Graphic 45 Sneak Peeks: More Bird Song Papers!

Hello G45ers,

It's another happy day of beautiful sneak peeks here at Graphic 45! We are thrilled that you are joining us today! We want to welcome you all to today's fun-filled blog! Today we are unveiling 6 stunning new paper designs from Bird Song! You are going to flip when you see these exquisite papers! We also have 4 more prize winners to announce from yesterday's Bird Song contest! Plus we've got a gorgeous Tropical Travelogue mini album and tutorial by Tara Orr to share with all of you! Yes, today is guaranteed to put a smile on your face! So lets start with our big winners from yesterday's Bird Song contest! Remember that we are giving away 4 Bird Song Prize packs every day this week! Just leave us a blog comment any time this week for your chance to win a beautiful Bird Song 8x8 paper pad and both chipboard die-cuts before they are even available in stores! And the winners are...

-Marilyn B. Hughes: "Love the chipboard tags and stickers! And as always, marvelous projects."

-Chris Dring: "This collections is stunning! Love everything about it!"

-Jackie Kraftchick: "Really super paper - and I love the die cut chipboard pieces too!!! Thanks for the chance to win!!  KraftyChick"

-Maureen: "I subscribe to your blog post, but i just popped over from Paper Crafter's Library after viewing Claire's beautiful projects featuring A Lady's Diary from your beautiful paper collections. I have only recently become introduced to all your wonderful lines and I cannot wait to get my hands on some of them and start creating, they are things of beauty!!"

Congratulations! Will our winners please email us with your shipping information at info@g45papers.com to claim your prize! And now it's sneak peek time! Behold these stunning new paper designs from Bird Song! Just imagine the incredible crafts you could create with this harmonious new paper collection!

"Cherry Blossom"

"Harmony"

"Jasmine Dream"

"Longevity"

"Shanghai Girls"

"Enlightenment"

Wow, wasn't that amazing?! There is even more inspiration on the way as we bring you this incredible Tropical Travelogue mini album and tutorial by Tara Orr. Summer is a great time of year to take some great photos from vacations, family events, holidays and parties. There is so much going on! Why not save your cherished photos in a gorgeous mini album like this one?! Here Tara Orr explains her inspiration behind this beautiful work of art. She also takes you page by page through her creative process with lots of wonderful tips. Have some fun creating a Tropical Travelogue mini album of your very own! Take it away, Tara!

After every vacation, we are all left with wonderful holiday photos.  Sometimes we have so many that the thought of including them all into a scrapbook page or mini album can seem overwhelming.  After I returned from a wonderful Hawaiian vacation with my mother last year, I had so many memorable photos that I didn’t want to leave any out.  Solution: An envelope album!  I was able to display a few of my favourite photos on some of the pages and all of the other photos were easily tucked into several of the envelopes within the album itself.

Supplies:

Graphic 45 4x6 Kraft envelope album
Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue Paper Collection (8x8 paper pad)
Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue Tags
Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue Cardstock Stickers
Graphic 45 Envelope Tags
Graphic 45 Metal Tags
Graphic 45 Metal Buttons
Graphic 45 Metal Hinges
Fiskars Personal Paper Trimmer
Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares

 

Directions

 Front Cover: This album cover was super fun to create as it had an element of overlap due to the envelope.  I first covered the front cover and overlapping top flap of the envelope with some ‘Island Jewel’ paper . I then cut out a rectangular shape from the ‘Hibiscus Heaven’ paper and layered on top of the main page while leaving the envelope flap just with the green paper. I then built up my front cover by layering several fussy cut flowers from the ‘Island Jewel’ paper around a paper doily which I placed in the centre of the page.  I also added a few tags around my page to complete the inside of the front cover.

