Sunshine on my shoulders....

Sunshine on my shoulders...., a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I *totally* meant to take a picture before I journaled all over this page, but I uh...forgot. ;-)

It's nothing too private. I was describing everything I saw, smelled, felt, heard while I was sitting outside on Sunday.

I did the whole page with watercolor crayons and my brand new waterbrush. Man, what did I do before I got that??? :-)

I punched a circle from a piece of manilla folder and used that as a stencil for the orange circles. I outlined them in black and then just did little circles of yellow around the orange ones. I roughly painted the background with blue watercolor crayons.

After I started journaling inside the big orange circles, I felt like the little yellow circles (petals?) needed something so I used my Bic pen to outline them. I think that makes them stand out a little more. (That was after I took the picture.)

I also noticed, once again, that I really, really need to keep practicing my handwriting with watercolors and paint. *shakes head in embarrassment*


Thanks for stopping by today--I really appreciate your visits!!

~Cynthia

Hot Sunflowers!

Hot Sunflowers!, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

After Saturday's cool blue scheme, I decided to heat it up!

I bought a brand new stencil at my local scrapbooking store. I so hope they decide to carry more! This one is a 6x6 size, by Crafters Workshop. It's partly quilt-like and partly Aztec-like. An interesting mixture!

I actually have three stripes of color, ranging from dark red on the left to a lighter yellow on the right, but I covered everything with a few more layers of acrylic paint, plus the Glimmer Mist I used for the stencil.

I followed Paula's (Journal Artista) recipe for an art journal page. Lots of layers, lots of colors!

This is in my little lined journal and I used the remnants of the clear gesso for the first layer. The layers of paint even out the grit in the gesso. I discovered when I went to write on the blue page from Saturday that Bic-type pens don't like writing on grit!! Oops!! Lesson Learned. :-)



Looks like we've got some bad storms headed our way tomorrow so I'm trying to get all my work and errands now. I might not make it back into the craft room today. OH THE HORRORS.


~Cynthia =D

Weather or Not...

Weather or Not..., a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Wow. The colors in this picture are NOTHING like what it really looks like! How weird is that???

This page is from my little lined journal. The prompt was to make a page about something you loved about summer. I'm pretty sure it came from Janel at Run With Scissors. Heh. Pretty sure. Yep.

One of the things I love about summer is the weather. And by weather I mean thunderstorms. =D I used a cloud stamp, a raindrop stamp, and my favorite face sun stamp. The stamps are layered on Broken China Distress Stain and a bit of clear gesso. I used Black Soot Distress Ink for the letters and really smooshed them down on the paper so they would bleed a little.

I just noticed the blatant stripe down the middle of the journal. I used masking tape to keep the ink/paint from bleeding through to other pages, but I seem to have totally neglected to actually COVER the tape with ink. Nice.



Have a great weekend!!

~Cynthia =D

Flowers make everything prettier

Flowers make everything prettier, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

This page is a redo of a redo of a redo of a page I didn't like. I posted the original earlier, then painted over it all. Then painted over all of it again.

Finally, I was done dealing with it and ended up with this flower garden, which I kind of like actually.

I still don't like the background though.

The flower are from the Circle Graphs set from Inkadinkado and I just free-handed the stems and leaves.

After I took this picture, I found this quote and added it:



There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice. (John Calvin)



I thought it was just a little bit ironic that the color of my background does NOT make me rejoice! ;-)


***
Sorry that I haven't been around here this week. I've been so busy that I haven't had time to create much. I *have* been smashing stuff into my faux smash book though. Five minutes of creating and I have a little snapshot of my day. It doesn't involve a lot of thinking, just a glue stick.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!! =D


~Cynthia

New Journal

New Journal, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Ooooo, I got a new journal!! Well, technically, it's really more of a diary-type journal. But still. It's cool.

It has lined pages and a kicky little magnet closure on the flap. It's also a smaller size (5.5 by 7.5) than my other art journals. Love that.

I treated this just like my other journals. I applied a layer of clear gesso first. Sadly, it was the dregs of an old old old bottle and I guess I'll just have to go buy more! I really like how the lines are still visible.

I found some funky, waxy, shiny tissue paper and adhered that over a layer of yellow acrylic paint, followed by a layer of brown acrylic.

The result is a dusty, Rosetta Stone, archeology kinda look. Love that too.

I'm not sure which direction this journal will head. Paula Phillips (Journal Artista) has one that contains something like positive thoughts. That might be cool. Some of my other journals are more rant-oriented. =D


Happy First Day of Summer!!

~Cynthia

Scavenger Hunt!

Scavenger Hunt!, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Janel on Run With Scissors is running a 30 Day Journal Challenge. On June 15 the challenge was a Scavenger Hunt.

