Cards, Layouts, Minis & More With Gloria Stengel

Hello G45ers,

Today we're bringing you an abundant variety of inspiration with cards, layouts, tags and so much more. This is a bittersweet day here at Graphic 45 as we say a very fond farewell to one of our brilliant Special Project Designers, the incredible Gloria Stengel. In the many years that Gloria has been involved with the Graphic 45 Design Team and as our Special Projects Designer, she has created countless works of art that have inspired so many people! She is beginning a new chapter in her creative adventure and today we're going to do our best to pay homage to her boundless talent and incredible style. You're going to see some never-before-seen projects by Gloria, a great downloadable card tutorial and some of Gloria's classic crafts from years past. This is going to be such an inspirational blog! Ladies and Gentleman, please join us in saying the fondest of farewells to a gifted artist, teacher and friend, the magnificent Gloria Stengel!

A Special Message From Gloria:

"As much as it pains me to do so, it is time for me to say a final good-bye to Graphic 45. After 3 1/2 years and 100s, maybe 1000s of projects using Graphic 45 papers, I have decided to hang up my Graphic 45 designer hat. My health issues and family commitments mean I must take a step back and look at other ways to create and share. I have loved every second spent working with the Graphic 45 Family! There is not a better group of people in the creative spectrum! I will certainly miss the new collections coming to my door...ready for me to "add creative spirit" to them! Those of you who know me, know that I will continue to create with Graphic 45 products. The G45 collections remain my favorites of all the paper that is out there to choose from! Graphic 45 asked me to chose some of my favorite projects to share with you today. It is hard to single out a few as "favorites," but these projects are the projects that I had the most fun making -  or they are the ones that "speak" to me for one reason or another. In fact, most of these projects are on display in my studio! That's how much I love them! I hope that all of you will continue to come and read my blog and see what is next for me (Scraps of Life). I am sure to have at least one iron in the fire...including more projects using G45 paper! Many blessings to all of you, and thank you for the love and support. To Diane, Charee, Aimee, Kelly, and the rest of the G45 Family...thanks for a wonderful 3-plus years!" -Gloria

Gloria has always had a knack for bringing every Graphic 45 collection to life. She always knows how to tap into each collection's unique personality and allow it to shine in her crafts. This gorgeous Secret Garden card is a perfect example of Gloria's talent. This card is like a breath of fresh spring air. It contains gorgeous paper layers, pretty borders, and some of Gloria's handmade flowers. This card is absolutely stunning. Here is what Gloria had to say about it.

My niece got married on June 15, and her wedding colors were green, yellow, and purple. It is not hard to imagine that I would make her wedding card using Graphic 45 Secret Garden papers!

I created a 5x5 inch card and decorated it with the yellow and green papers for my base.

I wanted to have touches of purple, so I "grounded" the purple flowers with a strip of the purple paper and a bit of lavender ribbon. I cut the flowers with Spellbinders die templates and rolled the shapes into miniature roses.

My card is quite thick, and not a standard size. I will have to find a padded mailer to mail it to my niece. I try to keep a stash of padded and cardboard mailers on hand since most of my cards are not "post office" approved!

I decorated the inside of the card with one of the Secret Garden cut-outs. I love the calendar on this image and thought my niece could circle the month/date of her wedding.

I stamped the wedding greeting on the inside, and made sure to leave plenty of space for a gift card or special message.

Supplies:

Graphic 45 paper:

Secret Garden 8x8 pad: Leafy Treetops, Beautiful Blooms, Sun Kissed, Pretty Primrose, May Flowers

Secret Garden 6x6 pad

Cardstock: WorldWin Papers ColorMates Light Totally Tan, Deep Spring Green

Stamps: Waltzing Mouse Fancy Phrases, Rubber Stampede Wedding Day

Ink: Clearsnap Colorbox Fluid Chalk Lavender; Tsukineko Memento Rich Cocoa

Die cuts: Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms, Little Leaf Sets, Ribbon Banners; My Favorite Things Fishtail Flag Stax and Layers, Jumbo Fishtail Banner Stax

