Guest Designer for C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #371 - Polkadoodles Winnie's Winterland Card

 

Hey there from Nannyland,

Today I'm delighted and very honored for the opportunity to be a Guest Designer for C.R.A.F.T. Challenge 371.  The theme is Christmas and the sponsor is one of my all-time favorite card-making and craft supply companies, Polkadoodles.  

For my card I chose this beautiful digital stamp called Winnie's Winterland to create a frosty Nordic scene.  I colored this darling image with Copic markers, including the drawing and shading of Winnie's facial features.  The original stamp has a very adorable simply drawn face, but I chose to add some personality with a little more detail.  

I backed my scene with digital water color paper to mimic the Northern Lights.  The frame was created in Cricut Design Space and cut out with silver metallic card stock.  The sentiment was also created with my Cricut using the Design Space writing and off-set features.

It's never too early to start thinking about Christmas cards and I'm excited that I have this one to get me in the holiday spirit.  I hope I have inspired you to do some Christmas creating also.  The holidays will be here before we know it! 

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 34

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #168

Dream Valley Challenge #321

613 Avenue Create August Challenge

A Gem of a Challlenge Wk17

Allsorts Challenge Wk 795

Polkadoodles Challenge - Wk 34

Classic Design Challenge #8

Creative Fingers Challenge #283

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #258

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

Friends and Family Christmas Card - Anna Griffin Nativity Easel Card

Joy comes from and because of Him.
       Russell M. Nelson

Hey there from Nannyland,

Designing my yearly Christmas card to send to friends and family is always one of the most stressful  challenges I face during the busy holiday season.  Happily, this year I had Anna Griffin's Nativity Easel Card Dies to make the task simpler.  The die set includes the easel card base and all the layering pieces, so all I had to do was choose how I would use them and in what colors. And, of course, die cut and assemble the card. And address and send them.  Sooo...yeah. 

I  printed beautiful night sky paper from my digi library and I love the way it looks in my background.  I chose glossy gold foil  and white cardstocks for my layers because the embossing shows up nicely on them (much better in person). I created the sentiment "stoppers" in Cricut Design Space and signed them in a script font, which saved my tired pinkies from having to sign each card individually.  I have pared down my list to about 30 cards, which is still a little labor intensive, but when done in assembly line fashion, goes pretty fast.  I was able to finish my cards before Thanksgiving this year, which is a huge accomplishment for me.  It felt so good to have them done so I could concentrate on some handmade gifts for the people on my list, decorating the house and holiday recipes.    

Next year I'm determined to get my cards finished early again.  It was blissful knowing all I had to do was add envelopes and stamps when my holiday calendar began to squeeze me for time.

A lot of people don't know what an easel card is, so I printed this note on card stock, which also served as a protector for mailing my layered card.  

I didn't manage to get my Christmas quilting projects done this year, so one of my 2023 resolutions will be to start sewing them in July.  Seriously,  I think I can pull it off.  I'll be posting them next Christmas.  Another New Year's resolution is to think positively. 😀

Merry Christmas, everyone.  Stay well and have a blessed time with friends and family.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Allsorts Challenge wk 707

Crafters Cafe Challenge #292

Crafts Galore Encore December Challenge

Moving Along With The Times Challenge #149

QKR Stampede Challenge #457

The Four Seasons Challenge Winter

Incy Wincy December Challenge

Die Cut Divas December

Conie Fong December Design Team Project #2 - Molly's Winter Friends Center Step Card

I pray this winter be gentle and kind - a season of rest from the wheel of the mind.
John Geddes

 

Hey there from Nannyland,

The snow in my beautiful part of the world is right where I like it...in the majestic mountains outside my window, far enough away that I don't have to shovel, drive or walk in it.  It's plenty cold here today, 43 degrees in fact, but I can bundle up and go for a walk without too much difficulty.  I may not be able to make a cute snowman like the one in this darling scene,  but it's chilly enough that I can imagine what a good time little Molly had making it come to life. 

Conie Fong Molly and Friends digi, Cricut Design Space, Copic markers,
clearn gems, silver leafing pen 

This delightful digital stamp called Molly's Winter Friends from Conie Fong Art is colored with Copic markers in cool, winter hues.  To make my card, I cut out a scalloped center step base in Cricut Design Space and created a matching sentiment tag with the writing feature.  I edged the scallops on the frame and base panels with a silver leafing pen. Clear gems added to the scallop openings add sparkly dimension. 

