New Years Inspirations with Graphic 45 & Petaloo Final Day!

Hello G45ers,

Thank you so much for joining us today! Wow, what a fun and fantastic week it has been! We've seen so many gorgeous crafts that combine Grapahic 45 and Petaloo products and there's still more inspiration to come! Today we've got the most amazing calendar creations from Sherry Cheever, Tara Orr and Yuka Hino. Plus we have some winners to announce for this week's awesome contest! We want to get you inspired for your New Years weekend! We hope you all have something fun planned to ring in the new year! We want to thank everyone who joined us this week and left blog and Facebook comments on the Graphic 45 and Petaloo pages. It was so wonderful to read all of your comments and join you all for this fun week. Our randomly chosen winners for this fabulous Graphic 45 & Petaloo prize pack are...

-Michelle Reaves

-Beth Weingarten Griffith

Congratulations Michelle and Beth! Please email us at info@g45papers.com with your shipping information to claim your prize! Here is the wonderful prize that Michelle and Beth won this week! Be sure to swing on by the Petaloo blog today to see who won their fabulous prize packs! Plus Petaloo has more gorgeous crafts to inspire you today! You're going to love it!

Petaloo Blog: http://www.petaloo.typepad.com/

Petaloo Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Petaloo-International/151065654933780

 This first stunning creation is by Sherry Cheever. You are going to love the vibrant color and dimension of this wonderful calendar. Sherry used our gorgeous Tropical Travelogue collection and stunning Petaloo flowers to help bring this creation to life. Every day is magical when you've got a calendar like this one! Check it out! 

Next up is this gorgeous and imaginative advent calendar by Tara Orr. This is such a clever idea and so much fun to create! Tara is always so inspired by nostalgic ideas and this great calendar is no exception. It's a great take on the idea of a traditional advent calendar. This is a wonderful way to make each day special! Here is what Tara had to say about this sweet creation.

"I remember as a child, my great grandmother would get us these beautiful advents with such intricate designs and photos. When you opened a door, the most amazing, translucent image was revealed - and covered in glitter!  I loved especially holding these up to the windows as they would give off a certain glow.  My kids' advents have been replaced with very themed images like Star Wars, Barbie, etc and under each door you will find a small piece of chocolate! I wanted to try something a little out of the box with this one...  To me, the joy in the advent itself is to count the days down until Christmas and with each day, a small reward or gift is revealed - which can be anything really!  I decided to create 24 Christmas Crackers, in which a small toy, treasure, riddle, photo, poem or treat could be placed." Tara Orr

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Patterned Paper

Joyous Noel, A Christmas Carol, Merry and Bright, Believe, Special Delivery: Christmas Emporium Collection

Timely Point of View: A Proper Gentleman Collection

Goblin Gazette: The Magic of Oz Collection

Jabberwocky: Hallowe'en in Wonderland Collection

Flying High: Le Cirque Collection

The Three R's, Bedtime Stories, Calico Kids: An ABC Primer Collection

Graphic 45 Tags 1: Christmas Emporium Collection

Graphic 45 Staples: Alphabet Stickers

Petaloo Darjeeling Collection

Hydrangea

Poppy Mix

Sage Green Assorted

Zinnia Mix

Dahlia Mix

Medium Mix

Anemone Mix

Darjeeling Petites
May Arts: Ribbon

Scrapbook Adhesives: 3D Foam Squares
Fiskars: Postage Stamp Punch

Martha Stewart: Border Punch

Aleene's: Tacky Glue

Next we have this exquisite calendar by Yuka Hino. Every page is its own magical world! Yuka combined lots of different Graphic 45 collections and Petaloo flowers to create this stunning piece. It is classic, fun and playful! Want to create one of your own? Start by downloading a free 2012 calendar from this link that Yuka provided! Then gather up your favorite Graphic 45 papers, embellishments and some gorgeous Petaloo flowers and have a blast! Nothing sets the tone for a fabulous new year than a gorgeous hand-made calendar!

Free 2012 calendar URL: http://sgholiday.com/calendar/free-2012-calendar.png

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Papers

Tropical Travelogue: Garden Isle, Jungle Fever, Botanica, Rainforest, Island Jewel, Seaside Holiday, Oceania, Exotic Destination
Tropical Travelogue Chipboard 2, Tropical Travelogue Alphabel Stickers, Tropical Travelogue Stickers

An ABC Primer: An ABC Primer, One Two, Buckle My Shoe, Bedtime Stories, Building Blocks, Happy Go Lucky, School Days, Games and Playtime
An ABC Primer Chipboard Die-cuts 2

Christmas Emporium: All I Want for Christmas, 'Tis the Season, Happy Holidays, Christmas Emporium Chipboard Die-cuts 2

Le' Romantique: Le' Romantique 12x12 Paper Pads

Botanicabella: Botanicabella 12x12 Paper Pads
Playtimes Past: Playtimes Past 12x12 Paper Pads

