Travelogue: Graphic 45 Goes to Framingham, MA

Hello Crafters!

Well we're back from our amazing trip to the east coast where we attended the Collins Group Event 2011 in Framingham, MA. It was a fabulous trip and we met so many terrific people. It was a great time!  We thought we'd share with you some photos from our trip.

The day before the event, Aimee and Charee had the pleasure of spending the evening in Harvard Square in Boston.  We had an amazing dinner at the Russel Street Tavern, and spent the rest of the night walking around admiring the historic architecture. Here is a great photo taken at sunset. You can really see the hustle and bustle of this amazing historic city. 

This is the view outside of the fun castle hotel where the Collins Group event was held. What a great place to hold a crafting event! Even though it didn't have a moat or a dragon, it was still a magical castle of fun. 

Last week we posted some pictures on our blog of us creating kits for our big event. Well here are the fruits of our labor. This was a 2 1/2 hour long workshop in which we created a lovely Once Upon A Springtime mini album. This was the first class created and taught by Charee. You can see all these terrific ladies are working the night away to create Charee's amazing mini album. It was a fantastic time and we were so happy to share it with so many amazing people. 

Here is Charee just after we set up our mini booth for the last day of the event.  Getting ready for a day of good quality bonding time with our stores.

 Well, that's it for today, crafters. Thanks so much for joining us as we recap our travels. We want to thank the fabulous folks at The Collins Group for a terrific event, as well as all the terrific stores, and all the great folks who participated in our workshop, class, and make n' take. We had an amazing time!

Don't forget to post your Metal Staples crafts on our Facebook Fan Page for your chance to win our Metal Staples Challenge. We also have our blog contest going on right now. Post your thank you cards and/or friendship cards to our Facebook Fan Page for your chance to win this week's blog contest! We will see you back here tomorrow when we announce the brand new Graphic 45 Design Team for 2011! We are so excited!

Happy Papercrafting!

Team Graphic 45

Forever Love: Romantic Curtain Call Creations by Christie Bryant

Good Day Crafters!

Wishing you a very happy Wednesday! Thanks for joining us today! You know, just because Valentine's Day has past it doesn't mean you can't make marvelously romantic crafts. Any day is a great day to tell your sweetie that you love them! Today the amazing Christie Bryant has designed a beautiful card and layout that are all about love! These decadent creations were made with our Curtain Call collection which is perfect for any elegant craft. These projects are particularly stunning because of the deep reds used in contrast with the black and cream colors of Curtain Call. It really catches the eye! Here is an amazingly layered love card by Christie. The textures of the papers, ribbons, and lace are so stunningly beautiful! So romantic!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 "Curtain Call: Leading Ladies"
Graphic 45 "Le Romantique: Well Groomed"
Other: Red cardstock, lace, black ribbon, red flowers, button, key, red rhinestone, safety pin

And here is another fantastic creation by Christie Bryant. Have a look at her "Forever Layout." With its amazing central images set against the simple elegance of Curtain Call, and perfectly placed Graphic 45 Staples, with just the right amount of vibrant color, this LO is a picture of perfection!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 "Curtain Call: Let's Dance"
Graphic 45 "Curtain Call: Leading Ladies"
Graphic 45 "Flower Staples"
Graphic 45 "Domestic Goddess: Alphabet"
Other: Scarlet cardstock, vanilla cardstock, Ooh La La banner, red flowers, buttons, crystal beads

We want to thank Christie Bryant for her stunning work. And crafters, don't forget to post your Graphic 45 thank you cards and/or friendship cards on our Facebook Fan Page for your chance to win this week's blog prize! The more crafts you post, the more chances you have to win! Have a spectacular day, crafters!

Love & Paper

Team Graphic 45

Spring Wisdom: Beautiful Altered Art by Tammy Roberts

Hello Crafters!

