Hello G45ers!

Welcome to another marvelous day of crafting goodness here at Graphic 45! We are so pleased that you have stopped by our blog today. We have some extra special and inspiring card creations that are sure to brighten your Wednesday! As you may know this week is totally devoted to our love for cards. Our design team has created a gorgeous variety of all-occasions cards that are full of beauty and wonder! Today we have a special variety of beautiful cards by Yuka Hino and Gloria Stengel and a guest designer Sabrina Radeck. These cards feature our exhilarating collections Olde Curiosity Shoppe and Steampunk Debutante! You are going to love the vibrant and eclectic look of this incredible new collection! Today's cards are out of the world! So lets get to it!

In addition to today's fabulous crafts did you know that over at Hampton Art they are doing a Week of Website Madness on their blog and tomorrow’s prize is a bundle of Graphic 45 goodies!?  Check out their Facebook page and tell them “Graphic 45 sent me” for more information on the giveaway! What fun!

Okay now it's time for some marvelous card inspiration! We are having the best time celebrating cards with you this week! This first card was created by Yuka Hino using Olde Curiosity Shoppe. The lavish colors and intricate details of this card are just stunning! This card is so unique and perfect for any occasion. The beautiful blend of patterns, colors and embellishments makes this card a one-of-a-kind statement of joy!

Supplies:

Supplies:
Graphic 45 Papers
Olde Curiosity Shoppe: Olde Curiosity Shoppe, Counting Down, Parlor Wall, Butterfly Specifics, Bazaar of Wonders
Olde Curiosity Shoppe Alphabet Stickers, Olde Curiosity Shoppe Stickers
Graphic 45 Staples: Metal Butterflies, Core'dinations SigSeries G45 12x12 Asst Pack 30/PKG*
Scrapbook Adhesives By 3L: 3D Foam Squares - Black, Small
Want2Scrap: Black Pearls
May Arts: Ribbon
Prima Marketing: Flowers
Ranger Industries: Glossy Accents, Stickles
Martha Stewart: Punch
Hot Glue Gun 

Next up is this beautiful Steampunk Debutante and Olde Curiosity Shoppe card by Gloria Stengel. This card utilzines the fun theme of gears and clocks which is an image that we love here at Graphic 45! You can see how easy it is to make a beautiful card by layering our lovely papers, adding some pretty embellishments and a simple sentiment. Gloria added the word "Explore" to capture the carefree and whimsical spirit of Steampunk Debutante! So pretty!

"I love clocks and gears. I have such a passion for them! I also like to combine gears with flowers. Something about putting those masculine and feminine elements together makes me happy. When I found out that you can emboss the Graphic 45 Kraft Envelope Album pages...I was giddy! The possibilities are endless!" -Gloria Stengel

Supplies:

Graphic 45 papers:
Olde Curiosity Shoppe: Optical Oddities, Race for Time, Bazaar of Wonders
Steampunk Debutante: Nouveau Artistry
Graphic 45 Staples: Kraft Envelope Album
Clearsnap: Colorbox Graphic 45 Decades Antiquing ink Venetian Lace
Imaginarium Designs: Chipboard gears, chipboard sentiment
Spellbinders: Bitty Blossoms die templates, Grand Calibur die cutting system
Copic Markers: Various markers
American Crafts: Black Cardstock
7 Gypsies: Gears
Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Clock, Spinners, Charm, Jump rings
Provocraft: Cuttlebug Clock Works embossing folder
Ranger: Black Diamond Stickles
Adhesive: Scotch 3M tape runner; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares;  glue

Supplies:

We hope you all had a lot of fun today! We want to thank Yuka Hino and Gloria Stengel and Sabrina Radeck for their incredible work. We have more inspiring card creations in store for tomorrow's blog so we hope you'll join us! Have a warm and wonderful Wednesday!

With Love and Pretty Cards,

Your Friends at Graphic 45

Hello G45ers!

Happy Tuesday and welcome to another incredible day of the Graphic 45 card celebration! This week is all about gorgeous cards that are perfect for all occasions! With the change in the seasons comes a renewed enthusiasm for getting crafty! Let today's marvelous cards captivate your imagination and energize your creativity! We've got three stunning cards today by Gloria Stengel, Nancy Wethington and Sherry Cheever. All of these cards are just perfect for Spring! So get ready for some wonderful inspiration! First up is this beautiful Little Darlings card, altered photo album and coordinating close pin. These projects are so adorable and exquisitely crafted! Here is what Gloria had to say about them.

"I tend to give gift cards for pretty much every occasion, and always like to make small items to accompany the gift cards. I find that altered photo albums are a big hit with new moms (and new grandmothers). I also like to alter jumbo clothespins. They make a great photo holder for a desk or counter." -Gloria Stengel

Supplies:
Graphic 45 Papers:
Little Darlings: Little Darlings, Bundle of Joy, Lullaby, Rock-A-Bye, New Arrival
Fiskars: Scallop edge punch
American Crafts: Coffee Cardstock
Buttons Galore: Buttons
Really Reasonable Ribbon: Light Blue Corsage Ribbon
Wild Orchid Crafts: Pearl brads
Craft supply: Crystal spray, jumbo clothespin, photo album
Adhesive: Beacon Zip Dry paper adhesive, Scotch 3M foam tape, tape runner

Next we have another bright and cheerful card creation! This one was made by Nancy Wethington and features our fabulous Once Upon a Springtime collection! This card has such fabulous symmetry and color! It is almost hypnotic with it's jubilant sentiments of Spring. This is a great example of how effective paper layering can be! Just stunning!

Supplies:

Once Upon A Springtime: Once Upon A Springtime Frames; Butterfly Kisses; Flight of Fancy; Spellbound
Little Darlings: Heaven Sent (for the butterfly)
Partner Products: Spellbinders Lattice Rectangles S4-319; Fiskars corner rounder
Other supplies used: Miscellaneous cardstock and pearls; Stickles; Beacon 3-in-1 adhesive

Here we have a gorgeous Little Darlings card by Sherry Cheever. This card is a vintage dream with its marvelous paper flowers, flowing chipboards and ribbons! There are so many heart-warming images in our new Little Darlings collection. The possibilities for wonderful cards are endless! The adorable vintage images and soft colors are so inspiring! Sherry did an amazing job of capturing the sweetness of this wonderful new collection.

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Paper:  Little Darlings Collection – Rock-A-Bye, Heaven Sent, New Arrival and Cherished
Spellbinders Paper Arts:  LF-190 Grand Labels Four, S4-246 Labels Eleven, S5-086 Bitty Blossoms, Grand Calibur
Imaginarium Designs:  Flourish 1
Ranger Industries:  Distress Ink in Antique Linen; Distress Stain in Antique Linen; Glossy Accents; Mini Mister; Craft Sheet; Heat-It Tool; Glue ‘n Seal; Claudine Hellmuth Studio multi-medium in matte
Other:  Cream Cardstock; Chipboard; Hot Glue Gun; Plaid Folk Art Acrylic Paint in Vintage White; Schiff Seam Binding in Chalk White; Art Institute Glitter in Vintage Glass Glitter Krystallos

That's all for today, G45ers. Thank you all so much for stopping by. The fun continues tomorrow with more incredible cards! We hope you'll come back for more crafty good times! Big thanks to Gloria Stengel, Nancy Wethington and Sherry Cheever for their gorgeous work today. We hope they got you dreaming of some cards you'd like to create! We wish you all a wonderful day!

Happy Papercrafting!

Your Friends at Graphic 45

Hello G45ers,

It's a new week of fabulous inspiration here at Graphic 45! We are so glad you are joining us! We have so many gorgeous crafts to share with you all week long! This week we have a new and wonderful theme: gorgeous Graphic 45 cards! We bringing you tons of beautiful card ideas and tutorials from our design team that are sure to brighten your week! Any time is a good time for a pretty hand-made card and we've got everything you need to get in the card-making spirit! Today we have marvelous card creations by Gloria Stengel, Hilde Janbroers and Yuka Hino! We also have a new Facebook and Pinterest contest happening this week! Check out all the fun details!

On Facebook we've got our photo caption contest! Just go here and check out this week's featured altered art project created by Graphic 45 founder and designer Diane Schultz. Leave a comment with your suggestion for a title for this gorgeous work of altered art! You could win it! There's also the "Pin It To Win It" contest that we're hosting on our Pinterest page! Just go here to see the featured project. All you need to do is pin it on your Pinterest page and suggest a name for this marvelous project. It could be yours! Join the fun and maybe win some gorgeous altered art from Graphic 45! We will be announcing the winners of this week's contest on Thursday on our Facebook page and in our newsletter!