Graphic 45 Staples: Metal Button Staples, Metal Hinge Staples, Black Policy Envelope Staples(String)
Petaloo: Flowers - Darjeeling Hydrangea x 24 Blue/Eggplnt/Brown, Darjeeling Petites x 24 Cream, Darjeeling Medium Mix x 6 Burg/Cream/Green, Darjeeling Collection Dahlia mix, Velvet and Lace x 3 Peach

Scrapbook Adhesives By 3L: MyStik™ Permanent Strips Dispenser, 3D Foam Squares - Black, Small

May Arts: String, Ribbon

Want2Scrap: White Pearls

Clearsnap : Smooch Spritz

Hampton Art: Ink

American Crafts: Cardstock

The Dusty Attic: Chipboard

Melissa Frances: Resin Embellishments

Prima Marketing: Pearl, Mask, Resin Embellishments, Stamp, Rub-ons

Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Mask

Ranger Industries: Glossy Accents, Stickles, Distress Ink, Crackle Paint

Pink Paislee: Stamp

Tattered Angels: Mist, Mask

Studio Calico: Mist

Tsukineko: Ink

Basic Grey: Rub-ons

We R Memory Keepers: Crop-A-Dile & Eyelet

Zutter: Bind it All

Martha Stewart: Punch

Wonder House: Die

Acrylic Color, Circle Ccutter, Sewing Machine

We hope you've all had a lot of fun this week! Big thanks to Sherry Cheever, Tara Orr and Yuka Hino for their amazing creations today! And we also want to thank our pals at Petaloo for teaming up with us for this amazing week. We hope you all have a stupendous new years! Please be safe and enjoy your weekend! We are so excited to begin another inspiring year with our wonderful team here at the Graphic 45 and with all of you out there! 

Happy Crafty New Year!

Your Friends at Graphic 45

New Years Inspirations with Graphic 45 & Petaloo Day 4!

Hello G45ers,

Welcome to day four of our team up with Petaloo.  We are having a blast with all the creative genius we have seen so far this week. Today's calendars have just turned things up a notch.  So brace yourself for inspiration.  Make sure to hop on over to Petaloo's blog and Facebook and tell them Graphic 45 sent you.  Each comment you leave on our blogs and Facebook pages will increase your chances to win!

Today Nicole Eccles and Robin Shakoor's calendars will guide us into the new year. 

Take it away Nicole.  "For my hop Project I decided to alter a Magnet board into a Perpetual Calendar.  Designed so that all 12 months are magnetically interchangeable, as well as the ability to magnetically arrange all 31 dates according to each month.  This way the calendar can be reused year after year, and will never become outdated!  The Magnet board I altered was purchased at Hobby Lobby and measures approx.  26” x  18”, complete with coat hooks, a little shelf and a cork board making it perfect for any office!  Covered with a mix of 4 different Graphic 45 lines, including the gorgeous New Tropical Travelogue!

 

To create all of the magnets used for the dates I stacked layers of gears, used small metal frames, Glass Cabochons, Graphic 45 Metal Flowers, Metal Tags and Chipboard Buttons.  All Numbered using the fantastic new Tropical Travelogue sticker sheets, then sealed with Mod Podge or Diamond Glaze for long lasting protection.  For the corkboard, I painted it black then used copper paint to stamp flourishes using Hampton Arts Clear Stamps.  I then created tiny decorative thumb tacks using petite Petaloo flowers and Floral Pins purchased at any Craft Store." -Nicole

 

Supplies Used: 

Graphic 45 Papers:

Steampunk Debutante:  Mechanical Mind, Eclectic Emporium, Ephemera Extraordinaire, Victorian Transformer

Tropical Travelogue: Jungle Fever, Botanica, Tiki Voyager, Exotic Destination, Cardstock Alphabet Stickers

Le Romantique: Well Groomed

Communique: Pen In Hand

Graphic 45 Staples: Metal Flowers, Metal Tags, Chipboard Buttons

 

Colorbox Decades Inks: Triumphant Red

Hampton Arts: Flourishes Clear Stamps

Petaloo: Darjeeling Petites

 

Tim Holtz: Sizzix Gear Die, Plaquettes, Metal Gears

Ranger: Glossy Accents, Tumbled Glass Distress Ink

7 gypsies: Metal Gears

Making Memories: Metal Frames

Cricut Cartridges: Cindy Lou, Nursery Rhymes, Plantin School Book

Judikins: Diamond Glaze

Scrapbook Adhesives: Black 3D Foam Squares

 

Other: Glass Cabochons, Magnet board + Corkboard, E6000, Heavy Duty Magnets, Black Paint, Copper Paint, Patina Paint, Clear Buttons, Chipboard, Decorative Floral Pins, Wire Cutters

Robin's calendar is not only beautiful but it is so creative.  She has taken an old picture frame make this elegant calendar with just a few steps.  Way to go Robin! 

