Grammy's Attic

Thursday, June 24, 2021

Black & White Thinking

I was so inspired by the black & white theme (photo) at Inspiration Station,

with the suggestion of "Be Kind," that I decided on a card with black & white papers, plus B&W image, a spatter of glitter on the flower centers, and a black bow with white pearl. The image is printed and cut with a QuicKutz square die and the edges are inked with an ink pad. The scalloped circle is cut with a Memory Box die, and the sentiment is cut with an Avery Elle die.

All papers are previously cut scraps from the DCWV Midnight Chic stack (which I've had in my stash for nearly 10 years!) The image is from Bugaboo Stamps and 'Kindness' is reflected in both the sentiment and in growing special flowers for the hummingbird.

Challenges:

House ... Stamps Built

Paper Shelter

Pattie's Creations

Taylormade ...

It seems odd not to have hand-colored an image for this card but I do love the end result of simple black and white. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Fairies & Ladybugs

I'm playing around today with two things I've not done for a long while: a bendi card and a mini (4' x 4") card, combined into one. The image was only about 2" x 2.5" which made coloring it a major task in itself. :-D

I colored with ProMarkers and water color pencils, then used a Gina Marie die to cut the image. I used a Spellbinders curved border die to cut the two flaps of the bendi card which tuck in. The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die. I used a ProMarker to ink the edges of both the bendi flaps and the sentiment.

The cute image is from Bugaboo Stamps. I used the color board #449 at Color Dare and chose blue and brown in addition to the required purple. Note that the fairy's skin was colored with a 'Praline Brown' marker.

Challenges:

That's it for today and probably for tomorrow, too, but I'll be back with a new post on Thursday so check back then. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Monday, June 21, 2021

A Favorite Elf

I've gotten back to doing easel cards the last month or so and I'd forgotten how many different styles of easels there are. I think this tent-style, A2 easel was the first I ever tried. Then I got hooked on twisted easels and did many of those. Eventually, I did a horizontal A2 easel and that has a very different look, more like a step card but without the steps. :-D So, I've come full circle and am back to a tent-style A2 easel.

The image is from the progressive challenge at Stamper's Delights. Colored with ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut with a die from Cuts. The frame was also cut from a scrap of Recollections dp with a die from that same Cuts set. Sentiment printed and cut with a smaller Cuts die. I actually cut 3 layers of CS for the sentiment to make it thick enough to act as the 'stopper' for the easel. I inked the edges with a ProMarker. I kept the design very CAS because I'm going to use this as a masculine card.

Challenges:

Happy Crafting, everyone. NanaConnie

Saturday, June 19, 2021

Greener Grass

If you follow my blog at all, you know by now how much I love progressive challenges and the one at Imagine That! DOTM is no exception. This is the June image, perfect for any dad or any man who loves his yard and wants it pristine. I'm using it as a Father's Day card for my son-in-law who has a wonderfully dry sense of humor.

I used ProMarkers to color it and added a few wispy clouds with a white gel pen. I cut the image with an Unbranded die. The plaid paper is a left over scrap, originally from a Your Next Stamp stack. The bow was tied from a double strip of jute cord. Because it's a masculine card, I kept it simple with little embellishment.

Challenges:

Taylormade ...

Happy Stamping to each of you. :-D NanaConnie

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Flying Lessons

It's Thursday and time for the latest challenge at Creative Knockouts! Our theme this week is "Furry Friends" and our sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps, who provided images for the DT to use.

I'm sure many of you, looking at this cute image for the first time, will presume that the 'Whimsical Cat' is looking for an opportunity to pounce on the little birds. But, NO, you'd be wrong! He's actually taking flying lessons from them! lol

Colored with ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut with a die from QuicKutz. Framed with another QuicKutz die cut and the largest die in that set cut the striped frame. The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die. The mesh ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. All the dp, including the wood grain background, came from a stack by DCWV. The grosgrain 'butterfly' bow is one of my favorite styles, deliberately tied into a butterfly shape.