Doily: Wilton

Ribbon: unknown

Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares; Scotch 3M ATG tape; Aleene's Tacky Glue

Here is another gorgeous craft treasure that's never been shared on the Graphic 45 blog. This is Gloria's gorgeous Steampunk Spells banner card! This colorful card is perfect for Halloween but it's also great for any occasion. The marvelous colors and dazzling patterns of Steampunk Spells are on full display in this fun card. We've even included a downloadable tutorial that Gloria created so you can create this fabulous card for yourself or someone you love! Let Gloria's amazing talent inspire you!

Click the link below to download the tutorial for Gloria's beautiful banner card!

Download the Steampunk Spells Banner Collage Tutorial

Supplies:
Graphic 45 Steampunk Spells Cardstock Banners
Graphic 45 Steampunk Spells paper: Steampunk Spells, Fanciful Floral, Frightful Folly,
Vintage Voyage
Black cardstock (WorldWin Papers)
Black silk ribbon (Really Reasonable Ribbon)
Border punch (Martha Stewart)
Adhesive (tape runner, dimensional foam, adhesive dots)

And now we're going to take a journey back in time to some of Gloria's crafts from past Graphic 45 collections. Over the years Gloria has created a huge number of crafts with Graphic 45 papers and Staples. These are some of her favorite creations from her time with the Graphic 45 Design Team. We definitely think that these crafts reflect her elegant and fun-loving style. Here is a remarkably beautiful altered box that Gloria created using our older collection, Olde Curiosity Shoppe. Just look at the fabulous details with the beautiful embellishments and more handmade flowers! There is so much remarkable dimension and color in this project. It is such a treasure! Here is what Gloria had to say about it.

"It's easy (and fun) to take a $3 wooden box and turn it into a work of art! Using paint, paper, and a few embellishments, this inexpensive wooden box is now a keepsake. I added a metal handle and four wooden feet to the box, making it even more special." -Gloria

 

Supplies:
 
Graphic 45 Papers:
Olde Curiosity Shoppe: Olde Curiosity Shoppe, Optical Oddities, Butterfly Specifics, Genuine Article, Mercurial Masterpiece
Communiqué: Society Page
Domestic Goddess: Lady of the House
Graphic 45 Staples: Metal Butterflies, Metal Brads
Clearsnap: Colorbox Graphic 45 Decades Antiquing Ink Venetian Lace
Clearsnap: Colorbox Clear Embossing Powder
Clearsnap: Smooch Spritz Spun Sugar, Vanilla Shimmer, Gold Glow
Imaginarium Designs: Chipboard Steampunk Clock, Birdcage, Clock
Spellbinders: Grand Calibur Die Cutting System; Die Templates Foliage, Rose Creations, Bitty Blossoms, Spiral Blossoms One
Cosmic Shimmer: Mica Mist Silver
Making Memories: Acrylic Paint Asphalt
Deco Art: White Acrylic Paint
Ranger: Alcohol Ink Sunset Orange, Lettuce, Meadow
7 Gypsies: Metal handle, Gears, Metal hanger
Idea-ology: Light bulb, Pen nib, Film strip
Martha Stewart: Butterfly punch
Craft Supply: wood box, wood feet
Adhesive: Scotch 3M tape runner, foam tape; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares; Beacon Zip Dry glue

Gloria is such an expert card maker. Here is another magnificent example of one of her fun cards. This one features Steampunk Debutante and some of our older Staples. The key to this card is lots of layering and paper distressing. Gloria built a vibrant scene with amazing dimension in this card. It's always a good occasion to send a handmade card. Let Gloria's fabulous ideas inspire you to create a pretty handmade card for someone you love!

Supplies:

Steampunk Debutante Collection

Flower Staples

Button Staples

Metal embellishments

Here is another richly layered creation by Gloria. This is her stunning Curtain Call tag that highlights lots of beautiful Graphic 45 Staples. This is a wonderful example of how perfectly all the Graphic 45 Staples can blend together to create a uniquely beautiful work of art. This tag is elegant, fun and it would make an incredible gift! Here is what Gloria had to say about it.

