Sisters of the Crafters Guild

Thursday, 10 January 2013

No Peanut Butter? That's Nuts!

One of the house gnomes, Olga, came to me with a concern today. When she was taking stock of the storerooms, she noticed that we were missing bags and bags of nuts. She was concerned as she is aware of my fondness of peanut butter and knew the current stock would not carry us through the winter months ahead. I cast a locating spell after successfully rolling a +18 and the trail of nuts was revealed to us. We followed the magical path and found ourselves deep beneath the Guild Hall in a crumbling unused room. In the middle of the room a squirrel sat atop an enormous pile of the missing nuts.

I started this card by cutting out the “nutty” tag using the Art Philosophy cartridge. I then stamped the Kraftin’ Kimmie “Squirrel in Love” image onto the kraft tag. I coloured it using Prismacolors, which was a new experience. The colours blended differently on the kraft paper as compared to regular white paper. I stamped the banner from the Lawn Fawn “Bannerific” set and stamped the sentiment from the Technique Tuesday “Tin Man” set. The sentiment actually reads “I’m nuts and bolts about you,” but I masked off the “and bolts” part to make it fit this card, earning me +90 transmogrification exp points.

The inside was stamped with the leaves from the Dylusions “Further Around the Edge” set. The sentiment came from The Greeting Farm’s “Furever” set.

I stamped the same leaves onto the envelope making it a happy face matching envelope.

This nutty card will be cracked into the following challenges:
The Paper Players Challenge #127: Love is in the Air
Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamps Challenge #160: Animal House
Pennyblack Allsorts January Challenge: Love is in the Air

The little guy was quite reasonable about the nut situation. Turns out his name is Harold and he doesn’t have a home for the winter. I invited him to stay at the Guild Hall so he wouldn’t have to squat and steal food anymore. I even offered to share my peanut butter with him. Generous - I know.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Monday, 7 January 2013

I'll Love My Direwolf Fur-Ever!

After the hard battle fought earlier today at Bradsville, I needed to do something relaxing to wind down. I decided a nice long walk through the Forbidden Forest with my direwolf, Lycan would suffice. I quickly learned why it was called the forbidden forest though, and what was supposed to be a relaxing walk to wind down, turned into a battle with some skeletal brigands.

I started by stamping the image from The Greeting Farm’s “Furever” set. I crafted this card outside the Guild Hall, and as such didn’t have my trusty Prismacolor sticks. I had to use what was available to me...some half broken Crayon pencil crayons. Side note: Crayola pencil crayons do not blend well. So please forgive the subpar colouring which made me lose -50 colouring exp points. I didn’t even know you could lose exp before this. I distressed and inked the edges, adding some brads that I received as a reward for defending Bradsville. The sentiment and bone came from the same stamp set. I used the Pack Your Bags cartridge to cut out the little postage stamp shapes to stamp them on. Wow...I just said stamp a lot of times...I added that paw print ribbon that has been sitting in my stash for over a year and NEVER been used.

The inside sentiment, heart and paws are all also from The Greeting Farm’s “Furever” set. I distressed and inked the edges of this paper too.

I stamped some paws on the envelope to make everything coordinate.

I will walk this card into the following challenges:
MFP Speedy TV Simple Salutations Challenge #26: Card Using a Dog
Challenges 4 Everybody Challenge #11: Anything Goes
Paper Playtime Challenge #1: Pets
Pause Dream Enjoy Challenge #1: Use Ribbon
The Corrosive Challenge #165: Out With the Old (that pawprint ribbon is oooold)
Spark Your Creativity Now! Challenge #5: Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge: Embrace the Old
Fairy Tale Challenge #58: Animals & Pets
EmergencyCrafters: New Years Resolution (I’ve had the pawprint ribbon for over a year and never used it before!)