We are also in the process of picking our new design team for 2012. The mountain of boxes from our 30 finalists has grown even more since last week! Check out the photo! You wouldn't believe all the beautiful wonders that are contained within these boxes! Be sure to check out our blog this Friday, March 30th for our list of our brand new 2012 design team! We can't wait!

Okay, it's time for some cards! First up is this beautiful Spring-themed card and tutorial by Gloria Stengel. This card appeals to us quite a bit since the Graphic 45 office is located in Portland, OR. It doesn't really stop raining here until about June or July. So this is a pretty accurate depiction of Portland in the Spring. This marvelous card was made using our Little Darlings collection and is full of vivid color and pretty patterns. Here Gloria shows you an incredible technique called "paper piecing" that is lots of fun! Take it away, Gloria!

Supplies:
Graphic 45 Paper:
Little Darlings 8x8 Paper Pad: New Arrival, Heaven Sent, Baby Borders, Peek-A-Boo
Stamps: An ABC Primer Cling Stamps 2
Clearsnap: Colorbox Graphic 45 Decades Photogenic, Dark Cashmere Antiquing Ink
Copic: Alcohol Markers
Copic: XPress It White Cardstock
Spellbinders: Grand Calibur die cutting system; Nestabilities Standard Circles LG, Classic Scalloped Circles LG
Fiskars: Microtip scissors
Bazzill Basics: Vanilla Cardstock
The Paper Company: Ivory Cardstock
Ranger: Picket Fence Distress Marker
Sakura: Black Gelly Roll Pen
Really Reasonable Ribbon: White Organza dot Ribbon, Lemon Baker's Twine; Bow Easy Tool
Buttons Galore: Buttons

To add more interest (and fun!) to a stamped image, you may wish to cover areas with patterned paper. This is called "paper piecing." The Graphic 45 8x8 paper pads contain small-scale prints which are perfect for paper piecing

Trim white cardstock and three pieces of patterned paper to approximately 4 x 4 inches. Stamp desired image onto all four sheets of paper using Decades Photogenic Antiquing Ink. (Make sure to use an ink that is made for use with alcohol markers.)

Color the main image (the one stamped on the white cardstock) with markers. You do not need to color the areas to be paper pieced. Using the markers, you may wish to add some shading to the areas you plan to trim out of the patterned paper.

You can see here that I did not color the umbrella, the girl's dress, or the boy's pants on the white sheet. I did add some shading to those elements on the printed paper. Graphic 45 paper works well with Copic Markers -  without bleeding!

Trim the desired images from the patterned paper and glue onto the main image.

"Paper pieced" the umbrella, the dress, and the pants. The rest of the image is colored in with Copic Markers. I added a bit of Distress Marker (Picket Fence) to the boy's color and cuffs, and I used a black glitter pen for his pants' button.

I used other prints from the Little Darlings 8x8 pad to create my springtime card.

I love how the printed paper gives the image more dimension and contrast.

You can try your hand at using this technique using any of the Graphic 45 papers. Choose stamps that have large, open areas. The more detailed the stamp, the more difficult it is to "fussy cut" the printed bits. Also, choosing small prints works better than larger prints for this technique. Enjoy!

Wasn't that great?! Next we have this gorgeous Olde Curiosity Shoppe card by Hilde Janbroers. You can see how beautifully Hilde blended different paper patterns and colors in this card to make it so outstanding! Plus the lovely butterfly and flowers make this a perfect card for Spring! Here is what Hilde had to say about her creative process while making this card.

Supplies:

Hello Fabulous G45ers,

Happy Friday and welcome to another incredible day of our mini album extravaganza! Wow, what a wonderful week this has been! We've had such a great time getting to share our love for mini albums with all of you. We've seen so many amazing creations from our design team this week and the fun continues today! We have more stunning minis to share with you from Yuka Hino and Nancy Wethington! You are going to adore today's featured minis! They are the perfect thing to get you in the weekend crafting spirit!

We also wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for sharing your Graphic 45 creations on our Facebook page, Ning site and website gallery. It is so tremendously inspirational to see all of the marvelous projects that are being created with our papers and embellishments. We thought it would be fun to share with you some of the beautiful projects that have been posted to our Ning site lately. These crafts were made by your fellow G45ers who just wanted to share their inspiration with their crafting community! We hope you are as inspired by these as much we are! Remember that you can post your Graphic 45 creations any time to our Facebook page, Ning site or website gallery! Share the love with your fellow G45ers! Check out these stunning projects from Ning!

Here is a wonderful creation by Leonie that features Olde Curiosity Shoppe! Just look at all the stunning detail and vibrant color! This is a true vintage-inspired treasure!

Here we have a gorgeous Steampunk Debutante creation by Beth Arp. Beth totally captured the essence of Steampunk in this incredible project! Wow!

Next up is this adorable and stunningly creative dollhouse room created by Jan Hennings. Jan used our new collection Little Darlings to make this precious room. You can see that the bed is covered in Little Darlings papers. We just love the sweet little baby who looks like he's climbing up into bed! So wonderful!

Here we have a terrific Once Upon a Springtime craft by Victoria Lynn LeFevre. The color and texture in this project is superb! It is like looking into a whimsical world of wonder! So beautiful!

And last but certainly not least is this sweet Little Darlings mini by Niken Ayie Arini. Just look at all of those marvelous embellishments and vivid colors! This project is so precious!

And now it's time for some more inspiring minis! This first mini was created by Yuka Hino using our collection The Magic of Oz! Every page of this mini is like taking a journey down the yellow brick road. There are lots of fun details to discover as well as lots of adorable Oz-themed photos! This really goes to show you how creative you can get with mini albums! Every page can be filled with wonder and imagination! Get ready to get lost in this magical land of Oz with Yuka Hino and her enchanting mini album! Behold!

Supplies:

Hello Incredible G45ers!

Happy Thursday and welcome to today's happy blog! We are having so much fun this week as we celebrate the gorgeous art form of mini albums! There are endless possibilities with minis and today you are going to see some fabulous ideas that are sure to inspire you. Gloria Stengel has created an amazing Le Romantique mini with a fun tutorial! We also have an elegant and cheerful Once Upon a Springtime mini album by Melanie Forbes! Yes, today's blog is blooming with great ideas!

First up is this beautiful Le Romantique mini by Gloria Stengel. There is something inspiring to discover on every page of this delightful mini! Just imagine how perfect this would be as a wedding, anniversary or birthday gift for your special someone! Gloria takes us page-by-page through this pretty mini as she shares tips and techniques for creating one of your very own! Discover all the magic! Take it away, Gloria!

Supplies:

Graphic45 Le’ Romantique 8x8 paper pad
Graphic45 Le’ Romantique Tags
Kaisercraft antique tag mini album
Making Memories paint (peach, pale pink, cream, pale teal)
Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist (pink taffy, bronze)
Dye ink (brown, black)
Distress ink (old paper, vintage photo)
Autumn Leaves ticket stamp set
Embellishments: Prima Flowers, Tim Holtz memo pins, White pearls, Tickets, Ribbon, Pins, Key
Edge distressing tool
Martha Stewart butterfly punches
Crop-a-Dile or Anywhere hole punch
Sanding block
Foam brush/palette
Craft knife and mat
Micro tip scissors
Glue stick or other strong, fast drying glue
Strong wet glue or metal glue
Glue dots
Foam tape

Front Cover

Spray the large Prima flower with Glimmer Mist and attach pearls to the flower center. Add a memo pin, elements cut from Graphic45 paper, and a ticket as shown. Cut two of the stamp image and glue them back to back before attaching to the memo pin.

Pages 1 and 2

Add a 2x3 photo, Graphic45 tag, mini rose, and a ticket as shown on page 1. For page 2, add Graphic45 images and tags, a ticket, lace, and sheer ribbon as shown.

Pages 3 and 4

For page 3, add Graphic45 images and tags, a ticket, and two pins as shown. For page 4, attach a pearl to the key and glue key to the page. (Some kits will have a lock instead of a key. Omit the pearl in this case.)  Add a photo. Attach a strip of printed paper across the top of the photo, then add sheer polka dot ribbon to the end of the tag.

Pages 5 and 6

For page 5, attach a photo to the page, then tie grosgrain ribbon to a Graphic45 tag, and attach the tag with foam tape to the left edge. For page 6, add a torn strip of Graphic45 paper and a ticket. Then, assemble the butterfly from punched shapes and pearls, as shown.