"I used one of the Regular Tag Album Staples for my tag base. The Graphic 45 Staples collection contains wonderful products to work with! I used eight (8) different Staples. Can you find them all? I painted the Metal Butterfly Staples with white gesso, and then stamped over the top with French Country stamps and black ink. The butterfly's body is a Chipboard Button and Stamped Metal Brad Staples. I had a blast looking for the perfect papers in the color scheme, and then seeing how many Staples I could add and still have a cohesive art piece! I have to say, I really love how it turned out!"

Supplies:

Regular Tag Album Staples
Chipboard Buttons
Metal Butterflies
Stamped Metal Brads
Trims
Ornate Metal Key Holes
Ornate Metal Keys
Metal Clothespins

Graphic 45 papers:

French Country: Bon Appetit, Montage
Kraft Reflections: Glimpse of Paris, Elusive Wings
Olde Curiosity Shoppe: Optical Oddities
Curtain Call: Tour De France

 Graphic 45 Stamps:

French Country

Ink: Clearsnap Colorbox Archival Wicked Black; Clearsnap Colorbox Chalk Creamy Brown, Dark Brown

Ribbon and twine: Really Reasonable Ribbon
Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts
Other: white gesso
Adhesive: Scotch 3M tape; Beacon Fabri-tac; Aleene's Tacky Glue; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares; Scor-tape

Next we're going to explore some of Gloria's breathtaking layouts! She created this stunning LO with our vintage collections Olde Curiosity Shoppe, Steampunk Debutante and Le Romantique. This is a great example of the beauty you can create by combining papers from different Graphic 45 collections! Just look at all of those gorgeous fussy cut elements and lively floral embellishments! This layout springs to life with joy and color! Here is what Gloria had to say about it.

"I love this photo of my husband and me. It was taken in London, with the London Eye in the background. The setting made me think of the London scenes in "Around the World in 80 Days." I wanted to make a steampunk-esque layout, with flowers, butterflies, gears, and all sorts of "junk."  The layout is part romance, part engineering geek, part garden fantasy. It is all the parts of my personality rolled into one!" -Gloria

 

Supplies:
 
Graphic 45 Papers:
Olde Curiosity Shoppe: Butterfly Specifics
Steampunk Debutante: Modern Marvels, Time Flies
Le' Romantique: Le' Romantique, Sweetheart of Mine
Graphic 45 Chipboard Tags: Olde Curiosity Shoppe
Graphic 45 Cardstock Stickers: Olde Curiosity Shoppe
Graphic 45 Staples: Metal Clothespin, Metal Button
Clearsnap: Colorbox Graphic 45 Decades Antiquing Ink Venetian Lace
Clearsnap: Colorbox Pigment Ink Dragonfly Black
Clearsnap: Smooch Spritz Spun Sugar, Splash, Green Olive
Imaginarium Designs: Chipboard Birdcage, Clock, Fence
American Crafts: Cardstock
Tattered Angels: Glimmer Mist Moonlight
Cosmic Shimmer: Mica Mist Silver
Deco Art: White Acrylic Paint
Other mist: Twinkling H2O Fern (dissolved in water); Stampin' Up Re-inker Citrus (mixed with PearlEx White and water)
Prima: Branch
Wild Orchid Crafts: Flowers
Idea-ology: Clock, Glass vial, Light bulb, Brads, Film strip
Bead Landing: Glass capsule
7 Gypsies: Gears
Martha Stewart: Butterfly punch
Adhesive: Scotch 3M tape runner, foam tape; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares; Beacon Zip Dry glue

Here is another captivating layout that Gloria created! This one features our older collection, Curtain Call. This wonderfully vintage-inspired LO is a true celebration of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. You can see some great examples of Gloria's amazing paper distressing techniques in this LO. A few well-placed embellishments help add dazzling detail. There's also a nice use of open space in this layout that allows for a clean and elegant look. It's absolutely lovely!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Curtain Call Collection

