Catching Up

Hiya!  I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!  I managed to do a bit of scrapbooking since we didn't travel this year--the family came here instead.

I'm trying to catch up a bit on pages.  And I hope the sun comes out so I can photograph the (almost completed) December Daily album.

So here's a picture I took a while back.  I needed plenty of space to tell the hilarious (to me!) story.

So I see this snake stretched across the trail--a totally harmless little 4-foot guy--and I also see two runners headed for the snake.  I stopped the runners and told them I had passed the snake with no problem, but the ensuing conversation between the two guys was so funny.  It was kinda like..."We should totally act cool and all so we don't embarrass ourselves, but no way I'm walking past that snake...what do YOU think??"  In the end, they took a different trail, but I was trying so hard not to laugh at them.  I mean, they're big, bad runner DUDES and they're scared of a harmless, sleepy snake!!  =D

Ah, trail memories!!  ;-)



Ali Edwards has a blog post on her One Little Word project for 2014.  I've chosen the word NEXT.  A month ago, my church had a 4-week series on the idea of God always having a NEXT for each of us.  My goal in 2014 is to apply that--finding out what's NEXT and going in that direction.  Are you joining in on the fun of One Little Word??


OK, I'm off to work on my To Do List.  :-)  Have a wonderfully crafty day!

~Cynthia

Merry Christmas!

Evergreen Bough

Here's the last of my Christmas cards...I think.  ;-)

I shamelessly copied borrowed the idea from Loll over at Stamping With Loll.  She makes some seriously gorgeous clean-and-simple cards.  I saw this one in her Splitcoast Stampers' gallery and loved it.

I kept it really super simple and streamlined.  I die cut the branch (Impression Obsession)and dotted it with Christmas Red Stickles.  Then I used an old Cuttlebug die cut for the ornament.  I used glossy gold cardstock for those.  Then I die cut the frame using a Nestablitities set.  And then the sentiment is a cute one from a set by Penny Black called Crystalline.  That set has seen LOTS of use!



And that's it for me tonight.  It's late and I'm starving!!  I made those awesome Peanut Butter Blossoms--you know the cookies with the Hershey's Kisses smooshed into them?  THEM.  I may have eaten quite a few!  ;-)  So I guess I had better make a nutritious dinner then, right??  Or is it that Christmas calories don't count??  I can never remember what I'm supposed to do......


~Cynthia  ;-)

It's a Baby!

No, not MY baby!  HAHA.  NO.  :O

My friends had a baby in November, and bad friend that I am, I didn't know!  Gratefully, they sent an adorable photo of the little guy as their Christmas card.

Naturally, I had to whip up a baby card for them.  And here it is:

 

Sorry for the odd texture of the card base--it's really just the glorious morning sun on a regular piece of Bazzill.  ;-)

I used an old Hero Arts baby stamp set with Faded Jeans Distress Ink.  I wanted the lovely blue to be a bit lighter, less intense, so I stamped off the image each time.  The yellow enamel dots are from Freckled Fawn.  The sentiment is from Studio G and I used a Marvy 1-inch square punch to make the banner tails, which I popped up on 3D Dots from EK Success.  I also dusted the edges of the panel and the banner with more Faded Jeans before adhering.

Super simple!  And quick.  Yes, I need the quick part!  =D

 Better get this in the mail before the letter carrier gets here!  Have a crafty day!!

~Cynthia

Oh, Christmas Tree

I needed to make a kinda manly Christmas card for my nephew, so I used the same tree die cuts I used for the tone-on-tone card I posted previously.  I just used a dark green paper and skipped the cute bird.  ;-)

I did add a little gold star on the top.  I hope that's not cutesy!  Teenage boys are so hard to make cards for, right??

I used some polka dotted Bazzill cardstock, die cutting both dies out of the same paper.  I added Christmas Red Stickles here and there and punched the star out of glitter paper.

Done.




I very happily dropped off the last batch of Christmas cards at the Post Office this morning.  YAY!!  How about you--are all your cards mailed?


~Cynthia

And a Cardinal in a Pear Tree-eee-eeeeee

So I took a few liberties with the "12 Days of Christmas" lyrics.

I put a cardinal in a Christmas tree.

I think it came out kinda pretty.  ;-)

You can't really see it in the picture, but I've got Rock Candy Stickles on the tree for a bit of sparkle.  The two tree die cuts are by Dee's Distinctively.  The bird is from Impression Obsession stamped with some Festive Berries Distress Ink.  And the star is a Martha Stewart punch.  The bird's eye is a simple dot with a sparkly black gel pen.

I like the simplicity of it and the tone-on-tone with pops of color.

And with that, I'm outta here!  Have a crafty one, people!

~Cynthia

A Pile of Leaves

Here's the companion shot to yesterday's page and photo.

For this one, I grabbed a piece of Chic Tags paper--complete with coffee mug rings!  I die cut the leaves from snippets of autumn colored papers.  A cute tag from Chic Tags found its way into the pile of leaves.  Then I made two feathers from washi tape, added a button and some twine and called it complete!  I stamped the date and just added the place name.  I don't think it needs any journaling, do you?  =D

Thanks for dropping in today.  Have a lovely one!

~Cynthia

A little autumn color for you

I'm totally getting this one posted under the wire tonight!  I don't know where my day goes anymore!  ;-)  I get out of bed with such good intentions--and a long To Do List too.  HA!

Here's my make for the day.  I took the photo back in November when the trees were in full color on my local hiking trail.

I used a bit of We R Memory Keepers paper, a piece of Simple Stories paper and a tag from Chick Tags.  The super cute feathers are from Studio Calico.  Then I added a few enamel dots and some splats of Dylusions spray ink, plus a BasicGrey brad.

