Hello Crafters,

In honor of the 6th anniversary of World Card Making Day we're having a special Saturday blog post that we think you'll really enjoy. We recently attended Scrapfest 2011 where we taught some great classes featuring Le Cirque and Magic of Oz. We thought we'd get into the card-making spirit by sharing these project sheets from the classes we taught. Each project sheet includes a beautiful card and layout and instructions on how to make it. It was a lot of fun to teach and we think you'll really enjoy these fun creations too! Just click on the download link underneath the project images and the instructions will download to your computer. You can print them out and have fun creating! Yay!

Download Le Cirque Layout and Card class-1

Download The Magic of Oz Layout and Card class-1

Download Magic of Oz make and Take-1

Also in Graphic 45 news, Diane, Aimee and Charee are headed to Europe today where we will be teaching at the Fairytale Event in the Netherlands. It's going to be an enchanting time and we're super excited! We can't wait! We hope you all have a great rest of the weekend! Thank you all for stopping by today!

Happy Papercrafting!

Team Graphic 45

Hello Magical Crafters,

Happy Friday! Thank you for joining us for this exciting day as we announce this week's blog prize winners, the winners for our Halloween Rejuvenation Challenge, and our final day of our trick-or-treat design team blog hop featuring Melanie Forbes and Gloria Stengel! It's going to be a fabulous and inspiring day! Fall is such a fun time of year. Pumpkins start showing up at the store and at farm stands! There's an ever-present creative energy in the air as folks gear up for Halloween. Plus there's all sorts of delicious goodies to bake and consume. Yes, Autumn is an awesome season! With this festive spirit in mind we came up with our Halloween Rejuvenation Challenge to help jump-start your holiday crafting. We want to thank everyone who submitted a project for the challenge and thank you to our voters on Facebook. Our two winners are Dee Dee Catron and KimberlyRae Forde. Here are the altered art projects they submitted for our challenge. They're super beautiful! Congratulations Dee Dee and KimberlyRae. Please email us at info@g45papers.com with your shipping information so we can mail you your prize! Hooray!  This first project is Dee Dee Catron's Magic of Oz creation. Wow! So lovely and festive! Here is what Dee Dee had to say about it.

"It started out as a white and green colored gardening fence complete with pots and shovel. I used The Magic Of Oz collection to spruce it up a bit.. I also used moss, pumpkins, wire, black acrylic paint, diamond glaze, hot glue, glitter glue, and cardboard to strengthen the characters. " Dee Dee Catron

Here we have a gorgeous Fall centerpiece by KimberlyRae Forde. Here is what she had to say about this wonderfully detailed work of art!

"Old Painters Can [rescued from the dump trailer my husband cleaned out and discarded from the garage..it's at least 15yrs old]! Rejuvenated into a Painters Can Fall Centerpiece. I used several papers from collections that I have-Times Nouveau, Playtimes Past and The Magic of Oz." -KimberlyRae Forde

We also have two winners to announce from this week's blog hop! We had a lot of fun and so did our design team members! Big thanks to everyone who participated and left comments on our design team member's blogs. We hope you had fun too! Our randomly chosen winners are...

1. Pandora who left a comment on Yuka Hino's blog.
2. Regina aka Mrs. Ham who left a comment on Robin Shakoor's blog.

Congratulations! Will Pandora and Regina please email us at info@g45papers.com to claim your prize!

We still have two fantastic design team member blogs to share with you today. Check out this wonderful sneak peek of Melanie Forbes' Magic of Oz trick-or treat bag. You have got to see this in its entirety! It is so amazing! Just click on the sneak peek image and you'll be swept away to Melanie's amazing blog! You'll be glad you did!

Melanie Forbes: http://melanie-forbes.blogspot.com/
Gloria Stengel: http://gloriascraps.blogspot.com/

And check out this super alluring trick-or-treat bag sneak peek by Gloria Stengel. Click on the image to see the full trick-or-treat bag on her blog. Gloria's blog is amazing and so is her gorgeous work. You'll fall in love with her fantastic ideas. Check it out!

Well that's all for today, Crafters. Huge thanks to Melanie Forbes and Gloria Stengel as well as all of the amazing crafters who submitted projects for the Halloween Rejuvenation Challenge. We will be right back here on Monday with some majorly inspiring crafts from our design team and a new blog contest. We hope you all have a fun weekend!

Happy Papercrafting!

Team Graphic 45

 

Hello Crafters,

Happy Thursday and welcome! We've been having a lot of fun this week with the Trick-or-Treat Blog Hop. All week we've been featuring a sneak peek of a fabulous trick-or-treat bags from our design team members. By clicking on the sneak peek image you are transported to their blog where you'll see the full image of their gorgeous trick-or-treat bag! You'll also discover many more awe-inspiring crafts on their blogs! Today we're featuring the blogs of three very talented crafters: Hilde Janbroers, Yuka Hino and Nancy Wethington. Check out their super fun Magic of Oz trick-or-treat bags and be sure to leave a comment on their blogs for your chance to win this awesome prize! In case you're just joining us, here is the full list of this week's featured blogs. It's not too late to leave your comments on our design team member's blogs for your chance to win! Check it out!

 

Monday
Lynette Carrol: http://lynettecarrolldesigns.typepad.com/
Jane Tregenza: http://janetregenza.blogspot.com/
 
Tuesday
Laura Denison: http://www.followingthepapertrail.blogspot.com/
Robin Shakoor: http://robinshakoor.blogspot.com/
Tara Orr: http://eachmoment-onlyonce.blogspot.com/

Wednesday
Sherry Cheever: http://sherrycheever.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Jack & Cat Curio: http://jackandcatcurio.blogspot.com/
Nicole Eccles: http://nicoleeccles.blogspot.com/

Thursday
Nancy Wethington: http://art-from-the-heart.typepad.com/
Hilde Janbroers: http://hildejanbroers.blogspot.com/
Yuka Hino: http://nsnlso.blogspot.com/

Friday
Melanie Forbes: http://melanie-forbes.blogspot.com/
Gloria Stengel: http://gloriascraps.blogspot.com/

Our first sneak peek is for this adorable Magic of Oz trick-or-treat bag created by Hilde Janbroers. Click on the image to see Hilde's wonderful craft blog. Get inspired by her fantastic ideas and don't forget to leave her a comment too!

Next we have this sweet and spooky trick-or-treat bag by Yuka Hino. Check out Yuka's magical blog and see some super inspiring crafts while you're there! Leave a comment on her blog for your chance to win!

 

Check out this alluring sneak peek of Nancy Wethington's trick-or-treat bag! There's lots to discover on Nancy's wonderful blog. Hop on over and behold all the craft bliss! Be sure to leave her a blog comment too!

 

Remember, voting for the G45 Halloween Rejuvenation Challenge is going on right now on our Facebook Page! Today is the last full day to cast your vote! Let your voice be heard by clicking "Like" under your favorite altered art project! The two projects with the most votes wins! We will be right back here tomorrow with more fantastic and inspiring crafts and blogs from our design team. We will also announce the randomly chosen winners for this week's blog prizes as well as our two winners for the Halloween Rejuvenation Challenge. It's going to be a big day of winners and gorgeous crafts! Please join us! Thank you to Hilde Janbroers, Yuka Hino and Nancy Wethington for their beautiful work today. And big thanks to all of you for stopping by! Have a terrific Thursday!

With Love and Pretty Paper,

Team Graphic 45

Hello Fabulous Crafters.

