The Square Oblongs?

Good morrow to you, traveller. Thank you for stopping by the Guild Hall today. The previous night we were out dungeon crawling, looking for some rare green-glow shrooms in the Cave of Forgotten Memories, when we stumbled upon some strange people residing in the depths of the dank caverns. They were a strange people, with hollow eyes and numerous disfigurements. There was an underground stream running next to where this odd family had set up home. On a hunch I tested the water using my cragnoganic crystal, and sure enough, detected extremely high levels of radiation in the water. These poor folk have been slowly poisoning themselves...or perhaps they are the radioactive ones and they have been poisoning the water...

I started by creating a background of square using scraps of the green and striped paper that I have left over from various other creations.

 Gluing all those small squares (1.25" x 1.25") down was a painstaking process, one which I am not eager to repeat. I then stamped out three of the Stampotique characters and coloured them up with my Prismacolors. I inked the edges with Antique Linen Distress Ink and distressed the edges with my blade - Paper Distresser, which grants me +34 shabby attack points. The sentiment was stamped from the "Christmas Words" Dylusions set. I used a scrap of red paper to create another square for the sentiment.

The inside sentiment was stamped from the My Pink Stamper "Biggie Christmas Sentiments" set. I used "Jessie's ABCs" from Lawn Fawn to add "the Thompsons".

I then made a wintery looking envelope to go along with this gigantic card (it measures 8.5" x 5.5" when closed).

I will be entering this creepy-cute Christmas creation into the following challenges:
Stampotique Designers Challenge #67: Squares
Stamping for Pleasure Challenge: Rudolph Day
Pause Dream Enjoy Challenge #39: Faces
Try it on Tuesday September Challenge 2: Lots of Layers
Use it Tuesday Challenge #40: Use Your Scraps! (all the squares were made from scrap pieces of paper that were too small for much else...don't ask me why I had saved them in the first place..oh...because I'm a paper hoarder...that's right.)

The creepy people were starting to freak us out, so we quickly took our leave and fled the Cave of Forgotten Memories without gathering the green-glow shrooms we had came for. We will have to search elsewhere for the rare fungi. Quest to be continued.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

So Fresh and So Clean

After a hard day of questing yesterday, it is laundry day here at the Guild Hall. Armor and tunics tend to get messy while dungeon crawling for crafty exp points. The house gnomes take care of the tunics and small clothes, but I prefer to tend to the magical armor pieces myself, so as not to disturb the delicate enchantments upon them. After all the scrubbing and cleaning, the laundry inspired me to create a card...as most activities tend to do. 

I started by stamping the "Santa's Gear" image from Stamp-It Australia and colouring it with Prismacolors. The sentiment came from the Dylusions "Christmas Words" set. I embossed a red piece of cardstock with a brick pattern and inked it using the Fired Brick Distress Ink. Then, after handling that, I had red ink on my hands and, much to my dismay, got a smudge on my nice white cardstock. After numerous obscenities were uttered yelled, I decided to try and make the best of it. To try and cover up the blemish, I stamped the "SC" from the Kaisercraft "Twig & Berry Postmarks" set, earning me +89 stealth exp points.

 My final touch was adding some glitter to the "fuzzy" parts of the clothes.

The inside sentiment was from some cheap Recollections brand holiday set I got from Michaels. I thought is went well because the hanging banner is reminiscent of the hanging clothes line on the front of the card.

I made a matching envelope out of kraft paper and used the Echo Park "Holly Jolly" set to decorate it.

I shall be entering this freshly laundered creation into the following challenges:
Try It On Tuesday September Challenge 2: Lots of Layers
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything Goes
Stamping for Pleasure: Rudolph Day
ABC Christmas Challenge: S is for Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Simon Says Stamp and Show: For the Love of Sparkle

With our armor, tunics, cloaks and small clothes clean, the Crafters Guild is ready for our next adventure. Hopefully to somewhere cleaner, as it is incredibly difficult to remove stains from my Shimmering Rainbow Armor when it's "hand wash only".

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Smelly Socks of Warding

The Lady Commander of Copics returned from the market today with a new piece of armor she purchased from Mikal's shop. She proudly held up her newest acquisition for my inspection - a pair of Socks of Warding. Socks. Of Warding. I asked her what they were supposed to do (besides look cute). Apparently they provide a +89 defense bonus against frost enemies. Very appropriate for the Lady Commander as she has always suffered from a unreasonable affliction to the cold. I had yet to create my card for the 10 Minute Craft Dash Challenge, and the Socks of Warding provided just the inspiration I needed.