I hope I have inspired you to create a project with a frosty winter scene to celebrate the gorgeous peaceful setting this time of year, whether you enjoy it from near or far.  

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #238

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #563

The Paper Funday Challenge #48

Digi Choosday Challenge - Wk 50

Passion for Markers Challenge #670

A Place to Start Challenge - December

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #12

International Art & Soul Challenge #148

Morgans ArtWorld Challenge #12

Classic Design Challenge #12

Kit and Clowder Pencil Class - Every Day is a Gift

Don't be a cotton-headed ninny muggin.
Buddy the Elf

Hey there from Nannyland,

I guess I'm what the paper crafting community calls a "Copic Colorist." Cards with intricate die cuts are also some of my faves, but I usually end up adding Copic touches for detail.  So now I have decided to step out of my little Copic bubble and add pencil coloring to my artistic repertoire.   And guess what!  I absolutely love it.  It takes much more time and patience, but I remember learning to color with Copics also used up a bunch of my brain cells in the beginning.  

I was excited to pull the November 2017 pencil class out of my Kit and Clowder library and give this beautiful Christmas image a go. Alyce Keegan is the Copics and pencils instructor at Kit and Clowder and she has taught me so much over the years...mostly to have confidence and just follow my coloring bliss.  I found the blending on this darling girl easier than some of the images I've colored in the past, so I'm very excited to continue my pencil odyssey.

I sized the lacy background frame in Cricut Design Studio and created the tag with the cutting and writing feature.  The snowy background is digital paper I printed on my inkjet printer.  I lined my panels with a gold leafing pen and added details to my image with a white gel pen...two of my cardmaking staples. I used a little Glossy Accents on my pears to add some shine and make them stand out.  I added sparkly pink gems and a glitter enamel heart for my finishing touches.  

I love how she turned out and I'm proud of myself for being patient and sticking to it, even though my skills have a long way to go. It's kinda thrilling to rev up my artistic juices and embark on a new creative journey.  I hope I have encouraged you to do the same.   

 

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 - Christmas or Winter

The Paper Funday Challenge #48

Shopping Our Stash #485

TTCRD - December 6

Arty Divas November Challenge

Classic Design Challenge #12

Die Cut Divas - Polka Doodles Month

LeAnn's World Challenge #57

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #12

Let's Craft and Create Challenge #190 - Inspired by a Song

Conie Fong December Design Team Project #1 - Noelle's Gift

Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought to getting.
Thomas S. Monson

Hey there from Nannyland,

Although my home is full of Christmas flair and I've been watching Hallmark movies for a couple of weeks, I feel the full-on holiday festivities can officially commence now that Thanksgiving is over and December is here.  I'm thrilled that all my cards are made and most of my presents are bought.  I have even completed two quilts for some special people on my gift list. It's kind of a scary feeling to be so on top of things for a change...what could go wrong? 

I colored and fussy cut this absolutely adorable Conie Fong digital stamp called Noelle's Gift for my first Design Team project this month.  There are so many fabulous holiday images in Conie's Etsy Shop to choose from, and I loved coloring this one with feminine pinks and blues along with the traditional reds and greens. I think she looks so darling in her Santa outfit surrounded by colorful gifts and poinsettias.  I colored and fussy cut this Noelle's Gifts Bonus image with extra flowers and presents to layer on her for dimension. I thought she needed a card base as girly as she is, so I created a shaped frame from a lacy layered die in pink and white.  I added a few gold gems to the poinsettia centers and embellished her gifts with white gel pen accents.  The silver edged sentiment tag was created in Cricut Design Space.

I hope I have inspired you to change up some of the traditional holiday colors in your card making to add a feminine touch for some of your girly images.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Ally's Angels Challenge #64

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #11

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge

The Creative Crafters #58

Crafters Cafe Challenge #291

The Corrosive Challenge #11

Sweet Stampers #74

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #12

Classic Design Challenge #12

Conie Fong November Design Team Project #3 - Red Robin Christmas Tags

 They serve God well who serve his creatures.
 Caroline Norton

Hey there from Nannyland,

A pretty tag on a beautifully wrapped present or colorful bag can make a gift seem extra special.  It was super fun to size this adorable Red Robin with Berries image from Conie Fong's Etsy Shop to create some holiday tags for some special people on my list this year. 

 

                                  

I created the tag base in Cricut Design Space and  cut it out twice for each tag, once in white and once in patterned paper.  After I colored and fussy cut my image, I sandwiched it between the two tag layers with some coordinating card stock for backing. I embellished the corners with some seasonal die cut sprigs and gems.  All that was left was to add some festive ribbon as ties and my tags are ready to spruce up (pun intended) some special gifts for family and friends.  And one of my favorite things is they double as a cards!  

