Prize Announcement & Happy New Year Wishes From Graphic 45

Hello Crafters!

Well it's the last day of 2010. It's hard to believe! Weren't we just celebrating this holiday a mere 365 days ago? Well time is obviously flying so that's all the more reason to enjoy this moment to the fullest. But before the champagne starts flowing, we wanted to announce the winner of this week's contest! This week we asked you to leave us a blog comment telling us one of your hopes for the new year. It was wonderful reading through all of your positive aspirations for 2011. This week's random winner is Debora S. Here is what she had to say about her New Year's wish.

"As for many, 2010 was a challenging year for me. Many family illnesses, stressful work situations and so much more. My wish for 2011 is to live more in the moment, enjoy each and every day and spend more time doing what I love, creating." -Debora S

Congratulations, Debora S.! Please email us at info@g45papers.com to claim your prize. Thank you to everyone who participated in this week's contest. We hope you helped inspire each other as much as you continue to inspire us.

As you may have noticed, I'm a big fan of using historical or literary references in these special holiday editions of the Graphic 45 blog. On this jubilant day I thought I'd draw on the inspiration of one of my favorite poets, T.S. Eliot, to deliver a simple and yet poignant message about New Years. While Eliot is best known for his sometimes dark and brooding poetry of the early 20th century, he also had an eloquence and a mastery of language that helped win him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948. Whenever I want to feel inspired and deeply humbled as a writer, I turn to T.S. Eliot. Here is an excerpt from his poem Little Gidding that speaks volumes about this prosperous holiday.

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we stand
And know the place for the first time.

For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning."

- T.S. Eliot

 

We hope that this year is filled with magical moments of curiosity, creativity, and connectedness. May this year bring you new ways and exciting of expressing yourself in both your art and in your daily life. We are looking forward to another inspiring year among our craft community. Many thanks to all of you out there who share your kind words and beautiful crafts with us on a daily basis. We are excited to see what glorious things you'll dream up in 2011.

A Very Happy New Year to You!

Team Graphic 45

The Leisure Class: Dashingly Fun Crafts by Trisha Ladouceur

Hello Clever Crafters!

Welcome to another fabulous edition of the Graphic 45 blog! We are so thrilled to show you what's in store today! Today's blog has a kind of sports and leisure theme to it, since we know you might need a break after all the holiday busyness. Trisha Ladouceur, design team member extraordinaire, is the vision behind today's crafts. She's designed a colorful and fun layout as well as handmade tic-tac-toe game decorated with Graphic 45 paper! It's like a mini vacation! First we're off to the pool for a look at this fabulous layout that Trisha made with our On the Boardwalk collection and Alphabet Sticker Staples. Don't forget your sunscreen!

Now who's up for a game of tic-tac-toe? Trisha created this amazing game board using our Proper Gentleman collection. This is such a great idea! I wonder what other games we can make with Graphic 45 papers. A chess set with Hallowe'en in Wonderland? Candyland with Playtimes Past? Scrabble with Domestic Goddess? I think Trisha has opened up a whole new world of ideas! 

"Here is a FUN project that I created for my boys to put in their new "Man Cave"! What an easy project to create and JUST IN TIME for the upcoming holidays! I found this board and wooden pieces at Home Sense but you could easily create your own if you are a handy kind of gal (or have a man in your life that you could convince to do it for you!!!). First I painted ALL wooden pieces, including the base. I used the Proper Gentleman Collection of papers, tags and borders and created 9 mini collages to represent each of the squares in a Tic-Tac-Toe game. To adhere all pieces I used Claudine Hellmuth's Multi Medium in a GLOSSY finish. I applied another coat over the entire surface to seal the project. I also used the multi Medium to attach the papers to the letters and then used an exacto knife to trim the excess. I then used a sanding block to sand all edges leaving it looking a wee bit distressed!" -Trisha Ladouceur

 We want to thank the amazing Trisha Ladouceur for her brilliant work! These projects go together so well! It's the craft equivalent to a trip to the country club! We hope you are just as inspired as we are! Stay tuned this week for more terrific ideas as well as this week blog prize winner which we will announce tomorrow. Until then, keep smiling!

Cheers!

