Prima Princess Coco Cling Stamp - Altenew Rose Dies

She lived joyfully, not because her circumstances were joyful, 
but because she was joyful.  Dieter F. Uchdorf

Hey there from Nannyland,

Along with the beautiful warm sunshine and dazzling spring flowers blooming everywhere, it feels like life as we knew it before the pandemic is blossoming anew.  My hubby and I enjoyed a very crowded art festival this weekend and it felt like old times wandering around without a mask and smiling at cute little babes in strollers.  I've been around a few years and have some health considerations as many my age do, but after two Covid vaccinations and two boosters I'm ready to get back to rubbing shoulders with the masses. 

Following a very busy tax season and some welcomed visits from friends and family, it feels invigorating to sit at my desk and pick up my Copics again. I found these layered Altenew rose dies in my stash and went about creating some hot pink posies for this pretty Prima Princess image called Coco.  I used Copics for my flower layers and matched them to the dress and head wreath on my stamped image. I'm excited to try water colors next time for a softer, more painterly look.    

My roses were die cut with water color paper so they're very sturdy when glued together...almost like chipboard.  I adhered pink gems to the centers and popped up a white beaded pearlescent butterfly for dimension.  

Prima Princess Coco cling stamp, Altenew Rose dies, Copic markers,
white gel pen, Cricut die cut frame, gem accents 

I sized the 6 x 6 square frame to fit my trimmed image in Cricut Design Space and cut it out in pearlescent white card stock. The berries on my wreath are accented with a white gel pen.  

It's time to take a deep breath, be grateful, slow down and enjoy life.  I'm ready....how about you?

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

A Gem of a Challenge Wk 8

A Perfect Time to Craft Challenge #4

Crafty Friends Challenge #154

Creative Fingers Challenge #229

Dream Valley Challenge #268

Creative Crafters Challenge #51

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #230

Classic Design Challenge #4

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #4

Be the Light - Botched Skirt Redeemed with Paper Pieced Origami

Wrinkles should merely indicate where the smiles have been.  Mark Twain 

Asian stamp (unknown origin), Heartfelt Creations stamps, dies and mold; assorted beads, gold metallic card stock, black card stock, Cricut Design Space, copic markers, white gel pen, prismacolors, Nuvo Drops, gold leafing pen, dragonfly mini die

Hey there,

Anyone remember the awesome yearly stamp convention called the Rubberama that traveled across the country a few years ago? I was drawn to some gorgeous Asian stamps at one of those gatherings and bought several of them because the samples displayed in the booth were so stunning.  When I got them home, I enjoyed doing some monochromatic coloring on them but multi-colored details seemed daunting.  I was excited when I came across this one recently and knew it would be easier to work with since my stamping and coloring skills have  evolved a bit since those early days.    

The coloring was, indeed, straightforward and simple but the trouble came when I tried to color the hatch mark design on the skirt.  The more I colored, the more blotchy and messy my colors got, until I was so frustrated, I put my efforts aside and labeled them as unredeemable. But as happens so often in crafting, a random thought came to me on how I could fix my funky coloring.  Luckily, I happen to have tons of delicate origami paper in my stash just waiting to be pieced into a stylish skirt.  I stamped my image again on a piece of white paper to make a template.  I couldn't stamp her directly on the origami paper because the hatch marks would show up on my pretty paper.  I cut out my template and traced it on my origami paper. It was simple to fussy cut and glue the skirt into place on my lovely lady.  

It was so gratifying to save my discarded attempt and create a way to use this glamorous but challenging image. I embellished with some handmade Heartfelt Creations flowers with beaded centers  and a beaded die cut dragonfly, and accented her dress and the background with Nuvo drops and gel pens.    I framed her with a narrow white mat and  mounted her on a gold metallic die cut frame and a black square card base.  The sentiment was created in Cricut Design Space.

What could be more satisfying than rescuing something deemed to be beyond repair?  I think my origami paper adds elegance and  Asian style to my image.  What do you think?

Thanks for visiting,

Go forth and recue something destined for the trash and create a work of art.  

