Warm Wishes Are Needed

Tonight we are hunkering down at the Guild Hall as we await the massive storm headed this way. By morning, there will be about two feet of fresh snow on the ground and the temperature is expected to fall 20 degrees. The Lady Commander and I spent the night getting all the animals safely indoors, ensuring they were snuggly bundled for the abhorant weather that would be descending upon us tonight. As we finished the last of the rounds, the Lady Commander and I retreated to the kitchens for a warm beverage.

This week the theme at Wicked Wednesday is “Warm Winter Wishes.” Make an ATC that goes with this theme for a chance to win a prize from our sponsor, Time For Tea!

I started this ATC by colouring the Time For Tea image using Prismacolor pencils. I decided that she didn’t really look warm enough, so I stamped a toque using the Lawn Fawn “Making Frosty Friends” set and added that to her head for +70 bonus warmth XP. The sentiment and steam were stamped with the Lawn Fawn “Love You a Latte” set.

This ATC will warm up the following challenges:

Brown Sugar Challenge #121: Use 2 or more Colors

Crafty Catz Challenge #256: Winter Theme

Craft Your Passion Challenge #241: Baby It’s Cold Outside

Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamps Wonderful Wednesday

Little Scrap Pieces Show It Off Saturday

Penny’s Challenge #205: Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

“Warm wishes,” the Lady Commander of Copics said, raising her cup of hot tea.

“May it pass swiftly and leave little wreckage in its wake,” I replied, drinking deeply from my own mug of mulled wine. I prayed to the old gods and the new that we had prepared well enough and would lose no one to the storm.

~ Guild Master Crystal

Paws in the Woods

Today I decided to take my direwolf on a leisurely stroll through Birch Haven Woods for some exercise as he’s been penned up after his paw injury. Birch Haven Woods is a good forest for this sort of thing, as it is devoid of any high level monsters. As my companion bounded along the snowy trail, enjoying being outside, I was hopeful that his paw had now healed. Eventually we came to a clearing in the woods where there were a few forest creatures decorating for the upcoming Winter Festival. By the looks of things, it appeared they may have pilfered a few items from someone’s Holly Festival haul.  

This card was created for The Inked Stamper Design Team and was based on this inspiration photo.

All the stamped images on this are from the Lawn Fawn “Joy to the Woods” set. I stamped everything onto watercolour paper and watercoloured them with Distress Markers and my Hydrabrush of +90 wetness. I then used the coordinating die set to cut all the images out, which greatly speeds up the process and earned me +444 bonus speed XP.

I had used some patterned paper from the Lawn Fawn “Sweater Weather” 6x6 pad, but decided the colour was a little intense, so I used a piece of vellum overtop to mute it. This created an issue, as attaching vellum can be difficult if you don’t want ugly adhesive showing (and who wants that). So the vellum is only glued down on the top and bottom - underneath the borders - the middle is floating.

I used the snow marker to add some snow to the tree branches, and really loved how it turned out. I see a lot of birch trees with snow on their branches in my card making future.

I created the inside by stamping the snow drift, foot prints, and sentiment from the “Joy to the Woods” set, leaving lots of space to write a personal message.

This card will be entered into the following challenges:

Brown Sugar Challenge #121: Use 2 or more colors

CHNC Challenge Extra For November

The Corrosive Challenge #213: Happy Everything!

Craft Your Passion Challenge #241: Baby It’s Cold Outside

Crafty Catz Challenge #256: Winter Theme

Crafty Sentiments Designs: Use a Die Cut

Cuttlebug Mania: There’s Snow Place Like Home

Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamps Challenge #257: Jingle Bells

Lacy Sunshine North Pole Challenge

One Crazy Stamper November Anything Goes Challenge

Penny Black and More November Challenge: Anything Goes

Simply Create Too Challenge #75: Snow Snow Snow

Try It On Tuesday: Christmas is Coming

Winter Wonderland Challenge: Let’s Get Sentimental

As my direwolf laid down in a snow drift, resting his paw, I decided to help the adorable forest creatures with their decorating. As glistening snow began to fall, I could hear my companion softly snoring. I smiled to myself, hanging another ornament from a birch tree.  

