Fun & Easy Gifts With Secret Garden
Hello G45ers,
Get ready to turn those Monday blues into pure sunshine as we bring you some gorgeous ideas for Secret Garden crafts! We have two breathtaking ideas for handmade gifts and cards, including a fabulous tutorial! You'll see Maria Cole's stunning Secret Garden altered gift box and upcycled gift bag. Then Clare Charvill will share a fabulous tutorial for creating an elegant all-occasion card. These cheerful works of art are filled with all the soft colors and elegant designs of Secret Garden. They're guaranteed to make you smile! If you're looking for the perfect gift or a for a fun and easy craft project then today's Graphic 45 blog has everything you need!
Lets begin today's Secret Garden extravaganza with this week's blog contest announcement! We're giving you the chance to win this gorgeous Secret Garden prize pack this week. All you need to do is leave us a blog or Facebook comment for your chance to win a Secret Garden 12x12 paper pad, Stickers, Alphabet Stickers, Tags & Pockets, Flowers, Cling Stamps, Ornate Metal Key Holes, Flower Staples and two Smooch accent inks by Clearsnap. That's a $60 value! Be sure to leave your comments this week for a chance to win. A random winner will be announced on this Friday's blog so stay tuned!
We begin today's Secret Garden craft party with these incredible gift ideas by Maria! These elegant handmade crafts are so much fun to make and are sure to brighten the day of a friend or loved one! It's also the perfect idea for a baby shower gift! Here Maria explains her inspiration behind this superb altered Small Matchbook Box with coordinating mini album and upcyled gift bag. They are such joyful little treasures. Take it away, Maria!
"A dear friend of mine is expecting her first baby this summer. We met last year during my Tropical Travelogue class and it’s been a blast seeing her blossom into a new mom. As my friend is a fellow Graphic 45 fan, I wanted to do something special for her baby boy and G45’s small altered matchbook box was just the trick! When I first saw the small matchbook, I couldn’t get over how cute it was—and how much it made me think of a Kleenex box! In fact, a pocket-sized tissue package fits perfectly inside. Hence, the idea to convert it into a tissue holder that can also display baby’s first mini: a little accordion album titled “Bless You Baby." Secret Garden is one of my favorite paper lines for its softness, so it worked perfectly for this project! And because my friend and her hubby went to the University of Washington, I made sure to focus my color palette on Secret Garden’s pretty purple and warm yellow hues. Because I love upcycling, I used the cover of my old Proper Gentleman paper pad as the base for my gift bag. Of course, with the pretty Secret Garden paper that I put all over it, you’d never know! I can’t wait to meet my friend’s little baby. I’m sure there will be many tears of happiness that day, so I made sure to include extra tissue with her gift!" -Maria
Supplies:
Graphic 45 Paper:
Secret Garden 6 x 6 patterns & solids
Graphic 45 Embellishments:
Secret Garden Alphabet Stickers
Additional Products:
May Arts rope ribbon
Prima mini roses
Tim Holtz Tissue Tape
Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms Die
Next we have another magnificent Secret Garden handmade gift idea. This is Clare's incredible all-occasions card that is just perfect for this sunny season. This is also a fantastic way to use the beautiful Secret Garden Cling Stamps! Follow Clare on her step-by-step tutorial to create this happy card for someone you love! It's so much fun!
"I kept the detail on this card as simple as I could choosing the yellow papers from the Secret Garden patterns and solids 6 x 6 pad for the base and teamed them up with bright daisies cut from the 12 x 12 Beautiful Blooms paper and an art deco themed die." -Clare
Supplies:
6 x 6 Secret Garden Patterns and Solids
12 x 12 Beautiful Blooms – Secret Garden Collection
Tacky Glue
3D Foam Dots
Glossy Accents
Sizzix Die – Ironwork Frame Ref No 657556
Vintage photo Distress Ink
Black Memento Ink
Black card
Tutorial:
Start with a card blank 5 ¾” square and cut out the pieces
pictured below to work with:
These are the elements:
Plain yellow Matte 5 ½” square from Secret Garden patterns and solids
Frame cut from Sizzix die
Using the frames that come with the die cut one black and one yellow matte using the larger frame and one yellow matte using the next smallest die
One black card strip ½” wide that fits the length of the smaller black matte
Two daisy sprays from 12 x 12
Yellow matte 2” x 1 ¼”
To Assemble
Mount the yellow matte onto the card black using double-sided tape/tacky glue
Then take the black frame and stick into position on the yellow matte
Stick the black centre cut from the frame back into place and then take the other frame pieces .