And that's it for me tonight...or probably morning by the time I hit Publish!  ;-)

~Cynthia

Snowy Tree

Happy Monday to ya!  I can still say that even though I'm coming in under the wire tonight!  ;-)

Here's one of my Christmas cards.  I got the inspiration for it from Loll--she makes the prettiest cards!

It was kind of like working on one of Tim Holtz's tags...I didn't have any of the supplies Loll used so I had to improvise.  Just like Tim's Tags!  LOL!

Here's my MacGyver-ed card:

 

I used a Memory Box die cut for the trees (brown Bazzill cardstock.)  Then I dusted on some snow (Picket Fence Distress Paint) and a bit of sparkle (Gelly Roll glitter pen) and I stamped then fussy cut the bird (Impression Obsession--I think.)  I'm pretty sure that's a KaiserCraft sentiment stamp along with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

I made several of these, assembly line style.  Each time I adhered the bird (using PopDots) to a different branch and moved the sentiment up and down a bit.

The weather here has been dreary for days, so I haven't been able to take photos of my December Daily album yet.  But I *have* managed to keep current with it!  Maybe the sun will come out this week for a bit!

Thanks for visiting today!


~Cynthia

Fuzzy Little Seed

The other day I saw this bit of fluff on the floor.  At first I thought it was a down feather from my comforter.  When I picked it up I saw it was one of those floating, fuzzy seed things.

Naturally I photographed it.

Because I always pick junk up off the floor and take pictures of it.

Like, don't you??

So I did a super close up shot of it and got this.

 

If you look closely, those tiny tentacles have fuzzy BARBS on them!  Who knew!!

I got the idea and layout from Lexi Bridges over on her Two Peas in a Bucket gallery.

The little Chic Tags stamp up there from on the right corner says, "Nerd Alert."

Heh.

Supplies used in random order cuz I really can't remember what I used anymore:

Bazzill (black and cream cardstock); Chic Tags (stamp and journaling tag); vellum; Tim Holtz (tissue tape); Mister Huey's (sparkly mist stuff)

Thanks for dropping by today!

~Cynthia

Tim's Tag for December

It's December 1st and you know what that means!  Tim's Tag Time!!

Woo hoo!!

And of course I had absolutely none of the products Tim Holtz used for his gorgeous tag.

And I do mean none.

So I went all MacGyver, as usual.

Check it out....

I tried really hard to capture the cool layers and the depth of the colors, but the Shrink Plastic I used is too shiny.

That's right.

I used Ranger's Shrink Plastic and didn't shrink it.

Heh.

I stamped and fussy cut the poinsettia and I die cut the leaves.  I used alcohol ink pens to color them.  To make the veins in the leaves, I drug the tip of a kinda dry alcohol pen down each leaf, removing the color.

I used 3D Glue Dots to adhere the flower and flat glue dots to adhere the leaves.

I stamped the sentiment in Versamark and used black embossing powder.




Thanks so much for dropping by today--especially if you're visiting from Tim's blog!  And happy first day of Advent!!  =D


~Cynthia

Flood Stage

So.

This is Round Two of Mr. Flickr versus Mr. Blogger.

And Mr. Flickr keeps winning.

I had to resort to Super Secret Stealth Mode to post this photo.

Shhhh.  Don't tell Mr. Flickr and he will NEVER KNOW.

I took this photo several weeks ago, when we had a ton of rain in a very short time.  The trails I normally hike were covered in water.  The top left photo shows flowers--normally two feet or so high--covered in flood water.  The bottom shot is of a bridge.  Normally the bottom of the bridge is 10-12 feet above the water, but the river had risen so high it shoved debris into the steel supports under the bridge.

That's alotta water!!


I'm once again crossing my fingers that I've found a posting method that actually works.  ;-)




And to all my American friends....

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

~Cynthia

Thanksgiving Card

OK, I'm very hopeful.  My trial run has been successful.  The photo editing bit is going to take a bunch of practice, but still...I'm hopeful!

Here's one of the Thanksgiving cards I made.

Unfortunately I mailed the others before I took photos.

Duh.

 

Pretend you don't see those spots.  My windows need cleaned.  Heh heh.

Anyway.  I shamelessly copied the idea from one of my favorite card makers, Bonnie, at Stamping With Klass.  I used a bunch of Distress Inks to stamp the leaves and distress the paper edges.  And then I called it a day!  It was actually kind of meditative to stamp all those leaves.  ;-)

And I'm crossing my fingers again that this works!

~Cynthia

Testing 1-2-3-4-5-6.........

OK.  Well.  The grand Picasa  experiment didn't work so well.  So I've had to go the old school route and just upload the photos with no online album.

Boo.

So.  Maybe this will work better.  This is the view from my computer desk.  =D

Fingers crossed here....


~Cynthia

Testing 1-2-3

I hope this works.  I have officially given up on Flickr, since they are no longer speaking to Mr. Blogger (as Jules calls him!)  Sooooo, this is a bit of a test for Picasa.

Happy Monday and I hope to be back to regular blogging soon!!  =D


~Cynthia

PS:  This is a shot of Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan!  Such a beautiful place!!

CASEing Celine

CASEing Celine, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I saw these hot pink flowers sticking up in some waist-high fading grasses a few weeks ago along a path I hike often. I knew I wanted a funky page to go along with the photo so I took a 'lesson' from Celine Navarro. She has an amazing style!

I printed the photo out in a small size and kept the embellishments to a minimum.

And slathered paint all over the place.

Yep.


Thanks for stopping by!


~Cynthia

Simple Heart

Simple Heart, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I'm back to scrapbooking today! =D

I found this sweet little heart-shaped leaf the other day and just HAD to photograph it. I also wanted to keep the page super simple, just like the leaf.

I rescued several pieces of paper from the snippet basket. I had used one for another project, punching stars out of a corner.