It's another super day here at the Graphic 45 blog and we are so happy you're joining us! Fall is officially here in the northern hemisphere and there's no better time to get started on your Halloween or Fall-inspired crafts. Today we're bringing you more spectacular inspiration with our design team blog hop! You will see three sneak peek images of some beautiful Magic of Oz trick-or-treat bags by Sherry Cheever, Nicole Eccles and Jack & Cat Curio. Just click on the sneak peek image and you'll be swept away to their magical blogs. There you will see the complete trick-or-treat bag as well as more stunning creations! Leave a comment on their blogs for your chance to win this week's blog prize! It's super fun and you're guaranteed to fall in love with their amazing blogs. So lets get to it!

Sherry Cheever: http://sherrycheever.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Nicole Eccles: http://nicoleeccles.blogspot.com/
Jack & Cat Curio: http://jackandcatcurio.blogspot.com/

This first wonderful trick-or-treat bag is by Sherry Cheever. Click on the image to see her brilliant blog. Leave her a comment while you're there and soak up the inspiration!

This next beautiful sneak peek is from Nicole Eccles' trick-or-treat bag. Check out here fantastic blog where you'll discover more about Nicole's astonishing talent. Be sure to leave her a comment too!

And here we have a super intriguing sneak peek of Jack & Cat Curio's super amazing trick-or-treat bag. Click on the image to see the rest of this wonderful project on their blog. And get ready to be dazzled by the wonderful treats that await you! Behold!

 

In case you can't make it everyday this week, here is the schedule for the Trick or Treat Blog Hop.  Don't forget to leave comments for your chance to win one of two of the prize packs below!

Monday
Lynette Carrol: http://lynettecarrolldesigns.typepad.com/
Jane Tregenza: http://janetregenza.blogspot.com/
 
Tuesday
Laura Denison: http://www.followingthepapertrail.blogspot.com/
Robin Shakoor: http://robinshakoor.blogspot.com/
Tara Orr: http://eachmoment-onlyonce.blogspot.com/

Wednesday
Sherry Cheever: http://sherrycheever.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Jack & Cat Curio: http://jackandcatcurio.blogspot.com/
Nicole Eccles: http://nicoleeccles.blogspot.com/

Thursday
Nancy Wethington: http://art-from-the-heart.typepad.com/
Hilde Janbroers: http://hildejanbroers.blogspot.com/
Yuka Hino: http://nsnlso.blogspot.com/

Friday
Melanie Forbes: http://melanie-forbes.blogspot.com/
Gloria Stengel: http://gloriascraps.blogspot.com/

That's all for today, Crafters.  Big thanks to Sherry Cheever, Nicole Eccles and Jack & Cat Curio for sharing their wonderful talents today. Don't forget to cast your vote for our Halloween Rejuvenation Challenge happening right now on our Facebook page! Vote for your favorite Halloween/Fall-inspired altered art project by clicking "Like" underneath your favorite project. We will announce our winners on Friday along with this week's blog prize winners! Join us tomorrow as the inspiration train keeps on rolling right here at Graphic 45! Have a funtastic Wednesday!

Happy Papercrafting!

Team Graphic 45

Hello Crafters,

Happy Monday and thank you for joining us! We have a lot of fun in store for you all week long! In honor of our Halloween Rejuvenation Challenge we are going to have a fun design team blog hop all this week! Each day you'll see a sneak peek of a fantastic Graphic 45 trick-or-treat bag designed by our design team members. Just click on the link to their blog and you'll be transported to a magical world of craft bliss! See the full unveil the trick-or-treat bags on our featured design team member's blog each day and get inspired by their amazing projects! We are offering two awesome Magic of Oz gift packs as prizes this week! Want the opportunity to win? Just click on over to our featured design team member's blog each day and leave a comment. We will choose two random winners from our design team member's blog comments and announce them on Friday, September 30th! Sound like fun!? You bet it does! Check out this amazing prize! A Magic of Oz 12x12 paper pad, Chipboard Button Staples, 3 chipboards from Imaginarium Designs, and some beautiful bling by Want2Scrap! Remember, there's two chances to win this week! Wow!

In case you can't make it every single day this week, here is the schedule for our featured design team member blogs. This shows you who will be featured on what day so you can check out all the fun! Don't forget to leave comments for your chance to win!

Monday
Lynette Carrol: http://lynettecarrolldesigns.typepad.com/
Jane Tregenza: http://janetregenza.blogspot.com/
 
Tuesday
Laura Denison: http://www.followingthepapertrail.blogspot.com/
Robin Shakoor: http://robinshakoor.blogspot.com/
Tara Orr: http://eachmoment-onlyonce.blogspot.com/

Wednesday
Sherry Cheever: http://sherrycheever.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Jack & Cat Curio: http://jackandcatcurio.blogspot.com/
Nicole Eccles: http://nicoleeccles.blogspot.com/

Thursday
Nancy Wethington: http://art-from-the-heart.typepad.com/
Hilde Janbroers: http://hildejanbroers.blogspot.com/
Yuka Hino: http://nsnlso.blogspot.com/

Friday
Melanie Forbes: http://melanie-forbes.blogspot.com/
Gloria Stengel: http://gloriascraps.blogspot.com/

And one more big announcement! All of our submissions for the Halloween Rejuvenation Challenge are now in and it's time to vote for your favorite! Venture on over to our Facebook - Halloween Rejevenation Challenge album and click "Like" on your favorite Halloween/Fall-inspired altered object. The two most "liked" submissions will win the grand prize of our entire Christmas Emporium collection! The winners will be announced this Friday, along with this week's blog hop contest winners! That's 4 winners to announce in one day! Amazing!

Okay, let the craft fun begin! Today's featured design team member blogs are Lynette Carroll and Jane Tregenza. Here is a sneak peek of Lynette's gorgeous trick-or-treat bag! Click on the photo or her blog link to see the full project. And don't forget to leave her and Jane a comment for your chance to win!

 

Venture on over to  Jane Tregenza's blog too and see her trick-or treat bag. Discover more amazing crafts and inspiration while you're there as well! Be sure to leave a comment too! Fun!

That's all the fun for today, Crafters. Big thanks to Lynette Carroll and Jane Tregenza for their gorgeous work today. We hope you all enjoy this week's fun blog hop. And don't forget to vote for your favorite craft in our Halloween Rejuvenation Challenge!

Have a wonderful day!

Team Graphic 45

 

Hello Crafters,

Welcome to another magical day here at Graphic 45. Thank you all so much for joining us today! We're getting warmed up for Halloween with this week's Trick or Treat blog hop! Everyday this week we're going to be posting a sneak peek photo of a gorgeous trick-or-treat bag. Just click on the image to be transported to one of our design team member's magical blogs. There you will see the full image of the trick-or-treat bag as well as lots of other amazing works of craft inspiration. Just leave a comment on their blogs for your chance to win this week's blog prize! Great fun for all!

We wanted to give a quick reminder that all of our entries for the Graphic 45 Halloween Rejuvenation contest are up on our Facebook Photos page! Cast your vote for your favorite creation by clicking "like" under your favorite image. The two highest ranked projects will win our grand prize of our entire Christmas Emporium collection. There's some amazing Halloween/Fall-inspired creations so be sure to check it out. Get inspired and cast your vote!

Today we're featuring the work of three very brilliant crafters, Tara Orr,  Robin Shakoor and Laura Denison. Their Magic of Oz trick-or-treat bags are sure to sweep you off your feet. Click on their blog links to see the full project. And don't forget to leave them a comments!

Tara Orr: http://eachmoment-onlyonce.blogspot.com/
Robin Shakoor: http://robinshakoor.blogspot.com/
Laura Denison: http://www.followingthepapertrail.blogspot.com/

Here's Tara Orr's magical bag sneak peek! So intriguing! This gorgeous piece is a must see and so is Tara's astonishing craft blog. Click on the image and get ready to be amazed by this fun trick-or-treat bag in all it's glory! Leave Tara a comment on her blog too. Yay!

