Hang in There!

Hang in There!, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Here's another card I made based on KingstonMama's card.

It's the same recipe as yesterday's card with different colors. I really love working with kraft paper so I used that as the card base. Then I die cut the labels and stamped the script background on the smaller label. I distressed the edges a bit with the same color ink that I used for the script stamp.

The branch stamp is the same one I used yesterday. That Inkadinkado Tree set is really cute and very useful!

I added the green leaf and the sentiment at the bottom.


Supplies:
Paper: The Paper Studio (kraft cardblank); Bazzill (green and ivory cardstock)
Stamps: Inkadinkado (Tree set and #8347 script stamp); KaiserCraft (Get Well set)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Peeled Paint)
ETC: Spellbinders Nestabilities (Labels Nine); Glue Glider Pro


Merry Christmas, everyone!! I so appreciate your visits and comments! And if you're taking the week off...Happy New Year too! (And Happy Boxing Day!!)

~Cynthia

Get Well, Bird!

Get Well, Bird!, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

This little card is headed out to a friend of mine who is, sadly, suffering from mono. She's been sick for 3 weeks and is so embarrassed because, as she says, "Mono is a TEENAGER'S ILLNESS." I feel so bad for her!!

I've already sent her a Christmas/Feel Better card, but since she's still sick, I thought I would send another. I always think that knowing someone cares and is praying for you helps speed healing. ;-)

I got the idea from KingstonMama's blog. She used a cute music background stamp. I decided script would work fine.

I die cut both shapes, stamped the smaller one with the script stamp, then distressed it with ink.

I stamped the branch and added the bluebird. It's not very clear in the picture (sorry!) but the bluebird matches the blue cardstock of the larger die cut shape.

Finally, I stamped the sentiment and adhered everything in place.


Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (ivory cardblank); Bazzill (ivory and blue cardstock)
Stamps: Inkadinkado (Tree set; Script #8347); KaiserCraft (Get Well set)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Chipped Sapphire)
ETC: Spellbinders Nestabilities (Labels Nine); Glue Glider Pro


Well, here we are. Christmas Eve Eve. Are you ready??


~Cynthia ;-)

Spring in the Winter

Spring in the Winter, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I was hanging out on Carolyn's blog, A Colorful Journey, and she was talking about relearning a lesson about "not stopping too soon."

And I read her post and thought, yes, I've learned that lesson a few times myself. Sadly, I often forget to apply said lesson.

This card is a prime example.

I started out by stamping half the flower--the sentiment--and the other half of the flower in a line like that across the cardblank...a la Susan Raihala.

It came out ridiculously uneven. Hated it. Cut the front of the cardblank off. Tried again.

I stamped one flower and one stem on the leftover piece of cardblank.

It looked stupid. Then I noticed I had accidentally tapped the stem on the bottom and now I had random green lines.

Kinda looked like grass.

So since I was already unhappy with it, I just kept right on going. I stamped short stems and long stems. I stamped second generation stems. I stamped more flowers. I stamped a sentiment.

Then I cut the edges of the panel to make it smaller on all sides, matted it on blue cardstock and adhered it to another white cardblank.

And while I'm not excited that the sentiment seems to be sprouting from a stem....overall, it's not so bad. I might even go back and add a bit of Distress Ink shading along the bottom. What do you think??

Thanks, Carolyn, for sharing the lesson. Isn't it fun how we all help each other out? =D



Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (white cardblank times two); Bazzill (blue cardstock)
Stamps: Stampin Up (For All You Do set); Hero Arts (Birthday Messages set)
Inks: Tim Holtz's Distress Ink (Forest Moss, Chipped Sapphire)
ETC: Glue Glider Pro


Finally, I'm all caught up, mailed, sent, made, wrapped and done! It feels weird not to have anything Christmasy to do. ;-)


~Cynthia

Dec Daily, Day 21

Dec Daily, Day 21, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

OK, so, apologies for the horrid photo. We're in the midst of a 5-day rain and no amount of lighting made this December Daily page look good. *sigh*

Today was another exciting day. (Ha ha.) I did manage to hit up the seven different places on my errand list, so that was good. The funny thing was that the gas station was the busiest place of all my stops! I'm not sure where everyone is, but it's not out shopping! Maybe the rain kept them home.

I added a sample of my wrapping paper (the blue with the dove) and my Mom's--who has so far managed to wrap everything herself, with just her left arm mobile. (She's right-handed and still in a big sling.)

Have you stopped over at Ali Edward's blog to check out her Dec Daily pages? She has the cutest photo of her kids, leaning over Ali's big stand mixer, making cookies. One of my Mom's friends brought over those Ritz cracker/peanut butter/dipped in melted chocolate cookie things and I ate some.

I did not take a picture.

I can't compete with Ali's kids' Major Cute Factor.