"I love decorative calendars and I was extremely excited when I heard we were partnering with Petaloo to create a calendar. I decided to use a large frame originally designed to hold 6 4x6 photos.  I used calendar stickers which were die cut, then placed on a dark brown square mat. I used Exotic Destination from the Tropical Travelogue collection as my background in each section. To finish my design I used a variety of Petaloo Darjeeling flowers to embellish my frame.  A May Arts ribbon, topped with a Darjeeling flower, was used to hang my photo frame on the wall" -Robin

Supplies

Graphic 45:  Tropical Travelogue - Exotic Destination

May Arts:  Ribbon BE08

Petaloo:  Darjeeling Collection - Leaves Med x24 Asst Colors; Petites x24 Blue/Eggplant/Brown; Sienna Asst; Zinnia Mix; Wild Rose Mix; All Cream x24; Sage Green Asst

Fancy Pants:  On Display - Window Black

Ranger:  Pop It! Shapes

Spellbinders:  Nestabilities Classic Squares Large; Labels 1

Bo Bunny:  12" Coffee Dot

SRM Stickers:  Mini Calendar

Helmars 450 Quick Dry Adhesive

Lifestyle Crafts:  Revolution Die Cutting Machine

Let's give a big round of applause Nicole and Robin for today's gorgeous calendars, and to Petaloo for the beautiful flowers that coordinate perfectly with our paper collections.  Thank you for joining us today, and make sure to stop in tomorrow we will be announcing this weeks prize winners and showing off more beautiful G45/Petaloo calendars! 

Happy Papercrafting!

Team Graphic 45

Graphic 45 & Petaloo Blog Swap Day 3!

Hello Fantastic G45ers!

We are so happy that you are joining us for another terrific day of the Graphic 45 and Petaloo blog swap! We have been having so much fun this week and we hope you're having a blast too! There is still lots more to see from our design team. Today Nancy Wethington and Jack & Cat Curio are bringing you some astonishing creations that combine gorgeous Graphic 45 paper and embellishments with vibrant Petaloo flowers! You're going to love it! Check out this amazing prize that we're giving away on the Graphic 45 blog and Facebook page this week! It's a Tropical Travelogue 12x12 paper pad, Stickers, Alphabet Stickers, Chipboard Die-Cuts and 6 gorgeous packs of Petaloo flowers! Just leave a blog and Facebook comment for your chance to win! And be sure to venture on over to the Petaloo blog today where you'll see some outstanding crafts that combine Graphic 45 and Petaloo Products! Leave a comment on the Petaloo blog and Facebook page for your chance to win an awesome prize package as well! So many chances to win! so much inspiration! It's a dream come true!

Graphic 45 Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/Graphic45

Petaloo Blog:

http://www.petaloo.typepad.com/

Petaloo Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Petaloo-International/151065654933780

This first amazing creation is by Nancy Wethington. It's a gorgeous calendar for 2012 that so much fun! This awesome project combines lots of different Graphic 45 paper collections to make each month a unique experience! Plus Nancy added beautiful Petaloo flowers to give this calendar even more color and dimension! Here is what Nancy had to say about this fun and inspiring calendar!

"As soon as I heard we were doing a calendar blog hop with Petaloo my mind starting thinking of all the calendars I've used in the past:  chalk board calendars; memo board calendars; purse size; 12x12's . . . the list goes on.  My favorite to date is the mini-book calendar.  First up = create the pages.  I wanted to keep this small yet have plenty of room to write dates and forget-me-nots.  Notation pages were also needed.  I made up a set of 2012 calendars with important dates and fit that all into a handbound book that measures 6.5" high x 5" wide.  Thanks to various papers from Graphic 45 and beautiful flowers from Petaloo, my 2012 calendar is ready to go." -Nancy Wethington

Front of book with Curtain Call + Petaloo flowers 

The book pages.

April's calendar page with Once Upon A Springtime fairy.

G45 Kraft envelope used as a double pocket with Petaloo flowers.

 Supplies:

Graphic 45 Papers:
Curtain Call: Let's Dance; The Cinema
Communique: Communique
Domestic Goddess: Farmers Market
Once Upon A Springtime: Pixie Post; Frames
On The Boardwalk:  High Style Holiday; Life's A Beach
ABC Primer: One Two Buckle My Shoe
The Magic of Oz: Journey To Oz
Christmas Emporium: Special Delivery; Chipboard Die-Cuts Two
Graphic 45 Staples: Kraft Envelopes; Black Policy Envelopes

Partner Products:

Petaloo flowers: Darjeeling Mini Mix; Darjeeling Hydrangea; Darjeeling Collection
Decades Colorbox Inks: Cashmere
May Arts ribbon

Now, a treat for all the altered art fans.  Jack & Cat Curio bring us this perpetual calendar using our lastest collection Tropical Travelogue, Petaloo flowers and a few found objects.  You have got to love this dream team's creativity. 

Wall art meet the advent calendar.

Mismatched numbers add interest. 

