My Pink Panoply Breast Cancer Journey Part Three - Accuquilt Bear Paw BOB

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, 

something to love, and something to hope for.

Joseph Addison

Hey there from Nannyland,

It's no secret that I am a two-time breast cancer survivor and feel very blessed to be living my best life 18 years after my first diagnosis and treatment.  I am also almost 10 years out from my second diagnosis. and now, to my apprehension, I'm about to embark on a third breast cancer saga.  Yeah, I know, I can't trust my boobs to behave, whether real of fake.  "Think Pink" has a special meaning to me since my beautiful mom died of breast cancer at 61 and my sister and I have both endured it in recent years. I'm journaling my story because my first amazing craft room was born during my radiation treatments for my initial cancer when we added a studio to our home. And Pink Panoply was conceived during  my mastectomy and reconstruction after my second diagnosis.   It appears that the seeds of my creativity have been planted during adversity and  blossom with the enlightenment and peace I receive during these challenging times.

I started making quilts for breast cancer survivors in 2016 and discovered that quilt making is every bit as delightful and creative as card making.  My label "Pink Panoply" came about when I needed a trade name to sell my quilts, along with baby bibs and blankets, in my Etsy store.  My Etsy venture didn't last long because making a business of my most beloved and rewarding calling limited my creativity and took the joy out of it for me.  But it was a fun experience and I still have my store to reopen if I wish.

Happily, Pink Panoply has lived long after those first breast cancer awareness quilts and here I am with my blog/journal, Instagram, Facebook, Design Teams and many other ways to engage with you on the internet. My recent diagnosis is new, so I don't know the challenges that lie ahead but I have faith in a good outcome, and trust that God will watch over me as he always does.  In the meantime, I have been doing what I have done in the past and realigning my priorities to include those things that are most important to me.  That still means lots of crafting, but hopefully more quilts and faith journal pages.  I'm excited for the changes I'm making because I really miss some of the things that have been crowded out by pursuits that seem much less important now.

And now for some happy quilting schmooze. I made this quilt for my bestie and her husband for their 50th wedding anniversary last month.  She's a home decorator extraordinaire, so I knew it would be much safer to create a quilt she could use in her fancy new travel trailer.  Hence, the bear paw block...cute, eh?  I found a fat quarter bundle in her favorite shades of blue and green and used the Bear Paw Accuquilt Block On Board die in my Accuquilt Go Big to die cut the block pieces.  I used my usual crisp striped binding and pieced a backing with fabric that looks like pebbles in a mountain stream.

I hope it doesn't take an awakening like a health crisis to encourage you to prioritize  the things that matter most to you.  Go forth and immerse yourself in the exquisite creative mindfulness and joy that comes from creating something beautiful. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Conie Fong January Design Team Project #2 - Susie Snowflake Valentine

 “Being soaked alone is cold. Being soaked with your best friend is an adventure.”
 Emily Wing Smith

 Hey there from Nannyland,

I'm snuggled here in Nannyland while the crazy weird weather around me fluctuates. I hope you're finding solace from the inclement, and sometimes brutal weather that seems to be affecting everyone this winter. My prayers go out to those who have had to endure hardships and losses as a result of violent storms.

Here in my warm hideaway, I am blessed to be blissfully working on  Design Team projects and have chosen to color this gorgeous Susie Snowflake digital stamp for my 2nd DT project this month.  You can find many more fabulous Conie Fong images in Conie's Etsy Shop here.

I chose a large 5 x 7 lacy Spellbinders frame die to mimic swirls of snow surrounding my stylishly bundled-up lady.  I added tiny multicolored die cut hearts to her beanie to create a Valentine vibe.  I adhered enamel hearts to the corners of my frame and a pearl heart to the snowflake she is displaying to complete the Valentine theme. I used small button brads and a white gel pen for detailing. The background panel is lavender glitter paper edged with a silver leafing pen. The curved sentiment was created in Cricut Design Space,  and also edged with a silver leafing pen. 

