The Princess is in Another Castle...

This summer the Lady Commander of Copics and I took a brief vacation to the Mushroom Kingdom. We met a couple of weird plumbers that seemed to be Italian and a useless princess who was constantly getting kidnapped by a giant lizard. There were definitely some strange folk in this land and they all seemed to consume "power shrooms" that granted them various abilities. Magic mushrooms that granted special powers....reminds me of the 70s (or what I've read about the 70s...I wasn't actually alive then). Needless to say, the little power shrooms were exceptionally cute and became the inspiration for my next card.

This is truly a card from a video game geek to another video game geek (so perfect to give to my husband). As I was creating this for a challenge that didn't allow multiple layers, I had to keep it simple. I stamped the amazingly cute mushroom from the Lawn Fawn "Gnome Sweet Gnome" set and coloured them with pencil crayons. I embossed the edge with my Cuttlebug and inked it with Distress Ink. The sentiment was also stamped using Lawn Fawn stamps. 

A short explanation for anyone who hasn't indulged in any Super Mario Bros. games, the red mushrooms make Mario bigger and the green one gives you an extra life to use when you die...which leads me to the inside sentiment:

Like I said...truly a card to be exchanged between video game nerds. This card earned me +192 custom points for all the custom sentiments I stamped using "Jessie's ABCs". 

I also made a matching envelope because I love stamping mushrooms.

That stamp is from the Dylusions "Doodle Parts" set.

This dork-a-licious card will be entered into the following challenge:

Lawnscaping Challenge #39: One Layer

Against my protests Angela did try and eat a piece of a "volt shroom" which resulted in an electrifying experience. We're going to have to send some workers to rebuild all those mushroom huts she burnt down with the uncontrollable lightening so as not to start a war with the Mushroom Kingdom. *sigh*

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

A New Villager is Born

The other day a young villager sought an audience with the Crafters Guild as she had need of our services. Her sister had given birth and she wanted to inform the other village folk of the joyous news. Rather than just run through the streets screaming like a common crier, she opted to seek us out to create some announcements she could distribute like a civilized woman. Baby stuff isn't usually my usual bag of tricks, but who was I to refuse a peasant in a crafting crisis.

Well...not the most spectacular thing to come out of the crafting chambers, but I was a little out of my element. I did learn that you need to cut things BIG from the Car Decals cartridge, or you can't use the eyes (hence the goggly eyes). The baby looks creepy to me for some reason. I think it's the eyes (lol). I also wish I would've reversed the colours and had the light pink in the background. Alas, it will have to do. The banner is from the Lawn Fawn "Bannerific" set and the sentiment was from Lawn Fawn's "Sophie's Sentiments". This card earned me +392 fortitude exp points for powering through despite my growing dislike as the card progressed.

I will enter this into the following challenges:

My Craft Spot Challenge # 65: Announcements & Invitations 
Crafting For All Seasons Challenge #33: Bright Colours 
Card Crafter's Circle Challenge #35: Oh Baby! 
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Let's Play Bingo (Ribbon, Die Cut, Buttons)
Die Cuttin Divas Challenge #77: A Sketch

The woman was pleased with my craft and bestowed the Guild with what appears to be a lifetime of pastries. Quest complete.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~
 
 

The Fuzzy Kidnappers

The past few days the Lady Commander of Copics has been absent from the Guild Hall. At first I thought nothing of it, as she has taken off on her own colouring quests before without word, but as more time passed I became increasingly more concerned. I tried contacting the Guardian of Glitter for assistance, but she was off on her own sparkly quest spreading some much need bling on some drab wedding projects. Dejected, I set off on my own to locate Angela. 

Imagine my surprise when a masked rider galloped by, leaving only a scrap of parchment in his wake. I nervously unfurled the note and read what I'm assuming was an attempt at a ransom letter. "We have girl. Bring gold. And food. We like candy." Annoyed, I changed direction and headed to the market to purchase some sweets for the grammatically challenged kidnappers. I purchased the confections and located the criminals' dwelling (which turned out to be a simple cave). I gave them their candies and gold and got my sister back safely. Although truthfully I doubt she was ever in much danger from the fuzzy monsters who took her. They were really the cutest things ever, inspiring me to create a card upon my return to the Guild Hall.