Now take the 1/2'” black strip, score and fold in half
lengthways and then use as a hinge to join the larger long yellow matte to the
black one of the same size (Black one to the front) to form the flap section
for your card.
Then take the script stamp and using brown ink stamp on the lower part of the smaller yellow matte you have left. Then stick it onto the black front of your flap.
Now stick the flap section onto your card.
Take a plain piece of yellow paper and the key hole stamp,
black ink and stamp out one key hole. Cut out. Stick in place with tacky glue, and add two sparkly brads
top and bottom or use a little tacky glue covered with glitter to give the
effect of fasteners. Stamp out a
butterfly using the same ink, cut out and stick to the top left of the
card. Use a little tacky glue and
glitter to highlight the body.
Now work on the 2” x 1 ¾” yellow matte , black ink and stamp
the daisy sentiment onto it. Put some foam tape on the back of the piece and position
on your card.
Ink the edges of the daisy cut outs, stick one in place (to the left) as per the picture, and
then put foam dots on the second and position over the first before sticking
into place. Highlight the centres
of the daisies with different coloured glitter.
I finished the inside of the card off with a cream matte cut from the same pattern and solids paper pad and stamped two butterflies on it with black ink.
I hope you try out this card – it’s really quite easy to make.Thank you all so much for joining us for this special Secret Garden celebration here on the Graphic 45 blog. We hope you had fun exploring these fabulous ideas for handmade gifts. We want to thank Maria and Clare for their stunning creations today. We hope you will all come back and see us tomorrow for more blissful ideas and inspiration. We wish you all a very happy, crafty day!
Your Pals in Paper,
Team Graphic 45
I love Secret Garden collection, It's one of my favorites from G45, I would love to win this prize pack, thanks for giving us a chance, Happy Crafting everyone :)
Posted by: Deborah Cook | August 19, 2013 at 05:05 AM
The Secret Garden paper and projects are beautiful!!! I would love to win this prize so I can make these projects myself. Thank you for the chance to win!
Posted by: Susan Kachler | August 19, 2013 at 05:08 AM
Great prize pack and giveaway! 8) is love to win it!!!!
Posted by: Erica H. | August 19, 2013 at 05:09 AM
I love this paper!
Posted by: S Zacher | August 19, 2013 at 05:10 AM
So very pretty!!!
Posted by: Dorothy McCarthy | August 19, 2013 at 05:10 AM
Beautiful projects.
Posted by: Tricia F | August 19, 2013 at 05:11 AM
The Secret Garden Paper is beautiful!!! What a lovely collection. Thanks for the chance to win.
Posted by: Samantha Slaughter | August 19, 2013 at 05:12 AM
Love, Love the Secret Garden paper! Beautiful projects! Would love to win this!!
Posted by: Becky Layman | August 19, 2013 at 05:13 AM
I love all your paper collections, make crafting a piece of cake as they do all the work for you!! :D The prizes are gorgeous, thanks for this chance to win.
Posted by: Vittoria M. | August 19, 2013 at 05:17 AM
Gorgeous! I love the Secret Garden Collection, it's so versatile.
Posted by: Karen | August 19, 2013 at 05:17 AM
So look forward to coming to the G45 blog everyday for inspiration from the gorgeous projects here.
Posted by: Mary | August 19, 2013 at 05:20 AM
I have done so any projects with Secret Garden. Love it. Thanks for sharing these cards. They are beautiful!
Posted by: Maxine Hodges | August 19, 2013 at 05:23 AM
Such clever ideas!