Thank you so much for joining us today! We have such an amazing craft project to share with you. In honor of Spring, Tammy Roberts of our design team has created a beautiful altered object with our Once Upon a Springtime collection. We're sure you'll love this adorable and inspiring piece. Once Upon a Springtime is obviously the perfect collection for this time of year. The trees are finally starting to bud with flowers, the warm weather is steadily creeping back, and nature just seems to be in a much better mood these days. I love the very beginning of Spring because there is so much excitement in the air just before everything blossoms with color. It's like being at the top of a roller coaster just before it begins its decent. I'm actually not a huge fan of roller coasters but I couldn't think of a better metaphor. Anyway, it's a beautiful moment in the year, full of so much energy and potential.

Crafting is a lot like early Spring. When you lay out your papers and supplies, there is so much wonder and curiosity. What will your project look like when you're finished? What directs will it take? Will the final outcome be what you expected? Will it be better than you expected? There are so many exciting questions that circle through one's head when you begin working on a project. It's such a spectacular moment for all of us artists, so full of life. With all that in mind, have a look at this amazing Altered Wisdom Girl by Tammy Roberts. From the moment she saw this sweet little angel, her mind began swirling with ideas. The result is this wonderful work of art.

"I found this angel girl at a gift shop and I knew instantly I had to have it! I envisioned a new angel covered in "Once Upon a Springtime"! I turned her into what I am calling my "Wisdom Girl". I printed out some inspirational word strips and made that my focus. I will set her on my work table to give me that daily up lift!" -Tammy Roberts

Supplies:

Graphic 45 "Once Upon a Springtime" papers

Graphic 45 Staples - Trim, Flowers & Buttons

Prima - Flower

Jenni Bowlin - Paint & Ink

Martha Stewart - Butterfly Punch

Jane Tregenza - Chipboard Scroll

Papertrey Ink - Buttons

Adhesives - Tombow & Beacon

Own Stash - Ribbons

So beautiful! Thank you so much to Tammy Roberts for her amazing work today. We want to remind all of you that there is still time to submit your projects for our Metal Staples Challenge.

The rules for the challenge are pretty simple. Create as many different altered objects as you'd like that utilize our new Metal Staples and post them to our Facebook Fan Page. One project equals one entry for the challenge. The more projects you create, the more chances you have to win! The deadline for submissions is April 6 and a winner will be chosen at random and announced on the blog April 8th. The winner will receive a package of each of our Metal Staples ($50.00 Value) along with all three of our new 12x12 paper pads Once Upon a Springtime, Curtain Call, and Le Cirque ($60.00 Value). That is $110 worth of gorgeous Graphic 45 products! Wow! We can't wait to see what you will dream up. Here is a great example of a beautiful Metal Staples project! So pretty.

Have a terrific day, carafters! Open a window if it's not too cold out and let in some fresh Spring air!

Happy Papercrafting!

Team Graphic 45

Happy Snapshots: Layout Creations by Tracey Locher and Jade Moore

Hello There Crafters!

Thank you for stopping by on this terrific Monday. We are so glad you are joining us. We have some amazing projects to show you today by Tracey Locher and Jade Moore of our design team. We also have another weekly blog contest to announce! So lets have some fun, shall we? This week's blog contest is just terrific. With the arrival of Spring, there seems to be a big rush of creativity and excitement in the air. This week we're asking you to create either a thank you card or a friendship card with mostly Graphic 45 product and post it on our Facebook Fan Page. Spring is a beautiful time when nature is warm and forgiving, especially after a rough winter. What better time to create a wonderful card for someone you care about? Express your gratitude for the people who make your life bloom! You could win this wonderful Once Upon a Springtime 12x12 Paper Pad, Fiskars Large Lever Punch, G45 Flower Staples, Trim Staples, and Kraft Envelope Album Staples! It's a prize pack of wonder! Post your cards on our Facebook Fan Page all week long. A winner will be chosen at random and announced Friday, April 1st. You can enter as many friendship or thank you cards as you want as long as they are different and made of Graphic 45 product. We can't wait to see what you create this week!

