Art Journaling With Copics - Reyda Prints Digi

We tire of those pleasures we take, but never of those we give. 

John Petit-Senn

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Hey there from Nannyland,

As this year comes to an end, I have been reflecting on its challenges and triumphs and vowing to change the things that I need to let go of to make space for the good things that lie ahead. I always promise to simplify my life, but this time I really feel motivated to go for it.  In the past, my two cancer battles have opened my eyes to what is really important in life, and the third one this year has been no different.  I feel so blessed to have come through my challenges with flying colors. (I will keep reminding  myself that my hormone therapy pill is there to save my life, not to ruin it.)   

So, as I look around Nannyland, I see so many handmade cards displayed on shelves and in bins, waiting to be sent.  Some are Design Team creations, some are from Kit and Clowder classes and some are favorites I can't let go of.  I have made a decision to do more coloring in journals so that I can preserve my artwork in a way that I can flip through it when I want to see my progress and also look for inspiration.

I've also been enjoying the awesome detailed die cuts I've been receiving from the Spellbinders Large Die of the Month club.  It has reminded me of how delightful it is layering dies to create some really amazing cards.  I plan to make it a regular practice to create more cards with the millions of dies I have accumulated over the years. I find them easier to give away to friends and family because they are more easily duplicated.   

After losing a little of my mojo over the past few months, I'm feeling my energy coming back and I think my new found focus will be fun to incorporate in my artwork going forward.  I'm also going to save more time for my other love, quilting, which is another one of my favorite forms of art.

                              

I'm not quite sure how I will approach my art journaling,  but I think it would be fun to create separate journals for different types of images. I have several of this Tim Holtz weekly calendar with thick pages that include beautiful ready made backgrounds.  I colored this absolutely adorable image by Reyda Prints, fussy cut her, and mounted her on a white lacy frame, similar to my usual card designs.  I created some layered Spellbinder flowers which work beautifully because they are relatively flat.  I added assorted gems to the flowers and accessories. It's hard to see in the pictures, but I also added small pearl gems to the scallops on the frame.  They added a little dimension to the page but not enough to make it too bulky.

I covered the weekly calendar page with a piece of water color dp and added a sentiment from the same paper pack.  My largest flower was too large for my image so I tucked it behind my sentiment and I think it looks great there.

I know I'm going to like this art journal thing.  It feels really good to know I can color my images for myself and not worry about perfection (or giving them away, never to be seen again) when I'm creating my pages.  I like the way this new year is shaping up in Nannyland. 

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 50

A Place to Start December Challenge

Crafting From the Heart Challenge #8

Dream Valley Challenge #306

Path of Positivity Challenge #118 

Gem of a Challenge Wk 26

Creative Inspirations Challenge #9

Classic Design Challenge December

Worldwide Crafters and Colorists Challenge #12

The Crafty Addicts Challenge #8

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

Welcome, Sweet Indy - Conie Fong Mother and Baby Digi

 Baby girls are like flowers that are forever in bloom. 

Hey there from Nannyland,

Baby Indy made her entrance into the world a couple of days ago and everyone around her is smitten.  She is beyond adorable!  I already have her quilt wrapped up in a pretty box and all I need to do is tuck this card inside to complete my love-filled handmade gift.  When planning this card, I saw several darling images of babies in my digi library, but THIS exquisitely drawn image from Conie Fong really caught my eye.  I enjoyed being on Conie's design team so much because I absolutely adore her gorgeous artwork.  This image is perfect for my beautiful friend who has lovely thick locks of blond mermaid hair. 

After coloring the image with Copic markers,  I added details with a white gel pan.  I fussy cut her and adhered her to a water-colored dp panel, which I edged with a gold leafing pen.  I cut a shaped card with a Heartfelt Creations frame die and added a matching gold panel to fit the card front.  The intricate embossed layer was die cut in white card stock and the focal panel was attached with foam tape for dimension.  The flower embellishments are handmade from  Heartfelt Creations stamps, dies and molds, with punched gold swirls and a mini die cut butterfly for accents.  

It's such a joy to spend hours creating baby gifts and cards because the recipients are so precious.  I like imagining them all warm and cozy wrapped in a quilt that I created especially for them.  It's like giving them a never-ending giant hug!  I hope you have some sweet little ones in your life to share your creative talents with...and maybe pass some of your skills on to them to keep the creative cycle going. 

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 #249

Double "D" Challenge - Stripes and/or dots

Digi Choosday Challenge - WK 45

A Place to Start November Challenge

Cutie Pie Challenge #188

A Perfect Time to Craft Challenge #11

Ally's Angels Challenge #76

Classic Design Challenge #11

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #11

Worldwide Crafters and Colorists Challenge #11

A Heartfelt Quilt for Baby Indy - Accuquilt Wonky Heart BOB

Please bless the little head that lies beneath these quilted threads.

Hey there from Nannyland,

I've been super excited to have the opportunity to sew a baby quilt after a very long break with no little ones waiting to appear.  Happily, a sweet little mom, whom I think of as a granddaughter, recently announced that she would be giving birth to a darling baby girl in November.  Indy Jean, as she will be called, will certainly be beyond adorable because her family is already the cutest in the world, with a three-year-old boy named Tuf who has already stolen my heart. 

 

My dilemma has been designing this quilt in a more modern style, since the last ones I created for my Etsy Store several years ago rocked ducks and bunnies in shades of pink, blue and yellow.  While I think I could still come up with something cute using that recipe, I really wanted to make this one more current, since my friend (and hairdresser) is a very stylish lady.  I've been noticing the popular colors for babies are more muted shades of pinks, blues and neutrals, often referred to as boho colors after their earthy hues.  I searched the internet for fabric that would "make the cut" and found a pretty collection by Moda in Etsy called Songbook.  The peachy pinks and tans match the colors in little Indie's nursery perfectly.   