I added a page from an old book and a tiny Polaroid-type frame. For a bit of grounding, I slipped another snippet under the layers.

And that was it. No ink splats, no washi, no stamping.

Just one simple heart. :-)


~Cynthia

Plan C: I Win

Plan C: I Win, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

So.

After almost a WEEK of journal wrangling, I have mastered this dollar bin purchase.

I brushed off Plan A's failure and I sanded off Plan B's failure.

I was left with a very textured and scuffed up journal cover.

So I took a cue from Larimore2, who so kindly left a few suggestions for me on Tuesday's blog post.

I pulled out the dreaded Red Line Tape From You Know Where and liberally taped up the cover. Then I cut a piece of BoBunny Christmas paper that I have been hoarding for years. I carefully smoothed it on the cover.

It looked very nice. So I covered the back cover too with the other side of the BoBunny paper.

I added some silver glitter letters to spell 'Advent' and a piece of washi, then placed three silver nail heads on the washi. I also distressed the edges just a little with an emery board.

So.

This was NOT what I had in mind when I started.

But...it's starting to grow on me. ;-)


Happy weekend!!


~Cynthia

Plan B goes awry

Plan B goes awry, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

So.

My battle with the journal cover continues.

(You should totally say that out loud with a Darth Vader accent.)

Plan A was to cover the journal with gesso and then with Rock Candy Distress Crackle.

Chaos ensued.

I brushed the mutant junk from the cover, which took all of 30 seconds.

*sigh*

Plan B was to cover the journal with Distress Paint.

Unfortunately, I did not pay any attention to WHICH Picket Fence product I grabbed and proceeded to use Distress STAIN instead.

You see that picture up there???

THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU USE DISTRESS STAIN.

After the first coat, I touched the dried Distress Stain and was immediately covered in tiny white paint/stain flakes.

*sigh*

But I will not be defeated by the Dark Side. I will see victory.

No, really. I will. I already have Plan C in the works.......


~Cynthia

Hey, here's a tip...

Hey, here's a tip..., a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Never use Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint on gesso.

Cuz this is what happens.

Oh my gosh, I almost cried when I saw this disaster!!

See, what happened was....

For years I've been making an Advent devotional journal--separate from the December Daily album.

I had a little flash yesterday and decided to make ONE journal that I could use for several years of Advent journaling. I rooted around and found this dollar journal from Michael's in my stash.

I coated it front and back with gesso to cover the image on front, which had nothing to do with Advent.

Then I thought...would it not be so cool to put CracklePaint on there and then smoosh silver Distress Paint or Stain into the crackles?

Yes, yes it would.

So I covered the front with the Crackle Paint and let it dry overnight.

And this is what happened.

So.
So.
Sad.

Now I have to figure out Plan B.

Ideas, anyone??? Maybe try it over paint instead of gesso? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?


~Cynthia

Tim's November Tag

Tim's November Tag, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Sir Tim has done it again.

Gone and made a tag with supplies that I don't have.

You know, like always! ;-)

But, as always, I've gone all MacGyver on it and I think I have captured the spirit of his tag! HAHA!!

The instructions for Tim's tag are here, so you can compare outcomes.

I used a piece of chalkboard paper--so cool! Then I stamped the corn image using Versamark. (I stamped it once and cut it out and stamped it again on the tag piece.)

Then I cleaned the stamp.

This step is very important.

The amount of time it takes to clean the Versamark off the stamp is exactly the amount of time needed to allow the Versamark to dry.

No more. No less.

Believe me when I say this. It took many MANY tries to get the chalky look correct.

Then, gently rub a piece of chalk over the image. I used regular chalkboard chalk. Once the image is completely covered, dry it with a heat gun.

Then I gently brushed the tag with a two-inch wide paint brush to get the excess chalk off.

I *did* follow Tim's instructions on making the label. YAY ME.

I brushed Pumice Stone Distress Ink on a white piece of cardstock, then flicked water on it and dried it with a heat gun.

I stamped the sentiment (it says "Thankful"--much more clear in real life) in Archival Ink. It's also very important to use Archival Ink and not Distress Ink for a crisp image.

Yeah, ask me how I know *that* one.

Then to the tag...I used PopDots to adhere the fussy cut corn image and also the label over the top.

Finally I mooshed some Pumice Stone Distress Ink on a craft sheet and smooshed some ribbon in it, dried it and attached it.

Because I made my own tag, I used one of Tim's hole reinforcers to made it look like a purchased tag.

And...the end!


I really love the look! It's different from using embossing powder--a more chalky, hand-drawn look. And fun too!

Thanks for dropping by!


~Cynthia

30 Days of Gratitude

30 Days of Gratitude, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

As if I needed yet another project (LOL!!!), I'm joining up with Cathy Zielske and friends for 30 Days of Thankful.

Me being me, I named mine 30 Days of Gratitude.

Cuz I'm a rebel like that. ;-)

The idea is to take a photo each day for the 30 days in November of something for which you are thankful...or in my case--grateful. Heh heh.

I'm doing just a bit of a twist on the project though. I'll be using a different verse from the Biblical book of Psalms that specifically mentions the words thanks, thankful, or gratitude. Oddly, I only found 29 verses, so I cheated just a bit and added a verse from the book of Colossians for a total of 30 verses.

The photo shows the album in progress. I've cut 8x8 pages from solid cardstock or from patterned paper from We R Memory Keepers' Harvest collection. I also grabbed the set of cards from the same collection made for Project Life--3x4 and 4x6 with some cute die cut cards too. It's all going in an SEI 8x8 album.

If you fancy playing along, head over to Cathy's blog for all the details!


