Candy Trees

Candy Trees, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I think this idea came from several different cards floating out there in the blogosphere. Mostly from the My Mind's Eye blog.

VERY simple card.

Cut some triangles from snippets.
Cut some teeny tiny rectangles from snippets.
Score a few lines.
Stamp a happy sentiment.
Glue it all together.
The end.

Really, the hardest part of the whole card was getting the glued tree trunks off my sticky fingers onto the cardblank. ;-)


Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (white cardblank); Reminisce (Trim the Tree, Christmas Swirl Green, one unknown); Bazzill (brown cardstock)
Stamp: Penny Black (Crystalline set)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Festive Berries)
ETC: ScorBuddy; Glue Glider Pro; Zig Two-way Glue Pen


Happy Weekend, everyone! We're still on the chilly side here so once I get my chores done, I'm headed to the Craft Studio. YAY!


Thanks for having a look today!


~Cynthia

More Corn, More Gratitude

More Corn, More Gratitude, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

For today's card, I stamped the corn image directly on a kraft cardblank.

Then I gently tinted it with chalks and stamped the sentiment.

I like the look the chalks give the image--with just a hint of color, it makes you look twice at the card to determine if it really has color or not.



Supplies:
Paper: The Paper Studio (kraft cardblank)
Stamps: Inkadinkado (corn stamp #99411); Studio G (Gratitude)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Walnut Stain)
ETC: Inkadinkado (Blending Chalks)



My Thanksgiving cards are all done, now I've just got to mail them tomorrow. Then it's back to making Christmas cards!! I got a shock last night when someone mentioned that December is in TWO WEEKS. AAARGH!! When did THAT happen?????


Craft on!

~Cynthia ;-)

Wheat Thanksgiving

Wheat Thanksgiving, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Here's another take on the wheat stamp.

Instead of the larger banner-type brown strip I used on the previous card, I simply used a snippet I had left over from cutting the banner.

It looks less like a belt buckle than the other card. The thinner strip also showcases the wheat more, allowing it to stand out on this card.



Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (ivory cardblank); K&Co Designer Mat Pad (Ocean Solids)
Stamps: Stampabilites (Happy Thanksgiving 02); Hero Arts (Silhouette Grass)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Walnut Stain, Scattered Straw)
ETC: Tonic (Ticket/Tag Punch); Glue Glider Pro


Our rainy, cloud weather of yesterday has been replaced with sunshine....and 56 degrees. Brrrrr! ;-) I had to wear a JACKET outside this morning! IN NOVEMBER. That's just crazy.

Thanks for stopping by today--I enjoy your visits!!


~Cynthia =D

French Foliage

French Foliage, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Oooo, I think I'm starting to get the hang of this Picnik photo editing thing! I took this picture today--an overcast, rainy day. The card had a bluish tinge and I warmed it up to what you see here!

YAY!

I've seen many cards lately using Stampin Up's French Foliage set. I really really love these leaf stamps. I love the details and how real looking they are.

I used a few inks and then stamped the sentiment. Pretty easy and the type of card that can be duplicated in mass quantities.

Which is a good thing because this morning I woke up and realized that I have to mail my Thanksgiving cards out by Saturday!! YIKES. ;-)


Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (ivory cardblank)
Stamps: Stampin Up (French Foliage set); Studio G (Gratitude)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Gathered Twigs, Rusty Hinge, Ripe Persimmon)



Thanks for the lovely comments yesterday on my embossing mishaps! I'm glad I'm not the only one who has problems with that stuff, although I've never dropped a canister of it in my shoe........ ;-)


~Cynthia

Red and White

Red and White, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I named this blog post "Red and White" because the name I *really* wanted to use ("THIS IS WHY I HATE EMBOSSING POWDER") sounded so negative.

And I'm all about the positive around here. Or to paraphrase Susan Raihala over on the Simplicity blog...I'm all about the kittens and the ponies and the puppies farting rainbows.