 Now we need to finish the top flap of the envelope which will be covering much of the inside design you just created.  I used one of the frame tags from Graphic 45’s Chipboard Tag Sheet and centered it on the envelope flap. I then continued fussy cutting more flowers from the ‘Island Jewel’ paper to surround my frame. Lastly, I embellished with a few more fussy cut butterflies as well as another tag for added dimension

 Pages 2 & 3: When creating mini albums, I always like to create my pages so that they coordinate with one another.  Using an entire paper collection makes this task much easier.  I often create my pages so that they flow into one another so that each facing page ‘matches’ the other.  These pages have been built up with several layers of patterned papers, tags, and fussy cut elements from the Tropical Travelogue Collection.  I often find that when using a neutral background colour, like the ones on these two pages, a subtle pop of colour really jumps right off the page.  You can also use 3D Foam Dots to achieve further dimension for your project.

 Pages 4 & 5: Several of my pages were created with wonderful imagery from the patterned papers which I was using.  Don’t feel like you need to display all your photos front and centre of your mini albums.  Sometimes having a page with wonderfully fussy cut elements, bold colours and beautiful embellishments is enough.  If you don’t have an envelope album, try tucking your photos behind your embellishments or leaving space behind your patterned papers.  You can even add your own pockets to your mini albums for those extra photos you don’t want to leave out.

 Pages 6 & 7: Scrappers often find the transition from layouts to cards or layouts to mini albums quite difficult at first – I know I did.  What helped me create these more quickly and more seamlessly is to imagine that I was creating a whole collection of mini scrapbook pages.  The way you would compose your layout works the same way you would compose the page in a mini album – simply on a smaller scale.  For each page, try changing up your designs as well so that the album flows nicely from one page to the next without looking the exact same.  As you can see on these two pages, the first is more of a horizontal design with the paper strips cut lengthwise.  The facing page is more of a vertical design with both pages showcasing coordinating patterns and colours as well as several layered elements such as fussy cut tags, birds, stickers as well as the introduction of metal hardware.  It is important to showcase several types of mediums within your album so that the final result does not look ‘flat’.  Even though papers can be popped up with 3D Foam Squares, etc. the end result will look a little more two dimensional that a project with the addition of twine, flowers, metal, etc.

Pages 8 & 9: I decided to make the most of my tag frame and cut out a photo to fit directly inside.  When you include photos directly on your pages, try using similar colours found in your pattern papers or use black and white/sepia toned photos so that they do not compete with your page.  Because the area in which you are working is smaller, tiny details go a long way.  The simple addition of a bow here, a tag here or a layered element there will create wonderfully diverse effects to your pages.

 Tip(s):

• Because the finished project can be quite bulky, you can close with twine or ribbon wrapped around the entire album. You can include as many photos as you would like with this album – displaying your favourites on each page and inserting any extras in the handy envelope pages.
• To secure your hemp twine when making a ‘bow’, apply a small amount of Glossy accents to the center of your knot so that it does not come undone.

We hope you all had a wonderful time today! Thank you all so much for joining us for today's sneak peek blog. Big thanks to Tara Orr for her amazing work! We hope you will all come back and see us tomorrow for more delights from Bird Song, new contest winner announcements and fun crafts! We wish you all a fabulous day!

Happy Papercrafting!

Your Friends at Graphic 45

Comments

[Nicole Mullen]

Can the Birdsong collection get any more gorgeous?!! It certainly seems to every day :D

[Martha Perez]

Congratulations to all the winners! I so love this collection! So many ideas :)

[Diana]

What an amazing mini album! Thanks for the inspiration!

[Pattie Brynn Hultquist]

I've been drooling over this line since the first post about it! I was scrolling down the paper peeks and when I got to the lantern paper...well...I knew I was "S.O.L."...."Squee-ing Out Loud!" ;)

[Kaatje]

an other day so new inspiration. love all the colors and the mini's are beautiful

[Athanasia]

WOW! Love this collection! Beautiful projects!

[kim]

This is awesome. Graphic 45 is the best thing on the market. Everything about this collection Rocks.

kim
k1i2m3@cox.net

[Miriam napier]

I especially love the floral and lantern papers! I can't wait to start creating with the whole line!