And a Happy Halloween to you! I hope it's all treats and no tricks! =D


~Cynthia

A Face

A Face, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Earlier this month I was sitting on the front porch, enjoying the sun, when this little guy hopped up on the stairs. I'd seen him and a few of his buddies on the sidewalk and under the bushes, but they usually hop away quickly.

Not this little guy.

Even though I stuck my camera right in his face, he remained calm.

And he posed.

First the full face, then several side views. Then it was a Toad in Action shot.

And all from a toad the size of a nickle.

Dude's got guts.


I cut a few inches off the top of some kraft cardstock, punched the stars out of it, then layered it on a patterned piece of paper.

I threw in some washi tape and thew on some stamps, and adhered a few enamel dots.

Then I added an in-your-face title for this in-your-face tiny toad! =D


Supplies:
Paper: KaiserCraft (75 Cents collection); Bazzill (kraft cardstock); unknown (stash paper)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Black Soot)
Stamp: Maya Road
ETC: Tim Holtz (Tissue Tape); Bella Blvd (Pickle Juice washi tape); Thickers (foam letters); My Mind's Eye (enamel dots); Martha Stewart (stars punch)


Ali Edwards is starting up her December Daily album over on her blog. I linked up my cover which I posted in July. Join in the fun!


~Cynthia

Halloween Card #2

Halloween Card #2, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Here's the second Halloween card in my variations-on-a-theme design.

This time I die cut the pumpkin from black cardstock, so he looked more like a shadow. I also die cut the face pieces out of the pumpkin itself and not out of colored cardstock. That way the background shines through the face.

Spooky, eh?

I added a few die cut leaves and shaded the bottom of the card blank to give a bit of interest...or to cover up a mistake I made. I'm not saying which.

;-)


So we finally got our pumpkins carved yesterday evening. I started to cut the top off of mine and quickly realized my little pumpkin was past his prime....I could cut through it like butter. Not a good sign! Even now, his face is drooping a bit and his eyes look like he's about to fall asleep!! Ah well, he only needs to survive a few more days! Then into the compost heap he goes!! =D


Carry on creating!

~Cynthia

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween!!, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

In the middle of addressing my Halloween cards, I realized I hadn't taken a photo of a single one! Gratefully, I had two cards to go, so here's the first.

All of the cards are variations on a theme: spooky sunset, bats, leaves, black cats and grinning Jack-o-lanterns! On the ones I had already sealed in envelopes, I also added a small section of fence for the cat to sit on.

I made the backgrounds by blending Distress Inks in yellow, orange, purple and black.

I die cut the leaves, cats, bats and pumpkins--adding small touches like glittery eyes on the cats or shading on the leaves.

Then I adhered everything and stamped my sentiment.

Easy peasy! =D


Are you all ready for Halloween? I still have to get my pumpkin carved!!


~Cynthia

Tumbleweeds

Tumbleweeds, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Yes, I'm pretty sure these AREN'T tumbleweeds.

Whatever happened to tumbleweeds anyway? When I was in elementary school in Ohio, there were huge tumbleweeds that often tumbleweeded across the playground.

Ah, memories......

Ahem, so this page isn't really about tumbleweeds at all. I just thought the little seed thing-a-ma-dos looked rather like tumbleweeds in really close-up photos of them.

No? Just me?

Sorry.

Anyway, this was a fun page to make. I scribbled Picket Fence Distress Marker on a big ol' script stamp and stamped it straight down the page.

The effect is really kinda cool. It's ghostly, wispy and kind of faded.

Then I stamped a maple leaf stamp from Stampabilites in various Distress Ink colors all over a white piece of paper. Then I die cut Cuttlebug leaves from it.

I adhered the leaves roughly along the script stamp line.

The photos are on a 6x6 piece of Cosmo Cricket paper.

I added a few enamel dots, a few more leaves and called it a day!


Thanks for stopping by today! Have a wonderful weekend!!!


~Cynthia

Dewdrops

Dewdrops, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Hey, all!! Just a quick zip-on-by today. It's already 4:30 in the afternoon and my To Do List doesn't seem to have much crossed off it yet! How is that possible?? LOL!!

Super fun, yet very simple page today.

I used a stencil and some Tim Holtz Distress Ink to randomly hit the background with some color. Then I sewed a super huge swirl. So.Fun.

I added the photos I took with my cell phone of large water droplets on plants outside my house.

Then I added some fun corrugated letters.

I took the page outside to photograph it and quickly discovered the fun corrugated letters don't like sticking to sewn, heavily textured and deeply inked up paper.

:-(

Not to worry.

I sewed the dang letters right to the page!!!

Take that, you fun corrugated letters! =D


And with that, I'm off to see what's happening to my never ending To Do List!


Stay crafty!!


~Cynthia

More Wildlife

More Wildlife, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

The other day I went out to grab the newspaper and my eye caught this tiny green lizard--an anole--playing hide 'n seek among the huge leaves of an elephant ear plant. She wasn't a good model--I had to shoot fast. ;-)

I'm also pretty sure all my neighbors were wondering why I was standing around with my head stuck in a plant.

Why? For these photos, of course! =D

I printed the photos wallet sized and kept all the embellishments and papers small. And left lots of 'white' space too. ;-)


Thanks for dropping by! Have a wonderful weekend!!


~Cynthia

Salamander Visit

Salamander Visit, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Lately I've noticed a few bloggers posting suggestions for using 6x6 padded papers on scrapbook pages.

I always forget they're not just for making cards! I love the speed and ease of ripping out one sheet and immediately using it--no cutting needed.

And I have plenty of 6x6 pads to use too! Gosh, I collect those like I collect enamel dots!! =D But they're so fun, I tell myself in the store, and so CUTE. And look at all the paper you get! ;-)

And in my cart the little 6x6 cutie pie goes!

*sigh*

Anyway, here are two photos of a very common salamander that I've actually never seen before. I was super excited to see him meandering on the sidewalk at my friend's koi pond.

