Grammy's Attic

Have yourself a lovely day and Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Saturday, June 12, 2021

Summer Mermaid

As one of my DT cards for Conie Fong last month, I used one of the Liliana Mermaid images (see post here.) Today, I'm using the second mermaid in the set - the one with the water lily - and I have reversed her before printing.

I used ProMarkers to color her and added highlights with gel pens. I cut the image and the green backing for the sentiment with dies from Spellbinders. All the papers and CS were scraps from the basket, including the ribbon strips hanging from the grosgrain bow. The pinpoint circle was cut with a Dare 2B Artzy die.

Challenges:

Don't forget that Conie Fong has two challenges starting on the first of every month - one for coloring images only and the other for completed projects, like cards. You have to use Conie Fong images but who could resist such darling images? Come play with us. Have yourself a marvelous weekend and Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Friday, June 11, 2021

Timely Birthday

This is a very CAS design for a masculine birthday card. In my family, we have long had more males than females by about 2 to 1 (although the women are catching up as the grandsons marry and have babies - go girls!!) and the birthdays pretty much fall between June and October so having a stash of masculine birthday cards is important. This one will probably go to my son but could end up in the hands of one of the grandsons. Now that I look at the calendar, yesterday would have been my dad's birthday. :-D

I wanted to keep this image as the primary focal point so I didn't even mat it or frame it. I cut it with a QuicKutz die and layered it on top of a Spellbinders die cut, cut from black CS. The sentiment was printed and fussy cut, then matted with black CS and fussy cut again. No embellishments, just a flat, easy-to-mail, masculine card.

Challenges:

A Bit More Time ...

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Brewing A Wish

I'm having so much fun changing the purpose of images which were originally intended for a different occasion. I turned this one into a Father's Day card for my eldest son. This is another of the images sent to me last fall after I lost my entire collection of digital images when a flash drive crashed. I had a friend who must have spent hours and hours stamping and printing images of all sorts and then she mailed them to me in three different batches. She wanted to make sure I didn't get discouraged and stop coloring and crafting. lol As though that would happen. Nevertheless, I'm really grateful and it's fun using them.

This was colored with ProMarkers, pencils, and gel pens. The detail in this stamp is amazing and it took me the better part of 3 days to get it colored. Almost as an afterthought, I used white gel pen on the cats changing them from charcoal gray to white and that made them just pop out of the background.

I photographed the colored image and when I was editing it, I used my software to 'stretch' the image lengthwise by about 3/4 of an inch and I also gave it a smoky haze overlay. I'm not sure I would do the smoky haze again but it's kind of interesting. I was hoping it would look more like mist from the bottle but it is what it is. I used Baker's twine for the only embellishment on a black card base and left it CAS.

Challenges:

That's all until tomorrow. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Home, Sweet Haunted Home

From Spring to Halloween in just one day! lol I told you back in April that I was going to play each month in the Two Old Bats challenge where they give us a Mood Board for inspiration but the actual theme is just "Halloween." This month, the mood board had lots of witch-related pics and here's my take.

I stamped the silhouette onto vellum, then colored the scene from the back (using Promarkers.) I cut the image with a QuicKutz die and inked the edges with a black ink pad to cover the 'white' lines that appear when vellum is cut.

The black frame was cut with a Spellbinders die. I used my 'Linen' EF on orange CS and mounted that to the card front. A really simple card but looking much fancier because of the frame.

Challenges:

Cardz TV

Crafty Sentiments

Creative Craft Cottage

I love making Halloween cards and as I get new great-grand kids (2 expected this year!) it means mailing more cards each year since I still mail them to my kids, and all my grandkids as well. So, making one Halloween card each month means that I don't have to do them all at once 3 days before Halloween. :-D Kind of like working on the Christmas stash all year long. Which reminds me, I haven't done a single Christmas card yet this year. Yikes!

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Spring Roses

I wish I could tell you what company made the stamp used for this card but this is another of the stamped images sent to me by a dear friend last fall after I lost my entire digi collection when a flash drive crashed. Devastating! But Lindsey sent me three or four dozen stamped images so that I didn't have to stop crafting altogether, and I'm still coloring and using them for various occasions.

She sent me only 1 of these, but I colored it with polychromos pencils, photographed it, cropped the photo, and then printed it three times. That way, the coloring on each image was exactly the same.

I cut those three images with a QuicKutz rectangle die, matted each one with eggplant CS, and mounted them onto a white, A2, card base.

The sentiment is the negative of a CUTplorations die cut (never throw out those scraps!) and I think it works perfectly on this rather simple card.

Challenges:

Gem of a Challenge

Paperbabe

Polkadoodles

Taylormade ...

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Monday, June 7, 2021

For the First Time, Almost-a-Father, Grandson

This card is for my #2 grandson who is about to become a father for the first time. :-D He has one of those wacky senses of humor and he'll love this card.

