Butterfly Darkness

Butterfly Darkness
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

Here's a different card than the ones I've been making the past few days. It feels good sometimes to head off in a completely different direction from the one you had been on.

Still in the CASE'ing mood, I checked out a card Shelley Starkis had posted on her blog, Shelley's Stamping Ground.

I think I did a pretty good reproduction of it. Her's is just a shade less busy than mine...something I would change when I make it again. I like how it turned out, a bit masculine, but with the butterfly I could send this to a female. Or I could change the colors a bit and make it more masculine or more feminine.

I used a piece of cream cardstock that I had brushed with Walnut Stain and Antique Linen Ink, then stamped randomly all over it with the same inks using flower stamps. Then I stamped a few more flowers with Faded Jeans Ink.

I also used a fragment script stamp, inked with Walnut Stain and Antique Linen.

The die cut butterfly (of cream cardstock) was embossed, then brushed heavily with Faded Jeans Ink. I used two small glue dots, placed under the body of the butterfly, to adhere it to the card front. I then slightly bent the wings upward.

I adhered it all to a kraft cardblank.


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (cream cardstock); The Paper Studio (kraft cardblank)
Stamps: Stampin Up (Pocket Silhouettes set); Stampers Anonymous (script fragment stamp)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Walnut Stain, Antique Linen, Faded Jeans)
ETC: Cuttlebug (Butterfly die cut and embossing folder set); Fiskars (Glue Dots); Glue Glider Pro


I headed out to my one-of-two-remaining local scrapbook stores this morning. I'm so glad they're still open! I bought a ton of Bazzill cardstock because...drum roll please...we're supposed to get 1-2 inches of snow Wednesday night/Thursday. In South Carolina, that usually means the city will be shut down for a few days. And that just means....more time to create!!! YAY!!! =D

Stay warm!

~Cynthia

CAS Heart

CAS Heart
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

Super, SUPER Clean And Simple.

One little stamp.

The end.


Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (white cardblank)
Stamp: Craft Smart (heart)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Fired Brick)



~Cynthia

Some Martha Love

Some Martha Love
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

Yes, it's Martha Stewart time. I showed her a little love on this card.

I was hanging out on Simplicity, LateBlossom's (AKA Susan Raihala) blog, and saw some really gorgeous cards. I needed a few more Valentine's cards and thought...why not go the Clean And Simple route?

***ETA: This is so bad. Yes, I had been checking out LateBlossom's cards, but I really CASE'd Sherry Eckblad's card on her blog, Button Junkie. You know I always give credit where credit is due and I totally screwed this one up. I'M SO SORRY, SHERRY!***

First I ran the front of the card through the Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots folder. Then I wanted a little label and remembered the Calling Card Labels from Martha Stewart I had picked up on sale a while ago.

Alas, the cardblank is ivory and the calling cards are white. What to do? What to do?

When in doubt, DISTRESS IT! ;-) I picked up Fired Brick Distress Ink and colored the label. Does it not look like it CAME THAT WAY? I so love it! It's very pinkish, so cute!

Next I grabbed a Fiskars stamp set called Toss the Bouquet. Such cute little images! I used the love sentiment (not nearly as crooked in real life as it looks in this picture, promise!) and one of the little swirls. I stamped those in Fired Brick too.

Finally, I stamped Happy Valentine's Day inside the card with Fired Brick.

Done.

And happy with it.

=D


Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (ivory cardblank): Martha Stewart (self-stick Calling Card Labels)
Stamps: Fiskars (Toss the Bouquet); Craft Smart (V-day sentiment, on the inside)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Fired Brick)
ETC: Cuttlebug (Swiss Dots Embossing Folder)


The sun FINALLY came out this afternoon! I always feel more like crafting when the sun is shining. I hope you find time to be creative today.

~Cynthia

Floating Hearts

Floating Hearts
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

Once again, my apologies for such a bad picture. I swear I took this photo in pure sunlight! Alas, today it's raining and there will be no picture-taking. But that means PLENTY of studio time! YAY!! ;-)

I CASE'd this from Bonnie Klass (Stamping With Klass) again. I really like her style.