 

This next beautiful sneak peek is from Robin Shakoor's Magic of Oz trick-or-treat bag. Click on the image to see her wonderful blog. You'll be so glad you did! Leave a comment and get inspired by her fabulous crafts!

Check out this amazing sneak peek from Laura Denison's trick-or-treat bag. You know you want to see more! Click on the image to be transported to her beautiful blog. Leave her a comment and get inspired by the craft excellence that overflows on her blog!

That's all for today, Crafters. We hope you enjoyed getting to know Tara Orr,  Robin Shakoor and Laura Denison. We want to thank them for their gorgeous work as always. We hope their wonderful talents helped inspire your day. Join us tomorrow as we continue this super fun blog hop. Have a wonderful Tuesday and we hope to see you tomorrow!

Happy Papercrafting!

Team Graphic 45

Hello Crafters!

While cleaning house we came across these Once Upon a Springtime project sheets.  So naturally we thought we would jump on the opportunity to share with all of our lovely friends online. 

Download Once Upon a Springtime Card & Layout

Click the link to download. 

Enjoy!  And as always, Happy Papercrafting!

--

Team Graphic 45!

Here is the Graphic 45 Renaissance Faire Enlightened paper finished with the Fiskars Leave It To Weaver border punch.

 

Hello Crafters,

Welcome to another fun-filled day as we team up with Fiskars to bring you spectacular crafting inspiration! Thank you all so much for joining us! Our design team has whipped up the most amazing creations from our newest collection An ABC Primer.  We are so excited to share today's inspiration from Sherry Cheever and Jack & Cat Curio. There's even a fun video by Jack & Cat that is sure to make you smile! Don't forget that there's still time to leave comments for your chance to win some amazing prizes this week. Leave us a comment here on the blog and venture on over to the Graphic 45 Facebook page and Fiskars Facebook page and write "Graphic 45 + Fiskars=_____" Fill in the blank with your own words and you'll be entered to win! We announce two big winners tomorrow on our blog and Facebook page! It's so exciting! Check out this gorgeous and super sweet card created by Sherry Cheever. Sherry always knows how to create the most quaintly beautiful crafts. Get inspired by this adorable card and check out her cool photo of all the fun tools she used to create it!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Papers:  An ABC Primer:  Calico Kids, Games and Playtime, Grammar School, Tags 1
Graphic 45 Stamps:  An ABC Primer 2 by Hampton Art
Fiskars:  Deckle Tear Edger, Postage Stamp and Notebook Border Punches
Core’dinations:  Graphic 45 Signature Series Color Core Cardstock
Scrapbook Adhesives:  3D Foam Squares, MyStik Permanent Adhesive
Ranger Industries:  Antique Linen, Aged Mahogany and Fired Brick
Distress Inks; Mister; Craft Sheet; Heat It Craft Tool Spellbinders™
Paper Arts:  S4-114 Standard Circles LG and S4-116 Standard Circles SM Nestabillities®, Grand Calibur®
Other:  Copic Markers; Sakura Gelly Roll Stardust Marker; Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and Ink Sweeper; 7 Gypsies Paper Fasteners

Next we have this wonderful banner created by Jack & Cat Curio. This banner is the essence of old fashioned schoolhouse cuteness! Each tag has its own unique story to tell. And you can tell that they had a lot of fun with all the great Fiskars tools! Check out the sweet video they created too! Amazing!

 

Supplies:

An ABC Primer Collection: An ABC Primer, Alphabet Soup, One Two, Buckle My Shoe, Grammar School, Calico Kids, Bedtime Stories, Building Blocks, Happy Go Lucky, Games and Playtime Core'dinations SigSeries G45 12x12 Black, An ABC Primer Chipboard Die-cuts 1 & 2, Graphic 45 Staples: Trim, Metal Flowers, Metal Buttons
Fiskars Tools: Tear Edger Deckle, Tear Edger Scallop, Border Punch Notebook, Border Punch Leave it to Weaver, Border Punch Postage Stamp, Postage Stamp Squeeze Punch, Twist & Flip Punch - Round 'n Round, The Original Orange Handled Scissors 8 in
Ranger Distress Ink Vintage Photo, Ranger Crackle Paint Picket Fence3L Scrapbook Adhesives:3D Foam Squares5 ¾ inch x 3 inch Red Shipping TagsSewing Machine
Assorted ribbon, paper doilies, clothes pins, twine

We want to thank the amazing Sherry Cheever and Jack & Cat Curio for their magical work today! And thank you to all of you for stopping by our blog. Please join us tomorrow as we announce our big winners for this week's prizes! We hope you have a terrific Thursday!

With Love and Pretty Paper,

Team Graphic 45

Hello Fabulous Crafters,

Welcome to day 3 of our fun team-up with the fine folks at Fiskars! We have been having to much fun with this terrific Facebook hop and we hope you are enjoying it as much as we are! We have another amazing lineup of crafts from our design team to share with you today. Melanie Forbes, Jane Tregenza and Yuka Hino have created the most astonishing layouts that combine Graphic 45 and Fiskars! You'll even see a great tutorial by Jane Tregenza that will show you how to create a beautifully layered LO using some fun Fiskars tools and the Graphic 45 Once Upon a Springtime collection. So get ready to be amazed by the creative splendor that you're about to see! And don't forget to swing on by the Graphic 45 Facebook page and the Fiskars Facebook page to see more wonderful crafts. Leave a comment on both pages for your chance to win a spectacular prize this week! Just write "Graphic 45 + Fiskars=______" Fill in the blank with your own words and you'll be entered to win! We will choose two random winners from Facebook and our blog and announce them this Friday! Yay! Okay, lets get to the crafts! This first adorable LO was created by Melanie Forbes using our new collection An ABC Primer. Check out the dazzling layers and amazing colors! This LO gets first prize for fun!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Papers
An ABC Primer – Happy go Lucky, Grammer School, School Days, Jumping Joan, Calico Kids, Primer Chipboard diecuts 2, Cling An ABC Primer 3 stamps.
Core’dinations Signature Series – Heritage Kraft
Colourbox Graphic 45 Decades – Venetian Lace, Dark Cashmere, Photogenic, Triumphant Red

FISKARS – Border punches in Leave it to Weaver, Notebook & Postage Stamp, trimmer, scissors & tweezers
Twiddleybitz – Feather & swirl FLOR021
May Arts – 3/8” Metallic Velvet Black ribbon 377-38-10
Scrapbook Adhesives – black and white 3D foam squares
Basic Grey – Delilah White Choc Chip alpha’s
Carolee Creations Adorn it - Buckaroo alpha’s
Tattered Angels  - Glitter Glam Blue Suede Shoes
White Gesso

Next we have this gorgeous and heart-warming layout by Jane Tregenza. Just look at how beautiful this is! Jane used Once Upon a Springtime and some fun Fiskars punches to create this gorgeous work of art. She even made a tutorial so that you can make one of your very own! Thanks, Jane!

I was wrapped to receive from Fiskars some of their punches for the blog hop. I am a big fan and love the border punches.

They kindly send me two borders and a squeeze punch.  The squeeze punch was in the shape of a postage stamp. Perfect for me as I love stamps. I decided to do a layout on my daughter and use “once upon a Springtime”.

First I used the ribbon threading punch, I punched a strip of paper 12 inches long and threaded some apricot satin ribbon through it. It was so easy to do.

I got a bit carried away and ended up with two more punched border pieces. The punches work so well and are easy to line up, allowing you to create a continues line of bordered edges on your papers. I love the way using border punches allow you to add lots of detail to your layouts without bulking the page out too much

I used Enchanted Forest for the base of my layout.  I layered all the punched strips on the page. I added more ribbons to hide any joins.

I love the “once upon a springtime frames” . I matted one of the big frames on some cardstock and over the top of my photo. I added a heart topped chipboard fence from Imaginarium designs.