Naturally, he got scrapbooked.

The salamander. Not my friend.

;-)


Supplies:
Paper: Little Yellow Bicycle (Fern & Forest); BoBunny (et cetera 6x6 pad); BasicGrey (Mulholland Drive--ticket)
ETC: Me and My Big Ideas (clear stickers); Simple Stories (24/7 collection letter stickers and word stickers); BasicGrey (Hey Boy brad collection); enamel dots probably from My Mind's Eye; Ranger/Adirondack (Espresso spray ink); Teresa Collins (washi tape--I think!)


I went to my local scrap store this afternoon and for the first time ever EVER...I bought less than one dollar's worth of product. I've gotten to the point where I feel like I have one of everything they sell there! (Is that good or bad? I don't know!) I did see some super cute Santa-red flocked Thickers letter stickers. So might have to run back for them later this week.

Now. Is *THAT* good or bad??? LOL!!! =D


~Cynthia

Drifted By

Drifted By, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Do ya ever have one of those days? I tried to blog this page three times yesterday! I got interrupted each time and when I got a quiet moment after 11 PM, I was too tired! ;-)

But today's a new day and here's my page, dang it! ;-)

I started following Kim Price on her Inkognito blog a few weeks ago--I so love her style! I totally and shamelessly copied her layout here for my page.

I sat outside for a bit the other day, getting some warm sun on my face, and you know that causes me to haul out my phone and take pictures of random stuff!! Here I took a few shots of a wispy seed as it paused a moment on its journey.

As the breeze blew gently, the wispy little seed drifted on by.


Supplies:
Paper: K & Co (Addison Blue and Green Bouquet Flat Paper; Little Yellow Bicycle (Fern & Forest); Carolees (Green Daisies); BasicGrey (Lemonade: Splash); Kaiser Craft (75 Cent, butterfly); BoBunny (et cetera 6x6 pad); We R Memory Keepers (Happy Campers: Constellations)
ETC: Tim Holtz Ideaology (brads); Thickers (Doll letter stickers); BasicGrey (Candy Buttons); stash (buttons and paperclips)


And that's it for me today! Off to get my chores done! Stay happily crafty!! =D


~Cynthia

Tuesday on the Trail

Tuesday on the Trail, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Fellow scrapper Corrie Jones posted a page and a video over on Two Peas in a Bucket that I absolutely loved.

I took her layout and ran with it. I loved the idea of clustering small photos together!

I used watercolor paints on a white sheet of cardstock, then I used a spray mist that is now super gloopy to make circles. Corrie used a coffee mug to make coffee mug rings on her page. So cool.

Then I adhered bits of papers from a 6x6 pad, some dots and brads and ChitChat stickers and other fun stuff. And I added funky font-ed letter stickers!

These photos were taken back in September along a trail I love to hike. It was a cloudy day and there were many opportunities for photos.

The top shot is a water snake, who posed so nicely!

Next down is a stand of leafless trees in the Wetlands area.

Next down on the left is an old dead tree with a Red-shouldered Hawk perched at the top.

Then the sun's reflection in the water.

Bottom photo is a claw from a crayfish--or crawdad, depending on where you're from. ;-)


Thanks for visiting today--come back again soon! =D


~Cynthia

Tim's October Tag

Tim's October Tag, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Ooooo, I'm all SPARKLY.

Oh yeah. So's Tim.

That's right, Tim Holtz went all glittery on us (and his tag) this month.

And, as usual, I have next to none of the stuff he used and I had to improvise.

Which is totally the fun part, right??!!

So I die cut some bats, a pumpkin and a viney corner thingy, then dumped Stickles Rock Candy on everything that didn't move.

Oh yes. And I used copious amounts of Distress Inks, Paints, Markers and Alcohol Ink.


The End.


Sparkle on!


~Cynthia

The Shoals

The Shoals, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

So. I am a very bad blogger, aren't I.

Sometimes life (and vacuuming) just gets in the way. But I've been scrapping away over here!

YAY!

These pictures were taken a few weeks ago at one of my fave hiking spots. I went on the "other" side of the river for the first time because I had read somewhere that there were remains of old buildings...which I never found.

But it was a lot of fun and it's always a beautiful spot for photography! =D


Supplies:
Paper: Doodlebug Designs (Flower Box); BasicGrey (Lemonade: Splash); BoBunny (Detour Globetrotting)
ETC: My Mind's Eye (Mistletoe Magic enamel dots); Thickers (Forest letter stickers)


Man, I love those Thickers letters! You see that "L" in shoals? That's a chop-job. I ran out of that letter and had to cut up an "F." A bit of Distress Marker to cover up the cut edges and no one can tell the difference!

Sweet! ;-)


Stay crafty, my friends!


~Cynthia

Another Butterfly Photo

Another Butterfly Photo, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Well, I'm embarrassed.

Normally I write down all the supplies I use for a scrap page because by the time I get around to writing it up on the ol' blog, I've totally forgotten.

Looks like I just totally forgot to write the supply list down this time.

Oops.

It'll be a guessing game of sorts. Maybe I should run a contest....guess the papers, win a prize.

No?

OK.

This is another photo of the dearly departed butterfly which appeared on an earlier post. I got super-dee-douper close-up on this one. I love the colors!

The title is the Latin name for the butterfly--a Red-spotted Purple. Even though he has no red spots or purple coloration.

Go figure.


The Guessed at Supply List:
Paper:  Prima (Canzone: Divine); Little Yellow Bicycle (the green snippets and the brown piece from Fern & Forest); KaiserCraft (the butterfly strips from 75 Cents); Bazzill (white cardstock)
ETC: BasicGrey (all the die cut stuff, Carte Postale for the most part); The Crafter's Workshop (Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's Four Feathers stencil); Dylusions (orange spray ink); Thickers (letters)


Not bad, eh? Oh, wait. I vaguely remember shamelessly copying someone on this page. Ummm. Thank you?