Household locks and dice can be easily transformed into art. 

Petaloo's Darjeeling Collection matches perfectly with so many of our collections. 

Supplies:

Wood keepsake box

Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue Collection-12 x 12 Cardstock Stickers – Alphabet, Botanica, Exotic Destination, Tiki Voyager, Paradise Postage, Jungle Fever, Trim

Floral Embellishments byt Petaloo-Darjeeling Medium Mix, Darjeeling Hydrangea, Darjeeling Petites, Darjeeling Collection: Sienna, Zinnia, Burgundy, Deep Blue, Wildrose

Ranger Distress Ink Wild Honey, Stickles Glitter Glue - Icicle, Tim Holtz Idea-ology Corked Vials, Adornments – Regal, Trinket Pins, fragment, Numerals, long brads, Sprocket Gears, Game Spinners, Pen Nibs, Ornamental Plate, Hinge Clips, grunge board numbers, game pieces, 7 Gypsies - Steampunk Collection - Rub Ons - Numbers

Found objects-game pieces, old lock, meter tags, Metal embellishments, heart frame, wooden ball, doll hand, keys, flower hanger, spool, vintage seam binding, bird, wooden drawer, ticket, glass fuse, rusty harmonica, scrabble pieces, scrabble holder

Studio by Claudine Hellmuth - Semi-Gloss Acrylic Paint - Charcoal Black and Blank Canvas, 3L Scrapbook Adhesives - My Stik Customizable Runner - Permanent Tape - 33 feet, Crafter's Pick - The Ultimate!

Thank you all so much for joining us today. Big thanks to Nancy Wethington and Jack & Cat Curio for their gorgeous work today. We will be bringing you more fabulous calendar creations tomorrow as we continue our fun blog swap with Petaloo. We hope you have a great Wednesday!

Happy Papercrafting!

Team Graphic 45

Graphic 45 & Petaloo Blog Swap Day 2!

Hello G45ers,

We are so happy that you are joining us for another fabulous day during the Graphic 45 & Petaloo blog swap! Indeed, all this week we're teaming up with the fine folks at Petaloo to bring you the most awe-inspiring crafts and prizes! All of the crafts featured this week combine the elegance of Graphic 45 papers and embellishments with the vibrancy and versatility of Petaloo flowers. You'll love how well our products work together! Today we've got more awesome creations from our design team, including calendar and album creations by Hilde Janbroers, Jane Tregenza and Melanie Forbes! Get ready to be wowed by their classy crafts! And don't forget to visit the Graphic 45 Facebook page as well as the Petaloo Blog and Facebook page! Petaloo is also featuring gorgeous crafts that combine Graphic 45 and Petaloo products. Leave your blog and Facebook comments all this week for your chance to win an awesome prize package from Graphic 45 and Petaloo!

Graphic 45 Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/Graphic45

Petaloo Blog:

http://www.petaloo.typepad.com/

Petaloo Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Petaloo-International/151065654933780

Here is a stunning mini album creation by Hilde Janbroers.You can see how perfectly our Christmas Emporium paper blends with Petaloo flowers! Every page of this album comes alive with color and detail! It's fun and easy to create unforgettable treasures when you're working with such gorgeous materials! Here is what Hilde had to say about this festive craft creation!

"I created an album where I can add photos which will show our counting the days till Christmas. So for example, the decorations we add to our living room, the nice food we prepare, the Christmas cards we receive and so on." -Hilde Janbroers

Next up is this glorious perpetual calendar by Jane Tregenza. Jane used out new Tropical Travelogue collection to create this gorgeous work of art! This piece would look stunning in any home or office. It is full of lots of joyful colors, beautiful embellishments, Petaloo flowers and has such a clever design! Here Jane explains how she came up with the idea for this marvelous calendar and also gives some fun tips on how you can create one for yourself! Take it away, Jane!

The idea of a Perpetual Calendar has always intrigued me.  In days of old the news readers on the radio would always tell you the day and date. Now days we use a computer or a diary. For me a diary is a waste of time as I can never find the blessed thing. The computer is not much better as I have to have it on. So I think this will have to have a place of importance on my desk. The problem will be  remembering to change it each day. I wasn’t sure were to start with this project so I asked my son Josh to design a perpetual Calendar for me from chipboard. I love what he has come up with.

It is a box, hinged at the bottom, with compartments for the  date cubes to sit in. There is another box for the months.  Inside the box is room for all the cubes and a note book. He made the top of the box  to fit the new chipboard shapes from Graphic 45 and added a wrought iron looking top to it.

 The closure is a Graphic 45 Stamped Geometric metal tag folded in half. I attached it to the front of the box and  punched a hole in the top of the box. I have used a Graphic 45 metal button for a pin, which you when you pull the pin out the lid drops down and you can use the note book inside and get to the extra cubes.  I used Graphic 45 Staples metal buttons for feet.  

Josh has made a wheel that you can change each day to show the day.