Today's first craft was created by Tracey Locher of our Design Team. She used the amazingly fun Core'dinations Sandable Card stock in conjunction with our Steampunk Debutant paper collection and Staples. I love how simple this LO is and yet it completely catches the eye. The use of open space in LOs is an underestimated and high effective method in creating a beautiful LO. While I also love a busy LO with lots of tiny details and layers, I also adore the minimalist beauty of an LO like Tracey's. It's elegant, balanced, and sincere. A true craft treasure.

 

  Supplies:
 
Graphic 45 – Steampunk Debutante Line – “Steampunk Debutante,” “Steampunk Debutante Frames”
Graphic 45 Staples Line – “Flower Staples,” “Alphabet Sticker Staples”
 Core’dinations – Core Impressions Cardstock, Graphic 45 Timeless Collection
May Arts – Ribbon
Sakura – White Glaze Pen
Tim Holtz – Distress Ink and Key
Prima Marketing – White Flower

This next amazing LO was created by Jade Moore of our Design Team. Jade is the queen of layers and textures. She also has a perfect eye for capturing the true vintage spirit of Graphic 45. Have a look at this stunning LO she created by combining our Transatlantique, A Proper Gentleman, Fashionista, and Communique collections. And I must say, I love the central photo of Jade's mom with her amazing hair! So beautiful!

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"My mother the Traveler; She traveled the world with my father!! The military will do that for you. She traveled and she loved it! For this layout I really really wanted to play with burlap and this is what happened!!" -Jade More

Supplies:

Graphic45 Papers: Transatlantique: Bon Voyage; Meet Me In Saint Louis; All Aboard; Transatlantique// A Proper Gentleman: Boarders Page// Communique: Postage; Photogenic// Fashionista: Potpourri
Graphic45 Staples: Metal Buttons
Thickers 
Burlap
Black Twine
Black Lace
Prima FlowersFeathers

Crafters, thank you so much for joining us today. Special thanks to Tracey Locher and Jade Moore for their beautiful layouts. We are so excited about this week's contest and we can't wait to see what you will all create. We wish you a wonderful day!

Paper Hearts,

Team Graphic 45

 

Basking In Creativity: Life on the {Scrap} Beach Artist Feature Day Two

Hello Crafters!

Happy Friday to all of you! It's going to be another fantastic day here on the Graphic 45 blog. We have a winner for this week's blog prize and more spectacular crafts from Life on the {Scrap} Beach. Today's crafts are beyond gorgeous and they come complete with video tutorials! Kathryn of the Life on the {Scrap} Beach blog was kind enough to create these splendid projects that are making their world premier today on our blog! We are so honored! She already has a huge following on her craft blog and youtube page and we wanted to make sure that you were all aware of her amazing talent. So today, we are proud to have the amazing Kathryn of Life on the {Scrap} Beach in her second day of being our featured artist. Huzzah!

Before we get to the crafts, we wanted to announce the winner of this week's blog prize. We asked you all to leave us a comment on our blog this week for your chance to win. This week's winner, chosen at random, is Robin (Tqmnurse). Robin left us a comment on Wednesday in response to Candy Rosenberg's beautiful layout. She wrote "Candy's work is always amazing...thanks for sharing." Thank you Robin for your kind words, and thanks to everyone who commented on our blog this week. We will have more chances for you to win next week. Robin, please email us at info@g45papers.com to claim your prize. Congratulations!

Okay, it's time for some serious inspiration! Kathryn of the Life on the {Scrap} Beach blog has created three gorgeous projects just for today's feature! She already had a multitude of beautiful work, but she totally went the extra mile and created 3 brand new crafts with corresponding video tutorials! We were totally blown away! Have a look at this wonderfully vibrant Rolodex-style mini album featuring our new Le Cirque collection. She created this whimsical piece using photos of from childhood of herself and her siblings. She plans on giving this to her mom for Mother's Day. So no one tip off Kathryn's mom about the amazing gift she's going to receive! Here is a terrific tutorial and photos of this fantastic work of art.

