweet little pumpkin costume and monster bag, and just look at the eyes on her adorable kitten friend.

After coloring Penelope with Copic Markers, I fussy cut her with detail scissors.  I die cut the branch    slimline die on my Gemini in black glitter card stock.  I was happy to discover that Penelope, sized at 4 x 6, fit on this card perfectly with room for my Cricut generated sentiment tag and a glittery orange moon.  The night sky is digital paper printed on my computer.  I added a few white gel pen dots to Penelope's outfit before adhering her to my night scene with pop dots. 

This year my daughter will be visiting from Denmark during Halloween, so we're super excited to spend her favorite holiday with her. In the meantime, there's still plenty of fall and Christmas cards to imagine and design with Conie's lovely holiday images.   What an awesome time of year for creating. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.  

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply

Playing along with:

The Paper Shelter Challenge #530

The Paper Funday Challenge #46

Digi Choosday Wk 42

Try it on Tuesday Halloween Time

The Unicorn Challenge #81

Ally's Angels Challenge #63

Classic Design Challenge #10

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #104

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #10

Morgan's Art World Challenge #10

Ghoulfriends Forever - Jeremiah Ketner Cute Witch

“The world calls them its singers and poets and artists and storytellers; but they are just people who have never forgotten the way to fairyland.”― L.M. Montgomery

Hey there, welcome to Nannyland,

I've always been enamoured with glamorous Halloween witches.  I'm sure it's because they are endowed with some qualities I admire... mostly their dazzling fashion sense. No spells for me, though...just a little  fantasy and benevolent use of their magical powers. I was drawn to the sweet, innocent beauty of this Jeremiah image, although, as you can see by the original digi here, she didn't start out as a witch.  All it took was a little scissor surgery to transform her into this lovely mystical enchantress.  

My image is colored with Copic markers and accented with white gel pen details.  Her belt, hair bows, and skull hair accessory are embellished with small gems. Glossy Accents was added to the bat on her bodice to add dimension. 

The Halloween frame is called Skeleton Spider Web Frame (M7908802) from the Creepy Critters image set in Cricut design space and the layers are cut in copper foil and black card stocks.  The  5 x 7 card base layer is purple glitter card stock.  The oval center is soft mottled sky dp from my stash. I created the sentiment and tag in Design Space using the writing and cutting features. 

I'm sure going to miss all the ghoulish enthusiasm Halloween adds to my creative juices.  So much '"scope for the imagination," as Anne would say. I'm planning to keep this momentum going strong through the frantic holiday season.  Let the frenzy begin!                                                                                      

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.  

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply

Playing along with:

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #10

Classic Design Challenge #10

 Shopping our Stash Challenge #481

The Unicorn Challenge #81

The Paper Players Challenge #612

The Fairy and the Unicorn October Challenge

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #236

Digi Choosday Challenge #41

Through the Craft Room Door October 11

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge #2241

613 Avenue Create Challenge 202210e

Conie Fong DT Priscilla Digi Stamp - Breast Cancer Awareness and Halloween Unite

Yes, my boobs are fake.  The real ones tried to kill me! 

Hey there from Nannyland,

October is the month of Breast Cancer Awareness and Halloween, two things I'm very passionate about.  As a two-time breast cancer survivor,  I'm happy for the opportunity to combine my obsessions with two of my other favorite things, pink and Conie Fong images.  This little stunner called Priscilla  can be found in Conie's Etsy shop.  She looks fabulous decked out in her uncharacteristic though very jazzy frock and stylish accessories. I'd pick whimsical over spooky every time, except in the case of sugar skulls, of course.   

I cut the swirly frame and haunted house in Cricut Design Space using image #M46AA4 from the Happy Hauntings image set.  I used the writing feature to create the sentiment, which I think is perfect for this nontraditional card.   The original cut file comes with some cute spiders, but I traded them for sparkly pink gems.  I doesn't take much to girly up a card here in Nannyland.

I invite you to color up a beautiful Conie Fong image and join us for inspiration, challenges and fun at Conie Fong Art and Design.  

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.  

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply

Playing along with:

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #9

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #10

Classic Design Challenge #10

Aud Sentiments Challenge #298

Cardz 4 Galz Challenge #183

Time out Challenge #224

Sweet Stampers Challenge #72

Crafting Happiness Challenge #135

Path of Positivity Challenge #105

The Fairy and The Unicorn October Challenge