Another frame to the right of the layout balanced it nicely. I added some Prima pearls to create a flight path for the butterflies!

The smaller frame gave me a foundation to build all the other elements on. I added a large chipboard Butterfly with some flowers. I used a  square from “Enchanted Forest” for a journaling block.

I used the photo squeeze punch from Fiskar for my title squares. It nearly fitted the” tiny treasures” postage squares printed on the paper perfectly. I added smaller square of pink  “Spellbound”  in the middle and some chipboard alphas to spell Anna’s name.

This is one of my favourite photo of Anna. It takes me back many years. At nine months old she could just hold her head up and roll over. My husband took this photo of her and it reminds me of how tiny she was and how clever she thought she was at the time. She has grown into a lovely woman and a much love and valued member of our family. Life would not be the same without her.

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Papers
Spellbound
Tiny Treasures
Enchanted Forest
Woodland fantasy
Once upon a springtime
Once upon a springtime Frames.
Fiskars punches, ribbon border, embossing border and squeeze punch
Colourbox inks  Olive pastel liquid chalk
Imaginarium deigns
Heart topped fence
Butterflies
Alpha’s
Flowers
Melisa Frances vintage embellishments.
Prima say it with pearls and lace

And last but certainly not least is this beautiful and whimsical layout by the brilliant Yuka Hino. She used An ABC Primer and more fun Fiskars punches to make this amazing LO! Just look at how imaginative and sweetly detailed this LO is! It's so great! And the Fiskars Notebook Border Punch is totally perfect when combined with An ABC Primer! A match made in craft heaven!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Papers
An ABC Primer: An ABC Primer, Grammar School, Jumping Joan, Alphabet
Soup, Games and Playtime, Calico Kids, Happy Go Lucky, School Days
Graphic 45 Chipboards: An ABC Primer Chipboard Die-cuts 1, An ABC
Primer Chipboard Die-cuts 2
Graphic 45 Cling: Cling An ABC Primer 2
Graphic 45 Staples: Chipboard Buttons
Fiskars: Notebook Border Punch, Postage Stamp Squeeze Punch, Tear
Edger - Scallop
Imaginarium Designs Chipboard: Star Train with three carriages
May Arts: String
October Afternoon: Alphabet Sticker
7gypsies: Brads
Hampton Art - Graphic45 Decades Distressing Ink: Venetian Lace,
Antique Moss, Dark Cashmere
Ranger Industries: Glossy Accents, Blending Tool, Ink
Tsukineko: Ink
Scrapbook Adhesives By 3L: MyStik™ Permanent Strips Dispenser, MyStik™
Repositionable Dots Dispenser, 3D Foam Squares - Black, Small
Acrylic Color

That's all for today, Crafters. We will be right back here tomorrow with more amazing crafts that combine Graphic 45 and Fiskars! Please join us for the fun and inspiration! Big thanks to Melanie Forbes, Jane Tregenza and Yuka Hino for their wonderful work today! And thanks to all of you for joining us on this lovely Wednesday!

Happy Papercrafting!

Team Graphic 45

Hello Crafters,

Welcome to another fun and exciting day as we team up with the fine folks at Fiskars! We have some fantastic projects from our design team to share with you. All of today's crafts were created using Graphic 45 papers and embellishments as well as great Fiskars scissors and punches. You'll see some totally inspiring ideas from Nicole Eccles, Robin Shakoor and Tara Orr. And don't forget to mosey on over to the Graphic 45 Facebook page as well as the Fiskars Facebook page and leave a comment for your chance to win a terrific prize! All you need to do is write "Graphic 45+Fiskars=______." Fill in the blank with your own words. Sound fun? You bet it is! So let's get started! This first jaw-dropping creation was made by Nicole Eccles. Nicole is brilliant when it comes to creating unique little worlds in every one of her projects. This one is an altered box and it's filled with so many gorgeous details! Here is what she had to say about this marvelous work of art.

"I wanted the look of a stage in the front, built using layers of round chipboard ie tape rolls, small gift boxes etc. I also found after putting all the layers of paper on, the box didn’t hold shut completely, so I used the idea I saw you all use at CHA on the little trunks.  Bent a metal tag over, attached a hinge and now it looks even fancier too! The Altered boxes are SOO easy to cut, actually cut the first inside flap to have an opening, then made it a little larger to fit your frames perfect!  Loving these little boxes!!!" -Nicole Eccles

Supplies:

"I created this fun Outer Stair Step Card using the Graphic 45 Christmas Emporium collection.  The card base is pre-scored and is made by a company called The Paper Cut.  This card design allows you to add a multitude of beautiful layers to your project. I used Fiskars Postage Stamp border punch to create a delicate scalloped border which was topped with diamond Stickles. To continue with the postage stamp theme, I punched a postage stamp shape to mat my postal stamp image cut from my patterned paper. The beautiful Santa image is my favorite from the collection and serves as my focal point." -Robin Shakoor

Graphic 45 Papers:
Christmas Emporium:  Christmas Emporium, Joyous Noel, Special Delivery, Santa Express
Christmas Emporium Chipboard:  Die-cuts 1
Partner Products 
Fiskars:  Postage Stamp Border and Squeeze Punches
Fiskars:  Paper Trimmer
May Arts: Ribbon and Twine
Scrapbook Adhesives:  My Stik Tape Runner
Other supplies used:
Card Base:  The Paper Cut
Ranger Industries: Diamond Stickles, Black Soot Distress Ink, Glossy Accents, Foam Squares
Beacon:  Zip Dry Adhesive

Next we have these gorgeous Christmas Emporium holiday cards by Tara Orr. These cards are the essence of old fashioned Christmas joy. Tara used lots of beautiful layers and pretty ribbons to make each card unique and beautiful. Fiskars products helped make these cards so fun and festive. I don't know about you, but these cards make us want to curl up with some hot cocoa and craft until Santa arrives! Behold the Christmas wonder!

Supplies:

 

Hello Crafters!

Happy Monday! Welcome to a super fantastic week of fun as we team up with the fine folks at Fiskars all this week! We'll be sharing some marvelous crafts from the Graphic 45 and Fiskars design teams. Plus we've got two ultra deluxe Graphic 45/Fiskars prize packs to give away! Here's how it works. Leave us a blog comment for your chance to win the prize pictured below. Then venture on over to our Facebook page to enter to win an exclusive Facebook prize pack! Fiskars is also offering a big giveaway on Facebook. Just leave a comment on the Graphic 45 Facebook and Fiskars Facebook page saying "Graphic 45 + Fiskars= ______" (fill in the blank with your own words). It's just that simple! Lots of prizes and easy ways to enter for your chance to win! How cool is that?! We will announce our random winners this Friday on our blog and Facebook page! Take a look at this awesome blog prize! A Curtain Call and Le Cirque 8x8 Paper Pad, Tim Staples, Envelope Tag Staples, Fiskars Paper Crimper, Detail Burnisher, Everywhere Punch, Border Punch, Tear Edger, and a MyStick adhesive dispenser! Wow! Check out our Facebook and the Fiskars Facebook page to see the exclusive prizes offered there!

Today's wonderful crafts combine the beauty of Graphic 45 paper with the amazing Fiskars tools. Laura Denison has created this amazing photo cube that will dazzle you! Here is what she had to say about this beautiful project!

"Photo cubes can be a fun way to display photo's. This stacking version displays not only favorite photo's, but also these fun images of the Graphic 45 An ABC Primer Collection. The Fiskars tools add special details and makes construction easier. I LOVE my Fiskars paper trimmer!!! The stacking photo cubes also nest into the largest box for easy storage." -Laura Denison

 

 

Supplies:

 

Hello Beautiful Crafters,

A very happy Friday to you all! We're running the gamut on holiday themes this week! Today we've got some stunning Deluxe Edition Christmas Past and Christmas Emporium crafts by Gloria Stengel and  an inspiring tutorial by Sherry Cheever.