Nancy 

Playing along with:

Just Add Ink Challenge #566

Krafty Chicks Challenge #571

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #411

Crafty Creations Challenge #424

Retro Rubber Challenge Challenge 164

Unicorn Challenge #68

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge 2131

Arty Divas Challenge July Challenge

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #90

The Crafter's Cafe

Happy Birthday, Doll - Julie Nutting Cassandra Stamp

The meaning of life is to find your gift.  
The purpose of life is to give it away.    William Shakespeare

Julie Nutting Cassandra stamp, Copic markers, Cricut card base, gold leafing pen,
 dp for dress and background, handmade flowers, beaded lace bow, butterfly die,
 beaded swirls, assorted gems, pom pom trim, 

 

Hey there,

Yipeeee!  Covid vaccinations abound and my friends and family are finally able to visit us in our new home.  Next week we will have two families staying just two days apart.  I'll be joyfully anticipating and frantically preparing for their stays.  One of our guests, my darling niece, has a birthday on Monday, so it'll be fun to celebrate and give her this card in person with a big hug.  

I've loved my stash of Julie Nutting paper doll stamps forever and I never grow tired of dressing them up in fancy frocks and creating girly cards.  Have I mentioned I had a class with Julie in person?  Okay, maybe only a dozen times because it was so exciting and I'm in awe of her talent which she so generously shared.  I dressed this cute Cassandra doll in a paper pieced party dress and mounted her on an elegant card base which I elongated  in Cricut Design Space.  I embellished the subtle DP in my background with handmade flowers, a beaded lace bow and a die cut metallic butterfly with added vellum wings. I created even more sparkle by adding gems to my birthday girl's metallic crown and swirly vines for her to dance in.  Every birthday card needs a bit of bling, right?  My stamped birthday message found a perfect place to live amongst all the party hoopla. 

I'm slowly getting on the slimline card bandwagon and this card might qualify because it fits in a regular size 10 envelope.  I'm collecting a few pretty slimline dies, so stay tuned for some proper skinny cards to come.  I think a little change is in order as the pandemic fog lifts! 

Thanks for visiting,

Go forth and get vaccinated and then hug some vaccinated loved ones!

Nancy

Playing along with:

Crafty Creations Challenge #419

Little Red Wagon Challenge #595

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #312

Crafty Sentiment Designs ATG

Through the Craft Room Door Wk beginning March 30

A Gem of a Challenge #7

Sweet Stampin' - Special Woman

Creative Moments Challenge #211

Shellabrate Like a Mermaid - Julie Nutting Sea Sally

Be a mermaid and make waves. 

Julie Nutting mermaid, Cricut Design Space tag card, Cricut seaweed shapes,
shell and writing feature, metallic flower, Close to My Heart Designer Paper,
 white Nuvo Drops for pearl necklace, white gel pen, aqua sequins for fin

Hey there,

Amid all the chaos and confusion around us, my world continues to be a thrilling adventure.  My hubby and I have just returned from St. George, Utah, were we found a beautiful new home!  I couldn't be more excited for the move, but packing up my craft room looms large as  an extremely daunting task.  I'm having some last minute fun creating a few cards to add to my blog que before I have to take a reluctant hiatus from crafting.  I know I'll be frantically unpacking boxes on the other end and arranging things in my shiny new craft room as soon as I get there.  It's #1 on my priority list, ahead of food and sleep.  I'm taking all my same furniture, so my room will look much like the room I have now,  only squeaky clean and organized for about 5 minutes.   I'm trying to keep the end in mind, so I won't get too overwhelmed but it might be too late for that.  I'll post my progress as I go along.

While going through my Julie Nutting paper dolls, I came across this darling Sea Sally in a folder with her fins and top already stamped in patterned paper.  I was elated that I had already stamped her cute face with a Peachy Keen stamp.  Some gorgeous Close to My Heart ocean themed paper, gifted to me by a friend, has been waiting to be used for the background of this tag-shaped card.  To my delight, I had already saved  the tag card base cut file  in Cricut Design Space.   I chose the shell shape from the image library and added the sentiment in a curve with the writing feature.  I easily found some sea weed images,  sized them to fit my tag, cut them on white card stock and  colored them with  Copics to coordinate with the designer paper.

I actually had the pleasure of taking a class from Julie Nutting a few years ago and I could hardly function because I was so awed by her presence.  She's a fabulous teacher and I came away with some fancy new skills for creating paper dolls.  Now I'm excited to  see what other treasures I discover while plunging head-first into my stash.

