Bunch o' Tulips

Bunch o' Tulips
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

Another simple Easter card. I really like how this one turned out. I think it has a serene air about it. :-)

I stamped the tulip image on white cardstock, using Pumice Stone Distress Ink. I also stamped the sentiment in the same ink color.

I then used watercolor pencils to tint the flowers, adding a bit more color to the bow for some punch.


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (white cardstock); Recollections (white cardblank)
Stamps: JustRite (Breath of Spring Borders & Centers set); GinaK (Basket Blessings sentiment)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Pumice Stone)
ETC: Glue Glider Pro


The rain has started already this morning. The Flood Watch is still in effect. I got all my running around done early this morning and now I'm about to hole up in the craft room for the rest of the day!! I hope you too find time to be creative!

~Cynthia

Ladybug Easter

Ladybug Easter
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

I needed one more Easter card, by my count, and I threw this one together like likety-split!

I went looking for some patterned paper with lilies on it and found this one instead. I've been hoarding this flower paper for evah. THEN, of course, I had to hunt a green paper that matched.

To complete the artsy look, I used JustRite stamp letters for the Easter sentiment. It kind of makes it look like the whole card was handmade. I was thinking it might need a ribbon or something over the green strip, but the more it sits on my table, the more I like it that way. :-)


Supplies:
Paper: Creative Imaginations (Oops. I cut off the name of the paper.); Bazzill (green paper); The Paper Studio (kraft cardblank)
Stamps: JustRite (15 Point Times New Roman Alphabet stamps)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Peeled Paint)
ETC: Glue Glider Pro


The sun's out, so I'm going to try to do a bit of hiking today. The National Weather Service has already issued a Flood Watch for my area for tomorrow, so I want to enjoy the sun while it shines! =D I hope the sun shine wherever you are today!!


~Cynthia

Easter Crosses

Easter Crosses
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

This awesome stamp set from Heartfelt Creations just showed up at my LSS and I so jumped on it! I love love love the crosses. PERFECT for Easter, right??

I stamped the image in Pumice Stone Distress Ink then lightly brushed on more Pumice Stone and layered Mustard Seed, Spun Sugar and Milled Lavender so it would look like the sun was rising behind the hills. I added the sentiment at the bottom.

Originally I had a bit of a mis-stamp, so I sliced the back off that card, cutting it down so it would fit on another cardblank.


Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (white cardblanks)
Stamps: Heartfelt Creations (HCPC 3370 Easter Lilies PreCut Set); GinaK (Basket Blessings, sentiment)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Pumice Stone, Mustard Seed, Spun Sugar, Milled Lavender)
ETC: Glue Glider Pro


Happy Monday to ya! If you are into journals, Julie Balzer is teaching a class LIVE! tonight in the Live with Prima classroom. Totally free! (Scroll down my page here, at the bottom on the right, for a link to Julie's blog and you will find the link to Live with Prima on her latest blog.) It's at 8:00 PM EST. I caught a class there this past week and totally loved it!

~Cynthia

Easter Sunrise

Easter Sunrise
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

Finally! Enough sun to take a decent picture!! Hooray!!

This is the first in a line of Easter cards I will be making. I got this idea from...as usual lately...the Less is More blog site. I borrowed the idea from crafters such as KatheD, ShirelyAnne, Ikki, and especially Viv, among many who participated in the latest challenge. (Thanks, ladies!!)

I kind of like it. It reminds me of a display at a Pier One store. A shot of color behind some funky dried branches. =D

The only thing I DON'T like about the card is the size of the sentiment. That's the only Easter word stamp I had up until yesterday, so I won't be yelling my greetings in future cards. Yay!

Super simple to make. I pressed a clear square stamp block on a rainbow-type ink pad to get the blend of colors and stamped it directly on the cardblank. Then I stamped the branches and added the Easter sentiment, both in black ink.


Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (white cardblank)
Stamps: Inkadinkado (Delicate Branches); Hampton Arts (Easter)
Ink: Big and Juicy (Vibrant Primary); Memento (Tuxedo Black)
ETC: Clear stamp block


Looks like another dreary, rainy day here. Can't complain because we do need the rain, but I'll have to avoid taking pictures! I hope you have a great, *creative*, weekend!!! =D


~Cynthia

Welcome to my junky Junque Journal!

Welcome to my junky Junque Journal!
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

So...I was surfing around one day and found this thing called a Junque Journal. Basically, you take all your junk mail and crafting scraps and stick it all together to make this beautifully junky journal.

Well, I'm not too sure about the beautiful part, but this is what happened when I spent WAY too much time on LA Dispatch's site, Remains of the Day.

As I was going through Sunday's paper after church, I found a paper bag from Office Max. You know, the kind where you stuff everything you can fit in the bag and you get 20% off.

Whatev. It looked like a journal-in-waiting to me.

So I cut it up, sewed junk...I mean repurposed scraps and envelopes and maps onto the paperbag pages and VOILA! A super-cool, funky, junky, Junque Journal was born!!!

I had no troubles with my sewing machine either. It zipped like buttah through those paper pages! I also found a bookbinding site and used a tutorial to hand sew/bind the pages together. (I think it was called a Coptic stitch binding thing-a-ma-jig. Ahem. Shows ya how much I paid attention!)

Anyway, the journal has lots of places for journaling and hiding stuff and posting stuff and adhering stuff. I liked the experience because it was rather freeing, artistically. No rules, just stick stuff where you want it. No color combos needed. I didn't have to go by anything (or go BUY anything either!) I just raided my stash for scraps I would probably not use on any other project.

In other words...FUN.


~Cynthia ;-)

Shamrock card

Shamrock card
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

Here's another St. Patrick's Day card.

First I punched out 3 hearts and cut a thin stem. I used two different ink pads and pounced the color on, which made a cool textural effect.

I die cut the oval and stamped the sentiment, then inked the edges. (I know I looks like an ivory oval on a white background, but in real life they are both ivory. Weird.)

I adhered the stem first and the shamrock leaves over the stem.

It's a little plain, I think, but it works! ;-)


Supplies:
Paper: Springhill (Vellum Bristol ivory); Recollections (ivory cardblank)
Stamp: Hampton Arts/Studio G
Inks: VersaColor (Green Tea); Studio G (green ink #VP006)
ETC: Spellbinders Nestabilities (Petite Ovals Large); Glue Glider Pro; Zig Two-Way Glue Pen


And that's it from here. The sun is shining and I think I'll go for a hike later this afternoon! Have a great day!!!

~Cynthia

St. Patricks's Day

St. Patricks's Day
Originally uploaded by HikerCynthia

I made three of these cute St. Pat's Day cards because they were so easy to mass produce.

First I die cut the Lacey Circles, then the Standard Circles. I stamped the tattoo-like Irish stamp in the middle before layering it all on a white cardblank.

Inside I stamped the sentiment 'Happy St. Patrick's Day' in the same green ink as on the front.

Easy peasy! ;-)


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (green cardstock); Recollections (white cardstock)
Stamps: Hampton Art/Studio G (AKA Michael's Dollar Bin)
Ink: VersaColor (Green Tea)
ETC: Spellbinders Nestabilities (Lacey Circles, Standard Circles Large); Glue Glider Pro


I can't believe how busy this week has been! And when I don't have time to create in the craft room, I feel like my day has been wasted. HA HA! How goofy is THAT?? I managed to carve out some time today to finish up these cards and work on Easter cards too. Finally. A productive day!!! =D

~Cynthia