Papers:  G45 Halloween In Wonderland Collection
Jaberwocky
Through The Looking Glass
Wonderland Classifieds
Alice’s Tea Party
 
G45 A Proper Gentleman Collection
Timely Point of View
Man About Town
A Proper Gentlemen
G45 Steampunk Debutante Collection
Time Flies
G45 Once Upon A Springtime Collection
Butterfly Kisses
G45 Le Cirque Collection
Magnifique
Bohemian Floral
Wizards of Wonder
7 Gypsies Avignon collection
Ecriture
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Inks
Tumbled Glass
Frayed Burlap
Shabby Shutters
Black Soot
Stamps:  Cherry Pie Art Alice Collection
Hero Arts Bold Flourish
Embellishments:  G45 Ornate Door Plate and Knob Staples, G45 Metal Flowers, Making Memories Metal Frame, Prima Flowers
Extras:  Twine, Mod Podge, Black Acrylic Paint, Vintage Book, Vintage Clock Face, Vintage Key
Adhesives:  Scrapbook Adhesives 3d foam squares, E6000, Tombow Mono Color Glue stick

Next we have another brilliant altered book creation. This one is by the wonderful Melanie Forbes and even comes with a great tutorial! This awesome book features A Proper Gentleman and Steampunk Debutant, two amazing collections that look great together! Just look at all the gorgeous details in this book! It's so inspiring!

Supplies:

Graphic 45:
A Proper Gentleman            
The Sophisticate #4500181
Tags from 12x12 pad
Dressed to the Nines #4500180
A Proper Gentleman #4500176
Timely Point of View #4500185
Steampunk Debutante: Fantasy Floral #4500263
Graphic 45 Staples: Geometric metal door plate & knob #4500298, Metal hinge Staples #4500299
Twiddleybitz                        
Roman Clock small CF002
Chicken Wire WIR002
Small Shadowbox SBS001
Name plate curved NP002
Itty bitty Alpha raw ALPHA005R
Old hard cover book
Tim Holtz Distress Stain Wild Honey & Broken China
Tim Holtz Distress ink Vintage photo & Broken China & Wild Honey
Tim Holtz Paint Dauber Sandal
Tim Holtz light bulb, glass bottle, clock face & hands
Maya Rd Calendar numbers black

Tutorial:

1. Assemble shadowbox according to instructions and then trace around the box on the inside of the book ensuring there is enough depth to cut into the book deep enough.

2. Using a craft knife cut a hole deep enough for the shadowbox to sit inside snugly as per photo below

3.  Cover inside of shadowbox with paper as per photo.

4. Paint metal door plate and knob and 2 metal hinges with Paint dauber (I used Sandal). Once dry gently sandpaper back to rough up finish.

5. Cut paper to fit book and decorate with tags. Stamp over the top of tags once in position. Attach metal doorknob, plate and hinges and place stained chipboard clock on top. Using stain Broken China – stain nameplate and place title and glue to spine of book.

6. To decorate inside book – cut paper to page size and adhere to book pages – here I have simply scrunched up the paper and inked creases prior to attaching to book pages. Cut out clocks from A Timely Point of View and using 3D foam tape adhere to inside of shadowbox. Glue trinkets into place and then glue shadowbox into place inside of box.

 7. Stain edges of book with Tim Holtz Wild Honey stain.

Voila!

Huge thanks so the amazingly talented Nicole Eccles and Melaine Forbes for these gorgeous creations today. And many thanks to all of you for joining us today. We can't wait to read your blog comments this week! We also love seeing what you're creating with our papers. Don't forget to post your Graphic 45 creations on our Facebook page, Ning site, or website gallery!

Have a beautiful day, crafters!