Before we get to the crafts we wanted to let you know that we're going to be attending Archiver's Scrapfest all weekend! Aimee, Diane, Charee and a few special guest helpers will be there! We are super excited! Be sure to stop by our booth for a gorgeous Magic of Oz make n' take! For more information check out all the details here! See you there! 

We also wanted to announce this week's blog prize winner! We asked you to leave us a comment about what you love most about blogs. Big thanks to everyone who left their feedback this week! Our randomly chosen winner is...SuZeQ. Here is what she had to say about what inspires her on blogs:

"Wow - what's not to love about blogs. I've made some great friends, learned tons, enjoyed the tutorials, visited places I'll never be able to visit, get my inspiration and am always able to go to my happy place when I visit blogs. Thank you for asking" -SuZeQ

Thanks SuZeQ! Please email us with your shipping information at info@g45papers.com! Congratulations!

Well lets get to the crafts! These first two stunning Christmas Past and Christmas Emporium cards were created by Gloria Stengel. Behold the beauty and cheer of the holiday season with these marvelously festive creations!

Techniques: Use Clearsnap inks and die templates to stencil. Add pearls to the snowflake for added dimension.

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill Pomegranate, Walnut Cream; Neenah Classic Natural White, Stampin' Up! Whisper WhiteDesigner paper: Graphic45 Christmas Past (Let it Snow, Deck the Halls)
Stamps: Graphic45/Hampton Art Christmas Emporium IC0127, IC0128
Ink: Copic Markers, Clearsnap Colorbox Chalk Ice Blue, Memento Tuxedo BlackEmbellishments: Ribbon unknown, Flower from Making Memories, Pin from Maya Road, Pearls from Queen and Company (Snowflake)
Tools: Bow Easy, Spellbinders Paper Arts die templates (S4-116 Standard Circles Small, S4-114 Standard Circles Large, S4-286 2010 Snowflake Pendant), Grand Calibur machine
Adhesive: Scotch 3M ATG, Glue Dots

Supplies:

Cardstock: Bazzill Raven, Kraft, Walnut Cream; Neenah Classic Natural WhiteDesigner paper: Graphic45 Christmas Past Holiday Spirit
Stamps: Graphic45/Hampton Christmas Emporium IC0126, IC0127
 Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black 
Embellishments: Rhinestones from Want2Scrap, Eyelet unknown, Twine from May Arts
Tools: Spellbinders Paper Arts die templates (S4-169 Small Labels, S4-168 Large Labels), Grand Calibur machine, Edge punch from Martha Stewart
Adhesive: Scotch 3M ATG and foam tape

Next we have an amazing tutorial by Sherry Cheever. You'll learn how to create this gorgeous piece of holiday home decor from one of our altered art experts! Take an ordinary picture frame and turn it into a Christmas treasure! Take it away, Sherry!

Supplies:

Graphic 45:  Christmas Emporium 
Paints/Inks:  Ranger Claudine Hellmuth Studio Charcoal Black Semi-Gloss Acrylic Paint, Peeled Paint Distress Stain, Lemonade Alcohol Ink, Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress Ink 
Embellishments:  Corsage Pins;  idea-ology GrungePaper; Black Cardstock
Tools:  Spellbinders S5-055 Layered Poinsettia, Grand Calibur; Ranger Ultra-Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE), Melting Pot, Craft Sheet and Matte Accents

Tutorial:

The base of the project is a plain 2x3 wood frame that has been sanded down to remove the clear finish.

The entire frame was then painted black.

Score-Tape was added to the front of the frame in order to attach the Graphic 45 paper.

The Score-Tape hangs over the sides and needed to be trimmed down with a matte knife.  Turn the frame over and using the edge of the frame as a guide, trim off the excess.

Place the paper you are covering the front of the frame with face side down and place the frame on the back of the paper, leaving an excess over the sides.

When the frame is flipped over it will looks like below.  

Remove the excess paper by sanding off at the edges.

Once all the edges have been sanded, it will look like this.

The sanded edges were then sponged with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. 

To measure the inside panel, the glass from the frame was used as a guide.

The inside image was sponged with Antique Linen Distress Ink, mounted on black cardstock and then mounted on the other side (matching the frame) to the above paper.

The poinsettia was die cut, shaped and assembled, with corsage pins placed in the middle.  The corsage pins were colored with Lemonade Alcohol Ink.

The UTEE was melted in the Melting Pot.

The poinsettia was then dipped into the UTEE, using the corsage pins to hold the poinsettia.

The UTEE needs to be drained from the flower.  This was done by holding the poinsettia by the corsage pins over the melting pot until all the UTEE had drained back into the melting pot.

The poinsettia was then placed in a piece of foam to dry completely and cool.

Before embellishing the frame with the poinsettia, the pins were snipped off at the back.

Removing the pins is helpful to make the poinsettia lay flat on the frame. 

Assemble the embellishments on the frame with a hot glue gun.

Well, that's all the goodies for today. Thank you all for joining us and extra special thanks to Gloria Stengel and Sherry Cheever for their stunning crafts! Next week is going to be very fun and exciting so we hope you'll stop by and see us on Monday. We hope you all have a restful weekend.

Happy Papercrafting!

Team Graphic 45

 

Hello Crafters,

Happy Thursday and welcome to our blog today! We noticed an almost instantaneous change in the weather here in Portland this week. It went from being over 95 degrees to being chilly and cloudy within a span of about 48 hours. We've also been noticing that the days are getting just a little bit shorter. Yes, Fall is definitely working its way to us. So we thought we'd start to celebrate this colorful season a little bit early by sharing some wonderful fall-inspired crafts from our design team. These gorgeous creations should help get you in some festive spirits. After all, we've got two major crafting holidays coming up: Halloween and Thanksgiving (for those of you in the states)! We're so excited and we know you will be to, especially after seeing today's charming crafts!

And speaking of Autumn crafting, don't forget about the Graphic 45 Halloween Rejuvenation Challenge that's happening right now! We want you to create a beautiful Halloween or Fall-themed altered art project from any old, random objects you might have using Graphic 45 products. The submission deadline is September 25th.  Email submissions to charee@g45papers.com.  On September 26th all of the submissions will be uploaded to our Facebook photos and you will get to vote for your favorite submission by "Like"-ing it! Voting is from September 26th to 7am on September 30th. The TWO projects with the most likes wins our entire Christmas Emporium collection!  Winners will be announced on Friday, September 30th at 8am on our Facebook and on our blog.

Okay, lets get to the crafts! Check out these two stunning pieces by Lynette Carroll. There is a gorgeous card entitled "Thanks for Everything" and an awe-inspiring piece of Fall home decor! You're going to love it! Here is what Lynette had to say about this beautiful card.

"For this card, I wanted to use the beautiful Autumn tones found in several of the Graphic 45 collections to make a generic thank you card.  If you look closely enough at all the different collections, it is so easy to pull together a beautiful array of papers to suit any of the four seasons.  For this card I used papers from the following collections: Communique, Domestic Goddess, A Proper Gentleman, Steampunk Debutante and Renaissance Faire." -Lynette Carroll

Supplies:

Hello Crafters,

Welcome to this very special day at Graphic 45. Today we are so very happy to celebrate the birthday of Diane Schultz, owner and designer of Graphic 45! Diane is a wonderful and inspiring woman and it is such a joy for us to give her this little tribute on her birthday. You all know that Diane is a fantastically creative person. As the chief designer and founder of Graphic 45, her artistic vision is boundless and thoroughly inspiring. But aside from being a gifted designer, Diane is also a warm and kind-hearted person. The moment you meet Diane you are instantly struck by her grace, intelligence and her fabulous sense of style. She is an inspiration to all of us here at Graphic 45, especially her two daughter who also work for G45! So we thought that today would be the perfect opportunity for all of you to get to know Diane a little bit better. We have a fun interview with Diane, as well as some amazing design team projects that were made for Diane for her birthday! So please join us in wishing Diane the happiest of birthdays! Happy birthday, Diane! We love you!