My direwolf and I were able to easily defeat the brigands. I gave up trying to go on a relxing walk and simply headed back to the Guild Hall for a cup of tea and a good book. *sigh* Adventuring is hard work.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Tinfoil Dinosaur

Today we received a plea from the townsfolk of Bradsville. The small metalsmith village was being invaded by mechanical beasts that were controlled by a sinister scientist. I’m sure the villain was after the village’s supply of ore which was collected in the nearby mines then fashioned into various bits and bobs. I saddled Ruffles and rode to Bradsville, the Lady Commander of Copics following me on her mount, Neko. As we crested Ric~Rac Hill we could see the monstrous metallic beasts smashing their way through the village. They were taller than the houses and the whirring noises from their joints could be heard across the vale. We urged our mounts forward and galloped towards Bradsville.

I made this card for a friend who’s name is Alex, but one time I mistyped it in an email as Aklex (hitting the K, which is located right next to the L in my haste), and we said it sounded like a robot name and it became a big inside joke, of which you are now all privy to {lol}. Anways. I cut the robot dinosaur using the Robotz cartridge which is the VERY FIRST cartridge I ever bought - three years ago! Nostalgia...ahhhh..I also cut the name and the gear from that same cartridge. I tried something new and embossed some tin foil for the background. I wrapped a piece of cereal box cardboard with the foil and embossed it that way as the foil itself is too thin. It worked okay, but if you smoosh the card too much, the embossing would get flattened. (As you can see already happened in some areas). The sentiment came from the Technique Tuesday "Tin Man" set. I added a “screw” brad in place of the “o” to increase the card to Level 8 Manliness.

This robot will roll on into the following challenges:
The Perfect Sentiment Challenge #60: Metal Embellished Birthdays
Little Scrap Pieces Fun Friday “Anything Goes” Challenge
Tammy’s Scrapin’ Corner Challenge #44: Manly Cards
Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge: Embrace the Old
Dream Valley Challenges #48: Anything Goes
One Crazy Stamper January “Anything Goes” Challenge
Spark Your Creativity Now! Challenge #5: Anything Goes

We had to use our double techs Super Volt and Laser Spin to finish off those giant robots, as lightning seemed to be the only element that did any substantial damage to them. Luckily we had some extra Ether potions on us, because we were burning through our mana points fighting those things! We were able to save Bradsville from complete destruction and ensure the realm was still able to receive the bits and bobs manufactured there.
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I'm a little embarrased to show this...but in the spirit of "embracing the old", I will. I found a picture of the very first card I made using the Robotz cartridge. I shudder now to look at it. Lol. Please don't judge. It was a long time ago and I didn't know what I was doing:

Haha. The "background paper" was cut from an old tissue box. I didn't have ANY stamps, so the gears were printed on the yellow paper with my computer and the sentiment was also printed on my computer and cut out (rather poorly). Everything was glued with that cheap clear liquid glue you can get at the dollar store (hence the wrinkly paper). Lol. How funny to look back on this. Little did I know what an addiction this would become!
~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Sunday, 6 January 2013

Leibster Award

This is quite the deviation from the norm, but I received a comment on one of my blog posts saying a fellow blogger, Haven, had nominated me for a Liebster Award. It's an award that you pass on to a fellow blogger that you like and enjoy reading their posts.

I am fairly new the blogging world, and don’t follow too many blogs that aren’t strictly “challenges.” My sister and I mainly started this blog to share our crafts, geekiness and write some fun stories. I’m glad someone likes reading the adventures of the Crafters Guild which mostly takes place in my head. With that being said, I won’t be able to pass this on to 11 other people, but I will to as many as possible.

The Rules:
1. Each person tagged must post 11 things about themselves.
2. They must also answer the 11 questions the tagger has set for them.
3. They must create 11 more questions to ask bloggers they have decided to tag.
4. They must then choose 11 special bloggers to tag & award with the Liebster award
5. These bloggers must be told in a comment on their blog

Here’s 11 Things About Me
1) I live in the Canadian prairies where in the winter the snowbanks are taller than me
2) I devour books - nom nom nom
3) I love videogames and managed a retail video game store for 5 years
4) I’m usually listening to videogame soundtracks while I craft
5) In the summer I play tennis and mountain bike
6) I am very shy
7) I have an enormous collection of stuffed animals that I can’t bear ←{haha} to part with
8) If alone, I’m scared of the dark (probably due to my overactive imagination)
9) I detest driving - especially in the winter
10) I’m super cheap...er...frugal...and HATE shopping with a passion
11) I love playing super dorky boardgames (my husband and I have over 70!) Here's one in action:

