Polar Bear at Night

Polar Bear at Night
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

This started out as an experimental card, but I kinda like it! ;-)

I ran a piece of purple vellum through an embossing folder, then realized the BACK side is probably the coolest side! It came out swirly and frosty, like a snowstorm at night.

Conveniently, it matched a polar bear stamp I had recently purchased. It's all swirly and frosty too! So I stamped that in Dusty Concord Distress Ink, which also conveniently matched the purple vellum. SWEET.

For a bit of color, I die cut the nativity star from yellowy-orange cardstock and then covered it with Glossy Accents, to give it a neat shine.

I'm taking a bit of artistic license here with the story of Jesus' birth--I doubt there were any polar bears around the manger--but maybe if you think more about Jesus as our Guiding Light, the card might work. Yes? ;-)

Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (yellow and white cardstock); Stamp On It (translucent vellum); Recollections (white cardblank)
Stamp: Inkadinkado (polar bear, #99434)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Dusty Concord)
ETC: Cuttlebug (D'vine Embossing Folder); Glossy Accents; EK Success (3D Dots); Glue Glider Pro; QuicKutz (nativity star)


The rain is POURING down here! I'm not complaining ONE BIT because we need it!! Of course, that just means I get an All Day in the Studio kind of day! YAY!!

~Cynthia

Holly and Ornaments

Holly and Ornaments
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

I think this card is hilarious! =D

I love how all the ornaments seem to be swinging around, like a cat got into the Christmas tree!! ;-)

The one thing I would change next time is the border across the top. I think it would've looked better if it went all the way across.

Pretty simple to put together too. I used a die cut for the ornaments. Then I stamped the sentiment below and the holly leaves on a separate piece of kraft cardstock.

I adhered the kraft piece, then the ornaments. I drew the lines then stamped the sentiment.


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (kraft cardstock); My Mind's Eye (Wild Asparagus--Merry Christmas Dots/Blue Paper); silver cardstock from stash (ornament caps)
Stamps: Heartfelt Creations (Holly Berry Filler set); Penny Black (Winter Whites and Greens set--sentiment)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Pine Needles, Fired Brick) Tulip Matte 3D Paint (Wild Berry--would not recommend using this. Next time I'll use Stickles for the berries.)
ETC: QuicKutz (ornament die cut); Glue Glider Pro; Zig Millennium (Pure Black Pen)


Looks like rain is headed our way. That just means more studio time for me!!! YAY!! Thanks for stopping by today!


~Cynthia

Oh Christmas Tree...

Oh Christmas Tree...
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

Except for the crooked, hand-drawn line of snow, this little card is not so bad.

Oh no.

My card has become Charlie Brown's Christmas tree.

Maybe if I put a string of lights on it and sing a carol, it will perk up.

No?

Hmmmm.....

So I embossed a strip of paper in a snowflake embossing folder.

Then I cut out a rectangle of green cardstock. I stamped a little tree on a small piece of kraft. I added snow using one of those seriously cool snow pen thingys.

Then I put the tilted, snow covered ground beneath the tree....or there was an earthquake...or the tree is growing on the side of a mountain....

Finally, I stamped 'let it snow' three times. Cuz it's just fun to stamp stuff three times.


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (green and kraft cardstock); The Paper Studio (kraft cardblank)
Stamps: Penny Black (Crystalline set): Picture Show (evergreen tree)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Pine Needles)
ETC: Cuttlebug (Snowflake Embossing Folder); Marvy (Snow Marker)


Have a great Saturday! I'll be in the studio later today--I've still got a few more Christmas cards to make. And I've managed to fit in a few birthday cards too!! :-)

~Cynthia

Snowflakes on Blue

Snowflakes on Blue
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

I hesitate to post this one.

I mean...it's...you know....BORING.

I'm not happy with it at all. But then again, it's not trash can worthy either.

Super simple. Stamp stars, emboss with white embossing powder. Stamp sentiment.

All the stamps are from Penny Black.

The end.


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (blue cardstock)
Stamps: Penny Black (Crystalline set)
Ink: VersaMark
ETC: JudiKins (white embossing powder)


Have a lovely day!!

~Cynthia

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