Seriously, how cool is THAT.

I played along because it was so different from alllllllll my other art journal pages and it totally looked like FUN.

I...ahem...changed a few things. I so hope that's OK. ;-)

The Hunt was on for:
something red
a dictionary definition
a map
a footnote
a ticket stub
a postmarked stamp
a business card
something with a circle on it
a piece of a security envelope
a name tag
an illustration of a chihuahua
the header of your favorite blog

...and I quickly found most things. I left off the blog header and I like birds better than dogs so I put in a crow. I did have to make my own nametag though. I used bits and pieces I had laying around, which I think is the spirit of the Hunt and therefore totally legal. Heh.

Up at the top left, check out my letters S and H. I made those via a tutorial from Tim Holtz. One layer of grungepaper, one grungepaper letter, bit of glue, black paint, sandpaper and then a layer of Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink. They kinda sorta look like those vintage print block letters. I think they look super cool, like corkboard, and I will be making more of them. :-)

I left the background plain gesso, like Janel's. And I used different products to adhere all the Hunt findings: Quick Dry Glue, Glue Glider Pro, and Tim Holt's Tissue Tape.

For being such a simple activity, this was so much fun! =D


Have a lovely weekend!! And thank you so much for stopping by!!

~Cynthia

Flower Power

Flower Power, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I've got some seriously funky layers of stuff going on here! :-)

First off, I applied gesso to the page then placed a stencil I had used on another page into this page and closed the journal. The leftover Color Wash left a cool branch imprint.

Then I hit it with several different Smooch Sprays and homemade smooch sprays.

The flowers were also used elsewhere and I slapped them in here to create little outlines. To finish off the chaos, I used watercolor crayons to color in the flower outlines. It's kinda busy, but you know...it's kinda growing on me too. =D



Happy Friday, everybody!!

~Cynthia

Stencil Blessings

Stencil Blessings, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Paula Phillips, AKA Journal Artista, is running a contest. Simply use a stencil in your art journal, then link to her blog.

I've been watching her show on UStream for a while and have really enjoyed it and have really been inspired. It's kind of like taking a personalized class...for free! :-)

So here's my page. I've got several layers of paint going on...mostly sage green and various pinks. There are bits of ripped floral paper hiding in there too. I bought a set of die cut scrapbook pages that I will use as really cool stencils. I LOVE the numbers!

Now I just have to work on writing with a paintbrush. ;-) The quote is my take on a marquee sign at a church I pass every day on my way home. This week it says, 'Count your day as blessed.' I think that's easy to do. I think it's harder to see God's everyday blessings in your life, unless you take the time to look for them. I'll probably journal lists of everyday blessings as I go along.


Thanks for stopping over here today!

~Cynthia

Sunny Marmalade Flowers

Sunny Marmalade Flowers, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

This funky card is kinda, sorta, patterned after a card Susan Raihala (LateBlossom) posted a while back. She used real flower-type stamps. I used funky circle things.

I had a few minutes while some paint dried in my art journal, so I decided to whip up a card. I used the circles for flowers and Stamped Stitches for stems. I masked off the bottom to create a white (clear) border.

I stamped the sentiment on the green cardstock, decided it didn't really show up well and stamped it again on cream cardstock, adhering it to the original green cardstock, which is popped up on dots.



Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (ivory cardblank); Bazzill (green and cream cardstock)
Stamps: Inkadinkado (Circle Graphs set); Hot Off the Press (Stamped Stitches set); Hero Arts (Classic Messages set)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Spiced Marmalade, Peeled Paint)
ETC: EK Success (3D Dots); Scotch (Quick Dry glue)


I had errands to run today and by the time I got home...the sun was gone. :-( Ergo the dark photo. Maybe we'll get some rain out of it though. We so need it here in South Carolina!


~Cynthia

By the Side of the Road

By the Side of the Road, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

On tap today is another art journal page. This time I used watercolor paints and my fave dot stamp. I also ripped out some random pages from an old English literature textbook. The poem printed there is pretty cool, so instead of covering it up with more paints and gesso, I left it as is.

It's kind of long, but if you have a moment to hang out, have a gander at it.

Thanks for stopping in today!

~Cynthia



***
The House By the Side of the Road

THERE are hermit souls that live withdrawn
In the place of their self-content;
There are souls like stars, that dwell apart,
In a fellowless firmament;
There are pioneer souls that blaze the paths
Where highways never ran-
But let me live by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

Let me live in a house by the side of the road
Where the race of men go by-
The men who are good and the men who are bad,
As good and as bad as I.
I would not sit in the scorner's seat
Nor hurl the cynic's ban-
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

I see from my house by the side of the road
By the side of the highway of life,
The men who press with the ardor of hope,
The men who are faint with the strife,
But I turn not away from their smiles and tears,
Both parts of an infinite plan-
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

I know there are brook-gladdened meadows ahead,
And mountains of wearisome height;
That the road passes on through the long afternoon
And stretches away to the night.
And still I rejoice when the travelers rejoice
And weep with the strangers that moan,
Nor live in my house by the side of the road
Like a man who dwells alone.