I added the sentiment and adjusted the image into a grayscale before I printed it, then used ProMarkers to create the sepia-tone look. The image was cut with a QuicKutz die and mounted on a black card base. I left it completely embellishment free for a more masculine look. I do love doing CAS cards because they have no bulk and therefore, are easy to mail. Most of the men in my family live out of state from me so I mail a lot of cards every year. :-D

Challenges:

Outlawz Twisted Thurs

Scrapping4Fun

Simon Says Stamp

Wishing you the best start to a new week and Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Sunday, June 6, 2021

Embossed Dahlias

I'm still trying new things but this time with an old, tried and true technique - heat embossing. After all the hundreds of times I've done heat embossing, I still love it. Nothing else gives the instant gratification of watching the embossing powder change from dull and grainy to shiny and smooth. :-D

The dahlias in the focal image were recycled from an old birthday card (which was partially eaten by the felines before being rescued!) and I have no idea what company made or sold the digital image but I die cut it with an Unbranded die, then inked it by hand with a Versamark pen (not all that easy to do.) I added sparkly EP from my stash and heated it until it turned shiny.

The sentiment was stamped with a rubber stamp (maker unknown) and cut with an Avery Elle die, then matted with a tiny scrap of the leftover CS after die cutting the image. The dp is a scrap from Colorbok and everything is mounted onto a light pink card base. The photo doesn't do justice to the sparkle and texture of the 'real life' dahlias!

Challenges:

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Saturday, June 5, 2021

Purple Day Lily

I'm expanding my crafting horizons (OK, my card making horizons) by playing with photographs instead of digis or rubber for this card, although the sentiment is a rubber stamp from Sparkle 'n' Sprinkle (now closed.)

The photo of this flower makes it look very much like an iris or a flag but it's actually a day lily in gorgeous purple! I printed it onto low-gloss, photo paper and fussy cut it. Photo paper is heavier than most papers, almost like light weight card stock, so it cuts easily with very sharp embroidery scissors.

Day Lily fussy cut w scissors

Mounted on dimensional tape

Sentiment cut w Spellbinders die

Mounted on Pop Dots

CAS design w no embellishments

Challenges:

I hope your weekend starts with a lovey cup of coffee or tea and that you have time to spend spoiling yourself. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Friday, June 4, 2021

Sharing Blessings

Nobody who takes just a quick look is going to believe this is a combination Birthday/Father's Day card but once you see the inside sentiment, it will make more sense. I'm sending this to my eldest grandson (whose birthday falls on Father's Day this year) to help him celebrate both of those occasions. These two kids are perfect reflections of his two kids. Which reminds me to share one of my blessings with all of you -- that #1 Grandson called me over the weekend to tell me that there will be yet another great-grand arriving in late December! I'm so excited. :-D

This card uses the image from the Progressive Challenge at The Outlawz and it's from The Paper Shelter. Here's my card:

and here's the inside sentiment:

Image colored w ProMarkers

Cut w Spellbinders die

Ribbon from RRR

Paper from Recollections

Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die

Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafty Creations

House Stamps Built

Outlawz Twisted Thurs

Scrapping4Fun

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

Have a great weekend and Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Thursday, June 3, 2021

Shop 'til You Drop

Welcome! It's time for another new challenge at Creative Knockouts and this week we have a Recipe for our theme: 1 image, 1 sentiment, 2 dp, and 3 embellishments. We are sponsored by LeAnn's World and they provided images to the DT for use on their inspiration projects. I used "Shopping Day" and a blue color combo. My three embellishments are ribbon, bow, and a pearl.

I used the 3 colors from Color Dare #446

(yellow/ blue/ gray)

Colored w ProMarkers & gel pens

Cut w Spellbinders die

Papers from DCWV & both are scraps

(hidden by the image & small dp strip is a 'hole'

where something was cut out for another project -

NEVER toss out those scraps! lol)

Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die

Challenges:

A Bit More Time ...

Have yourself a marvelous day and Happy Crafting! We hope to see youplaying in our challenge this week. NanaConnie

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Thinking of Dad

Lots of news in this post! I've joined the DT at Paper Funday after playing in their challenges since Day 1! The monthly challenge always starts on the first Wednesday of the month (11 p.m. on the first Tuesday night if you are in my time zone out here on the West Coast - USA) and our theme is always "Anything Goes" but there's always an Optional Twist. This month we have two marvelous sponsors, Colour of Love and Jan's Digi Stamps, and our optional twist is "Sparkle/ Shine."

I'm using an image from Jan's Digi Stamps and it can be found in the #1 Dad set. If my dad was still living, this is the card I would have done just for him. He was the dad who always had time for his family and was happiest when he could share time and hobbies with his kids. Thanks, Dad, and I still miss you after all these years.

