Grammy's Attic

Friday, January 21, 2022

Puppy Love among the Gnomes

Another DT card for the Conie Fong DT, this time using a darling set called "Gnome Sweethearts" along with the merged "Lab Dog," which is included in the set. Aren't they adorable?

I used ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it and the frame with dies from Lawn Fawn. Alcohol markers are my favorite way to color images because the colors blend so well, giving great shading and highlights.

The background was made using scraps of dp (also Lawn Fawn), cut into long triangles, then mounted onto a white card base. I added clear sequins to two, diagonally opposite, corners. The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die. I really liked the visual of the background and image, and decided that no ribbon or bows or other embellishment was needed.

I started with the colors from My Favorite Things.

Challenges:

As You Like It

Colour Crazy

Colouring in Scrapland

Feel free to come and play in either one of our challenges this month. We have one for colored Conie Fong images only and another for using those Conie Fong images in a finished project, like a card. Our challenges can be found on the Facebook page. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Thursday, January 20, 2022

Best Seat in the House

We have a new challenge starting today over at Creative Knockouts and we're sponsored by Pretty Cute. They have some delightful stamps, both photopolymer and digital, and the prize this time is a gift certificate worth $15!

Our theme for this challenge is "Anything Goes" and I took advantage of that to make a card using die cuts and scraps to tell a story. The cats were cut from black CS scraps with my newest dies from Poppy Stamps. The sentiment was printed onto a CS scrap using a computer font. I inked the edges of the CS, added the cats and the polka dot bowtie, then layered that piece onto scraps of lavender and lilac CS used to make the background.

Challenges:

Lil Patch of ...

We're looking forward to seeing you play in our challenge this week, especially since it's an Anything Goes theme. What do you have to lose? Come play and Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

One Hot Date - oh, yeah!

This fun and funny image, Valentine Derek, is from Dr. Digi, our sponsor this fortnight at I Love ProMarkers and our newest challenge starts today. Our theme is "Flowers" and any beau who brings a bouquet like Derek's (to say nothing of the chocolates!), deserves consideration for a date night. :-D

I used my ProMarkers, of course, to color the image, then cut it and the frame using Tonic Studios dies. The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die. I used my Linen embossing folder on the pink card front before adding a scrap piece of red lace which had been mounted onto black CS.

I used all the colors from My Favorite Things.

Challenges:

Lil Patch of ...

Come play with us this month. Remember our theme is "Flowers" and we all know you have dozens of flowers (images or embellishments) in your collections so come on, get busy. :-D Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Laughing with Dragonflies

Yesterday I saw a post on one of the blogs I follow (Her Peaceful Garden) and Janis had shared about a new challenge blog she'd discovered, Paper Dragonfly, where entries must feature Dragonflies (and follow a theme.) Janis shared that she wasn't crazy about crawly bugs of any kind, nor did she much like dragonflies, but she did have a dragonfly die she wanted to use so she made a card and shared about the challenge. Thanks, Janis, for the information and the inspiration!

I dug out three different dragonfly dies from my stash (Impression Obsession, Cutz, and Memory Box), and got to work cutting scrap bits of dp and CS, plus some glitter CS. (I chose icy blue and white papers for the Winter Dragonflies theme at the Paper Dragonfly challenge.) I have a little basket of paper scraps sitting on my desk with left over pieces from all the cards I've created in the last six months. I've been digging through it, using up whatever I can, and everything on this card came out of that basket.

Even the sentiment had previously been stamped onto a scrap but not used, so it ended up in the basket. Talk about serendipity! :-D

Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Creative Inspirations

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Monday, January 17, 2022

Sweetheart Candy

Today we're reminding you that we're halfway through the January monthly challenge at Jan's Digi Stamps and this is one of her new images, called "Sweetheart Candy." It's on sale this month! You really need to go and check out the store because Jan has put 8 of her sets on sale for January, plus there's a cute little freebie that you'll want to add to your order. :-D

In the interest of doing a CAS and quick card, I used the pre-colored version of the main image but added my own sentiment. I used a Spellbinders die to cut the pink frame, and the image and the pink mat were cut with QuicKutz dies. I wanted to keep the design relatively simple so it's just quickly stacked layers plus the sentiment piece.

I colors in the candies are perfect for Incy Wincy.