Pages 7 and 8

For page 7, trim words from Graphic45 paper, then add tags and a ticket. Embellish the tags with pearls. For page 8, add a photo and elements cut from Graphic45 paper. Embellish with pins.

Pages 9 and 10

For page 9, add Graphic45 images and tags, then attach a ticket to a memo pin. For page 10, add a photo, then attach a ticket and a flower. You may spray the flower with Glimmer Mist. Tie sheer ribbon to the end of the page.

Pages 11 and 12

For page 11, add a photo, then punched shapes decorated with pearls. Also add a stamp element cut from Graphic45 paper. Using the butterfly tag element, fold it to create pleats and attach to the edge of the page. For page 12, add elements cut from Graphic45 paper, then tie tulle around the page, knotting the tulle in the center.

Pages 13 and 14

For page 13, slip a photo under the tulle, then use another small scrap of tulle to tie a knot in the center. Add an Graphic45 image to the corner of the photo. For page 14, Add a photo, Graphic45 image, and a ticket. Tie sheer ribbon to the end of the page. Then, tie a scrap of tulle around a pin, and attach it to the page, as shown.

Wow, wasn't that wonderful? Next up is this fantastic Once Upon a Springtime mini album by Melanie Forbes. Naturally this is the perfect time of year for this lavish and enchanting paper collection. Just look at how lovely and bright each page is of this sweet mini. This is the perfect kind of mini for your Spring and Summer photos! After all, your special memories deserve the best!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Once Upon A  Springtime
Once Upon a Springtime, Primrose Cottage, Fairy Folk, Spellbound, Pixie Post, Flight of Fancy, Woodland Fantasy, Butterfly Kisses, Once Upon a Springtime Tags
Twiddleybitz chipboard alpha’s, mushrooms, flowers, wings, fern leaves, fences.
Darkroom Door butterfly stamp, Stazon forrest ink, calico,

We hope you all had a great time discovering these gorgeous mini albums! Tomorrow is our last day of this terrific mini album marathon so be sure to join us for all of the fun! We have lots of treats to share with you. We hope your day is filled with good cheer! Huge thanks to Gloria Stengel and Melanie Forbes for their fantastic work today. Enjoy your Thursday, G45ers!

With Love and Pretty Paper,

Your Friends at Graphic 45

Hello Fabulous G45ers!

Welcome to another terrific day of fun and inspiration here at Graphic 45! We are so excited that Spring has finally arrived! Even though it was cloudy and rainy for us at the Graphic 45 offices yesterday we are so enjoying the first blooms on the season! The cherry blossoms are so gorgeous right now and you know how much we love pretty flowers! In addition to the beautiful new season that is upon us we are also super excited about the packages that have been arriving at our office for our final round of the 2012 Design Team Call! Check out this photo of the packages that have arrived so far. There are more on the way and we can't wait to see what else is in store. The treasures contained within these boxes are just astounding! Yes, this is definitely a fabulous time of year! To continue with the spirit of inspiration and creativity we're going to share some more stunning mini albums with you today! Nicole Eccles and Melanie Forbes have created some incredible minis that will capture your heart and imagination! So lets get this party started!

This first enchanting mini was created by Nicole Eccles. You are going to love this astonishing book that is just perfect for spring! Every page is its own little three-dimensional world of wonder. Nicole did a wonderful job of combining different Graphic 45 collections such as Once Upon a Springtime, Le Romantique, Tropical Travelogue, Kraft Reflections and more! You can see how brilliantly these fabulous collections blend together to make this adorable book! Here is what Nicole had to say about her inspiration behind this incredible mini!

This book is very unlike me to create.  Generally I stay away from mini books and anything that has multiple pages.  I find that I loose my interest quickly and just don’t put my all into it.  But creating this little mini was right up my alley!!

Hello Lovely G45ers!

We would like to welcome you all to another day of marvelous mini albums! This week is entirely devoted to our love of minis and we are so glad you are joining us for all of the fun! There are so many wonderful possibilities with mini albums and our design team has created a bunch of awe-inspiring minis to fill your week with inspiration! Today we have two precious minis by Melanie Forbes and Nancy Wethington that are sure to make you smile! We are also getting really excited because we are starting to receive our final submissions for the 2012 Design Team Call! This is a really great time of year when our office starts to fill up with packages from talented G45ers all over the world. It is such a treat to see what tremendous talent these folks bring to their Graphic 45 creations. We will be announcing our new 2012 Design Team on Friday, March 30th so stay tuned for more details! Now it's time to get to the crafts! So get ready for a wonderful day of fun with Graphic 45! Here we go!

There are so many wonderful ways to create gorgeous mini albums. A great starting place would be to find your photos! Gather your inspiration from your cherished photo memories and let your imagination take flight! Minis are a great idea for any occasion and they make wonderful and heart-felt gifts! Just look at this vibrant mini that Melanie Forbes created for a dear friend. It features our lovely new collection Tropical Travelogue!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Tropical Travellogue
Garden Isle, Tropical Travellogue, Tiki Voyager, Exotic Destination, Oceania, Hibiscus Heaven, Rainforest, Alphabet stickers, Travelogue Stickers
Graphic 45 Staples  Black policy Envelope, Chipboard buttons, alphabet stickers
Colorcore Coredinations Cardstock
Petaloo Darjeeling Collection
May Arts various ribbon
Twiddleybitz chipboard leaves, swirls and hearts

Next up is this gorgeous mini album by Nancy Wethington that features An ABC Primer! There is something magical to discover on every page of this sweet mini. Nancy did a wonderful job of utilizing the schoolhouse theme of An ABC Primer by making each page look like a little school house using the Clear Scraps House Album! How adorable! Nancy even added some fun tips and insights into how she created this marvelous mini! Take it away, Nancy!

More roof lines here plus beautiful nostalgic paper from An ABC Primer. 

Here you can see the back of page 1.  I've used another chipboard embellishment - the clock button and threaded a piece of seam binding through it.  Then added the ruler chipboard to the edge of the roof-line.

Here are the images, stamped onto tags and colored with Copic Markers.

 Supplies:

Graphic 45 Papers:  An ABC Primer 8x8 Paper Pad; ABC Primer Chipboard Die-Cuts 1
Graphic 45 Staples: Trim Staples
Partner Products: Stamps: Cling An ABC Primer 2; Cling An ABC Primer 3; Decades Colorbox Ink Photogenic and Dark Cashmere
Other supplies used:
Clear Scraps House Album
Beacon 3-in-1 Adhesive
Copic Markers
Ranger: Idea-ology Corners

We hope you all had a lot of fun today! Thank you so much for joining us for today's celebration of mini albums! Big thanks to Melanie Forbes and Nancy Wethington for their gorgeous work today! We hope you'll all come back and see us tomorrow as we bring you more adventures in the world of mini albums! It's going to be a great day! We wish you all a terrific Tuesday!

With Love and Pretty Paper,

Your Friends at Graphic 45

 

 

Hello Fantastic G45ers!

Welcome to another fun week of craft inspiration at Graphic 45! We are delighted that you are joining us for this special occasion! This week is all about our love for mini albums! Our design team has created lots of gorgeous mini albums that are guaranteed to get you in the papercrafting spirit! Today we have stunning mini album creations by Jane Tregenza and Nancy Wethington that you're going to love! Plus we have more fun contests on our Facebook and Pinterest pages! Here are all the details!

On Facebook we've got our photo caption contest! Just go here and check out this week's featured altered art project created by Graphic 45 founder and designer Diane Schultz. Leave a comment with your suggestion for a title for this gorgeous work of altered art! You could win it! There's also the "Pin It To Win It" contest that we're hosting on our Pinterest page! Just go here to see the featured project. All you need to do is pin it on your Pinterest page and suggest a name for this marvelous project. It could be yours! Join the fun and maybe win some gorgeous altered art from Graphic 45! We will be announcing the winners of this week's contest on Thursday on our Facebook page and in our newsletter! What fun!

And now it's time for some beautiful minis! This first mini was created by Jane Tregenza and features our adorable Little Darlings collection. You are going to love all of the sweet little details on every page of this mini! Here is what Jane had to say about her creative process!