Core'dinations & Graphic 45 Timeless Cardstock

Next we have a gorgeous piece of home decor that Gloria created with more vintage Graphic 45 collections. She combined our collections Steampunk Debutant, Curtain Call, and Communique to create this wonderful work of art. The fun style of Steampunk comes to life in every amazing detail of this pretty printers tray! This is the kind of craft that you can have so much fun creating! Plus it makes a great gift! Behold, Gloria Stengel's awe-inspiring printer's tray wall hanging. Here is what she had to say about it.

 

"Printer's trays and shadow boxes are all the rage right now. I have been wanting to make a tray for a long time now, but they are a lot of work and I've not had a large block of time to spend working on such a project. However, I was able to attend a 4-day scrapbook retreat recently and spent one entire day working on my tray! Each item in the try has some meaning for me, from the large G (which stands for Gloria) to the bingo number 29 (which is how old I "think" I am)." -Gloria

Supplies:

Printer's Tray: 7Gypsies

Graphic45 paper: Curtain Call ( Top Billing, The Cinema, All that Jazz, Applause), Steampunk Debutante (Eclectic Emporium, Fantasy Floral, Mechanical Mind, Time Warp, Nouveau Artistry, Steampunk Debutante, Ephemera Extraordinaire), Communique (A Fine Specimen, Communique)

Chipboard: Grafix, Maya Road

Stamps: Tim Holtz Odds and Ends

Ink: Ranger Distress Vintage Photo, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Peach Delight, Twinkling H2O Sunburst

Tools: Tim Holtz Sewing Room and Birdcage dies, My Favorite Things butterfly die, Martha Stewart butterfly punches

Embellishments: Recollections twig; Queen and Company pearls; Making Memories epoxy flower; Tim Holtz Idea-ology clock, spinners, brads, gears, bookplate, token, memo pin, metal flowers; 7Gypsies gears, charm; Michael's Crafts wood letter and spool; fabric store rivet; Maya Road bingo number chipboard wings; Jenni Bowlin bingo card packaging; Tattered Angels key; Cat's Pajamas glitter; Wild Orchid Crafts flower; unknown bottle cap, scrabble tile, tiny glass bottle

Trims: May Arts twine, unknown lace trim

 

Gloria has such an incredible talent for creating exquisite mini albums. Here is a gorgeous Place in Time mini that she created for Valentines Day last year. This mini is so stunning! You can take a look at the original Graphic 45 blog post to find a fabulous tutorial that Gloria created for this romantic work of art! Have fun recreating this marvelous mini for your special Valentine!

 

Tutorial Link:

 

http://g45papers.typepad.com/graphic45/2012/12/dec-18-gloria-nicole-arlene.html

 

"Several years ago, I created a flip album for a workshop project that I was teaching. The original design came from a Close to My Heart demonstrator in approximately 2007. However, all good things come back into fashion, and I have always wanted to make another one of these minis with an updated flair. I have never had the time, until now! The Graphic 45 Place in Time collection inspired me to give it another go! I used adhesives from Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L and Graphic 45 papers to create a Valentine's Day mini perfect for the sweetie my life!"

Supplies:

Graphic 45 papers:

Place in Time: January, February, June Cut-Aparts, February Foundation Page 8x8, Calendar Foundation Page, Stickers, Chipboard