Wanting to avoid another near disaster like last time, I went into this with a plan. I also pulled out all my stuff before I started the timer. I started by stamping the glasses from the Lawn Fawn "Clear to See" set. I then used a harlequin stencil on the green banner piece. The socks and sentiment came from the "My Silly Valentine" Lawn Fawn set. I was working pretty slow because I felt like I had a lot of time due to my pre-planning. Suddenly, I looked at the clock and realized I was actually running really short on time!

I quickly slapped together the inside as the clock was running out. It seems I work faster without a plan than with one.

I quickly stamped the socks on the envelope to make it match the card (because I like when things match).

BAM! Hit the stop. Whaaaa???!! That somehow took longer than last time! And I had a PLAN this time! I guess the pressure of having no plan actually made me work faster. I was too comfortable. Well. Lesson learned. I still managed to gain +905 speed exp points. 

I will be entering this into the 10 Minute Craft Dash Challenge #3: Colour Challenge.

I will also be entering it into the Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything Goes.

Angela has been wearing her Socks of Warding around the Guild Hall since she got them. I told her there were no frost demons in the Guild Hall, so was fairly certain she wouldn't need them here. She looked at me with a blank look on her face, pulled her scarf tighter and walked away shaking her head and muttering to herself. I told you...Unreasonable. Affliction.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

The Paperweaver's Preview

Welcome to the Guild Hall. Today we were paid a visit from the local Paperweaver. He stopped by to give us an advanced look at the various patterns of paper-wrapping he will be weaving for his shop this holiday season. The Lady Commander of Copics and I like to coordinate our holiday cards with the wrapping paper of the gifts, and his visit gives us some advance time to prepare accordingly. He also gave us a new spell scroll that supposedly can turn any colour of paper into a plaid pattern. You do need a rather high die roll to cast it successfully though, so it may be a bit before we see it in use.

I stamped the "Gift of Giving" Penny Black stamp and coloured it up with Copics under the direction of the Lady Commander. I am not well versed in the art of the Copic, but I suppose it wasn't a complete failure and it earned me +79 Copic exp points. Since she was holding a piece of post, I thought she needed a mailbox to put it in. I stamped that from the Lawn Fawn "You've Got Mail" set.

That house image was embossed using the Cuttlebug and cut out. I honestly can't remember what set that sentiment came from as I borrowed it from one of my guildys.

I also crafted a matching envelope for this card.

I shall be entering this card into the following challenges:
Penny Black Saturday September Challenge: Buttons and Bows
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything Goes
Stamping for Pleasure September Rudolph Day
ABC Christmas Challenge: S is for Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Penny Black Allsorts September Challenge: Early Christmas Makes
Christmas Cards All Year 'Round September Challenge: Christmas Presents

Angela and I wasted most our mana trying to cast that darned spell. As you can see, we did get it to work though and changed the red background into a plaid one. It's a good thing the Guild Hall is well stocked on mana potions. The elixirs however...those still seem to be disappearing at an alarming rate.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

A Rose is a Rose is a Rose

The Lady Commander of Copics, Guardian of Glitter and I decided to take Guild Apprentice Lindsay on her first real crafting quest. On the surface, the task seemed a menial one: locate and retrieve a pink glimmer rose. Glimmer roses are known to grow in only one place in the entire realm - Mount Jadestone. Mount Jadestone, however, is inhabited by a clan of ribbon harpies, making the quest harder than it appears on the surface. Armed with my new legendary bow, Fungi, I lead my guildys to the mountain to retrieve the pink glimmer rose.

I made this card for my friend, the Keeper of Secrets', daughter's 16th nameday. I started by cutting the "16" from the Art Philosophy cartridge. I threw away (and by "threw away" I mean "put into my ever expanding bits box") the white 16 that was cut out and used the negative space left on the white cardstock. I ran that sucker through the Cuttlebug and found a patterned piece of paper to put underneath the "16" hole in the white paper. The happy birthday was stamped with the "Sophie's Sentiments" Lawn Fawn set. I then cut the flowers from the Art Philosophy cartridge. After making seven of these (seventh flower not pictured) I wanted to KILL ALL FLOWERS EVERYWHERE! I was pretty frustrated by the end. I spritzed a couple with some Dylusions ink and sprayed all of them with perfect pearls mist.