Colored w ProMarkers

Image and dark background cut w Gina Marie dies

Gold 'leather' paper cut w Die-namics

Shiny brown CS from Recollections

Sentiment cut w Gina Marie die

Gold paper was a scrap

Challenges:

Come play with us this month. It's "Anything Goes" but you can use the "Sparkle/ Shine" twist if you so choose. Hope to see you there. NanaConnie

Happy News!

This is my first card for Your Scrapbook Place, a fun monthly challenge where I've played fairly regularly for the last year or more. Now I'm part of the DT - can you believe it? My card features a sweet image from Hetty Claire called "Wildflower." If you're not familiar with Hetty Claire, you have to check out her store! Her images are just so darling. If you haven't had a chance to fall in love with images for a while, click on the Hetty Claire name up above and go look at the Etsy shop. You're in for a treat. :-D

This card goes in my stash of Birthday cards and one of my granddaughters will get it. :-D

Colored w ProMarkers & gel pens

Image and sentiment cut w Cuts dies

Papers cut w QuicKutz dies

DCWV dp

Signature bow w pearl (hand sewn)

Challenges:

A Bit More Time ...

A Perfect Time ...

Crafts Galore ...

We'd love to see you entering our challenge this month. Just pop over to Your Scrapbook Place, read the guidelines for entering, and create something delightful. :-D Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Graduating Bear

I need to begin with an apology. I had prepared this post, pre-scheduled it to go live at the proper time and the entire post just disappeared! It didn't revert to a draft - it simply disappeared altogether. I have no idea what happened but I'm betting on yet another Blogger glitch. Sigh...

In any case, this is my second post of the day and I'm sharing my DT card for QKR Stampede. I used this sweet Graduating Bear image to make a card for my youngest grandson who leaves the world of middle school and next fall starts high school. How did that happen? It's not possible that he's old enough for that!

Just a quick update - back in January I undertook a personal challenge to not purchase or use any new products that entire month and to use only things already in my stash of craft supplies. Not only did I manage to do that successfully in January, I have continued to do that each month since then and this card is another made only from things in my stash. I haven't purchased any new supplies since late last fall ! I had no idea my stash was that large. lol

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w Gina Marie die

Sentiment cut w Gina Marie die

Linen EF on card base

Black CS is a scrap

Jute cord and blue fiber twine

Challenges:

Happy Crafting and come play with us! NanaConnie

Gift from Small Bear

It's the first day in June and that means another monthly challenge at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies, where our theme is always Anything Goes with a Critter. We are sponsored this month by Beccy's Place who generously provided images for our DT to use. Some of the DT used images from Beccy's extensive list of free images which you can find HERE.

I chose to use the small bear from Beccy's "My Mama" set. Isn't he darling?

I pulled colors from Color Dare #445

(Paprika, Flamingo, Mink, Ivy + white)

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w Spellbinders border die

Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die

Sparkly ribbon from RRR

Signature bow w pearl

Pink card base

Challenges:

Allsorts (celebrating moms)

We'd love to see you playing in our challenge this month. It runs from today until 3 p.m. (Pacific Time Zone) on June 25. Looking forward to seeing you there. Remember to include a Critter!

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Sunday, May 30, 2021

Butterfly Face

Another Monday, another challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies. While our theme is almost always "Anything Goes," this happens to be a 5th Monday (in a month) and when that happens we have a specific theme. So this week our theme is "Butterflies."

Our sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps and they provided images for the DT to use. I chose "Butterfly Face" and, much as I love Bugaboo Stamps it's hard to pick favorites, but this has to be my favorite Bugaboo Stamps image ever! What fun to color. :-D

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w QuicKutz die

Circle frame cut w QuicKutz die

Background dp DCWV scraps

Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die

Pearls added to the frame

Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Butterfly (Navy Blue)

Catch the Bug

Crafty Sentiments

Remember our challenges run for 1 week and this time you can enter with anything that has one or more butterflies on it. Come on - we want to be inspired by you and what you create! Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Get Well Fowers

This card was not only fun to make, it allowed me to try some new design ideas. The freesia image is from SheepSki Designs. What looks like dp for the background is actually pics of pink freesias which I printed from online to help me decide how to color the flowers in the image. When I was finished coloring the image, it seemed a shame to just throw out what I had printed so I fussy cut the flowers and added them to 2 corners of the card before wrapping the ribbon and layering on the image piece.

Colored w ProMarkers; glitter on the vase

Cut w Spellbinders die

Large freesias fussy cut

Butterfly embellies colored; glitter added

Ribbon scrap (RRR)

Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die

Challenges:

Butterfly (Naples Yellow, NY Pink)

That's all I have for now but check back late tonight (or tomorrow) when the Pammie's Inky Pinkies challenge begins for the upcoming week. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Saturday, May 29, 2021

Hedgie & Snail

This is another image from Mariola Budek, the artist I recently discovered and I think it's a perfect spring showers image. Around here, we WISH we'd had many more spring showers than we actually had but instead we are in a severe drought. In addition, we are expecting our first over 100F heat wave for at least the next 5 days. I think I'll stay inside in the air conditioning, stare at this cool green card, and dream of rainy days. :-D

I used the sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday.

