Lavish Layouts, Tutorials & Blog Winner Announcement!

Hello G45ers!

Happy Friday to you all! Wow, it's hard to believe that Christmas is just two days away! We hope you are all enjoying this wonderful time with friends and family. We are certainly enjoying all the beauty and fun of this festive season. The holidays are such a magical time for many reasons. Of course it's always a treat to decorate the house, get together with loved ones, exchange gifts, and reflect on the year that has passed and the year ahead. It's also a great time for setting new goals for yourself. We're not talking about huge resolutions, but simple attainable ones. For example, taking just a little bit more time in your week to allow yourself to be creative! It is so easy to get bogged down with responsibilities these days but it is so beneficial to give yourself time to be creative and crafty. Not only is it so much fun and enjoyable, but it also gives you something beautiful to show for your time! Today we're bringing you some stunning crafts that we hope will inspire you to be creative! Robin Shakoor, Hilde Janbroers and Jane Tregenza have made the most gorgeous layouts with our collection An ABC Primer. There's even an awesome and fun tutorial by Jane that you're sure to enjoy! Yes, today is going to be fabulous!

But before we get to the crafts, it's time to announce this week's blog prize winner! Chosen at random from this week's comments from the Graphic 45 Facebook page, the winner is...

-Elizabeth Mohler Gaddis

Congratulations Elizabeth! Please email us with your shipping information at info@g45papers.com to claim your prize. Big thanks to everyone who left us comments this week! We will have a new blog prize next week so stay tuned!

This first fabulous layout was created by Robin Shakoor. There is so much to love about this elegant LO. It seems to spring right off the page with joy and beauty! It has such a timeless look to it. Here is what Robin had to say about the inspiration behind this glorious layout!

"I was going through my daughter's elementary school photos and decided to create a layout using one of my favorite photos of her.  I used the An ABC Primer collection to frame my photo and build my page.  I love using circles in my designs so I decided to create my layout around a simple circle.  I cut and mounted the letters for my title and placed them in a semi circular pattern.  Round flowers and flower centers as well as circular swirls were used to tie in with my theme.   The design was finished by framing my page with pearls using a pearl pen.  Give circles a try on your next project. It's a small element that packs a lot of punch!...Robin"

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Papers: An ABC Primer - The Three R's, Building Blocks, School Days,

Graphic 45 Staples:  Sticker Staples

Graphic 45 Chipboard: An ABC Primer Die Cuts 1 & 2

Chipboard: Imaginarium Designs

Colorbox:  Graphic 45 Decades (Triumphant Red)

Core'dinations: Signature Series Graphic 45 cardstock

Scrapbook Adhesives:3D Foam Squares, My Stick Tape Runner

Spellbinders:  Scalloped Squares

Fiskars :Scissors, Paper Trimmer, Notebook Border Punch

Flowers:  Maya Road

Lifestyle Crafts:  Swirls Dies

Flower Centers:  Prima

Ranger Industries: Distress Ink (Black Soot)

Pearl Pen: Viva Decor (Black)

Zip Dry

Next up is this gorgeous and heart-warming layout by Hilde Janbroers. This LO definitely reflects Hilde's exciting and adorable style. She loves to have fun with pretty embellishments and she also knows how to capture a beautiful sentiment in all of her work. Here is what Hilde had to say about this gorgeous LO! She also includes some clever tips!

"Use the Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock as a base. Then add a piece of the School Days sheet vertical on the cardstock. Cut out a circle and add it on the paper. Also add a piece of the Games and Playtime sheet, after teared it with the tear edger deckle. Add the photo on a piece of paper and then add it on the layout. Make 2 bows out of the wonderful May Arts ribbon and add them in the corners of the photo. Also add some small flowers. Now add the chipboards and title and stamps." -Hilde Janbroers

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Supplies:

Graphic 45 An ABC Primer papers: Games and Playtime, School Days, One Two Buckle my Shoe

Cling an ABC Primer 1 

An ABC Primer Chip Board Die cuts 1 and 2

Graphic 45 Decades Dark Cashmere ink

Partner Products:

Fiskars scissor, tear edger deckle

Hampton Art clear stamps patterned butterflies, word collage borders

scrapbook adhesive 3D foam squares

May Arts Ribbon

Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock

brads

American Crafts thickers

Basic Grey alphabet stickers

Tattered Angels Glimmermist

Distress ink

Stazon Ink black

Prima Marketing Flowers

Next we have a super fun layout and tutorial by the fabulous Jane Tregenza. Jane is a true professional when it comes to crafting. Here she shows us some great and simple techniques for creating an unforgettable layout. You're going to love this sweet and vibrant creation! Here is what Jane had to say about this outstanding LO!

"As soon as I saw the ABC Primer range from Graphic 45 it became one of my favourites. I think its the strong colours and images that appeals the most, and the Calico Kids print paper is one of my top 10 Graphic 45 favourites. I decided to do a layout using one of Kate’s school photos.  I love using frames on my layouts, so with this layout I have used the printed papers to create a frame around my page. I have included a step by step for this project so have a go at making one for  yourself." -Jane Tregenza

Remove the middle from the Building Blocks print paper. Make sure you leave the black edge on the frame on the inside as wide as you can, without cutting into the alpha blocks. This will give you a frame to use on our page and some alpha blocks to use on another project.