 

A Q&A with Diane Schultz: Owner and Designer of Graphic 45

Where do you find inspiration?  I find inspiration everywhere. My mind is always looking, in stores, magazines, and even ball games.  I am constantly looking for color and pattern trends.  I love anything vintage with character that tells an enchanting story.  I also find a lot of inspiration in the Arts and Crafts Movement, my favorite time period. 
What is your favorite Graphic 45 collection?  It is too hard to choose, it is like choosing my favorite child.  But my current favorite would have to be Le Cirque. 
What is your guilty pleasure?  Chocolate licorice and ratting(backcombing) my hair.
What is your favorite food?  I could live on cheese, bread and guacamole.
 What you are currently working on?  I'm excited to announce that we will be releasing an additional collection to every release.  Yes, 4 new collections instead of 3.                                                           
What is your greatest Accomplishment?  My six children are my greatest works of art.  I am also a proud grammy of 5, soon to be 6 of the cutest grandchildren in the world. 

Family Reunion 2011: Diane, her six kids, four daughter in-laws, and five beautiful grandchildren

Here we have a beautiful Le Cirque Happy Birthday tag by Tara Orr. This tag was created with Diane's favorite Graphic 45 collection and it is so wonderfully fun! Check out the mini clown banner at the top! This tag is a parade of birthday cheer!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Papers:
Le Cirque Collection: Greatest Show on Earth, Wizards of Wonder
Staples: Metal Buttons
May Arts: Black Twine
Scrapbook Adhesives: 3D Foam Squares
Scrapbook Adhesives: MyStik, Permanent Adhesive Rolle

This is a wonderful piece of wall decor created by Gloria Stengel. This beautiful craft was created for Diane and it has all the classic style and elegance of Graphic 45's leading lady! Gloria combined Curtain Call and Steampunk Debutant to create this pretty work of art. It's as lovely and unique as Diane herself!

This is a gorgeous piece of home decor created by Nicole Eccles. Using Steampunk Debutant, Curtain Call and our gorgeous Ornate Metal Door Plate, Nicole created this vibrant piece as a present for Diane. Nicole really fanned the flames of creativity with this wonderful piece! Check out the amazing dimensions and stunning colors! It really gets to the heart of inspiration!

Hello Crafters,

Welcome to another epic week of amazement here at Graphic 45! We have so much great stuff planned for this week. There's a new blog contest, lots of lovely and inspiring crafts, and our new Halloween Rejuvenation Craft Challenge! Wow, get ready for an awesome week! Lets get started with this week's blog contest! We love to hear from you, as we know you enjoy many fabulous blogs in your internet browsing repertoire. We want you to tell us what you love most about blogs? What keeps you checking back day after day? Is it artistic inspiration? Fun words of wisdom? Pretty pictures? There are lots of reasons to love a blog. Share your thoughts with us this week on our blog or Facebook page and you will be entered to win this great prize featuring An ABC Primer! A beautiful ABC Primer 12x12 Paper Pad, coordinating chipboard die-cuts, cling stamp set and  great pair of Fiskars scissors! Wow! We will chose a winner at random and announce them here on the blog on Friday, September 16!

Today's fantastic crafts were created by Robin Shakoor of our design team. Robin is a true craft wonder. A tutorial from Robin is like taking a cooking class taught by Emereril Lagasse! She's just that good! Today she has prepared this fantastic Magic of Oz altered art box that is filled with lots of gorgeous details. Get ready to be swept away to the magical land of Oz with Robin Shakoor! Take it away, Robin!

The versatility of the “The Magic of Oz” collection never ceases to amaze me!  One of my favorite scenes from The Wizard of Oz movie is when everyone goes through the poppy field.  I used this memory as my inspiration for this Graphic 45 5x5 Kraftboard Altered Art Box with Album.   

When the box is opened, you are taken into the poppy field along with the Tin Man and Scarecrow.  I covered both the inside and outside of the box with The Magic of Oz patterned paper.

This is the cover of my mini album.  I cut the image from The Magic of Oz – There’s No Place like Home patterned paper.  I detail cut poppies from The Magic of Oz – Poppy Fields patterned paper and adhered them to the cover of the album using foam squares.  I finished the design with drops of pearls.

I glued the two center panels of the accordion album together to create a three page album.  When you first open the album, on the left page you see the Tin Man and Cowardly Lion taking a stroll along the yellow brick road.  This image was cut from The Magic of Oz – The Magic of Oz patterned paper.  I added pearl drops in Carmine Red to frame the image. The right side of the album contains a simple chipboard sentiment “Simple Things Matter Most” from Imaginarium Designs.

The last two pages of the album contain photos of my friend’s twins.  I matted the photos using The Magic of Oz – There’s No Place like Home patterned paper.  The photo corners were cut using a punch and The Magic of Oz – Tenderhearted Tin Man patterned paper.

Next up is Robin's "You & Me" Magic of Oz card tutorial. 

This card is just perfect for that special friend or loved one in your life. I just love the happy expressions on the faces of the Tin Man and Scarecrow.

Before you begin, select three consecutive sizes from the Grand Labels One die set. I used the three smallest dies in the set for this card.

Using the largest of the three dies, die cut and emboss two panels using Coredinations color core cardstock. Label each side of your card base, front and back.

 

Using the second largest die, die cut and emboss “Scatterbrained Scarecrow” patterned paper from your 8x8 paper pad. Adhere to the center of the card.

 

Using the smallest die, die cut the image above from 12 x 12 “There’s No Place Like Home” patterned paper. Tie a black ribbon vertically to the left side of the die cut and set aside.

Using your back panel, score the inside horizontally 1” from the top.

Apply scor-tape to the top of the card base directly above your score line. Apply a strong liquid glue to the rest of the card top as shown above. Adhere the card front.

Once you have glued the front and back together, your finished card base will look like the one above.

Once you have assembled your card base, you can begin to decorate the front. Begin by layering your die cut pieces in order of size, attaching each layer with foam squares. The Tin Man and Scarecrow die cut will become your top layer.

 

Using banner stamps from Making Memories, stamp a banner on ivory cardstock. (I always stamp several just in case of a mishap) Stamp your sentiment in each section of the banner, cut and ink edges. Apply to the lower portion of your card using foam squares.

Have fun!

Supplies
Patterned Paper: Graphic 45 “Magic of Oz”

Cardstock: Bo Bunny, Coredinations

Chipboard “Oz” Circle: Graphic 45 “Magic of Oz”

Ink: Ranger, Tsukineko

Dies: Spellbinders Grand Labels One

Stamps: Inkadinkado (Hearts and Love), Making Memories (Dilly Dally Stamp Banners and Alpha)

Adhesives: Ranger, Scor-Tape, Zip Dry

Tools: Scor-Pal

Ribbon: May Arts

That's all the magic for today, Crafters. But you know we'll be right back here tomorrow with more whimsical and captivating ideas to keep you smiling. We hope you have a wonderful Monday and we look forward to reading your comments this week. Don't forget to post your Graphic 45 creations on our Facebook, Ning site or website gallery. We always love to see what you're creating with our papers.

With Love and Ruby Slippers,

Team Graphic 45

Hello Clever Crafters,

Happy Friday and thank you for joining us today! We have some very special treats in store for you today. We have a winner for this week's blog contest and brand new and exciting craft challenge to announce! Two exciting announcements in one blog!  Firstly, we want to thank everyone who left us comments for this week's blog contest. We'd asked you to tell us one of your favorite memories from summer and it was an absolute joy to read what everyone wrote. Here in Portland, OR, where the Graphic 45 offices are, we are just now starting to get some of that nice hot summer weather. So it was a real treat to read all about everyone's summer adventures!   Our randomly chosen winner for this week's blog contest is...Sonya Lemacks Everding. Here is what she had to say about her favorite memory from this summer.