And that just about covers my embarrassment. :-0


Carry on crafting!


~Cynthia

Hey There

Hey There, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I thought I would go in a totally different direction on this page and use tons of layers and embellishment goodness.

Because it's not like I have a shortage of paper over here or anything! ;-)

I used up lots of snippety-sized papers too. That's always a good thing!

Also, the reason Mr. Butterfly is so quietly posing for me....well, Mr. Butterfly had gone to the Great Flower Garden in the sky when I found him. And so he gave me no problems as I took pictures of him! ;-)


Supplies:
Paper: Bella Blvd (green chevron); Little Yellow Bicycle (Fern & Forest line); Simple Stories (24-Seven 6x6 pad); BasicGrey (Carte Postale--Mulholland Drive)
Ink: Ranger/Adirondack spray ink (Espresso); Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Gathered Twigs)
ETC: Thickers; Bella Blvd (washi tape); Prima (wood veneer butterflies); My Mind's Eye (enamel dots and word stickers); Doodlebug Designs (polka dot washi tape); The Paper Studio (acrylic domes); and maybe some other stuff I forgot.


Whew! It was a lot of fun to dive into layer heaven! Thanks so much for joining my on the journey! ;-)


~Cynthia

Sweet Photo Opp!

Sweet Photo Opp!, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

This tiny photo goes along with the previous page I posted--visits from teeny tiny bugs! ;-)

I have no idea what kind of insect this is, but they are very friendly and very inquisitive. They like to sit on my skin for a long time, just hanging out. Then, for no reason I can discern, they fly off.

I layered lots of stuff under this photo. I think I've got a bit of Bazzill cardstock and some KaiserCraft in there. The rest is just snippets.

The feather is a Julie Fei-Fan Balzer stencil. Man, I love that stencil!! =D

Then the little speech bubble and "together" sign are from BasicGrey. The word sticker (Photo Opp) is from Me and My Big Ideas. They have packets of clear stickers specifically for adhering to photos, so it looks like you printed it out that way. They come in black lettering and white.

Very cool.

I made a few splots with Adirondack spray ink (Espresso) and threw on a few lovely lime green enamel dots.

I love enamel dots almost as much as I love that feather stencil.

OK, maybe more than I love that feather stencil.

Heh. ;-)


I've managed to get quite a few scrap pages done the past few days. I'll try to be a better blogger and actually get them ON the blog!! =D

Have a wonderful, scrappy week!!


~Cynthia

Remember the Moments

Remember the Moments, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I loved making this page.

I do not love that I have completely forgotten from whence I stole the idea for this layout.

Arrrrgh.

Said the pirate.


Super simple to make. I found a round metal saw blade thing in the workshop and used it as a template to make the circles of ink. I just unscrewed the tops of 2-3 spray inks and used the tube to make circles.

Very therapeutic.

Then I adhered my two photos and some die cuts, added a feather and a bit of journaling, and called it done.


I saw a scrap page Marcy Penner had done where she wrote not only the date, but also the day name (Monday, Tuesday, etc.) and the exact time she took the photo. Not only had she recorded a memory, she had recorded a MOMENT in time.

I loved that.

So I'm trying to record more moments of my summer as it slips into autumn.

With that idea in mind, I took these two photos with my cell phone. The one on the right is a little spittlebug who landed on my Bible while I was sitting outside reading. The photo at the bottom is a butterfly who landed on my bookmark and stayed quite a while.

Simple, small, quiet moments of summer.


I used lots of different stuff for this page...Bazzill cardstock, BasicGrey die cuts, MAMBI stickers (that's the big one in the middle), Dylusions spray inks, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer stencil and various enamel dots.

And someday when I stumble upon the original page again, I will credit the person.


Thanks for the visit today!

~Cynthia

WITL--Day 7 (Saturday)

WITL--Day 7 (Saturday), a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

And here I am at the end of my Week in the Life. Ali Edwards runs hers Monday-Sunday, but I did Sunday to Saturday.

So Saturday found me outside quite a bit. A lovely cold front came through and we got our first taste of autumn.

Left side...

Having fun taking photos with my cell phone (Leaves on the porch)

Right side...
Having fun taking photos with my cell phone (Leaves on the porch and shadows of my feet on the brick steps)

Yes, my Saturday was full of no work and all relaxation. Well, I did rake up some leaves and order the pizzas. I think that should count as work on a Saturday, right?? ;-)


Even though I grabbed this album at the last minute, it worked perfectly. I even had one page left for a bit of a round-up of the week's events.

And the album is fat.

I love fat albums.

It says I went places and did stuff and lived my life. And took lots of pictures along the way.

Thanks so much for joining me on the journey.


~Cynthia

WITL--Day 6 (Friday)

  

OK, so Flickr wins another round.  Now it won't even let me upload photos *to* Flickr.  I am, once again, blogging without a net!  ;-)

BUT...my photo is here and therefore I have defeated the evil Flickr Empire once again!

(Insert evil laugh here.)

So Friday found me...

Left side...
Eating Nature Valley granola bars (The Pretzel ones are just so-so.)
Wearing flip-flops while filling up the bird feeders and bird baths
Taking pictures of our second resident bat (He's that little brown blob there in the lower right.  He's jacked up between the house and a downspout!  Way cuter in real life!!!)

Right side...
Taking a lovely morning hike
(When I made this album a few years ago, I conveniently added a waterfall-type photo holder.  Good thing, because I had lots of photos from my hike and I put lots of them in the album!)
Me and my boots on the gravel road (I hike that section to look for wild turkeys.)
An oddly over-exposed shot of a thistle flower (Very sunny morning!)