The new papers from Graphic 45’s Tropical Travelogue range was a perfect match for all the wonderful flowers Petaloo sent me. I had over 10 packets of flowers to choose from.

The flowers are made of paper so I was able to stamp a text stamp with distress ink on the leaves. I added some glitter to the edges of the petals then sprayed the flowers with Memories Mists Iridescent  spray. This has given them a lovely shimmer and deepened the colours.

I wish you could see the flowers in real life as they look amazing. I love the earthy tones and the fact they are made of heavy paper. They work so well with the new papers from Graphic 45 and had added a  lovely touch to the front of the calendar.

Thank you Jane Tregenza for that amazing project! Next up we have a gorgeous reusable day planner by Melanie Forbes. This is such a great idea! Melanie decorated this planner in Tropical Travelogue and Botanicabella; two collections that work exquisitely together! And of course she added lots of bright Petaloo flowers to give this planner an ultra-joyful look. With a day planner this gorgeous you'll want to stay organized just for the fun of it! Here Melanie explains how she came up with this terrific idea!

"I am enjoying being a bit more organised for Christmas – even to the point of getting a diary for next year – just for me! So by easily removing the covers and decorating then replacing them – you have diary covers too last you for as long as you want! By not putting 2012 on it I can keep on using it every year – a good reason to use some of my favourite paper" -Melanie Forbes

Supplies:

Graphic 45 –
Botannicabella –  Antiquity, Dragonfly Duet
Tropical Travelogue – Alphabet Stickers (LOVE THESE!)
Staples – Metal Flowers, Metal button, Trim
Colorbox Decades Dark Cashmere ink.
May Arts ribbon - various
ModpodgeHole punchGauzeTYPO Diary

That's all for today, G45ers. Thank you all so much for stopping by today. Huge thanks to Hilde Janbroers, Jane Tregenza and Melanie Forbes for their gorgeous projects today. We hope they helped inspire your day. We will be right back here tomorrow with more breath-taking crafts that combine Graphic 45 and Petaloo products. Be sure to swing by the Petaloo blog and Facebook page to see more gorgeous crafts! And be sure to leave your blog and Facebook comments for your chance to win this week's wonderful prize packs! Have a terrific day!

With Love and Pretty Paper,

Team Graphic 45

Graphic 45 & Petaloo Blog Swap Day 1!

Hello Fabulous G45ers!

We hope you had a glorious and restful Christmas weekend! Welcome to this fantastic week of craft excellence as we team up with our pals at Petaloo! Yes, all week long we'll be featuring some breathtaking craft creations that combine the elegance of Graphic 45 papers and embellishments with the vibrancy and versatility of Petallo flowers! This truly is a match made in craft heaven! There are also some great opportunities to win prizes this week! Just leave your comments on the Graphic 45 and Petallo blogs and Facebook pages! That's all you need to do to win an awesome Graphic 45 and Petaloo gift package! We will be offering a prize on our blog and Facebook page and so will Petaloo! That means there's 4 prize packs to be given away this week! Leave your comments between now and Friday and you'll be entered to win! Check out this fabulous prize pack that we're giving away this week on our blog and Facebook page! A Tropical Travelogue 12x12 paper pad, Tropical Travelogue Stickers, Tropical Travelogue Alphabet Stickers, Chipboard Die Cuts, and 6 packs of gorgeous Petaloo flowers! Wow!

Petaloo's awesome design team will also be creating some stunning crafts this week that combine Graphic 45 and Petaloo products. You are going to love what they've made! Get inspired and leave a blog and Facebook comment! Let the fun begin!

Graphic 45 Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/Graphic45

Petaloo Blog:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Petaloo-International/151065654933780

Petaloo Blog:

http://www.petaloo.typepad.com/

This week's blog swap is very special. In honor of the new year, our design team has created a series of Graphic 45 and Petaloo calendars! This is definitely the time of year when a beautiful new calendar is the perfect thing to start the new year! Let these gorgeous creations inspire your new year's resolutions! Today's stunning crafts were made by Gloria Stengel and Laura Denison. They showcase our gorgeous new collection Tropical Travelogue as well as other classic Graphic 45 paper collections with fabulous Petaloo flowers. First up is Gloria with her astounding birthday book! Behold the brilliance!

