Grammy's Attic

Sunday, September 25, 2022

Winter Bobcat

A couple of months ago, I did a card which featured a bobcat and, in order to get the coloring right, I printed out this photo from a search I did online. I have no idea who took the photo, nor do I remember exactly where I found it, so it's impossible for me to give credit to the photographer. It could have come from the National Geographic website or from any of the hundreds of nature photography sites which exist. I seriously thought about just throwing it away because of the problems with identifying the photographer but it was so beautiful, I just couldn't stand to dump it into the trash.

If anyone knows the photographer, please let me know so that I can give proper credit.

So, I created a simple card by cutting the picture with a QuicKutz die, then cutting the corners with a Fiskars punch. I mounted that onto back CS, and put it on a card base. The sentiment was done by heat embossing a Casual Friday stamp with white EP. Clean, simple, and perfect for any occasion.

Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

Lil Patch of ...

There's a Stamp ...

Your Scrapbook ...

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Friday, September 23, 2022

Teddy Hugs

My card today features another image from Mariola Budek, one of my favorite artists (whom I discovered in the last year.) I think this little girl is so sweet, hugging her teddy bear and giving (or getting) comfort.

The image is colored with water colors, then cut with a pinpoint circle die from Dare 2B Artzy. I inked the edges of the circle with a ProMarker. The pale, yellow frame was cut and embossed with a die from Spellbinders. The background dp came from Stampin' Up. The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

Challenges:

Pammie's Inky ...

If you're having one of those days, find your teddy and give him a hug. :-D Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Autumn Thankful

I think this is my first Thanksgiving card this year and the image is from Star Stampz, called Fall Girl Reading, which was provided by them for the Outlawz Progressive Challenge. I reversed the image before printing it.

I colored with water color paints, then used 2 different dies from Spellbinders to cut the image. The larger piece was cut from golden yellow CS and placed behind the image piece itself. I layered that onto a kraft card base. The die cut was so detailed by itself that I didn't feel it was necessary to add any embellishments. I printed the sentiment and cut it with an Avery Elle die, keeping the entire card as CAS as possible.

Challenges:

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Summer's End

It's the end of summer and all the vacationers are heading home. Airports are filled, train terminals are jammed with people and luggage, even the highways are clogged with cars and trucks burdened with suitcases, backpacks, and boxes of souvenirs loaded into the trunk or tied onto the roof rack.

This sweet image is from the Progressive Challenge at LeAnn's World and it's perfect for today's Heading Home theme. I colored with ProMarkers, and used Memory Box dies to cut both the image and the embossed frame piece ('Linen' EF.) The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die. The butterfly background dp was a scrap in the basket.

Challenges:

Lil Patch of ...

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

When Witches Fly

I'm a total fan of Beccy's Place images and love trying new things with them. I've used this fun flying witch silhouette (which may now be retired since I can't find it in the store) several times but this is the first time I've fussy cut it with scissors and used it with various Halloween die cuts.

I printed the silhouette on white CS, then cut it with small scissors, leaving a very narrow, white, rim around the witch. That helped her to stand out from the background. The background was done with water colors. The moon and the two largest bats on the moon were cut with a die from Die-Versions. The smallest bat on the moon and the 2 in the sky were cut using an Impression Obsession die. The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die. I used a gray ProMarker to make the shadows on the moon.

Challenges:

Happy Little ...

Have a spooky day! Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Sunday, September 18, 2022

Over the Fence

I'm really excited about today's card ! The image (a grayscale, digital coloring book page, reduced in size) of this curious cat peeking over the fence into the neighbor's yard reminds me so much of my sweet Cleo (who passed over the Rainbow Bridge in 2015.) She was one of my favorite feline fur babies ever. She was primarily a house cat but on those few occasions when she begged to go outside, she had such a curiosity about everything around her. However, she was still a bit fearful of anything other than her own yard. She wasn't a cat to wander about, much preferring the security of her own fenced back yard. But she did love to climb the fence for a peep out into the world beyond, even when that "world" was only the neighbor's yard next door.

So, this card celebrates the best of her curiosity and brings warm memories of her flooding into my mind. The image was colored with water colors, then cut with a Tonic Studios die. The green CS in the background was dry embossed with my 'Linen' embossing folder. The squares of dp are from Your Next Stamp and they were scraps left in the basket from another project. I cut them with a Spellbinders die. They perfectly fit this color combo.

