It's Dangerous To Go Alone

Today as I was sitting at the dining hall table with a steaming mug of coffee in hand, pouring over today’s post, I was surprised when a time rift was ripped right there in the middle of the Guild Hall. With a crackle of light the very fabric of space and time was torn open, allowing a sad looking pink bear to step through the portal. Behind him I noticed that nefarious time demon that we had banished - twice now. She caught my eye and with an evil grin, waved her hand as the time rift was closed.

The pink bear looked up at me with sad eyes. “You must help me, Guild Master,” he started.

“Wait a second. Just hold on. Who are you? Why did you have that evil demon tear a hole in space-time?”

“I am Love-a-Lot Bear. I have come from the future, with the help of that time demon, to warn you of the impending doom surrounding the Festival of Love,” he clutched a pink stuffed heart to his chest, obviously some sort of safety blanket.

“I had heard warnings of disaster. A wizard - Black Soot-Ture is hatching a plot,” I admitted.

The bear shook his head, “Not only is the Festival of Love ruined, but all of Crafterton Vale and the surrounding towns are destroyed, the land covered in perpetual darkness. No hope. No love.”

“What can we do?” I asked, worried at this news.

“There is hope. We need to see Scissor Arm, an enchanted snowperson who dwells in the forest of Frostback Mountain.” 

I started this desk calendar by making the base. I used the piece of cardboard that was in the middle of the new wall calendar I bought. Turns out it wasn’t quite long enough to make the base as wide as necessary so the calendar doesn’t tip over. It’s okay in the middle of the year, but the first few months it tips forward and the last few it tips backwards. Oh well...lesson learned. I covered it with navy cardstock that I ran through the Cuttlebug for some texture. The year I cut out using the Birthday Bash cartridge. I used the shadow feature, but you can hardly tell against the navy background. I wanted to keep the paper neutral for the “2014” since each calendar page was a completely different colour in the background.

January was made using the snowman image from The Octopode Factory, coloured with Prismacolor pencils. I used some Glossy Accents on his button eyes to make them more...plastic-y. The background I made using Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean and Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink. I then used the Dylusions “Let It Snow” stencil and some Perfect Pearls mist. The snowbank I cut using the Give a Hoot cartridge. I think the cut is supposed to be mountains or rolling hills, but I always use this cut for snowbanks. Last I added a ton of glitter to the snowbank, earning myself +225 sparkly XP points.

This snowman will melt in the following challenges:

ABC Challenge D is for Dazzle

Brown Sugar Challenge #78: Embossing

Catch the Bug January Photo Inspiration Challenge

The Cheerful Stamp Pad Challenge #78: A Snowy Day

Creative Craft Challenges2 #1: New (new year)

Divas By Design: Anything Goes

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #194: Use a Snowman

One Stitch at a Time Challenge #196: Use a Digi

Parade Your Crafts Challenge #11: Christmas/Winter

Shopping Our Stash Challenge #135: Winter Blues

Next up is February. I used the Care Bear image from The Octopode Factory, colouing it in with Prismacolor pencils. The background was made using Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry and Festive Berries DI, earning me +140 gradient XP points. I then spritzed it a couple times using Dylusions Bubblegum Pink spray ink and a simple splatter spell. The stringed hearts in the background are from the Unity January 2013 Kit of the Month. The little cluster of hearts behind the bear were stamped using the Unity “Loads of Love” set. The heart the bear is holding is from the Lawn Fawn “Love ‘n Breakfast” set.

This bear will sulk in the following challenges:

MFPSpeedy TV Color Challenge #7: Bright Colors Wild Card

Simply Create Too Challenge #53: Valentine’s Day or Use Hearts

Try It On Tuesday: Celebrations

There’s not really a holiday in March (I’m not a big St. Patrick’s Day fan), and even though it’s technically spring in March, here in Alberta Canada we have snow until April (not very spring like) so I went with a clock theme since we set the clocks ahead for daylight savings in March. This will also serve to remind me of that come March. {lol} March’s background was made a little different from the previous two months. I swiped some Vintage Photo and Tea Dye DI on my craft mat and sprayed them with water and just dragged my piece of paper through the ink, drying between layers, until I was happy with it. I then went around the edges with Walnut Stain DI. I stamped the background using the vintage clock from the Unity “One Day at a Time” itty bitty. I also used a couple of pocket watches from the 7 Gypsies “Steampunk” set. The character I used for this one is The Octopode Factory’s “Violette” coloured with Prismacolor pencils.  

