Hello Crafters,
Happy Monday and thanks for joining us on this splendid day. This is going to be a very exciting week. We have a new craft challenge to announce! Since summer has pretty much arrived, we're asking you to create a fun summer-themed craft out of Graphic 45 product and post it on our new Facebook page. We will randomly pick two winners for this challenge on Friday, June 24. The prize will be this spectacular Le Cirque Door Plate Mini Album kit. This amazing kit, featured in the photos below, is a Graphic 45 original creation and was taught in Canada and Australia by our team. Check out this super cute Le Cirque mini album and start thinking about what you'd like to create for this week's challenge. Remember to submit your works to our new Facebook page! We can't wait to see your summer-inspired crafts!
Have a look at the finished product! It's fun to create and it looks amazing!
Today's dose of craft inspiration is brought to you by the amazing Nicole Eccles. This is the kind of project that you can't help but fall in love with when you first see it. It's a Le Cirque pull-toy and it is equal parts gorgeous, fun, and adorable. It's a true craft treasure. Nicole has even prepared a tutorial for this wonderful work of art! Here is what she had to say about this wonderful and whimsical creation.
"I saw this elephant at Michaels for $.60 and knew I just had to have him. Also I have been sitting on some wooden blocks since Christmas waiting for some inspiration to create something new using them. And then it hit me, it HAS to be a Le Cirque Pull Toy! I am inspired by artists like Bethany Lowe who create such beautiful, primitive/vintage looking collectibles, so I wanted to capture that style. The pull toy itself is super easy to create using only a few wooden objects, some string and G45’s outstanding papers! And the best part is you get to be a kid again and play dress up with your elephant, oh and the possibilities are truly endless!" -Nicole Eccles
To turn a block into a pull toy that really works you will need:
a wooden block
tinker toy wheels/ or a small dowel rod and some small circular pieces of wood from the craft store
roping ( I got mine from G45 pocket mini book)
Wooden Bead
Cardboard from the back of G45 paper pad
1. Paint and decorate your elephant as desired and set aside
2. Cut 6 squares of patterned paper the size of your wooden block, and adhere. Mine measures 2”
3. Sand all the edges of your block, removing excess paper and exposing wood along edges. Then lightly ink to an aged perfection and set aside.
4. Cover the tinker toy wheels lightly with ink along the edge and inside edges using Tumbled Glass Distress Ink.
5. Cut 4 strips of patterned paper to create rosettes for the wheels. (Size will depend on the size of your wheels. My strips are 1/2” x 12” to make 1” rosette wheel covers)
once created adhere to wheel using a hot glue gun.
6. Fussy cut 4 blue flowers from Bohemian Floral paper, adhere to wheel using pop dots and ink lightly using Frayed Burlap distress ink for an aged effect.
7. To attach wheels to the bottom of block so that they will spin, cut cardboard from the back of le cirque paper pad into 2 –1” strips.
8. Score strips long ways 3 times, once in the center, and once on each edge to create flaps
9. Fold scored cardboard in half along score lines to create a V. Then fold flaps outward to create a fancy V.
10. Once created, now you can attach the wheels. To do this place the wheels with rods one at a time into the center of the V you just made and using glossy accents run a bead of glue along the small flaps and smooth to the bottom of the block. * Glossy accents is the perfect adhesive for this job because it only takes seconds to dry.
11. To create the pull string, loop string around the center of G45’s metal brad, tighten and lightly glaze with glossy accents over string wiping away excess as you smooth it.
12. Cut of the back of the brad using heavy duty scissors or wire cutters and adhere to the block using E6000.
13. Decorate block and and adhere completed elephant atop using E6000
14. Glaze with Distress stickles as desired.
*Make sure to allow plenty of time for E6000 to dry before playing!
Supplies:
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Inks
Black Soot, Frayed Burlap, Tumbled Glass
Ranger Adirondack Ink
Sunshine Yellow
Tim Holtz Gears and Sprockets
Stickles: Tim Holtz Distress Stickles
Picket Fence, Rock Candy
Adhesives: Scrapbook Adhesives 3d foam squares
E6000, hot glue gun, scor tape
Other: Wooden block, toothpick, Bethany Lowe Designs Vintage Inspired Garlands, Sm. metal star, tinker toys, hemp twine, string, wooden bead, glass glitter, bell, paint, acrylic clear coat.
