Graphic 45 Presents an April Place in Time "Best Wishes" Card

 

Place in Time April "Best Wishes" Card

Download the Place in Time April "Best Wishes" Card Project Sheet

Bright Ideas For Spring & Summer Crafts!

Hello G45ers,

Happy Friday! Get ready to jump-start your weekend crafting with today's gorgeous spring and summer-inspired crafts! All this sunshine sure is energizing our creativity! We thought it would be fun to share some sweet ideas for fun seasonal crafts! First we've got a bright and beautiful Bird Song layout by Alberto Juarez! Then Denise Hahn has a splendid video tutorial that shows you how to make a Secret Garden gift box! Inspiration is in full bloom on today's Graphic 45 blog! Plus it's Friday and that means it's time for a new blog contest winner announcement! Chosen at random from this week's Facebook comments, this week's winner is...

-Rosann R. Barnes: "Cool idea!!"

Congratulations, Rosann! Please email us with your shipping information at info@g45papers.com to claim your prize. This is the fabulous French Country prize that Rosann won this week! We have a new contest each week on the Graphic 45 blog so there's always a chance to win something wonderful! Stay tuned for another chance to win some Graphic 45 goodies!

First up for today's sunny craft inspiration is this vibrant Bird Song layout by Alberto! He used bountiful layers and delicate fussy cutting to create this colorful work of art that commemorates blooming cherry blossoms. This is the perfect project for this warm and sunny season! Take a look at the blooming flowers all around you! It could be the perfect inspiration for your next Graphic 45 craft treasure!

Supplies:

Bird song

Good fortune

tranquility

Shangai girls

Enlightenment

Longevity

12x12 Easel Album

 

Next up is this delightful spring-inspired gift box by Denise! She used our Secret Garden collection along with pretty Graphic 45 Staples to create this marvelous little box. This is the perfect way to add a personalized element to any gift card! Follow along with Denise's fun and easy tutorial to create one for someone you love! Add some spring sunshine to any gift with Secret Garden from Graphic 45!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9bvy27O0k48

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies:

Secret Garden 12x12 paper pad

Chipboard tags

metal staples key

mayarts silk ribbon

clearsnap premium dye ink celery

Xyron mega runner 

hot glue 

 

We hope you all got some great ideas for your weekend crafting! Come on back and see us for more splendid inspiration all week long! Big thanks to Alberto and Denise for their amazing creations today. We hope you all have a fun Friday and a great weekend! Thank you so much for visiting us today, G45ers! 

 

Your Pals in Paper,

 

Team Graphic 45

How To Upcycle In Style With G45!

Hello G45ers,

Upcyling is definitely where it's at! Taking something ordinary and turning it into a stylish and functional item is both fun and earth-friendly! Today we've got some beautiful ideas for upcyling with Graphic 45! First we will share an upcycled tray that Denise Hann has turned into a beautiful Place in Time calendar magnet board! Then we have a very special Steampunk Spells creation to share with you! We will take you on a photo journey through the creation of one of Diane Schultz's famous altered clocks! Upcyling has never been so beautiful! There are so many fun ideas on today's Graphic 45 blog! Get ready for a mega dose of happy!

Don't forget that there's still time to enter to win this week's fabulous French Country blog contest! Just leave us a blog or Facebook comment today! We will announce our randomly chosen winner on tomorrow's blog! Here is this weeks wonderful prize! It's a French Country 8x8 and 6x6 paper pad, Chipboard Die-Cuts and Flower Staples! That's a $30 value! Wow!