Birdsong: Harmony

Baby 2 Bride: Unchained Melody, Endless Love

Domestic Goddess: Yours Truly, Simple as Pie

The Magic of Oz: Tenderhearted Tin Man

A Ladies' Diary: Chipboard, Stickers

Scrapbook Adhesives b 3L: My Stik Permanent tape runner, 3D Foam Squares

Cardstock: Bazzill Butter Cream; American Crafts Pomegranate, Black

Ink: Ranger Distress Fired Brick

Stamps: Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection Odds and Ends

Ribbon: Really Reasonable Ribbon

Brads: Creative Imaginations

Doily: Wilton

Flowers: Kaisercraft, The Paper Studio, Wild Orchid Crafts

Chipboard Clock: Teresa Collins

Chipboard wing: Maya Road

Glitter: Stampendous Kaleidoscope transparent glitter embossing powder

Sprays: Pro 31 Designs

Metal key: Tim Holtz Idea-ology

Punches: Martha Stewart heart border; Carl heart

Other: Scrabble tiles, bottle cap, mini lock, white glue

It has been such an incredible adventure having Gloria on our Design Team and as our Special Projects Designer. We are deeply grateful for everything she has done over the years to help make Graphic 45 what it is today. She has inspired so many people and taught us so much about the wonders of being creative. We can't thank her enough for being such an amazing person, talented artist, teacher and friend. Words cannot properly express how much Gloria has meant to us. She will always have a home here at Graphic 45 and we wish her the very best in everything she does. We know she will continue to be an inspiration to papercrafters all over the world. We encourage you all to check out Gloria's amazing blog for more gorgeous ideas. There's never a shortage of inspiration!

Gloria's blog:

http://gloriascraps.blogspot.com/

Big thanks to all of you G45ers for joining us for today's very special blog. We enjoyed taking this walk down memory lane with Gloria and her amazing crafts. We will have another special blog tomorrow, filled with lots of beauty and inspiration. We hope you'll stop by and see us again. Big thanks to Gloria for all of her great work in making today's blog so wonderful. We wish you all a very happy day.

With Love and Pretty Paper,

Your Friends at Graphic 45

 

Related articles

How To Get Playful With Pastels & G45 Papers!

Worlds of Inspiration With Olde Curiosity Shoppe!

A Ladies' Diary Altered Art & Crafts by Gloria Stengel

A Celebration of Cards With Graphic 45: Day 2!

Comments

[Anne Schilling]

GloriA we will certainly miss you and your amazing talent. God Bless on your new direction and journey. Better health and much happiness!

[Dorothy McCarthy]

Wow!! I am always leaving this blog speechless!!!

[Susan Zacher]

Wow-lots of lovely Spring items today, to help us get through winter!

[Kathleen Rimer]

You will be missed Gloria... may good luck and good health bless you and your family.

[Annette Green]

Gloria, your work has inspired me for many years now. I'm happy I was able to share this short time with you on the DT, and sad to see you go. You always offered such great support, encouragement and inspiration to all of us. Best wishes on your journey and in health. Perhaps I'll see you at CHA? Would love to meet you in person.

[Melissa Divelbiss]

Bittersweet indeed. Blessings as you embark on the next leg of your creative journey. And, FYI, that Valentine project is STILL one of my favorites! :-)

[barbara f]

LOVE all the beautiful creations! Just gorgeous! WOW!

[carrie j]

Gloria, all the best to you in your creative journey. Will miss you..."stop by" when you have time. Thank you for all your wonderful projects and sharing. God bless!

[Kathleen Scott]

Gloria, I feel as if I just met you, & will miss you on Graphic 45. Best of everything to you & thank you for sharing your art.

[Ray Ann]

Good luck in your new adventures. You and your talent will be missed

[barbara macaskill]

Gloria will certainly be missed! I am already following her blog so I can keep up with her creations!! It is like she becomes one with the papers and just magically makes them do her bidding! She is amazing and I am in awe of her skills! So long for now!

[Laura Denison]

While you may not be designing and posting regularly here on the blog, you will never really "leave".... you will always be a part of the Graphic 45 family! Your inspiration will be missed! Hugs and Thank You to you on a personal level, Gloria!

[Linda B]

What wonderful inspirations from Gloria!

[Dee in NH]

I will miss seeing her gorgeous creations here. I wish Gloria luck on her new adventures and hopefully she can make a guest appearance every once in a while. G45 is my favorite paper and Gloria is one of my favorite designers.

[Kitty Strydom]

I am truly sad! Wishing Ms Gloria all the best!