I used all 6 of the colors from Color Board #448 at Color Dare.

Challenges:

Catch the Bug

Crafty Catz

Creative Inspirations

Come play in our Furry Friends challenge this week! You could win a fantastic prize from Bugaboo Stamps and we'll enjoy being inspired by you. :-D Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Real Puppy Love

When people talk about "puppy love," they seem to be referring to love among young teens but I'm here to tell you there is only one kind of REAL puppy love and this is it!

This darling image is from Bugaboo Stamps. I colored it with ProMarkers and cut it with a QuicKutz rectangle die. I used a Fiskars punch to cut the corners on all the pieces - image, mats, sentiment, and dp. The puppy paws dp is from Recollections. The piece through which I threaded the sheer ribbon is a die cut done with a Spellbinders die. Sentiment was printed and fussy cut, then mounted onto a tiny scrap of CS and two of those corners were punched.

This layout was inspired by the sketch at Stella Says Sketch,

turned 1/4 turn and using only 1 dp

because I wanted lots of puppy paws to show. :-D

Challenges:

A Bit More Time ...

Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Summer Sunbonnet

I remember my mother saying, "It's summertime. Put on your sunbonnet!" lol I was far too much of a tomboy to worry about fussy things like sunbonnets and not at all worried about things like sunburn.

For my DT inspiration for the new mid-month challenge at QKR Stampede, I've used a very cute image called "Hello." I used ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with one of my favorite Spellbinders dies. The sentiment is cut with a die from Avery Elle. Both the ribbon and the bow are metallic-edged ribbon.

Challenges:

Come play with us in this challenge. Our theme is always "Anything Goes" and you can use any images from any company. However, if you do choose an image from QKR Stampede (or our sister company Eureka Stamps), your entry will go into a separate draw just for those and that increases your chances of being a winner by a huge amount. :-D Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Sunday, June 13, 2021

Summer Campfire

As the state of California opens up again after 15 months of lockdown due to COVID-19, I'm looking forward to summer campouts, camp fires, and toasted marshmallows! Another new challenge has started at Pammie's Inky Pinkies today and the theme is our usual "Anything Goes."

Our sponsor this week is Jan's Digi Stamps and they provided images for the DT to use in their inspiration projects. I used "Alone Together" and I love the end result of merging images from that set. I used ProMarkers to color the image and cut it with a die from Spellbinders.

I love using a 'fancy' die to cut an image and then make a CAS card which looks very fancy simply because of the die cut. This card is quite literally nothing more than the cut image and the green card base. CAS cards are always easier to mail than those which are too fat with embellishments to fit into an envelope!

I added one of my signature bows, made from white ribbon which has been 'dyed' with a ProMarker, and with a single pearl sewn on. Once I learned to 'dye' ribbon, this became a technique I love because I can use nothing but white ribbon and I can make the color match one of the colors in the image or in dp if I've used any.

Challenges:

Lil Patch of ...

I hope we're going to see yo0u playing in our challenge this week. Remember, it's Anything Goes and you certainly can't lose with that theme. :-D Happy Crafting. NanaConnie

Beautiful Iris

I just have to share with you the most recent set of images from Beccy's Place which I have added to my collection. It comes with 3 options for a planter and 3 different plants which can be put into the planter. I chose the wooden tub and the iris flowers.

I colored the image with ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut it with a die from Spellbinders. I think that was one of the first sets of dies I ever purchased and it's also one of my favorites. The sentiment is printed and cut with another Spellbinders die. The CS and patterned paper are scraps from the stash (DCWV, I think), as are the glittered and embossed butterflies, which I fussy cut from dp. I added the tiny gold brads to the square card, and that completed the first column of the TicTacToe option from Beccy's challenge this month (stash items/square card/something gold.)

Challenges:

Colouring in Scrapland

Crafty Sentiments

Creative Inspirations

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:

Creative Inspirations

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

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:

Creative Inspirations

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:

Addicted to Stamps ...

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:

Addicted to Stamps ...

Lil Patch of ...

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

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