Graphic 45®

A Christmas Card

Ok, I have to admit.  I am NOT a cardmaker, nor do I try to say I am one!  Repeat...I am not a cardmaker!

Now I have a ton of family and friends that suspect that they will receive a handmade card from me simply because I am a paper crafter.  Well I have news for them, NOT going to happen!  I have my little stack of store bought cards (ducking as the wadded up paper flies towards me) and I am desperately trying to just get them all signed and possibly with no guarantee mailed out!

But I did make ONE CARD, and I am going to share it.  This is for a very special recipient of whom I cannot name.  Yes, I keep lots of secrets ladies, but I do share!

Ok, here it is.  Promise that you wont laugh...

So if you comment on this post, I will randomly pick a winner tomorrow and send some paper to you!  Yes, it is some of the paper I stole yesterday at the office.  So tell me in your post whether you make your own cards or not, and link us up to a picture and show us!  We would love to see all your creativity!

Happy Crafting,

Candy

Waiting to hear about the new releases?

Well, so am I! 

All my arm twisting is not working and I am going crazy!  I do know that I am going to be at the office this week and I am going to be poking around to see what I can find when the girls are not looking.  So keep your eyes peeled on the blog, because whatever I find I will be taking pictures and taking notes and posting them here!

I did steal a stack of paper to give away, so watch out for my "secret" posts and be sure to comment quickly before they find out and ask for the paper back!

Candy
Your Secret Agent!

Learn how to make this adorable Santa display by Emeline Seet

You are just going to love this Santa display that Emeline has made.  It is absolutely adorable!   She gives us instructions below on how to make it.

 

 
Instructions for Santa display using a clear container:

Paper Collection : All from Graphic 45 Christmas Past Collection.

 

1. Measure and cut circle with a diameter measuring 6 inches off pattern paper (green). Cut scallops around the edges.

2. Measure and cut a smaller circle (red) with a diameter measuring 5 inches. Adhere onto bigger circle.

3. Cut santa and christmas tree motif from pattern paper.

4. Cut 2 strips of cardboard and fold it into half. This will be used as the backing for the motifs to make it stand.

5. Using adhesive, adhere motif onto paper doily.

6. Include cotton and other embellishments

7. Cut a strip of pattern paper and adhere to the top of the container.

8. Attach flower and ribbons at the bottom.

 

 

What a fabulous Christmas display!  Thanks for sharing your darling  idea with us Emeline.

 

Happy Scrapping,

 

Susan Dupre 

This Month's Featured Artist is Piradee Talvanna

"Hi everyone, it's Piradee here from Bangkok, Thailand although I am currently living in Singapore at the moment with my husband.  I've been scrap-booking for about a year and a half now, ever since both of us relocated to Singapore for work, where I discovered this hobby.  I remember walking in the mall here one day and came across this adorable store filled with all these wonderful paper crafting materials and gorgeous work that various people had done.  Little did I know then, that I would become addicted to my new found hobby - scrap-booking and always stalking that scrapbook store (even settled for an apartment nearby the mall - which at times I wonder which I enjoy more, scrapping or shopping for more yummy goodies) and needless to say, when I first saw Graphic 45 papers, it was for both scrapping and hoarding.  And, especially with the new collection, I just adore the colors and how versatile the papers are... perfect for both vintage and shabby chic styles; although I am still experimenting with the different styles and designs as you can see from my gallery on Graphic 45.   Since I started scrap-booking, I have been very fortunate and honored to be part of the design teams for American Crafts, Collage Press, Made With Love (my LSS that I constantly stalk), 52 Sketches 52 Weeks and Magpie Club and you can always visit me on my blog at www.piradee.blogspot.com.  A special thanks to Graphic 45  for this wonderful honor on being featured here... and to everyone for all the amazing inspirations here!!!"  Thanks again. Piradee

I chose Piradee as this month's featured artist because, well, you will see that she is amazingly talented!

 

Here is a lo Piradee did of her wedding. 

 

Here are few lo's she did using Graphic 45"Renaissance Faire" papers.

 

 

 

 
 
 Here are a few using "Fashionista" papers.

 

 

 

Here is one using "Baby to Bride".

 

 

I don't want you to miss her card and altered album pages either.

 

 

Ok, I realize this is a long post, but I just couldn't pick just a few of her items from the gallery at our Ning site.  I just love her style and her work.  I had to show you "all" of it! 

 

Thank you Piradee, for allowing us to showcase your work and make you this month's featured artist!  You are truly talented!

 

Happy Scrapping,

Susan Dupre
 
 
 
 

Need a place to put those Christmas Cards?

I made this Christmas card holder for CHA this past summer when we debuted the Graphic 45 "Christmas Past" collection.  I have not posted it until, well, now because it is for Christmas.

 This was fun and easy to make.  I took various strips from the collection and used a border punch along each one.  I then glue them down the front.  To embellish the front I used a Prima flower, bling and some ribbon.  I also used some tags from Christmas Past to complete the look.  The bucket was an item that I purchased at the dollar store - just ready to be altered.

Happy Scrapping!

Susan Dupre

Time for Christmas Cards?