~ Guild Master Crystal

The Model Elf

As the Winter Festival draws nigh, it appears the rotund man in red has hired some fashion model elves this year to help bolster the dwindling interest in the holiday. The Lady Commander of Copics and I spotted some of these elves working the market square in the village. They were passing out flyers to passersby, and getting irritated looks from some of the smallfolk.   

This card was created for The Inked Stamper Design Team and was based on this inspiration photo.

Perhaps foolishly, I decided that my first The Inked Stamper design team project would be a good time to try a technique I’ve never done before - no line colouring. I started by stamping the Julie Nutting “Merry Nice” image onto watercolour paper using Antique Linen Distress ink so the lines were barely visible and easily blended away, earning +70 stealth XP points. I then watercoloured the image using Distress Markers and my Hydrabrush of Blending Wetness. After the sentiment was stamped with Festive Berries Distress Ink I went over it with my water brush to soften the lines.

I used the same snow marker in the inspiration photo to add some fluff to her hat and falling snow around her. The base of the card was cut using the Artiste cartridge.

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

This card will be entered into the following challenges:

CHNC Challenge Extra For November

The Corrosive Challenge #213: Happy Everything!

Crafty Catz Challenge #256: Winter Theme

Craftyhazelnut’s Patterned Paper November Challenge

Delicious Doodles Challenge #111: Traditional Christmas

Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamps Challenge #257: Jingle Bells

Lacy Sunshine North Pole Challenge

Love to Scrap Challenge #42: Say it in Color

One Crazy Stamper November Anything Goes Challenge

Penny Black and More November Challenge: Anything Goes

Simply Create Too Challenge #75: Snow Snow Snow

Try It On Tuesday: Christmas is Coming

Winter Wonderland Challenge: Let’s Get Sentimental

As the day wore on, the market square was soon littered with red and green flyers the townspeople had tossed on the ground, scarcely glancing at them. The elves were not deterred however, and continued to pass them out. Before leaving the village, I sent word to a mage I know who specializes in organizational and clean up spells. The market square was going to need it.

~ Guild Master Crystal

A Fall Break

Normally I would regale you with a tale of the latest adventures of the Crafters Guild upon your visit to the Guild Hall. Today however we’ve been busy dealing with an injured direwolf and I barely had the time to inscribe this entry. So for now…

This week the theme at Wicked Wednesday is “Falling for Fall.” Make an ATC that goes with this theme for a chance to win a prize from our sponsor, Sami Stamps!

I started the ATC by colouring the image with Prismacolor pencils and cutting it out. I then got some fall looking background paper and cut it to size. I decided the paper when cut down to ATC size lost the fall feel, so I stamped some leaves using the Lawn Fawn “Critters in the Forest” set. The sentiment was stamped using the Lawn Fawn “Into the Woods” set.

After adhering the image I decided the ATC was still a little blah, so I used my clear Wink of Stella pen on the leaf for some added sparkle XP points.

This ATC will take a fall break in the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge #285: Anything Goes

Dream Valley Challenge #95: Anything Goes

Jo’s Scrap Shack FFC #66: Anything Goes

Kraftin’ Kimmie Wonderful Wednesday

Loves Rubber Stamps Challenge #127: Things With Wings

Open-Minded Crafting Challenge #23: Fowl of All Kinds

Penny’s Challenge #204: Anything Goes

Sami Stamps Challenge #19: Anything Goes

Please visit again and things will have returned to their normal schedule. Rest assured, there will be a tale of adventure waiting here to entertain you.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Christmas!? Oh the Humanatee!!

Tonight as I was nestled deep within a pile of soft furs reading a novel, I overheard some of the house gnomes talking about the upcoming Winter Festival. Apparently there is a remote clan of house gnomes living across the Pearlescent Sea who believe that it is not a rotund human who distributes gifts, rather a large manatee goes home to home bringing presents. I questioned the logic in this, as manatees are aquatic creatures and would have trouble moving around on land.

