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