I stamped that super cute monster using my new Stampotique stamp and coloured him with pencil crayons. The banner was from the Lawn Fawn "Bannerific" set. I embossed the bottom piece of paper, ripped up the top piece and arranged everything as so. You can't tell from the picture, but I also used Glossy Accents on the monster's eyes.

I kept up the "rippiness" in the inside of the card and stamped the sentiment "Happy Birthday, Human". That monster stamp was just from the cheap bin at Michaels. 

And of course, I made a matching envelope for this cute little monster magnum opus.

This cute birthday card earned me +89 stamping exp points and +903 distressing exp points which leveled up my distressing damage.

I will enter this into the following challenges:

Simply Create Too Challenge #19: Anything Goes
Shopping Our Stash Challenge #63: Monochromatic
Stampotique Designers Challenge #260: Sketch Challenge

I later found out that the Lady Commander planned that whole escapade with the monsters just to get some candy! I can hear her and our Guild Apprentice, Lindsay munching on it as I record this tale. Last time I come to her assistance.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

A Commonplace Cupcake Creation

What a busy evening it has been at the Guild Hall. After playing with the dire wolves, tending to the ravens and feeding the hell hounds I am one tired guildy. I barely had time to squeak out a quick card tonight. With the assistance of a few pinches of pixie dust, I just managed to pull it off.

No bling. No pizzaz. No bedazzle. Just a plain 'ol cupcake. I cut this yawn-fest out of the Simply Charmed cartridge. I cut it at 5.5" thinking it would be plenty big, but it ended up being quite small. So it's a mini-card, which earned me +12 miniature exp points. This super fast card earned me +390 speed exp points, which allowed me to level up! I also earned a +53 boring-bonus for this plain jane cupcake creation.

Here's the inside. The sentiment was stamped using the Inky Antics "Cupcake Birdy HoneyPOP" stamp set.

 

Aaaaand here's the matching envelope. I cherried the crap outta that envelope. (cherryed...cherry-ed...cherried...?? hmmm) 

This little shape card will be entered into the following challenges:

Pause Dream Enjoy Challenge #31: Cupcakes or Baby Projects 
Card Crafter's Circle Challenge #34: Bend Me, Shape Me 

Well it's time to put the dire wolves to bed. I think we'll all be slumbering in the dungeons again tonight as it is too hot to attempt repose in our sleeping chambers. I promise to return with a creation worthy of a Guild Master. Until next time.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~ 

Dumpster Diving Katta

Greetings from the Guild Hall. I just witnessed the strangest thing while visiting the market square today which, oddly enough, inspired me to make a card. I had just purchased a new crafting dagger and was taking a short cut through an alleyway when I came across a Katta searching through a trash bin. These odd cat people are very rare in these parts, preferring to settle in the desert lands across the Pearlescent Sea. Upon my return to the Guild Hall, I stashed my new crafter's dagger and went straight to work creating a card based on the unusual scene I had observed.

 

I created the background rectangle using my Dylusions Spray Inks and stencil then adhered it using some pieces of Tim Holtz tissue tape. I cut the cat out using the Car Decals cartridge and stamped the sentiment from the My Little Shoebox "Home Tweet Home" stamp set. 

I also distressed the edges of the background rectangle and the little blue banner to make it look even more garbagey:

To finish it off, I stamped some blue footprints on the envelope to make it all "matchy matchy".

 

This card earned me +45 exp points in garbage assembly.

This really is the most random hodgepodge of things thrown on a card base...much like the contents of a trash bin.

This disorderly design will be entered into the following challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #101: Distressing 

Simply Create Too Challenge #19: Anything Goes 

Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Kristina's Inspiration 

This is the inspiration photo for this challenge:

 
I did end up giving the poor Katta a few gold pieces, only to see him later entering the pub...typical. 

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Traversing the Dimensional Plane

Salutations, traveller and welcome to the Guild Hall. I had quite the crafting adventure yesterday. Nikki, the Guardian of Glitter, presented me with a jar full of some kind of sparkling dust substance she had received from the fae we rescued a couple days ago while Angela and the Prince of Popsicle Sticks were gliding down the powdery slopes of Mount Moonstone. Ever curious, I immediately opened the jar without fully reading the label, and was enveloped in a glistening cloud of smoke. In a matter of seconds I was whisked away to another dimensional plane. Exploring the 4D world was confusing and a little nauseating (where was my Gravol when I needed it?), but it did give me an idea for a crafting project. If I could move up a dimensional plane...perhaps my crafts could too.

