Spellbinders December Large Die of the Month - Cheers to Us

 What we have once enjoyed we can never lose.  All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.
Helen Keller

Hey there from Nannyland,

My first thought when I received my December Large Die of the Month set from Spellbinders was, "Oh, it's so cute, but I don't drink!"  After "mulling" 😀 it over and watching some really cute makes on YouTube, I decided MY bottle contains sparkling cider.  Spellbinders always has such detailed layering pieces to give their dies amazing dimension and I had a delightful time dressing up my bottle and filling my elegant champagne glasses with cider that literally sparkles.  

In the beginning. I planned to add hanging vines in the right corner of my card, but I found this 5 x 7 embossing folder with the swirls in the corner and decided to stick with a more clean, elegant look.  I pulled out all the stops where glitter was concerned and even added gem swirls coming out of my glasses to accentuate the bubbles.  

This card might be a little fancy for a masculine valentine card, but my hubby understands my need to bling, so I think he'll overlook the zhuzh and appreciate it for its festive attitude.

I hope the ones you love are lined up to give you smooches on Valentines day, bearing heartfelt gifts of adoration and cheer..and, of course,  a bit of sparkle.  

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Aloha Friday Challenge #6

Cut is Up Challenge #296

Festive Friday Challenge #FF0151

Cardz 4 Galz - Reds and/or Pinks Hearts Galore

TTTC239

Paper Funday Challenge #61

Creations in Pink Challenge #66

Die Cut Divas January Challenge

Love to Craft Challenge #78

Craft Rocket Challenge #110

Affirmation Journal Page - Moonstone Ink Designs Digi in Copics

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when
 the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty
 is revealed only if there is light from within.

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Hey there from Nannyland,

I didn't anticipate how fun and relaxing it would be to create art journals using my favorite digi images, but I have to say, I'm really getting into it. I recently discovered Moonstone Ink Designs on Etsy and I'm blown away by the gorgeous digital art in their store.  This beautifully detailed image comes from the Little Flower Fairies collection and prints out in light grayscale.  I used a Ranger Dylusions Creative Dyary for what will hereafter be referred to as my "Affirmation Journal." I  have a ton of ideas rolling around in my head for other journal themes and can't wait to see where they take me. I found a painterly background in an old scrapbook pad with beautiful gold lettering and was thrilled that it covered up the weekly calendar page in my journal perfectly.  The butterfly embellishment is one I created ages ago with an Elizabeth Crafts peel off sticker and microfine glitter.  All it needed was some bead swirls for a fancy flight pattern. 

I colored my image with Copics on Xpressit Blending Card and fussy cut her to fit my 5" x 8" journal page. The square shape needed a little help fitting into a rectangle space, so instead of my usual full frame, I added gold foil corners cut from a Spellbinders die and embellished them with clear gems.  Colored gems were also adhered to the flowers on her dress and a Spellbinders flower was added to her hair.  Colored foil sequins were sprinkled in the background to fill the remaining space and coordinate with the gold confetti look on the opposite page.  

I'm amazed at how much I enjoy creating journal pages after doing mainly cards for so many years.  I love the added design real-estate and the idea that I will be able to preserve my artwork in a more personal way. 

I  hope I have inspired you to branch out and create your art in new and different ways.  It's very energizing and full of new opportunities and challenges.

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Playing along with:

Through the Purple Haze

TTTC239 - Embellishment, Patterned Paper, Anything but a card

Double D Challenge - Sparkle and Shine

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #587

The Crafty Addicts Challenge 9

Everybody Art Challenge #549

PIP Challenge #2402

A Perfect Time To Craft January Challenge

Classic Design Challenge #1

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #72

Eleanor Burns Patty Cake Pattern Quilt - Bonnie and Camille Sunday Stroll Layer Cake.

All the things of the universe are perfect miracles,
each as profound as any. 
Walt Whitman

Hey there from Nannyland,

My rainbow of scrappy quilts is piling up in my guest room and creating a vibrant mish-mash of quilty delight.  I like creating joyful vibes for my guests and the ones who left this morning seemed to sleep well in their cozy cocoon.   So now my focus is turning to the creation of this same sunshiny atmosphere in my master bedroom, but maybe with a little more modern flair.  My favorite colors (red and aqua) can be seen in every room in my house, with some added navies and grays in my master bedroom. Hmmm. What designers have all the colors I love with the addition of beautiful navies?   Bonnie and Camille, of course!  Their Sunday Stroll layer cake is popping aplenty with the perfect palette. Say that three times fast.  Such yummy candy for my quilter eyes. 😍

I've been anxiously waiting to use this beautiful layer-cake-friendly pattern by Eleanor Burns called Patty Cake. It was super fun and easy to sew.  My inner border measures two inches, my red border measures one inch and my outer border is four inches.  The outer border and backing are Bonnie and Camille fabric from the same collection.

As usual, I chose to bind it with striped fabric. This crisp navy one coordinates well with the navy in my blocks and the accessories in my room.  

The pattern came together quickly and I love the result. Scrappy and bright...my mantra.

My quilter did a fabulous job with the longarm quilting.  I'm getting braver with the more dense pantographs and I think this turned out lovely. The finished quilt measures about 50 x 72. 

This quilt lives happily on my blue chair for now, waiting for me to cuddle up with it while watching tv or reading in the seclusion of my peaceful bedroom.  

My next project for this room will be a wall hanging above my bed in the same navy/aqua/red palette as my quilt.  I think I'll try some solid grunge fabric to make it a little more contemporary. Now I just need to decide on a pattern. Yep, I think things are shaping up nicely. 😀

Thanks for visiting Nannyland.

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

Nancy (aka Pink Panoply)

Art Journaling With Copics - Reyda Prints Digi

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

John Petit-Senn

. 

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