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and plunge head-first into YOUR stash and find some fabulous forgotten treasures.

Nancy

Playing along with:

Inkspirational Challenge #217

The Fairy and the Unicorn July Challenge

Colour Crazy Challenge Week 28

Pattie's Creations Design Challenge #172

Polkadoodle Craft Challenge Wk 29

Papercraft Challenge #31

Papercraft Challenges #60
Seize the Birthday #195

Grazia Salvo Woman of Flowers Digi - For the Love of Daisies

You have the power to change the world.  Use it to make a difference.

Grazia Salvo digi, Copic markers, Spellbinders frame die, paper daisies, gems,
white gel pen, silver leafing pen, lavender glitter card stock, white glitter card stock,
 silver glitter card stock, swirl paper punch, 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 card base

Hey there,

In this season of bewildering quietude,  I have been enjoying some extra time browsing my digi downloads and rediscovering some stunning art from my favorite artists.  The new pile of coloriscious images on my desk calls to me like a luscious box of See's chocolates.  If you've lost a little of your mojo and are starting to feel like a beached mermaid lately,  I  implore you  to go on a treasure hunt in your stash and dust off some abandoned gems to reignite your imagination.  I found THIS gorgeous Grazia Salvo Woman of Flowers image and couldn't wait to create a birthday card for my posy-loving bestie. All of  the design elements are there  for inspiration, so it came together quickly after I finished coloring.

The image fits nicely into this die cut square frame and I just happened to have a few small daisy flowers in my stash to embellish it.  I added some tiny lavender gems to my dainty blossoms for a little sparkle.  The finished card measures 6 1/2 x 6 1/2. 

There are oodles of incredible artists out there who are eager to share there creations with colorists like me. It's a match made in kaleidoscopic heaven.  

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and find some fabulous inspiration in your stash.

Nancy

Playing along with:

Arty Divas Challenge #25

Through the Craft Room Door - July 7

Classic Design Challenge - July 7

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #77

Daisy Chain Challenge #43

LeAnn's World Challenge #28

Colouring in Scrapland - July/August

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge #2027

Laurel Burch Blossoming Woman - Shine

Let nothing dim the light that shines from within.

Maya Angelou

Stampendous stamps, Copic markers, word die (shine), gold metallic card stock,blue glitter card stock,
gold leafing pen, Spellbinders circle frame die, Elizabeth Crafts Beaded Circle die, iridescent gems,
white gel pen, 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 card base

Hey there,

I have loved Laurel Burch's brilliant artwork since I first saw it in the sixties.  I am still heartbroken when I think that she left this world at the young age of 61. Sadly, she was born with a rare bone disease that caused her crippling pain all her life.  Her art was a way for her to find her "happy place" to keep her spirits up.  She created a magical place of  bright colors and designs that drew me in the first time I saw it. Her legacy lives on and her joyful artwork is still popular today.  Happily, Stampendous has created some gorgeous stamps using her signature aratwork and I think I have every one of them.  THIS is one of my favorites because the elements come separately and I can play with the face and flowers to make my own dazzling blossoming woman .  I try to color them with the bright colors Laurel used in her paintings to get her iconic look

I created this card for my beloved sister-in-law who lost her husband and best friend of 54 years recently. He died at the age of 78 from an illness unrelated to covid. He was my husband's brother and a very kind and courageous man who will be greatly missed by his family and friends.  My SIL fought like a warrior to get him released from the hospital amid all the covid restrictions and frenzy.  He was able to say goodbye to his family and die at home surrounded by loving care.  She shines like an angel to me.

Thanks for visiting.
Go forth and be a light in someone's life.
Nancy

Playing along with:

Two Sisters on a Blog Challenge #40

SheepSki Designs Challenge #39

Everybody Art Challenge #471

The Paper Girls Challenge #202

Stamping Sensations June Challenge - Make it Colorful

Color Crazy Challenge #23

Ike'sworld Challenge #133

Crafty Creations Challenge #410

Bloom Where You are Planted - Penny Black Meets Tim Holtz

Life, even in the hardest times, is full of moments to savor.  

They will not come this way again, not in this way.  

