Purple Colourkin of Malice

I was relaxing in my crafting chamber organizing my papers by colour and texture, when a sudden crashing noise came from Angela’s copic lab. I hurried down the hall and burst through the doors of the Lady Commander of Copic’s lab, stopping short at the scene before me. All the walls were adorned in rainbow colours whereas before they had been a simple shade of brown. The workstation benches were flipped on their sides, the Lady Commander cowering behind one, while in front of her a Colourkin spread its sheer purple wings and started maniacally laughing. Staying low, I somersaulted behind the same tipped over bench as Angela, so as not to draw the notice of the Colourkin.

“What happened?!” I hissed at her.

The Lady Commander turned to me, with fear in her large eyes. “I don’t know. I was trying to create a new rainbow summoning spell and well...it went wrong,” she whispered back.

“YOU THINK?!” I snapped at her. “Colourkins are crazy, especially the purple ones. What’re we going to do?”

Don’t even ask me what I was thinking with this card. Random random random. I started by colouring the background with Distress Inks. I then used a harlequin stencil and sprayed water on the ink to create a subtle ghost effect. The Greeting Farm’s “Wednesday” was already coloured and has been hanging out in my bits box for the past seven months or so. The reason being I HATE the way she was coloured. I came up with the perfect solution - dress her up and hide the really bad parts! I used my Dylusions “Traveling Travis” set to stamp the hat and glasses and dress up Wednesday. I used glossy accents on the glasses and added some pearls to the glasses and bow in the hat. I decided it wasn’t weird looking enough and used my Stampotique bat wings stamp to make her look even creepier. I added a piece of washi tape and those purple circles, earning myself +200 chaos exp points. I decided I needed a sentiment of some sort. As I was entering it in the Stampotique “New Year’s Resolution” challenge, I chose something from the Dylusions “Say What You Mean” set that best expressed that.

For the inside I literally opened my scrap bins and randomly picked out some scraps in rainbow colours and glued them down. I used a stamp from the Dylusions “Further Around the Edge” set to create a border on the one side.

I crafted an envelope on my scoring board of +90 creasiness and stamped some arrows from the Dylusions “Doodle Parts” set. I don’t think this could get anymore random if I tried. Upon completion, I showed the card to my lord husband. He looked at it, commented that he liked the rainbowiness and big glasses and pearls, then rereads the sentiment a couple times. “I don’t get it,” he says passing the card back to me. I looked at the card again and responded, “Ya...me neither.”

This card of confusion will try to make sense of the following challenges:
Stampotique Designer’s Challenge #83: New Year’s Resolution
Challenges 4 Everybody Challenge #12: Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Use Washi Tape
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #125: Pearls, Pearls, Pearls
Spark Your Creativity Now! Challenge #5: Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp and Show: What are you known for? (in crafting and real life - bright rainbowy goodness!)

As Angela and I crouched behind the upturned bench whispering back and forth as to the best course of action, we suddenly noticed that it had gone quiet. The mad laughter had ceased. I peered over the top of our cover and the Colourkin was gone! This was bad. A loose Colourkin could spell disaster. Time to assemble the Guildys.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Fenced in Souls

Today as I was riding Ruffles through the freshly fallen snow, on my way to the village to pick up some supplies for the crafting chamber, I started to notice a curious trend. Every so often along the fences bordering properties adjacent to the road, there were various pictures painted. Most looked like simple graffiti, done by mischievous children, but some were more elaborate. As I rode on, the pictures started to get more detailed, some resembling some villagers I was familiar with . I examined one more closely and noticed the paint was still wet. The culprit must have just been here, perhaps moving in the same direction I was. I remounted Ruffles and entered the forest, riding parallel to the snow covered road, to try and approach the rogue artist unseen, catching him or her in the act.

I started this card by selecting a background paper that I thought would go with the popsicle sticks. I ended up using a leftover piece from the snow scene sheet I used on this card. I then arranged the popsicle sticks and glued them down on the paper, making sure the image would fit when stamped. I then cast a spell of sure stamping to ensure success, as I only had one shot to get this right, or I will have wasted not only the background paper, but nine popsicle sticks. Taking a deep breath, I stamped Stampotique’s “Snowy Fran” (which I just got for Christmas!) on the popsicle sticks. YAY! It worked. 

I then took one of the birds from the Dylusions, “Birds on a Wire” set and stamped him so he was sitting on Snowy Fran’s arm. Unfortunately, my spell must have worn off, as I stamped him a little too high and it looks like he’s hovering above her arm. ARG! Anger ensued. But I just powered through, because I wasn’t going to waste all the other work and preparation (this is why I like when cling stamps have the picture on the back so you can see where it’s going to go!) I used one of the two punches I own to make the top part and stamped the sentiment from a cheap Recollections set.