 

Next up is an elegant and heart-warming layout by Kathryn using our Once Upon a Springtime collection. This LO is just perfect, with so many beautiful details and an amazing central photo. Want to know how it was made? Kathryn takes you on a step-by-step journey into the creation of this spectacular LO in this video tutorial. Watch, learn and be inspired!

 

But wait, there's more! There's never a shortage of ideas on the Life on the {Scrap} Beach blog and youtube page. Here, Kathryn has created a sophisticated and fun card using our Curtain Call collection. In this modern world, it seems like we're constantly getting updates about a friend or family member whose birthday is just around the corner. Why not be prepared with an amazing card?! Check out this terrific video where Kathryn shows us how to create this fantastic "Superstar" birthday card. After all, we've all got superstars in our lives. Why not let them know just how much you care with this amazing card by Life on the {Scrap} Beach! It's fun to make and fun to give!

 

If you're like me, you're probably aching to rush off and start crafting right now. We hope today's works will inspire you to create something wonderful this weekend. We want to profusely thank the amazing Kathryn of Life on the {Scrap} Beach for her phenomenal work and artistic diligence. She is a true inspiration and it was such a pleasure to work with her in preparing for this feature. She's a true professional with a kind heart and an amazing artistic vision. We are so happy to have had the opportunity to feature her today. Thank you to all of our readers as well for all of your wonderful comments this week. We look forward to seeing you again on Monday for more craft ideas, inspiration, blog contests, as well as the announcement of our new 2011 Design Team!

Don't forget that we are in the middle of our Metal Staples Craft Challenge! See more details here! April 6th is the deadline to submit your crafts the feature our new Metal Staples to our Facebook Fan Page. You could win a spectacular Graphic 45 prize pack! A winner will be announced on April 8th. 

Have a gorgeous weekend, crafters!

Your Crafting Pals,

Team Graphic 45

Radiant Inspiration: Featured Artist Life on the {Scrap} Beach

Hello Happy Crafters!

We have such a treat for you today! Oh my goodness! If you love LOTS of beautiful Graphic 45 projects, tutorials, and tons of inspiration then this is your day! We're featuring the work of an amazing artist, Kathryn of the Life on the {Scrap} Beach blog. Kathryn is a prolific and tremendously talented crafter. Her blog and youtube pages are packed full of amazing ideas, presented with so much overflowing positivity and skill that it makes you want to run straight to your crafting table and get to work! We were so ecstatic when we saw her blog, having been tipped off by one of her fans. In fact, there were so many amazing Graphic 45 projects and videos that she'd created that we decided to give her two full days in the spotlight on our blog. We are sure you will all enjoy the fantastic works of art by the spectacular Kathryn of Life on the {Scrap} Beach. So get ready for some warmth and sunshine today and tomorrow. Ladies and Gentleman, we are proud to introduce you to the fabulous Kathryn! Here she is! Ta-da!

"I fell into scrapbooking by accident about four and a half years ago. I had never been what you would call a "crafty" person, but I have always been very interested in art and photography. I took art classes at a studio near my home & started shooting with my first SLR camera when I was fifteen. When I got engaged, my mom {not a crafter herself} gave me one of those scrapbook kits that has everything in it you need to create a themed 12"x12" album. I put it away at the bottom of my linen closet and forgot all about it until the Fall of 2006 when my husband and I were combining our households after our wedding. I found the kit again, and decided I'd better complete it or one day I would be in trouble with my mom! I didn't ever expect to enjoy scrapbooking so much, but I am thrilled to have found a hobby that combines my love for photography and my love for art. And I eventually got my mom into scrapbooking, too. The thing that I love most about papercrafting is cutting up paper and using it to embellish my pages and create interactive elements. I find that the large, gorgeous images on Graphic 45's papers lend themselves so well to this particular type of scrapbooking. I love to cut out these images, alter them with inks, mists and other mediums, and then layer them to create embellishment clusters, tags, pockets and other interactive elements for my scrapbook pages. For someone who loves nothing better than to cut up paper, the Graphic collections are perfect!" -Kathryn from Life on the {Scrap} Beach