Paula Rinehart

Penny Black Angelette stamp, Tim Holtz flower dies, butterfly punch, copic markers,
Cricut cutting and writing feature, silver leafing pen

Hey there,

"Bloom where you are planted."  This phrase takes on new meaning  today when we're "planted" in our homes like potted tulips.  I'm finding I don't actually hate having time to catch up on some things I've been longing to do.  My husband and I are fortunate to be able to work in our tax business from home at a more leisurely pace, with people dropping off their information and having their taxes  filed electronically.  Yay for technology!  I don't know how the young moms are keeping it together entertaining their confined kids with the added responsibility of  home schooling. I'm pretty sure I would have died...or someone would have. 😄  It's much easier for my husband and I.   We are truly blessed.

So how do I  go about blooming where I'm planted?  I have made myself a promise that I will be a better person when things get back to "normal."  I'm walking most days in our beautiful wetlands and enjoying Spring as I have never done before.   I'm spending time organizing and simplifying my home.  I'm listening to less news and more podcasts and books. I'm quilting and sewing masks for my friends and family.  I'm texting, calling, emailing and checking in on those I love.  I'm creating some handmade "just because" cards and actually mailing them.  I'm feeling peaceful and optimistic because I'm not allowing myself to worry about things I can't control.

How are you blooming where you're planted?  I hope you are looking forward to emerging from this challenge with a whole panoply of lessons, skills and memories to add to your amazing book of life.

Thank you for visiting.
Go forth and bloom where you're planted.
Nancy

Playing along with:

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #386

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #206

Creative Moments Challenge #189

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday April Challenge

Colour Crazy Challenge - Week 16

Cut it Up Challenge #198

Retro Rubber Challenge #133 - Penny Black Stamp 2017

Through the Craft Room Door Challenge - April 21

Classic Design Challenge #4
Penny Black Saturday Challenge - April

Pondering in the Wetlands - Make it Crafty Digi Scene in Copics

Indulge your imagination in every possible flight.

Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice

Copic markers, Make it Crafty digi's, gold leafing pen, dragonfly die, 
Spellbinders die, white glitter paper, blue card stock, white gel pen

Hey there,

I chose contemplative little Jacinta from Make it Crafty for my focal image in this birthday card for my crafty girlfriend, continuing my "girl in scenic setting" birthday series.   She looks deep in thought and this fancy fern log is a perfect place for her to indulge her imagination. I love red mushrooms with white dots but they've always seemed sort of fanciful to me.  However, I usually color my mushrooms that way because they are so bright and pretty.   I googled them and to my surprise I found out they actually exist.  They're called fly agaric, or fly amanita and they're hallucinogenic!  Literally magic mushrooms!  So yeah, she's sitting in the middle of magic mushrooms, but she obviously knows they're toxic so she won't touch them...at least not on my blog page.  

I do love all the ferny foliage in this tranquil scene.  I added a die cut gold dragonfly with purple pearl accents for some extra dimension  As usual, I edged the image panel with gold  and backed it with a white glitter Spellbinders frame.  

Another scenic birthday card in the books. 

Thanks for visiting.
Go forth and observe the pretty red speckled mushrooms...but don't touch!
Nancy

Playing along with:
     Moo-Mania & More Challenge #204
     Scrapy Land Challenge #126  
     Creative Fingers Challenge #175
     Pattie's Creations Design Challenge #164
     Polkadoodles Challenge Wk 47  
     QKR Stampede Challenge #373
     Crafty Creations Challenge #402
     Creative Moments Challenge #181
     Lemon Shortbread Challenge #107

I Choose Hope - Penny Black Charlotte and Cricut Design Space

You have been assigned this mountain 

to show others it can be moved. 

Copic markers, Stampendous stamp, Tim Holtz flower dies, blue dp, pink dp, butterfly die,
rhinestones, white gel pen, gold leafing pen

Hey there,

I can't let the month of October drift into November without  making one last breast cancer awareness card for a fellow cancer survivor who bravely beat the odds. We're both very thankful to still be here doing the things we love.   And all because we were vigilant in getting our mammograms.  I'll repeat it again like the Pledge of Alligiance...get 'em squished, girls!

