Art Journaling With Copics - Reyda Prints Digi

We tire of those pleasures we take, but never of those we give. 

John Petit-Senn

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Hey there from Nannyland,

As this year comes to an end, I have been reflecting on its challenges and triumphs and vowing to change the things that I need to let go of to make space for the good things that lie ahead. I always promise to simplify my life, but this time I really feel motivated to go for it.  In the past, my two cancer battles have opened my eyes to what is really important in life, and the third one this year has been no different.  I feel so blessed to have come through my challenges with flying colors. (I will keep reminding  myself that my hormone therapy pill is there to save my life, not to ruin it.)   

So, as I look around Nannyland, I see so many handmade cards displayed on shelves and in bins, waiting to be sent.  Some are Design Team creations, some are from Kit and Clowder classes and some are favorites I can't let go of.  I have made a decision to do more coloring in journals so that I can preserve my artwork in a way that I can flip through it when I want to see my progress and also look for inspiration.

I've also been enjoying the awesome detailed die cuts I've been receiving from the Spellbinders Large Die of the Month club.  It has reminded me of how delightful it is layering dies to create some really amazing cards.  I plan to make it a regular practice to create more cards with the millions of dies I have accumulated over the years. I find them easier to give away to friends and family because they are more easily duplicated.   

After losing a little of my mojo over the past few months, I'm feeling my energy coming back and I think my new found focus will be fun to incorporate in my artwork going forward.  I'm also going to save more time for my other love, quilting, which is another one of my favorite forms of art.

                              

I'm not quite sure how I will approach my art journaling,  but I think it would be fun to create separate journals for different types of images. I have several of this Tim Holtz weekly calendar with thick pages that include beautiful ready made backgrounds.  I colored this absolutely adorable image by Reyda Prints, fussy cut her, and mounted her on a white lacy frame, similar to my usual card designs.  I created some layered Spellbinder flowers which work beautifully because they are relatively flat.  I added assorted gems to the flowers and accessories. It's hard to see in the pictures, but I also added small pearl gems to the scallops on the frame.  They added a little dimension to the page but not enough to make it too bulky.

I covered the weekly calendar page with a piece of water color dp and added a sentiment from the same paper pack.  My largest flower was too large for my image so I tucked it behind my sentiment and I think it looks great there.

I know I'm going to like this art journal thing.  It feels really good to know I can color my images for myself and not worry about perfection (or giving them away, never to be seen again) when I'm creating my pages.  I like the way this new year is shaping up in Nannyland. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Digi Choosday Challenge Wk 50

A Place to Start December Challenge

Crafting From the Heart Challenge #8

Dream Valley Challenge #306

Path of Positivity Challenge #118 

Gem of a Challenge Wk 26

Creative Inspirations Challenge #9

Classic Design Challenge December

Worldwide Crafters and Colorists Challenge #12

The Crafty Addicts Challenge #8

Christmas Gift Basket - Accuquilt Go Bowl Cozy

It's not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.   Mother Teresa

Hey there from Nannyland,

My Christmas gift baskets are all wrapped and ready to deliver and I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief.  I made eight of them for close friends and family and I'm all revved up to deliver them as soon as possible so I can put my feet up and enjoy the delights of the holiday.

This year I was excited to use my Accuquilt Go Big Bowl Cozy Die. I used THIS tutorial from Accuqult to sew my cozies and I found them fairly easy to make, with several opportunities to chain piece. I cut bright layer cake fabric and scraps to create coordinated top and bottom layers. All materials, including thread, must be 100% cotton to make them safe for the microwave so I used special batting by Pellon called Wrap and Zap. 

I love the way they turned out with all the bright colors.  I put sets of 2 and 4 together, depending on the number of people in my recipient families. I added THIS cute tag with care instructions.  

It was so much fun filling up a Dollar Tree plastic mixing bowl with soup related items. I put a microwave safe bowl on top of my cozies to hold a bag of bean soup mix, some small packages of crackers, a ladle and some cute snowman napkins.  A plastic basket bag and a large checked bow were all I needed to make a festive presentation.  

It's always a delight to put together unique and personal handmade gifts for Christmas. They give me plenty of time to reflect on how grateful I am to be surrounded by loving friends and family this time of year.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year full of crafting joy.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Friends and Family Christmas Cards - Spellbinders October Large Die of The Month

"Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime."  

 Laura Ingalls Wilder

Hey there from Nannyland,

I've been taking a much-needed break from blogging and posting on social media for the past few weeks, but that hasn't stopped me from enjoying many hours in Nannyland completing my yearly Christmas cards and gifts.  I make about 30 holiday cards each year for friends and family, and while that may not sound like a lot, the work I put into them involves many blissful hours of designing, die cutting, embossing, gluing, embellishing and whatever else it takes to complete my one-of-a-kind offerings. 

This year I had a blast creating this darling Christmas Boutique card with the Spellbinders October Large Die of the Month.  I always misjudge the time and effort it will take to create the details on my card and this one was no exception.  Cutting and embellishing all the separate pieces seemed to take forever and then arranging them on my card precisely where they needed to go on the base layer proved to be a major feat.  Assembly line production is the only way for me to get through the process with the least amount of frustration.  

I was happy when I found an embossing folder for my background that looked like snow flurries.  Gold foil card stock added shine to my Noel sentiment and flower centers.  I used red and blue gems to add bling to my flowers and added a large tree from another die set (embellished with white Nuvo Drops) to add dimension to my scene.  A brown Copic marker was an easy way to color the tree trunk. The small tree is topped with a mini gold star and gem.   I really like the uniqueness of this cute house and I'm very happy with how everything went together.

I'm proud of myself for once again powering through the sometimes tedious (but always rewarding) work to create handmade cards for those I love during the holidays (and getting them out on time}. Sending snail mail love to people I don't get to see very often is one of the best things about card making.  I feel very honored that many of my recipients look forward to their yearly "limited addition" card and display them year after year.

 Now on to my hand-sewn gifts.  Sheesh! It's never ending for us crafty types.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

A Perfect Time to Craft December Challenge

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge #11

Classic Design Challenge #11

Crafts Galore Encore #118

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge#12

The Creative Crafters Challenge #70

Aud Sentiments Challenge #308

Dream Valley Challenge #306

613 Avenue Create December Challenge