The sentiment was printed and cut with a die from Avery Elle. I inked the edges of both the sentiment and the image before layering them onto the background. For a tiny bit of embellishment, I added the three gems in the upper corner and called it finished.

Challenges:

Can You Handle ...

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Saturday, September 17, 2022

National Dance Day

Did you know that today is National Dance Day? I knew there was such a thing but I never remember what day of the year it is. I do usually remember that it's some time in September. Anyway, my card today celebrates the day with a Vienna Waltz. :-D

Everything on this card was done with scraps from the basket. The image is an svg file and the image background was cut with a die from my very first Spellbinders set, basic squares. The cutwork portion of the black card front was cut with a Memory Box die. In keeping with my use of scraps, I used three of the bits which fell out of that cutwork to make the embellishments on the image piece. I added tiny gemstones to those 3 bits. The bow is one of my signature bows, sewn by hand and with a pearl added. How's that for a perfect monochromatic, scrap card?

Challenges:

Pammie's Inky ...

Happy Dance Day, whatever type of dancing you love. :-D Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Thursday, September 15, 2022

Tea Time with Friends

It's the 15th of September and time for another "Anything Goes" challenge at QKR Stampede. I've done a fun DT card on which I combined two different QKR images; Tea Time Rabbit (reversed) and First Morning Cup. I thought it was a perfect way to focus on tea with friends. Aren't they adorable?

The images were colored with water colors, then cut with QuicKutz dies. The deep pink frames were cut with dies from Cottage Cuts. After cutting the frames, I dry embossed them with my "Linen" EF. The purple CS used for the background was also embossed with that same EF.

My hand-sewn, signature style, bow is actually deep purple, not black. It was white but I used a ProMarker to 'dye' it. The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die, then matted with a scrap of the pink CS.

Challenges:

Taylormade ...

Remember, in our challenges you may use any image from any company but if you choose to use a QKR Stampede image (or one from our sister company, Eureka Stamps), your entry goes into a completely separate random draw and that increases your chance to win by a huge amount. Last challenge, nobody used a QKR image and if you had entered using one, you would have been the automatic winner! Check out the images in the store. You're going to find something and fall in love. :-D

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

It's a Cat Birthday!

I started coloring this Hetty Clare image back in the early spring, giving each kitty a different fur color but, with only that much done, I set it aside and it got buried in the pile of "to be completed" projects. Shortly after that, I got sick and was hospitalized, suffered the vision problems which kept me from coloring for a couple of months, and when I found this one in the pile yesterday, I knew it was time to finish it. After all, I'm on a very determined streak to get birthday cards finished and into the stash for the upcoming months between now and the end of the year which are filled with family birthdays.

I pretty sure the kitties were colored with ProMarkers but the words and the balloons were done using water color paints. I cut the image with a die from Spellbinders. The purple background was dry embossed with my 'Linen' folder. The little purple bow was hand-sewn and I used a purple pearl in the center.

Challenges:

Lil Patch of ...

Pammie's Inky ...

Have a wonderful day and Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Monday, September 12, 2022

Sunflower Pumpkin

Today I'm sharing another DT card for Conie Fong and this one features a gorgeous (and fun to color) new image called "Sunflower Pumpkin." It comes in either a .png version or in jpg and it's ON SALE! I used the .png version and I merged in 1 individual pumpkin on the left side of the image, reversed. The sentiment is also by Conie Fong and comes with the set. I merged it below the image before printing.

I used water color paints and ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with a stitched die from CUTplorations. I inked the edges of the image with a ProMarker. The background paper was a scrap I found in the basket which had perfect autumn colors in it which enhanced the image. I'm pretty sure it was from a DCWV scrapbooking stack.

The bow was hand-tied and 'dyed' orange with ProMarkers.

Challenges:

Come play in our challenge! You can use any Conie Fong image and there are even freebies available on the Challenge site on FB if you don't already have some in your collection.

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Sunday, September 11, 2022

Waiting for the Witch

Another Halloween card today and this one was made specifically for a neighbor and friend who brought the silhouette image to me, asking me to create a card for her to give to her young grandson. It was on plain white paper when I received it. The image may have been done with a stencil but I'm basing that on nothing more than the way the ink was applied to the image. It may well have been a rubber stamp with ink blotted on the lighter side. All I really know is that the ink was very, very dry when she brought it over and it didn't smear when I used alcohol markers on it.