While experimenting with some of my Penny Black cling stamps, I came across this adorable line drawing stamp and couldn't resist coloring her simple cuteness.  While pondering how I would design her shirt, it occurred to me that Cricut  Design Space has oodles of  awareness images and I could use the writing feature to add one to her shirt.  I printed the phrase in Design Space on pink dp and colored it with markers.  I traced her shirt onto acetate , centered it on the image and cut it out.  The shirt is attached to my copic-colored lady with mounting tape. Simple and easy. I can think of a thousand ways to use this technique on other cards, so my template will live with this stamp.   The flowers are Tim Holtz dies cut in white and colored with copics.  The frame is two adjacent nesting rectangle dies cut from white glitter paper and edged with gold.

Thanks for visiting.
Go forth and choose hope. 
Nancy
     
Playing along with:
        Craft Rocket Challenge #64
        Crafting With an Attitude Challenge #56
        Time Out Challenge #146
        Lemon Shortbread Challenge #104
        Unicorn Challenge #48
        Through the Craft Room Door Challenge - October 15
        Let's Craft and Create Challenge #152
        Creative Craft Cottage Challenge #123
        Creative Moments Challenge #178
        Penny Black Saturday Challenge - October

Luna Whispering Digi in Copics - Ching Chou Kuik

There is more to life than increasing its speed.

Mahatma Gandhi

Hey friends,

I originally colored this lovely Ching Chou Kuik greyscale digi image for one of my beloved  Kit and Clowder online classes, but even with Alyce Keegan's expert guidance, I couldn't seem to get Luna's rainbow hair right.  I thought this image was so gorgeous, I couldn't give up so easily.  The lengthy saga of my second attempt to tackle this image borders on the heroic.  I decided to forgo the original rainbow hair and go for these "understated" aqua tresses so I could  practice my tiny hair stokes with my copics.    I won't relate all the gruesome details but my color palette kept getting darker with each "fix" and the pre-shaded background on this digi turned into a muddy mish mash.  The butterfly looked way too sad and heavy to fly.

Sometimes my tenaciousness can be a gift, especially when all hope is lost. I couldn't bare to waste all the time I had spent coloring Luna, and I realized if I fussy cut her, I could add a brighter, prettier dp background behind her.  I also cut out the butterfly, colored it with lighter colors to match  my background and popped it up over my original sad one.

I wish I had taken a picture of my original struggle to document how much happier this card is than my  "Luna Stuck in the Mud" version.  The color scheme is a lot prettier and brighter and I like the white details in the background.  I love using designer papers for backgrounds because all the hard work is done, the variety is endless and I can always find something I like to fancy up my artwork. I added some details with gold and white gel pens and some gold leafing around the main panel.  Yippee...another epic save.

Thanks for visiting.
Go forth and rescue a card.
Nancy

Playing along with:
        Craft Rocket Challenge #62
        Crafting with an Attitude Challenge #54
        Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #352
        Crafting by Designs August Challenge
        Crafty Hazelnuts August Challenge
        Crafty Creations Challenge #395
        Creative Moments Challenge #173
        Little Red Wagon Challenge #508

Happy July 24th - Mo Manning Pioneer Girl

We ought to live sacrificing, singing and dancing.

Plato

Mo Manning Digi, Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils, white gel pen. gold leafing pen, floral dp,
Spellbinders frame die, butterfly punch, rhinestones

Happy July 24th, everyone!

Every year on this date in Ogden, Utah where I grew up, there is a huge celebration with a big parade down Washington Boulevard, fire works, rodeo, delicious food...everything needed for a jubilant bash.   It is one of the biggest parties of the year in my home town, just as it is in many of the larger cities in Utah.  They are commemorating the date that the first Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came into the Salt Lake Valley to start their new lives.  They were fleeing religious persecution and wanted to find a place where they could worship God and raise their families peacefully.  Many of my ancestors were among those first settlers, immigrating from South Africa, Denmark, Canada and New York after they had joined the church.  I'm very proud of them for the sacrifices they made for our country's religious freedom.  As a young girl, I looked forward to July 24th every year and  Utah is still  the place to be on this day for some  wholesome revelry.

In honor of this special day, I created a card with this darling little pioneer girl enjoying the prairie breeze.  It's no wonder Mo Manning images have always been among my faves!   That pretty prairie  landscape in the background came with the digi when I purchased it. I know, so cute! I added some texture to the grass with my Prismacolors and some little wispy flowers with a white gel pen.  My floral Spellbinders frame seemed a little busy for my taste but after I edged it with a gold leafing pen and popped my little lady up with some mounting tape, I think it looks like she's walking into a field of pretty wild flowers.  I added a couple of butterflies to keep her company in this idyllic scene.