"I love the new range of baby paper from Graphic 45. It’s been a long time since I have seen baby paper this beautiful. As soon as I saw it, I wanted to make a mini book and a box to keep it safe, as it will be
quite a few years  until I am a grandmother! I used a teddy caddy box from Imaginarium Designs which I covered in Little Darlings papers. I had a knob left over from another project so I rubbed some white paint on it to match the box. The knob is one of Graphic 45’s Geometric Metal Door plate and knobs. I love the largess of these knobs and use them all the time. The Tim Holtz feet perfect for lifting the box up." -Jane Tregenza

"The book is made using one of Graphic 45’s Kraft Envelope Albums. I used three different shades of cardstock to make the foundation pages. I then added the print papers with layers of strips of cardstock and more print papers. I have room to add more photos or words when I need to. Each of these pages would make lovely cards if you are a card maker." -Jane tregenza

Supplies:

G4500237 Kraft Envelope Album
G4500442 Little Darlings
G4500443 Peek a boo
G4500444 Bundle of Joy
G4500445 Lullaby
G45 Rock a bye
G4500448 New arrival
G45 Cherished
G4500452 Little Treasures
G4500453 Baby Borders.
G45 Geomtric Metal Door Plate and Knob
Chipboard words, baby shapes, box – Imaginarium designs
Cardstock
White paint
Tim Holtz Metal feet
Double sided tape and foam tape.
Inks
Glue

Next up is this classic layout by Nancy Wethington using A Proper Gentleman. This would make a perfect Father's Day gift! Nancy even included some fabulous tips for recreating this gorgeous mini! Get ready for some exceptional inspiration! Take it away, Nancy!

Hello G45ers!

Happy Friday and welcome to today's fabulous and festive blog! We've got more glorious projects and layouts as well as a super spectacular Graphic 45 celebration! Today is a big day for the Graphic 45 family! We're celebrating the birthday of Charee Filimoehala, our incredible Design Team Coordinator and Director of Customer Service! If you attended CHA or have been to any of the fun cropping events hosted by Graphic 45 then the odds are that you've met Charee at some point. Charee is a driving creative force for Graphic 45 and her work is evident in so many ways. She is also the coordinator for our wonderful blog where she plans and organizes the content for every blog we post! Yes, she wears many hats for Graphic 45 and today we wanted to pay homage to her in full Graphic 45 style!

We have been working sneakily for the past couple of weeks to plan today's surprise! Our design team has been hard at work creating special projects just for Charee in honor of her birthday! It's tricky to get a special surprise blog post past the blog coordinator but somehow we were able to pull it off! It quite literally meant that I (Kelly, writer of the Graphic 45 blog) had to write certain sections of this blog while Charee's back was turned at the office. Ha! It was fun to have some covert operations happening at our office! Today you will see the gorgeous birthday creations by Tara Orr, Nancy Wethington, Jack and Cat Curio, Jane Tregenza and Gloria Stengel! In addition, we have more lovely layouts to share with you as part of our week-long layout celebration! So put on your party hats because today is going to be massively fun! Lets begin with a little birthday interview with Charee! Learn more about some of her favorite birthday traditions! 

 

Happy birthday, Charee! What was your favorite childhood birthday memory? A party or a gift or a moment/cake you remember?

One of my favorite birthday gifts I remember receiving was on my eighth birthday. I got a whole package of plain M&Ms. I loved taking them to school in Ziplock bags and sharing with friends.  My childhood nickname was “Share Bear” after all.  

Since you come from quite the creative family, is there a handmade gift you really love?

Every year, we (Aimee and I) would always get a porcelain doll with a handmade dress and a matching dress for the birthday girl made by our mom(Diane Schultz).  

You’re celebrating a birthday with our G45ers on the blog, what would you like to say to them as your birthday wish to them?

I want to wish a happy birthday to all the other Pisces out there.  I know there are a lot of you, since one of our main characteristics is being creative and imaginative.  Thank you all for joining in on the fun, you’re the ladies(and gents) I want to party with.  

What is your birthday wish for yourself this year (if you can tell us?!)?

I am hoping to gain wisdom and motivation.  Can you get motivation for a birthday present?  

Any big plans for this birthday eve?

 
I’m going to do a little bit of birthday shopping and pampering.  Then meeting my closest friends at a local restaurant called The Farm that specializes in local produce and food. It’s delicious!

What is your favorite cake flavor?

I love chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting.  

Well, we hope you get a yummy chocolate cake, then. Happy birthday Charee from everyone at Graphic 45 and all the G45ers! 

A message from Charee's mom and boss...Diane Schultz!

    "Today is a CELEGRATION of “Charee”! How quickly time passes . . . my precious baby girl has become a beautiful grown-up woman. When I first held her in my arms, she held the key to my heart forever. She has brought me twenty-eight years of immense joy. I am so proud of the loving caring and truly amazing person she is! GRATEFUL to be her mother—and her friend!"

A message from Aimee (the older sister)—

    "Happy BIRTHDAY little sister!!  How my life was changed forever March 16, 1984...not only was I bleassed with an AMAZING sister but also a best friend for life!  Charee, I live in awe of you and the person you are.  Everyday I feel so grateful to have you in my life.  I wish you the absolute best birthday and year ahead!  I love you so much!!!"

This first amazing project for Charee was created by Tara Orr. It's a magnificent Olde Curiosity Shoppe card that also utilizes our gorgeous Orante Metal Door Knob! It's full of class and style just like Charee!

Supplies:

G45 Packaging, Olde Curiosity Shoppe Papers, G45 Trim and Ornate Metal Door knob

Next we have this gorgeous altered frame created by Nancy Wethington. Nancy also used our beautiful new collection Olde Curiosity Shoppe to create this marvelous peice for Charee. Here is what she had to say about it in this sweet birthday message!

Supplies:
Graphic 45 Papers:
Olde Curiosity Shoppe: Olde Curiosity Shoppe, Race for Time, Bazaar of Wonders, Chipboard Tags 1 and 2
Le Cirque: Le Cirque, Bohemian Floral, Circus Parade, Dazzle and Delight, Tags
Graphic 45 Staples: Black Policy Envelop Album
Graphic 45 Stamps: Le Cirque Cling Stamps 3
Clearsnap Colorbox Graphic 45 Decades Photogenic Antiquing Ink
Clearsnap Colorbox Charcoal Fluid Chalk Ink
Clearsnap Colorbox Dragonfly Black Pigment Ink
Spellbinders: Grand Calibur Die Cutting System
Spellbinders: Foliage, Rose Creations, Carnation Creations, Bitty Blossom, Nested Lacey Pennants, Standard Circles LG and SM Die Templates
Copic: B00 Frost Blue Alcohol Marker
Bazzill Basics: Kraft Cardstock
Gina K Designs: Organize It Stamps
Papertrey Ink: Just the Ticket Stamps
Wild Orchid Crafts: Flowers
Prima: Pearls
Ranger: Stickles Diamond Glitter Glue
Martha Stewart: Border Punch
Really Reasonable Ribbon: Black Twill
Adhesive: Scor-pal Scor-Tape, Glue, Scotch 3M Tape Runner
Craft supply: bottle cap, hook and loop tape, brads
Office supply: notebook

And now it's time for some more gorgeous layouts! We told you today would be action-packed! Check out this stunning Kraft Reflections layout by Nancy Wethington! This LO completely captures the timeless beauty of this wonderful new collection. The central photo is just gorgeous and so is Nancy's simple but elegant use of pretty paper layering and sweet embellishments. It's a real craft treasure!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Papers:  Kraft Reflections Collection:  Quote . . .Unquote; Forgotten City; Express Yourself; Straight To The Point
Graphic 45 Staples:  Alphabet Stickers; Sticker Staples
Partner Products:  Colorbox Decades Ink
Other products used:  Distress Ink (Rusty Hinge; Wild Honey); Copic Markers (Y21; YG11; YG63; G82; E99; YR24)

Next up is this amazing multi-layered layout by Tara Orr. You can just feel the wonder and love that emanates from this sweet LO. Tara took a more simpler approach to this layout than she usually does. Here she talks a little bit about her decision to keep it simple with stunning results!

"I decided to keep this layout very clean and simple (at least for me).  It just about killed me to 'not' rough up the edges just a little bit or to 'not' tear the papers ever so slightly.  The longer I looked at this layout, the more I realized that less was more.  The collection is already so beautifully contrasting.  All I wanted to see in the end was as many layers as possible of purely, gorgeous, papers." -Tara Orr

Supplies:

Thank you all so much for joining us for this very special day. Once again we want to wish Charee the happiest of birthdays! Huge thanks as well to our amazing design team members who created today's gorgeous projects. It was a lot of fun getting to create this blog today! We hope you all had a lot of fun and feel inspired to create some special crafts for your weekend! We wish you all a fun and fabulous Friday!

Happy Papercrafting!