"My favorite summer memory was going to my Mom's is Florida with my grandaughter Suzi. We stayed for a couple weeks and had a scrapping extravaganza making cards for the troops overseas for the OWH (Operation Write Home). It was so much fun, bonding, doing something good for someone else."

That sounds great, Sonya! Please email us with your shipping address at info@g45papers.com so that we can send you your prize. Congratulations and enjoy!

Halloween Rejuventation Challenge

Just in time for the weekend, we're announcing our Halloween Rejuvenaiton Challenge! Fall and Halloween are definitely on the way and we thought it would be fun to have an altered art challenge that's inspired by this colorful season. We're asking you to take an old object and bring it back to life with Graphic 45! We've all got stuff around the house that could use a little dressing up. Maybe it's something you found at a garage sale, thrift store, or even an old item that's been sitting in the basement since forever. We want you to create a beautiful Halloween or Fall-themed altered art project from any old, random objects you might have using Graphic 45 products. It's the perfect craft challenge to jump-start your holiday crafting!

The submission deadline is September 25th.  Email submissions to charee@g45papers.com.  On September 26th all of the submissions will be uploaded to our Facebook photos and you will get to vote for your favorite submission by "Like"-ing it! Voting is from September 26th to 7am on Septmeber 30th. The TWO projects with the most likes win!  Winners will be announced on Friday morning at 8am on our Facebook and on our blog.

The prize? You could win our entire Christmas Emporium collection! A 12x12 and 8x8 Paper Pad, both coordinating chipboard die-cuts and one of each cling stamp! That's a $76 value! Wow! We can't wait to see what you create!

Here are some fun ideas from our design team to get you inspired for this new craft challenge! This first creation is by the wonderful Nicole Eccles. She transformed a drawer organizer and an old purse handle into a fantastic piece of Halloween home decor using some Le Romantique and Botanicabella! Super sweet!

Here is an adorable altered bottle by Gloria Stengel using The Magic of Oz! Don't just throw away those empty Starbucks bottles! Turn them into Halloween treasures like Gloria did!

"I used an empty Starbucks Frappuccino bottle, and re-purposed it to be used as a table decoration. It can hold candy or other items for a party or to give as a little gift to your favorite Trick-or-Treater. You could decorate a group of these to use as party favors, or use them to decorate a table in your entryway for Halloween! I used a black Copic marker to color the lid black before I added the lid topper. This entire project took about 20 minutes to create, including coloring the image!" -Gloria Stengel

Supplies:

Hello Crafters,

Welcome to a gorgeous and fantastic day here at Graphic 45! We have the most amazing and awe-inspiring crafts to share with you. Today's creations by Yuka Hino and Hilde Janbroers of our design team are so amazing, they look like something out of a dream! You will see two marvelous mini albums that highlight some fabulous uses of our envelope albums. Yuka's whimsical Hallowe'en in Wonderland mini is made using our Kraft Envelope Album and it is so wonderfully clever! Yuka titled this sweet mini "Take Your Time" and it's obvious that she took her time creating every alluring detail of this magical mini. Check it out!

Supplies:

Hello Crafters,

Thanks for joining us on this lovely Wednesday. Today is an exciting day here at Graphic 45. Thirty years ago today, in the sleepy Cleveland suburb, a bubbly baby girl was born who would one day grow up to be the writer of the Graphic 45 blog. Yes, it was a journey of destiny that lead right to the doors of this fantastic papercarfting company. Today you will see some fun and eclectic crafts and learn a little bit about the illusive writer of your favorite crafting blog. We hope you enjoy getting to know more about our team here at Graphic 45 and we especially hope you enjoy today's fascinating crafts!

If you were to ask around the office this is what you would hear about Kelly. 

Meet Kelly Woessner: blog writer, order filler, phone answerer, and general office gal. When I'm not writing the Graphic 45 I heartily enjoy the following activities...

1. American History: I am an avid connoisseur of the fascinating history of this country. Growing up in a home where history and politics were hot topics, I've always had a deep love for the story of America. Most nights you'll find me combing the PBS website in search of a good historical documentary that I've not yet seen. I also collect Abe Lincoln art. I even keep a small bust of Abe Lincoln at my desk in the Graphic 45 office. Here's a photo of honest Abe next to a picture of my beloved cat Maine. Talk about inspiration in the workplace!

2. Music and Film: I've played classical piano for 17 years and studied film making at California Institute of the Arts where I got a degree in film production. I've made over 50 short films and documentaries thus far and there's no end in sight. When I'm not making movies I'm usually playing improvisational compositions at the piano or making art.

3. Space and Science: My dad is a former rocket man for NASA and the love for science is in my blood. If I was any good at math I might have been a great theoretical physicist. Instead I'm just an avid fan of all things science-related!

I do manage to create projects with the fantastic papers of Graphic 45. My style is a bit abstract and sometimes humorous. Below you will see some examples of postcards that I've recently made for friends. Before I worked at Graphic 45 I used to make a lot of collage work using old magazines. I've found that Graphic 45 papers and embellishments work perfectly when combined with these great vintage magazine images!

Here is a wedding card I made for two dear friends who recently married. I combined Le Cirque with images from an old Life Magazine from the late 1950's. The result? Pretty adorable.

This card was so much fun to make. I call it "Burger Time" and it was made using Core'dintation Timeless Cardstock, Hallowe'en in Wonderland and A Proper Gentleman papers. It's a good example of my quirky aesthetic.

This card is called "Reasonable Conclusion" and it was made by combining Le Cirque, Communique, and Metal Button Staples. I created this card for a dear friend and fellow artist.

Here is a fun postcard that combines Curtain Call, Steampunk Debutant and Fashionista. All of these postcards have since been mailed to friends. I love the idea of creating something in a rush of inspiration and then immediately giving it away. After all, inspiration is a gift that should be shared!

Well that's all for today, Crafters. Thank you all for joining us on this special day. We hope you'll come back and visit us tomorrow. We'll have our usual lineup of fantastic craft inspiration and joyful words of wisdom. From all of here at Graphic 45, we hope you have a wonderful day.

With Love and Pretty Paper,

Team Graphic 45

Hello Fabulous Crafters!

Happy Tuesday and welcome to our happy blog! We hope you all had a nice Labor Day. As promised, we're back with more lovely crafts! Today is all about our adorable new paper collection An ABC Primer. Since back to school time is just around the corner, we thought today would be a great day to highlight some fabulous ideas from this sweet new collection. Our design team is going to show you some gorgeous card creations that you are sure to love! There is even a wonderful tutorial by the card queen herself, Gloria Stengel! Cards are always so much fun to create. Everyone loves a beautiful handmade card! So sit back, relax, and get ready for some gorgeous and inspiring sights! This first amazing card is by Nancy Wethington. She combined An ABC Primer with our Curtain Call Cling Stamp to create this jovial celebration card. It's so lovely and perfect for any occasion!

 

Supplies:

Graphic 45:
An ABC Primer Collection: Bedtime Stories
Graphic 45 Cling Stamps: Curtain Call 2
Core'dinations Graphic 45 Signature Series cardstock
Spellbinders:
Fancy Tags Three (S5-031)
Lattice Rectangles (S4-319)
Miscellaneous:
Copic Markers
Prismacolor Pencils
Antique Linen Distress Ink
Black Memento Ink
Hampton Arts *Celebrate* Stamp

This next amazing card was created by Sherry Cheever. This card is so magnificent! It's another example of a wonderful card for any occasion. Check out Sherry's adorable paper flower and her use of our Trim Staples! So pretty! Sherry always knows exactly what is needed to make every craft radiate with joy.

