Graphic 45 Teams Up With Connie Crystals For Fun & Prizes!

Hello G45ers,

We want to welcome you all to another week of joy and inspiration here at the Graphic 45 blog! We are so happy that you've stopped by our blog on this fine Monday! We have so many amazing crafts to share with you today as we team up with Connie Crystals to bring you a very special blog event! The wonderful design team over at Connie Crystals have combined their gorgeous crystal embellishments with Graphic 45 products. The result is pure craft radiance! Today you'll see the work from Missie Todd,
Laura Drahozal and Kristi Parker Van Doren of the Connie Crystals designs team! We're also offering this fantastic Little Darlings prize pack this week! Enter to win this gorgeous Little Darlings 12x12 paper pad, both sticker sets, Ornate Metal Label Holder, Envelope Tag Staples and Kraft Envelope Album Staples! Just leave us a blog or Facebook comment any time this week for your chance to win! A random winner will be chosen and announced on our blog this Friday, October 12th!

There is so much to discover on today's blog! We hope you have a great time exploring all the fabulous inspiration! Lets start by getting to know Connie Crystal.

About Connie Crystal:

Connie Crystal started on the living room floor with 3 boxes of crystal, a spool of nylon wire, spontaneous creativity and the very first crystal suncatcher. Today we are more than just the largest supplier of premium crystal suncatchers in the world. We now offer an expanding line of beads, pendants and other crystal related products that rival the quality and prices of major brands in Europe. Our mission is to inspire more creativity now that affordable crystal is within reach. Join the family and explore why Connie Crystal is all the rave!

Connie Crystal's blog:

http://ccsparkle.com/

Connie Crystal's Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/ConnieCrystal

Connie Crystal's Pinterest Page:

http://pinterest.com/conniecrystals/

Today's first creation was made by Missie Todd of the Connie Crystals design team. She has created the most wonderful crafts using Bird Song and assorted Connie Crystals products. These pieces are just delightful and super fun to make! They'd also make lovely gifts for friends or family! Follow Missie's tips to create some decor of your very own! Here is what Missie had to say about these darling crafts. 

About Missie Todd:

My paper crafting journey began more than a decade ago when I was introduced to scrapbooking.  Over the years my love of crafting has grown, and now it is more of a way of life than a hobby!  I am a proud member of the Connie Crystal Design team and enjoy working with the Connie Crystal projects.  My crafting resume includes teaching scrapbook classes, leading workshops, independent scrapbook and stamping sales, and customer education and demonstration using Provo Craft products- including the Cricut.  In May 2012 I was a featured artist for Papers and Pixels Magazine.  I enjoy traditional and digital scrapbooking, card making, custom t-shirt design, and love to dabble in other creative outlets like sewing and jewelry making. In my life outside my scrapbook room I am a wife, mother, and student.  My boys, Blake age 5 and Ian age 4, enjoy “helping” me craft and making their own creations.  As a family we enjoy travel which always gives me a lot to scrapbook.   For the last few years I have been working towards becoming a nurse by taking part time classes; have officially started my RN course work.  As you can see busy is just a way of life, but crafting is my sanity and helps to keep me grounded.  I am excited to be adding “Guest Designer” for Graphic 45 to my list of titles. 

Hello! I am so pleased to be a guest designer for Graphic 45 today. Graphic 45 and Connie
Crystal are a perfect, elegent combination. Today I want to share a fun combinations of party
favors and decor. To begin I want to share the take out boxes.

 

The box was made using a simple die cut ( I used Cricut cuts, but there are lots of others on
the market) and then embellished with lace, Connie Crystal- crystals and beads, and chipboard
elements from Graphic 45.

While the take out boxes were quite simple the lantern is a bit more intricate. I used some
computer based software and a di-cutting machine to design the lantern from the ground up. The
design incorporates cherry blossom flowers and the openings are stung with Connie Crystal. If
anyone reading this is user of SVG files I would be happy to share the cut file.

Each flower features a crystal and gold glitter in the center.

And of course as this is a lantern, there is a battery operated candle inside that gives the whole
lantern a special glow.

Supplies:
Graphic 45 Song Bird papers
Connie Crystal crystals in assorted sizes
Liquid Glass Adhesive (From Close to My Heart)
Beading wire
Crimp Beads
Gold Glitter

Next we have an absolutely lovely piece of altered art by Laura Drahozal. She used Nutcracker Sweet to create an enchanting piece of home decor! The combination of Graphic 45 and Connie Crystals looks stunning in holiday home decor! Follow her fun and easy instructions in this tutorial to create one of your very own!

About Laura Drahozal:

Laura started papercrafting after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.  She realized that life passed quickly, and it was easy to forget the moments that make it so rich.  Therefore, her interest began with scrapbooking and quickly expanded to include cardmaking and altered projects.  One of Laura's current loves is creating something new from random elements.  She adores Graphic 45 paper, and loves the pun of making a sweet tray from the "Nutcracker Sweet" collection!  She is currently on design teams for Dreamweaver Stencils, Art Glitter, and, of course, Connie Crystal.