Your Friends at Graphic 45

Hello Fabulous G45ers,

Happy Thursday and welcome to our layout celebration! All week we've been bringing you the most gorgeous layout creations from our design team and we're continuing the fun today! Melanie Forbes, Nancy Wethington, Tara Orr and Jane Tregenza have created a wide variety of gorgeous layouts that are sure to inspire you! Thursday can sometimes be a funny part in the week. It's so close to being Friday but it's just not Friday! Well if you need that little boost to get you through the day then you've come to the right place! Today we're going all out! We also wanted to give you all a quick reminder that today at 11am PST we will be posting our new Facebook Photo Caption Contest and a new Pin-it-to-win-it Contest on Pinterest! You'll definitely want to check it out!  To be first to get the latest on the the Graphic 45 news you can also sign up for our newsletter!

  http://www.facebook.com/Graphic45/app_100265896690345

Layouts are such a wonderful art-form. Starting with a fantastic photo is a great way to let your inspiration unfold! You can build your layout around the happy sentiments of your central image! Here is a great example of a warm-hearted layout by Melanie Forbes! Melanie used our beautiful new collection Olde Curiosity Shoppe for this gorgeous LO. There is a lot of love in this layout and it shows! Here is what Melanie had to say about it!

"Just loving this new range!!! This Layout was created using a lot of the little scraps I had left lying on my desk from a few days worth of playing…. Of course I had to use the peacock feather as a highlight!! The colours are so rich and vibrant!! Just perfect for a tween photo!!" -Melanie Forbes

Supplies:

Graphic 45
Olde Curiosity Shoppe – Butterfly Specifics, Exquisite Motif, Bazaar of Wonders, Mercurial Masterpiece
Coredination Colorcore  Graphic 45 - Photogenic & Venetian Lace cardstock
Colorbox Photogenic ink
3D Adhesives – black foam dots / tape
Twiddleybitz – Steam punk clock blossom frame
Basic Grey Chipboard alpha’s
Viva Precious Metal colour 404
Peacock feather
Making Memories tiny alpha’s white on black.

Next up is another beautiful Olde Curiosity Shoppe layout! This one was created by Nancy Wethington. Nancy was inspired by the fantastic mini series Downton Abbey when she created this layout. Downton Abby has been a huge hit in the Graphic 45 family. In fact it has been a major source of inspiration as we dream up new ideas for collections. This show has some serious style! Last weekend we even did a photo shoot that was inspired by Downton Abby! Yeah, we love this show! Check out this wonderful layout in which Nancy totally adopts the gorgeous style of one of our favorite shows!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Papers: Olde Curiosity Shoppe Collection:  Counting Down; Race For Time; Olde Curiosity Shoppe; Bazaar of Wonders
Graphic 45 Staples:  Button Staples
Partner Products: Decades Colorbox Inks (Photogenic); May Arts ribbon; Core'dinations Graphic 45 Signature Series cardstock
Miscellaneous:  chain

Next we have a stunning and adorable Little Darlings layout by Tara Orr. This bright and cheerful layout is full of  inspiration! You can see how well Tara layered the papers and embellishments to give a real three-dimensional look this this LO. Here is what she had to say about the inspiration behind this marvelous piece.

"I had taken my kids to the nature park for the day where we were to feed the ducks and bunnies. It is a favourite past time of ours and as simple as this activity is, it brings each of us so much joy.  I love to see the look on all of their faces when a duck eats 'their' bread that they've thrown.  They squeal with delight at each of the ducks fighting over every morsel of bread.  Such a sight!" -Tara Orr

Supplies:

Hello Incredible G45ers!

Welcome to another happy day of craft bliss here at Graphic 45! We are so glad you are joining us for yet another day of our layout celebration! This week has been such a blast and there are more stunning projects to share with you today! Gloria Stengel and Tara Orr have created the most gorgeous and inspiring layouts with our new paper collections Topical Travelogue and Little Darlings! In addition to today's stunning layouts we're celebrating a very special birthday here at Graphic 45! Our beloved design team member Laura Denison is one year wiser today! We wanted to take a moment to wish her a very happy birthday and share some of our favorite Laura Denison creations with you. Right now Laura is hard at work creating her final submission for our 2012 design team call. We are super excited to see what she'll make! In the mean time we have these stunning creations to share with all of you. Laura is such a valued member of our design team and we are so happy to have her amazing talent on our team! Happy Birthday, Laura!

This is Laura's gorgeous Steampunk Debutante clock! Just look at her gorgeous use of the Graphic 45 Ornate Door Plate and Knob Staples and Metal Button Staples. Simply stunning!

Here is Laura's brilliant Once Upon a Springtime birdhouse clock. This was one of the pieces that Laura submitted for our 2011 design team call. The moment we saw this gorgeous piece we knew that Laura had a very special talent!

Here is an adorable Little Darlings cabinet that Laura created. It is full of cute little treasures and shows magnificent use of Graphic 45 Metal Button Staples, Hinge Staples, Metal Butterfly Staples and Metal Tag staples. This beautiful and unique creation would look just perfect in a nursery or child's room!

And now it's time for some gorgeous layouts! This first creation is by Gloria Stengel and features our Tropical Travelogue collection. This fresh and vibrant LO is like a huge dose of happy! All of the lavish colors and intricate floral embellishments make this layout a huge success! Here is what Gloria had to say about it.

"This is my youngest son, Jonah, when he was 9 months old. He loved monkeys, especially the little green and yellow one. He carried it with him everywhere! I adore this photo of Jonah. I used Photoshop to turn the photo to black and white, and then some photo editing techniques to "colorize" the little green monkey. I wanted the monkey to "pop" off this jungle-themed page." -Gloria Stengel

Supplies:
Graphic 45 Supplies:
Graphic 45 papers:
Tropical Travelogue: Paradise Postage, Rainforest, Island Jewel, Seaside Holiday (8x8), Exotic Destination
Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue Stickers
Core'dinations: Signature Series Graphic 45 Cardstock: Bon Voyage
Clearsnap: Colorbox Decades Graphic 45 Antiquing Ink: Dark Cashmere, Bon Voyage
Clearsnap: Smooch Spritz: Ice Rink, Splash, Vanilla Shimmer, River Mossy, Tea Party, Green Olive
Imaginarium Designs: chipboard numbers
Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L: foam squares
Neenah: Natural White cardstock
American Crafts: Black cardstock; Precision black pen
Want2Scrap: Chipboard corners
Wild Orchid Crafts: flowers
Prima: branch
Copic: Markers
Craft supply: twine
Adhesive: white glue, Scotch 3M tape runner

Next up is this marvelous Little Darlings layout by Tara Orr. This LO is just wonderful and has that classic shabby-chic look that Tara is famous for. Here you can see her fabulous paper layering and distressing techniques that help make this LO so charming. Here is what Tara had to say about this sweet work of art!

"Here is a layout I created with the Little Darlings Collection. It is a photo of my daughter last fall - wearing a jacket that my mom had kept all these years (it use to be mine when I was the same age). Just love the soft, pastel tones in these papers.  I decided to keep the look a little more monochromatic so I only added some vanilla hues, paired with the pink/peach tones in the beautiful papers.  I also used one of the pages from an envelope album, painted it with acrylic paint to match the colours in the papers and transformed into a little pocket within the layout." Tara Orr

Supplies:

Hello Fabulous G45ers!

Happy Tuesday and welcome to another exciting day of lovely layouts with Graphic 45! We are thrilled that you're joining us for more incredible layout inspiration. There are lots of treats in store for you today. We have three gorgeous layout creations by Yuka Hino, Melanie Forbes and Robin Shakoor. Yuka has even created a terrific layout sketch for her gorgeous project! Yes, we've got just what you need to fill your day with enchantment! Let the fun begin!

This first marvelous layout was created by Yuka Hino. This LO is just perfect for Spring with its gorgeous pastel colors and patterns from our new Little Darlings collection. This LO is so lovely with it's adorable photos, gorgeous embellishments and stunning attention to detail. You can see how well Yuka layered and distressed these beautiful papers to give lots of movement and texture to this sweet LO. Check out the terrific sketch she created! It's a wonderful template for creating a lush layout of your own!

National Crafts Month Weekly Contests

We have a FREE project sheet from Gloria Stengel today. Gloria shows a fun and easy way to use our stamps to create this masking technique.

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Crafting promotes good health! Here are eight key benefits of crafting:

       1. Sense of Accomplishment
       2. Relaxation
       3. Memory Keeping
       4. Health
       5. Economy/Value
       6. Recommended by Friends or Family
       7. Enables Spending Time with Others
       8. Interaction with Children
      

Improve your life with a craft today and Happy National Crafts Month!
*from the CHA blog

Hello Fabulous G45ers!