Wow...there is a lot going on with this card! I used my Dylusions Spray Inks to colour the background and spritz the "alphabet" stencil. I then used the leaf stamps from the "Doodle Parts" Dylusions stamp set around the edges to finish off the background. The girl was actually from two different Dylusions stamp sets. The head came from "Traveling Travis" and the body came from "Pondering Petunia". I coloured those up with some old pencil crayons and glued them together earning me +83 necromancy exp points. The sentiment came from the "Say What You Mean" Dylusions stamp set.

The orange flowers were cut from the "Freshly Picked" cartrdige. I then used a couple flowers from that same cartridge and advanced my card from the 2D plane to the 3D by making some 3D flowers. 
This was the first time I've ever attempted this spell, and was basically winging it, to the horror of the Mage Master. After I'd assembled them I added some glitter (not from the same jar Nikki gave me) and hot glued them to the card. I then cut some leafy-leaves from "Freshly Picked" and adhered them around the flowers.

I didn't really know what kind of card to make this into, so I decided on a birthday card, and stamped the inside to reflect such. The sentiment is from the "Wow! So Many Candles" My Creative Time stamp set. I stamped some random foliage around it, and left it at that. At least now this card has some sort of purpose. There's nothing worse than a card with no purpose in life. Luckily I was able to save this little guy from that cruel fate.
As has become customary since procuring my Martha Stewart score board, I also created a matching envelope for the card using my Dylusions stencil to match the leaf stamps I used on the card.

I will be entering this trans-dimensional creation into the following challenges:


Divas By Design Challenge #46: Flowers
Simply Create Too Challenge #19: Anything Goes
Die Cuttin Divas Challenge #76: Anything Goes
Paper Playtime Challenge #80: Anything Goes
Pause Dream Enjoy Challenge #8: Flowers & Frills

I think I will be using that jar of magical sparkle dust to go back to the 4D plane. This time I will take the Lady Commander of Copics with me so we can get into some 4D trouble together. Having an entire new dimension to explore is sure to get our creative mana flowing!

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

The Quest to Mount Moonstar

Yesterday, just as I was sitting down to enjoy a flagon of warm milk and a plate of biscuits, a message arrived from my good friend Grengan the dwarf. Grengan resides in a cave deep within the snow covered peaks of Mount Moonstar. He and his clan guard the realm's largest deposit of colour crystals and it appeared he was under attack by some overambitious skull mages. Unfortunately my sister, Guild Master Crystal, was away on an important crafting quest with the Guardian of Glitter rescuing some sparkle nymphs, so I had to seek help from someone else. As the only way into the caves Grengan inhabits is to ride down the side of Mount Moonstar on a snow plank, I thought this would be an excellent quest for me and my husband, the Prince of Popsicle Sticks.

Of course we took some pictures while we were gliding down the white mountainside and being a true Guildy, I had to turn them into a crafting project upon my return to the Guild Hall.

The phrase "frosty" I cut from the Winter Frolic cartridge. I added some ribbon, embellishments and a cute stamp to finish off the first page. On the next page, I cut the rabbit from Campin' Critters, and gave him a toque I had left over in my "bits box". I'm fairly certain it came from a snowman cut from Winter Frolic at some point in time. This move earned me +39 exp in reuse. The "snowhill" was also in my "bits box", and it was cut from Give a Hoot. I embossed it and inked it to give it a more "snowy" feel, earning me a level up in my cuttlebug magic.

I will be submitting this "double layout" into the following challenges:

Pause Dream Enjoy Challenge #30: Sports & Hobbies
Paper Playtime Challenge #80: Anything Goes
Die Cuttin Divas Challenge #76: Anything Goes 
Cardz TV Design Team Challenge #12: Anything Goes

The Prince of Popsicle Sticks and I did manage to fend off the evil skull mages and save the colour crystals from harm. Grengan was very grateful and promised to send me a new batch of colour crystals for my copic collection as soon as they were fully matured. Quest complete. 

~ Angela - Lady Commander of Copics ~