First up in today's upcycle celebration is this amazing Place in Time calendar magnet board by Denise. She took an old tray and converted it into an elegant piece of home decor! You can find little treasures like these at yard sales, thrift stores or even in your own home! Upcycled objects are fun to create and they also make perfect gifts! Get inspired by Denise's marvelous magnet calendar and just imagine what kind of upcylced work of art you'd like to create with Graphic 45 papers and Staples!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Place in Time April Cut Aparts

Graphic 45 Place in Time Stickers and Alphas

Graphic 45 Metal Staples Clothes Pins and Keys

Xyron Magnet Tape

Xyron Mega Runner

Petaloo Darjeeling Flowers

Vintage Buttons

Twine - May Arts

Re Purposed Silver Tray

Chalkboard Paint

Chalk

We love to share sneak peeks of projects that we are working on for our booth at CHA. Whenever we post a project from Diane's workshop on the blog we get tons of comments and questions about how they were created or where they came from. Right now the Graphic 45 team is preparing some gorgeous Steampunk Spells altered art for our booth at CHA Summer in Las Vegas! Here is a photo journey through the creation of one of Diane's famous altered clocks! You can find pretty clocks like these at thrift stores, consignment shops or even TJ Max or Marshalls! They are so pretty, inexpensive and they're just perfect for altering with your favorite Graphic 45 papers and Staples! This clock was made by James Schultz and it's a true Halloween dream! Take a look at how it was made!

Tips and Techniques:

James started by disassembling the clock as much as he could to be able to reach all the surfaces. If you have never taken a clock apart, he suggests taking pictures as you go so you can easily put it back together. Or find a brave friend who is willing to risk it! The outside of the clock had decorative trim pieces that were removed with a putty knife and replaced after the paper was on.  Then the clock was painted black along any edges that might show when the project was finished.

James is the master pattern maker. He uses cheap printing paper to make the patterns to avoid ruining the crafting paper. Don’t worry about getting the pattern right the first time, it can be changed by adding paper or cutting paper as you go to make it the perfect fit. James takes his time when making patterns. That is why when you see a finished project of James’ it is so perfect!

If the surface you are trying to cover is larger than a 12 X 12 piece of paper, then you are going to need to seam (over lap) the paper as you go. When seaming the paper do not make straight cuts because they are easy to see. If you can follow the line of the pattern of the paper it tricks the eye and you don’t notice it! On the clock, James cut along the edge of the balloons. Be sure the edge of the seam is inked the same color as the image on the paper. And as always ink your paper edges as you go.The actual clock face in this project was altered to show the gears so the project fit better into the Steampunk genre. The gears were originally a brass color. James spray painted the gears with American Accents, Terra Cotta, and a mixture of Rustoleum metal colors to make them more rustic. There are many different colors you could use. Just experiment on paper before you spray your project. That is the fun of altered art!

The Clockworks paper from Steampunk Spells is the perfect choice for the inside of the clock. Just look at those beautiful clock gear designs! It's a Steampunk dream!

 

The outside papers on the Steampunk Clock are Pumpkin Power #4500688, Frightful Folly #4500689 sides A and B. The top of the Arch and the base shelf of the door is side B of Fanciful Floral # 4500681. The inside is covered with Clockworks #4500682 side A. The pendulum is covered with a fussy cut of a hot air balloon from Pumpkin Power. The face has been replaced with a crescent shaped piece of foam core covered with Pumpkin Power.

We hope you all had a lot of fun exploring today's Graphic 45 blog. Come on back and see us tomorrow for more splendid craft inspiration! Also be sure to leave us a blog or Facebook comment today for your chance to win that wonderful French Country prize pack! Big thanks to Denise and Diane's workshop for all the amazing ideas on today's blog. We hope you all have a very happy day! Thank you again for stopping by and seeing us!

Happy Papercrafting!

Your Friends at Graphic 45

Altered Art Ideas For Pretty Pastels

Hello G45ers,

Get ready for a heaping dose of springtime inspiration on today's Graphic 45 blog! We've been loving the warm weather, clear blue skies and blooming flowers of the season! Here in Portland, Oregon, where the Graphic 45 office is located, we are overjoyed when the sun finally comes out after a long, rainy season. Today wanted to bring the gorgeous pastel colors of spring blooms to today's Graphic 45 blog! We will be sharing two glorious crafts that highlight the magnificent Graphic 45 pastel color pallet! You will see a stunning Little Darlings altered 12x12 Matchbook Box by Gloria Stengel. Then we will share a dazzling Secret Garden altered mini album by Alberto Juarez! Today's Graphic 45 blog is like a breath of fresh spring air! Get ready for fun!