~Cynthia ;-)

Santa under the Mistletoe

Santa under the Mistletoe, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

One last Christmas card for the season.

I cut a piece of Graphic 45 Santa paper (love this stuff!) and added a little border of cardstock in a color that's almost a dead ringer for the G45 paper. That never happens! ;-)

I die cut the leaves, punched a few mistletoe berries, covered them in Glossy Accents, stamped the sentiment and Bob's your uncle--card's done! =D


Supplies:
Paper: The Paper Studio (kraft cardblank); Bazzill (rust cardstock); Graphic 45 (Christmas Past Collection--Christmas Wishes)
Stamp: KaiserCraft (Christmas set)
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Frayed Burlap)
ETC: Sizzix/Stampin Up (Sizzlets Little Leaves); Fiskars (border punch); Ranger (Glossy Accents)


Tomorrow I will head out to finish some last minute errands and then I'll spend the rest of the day wrapping stuff!! I think I'll make hot cocoa and listen to Christmas music while I wrap. :-) Do you have your preparations done??


~Cynthia

Dec Daily, Day 19

Dec Daily, Day 19, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Anybody else keeping a December Daily album this year?? I got so excited doing Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas I forgot to post my Dec Daily pages! ;-)

Sooooo, here's Day 19. That's today, I know. And as you can see, I'm not finished yet. This is the 'work in progress' shot! :-)

Way back in November, I read a blog comment somewhere out there from a lady who basically said her life was too boring to make a Dec Daily album--she would have nothing to put on the pages.

How I wish I had bookmarked that page or replied back to her comment. For, as you can plainly see...no one's life is more boring than mine.

I am being serious.

I actually have part of a light bulb packaging on Day 7 because I had to change several of the bulbs in the candles in the windows. Totally a highlight of my day.

And Day 19's highlight (I am sure of it already) was a trip to Walmart this morning. I adhered my list and a few box tops--mashed potatoes and fake vanilla extract, because who can afford the real stuff??? ;-) And I bought new HP ink for my printer.

I also found a funny sticker of an ivory-billed woodpecker and I cut up the bag in which my online order from Old Navy arrived.

On the daily card on the right side, I have adhered a sun and a moon. I note each day's weather (sunny, cloudy, etc.) along with the high temperature and then the moon phase. The sun and moon are QuicKutz die cuts. The idea came from --I'm fairly certain--Michelle at Lost Coast Post, but I can't find the exact post to link to. SHE hand cut stamps for her weather icons. SHE is awesome.

The "Spirit Filled" headline is for my Advent Devotional which I'll write up later.

And I've left plenty of room for all the exciting events I just KNOW will happen this afternoon. Like lunch. And laundry. And if I'm feeling really wild...dusting.

So this is just an open letter to that lady who thought she could not do a December Daily album. Ma'am....you will never be more boring than I am. Do the album.

=D


~Cynthia

He Never Fails

He Never Fails, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

OK, just like with Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas...no laughing.

I learned a lot making this little...um...plaque?

It's based on a project over at One Lucky Day, the 2 Gypsie Girls's blog. I, of course, didn't have everything the Gypsy Girls had so I used what I had available.

I grabbed a piece of scrap wood and glued a page from an old hymnal. Lesson #1: Always get your paper straight before gluing it down. Grrrrrr. ;-)

Then I coated the piece with Picket Fence Distress Stain. (This stuff should win some kind of award, it's just that awesome!) Then I brushed brown Distress Stains and Inks along the edge.

The letters spelling Jesus are Grungeboard, covered in white paint and Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint, and then brushed with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

The heart, also from Grungeboard, was distressed the same way.

I just quickly sewed (isn't that called guerrilla sewing??) the little pillow, stuffing it with a bit of quilt fluff. Then I sprayed water on my craft mat, smooshed Inks and Stains on the mat too, and dragged the pillow through it to make it look tea stained.

I glued everything on and waited for it to dry. :-)

Lesson #2 is to not use Distress Stain on the edges. The Gypsy Girls used acrylic paint and I think the more intense color would have been better.

Lesson #3 was to use the same color Stains and Inks on the wood as on the pillow. I used darker browns on the wood and warmer, yellow-toned stains on the pillow and they don't really match.

I do like how it turned out though and I think with practice I might make them for gifts.


Supplies:
Paper: Tim Holtz Idea-ology (Grungeboard Mixed Minis); Triumphant Service Songs (hymn page)
Colorants: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Walnut Stain, Vintage Photo); Distress Stain (Picket Fence, Frayed Burlap); Adirondack (Snow Cap Dabber paint)
ETC: Tim Holtz (Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint); muslin fabric; wood scrap


I'm off to get some outdoor work done. The sun has already hid itself behind the clouds and I know the rain is coming soon.

Have a wonderful, crafty day!


~Cynthia