These are Haven’s Questions
1) What’s your favourite food?
This is a hard one...I think I’d have to go with butter chicken. I love East Indian food.
2) When did you start scrapping?
I’ve been making cards ever since I was a kid, but I didn’t really get into the “scrapping world” - so to speak - until 2010 when I bought a Cricut...from there it was just a landslide of craft supplies and I’ve been hooked ever since.
3) What famous person would you want to be?
I don’t think I’d want to be a famous person. I like being able to meld into the background of society when necessary.
4) Do you have a job outside of the home?
Unfortunately yes. (I have to pay for my craft supplies somehow...oh and bills and food and stuff too {lol}). I work in the service department of a luxury car dealership.
5) What was your major in college?
Journalism. I took it because I like writing. Didn’t pursue it because, quite frankly, I’m not outgoing enough to be a journalist.
6) Favourite scrap technique?
I don’t know that I have a favourite technique...hmm...I do really like paper piecing stamped images using patterned paper - mostly because it saves time from colouring it {lol}
7) Scrap tool you couldn’t live without?
Probably my heat tool. I don’t know how I lived without it before I had it!
8) Favourite season?
Fall. It’s not as hot as summer, and there’s (usually) no snow yet, so driving isn’t treacherous. Days are still warm, but it cools down at night so I can sleep :)
9) Dream house would be?
I love our house. It’s the perfect size for me, my husband and our fur-baby. I wouldn’t want anything bigger...that’s just more to clean! Although I would like a house with a slide instead of stairs because that would be just plain fun.
10) Do you play well with others?
I suppose so. Depends what we’re playing. Anyone who’s ever been my partner in Pictionary would probably disagree with that though...
11) Most creative project you did in 2012?
Starting this blog! I started making a paperbag album last spring of our China trip that is looking really awesome, but I have yet to finish it, so I don’t think it counts.

My Nominees:
Belldoubleyou: http://lindenbell.blogspot.ca/
Hazel: http://craftyhazelnut.blogspot.ca/
Chrissyxx: http://trulychrissyxx.blogspot.ca/
Sandra: http://stampingforpleasure.blogspot.ca/
Karen: http://karencreate.blogspot.ca/

My Questions:
1) What is your favourite stamp company?
2) What is your favourite movie?
3) What is the furthest place you’ve travelled to?
4) What is your favourite book?
5) What was your favourite childhood toy?
6) If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
7) What time do you usually wake up?
8) What is your least favourite chore?
9) If you could have any job (assuming you already had skills/training for it) what would it be?
10) What is your favourite colour of ink to stamp with?
11) What is your crafty goal for 2013?

That’s it. Now you know some stuff about me. Thanks for reading along and embarking on adventures with the Crafters Guild. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

~ Just Crystal ~

Building Blueprints for a Better Battalion

After we had to destroy our entire snowman army that had become too sentient and rogue, the Lady Commander of Copics and I started working on blueprints to create a new snowman soldier. We got out some parchment and began sketching the design. This snowman warrior would be tough, but unable to evolve into a free-thinking being like the last ones, allowing us complete control over them. There is nothing worse than a herd of angry snowmen rampaging through some village.

I started this card by making the background using Distress Inks and a lot of water. After drying and distressing the edges with my blade, I stamped the snowman from the Tim Holtz “Christmas Blueprint” set. I added some colour to the chap using Distress Markers. I stamped the tag from the Tim Holtz “Odds and Ends” set and attached it using a paperclip. A button and some twine finished off this chilly creation. (I’m always extra happy when I get to use a button on a card, giving me a +87 morality boost).

The inside sentiment is from the My Pink Stamper “Christmas Wishes” set and the snowflake whoosh on the bottom is just some cheap-o Recollections brand stamp.

I stamped that same snowflake whoosh on the envelope to make it all matchy-match.