Supplies:

 Graphic 45 Nutcracker Sweet 12x12 pad

    Graphic 45 Nutcracker Sweet 8 x 8 pad

    Graphic 45 Nutcracker Sweet Chipboard Die Cuts 1

    Graphic 45 Nutcracker Sweet Chipboard Die Cuts 2

    4 Graphic 45 Stamped Metal Brads

    20 Connie Crystal 20 mm Raindrops and the pearls that come with them

    11 Connie Crystal 1.5 inch Teardrops

    10 Large Imitation Pearls (I used pearls from the Connie Crystal Suncatchers)

    20 Gauge Wire

    1 12" Pizza Pan (I got mine from the Dollar Tree)

    1 Set of Two Burner Covers, 10" and 8" (I got mine from the Dollar Tree)

    Grunge Board

    Vintage Photo Distress Ink

    Two Foamie Snowflakes (you could also punch two large snowflakes and layer paper over grunge board)

    A Very Strong Cardboard Tube (I used the inside tube of my Silhouette Vinyl)

    Artquest Duo Adhesive

    Artquest PPA Adhesive

    Thrift Store Candlestick Holder with a screw up the center

    12" pipe to replace the screw.  Get the top and bottom threaded.  (I was able to get this easily at my local ACO Hardware)

    Three Washers that fit the pipe

    Foam Brush

    Measuring Tape

    Sharpie

    Big Bite (to make holes around edges and in cardboard tube)

    Drill

    Wirecutters

    Craft Knife

    Scissors

Project Tutorial:

Basic Instructions:

Unscrew the candlestick holder.   Determine what size the holes need to be for the pipe and put the right bit in the drill.  Measure the outside diameter of each of the pans.  Divide them by ten.  Measure out that distance and mark all the way around the pan with the Sharpie.  Connect opposite marks and draw a line.  You now have the center marked where they meet. 

Drill there. 

 

Place the new 12" pipe into the candleholder base.  Put the pans in order on top of the candlestick holder.  Be sure to put a washer under each of the pans for added support.  You will be putting the candlestick cup (top) upside down on your piece.  You should have plenty of leftover space.  measure this and cut the cardboard tube to size.  Disassemble.

Use the Big Bite to punch holes in the plates where the distances were previously marked.

Decopague the gorgeous papers using the Duo Adhesive to adhere them to the metal plates. 

 Also, cover the various candlestick holder components with paper and embellishments at will.

Make sure to cover the cardboard tube.  Then, place embellishments on the tube where you want them and punch holes in the appropriate spots to attach them with brads.

Distress Ink at will.  Let dry completely. 

Cover the exposed papers with the PPA and let dry completely.  This is a sealant.

While the rest is drying, cut a long length of wire (about 30").  Pass through one of the 1.5" crystals and twist under to keep in place.  Find two of the snowflake ballerinas that look similar, but are flipped.  Glue them to Grunge Board.  Prepare the snowflakes.  I used Foamies, but you may not be able to find them.  You could easily use a large snowflake punch (EK Success has a nice one this year) and layer it with paper and Grunge Board.  Glue them together over the top of the wire, making sure that you have overlapped the crystal.  Trim around the ballerinas.  Glue them to the snowflakes, trying to make sure that as much of the ballerina is actually on the snowflake as possible. 

Resassemble the plate.  Pass the wire from the topper through the center of the pipe and secure under the base.  Use wire to attach the crystals to the holes you made around the pans.

These next incredible pieces were created by Kristi Parker Van Doren. She has created a gorgeous altered box using A Ladies' Diary and a super sweet baby banner using Little Darlings. These are such wonderful pieces of art! The beautiful products from Connie Crystal only add to the elegance of Graphic 45 papers!

About Kristi Parker Van Doren:

Kristi Parker Van Doren has been creating since age 12 when her parents gave her a rubber stamp and ink for Christmas. 37 years later she is still creating, designing, writing, teaching and more! Kristi loves to create and has been on several design teams including: Spellbinders, Northwoods, Worldwin Papers, Luminarte, Coronado Island and several others. She served three years as a writer for Scrap & Stamp Magazine, as well as having articles published in books and magazines, most recently in Zentangle 6. Kristi is currently serving on design team for Dreamweaver Stencil, and is the  design team lead for Art Institute Glitter and Connie Crystal design teams. When Kristi is not creating she is hanging out with her family. Check out her blog at www.kristiscreativecafe.blogspot.com!

This a box to hold your private journal or jewelry pieces.  I removed the hardware to apply the paper to the box.  I trimmed around the corners as they would not remove easily. I then just stated layering the paper and chipboard on the box until I got everything where I wanted.  I added the crystals/pearls for the finishing touches!