Yeah, that's right--two feet shots!  That's for Sally!!  =D

Friday has one other page for morning stuff and then three pages for evening stuff.  This part of the day was the prettiest!  ;-)


Only one more day left for me!  I started my week on Sunday and I'll finish Saturday.  Thanks so much for stopping by--especially if you're here via Ali Edwards' site!


~Cynthia

WITL--Day 5 (Thursday)

Sorry for the horrible photo, but it looks like Flickr isn't working at all this morning!  I'm blogging this without a net, so to speak.  Or editing software.  Whatever.

But...welcome to Day 5 of Week in the Life.  I'm playing along with Ali Edwards and a bunch of her friends!  ;-)

Thursday found me...

Eating Chinese food (that's the menu sticking up on the left)
Weathering a Severe Thunderstorm Warning (we only got sprinkles)
Photographing the lawn boy through the curtains  ;-)
Wondering why my neighbors are having a party and I wasn't invited (Ha.  Not really!)
Loving the fluffy white clouds drifting lazily by
Rereading the book "Just Like Jesus"
Wondering why I continue to photograph my feet (I've done a foot/shoe pic everyday this week!)

On the right side (which isn't completed yet because my photos are still drying) I'm putting a little photo homage to "Burn Notice"--a TV show that ended Thursday night.  I've watched and loved that show for 7 long years.  And I'm not ashamed to admit I cried at the end.  Cried.  Over a TV show.  But if you're a fan of Michael Westen, you totally get that.  :-)


OK, enough crying over spilled TV shows.  LOL!!   Thanks for dropping by today!

~Cynthia

WITL--Day 4 (Wednesday)

WITL--Day 4 (Wednesday), a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

So Wednesday (Day 4 for me in Week in the Life) involved more errands.

And more chocolate.

Cuz that's important.

This is page 2 and 3 of a four page spread for Wednesday.

Left side:
Grocery list
Photo of strip mall
Photo of grocery bag

Right side:
Photo of local scrap store
"Receipt" telling me how much I have left of my store credit
Wrapper from Dove chocolate (It says "Relaxation by Chocolate." Yes, please.)

The first page has a photo of a flag at half-mast at Chik-fil-a.
And the last page has a photo of my crossed running-shoe shod feet. Because, for some odd reason, I feel the inexplicable need to photograph my feet in all the different shoes I wear in all the different places I go.

And thus ends Wednesday.


Now. Go forth and document your day. It's not too late to join us over at Ali Edwards' blog!!


~Cynthia

WITL--Day 3 (Tuesday)

WITL--Day 3 (Tuesday), a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Oh, Flickr, Flickr, Flickr.

Must you be so mean to me?

I tried 5 times this morning to edit this photo and get it on my blog.

Sigh.

But I have triumphed in the end, you crazy Flickr!

;-)

This is Day 3 for me--Tuesday. Here is the last page from the day's photos.


My boots. I spent a little time hiking out in the hot sun.

Papa John's. Oh, how I love cold pizza!!

Ice cream. Yes, Breyer's Thin Mint *does* taste pretty darn good. (Note to self: Use bigger bowl next time.)

Cryptoquote. Must keep my brain young!

Outside. Man, I love autumn!


And that's it for Tuesday! Don't forget you can check out all the inspiration on Ali Edwards' blog here. Thanks so much for dropping in! =D


~Cynthia

WITL--Day 2 (Monday)

WITL--Day 2 (Monday), a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Here we are with Monday's Week In the Life. It's day 2 for me--I started my week on Sunday.

If you've dropped in via Ali's blog...welcome!! =D

So Monday found me mostly running errands and doing housework. On the left page is my alarm clock and part of my morning routine--checking the weather, including what tropical storms are lurking. Then a fun trip to Walmart for groceries.

Heh.

The right side shows my poor finger--I do believe I broke it. It's also a pain in the bum to type, I tell you!! ;-)

The (oddly appropriate) heart-shaped leaf is covering my mom's face cuz we all like our privacy! =D Then yet another shot of my feet in the sun. I did that for Sunday's page too. I think I'll make it a daily thing! LOL!!

And the next two pages (not shown) are about laundry and making a card and mailing it off and reading and dinner and watching "Fast and Loud"--I love that show! ;-)

OK, that's it for Monday for me! Thanks so much for dropping by! You can also catch up on my album and Sunday's pages by clicking over on the Blog Archive on the right.


~Cynthia

PS:  Oops!  Forgot to mention that the cute day cards (lower left corner) are from Creativity Prompt.  Avital has tons of free downloads--lots of cute stuff!

WITL-- Day 1 (Sunday)

WITL-- Day 1, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Week in the Life started Sunday for me. (Ali Edwards started Monday.)

I decided to print my photos small--2x3 inches. I know I'll have some cell phone photos too and I wanted them all roughly the same size. And my album is only 5x7.

So Day 1 finds us going to church in the morning--that's the bulletin on the right with two shots of the church.

On the left is a shot of my alarm clock and a wrapper from a piece of Dove dark chocolate. Dove chocolates have little messages in them--this one says, "You make everything lovely." Awwwww, so sweet!! :-)

The next page has photos of: sitting in the sun, watching Hitchcock movies and a visiting snail...along with more journaling.

I think Ali will have a link-up thingamajig on Tuesday in case you want to play along or check out other crafters' albums. It's always fun to see what others are doing!


~Cynthia

Week in the Life

Week in the Life, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

OK, you're probably wondering why I have a picture of a skeleton on here.

See...what happened was...

Several years ago, my not-so-local scrap store went out of business and sold everything. And I mean EvErYtHiNg! Including these really awesome paper portfolio things made by the French Paper Company. They use them to showcase their papers to customers.

Every. single. one. is a work of art.

