Grammy's Attic: November 2021

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Cat and Mouse Christmas

Hey, it's time for a new challenge over at I Love ProMarkers! The theme is pretty simple - "Christmas" - and our sponsor this time is the wonderful Ike's Art. The image I used is called "Catmouse Tree." I think it's exactly how my felines would decorate their Christmas tree if they had one, including the garland made of mice! Instead my cats spend their time 'undecorating' my tree. :-D

I colored with ProMarkers, then cut the image with a square, QuicKutz die. It's not as large as it looks since the card is only 4" x 4" making the die about 3.25" x 3.25". I inked the edges of the image with a ProMarker. The background papers are from a Christmas Animals stack by Recollections. I used a bit of fiber/twine to tie a simple bow. The sentiment was printed, fussy cut, matted and fussy cut again.

Challenges:

I hope we're going to see you playing along with us this challenge. With all the Christmas cards being done, how can you not have something to enter? It's almost like an anything goes theme. :-D

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Last Day of 30 Days of Holidays

It's the last day of the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place and Beccy always lets us do whatever we love on the last day, so an "Anything Goes" theme. I chose to use this beautiful candle by Beccy and to use the last I have of a Graphic 45 Christmas paper.

I colored with ProMarkers and gel pens, then used a Sue Wilson die to cut the image piece. I used another die from that same set to cut the white glitter CS from Doodlebug and layer it over the image with the center open to let the candle 'shine' as the star of the card! :-D

The Graphic 45 paper has lovely candles on it and I added a bit of Stickles to each candle flame on that dp. The sentiment is also from Beccy's Place and I cut it with a Tutti Designs die.

Challenges:

It's sad to see the end of the 30 Days of Holidays but I have so many cards added to my stash this year! As in other years, I always make lots of extra cards to give to my local senior center because so many of those seniors have transportation complications and they simply can't get out to buy Christmas cards for their children and grandchildren. Each year the cards I leave with them are welcomed happily and I get such sweet "thank you"s from those who pick out something they consider special for a family member or friend. :-D

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Monday, November 29, 2021

Winter Window

This Winter Window image from Beccy's Place is for the 30 Days of Holidays and it's one of my favorite images. I think I've used it for a Christmas card each year since it was released. I love the candle in the window, calling the entire family home for the holidays.

My other two "W"s are White and Warm gray. I colored with my ProMarkers, added sparkle to snow with glitter pens, then cut the inset image and the frame with a die from Spellbinders. The sentiment was printed and cut with a Tonic Studios die and matted with warm gray CS. I really wanted that delicate, fancy frame to be the only embellishment so I did nothing else to the card. The frame keeps it from looking CAS but it's nothing more than the image/frame piece on the card front so that seems pretty CAS to me. :-D

Challenges:

Allsorts

Aud Sentiments

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Inspirations

That's all I have for today. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Puppy in a Boot

It's time for the latest weekly challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies and we have a theme this time instead of our usual anything goes because this is a 5th Monday. So, this challenge we want to see "Animals." Our fabulous sponsor is Sweet N Sassy and I used one of their images called "Christmas Puppy" which I already had in my collection. Isn't he darling?

I colored with my ProMarkers and water color pencils, then cut the image with a die from Spellbinders. I colored the outside border of the image piece so that it looks like a separate frame. The background dp is from an old Graphic 45 stack, and the two different gold ribbons are both metallic, wired on the edges, and sparkly! I tied the bow using my bow maker. The sentiment was printed and cut with Tonic Studios die and I inked the edges.

Challenges:

I hope we're going to see you playing along in our "Animal" theme challenge this week. I know it seems odd since you are probably used to it always being anything goes, but remember, every 5th Monday challenge (they happen 3 or 4 times a year) has a theme instead.

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Vintage Christmas Gnome

My first post today was for the letter "U" and now this one is for the letter "V" at the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place. My "V"s are: Very Vintage, Vermilion, & Verdigris.

The little gnome is from Beccy's Place and I colored with ProMarkers, adding a few highlights with gel pens. I cut the shape with scissors so that I could pop him up on dimensional tape. Once that was done, I dug through my scrap basket and found bit and pieces which I could cut with dies. I cut a larger piece of white CS with a framing die from Amy Design. The glittery poinsettia pieces were cut with Impression Obsession dies from silver and gold scraps.

The red plaid dp is a scrap from Graphic 45 and I added spots of Stickles to it for s little sparkle. The larger green dp is a scrap of 12 x 12 paper by K & Co. I printed and fussy cut the sentiment.

