Dreaming Tree Taqueria Treat Box

I don't mean to brag, but,,, I just put a puzzle together in one day
and the box said 2-4 years. 

Hey there from Nannyland,

I guess it's true...two opposing things can be true at the same time.  I have learned that assembling 3-dimensional objects is definitely not my super power and it is also true that it is exceptionally fun for me. I never would have attempted putting together one of the many amazing Dreaming Tree 3-D items, especially the elaborate buildings, until I created this bird house treat box for my friend's birthday a couple of years ago.  As it turned out, the directions on YouTube were amazingly simple to follow and I ended up with an awesome gift box.  

This year I thought I would try this adorable Taqueria box for the same friend who is obsessed with Mexican food.  I plan to fill it with some yummy homemade chocolate chip cookies again and a gift card from his favorite Mexican restaurant. Turns out, I'm still pretty messy with the gluing and assembling thing, but look how cute it turned out!  My friend is a fabulous artist, but when I gifted him his birdhouse, he was more impressed with how it fit together and less with perfectly lined up edges. So I think he will love figuring out the intricate ins and outs of this clever box.    

  

The original pattern calls for yellow vellum in the windows, but I didn't have it in my stash so I substituted it for some thin textured paper that works just as well when lit with a tea light.   I made a ton of mistakes but was able fix them in ways that made them look like they were meant to be.  My Cricut blade must have been a little dull or my paper was the wrong weight for some of the intricate pieces.  The Taqueria sign had some tears in it, but I covered them up with a small flower and some surgical piecing.  The small holes in the die cut cactus pots were a mess, so I traced the pot shape on designer paper and filled them in with shiny Glossy Accents.  I mistakenly put glue all over the fancy dome on the roof before I realized it wouldn't actually be glued to the front.  Eeek!!! So I added green card stock backing and glued a star to the opening.  In the end, everything worked out fine,  I had lots of gold gems and stars in my stash, so I put them to good use.                                    . 

The back has a door that closes with Velcro so it is very easy to fill the box with treats, gift cards or whatever other treasures might fit inside. 

Whether I cook a traditional Mexican dinner for my friend and his wife, or we choose to go out for some delicious Mexican food, I can present this unique portable gift box to him with a proud grin on my face, knowing that as an artist himself, he will appreciate all the work and loving thoughts that went into creating it.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #714

Dream Valley #312

Crafter's Cafe Challenge #306

613 Avenue Create March Challenge

Krafty Chicks Challenge #709

The Paper Funday Challenge #63

A Place to Start March Challenge

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #121

Love to Craft Challenge #79

The Creative Crafters Challenge #74

Fantasy Journal Pages - Zan Von Zed Medieval Maiden

Life itself is the most wonderful fairytale.
Hans Christian Andersen

Hey there from Nannyland,

A "fantasy" art journal has emerged in Nannyland, which I'm excited to fill with images of fairies, mermaids,  unicorns, good witches and all sorts of my favorite mythical creatures (except for maybe gnomes). Anyone familiar with my art is aware of my obsession with all things mystical.  My first page for this journal is a scene with a lovely Zan Von Zed maiden on the balcony of a medieval castle, waiting for her knight in shining armor to rescue her from the fiery dragon lurking under the moat bridge. Everyone knows that she obviously could rescue herself, but then what would the handsome nobleman do while riding his mighty steed through the dark forest.  He has all the majesty and strength to put that fierce dragon down, so he should just do it for the good of the villagers and the ardor of his lady. But I digress. 

I used warm Copic colors for my damsel's dress and found handmade die cut flowers in my stash to brighten up the stone walls, which are created with designer paper.   I used a white gel pen to highlight some of the details on her gown and added beading to her bodice.  A small vellum butterfly rests on her dainty hand. 

I glued designer paper to the opposite page and created the sentiment tag in Cricut Design Space with the writing and cutting features. 

I'll never get tired of imagining a world where magic makes all things possible.  It's such a delightful escape when the world gets too real.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

                                                               Playing along with:

Cards 4 Galz Challenge #221

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #253

Color Throwdown Challenge #785

A Place to Start March Challenge

Dream Valley Challenge #312

A Perfect Time to Craft Challenge #3

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #121

Worldwide Crafters and Colorists Challenge #15

Classic Design Challenge #3

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #74

Spellbinders February Large Die of the Month - Floral Bunny Basket

God's love is wrapping all around you, whether you notice it or not. 

Hey there from Nannyland,

I absolutely loved ushering in the delights of spring with this adorable February Spellbinders Large Die of the Month set.   It's called Floral Bunny Basket and is so amazingly sweet with its textured basket, layered tulips, plump carrots and darling rabbit.  Who doesn't love an adorable bunny butt!!! 