Welcome to another incredible week of craft inspiration and fun here at Graphic 45! We've got everything you need to get in the happy zone for your Monday! This is going to be a very special week as we celebrate the glorious art form of layouts! Our design team has created the most astonishing layouts and tutorials that are sure to inspire you! Layouts are incredibly fun to create and can manifest such warm sentiments. So if your Monday could use a little boost of joy then you've come to the right place! Today we have a wonderful layout and tutorial by Jane Tregenza as well as gorgeous layout creations by Gloria Stengel and Hilde Janbroers. So let the good times roll!

We also want to remind you of this week's fantastic contests! Be sure to check out our Facebook page and Pinterest page for your chance to win some wonderful Graphic 45 creations! On Facebook we've got our photo caption contest! Just go here and check out this week's featured altered art project created by Graphic 45 founder and designer Diane Schultz. Leave a comment with your suggestion for a title for this gorgeous work of altered art! You could win it! There's also the "Pin It To Win It" contest that we're hosting on our Pinterest page! Just go here to see the featured project. All you need to do is pin it on your Pinterest page and suggest a name for this gorgeous project. It could be yours! Join the fun and maybe win some gorgeous altered art from Graphic 45! We will be announcing the winners of this week's contest on Thursday on our Facebook page and in our newsletter! What fun!

For all the latest and greatest Graphic 45 news, announcements, free project sheets and tons of inspiration be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter!

http://www.facebook.com/Graphic45/app_100265896690345

Now it's time for some gorgeous crafts! Check out this stunning Olde Curiosity Shoppe layout by Jane Tregenza! She's even included a fun and informative tutorial so you can create one of your very own! Here is what Jane had to say about this awe-inspiring creation. Take it away, Jane!

Graphic 45’s new “Olde Curiosity shoppe” is turning into my all time favourite paper range. I just love the colours and prints. They work perfectly for any male or female based projects. I decided to use it for some photo’s I had taken of my son Josh at Disneyland. We went on the mad hatters ride and shared a tea cup. I sat opposite him and to his great delight he found that if he turn the wheel, our cup went faster, much to his mothers horror! I have a stack of photos showing  the joy on his face as he watched me turn green behind the camera. I have de-saturated the photo leaving just his face and a bit of the background in colour.  The frozen image of him is perfect for the title “ a moment in time” and the wonderful colours and prints from “Old Curiosity Shoppe is the perfect combination for this male layout.

Instructions

A Moment in Time layout.

1.      Remove the extra cream edge from your sheet of Mercurial Masterpiece. I have left a whisker of cream around the black edge of the print.  Remove the middle piece from your Mercurial Master piece. You need a piece at least 8 ¾ x 8 ¾ inches, so cut it a bit bigger and then you can trim it back later.  Ink around the outer edge.

2.       Adhered it to one of your pieces of black cardstock making sure it is in the middle.

3.      Using fine scissors and a craft knife,  cut your print paper  Olde Curiosity Shoppe  as  shown in the above  picture.

4.       Cut your second piece of black cardstock to 10 ½ x 10 ½ inches. Adhered your cut Olde Curiosity Shoppe print paper to the middle of it making sure you have the same amount of black all the way around. 

5.      Cut your Cajun cardstock to 9” x 9” inches and adhered it to the middle of your Olde Curisoity Shoppe square, it should fit in the middle with a little bit of the orange showing all the way around.

6.      You will now trim your piece of Olde curiosity shoppe paper to 8 ¾ x 8 ¾ inches, use the spot side and ink around the edges. Add it to the middle of your Cajun cardstock with the same amount of Cajun showing all the way around.

7.      Now you can adhere it to your Mercurial Masterpiece. This is the foundation for your page.

8.      Your ½ piece of Counting Down needs to be cut to 6” x 8 ¼ inch, place the photo corners on then adhere it to your Black spot ¼” inch  from left, top and bottom. I suggest that you only adhere your counting down with a small amount of tape in the middle, this will let you lift each corner and adhere one corner at a time.

9.      From your ½ sheet of Cajun cut your photo mat, it needs to be 4 ½ x 6 ¼ inches. From the left over bit cut a piece 3 ¼ x 5 ¼ inch. Use it as a mat for your rectangle,  Genuine Article (it should be 3 inches x 5 inches). Adhered it to your page 1 ½ inch down from the top and ½ inch in from the right edge of your spot. It will overlap your counting down piece. Using your ½ sheet of black cardstock.  Cut a photo mat 4 ¾ inches wide, you need to cut this measurement first. Then cut the piece back to 6 ¾ inches. From the leftover bit of black cardstock, cut a piece 1 1/8 inches wide and 8 ¾  inches long.   Adhered a piece of Exquisite Motif  (blue side facing you)  it needs to be 1 inch wide and 8 5/8 inches long. Adhere it to your black strip, you should have a narrow black edge all the way around. Adhere it to your page about 2 ¼ inches up from the bottom of your spot paper.

10.  Adhere your two photo mats together and tape it to your page has shown in the above photo. Don’t use tape on the sides of your photo mat as we need to tuck a piece of print paper underneath.

11.  Cut a piece of Olde Curiosity Shoppe on the diamond side, it needs to be one diamond high and as wide as your tag, mat it onto a piece of your left over Cajun. Add it to the tag near the top as shown in the above photo, you will need to tuck it under your photo mat. Add a brad in the middle of each of the diamonds. Add a decorative brad each end of your blue strip.

 

12.  Add your photo. Mount your Black Imaginarium designs clock onto a piece of clock print paper. Adhere it to your page with foam tape in the middle so you can slide your photo under it. Glue a blue circle in the middle of clock then add the title A Moment in Time.  All you need to do is add your own journaling to finish your layout.

Supplies:
G4500424  Olde Curiosity Shoppe.
G4500425 Olde Curiosity Shoppe – Mercurial Masterpiece.
G4500426 ½ sheet of Olde Curiosity Shoppe Counting Down.
G4500427 Exquisite Motif
G4500431 Race for Time
G4500434 Genuine Article
Imaginarium Designs Chipboard
IDS00006 3 inch Clock
IDP0037 A moment in time
2 ½ black cardstock
1 ½ Cajun cardstock
Photo 4” x 6” portrait colour or black and white.
Brads
I used a black ink pad to ink around all my edges.

Next up is this bright and cheerful layout by Gloria Stengel featuring our new Tropical Travelogue collection. This LO is so sweet! The mix of beautiful images, lovely paper layering and distressing and a warm-hearted sentiment makes this LO such a treasure. It's just perfect for Spring!

Supply List:
Graphic 45 Supplies:
Graphic 45 papers:
Tropical Travelogue: Garden Isle, Seaside Holiday, Botanica, Island Jewel, Paradise Postage
Graphic 45: Tropical Travelogue Tags 2 (tickets covered with stickers); Tropical Travelogue Stickers; Tropical Travelogue Alphabet Stickers
Clearsnap: Colorbox Pigment Ink: Orange, Marigold, Canary
Clearsnap: Top Boss Embossing Powder: clear, yellow
Clearsnap: Graphic 45 Decades Antiquing Ink: Dark Cashmere
Imaginarium Designs: chipboard bike
Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L: foam squares
American Crafts: orange, pink, black cardstock
Adhesive: white glue, Scotch 3M tape runner

Next up is this adorable Little Darlings layout by Hilde Janbroers. This LO absolutely captures that precious baby theme of Little Darlings. The super cute central photo, fabulous paper layering and distressing as well as lovely embellishments makes this LO an instant classic. Here are some fun tips by Hilde on how she created it!

Thank you all so much for joining us for this wonderful day. We have more fun and inspiration in store all week long. We hope you'll come back and see us. Big thanks to Jane Tregenza, Gloria Stengel and Hilde Janbroers for their gorgeous work today. There are more lovely layouts in store for tomorrow so stay tuned! Have a marvelous Monday!

Happy Layout Papercrafting!

Your Friends at Graphic 45

Hello Fabulous G45ers!

Happy Friday to you all! What a fantastic week its been! We have been celebrating the many forms of altered art by bringing you stunning creations from our design team as well as fun contests on our Facebook and Pinterest pages. We have more fun and inspiration to bring you today as Lynette Carroll and Robin Shakoor share some splendid altered art home decor ideas! We hope that by now you are super excited to start working on some altered art of your very own! Today's crafts are sure to give that that extra boost of inspiration for your weekend! Not only are today's crafts absolutely gorgeous, but there's also a fabulous tutorial by Lynette Carroll that is extra fun and informative. Yes, this is going to be an incredible day!

