Upcycled Gift Ideas & Blog Winner Announcement!
Hello G45ers!
Happy Friday to you all and welcome to another fun-filled day with Graphic 45. Wow, the holidays are fast approaching! Today is extra special because we're having our Graphic 45 Christmas party! Yes, all of us here at the Graphic 45 office are getting together for some delicious food, dessert and holiday cheer. It's always a lot of fun to kick back and celebrate, especially on a Friday! We thought we'd share some of our holiday cheer to you on this fine Friday. Today we've got some magnificent crafts by Nicole Eccles and Sherry Cheever of our design team. They're going to show you some fantastic projects that you can create from common objects around the house! You know how much we love upcycled and altered art here at Graphic 45! Creations like these are so much fun to create and they make amazing gifts! But before we get to the crafts we want to announce the winner of this week's blog prize! Chosen at random from this week's blog and Facebook comments, our winner is...
-Pam Spradlin
Congratulations, Pam! 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! Check out this amazing prize that Pam won! We have a new blog prize every week so there's always a chance to win with Graphic 45!
Okay, lets get crafting! Check out this astonishing fairy block by Nicole Eccles. This is a darling example of what you can create using a few basic items and Graphic 45 products! We just love how she used our Ornate Metal Door Knobs and Metal Buttons as mushroom tops! How clever! Here is what Nicole had to say about the inspiration behind this joyful work of art! She also includes some helpful tips so you can create one of your very own!
"This is a wonderful project to create during the dark days of winter! It would make a fun handmade gift for a friend to help brighten their days! Super simple to create with just a wooden block, giant bottle caps, spools, copper refrigeration tubing and the magic of Graphic 45 products! To create the mushrooms, just cut a small piece of copper tubing to length, add a little E600 to your Graphic 45 Doorknob, or metal buttons and slide the tubing over brad bottoms. It’s really just that simple!!! Create any kind of scenes using your own handmade mushrooms, just make sure to adhere them firmly, they are a little top heavy! I could just see a whole printer’s tray filled with Once Upon A Springtime fairies and mushrooms for a certain little girls room...marks the Christmas list..." -Nicole Eccles
Using Americana Lamp Black Paint, the box was painted inside and out. After drying a follow-up coat of Claudine Hellmuth Studio Charcoal Black Paint was painted on. The edges were sanded in various places, and then highlighted with Vintage Photo Distress Stain.
A Graphic 45 Metal Tag was added to the front with hot glue, and Graphic 45 Metal Buttons were added to the bottom for feet.
The original hinges on the card file were replaced with Graphic 45 Metal Hinges.
Flowers were die cut with Spellbinders Grand Peony and Carnations Creations die templates. The petals were shaped with a bamboo skewer and the flowers were assembled with Matte Accents. A corsage pin was inserted into the center of each flower in order to have something to hold onto when dipping into UTEE (Faux Porcelain Technique).
Leaves were die cut from GrungePaper with Spellbinders Foliage Die Template, then painted with Peeled Paint Distress Stain. A chipboard flourish was also painted with Peeled Paint Distress Stain then covered with Peeled Paint Distress Stickles.
All embellishments were added to the top with hot glue.
Supplies:
Ranger Industries: Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Peeled Paint and Vintage Photo; Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Peeled Paint and Antique Linen; Inkssentials Matte Accents; Melt Art Ultra-Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE) and Melting Pot; Claudine Hellmuth Studio Charcoal Black Semi-Gloss Acrylic Paint; Tim Holtz Distress Stickles in Peeled Paint; Heat It Craft Tool
Core’dinations: Sand-It-Gadget
Love the recipe box and mushroom art. I always love when you take something old and repurpose it.
Posted by: Sue Benedick | December 09, 2011 at 06:09 AM
This is absolute adorable. Thank you and congrats to the winner.
Posted by: Heidi Mireles | December 09, 2011 at 07:44 AM
Wow!!! They are both fabulous! I think I'm going to try the box! I have a grand-daughter who would love one!
Posted by: Brenda S. | December 09, 2011 at 08:03 AM
Wonderful projects, thanks for sharing them.
Posted by: Carol E Brooker | December 09, 2011 at 08:19 AM
Sherry's recipe box is simply terrific!! She's the master at the faux porcelein flowers!!
Posted by: Janet L. | December 09, 2011 at 08:33 AM
That little fairy art project is just magical! I love the "toadstool" and the spool base. Darling! And Sherry does it again...I love the way she repurposes old things ...really wonderful!
Posted by: kathyc/northcarolina | December 09, 2011 at 08:43 AM
ooooo,....the flowers and foliage on the box are incredible...thanks for sharing the technique details. Must try that soon! And the Fairy Garden...what can I say? An enchanting scene...brilliant knob toadstools!! BRILLIANT!
Posted by: Kelly | December 09, 2011 at 09:07 AM
This is such a beautiful project will make a perfect gift :)
Maggie
http://passionatelyartistic.com
Posted by: Maggie | December 09, 2011 at 09:07 AM
Very beautiful projects. I never get tired of seeing how people use the buttons and door knobs. I wish this was the kind of vision that I had in my projects.
Posted by: jocelyn | December 09, 2011 at 09:21 AM
WOW!!!! That says it all. Loved the projects! I love, love, love the fairy garden! The box was ingenious! Thanks for sharing
Posted by: Maxine Hodges | December 09, 2011 at 09:22 AM
The flowers are amazing, I have never used UTEE. That effect is unreal. Much prettier than my recipe box I did years ago.
Posted by: Kathy Griffith | December 09, 2011 at 07:58 PM
Love the mushroom depiction.. Pam Spradlin, congrats.. :)
Posted by: Jeyatha | December 09, 2011 at 08:05 PM
Gorgeous projects!!! I'm am in awe of the creativity that I see here! Always something special to be found here at G45! Thanks so much!
Posted by: Dee in N.H. | December 10, 2011 at 03:50 AM
Thank you for drawing my name for that awesome prize. I enjoy dropping by the blog to see what is happiening with Graphic 45 products. Thanks for all the inspiration!
Posted by: Pam Spradlin | December 10, 2011 at 05:46 AM
Beautiful fairy project. A little girls dream come true ! I instantly recognized Sherry's UTEE flowers even before reading. Great repurposed project Sherry. Melting pot and UTEE are on my wish to Santa, hope I have been a really good girl this year.
Marcie
Posted by: Marcie Smith | December 10, 2011 at 08:31 AM
AMAZING projects...from delightful to useful and beautiful they're both exquisitely creative!
Posted by: Charlene | December 12, 2011 at 02:09 AM
Pretty! I'll have to show this one to my girlfriend. She loves all of that kind of stuff, and has been thinking about what to do next for the past 4 or 5 days.
Posted by: http://www.myphoenixair.com/ | August 08, 2012 at 01:59 AM