This sketchy craft will shamble on into the following challenges:
Creative Craft Challenges2: Non Traditional Christmas
Penny’s Paper-Crafty Challenge #108: Use your favourite embellishment (buttons)
Card Crafter’s Circle Challenge #56: There’s No Business Like Snow Business
Chocolate Coffee and Cards Challenge #29: Snowmen
CHNC Challenge #106: Santa has gone into hiding
Crafts and Me Winter Wonderland Christmas Challenge
Simply Create Too Challenge #28: “Let It Snow”
Sparkles Christmas Challenge #24: Snowmen
Spark Your Creativity Now! Challenge #5: Anything Goes
CHNC challenge extra for January

I think our blueprint for this new snowman soldier will work out well. Luckily we’ve just had about a foot of fresh snowfall overnight as well, which will help in the creation of our army. Time to bundle up and get rolling!

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Friday, 4 January 2013

Perk Up - We Killed the Evildoer

Welcome to the Guild Hall. Pay no mind to the mess. We just returned from a rather urgent quest to quell the malicious plans of Professor Kendall, an evil alchemist who was developing a serum to reanimate corpses into flesh eating zombies. I shudder to imagine the catastrophic mayhem that would have caused. I managed to roll a +12 and snipe him using my Dusty Concord Crossbow, allowing the Lady Commander of Copics to swoop in wearing her +50 Boots of Leopard Speed and steal the serum whilst the Guardian of Glitter cast Sparkle Strike, creating cover for us to escape. After that exhausting endeavor, we decided to head back to the Guild Hall and recharge on some java.

I started this card by stamping The Greeting Farm’s “Latte Anya” which is was brand new - package hadn’t been opened, stamp untrimmed and uninked. I stamped her onto watercolour paper and coloured her using Distress Markers and my trusty Hydra Brush which I seem to be getting well acquainted with. I then used the polaroid stamp from my brand new Lawn Fawn set: “Say Cheese,” which my Lord Husband bestowed upon me this Christmas (much to my delight). The sentiment came from the Crafty Secrets “Coffee and Tea” set. I used that same set to stamp the coffee bean on some kraft paper to make it look patterned. I added some buttons to the side, which are probably my favourite embellishments to use (even if they do make a card have +83 puffiness). Lastly I used the Lawn Fawn “My Cup of Tea” set to subtly stamp the cups at the bottom.

The inside sentiment and beans are both from the “Coffee and Tea” Crafty Secrets set. I also did a little embossing on the sides with a border embossing folder and the Cuttlebug. Although the picture looks blurry, the font of the stamp is actually like that...weird...

I stamped more beans along the bottom of the envelope to make it all match and earned myself +62 combo exp points.

This snapshot will develop in the following challenges:
The Greeting Farm’s FFF: Something New
Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge: Totally Mad (no rules) Tea Party
Penny’s Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog Challenge #108: Use your favourite embellishments
Pixie Challenge: It’s All New to Me
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #250: Something New
Simon Says Stamp: Something New
One Crazy Stamper January “Anything Goes” Challenge
Spark Your Creativity Now! Challenge #5: Anything Goes

Well, time to clean the equipment and drink some tonic potions to mend our wounds. Another quest complete.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Tuesday, 1 January 2013

It's a Mad Mad World

This afternoon we came across a deranged girl wandering alone through the woods. Her eyes wide, she was muttering about rabbits and tea parties. The Lady Commander of Copics and I were utterly at a loss as to what to do for this poor lass. She seemed possessed, or under some sort of spell. Whatever the case may be, there was definitely some dark magic at work. We took the girl back to the Guild Hall and I sent a raven to Ish’tak, one of the village healers.

I started this bookmark by stamping “Alice” by The Octopode Factory on watercolour paper and colouring her with Distress Markers and the legendary Hydra Brush. To create the background, I spritzed various colours of Dylusions spray ink then used the “Luscious Leaves” stencil and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink for the checkered pattern. I then stamped the edges with the one of the images from the Dylusions “Doodle Parts” set and coloured them in with Distress Markers. I stamped the Octopode Factory sentiment and cut it out to finish off the bookmark.