Scavenger Hunt!

Scavenger Hunt!, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Janel on Run With Scissors is running a 30 Day Journal Challenge. On June 15 the challenge was a Scavenger Hunt.

Seriously, how cool is THAT.

I played along because it was so different from alllllllll my other art journal pages and it totally looked like FUN.

I...ahem...changed a few things. I so hope that's OK. ;-)

The Hunt was on for:
something red
a dictionary definition
a map
a footnote
a ticket stub
a postmarked stamp
a business card
something with a circle on it
a piece of a security envelope
a name tag
an illustration of a chihuahua
the header of your favorite blog

...and I quickly found most things. I left off the blog header and I like birds better than dogs so I put in a crow. I did have to make my own nametag though. I used bits and pieces I had laying around, which I think is the spirit of the Hunt and therefore totally legal. Heh.

Up at the top left, check out my letters S and H. I made those via a tutorial from Tim Holtz. One layer of grungepaper, one grungepaper letter, bit of glue, black paint, sandpaper and then a layer of Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink. They kinda sorta look like those vintage print block letters. I think they look super cool, like corkboard, and I will be making more of them. :-)

I left the background plain gesso, like Janel's. And I used different products to adhere all the Hunt findings: Quick Dry Glue, Glue Glider Pro, and Tim Holt's Tissue Tape.

For being such a simple activity, this was so much fun! =D


Have a lovely weekend!! And thank you so much for stopping by!!

~Cynthia

Flower Power

Flower Power, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I've got some seriously funky layers of stuff going on here! :-)

First off, I applied gesso to the page then placed a stencil I had used on another page into this page and closed the journal. The leftover Color Wash left a cool branch imprint.

Then I hit it with several different Smooch Sprays and homemade smooch sprays.

The flowers were also used elsewhere and I slapped them in here to create little outlines. To finish off the chaos, I used watercolor crayons to color in the flower outlines. It's kinda busy, but you know...it's kinda growing on me too. =D



Happy Friday, everybody!!

~Cynthia

Stencil Blessings

Stencil Blessings, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Paula Phillips, AKA Journal Artista, is running a contest. Simply use a stencil in your art journal, then link to her blog.

I've been watching her show on UStream for a while and have really enjoyed it and have really been inspired. It's kind of like taking a personalized class...for free! :-)

So here's my page. I've got several layers of paint going on...mostly sage green and various pinks. There are bits of ripped floral paper hiding in there too. I bought a set of die cut scrapbook pages that I will use as really cool stencils. I LOVE the numbers!

Now I just have to work on writing with a paintbrush. ;-) The quote is my take on a marquee sign at a church I pass every day on my way home. This week it says, 'Count your day as blessed.' I think that's easy to do. I think it's harder to see God's everyday blessings in your life, unless you take the time to look for them. I'll probably journal lists of everyday blessings as I go along.


Thanks for stopping over here today!

~Cynthia

Sunny Marmalade Flowers

Sunny Marmalade Flowers, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

This funky card is kinda, sorta, patterned after a card Susan Raihala (LateBlossom) posted a while back. She used real flower-type stamps. I used funky circle things.

I had a few minutes while some paint dried in my art journal, so I decided to whip up a card. I used the circles for flowers and Stamped Stitches for stems. I masked off the bottom to create a white (clear) border.

I stamped the sentiment on the green cardstock, decided it didn't really show up well and stamped it again on cream cardstock, adhering it to the original green cardstock, which is popped up on dots.



Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (ivory cardblank); Bazzill (green and cream cardstock)
Stamps: Inkadinkado (Circle Graphs set); Hot Off the Press (Stamped Stitches set); Hero Arts (Classic Messages set)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Spiced Marmalade, Peeled Paint)
ETC: EK Success (3D Dots); Scotch (Quick Dry glue)


I had errands to run today and by the time I got home...the sun was gone. :-( Ergo the dark photo. Maybe we'll get some rain out of it though. We so need it here in South Carolina!


~Cynthia

By the Side of the Road

By the Side of the Road, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

On tap today is another art journal page. This time I used watercolor paints and my fave dot stamp. I also ripped out some random pages from an old English literature textbook. The poem printed there is pretty cool, so instead of covering it up with more paints and gesso, I left it as is.

It's kind of long, but if you have a moment to hang out, have a gander at it.

Thanks for stopping in today!

~Cynthia



***
The House By the Side of the Road

THERE are hermit souls that live withdrawn
In the place of their self-content;
There are souls like stars, that dwell apart,
In a fellowless firmament;
There are pioneer souls that blaze the paths
Where highways never ran-
But let me live by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

Let me live in a house by the side of the road
Where the race of men go by-
The men who are good and the men who are bad,
As good and as bad as I.
I would not sit in the scorner's seat
Nor hurl the cynic's ban-
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

I see from my house by the side of the road
By the side of the highway of life,
The men who press with the ardor of hope,
The men who are faint with the strife,
But I turn not away from their smiles and tears,
Both parts of an infinite plan-
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

I know there are brook-gladdened meadows ahead,
And mountains of wearisome height;
That the road passes on through the long afternoon
And stretches away to the night.
And still I rejoice when the travelers rejoice
And weep with the strangers that moan,
Nor live in my house by the side of the road
Like a man who dwells alone.

Let me live in my house by the side of the road,
Where the race of men go by-
They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,
Wise, foolish - so am I.
Then why should I sit in the scorner's seat,
Or hurl the cynic's ban?
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

Sam Walter Foss

Father's Day

Father's Day, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Here's my Father's Day creation. I'm kinda proud of myself that it's DONE already!! ;-)

I began with a kraft cardblank. The next layer is from a K&Co ephemera pack--a bit of corrugated cardboard that I cut down to size.

On that is a piece of paper from a 6x6 block I've had for years. I am totally hoarding it! I LOVE the colors--everything is blue and kraft.

Next up is DAD die cut from kraft cardstock. Finally I added a blue button tied with some twine.

Inside I stamped Happy Father's Day in Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink.


Supplies:
Paper: The Paper Studio (kraft cardblank); Bazzill (kraft cardstock); Deja Views (Butcher Block: Sky & Sage Block); K&Co (Handmade Ephemera Pack)
Stamp: Paper Inspirations (Father's Day stamp)
Ink: Tim Holtz (Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink)
ETC: Cuttlebug (Alphabet set: Harmony); Foof-a-la (Summer button package); Darice (twine)


Hope you all have a great weekend! I've got a quiet Saturday planned, so maybe I'll make it into the craft studio later! ;-)

~Cynthia

Orange you glad??

Orange you glad??, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

This page in my art journal started out pink. Well, technically, it started out red. But if you put red paint over white gesso, it tends to fade to pink. ;-)

So, of course I had to take it in a totally different direction. Paula Phillips (AKA Journal Artista) is always telling us to choose colors we wouldn't usually use.

Ergo...the orange.

There is a layer of dictionary paper under the orange. And also some stamps, some stamped bubble wrap, and a few streaks of white

I really like the texture and color differences the dictionary paper made.



Happy Friday to you all! Have a wonderful weekend!


~Cynthia