We are also super excited about the Creative Keepsakes Scrapbook Convention happening this weekend in Portland, Oregon. We are looking forward to shopping at this fabulous event! When a scrapbook convention comes to our city, you know we'll be there in support! If you can't make it to this year's Creative Keepsakes Convention then be sure to pay a visit to your local scrapbook store! There's always a place to celebrate your love for crafting!

Speaking of celebration, it's time for some altered art! This first fabulous creation is by Lynette Carroll. It's a gorgeous Tropical Travelogue altered beach frame! This is the perfect project for your treasured vacation photos! Lynette has even prepared a wonderful tutorial that shares some great tips for recreating this vibrant piece! So get ready to soak in the inspiration! Take it away, Lynette!

Hello G45ers!

Welcome to another day of fun here at Graphic 45! We're continuing this spectacular week in celebration of altered art! Our design team has created the most dazzling projects to share with you. Today we're featuring some gorgeous works of altered art by Sherry Cheever and Melanie Forbes. There's even a great tutorial by Melanie Forbes that you're sure to love! Altered Art is a spectacular way to create unique and gorgeous crafts. They make wonderful gifts and are perfect for home decor. With so many diverse ways to use altered art, why not make something special for yourself or someone you love? Today you will see some beautiful pieces that are sure to get you in the altered art spirit. So lets get to it!

This first piece of altered art was created by Sherry Cheever and features our new collection Little Darlings. Sherry used the Graphic 45 5x5 Kraftboard Altered Art Box and adorable Little Darlings Papers to create this precious work of art. You can also see Sherry's beautiful paper flowers and the Graphic 45 Metal Tag Staples that help make this box such a bundle of joy!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Papers:  Little Darlings Collections – Precious Poesy, Heaven Sent, Cherished, New Arrival, Little Treasures and Peek-A-Boo
Graphic 45 Staples:  Metal Tags; 5x5 Kraft board Altered Art Box
Spellbinders:  S4-128 Classic Squares SM, S4-126 Classic Squares LG, LF-005 Grand Peony Creations, S5-086 Bitty Blossoms, Grand Calibur
Imaginarium Designs:  Large Flourish and Tulip Flourish
May Arts:  1.25” 100% Silk Ribbon in Ivory
Ranger Industries:  Distress Stickles in Peeled Paint and Clear Rock Candy; Distress Stain in Peeled Paint; Distress Ink in Antique Linen; Matte Glue ‘n Seal; Glossy Accents; Cut-n-Dry Stamp Pad Foam; Alcohol Ink in Aqua and Lemonade
Other:  Chipboard; Plaid Folk Art Vintage White Acrylic Paint; Pearl Corsage Pins

Next up is this stunning paint caddy by Melanie Forbes. This gorgeous caddy is all decked out in vibrant Steampunk Debutante papers. This is the perfect project for the avid crafter. We could all use some stylish ways to organize our crafting supplies. Why not create a sweet caddy like this one for your tools and paints? It will add an enchanting element to your crafting space! Melanie has even created a fun tutorial with terrific tips to create one of your very own. Take it away, Melanie!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 – Steampunk Debutante – Modern Marvels, Eclectic Emporium, Mechanical Mind, Time Warp, Ephemera Extraordinaire, Steampunk Debutante, Tags, Time Flies
Staples Trim
Twiddleybitz – Steampunk Gear border, wings small, Flying butterfly clock, Steampunk butterfly on gears.
Imaginarium Designs - cogs
Tim Holtz – Vintage photo distress ink, sprocket gears, bulbs, Word Key, Foundations metal feet, Baubles
7 Gypsy – Binding rings, Industrial gears
Clock hand piece
Unknown copper watch
Scales
Chain
Black Gesso
Helmar 450, Scrap dots, Modpodge matt

Steampunk Paint Caddy Tutorial:

Any piece you have around the home is easily converted into a masterpiece!! Here I had a tool /paint caddy which I picked up for a couple of dollars from a garage sale – it was plain mdf just waiting for me to scrap but did sit on my shelf for a couple of years just waiting on the right papers – Steampunk Debutante.

First of all –dust it off – and then paint it in an undercoat – most objects I alter I simply paint with black or white gesso and a foam brush – it provides a good cover and is cheap!!

My next step is to attach paper to the tool caddy – for the ends of this one I traced around it on the paper I wanted to use and then simply cut out by cutting just inside the traced outline. Ink all your edges first and I also adhered any other paper on top for layering prior to adhering to my tool caddy.

Then you simply “paint” the tool caddy side by side with Mod Podge then stick the paper to the project and paint another coat of Modpodge over the top again – you don’t need to wait in between coats for it to dry – I love to use the matt version so you don’t have a high gloss – the Mod Podge also acts as a sealer to help protect your project.

One tip though is to remember that if you have areas on your project there are slots or area’s for doors/drawers etc that you don’t add to much paint or layers so the working mechanisms still have room to open and shut….If not you will have to sand back these area’s to ensure you can still open doors or shut drawers or slide in barriers!

Allow to dry overnight then finally I simply add all my embellishments to finish it off – Voila

That's all for today, G45ers! Thank you so much for joining us for another day of altered art fun! Huge thanks to Sherry Cheever and Melanie Forbes for their beautiful projects today. We are having so much fun getting to share this inspiring week with all of you. There are more gorgeous projects in store on tomorrow's blog. We hope you'll join us! Have a terrific day!

With Love and Pretty Paper,

Your Friends at Graphic 45

Hello Fabulous G45ers!

We want to welcome you all to another day of Altered Art goodness here at Graphic 45! All week long we're celebrating altered art in its many forms. Our design team has created lots of ultra-inspiring works of altered art that you're sure to love. Many of these glorious creations feature some of our latest collections! So get ready for some serious inspiration because today is going to be incredible!

Not only do we have two stunning altered art projects today by Nancy Wethington and Robin Shakoor, but we also want to remind you about this week's fun contests! It's National Craft Month and we're going all out! Be sure to check out our Facebook page and Pinterest page today because its the last day to enter for your chance to win! On Facebook we've got our photo caption contest! Just go here and check out this week's featured altered art project created by Graphic 45 founder and designer Diane Schultz. Leave a comment with your suggestion for a title for this gorgeous work of altered art! You could win it! There's also the "Pin It To Win It" contest that we're hosting on our Pinterest page! Just go here to see the featured project. All you need to do is pin it on your Pinterest page and suggest a name for this gorgeous project. It could be yours! Join the fun and maybe win some gorgeous altered art from Graphic 45! We will be announcing the winners of this week's contest tomorrow on our Facebook page and in our newsletter! What fun!

For all the latest and greatest Graphic 45 news, announcements, free project sheets and tons of inspiration be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter!

http://www.facebook.com/Graphic45/app_100265896690345

Okay, it's time for the crafts! This first marvelous piece was created by Nancy Wethington. It's a beautiful altered frame and mini album featuring Curtain Call, Communique and On the Boardwalk. This piece has all the nostalgia and vintage charm that is classic Graphic 45. There's even a fun video tutorial that shows you how it was made! What fun!

 

Supplies:
Curtain Call: Top Billing; Curtain Call Tags
Communique: Communique
On The Boardwalk: Coney Island
Partner Products: Graphic 45 Decades/Colorbox Inks, Core'dinations cardstock, Imaginarium Designs chipboard
Other supplies used: Studio 490 Art Parts frame; miscellaneous string, brad

Next up is this exquisite altered clock by Robin Shakoor. This is a wonderful example of how fun and unique altered art can be! Robin decorated this old clock in our new collection Olde Curiosity Shoppe. Just look at how the gorgeous colors and patterns make this clock a one-of-a-kind treasure! Here is what Robin had to say about this lively creation!

Can you believe I altered this beautiful clock using only scraps of paper?  I have had this clock for quite some time and other paper lines just didn’t fit the bill.  The first time I saw the Olde Curiosity Shoppe collection I knew it would be perfect for this project.

I love how the clock base opens to reveal two hidden compartments.  I made two mini books and decorated the inside of the door.  I added drops of pearls and further embellished the clock with flowers and butterflies that were cut from paper in the collection.

Supplies:

Hello Fantastic G45ers!

We are so happy that you are joining us for another fun day of altered art here at Graphic 45! We are having a blast getting to share all of these gorgeous works of altered art from our design team. Today's splendid works were created by the fabulous Jack and Cat Curio! They have made three gorgeous altered shadowboxes that feature our brand new collections Little Darlings, Tropical Travelogue and Olde Curiosity Shoppe. You are going to be amazed by the beauty and stunning detail of these wonderful shadowboxes! So let the fun begin!

