Thursday, 18 September 2014

Season of Strategy

Today the Lady Commander of Copics and I were invited to dinner in Hollyston. It turned out to be more like a business meeting with their leader, Hollinda. Over four courses and some lovely holly berry tea (Angela had water as she found the tea had too high a berry level) we discussed strategies on how to keep the village safe this coming holiday season. Every year they were inevitably attacked, the enemies after their precious holly. As I passed Hollinda the salt, we began to lay down the groundwork for magical defences the Lady Commander and I could erect.  

I started this card by cutting the base out using the Art Philosophy cartridge. I stamped the salt and pepper using the Unity “What’s Shakin’” itty bitty. I added some faces using a Lawn Fawn set and a santa hat using the Lawn Fawn “Hat’s Off To You” set. I coloured everything using Prismacolor pencils and cut them out. The holly I cut using the Stretch Your Imagination cartridge. I had to explain the pun on this card to a few people *sigh*. The salt and pepper are seasons and they’re greeting each other. Lol. Regardless, I earned +50 punny XP points.

On the inside I stamped the sentiment using the There She Goes “‘Tis the Season” set.

The envelope was stamped with the Dylusions “Christmas Borders” set and quickly coloured with Distress Markers.

This card will season the following challenges:

Although our plan was far from perfect, it would at least help the small village protect itself and the valuable holly until the Crafters Guild could come and assist in the battle. Also, I’ll never say no to a free dinner...so...all in all...time well spent.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~
Inscribed by Guild Master Crystal at 21:24 12 comments
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Monday, 15 September 2014

The Raiding Duo

Today the Lady Commander of Copics and I embarked on the annual Guildy Raid. Unfortunately the Guardian of Glitter was unable to join us as her powerful healing magic was needed in a neighbouring village. Guild Apprentice Lindsay was also tied up in an unfinished quest, so it was just the two of us this year. The dungeon was harder to explore being only a duo as opposed to our usual foursome, the silver topped creatures fiercer than ever. Somehow we managed to prevail, though with not as much loot as previous raids. As we left the dungeon, we decided to grab a soothing hot chocolate as the weather was still abnormally cold.

I started this card by stamping The Greeting Farm’s “Beanie Ian” image and colouring him using Distress Markers and my Hydrabrush of +30 wetness (it leveled up after my previous crafty quest). I then cut the card base out using the Art Philosophy cartridge. The “snowflake border” (<--that’s in quotation marks, because I don’t really think they look much like snowflakes) was cut using the Artiste cartridge (one of the spoils from the raid). I stamped the sentiment using a Unity stamp. I was going to leave it like that, but thought it seemed a little plain, so I stamped the mug, steam and spoon using the Lawn Fawn “Love You a Latte” set. I coloured them using Distress Markers and diecut them out with the coordinating Lawn Cuts set.

On the inside I once again using the “Love You a Latte” set for everything. The images were water coloured with Distress markers and diecut out. This time I decided to add a little smiley face to the mug for some +80 bonus cuteness XP.

The envelope I stamped using the Close To My Heart “Snowflakes” set keeping the colours scheme the same as the card so it was all matchy-matchy.

This card will warm up the following challenges:

Sipping our sweet scalding beverages in the cafe, we sifted through our spoils, thinking of all the crafting quests we would be able to complete with them. The dungeon doors have closed for another year when we would once again set out on the raid, hopefully with a full complement of the Crafters Guild this time.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~
Inscribed by Guild Master Crystal at 21:07 8 comments
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Sunday, 14 September 2014

Look What The Winter Storm Blew In!

Greetings traveller. Please step into the Guild Hall and get out of the cold. The realm has been blasted with abnormally low temperatures this last week and we even received some snow. As it isn’t even Autumn yet, I expect this is the work of an evil Winter Wizard. The Guardian of Glitter and I dusted off our heavy cloaks and winter armor, preparing to set out and track down the fiend who was responsible for this awful weather. As we stepped out of the Guild Hall we were shocked to see the Lady Commander of Copics walking towards us; she has been missing for almost three months! A fuzzy scarf was wrapped around her neck and her hands were buried in a sparkling muff. It was odd attire considering the last we heard she was in the tropical Floundering Reef. 

I started this card by colouring The Greeting Farm’s “Holiday Anya 3” image using Distress Markers and my Hydra Brush of +20 wetness. I then used some Stickles to add some sparkle to her muff and hair clip. The card base I cut using the Artiste cartridge. The snowflakes were diecut using the Lawn Fawn “Stitched Snowflakes” die set. The sentiment was stamped using the Lawn Fawn “Let It Snow” set.