This card is going to a very special friend of mine who dearly loves anything and everything vintage. :-D

Challenges:

That's all I have until late tonight. Come play in the daily challenges at Beccy's Place. The 30 Days of Holidays are almost over. :-D NanaConnie

Utensils

As I share this card with you today, I also have to tell you the back story and childhood memories which inspired it. But first, this is my card for the letter "U" theme in the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place. I've used Utensils and Under the Mistletoe.

When I was growing up, we lived in the same town as my maternal grandparents and my mother's brother's family, which happened to include my favorite cousin. My aunt had been given a set of decorative, hand carved, wooden, kitchen utensils (a fork and spoon as I remember) and they were about 18 or 20 inches in length. She chose to hang them (crossed into an 'x') above the archway between the dining room and the kitchen, on the dining room side. Each holiday season, she would hang a bit of mistletoe from them with a cute little sign that said "Kiss the Cook."

When I saw these utensils from Beccy's Place, it brought back those memories and inspired me to use the image for "U." :-D I colored with ProMarkers, then cut both the image and the sentiment with oval dies from QuicKutz. The glitter paper squares were cut with Spellbinders dies. The deep green square was dry embossed with my 'Linen' embossing folder.

The tiny poinsettia and candy cane embellishments were in my Christmas stash and I have no idea who made them or where I got them but they seem to work.

Challenges:

Colouring in Scrapland

I'll have another post shortly and a third one late tonight. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Saturday, November 27, 2021

Tie the Bow

This card is for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place and it features things with the letter "T" - Tent card, Toys, & Tying the bow (too bad he Tied his beard into the bow!) These gnomes are from Beccy's Place, and while they aren't specifically for Christmas, they certainly do work well on Christmas cards. But they are versatile enough to be great for birthdays or other gift giving occasions.

These two gnomes are from the same set but I merged them into one image. I colored with ProMarkers, then cut the image with a die from QuicKutz. I used two scraps of CS for the corners behind the image. The sentiment was printed, then cut with an Avery Elle die, and matted with green CS.

The dp with the text greetings came from a Recollections stack (don't ask me which one since it was separated from the stack) and the toy embellies are from K & Co., along with the one tiny present in the bottom corner. Ribbons are from my stash and the double, quad-loop bow was tied using my bow maker.

Challenges:

OK, this finishes my posts for today but I'll have another post or two tomorrow. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Santa's Air Mail

This morning, I'm sharing a card for another of the Progressive Challenges I play each month and this time the merged images are from Stampers Delights. I used the image three times, adjusting the sizes so that some would look closer or further away. Once printed, I cut them as one image.

Colored with ProMarkers, then both the image and the frame were cut with dies from Tonic Studios. The white glitter paper is embossed and comes from Doodlebug. The green CS strip was just scrap. The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die. Very CAS for easy mailing.

Challenges:

12 Months of Christmas

I'll have another post this afternoon, after I get photographs taken. It's been a cloudy, overcast morning, not good for photographing anything but the sun seems to be peeking out now so I'm going to give it a try. Hope you'll stop by again later. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Friday, November 26, 2021

Something Sweet for Beccy's Place

Beccy has slipped in another of the non-alphabetical themes over at the 30 Days of Holidays and today we're working with "Something Sweet." I've used an image and sentiment from her latest set of elves, in particular the Baker Elf who has baked up some deliciously sweet, gingerbread cookies!

I colored with ProMarkers and added gel sparkle pen to his shirt stripes, then cut & framed the image using dies from Spellbinders. The strip of dp is a scrap from the Christmas papers basket. The sentiment is hand cut and the poinsettia is a Jolee's embellishment and it's fuzzy. I added a little peppermint candy embellie to the center of it.

Challenges:

I may have another post later this evening but if not, then definitely in the morning. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Thursday, November 25, 2021

Happy Thanksgiving to You and Yours

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

A Grateful Bunny

Creatures of all sorts and sizes are grateful for food and love and comfort. They may not all celebrate it with a Thanksgiving feast but I thought this delightful bunny image from Kinda Cute could easily be turned into a gratitude/Thanksgiving card with the use of autumn colors and a proper sentiment. :-D

I colored the image with ProMarkers and then cut it with a Cuts die. I used a large scrap of kraft CS for the card front, and layered on a scrap piece of dp which had been cut with a lattice die from Tonic Studio. I found a strip of olive green burlap, pulled a few threads from the sides, and put it on top of the lattice piece. Everything was put on angles for a bit of visual interest.

I inked the edge of the image and used the threads of burlap to tie the bow, then added the image to everything else.