Posted by: Barbie | August 19, 2013 at 05:23 AM
Soooooooooooo gorgeous!! I love love love love these!!!
Posted by: Julie Tucker-Wolek | August 19, 2013 at 05:24 AM
These are such beautiful projects!! LOVE!
Posted by: Maggi Harding | August 19, 2013 at 05:24 AM
I love the Secret Garden collection. I would love to win this price, thanks for the chance to win.
Posted by: Marijke Maris | August 19, 2013 at 05:28 AM
It's so nice to see the step-by-step tutorial for the daisy card. It looks so complicated at first, but when you break it down, it's actually very simple!
These two projects are just beautiful!
Posted by: Lu L. | August 19, 2013 at 05:29 AM
It's no secret I love Secret Garden! Actually, I love all of G45 designs! Thanks for the chance to win.
Posted by: LeslieZee | August 19, 2013 at 05:40 AM
Always impressed by the designs for projects using your awesome papers. Thanks for so generously sharing them all.
Posted by: Terry Barber | August 19, 2013 at 05:47 AM
Thanks for the chance to win!
Posted by: Carolyn Faircloth | August 19, 2013 at 05:47 AM
LOVE Secret Garden, and would LOVE to win this fantastic package and be able to make some of these great projects from your blog!!
Posted by: barbara f | August 19, 2013 at 05:48 AM
Absolutely stunning as always. Thank you for the tutorials too, they're so handy xx
Posted by: Jane Louis | August 19, 2013 at 05:56 AM
Two beautiful projects with totally different looks. Gotta love the versatility of G45 papers. Thanks.
Posted by: PeeJee | August 19, 2013 at 05:57 AM
amazing collection. I would love to win.
Posted by: Marianne | August 19, 2013 at 06:00 AM
I wish I had even an ounce of the creativity these women have. Gorgeous cards and gifts.
Posted by: Janet Villa | August 19, 2013 at 06:01 AM
Exquisite designs and an exceptional opportunity to win a beautiful set of Graphic 45 products.
Posted by: Linda from Lockbourne | August 19, 2013 at 06:03 AM
Secret Garden is such a wonderful collection. Love your projects ladies.
Posted by: Diane J | August 19, 2013 at 06:03 AM
roses are red
violets are blue
thank you graphic 45
i love you
Posted by: joanne rupertinger | August 19, 2013 at 06:03 AM
Such a pretty collection. Love the projects too!
Posted by: Melissa | August 19, 2013 at 06:13 AM
I can still remember my mom reading The Secret Garden to my brother and me. For me, this collection epitomizes childhood. It is just perfect!
Posted by: Toni Hinchcliffe | August 19, 2013 at 06:16 AM
Wonderful creations, I especially enjoyed Claire's card tuitorial
Posted by: LindaB | August 19, 2013 at 06:21 AM
What fun! Love the detail!
Posted by: Sue B. | August 19, 2013 at 06:27 AM
Very nice prize pack.. It's perfect to capture those childhood memories...
Posted by: april | August 19, 2013 at 06:27 AM
Beautiful collection. Great ideas.
Posted by: Sally King | August 19, 2013 at 06:31 AM
These are great...now to just have time to go play...I have been using the Secret Garden papers for my ATT monthly birthday cards...they make me look good!
Posted by: Barb Urbassik aka Stampenstein | August 19, 2013 at 06:40 AM
Awesome ideas and wonderful collection.
Posted by: Kevin Tolson | August 19, 2013 at 06:42 AM
I do not have this wondereful collection in my stash..would love to win.
Posted by: Pammy B | August 19, 2013 at 06:50 AM
the flowers are just beautiful! thanks for a chance to win!
Posted by: Olesya K | August 19, 2013 at 06:52 AM
The daisy card is so pretty with all the fussy cut daisies. The gift bag with frame and card/album looks great too.
Posted by: Karen Wedding | August 19, 2013 at 06:55 AM
Lovely projects today! The ideas are limitless with Secret Garden!
Posted by: Mary H | August 19, 2013 at 07:04 AM