My Pink Panoply Breast Cancer Journey Part Three - Accuquilt Bear Paw BOB

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, 

something to love, and something to hope for.

Joseph Addison

Hey there from Nannyland,

It's no secret that I am a two-time breast cancer survivor and feel very blessed to be living my best life 18 years after my first diagnosis and treatment.  I am also almost 10 years out from my second diagnosis. and now, to my apprehension, I'm about to embark on a third breast cancer saga.  Yeah, I know, I can't trust my boobs to behave, whether real of fake.  "Think Pink" has a special meaning to me since my beautiful mom died of breast cancer at 61 and my sister and I have both endured it in recent years. I'm journaling my story because my first amazing craft room was born during my radiation treatments for my initial cancer when we added a studio to our home. And Pink Panoply was conceived during  my mastectomy and reconstruction after my second diagnosis.   It appears that the seeds of my creativity have been planted during adversity and  blossom with the enlightenment and peace I receive during these challenging times.

I started making quilts for breast cancer survivors in 2016 and discovered that quilt making is every bit as delightful and creative as card making.  My label "Pink Panoply" came about when I needed a trade name to sell my quilts, along with baby bibs and blankets, in my Etsy store.  My Etsy venture didn't last long because making a business of my most beloved and rewarding calling limited my creativity and took the joy out of it for me.  But it was a fun experience and I still have my store to reopen if I wish.

Happily, Pink Panoply has lived long after those first breast cancer awareness quilts and here I am with my blog/journal, Instagram, Facebook, Design Teams and many other ways to engage with you on the internet. My recent diagnosis is new, so I don't know the challenges that lie ahead but I have faith in a good outcome, and trust that God will watch over me as he always does.  In the meantime, I have been doing what I have done in the past and realigning my priorities to include those things that are most important to me.  That still means lots of crafting, but hopefully more quilts and faith journal pages.  I'm excited for the changes I'm making because I really miss some of the things that have been crowded out by pursuits that seem much less important now.

And now for some happy quilting schmooze. I made this quilt for my bestie and her husband for their 50th wedding anniversary last month.  She's a home decorator extraordinaire, so I knew it would be much safer to create a quilt she could use in her fancy new travel trailer.  Hence, the bear paw block...cute, eh?  I found a fat quarter bundle in her favorite shades of blue and green and used the Bear Paw Accuquilt Block On Board die in my Accuquilt Go Big to die cut the block pieces.  I used my usual crisp striped binding and pieced a backing with fabric that looks like pebbles in a mountain stream.

I hope it doesn't take an awakening like a health crisis to encourage you to prioritize  the things that matter most to you.  Go forth and immerse yourself in the exquisite creative mindfulness and joy that comes from creating something beautiful. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Conie Fong January Design Team Project #2 - Susie Snowflake Valentine

 “Being soaked alone is cold. Being soaked with your best friend is an adventure.”
 Emily Wing Smith

 Hey there from Nannyland,

I'm snuggled here in Nannyland while the crazy weird weather around me fluctuates. I hope you're finding solace from the inclement, and sometimes brutal weather that seems to be affecting everyone this winter. My prayers go out to those who have had to endure hardships and losses as a result of violent storms.

Here in my warm hideaway, I am blessed to be blissfully working on  Design Team projects and have chosen to color this gorgeous Susie Snowflake digital stamp for my 2nd DT project this month.  You can find many more fabulous Conie Fong images in Conie's Etsy Shop here.

I chose a large 5 x 7 lacy Spellbinders frame die to mimic swirls of snow surrounding my stylishly bundled-up lady.  I added tiny multicolored die cut hearts to her beanie to create a Valentine vibe.  I adhered enamel hearts to the corners of my frame and a pearl heart to the snowflake she is displaying to complete the Valentine theme. I used small button brads and a white gel pen for detailing. The background panel is lavender glitter paper edged with a silver leafing pen. The curved sentiment was created in Cricut Design Space,  and also edged with a silver leafing pen. 

I hope you have a cozy place,  away from the blustery outdoors,  where you can create a warm greeting for someone you love...and maybe read and watch a movie or six. 

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Shopping Our Stash Challenge #488

613 Avenue Create Challenge #202301

Dare 2B Artzy January Challenge - Winter Fun

Just Us Girls Challenge #662

Cut it Up Challenge #269

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #239

Cupcakes Inspirations Challenge # 560

Classic Design Challenge #1

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #1

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #1

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