"I created a perpetual birthday calendar by altering an old post bound mini album (8x8) that I found in my stash. I covered the fabric album with Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue papers, including the spine and inside covers. I converted a boring album, that was collecting dust on a shelf, into something fresh and new. I glued Petaloo flowers and chipboard letters to the front of the album to create a project that anyone would love to have sitting on their table - plus this makes a fantastic gift! The album contains pages for each month to use for recording that month's birthdays. I've added a mini 2012 calendar to each page. These little calendars can be replaced each year with new calendars, making the album even more useful. The monthly record pages were left over from a project I made a number of years ago. I used other dividers for the project at the time, but could not bear to toss these dividers! I knew they'd come in handy one day! They are perfect for this birthday calendar project. For today, I created pages for January, February, and March. To see the rest of the year, visit my blog in February!" -Gloria Stengel

Supplies:

Graphic45 Papers:
Tropical Travelogue: Garden Isle, Oceania, Paradise Postage
Christmas Emporium: Believe!
Christmas Past: The Night Before Christmas
Domestic Goddess: Miss Manners
The Magic of Oz: Yellow Brick Road, Tenderhearted Tin Man, Emerald City
Graphic 45 Staples: The Magic of Oz Chipboard Tags 2
Petaloo: Floral Embellishments: Darjeeling Collection
Clearsnap: Colorbox Fluid Chalk (Prussian Blue, Dark Brown)
Maya Road: Chipboard (alphabet, heart, wings), bingo numbers
Tattered Angels: Glimmer Mist (Copper, Candy Apple)
Beacon Adhesives: Zip Dry glue, Fabri-tac
Scotch  3M: tape runner
Cosmo Cricket: post bound album
Crafty Secrets: mini calendar printables
Craft supply: crystal stems, snowflake buttons, shamrock embellishment,  hot glue
Re-cycled item: monthly divider cards

Next we have this gorgeous Steampunk Debutante desk clock and calendar by Laura Denison. This stunning creation is the perfect thing to brighten up your workspace or home office. It would also make an amazing gift! Want to know how it was made? Tune in to Laura's free Ustream class this Wednesday, December 28th at noon PST! She will be giving an awesome tutorial on how you can make this awesome work of art! 

Laura Denison's Usteam Channel:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/followingthepapertrail

"I love to make things out of boxes....but in a different way! I turned the  Graphic 45 5x8 Altered Art Box over and used the bottom of the box to create a desk clock/calendar. The hinged "lid" of the box becomes the stand. The clock mechanism and the pieces for the the perpetual calendar are housed inside the box. The perpetual calendar pieces are attached via magnets. The Petaloo Darjeeling flowers add the perfect feminine accent to the more masculine gears and clock face." -Laura Denison

 

Supplies:

Graphic 45

Paper - Steampunk Debutante

Staples - 5 x 8 Altered Art Box, Metal Buttons

Petaloo Flowers

Darjeeling Hydrangeas

Darjeeling Zinnias

Other

Spellbinders "Sprightly Sprockets" Die

Sizzix Alterations "Weathered Clock" Die 

Paper Accents Metallic card stock

7 Gypsies Gears, Ideology Gears 

Ideology Bingo pieces

Walnut Hollow Clock 

Office Depot Magnetic Sheet

We hope you all had a blast today! Please come back and see us tomorrow as we bring you more inspiring creations from Graphic 45 and Petaloo! We look forward to reading your comments this week on our blog and Facebook page! And don't forget to swing on by the Petaloo blog to see their gorgeous creations today too! Leave a comment on their blog and Facbeook page for your chance to win!

Happy Papercrafting with Flowers!

Team Graphic 45

 

Happy Holidays from Graphic 45!

Dear G45ers,

Another year has gone by with you, our faithful friends and fans. We could not be more grateful at this time of year. It is the season of encouragement and gifting and you are all such great gifts to us - each and every one of you. Thank you for supporting us, sharing your incredible creations, and encouraging us every single day. We hope you enjoy each moment of this holiday season. We wish you the happiest holidays filled with lots of love, laughter, and light.

As always Happy Papercrafting and have a Happy New Year!

Diane, Aimee, Charee, and the whole Graphic 45 Family

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

Fun and Inspiring G45 Crafts & Tutorials!

Hello G45ers!

Happy Thursday to you all! We are so glad you're taking the time to join us today! By now you're probably putting those last minute holiday plans into action. Those last few days before Christmas can be pretty exciting to say the least! Well today we've got some special treats to help sooth your holiday heart. Tara Orr has created an awesome layout and paper game creation. Also, Gloria Stengel brings us Part 4 of her December Daily Journal Tutorial! Today is all about fun! And don't forget that today is the last day to leave a comment on the Graphic 45 Facebook page for your chance to win this week's blog prize! Check out this fabulous prize! We will be picking a random winner from our Facebook comments from this week. Tomorrow is the day when we will announce our winner so be sure to get your comments in before it's too late!

This first fabulous project is by Tara Orr. It's a fun and inspirational On the Boardwalk layout that she made for Cabadian Scrapbooker Magazine! This wonderful creation has an uplifting message and lively look. It is nice and minimal but obsolutely eye-catching. Take a look at this stunning LO by the amazing Tara Orr!