Challenges:

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

It's Time for the Letter "S"

We're getting close to the end of the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place and I'm still trying to get caught up. What with the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow here in the US, I won't get any crafting done that day and possibly not on Friday, either, so I'm really trying to do double duty with two pre-scheduled posts each day over the weekend.

Today I've used merged images from Beccy's again and the focus is on the letter "S": Shepherd, Sheep, Shading, Shaped card, Scallops, and Stitching. I used ProMarkers to color, and the image was cut with a scalloped and stitched die from Memory Box. The shaped card itself was cut with a QuicKutz die.

The background dp is from K & Co. I used silver, satin ribbon from my Stash that has Sparkle along the edges. The deep green bow was hand-tied using very, very narrow ribbon (also a scrap from the stash.)

Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Creative Inspirations

Happy Crafting and a warm Thanksgiving wish to all my US friends. NanaConnie

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

"R" for Rocker Card

OK, I'm now up to the letter "R" in my cards for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place and it stands for Red and Rocker card. I'm going to pretend that the birds are Robins (both are images from Beccy's and I merged them) and I used wide Ribbon to make the bow.

The rocker shape was cut with a die from Tattered Lace, as was the image itself. The red snowflake dp is from Recollections.

Challenges:

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Quilted Christmas

It's time for the dreaded "Q" day at 30 Days of Holidays - Beccy's Place and I'm doing another "Quilt" theme. Last year, I used an image of a quilted stuffed animal for this card but this year I decided on the spice-filled mitten, one of Beccy's images, and a Quilt die from Gina Marie to make the background.

I have a crafting friend who loves making quilts (as did I for many years) and she has even made quilt-pattern stencils for her scrapbooking. I don't have that kind of patience and would much rather use a die (especially since I only have less than half a dozen stencils in my entire collection!)

I cut two different colors of CS, plus two different scraps of Christmas dp which I had in my stash. Unfortunately, one of those scraps was only big enough for a single cut and I needed a total of three full die cuts of each dp to complete the background. Consequently, the left side of the card has more of the lighter dp in places where I would have used the darker dp if I'd had enough of it. Sigh...

The image was cut with a QuicKutz die and layered onto the quilt. I added a hand tied bow made from lace and wrapped with satin ribbon in the middle.

Challenges:

As You Like It

Christmas Kickstart

Crafty Creations

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

Outlawz Festive Fri

TTCRD

We're getting close to the end of the 30 Days challenge and I still haven't done all the letters of the alphabet but I keep plugging away. I'll get as many of them as possible before the daily challenges close including the 4 with no alphabetical letter to follow. Beccy gives us the theme for those as we go along so it could be anything.

In view of playing catch up, I'll have a second post later today nd I hope you'll stop by to see that one, too. :-D Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Monday, November 22, 2021

Inside and Out

Each month I play in the progressive challenge at The Outlawz and this month the image (Claudia's Plant) was generously supplied by SheepSki Designs. I added another SheepSki image, called Winter Deer, so that I could show a wintery scene through the window.

I colored with ProMarkers, then cut out the window frame with a die from Cottage Cutz. The plant has been fussy cut and that was no easy chore. :-D When I added it to the card front, I glued only the pot and one leaf so there is some lovely dimension to the plant which shows so much more IRL than in the photo. The two sentiment pieces were cut with dies from Avery Elle. The background (card front) has been dry embossed with my 'Linen' EF.

Hours after I finished the card, I kept looking at it and wishing I had put the plant on a table instead of the floor but it's too late now. Maybe next time. In any case, it was fun way to use a tropical plant on a winter Christmas card.

Challenges:

Christmas Crafts AYR (W = window)

Colouring In Scrapland

Creative Crafting Uncles (wood on window frame)

Inspiration Station (wood on window frame)

SheepSki Designs

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

"O" is for Ornament

Another letter day at the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place and today is "O." Beccy has some lovely ornament images and this is one that I have used each year since she released it. I always get lovely comments on it, whether I've colored it myself or (as I did this year) have taken the shortcut of using the pre-colored image.

I cut the Ornament with an Oval die, and used Onyx CS for the card base. Aside from wanting an additional "O" for my card, the onyx makes the image pop from the background. :-D The ribbon is metallic, gold, wired ribbon from my stash and I have no idea what company made it. I know I picked it up 2 years ago in the after-Christmas sales and I've made good use of it this year. I used wide, gold twine for the hand-tied bow on the ornament.

Challenges:

12 Months/Christmas

Carlin's Card Paradise

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Sunday, November 21, 2021

Noel on the Night before Christmas

My earlier post today was for the letter "M" and this one is for the letter "N" in the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place. I have to share with you that I was completely inspired by a card Beccy did using this same image against a very dark background so that the candle light seemed to glow. I CASEd the card as best I could, including the sentiment.