(Did I just type that??? Forget I said that.)

I like this card. It's red and dramatic and Christmasy and full of snowflakes.

And also full of white embossing powder.

And I do mean full. It's everywhere. And I have no idea how it got INSIDE the card, of all places.

There are several things I don't do well.

I have never been able to make fudge.
I have never gotten the hang of rub-ons.
I am a walking embossing powder disaster.

[There are others, but I'll spare you.]

I really did try to overcome my loathing of embossing powders. I got the idea from one of the cards posted by Susan Goetter for One Layer Wednesday #70.

Her card was so serene. And so beautiful.

And it looked so easy.

*sigh*

Famous last words.



Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (red cardstock)
Stamps: Studio G (snowflake); JustRite (Christmas Mini Sentiments set)
Ink: VersaMark
ETC: white embossing powder (unknown company); Marvy (heatgun); Inkadinkado (Embossing Magic)


We seem to have exchanged yesterday's sun for cloudy, dreary weather. The *perfect* time to hit the craft studio for a bit of art journaling! =D


~Cynthia

Wheat and a Buckle Banner

Wheat and a Buckle Banner, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Another Thanksgiving card is next in line for today. This one was pretty simple. It uses one of my most favoritest stamps EVER.

The Big Wheat Stamp.

Oh sure. Hero Arts likes to *tell* you it's a Silhouette Grass stamp, but we know better, don't we? ;-)

I stamped it using Scattered Straw Distress Ink. (What other color could I use, right??) Then I cut a banner from a snippet of brown cardstock.

To give the idea of a Pilgrim's hat buckle, I chose a large piece of ivory cardstock, distressed it a bit and stamped the sentiment on it.

I adhered the buckle part off to one side to create a visual triangle between the tall wheat, the buckle and the banner tails.



Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (ivory cardblank); Bazzill (ivory cardstock); K&Co Designer Mat Pad (Ocean Solid Pad)
Stamps: Hero Arts (Silhouette Grass); Stampabilities (Happy Thanksgiving 02)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Scattered Straw, Walnut Stain)
ETC: Glue Glider Pro


We're having glorious weather today--it's almost 70 degrees right now! I hope that no matter what the weather, you find time to create today! Thanks for stopping in!

~Cynthia

Happy Veterans' Day and Some Corn Gratitude

Corn Gratitude, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

As I was hanging out in the Blogosphere today, I noticed how many people expressed gratitude for those in the military. Then I started counting the number of soldiers or sailors that I actually knew....

Grandfather--Army
Great Uncles (2)--Army
Uncle--Navy
Cousins (2)--Navy
Cousin--Air Force
College Friends (2)--Navy
Hiking Friend--Army
High School Friends (2)--Army
ETA:  Former Boss--Air Force
Coworker's Husband--Marine Corps
Sunday School Teacher (2)--Army
Church Music Director--Coast Guard
Church Friend--Army
My college roommate and other friends who were part of my college's ROTC programs.
And so many others...

Thanks to all who have served, are serving and will serve in the United States military. And thanks to their family members who also make great sacrifices.



And now to today's card.

I stamped the main image using Distress Stain. In real life it gives it a more painterly look--softer and lighter than Distress Ink would. It's pretty cool!

I lightly tinted the image with watercolor pencils.

Then I stamped the sentiment with Distress Ink and layered it all on a cardblank.


Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (ivory and brown cardstock); Recollections (ivory cardblank)
Stamps: Studio G (sentiment); Inkadinkado (unnamed corn stamp, #99411)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Walnut Stain); Distress Stain (Walnut Stain)
ETC: Koh-I-Nor (watercolor pencils); Glue Glider Pro


Happy 11-11-11, everyone!! Thanks for stopping by today and have a wonderful weekend! Lots of creative blog hops/challenge type stuff going on...like on Cocoa Daisy's site and Shimelle's blog. Create happy!!


~Cynthia