Supplies:

Life is a Game, Play It by Tara Orr

Graphic 45 Supplies:

Graphic 45 Papers

On The Boardwalk Collection: She Sells Seashells, Borders, On The Boardwalk

Curtain Call: Curtain Call

Hemptique: Hemp Cord

Stampin' Up!: Build a Brad in Antique Brass

Stampin' Up!: Mini Circle Punch

Kiki Art: Fun Tape in Antologia Familia

Ranger: Distress Ink in Black Soot

Tombo: Permanent Adhesive Tape Runner

Doodlebug Designs: Cardstock Alphabet Stickers in Hopscotch

Next up is another clever creation by Tara Orr. It's a fun School Square Game made from our ABC Primer collection. How perfect! This adorable game is fun to make and fun to play! Tara has even included some instructions so you can create one of your very own! Thanks, Tara!

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Supplies:

Graphic 45 Papers:

An ABC Primer Collection: Grammar School, The Three R's, Alphabet Soup

Tombo: Permanent Adhesive Roller

Scor-Pal: Scor-Tape

Ranger: Distress Ink in Vintage Photo

Next up is Part 4 of Gloria Stengel's December Daily Journal tutorial. Every Thursday for the past four weeks Gloria has featured a new installment of this wonderful tutorial series. Today she takes us through the final steps to creating this awesome altered journal. It's a lot of fun and just perfect for the holiday season. Be sure to venture on over to Gloria's blog Scraps of Life for the full tutorial instructions. Here she gives some tantalizing sneak peek images of this week's fabulous tutorial. Take it away, Gloria!

December Daily Altered Journal

by Gloria Stengel

Part 4: Creating Journal Pages for December 22nd-December 31st

Welcome to the last part of my December Daily project! Thanks for joining me! Last Thursday we created pages for days 11 through 21 for our Graphic 45 inspired December Daily Journal. Let's keep going today and create the last 10 pages! See the full tutorial here:

Scraps of Life:

http://gloriascraps.blogspot.com/

I hate to see the project end, but let's get started so you can complete your project before the 25th!

Thank you for taking this journey with me for the last four weeks! I hope you had as much fun making your December Daily as I did making mine! Visit my blog, Scraps of Life, for step-by-step directions to this last segment of the album. 

If you missed any of the posts for the other segments of the album, I have links on my blog, on the right sidebar! I'll keep the links up through January 7th. For a complete supply list, see Part 1.

Thank you all for joining us today. We hope you'll stop by and see us tomorrow as we bring you more inspiring crafts and announce this week's blog prize winner! We hope you had fun today! Big thanks to Tara Orr and Gloria Stengel for their amazing work. We hope you all have a terrific Thursday!

Happy Holiday Crafting!

Team Graphic 45

Chrtistmas Emporium Inspiration Galore!

Hello Lovely G45ers!

Welcome to this very festive edition of the Graphic 45 blog. Thank you all for stopping by today! The holidays are on every body's mind right now. Perhaps you've still got some last minute gifts to pick up or some crafts to create. Today we're bringing you some awesome holiday inspiration from Jane Tregenza and Gloria Stengel of our design team. They've used our wonderful collection Christmas Emporium to create some gorgeous tags and cards. Even though the holidays can be a bit stressful sometimes, it's also good to take some time to to be creative and enjoy this fun season. Even if you're all done with your holiday shopping you can still rejuvenate your spirit with some gorgeous papercrafting! Today's creations are so beautiful, you're going to find it hard not to drop everything and start crafting! So let the holiday fun commence!

First up are these adorable and stunning tags by Jane Tregenza. Tags are so much fun to make. Here you can see how Jane used fabulous layering and some paper distressing to give these tags an authentic vintage look. The Christmas Emporium papers are perfect for mixing and matching in any creation! Also you can see some gorgeous uses of our Metal Flower Staples! Get ready to fall in love with these inspiring holiday gems!

"I was inspired by all the lovely tags on Graphic 45’s facebook page as part of the Holiday Gift Card Challenge. I decided to make 4 tags but join them together to make a mini book. All it needs is a photo. I used lots of the lovely Christmas papers from Graphic 45 and a metal flower. Chipboard tags and holly flourish from Imaginarium Designs. I love eclectic bits and pieces and this project gave me the perfect chance to use lots." -Jane Tregenza

Next we have these marvelous holiday cards by Gloria Stengel. Gloria has such an elegant and classic style and you're going to love what she's done with these cards! They are shining examples of the diverse ways you can create a festive holiday card with a few simple tools. Obviously having lots of gorgeous Graphic 45 paper is a must. Just add some pretty ribbon or other fun embellishments and you've got a beautiful handmade-card! Let Gloria's marvelous talent help inspire your last-minute holiday crafting!

We want to thank you all for joining us today. Huge thanks to Jane Tregenza and Gloria Stengel for their fabulous creations today. We will be back tomorrow with more superb crafts to inspire your holiday season. We hope you all have a wonderful day!

Happy Holiday Papercrafting!

Team Graphic 45

Out of the Box Ideas From Our Design Team!

