Finding Joy in Mistakes

Finding Joy in Mistakes
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

This card started out in a whole other direction! I was about to throw it out and start over, when I thought maybe...maybe...I could save it.

I grabbed a swirl stamp and attempted to cover up the mistake I made.

I kept stamping. I switched the stamp around, but always kept it pointing downwards, like swirling, falling snow.

I wanted a different sentiment, but I ran out of room. So I rooted through my little stamps and found JOY. It's just a little dollar stamp, and I got what I paid for...but it fits in with the distressed look of the swirls. I added dots of Rock Candy Distress Stickles on the dots of the swirls and the ones on each side of JOY.

The card is different, that's for sure. But I'm glad I was able to save it from the trash can! =D


Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (white cardblank)
Stamps: Autumn Leaves (Rhonna Farrer Swirls V:I); Michael's Dollar Bin (JOY stamp)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Fired Brick)
ETC: Rock Candy Distress Stickles


The sun is shining directly into my craft room right now. Ahhh the warmth of the sun and the time to create....what could be better??!! Oh and the fact that I just got in my very first Distress Embossing Powders from Sir Tim. Yeah. Woot!

~Cynthia

CASE'ing Paper

CASE'ing Paper
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

i had a piece of BoBunny Christmas paper laying on my desk, and I thought....that would be SO COOL as a card!

So I CASE'd the designer paper.

And as with everything I attempt to duplicate, this turned out nothing like the original, so I don't think I'll have any copyright infringement problems. Ha ha ha.

This is kind of an involved card, but not hard at all.

I die cut the ornaments, ran them through an embossing folder, then highlighted the swirls with gold ink. Part of the die cut is the ornament top--the hook holder part--and I colored those with a gold paint pen.

I grabbed a piece of cream cardstock and stamped the pine bough stamp twice, once upright and then again at an angle. I stamped the pine cone image, then stamped a different pine cone and cut it out, attaching it using 3D Dots to pop it up.

I added berries using Stickles. Then I distressed the edges with Antique Linen and Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I also brushed Forest Moss Distress Ink in the lower left corner, to create a look of fullness.

Finally, I stamped the sentiment near the top. I think I should have placed that nearer the bottom, but I kind of like the clean and simple look with all the white (cream?) space.


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (red and cream cardstock); The Paper Studio (ivory cardblank)
Stamps: Heartfelt Creations (Holly Berry set); Inkadinkado (pine cone #90810); Inkadinkado (Jesus #93160)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Antique Linen, Walnut Stain, Forest Moss); ColorBox (gold pigment ink)
ETC: Distress Stickles (Xmas Red); Cuttlebug (Divine Swirls Embossing Folder); QuicKutz (ornament die cut); Zig (gold paint pen)
Inspiration: BoBunny designer paper (Noel Holly)


Thanks for dropping by today! I hope you find time to be creative! :-)

~Cynthia

If a Tree Falls in an Embossing Folder...

If a Tree Falls in an Embossing Folder...
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

So after yesterday's fiasco, I decided to try again, this time with a different technique.

First I punched out the Christmas trees from a piece of dark forest green paper.

Then I adhered it to a piece of crisp white cardstock.

Finally, I ran that sandwich through the Cuttlebug, embossing both sheets of cardstock and allowing the white paper to be pushed up onto the green paper's level.

It looks as if the white paper has somehow erupted into the green. It's interesting. Different. I think maybe the edges need border punched or something. It looks a little plain at the moment.


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (white and green cardstock)
Ink: **Can you believe I did NOT use ANY Distress Inks ANYWHERE??**
ETC: Punch Bunch (evergreen tree punch); Glue Glider Pro


I've been working on some cool Tim Holtz-inspired jewelry. I love using Alcohol Inks on his Fragments. I'll try to get some pictures posted on those later...so you don't get bored with all the Christmas-in-November cards!! ;-)

~Cynthia

Burnt Trees Gone Amok

Burnt Trees Gone Amok
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

Well, first I guess I have to apologize for the bad photo. Would you believe the sun was actually shining directly on this card when I took the photo?? I don't know what happened.

Anywho. The amok part. That cream, embossed back ground started out as another card. I ran the cardstock through my Cuttlebug, then swept a Walnut Stain inkpad across the snowflakes and across the ripped edge. That technique was SUPPOSED to make this cool, aged, burnt wood kind of look.

Fail.

It looked odd. The torn edge was supposed to be layered over two other torn layers, both different colors with the same ink on the torn edges for a burnt wood kind of look.

More fail.

*sigh*

Nothing came together, so I ended up chunking the other two layers and putting the snowflake layer aside.

You know, where it would mock me for a few weeks.

Eventually, when I could stand it no longer, I punched out three trees, flipped the paper over, then adhered that layer onto a piece of green cardstock.

It's OK.

At least it no longer mocks me.


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (cream and green cardstock)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Walnut Stain)
ETC: Punch Bunch (Evergreen tree); Cuttlebug (snowflake embossing folder); Glue Glider Pro


Happy Monday, everyone! ;-)


~Cynthia

Who's gonna rake up all these leaves???

Who's gonna rake up all these leaves???
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

OK, this has become my new favorite card! :-)

I stamped the leaves on colored cardstock using Walnut Stain or a Walnut Stain-Frayed Burlap Distress Ink combo. I fussy cut them out.

Then I distressed them with Antique Linen (all over) and Walnut Stain (edges and vein lines.)

I used a piece of black and white script paper, which I also distressed the heck out of!! I used Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap and a final layer of Walnut Stain, mostly on the edges. The more I rubbed the ink around, the more the script was rubbed off. The ink took a bright white look to an antique, aged look. Awesome! ;-)

I stamped the sentiment with Walnut Stain. Then I positioned the leaves so the top two would look like they were falling and the bottom one would frame the sentiment a bit. The bottom leaf is popped up for dimension.


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (yellow and red cardstock); My Mind's Eye (Meadow Lark: Meadowlark "Dawn" Cards Paper); The Paper Studio (kraft cardblank)
Stamps: Stampabilities (Happy Thanksgiving 02); Hero Arts (Real Leaves)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Antique Linen, Walnut Stain, Frayed Burlap)
ETC: Glue Glider Pro; EK Success (3D Dots)


Have a great weekend!! It's supposed to be very cold here, so wherever YOU are....stay warm!! ;-)

~Cynthia

Wheat on Black

Wheat on Black
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

This is the final card in the wheat series. It is the first one I made using my new wheat stencil and embossing paste. I really like the contrast between the wheat and the black cardstock.


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (black and cream cardstock); The Paper Studio (ivory cardblank)
Stamps: Stampabilites (Happy Thanksgiving 02)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Walnut Stain); Inkadinkado (Blending Chalks)
ETC: Dreamweaver (wheat stencil and embossing paste); Glue Glider Pro


Thanks for stopping by today!

~Cynthia

More Corny Thanks

More Corny Thanks
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

Here's another of my wheat cards. This time I used less chalk, for a more muted effect.

As before, I stamped directly onto the ivory cardblank, using Walnut Ink Distress Ink.

I stamped the sentiment on off-white cardstock, also with Walnut Ink, running the edges across the ink pad. Inside, I did the same thing with a Happy Thanksgiving stamp.


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (off-white cardstock); The Paper Studio (ivory cardblank)
Stamps: Stampabilities (We Give Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving); Inkadinkado (wheat stamp)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Walnut Stain); Inkadinkado (Blending Chalks)
ETC: Glue Glider Pro


Another rainy, dreary day is on tap for us, so I might as well head to the craft room and work on more Christmas cards. Darn that. =D

~Cynthia