I'm not nearly as skilled with coloring as Beccy is but I did give myself the advantage of starting with her pre-colored image, then adjusting the color so that it was much lighter (almost gray scale) and then used my ProMarkers (Beccy tends to use colored pencils) to color pretty much the same color combo as she had used. The main differences are that I used grays on the mouse instead of browns, added some shadows, and used less yellow on the parts of the mouse where the candle glow would be. I also colored the candle green.

I didn't even attempt to color a dark background (which Beccy did.) Instead, I fussy cut the mouse, mounted him onto Pop Dots, then used black CS for my card front and put him right in the middle of it. The "Night Before Christmas" sentiment is cut with an Avery Elle die and the sparkly gold 'Noel' was cut with a Die-Versions die.

Challenges:

Happy Crafting, everyone, and for those of us in the US, I hope your Thanksgiving preparations are well under way. If you're traveling, may you have safe travels and warm moments with family. Happy holidays to you and yours. NanaConnie

Mouse with Christmas Flower

It's the day for the letter "M" in the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place. I've used one of her newest mice which I think is so adorable! Although not made as a Christmas image, this darling Mouse is all dressed up in his winter scarf and by using Magenta Markers to color both the scarf and the flower, the image took on a Christmas-y color combo. The image is colored with ProMarkers. I also used tiny Metal brads, covered in glitter for a touch of sparkle. (Secret - when you want to add glitter (or even a particular color of embossing powder) to metal brads, hold the prongs with a pair of tweezers, heat the brad with a heat gun, and when it's hot, immediately dip it into the glitter EP !)

The image and its frame are cut with QuicKutz dies. The magenta ribbon was wrapped around the card front and also used to tie the double loop bow. The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die and matted with magenta CS.

Challenges:

I missed doing a post for yesterday's card (life got in the way as sometimes happens so I'll have a second post today. In a way, that's better because the posts will be in 'alphabetical' order even though I made them in reverse order. :-D Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Friday, November 19, 2021

Kris Kringle Kristmas

Just from the title of this post, you should be able to figure out this card is for the letter "K" in the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place. I've used Kris Kringle, Kristmas, Kraft, & Khaki. The Kris Kringle image is from Beccy's.

I used ProMarkers and gel pens for highlights, including a silver sparkle pen on the bell. Then, I cut the image with a CUTplorations stitched die. I inked the edges of both the image and the card with a Khaki ProMarker. The ribbon edges were also colored with a khaki marker. The trees in the ribbon are shiny metallic gold. The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die and the edges were inked with khaki.

Obviously, everything was laid onto a kraft card base.

Challenges:

Lil Patch of ...

I'm heading back to the kraft room. It seems to be taking me forever to get things done these days but I keep working on them and eventually they do get done. :-D Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Thursday, November 18, 2021

Autumn Girl

It's the start of a new challenge at Creative Knockouts and we have a fun & fabulous sponsor, Twinkle Lane Designs, who provided images for the DT to use. My card features one called Autumn Girl and the sentiment comes with her. This is an "Anything Goes" theme this time.

This card actually is for Thanksgiving, the perfect day to celebrate the gorgeous fall colors in the foliage and all of the falling leaves, so it's also getting posted for the "F" day at the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place.

I colored with my ProMarkers, then cut the image with as CUTplorations stitched die. The sentiment was cut with a QuicKutz die the edges were inked, and I added it to the image piece. All the papers and even the dry embossed CS pieces are just scraps from the basket. It's amazing what can be done with little snippets of this and that, so I never throw anything away. If I don't go through the baskets f scraps regularly, my crafting 'room' becomes 'no room anywhere' and then it's impossible to craft. lol

The tiny single leaf was included in the image set so I printed it onto a scrap of paper, trimmed it to size, and added it on the left side. I hand-sewed one of my signature bows, adding a pearl this time.

Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

Taylormade ...

We really want to see you playing along in this challenge so get things lined up and come join us. With an "Anything Goes" theme, you can't lose. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Candle & Poinsettias

The idea of candle light at Christmas is one of my favorite things and I love images which allow for coloring the candle glow. This image is from SheepSki Designs, the sponsor for the newest challenge at I Love ProMarkers which starts right now. The image is called "Candles and Poinsettias" and our theme for the challenge is "Anything Goes" with an Option of "No Patterned Design Paper."