On the inside I used that same punch and stamped a sentiment from the My Pink Stamper “Biggie Christmas Sentiments” set and a snowman from another Recollections set.

I stamped the same snowman on the envelope and some other design that was part of the same set. I earned +140 scoring exp points for creating the envelope on my scoring board. (I really need to buy some A2 sized envelopes so I don’t have to waste paper making them).

This fenced in card will be posted ←{haha fence post} in the following challenges:
Stampotique Designer’s Challenge #82: Die Cuts and Punches
CHNC January Challenge Extra
Fairy Tale Challenge #59: My New Stamp (Snowy Fran is brand new!)
Christmas Cards All Year ‘Round January Challenge: Anything Goes Christmas
Sparkles Christmas Challenge #24: Snowmen
Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge #143: Use Twine
Chocolate Coffee & Cards Challenge #30: For the Birds
Crafts and Me Challenge #116: Something New (Snowy Fran is new!)
Shopping Our Stash Challenge #85: Suits Me To a T (trees and twine)
Spark Your Creativity Now! Challenge #5: Anything Goes

After riding concealed within the forest, I managed to spot the painter at work on another section of fence. I watched in amazement as he muttered a spell and blue sparks started crackling at his fingertips. Suddenly a nearby snowman disappeared and its likeness was instantly painted on the fence. I sucked in a sharp breath, realization hitting me: all the paintings of people were most likely real people he has trapped within the fence using his dark magic! As I would require the backup of my Guildys to solve this quest, I rode Ruffles hard back to the Guild Hall to start forming a plan.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

The Tea-rific Birthday Party

There’s nothing like a hot beverage to warm you up on a cold day. As the Guild Hall has an excessive amount of tea, the Lady Commander of Copics and I decided to throw a tea party-birthday party for one of our friends from the village. The Guardian of Glitter used her spell, Sparkle Beam, to decorate the Guild Hall with glittering dust. I think she may have drunk too much elixir though, because the glitter dust was so thick we couldn’t breathe in the room! Coughing and hacking up glitter, we ran from the dining hall to the cold glitter-free air outside. As the guests were set to arrive soon, we needed to clear out the thick haze of glitter that had settled in the room and set up for the tea party. I opened a jar of witchwind to help expedite the process and we quickly finished setting up the tea paraphernalia. 

I started this ‘lil card by stamping my brand new “Gabrielle” by Kraftin’ Kimmie on watercolour paper and colouring her with Distress Markers and my Hydra Brush of +20 wetness. I realized I am not well adept at colouring black hair. I tend to usually colour their hair blonde (probably because mine own hair is blonde), but as I was crafting this for a friend with black hair, I tried my hand at a different hair colour. Ah well. For the background paper I cut up more of my My Little Shoebox Paper! I am on a serious roll using that paper which I’ve been hoarding forever due to its Kawaii-ness! I earned another +320 bravery points for using that paper. I subtly stamped the tea cup from the Lawn Fawn “My Cup of Tea” set, then used that set and an Inky Antics one to create the sentiment. I also embossed the pink strip of paper using my Cuttlebug and earning myself +99 texture exp points and leveling up!

On the inside I subtly stamped the teacup that came with Gabrielle and the spoon from the “My Cup of Tea” set. (It’s not as faint in person as it looks in the picture). The sentiments are from the “Wow! So Many Candles” My Creative Time set and the “Family & Friends” My Pink Stamper set.

I stamped the teacup that came with Gabrielle on the envelope in alternating colours to match the card.

This tea-tastic card will be steeping in the following challenges:
Divas By Design: Make it Girlie
Crafts and Me Challenge #116: Something New (Kraftin’ Kimmie stamp)
Card Crafter’s Circle Challenge #58: Layers
Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamps Challenge #162: A Trio of Embellishments
A Gem of a Challenge #63: Emboss It
The Octopode Factory Friday Challenge: Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
Fairy Tale Challenge #59: My New Stamp
Spark Your Creativity Now! Challenge #5: Anything Goes
Dream Valley Challenges #49: Girls Girls Girls

It turned out to be a happy day. The tea party-birthday party turned out tea-rific, allowing us to use up some of the boxes and boxes of tea that are simply taking up space in the store rooms AND I got to use up even MORE of those pesky black buttons from my stash!

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Bike on By

It has been awhile since we did some cataloging of the family archives. The Lady Commander of Copics and I descended into the dusty underground caverns where the ancient photographs are stored and found one to add to the dusty tome of our family history. We located one of our lady mother as a young maid on her first bicycle.