On the inside I cut the shape out using the Artiste cartridge and then stamped the sentiment using a Unity stamp.

The envelope was cut using the Artiste cartridge and stamped using the Close to My Heart “Snowflakes” set.

The flap of the envelope is fancy and matches the fancy edge of the card.

This card will create a flourish in the following challenges:

“Sister!” I exclaimed rushing towards the Lady Commander of Copics.
“Where in the seven hells have you been?! We searched tirelessly for you with no luck,” the Guardian of Glitter  said.
“Whatever do you mean? I left just a fortnight ago,” Angela answered.
I looked at her glassy eyes and shook my head. “Memory altering spell,” I muttered to the Guardian of Glitter.
“Great. Well let’s get her into the Guild Hall and work on reversing it. This Winter Wizard will have to wait,” she replied.
Looks like we were stuck with the snow and cold for a bit longer, but at long last our lost Guildy has returned!

~ Guild Master Crystal ~   
Inscribed by Guild Master Crystal at 21:43 10 comments
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Monday, 8 September 2014

Buttergears Take Flight

Today I was gazing out the window, watching the yellowing leaves fall from the trees when a large airship landed right in front of the Guild Hall. Sighing at the interruption of my melancholy reverie, I put down my mug, threw on a cloak and, shoving a dagger in my boot for good measure, headed outside to see what this unexpected visitor wanted.
“Hail, good lady!” a woman called as she disembarked from her steaming airship. Her curly pink hair cascaded down her back from underneath a bowler hat. She held a monocle up to her eye, examining me. “Are you the Guild Master?” she inquired.
“I am.”
“Excellent!” She pulled a small clear box from a pouch on her thigh. It contained a tiny butterfly fluttering and whirring inside it’s glass prison. Upon closer inspection, it appeared the insect was comprised of tiny gears!  

This card was created for the Creative Card Crew “urban/steampunk” challenge that is happening now. Make a urban or steampunk themed project and come play along with us for your chance to win a prize from one of our sponsors!
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I started this card by colouring the KennyK “Inspector Em” image using Distress Markers and cutting her out. Next I stamped and clear heat embossed the gear image from the Tim Holtz “Industrial Blueprint” set. The sentiment I stamped using the Lawn Fawn “Beep Boop Birthday” set. Last thing I did was die cut that steampunk butterfly. I was super pumped about that die when I found it, and I was incredibly disappointed with it. As you can tell from the slightly mangled right side, it really did not cut very well...and this was my FIFTH attempt. I tried using shims to make it tighter, ran it through the machine back and forth numerous times, and nothing would make a nice clean cut - there was always one section (not always the same section, mind you) that would not be cut the whole way through. It was a most infuriating trial and earned me +3400 frustration XP!

On the inside I stamped the sentiment, gears, and butterfly using a bunch of different Unity stamps.

I stamped the same gears on the envelope to make everything match.

This card will gear up for the following challenges:

“What is that creature?” I exclaimed.
“We have started calling them buttergears. I was hoping you would be able to help me,” the woman replied. “These mechanical butterflies have completely taken over my city. They started appearing a fortnight ago and now there are so many it is unsafe to be outdoors. They must be powered by some sort of magic,” she explained, offering me the clear box to examine the creature closer.
“Let us go inside, Madame. I will make you a hot beverage and we can formulate a plan.” 
The strange woman and I made for the comfort of the Guild Hall while the odd buttergear whirred and clicked inside the glass cube, seemingly protesting our planning the destruction of its brethren.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~
Inscribed by Guild Master Crystal at 23:00 6 comments
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Tuesday, 26 August 2014

An Inky Black Day

Today I was toiling away in the crafting chambers when suddenly the room got drastically darker. I glanced at the window and saw that the sky had blackened, despite it being mid-afternoon. Knowing this could only mean something malicious was afoot, I hurried downstairs to don my armor and weapons before heading outside to investigate.

This card was created for the Creative Card Crew “chalkboard” challenge that is happening now. Make a chalky looking project and come play along with us for your chance to win a prize from our sponsor!
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I didn’t want to stamp with white ink to make this chalkboard looking card, as I find it extremely messy. No matter what I do, it always seems to smear. I can heat set it until it’s practically on fire, or leave it untouched until the paper ages and turns to dust and the white ink will still somehow manage to smear. Soooooo...not having any white embossing powder, I stamped the images onto white paper and heat embossed them with clear embossing powder. Then, using black Distress Ink, I coloured that paper black. I lost -400 efficiency XP points for this roundabout method.