Hello G45ers,

Happy Tuesday to you all and thank you for joining us today! We all know that the holiday season can often get pretty hectic this time of year so today we're bringing you some bright, cheery and awe-inspiring crafts to help raise your holiday spirits! Today's fabulous crafts were created by Laura Denison and Melanie Forbes of our design team. Laura has made the most amazing altered art box with our new Tropical Travelogue collection, while Melanie has some gorgeous holiday crafts that you're sure to adore. Also, don't forget to leave us a comment on the Graphic 45 Facebook page this week for your chance to win this week's blog prize! Are you ready for some super inspiration? Lets get to it! 

This first amazing creation is by Laura Denison. It's a marvelous Tropical Travelogue altered art box and earring set! Laura has such an amazing imagination and she always finds remarkably clever ways to create unforgettable crafts. We know that you are all super excited to see some Tropical Travelogue creations and we are so happy to unveil this stunning piece by Laura. Want to know how she created this work of art? Tune into her free Ustream class tomorrow Wednesday, Dec 21st at noon PST! Laura will be showing the amazing techniques she used to create this awesome altered art box and earring set! You wont want to miss the fun! Here is the link to Laura's Ustream channel! Plus, here is what she had to say about her inspiration for creating this beautiful project.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/followingthepapertrail

"Turning one of the Graphic 45 Altered Art Boxes into a jewelry box with a Pop-up lid  was so easy. I have seen these boxes in the stores while Christmas shopping and knew that the smaller box would be perfect. The new Tropical Travelogue paper was also the perfect foil for the gray winter colors outside in December. Add earrings made from G45 Staples Metal Tags and.... viola'....a great last minute gift for the Holidays." -Laura Denison

Supplies:

Graphic 45:

Paper - Tropical Travelogue 

Staples - Altered Art Box (5 1/2" square), Meal Flower, Metal Button Brad, Metal Tags for earrings

Other: 

Ranger Acrylic Paint Dabber in Gold, Ideology Fragments, Offray ribbon, Making Memories Tiny Metal Flowers

Now that we're in the thick of the holiday countdown, there couldn't be a better time for create a Countdown to Christmas project like this one by Melanie Forbes! Melanie has made this adorable piece of home decor that is just perfect for this time of year. Melanie lives in Australia where every Christmas is a summertime holiday! While they might not ever get a white Christmas in Australia, they definitely know how to celebrate in style! Here is what Melanie had to say about this precious creation.

"Countdown to Christmas – isn’t it scary how quick it seems to come around every year!! I love this countdown version with the tags being stored behind the fence." -Melanie Forbes

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Christmas Emporium – Happy Holidays, A Christmas Carol, Believe, Christmas Emporium Coredinations Color box Decades Ink - Dark Cashmere
May Arts – Single Face Satin/Bias Cut KK-1-25
 Scrapbook Adhesive – black foam dots
Viva Décor Precious metallic colour paints – Crimson 402, Green 700
Twiddleybitz Countdown MDF024Crafty Notions Deep Gold Embossing EnamelsRed beaded ribbonVersamark inkHeat gunDimensional Magic glue

For those of you looking for inspiration for some hand-made holiday cards, we've got just what you need! Check out these amazing card creations that are also by Melanie Frobes. Graphic 45 papers and embellishments are so gorgeous and so much fun for creating stunning cards. And there's nothing quite like giving a gorgeous hand-made holiday gift to someone you love. Here you'll see a bunch of amazing designs that are sure to inspire you! Here is what Melanie had to say about these festive works of art.

"Several weeks ago I did a class on metal etching with the uber talented Jen Crossley (www.amarkintime.blogspot.com) and had to try some more at home – I kept the scraps of metal from the class and used G45 Christmas Emporium stamps to create the tags….Absolutely love this technique!!" -Melanie Forbes

Supplies:

Graphic 45 – Christmas Emporium – Special Delivery, Joyous Noel, All I want for Christmas, Cling Christmas Emporium 1,2 & 3
Botannicabella – Garden Suite
Coredinations Core 45 cards Dark card set
Color box Graphic 45 Decades Dark Cashmere
Nestabilites – Labels Eight, Parisian Accents, Floral Doily Motifs, Beaded Ovals
3D Adhesive 3D Foam squares black
Martha Stewart Punch Wild Flowers
Sew Easy Fancy Floss snowflake Glitter Neutrals
Tim Holtz Rosette Die
Mica Flakes
Brass tags  - brass scraps left over + etching materials + black paint
Bell
Prima leaves
Berries – florist supplies
May Arts Ribbon
Stazon Black

Still in need of more craft inspiration? Well today Jolly Jabber, an awesome fabric blog,  is featuring an interview with Diane Schultz, owner and designer of Graphic 45! Read all about it today and get to know more about the wonderful Diane! Here is the link to Jolly Jabber!

http://fatquartershop.blogspot.com/

We hope you all enjoyed today's festive blog. Big thanks to Laura Denison and Melanie Forbes for their fantastic work today. We will be right back here tomorrow with more incredible crafts and lots of holiday cheer. We hope you all have a warm and wonderful day!

Happy Holiday Papercrafting!

Team Graphic 45