There is a lot of...well...just a lot going on here. (Please feel free to [click] on the picture to see it LARGE in all its junky glory) We started by burning the edges of the photo to make it look older than it clearly already is. We also burnt a piece of vellum to add behind the picture. [side note]: vellum REALLY stinks up the crafting chamber when burnt. Make sure you have a window to open. *ahem* anyways...we crumpled some monopoly money to add around the picture, since that game is so old it’s basically vintage. We found some old metal buttons on that oooooooold Woolcrest button holder in our lady mother’s sewing chamber and used both items on the page (if they’ve been in there that long, she won’t miss them now). The name we cut using the Robotz cartridge and embossed the letters with the good ‘ol Swiss Dots folder and the Cuttlebug.

We added a little tag that we procured from the “Everything-For-One-Brass-Coin” stand in the market square and that weird googily eyed pin and thought it was done.....that is until the Lady Commander had the brilliant idea to add the METAL bike ornament that used to adorn my childhood dresser. Let me stress again → Large & METAL. This isn’t some flimsy light thing - it’s got some heft! We had to bust off one of the pedals, handlebars and the kickstand to make it less protrudy, but it was still pretty sticky-outy. At least we gained +300 innovation exp points for adding something completely random to this page.

This archival page will be submitted to the following challenges before being laid to rest in the tome:
A Gem of a Challenge #63: Emboss It
Spark Your Creativity Now! Challenge #5: Anything Goes
Simply Create Too Challenge #29: Anything Goes
Winter Wonderland Challenge: Vintage
Pause Dream Enjoy Challenge #1: Use Ribbon
Cupcake Craft Challenge #225: Anything But a Card
Friends of SpeedyTV Challenge #55: Use Something Recycled (Monopoly Money...it’s not really garbage, but it is reused for a different purpose. Also that Woolcrest button holder thing - don’t know what they’re really called as I’m not a seamstress - which is garbage)
Incy Wincy Designs: Tic Tac Toe (wooo hooo - I did two rows {lol}: create anything but a card, embossing, add a tag AND create anything but a card, use hardware or metal, use punches or die cuts)

With that METAL bike on the page, the one handlebar actually poked a little hole in the sheet protector, but the Lady Commander reeeeeally wanted it on the page. This addition to the old tome has added about 5 lbs to the book, and we’ve stored it on a lower shelf this time, lest someone sustain a back injury trying to retrieve it.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Chilly Willy Comes to Play

Greetings. Welcome to the Guild Hall. The unseasonably warm temperatures have abated and a winter storm is once again raging outside the Guild Hall walls. It is fortunate I had the generator for the stables repaired before the weather turned. I bundled up in my furs and ventured outdoors to perform the mundane task of shoveling a path from the lane to the Guild Hall doors. I was almost done when I noticed a large bird waddling up to the Guild Hall. He was black and white and wearing a little red bow. Curious, I set aside my shovel and slowly approached the creature. He cocked his head, an unspoken question on his face. I was about to tell him I didn’t understand when suddenly the Lady Commander of Copics burst forth from the Guild Hall and flew past me. “Yaaaaaaaa! Chilly Willy’s here to play! Let’s go!” she exclaimed grabbing the bird by his flipper and pulling him towards to large snow drifts. I should have known...

I started this card by cutting the penguin from the Simply Charmed cartridge. I gave him some bling for his bow and added a rhinestone. The sentiment I cut from the Winter Frolic cartridge and embossed it with my Cuttlebug, earning me +130 texture exp points. I added some silver ribbon on the side to finish the front off, adhering everything onto the snowflake paper.

On the inside I stamped the little penguin by Imaginisce and quickly coloured him. The sentiment came from the Lawn Fawn “Cozy Christmas” set.

This card will waddle into the following chilly challenges:
Love to Create Challenge #48: Sparkle & Snowflakes
Paper Playtime Challenge #1: Pets
Pause Dream Enjoy Challenge #1: Use Ribbon
Die Cuttin’ Divas Challenge #98: Penguins
ABC Christmas Challenge: A for Animal
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #252: Diamonds and Forever
Chocolate Coffee and Cards Challenge #30: For the Birds
A Gem of a Challenge #63: Emboss It
Christmas Cards All Year ‘Round January Challenge: Anything Goes Christmas
Jingle Belles Challenge: Red, White & Jul
Spark Your Creativity Now! Challenge #5: Anything Goes
CHNC Challenge Extra January

The Lady Commander and Chilly Willy played outside in the snow for a couple hours before coming inside for some hot chocolatey beverages. I think she’s invited him for supper too. I supposed I’ll have the house gnomes prepare some...raw fish for him *blech*.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Bees?!?! Ruuuuuuuuun!!!