I'm happy I found a way to honor this special day creating some art in my happy place.  I hope you find something special to celebrate today, also. Maybe a beautiful blue sky with puffy clouds and a gorgeous field of flowers? If you can't see it, why not create it?

Thanks for visiting.
Go forth and enjoy some of God's magnificent creations.
Nancy

Playing along with:
         Crafty Sentiments Designs Challenge - July 23
         Lemon Shortbread Challenge #98
        Through the Craft Room Door Challenge - Week July 23  
        Unicorn Challenge #45
        Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #238
        613 Avenue Create Challenge #223
        Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #65
        A Bit More Time to Craft Challenge #96
        Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge #281
        Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge # 351
        Crafty  Creations Challenge #395

Sunflower bouquet - Power Poppy and Copics

Every accomplishment begins with the decision to try.

Edward T. Kelly

Hey friends,

Have you ever had one of those days when your creative mojo just seems to take a vacation?
After hours of trying to finish this card, the top of my desk looked like monkeys had partied there.  Sluggish  imagination  happens to me more often than I'd like and  all I can do is ride it out.  I could hardly stand to look at this card after I finished it, so I put it away,  knowing that it might improve with a fresh perspective in the morning.  And, happily, it did!  I realized my coloring wasn't so bad and the design was just fine. Isn't it great when we give ourselves some slack?

While coloring  these Power Poppy sunflowers with my copics  I realized I need more practice creating the look of texture on these smaller petals. But I love adding detail with my Prismacolors, so I was happy with my final result.  I wanted a background that wasn't too busy, and that's why I went back and forth with several different ideas.  I finally settled on my first choice, which is indeed, a little busy, but I think it looks like a lacy table cloth. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Then there was the sentiment.  What color, where, should it overlap my image?  Sheesh!!!  I just went for it and tried not to overthink it.

So here's my final card and I like the colors and the layout.  I'm proud of myself for persevering with the flowers and have vowed to practice more.  I learned a lot by "having a go" as Alyce Keegan (Kit and Clowder) would say.  The creative process can be messy sometimes, but in the end, a new creation is born, even though the birth might have been a little long and painful.😄

Thanks for visiting.
Go forth and create something fabulous.
Nancy

Playing along with:
        Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #346
        Crafting by Designs - Happy Birthday Challenge
        Crafty Creations Challenge #392
        Creative Moments Challenge #170
        Scrapy Land Challenge #116
        Word Art Wednesday Weeks #392-#393
        Through the Craft Room Door - June 18, 2019
        A Bit More Time to Craft - Challenge #94
        Make My Monday - Challenge #98
        Color Crazy Challenge - Wk 26

Pearly Locks - Grazia Salvo Woman of Flowers 16 in Copics

               True beauty is measured by the number of pearls within you and not around your neck. 

Grazia Salvo digital image from Etsy, copic markers, white glitter paper, green heavy weight cardstock, Elizabeth Crafts border die, craft pearls, white gel pen, gold leafing pen, Tim Holtz background die

Hey friends, 

My copics and these lovely digi stunners keep calling to me and I just have to acquiesce. It was absolutely heavenly coloring this gorgeous digital lady by Grazia Salvo from her Woman of Flowers collection. Now I've created birthday cards for all my crafty kindred spirits using similar images and I'm itching to change it up a bit.  I'm sure I'll be returning to these muses of mine soon and often because, well, they make me so happy!

I chose my favorite colors for this one because I think aqua looks so striking with the  red roses.  Her thick luscious locks provided me with an excellent chance to practice fine hair strokes with my copics.  I cut a curvy Elizabeth Crafts border die in gold,  accented it with pearls and cascaded it down her hair because even fabulous digi diva's need to accessorize.   

I used a Tim Holtz background die on my white glitter card stock background and edged the panel with a gold leafing pen.  The image is fussy cut and raised on the background with mounting tape to add some depth.  I used a white gel pen to highlight the flowers.

Goodbye for now, elegant digi ladies. I've got my eye on some pretty floral images,  Kit and Clowder coloring classes and  cute Mo Manning artwork to tweak my imagination.  No worries, I'm sure I won't be gone long. 

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and create something fabulous.

