Thursday, February 24, 2022

Polkadoodles Ruby Frou Frou Digital Image - Sparkle and a LIttle Pink

 I dwell in possibility - Emily Dickenson



Hey there from Nannyland,

I absolutely adore Polkadoodles Ruby images because they are so elegant and feminine.  I chose this darling image called Frou Frou Ruby from my digi stash and went to work making her live up to her chichi style.  While deciding how to design my card front, I came across some lacy bejewelled butterflies that I had created a while ago but I knew they would overwhelm Ruby on a card.  Then the magic happened...I put Ruby in front of a butterfly and just like that, she grew gossamer wings!.  That's what she gets for hanging around my glittery desk when I'm in a mood. She looks fabulous without wings, but as the sentiment says, with sparkle and a little pink, anything is possible...even the ability to take to the air in fairy form.



Polkadoodles Ruby Frau Frau digi, Copic markers,Simplistic layered butterfly dies,
 gold leafing pen, white gel pen, clear gems, pink gems,
Cricut cutting and writing features for sentiment

I used my favorite formula to create this girly card...bright Copic markers, loads of gems and gold edging for a little polish.  I always love it when a card surprises me by taking a direction of its own.  Who knows where my fancy butterflies will show up next. They'd better be careful where they fly!

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.
I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.  
Nancy (aka Pink Panoply
Playing along with:

Thursday, February 17, 2022

Creating Art With Copic Markers and Mariola Budek Digi

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



Hey there from Nannyland,

I've been eager to color one of Mariola Budek's stunning digital images for awhile and this one caught my eye right away. Her gorgeous cascading locks were a delight to color in warm shades of brown.  The foliage has beautiful simple lines, so I just went with the flow in cool floral hues. 




My favorite Copics for coloring skin are E04, E21, E11, E00, and E000, with R20 for a little cheek color.  The E04 looks very dark at first, but when it's used sparingly to create cast shadows, it creates beautiful depth and dimension.


Mariola Budek digi, Copic markers, Spellbinders frame die,
 Heartfelt Creations stamps, dies, mold; gold leafing pen, assorted gems


To finish my card, I die cut my favorite Spellbinders frame in white and mounted it on a light blue 5 x 7 card base.  I traced around the colored image using the inside of the die for my guide and fussy cut it, leaving some areas to overlap the frame.  The flower and leaves are handmade from my Heartfelt Creations stash.   I edged the sentiment tag and image panel with a gold leafing pen and added some Elizabeth Crafts peel off sticker gems to bring a little sparkle to the pink flowers in the image.  

I absolutely love the simple beauty of Mariola Burdek's beautiful art.  I can't wait to choose another gorgeous image from my digital library and lose myself in coloring! 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.
I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.  
Nancy (aka Pink Panoply 
Playing Along With:

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Valentine Travel Journal - Graphic 45 Mix Media

 Love is our true destiny.  We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone - 
 we find it with another.  Thomas Merton




Hey there from Nannyland,

Mixed media is one of those artistic expressions I absolutely love but really don't have much of an aptitude  for.  My precise brain just doesn't know how to playfully arrange elements in a loose, relaxed manner, no matter how hard I try.  I think that's the problem...I try too hard!

 

When my friend purged her studio and asked me if I wanted this fabulous Graphic 45 Journal Kit full of  travel ephemera and detailed instructions, I jumped at the chance to be guided through this jungle of lovely vintage embellishments. I completely relished the process, but something got in the way and the project ended up in my "to finish" box, which is usually neglected and sometimes forgotten. 


Then one day when I was working on some vintage tags on a whim, I came across my abandoned journal and knew it would be a perfect Valentine "card" for my hubby.  The travel theme and neutral colors were perfect to display pictures of us in all stages of our marriage, enjoying our many treasured travel adventures.  


It didn't take me long to print enough pictures to fill many of the pages and tags. Each picture brings back sweet memories and reminds me of our rich, vibrant 53+ years together.  There are plenty of spaces waiting for pictures of sagas yet to come.   