[linda ann murphy]

Gloria please know that we love your talent. You have inspired us so much. Thank you.

[Linda R]

Gloria, You have been such an inspiration! Your work is so very impressive. I'll miss seeing you here. Best of luck in your future endeavors.

[Karen Wedding]

We're going to miss you, Gloria. Thanks for all the inspiration you gave us.

[Mary Reppe]

Gloria, you will be missed. Your style is so signature and one I wish were my own. God bless

[Mary]

Delightful taste of Gloria's G45 design career. Best of Luck in your future endeavors.

[Wendy Wakefield]

The Graphic 45 Community is so awesome and we're always sad to say farewell. Good luck Gloria in all of your endeavors! I truly thank you for all of the inspiration.

[julie]

Thank you Gloria, and Good Luck!

[Mary]

Wishing you all the very best Gloria. Peace, love and good health to you in 2014. Your an amazingly creative designer and will miss seeing your beautiful creations. God Bless!

[Jeanann Cavalier]

Oh NO .. I am going to miss you so much Ms. Gloria. You have been such a wonderful inspiration to me. Your creations are beautiful and so is your heart. I wish you health and good fortune for the coming years. I do follow your blog and will continue to do so but it just won't be the same here without you.

[Rea Custer]

I will miss seeing your lovely creations but wish you the best. Merry Christmas.

[Susan Hirsch]

Thank you Gloria for sharing your talent with us and inspiring us with beautiful projects. All the best to you!

[Traci]

Gloria we will sure miss you on the G45 Blog but I subscribe to yours too so I definitely will be looking forward to seeing all your new creations on your Blog. God Bless and good health!

[Maria Cole]

Gloria, your beautiful work has inspired me ever since I discovered Graphic 45! Your projects always show off the papers so perfectly, and your tutorials have always been so easy and inspiring! I'm very disappointed but I also admire you for going on, and for continuing to craft even if it's not as much as you used to do. You have inspired people like me all over the world and for that I thank you so much!!!

[caroline]

What a wonderful tribute to Gloria! Have been a huge admirer since I discovered g45. How you managed to choose from all your creations, I have no idea.... Love the Olde Curiosity, Steampunk & the altered tray is staggering! All the very best, take care & thank you :))

[Carrie]

I am so sad to think that we won't be regularly seeing your projects on the G45 blog Gloria, but you need to take care of you over everything else, so I wish you the best in this next step. Enjoy this time moving forward. A new season brings new and unexpected surprises! Thank you for your inspiration and have a wonderful Holiday Season!

[Diane Ritchie]

Best wishes to you, Gloria. Your work is lovely and elegant and always an inspiration!

[Caroline Duncan]

Awww so sad Gloria is leaving, but understand completely. Thank you so much for ALL the inspiration she provided so enthusiastically!!

[Judy D.]

In my mind, Gloria IS Graphic45! She is the one designer that readily comes to mind when I think of G45. Thanks, Graphic45, for including her on your team for over 3 years, and thanks, Gloria, for all your inspiration. Best wishes!

[JOYCE]

OMG! WONDERFUL PROJECTS.

[Kay G.]

Gloria, you will greatly be missed. I love all of your projects, and you are so talented. May God Bless you with your health and all you do in the future.

[Martie Rollin]

Thank you, Gloria, for sharing your talents with the rest of the G45 world! My favorite, shown today, is that tag. Good fortune to you as you move into another chapter in your creative life.

[Jean Marmo]

Your work will be missed!

[Mary Morris]

Wow! Gloria, you rock! Best Wishes always.

[{vicki}]

you will be missed

[Peg Adams]

Gloria, thanks for sharing so many of your creative ideas with us G45-a-holics. Keeping my fingers crossed that you will bounce back soon & find you just can't stay away. Meanwhile I just have to be satisifed receiving your newsletter always filled with creative ideas. Again, thanks for the inspiration & I promise to start fussy cutting my stash, tomorrow or maybe the next day.LOL