Challenges:

Creative Inspirations

Don't forget that you have until Sunday, February 6 to get a project entered into the "Anything Goes" challenge at Jan's. We'd love to see you create something fun and wonderful. :-D NanaConnie

Saturday, January 15, 2022

Snowy Best Friend

Here it is, already the middle of January and we're starting a new challenge at QKR Stampede where our theme is always "Anything Goes." I've used a sweet QKR image called "Best Friends" and I love the idea that if you can't be with your BFF (pandemic or weather or whatever), you can just build one! :-D

I used ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with a QuicKutz die. I created the 'snowy' looking background by wrapping a piece of aqua CS with a wide, white lace. I printed and fussy cut the sentiment, and called it finished. How's that for a simple design that looks really complex?

Challenges:

Come play in our challenge. It runs until the last day of the month so you have plenty of time to enter. Remember, Anything Goes. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Very Cherry Birthday

I have the honor of being a Guest Designer for the Thursday challenge at The Outlawz. The theme is always "Anything Goes" and there's always an optional twist which you can use if you want to enter twice instead of just once. The twist this time is "Feminine."

There's always a sponsor for the entire month and challenges run for 2 weeks at a time. This month the sponsor is Christine Karron, a new-to-me artist (whose images and coloring pages I adore) and, as soon as I saw her artwork, I went on a shopping spree at her shop!

For this card, I used an image called "Sweet Temptation" which was supplied by Christine for the DT to use. I colored it using my ProMarkers, then cut the image with a circle die from Dare 2B Artzy. The pink frame was cut with a larger die from that same set. The background was made with glitter CS from Recollections. The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die, and the bow is one of my signature, hand-sewn bows.

Challenges:

Lil Patch of ...

If you're not yet a member of The Outlawz, you can join in about 1 minute and it's FREE! You can play in a different challenge each day of the week ('join' each daily challenge individually from the main home page, then you can play in them whenever), plus there are both a progressive monthly challenge and another one for using up old stash items which are lying about, forgotten, and which need to be used. Yes, you have lots of those, you know you do! :-D

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Saturday, January 8, 2022

Winter Birthday

It feels so good to be back coloring up Conie Fong digis! I was on a break for nearly 2 months and I really missed them. :-D The one I used today is called "Emily with Penguin" and she comes in 2 different versions, this one and one with braided hair. The set also has Christmas sentiments but, as you can see, she works well as a 'non-Christmas' winter image.

She's been colored with ProMarkers, then cut with a stitched die from Die-namics. I framed the image by cutting a diagonal scrap with the same stitched die and layering the image into it. The "icicles" above the image were made by using a scrap bit of CS from which I had cut a large sentiment using a Memory Box die. That was for another project but as I was about to toss out the leftover bits, I saw icicles and held onto the scrap. A few days later, and it was perfect for this card.

I printed the birthday sentiment, then cut it with an Avery Elle die. The bow was hand-tied using some very old crinkle ribbon and I added a small, metal brad.

Challenges:

Remember, at Conie Fong we have two challenges each month; one is for completed projects (like this one) and the other is for coloring of images only, without having to turn them into a card or other project. Come play - all you need is a Conie Fong image to enter one or the other!

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Thursday, January 6, 2022

Celebrating Snow Days !

It's our first challenge of 2022 at Creative Knockouts and our theme this time is "Celebrations!" I chose to celebrate every school child's winter wish, a "snow day" when all the schools close. :-D Growing up in southern California, I never got to experience snow days but if we'd had one, we would have really celebrated in a big way.

Our sponsor is Pattie's Creations and, while she provided images for the DT to use, I decided to use the December freebie from Pattie's blog. Such a cute pair of Winter Mittens shouldn't go unused. :-D

I colored with my ProMarkers, and used a die from Spellbinders to cut the image. I inked the edges of the frame. The sentiment was printed and cut with another Spellbinders die. I chose 2 different glitter papers from Recollections for the diagonal-split background. The sheer, glitter-spotted, wide ribbon was used to wrap around the card front and also to make the hand-tied bow.

I based this on Sketch #201 from Sweet Sketch Wednesday.

Challenges:

Creative Inspirations

I really hope to see you playing along in our challenge this week. Any kind of celebration will qualify for our theme. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Cat Smiles to Get Well

It's another new challenge at I Love ProMarkers, the first one of the new year. Our theme this time is "Get Well" and we are sponsored by Ike's Art. I adore this cat (my favorite kind of animal), called "Cat Smiles" and you can find it in the section under 'Animals' on her site.