I colored the sky and the cat's eyes with ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut the image using a Spellbinders die. The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die. The little pumpkins were cut with a die from Impression Obsession and the moon was done with a Die-versions die. The bats on the moon are part of that Die-versions die. Everything was put on a black CS background.

Since the card is for a boy, I left it very CAS - no ribbons, no sparkle, no gems, no bows.

Challenges:

Happy Little Stampers

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Saturday, September 10, 2022

Bluebonnets for a Texan

I have three grandchildren who were born in Texas, to say nothing of several friends who live there. I have always thought of the Texas state flower, the Bluebonnet - from the lupin family, as one of the most fascinating flowers. I'm just now learning to color them and I have a long ways to go before I achieve perfection, but I used this image for a Texas birthday card. :-D

Colored with water colors, and cut with a QuicKutz die. The sentiment was also cut with a small die from QuicKutz. All the paper stripes were scraps bits from the basket. I used my 'Linen' embossing folder on the navy blue and cranberry pieces before layering them onto an an aqua card front.

The patterned ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and I used sheer ribbon to sew one of my signature bows with a pearl.

Challenges:

Butterfly (Wisteria & Wild Blue Yonder)

Colour Crazy

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspirations

Have yourself a wonderful weekend and Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Friday, September 9, 2022

Decoration Day

When I was a child, my mother always talked about "Decoration Day" in the same tones one used to say "Valentines" or "Fourth of July." I actually thought there was a national holiday called "Decoration Day." Once I attained adulthood and she was no longer responsible for birthday celebrations for her children, I learned that "Decoration Day" meant the day she set aside to bake and decorate the birthday cakes for the celebrations. lol

This image from House Mouse brings back those childhood memories. I used ProMarkers on the image, then cut it with a Tonic Studios die. The two layers of dp scraps were also cut with dies from Tonic Studios. The dark, sparkly background was done using DCWV card stock on the front before adding the 3 layers in the image piece and the additional 2 layers in the sentiment piece. I added a hand-tied, gingham bow as the final touch.

One more card for the birthday card stash which will get used for a grandchild this fall.

Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Creative Fingers

Happy Little Stampers

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

A Butterfly Birthday

Here's my first September DT card for Conie Fong. Once again, I'm using my favorite card base, a large, square card shape; my fav because it allows so much more room for design and embellishment. It features a delightful image called "Butterfly Princess" and the sentiment is also from that same set. I colored the image in rich, autumn, colors using water color paints, then cut the image with a Tutti Designs die. The sentiment was printed and cut with an Unbranded die.

The image and the sentiment pieces are backed with sparkly, holographic paper from Lawn Fawn, which I trimmed to the exact size of the die cut shapes. For the background, I chose paper from a Recollections stack. Both the metallic, sparkle ribbon and satin ribbon for the bow are from Really Reasonable Ribbon. I used my bow maker to tie the double loop bow.

Challenges:

Remember, Conie Fong has challenges each month into which you may submit either just coloring or completed projects using Conie Fong images. The August and September challenges have been combined into one album on the Facebook page. Because the challenges are run on the Facebook site, you'll have to join but that's a quick and easy procedure.

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Facebook Birthday

Today's card is being sent to my grandson who turns 22 on Friday. I decided on a card that is focused on the sentiment and I chose this sentiment from Bugaboo Stamps (I still miss them!) I printed the sentiment onto aqua CS and I die cut it with border dies from Spellbinders.

The texture on the white background is dry embossed with a folder from Cuttlebug. I used my bow maker to tie the polka dot, bowtie bow, enhancing the masculine feel of the card.

Challenges:

Can You Handle ...

There's a Stamp ...

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Monday, September 5, 2022

Trick or Treat

Late last week, I promised I'd have another Halloween card which featured an .svg file and here it is. This file is also from the Silhouette Store. I put it on orange CS and this time, I cut it with a die from Tonic Studios. I really love the bats!

There are 2 background layers, one purple and one black, but beyond that, the card is totally CAS. No ribbon, no embellies of any kind, a very masculine card for a young boy.

Challenges:

Lil Patch of ...