This card was created for the Creative Card Crew “Stripes” challenge that is happening now. Make a project and include some stripes for a chance to win a prize from our sponsors!

Dies R Us

QKR Stampede

I started this card by colouring the QKR Stampede “Santa Manatee” image using Prismacolour pencils. I then added some sparkles to his hat using Ice Stickles.

I stamped the sentiment using the Lawn Fawn “Smitty’s ABC’s” set, earning me +267 wordsmith XP points, which will level up my charisma skill. A scattering of buttons and brads finished off the front of the card.

On the inside I stamped the two sentiments and the manatee image using some Unity stamps to create the punny sentiment. I realized after that I had used "Christmas" on both the front and the inside of the card, and generally try to not do that, but it was too late to change it. *insert sad face*

The envelope was stamped with a bunch of CTMH stamps to make it all puuurty.

This card will swim into the following challenges:

Brown Sugar Challenge #120: Anything Goes

CHNC Challenge #203: Go Green

CHNC Challenge Extra for November

Crafty Catz Challenge #255: Christmas is Coming

Craftyhazelnut’s Patterned Paper November Challenge

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #347: Red and Green

Dream Valley Challenge #95: Anything Goes

Jo’s Scrap Shack Challenge #66: Anything Goes

Kraftin’ Kimmie Wonderful Wednesday

Little Scrap Pieces Show It Off Saturday

Milk Coffee Challenge: Use Hand Coloured Image

Penny’s Challenge #203: Use Black Cardstock

Sentimental Sundays Challenge #233: Brads, Buttons and/or Bows

Olga, one of the house gnomes, said that the believers of the Christmas Manatee explained the logical flaws away with just “Christmas magic”. I suppose it’s really not all that different than flying reindeer.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Holly! It's a Resource Gathering Quest

Today the Lady Commander of Copics and I travelled to the far off village of Inkston where the annual Holly Festival was being held. We brought our bags-of-holding, intending to load them with the festive holiday plant. Inkston was crowded with people attending the festival, everyone hoping to snag the best of the holly harvest for their Winter Festival needs.

I started this card by colouring the Bugaboo “Ava Mistletoe Fairy” image using Prismacolor pencils and cutting her out. The sentiment was cut out using the Lawn Fawn “Finley’s ABC’s” die set and the snowflakes were cut with the Lawn Fawn “Stitched Snowflakes” set, earning me +88 cutty XP points. I cut them out of these old "thank you" cards that we had at work and were just going to be thrown away. They're really good for die cutting because they're super thick so the pieces are almost like die cut embellishments you'd buy! I added some shiny red brads over the berries in the picture to punch them up and make them more “berry-like”.

The inside sentiment was stamped using the There She Goes “Tis the Season” set. I stamped and die cut the holly using the Lawn Fawn “Joy to the Woods” set and its coordinating dies.

The envelope was stamped with the holly image from the Tim Holtz “Christmas Memories” set by colouring the stamp with Distress Markers to get the two different colours.

This card will have a holly jolly time in the following challenges:

Brown Sugar Challenge #120: Anything Goes

Catch the Bug November Bingo Challenge: (use only two designer papers, bugaboo image, brads)

CHNC Challenge #203: Go Green

CHNC Challenge Extra for November

Crafty Catz Challenge #255: Christmas is Coming

Craftyhazelnut’s Patterned Paper November Challenge

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #347: Red and Green

Dream Valley Challenge #95: Anything Goes

Jo’s Scrap Shack Challenge #66: Anything Goes

Kraftin’ Kimmie Wonderful Wednesday

Love to Scrap Challenge #42: Say it in Colour

Milk Coffee Challenge: Use Hand Coloured Image

Penny’s Challenge #203: Use Black Cardstock

Sentimental Sundays Challenge #233: Brads, Buttons and/or Bows

The Lady Commander and I filled our bags-of-holding to maximum capacity, using every inventory slot available. The festive plants would be used to decorate the Guild Hall and make some Christmasy potions for the upcoming season. I’m not sure what status effect they will induce, but there are sure to be sparkles involved.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Some Sweet Baking

Today the Lady Commander of Copics and I went to the market square in town as it was the annual village bake-off. There were so many delicious pastries on display, it was difficult to vote for only one. Most of the smallfolk seemed to be drawn towards the pies baked by a young lass from the far off town of Sweets-a-Lot.