Let me live in my house by the side of the road,
Where the race of men go by-
They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,
Wise, foolish - so am I.
Then why should I sit in the scorner's seat,
Or hurl the cynic's ban?
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

Sam Walter Foss

Father's Day

Father's Day, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Here's my Father's Day creation. I'm kinda proud of myself that it's DONE already!! ;-)

I began with a kraft cardblank. The next layer is from a K&Co ephemera pack--a bit of corrugated cardboard that I cut down to size.

On that is a piece of paper from a 6x6 block I've had for years. I am totally hoarding it! I LOVE the colors--everything is blue and kraft.

Next up is DAD die cut from kraft cardstock. Finally I added a blue button tied with some twine.

Inside I stamped Happy Father's Day in Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink.


Supplies:
Paper: The Paper Studio (kraft cardblank); Bazzill (kraft cardstock); Deja Views (Butcher Block: Sky & Sage Block); K&Co (Handmade Ephemera Pack)
Stamp: Paper Inspirations (Father's Day stamp)
Ink: Tim Holtz (Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink)
ETC: Cuttlebug (Alphabet set: Harmony); Foof-a-la (Summer button package); Darice (twine)


Hope you all have a great weekend! I've got a quiet Saturday planned, so maybe I'll make it into the craft studio later! ;-)

~Cynthia

Orange you glad??

Orange you glad??, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

This page in my art journal started out pink. Well, technically, it started out red. But if you put red paint over white gesso, it tends to fade to pink. ;-)

So, of course I had to take it in a totally different direction. Paula Phillips (AKA Journal Artista) is always telling us to choose colors we wouldn't usually use.

Ergo...the orange.

There is a layer of dictionary paper under the orange. And also some stamps, some stamped bubble wrap, and a few streaks of white

I really like the texture and color differences the dictionary paper made.



Happy Friday to you all! Have a wonderful weekend!


~Cynthia

It's getting there...

It's getting there..., a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

This page is so funny. It TOTALLY looks different in real life!! Maybe if you click on it, you can see the details a little better.

I started out playing with a few Distress Stains: Dusty Concord and Wild Honey. It was OK, until the Concord mixed with the Honey to create something like gray mud.

*sigh*

So I slapped down more Concord, and a few dot stamps, then covered the whole thing with thinned-out white acrylic paint.

Then I got the bright idea to stamp a few circles, which led to lines of circles. Then I dotted the circles and took the Wild Honey back to the page.

Now I'm not sure where to go with it, as I'm still not happy with the way it looks. Maybe some paper.....


***
Today's studio time was filled with Smash Book making. It was really fun and freeing too. I just smashed in whatever I wanted to, putting a little something on each page. The cool thing is, I had no rhyme or reason for any of it! I used what I had on hand with no though to what might go on the page in the future, when I actually record an event or journal. I wonder if this is how the Smash Book artists/creators felt?? =D


~Cynthia

Blue Numbers

Blue Numbers, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I so love this page! It's serene and very calming.

It was easy to make too. Just a layer of gesso (texture lines were made with the non-business end of a paintbrush) and layers of Distress Stain (Broken China and Faded Jeans.) Then I spritzed it to make all the funky spots and splots.

Then I added a few strips of handmade washi tape. I got the inspiration from Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. Simply use regular Scotch tape (like the desk supply type or the equivalent), tearing off whatever length you want. Burnish the tape with your thumb over a book page. (Julie says it works better when you use images from an older book, which is what I did here.) Then carefully pull the tape up, pulling off the image and the top layer of the book page. Then adhere with an adhesive--I chose a glue gun.

(If you can't see the image very well, I actually used numbers from a book's index. Cool, eh?)

I meant to add flowers on the side, but I haven't gotten to that yet.

****

Have you seen the new Smash Books from K&Co? I thought it was a cute idea, but because I live in such a podunk town, I probably won't get to see one in person for another 3 years. BUT, I've seen a lot of chatter by art journalists who are making their own! So I decided to transition my Junque Journal into a Smash Book. It's not nearly as cute, but I tend to write more in it, which is the whole purpose, right?? ;-D


Have a wonderful day and thanks so much for stopping by!!

~Cynthia

Have a Wavy Birthday!

