Thursday, August 17, 2023

Conie Fong Susie Sunshine Digi Card - Cricut Design Space

If it doesn't feed your soul, let it go. 


Hey there from Nannyland,


What better way to convey love and caring thoughts across the miles than by sending a lovingly created handmade card displaying a beautiful soulful-eyed image like this one from Conie Fong Art.  This sweet bouquet-toting lady is called Susie Sunshine and you can find her in Conie's Etsy shop HERE.

I designed the 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 square card in Cricut Design Space using a cut file from the image library called Heart Scallop (#M43611164). It's so easy to use the writing feature to customize sentiments and perfectly position them on a card.  The scalloped heart layer is cut from red foil card stock and the scallops are embellished with white pearl gems. The white cardstock panel is dry embossed with a dot pattern and edged with a silver leafing pen, along with the blue base panel.  The pretty bow that comes with the heart image set is embellished with a red glitter acrylic heart, white die cut mini bow and blue gem.  I sized my image in Microsoft Word and downloaded it from my computer onto Xpressit blending paper. It was a delight to bring this adorable image to life with Copic markers, fussy cut her and then adhere her to my background with mounting tape.  

I'm excited to send this card to a friend who is going through a rough patch right now.  I wish I could be there to comfort her in person but I hope some handmade love will make her burden a little lighter. Have I inspired you to make and send a card to someone who could really use a little dose of handmade love?

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Paper Shelter Cute Bike - Always Enjoy the Scenic Route

  “Life is like a 10-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.”
Charles M. Schultz


Hey there from Nannyland,


Nothing could bring back happier memories for me more than this scene of a darling cyclist with a picnic basket full of goodies tied to the back of her bike.   Back in the 70's when I was first married, I lived in a gorgeous Los Angeles suburb called Glendale and my husband and I rode our bikes every Saturday on the bike paths near Santa Monica Pier.  It was a very different time then and sunny beaches were pristine and magnificent.  We ate fish and chips at our favorite bistro near the start of our route before we  embarked on our adventure.  Along the way we bought licorice at a shop in the quirky art colony of Venice, road past  the musclemen working out on Muscle Beach, past the piano player playing fabulous music on an old truck bed, past the man dressed up like Robinhood,  and down to the beautiful Santa Monica Pier.  It was a magical time.  

Unfortunately, my bicycle riding days are over.  I need to keep my brittle bones intact! But it was delightful reminiscing while coloring THIS adorable Paper Shelter image called Cute Bike. This darling  girl looks like she's having the best day ever.  I kept my Copic color palette minimal and stippled in a simple ground and sky background.  I used a white gel pen to add details to her shirt and sandals.  I adhered her with mounting tape to a graphic die cut frame and added matching glittery blue dots to the corners.  No fancy flowers or  fussy bling this time.  Just a simple sentiment that says it all.

I hope you have a chance this summer to find a restful place at the beach or in the mountains, or maybe just outside your own door, to experience the peace that a beautiful slice of nature brings.  

Thursday, August 3, 2023

Shaped Birthday Card - Lendel Art Digital Image in Copics

 Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, 
and the way you make others feel is your trademark. 



Hey there from Nannyland,


I'm discovering some absolutely amazing digital artists on the internet who create just the type of images I love to color  and  Lendel Art is certainly one of them. This gorgeous image was a delight to color with my Copic markers in my favorite cool shades of lavender, blue and green.  I added some sparkle to her large earrings with colorful rhinestones. A die cut sentiment created the perfect birthday card for one of my girly friends.   

I knew this pretty lady needed a beautiful frame surrounding her, so I brought out my cherished Heartfelt Creations dies and created a shaped card base.  I die cut the decorative filigree layer in white shimmer card stock and added muted lavender and pink pearl accents.  I used the oval die in the set to cut my image, edged her with a gold leafing pen and adhered her to the frame layer with mounting tape for dimension.  I will add a die cut stand to my envelope when sending this card to make her easy to display.  

I hope I have inspired you to search for new artists who create designs that speak to you.  I have found most of my artists on Etsy, although one of my all-time faves,  Mo Manning, has her own shop here.  Happy browsing!