First up is Gloria's adorable Little Darlings and Secret Garden altered 12x12 Matchbook Box. You can see how breathtaking the gorgeous pastel colors look in this sweet box. This would make the perfect gift for a new mom! Gloria even included some fun and helpful tips on how she created this charming work of art! What a treat! Take it away, Gloria!

I used a Graphic 45 Altered Art Matchbook Box Staples (12 x 12 size) to create a dimensional scrapbook "page." I love making dimensional pages, and I am the first to admit that they really don't fit into my albums very well. I have started to created more pages that I can place into shadowboxes and hang on the wall. I decided that the 12 x 12 matchbook box was perfect for altering into a scrapbook "page" suitable for hanging on the wall or placing on a table.

Before attaching my paper, I painted the edges of the box with white gesso. Any edges or corners that show will be white, to match the sweet Little Darlings and Secret Garden papers that I chose.

I painted all the Graphic 45 metal staples and most of the chipboard elements with white gesso also.

Since my shadow box is not designed to open, I only decorated the edges that show. I did cover all the surfaces on the inside of the box with gesso and paper. Anyone peeking inside the box will see a fully decorated box.

I added a photo mat to the inside of the box. Since I am not keeping this box for myself, I did not add a photo.

I did not paint the chipboard sentiment with gesso before spraying with chalkboard glimmer mist. I got a rich, blue color on the chipboard with that technique. The chipboard clock was painted and then just lightly pressed onto some paper towel that I had sprayed with the chalkboard mist.

Once I had all of my surfaces of the box covered with paper, I began to glue flowers and other embellishments to the front of the box. I broke my "no flowers for boy projects" rule this time! Since this is a baby project, I thought some sweet white and blue flowers would be perfect.

I tucked painted metal Staples, crystal pins, and postage images in with the flowers.

The wood butterflies started out a tan color, but I painted them with gesso and sprayed them with the chalkboard mist.

The "new baby" chipboard sentiment was "raw chipboard" that I sprayed with the mist.  I also added a clear glass bottle and some wire "spirals" to the box.

 

I kept adding items until I thought the project looked finished. 

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Paper:

Little Darlings: Bundle of Joy, New Arrival, Baby Borders, Lullaby

Secrete Garden: Posy Patch, April Showers 

Graphic 45 Staples:

Altered Art Matchbook Box (12 x 12), Ornate Metal Keys, Ornate Metal Key Holes, Metal Brads, Ornate Metal Door Plate 

Other supplies:

Lace: Really Reasonable Ribbon

Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts

Butterflies: Prima

Pins: Maya Road

Chipboard: Imaginarium Designs

Die cut shapes: Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Weathered Clock, Elegant Flourishes

Wire: unknown

Chalkboard mist: Tattered Angels Peacock

Cardstock: WorldWin Papers ColorMates Heritage White; Bazzill Lakeshore

Gesso: Liquitex

Glass bottle: Tim Holtz Idea-ology

Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares; Scotch 3M ATG tape; Aleene's Tacky Glue; Beacon Fabri-tac, 3 in 1 Glue

Next up in today's pastel celebration is this gorgeous Secret Garden mini album by Alberto! The bright colors of spring come to life in every page of this marvelous mini! If you have some fun photos from your springtime adventures, this is the perfect mini for you! Just layer Secret Garden papers, add some Chipboard Die-Cuts and other Graphic 45 Staples, and let your imagination run wild! Get inspired with this vibrant piece of altered art that's guaranteed to make your precious memories shine like the springtime sunshine!