Here's a close up so you can see the sparkliness of the perfect pearls mist a little better.

This inside was stamped with the "Wow! So Many Candles" My Creative Time stamp set. A little annecdote about the sentiment - when the Keeper of Secrets presented her son with his card on his 18th nameday, her daughter, clearly vexed, demanded to know where her custom made card was for her "sweet 16" which had passed two moons previous. Desperate, the Keeper of Secrets came to me, asking for another creation for her sweet daughter. Never one to turn down a crafting quest, I obliged. 

Normally I would make a matching envelope to go with the card, however the 3D flower made that an issue.

I instead crafted a box to place the card in (seventh flower frustratingly constructed pictured above).

As I knew the card wasn't going to be mailed, I figured it the perfect solution. The card laid in there as snug as a vampire in her coffin. I stamped the daughter's name using "Jessie's ABCs" from Lawn Fawn.

 The flower on the box was my favourite. It was also the sprakliest.

I offer this flowery endeavor to the following challenges:
Card Crafter's Circle Challenge #41: Ribbon and Roses
Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge: For the Love of Sparkle
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything Goes

We did manage to locate the rare pink glimmer rose which granted us all +49 shimmer exp points. Lindsay also learned a new spell which she recorded in her enchanted Book of Memories. I will use this pink glimmer rose to create some more elixirs for the Guild Hall as our stock has been depleted more quickly than normal. I fear we may have an elixir addict in our midst...

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

A Cocoa Fairy in Our Cupboards

Today as the Lady Commander of Copics was preparing herself a warm cup of cocoa, she came across a rare site in our cupboards. As Angela opened the old silver tin, a cocoa fairy fluttered out of the chocolatey powder, sneezing cocoa dust and sparkles. A huge grin spread across the Lady Commander's face as she watched the cute, sparkly fairy fly about the kitchen gathering the necessary items to prepare a warm mug of cocoa.

I started by colouring this super cute image by Meljen's Designs with my Prismacolors. The sentiment is from the "Christmas Words" Dylusions set. I added some glitter to the fuzzy parts of the fairy's outfit and some sparkly red brads on the corners. This combined with the shimmery candy canes in the background earned me +184 glimmer exp points. I'm sure somewhere the Guardian of Glitter's heart is aglow with pride.

Here's a close up of the fairy so you can see the glitter a little better.

This inside sentiment is from the Lawn Fawn "Cozy Christmas" set. I also stamped the plate of cookies from that same set and coloured them with Prismas. The mug and steam came from the "My Cup of Tea" Lawn Fawn set. 

I stamped the Christmas lights from the Lawn Fawn "Cozy Christmas" set and coloured them with my Distress Markers. 

I will be entering this nom nom nummy card into the following challenges:
Meljen's Design Team Challenge #128: Funny Bone
Cardz TV Challenge #15: Bling It Up
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenge #22: Sweet Treats
Crafting for All Seasons Challenge #36: Things With Wings
Simon Says Stamps and Show Challenge: For the Love of Sparkle
Creative Craft Challenges2: Anything Goes 
ABC Christmas Challenge 2012: S if for Santa Claus is Coming to Town 
Sparkles Christmas Challenge #20: Sparkle & Bling 
Christmas Crafting Challenge #14: Traditional Christmas Colours

The cocoa the fairy prepared was fantastic - possibly the best I've tasted. The Lady Commander was in her glory, running around the Guild Hall playing with the chocolatey, sparkly creature. I think the sugar high might also have something to do with that...

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

The Homeless Monster

It appears the tribe of cute monsters I encountered earlier this summer have fallen on hard times. I was in one of the more unsavory areas of the market square, browsing the black market craft items for sale, when I spotted one of the tribe. He sat propped up next to a shop selling illegal ink pads, his fur disheveled, holding a hand made sign which read "will wurk fur food stuffs". I felt sorry for the desperately cute and clearly uneducated little monster and gave him some gold coins.