Team Graphic 45

A Little Journey: Beautiful Spring Album by Candy Rosenberg

Hello Lovely Crafters,

We hope your week is going well! With winter in full swing, we're sure there are those of you out there who are yearning for some Spring invigoration. While we can't speed up arrival of the warm seasons, we can do our best to bring you the best and brightest crafts to warm your heart. Today we have a fantastic Spring-inspired album from Candy Rosenberg. Candy is one of our talented design team members and her crafts are pure enchantment! Have a look at this vibrant and sweet album she created with our new Once Upon a Springtime collection. With so many adorable details and captivating textures, you're sure to fall in love with this little treasure.

"I could not resist making a fun little album for my granddaughter with this beautiful collection.  We are working on a fairy story to go inside so we can make it into a reader book.  I used bits and pieces from various papers in the "Once Upon A Springtime" collection, along with Imaginarium Designs, "picket fence, alpha, birdcage" which complete the look." -Candy Rosenberg

Thank you Candy as always for your fabulous work! We have many more stunning crafts for all of you this week! While the sun may be in short supply these days, there's no shortage of beautiful craft inspiration here at Graphic 45. So keep your spirits high and get your scissors ready for fun! 

Happy Thoughts!

Team Graphic 45

A Wonderland of Layouts: A layout tutorial by Jane Trangenza

Hello Crafters!

A very happy Tuesday to you. This is that special time when photos from this year's holiday season are looking for the perfect home. Layouts are a fantastic way to make your photos shine! So today we're bringing you a double dose of layout inspiration with a tutorial by the fabulous Jane Tragenza! Yay! Jane has also prepared several of examples of her layout brilliance to help get your creative gears turning. Make your holiday photos even more precious by putting them in a gorgeous LO! So now we're off to the bright world of Jane Tragenza! First up is a fantastic LO she designed using our  Steampunk Debutant collection.

"Loving the new ranges from  Graphic 45, I love the strong colours of the Steampunk Debutant collection and the whimsical images on some of the papers. I decided to do a page for one of the men in my life. This layout is for my son Josh. When I do my layouts, I  lay all the papers out in front of me and then just start cutting and layering them until I am happy. I don’t always have a photo, I usually do the layout and find the photo later. As I have 5 children, and millions of photos, this is not a problem. This time I knew what the theme was to be and knew I had a photo’s to suit." -Jane Tragenza

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutant Collection:
Victorian Transformers
Mechanical Mind
Modern Marvels
Ephemera Extraordinary
Title, Clock and Cogs, from Imaginarium Designs
Brads, Distress inks, glimmer mist
Cosmos tiny Alphas
Heidi Swap extra large clocks

How gorgeous is that?! Jane has also prepared this fun tutorial for you to enjoy. She takes you step-by-step to create an easy and magnificent layout of your very own. Take it away, Jane!

In this tutorial I would like to show you how to make a frame around a page using one of the  Graphic 45 Striped Paper. You need to choose a paper that has a repeating pattern at least four times. Each piece needs to be the full 12 inches long. The frame will need to be made smaller. Each pattern must be the same width, if you want your corners to match.

Choose your background paper and leave it the full 12 x 12 inches. Choose a second print paper to be a contrast and cut it to 11 ¼ x 11 ¼  and tape to the background paper in the middle. In the Hallowe'en in Wonderland layout I used Wonderland Classifieds as my background and my contrast print was Jabberwocky. For my stripe I used Uncommon Nonsense.

Once you have your background page and contrasting page taped together, you are ready to make your frame. Cut your four stripe pieces the same width and place one stripe each side of the contrasting square, leaving a whisker showing on the outer edge. This will make the frame aprox 11 1/8 x 11 1/8. Place a small amount of tape under each stripe in the middle. Don’t use too much as you will need to lift the frame off when the corners are done. Tape the two pieces of frame together at the corners (but not to the base papers), to make it a bit firmer.  Check that your frame is square using a ruler, to do this measure from the outside edge of your frame across at the top and then at the bottom. Both measurements should be the same. Turn the page and repeat the other way. If all measurements are the same then your frame will be square.

  When happy, you can make the mitre in each corner. To do this, use a ruler and measure from inside corner to the outer corner. Mark with a pencil. Do this to all four corners. To make it easier for you to see. I have removed my frame from my page, you don’t need to do this yet.