I cut my layer cake with my favorite  Accuquilt Wonky Heart BOB die to create 35 six-inch finished blocks and added white 1-1/2 inch sashing and aqua corner stones to set my blocks.  The back is the same aqua fabric with small metallic flowers as  the corner stones and the swirly heart edge-to-edge pattern my long arm quilter used to mimic my heart blocks shows up beautifully. I added my usual striped binding in aqua and white and I love how things came together.  I carefully washed my finished quilt in Dreft baby detergent on the gentle cycle and dried it on the low setting to bring out all the soft crinkly texture. I don't often wash my quilts before I gift them, so I'm always surprised and amazed at the change in texture after they come out of the dryer.  I really love it and hope my recipients do, too.  I have made a decision to wash all my quilts in the future before I gift them so they are fresh, newly crinkled and cuddly soft when they reach their new home. 

This quilt still feels quite different from my usual brightly colored creations, but I loved going out of my comfort zone for my special friend and her baby.  I hope little Indie and her mom will cherish it for many years to come.  I opened up Indy's closet and it was full of the cutest little wardrobe items in all the boho colors of her quilt.  Now I just can't wait to meet her in a week or two!  I also think my boy Tuf needs a quilt all his own.  Hmmm.  What would a three year old boy like?  Another creative conundrum to tackle.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Farewell to Beautiful Lahaina - Quilt Donations at the Maui Quilt Shop

           

Artist rendering of Old Lahaina

Hey there from Nannyland,

My hubby and I  travel almost every year about this time to Hawaii with our dear friends, Phil and Donna. This year we almost decided to cancel after our hearts were broken when we heard about the devastating fire in our beloved Lahaina, in which we have spent so many blissful hours eating. shopping in quaint little shops and enjoying the incredible views. We have loved the amazing Halloween party they have every year, which I swear rivals mardi gras! But the Governor urged travelers not to cancel their visits after things started opening again and after our visit, I can understand why. The people in West Maui depend on a robust tourist trade for their livelihood and so many of them lost everything and need their jobs to even begin to get back on their feet. So, we decided to go and I'm so glad we did. The contrast between our halcyon days on the beach in Kaanapali and the devastation in Lahaina was stark, and so very sad. We vowed to do everything we could to be of some service, however small. We donated to the food bank, shopped completely local, and tipped large. We found other ways to help individuals where we could. We heard many heart-rending stories of tragedy and loss.

            

As you might expect, quilters were some of the first people to offer aid after the fire. Wherever I go in the world, I'm always looking for the nearest quilt shop to see what local treasures I can find. I managed to coax my travel mates to seek out a quilt shop I found in a local listing. We were (well, I was) excited to discover this hidden gem called the Maui Quilt Shop in Wailuku.  The first thing we saw when we entered the shop was box after box of donated finished quilts. Marilyn Sameshima, the shop owner, wanted to do something to help out her community.  Just days after the fires, Sameshima created the "Aloha Quilts Donation Drive" asking people on Facebook to donate quilts to her shop.  She in turn would donate quilts to the people who needed them most.  Sameshima said she received over 1,600 quilts, and counting.  She's been able to give two-thirds of them to her fellow Maui residents. Quilts came pouring in from 49 states. Many people lost their homes and are living in temporary housing, so I'm sure they are much appreciated. 

 

                           

So, here we were in paradise, with smiles on our faces, relaxing and enjoying yet another shopping trip. Actually, we were thinking how lucky we are to be alive and have a comfortable house to come home to, with friends and family there to greet us. Life is short and people everywhere are struggling. Just around the bend from a pristine beach can be the shattered remnants of a once thriving jewel of a city, and all the pain it brings to those impacted by its sudden demise. I'm thankful for the courageous people who taught me firsthand what this means to them. I'm changed forever.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

A Basket Full of EPP Flowers for a Grandma's Flower Garden Quilt - Accuquilt Go Big Cutter

 Despite the gardener's best intentions, Nature will improvise. 

Hey there from Nannyland,

Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I rarely sit still without something to occupy my hands. It might be considered by some to be a nervous habit, but I have come to enjoy it and always look forward to some no-stress stitching time.  I love crocheting and knitting, but my favorite activity to do while I watch tv lately is English Paper Piecing. It's a great way to use my fabric scraps and create interesting elements to add to my quilts. Unlike traditional patchwork piecing, paper templates are used to create shapes like hexagons, triangles, and diamonds.  When I realized that many of my favorite quilters love incorporating EPP into their quilt designs, I knew I had to try it.  I did some googling and found tons of excellent information and tutorials. I really like this three part series by one of my favorite quilters, Erica Arndt: Part One,  Part Two and Part Three. 

I was elated when Accuquilt came out with die cuts for the fabric and foundation pieces. They have different die sets and an actual cube with all the shapes, but the one-inch hexagon I used for these cute traditional  "grandmother's flower garden" flowers  comes on one board with the foundation shapes and larger fabric shapes on the same board.

                                                                     

                                                

The supplies are minimal for EPP. I use this cute sewing basket at home but it is very easy to prepare a sewing kit for travel. 

                   

I have enough flowers now to make one of these beautiful quilts by Sheri McConnell.   She mixes a lot of EPP flowers with other traditional quilt blocks and I love the way they look. My hubby keeps asking when I'll have enough, but I tell him there will never be enough for all the projects I'm planning,  so I'm just going to keep on stitching until I get tired of it and move on.  I can't wait to prepare a small sewing kit to take to Hawaii soon for some calm, restful beach stitching.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)