When I imagined the tulips for my basket, I had in mind this fabulous tulip quilt in beautiful bright printed fabric from one of my favorite designers.   I decided to experiment with some of my designer paper pads and create some paper "quilted" tulips. I always enjoy paper piecing and I really like how they turned out.  I added faux stitching to the edges with a black micro pen to carry on the stitchy vibe.  

 

A vellum butterfly, mini dragonfly and gold metallic bow add a little extra personality to my spring scene.  And, of course, it wouldn't be complete without  my usual gems for added sparkle.

The recipients of these cards will be two dear friends, one of whom is obsessed with bunnies. I think this one will definitely make her smile.

I hope I have awakened a bit of your spring spirit, even if you're like me and there's still some evidence of a hard winter outside.  It's a bit rainy here in the desert today and there's new snow on the mountains,  (eek!), but the buds are blooming on the fruit trees outside my window and soon spring will burst through like it always does.  Happy Easter, everyone.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

                                                                  Playing along with:

Allsorts Week 772

Cut it Up Challenge #299

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #253

Fab'n'Funky Challenge #591

The Paper Funday Challenge #63

A Place to Start March Challenge

Make My Monday Challenge #221

A Perfect Time to Craft Challenge #3

Daisy Chain Challenge #83

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #74

Classic Design Challenge #3

My Cozy Little Hand Stitching Retreat

                

Today I choose: calm over chaos, serenity over stress, peace over perfection,
grace over grit, faith over fear. 

          

Hey there from Nannyland,

I spent this past week piecing a lovely-tho-complicated quilt top using some of my treasured emotional support fat quarters.  My discombobulated brain needs a little rest before I do all the finishing touches and get it ready to bind,  so it's folded neatly on a hanger, languishing in a closet for now.  In the meantime, I took a breather from creating my journals and cards in Nannyland, and created a cozy little retreat where I can do my hand stitching projects.  My list of necessary trappings consisted of good lighting, comfortable chair, place to store projects and a big TV screen with cable. 

I found all of these things in a cozy corner in my roomy master bedroom.  I have loved lounging in my relaxing blue fabric recliner while reading a book or magazine, so it was easy to expand its use to hand sewing.  An Ottlight floor lamp bought at 40% off from Joann Fabrics creates excellent lighting for my projects and a lap desk bought at Barnes and Noble provides a convenient work space. 

 A large screen TV already exists opposite the chair, perfect for watching my favorite YouTube quilting and sewing videos while stitching. 

Colorful sewing boxes are the best for varied projects because they have a large compartment at the bottom and removable trays at the top for smaller supplies...and they look adorable. BTW, that amazing and pristine mid-century cedar chest is a gift I received for Christmas when I was 16 years old. No, you can't buy it!  

I keep my supplies for English paper piecing in a sewing box with small narrow trays at the bottom to store my fabric covered templates.  I have a bobbin box with multiple colored threads stored there also.  On the top layer I keep my smaller supplies such as needles, glue, thread, needle threader, magnets, scissors, etc. 

A pretty hand-made basket holds my yarn, the crochet needles I am using for my project, scissors and a large plastic needle to weave threads. My collection of smaller hooks and less used supplies are in a cute smaller sewing basket. 

I've noticed that Cross stitch has regained its popularity recently, especially among quilters.  I used to love needle point and embroidery and spent many hours doing some elaborate projects like family Christmas stockings, which we still have to this day.  I'm discovering that counted cross stitch is much less complicated and just as satisfying.  I also think it must be beneficial to my aging brain, because there's a lot of math, counting and trying to keep my place on a sometimes very intricate pattern.  Calisthenics  for the brain.    

I've seen some of the most adorable project bags made by my quilty friends and they seem like a very good way to use scraps and learn to navigate sewing a zipper, but for now I'm using some mesh bags I found at Staples and they work great.  I'm storing them in a cherished hand-made basket I bought in Charleston, SC from an amazing hand weaver.   Decorative and useful is my mantra.  

On the opposite side of my master bedroom is an equally tranquil space.  When we moved from our last  home, I very reluctantly had to give my piano away for lack of space in our new home.  As promised, the first thing my husband bought me was a high tech keyboard that feels and sounds amazingly like a piano.  And I have loved that it never goes out of tune.  I have the same Ottlight floor lamp here and a shelf above with room for books and a metronome.   

I love having a choice of cozy retreats in my home where I can choose a different blissful reverie, depending on my mood.  A cozy nest is just what we all need to wrap ourselves in when the stresses of life get a little overwhelming.  I hope you have such a space. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)