You Are Awesome to the Core - Zan Von Zed Digital Stamp

 Love is a fruit in season at all times and within reach of every hand.
Mother Teresa

Hey there from Nannyland,

Every now and then,  I just have to take time out from coloring my favorite dewy-eyed angelic images  and choose one that's equally gorgeous, but a little offbeat.  One of my all-time fave digi artists is the talented Zan Von Zed.  Her medieval images with their engagingly prominent features always draw me in.  As I color, I like to imagine my beautiful damsel as a regal princess, wandering the halls of a medieval castle or stepping down an exotic magical garden path.  

I created this Valentine card for a friend who appreciates the fusion of art and history as much as I do.  Zan Von Zed creates romantic images in a historical style and the detail on their vintage clothing is exquisite.  I used Copic markers to color this elegant lady and added detail with a white gel pen and Staedtler triplus fineliners.  Small white pearls adorn her cuffs, multiple gold gems trim her collar and a single red gem accessorizes her belt.    I added shine to the apple with Glossy Accents.  I created the swirly gold frame in Cricut Design Space and embellished the heart in the corner with a large red gem.  I used the Cricut writing feature for the layered sentiment tag.  The water color background is digital paper from my very efficient and much-used digi library. 

If your mojo needs a little spark like mine does occasionally, I hope I have encouraged you to step out of your comfort zone and create something that's a little off your beaten path.  There are so many unique and wonderful choices out there!

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 - Something New (Zan Von Zed digi)

Digi Choosday Challenge Wk 1

A Gem of a Challenge Wk 1

Crafty Calendar Challenge - January Add a Sentiment

A Place to Start - January

Make My Monday - Challenge #191

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #1

Classic Design Challenge #1

CD Sunday Plus Challenge #101

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #107

Conie Fong January Design Team Project #1 - Penguin Bundle of Love Box Card

Valentine's Day is precisely what the spirit needs.  It is hot chocolate for the soul.
It is a bright splash of color on a stark white canvas.
The day reminds us to reaffirm our love, or perhaps to give voice
 to that which has remained unsaid.    Dorothy Denneen Volo

 

Hey there from Nannyland,

I hope you all had a fabulous holiday season, as I did, and are getting excited to create some heartfelt cards  full of mushy sentiments to express your devotion to your tribe on Valentines day.  I enjoy switching gears and creating all things love-related when the holiday season winds down. When I lived in California, it never occured to me to  put a wintery bundled-up penguin on a Valentine card.  But now that I live in a cooler climate,  it makes sense that penguins and snowmen should still hang around in the chilly, snowy months of February and March to help us celebrate the season of l'amour.   

Conie Fong Penguin Bundle of Love digi, Copic markers, Lori Whitlock card base,Cricut Maker,
pink heart gems, glitter heart acrylic stickers, white gel pen, stitched die for snow, patterned paper

I can't imagine a cuter messenger of love than this little "Penguin Bundle of Love" digital stamp from Conie Fong.  You can find her/him in Conie Fong's Etsy shop here.  After I  colored her with Copic markers,  I fussy cut her and adhered her to the front panel of my pop-up box card.  The Z-fold base is a Lori Whitlock svg that I have saved in Cricut Design Space and have used many times to make Valentine cards.  The cute pop-up hearts in the middle sparkle with pink gems and glitter sticker hearts. I covered my card panels with coordinating patterned paper and used the writing feature in Cricut Design Space to create the sentiment tags. I die cut a stitched die to create the dimension for the snow on the bottom panels and lined each panel with a silver leafing pen.  I used a white gel pen to add dots to the hearts and a green fine liner to create the stripes on the large heart. 

I'll be using  more of Conie's incredible images for my Valentine's cards this year.  You will find tons of them in Conie's Etsy Shop here.  I would love for you to stop by and see what else I've created. I hope I have inspired you to incorporate some cute winter images into your Valentine cards this year. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Critter Crazy Challenge #70

Classic Design Challenge #1

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge #292

Crafts Galore Encore #107

Crafty Animals Challenge #68

Die Cut Divas Valentine - Jan. 1

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #1

QKR Stampede Challenge #458

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge

Stamping Sensations January Challenge

Dreaming Tree Anniversary Card

A good marriage is one where each partner secretly suspects they got the better deal. 

 

Hey there from Nannyland, 

On the list of life's most momentous occasions, a 50th Wedding Anniversary has to be right up there among the most notable.  My husband and I will celebrate our 55th this year and are thrilled to be among the blessed 5% who reach the 50-year milestone.  Our dear friends are planning to celebrate their 50th next month by taking a sentimental trip to the California beach city where their marriage saga began. We were lucky to join in the merriment on their actual anniversary in December by cooking them a special dinner and gifting them a handmade quilt for their RV. (I'll post the quilt in a future post.)  

I knew this Dreaming Tree SVG would be perfect for a special Anniversary card.  The elegant couple are originally cut as silhouettes but I summoned up the courage to draw faces on them and I'm happy with my attempt.  I won't win any art awards, but both of the recipients are artists themselves,  so I knew they would appreciate my effort.  I paper pieced the wedding dress with gold and white glittered cardstock and found some marblish looking paper for the garden wall. I chose moon and sky digital papers for the background in my digi library.  The leftover flowers were colored with Copics, embellished with gems  and attached to the tree. I also added mini flowers with  pearl accents to my lady's dress and hair, and some tiny dots of white Nuvo Drops to her sleeve.   

The inside of the card cuts a circle and frame to add a photo.  I printed the sentiment in Cricut Design Space.

The original dies look beautiful with just the silhouettes if drawing faces isn't your thing.

Our friends loved their card and appreciated the effort that went into creating it.  I hope this inspires you to use your die cuts in new ways and create something unique for a special occasion.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Through the Craft Room Door December 6 Challenge

A Place to Start December Challenge

613 Avenue Create Challenge #202212

Dragonfly Dreams Anything But Christmas

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge #292

Die Cut Divas Polkadoodles Month

QKR Stampede Challenge #457

Through the Purple Haze Challenge #199

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