Have a Wavy Birthday!, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I think I'm going to change the name of this blog to..."My Take On...". Every time I try to CASE someone's creation, it always turns out nothing like what they did or what I imagined mine would look like.

*sigh*

This card is a great example.

See, Susan Raihala (Late Blossom on the Simplicity blog) made this really cool card a few days ago. Her style is totally Clean And Simple.

So I thought I would CASE it, you know, because her style is all clean and SIMPLE.

And this is what I came up with. I like it, right? But it really doesn't resemble her card. Hence the, "My Take On...Susan's Card."

=D

I used: four stamps, two inks and one bling. That's about as simple as I can get. ;-)


Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (white cardblank)
Stamps: Inkadinkado (Circle Graphs set); Hot Off the Press (Stamped Stitches set); Stampendous (Everything Happy set for sentiment)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Worn Lipstick); Memento (Tuxedo Black)
ETC: From my stash (clear bling, in center of circle)


Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you have a creative day!

~Cynthia

Squares today with a chance of squares tomorrow

Squares today with a chance of squares tomorrow, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

**I'm totally saying a prayer that this posts!**

This extremely geometric beauty is another page from my mixed media art journal.

I got the idea from Carolyn Nehring (she's on my blog roll now) and as always when I attempt to CASE someone...this looks nothing like what she did! ;-)

I *did* manage to use up bits of leftovers though. YAY! I went with a yellow/green/light blue scheme. I cut up the larger squares and glued everything down, then colored between the squares with green watercolor crayon and a bit of black watercolor crayon.

To tone everything down, I dry brushed the whole page with off-white acrylic paint.

I added a few tickets because I really have this thing for tickets. Heh.

I love that there are spots everywhere to journal on and the smiley faces make me happy!


Have a great weekend!

~Cynthia

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!

That's right, my blogging buddies, I have defeated that evil Mr. Blogger! I went the LONG way 'round and am now blogging through Blogger and not Flickr.

I. Win. (She typed with an evil cackle...)


OK, for literally the SIXTH time, I shall now commence my little blog post!

This card RIGHT UP THERE came about because the little beach image was just sitting on my desk, a rejected attempt. I used the second try on a card I posted earlier.

I thought...if I just color it a bit with some watercolor pencils, the image just might be OK for a card.

So I did.

I also added a bit of Distress Ink to the edges and distressed a bit of ribbon with the same ink. Then I layered it on a brown piece of cardstock, corner punched with Tonic's Ticket/Tag Punch. (Love that so much!) I offset the image so that I could add a sentiment later on the right side.

The white layer is glossy cardstock stamped with a background stamp using Archival Ink.

And all that is layered on a kraft cardblank.


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (kraft and brown cardstock); The Paper Studio (kraft cardblank); unknown/stash (glossy paper)
Stamps: Stacy Stamps (beach image); Glitz Designs (Distressed set)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Walnut Stain); Archival Ink (Coffee)
ETC: Tonic (Ticket/Tag Punch); The Ribbon Boutique (Ribbon); Glue Glider Pro; Artists' Loft (watercolor pencils)


Now...if I can only get this thing to post, we'll be good to GO!! ;-)

~Cynthia

Well....

Mr. Blogger has done it again. I've tried FIVE times to post a card. It keeps telling me on my Flickr account that my "credentials" are not accepted and that I need to delete my Blogger account on Flickr and try again.

So I did.

Now I can't post anything from Flickr here.

*sigh*

I hate Mr. Blogger.

I will keep trying. He will not defeat me.


~Cynthia


ETA: I just found a sad little thread on Flickr, where others have been having the same problem. And there are a lot of us! So sad, but I hope they get it all fixed. I'm just glad it's not MY FAULT!!!! =D

Spooky stencil pages!

Spooky stencil page!
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

Well.

About all I can say is...these are some interesting art journal pages! ;-)

My LSS is finally carrying Crafter's Workshop stencils. WOOT! I bought this one (trees) and my mom bought the swirly/dragonfly one, which I am totally going to borrow! =D

Anywho, I covered the pages with Distress Stains (Walnut Stain and Antique Linen--love these things!!!), then placed the tree branch stencil down on the right side of the layout and sprayed some Adirondack Color Wash.

WAAAAAY too much Adirondack Color Wash.

Way.

Way way way.

Way. Too. Much.

On the left side I used the same stencil, but dabbed (pounced?) ink on it, creating a sort of negative image.

Since I wasn't completely happy with either page, I attacked both sides with some of my brand new 7 Gypsies stamps and the splat stamp from Stampin Up.

I think what I might do is pour some of the Color Wash into a mister bottle for a finer spray. That might help the excessive amount of ink that seems to fly everywhere.

I also think a bit of white or cream paint might be in order to tone down the colors.

Always a work in process. =D


~Cynthia