I colored with ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut the image with a Lawn Fawn stitched die. The sentiment was cut with a die from QuicKutz. I framed both the image and the sentiment with green glitter paper. I used a stencil on the card front, brushing it with glue and using some very old flocking powder from my stash enhance the pink card front. The sheer ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

Challenges:

Come play in our challenge. Grab your ProMarkers, FlexMarkers, AquaMarkers, or Trias, color an image, leave out the patterned dp, and come enter your project in our challenge. You could win some really fab images from SheepSki Designs. :-D Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Ho Ho Ho Gift Holder

Today I want to share with you a Hand-made, gift Holder for my "H" card at the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place. With a big "Ho Ho Ho" ringing in my head, I decided I wanted to do something with a Santa theme but without actually showing a Santa; only doing something which would make the viewer think of Santa.

My daughter has her own business as a Color Street stylist. If you're not familiar with Color Street, it's "dry" nail polish which is easily put onto your nails by applying nail polish strips. They come in a package and you'll see one of them in one of the photos I'm posting. At Christmas time, she gives sets to those of us who want them as our gifts, and she also has many people who buy the packaged sets as gifts for people on their lists. She asked me if I could make gift holders in a size suitable for holding the Color Street packets.

Of course, I jumped right in and started designing something. I measured the Color Street packet, then scored and folded red CS so that it was 3/8 inch larger in width, and 1/2 an inch longer. I sealed the holder by using double stick tape on the bottom and along a narrow flap I made on one side. The dies are from Sue Wilson and I cut 4 different kinds of buckles to use. I cut only scraps for the belts and buckles. I made a dozen of these; some have the sentiment and some are just the belt and buckle. I'm sure she's going to want more of them. Here's the result of my labors:

Did your brain say "Santa" as soon as you saw this?

The photo above shows the Color Street packet

and the photo below shows how it slips into the top of the holder.

It actually slides all the way inside but I left one end peeking out

so that you could see how it fits.

Challenges:

I'm heading back to the craft room to make some gift card holders and I'm so pleased with this design idea that I may very well make some of those using this idea. They'll be much smaller, of course, but that just means I have to find a way to cut smaller buckles. :-D

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Monday, November 15, 2021

Counting Autumn Blessings

As a way to say "Thanks" in this month of Gratitude and Thanksgiving, I always recommend a count of all the blessings you've received throughout the year, and the blessings of the harvest and having family close need to be on that list, for sure!

This fun image from QKR Stampede, called "Farmer Crow" seemed the perfect one to use on my DT card for the new "Anything Goes" challenge starting today. The image is colored with ProMarkers, then cut with an oval die from Memory Box. That was one of the first dies I ever bought and it must go back at least 12 or 15 years.

The background is made with layers of dp from an old DCWV stack. The brown, sparkly ribbon on the left is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, as is the satin ribbon I used for the hand-tied bow. I added an orange flower gem to the bow. The pumpkin & flowers in the corner have had glitter added to them for a bit of sparkle.

My colors came from board #470 at CMH Color Dare

top row, middle row, and left hand column.

Actually, once I add in all the colors in his face and beak, I've

used all the colors except Sapphire!

Challenges:

Taylormade ...

I hope you're going to remember to come and play in our Anything Goes challenge this fortnight. We love being inspired by you and if you're the winner (we have 2 winners each challenge - 1 for those who use QKR images and 1 for everyone else), you could win some fabulous digis! Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Baby, It's Cold Outside

This morning, I'm posting a card to remind you of the monthly challenge at Jan's Digi Stamps and I'm using an image called "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with a sentiment from the same set. That set (images plus sentiments) is on sale through Christmas, along with the other new Christmas sets. Be sure to check out all of them.

This is also my card for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place for the letter "P" - Pair of Penguins & ProMarkers.

The image is colored with ProMarkers and pencils, then cut with a square die from QuicKutz. I inked the edges with a marker and layered it onto a scrap of dp from my Christmas stash (DCWV). I used my bow maker to tie a quad-loop bow and added a sequin to the center of it.

Challenges:

I'll have another post in a couple of hours so be sure to stop by again. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Christmas 'Gifting'

Here it is the start of another week and another new "Anything Goes" challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies. Our fantastic sponsor is Polkadoodles and I've used a darling image called "Christmas Bella Bear." Isn't she sweet?

I colored with ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut her with a filigree, framing die from Spellbinders. I thought the open work would look great if I put metallic gold paper behind the image piece and once I tried it, it was perfect! I used a scrap of red and green plaid paper (Graphic 45) behind the image and also a tiny bit to at the sentiment which had been cut with an Avery Elle die.

I left it unadorned other than the die cut and papers because this one is going to be mailed so flatter was better.

Challenges:

Come play in our Anything Goes challenge this week. With that simple theme, what do you have to lose? Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

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