Next you will see how to create a fantastic card using our new Clearsnap/Graphic 45 Decades Inks that work perfectly with all of our paper collections. Using An ABC Primer, Gloria Stengel is going to take you step by step through this super fun process. You will learn how to color images from stamps and give them wonderful life and character. Take it away, Gloria!

Coloring images is all the rage in stamping these days. The new Graphic45 stamp sets are perfect for coloring! For this tutorial I'll show you how to color in image with pale colors. (Next time, we'll do bold, dark colors!)

1. First, select your image. I am using this adorable little girl from the An ABC Primer 1 set.

2. Stamp your image onto a good quality paper with dye ink. I used Neenah Natural White cardstock and Clearsnap Colorbox Graphic45 Decades Photogenic ink.

 

3. For the little girl's skin I chose: E000, E00, E21, R20. I stared by coloring all of her skin with E000, then adding shadows with the other inks. I blended over the image again with E000.

4. The hair is already colored from the stamp, but I wanted some brown highlights, so I colored with E53 and E25.

5. I decided to use Graphic45 Once Upon a Springtime papers for my card, so I chose to make the little girl's dress pale pink. I chose R0000, R00, R02. I made sure to add the darker color where the book would cast a shadow on her dress. I lightly colored the dots on the dress with R0000.

6. For the bottom of her shoes, I used C3, which is a pale gray. (I normally would add some C1 for a shadow where she is sitting, but I forgot to do that for these photos!)

7. The last thing to color is the book. I used E50 and E53.

I chose to keep the image "plain" with no background color for this simple tutorial. For a later tutorial I'll share some other shading and background techniques! Stay tuned! Have fun playing with your Graphic45 stamps and Copic Markers!

Supply List:
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics, American Crafts, Neenah Paper: Graphic45 Once Upon a Springtime: Fairy Folk, Flight of Fancy; An ABC Primer School Days Ink: Clearsnap Colorbox Graphic45 Decades: Photogenic, Copic Markers (E000, E00, E21, E25, E50, E53, R0000, R00, R02, R20, C3 ) Stamps: Graphic45 An ABC Primer 1 Embellishments: pins from Maya Road and Heidi Grace, flowers from Wild Orchid CraftsDie templates: Spellbinders Paper Arts (S4-116 Standard Circles Small, S4-114 Standard Circles Large, S4-293 Lacey Circles, S5-062 Lace Doily Accents
Adhesive: Scotch 3M ATG

Well, that's all for today. We hope you all enjoyed this amazing day of creativity. Huge thanks to Nancy Wethington, Sherry Cheever and Gloria Stengel for their brilliant work as always. We will be right back here tomorrow with more fantastic crafts. We hope you'll join us! Have a beautiful day!

Your Pals in Paper,

Team Graphic 45

Hello Crafters,

It's Labor Day here in the states which means that many of you are enjoying a relaxing day off work. We want to wish you all a very happy and safe holiday! We are so glad you're taking the time to check out our blog today. We've got some great crafts to share with you and a new weekly blog contest! Since Labor Day is the last holiday of Summer we thought it would be fun to share some bright and beautiful On the Boardwalk crafts by some of our past design team members Susan Lui and Nancy Burke. But first we've got a fun new contest for all of you! Leave us a blog or Facebook comment telling us one of your favorite memories from this summer. Did you go on a trip? Did you create a fantastic garden? Or did you simply stay in and scrap? Lots of fun stuff happens in the summer and we want to hear about your favorite summer moment. You can share your thoughts on our blog or Facebook page any time this week. Check out this beautiful prize that you could win! A Communique 12x12 Paper Pad, a Domestic Goddess 12x12 Paper Pad, Envelope Tag Staples, Chipboard Button Staples, Fiskars Border Punch, and a MyStik Adhesive Strip Dispenser! Wow! We will be choosing one random winner and announcing them right here on Friday, September 9!

Okay, it's time to get crafty! This first beautiful On the Boardwalk layout was created by Susan Lui. She is one of our past design team members and her work is out of this world! This gorgeous layout called "Little Italy" is the essence of summer fun. There are so many beautiful layers and vibrant colors in this LO. It's like a vacation at a glance!

Next we have another stunning creation by Susan Lui. This is a breathtaking altered canvas that also utilizes On the Boardwalk. Summer comes to life in every fun detail of this amazing project. There's also some marvelous textures in this piece that help make it so completely captivating!

Feast your eyes on this precious On the Boardwalk layout by Nancy Burke. Nancy is also a former member of our design team and her work is just astonishing! This lovely creation is called "Beach Bum" and it is such a treasure! You can see that she perfectly captured a wonderful day at the Oregon coast in this layout. Lovely paper distressing, layering and beautiful embellishments help make this piece so remarkable and sweet!

That's all for today, Crafters. We are super excited to read your blog and Facebook comments this week. Thank you all for joining us today and huge thanks to Susan Lui and Nancy Burke for their beautiful crafts. We hope you all have a terrific day! Please join us tomorrow for more lovely works of craft inspiration.

Happy Papercrafting!

Team Graphic 45

Hello Clever Crafters,

Happy Friday to you all! Today is such an exciting day! We've got some big winners to announce for this month's wedding layout craft challenge as well as this week's blog contest winner! Wow! We want to start by saying thank you to everyone who submitted a layout for this fun craft challenge. We had so many submissions and they were all incredibly beautiful. In fact because we had such an amazing turnout that we decided to add an additional winner! So we actually have 4 craft challenge winners to announce in addition to a blog contest winner! Lots of winning happening today at Graphic 45 and we totally love it! Lets start with the winner of this week's blog contest. We asked you to leave us a comment letting us know your favorite way to display your finished crafts. We got tons of responses on our blog and Facebook page. Huge thanks to everyone who participated. Our randomly chosen winner is...Barbara Johnson! Here is what she had to say about her favorite way to display her work.

"I have a line put up in my workroom that I hang my favorite projects on. I use bulldog clips that slide on the line. I also have a small easel. I wish I could use magnets on a strip but I can't find any strong enough. I could put them on the back of most projects and they would hang nicely. I made some hooks out of wire and copper that I hang on a lamp switch- nice for smaller ones and they are under the light so they are lit up. I love to keep as much work out in view as possible. It inspires me and helps me study the work." -Barbara Johnson

Sounds lovely, Barbara! Please email us with your shipping address at info@g45papers.com to claim your prize. Congratulations!

Okay, it's time to announce the randomly chosen winners of this month's wedding layout craft challenge! Again, huge thanks to everyone who participated. And the winners are...

1. Kim Kendell
2. Teresa M Rua
3. Irit Shalom
4. Vicki Yelland-Browning

Below you will see their beautiful layout submissions for our craft challenge. Will our winners please email us with your shipping address at info@g45papers.com! Congratulations everyone!

Here is a stunning layout by Kim Kendell. So gorgeous!

This fantastic LO was created by Teresa M Rua. So prefectly vintage!

Here we have Irit Shalom's pretty and romantic wedding layout.

Vicki Yelland-Browning created this super sweet LO with Botaincabella. Feel the love!

You can see all the beautiful entries for our wedding layout challenge on our Facebook page. We are planning more super fun craft challenges for the future and we can't wait to see what you will all dream up. Huge thanks to all of our readers for their love and support. It is such a joy to read your comments each week and see your Graphic 45 creations. Remember that you can post your Graphic 45 crafts any time on our Facebook page, Ning site and website gallery. We hope you all have a fantastic weekend. We will be right back here on Monday with more amazing ideas to keep you inspired.

With Love and Pretty Paper,

Team Graphic 45