We thought we'd start our tour of Kathryn's work with some of her fantastic videos and tutorials. Here is her Policy Envelope Pocket Tutorial that coincides with the amazing Steampunk Debutant 8x8 album that we're also featuring below. Enjoy!

 

And here we have Kathryn's video of her gorgeous Steampunk Debutant 8x8 mini album! Here she takes us on a page-by-page tour of her beautiful creation. We also have some fabulous photos of this album for you to enjoy as well! Soak in the crafting splendor!

 

Here are some close-up images of this wonderful mini album. You can really see all the brilliant details in this beautiful album. It's just breath-taking! 

The craft goodness just keeps on going! Here is another fantastic tutorial from Life on the {Scrap} Beach where you can learn how to create a beautiful Chipboard Gate Fold Album. Kathryn used our Once Upon a Springtime collection to make this amazing album. Check out this terrific tutorial, and then have a look at her "Sisters" Gate Fold Album that she created using this amazing method. You can learn her wonderful technique and then see the beautiful crafting possibilities! Behold!

 

Now have a look at this beautiful "Sisters" 6"x9" Gate Fold album featuring Once Upon a Springtime. Oh so pretty!

 

Here is a beautiful card that Kathryn created using Once Upon a Springtime. This card is so vibrant and stylish. I love all of the wonderful layers she's created here. Any friend would be honored to receive such a wonderful card!

 

Join us tomorrow for part two of our artist spotlight on Life on the {Scrap} Beach. There will be just as much wonderful work to inspire you. Kathryn has created some very special projects which will make their world premier here on the Graphic 45 blog! We're very excited. Also tomorrow we will also be announcing a winner for this week's blog prize! We can't wait!

We want to extend a HUGE thank you to Kathryn for her wonderful work and amazing energy. She is a shining example of everything we love about our crafting community. She is bright, innovative, creative, and she loves to share her passion with her fellow crafters. It is such a joy to have been introduced to her work and to be able to share it with all of you today. Thank you Kathryn! Be sure to check out her blog Life on the {Scrap} Beach and youtube page to see more amazing craft creations. And thanks to all of you who joined us today. We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow for more craft inspiration from Kathryn.

Happy Papercrafting,

Team Graphic 45

Kit'n & Craft'n: Behind the Scenes at Graphic 45 and LO Magic by Candy Rosenberg

Hello Crafters!

Happy day to you all! We are getting ready for a very big event tomorrow and have been kitting like crazy here at the Graphic 45 offices. We're catching a flight very early in the morning, bound for the eastern seaboard. In the mean time, we're getting lots of kits together for the amazing classes, workshop, and make n' take we're teaching for the 2011 Education & Trade Show with The Collins Group in Farmingham, MA. It is happening Friday, March 25th-Monday, March 27th. We are so very excited to be participating in this event and as you can see, we've been working like crazy to make it spectacular! Here is what is happening in our office right now! After I finish writing today's blog I'll be back to making more kits! This is the view from my desk right now! Check it out!

Even though we're swamped right now, we wanted to give you all your daily dose of craft inspiration. Today's wonderful project was created by Candy Rosenberg. She used our Once Upon A Springtime collection to create this lovely and heart-warming layout. This is such a beautiful piece of art and has such a loving message. Thank you Candy for your great heart and your amazing talent!