Pammie's Inky Pinkies

That's all I have for today but I'm spending this Labor Day holiday at the craft desk, coloring and layering together a few more cards so we'll just have to wait and see what else gets posted this week. More Halloween, I'm sure, but maybe some other fall/autumn cards, too. I have family birthdays each month from May through December and most of those come around in the fall so lots of birthday cards need to be prepared for the stash. :-D

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Saturday, September 3, 2022

Meow-loween

Something different from me this morning - an svg file from the Silhouette Store! I put the main image on orange CS and printed the sentiment on the same CS. I found rectangle scraps in the basket of both purple and black CS. I lightly distressed the edges of all the CS pieces before mounting them onto a square card base.

I love the larger square cards because it allows you to spread out the design or enlarge designs/images since there is more space than on an A2 or a round card. This is a fairly CAS design but it certainly says "Meow-loween" !!

Challenges:

I'll have another Halloween post later this week and it also features an svg file. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Friday, September 2, 2022

Feeling Pretty

I'm happy to announce that I was selected as a GDT for the Paper Dragonfly challenge and I'm using an image from All Dressed Up which I won in a previous challenge at Paper Dragonfly. The image is called "Pretty in Plaits."

I colored with ProMarkers and cut the image with a rectangle die from QuicKutz. I used a Fiskars punch on 3 of the corners and a Uchida punch on the last one. The dragonfly was hand drawn and is NOT part of the original image. The background piece was done with water color paints and the ombre is rather subtle but can still be seen. The sentiment was printed, then cut with an Avery Elle die. I tied a double loop bow using my bow maker. The wide ribbon behind the image was a scrap and I used it up on this project. Everything on this card came from my stash - nothing new purchased. :-D

I reversed the sketch from Sketch Saturday.

Challenges:

Colour Crazy

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Knockouts (bow and ribbon)

Lil Patch of ...

It would be great to see you playing in the challenge this month. I look forward to seeing your projects. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Thursday, September 1, 2022

Promises

Good Morning! It's the first of another month and that means another "Anything Goes" challenge is starting over at QKR Stampede. I've used an adorable QKR Stampede image called "Fingers Crossed." The image was printed onto water color paper, then colored with water color paints. I used a QuicKutz rectangle die to cut it and then did the corners with a Fiskars punch.

The plaid dp is from a Lawn Fawn stack, and the turquoise CS is from Park Lane. Both were scraps from the basket and I ran the CS through my 'Linen" embossing folder before putting it onto the card front. The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die, then matted with a tiny scrap of the turquoise CS.

Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

Happy Little Stampers

Don't forget, if you play along in our challenge, you may use any image from any company but if you do use a QKR Stampede image (or one from our sister company, Eureka Stamps), your entry goes into a completely separate draw for those who used QKR images and that increases your chance of winning by a huge amount! The prize is always QKR stamps, and we always have 2 winners per month. Come play. We're looking forward to seeing what you create.

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Friday, August 26, 2022

Golden Day

Golden days are those days which have a touch of sweetness to them, either from sunshine or just a sunny disposition that allows us to see the beauty in our surroundings, no matter what or where they are. This honey-filled image made me think of golden days spent tending beehives in my (much) younger days. :-D

I used water color paints on the image, then cut it with a QuicKutz die. The edges were inked with ProMarkers. The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die. The gold CS for the card front was dry embossed with a 'Linen' embossing folder.

Challenges:

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Who, Me?

I have to start today's post with an abject apology to all my followers and to one or more artists who still remain unknown to me. I got myself into trouble by relying on a friend of mine who sent me dozens and dozens of stamped or printed images over a period of a few months nearly 2 years ago.

I had suffered a flash drive crash and lost all my digital images which had been collected over a period of more than 10 years. Needless to say, I was devastated. My friend, who was concerned that I might stop card making altogether, undertook to stamp (or print, in the case of digital) images and actually mail them to me in batches over a period of a few weeks. Many of the digital images were printed in grayscale and that was my introduction to that particular style of image. I learned to love grayscale because of the wonderful shading and highlights they provide when they are colored.

I really appreciated her efforts and undertook to use many of those over the last 20+ months. This week, I learned that at least some of the digital images she sent me were copyright protected and I therefore had no right to use them. Unfortunately, when she mailed them to me, she gave me no information regarding what company or artist created or owned them. I HAVE NOW REMOVED THE POSTS FROM MY BLOG which were referenced when I was notified of the copyright violation and I don't intend to use any more of the unused digital images she had sent me.