I'll bet you have lots of seasonal images in your stash that would make fabulous holiday tags.  I hope I have inspired you to dust them off and create some fancy packaging for some of your besties.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Colour Crazy wk 47

Creative Challenge #243

Winter Wonderland - Robin Redbreast

Simon Says: Not a Card

Sparkles Christmas Challenge #142

Make My Monday - Things with Wings

Use Your Stuff #471

Crafting Happiness November 24

Conie Fong November Design Team Project #2 - Puppy Cuddles Digital Stamp

 To be creative is to let little pieces of your heart go
and place them into each project you make.

Hey there from Nannyland, 

I've been loving the spectacular snowy scene posts from my FaceBook friends across the country and decided it was time to create a wintry forest z-fold card for this cute Conie Fong girl and her darling puppy.  The image is called Puppy Cuddles and you can find her here in Conie's fabulous Etsy Store here.   

Conie Fong Puppy Cuddles digi, Copic markers, Dreaming Tree card base,Cricut Design Space,
white gel pen, snowflake dies, clear gems, foam tape. digital dp

I used this Dreaming Tree card base svg that I had downloaded in Cricut Design Space for a past Christmas card and changed out the house focal image for this adorable miss.  I die cut snowflakes and added clear gems for some added background dimension.  My image is colored with Copic markers, fussy cut, and then layer onto my background with foam tape.  The silver "Peace" sentiment tag on the back fold was created in Cricut Design Space.

We're still waiting for our annual day of snow here in the desert, which usually happens in January and lasts less than a day.  That's just the way I like it!  The pretty photos and winter card-making paraphernalia are enough to keep me happy through these chilly days.  I hope I have inspired you to  create something full of snowy goodness to celebrate this lovely season.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Christmas with the Cuties Challenge #65

Avenue 613 Create Challenge #202211

CD Sundary Plus Challenge #98

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge - Christmas

Craft Rocket Challenge #98

Dream Valley Challenge #282

Use Your Stuff Challenge #471

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #11

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #11

Classic Design Challenge #11

Conie Fong November Design Team Project - Christmas Leilani

I like to compare the holiday season with the way a child listens to a favorite story. 

The pleasure is in the familiar way the story begins, the anticipation of familiar turns it takes,

 the familiar moments of suspense and the familiar climax and ending.  

Fred Rogers

Hey there from Nannyland, 

Choosing from among the many gorgeous holiday images in Conie Fongs Etsy shop has made my Design Team projects a joy to create.  This fabulous image is called Christmas Leilani and you can find her in Conie's shop here.

I printed her out twice on Xpressit blending paper and colored her with Copic markers.  The poinsettias are fussy cut and popped up with pop dots over the base image for dimension.  I had created and saved the card base for an earlier project in Cricut Design Space and I loved that my image fit so perfectly on this fun design.  Glitter gold and red cardstocks, and a touch of metallic gold make this card festive and elegant.  The blue snowy paper is digi paper printed on my computer.

Yes, I'm aware we haven't even celebrated Thanksgiving yet and I will be posting an autumn card next week.  I have vowed not to put up any Christmas decorations until the weekend after Thanksgiving, and so far, so good.  But I might sneak in a Hallmark movie or two before then.  

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

    Playing along with:

Try it on Tuesday - Sparkle and Shine

Through the Craft Room Door - October 25

Peace on Earth Challenge #26

A Gem of a Challenge - wk 22

Colour Crazy Challenge - Week 43

613 Avenue Create #202210

A Perfect Time to Craft Challenge #11

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #10

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #11

Classic Design Challenge #11

Digi Doodle Studio Pop Up Box Card

Change always comes bearing gifts.   Price Pritchett

Digi Doodle Studios "Bringing Gifts" digi, Copic markers, Lori Whitlock pop up box card base,
Cricut, white gel pen, clear gems, digi snowflake paper, red card stock

Hey there from Nannyland,

This season's handmade cards are finally in the mail and my gifts are all wrapped and ready to deliver.  Since I had a moment to take a breath before all the joyful pandemonium starts, I couldn't resist creating one last holiday card with this darling Digi Doodle Studios image titled "Bringing Gifts." One of the greatest advantages to digi stamps is the ability to size them perfectly to any card base. I found this Lori Whitlock pop up box card svg in my library and exchanged the Santa image for this adorable  gift-bearing shopper. The tree and gift pop ups literally "spruce up" the cool snowy scene.  I found the perfect  "Bearing Gifts" sentiment in the Cricut Image Library.