 

Saying Goodbye...Off To College

"It is that time, the middle daughter is off to college.  This is a tough time for my husband and I and when she actually drives off I get this feeling that I will be a basketcase.  I am so proud of her, she is heading for the Art Institute of Portland and doing it on her own, with a little help from mom.  Way to Go, Baby." -Candy Rosenberg

 

Supplies:

Graphic45  Once Upon A Springtime
American Crafts, Alphabet
Paper Dreams Factory: Gold Butterfly
Flourish With A Bling: Self Adhesive Pearls

Thank you so much for joining us today, crafters. I have to get back to the hustle and bustle of kit making. Join us tomorrow for more craft inspiration! Be sure to leave us comments on the blog this week for your chance to win a prize! We wish you a splendid day! Many thanks again to Candy Rosenberg for her wonderful layout.

Paper Flowers and Buttons,

Team Graphic 45

The Magic of Printer's Trays: Crafts by Jane Tragenza & Gloria Stengel

Hello Crafters!

A very happy crafty Tuesday to all of you! As I write this, the sun is shining and there is a cherry blossom tree in full bloom outside my window! Oh, glorious spring! Nature is about to unfurl some serious beauty! We have some equally serious beauty to show you today with some amazing printer's tray crafts by Jane Tragenza and Gloria Stengel. These talented ladies have designed these fantastic works of art which are sure to inspire smiles and creativity. Printers trays are wonderful and amazingly fun to work with. They also make phenomenal personalized gifts and stunning home decor! Just imagine the possibilities! This first craft was created by the wonderful Jane Trangeza using our Once Upon a Springtime collection. This amazing piece is both heart warming and gorgeous. Here is what Jane had to say about this beautiful creation. 

 The Once upon a Springtime Shadow frame

"I used the Once Upon a Springtime 8x8 Paper Pad.  This gave me all the papers with the prints smaller, which is perfect for small off the page projects. I used Chipboard from Imaginarium Designs, some of which  I inked black -  the little girls and all the corners. The fence and childhood memories,  I painted white and then put a Tim Holtz paint dapper over it for the salmon pink colour to match the papers. I used a vine from prima, ribbons from Vandoros and Maya Road. The shadow box is one from 7 Gypsies. I did this project for my niece, I have a sister who is 19 years younger than me. I love the softness of this collection and the 8x8 pads are a plus for those of us who like small projects and miniature pieces." -Jane Tragenza

Next up is another mind-blowing printer's tray creation by Gloria Stengel. Gloria combined our Steampunk Debutant, Curtain Call, and Communique  collections to create this wonderful work. There are so many stunning little details here but it also looks amazing as a whole. That's one of the great aspects of printer's trays, and Gloria has captured the magic beautifully in this piece! And she's also included a "how to" guide so you can create your own! How awesome is that? Behold, Gloria Stengel's awe-inspiring printer's tray wall hanging. 

Printer's Tray Wall Hanging

"Printer's trays and shadow boxes are all the rage right now. I have been wanting to make a tray for a long time now, but they are a lot of work and I've not had a large block of time to spend working on such a project. However, I was able to attend a 4-day scrapbook retreat recently and spent one entire day working on my tray! Each item in the try has some meaning for me, from the large G (which stands for Gloria) to the bingo number 29 (which is how old I "think" I am)". -Gloria Stengel

How to:

The inspiration for the tray came from the dress form embellishment I made. Here is how to make it.

 

1. Cut a dress from out of black chipboard using the Tim Holtz Sewing Room die (or similar).

2. Paper piece the top of the dress from using Graphic45 papers. I cut a notch in the top of the paper dress to create a collar, then added a paper rose for decoration. I also added a pearl to the top of the dress form.

3. Cut a birdcage out of black chipboard and Graphic45 paper. I used the Tim Holtz birdcage die.

4. Trim down the birdcage shape to create a hoop for the dress form. I cut off the top, bottom, and 2 of the cage bars to make the birdcage smaller to match the size of the dress form die cut.