  Have you started mailing out your Christmas cards yet?  I haven't even started!  I admire those that make every single one of there Christmas cards.  I just don't have it in me to make that many.  I think I would be trapped in my scrap room for days if I even tried.

If you are one of those that makes their own Christmas cards, we have a beautiful one that Susan Lui has made for the blog today.  The monochromatic theme of this card is so stunning!    She used Graphic 45 "Christmas Past" papers to make her card below.

 

See what I mean?  It just a beautiful card!  Thanks Susan!

Have a great weekend!

Susan Dupre

Getting in the Christmas Spirit

I can't believe that it is already December.  However, I can believe that that Christmas is just around the corner.  My little guy has been telling me for months "I want that for Christmas" every time he sees something on a commercial about toys.  Well,  seeing that it is almost upon us, let's get inspired by this pretty Christmas garland that design team member Christie Bryant made using Graphic 45 "Christmas Past" papers.

You can see how Christie combined the papers and some of the photo frames to make her cute tags.  Below she gives you an idea of how she made her garland.

 

How simple this is by just using plain cardboard to make tags and cover them with paper.  I think anyone could make this.  She makes it look so easy, and it turned out so pretty.  

Thanks Christie!  

Happy Scrapping!

Susan Dupre  
 

Our November Challenge winner is announced...

Drumroll Please....

And our winner of our November Challenge of "Put it on the Wall" is an Altered Shelf by Megan A.  Congratulations Megan, we loved your use of the shelf and the beautiful flowers.  Great way to upcycle, girlie!

Here is a picture of what Megan created for the challenge:

Megan says: I saved this shelf from a melissa and doug horse collection of my daughters. She never put the horses back so I figured I could use it for little scrapbook things. I used renaissance faire papers mostly, with some tags from the fashionista collection.

Be sure to leave Megan some love at http://graphic45.ning.com/photo/altered-shelf-nov-challenge?context=user

Great Job Megan we loved your Altered Shelf and thank you to everyone for participating.  The December challenge will be from our design team member, Nancy Burke.  She has a great challenge being posted so keep an eye out!

Happy Holidays from Graphic45!

Graphic 45 and Tattered Angels with Design Team Member Susan Lui

We have several projects today from Susan.  You are just going to love all of the different things she has done using Graphic 45 and My Tattered Angels products.  Below Susan gives a little tutorial for each of her projects.

"Christmas Joy" - altered item

I altered a little twig wreath to create this cheerful hanging Christmas decor, using papers from the Christmas Past collection - The Holly and the Ivy, Ode to Joy and Deck The Halls. Don't you just love the little cherubs from the Ode to Joy patterned paper? I cut them out, then added a little stickle to their feathers to give them a little touch of glitter. Glimmer mist was applied liberally to the twigs, corrugated cardboard and lace trim. To complete the decor, I added the beautiful stamped butterfly from My Tattered Angels, a Prima poinsettia, a skirting of lace and two ribbon tassels.

 

 
 
  "Owl" - card

A fun card featuring papers from Renaissance Faire teamed up with misted corrugated paper and a branch hand cut from corrugated paper. The lovely chip owl is from Tattered Angels. The corrugated backing paper and the twig were generously misted in Suede, Coffee Shop, Sunflower, Olive Vine and Golden Terracotta.

 

 

 "Walking Sunshine" - layout

 

Here's another nature-themed layout from me, using papers from Renaissance Faire. I love the versatility of Graphic 45 papers. You never have to take them at face value because a Renaissance style paper can be used to great effect on nature themed layouts too. Papers used on this layout are Awakening, Triumphant, and both sides of Florentine. A misting of some tree glimmer screens from Tattered Angels in four complementary shades of green and a chipboard butterfly misted in a sun-burnt golden hue complete the layout.

 

 

 

"Central Park" - layout
 
I  love the festive greens and reds of Graphic 45's Christmas Past papers so I decided to create my own background using coordinating glimmer mists from My Tattered Angels. I used three glimmer mists on this layout - English Ivy, Burnt Red and Olive Vine, which went beautifully with the Glad Tidings and The Holly and The Ivy papers.

 

I placed a flourish mask on the cream cardstock and liberally misted the cardstock with the two greens and reds. Then, to add a splash of color, I happily splattered glimmer mist all over the background, creating a carefree cheery background. When the paper was dry, I layered on my Christmas past patterned papers, carelessly torn to match the splattered mists, added some trim, mistletoe and a darling little tag from Graphic 45 and I was done!

 

 

Thanks so much Susan.  Your work is fabulous! 
 

 

Tim Holtz Rocks Some Botanicabella

We love when Tim Holtz is playing with our papers.  Here is a video with Tim using the new Rock Candy (uhm, kind of like that name, I think he luvs me!) Distress Stickles.  I love this product and used it in our last post on the Tattered Tag.

I got a few emails about how to use the Rock Candy stickles, so here is a great video by Tim Holtz.  Watch the whole video, the Botanicabella line is used in the second half.  

Would you like to win a bottle of Rock Candy Distress Stickles for yourself?  Then comment on this post by telling us which piece of Graphic45 paper Tim used in the video and you could be randomly chosen by December 10th and WIN!

Happy Crafting!

Candy Rosenberg