The pretty tags are ready to document the details of our adventures, but that is a task for another day.  It will be fun reminiscing with my sweetheart about the specifics of our odysseys together. 


He was so impressed with all the work I'd done and we had fun walking down memory lane, reliving some of the most cherished moments in our marriage.


I did confess to him that I had done most of the hard work on this journal years before. I think it was just waiting for the right moment to shine forth and celebrate our marriage with a panoply of exquisite memories.

I hope you had a fabulous Valentine's Day with the people you adore.

 
Thanks for visiting Nannyland.
I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.  
Nancy (aka Pink Panoply

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Queen of Hearts - Mayumi Ogihara Digi

 Your crown has been bought and paid for.  Put it on your head and wear it. 
Maya Angelou



Mayumi Ogihara digital image, Copic markers, gold and red glitter card stock, gold gems,
 Cricut cutting and writing features, white gel pen, gold leafing pen, Xpressit blending paper

Hey there from Nannyland, 

I've been so busy with life lately that I haven't had much time to color and create, and I've been  missing my calm relaxing respites.  I finally had a few minutes to breathe and picked up this gorgeous Mayumi Ogihara digi that I've had on my desk for a while in anticipation of Valentines Day.  My Pink Panoply brand has a crown  on it and my craft room is packed with all kinds of regal paraphernalia, so when this lovely lady asked for an audience,  I had to answer her with some coloring time.  I love her pensive expression...she looks like she is surveying her kingdom and thinking how utterly marvelous it is to be Queen (or maybe who might be the next to lose their head).     

 I don't often color greyscale images because I find it hard to color over the shaded areas without the gray showing through and I can't get the contrast I want.  I love using bright colors, but it really isn't possible on the darker areas.  Covering the gray with flesh tones is also a challenge.  But the end product has lots of dimension and realism, so I'm always happy with the result.    

I used deep red Copics for her dress and added definition with a white gel pen and gold gems.  I added a few red highlights with Prisma Colors to her luxurious blond tresses.  The heart frame was cut on my Cricut in gold and red glitter card stock.  I used the Cricut writing feature to print and cut the sentiment.  The main panel and sentiment tag are edged with a gold leafing pen.   The crown is so dark that I couldn't get much definition with the Copics so I used some gems to create the base. It makes me smile a little because it's a bit silly, but she IS the Queen after all.  

In the end, the colors are a little muted for me, but I think this card will be perfect for one of my friends who fancies herself as a princess. 

Thursday, February 3, 2022

Chimney Sweep Scrappy Quilt - Lori Holt Fabric and Accuquilt Go BOB

 
One who sleeps under a quilt is comforted by love. 



Hey there from Nannyland,

The most delightful thing about quilt making for me is sewing up heaps of scrappy goodness,  but my least enjoyable task is tediously (and painfully) cutting tiny shapes with a rotary cutter.  I couldn't live without  my Accuquilt Go Big fabric cutter and dies.  I don't have any affiliation with the company, although I wish I had some stock, because I have umpteen fabulous dies in my hoard.  Card making and quilting dies are my thing!  I used this Block on Board die called Chimney Sweep and Lori Holt fabrics for my quilt blocks here.  Her vintage inspired designs and bright colors are just my style. 


Measuring 54" x 66," a medium lap size, this quilt is not large enough for a bedspread on my Queen guest room bed, but it adds a punch of color folded at the foot of the bed and some extra warmth for my guests if they need it.  I generally use handmade striped binding for my quilts and have them  professionally quilted. I haven't mastered the home quilting thing yet and, so far, it doesn't look too promising. Meh. 



I love gifting my quilts to family and friends because I know they'll enjoy using them  for napping or watching TV...all things cuddly.  It's like giving them a big warm hug that keeps on giving.  I'm sure I'll find the perfect snuggly person for this one. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.
I'll just be here blissfully creating until your next visit.  
Nancy (aka Pink Panoply