5. Decorate the hoop with Graphic45 paper, lace, and metal embellishments, then attach it to the dress form with strong glue.

6. Attach wings to the back of the dress form. I used Maya Road chipboard wings, which I sprayed with glimmer mistand sparkling paints. I created a mist with twinkling H2O paints and water to give the wings a "super shimmer"!

7. Glue your Steampunk dress form to your tray and enjoy!

Supplies:

 

Printer's Tray: 7Gypsies

Graphic45 paper: Curtain Call ( Top Billing, The Cinema, All that Jazz, Applause), Steampunk Debutante (Eclectic Emporium, Fantasy Floral, Mechanical Mind, Time Warp, Nouveau Artistry, Steampunk Debutante, Ephemera Extraordinaire), Communique (A Fine Specimen, Communique)

Chipboard: Grafix, Maya Road

Stamps: Tim Holtz Odds and Ends

Ink: Ranger Distress Vintage Photo, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Peach Delight, Twinkling H2O Sunburst

Tools: Tim Holtz Sewing Room and Birdcage dies, My Favorite Things butterfly die, Martha Stewart butterfly punches

Embellishments: Recollections twig; Queen and Company pearls; Making Memories epoxy flower; Tim Holtz Idea-ology clock, spinners, brads, gears, bookplate, token, memo pin, metal flowers; 7Gypsies gears, charm; Michael's Crafts wood letter and spool; fabric store rivet; Maya Road bingo number chipboard wings; Jenni Bowlin bingo card packaging; Tattered Angels key; Cat's Pajamas glitter; Wild Orchid Crafts flower; unknown bottle cap, scrabble tile, tiny glass bottle

Trims: May Arts twine, unknown lace trim

That's all for today, crafters. Don't forget to leave us blog comments this week for your chance to win this week's blog prize. We want to give a big thank you to Jane Tragenza and Gloria Stengel for their wonderful creations today. We hope you will all join us tomorrow for more fantastic craft ideas. Thank you all for stopping by to see us today. We wish you all a wonderful day!

Hugs and Cherry Blossoms,

Team Graphic 45

 

Graphic 45 Goes to Canada: Our Trip to Edmonton and a New G45 Blog Contest

Hello Crafters

Welcome to another fantastic week here at Graphic 45! Wow, it sure has been busy around here lately! As you can see from the photo below, we've been receiving packages from our 25 Design Team finalists. Oh, if only you could see all the wonders that are inside these boxes! We plan on posting photos of some of these fantastic projects very soon. We are overwhelmed with the level of quality and artistic vision in all of our finalists' submissions. We can't wait to share them with you. And don't forget that our new 2011 Design Team will be announced on April 1st! We hope you'll join us! Have a look at this mountain of boxes! Amazing!

We have another fun blog contest for you this week as well! Just leave us a blog comment this week on any day and you'll be entered to win this wonderful Graphic 45 prize pack! You could win a Domestic Goddess 12x12 Paper Pad, Chipboard Button Staples, Envelope Tag Staples, and Metal Tag Staples! You could make some seriously amazing projects with this great prize pack so be sure to leave us blog comments this week. A winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Friday, March 25. Hooray! 

We recently had the exciting privilege to visit Edmonton, Canada for the Memories Wholesale Retailer Event. Wow, what an adventure!  Everyone was so wonderful. Even though it was freezing cold outside, the vibe inside was nothing but warmth.

Here is the amazing Diane, owner and designer for Graphic 45, in front of the G45 display.

While we were in Edmonton we stopped by the Treasured Memories store. Here we are, all smiles,  with a bunch of our fellow craft manufactures (you many recognize a few familiar faces).  Thank you to all of our pals in crafting and to Treasured Memories for their kindness and generosity. We had a blast!

Here is a stupendous Steampunk Debutant project from Treasured Memories. Oh, so pretty!