We love shadowboxes for so many reasons. You can create splendid works of home decor that have depth an dimension. Each shadow box is like a little world all its own with endless creative potential. And with Graphic 45 papers its easy to create something extraordinary! Just look at this gorgeous Little Darlings shadow box by Jack and Cat Curio. You can see how they layered our beautiful papers to give a real 3-D effect! Just imagine how perfect this would look in a nursery! It's just precious!

Supplies:

Ribba Shadow Box-Ikea
Graphic 45 Little Darlings Collection: Little Darlings, Precious Poesy, Little Treasures
Jack and Cat Curio Bird, Craft Nest, Art Institute Glitter, Art Institute Glue, 3L Mini Squares, Ranger Ink - Stickles Glitter Glue – Icicle, Distress Ink-Vintage Photo

Next we have this marvelous Tropical Travelogue shadowbox also by Jack and Cat Curio. Again you can see the various layers of dimension that they created. You can also see how perfectly all of the different patterned papers blend together. Even though there are contrasting patterns and colors you can see how cohesively they work together to create a splendid work of art!

 

Supplies:
Ribba Shadow Box-Ikea
Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue Collection: Tropical Travelogue, Garden Isle, Jungle Fever, Botanica, Rainforest, Island Jewel, Tiki Voyager, Paradise Postage, Exotic Destination, Tropical Travelogue Stickers
Art Institute Glitter, Art Institute Glue, 3L Mini Squares, Ranger Ink - Stickles Glitter Glue – Icicle, Distress Ink-Vintage Photo

This last shadowbox was also made by Jack and Cat and features our wonderful new collection Olde Curiosity Shoppe. The colors in this piece are just amazing! There is a lot going on with the various layers and paper patterns. It really grabs your attention with its eclectic beauty and wonder! This is another great example of how well all of the papers in this collection blend together to create something fabulously unique.

Supplies:

Ribba Shadow Box-Ikea
Graphic 45 Olde Curiosity Shoppe Collection: Olde Curiosity Shoppe, Counting Down, Exquisite Motif, Optical Oddities, Butterfly Specifics, Apothecary, Genuine Article, Bazaar of Wonders
Chipboard Birdcage and Frame-Imaginarium, Art Institute Glitter, Art Institute Glue, 3L Mini Squares, Ranger Ink - Stickles Glitter Glue – Icicle, Distress Ink-Vintage Photo, Alcohol Ink-Jet black, metal tape, Modern Masters Rust Solution and Iron Paint

That's all for today, G45ers. Thank you all for joining us! Huge thanks to Jack and Cat Curio for their tremendous talent and amazing work! We will be celebrating altered art all week long so we hope you'll come back and see what's in store tomorrow! It's going to be a fun and fabulous day! We wish you all a glorious Tuesday!

With Love and Pretty Papers,

Your Friends at Graphic 45

Hello G45ers!

Happy Monday to you all and thank you so much for joining us today! We hope you all had a fun weekend. We have so much inspiration in store for you today. This week is all about altered art. Our design team has been working hard to bring you some dazzling new creations that you are going to love! Altered art is so much fun to create. There is a terrific feeling of satisfaction that comes from taking a plain old object and turning it into something beautiful. This week you will see lots of stunning examples of altered art that will surly inspire you to create some of your very own. It's going to be a lot of fun. So lets get started! Today we've got two gorgeous altered art pieces by Laura Denison and Robin Shakoor. Laura has created an extraordinary altered curio cabinet and mini album, while Robin has created a gorgeous altered picture frame. Yes, there's inspiration galore on today's blog. Let the fun begin!

First up is this astonishing altered curio cabinet and mini album by Laura Denison. There are so many stunning details in this wonderful creation. Laura used our new collection Olde Curiosity Shoppe to create this one-of-a-kind project. It is decorated with so many charming elements including lots of Graphic 45 Metal Staples. If you love this project as much as we do then you should check out Laura's Ustream class where she takes you step-by-step through its creation! It's going to be awesome! The class will take place March 9th ,10th and 14th. Find out about materials and class information on Laura's website:

The Paper Trail

Here is what Laura had to say about this remarkable piece of altered art!

"As a little girl, I loved to collect rocks and shells, feathers and old funky finds. I always wished I had a special cabinet to hold those childhood treasures and memories....a Curio Cabinet. Graphic 45's Olde Curiosity Shoppe paper collection is the perfect collection for this Curio cabinet. The cabinet is constructed from scratch from chipboard and paper....my favorite construction! The cabinet has open sections at each end and an enclosed shelved section in the center. The drawer pulls out to reveal a mini album. It is not just a mini in a drawer, the drawer IS the mini album cover!" -Laura Denison

Supplies:

 

Hello Fabulous G45ers,

Happy Friday and thank you all so much for joining us today. This is a very exciting day for lots of reasons and not just because it's Friday! Today we're announcing our first round of finalists for the Graphic 45 2012 Design Team Call! Plus we have a winner to announce for this week's contest! We are thrilled to be bringing you this incredible day of fun and excitement. We know that many of you have been waiting in anticipation of today's list! It wasn't an easy choice but today is the day to unveil our 30 finalists! So let's get to it!

First we want to announce this week's contest winner. Chosen randomly from our Facebook page, this week's winner is...

-Jackie Quigg Hedlund

Congratulations, Jackie! Please email us with your shipping information at info@g45papers.com to claim your prize! Big thanks to everyone who left us a blog or Facebook comment this week. We love reading all of your terrific comments each week. They inspire us and fill us with joy. Thank you all so much!

Well, it's the moment you've all been waiting for. We want to give our deepest gratitude to everyone who applied for our 2012 Design Team. We know you all worked so hard on your submissions and we truly appreciate all the effort that went in to each and every one of your wonderful applications. Your submissions were all so beautiful and heartfelt. We appreciated every submission we received. We had hundreds of submissions this year and it was very excruciatingly difficult to narrow it down to our 30 finalists.  Thank you all so much for being such stunning and creative individuals.  We hope to continue inspiring you with gorgeous papers and project ideas in the future. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful crafting community inspiring us everyday. Thank you all so, so much.

Okay, here it is! The 30 finalists (in no particular order) of the Graphic 45 2012 Design Team are...

1.  Karen Zueger - USA

2.  Alberto Juárez Díaz - Spain

3.  Nate Da Silva - France

4.  Nancy Wethington - USA

5.  Romy Veul - Netherlands

6.  Susan Fraser - Canada

7.  Arlene Cuevas - USA

8.  Karen Foy - UK

9.  Maiko Miwa - Japan

10.  Theresa Kimbrell - USA

11.  Nicole Eccles - USA

12.  Shell Carman - Australia

13.  Kristin Wilson - USA

14.  Gloria Stengel - USA

15.  Roberto Cesar dos Santos - Brazil

16.  Melanie Forbes - Australia

17.  Sharon Ngoo - Singapore

18.  Laura Denison - USA

19.  Susan Killam - USA

20.  Clare Charvill - UK

21.  Jane Tregenza - Australia 

22.  Denise Hahn - USA

23.  Kelly Klapstein - Canada

24.  DeeDee Catron - USA

25.  Tara Orr - Canada

26.  Torill Fossum Stamnes - Norway

27.  Jim Hankins - USA

28.  Jan Hennings - USA

29.  Tracy Burtt - USA

30.  Susan Lui - Singapore

Congratulations to our 30 finalists! Here are the rules and requirements for the rules and regulations.  Please email charee@g45papers.com if you have any further questions.  

Final Round:

• We are requiring the top 30 finalists to mail in or email a video of three projects that represent you as an artist for review by Graphic45 staff including Diane Schultz, the CEO and head designer.  These projects can be old or new.

• If you are mailing, your projects must fit in a Large Flat Rate Box (and the equivalent size for international packages 12" x 12" x 5 1/2" or 30.48cm x 30.48 cm x 13.97cm in metric). We must receive all projects by March 23, 2012. Please note: We WILL be returning the projects to all applicants following the call.

            Ship to address:
            Graphic 45
            Attn: Charee Filimoehala
            107 SE Washington Street
            Suite 236
            Portland, OR 97214

• The final 2012 Design Team will be  announced on Friday, March 30 here on the blog.

We are thrilled to see your final projects and we wish you all the best of luck in the final round!

We hope you all have a wonderful and inspiring weekend. We will have more fun and inspiration in store for you right here on the Graphic 45 blog. March is going to be filled with so much great stuff! We can't wait to share it with you! Thank you all again for stopping by today. Have a magical day!

Happy Papercrafting,

Your Friends at Graphic 45