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