CASology #4

CASology #4, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

It's Tuesday and that means a new challenge over on CASology! This week's cue word is BIRD.

I totally went a different way than I had originally planned....but I like the outcome! ;-)

I pulled out a seldom-used tree set by Inkadinkado. It's such a fun little set!

I stuck a sticky note on the side to mask off the edge of the card blank, then stamped the trunk and branches, added the grass, nest, eggs and bird, then stamped leaves everywhere.

Stamping leaves is very soothing.

Ink....stamp. Ink...stamp. Ink...stamp.

And repeat like 500 times.

See? Soothing, I tell you.

Then I grabbed a cool little set by Hero Arts for the sentiment.

Done.



Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (white card blank)
Stamps: Inkadinkado (Trees set); Hero Arts (Classic Messages set)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Gathered Twigs, Mowed Lawn, Peeled Paint, Faded Jeans) and Distress Marker (Tumbled Glass)



If you've got a minute, come join us over at CASology. And it only takes a minute because it's CAS, right?

Well, if you don't stamp 500 leaves, it will only take a minute...

=D


~Cynthia

Hanging' Out With Stephanie Ackerman (OK not really)

Hanging' Out With Stephanie Ackerman (OK not really), a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Actually, I've been hanging out on Stephanie's blog site. Which is probably about as close to Stephanie as I'm ever gonna get....but, whoah is she an amazing artist!!

I absolutely LOVE her style! You know, cuz it's all TIM HOLTZ and all! ;-)

Anyway, I decided to make a few things a la Stephanie and this is what I came up with.

On the left is a simple kraft tag. I ran it through the Cuttlebug, distressed it; cut a wonky heart from Sticky Back Canvas, distressed it; ripped some lines from a book and distressed it. (If you can't see the words, they say: "Live close to the soil and live close to the sky!")

And then sprayed the whole thing with my brand new Biscotti Perfect Pearls Mist.

On the right is a piece of junk wood. I followed Stephanie's tutorial for this one.

I glued on some Tim Holtz paper and tissue tape, some 7 Gypsies paper (the bird and the numbers at the top), and a tag from those one-serving coffee bags (the sunrise). Between all that, I distressed and distressed and distressed some more.

I'm REALLY loving this.

Yes I am.

I will have to open an Etsy shop and sell stuff to pay for my latest addiction.



Happy Monday!! =D


~Cynthia

CASEing Stevens89

CASEing Stevens89, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

OK, so many things to say about this one....

First, apologies for the odd glare on the photo on the page. Not real sure what happened there. I will blame it on Operator Error. Heh.

Second, I got the grid idea from Stevens89 in the Two Peas in a Bucket Gallery. That place is so awesome for inspiration! :-)

Third, funny story about the grid papers. I ordered something from my LSS and they sorta kinda took a bit too long to get it in, so I went to my Not So Local Scrap Store and bought it. On sale even! And then, of course, two weeks later my LSS called and said it was in.

Humph.

So....the LSS felt kinda sorta bad about taking so long so they gave me this card making kit for free. You know, the kind you buy for a class?? With all the parts in a bag, the papers already trimmed, the embellishments already made, the images already stamped, with photos and instructions too.

That was very sweet of them of course, but I lean toward the CAS style of card making.

So I chopped up the bits and made this scrapbook page instead! =D

Ergo, I have no idea who made the pretty patterned paper. The solid cardstock is from Bazzill and the backing paper is from My Mind's Eye.

And (deep breath here and bless you if you are still reading...)

...Fourth, this page came about because Shimelle Laine hosted a challenge a while back to scrap a crappy photo. (OK, I may have paraphrased the "crappy" part a bit.)

This photo of Fort Federica in Georgia (USA) has been sitting in my castoffs album because it's...well, pretty crappy. I *think* I was trying to get a shot of the flag flapping in the wind, but my timing was off.

And I was too far away.

And it looks like a photo of a tree now.

And the tree looks like some kind of Easter Island statue.

But I took a nod from Shimelle and scrapped it anyway.

So there.



Thanks for reading all that! ;-)

~Cynthia

CASology #3

CASology #3, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

This week's cue word on the CASology challenge is FRUIT.

I needed a new home card so I went with the very traditional pineapple. Here in the Southeast corner of the US, the pineapple has long been the symbol of welcoming someone to your home. You'll find pineapples everywhere here--on flags, stepping stones, and mailboxes. I thought it would be perfect for a new home card! ;-)

I stamped the pineapple twice--once on the card blank and then again on a piece of scrap card blank. I cut out the second one and adhered it to the card blank image. I off-set the leaves just a bit to make them appear fuller and I popped the pineapple part up for some dimension.

Because I don't seem to have a new home stamp (THE HORRORS), I used some dollar alpha stamps for my sentiment.


Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (ivory card blanks)
Stamps: Hero Arts (Simply the Best set); Studio G (Alphabet Stamps)
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Markers (Rusty Hinge, Peeled Paint) and Distress Ink (Peeled Paint)
ETC: EK Success (Pop Dots); Glue Glider Pro



Go check out CASology! The challenges are such fun and the cards provide tons of inspiration! Play along with us this week!! =D

~Cynthia

Grunge Paper Couture

Grunge Paper Couture, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

Oooooo, this is so COOL!

And I can totally say that because it wasn't my idea!! LOL!

I saw a mention of this on Tim Holtz's Twitter feed and went over to the Studio L3 site to check out Linda Ledbetter's tutorial for a Funky Grungeboard and Word Band Bracelet.

Seriously. Go there now. I'll wait....


What did I tell you? COOL, NO?? =D

Linda got the idea from Beate Johns over on SplitcoastStampers. Check out the original tutorial here.

So I had been hoarding an entire package of Grunge Paper and decided to go for it!

((Grunge Paper is thinner and more pliable than Grunge Board. I have the Paper so I used that instead of the Board.))

I cut a two-inch-wide (or so) strip of the Grunge, then rounded the corners. I distressed the heck out of it using various brown Distress Stains.

Then I ran it through the Cuttlebug using the Script embossing folder. I had to vary Linda's directions a bit because I wanted my script embossed and not debossed. So in the end, I brushed the raised letters on the Grunge Paper with a Pitch Black Dabber and that worked fine. (Linda painted the inside of the embossing folder to create a different look.)

Then I sanded it a bit and then ran more Distress Stains over it.

It looks like leather...or maybe even grunged up cork.

So cool.

Linda used some huge snaps, which I don't have--so I just used a brad. I can squeeze my fingers inside the bracelet to push the brad arms straight to remove the brad and thus remove the bracelet. But use whatever you have. I was experimenting! :-)

I did heat set this baby, but as Tim says...be careful going outside--you don't want to look like a walking Skittle. All that Distress goodness will react to water or rain. ;-)



Supplies:
Paper: Tim Holtz Idea-ology (Grunge Paper)
Colorants: Tim Holtz Distress Stains (Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, Frayed Burlap, Brushed Corduroy); Adirondack/Ranger (Pitch Black Dabber acrylic paint)
ETC: Cuttlebug (Script embossing folder); The Paper Studio (brad); WeRMemory Keepers (Corner Chomper); 1/8-in hole punch



Thanks so much for stopping in today! Happy Monday! =D


~Cynthia

CASEing Serious Play

CASEing Serious Play, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

I've been following Cindy on her Serious Play blog for a while now and I absolutely love her style! I decided to shamelessly copy this scrapbook page because it's gorgeous!!

I totally started out wanting to use Cindy's color scheme--all pales and lights and dreaminess.

And then I took a left turn into dark and bold and...er...pumpkin pie-ness.

That's totally a word.

I used that deep burnt orange because it brought out the stripes in the lighthouse.

And yes, Morris Island Lighthouse is currently sitting in the middle of the ocean. Well not quite the middle, but IN IT. It used to be on an island, but that has been eroded over the past few hundred years and now Morris Island stands in the water. When the tide is out you can barely see the tiny sand bar that holds the lighthouse upright.

I digress.

I ended up really liking the page. The shattered look behind the photo is cool. And I like the paint splats too.

Thanks for the inspiration, Cindy!!! =D



Supplies:
Paper: Bazzill (pumpkin cardstock); The Paper Studio (script paper); BoBunny (mat paper); Stash (flags and banners)
ETC: Tim Holtz (Tissue Tape); The Paper Studio (letter stickers); homemade color spray (acrylic paint + water); Glue Glider Pro




I do apologize for the horrid photo. The sun was my enemy today--there really aren't ghost-like flashes all over the picture. Just squint a bit and pretend you can't see them! ;-)


~Cynthia

CASology #2: HAPPY

CASology #2: Happy, a photo by HikerCynthia on Flickr.

This little guy not only makes me smile every time I see him, he also makes me just plain HAPPY!

Conveniently, that's this week's challenge over on CASology where the cue word is HAPPY!

I stamped the gnome using Distress Markers (HAPPY) to color him then stamped the sentiment in black ink. I like how he's sitting right on the word too! HAPPY.

For a bit of shine, I dotted his eyes and colored his buckle with a sparkly gel pen. More HAPPY.


Supplies:
Paper: Recollections (white card blank)
Stamps: Rubber Soul (gnome); Hero Arts (Thinking of You set)
Inks: Memento (Tuxedo Blank ink); Tim Holtz Distress Markers (Black Soot, Barn Door, Chipped Sapphire)
ETC: Sakura (glitter pen)




Have a HAPPY day and thanks for stopping by!! =D


~Cynthia