This page will tick away in the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge #243: Vintage

Little Scrap Pieces Fun Friday Linky Party

Milk Coffee Monochromatic Challenge

Punk You Girl Challenge #8: Steampunk

Stay tuned for more pages of my The Octopode Factory themed desk calendar!

  

After listening to Love-A-Lot Bear’s plan, I decided it best if I assembled the other guildys for this quest. It’s dangerous to go alone. We gathered our snow gear and a full compliment of weapons in preparation for our trip to the Frostback Mountains. The Guardian of Glitter carefully packed extra mana potions and elixirs as we had no idea what we would be facing. Hopefully we could complete the quest in time and save, not only the Festival of Love, but the realm.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

A Springy Facade

As snow continues to fall over the realm, despite spring being a mere three days away, people have grown increasingly frustrated. This tends to happen this time of year. It is rather disheartening to watch a foot of snow fall when just two weeks ago the lanes were beginning to melt and dry up. To temper my own displeasure with the weather I decided to retreat to the crafting chambers and make something cheery that reminded me of spring.

I created this shaped card using the Birthday Bash cartridge. I embossed the brown piece with my Cuttlebug and a Tim Holtz embossing folder. The sunflowers I cut using the “Just Because” Cards cartridge. I cut out “mom” using the Rock Princess cartridge and then embossed that as well, earning me +381 texturization exp points. I added some Adage tickets and a piece of yellow ribbon tied in a bow to complete the front.

On the inside I stamped the sentiment using the My Pink Stamper “Birthday Crazy” set. I added a butterfly from the 7 Gypsies “Steampunk” set and that other random shape from a nameless cheapo clear set I have kicking around the crafting chambers.

This card will “spring” into the following challenges:
Pile It On Challenge #11: Circles and/or Squares
Creative Craft Challenges2 #5: Mother’s Day
Penny’s Challenge #118: Ribbons and Diecuts
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #260: Anything Goes
Dream Valley Challenge #52: Mother’s Day
Challenges 4 Everybody #16: Anything Goes
Spark Your Creativity Now Challenge #7: Anything Goes
My Creative Moments Wordplay Saturday Challenge - “springtime”

Although Mother’s Day is still two months away, it did lift my spirits to create a springtime card and pretend that outside there was green grass and flowers blossoming rather than the frozen, white wasteland that awaits me. Siiiiiiiiigh...

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

A Time Demon Emerges

Sometimes it’s best not to dabble in things you are not adept in. We learned that lesson the hard way here at the Guild Hall. As the Winter Festival draws nigh, panic has start to set in amongst the house gnomes and even us guildys, as we try and complete everything before the big day. The Lady Commander of Copics proposed we attempt a Time Shifter spell to lengthen the amount of time we had to complete the necessary preparations for the Winter Feast. I vehemently protested, insisting it was an ill thought plan as she had never attempted a spell such as this and her exp level wasn’t high enough yet. The Lady Commander however was confident she could successfully complete the spell and did it anyway. That’s when she summoned a time demon. A horrid woman with ticking clocks for hair, she approached us, an evil look in her wide eyes.

I started this bookmark by stamping “Violet” from The Octopode Factory and colouring her with Prismacolors. I stamped the background using the 7 Gypsies “Steampunk” set and inked the edges with Distress Ink. I finished it off by adding the tick tock phrase, also from The Octopode Factory.

This timeless bookmark will be entered into the following challenges:
The Octopode Factory Friday Challenge: Anything Goes
Tammy’s Scrapin’ Corner Challenge #41: Anything Goes
Spark Your Creativity Now! Challenge #4: Anything Goes
Divas By Design Challenge #66: Anything Goes

I quickly called the Guardian of Glitter to the crafting chambers to assist us in vanquishing the time demon. After a lengthy battle with some lucky die rolls, we managed to banish her back to the Time Dwellers Realm. I made the Lady Commander clean the crafting chambers of the debris from the fight.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Can You Believe the Petrol Prices?!