We want to say a huge thank you to Nicole Eccles for her phenomenal project today. We are so excited to see everyone's summer crafts on our Facebook page this week! We hope you all have a terrific day and we hope to see you back here tomorrow for more awesome craft inspiration.
Smiles and Sunshine,
Team Graphic 45
pretty incredible!
Posted by: Candy | June 20, 2011 at 08:10 AM
Wow!...this is fabulous, congratulation!
Posted by: Ephémère13 | June 20, 2011 at 08:35 AM
Fabulous project by Nicole! Awesome giveaway, I hope to get time to create something for the challenge, I would love the mini album kit!
Posted by: Carol | June 20, 2011 at 08:56 AM
The mini album is awesome. Love it!
Posted by: Tammy Hall | June 20, 2011 at 09:12 AM
Great give a way!!
Cool toy too!
Posted by: Dorothy | June 20, 2011 at 10:21 AM
great challenge !
Posted by: cat lacigale | June 20, 2011 at 10:26 AM
amazing! I love this album!
Posted by: gybogi | June 20, 2011 at 11:36 AM
Wow, what an amazing project made by Nicole. Awesome !!!
Posted by: astrid | June 20, 2011 at 02:08 PM
Oh Nicole, you've done it again. This is too adorable for words. And Team G45, love the book and how you used the Staples door plate and knob.
Posted by: Nancy Wethington | June 20, 2011 at 02:46 PM
Love, love, love these projects! That elephant is tooooo cute.
Posted by: Robin Shakoor | June 20, 2011 at 03:35 PM
What a fun project... and very well executed!
Posted by: Noreen | June 20, 2011 at 09:14 PM
So this is why I had to finish all of my homework tonight! My sub-conscience was telling me I NEED this! I can't wait to get started tomorrow! SQUEEEEEEEEE Must have! :) Thank you for the opportunity!
Posted by: Jenny | June 20, 2011 at 11:52 PM
This project is FUN, FUN, FUN.
Posted by: Maxine Kollar | June 20, 2011 at 11:56 PM
What a great project!! Love it.
Posted by: Sandy | June 21, 2011 at 03:00 AM
Oh, my gosh! What a WONDERFUL creation!! Love it!!
Posted by: Nancy Crissinger | June 21, 2011 at 06:32 AM
O H M Y G O S H !!!! SOOOOO cute!
Posted by: natasha g.p. | June 21, 2011 at 07:38 AM
I go to Michael's alllll the time and have never seen that elephant. I MUST go!!
Posted by: Sharon Gullikson | June 21, 2011 at 07:39 AM
I woke up thinking," I need some vintage looking circus paper and stickers". No joke. And then here it is!! I have to find a store that sells your paper!!!!!!!
Posted by: B. Poteraj | June 21, 2011 at 07:40 AM
Darn - that little elephant pull toy is just the cutest! I seen the little paper mache animals and never dreamed they could be this cute!
Posted by: kat | June 21, 2011 at 07:44 AM
WOW!! THANKS for sharing!! =) I LOVE the cute toy!! I can't wait to play!! Have a FABULOUS DAY!! =)
THANKS for the fun challenge and the chance to win!! =)
Posted by: Larissa Heskett | June 21, 2011 at 10:43 AM
The mini album is wonderful!! Great giveaway, thanks for the chance to win.
Posted by: sharon d | June 21, 2011 at 02:09 PM
Lovely mini! I linked my summer project to FB page too..
Posted by: Irit | June 21, 2011 at 03:47 PM
I feel a couple of projects coming on! Thanks for the inspiration and challenge.
Posted by: Wendy Jo | June 21, 2011 at 06:21 PM
What an unimaginable artwork! I really like the final product of your imagination.
Posted by: Jewelry Making | June 22, 2011 at 12:28 AM
such a creative group of DT members, always thinking outside the box,,,,great talent
ava
Posted by: ava | June 22, 2011 at 05:01 AM
Amazing, gorgeous, FABULOUS!!!
Posted by: Christie Bryant | June 28, 2011 at 08:24 PM