Cut with scissors but only the top layer and not the bottom.  Do this to all four corners. To make it easier for you to see. I have removed my frame from my page, you don’t need to do this yet.

 Remove the extra bits hanging under the frame, and tape down the top corner to the bottom.

 Remove the frame in one piece and turn it over and reinforce with the frame with cardboard along each side of the frame. I always put my frames on my pages with foam tape, this gives depth to my layouts. Be generous with the amount of foam tape you use, as this stops the frame from sagging. Be careful when sticking frame to page. I always stick only a little bit on at a time, rather than trying to do it in one go. You now not only have a frame, but you have a shadow box. You can now build up other pieces on your layout.

Here are another couple of samples of Frame Layouts.

"In the Christmas layout I used Bazzill for the background,  Yours Truly for my contrast print with Uncommon Nonsense for my stripe. In my layout playtime past, I used Always on my Mind for the background, for my contrast page I used Dolly’s Tea Party and for my stripe I used Jack and Jill." -Jane Tragenza

We want to thank Jane for her amazing work. It's always a pleasure to see how our amazing design team goes about creating their stunning crafts. We hope she helped give you some ideas for your holiday photos. LOs are a gorgeous way to keep your memories as fresh and beautiful as a newly fallen winter snow.

Have a beautiful day out there!

Team Graphic 45

Walkin' On the Bad Side: Artist Spotlight on the Amazing Sherry Cheever

Hello Crafters!

We hope you had a lovely holiday! Hopefully your refrigerators are overflowing with yummy leftovers! Before we get to the main course of today's blog, we wanted to announce this week's contest! Yeah! With New Years Eve just a few days away, we thought it would be nice to share some our hopes for the new year! Tell us one of your big hopes for 2011 and you'll be entered to win a fantastic Graphic 45 prize bundle! This week's prize includes a fabulous 12x12 Paper Pack of our A Proper Gentleman collection, an 8x8 Le' Romantique Paper Pad, a Fiskars Small Level Punch, and two sets of Graphic 45 Staples! Ooh! Share your positive energy and ambition with your fellow artists and you could win! All you need to do is leave your comment on today's blog. Start the new year off right with high hopes!

We have a special treat for you today, way better than leftover pumpkin pie! Today we're featuring the craft talents of Cherry Cheever aka Bad Sherry whose wizardry with paper is out of this world. We discovered Sherry's craft blog a while back and were stuck not only by her obvious artistic porous, but also her great humor and enthusiasm for her craft. One look at Sherry's blog and you know she's just a really fun lady, the kind of artist that truly knows how to enjoy life. While she prefers to be called an Ink Artist more than a Crafter, its clear that her expertize extend far beyond ink. Her art is prolific and always stunning. May we introduce the fabulous Sherry Cheever!

"I’ve been crafting all my life, starting as a little girl making potholders, painting, knitting, etc., and eventually went on to minor in art while in college.   I seriously started stamping and paper crafting in September of 2005 and soon realized that I had found a creative outlet that let me work with my art background.  After working with a number of whimsical/cutesy images for a number of years, I found that my niche was really altered art and vintage projects, so I gave up working with the whimsical/cutesy images and started making projects in a style that I love – vintage and/or distressed.  I fell in love with Graphic 45 paper the first year they were at CHA and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.  Since then, Graphic 45 has been a staple in my paper crafting projects.  I love the vintage colors and images used in the paper and I think that I look to it more often than others, because I’m truly an old soul at heart.   I’m at my creative best when I have ink on my fingers and I’m sanding away on a project.  I love taking new things and making them look old and Graphic 45 helps me do that."

Behold this endlessly fascinating and marvelous wall hanging that Sherry created with our Steampunk Debutant collection. Wow! Just wow! I can't get over how great this is!