As I was feeding the hellhounds today I suddenly noticed a strange flying contraption descending from the clouds and landing in our now snow covered garden. Intrigued, I set down the metal bucket containing the hellhound feed and approached the whirring machine. A door opened with a hiss and a woman stepped out, white smoke billowing out behind her. Shading her eyes she surveyed her surroundings, consulting the tattered map clutched in her right hand. Finally noticing me she broke into a smile and came forward, “Greetings, m’lady! I seem to have taken a wrong turn somewhere. Do you perhaps have any petrol you can spare?” 

I started out by stamping Kraftin Kimmie’s “Genevieve” and colouring her with Prismacolors. I distressed the edges and inked 'em up using Distress Ink. I popped her up using suuuuuuuupa pop dots (1/8” thick) earning me +90 dimensional exp points. I (painfully) cut into my DCWV "Bon Voyage Travel Pack” of paper I’ve been hoarding for over two years for the background panel and the vertical panel. The square panel I stamped using the Tim Holtz “Reflections” set. That was also distressed and had the edges inked using Distress Ink. The sentiments I stamped using the Tim Holtz “Odds & Ends” set. I added some ribbon and Tim Holtz adage tickets to finished off the front.

The inside I stamped with the 7 Gypsies “Steampunk” set. The first part of the sentiment was also from the Tim Holtz “Odds & Ends” set and the Happy Birthday was stamped from the My Pink Stamper “Birthday Crazy” set. 

On the envelope I stamped the hot air balloon using the “Steampunk” set again.

Before this birthday card takes flight it will be entered into the following challenges: 
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #244: Girls Only
Creative Card Crew Challenge #24: Anything Goes
Paper Playtime Challenge #89: Anything Goes
Divas By Design Challenge #62: Use 2 Or More Patterned/Designer Papers
Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge #134: Pop It Up
Dream Valley Challenges #45: Anything Goes
Kraftin’ Kimmie Stamps Challenge #155: Sketch

I lent the lost traveller some fuel and watched as her flying contraption once again took flight. I wondered where she came from and where she was going. I was about to find out as she left her map behind. Perhaps I could beat her to whatever treasure she was seeking!

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

A Very Manga Birthday

Welcome to the Guild Hall. Today as I was browsing the market square, stocking up on some necessary (and some not so necessary) crafting quest essentials I came upon a troupe of entertainers setting up for a performance. I was instantly on guard, remembering the events of the previous mummers performance. Keeping my hand on the hilt of my sword, I quietly snuck around to the rear of one of the wagons to see if I could spot anything out of the ordinary. I rolled a +18 and added that to my sneak check, allowing me to successfully scout all the wagons without being detected. I didn’t immediately notice anything amiss, but decided to stay and watch the performance, should pandemonium ensue.

I started this card by stamping “Madden” by The Greeting Farm on watercolour paper and colouring her with my Distress Markers and legendary Hydra Brush. I gained +207 exp points and once again leveled up my Distress Marker colouring skill! For the background I tore a page from a Japanese manga I picked up at a book fair for $1 (I bought it with the sole purpose of using the pages for backgrounds on cards). I used Lawn Fawn’s “Bannerific” for the banner and stamped the sentiment from My Pink Stamper’s “Family & Friends” set. I used pop dots to give the banner some dimension. I ran the black and white panels through the Cuttlebug to give them some texture. I dug through my stash and added one of the Tim Holtz adage tickets, which I haven’t used in forever!

The inside was stamped with a sentiment from My Creative Time’s “Wow! So Many Candles” set. I also added the splotches from the 7 Gypsies “Steampunk” set.

I stamped a butterfly from that same 7 Gypsies set on the envelope and added a little colour with Distress Markers.

This makeshift manga menagerie will be entered into the following challenges:
One Crazy Stamper November Challenge: Anything Goes
Simply Create Too Challenge #26: Use Your Stash (adage ticket)
Card Crafter’s Circle Challenge #49: Textures
Divas By Design Challenge #61: Anything Goes 
Dream Valley Challenges #45: Anything Goes
Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge #134: Pop It Up
TGF Double Take Tuesday Sketch Challenge

The troupe’s show was performed without any hijinx or shenanigans, my sword sitting peacefully in its sheath the entire time. It was a nice change after the difficult battle with Count Vicarian.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

Tag You're It

Welcome to the Guild Hall. You have arrived just in time to hear my tribulations. I have yet to embark on a crafting quest that has felt a chore until I accepted this latest mission. Admittedly, the troubles started by my own accord and a foolish decision that nearly doomed the entire expedition. Instead of making my usual card, I decided to try my hand at making a tag. I have only made a tag once before and it wasn't a "stand alone" tag. It was crafted then quickly settled into its new home on a card face. It had purpose. This one was going to be a lone tag - a rogue. It was rough going the whole way through. I suppose I do need more practice at this particular craft.