Whilst the Lady Commander was away at Mount Moonstar, I ran into a little situation of my own at the Guild Hall. Our backup generator for the stables has been malfunctioning for the last fortnight, and with cold weather on the horizon, I decided I should get it repaired. I sent a raven to my brother, Jason the Machinist, who came straight away to look at our malfunctioning motor. It was quickly clear what the problem was - there was a nest of ice bees inside the motor. As the Machinist, poked and prodded at the wires, he must have disturbed the ice bees who began making an angry buzzing sound. We both looked at each other, eyes round with alarm, and without saying a word, bolted into the Guild Hall, never once looking behind us to see if the bees had followed.

To make this card I once again cast a bravery spell and cut into another sheet of My Little Shoebox paper that I’ve been hoarding away. *gaaaaaaaasp* I used two panels of bees, and the middle panel is simply the reverse side of the bee paper. I stamped some cute bees from the Lawn Fawn “Gnome Sweet Gnome” set in the middle panel. The sentiment was some clever masking of a sentiment from that same set while the “birthday” portion came from Lawn Fawn’s “Sophie’s Sentiments”. I then added the little “flight trail” from the “Gnome Sweet Gnome” set. I stamped the flower stems from that set and added some black buttons for the flower heads. This made me SUPER happy, as I got to use up MORE black buttons from my seemingly never ending stash.

The inside sentiment came from the My Pink Stamper “Birthday Crazy” set and then I added another little bee.

I stamped the same bee onto the envelope as I couldn’t get enough of the little guy, then quickly added some colour using Distress Markers. I gained +650 bravery exp points for not only cutting into my SUPA KAWAII paper, but also for working with bees *shudder*

This bee-utiful card will buzz into the following challenges:
Fairy tale Challenge #58: Animals & Pets
Retro Sketches #46 

Lawnscaping Challenge #49: Let’s Party


My brother and I hid inside the Guild Hall for approximately 30 minutes until we were sure all the ice bees had left. Not wanting to risk another encounter with the bees, I sent a raven to the village repairman who came and fixed the generator. There’s a reason Jason isn’t an adventurer.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Maxwell's Big Win

Today the Lady Commander of Copics left to Mount Moonstar to ride a snow plank down the side of the mountain...for fun. I told her there wasn’t time to be endangering her life for fun when there were so many quests to be completed - she could endanger her life completing them! She said it was a dual purpose trip as she was aiding the Moonstar Mice prepare for their annual Winter Games event that is held on the mountain. I chuckled to myself picturing the little guys riding down the hills on tiny little snow planks. Then I decided to turn that idle thought into a card.

I started by stamping the “Maxwell Snowboarding” Kraftin’ Kimmie image and colouring him with Prismacolors. I set him aside and started working on the background. I had an idea to try after watching my lord husband airbrush a background using a stencil and thought I could apply the same technique using Distress Inks and the blending tool.

I started by cutting a tag shape from the Winter Woodland cartridge that reminded me of clouds. Then I used my newly created “stencil” and Weathered Wood Distress Ink to make the cloud/snow puffs. I was pleased with how it looked and saved the “stencil” for use in future projects. I earned +150 technique exp points for successfully trying something new. Using the Winter Woodland cartridge I also cut out the sentiment and the snowflake for the front of the card, adding some glitter to the snowflake to sparkle up the front.

Ooooooo....sparkly :D

On the inside I cut out another tag shape from the Winter Woodland cartridge and stamped the sentiment using the BugBites “Mistletoe” set and the Echo Park “Holly Jolly Christmas” set.

I liked how the clouds/snow puffs looked so much, I did it on the envelope too to make it match the card.

This little guy will snowboard into the following challenges:
Kraftin’ Kimmie Challenge: Anything Goes
CHNC Challenge #107: Rudolph is Resting
Fairy tale Challenge #58: Animals & Pets
Love to Create Challenge #48: Sparkle & Snowflakes
Creative Card Crew Challenge #27: Snow and Ice
Paper Playtime Challenge #1: Pets
ABC Christmas Challenge: A for Animal
Christmas Cards All Year ‘Round: Anything Goes Christmas
Spark Your Creativity Now! Challenge #5: Anything Goes
CHNC Challenge Extra: January

With the Lady Commander’s help, the Moonstar Mice Winter Games went off without a hitch. She ended up judging the snow plank competition and awarding the winning mouse, Maxwell, with a shiny medal and an invite to visit us at the Guild Hall whenever he was in our end of the realm.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~