I used a swirly swirl for my heart 'vine' and then used punched hearts for my 'flowers.'

I used a word tag punch and stamped the sentiment on it, using the same red cardstock and the same black ink for everything.


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (red cardstock); Recollections (white cardblank)
Stamp: Rhonna Farrer (Swirls); Craft Smart (Valentine's sentiment)
Ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black)
ETC: McGill (Word Tag Punch); Marvy (heart punch); Glue Glider Pro


On a sadder note....yesterday I headed out to one of my favorite scrapbooking stores. I discovered that the owners are retiring/getting out while the getting is good/shutting down. I hate this. I did get some good deals, even a cool lucite shelf thing for all my Distress Inks. But I hate this. Locally-owned craft stores are always better than the big box craft stores. I hate this.

*end rant*

~Cynthia

Sunny Get Well

Sunny Get Well
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

I actually got a card done on time!! My friend Anna posted yesterday that she was not feeling well and I ran into my craft room and put this card together in record time! AND I EVEN MAILED IT TOO.

I am SO on top of things!!! =D

Yeah, I know...it won't last long. Heh.

I got this idea from Bonnie Klass over on her blog, Stamping With Klass. She created her own background paper using super cute nature stamps. Since I wanted a sunny card, I chose to use one stamp--a sunflower. I also used an ink that was not exactly tone-on-tone, but kinda close. I stamped the image in Rusty Hinge Distress Ink on a deep yellow cardstock.

I also stamped the sentiment in Rusty Hinge and distressed the edges of the Nestabilities oval in Rusty Hinge.

The picture doesn't show it very well, but I did add a band of sheer white ribbon beneath the oval.

It's all layered on a white cardblank.

I hope she likes it...being sick is no fun. ;-)


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (yellow and white cardstock); Recollections (white cardblank)
Stamp: Penny Black (Flowers)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Rusty Hinge)
ETC: Nestabilities (scalloped oval die cut); The Ribbon Boutique


Have a great day!

~Cynthia

One Heart

One Heart
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

This card started out as a CASE of a pretty card by Tami Mayberry, but I didn't like the way it came out, so I CAS'ed it.

Heh.

How's THAT for an abuse of acronyms??

=D

Anywho. I ran a piece of red cardstock through the old Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots folder.

I die cut the heart out of the same red paper. Then I punched a circle out of black cardstock.

A sheer white ribbon ties it all together. On the inside I stamped Happy Valentine's Day in Fired Brick Ink.

All of that is layered on a white cardblank.

I like the classic and clean look of it.


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (red and black cardstock); Recollections (white cardblank)
Stamp: Craft Smart (inside sentiment)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Fired Brick)
ETC: Marvy Uchida (circle punch); QuicKutz (heart die cut); Cuttlebug (Swiss Dots Embossing Folder); The Ribbon Boutique (ribbon); Glue Glider Pro


I need to send out a get well card today and the sun is shining....that means I get to make cards and take better pictures of them! ;-)


~Cynthia

Butterfly CASE

Butterfly CASE
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

OK, first off....my apologies for the really bad picture. We haven't had any sun today and I really wanted to get this picture just right so you could see the cool sparklies....so I had to take the picture under a desk lamp light. Boo for fake light! Sunshine is so much nicer. :-)

And then I totally ripped this card off from Simply Stamped--Maile Belles' blog. She used this really cool dogwood stamp, which I don't have. I substituted a bit and came up with this one!

It's going to my Mom, whose birthday is this Sunday. She loves purple!

I stamped the agapanthus flowers in Walnut Stain Ink for a sort of tone-on-tone look, then I stamped the sentiment in Dusty Concord Ink on a small piece of cream cardstock. I adhered the sentiment with 3D Dots. Finally I chose a purple sparkly butterfly for the focal point.


Supplies:
Paper: The Paper Studio (kraft cardblank); Bazzill (cream cardstock)
Stamp: Stampendous (Everything Happy set)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Walnut Stain, Dusty Concord)
ETC: McGill (word tag punch); K&Co (Flora and Fauna Botanical Butterflies); Glue Glider Pro; EK Success (3D Dots)


Have a creative day!

~Cynthia