This week the theme at Wicked Wednesday is “Something Sweet.” Make an ATC that goes with this theme for a chance to win a prize from our sponsor, A Random Fan!

I started this ATC by colouring the image using Prismacolour pencils. The background was inked with Distress Inks and then stamped with a little heart from Lawn Fawn.

This ATC will sweeten up the following challenges:

The Corrosive Challenge #212: Girly

Craft Your Passion Challenge #239: Something Beginning With B (baker)

Crafty Sentiments Designs: Anything Goes

Little Scrap Pieces Show It Off Saturday

Love To Create Challenge #141: Anything Goes

After spending the day sampling an abhorrent amount of baked goods, I’m fairly certain I am going to have to let out some of my tunics and armour pieces. Time to hit the training grounds!

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

The Skull Elf

Today I went north to see how the friendly moose was getting on with the rest of the reindeer team. I was pleased to see that he had progressed to the third level of training and was performing well. As I was preparing to take my leave of the North Pole, not wanting to get in the way of all the frantic preparations for the fast approaching Winter Festival, I noticed a small elf sulking against one of the giant candycanes growing out of the snow covered ground.

“Whatever is the matter,” I asked the sniffling girl.

“T-t-the other elves said I wasn’t a real Christmas elf,” she said, wiping at the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. 

This week the theme at Wicked Wednesday is “Skully Christmas.” Make an ATC that goes with this theme for a chance to win a prize from our sponsor, Oddball Art Co!

I started this ATC by colouring the image using Prismacolor pencils. I left them unblended so it has more of a sketchy look to it. The skulls were stamped using The Greeting Farm’s “Sweet & Toxic” set. I then stamped over top of them with some music notes using the Tim Holtz “Seasonal Reflections” set (kinda hard to see in the picture because I used a super light purple).

I stamped the snowflakes using Versamark ink and then heat embossed them with some super glittery silver embossing powder, earning me +555 sparkly XP points. This was the first time I’ve used this embossing powder and I was really impressed with it. It was really hard to photograph just how sparkly those snowflakes are.

This ATC will sparkle in the following challenges:

Catch the Bug November Anything Goes Challenge

CHNC Challenge Extra for November

CHNC Challenge #201: Sparkle

Crafty Catz Challenge #253: Anything Goes

Crafty Sentiments Design: Make It Sparkle

Craft Your Passion Challenge #238: Bright & Sparkly

Kraftin’ Kimmie Wonderful Wednesday

Totally Gorjuss Challenge #260: Non Traditional Christmas Colors

The crying elf was dressed in a purple and blue outfit, with black and white striped stockings. Little skulls were stitched on her tattered dress - not your typical Christmas elf garb. I still found it hard to believe that they would treat her so, based solely on her untraditional outfit.

“Why do the other elves tease you,” I inquired.

The girl sniffed and looked up at me. “I think it’s because of this,” she said.

Before I could ask what she meant, she scrunched her eyes closed and two floating skulls materialized beside her. When she opened her eyes the two skulls started circling the elf.

I became very excited! I didn’t think there were any more Skull Elves left as their clan had been slaughtered to near extinction many many years ago.

“Your comrades are correct, lass. You are not a Christmas elf,” I said, placing my hand on the girl’s shoulder. She opened her mouth to protest, but I continued, “You are a Skull Elf. Part of an ancient and thought to be extinct clan.”

The young elf agreed to leave the North Pole and accompany me back to the Guild Hall where we could locate someone familiar with the Skull Elves and could help her understand her power. An impressive discovery to be sure!

~ Guild Master Crystal ~