Cut your red Bazzill to 10 3/8 inches x 10 3/8 inches. Do not attach to the frame yet. Don’t forget to ink it.

3.     Cut your Calico kids back to 9 ¾ inches x 9 ¾ inches. This will remove three squares along one side and at the top. Make sure you check that you are not cutting through any of the pattered squares before cutting. You should have a nice amount of black showing all the way around. You may need to adjust the 9 ¾ inches to make it work. Ink around the edges.

  Adhere it to the red Bazzill in the middle, making sure you have the same amount showing all the way around.
 

4.     You can now attach it to your frame with a little bit of tape. Once you have lined it up and are happy with it. Carefully turn it over and add more tape over the join on the back.

6.     Cut  One two Buckle my shoe to 8 3/16 inches x 8 3/16 inches. Ink all round the edges. Attach it to your page in the middle. It should fit with one of the squares of Calico Kids showing all the way around.

Your foundation page  should now look like this.

 
7.     Now it’s time for to work on your tag. You will need to cut the mats for your photo first. Use the red bazzill and cut it to 5 inches x 7 inches. From your left over paper cut your tag. It needs to be 3 1/8 inch x 5 1/8 inches. Ink around the edges. Cut your next photo mat. Use the black Bazzill and cut it to 4 ¾ inches x 6 ¾ inches. With the left over black pieces cut your tag to 2 3/4 inches x 4 3/4 inches. Adhere it to your red Bazzill.  From the left over piece of One two buckle my shoe cut a piece 2 ½ inch x 4 ½ inch and ink around the edges. You can adhere this to your tag as well.

 
8.     Now you can add some of the other bits and pieces to your tag.  Add a piece of stripe paper ¾ inch high and 3 ½ inches long (this in on the back of Calico Kids). It is  wider than the tag, you need to adhere it about ½ inch down from the top and wrap the ends of the stripe around to the back of the tag. Next cut a piece from your left over  Calico kids print paper. It needs to be three blocks long and one blog high. Attach two blocks onto the bottom right corner of your tag and wrap the third block around to the back of the tag. Add the narrow stripe ribbon to the middle of the print and wrap the end to the back of your tag.

 
9.     Add the square in your kit with the image on it. Place it on your tag on an angle and with 1/3 hanging off the tag on the right side. Trim the bit hanging off your tag. From   your left over bits of buckle my shoe, see if you have an equation that matches the age of your child. Wrap the check ribbon from the back to the front and tie a knot in it. Add two micro brads to the top corner of your equation. Add it to your tag with foam tape, as show in the photo.

               Now attach your finished tag to a sprayed or inked black, tag backing board
              To finish your page

10.  Add your photo to your black mat and then adhere it to your red mat. Adhere to your page on an angle and to the right of your layout.
11.  Add your gates to your layout using the hinges and brads to hold the gate to the page. You don’t need to glue them down in the middle.
12.  Adhere your tag to your black chipboard tag and tuck it under the photo and gate. When happy with its position adhere it to your page. 
13.  From your sheet of Grammar School cut out enough letters to spell your child’s name. Use some of your left over red Bazzill and cut it to 1+ 1/4 inch by 1+ 5/8 inch squares to mat your letters with.
 

14.  If you have a chipboard number then ink it and glue it to the middle of your Penny farthing bike. Add it to your tag over lapping the gate, use foam mounting tape.

 
15.  You can now add your letters overlap them along the gate.
16.  On the tag you can add your journaling and date.
 
Supplies:
1xG4500379 One Two Buckle My Shoe
1x G4500380 Grammar School
1x G4500384 Calico Kids
1x G4500387 Building Blocks
1/7  G45 Alphabet Soup
Bazzill 2X Red and 2X black
Ribbons
Brads
G45  Staples Hinges
Imaginarium Designs chipboard
Gates
Number
Tinny penny farthing.
Tag backing board

Thank you all so much for joining us today! We hope you enjoyed today's fabulous ABC Primer layouts and tutorial! Big thanks to the wonderful Robin Shakoor, Hilde Janbroers and Jane Tregenza for their awesome work! We wish you all a glorious Friday!

Happy Holidays!

Team Graphic 45

Comments

[Judy Wood]

Congrats! Amazing blog! As always...

[CatMyers]

Three fabulous layouts! I cannot choose a favorite.

[Beth Gaddis]

Wooohoo!!! Awesome! I absolutely love all these projects! Thanks for the giveaway, I'm off to email you my info. Happy Happy Holidays everyone! xx

[Sue Benedick]

Love the primary paper. Very cute layout.

[Jennifer Reynard]

Incredible layouts!! Thanks for the detailed instructions. The photos used were brilliant also!! Wonderful work ladies!

[Pendra]

Thanks for the wonderful tutorial and these gorgeous layouts! Robin and Hilde both do the most beautiful, layered and detailed works, they both have a style and design that amazes me everytime!
Crafty Holiday Hugs,
Pendra

[Elizabeth Parham]

Amazing work ! Love the vintage feel !

[Nikki Brown]

Stunning! love G45!

[Jeyatha]

As always, it was too inspiring and interesting tutorial.. I don't have ABC Primer papers with me yet.. I think I should have them soon.. Amazing work..

[Beverly Jordan]

Thanks for the tutorial! Really beautiful layout! Love all your details! Congrats to the winner too!

[Rosann]

Layouts are so pretty! Great tutorial too !