This portfolio contains the line called French Muscletone, which is apparently "so sturdy you could use it to build a house." (They have a wonderful sense of humor! Check out their blog for some awesome eye candy too!!)

I bought many of them. Then ripped the paper out and turned them into journals. This one has two machine-sewn signatures of scrapbook papers that are hand-sewn into the portfolio.

The papers are from Momenta--an old paper pad full of muted and distressed greens, blues and browns.

So all that to say...this is my journal for the Week in the Life project which (for me) starts Sunday. Ali Edwards is starting hers on Monday.


And that's the end to my shameless plug!! ;-)

Have a great weekend!!


~Cynthia

Grape Arbor

Grape Arbor, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I vaguely stole the idea for this page from Trina over on the Citrus Twists Kits blog. I don't subscribe to their kits, but the design team members are always fantastic sources of inspiration!

I used the daisy stencil from The Crafter's Workshop and Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's feather stencil, also from The Crafter's Workshop.

I made a big batch of the feathers using Tim Holtz's Distress Ink in Black Soot, then cut the feathers out to use on projects. It was a bit time consuming, but I was watching an Alfred Hitchcock mini-marathon, so I quite enjoyed my time! ;-)

I slapped on a bunch of snippet layers from Graphic 45, My Mind's Eye and Memory Box.

I added some splots and enamel dots, a bit of sewing and called it a day!

This photo is from the grape arbor in the garden at my local hiking spot. My journaling is about the shadows the vines make on the arbor pieces. So cool!


In other news, if you're interested in playing along with Ali Edwards' "Week in the Life"---it's next week! Check out her blog here for more info. She starts on Monday, but I always start my week on Sunday. Play along if you can! =D


Stay crafty, my friends!!


~Cynthia

Birthday Time!

Birthday Time!, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Finally. Birthdays and with that...birthday cards to make!! YAY!!

And with cards to make comes shameless copying! ;-)

This time it's Bonnie over on Stamping with Klass. She's so sweet! And incredibly talented!! Check out this card and you'll see why I HAD to CASE it!

Basically, I just used Bonnie's layout. I added the twine, just in a horizontal way. And deleted a layer.

Cuz this card needs to go out today and I'm running a little behind.

Heh.

I used some Echo Park "This & That" 6x6 paper and a Stampin Up stamp. Throw in a McGill sun punch and some Tim Holtz Black Soot ink and you're done!!


Later gators! Gotta hit the mailbox! ;-)


~Cynthia

Tim's Tag for September

Tim's Tag for September, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I'd like to subtitle this month's Tim Holtz tag as "I Threw Everything at This Tag but the Kitchen Sink."

No, really.

I did.

I used Distress Stains, Distress Inks, Distress Markers. I used Ideology brads and Chit Chat Stickers. I used stencils from Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, Dyan Reaveley and Jaimie from The Crafter's Workshop. I used a tag, some stencil paste, a bird stamp, a hunk of cording and a bit of seam binding.

And I threw in a bird feather for good measure.

Ta da!  =D





The tag is meant to invoke the bittersweet passing of summer and the arrival of autumn...and also the swift passing of time.  Here we are again in September.  We've come around again.



Thanks so much for dropping in!!


~Cynthia

So Tiny

So Tiny, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I just love the brave little skinks that live in my yard! The tiny ones have no fear!! This guy hung around while I took a few pictures.

I used the bold colors from Simple Stories' 24/Seven line. I added a few photo frames and some ink splots. I added the date in the tiny box in the top left corner after I took the picture of the page. I forgot what day I took the skink photos! ;-)


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (kraft cardstock); Simple Stories (24/Seven 6x6 pad)
Ink: Ranger/Adirondack (Espresso)
ETC: BasicGrey (Photo Frames pack); Simple Stories (24/Seven brads and stickers); My Mind's Eye (Mistletoe Magic enamel dots); Thickers (Forest letters)


And a warm welcome to the WEEKEND!!! Yay!!! I hope you have a good one!!


~Cynthia

Amazing

Amazing, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I took this funny looking photo while sitting in a porch swing at my friend's pond. This little damselfly (I guess) flew in, landed and then proceeded to hang out not but 6 inches from me for about 20 minutes.

So cool.

He didn't seem to care that I was so close to him, so I *had* to take a photo! ;-)

I got the idea for the layout from Mel Blackburn over on her blog, Random Ramblings.

I used up lots of snippets on this one too. I kinda-sorta cleaned off my workspace by adhering to this page any bit of paper I could make work! HA!! =D


I don't know about you, but sometimes something I did on a layout will bother me for the rest of my life. When I'm like 93, I will probably be complaining about that scrapbook page I made in 2001 and WHAT WAS I THINKING.

On this page...it's that cute chipboard sticker that looks like a Polaroid and says "Take a picture, it will last longer."

The angle is wrong. I would rip it up except it's the only one I have and the middle is stuck securely with pop dots.

*sigh*

Some things you just gotta take a deep breath and let go.........


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (white cardstock); Echo Park (Everyday Eclectic); Studio Calico (Verde); Little Yellow Bicycle (Fern & Forest)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Pumice Stone); Dylusions (Black Marble)
ETC: Maya Road (Perfect Shot Arrows stamp set); Martha Stewart (butterfly punch); Autumn Leaves (buttons); Walmart (stars); BasicGrey (Waterfall Theme Pack, Carte Postale--chipboard sticker); Tim Holtz Ideology (Reinforcers); Echo Park (Everyday Eclectic--stickers); Tonic (Ticket/Tag punch); EK Success (3D Pop Dots)


Well, it's after dinner here and as I looked at my To Do List, I realized I've somehow managed to accomplish nothing today. Except, of course, for a scrap page or two. I totally think that counts! Do you think my family will agree???!! LOL!! =D


~Cynthia