Nancy 

Playing along with:

        Addicted to Stamps Challenge #174 

        Angie's Digital Stamps Challenge #31

        Dare 2B Artzy May Challenge: Flowers

        International Art & Soul Challenge #59

        Coloring In Scrapland Challenge - May

        Get Creative Challenge #80

        Creative Moments Challenge #169

        The Paper Shelter Challenge #385

        The Crafty Addicts Challenge #60

        Through the Craft Room Door Challenge - Week of May 28

Confetti Birthday Card - All That Bling and Paula Best, Too

“Be content with who you are and where you are, and do whatever you can do to bring to others such contentment, and joy, and understanding that you have managed to find yourself.” 
― Alexander McCall Smith, The Double Comfort Safari Club

Paula Best Stamp, copic markers, assorted rhinestones and pearls, spellbinders die, glossy gold cardstock, bow punch, yellow and black Nuvo drops, dp background, green cardstock base (6 x 6), purple cardstock, mounting tape,

 gold leafing pen

Hey friends,

I've had this Paula Best stamp for about a hundred years and have been waiting to use it on a birthday card for almost that long.  It's so delightful to color the main image and then highlight the month and day of my recipient's birthday.  But when I noticed it looked a little bare in the shimmer department, I started adding little details and, as usual, I had trouble stopping.  I'm sure no one else has a glitz addiction like I do.😁 I kept seeing little dots that wanted to shine, so I obliged them.  Before I knew it, it looked like I swept my craft room  floor and added all the tidbits from my dust pan.

No worries, though. I guess I could have taken some of my doodads off, but I realized I liked them  just where they had landed and I could tell they enjoyed living in this happy chaos.  Birthday celebrations sometimes include confetti, don't they?  You can never have too much glittery goodness at a birthday celebration!

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and create something fabulous.

Nancy 

Playing along with:

        

        Allsorts Challenge #520/1
        Pattie's Creations Challenge #158
        Crafty Sentiments Challenge 
        Lemon Shortbread Challenge #94
        Try it on Tuesday Challenge - Let's Party
        Artistic Inspirations Challenge #215
        Incy Wincy Designs Challenge - Embellishment
        Dragonfly Dreams Challenge

Jeanne's Dragonfly Garden - Another Tag-Shaped Card for a Julie Nutting Doll

The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.    

(R.W. Emerson)

I had such a delightful time coloring my last Julie Nutting Doll, I decided to try another chic little gal with a little different tag design.   I found a card in Cricut Design Studio  that  opens like this tag card I posted earlier but has more of an actual tag shape on the inside with an opening for ribbon embellishments.  I sized it to 4 1/4 x 9 1/4, a little larger than my usual cards, but  I'll have no problem making a custom envelope for it in Design Studio.  I stamped  Jeanne's face with a Peachy Keen stamp and colored her skin and face with copics. I really love her adorable smile!  Her dress is pieced  with designer paper and lightly shaded with copics.  I die cut a flower garland with cream card stock to add dimension to the background and colored the leaves with copics and Prismacolor pencils. I created .3-D flowers with a coordinating die to embellish the garland. and added a vellum and rhinestone dragonfly.  I used Nuvo drops for the flower centers. The collage background and card lining are cut with designer paper.

I love this card design because I was able to add some pretty ribbon and a pearl brad to garnish the tag opening.  The front panel is edged with a gold leafing pen and the edge of the card is sponged with Tim Holtz Tea Dye distress ink. 

It's a tag.  It's a card.  It's happy mail for one of my favorite people.

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and create something fabulous.

Nancy

Playing along with:

        Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #336

        Crafty Creations Challenge #388

        Creative Moments Challenge #166

        Through The Craftroom Door - Week of April 9

        Always Fun Challenge #105
        Dream Valley Challenge #199
        Crafty Hazelnut Patterned Paper Challenge - April 2019
        Daisy Chain Challenge #29

Welcome Spring - Penny Black Easter Cuties

“That is one good thing about this world...there are always sure to be more springs.” L.M. Montgomery,  Anne of Avonlea

Penny Black Stamp, copic markers, Spellbinders border die, Cricut cutting, rhinestones, gold leafing pen