All of that in order to say that I have no idea if the image I used for this card was one she sent me or not. It was lying on my craft desk (as opposed to being in the file of things she sent me), colored up and waiting to be used, before I was notified about the copyright issue. I turned it into this card and then realized that it might well be something she had sent me. I have no information regarding the artist or company but that's true of a lot of images I had gotten at a crafting group where we each stamped an image and then shared them when the group met to make cards or scrapbook pages together. However, I think this one was a rubber stamped image.

So, if anyone can identify the artist, please let me know and I will immediately give them credit for the image.

I used ProMarkers to color the image and add the colored border around the edges. I cut it with a QuicKutz die. The plaid paper came from a Lawn Fawn stack. The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die. The ribbon and the fabric flowers came from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

Challenges:

Lil Patch of ...

Pammie's Inky Pinkies

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Polkadoodles

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Heart Hugs

Today I'm sharing another DT card done using a sweet Conie Fong gnome, this one with a heart shaped balloon. The set of images and sentiments is called "Gnome with Balloon" and he comes with both a round balloon and a heart balloon, with or without the grass at the bottom, plus 5 sentiment options. I think he's adorable and very versatile; think birthday, Valentine, anniversary, or like I'm doing, just a simple "Miss You" card for someone who recently moved out of state.

I merged the sentiment onto the balloon before printing. I used my ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with a QuicKutz die, and punched the corner with a Fiskars punch. I cut the frame shape out of an old scrap of water colored paper I had done for another project, using a fancy die from Spellbinders. I dry embossed the dark blue background piece with my 'Linen' EF and added it to the card front before layering on the image piece (dimensional dots) and adding the hand-tied bow.

Challenges:

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspirations

I hope we're going to see you playing in our challenges over on our Facebook site. The August Challenge is combined with our September challenge so you have plenty of time to find that perfect Conie Fong image you want to use and get something made. There are also some wonderful freebies available if you don't yet have any Conie Fong images. You're going to fall in love with Conie's darling images!

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Monday, August 22, 2022

Lazy Days

I got so intrigued with the challenge options at the Butterfly Challenge that I decided to try a Faux Stepper card using all four of the color options (Fandango, Fulvos, Forest Green, and Flirt), plus faux stitching. I followed the instructions available on the Butterfly website for the faux stepper shaped card, then colored my image and added the faux stitching. I've played before but this is the first time I've used all the options and it really was fun!

The image was colored with ProMarkers, pencils, and watercolors on the background, then cut with a Tonic Studios die. Papers are from a Recollections stack. I did the faux stitching with a purple gel pen. The sentiment was cut with an Avrey Elle die.

Here's a shot which shows the faux step better.

Challenges:

As You Like It (Cats are my favs because there is so much you can do in coloring their fur)

There's a Stamp ...

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Mystic Journey

This card was so easy, I almost hesitate to write up a blog post about it, but then, easy is sometimes exactly what we need ! I printed the digital stamp onto lavender CS, cut it with rectangle die from QuicKutz, and matted it with white CS. The purple background was dry embossed with an embossing folder (but I don't remember the name of it - something about waffles) from Darice. I wrapped the card front with dark blue, sheer ribbon and used purple sheer ribbon to sew one of my signature bows.

I spend an afternoon & evening sewing up those bows and have them handy to just grab from the stash. That allows me to combine my two biggest passions, sewing and card making. :-D

The sentiment was printed and cut with another QuicKutz die.

Challenges:

Can You Handle ...

Taylormade ...

There's a Stamp ...

Have yourself a fantastic weekend ! I'm headed back to the craft room where I'm going to have myself a 2 day coloring binge. I may even get another card done before the weekend is over but mostly, I want to color and color and color ...

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Spoooky!

I'm starting on my Halloween cards for this year. Can you believe October is just 2 months away? I mail a lot of Halloween cards, till sending them to all the kids, grandkids (yes, even the adult ones!) and great-grands, a total of 15 this year. I did one over the weekend and this is the next one, very CAS.

The image is colored with ProMarkers, then cut with a Tonic Studios die. The sentiment was cut with a die from Avery Elle. I put white mats behind both the image and the sentiment, and mounted everything on a black CS card front.

Challenges:

That's all for today. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

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