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Supplies:

LADIES DIARY PAPER AND CHIP BOARD/CONNIE CRYSTALS/VIVA DECOR PAINT/PERFECT PIGMENTS PAINT FROM USARTQUEST/BOX FROM HOBBY LOBBY/3M ADHESIVE/CRACKLE GLAZE FROM RANGER/THREAD FROM KRENIK/GLUE FROM TOMBOW

Here is Kristi's adorable baby banner using Little Darlings and Connie Crystals. This piece is so sweet and would look perfect in a baby's room or as a decoration for a baby shower! Banners are so much fun to create. You can really let your imagination run wild! Let this delightful banner inspire you to create one of your very own!

Supplies:

Little Darlings, Buttons, Connie Crystals, Perfect Pigments from USArtQuest, Ribbon From Offray, Brayer,3M Tape Glider

We hope you all had a lot of fun today. We want to thank the wonderful folks at Connie Crystal for today's fantastic collaboration. We had a great time getting to share these fantastic crafts with all of you. We want to thank Connie Crystals as well as the amazing design team that brought you today's crafts. We hope you all have a great Monday. We will be back tomorrow with more splendid crafts to brighten your week!

Happy Papercrafting!

Your Friends at Graphic 45

 

 

Comments

[Sue B.]

The insuperable never stops. Thanks for all the help.

[Lucie Hale]

Thanks so much for all the inspiration. I currently have the Bird Song collection and will hopefully soon be posting some cards I made on Saturday for WCD using that pack. Absolutely lovely!

[vicki r.]

Wow! All amazing altered projects. I love all of the crystal accents.

[Cheryl Hutcherson]

These projects are amazing! LOVE the Baby Banner!

[Pam]

Stunning! The crystals add so much.

[sherry]

Amazing work, wonderful details!

[Marilyn Hughes]

Great projects and a wonderful tutorial. Love all the crystals!

[Julie Tucker-Wolek]

Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwww!! These are all gorgeous!! I am IN LOVE with that cake plate!!! WOWWWWWW!!!!

[pitje]

Such pretty projects again today, love them all. Good job!

[Sharon Young]

The crystals are a perfect match. Thanks for all the great ideas.

[vihreantalonunelmat]

Just gorgeous projects and so inspirational,too!!

[Sara Nell Langland]

Wonderful projects today--the creativity of these artists is amazing.

[Kathy K]

Gorgeous, all of them!!! The baby banner has given me some great inspiration :-)

[Sylvia Lewis]

I So Love All Graphic 45, a great way to start the Week!

[marnie diston]

i love the cupcake stand thing!

[Jocelyn]

Great projects!

[Mary]

Beautiful projects!!!

[Joe Rotella]

Gorgeous work! Love the combination of G45 and Connie Crystal!

[maria winspear]

wow you find such fab designers i just love the cake plate

[Caroline]

Beautiful collaborations!! Love the box (wood is one of my favourite to alter.
As to BABY - 1st picture looked ok. Then WOW, when you see individual letters - SO much detail & completely stunning with little darlings. Thank you. :)

[Jackie H]

Who knew!! Graphic 45 paper and crystals! Beautiful!! Like them all.

[Nancy]

WOW!!! Just WOW.

[Gabriel Kingsley]

What great projects.... All of them. I especially like the Nutcracker desert/mini sandwich server how clever.

[Eugene Bellion]

Wow! So many projects and all so COOL. Where to begin?

[Ilovereich]

WOW WOW WOW that box is fantastic! I love the use of the ladies diary paper <3

[Dallas Diston]

Very creative, beautiful work !!! Love it

[Janet Nelson]

All the projects are lovely. The crystals add an amazing effect to the projects.

[Pam Perkins]

Missy!! Gorgeous Lantern! Wow!!! Laura...gorgeous trays! Love the hanging crystals! And Kristi: WOW girl! This is my favorite line from G45 and you rocked it! Thank you! Oh whoops...and your banner...cute as ****!!!! LOL....Well done every one!!

[Kelly Massman]

FABulous!

[Diana Fernandez]

Amazing projects today! I love all the altered items! Just sooo inspiring! Your design team is really so very talented!

[Rea Custer]

Amazing creations using Graphic 45. So much creativity.

[Debbie E]

the projects today are amazing, great work to all three thanks for everything, all the inspiration

[fusiafscrapping]

I love this unique combination of G45 papers and crystals. Those procjets are perrfect. Each and every one.

[Tami Rinehart]

Creative projects for our insparation once again...Thanks for the chance to win your lovely products.

[Kimberly S]

Gorgeous projects by everyone. I especially love the wooden box, so pretty! :)

[Kristina M. Anderson]

What lovely and interesting creations! Thank you so much for sharing them today! Love all the bling! Have a great Columbus Day!

[Rosann]

What creative projectts, so much inspiration here with those crystals!
Love the lantern idea... humm; which will I try first, lantern, box or decor piece or maybe even a banner ( storing ideas in my mind) !

[annicke mattersteig]

love your wonderful creations,all of them!!

[Dorina D]

Wow. Every time I think there is nothing new to show, you amaze me with wonderful new ideas and projects . Today's blog is fabulous. Love the journal box, It's so cute and cleaver and the crystals are amazingl TFS

[Cathy Osborne]

Beautiful projects. Thank you for showing the "before" elements of the altered items. They are so gorgeous.