Five birthday cards and an Easter card are waiting anxiously in my craft room  to make their debut on this blog, but, as usual,  they'll have to wait until after I deliver them in person to my recipients. No sneak peaks...it's a Nancy rule. That means I have to wait until almost Easter, two weeks away, and then I can post them all at once!  What should I do in the meantime, I asked my self.  It seems like forever since I  created a card just for the fun of it, with no recipient or occasion in mind.  While my mind was occupied with this delightful, relaxing thought,  I heard these stylish little Penny Black ladies calling to me from some dusty shelves.  Some of my original Penny Black images are very old in stamp years but still remain among my faves  These chic little girls bring back such fond memories of Easter Sundays past when all the ladies I knew dressed for church in brand new frilly spring dresses, hats, shoes and gloves.  Sometimes it was still snowing, but those white sandals and patent leather shoes weathered the storm.

 I chose a pop out oval card base and some bright spring hues to update these ageless beauties a bit.  Originally, I put a yellow panel behind them thinking it would be bright and sunshiny, but it just didn't seem to work.  Then I tried a green embossed panel and I wasn't sold either.  I knew a bright sky blue panel always looks great, so I went with that.  Then I noticed my embossed green panel still sitting on my work space. Don't you love when serendipity happens?  I cut a slice of it for grass!  Instant scenery.  I cut the card base and layers on my Cricut and used the writing feature to create the sentiment.  The pretty lacy Spellbinder border is from my stash and I colored the clear rhinestones blue to match my copic coloring. I used my signature gold leaf pen edging to add the finishing touch.

There.  Now I feel better that I have something bright and springy to post while waiting for my birthday and Easter cards to become relevant.  Spring is in the air on this sunny day here in California. Hope you're day is lovely too.

Thanks for visiting.
Go forth and create something fabulous

Nancy

Playing along with:
        Sunday Stamps Challenge #201 - Easter Hues
        Crafty Creations Challenge #387 - ATG
        Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #188 - Spring is Here
        Scrapy Land Challenge #111
        Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #215 - Feminine
        Avenue 613 Create Challenge #219 - Kinetic Card
        Lemon Shortbread Challenge #90 - ATG
        Crafting From the Heart Challenge #240 - ATG
        The Sisterhood of Crafters - Let's Celebrate Spring
        Penny Black and Friends Saturday March Challenge

Conie Fong Garden Fairy - Kit and Clowder Copic Class

Fairies dance and tell secrets at the bottom of the garden. 

Copic markers, Conie Fong digi, Cricut Design Space frame, pink cardstock, gold metallic cardstock,
daisy embellishment, swirl punch

Hey everyone,

I'm hoping for a little magical fairy dust in 2019; how about you? It's sometimes intimidating to create a card for my amazingly talented artist friend's January birthday, so I usually spend some extra time coloring an image with my copics and fretting a little over the design  But I never worry if she'll like it because she's always so supportive and generous with her praise...like a true artist.  I decided  this sweet Conie Fong garden fairy that I colored for my December monthly Kit and Clowder class would work very nicely for her card. The coloring was a little more challenging on this smaller 4 x 6 canvas because I sized it to fit the front of a 5 x 7 card, allowing room for a frame.  The background also took up some card real estate, but I always love it when our teacher, Alyce Keegan, adds a background to the image because it adds so much depth and really stretches my coloring skills.

The images Alyce chooses for her classes are lovely and can stand on their own when colored, but I usually prefer to make them into cards to send to special people who will appreciate the hours of work I put into them.  I looked through all my beautiful fancy die cut frames and realized they were much too ornate for this detailed image.  Once again, my Cricut was the answer.  I found this simple frame in Cricut Design Studio, sized it to fit my image perfectly and cut it out in pink, with a small metallic gold edging.  Its simplicity keeps the beautiful forest scene in focus.  I added a little daisy embellishment and metallic gold swirl to one corner to mirror the daisies in my image and the gold on the frame.

Why did I ever imagine I was getting tired of fairies?  They're so delightfully whimsical and they're always there to lift us when we're down.  I'm a believer.

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and create something fabulous.

Nancy

Playing along with:

        The Corrosive Challenge #12

        The Fairy and the Unicorn December Challenge

        The Alphabet Challenge - T is for Trees

        As You Like It Challenge

        Cute Card Thursday #562

        Crafty Creations Challenge #381

        Creative Moments Challenge #159

        Word Art Wednesday Challenge #366-367

        Water Cooler Wednesday Challenge #201