Colored w ProMarkers & gel pens

Cut w Unbranded die

Black mat cut w Unbranded die

Background papers are all scraps

Flower embellies made from negative die cuts

(the pieces which fall out when you use certain dies)

Sentiment fussy cut

Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Friday, May 28, 2021

Sowing vs Reaping

We're all familiar with the phrase "Reap what you sow" but this cute image from House Mouse Stamps makes me wonder about the wisdom of a tiny mouse sowing Catnip seeds! If, indeed, he reaps what he sows, he may have a field full of cats which isn't really what a mouse would want! On the other hand, maybe he's just warm and neighborly and believes in taking care of all creatures, friends or foes.

Or maybe he's like me and any excuse will do to get out into the garden, my favorite place to be! :-D

Colors chosen from Color Dare challenge.

Canary/ Mink/ Blue Belle/ Ivy Green w a neutral of Brown

Colored with ProMarkers

(my fav coloring medium because of the way they blend)

Cut w Lawn Fawn die

Matted w Cottage Cutz die cut

Texture burlap scrap

Plaid paper from Your Next Stamp stack

Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die

Watering Can charm

Fiber bow

Challenges:

Lawn Fanatics (used LF die)

Simon Says Stamp

TTCRD

I think I'll get away from the computer and go play in the garden for a bit. The weather this morning is a perfect balance of warm and still cool enough to be comfortable outside but that is slated to change drastically this afternoon and over the Memorial Day weekend. We'll be in the mid to high nineties later today and they are predicting a 5 day (or more) run of temps over 100 F starting on Monday. Yuck! I guess summer is officially here even though the calendar says it's still 3 weeks away.

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Birthday Balloons

I love kittens! I love birthdays! I love balloons! That makes this darling image perfect for me to use and now I have one more card to add to the birthday stash. :-D

The image is from Di's Digi Designs and the challenge theme is "Birthday cards."

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w Spellbinders frame die

Papers are scraps from the basket

Sentiment fussy cut

Grosgrain ribbon for hand-tied bow

Challenges:

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Walking the Pug

My "third" granddaughter, more or less adopted by the entire family when she became a room mate to my eldest granddaughter, has the cutest "ugly" pug dog in the whole world, named Eva. When I ran across this image at Wink Wink Ink (I was lucky enough to win a challenge they sponsored), I grabbed it immediately and here's what I did with it.

I had just finished my first "Hat" easel card (see this post) and I guess my mind was still on doing easels because before I realized it, I was doing a second easel card this morning.

Colored w pencils and ProMarkers

Image is fussy cut w scissors

Brown doily cut w QuicKutz die

Circle cut w QuicKutz die

Image mounted on dimensional dots

Paper from Recollections stack

Sentiment mounted on dimensional dots

Easel is an A2 card folded lengthwise

Challenges:

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you've enjoyed your visit. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

New Spring Hat

I saw the tutorial for this "Hat" easel card over at Beccy's Place. It was so intriguing I just had to try it. This is my first attempt. There are parts of it which are a bit 'fiddly' but with practice, I know I can get better at making them and I'm more than pleased with this one for a first try. :-D

This was made entirely from scraps of dp and I'm pretty sure they were from a DCWV stack. I didn't have enough of the darker scrap to do the entire hat so I used a lighter dp for the crown of the hat. Even the ribbon was a scrap piece.

Papers = scraps from DCWV

Cut with QuicKutz dies

Card base and CS circles cut w QuicKutz dies

Paper flowers from Recollections

Ribbon scrap from RRR

Sentiment frame cut w Avery Elle die

Challenges:

Creative Fingers

Outlawz Colors

Outlawz Twisted Thurs

You really should go check out the tutorial at Beccy's Place (linked up above) and try this fun version of an easel card. They really are spectacular! Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Monday, May 24, 2021

'Til the Cows Come Home

"...'til the cows come home" was part of my childhood. Both of my parents loved the phrase and would put it behind nearly any admonition to finish doing something or in answer to every child's "Are we there yet?" The answer was usually something like "We're going to drive 'til the cows come home," "I want you to run 'til the cows come home," "You must study 'til the...." Well, you get the idea. When I saw this silly little cow from Bugaboo Stamps, I giggled and browsed through all those childhood memories. :-D

Calf and Barn images merged

Sentiment printed w image

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w Cottage Cutz stitched die

Satin edge, sheer ribbon from RRR

Metal brads

CAS masculine design

Challenges: