Grammy's Attic: Autumn

Showing posts with label Autumn. Show all posts

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Family Togetherness

This is another collaboration card with my sis-in-law, Lainy. A few weeks back, I introduced her to alcohol markers (a medium she had never used before) and her grasp of how to use them effectively came so quickly! She is truly a fantastic colorist. But the actual card making, layout, and design has become my end of the collaboration because she really loves the coloring more than the card making, which I love both ends of that particular crafting endeavor. :-D

The image on this card is clip art, printed in grayscale, and colored with Ohuhu mrkers. I notice those are the markers she tends to grab first though I also have a wonderful array of ProMarkers and Sanjoki markers, plus a scattered few Copics. Eventually, as the markers run dry, instead of refilling any of them, I'm shifting over to the Ohuhu markers altogether.

I cut the image with a die from QuicKutz, then rounded the corners with a Fiskars punch. I inked the edges of the image and layered it onto a piece of Recollections dp. The black bow is a triple-loop bow made on my Zutter Bow-It-All and I used ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon. I have two of those bow makers (version 2.0 and version 3.0) and I wouldn't give them up for anything.

The only place I can find them anymore is on Amazon but having both of them means that Lainy and I can get work together making some good-sized bows for the holiday wreaths we are going to make for family. We've been going through old crafting stash and scouring local craft stores for ribbons, wreath bases (all kinds), Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas 'foliage' picks, and small decorative bits that will enhance the wreaths.

Ok, now for a look at the card. I'm going to use this one for a Thanksgiving card.

Challenges:

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Thursday, May 9, 2024

Kitten and Pumpkins

I have been clearing out the craft room, getting rid of things I no longer use and revamping how things I do use are stored, trying to make them more visible and easier to reach. While I was doing those chores, I ran across some cards I had made last fall but never photographed, posted, or mailed. This sweet autumn kitten jumped out at me and I decided to post him today, even though it's nowhere near Thanksgiving.

The notes I had with the card indicate that it was printed in grayscale, then colored with markers. I used white gel pen for the highlights on the kitten and flowers. I cut the image and the frame around it with Tonic Studios dies. The background dp came from an old Recollections stack. I printed the sentiment, then cut it with an Avery Elle die, and I inked the edges before I added it to the card.

Challenges:

That's it for today. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Sunday, November 5, 2023

Thanksgiving in the Leaf Pile

To answer your unasked question, "No, I don't think it's odd to be grateful for piles of leaves!" Have you ever seen the joy of the faces of children as they jump and play in the leaf piles? Be thankful for that joy. :-D

It's another first Sunday of the month and that means we have a new challenge starting at 613 Avenue Create. Our theme is always "Anything Goes" but there's an optional theme each time and this month the option is "Embossing, wet or dry." We have a sponsor this month, SheepSki Designs, and they provided images for the DT to use on their inspiration cards. I chose to use "Catching Leaves."

The image is colored with watercolors and white gel pen. I cut the image with a Spellbinders die, and mounted it onto burlap paper from DCWV. The dp in the background is a scrap of digital paper that was in the basket of autumn scraps. The sentiment was printed and fussy cut.

Challenges:

Lil Patch of ...

I hope we're going to see you playing in our challenge this month. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Thursday, October 12, 2023

Black Cat and Bats

Today I have another Halloween card, on which I used the Anne Fenton image from the Progressive challenge at The Outlawz. Of course, I love the image because it's one of Anne's but also because it has a cat.

I colored it with water color paints and cut it with a die from Tonic Studios. I matted it with a scrap of dp from DCWV. I cut some purple CS to the size of the A2 card front, and layered the image on top of it. The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die. The three gold bats were fussy cut from a scrap of Paper Pizzazz CS. The black bats were hand drawn into the image background and the moon was created with yellow alcohol markers.

Challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Inspirations

That's it for today but I'll be posting again tomorrow for the Crafty Catz weekly challenge and you really need to check it out. See you then.

Happy Crafting, NanaConnie

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Fall Wagon

Today is the start of our October blog challenge at LeAnn's World 101 and our theme is always "Anything Goes." The challenge will run through the last day of the month and winners will be posted on the 15th of November. Don't forget that we also have a Progressive challenge on our Facebook site which begins on the 5th of each month. If you've not played in it before, check it out here: Progressive Challenge.

For the Blog challenge, I used a wonderful autumn image called "Fall Wagon" and I colored it using Sanjoki markers and water color paints. I cut it with die from Unbranded. The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die and matted with a tiny scrap of one of the two textured papers I chose for the background. Both of those were scraps also and they are from Recollections.

Challenges:

Crafts Galore ...

I hope you'll come and play with us this month. We'd love to see what you create. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Sunflowers for FarmQuest

I know it's been more than a week since I posted anything but my daughter has a vendor booth at our local County Fair and I've been hanging out with her, pretending to be a valuable co-worker, managing the behind-the-scenes technical issues while she handles customers and sales. I have to admit I'm really tired of making all the little sleeves and envelopes for the myriad of coupons and give away items that funnel through the booth, but it's filled with fun activities even if it is busy, busy, busy! :-D

Today, we have a new challenge starting over at FarmQuest and our new theme is "Sunflowers." Don't forget that all entries must be 'country' or 'farm' related but it's pretty hard to focus on sunflowers without being at least a little bit country. I found this delightful clip art image in my collection of flower digis, printed it in grayscale, then colored it with my polychromos pencils. I used gamsol to blend the coloring.

I knew as I was coloring that I wanted to do a very simple design, partly because I had printed such a large image piece but also because I wanted the sunflowers to take center stage and not have to compete with too much embellishment. I had added the sentiment before printing the image, so I just cut it square, then rounded the corners with a Uchida punch. I put that onto a bright orange card front and called it finished.

BTW, orange is definitely NOT one of my 'go to' colors but it is my favorite harvest/autumn color because I use it so rarely all the rest of the year that it's kind of refreshing to use it for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or other autumn cards. :-D

Challenges:

I hope you're going to come play in our "Sunflowers" challenge this time. You have a full 2 weeks (and a couple of extra days) because this challenge ends on October 13. Don't let time run out on you.

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Thursday, September 7, 2023

Apples for the Teacher

Time for our next challenge at FarmQuest Country Store, where we always have an "Anything Country Goes." Since it's almost fall (my favorite season - especially for card making because there are so many possibilities. Winter pretty much gets focused totally on Christmas, which is OK, but I prefer all the options of autumn), and since school is back in session for most of our kids, I decided I wanted to do a card that focused on apples for a teacher and apple picking season. I found this beautiful clip art image and printed it in very light gray scale.

I grabbed my water color paints and colored just the basket and the apples, leaving the background as gray scale. I used gel pens and gold metallic marker on the butterflies. I cut both the image and the sentiment with dies from QuicKutz. I inked the edges of them with the gold marker and IRL, it shines beautifully. The wood grain background came from a Brutus Monroe CS stack given to me by a sweet friend (thank you, Vicki!) The red print along the left edge is fabric ribbon from my stash.

Doesn't this have a great country feel?

Challenges:

Let's Craft and ...

Triple B (butterflies, blossoms)

Word Art Weds

We'd love to see you playing in our challenges and we also have an open DT call going. We are considering some simple changes at both the FQ General Store challenge and at the original FarmQuest challenge which will make either playing or designing with the DT even more rewarding. Come visit us this fortnight and enter a card or other "country" project.

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Saturday, September 2, 2023

Percival

Time for making Halloween cards has arrived and you'll see a lot of them this month (and probably next month, too.) I love the array of Halloween sets available at Beccy's Place, and it's one of the first places I go when I'm thinking Halloween.

This owl is called "Percival" and he can be found in the "Hocus Pocus" set. The sentiment is also from Beccy's but a completely different set, "Scaredy Cats." I merged the owl and the sentiment before printing, then colored Percival with my Sanjoki markers and white gel pen. The image was cut with a QuicKutz die and I used a hand punch to clip the corners.

I found a scrap of polka dot dp and used it for the frame around the image. The orange square was a QuicKutz shape left over from another project and it just looked like it needed to be used instead of going into the scrap basket. The plaid strip was a scrap of digital paper from Trimgym.

Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

Crafts Galore ...

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Saturday, August 12, 2023

Fall Roses

Last month, I won a challenge over at LeighSBDesigns and the prize was a coupon to their store and a chance to be a Guest Designer, using an image purchased with that coupon. Today's card was made for my daughter's birthday which is in late October and I'm using the beautiful LeighSBDesigns image called Fall Roses. My daughter loves yellow roses and the image just called for some autumn colors to enhance them.

I used water color paints to color the image, let it dry over night, then cut it with a QuicKutz square die. The brown CS frame was embossed using my 'Linen' EF. The sentiment was printed and cut with a Tonic Studios die. I added two hand-tied bows, one made from yellow gingham ribbon and the other from brown satin ribbon. I layered them together with fabric glue. Everything was put onto a 5.5" x 5.5" card base made from heavy duty white CS.

Challenges:

Can You Handle ...?

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Tuesday (orange/yellow/green)

Pammie's IP

Polkadoodles

Simon Says Stamp

Check out Leigh's Etsy shop. You might fall in love with some of her lovely (or even the more quirky) images. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Pumpkin Patch

If Linus (from the Peanuts cartoon) plans on sitting in his pumpkin patch this Halloween, waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive, he's apt to run into this adorable witch from Star Stampz. This is another of those images I had printed last fall which then ended up in a folder waiting to be colored.

So, I grabbed my Sanjoki markers, colored the image, and then cut it with a stitched die from Memory Box. The background haunted house dp (Paper Pizazz) was a scrap I had on hand, and I cut a crescent out of the image piece with a smaller die from that same Memory Box set of dies. I chose one which had a round shape because I wanted to cut away enough of the image so that the haunted house would show but not ruin the image. Cutting a crescent fit the bill perfectly.

The orange strip down the left side is actually a scrap of fall ribbon and the bats were cut with dies from Impression Obsession. The sentiment was printed and fussy cut.

Challenges:

Morgan's ArtWorld
Outside the Box

SheepSki Designs (Halloween is definitely a fav!)

Two Old Bats

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Sunday, July 9, 2023

Autumn Bird

Nothing Christmas today, but a card for another holiday close in time, Thanksgiving. This card features the image for the Progressive challenge at The Outlawz this month and I just thought that darling little bird looked like he was wishing either his tree still had leaves on it or that he was inside that big, warm barn instead of perched on his bare branch.

The background is a clip art pencil sketch and, no matter how hard I try, I simply cannot read the artist's signature. But I did leave it visible just below the sentiment piece as a way of giving proper credit.

I colored the bird image with ProMarkers, and cut both the image and the frame using octagon dies from QuicKutz. The sentiment piece and the tiny leaves were both cut with dies from Memory Box. I inked the edges of the background sketch before mounting everything onto the card front. The sentiment itself is a rubber stamp, old enough that the name of the maker has long ago peeled off.

Challenges:

Have a wonderful second day of your weekend and Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Sunday, November 13, 2022

Pumpkins and Sunflowers

I'm posting this particular card (for Beccy's 30 Days of Holidays) completely out of the alphabetical order but there's a quick story behind it. Late last month, I was invited to become part of a DT where I had only begun playing, FarmQuest. It's a fun challenge with easy themes, all of which are in some way farm/country related. No limit on what kinds of projects you can submit; cards, journals, scrapbooking, ATCs, tags, bookmarks, whatever you desire as long as it meets the theme. Challenges start on the 14th and the 28th of each month.

The theme at FarmQuest this challenge is "Pumpkins or Turkeys or Cranberries." Because we don't use sponsors, I was free to use whatever image I wanted and I chose this one from Beccy's Place because of the fabulous Pumpkins. Obviously, that plays right in to the letter "P" so I'm posting this one a few days before the Letter "P" actually comes up. I also have ProMarkers, Papers, and Printing. The image was cut with a CUTplorations die, as was the background paper. The sentiment was hand printed and fussy cut. I used sheer ribbon and my bow maker to tie the multi-loop bow. I added a fabric pumpkin to the bow.

I used colors from the challenge at My Favorite Things.

Challenges:

If you haven't played in the challenge at FarmQuest before this, I invite you to create something with a Pumpkin or a Turkey or Cranberries (or two or all of them!) and come play in the challenge. We'd love to see our player-ship grow. :-D

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Beccy's Place 30 Days of Holidays - Letter "A"

I'm a couple of days late getting started in the Month of Holidays Challenges at Beccy's Place but I hope to get caught up by doubling my posts for the rest of this week. Each day, Beccy selects a letter of the alphabet and our cards need to reflect things using that letter. For the additional 4 days (there are only 26 letters in the English alphabet but 30 days in November), she selects topics or themes for us to follow.

I'll be doing mostly Christmas cards but this year I'm a bit behind on Thanksgiving cards so you'll see a few cards for that holiday mixed in with those for Christmas. I finally learned that Beccy allows any holiday, not just Christmas, and I've been playing in this November challenge for at least 7 years, maybe more. This is her 10th year putting it on.

This is my card using the letter "A" for Alcohol markers (ProMarkers), Apples, Amethyst (color of flowers), and Autumn (the season for Thanksgiving.) I colored this Beccy's Place image with alcohol markers, then cut it with a die from QuicKutz. The burnt orange CS frame was also cut with a QuicKutz die. The dp came from an Autumn stack by DCWV.

Challenges:

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Autumn Cat

I'm excited to announce that I have joined the DT at the Crazy for Cats Challenges! Our first challenge launches today even though it is technically our November challenge. From now on, the monthly challenges will start on the First Friday of each month.

But starting today means that we cat lovers on the DT can post our inspiration projects on the Cat Lovers Hop 2022, a fun hop I've played in for a good number of years now. :-D

Today is the second day of the six day Cat Lovers Hop 2022.

For our own challenge, our sponsor is Lawn Fawn and for my card I used Lawn Fawn metallic hologram paper and the image was cut with a Lawn Fawn Stitched Square die.

I colored with ProMarkers and water color paints. The image piece was framed with orange CS after I used a ProMarker to ink the edges. The leafy ribbon came from Really Reasonable Ribbon and the sentiment leaf is a chipboard piece from Recollections which has been in my collection of embellishments for at least 6 years.

Challenges:

A Perfect Time

Classic Design

Crafts Galore Encore

Creative Inspirations

There's a Stamp ...

Come play in our new challenge! We feature felines, of course, and all the rules are on the new blog. Think about joining in the Cat Lovers Hop, too. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Sunday, October 16, 2022

Too Tuckered for Treats

Remember those early days when the very youngest Trick or Treaters were completely worn out after trekking their way to maybe 5 houses? This card is a salute to all those intrepid little toddlers who were brave enough to give it a try and who then slept through the night as though they craved sleep more than the sweetest of treats!

The image was reduced in size from a digital coloring book page, printed in grayscale (along with the sentiment), and colored with ProMarkers. I used an Unbranded die to cut the image. The background dp was a scrap from a Memory Makers stack. I used sparkle ribbon and the bow was hand-tied using satin ribbon.

This is also my Day 16 entry for the
LeighSBDesigns 31 Days of Halloween Blog Hop.

Challenges:

Lil Patch of ...

There's a Stamp ...

I hope your weekend has gone well and that you managed to find some relaxing time just for yourself. 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

Thursday, August 4, 2022

Scarecrow Needs a Story

Today I'm playing with an old, old, who-knows-how-old image which comes from Whimsy Stamps. It's called Scarecrow and Friend and I don't even know if it's still in their store. I know I got it more than 5 years ago, maybe longer. I made it for a new challenge I found several days ago, There's a Stamp for That, and they have 3 concurrent themes for their challenge. I chose the one about books and/or reading.

I colored with ProMarkers, then cut the image and the mat with dies from Tonic Studios. The mat was cut from a scrap of dp in the basket. The books were hand drawn and fussy cut with scissors. The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

Challenges:

Creative Inspirations

That's all for today but check back this weekend for another post. 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

Sunday, November 7, 2021

Tall & Slim and Thankful

If I was tall and slim, I'd definitely be thankful but the tall/slim part actually refers to the slimline card I made in my role as a Guest Designer for the Monday Greetings challenge at The Outlawz (which seems to be a little bit late posting today.) The sponsor is Twinkle Lane Designs, and the Helenium Flowers image is one of my favorites. It really colored up nicely in autumn colors.

I colored with ProMarkers and gel inks, then cut the image with an octagon die from QuicKutz. The center ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. I made the fall wreath by cutting tiny leaves (Cheery Lynn dies) from colored CS, gluing them in layers in a wreath shape. I added itty bitty corn ears, a flower made from layering petal cuts (Spellbinders dies) and adding a bead to the center, and two gem embellies (a butterfly and a round dot) at the bottom of the wreath.

The sentiment was written in gold paint pen onto a wood grain banner (fussy cut) and the autumn leaves are stickers from Recollections. I had it all put together, then decided I needed something in the middle of the wreath, so found the little tag that says "Autumn", sewed thread into the top and glued the middle of the thread to the underside of the topmost leaf so that it hangs free. Nothing CAS about this one! lol

Colors came from the inspiration at My Favorite Things.

Challenges:

Butterfly (all 3 colors)

Double Trouble (tall/thin dies/T = thankful/ taupe/ tree leaves/ thread)

Ellibelle's Crafty

House that Stamps Built

Outlawz SAR

STAMPlorations

Word Art Weds

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Mad Turkey !

Remember "Mad Cow Disease" from a couple decades ago? Well, this is a completely different version (no disease, only behavior) but it has to do with Mad Turkeys in the USA and only in November. lol This is my DT card for I Love ProMarkers with an image from our sponsor, Dr. Digi, which is called "Tough Turkey." Our theme for this challenge is "Make it Funny."

Nobody is taking this turkey to the oven (or anywhere else for that matter!)

I used ProMarkers (naturally) to color the image, then cut it with a Dare 2B Artzy die. The card front is dry embossed and the diamond pattern ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. I added three, small black gems, then fussy cut a sentiment and added it. Fairly CAS but the 'white' space is brown. :-D

Challenges:

Inspiration Station (determined animals!)

Paperbabe

STAMPlorations

Your Next Stamp

I do hope you're going to come and play in our challenge. Just put together something fun and funny an enter it for a prize from Dr. Digi. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

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