 

 "I am so excited to have different shapes now that will work for wall hangings . . . way too much fun.  Anyhoo, there is much to talk about and to look at here.  First that hanging itself. The back is Grunge Paper and then I die cut the Graphic 45 Paper to fit the Nestie.  I had some wood rope trim that I cut down to size and painted black to separate the two papers (flip side of the top).  While we are talking about the paper on the top, check out the lady in the background on the right.  I point this out because I had already picked the sentiment I was going to use for this project, this inchie from Artful Illusions. The flowers were die cut with the Blossom Nesties, and then curled and glued together. Vintage buttons were added to the center of them.  Everywhere I saw open space something else was tucked in . . . like the trinket pins." -Sherry Cheever

 

This is a glorious piece of holiday decor that Sherry created with our Deluxe Edition Christmas Past collection. She packed this piece with so much fabulous color and texture, it's just amazing! She has such an incredible eye for detail!

 

 

"To start the process, a sheet of Graphic 45 paper was adhered to Grunge paper with matte multi-medium and die cut with the Grand Calibur and LF-126 Grand Squares. The little black shelf was made with a piece of hobby wood that was painted with black acrylic paint.  Some sanding here and there, highlighted with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and we have a shelf that looks like it has been loved and used. For the background, I chose one of the Santa images from the 12×12 paper which was die cut/embossed with S4-138 Petite Ovals-Large.  The edges were sponged with Vintage Photo and then distressed with a Paper Disresser. To add some substance to the back of the image I cut an oval from rectangle coasters so that the image could be layered and raised up on mounting foam." -Sherry

 Have a look at this amazingly beautiful card that Sherry created with our On the Boardwalk collection. So bright and full of adventure!

 

"The image is colored with Copic Markers and the paper, from Graphic 45, is sewn to a base of cardstock.  I did, however, change up my normal layout.  I was in the mood for a change . . . go figure!  Oh and I used some new twine from The Twinery. Oh my BADness . . . I LOVE it!"  -Sherry

 

If you brose through Sherry's blog, you'll know that she's the queen of finding old boxes at thrift stores and turning them into magic! This is just one of many examples of her craft mastery. Have a look at this gorgeous box she created with the Graphic 45 Fashionista collection. It's a treasure unto itself!

 

 

 

"I had this idea to make a flower out of some new May Arts Ribbon, but the style of flower called for wired ribbon.  I ended up stitching a small seam down one side, ran some craft wire through it, and pulled it all together to make the flower.  The center is an old button I had in my stash.I took on the ladies from the Graphic 45 Fashionista collection and put it in a memory frame for some added embellishment.    The back layer on the top was made with Spellbinders Labels One.  I know it’s hard to tell in the photos, but I added some feet on the bottom of the box with black wood beads from an old necklace." -Sherry 

 

This is just a small fraction of pieces that Sherry created using Graphic 45 papers. You really need to check out her blog to get the full scope of her creativity. We want to sincerely thank Sherry Cheever for her boundless imagination and creative energy. We hope she helped give you some great ideas today and we can't wait to see what else she has in store for us in the future!

 

Don't forget to leave a blog comment today for your chance to win this week's blog prize! Share with us one of your hopes for the new year! Lets cultivate or collective well-wishes to make this the best year ever!

 

Happy, happy, happy!

 

Team Graphic 45

 

Christmas Wishes From Graphic 45

Merry Christmas Crafters!

On this beautiful day of rest and togetherness, we wanted to wish you a very joyous holiday. In researching what to write for this Christmas Day edition of the Graphic 45 blog, I came across hundreds of speeches, poems, photographs and art from all over the globe. Each had its own uniquely crafted message of peace and goodwill. In truth, there was no single perfect sentiment to sum up the ambitions of this grand holiday. It is so many things to so many people. Then an image flashed into my memory, a groundbreaking picture that was taken on Christmas Eve 1968. It was transmitted to earth by the Apollo 8 spacecraft as it orbited the moon. As it was beamed to earth on a live televised broadcast, commander Frank Borman said "And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth." This was the first time in human history that an earth-rise had ever witnessed. Even more poignant is that it was captured on this glorious holiday as the world watched with wonder.

 

We feel so lucky to be a part of this amazing community of creative minds. Everyday we are inspired by your kind words and marvelous creations as we interact everyday on this blog. In a world where our lives move at super speed, its easy to forget the simple and fundamental aspects of being a participant in the world. This is an image that I like to come back to again and again to remind myself of the beauty and true fragility of life. There we are, a little planet floating in boundless space. And yet in all of us is a universe of curiosity, humor, kindness and hope. Each of us as individuals with our own dreams, struggles, fears and inextinguishable love. Christmas grounds us in these simple yet profound truths.