The stamps I used on the front (from top to bottom) are from the Tim Holtz “Christmas Memories” set, a Unity sentiment and trees from the Lawn Fawn “Let It Snow” set. I then dug into my stash and pulled out those sparkly snowflake stickers and added them for some glittery goodness.

On the inside I stamped the sentiment and frame using a couple Unity Stamps.

I stamped the chevron trees on the envelope to make it match the front of the card.

This card will try to chalk up a win in the following challenges:
Try It On Tuesday: Use Your Stash (those sparkly snowflake stickers)

Neither the sun nor moon was visible, yet the treeline was glowing brilliant white. Perhaps someone was casting spells in the forest, causing this phenomenon. I lit a torch and headed off in the darkness to get to the bottom of this. I needed natural light to complete my crafting!

~ Guild Master Crystal ~
Inscribed by Guild Master Crystal at 08:56 19 comments
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Tuesday, 12 August 2014

Mystery Meat BBQ

Greetings. Today the Guardian of Glitter and I travelled to Fired Brick Village, which was a couple hours ride away from the Guild Hall. The goose clan that called the village home were having a BBQ and had invited us in thanks for defending them against the band of raiders that had been plaguing them for months. We had been able to save most of the goslings that had be taken, but there were still some missing.  

This card was created for the Creative Card Crew “embossing” challenge that is happening now. Make a project with either wet or dry embossing and come play along with us for your chance to win a prize from our sponsors!
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I started this card by printing out the grilling goose image from Imagine That. I embossed the bottom of the paper using the Cuttlebug folder that coordinated with the Simply Charmed cartridge. I earned +70 XP points since this is the first time I’ve ever used that folder since buying it a couple years ago. The top part of the sentiment I stamped using the Lawn Fawn “Jessie’s ABCs” set. The word fun I made using the Lawn Fawn “Happy Summer” set.

On the inside I stamped the sentiment using the Lawn Fawn “Cozy Christmas,” “Jessie’s ABCs,” and “Year Three” sets.

The envelope was stamped with the “Happy Summer” set to make it all matchy-match the front.


This card will get its goose cooked in the following challenges:

As we sat, eating the barbequed meat the Guardian of Glitter slowly put down her fork. “You don’t think….no….” she let the thought hang in the air.
“I’m sure it’s beef,” I replied, taking another bite.
~ Guild Master Crystal ~
Inscribed by Guild Master Crystal at 21:53 10 comments
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Saturday, 9 August 2014

Rawring Through the Forest

Thank you for stopping by the Guild Hall. Today the Guardian of Glitter and I went on a foresty quest to locate a pack of thieves that were hiding in the Weathered Woods. Supposedly they had information on the location of a secret treasure cache that was rumoured to include a case of sparkling glitter bombs. As you can imagine, Nikki was rather eager to get her hands on those. As we crept through the woods, trying to locate one of the brigands, we heard a rustling coming from the thick undergrowth. Thinking it may be one of the thieves, I went to investigate. Suddenly, a small lion sprang from the foliage letting loose a tiny roar.

I started this ATC by stamping the adorable lion from the Lawn Fawn “Critters on the Savanna” set - which I literally just bought yesterday (with the coordinating dies of course) - onto watercolour paper. I then coloured him up using my Distress Markers and Hydra Brush of +60 wetness. I stamped and die cut the letters using the Lawn Fawn “Quinn’s ABCs” set and also coloured them with Distress Markers, matching them to the lion. The grass I cut using the Artbooking cartridge. The only thing I wish I did differently was make the dark green grass in the background a little taller so you could see more of it. Oh well…+70 hindsight XP for that.

This ATC will roar into the following challenges:

It turns out the cute little lion was no threat and just wanted to play. Since we were having no luck locating the thieves, the Guardian of Glitter and I put our quest on hold and played hide-and-seek with the small felid. After about fifteen minutes of romping through the forest we stumbled onto the entrance to a cave. Could this be the treasure cache we were seeking? Did the little leo lead us right to it? I looked questioningly at the small fellow. He grinned and let out one of his tiny roars before bounding back into the woods.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~
Inscribed by Guild Master Crystal at 11:26 8 comments
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