 

 

Supplies:

Secret Garden 8" paper pad

Secret Garden 6" patterns and solids pads

Secret Garden Stickers

Secret garden banners

Secert garden Chipboard 1 and 2

Ornate metal key holes 

Yellow fabric

Clear snap Scents Embossing powder

Glimmer mist Pearl

Kraft basic paper

May Art Ribbon

 

As an extra treat today, Susan Lui also has a tutorial over on the Create blog hosted by Northridge Publishing! Go on over to see the amazing mini album tutorial! There is also a $100 Graphic 45 French Country Giveaway on the wonderful blog!

Click here to get to the Northridge Publishing Create Blog

 

 

We hope you all got inspired by today's dreamy pastel crafts! We encourage you all to let this beautiful season inspire you to create something marvelous with your favorite Graphic 45 collection! Don't forget that there's still time to leave us a blog or Facebook comment this week for your chance to win our fabulous French Country prize pack! A random winner will be announced on Friday's blog. We will be back tomorrow with more wonderful inspiration to brighten your day! Big thanks to Gloria and Alberto for their gorgeous projects! We wish you all a delightful day!

 

Happy Papercrafting!

 

Your Friends at Graphic 45

Graphic 45 Facebook Gallery Highlights!

Hello G45ers,

Spring is in the air on today's Graphic 45 blog! We're bringing you some fresh and colorful crafts from our Facebook gallery that are sure to brighten your day! The Graphic 45 Facebook page is a wonderful place to get daily inspiration, post your latest Graphic 45 creations, get news about the latest Graphic 45 collections and connect with an amazing community of G45ers just like you! We thought we'd take a moment to thank all of you amazing and talented G45ers for sharing your incredible creations with us. Today is all about you! We will she sharing 5 gorgeous creations that have recently been posted to our Facebook page! Altered art, cards, tags: today's Graphic 45 blog has it all! We encourage you all to "Like" the Graphic 45 Facebook page to get all the latest and greatest Graphic 45 updates and inspiration!

Graphic 45 Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Graphic45

First up in today's Graphic 45 Facebook Gallery Highlights we have this adorable and stylish French Country lamp by KimberlyRae Forde. This amazing piece of home decor would look stunning in any room! Plus it would make the perfect gift! What a clever way to craft with this colorful collection! We love it!

Next we have this pretty spring card by Darsie Bruno using the 8x8 Secret Garden paper pad with coordinating 6x6 Patterns & Solids Paper Pad. The fresh pastel colors really shine in this gorgeous card that's perfect for any occasion! We love how Darsie layered the Secret Garden papers and added a few sweet embellishments to give this card charm and dimension. So sweet!

Here is a wonderfully imaginative creation that was also recently posted to the Graphic 45 Facebook page. This is a Bird Song shadowbox by Song Li. Just look at that beautiful scene! We love all the intricate details that are all over this vibrant shadowbox. Song fussy cut the characters from Shanghai Girls paper and added wonderful hanging lanterns from the Enlightenment paper! The dimension in this shadowbox is just incredible!

Next we have some sweet little gift card holders made with upcycled toilet paper tubes and papers from Little Darlings, A Ladies Diary and A Proper Gentleman by Joyce Susie Micke Cazier. This is such a great way to upcycle your old toilet paper roles and turn them into treasures! We love how Susie personalized each gift card holder for specific holidays! These are so gorgeous!

Last but not least are these superb Secret Garden roses and flower pail by Kathy Helton! This is such a refreshing springtime creation! You can have so much fun using your favorite Graphic 45 collections to create joyful pieces of home decor like this one! It's like a breath of fresh air!

We hope you all had a lot of fun on today's Graphic 45 blog! Don't forget to "Like" us on Facebook and share your latest Graphic 45 creations! We'd love to see what you're making with Graphic 45! Big thanks to all of today's featured G45ers! We will have more wonderful inspiration and fun in store for you tomorrow! We hope you'll stop by and see us. Have a delightful day!

Your Pals in Paper,

Team Graphic 45