I colored the image with my ProMarkers (of course), then cut the image with a long rectangle die from QuicKutz. I rounded the corners with a punch from Uchida. The pink frame and the plaid dp (Lawn Fawn) were cut with dies from Spellbinder. The sentiment was also cut with a Spellbinders' die but trimmed along the bottom so that it wouldn't hang over the edge. All the pink CS is from Park Lane. The butterfly is made by sewing machine embroidery.

Challenges:

Come play with us this fortnight. We love being inspired by you every bit as much as we like to offer you some inspiration. Happy Crafting NanaConnie

Monday, January 3, 2022

Dress Up Day

Sorry this post for the new Your Scrapbook Place challenge is late but there was a mix up as to whether I was sharing it for the start of the challenge month or as a mid-month reminder. :-D I'm posting it now and will do another card for the mid-month.

Our theme is always "Anything Goes" and our sponsor this month is Paper Nest Dolls. They generously provided images to the DT and I'm using "Dress Up Avery." I remember those long ago, childhood, days of playing dress up. My Grammy had a fabulous attic with trunks of old clothing and the attic was given over to being a playroom for the grandkids. The trunks were always available to us as long as we put things back in them when we were finished.

My blog is named for that wonderful space. :-D

I colored with ProMarkers, then found the frame in a stack of scraps which I save just for things like this. The frame is on top of the image and it's the leftover negative of a Dare 2B Artzy die cut. I trimmed the image piece to fit it. The background is ombre CS from a stack by Recollections. The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die, and the edges were inked. I tied the bowtie bow using a scrap of lace and narrow satin ribbon for the wrap.

Challenges:

Colouring in Scrapland

Come play with us, won't you? Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Only Have Eyes for You

It's the first Monday in January and time for another new, "Anything Goes" challenge at Jan's Digi Stamps. Today I'm using one of the NEW (and on sale) JDS releases called "Only Have Eyes for You" and I think that darling little Doxie is too precious for words!

My coloring is still a bit limited so I used a pre-colored image from the set, cut it with a die from Spellbinders, and inked the edges with a ProMarker. I used heart dies from Spellbinders to cut both Neenah dp and Recollections CS. The sentiment is from the "Only have Eyes for You" set and I cut it with a leaf shaped die (also Spellbinders) that I thought worked with the heart dies.

Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

I hope we'll see you playing along in our challenge this month. It runs through February 6 so you have lots of time. Also, remember that if you use a JDS image, your entry gets put into a separate draw just for people who use Jan's images and that increases your chances of winning a prize by a huge amount. Be sure to check the Jan's Digi Stamps shop to see everything that's on sale this month, too!

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Sunday, January 2, 2022

Birthday for Chris

I want to share a birthday card I made for my granddaughter's boyfriend. He came to the family Thanksgiving dinner in November. I had made Thanksgiving cards for everyone but since I didn't know he was going to be there, I was left with egg on my face when I didn't have a card made for Chris. At least Becca let me know about his birthday so I was able to make both a Christmas card and a birthday card for him.

It's hard to see it in the photo but the white CS is glitter paper and I used Memory Box dies to cut out the words. I saved the actual words and used the 'negative' on this card instead. The background gingham dp is from the scrap basket. The sentiment below the Happy Birthday was printed and cut with a QuicKutz die.

Challenges:

Hope your New Year's weekend is going well. I'm hoping for a much better year in 2022 than we've had in 2020 and 2021. Cheers to all ! Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Saturday, January 1, 2022

Happy New Everythings!

It's a New Day in a New Year and a New Challenge (first one of 2022) over at QKR Stampede. I've used a "New to me" QKR image, called "Baby Bear." I'm also celebrating a New Great-Grandson who arrived just in time to be a New tax deduction for the happy, New parents!

I used my ProMarkers to color the image, the cut it and the frame with Die-namics stitched dies. The frame is embossed using my "Linen" EF. The background dp is from Lawn Fawn. I printed the sentiment, then cut and matted it using Avery Elle dies. The ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and I hand tied the bow.

My colors were inspired by the lower, right hand

photo on this board from Lawn Fawnatics.