The tag itself was one of my spoils gained from the Crafters Guild Raid last weekend. I started by inking the tag using Dylusions spray inks. Step two was stamping the Stampotique image using Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink. Then I sat there and stared at the tag for a good ten minutes trying to decide what to do next. Hmmmmm....nothing was coming to me. Luckily it was time to sup; a well needed break away from this tag that was apparently going no where. 

My evening meal consumed, I returned to the crafting chamber and stared at the tag for awhile longer. I finally decided to emboss the one side and ink it up. Then I dug through my "bits box" to try and find something of use. I came across that owl image that I had cut from the Storybook cartridge literally two years ago and that weird orange shape that I think was the inside piece of a jack-o-lantern mouth at one point. 

Next I stamped the sentiment from the Dylusions "Say What You Mean" set and the eyes from the "Dependable Dotty" set. I also added glossy accents to the eyes. I still thought it looked a little plain, so I stamped the key and button things from the 7 Gypsies "Steampunk" stamp set. Last I inked a piece of silver ribbon using the Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink and frayed the ends of it.

I stared at the tag a little longer and decided that nothing I could add would make me like it more. Best just enter it into the Stampotique Designers Challenge (#64: Colour Challenge - mustard, navy, orange) and be done with it.

This endevour wasn't a complete failure having earned myself +190 exp points in tag making. I will definitely need to attempt a similar quest again before I will have enough experience to level up this skill.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~

The Sepia Tea Party

A messenger crow arrived today with news about a large supply of tea that was stolen from a local merchant. He was seeking help from any willing hero and would provide a reward to anyone who could recover the crates of missing tea. I sent a message to the Guardian of Glitter for assistance, knowing she was a tea lover, and we met up and set out to find the missing tea. Turns out it was stolen by the notorious Captain Jack Java who was in the process of disposing of the tea into the Lake of Liquid Pearls. Nikki used her glitter beam to stun him while I sliced him with my great sword - Kraft Blade. We then returned all the stolen tea to the grateful merchant. I felt I needed to make a card based on our tea-capade.

This was the first time I've ever attempted this "double pocket fold" card after watching a bunch of different tutorials on YouTube. My only regret is the patterned paper I chose, but I powered through anyways. Before I get into everything that I used, here is what it looks like with the stuff out of the pockets.

So because I was entering this into the Lawnscaping Challenge that involved creating your own patterned paper with stamps, I used the Lawn Fawn set "My Cup of Tea" to stamp the teacup pattern and the pattern on the tag. I used that same set to stamp the spoon and sentiment on the tag. Then I used the Crafty Secrets "Coffee and Tea" set to stamp the retro lady, tea kettle and the sentiment on the front. I coloured them using Prismacolors trying to go for a sepia tone.

Here's a close up of the cute kettle on the tag. I used the "steam" stamp from Lawn Fawn's "My Cup of Tea" for the background on this one. The bands of kraft I added on the tag and outside of the card because they reminded me of those "sleeves" they put on your cup at coffee shops so you don't burn your hand.

I used the kettle from the Lawn Fawn set to make the "patterned paper" for the inside of the card. They weren't all uniform but I liked that better because it added to the "vintagey" feel of the card.

Then I added another retro lady from the Crafty Secrets set and coloured her as well. I kind of messed up on her, but oh well. The phone and the "call me" came from the October Afternoon "9 to 5" set and the super random splotches came from the 7 Gypsies "Steampunk" set. 

Of course I also stamped the envelope to match the card because it makes me happier when they match. I earned +400 combo exp points for using four different stamp sets to make this card.

This card will be entered into the following challenges:
365 Cards: Day 174 - Surprise Inside (the tea bag)
Emergency Crafters Challenge: Tea & Cake
Lawnscaping Challenge #40: Make your own patterned paper with stamps

The merchant ended up paying us in tea. I needed to hook a cart to Ruffles just to haul it all back to the Guild Hall as it was too much to fit into her saddlebags. The Lady Commander will be pleased to see all that tea upon her return as she is a fan of warm beverages. Quest complete.

~ Guild Master Crystal ~