Here is Diane and Aimee, co-owners of Graphic 45, standing in front of the gorgeous Curtain Call display at Treasured Memories. This display is so gorgeous and is covered in lots of stunning Curtain Call crafts. Unbelievable!

Thank you all so much for joining us today for our walk down memory lane of our Edmonton trip. We're exciting to read your comments this week! We'll be bringing you some amazing crafts this week so we hope you'll stay tuned! Just a reminder that we're in the middle of our Metal Staples craft challenge as well! Post your Metal Staples projects to our Facebook Fan Page and you could win an amazing prize! Have a glorious Monday, crafters!

Hugs and Glitter,

Team Graphic 45

Singing From the Eiffel Tower: Curtain Call Art by Candy Rosenberg

Happy Friday, Crafters!

This week has been beyond amazing! As you know, we're in the middle of holding our auditions for our 2011 Design Team. Our 25 finalists have been sending their final projects to our offices all week. As I write this there is a huge stack of boxes from all over the world from our talented finalists. We definitely plan on sharing these project with you in the near future. Every time a new package arrives at our offices I feel like a little kid on Christmas morning! It's such a treat to see everyone's projects. We will be announcing our new Design Team on April 1 so stay tuned. In the mean time, we've got a fun Friday announcement! We have a winner for this week's blog contest! This week we asked you to comment on Monday's blog and tell us something that you love about spring. This was a simple but fun contest and everyone had such terrific comments. This week's random winner is dlwidder. Here is what she had to say about looking forward to spring:

"Since we have a rather small house for such a large family, Spring, for me means the kids can finally play outside again. This makes me and the kids soooo much happier! :-D" -dlwidder

Congratulations dlwidder! Please email us at info@g45papers.com to claim your prize. We hope this will give you even more of a reason to be happy this spring. Yay! And thank you to everyone who posted on Monday's blog. We will be having another fabulous contest next week and we hope you'll join us!

Also, we want to give you all a reminder of this month's craft challenge using our Metal Staples! It's happning right now and it's a great chance for you to create something beautiful and also maybe win a fantastic Graphic 45 prize! The rules for the challenge are pretty simple. Create as many different altered objects as you'd like that utilize our new Metal Staples and post them to our Facebook Fan Page. One project equals one entry for the challenge. The more projects you create, the more chanes you have to win! The deadline for submissions is April 6 and a winner will be chosen at random and announced on the blog April 8th. The winner will receive a package of each of our Metal Staples ($50.00 Value) along with all three of our new 12x12 paper pads Once Upon a Springtime, Curtain Call, and Le Cirque ($60.00 Value). That is $110 worth of gorgeous Graphic 45 products! Wow!

Today we have an amazing project by the fantastic Candy Rosenberg. She has created a delightful piece of altered art using our new Curtain Call collection. Paris is obviously a huge inspiration in Curtain Call, and what better to represent that influence than the Eiffel Tower? Candy's project is not only beautiful, but its also got some great humor in it! Check out the guy at the top of the tower, looking a little precarious from a great height. Just marvelous!

Paris:

"Ahhh, Paris!  This one is on my bucket list, plus I have promised to take my daughters with me! SOMEDAY!  Meanwhile, I have to settle for my Eiffel Tower covered in the fun "Curtain Call" collection.  This one will go with my daughter for her dorm room when she heads out to college in a few months to remind her of my promise!" -Candy Rosenberg

 

Supplies:

Graphic45 Curtain Call
The Rubber Cafe: Vintage Treasures by Candy
Imaginarium Designs: Die Cut Gear
Flourish With A Bling: Self Adhesive Pearls

Ranger Dimensional Pearls

Silver Paint
Alterable Wood Eiffel Tower

We want to thank Candy for her fantastic and whimsical project. Now I'm ready to face the weekend with a smile! Also, thank you to all of our readers for being so wonderful. We wish you a very happy weekend and we look forward to seeing you back here on Monday for more craft inspiration!

Au Revoire, 

Team Graphic 45