This card was a fun and simple project to usher out a very eventful and challenging 2021. I'm praying by the time I start my Valentine's cards, our weary world will have some optimism and relief.   Bring on the mushy cards with hearts and cupids. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Christmas Craft Creations December Challenge

Paper Funday Challenge #36

Crafty Sentiment Designs Challenge - December 14

Bitten by the Bug 2 - Any Holiday Challenge

Dream Valley Challenge #260

A Gem of a Challenge #26

Crafty Calendar Christmas Challenge

Dragonfly Dreams December Challenge

Accuquilt Go Oven Mitt and Dollar Store Basket Revisited

Gifts of time and  love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly Merry Christmas.
Peg Bracken

Hey there from Nannyland, 

It's that wonderful time of year when we get to express our love to friends and family by bringing small tokens of our affection to their door.  A few years ago I watched this video on YouTube and created this Dollar Store Gift basket for my friends. To my surprise, it was a mega hit.  So this year,  since I  have moved to a new state, I'm excited for  the opportunity to recreate my baskets for a whole new group of friends!  I knew I had to start gathering all my cooking items weeks early because they can't be found in the picked over aisles of the Dollar Store when it gets closer to Christmas. And the same items, like the Betty Crocker cookie mixes, cost much more in the grocery store.   
 

I decided to up my game this year by sewing handmade oven mitts to spruce up my Dollar Store booty.  I used this die cut from Accuquilt Go to cut out the mitt, and then quilted, stitched and bound it, just like I would a quilt.  The most time consuming part was the quilting because I had to mark the hatched quilt lines with a fabric marking pen. The batting is insulated so it's leggit for keeping hands safe from the heat.  

I made eight of them, six for baskets and two filled with kitchen items that made fun smaller gifts on their own.  Although I logged some serious time, they were fun and fairly simple to sew. After I have recovered from my assembly line sewing frenzy, I plan to make others in different themes for future gifts (maybe with aprons to match...too cute).  I love the way they turned out.  I created the tag in Cricut Design Space to inform the recipient the mitt is handmade, but the rest was carefully curated from the Dollar Store. 

Whew!  All wrapped up and ready to go.  Another holiday score with the help of an ingenious Accuquilt die and The Dollar Store! 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

All Is Bright On Christmas Night - The Paper Shelter Follow The Stars Digi

Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high.
Then life seems almost enchanted after all.   Vincent Van Gogh

The Paper Shelter "Follow the Stars" digi, Cricut forest and poinsettia svg's ,digital paper,
 swirl punch, silver card stock, silver glitter paper, iridescent gems,glitter Nuvo Drops,Copic Markers

 Hey there from Nannyland,

I've enjoyed using non-traditional colors for some of my holiday cards this year.  I think these cool blue, green and lavender tones create a beautiful frosty scene for this lovely Paper Shelter lantern lady and her starlit path. 

One of my most daunting design challenges is creating backgrounds for my colored images. I borrowed this white birch tree svg from a Lori Whitlock winter scene that originally had a deer peeking through the forest.  I cut only the back layer (three times) on my Cricut Maker and  glued the layers together to provide seamless dimension beneath my image.  My Cricut is fast becoming one of my favorite inspirational tools because using die cuts in  unconventional ways helps me to create some unexpected and sometimes unique designs.

Digital paper printed on my computer created a mystical starry night sky.  I mounted my finished panel on silver card stock with just a sliver of black peaking from behind.  The poinsettia, from the Cricut image library, was cut in white card stock and colored with the same lavender copics I used to color my image.  I shaped the flower and added a little elegance with some silver glitter swirls and a blue iridescent gem. The sentiment and tag were created in Cricut Design Space and edged, along with the flower and main panel,  with a silver leafing pen. 

I sure hope you're finding some time to relax with all the seasonal frenzy swirling around you. I found some peace today by making time to have lunch with a friend.  Now I'm going to eat some chocolate and watch a cheesy Hallmark movie. A perfect recipe for "calm and bright."  

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Die Cuts and Stencils

Creative Moments Challenge #228

Little Red Wagon Challenge #632

QKR Stampede Challenge #434

Crafty Creations Challenge #428

A Bit More Time to Craft Challenge - December/January

A Place to Start Challenge #12

The Corrosive Challenge #12

Classic Design Challenge #12

Morgan's Art World Challenge #12