Challenges:

Come play in our "Anything Goes" challenge this fortnight. We'd love to see what you create and it's always fun to be inspired by you. You are free to use any image from any company, but if you use an image from QKR (or our sister digi company, Eureka Stamps), your entry will be put into a separate draw just for those, and that increases your chances of winning by quite lot. :-D

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Joyful Noise

I managed a very CAS card for the progressive challenge at The Outlawz. The image is from MMedal and I think it's adorable.

The background is water colored and the halo and horn

are done with ProMarkers. The dp is a left over scrap

from the basket. Both the image and the dark

blue frame were cut with QuicKutz dies

and the sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle Die.

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Snowman Snowglobe

I don't know where this month has gone but I've missed most of the progressive challenges I enjoy so much due to poor health and sore hands so I guess I'll be starting over in January. But for today, I have this one to share featuring a delightful snowman in a snow globe, both of which are from Kinda Cute and I merged the images before printing them for coloring.

Colors came from Board #475 at CTMH Color Dare.

I colored with ProMarkers and sparkle gel ink, then cut both the image and the glitter paper frame with dies from Dare 2B Artzy. The background dp is from Doodlebug and the ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. The sentiment was printed and then cut with an Avery Elle die.

Challenges:

This may be all I have until posts for my new DT cards on January 1st. If I get really inspired (and have the energy), I may post something else on either Thursday or Friday, but if not, I'm wishing you a Happy New Year and a safe and sane New Year's Eve right now. :-D NanaConnie

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Christmas Blessings to All

May your Christmas Day be blessed by Christ, who is the Reason for the Season.

Monday, December 20, 2021

Santa's Gift

It's time for the mid-way reminder for the December challenge at Jan's Digi Stamps and my DT card today features another of Jan's Christmas sets, all of which are on sale this month. This set is called "Santa's Gift" and it's adorable! Both the image and the sentiment are from that set.

I merged the sentiment with the image before printing, then colored Santa with ProMarkers and gel pen highlights. I also used a gold paint pen on the tree ornaments. The image was cut with a QuicKutz die and mounted onto a card front made with glittered CS from a DCV stack. The woven ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and I hand tied the bow using wired, gold ribbon from my stash.

Challenges:

Creative Inspirations

You still have until January 1 to play in our "Anything Goes" challenge. Remember, we have two completely separate draws in our challenges; one for people who use a JDS image and the second for those who don't. If you use a JDS image, you increase your chances of winning by a huge amount!

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Sunday, December 19, 2021

Where Are the Cookies?

For those of you who are Type 1 Diabetics or who might have a Type 1 child as we have in our family, you'll appreciate the humor (and maybe the truth) of this inside sentiment. I have to give credit for this card theme to my daughter (mother to my diabetic grandson who was diagnosed as a T1D 7 1/2 years ago at the age of 7) who asked me for a card with this specific sentiment to put on the plate which would otherwise hold Santa's cookies. I wish I had thought of it myself. :-D Fortunately, all the grandkids are pretty much grown (youngest just turned 15 a couple of months ago) so they really don't miss Santa, although they still put out a plate of cookies every year, right next to their mantle-hung stockings.

The image is a House Mouse stamp and I kept the card pretty CAS other than die cutting the image with a Spellbinders die and using a QuicKutz die on the red CS frames around both the image and the inside sentiment.

Inside:

Challenges:

Enjoy what's left of your weekend and Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Friday, December 17, 2021

Nativity Cards

Today I'm sharing two more of the 'all die cut' cards I made last month. These were all donated to a local Senior Center so that seniors who use that center but who have transportation limitations could choose card to give to family and friends. Not everyone can just run down to the Hallmark store to buy Christmas cards for their grandkids, :-D

The two cards feature both the positive and the negative of the same die cut Nativity scene (die from Die-namics), which is why I wanted to share them in the same post.

Please take notice of the two sentiments - they are my favorite Christmas sentiments because they both proclaim the basis of Christmas celebrations. We all love the fun Santa and Elf themes, and woodland critters in the snow are a joy, but Christmas and the birth of the Christ Child is what I celebrate, personally, so these are my favorite sentiments. :-D

First, the positive:

The Nativity was cut from embossed, glittered CS and

I cut and arranged the pieces so that they would look staggered.

The star shape (which you'll see below) was cut off and used

on a completely different card. In fact, this was cut originally

because I wanted just the star for that other project,

but I didn't want to waste the rest of the cut.