I started by stamping the cute monster from Stampotique and coloured him with Prismacolors. I then cut the pillow box shape out of the Art Philosophy cartridge. Before folding and gluing it together, I spritzed it with some Dylusions spray ink and used the Dylusions Luscious Leaves stencil on it. I also stamped the tentacles from the "Doodle Parts" Dylusions set. That done, I assembled the box (with some difficulty) and tied a piece of blue raffia around it. This endevour earned me a cool +50 3D exp points.

I will be entering this into the following challenges:

Stampotique Designers Challenge #66: Party Favours

Creative Craft Challenges2: Anything Goes

Of course after I had given the poor beggar monster some coins, he headed straight for the tavern. Typical. No good deed...

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Dark Angels Arise

Welcome to the Guild Hall. Last night we were visited by Sirran, the head of the dark angel clan who reside in the Chipped Sapphire Sky Palace. He came to seek the assistance of the Crafters Guild as the Sapphire Sky Palace was under assault by the mountain giants. The Lady Commander of Copics, Guardian of Glitter and I armed ourselves, mounted our horses and followed Sirran to the castle. We rode in silence, the only sounds coming from the beating of Sirran's shimmering golden wings and the thundering hooves of our mounts against the dry autumn terrain.

I was commissioned to make this for a friend's son's 18th name day celebration. The pictures in the Tim Holtz film strip ribbon are of him and various members of his family. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I started by spritzing the background with Dylusions spray inks, earning myself +89 splatter exp points. I then used some pearlescent airbrush paint that my lord husband had given me from his own crafting crypt to paint random circles. I also used a harlequin stencil on the corner with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink. Then I stamped the angel boy Stampotique image and painted his wings with gold automotive airbrush paint. The sentiment is from the Dylusions "Quintessential Quotes" set. I added some screw brads on the side to make it good and masculine and also earned +90 metal element exp points.

Here is another view so you can see how shimmery that paint is. 

The inside was stamped with a stamp from the Tim Holtz "Odds & Ends" set and the "Birthday Crazy" My Pink Stamper set. 

The card with its envelope.

I will enter this into the following challenges:
Crafting for all Seasons Challenge #36: Things With Wings
Try It On Tuesday: Anything Goes September Challenge
The Perfect Sentiment Challenge #50: Masculine Birthdays
Hooked On Craft Challenge #24: Cards for Men 
Creative Craft Challenge2: Anything Goes

We were able to make it to the Chipped Sapphire Sky Palace in time to save it from complete destruction by the mountain giants. Sirran and the dark angel clan were grateful and bestowed upon me a legendary bow, made from wood from an ancient truffle tree. I have named the great bow, which grants me +391 attack points and +794 delicious points,  Fungi.  

As this was focused on a masculine name day card and I used some airbrush paint from my lord husband's crafting crypt to create it, I thought we'd take this opportunity to take a little diversion and peek into his crafting crypt.

He airbrushes goalie masks in his extremely limited spare time. He had just finished this one up and was off to deliver it. It made a little 10 year old female goalie extremely happy.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

The Black Soot Mummers

We got a raven today carrying a message letting the Lady Commander of Copics and I know there was a traveling mummers troupe passing through the village. All was quiet at the Guild Hall, so we decided to go down to the village and see the spectacle. A wooden sign, sloppily painted, proclaimed them to be the Black Soot Mummers, and it wasn't hard to discern why. All the actors had dyed their hair black, painted their nails soot and had charcoal makeup smudged around their eyes. As they danced, sang and told japes under the velvet sky I began to notice they were all wearing a black vambrace with metal spikes protruding from it. Why would mummers be clad in bits of armour, especially pieces modified with metal spikes? I didn't have a good feeling about the Black Soot Mummers.

I started by cutting out all the images from the Rock Princess cartridge. I embossed the "rock on" words using the Swiss Dots folder. The sentiment I stamped from the Dylusions "Say What You Mean" set. I added some Tim Holtz tissue tape in the corner to make it a little less plain.

The sentiment on the inside was also from the "Say What You Mean" set. "Happy birthday brother" came from the "Family & Friends" My Pink Stamper set. This card gave me +49 metal element exp points. 