On this day, from all of us at Graphic 45, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May this be an exhilarating year filled with inquisitiveness and optimism for the future. We look forward to helping inspire your creative inclinations. We can't wait to see what amazing creations you'll dream up in the new year.

To all of you on the good Earth...

Merry Christmas,

Team Graphic 45

Joy to the World: Christmas Eve Wishes & Paper Stocking Creations by Candy Rosenberg

Hello Crafters!

A very merry Christmas eve to you! We hope that where ever you are on this fine day, that your heart is filled with benevolence and gratitude. I was scouring the web trying to find the best Christmas quote ever written; something that would speak volumes to everyone out there. So many brilliant writers have tackled Christmas both as a fun holiday and a philosophical idea. And of course, there are multitudes of beautiful quotes that range from fun-loving to earnestly sincere. I should have known to go directly to maestro of Christmas himself, Mr. Charles Dickens. For surely his writing helped to capture the essence of the Christmas spirit better than almost anyone before or since. So, here is a lovely Christmas quote by the man himself that we hope will warm your holiday heart.

"Time was with most of us, when Christmas Day, encircling all our limited world like a magic ring, left nothing out for us to miss or seek; bound together all our home enjoyments, affections, and hopes; grouped everything and everyone round the Christmas fire, and make the little picture shining in our bright young eyes, complete." -Charles Dickens

I love this quote because it speaks to the root of togetherness and gratefulness that encapsulates the holiday season. For all its occasional craziness with holiday shopping, traveling, and attempting to prepare the perfect meal for the ones you love, the holidays remind us to take a few special days to reflect on that which matters most to us. It grounds us in the basic ideas of goodwill and gregariousness that makes the human race so uniquely special. So on this marvelous Christmas eve, we wish you all the spirit of this tender holiday.

We have a quick announcement that we have a winner for this weeks blog prize! We had so many lovely comments from all of you, lots of fabulous ideas for your favorite stocking suffers. This week's winner, chosen at random, is Lynda aka alrlsmom. Here is what Lynda wrote as her comment for Monday's blog:

"Fabulous holiday projects!!! I love to slip stickers, candy, and hot wheels in the girls stockings... found a lump of coal a few years ago, so this is a running gag to see who gets it each year... Thank you for sponsoring the giveaway over at TC blog!!" -Lynda aka alrlsmom 

Many thanks to everyone who participated in this fun contest. We hope it helped to inspire some sweet little stocking stuffer ideas for your holiday. Lynda, please email us at info@g45papers.com to claim your prize and conratulations! We'll be having a new blog contest on Monday so be sure to check it out!

In case you were in need of some extra holiday cheer today, we have another lovely paper stocking to whisk you off your feet. This one was designed by the amazing Candy Rosenberg of our design team. Using our Deluxe Edition Christmas Past paper, Candy created this amazing little darling, filled with lots of adorable handmade tags. It looks just perfect dangling from the Christmas tree.

 

"I made a number of Graphic45 paper ornaments for my tree this year.  When we were asked to make a stocking to share and inspire you, I had to make one for my tree, of course." -Candy Rosenberg

 

Supply List: 

Graphic45, Christmas Past, "Glad Tidings, Christmas Past Tags, Letters To Santa" , Jolee's Boutique, "Lace Bows", Glue Arts and Beacon Adhesives and twine.

Many thanks to Candy Rosenberg for her beautiful paper stocking. We wish you all a restful, warm day and a very Merry Christmas.

Holiday Hugs,

Team Graphic 45

Knock Your Socks Off: Paper Stocking Creations by Jade Moore and Tracey Ladouceur

Hello You Beautiful Crafters!

Oh my gosh, I can't believe Christmas is two days away! This has been such a fun holiday countdown. There's nothing quite like seeing some beautifully decorated handmade goodies to get you excited about the holidays. Ever since its earliest beginnings, the Christmas stocking has been a lovely and integral part of the holiday season. A tradition that began in the days before washers and dryers, when people would hang their wet socks over the fireplace to dry, has grown to capture the hearts of generations of people. Because honestly, it wouldn't be much fun if we modified this tradition for modern times by leaving presents in the dryer for the kids to find on Christmas morning! So lets continue this rich holiday tradition with some more gorgeous paper stockings by our design team. Have a look at this amazing creation by Jade Moore. Jade should be a shoe designer because this stocking is high fashion!