[Nanda]

Wonderful papers, love them. Beautiful album too.

[Janet]

Subtle, yet bold. Graphic 45 has intense color yet doesn't overpower. Inspiring.

[Marilyn B. Hughes]

This collection of papers, tags, stickers, and stamps is definitely going on my "must have" list. I was floored by the beauty of today's papers.

Also, the mini album is superb! Wish mine would come out looking like that LOL.

[Lynn Wild]

Wow! The Cherry blossom, bamboo and lantern papers are my favourites - I've got to get these when they come out!

Great Mini album too - I also love the Tropical Travelogue papers!

[Sara Nell Langland]

I love everything about these new papers, the colors and designs are beautiful. Loved seeing the Tropical Travelogue mini with directions and tips, too.

[nichole B]

LOve the projects made with this collection!! Didnt thinkI liked the Paper that much, but I do now! The stamps are so cute and I might have to get this entire collection!

[Julie Tucker-Wolek]

The colors in this collection are just stunning! I love them!! And loving Tara's mini!! GORGEOUS!!!!!

[Katherine Lawson]

This collection just gets more beautiful every day!

[Tracy]

Wonderful papers, and such a fantastic mini - stunning.

[Miriam Prantner]

I am so in love with that lantern paper! Totally gorgeous!

[Linda R]

Those new papers are so gorgeous! Wow! Esp. love those laterns. The travel album is so beautiful! I just can't get over the beautiful details along with those amazing papers.

[Karen H]

The Birdsong Collection is beautiful. I love the Asian look. That album is amazing and inspiring--thanks for sharing it.

[Sharon Y (sharona62)]

Still . . . In love with Bird Song. Tara's album is fantastic. Appreciate the tutorial. Congrats to all the lucky winners.

[Astrid]

How nice to wake up to this kind of inspiration! Your designers are truly inspired--and so am I! It seems as though each new collection surpasses the previous one. I am an old stamper, but relatively new to papercrafting. Asian is my very favorite. Thank you for your blog, your projects and your generosity (though I haven't won, lol). Astrid

[Donna Gabbard]

I love Graphic45 products!!!

[Lynda]

I've been receiving your blog via email for quite some time. The problem with this was that I didn't receive it for a day after it was posted. This caused me to miss the deadline for posting a comment in order to win a giveaway. Today I've discovered how to add you to my Google Reader. Maybe now I'll win soon!

[CindyR]

Stunning papers, I can't wait to get my hands on it! Beautiful travel book Tara!

[Anne McIntosh]

Can't wait for Bird Song! I had started a shadowbox frame for a friend with Tropical Travelogue. Now I've changed my mind to an envelope mini. Thank you Tara for the inspiration!

[Amy Kluchesky]

Love Love Love the new sneak peaks Shanghai Girls is my absolute favorite. Can't wait to get my hands on this pack. The Tropical Travelogue Mini is very beautiful TFS.

[Mary]

Beautiful collection. Love the mini.

[Linda Kobosky]

Amazing paper and project!

[Sandra Askew]

Love everything about this collection. So much inspiration in this collection!

[Laura Cox]

This collection is so amazing....I can't wait to see it in person! The mini was a great project!

[Melissa Merritt]

This line is just beautiful, I love it all and can't wait to use it.

[Martuska]

Papers are beautiful, especially Shanghai girls! Super!

[Jackie H]

I am in love with the Cherry Blossom
paper <3.

[Bethany Becker]

More gorgeous paper! What a beautiful collection!

[Pam]

This is a fabulously beautiful collection! Gets better & better.

[CatMyers]

I come here each morning for inspiration. Beautiful papers and very cool policy envelope album. Definitely on my To Do List now.

[Deborah]

These papers are amazing and the travelouge mini is simply one of the best I've ever seen.

[Peggy Snodgrass]

WOW - These Bird Song papers just keep getting more gorgeous by the minute!.

[cathy]

Inspiration is Graphic 45. Wow, love the colors and projects.