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 Seed Fairy

Secret Garden Sun Kissed

Secret Garden Meadow Lark

Secret Garden 6 x 6 patterns & solids

Graphic 45 Embellishments:

Secret Garden Banners

Secret Garden Flowers

Secret Garden Tags & Pockets

Secret Garden Stickers

Secret Garden Alphabet Stickers

Secret Garden Chipboard 1

Secret Garden Chipboard 2

Ornate Metal Keys Staples 

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

Cling Stamps Sets 1, 2 & 3

Tacky Glue

Art Glitter

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

Comments

[Ginny Bennett]

I am in love with the lavendar and yellow color combo in th altered gift bag and card. I thought Birdsong was my favorite G45 product, but Secret Garden may just change my mind!

[Pamela Bennett]

I Love Secret Garden!, definitely one of my favourites! Thanks for the chance.

[Marcia Campbell]

What a beautiful way to get through hot August afternoons. Love the colors of this line

[Lanna Dimond]

MORE MORE MORE. I cant believe all the fun projects. Lanna

[Karin Hanson]

Would love the opportunity to win this. I have so many ideas for this collection!

[Mary Anne Perlmutter]

I love this paper pad. I have so enjoyed all the projects made with the Secret Garden papers. I would so love to have this collection in my stash.

[Joanne Klutz]

OMG. I love the products. I am buying them wherever I find them. However, winning them would be so much greater. I would feel that winning them might be the first step in turning my life around. Thanks for the opportunity.

[Kathy]

The Secret Garden Baby set is wonderful! I love this idea, wish I had one ounce of Maria's Talent!

[nickie90]

super ! I love Graphic45 !!!!

[Laura Franke]

oh they are so lovely! I really love this collection, the colours are so precious!!

[pam allen]

love your DT they always inspire me!!! Thanks for chance to win such yummy goodness.
Pam

[Joann Jamieson]

I LOVE this paper! Fingers crossed

[lisa annette lee]

I would love to win the Secret Garden kit although i am afraid i really wouldn't do the projects because i would use up the kit LOL

[Robyn Hall]

The paper makes the art come alive!

[Gill]

I do like this collection - the colours are so subtle.
The projects are inspiring - I especially love the mini album.

[Larissa Heskett. ;)]

Wow!! What a Great Prize Package!! Love all of the inspiration!! Thanks for sharing and for the chance to win!! Have a Fabulous Week!! ;)

[Judi Taylor]

Would love to win this price. Thanks for the chance!

[Carol]

Wow I can't wait to have a play with these beautiful papers.

[Kerstin Peters]

It's a wonderful romantic paper collection and many thanks for all the good ideas, which you are show here!

[Cuore Durán]

thanks for making beautiful collection unique roles ... greetings to all

[angelic]

Love the projects! Thank you for all the inspiration. I hope I'm the lucky winner!

[Amy Voorthuis]

Gorgeous projects today I really love all the work the NEW dt has done for you!!! Thank you so much for a chance to win this amazing prize pack xox Amy ;-)

[Christina Lamp.]

So great ideas!!!!So great tutorials!!!Thank you so much for the chance to win!!!!!

[Janice Del Bello]

Have looked for years for beautiful projects like these! I am so excited to find such detailed items and awesome designs. Congratulations on such a wonderful organized site and business! A site I have marked for favorites! Janice D.
jdelbello@aol.com

[Janice Del Bello]

Amazingly creative cards/gifts are so unique and beautiful. Designers and artists have done such an amazing job..I just love it all..every thing designed I have thought of a creative use and am so excited to obtain the products to get started. Your step by step visuals are a real help to accomplish and motivate...thank you for that incentive. Your site is great!

[Kathi]

Beautiful Secret Garden project!