Supplies: 

Graphic45 Paper: Christmas Past Deluxe Edition: The Holly and Ivy

Graphic45 Staples: Trim

Prima Say it in Pearls

Prima Poinsettia

Vintage Trim

Tim Holtz Corner

And now we're off to the magical land of Tracey Ladouceur. Have a look at this ornate, old-fashioned paper stocking. It looks like it could have been a family heirloom! Its hard to believe it was made out of fresh papers from our Deluxe Edition Christmas Past collection! Tracey worked her crafting magic to give this stocking a genuine antique look.

"I used the Ranger natural canvas for the base and my Cricut to cut the actual stocking shape as well as the "Happy Holidays" sentiment. I was going for a very old/tattered look and even my beautiful vintage inspired papers were a little too fresh so I broke the mold and tried something new... I transferred the Graphic 45 papers onto the canvas (both the natural base- the toe, heel and top of the stocking) and then for the festive image, I transferred it onto Prima's patterned canvas. If you look closely, you will see the text peeking through the background. The end result was a more soft. tattered pattern which worked well with this project." -Trisha Ladouceur 

Warm thanks to Jade and Trisha for their amazing talents. Tomorrow we will be announcing the winner of this week's prize as well as featuring some special Christmas eve craft inspiration. Whether you're baking cookies, doing last minute shopping, or just curling up on the couch today, we wish you all the best.

Glad Tidings,

Team Graphic 45

Tis the Season for Stockings: Paper Stocking Creations by Tracey Locher and Gloria Stengel

Seasons Greetings Crafters!

It's another beautiful day of holiday craft splendor. We're bringing you the very best vintage-inspired holiday crafts from our talented design team all week long! Fun and festive crafts to keep you in the holiday groove.  And now that the days are officially getting longer, there's even more reason to celebrate. Christmas, crafts, and sunlight! What could be better?! We also want to announce the winner of yesterdays giveaway with Teresa Collins! The big winner, chosen at random, is Larissa Heskett. Here was Larissa's comment on yesterday's blog.

"WOW!! Just like yesterday, that is such a beautiful idea and one that I am for sure going to try for next year!! Actually, I was hoping to WIN the Teresa Collins Prize for today and I was going to use the ONCE UPON A SPRING TIME collection of papers to make Easter Stocking for the easter bunny to leave presents/goodies in!! =) I have seen ALL of the AWESOME things created with this line here on your blog and I can't wait to play with some!! THANKS SO MUCH for being a SPONSOR and for the FABULOUS GIVEAWAY!! I would LOVE TO WIN!! HAVE A VERY BRIGHT DAY!!! =)." -Larissa Heskett

We want to thank everyone who visited our blog yesterday. Your comments were so amazing and we loved reading each and every one of them! Larissa Heskett please email us at info@g45papers.com to claim your prize and congratulations!

Today's paper stockings were created by the amazing Tracey Locher and Gloria Stengel. Have a look at these stunning beauties, made with plenty of Christmas cheer. This first stocking was dreamt up by Tracey Locher. Oh, so pretty!

"I LOVE this time of year and having the opportunity to create a Christmas stocking with the Graphic 45 Christmas Past Deluxe Edition line makes it all the better!  I found this angel scene in the paper and wanted it to be the focus of my stocking.  I cut it out and then “sugar” glittered certain parts of the scene.  To make it really pop off the stocking, I used Glue Arts 3D Adhesive Foam Blanks, and cut the foam to size for this project!  I created the top of the stocking using about 80 snowflake flowers (cut with my Cricut, of course!)  Remember taking the eraser side of a pencil and pushing it into the center of a tissue square, dipping it in white Elmer’s Glue and then making your annual turkey?  Go WAY back… to Kindergarten or early elementary school… there you go!  I loved making those projects and used that technique for this stocking.  Then I sprinkled embossing powder on the top of the snowflakes and added some glitter to make it look like snow on the snowflakes. The final technique was to add the distressed fabric border to the whole stocking."  -Tracey Locher