I will enter this rockin' card into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge: Tape it Up
The Perfect Sentiment Challenge #50: Masculine Birthdays
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Emboss It
Try it on Tuesday: Anything Goes September
Hooked on Craft Challenge #24: Cards for Men

As I had began to suspect, the Black Soot Mummers troupe were actually raiders there to pillage the village. Luckily Angela and I were already there to defend the smallfolk. My gunblade and the Lady Commander's blade, Paper-Ripper, quelled the invaders. I suppose the jape ended up being on them.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~ 

Migration of the Mint Elephants

Good morrow, traveller. Thank you for stopping by the Guild Hall today. The Guardian of Glitter has returned from a crafting quest from the lands across the Pearlescent Sea. A great herd of rare mint elephants were roaming the region, their migration pattern having been disrupted when their leader was slain by a sepia shadowcat. The herd was wandering dangerously close to the village, so Nikki was dispatched to help the smallfolk of Mint Myst by leading the elephant herd along their migration route across the Peppermint Plains. Her tales of the quest with the mint elephants lead to the inspiration for my next craft.

My kinswoman, and Crafters Guild Mercenary, Kimmy, is with child. The village women have decided to hold a gathering in her honour to celebrate the upcoming whelping of the babe. My lady mother requested that I prepare an appropriate greeting parchment for her to bear to the celebration in my stead, as I will be away with other questing commitments.

I used greens and browns for this card as those are the colours in which they have decorated the nursery. They also didn't find out ahead of time the sex of the child, hence the sentiment "It's a baby" which I stamped from the Family & Friends My Pink Stamper set. The elephant I cut from the Birthday Bash cartridge and embossed using the good ol Swiss Dots folder (probably my most used one). The pacifier was cut from the Simply Charmed Cartridge. I added some buttons and a scrap of brown ribbon from my stash to finish this card off. This creation earned me +830 kawaii exp points, allowing me to level up!

I offer this up to the following challenges:
Die Cuttin' Divas Challenge #83: Elephant
Shopping Our Stash Challenge #69: Emboss It
My Craft Spot Challenge #69: Wild About You
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Emboss It
The Corrosive Challenge #158: Animal Companions

The people of Mint Myst were so happy that the Guardian of Glitter saved their village from destruction by the leaderless herd (and made their village a little more sparkly along the way), they bestowed upon her a scepter made of peppermint candies. I advised Nikki it best to keep the spoil hidden from the Lady Commander, lest she want her prize eaten!

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Speedy Turkey

As this is the second post of the night and I am weary from the events that transpired, I shall keep this short. In less than three weeks our family shall be celebrating the Feast of Turkeys and as such, I have been finishing up my creations for the celebration. 

I threw this one together using the card feature from the Stretch Your Imagination cartridge. The letters I cut from the Birthday Bash cartridge. I used one of my border embossing folders to add a little something-something to the plain space on the right side of the card. I decided it was still a little too plain for my taste and tied an orange thread on the side to finish it off. This quick creation earned me +492 speed exp points allowing me to level up! After the last few creations which have been time drainers, it feels nice to just pound one out.

I shall be entering this into the following challenges:
Pause Dream Enjoy Challenge #37: Yellow & Red
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Emboss It
The Corrosive Challenge #158: Animal Companions

I shall now be retiring to the slumber chamber as I am so tired I feel I could sleep a fortnight.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

A Belligerent Drunk

After a hard day's work labouring in the Rainbow Fields, trying to harvest the colour crops before the frost, the Lady Commander and I decided to head into the village for a drink at the Inked Cricket, one of the local taverns. As I was ordering our mustard seed ales, one of the tavern's specialties, the Lady Commander went to find us a table in the busy pub. I paid for our drinks and turned to find the table my sister had claimed, only to see her drawing her kraft blade, Paper-Ripper. In front of her stood a drunk, howling wench waving a rusted knife. Paper-Ripper shone as Angela held it, ready to defend herself against the belligerent woman if necessary. How I find inspiration in situations such as this, I will never understand.

I started by stamping and colouring Jill from The Greeting Farm's Creepin Kit with Prismacolors. I liked it immediately after colouring it, then looked at it again and decided her dress looked like a watermelon. *sigh* Oh well....power through. I cut her a little Christmas hat using The Winnie the Pooh and Friends cartridge. It's hard to tell in the picture, but the white end is also glittered up, causing the Guardian of Glitter great glee. I embossed the green piece behind her with some snowflakes to make it more Christmas-like (again, hard to see in this horrible picture). The sentiment was from my new favourite set "Christmas Words" Dylusions set. Last I attached a piece of old lace on the bottom...and I mean ooooooold lace. Like this lace was from my GRANDMA'S stash!!! Using the Ancient Lace of Frills earned me +392 nostalgia exp points.