I hope you have a cozy place,  away from the blustery outdoors,  where you can create a warm greeting for someone you love...and maybe read and watch a movie or six. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Shopping Our Stash Challenge #488

613 Avenue Create Challenge #202301

Dare 2B Artzy January Challenge - Winter Fun

Just Us Girls Challenge #662

Cut it Up Challenge #269

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #239

Cupcakes Inspirations Challenge # 560

Classic Design Challenge #1

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #1

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #1

You Are Awesome to the Core - Zan Von Zed Digital Stamp

 Love is a fruit in season at all times and within reach of every hand.
Mother Teresa

Hey there from Nannyland,

Every now and then,  I just have to take time out from coloring my favorite dewy-eyed angelic images  and choose one that's equally gorgeous, but a little offbeat.  One of my all-time fave digi artists is the talented Zan Von Zed.  Her medieval images with their engagingly prominent features always draw me in.  As I color, I like to imagine my beautiful damsel as a regal princess, wandering the halls of a medieval castle or stepping down an exotic magical garden path.  

I created this Valentine card for a friend who appreciates the fusion of art and history as much as I do.  Zan Von Zed creates romantic images in a historical style and the detail on their vintage clothing is exquisite.  I used Copic markers to color this elegant lady and added detail with a white gel pen and Staedtler triplus fineliners.  Small white pearls adorn her cuffs, multiple gold gems trim her collar and a single red gem accessorizes her belt.    I added shine to the apple with Glossy Accents.  I created the swirly gold frame in Cricut Design Space and embellished the heart in the corner with a large red gem.  I used the Cricut writing feature for the layered sentiment tag.  The water color background is digital paper from my very efficient and much-used digi library. 

If your mojo needs a little spark like mine does occasionally, I hope I have encouraged you to step out of your comfort zone and create something that's a little off your beaten path.  There are so many unique and wonderful choices out there!

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 - Something New (Zan Von Zed digi)

Digi Choosday Challenge Wk 1

A Gem of a Challenge Wk 1

Crafty Calendar Challenge - January Add a Sentiment

A Place to Start - January

Make My Monday - Challenge #191

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #1

Classic Design Challenge #1

CD Sunday Plus Challenge #101

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #107

Conie Fong January Design Team Project #1 - Penguin Bundle of Love Box Card

Valentine's Day is precisely what the spirit needs.  It is hot chocolate for the soul.
It is a bright splash of color on a stark white canvas.
The day reminds us to reaffirm our love, or perhaps to give voice
 to that which has remained unsaid.    Dorothy Denneen Volo

 

Hey there from Nannyland,

I hope you all had a fabulous holiday season, as I did, and are getting excited to create some heartfelt cards  full of mushy sentiments to express your devotion to your tribe on Valentines day.  I enjoy switching gears and creating all things love-related when the holiday season winds down. When I lived in California, it never occured to me to  put a wintery bundled-up penguin on a Valentine card.  But now that I live in a cooler climate,  it makes sense that penguins and snowmen should still hang around in the chilly, snowy months of February and March to help us celebrate the season of l'amour.   

Conie Fong Penguin Bundle of Love digi, Copic markers, Lori Whitlock card base,Cricut Maker,
pink heart gems, glitter heart acrylic stickers, white gel pen, stitched die for snow, patterned paper

I can't imagine a cuter messenger of love than this little "Penguin Bundle of Love" digital stamp from Conie Fong.  You can find her/him in Conie Fong's Etsy shop here.  After I  colored her with Copic markers,  I fussy cut her and adhered her to the front panel of my pop-up box card.  The Z-fold base is a Lori Whitlock svg that I have saved in Cricut Design Space and have used many times to make Valentine cards.  The cute pop-up hearts in the middle sparkle with pink gems and glitter sticker hearts. I covered my card panels with coordinating patterned paper and used the writing feature in Cricut Design Space to create the sentiment tags. I die cut a stitched die to create the dimension for the snow on the bottom panels and lined each panel with a silver leafing pen.  I used a white gel pen to add dots to the hearts and a green fine liner to create the stripes on the large heart. 

I'll be using  more of Conie's incredible images for my Valentine's cards this year.  You will find tons of them in Conie's Etsy Shop here.  I would love for you to stop by and see what else I've created. I hope I have inspired you to incorporate some cute winter images into your Valentine cards this year. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Critter Crazy Challenge #70

Classic Design Challenge #1

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge #292

Crafts Galore Encore #107

Crafty Animals Challenge #68

Die Cut Divas Valentine - Jan. 1

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #1

QKR Stampede Challenge #458

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge

Stamping Sensations January Challenge