Supplies:

Graphic 45:  Deluxe Edition Christmas Past: “The Holly and the Ivy,”  “Ode to Joy,”  “Letters to Santa”
Glue Arts:  Raisen’s and U Cut It, 3D Combo Pack Foam Adhesive
Darice:  Rhinestones
Prima Marketing: Say It With Crystals
Doodlebug Design:  Sugar Coating Glitter
Ranger:  UTE
Open stock cream fabric and trim

This next stocking was created by Gloria Stengel. Christmas is never limited to greens and reds. Using our Steampunk Debutant collection, Gloria made this amazingly detailed and vibrant stocking. Loaded with soothing color and elegance, this stocking is a joy to behold.

Steampunk Stocking

"I love to "color outside the lines" and using the Steampunk Debutante papers for my Christmas stocking seemed like such a fun idea! Adding some metal and some bling...a perfect pairing! I created my stocking by first cutting the pattern from heavy cardstock, then again from the Core'dinations paper. I wanted the stocking to be sturdy enough to use for home decor. Plus, it needed to be able to hold the metal and the facets." -Gloria Stengel

 

Supplies:

Graphic45 Papers: Steampunk Debutante: Fantasy Floral, Nouveau Artistry, Steampunk Debutante

Cardstock: Core'dinations Core Color, Bazzill, Staples

Pearls: Queen and Company

Metal: Tim Holtz, 7 Gypsies

Chipboard letters: Maya Road

Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts

Ink: Ranger Distress (Vintage Photo)

Glitter: Ranger Stickles (Cinnamon)

Facets: Making Memories

Twine: craft store

Wrinkle ribbon: hand-made from seam binding

Grommet: We R Memory Keepers

Tools: Papertrey Ink dies (banner), Core'dinations (Dust Buddy), Stampin' Up (sanding block)

There you have it, crafters. We always love seeing what you're creating with our papers. Be sure to post your crafts on our Ning or Facebook Fan Page! Share the love with your fellow crafters. Many thanks to Tracey and Gloria for their beautiful creations.

Holiday Hugs,

Team Graphic 45

Christmas Countdown: Teresa Collins Giveaway & More Paper Stocking Goodness

Hello There Crafters!

It's hard to believe that Christmas is just a few days away! It seems like just yesterday we were talking about our favorite Thanksgiving side dishes. And now, wham, it's Christmas! But time does fly when you're having fun. We're continuing to rock your holiday world today with more glorious paper stockings as well as a fun giveaway with Teresa Collins. If you're in need of some last minute holiday inspiration, we've got you covered. Another fun benefit of crafting, especially this close to Christmas, is that it allows you to create amazing gifts without having to deal with the shopping crowds. It's always funny this time of year. I tried to do a little bit of shopping over the weekend and I was amazed that the roads were packed with rush hour traffic all day long. Yet another example of how crafting can be both practical and a retreat from the holiday hullabaloo.

And speaking of holiday craft cheer, we're having a very special contest today only! We're participating in Terea Collins' 25 Favorite Things Giveaway! Leave a blog comment today and you could win our beautiful new Once Upon a Springtime 12x12 and 8x8 paper pads! Oooh!

The possibilities are endless with this elegant new collection so don't miss out! This contest is today only so be sure to leave your comment and join in the fun. Also, be sure to check out Teresa Collins' amazing blog too! She's been featuring terrific giveaways this holiday season and lots of beauiful craft ideas.

Now lets get to the crafting! Have a look at this stunning paper stocking created by Jenny Svennson. More holiday cheer to brighten your winter day!

Christmas Stocking
 
Supplies:
Graphic 45: Christmas Past: Holiday Spirit, Victorian Greetings, Christmas Wishes
Hemp cord, mulberry rose, holly leaves and ribbon – origin unknown.
 Tools:
Martha Stewart: Edge Punch Lace Heart

Gorgeous work, Jenny! We've got lots of brilliant crafts to come in the days leading up to Christmas. Be sure to leave us a comment today for your chance to win. We wish you a beautiful day!

Craft Love,

Team Graphic 45