The sentiment continues on the inside. The little snowflakes came from the "Holly Jolly" Echo Park set. The Happy Holidays is from "Christmas Wishes" from My Pink Stamper.

I (of course) made a matching envelope with the Echo Park snowflakes.

I will be entering this into the following challenges:
The Greeting Farm's Farm Fresh Friday Challenge: Old Lace
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Emboss It!
Divas By Design Challenge #53: Lovely Layers
Tammy's Scrapin Corner Challenge #28: Anything Goes

Luckily, some of the men in the tavern were able to remove the wench without it coming to blows with the Lady Commander. Paper-Ripper was ready to slice her to ribbons, which I suppose wouldn't have been so bad. Who can't use more ribbon?

~Guild Master Crystal ~

The Elf Went Postal

Today was a rather uneventful day at the Guild Hall. The direwolves were quiet and not a hellhound was stirring. I decided to take the time to clean the crafting chambers. That is the one room I do not allow the house gnomes to clean as I tend to keep everything and wouldn't want them throwing any of my precious bits in the rubbish. As the afternoon wore on, I came to realize that I had accumulated quite the hoard of paper scraps. Instead of throwing them away, I decided to take a respite from the tiresome chores and make a card.

I started by stamping the postcard from Lawn Fawn's "You've Got Mail" set. Then I used my Prismacolors to color up that cute digi from Meljen's Designs. I used "Twig & Berry - Postmarks" by Kaisercraft to stamp the postmarks on the postcard. The sentiment was stamped with the "Christmas Wishes" set by My Pink Stamper. I randomly layered some scraps of Christmas paper and adhered them down. Slapped some buttons on the side and called 'er a day.

I used some more of those postmark stamps on the inside and finished off the sentiment started on the front using the "Christmas Words" Dylusions stamp set.

Made a little matching envelope for this postal elf. This is actually a pretty small card - closed it measures 3.5" x 6.25".

I will be entering this into the following challenges:
Meljen's Design Team Challenge #127: Scrap It
Tammy's Scrapin Corner Challenge #28: Anything Goes
Try it on Tuesday: Anything Goes September Challenge
Paper Playtime Challenge #84: Punches & A Sentiment

It feels good to use some of those scraps on an actual card rather than watching the pile swell with no end in site. I didn't get much actual cleaning done...but did manage to lose -92 hoarder exp points - trust me...that's a good thing. That is one attribute I need to go down a level!

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Tag You're It

Welcome to the Guild Hall. You have arrived just in time to hear my tribulations. I have yet to embark on a crafting quest that has felt a chore until I accepted this latest mission. Admittedly, the troubles started by my own accord and a foolish decision that nearly doomed the entire expedition. Instead of making my usual card, I decided to try my hand at making a tag. I have only made a tag once before and it wasn't a "stand alone" tag. It was crafted then quickly settled into its new home on a card face. It had purpose. This one was going to be a lone tag - a rogue. It was rough going the whole way through. I suppose I do need more practice at this particular craft.

The tag itself was one of my spoils gained from the Crafters Guild Raid last weekend. I started by inking the tag using Dylusions spray inks. Step two was stamping the Stampotique image using Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink. Then I sat there and stared at the tag for a good ten minutes trying to decide what to do next. Hmmmmm....nothing was coming to me. Luckily it was time to sup; a well needed break away from this tag that was apparently going no where. 

My evening meal consumed, I returned to the crafting chamber and stared at the tag for awhile longer. I finally decided to emboss the one side and ink it up. Then I dug through my "bits box" to try and find something of use. I came across that owl image that I had cut from the Storybook cartridge literally two years ago and that weird orange shape that I think was the inside piece of a jack-o-lantern mouth at one point. 

Next I stamped the sentiment from the Dylusions "Say What You Mean" set and the eyes from the "Dependable Dotty" set. I also added glossy accents to the eyes. I still thought it looked a little plain, so I stamped the key and button things from the 7 Gypsies "Steampunk" stamp set. Last I inked a piece of silver ribbon using the Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink and frayed the ends of it.