The sentiment on this one is also done with a Die-namics die

and the two background papers are from the scrap pile.

Now, here's the negative:

All I did was to mount the negative onto a piece of

black CS to make it a silhouette, then trimmed it to fit,

and layered it onto a background of patterned dp from DCWV.

Sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

I added one of my signature bows.

Challenges:

As You Like It

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Inspirations

That's all for today. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Christmas Cookies for Santa

Today starts our next challenge over at Creative Knockouts and I'm using merged images from a set called "Cookie Swap," courtesy of our sponsor, Artsy Stamper. Our theme is "Tis the Season" and this challenge will run for 2 weeks instead of the usual 1 week to give the DT a break over Christmas. The next challenge following this one will start on December 30.

I used ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with a QuicKutz die. I used two larger dies from that same QuicKutz set to cut the two oval frames, plus one smaller one to cut the sentiment. The green, embossed paper came from a Recollections stack and the striped paper is from K & Co. Both were left over scraps. The bow was made by looping burlap twine around a strip of cardboard and then wrapping the center with a bit of fabric for contrast.

Challenges:

Taylormade ...

I hope you're going to come and play with us in our challenge. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Christmas Shopping

Today we start a new challenge at QKR Stampede and it will run through the rest of this year. Our theme is always "Anything Goes" but I decided to give it one last Christmas flair for this year. The QKR image is called "Later Gator" and I thought she looked like she was out doing last minute Christmas shopping, hence the sentiment I added.

I colored with my ProMarkers, then cut the image with an oval die from QuicKutz. I used a deep green card base and rounded 2 corners with a Fiskars punch. The sentiment is fussy cut and I added a 3D, candy cane embellie which was in my stash. A very CAS design but one which says it all. :-D

Challenges:

Come play with us - we love seeing what you've created! Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

'Tis the Season

Today we start a new challenge over at I Love ProMarkers and our sponsor is Colour of Love. I'm getting on well with all my pre-scheduled December posts and I hope to be back into my normal routine for January posts. This image is called "Rory - Tis the Season."

I used my ProMarkers to color sweet Rory, then cut the image with a Spellbinders die. The green CS and the red dp (from Graphic 45) were both cut with dies from Die-namics, as was the sentiment. The holly embellie was done by fussy cutting a scrap of dp which came from Beccy's Place. The grosgrain bow was hand-tied. I think hand-tied bows are my favorite embellishment for Christmas cards because they are quick, easy, and work well with nearly every card design. This one just happened to use up the last scrap of that green, polka dot ribbon.

Challenges:

This is our last challenge for the year and it's going to run an extra week until January 3, 2022. We'll be back on January 5 with the first of our 2022 challenges. In the meantime, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Happy Crafting. rafty Catz

The Snowman's Christmas Tree

After making nearly 75 Christmas cards to donate to my local Seniors Center, I had scraps of small this and that lying all over my work table so I dug out all of my metal Christmas dies and started cutting up the scraps. Before I knew it, I had another dozen cards and a plastic baggie full of cut but not yet used pieces. :-D

It seems that each card I put together became a favorite but I think this one best shows off what can be made from simple scraps of plain CS. The snowman dies are from Cheery Lynn and the tree die is made by Dee's Distinctively. I cut the tree twice from 2 different shades of green and when layered all together, it almost looks like there's snow on the tree.

The sentiment was cut with Die-Versions dies.

Challenges:

That's all for today. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Monday, December 13, 2021

Believe

I think this may be my favorite Christmas card this year. Image is from Beccy's Place and it's a pre-colored image which made this card very quick and easy. I made it for my spot this fortnight as a GDT at The Outlawz Tuesday color challenge and Beccy's Place is our sponsor. The theme is a very easy "Anything Goes" as long as it's inspired by their chosen photo. Obviously, my inspiration was the little bear. :-D

I decided on a gate-fold card and scored each short end of the card base, then folded those inward on the score lines. I used Memory Box dies to cut the tiny angels from gold, glitter paper, and a Die-Versions Nativity die for the heavenly star, which I cut off the Nativity. The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die. The little bear was carefully hand cut with scissors. I used up a few scraps of gold paper making this card.

Challenges:

Crafty Catz

Creative Creases

Creative Inspirations

Happy Crafting and don't overdo! NanaConnie

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