Fuzzy Peach Elixirs - More Than Just a Candy

Salutations. Today the Guardian of Glitter and I spent a relaxing afternoon at Natsume Farm picking peaches. These were no ordinary peaches though. Natsume Farm grows magically enhanced elixir peaches that infuse you with healing tonics, filling up not only your HP but also your MP. They are more practical when adventuring, as glass vials filled with your traditional elixir potions tend to break rather easily when jostled.

I started this bookmark by cutting the peach using the Just Because Cards cartridge and inking the pieces a little before gluing everything together. Instead of using patterned paper for the background I hunted through my VAST embossing folder stash and chose some big dots to emboss it with. I have a serious problem when it comes to buying embossing folders...I have over 70 of them! The other fruit I stamped using the Stampin’ Up “Tart and Tangy” set. Instead of using ink pads though, I coloured the stamps using Distress Markers so I could get different colours on the same image. So coloured ‘em up, gave ‘em the ‘ol huff-huff and stamped them. It worked better than I thought it would! This earned me +129 moisture exp points, which I’m not entirely sure what I will do with.

This fuzzy peach will hold a place in the following challenges:

Incy Wincy Designs: Read All About It

Fabtabulous Cricut Challenge #170: Fruit Salad

Shopping Our Stash Challenge #111: I don’t really need another one (embossing folders!!)

Milk Coffee Emboss It Challenge

Simon Says: Summer Food and/or Drink

Friends of SpeedyTV Challenge #82: No Designer Paper

Simply Create Too Challenge #42: Anything But a Card

Challenges 4 Everybody #25: Anything Goes

Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger: (the minty/peachy colours inspired my bookmark)

The Lady Commander of Copics refused to join Nikki and I on our fruit picking trip, as she will have nothing to do with “juice” or “fruit products”. She will be sorry however, that she missed seeing the adorable large eyed cows, pigs and sheep at Natsume Farm.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

A Springy Facade

As snow continues to fall over the realm, despite spring being a mere three days away, people have grown increasingly frustrated. This tends to happen this time of year. It is rather disheartening to watch a foot of snow fall when just two weeks ago the lanes were beginning to melt and dry up. To temper my own displeasure with the weather I decided to retreat to the crafting chambers and make something cheery that reminded me of spring.

I created this shaped card using the Birthday Bash cartridge. I embossed the brown piece with my Cuttlebug and a Tim Holtz embossing folder. The sunflowers I cut using the “Just Because” Cards cartridge. I cut out “mom” using the Rock Princess cartridge and then embossed that as well, earning me +381 texturization exp points. I added some Adage tickets and a piece of yellow ribbon tied in a bow to complete the front.

On the inside I stamped the sentiment using the My Pink Stamper “Birthday Crazy” set. I added a butterfly from the 7 Gypsies “Steampunk” set and that other random shape from a nameless cheapo clear set I have kicking around the crafting chambers.

This card will “spring” into the following challenges:
Pile It On Challenge #11: Circles and/or Squares
Creative Craft Challenges2 #5: Mother’s Day
Penny’s Challenge #118: Ribbons and Diecuts
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #260: Anything Goes
Dream Valley Challenge #52: Mother’s Day
Challenges 4 Everybody #16: Anything Goes
Spark Your Creativity Now Challenge #7: Anything Goes
My Creative Moments Wordplay Saturday Challenge - “springtime”

Although Mother’s Day is still two months away, it did lift my spirits to create a springtime card and pretend that outside there was green grass and flowers blossoming rather than the frozen, white wasteland that awaits me. Siiiiiiiiigh...

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

The Cardinal Rule

Today the Lady Commander of Copics, Guardian of Glitter and I were traversing Hortons Hills, doing some minor crafty questing when we received a fire message from Guild Apprentice Lindsay who was watching over the Guild Hall in our absence. It appears the man we had assisted only a few days ago had taken a turn for the worst. Guild Apprentice Lindsay had went to the village to take a look at the fellow and she said it appears the brigands had used some sort of advanced time release poison. As we were leagues away from the village, we put together a kit containing all the ingredients and instructions Lindsay would need to perform the spell to dispel the poison and sent it using a cardinal. Hopefully her magic was at a high enough level to be successful. 

To make this card I cut the bird using the Campin’ Critters cartridge and gave him some googley eyes (because googley eyes make everything cuter). The sentiment I cut from the “Just Because” Cards cartridge. I embossed the blue strip using the Cuttlebug, added a button and some of that “floss” type stuff to finish the front of the card. I managed to earn +79 texture exp points with this card, which actually leveled that skill up!

On the inside I cut a shape using the “Just Because” Cards cartridge and stamped the sentiment from Lawn Fawn’s “Sophie’s Sentiments.”

This cardinal creation will fly on into the following challenges:
Die Cuttin’ Divas Challenge #100: Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything Goes
Crafts and Me Challenge #118: Your Favourite Embellishment (buttons!)
The Perfect Sentiment Challenge #84: Anything Goes With a Die-Cut
MFP Speedy Tv Simple Salutations Challenge #30: Anything Goes
Little Scrap Pieces Fun Friday Get Well Challenge
Spark Your Creativity Now Challenge #6: Anything Goes

Luckily, Lindsay’s enchanted Book of Memories and Stamp of Remembering she obtained during the Guild Raid paid off, as she had just enough mana and skill level to complete the spell, saving the villager’s life. I do believe that Lindsay is well on her way to becoming a full-fledged Guildy!

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Damsel in Distress...Ink?

Today I undertook a quest to help the needy. It was a true crafter's quest. Last night we were awoken by a loud banging on the Guild Hall's enormous wooden door. I lit a torch, donned a robe and crept downstairs to see who would be foolish enough to call on us at such an hour. When I opened the door, a young lass, drenched from the pouring rain, stood  before me. She begged me for the assistance of the Crafters Guild. Having travelled a fortnight to reach us, I found it hard to refuse. Also, I was so close to leveling up, I could use the experience from a new crafting quest.

The young woman was in desperate need of an anniversary card for her beloved, as they were celebrating the first year of their union.  

The card base was cut using Just Because Cards. The champagne glass I cut from Stretch Your Imagination. The phrase "one year" was cut using Wrap It Up. It actually cuts out the phrase "one year older" and a candle, but I cut off the "older" part and saved it and the candle in my "bits box" for another project, earning +15 exp in "hoarding". The random shape the "one year" was glued on was already in my "bits box", left over from another crafting quest, and I honestly can't remember which cartridge it came from. The inside phrase was stamped using my Lawn Fawn set "Sophie's Sentiments".

I then cut out an envelope from Just Because Cards to make it a "fancy" envelope and inked all the white edges using Tim Holtz Distressed Ink "Old Paper" (probably my most used colour).

 

This project, which earned me a +76 combo bonus for using three different cartridges, will be entered into the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #121 - Wedding Bliss. 

It feels good to make something that helps out someone in a crafting crisis. It also doesn't hurt that the young woman left a sack of gold in exchange for the Crafters Guild's assistance...hey....these bills don't pay themselves.

~Guild Master Crystal ~