I stared at the tag a little longer and decided that nothing I could add would make me like it more. Best just enter it into the Stampotique Designers Challenge (#64: Colour Challenge - mustard, navy, orange) and be done with it.

This endevour wasn't a complete failure having earned myself +190 exp points in tag making. I will definitely need to attempt a similar quest again before I will have enough experience to level up this skill.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

You Want Me To Do WHAT With The Turkey's Butt?!

As I was taking the direwolves on their nightly hunt I began to notice that many of the trees' leaves are already yellowing - a sure sign that autumn is upon us. In fact when I checked the date, I realized that in only three short weeks we would be gathering with family and feeding on the carcass of a turkey for the annual Thanksgiving Feast. After the direwolves had eaten their fill of rabbit and squirrel I returned to the Guild Hall, went to the crafting chamber and began constructing a card in preparation for the celebration of the turkey corpse.

I started by stamping out Thursday by The Greeting Farm and colouring her with Prismacolors in a "fall" palette. The turkey I cut from Simply Charmed. The sassy sentiment came from the Dylusions "Christmas Words" set. Thursday just looks like she has so much attitude, I thought the sentiment seemed like something she'd say. This earned me +59 sarcastic exp points, which really amounts to nothing as my level is maxed out in that attribute. {lol} I tied some baker's twine through two huge, ugly, clear buttons I had kicking around in my button bin. Man it felt nice to use those up. 

Inside of the card. Nice and simple.

I offer this sarcastic creation to the following challenges:
The Perfect Sentiment Challenge #49: Fall & Baker's Twine
The Greeting Farm Challenge: Jumping in the Leaves - RETRO Style
Simply Create Too Challenge #22: Anything Goes
Card Crafter's Circle Challenge #40: Gone Gingham
Mark's Finest Papers Simple Salutation Challenge #11: Autumn

The Guardian of Glitter related a humorous anecdote of last Thanksgiving Feast when her lady sister did not wish to violate the turkey by putting the stuffing through its anus and wanted to stuff it through the neck. Unfortunately Nikki's kin didn't know the head from the ass and ended up stuffing it up the butt anyways. Oh Lady Pamela.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Spoils of the Guild Raid

Yesterday was the Crafters Guild Raid. The entire Guild was present, including Guild Apprentice Lindsay, and we all came away from the raid with numerous spoils. Guild Apprentice Lindsay managed to find an enchanted Book of Memories which she will be able to use to hold spells she learns during her apprenticeship. She also found a Stamp of Remembering which adds +23 points to her mana total. The Lady Commander of Copics surprisingly didn't come away with any new Copic weapons. Instead she felled a great dragon and stole an ancient tome full of pictures depicting life from thousands of years ago. Part of her spoils for killing the dragon also included a Bamboo Shield with a +68 defense bonus and a Stamp of Ancient Etching. The Guardian of Glitter made away with some Stamps of Holiday Cheer giving her +593 Christmas cheer exp points. She also destroyed a grumpkin for some Sticks of Rainbow Colour that have +50 mana. But enough of our triumphs. Let us proceed to today's craft.

I used the Dylusions stencil "Luscious Leaves" to ink the rectangle pattern using the spring Distress Inks. This earned me +109 rainbow exp points. I also used Distress Inks to colour the edge of the card pinky-purple. The candles were cut from the Wrap It Up cartridge. The black swirly-dos were stamped using Inkadinkado's "Classic Flourish Filidee" stamp. The sentiment was from My Pink Stamper's Birthday Crazy set.

The inside piece was embossed and inked using the spring Distress Inks. I stamped the sentiment from Birthday Crazy on vellum. The corners were stamped with a stamp from Inkadinkado's "Decorative Corners" set.

Made a matching envelope using the Luscious Leaves stencil and spring Distress Ink colours.

This colourful birthday card will be entered into the following challenges:
Emergency Crafters Challenge: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Simply Create Too Challenge #22: Anything Goes
Try it on Tuesday: Anything Goes September Challenge
Shopping Our Stash Challenge #68: 3, 2, 1 (3 pearls, 2 candles, 1 ribbon)

The guildys had a great time at the raid and look forward to next year when we can score some more crafty spoils to add to the armoury.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~