Your Pals in Paper,

Team Graphic 45

 Graphic 45 Renaissance Faire:  Renaissance Faire; Venetian Lace; Florentine; Renaissance Faire Frames;
Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante:  Mechanical Mind; Steampunk Debutante Frames; Time Warp
Graphic 45 Staples:  Geometric Metal Door Plate & Knob; Metal Flower Staples; Metal Tag Staples; Metal Button Staples
Ranger: Glossy Accents; Distress Stains; Distress Ink; Stickles
May Arts: black ribbon; black string; black velvet rick-rack
Maya Road: chipboard gears
Miscellaneous: gears; brads; chipboard (used for popping up images and curtains)
Adhesive: Tombow Permanent Adhesive; E-6000

We want to say a very big thank you to the amazing Nancy Wethington. Her work is always so beautiful and it radiates with inspiration. We hope her amazing piece captured your imagination as much as it has captured ours. Join us tomorrow for more spectacular crafts. And don't forget about this week's blog contest! Leave us a blog comment telling us about some Metal Staples craft ideas that you've had and you'll be entered to win this week's prize! A random winner will be announced on Friday right here on the blog. Have a great day, crafters!

Your Pals in Paper,

Team Graphic 45

Hello Wonderful Crafters,

Happy Thursday to you all and thank you for stopping by today. We have some spectacular treats to share with you, including an amazing tutorial from Jane Tregenza of our Design Team! This week we've been featuring a lot of crafts that highlight our awesome Metal Staples. Today's projects are stunningly unique and gorgeous, with that classic Jane Tregeneza style. We hope you enjoy her marvelous ideas! Today's crafts also feature photos of the Graphic 45 owners: Diane Schultz and Aimee Filimoehala! This first craft is an exquisite fan that features our Ornate Metal Door Plate and Knob combined with Once Upon a Springtime. You can even learn how to make this dazzling work of art because Jane has prepared a super fun tutorial! Below you will find some amazing tips and inspiring words from the craft goddess herself! Take it away, Jane!

As soon as I heard our brief to use a Ornate Metal Door Plate and Knob, my brain went into overdrive. So many possibilities and uses. I decide to do a fan , hopping no one else on the design team had also come up with the idea.  I used Chipboard to make the fan and then decorated it with lots of my favourite embellishments.

I have included a tutorial if you would like to have a go at making one. It is quite simple.

Work out how any pieces you wish to have in your fan. I have 8, each fan piece is 1 ¼ x 9 inches. I have cut my to suit the ornate door plate outline, but it will look just as nice with rounded corners.

Cover all the fronts of your fan pieces. Add the ornate door plate and knob and push the brads right through the chipboard to the back and fold them over. This means your heavy plate and knob are less likely to fall off. Cover the backs of all your fan pieces.

Using a large hold punch, make a hole in the middle of each fan piece about 1 ¼ inch up from the bottom and in the middle. Line each one on top of the next to make sure your holes line up.

I used a post screw set to hold all my fan pieces together, this worked well as I could extend the posts as needed.

Fan out the fan pieces, I have a gap between each piece near the top. Glue or tape them on top of each other where they overlap.

Now you are ready to decorate. I decided to do mind on Diane. I am a big fan of her’s, she is such an elegant lady and a truly lovely person.  I have a photo of her taken in Australia when she and her two lovely daughters visited us. I matted the photo, added photo corners and tucked the bottom corner of the photo under one of the fan pieces. I used foam tape to build the top right hand corner out.

I chose a resin frame and some words that I think sums up Diane. I added a “glass looking” vine from prima and a crystal dangle from 7 Gypsies. I have just discovered gesso in a spray can and am in love with the finish. I used it on the Imaginarium Designs Butterflies, which gives them a chalky white finish, this also makes them perfect to ink in soft pastel colours.

I had a bunch of flowers which matched the papers, but looked a little lost on the fan. I got my beautiful lace out and ran a gathering thread along in top edged of it and pulled it up tight to make a rosette for the paper flowers to sit on.

I love the way it all came together, it looks lovely on a stand I have and will sit on a shelf to remind me of the time I shared with Diane while she was here in Australia.

Here is some of the language of the fan!

A fan placed near the heart says “ I have won my love ”

A closed fan near the right eye says “when may I be allowed to see you”

Carrying a close fan in the left hand says “ come and talk to me”

Opening a fan wide says “wait for me”

Supplies:

  Once Upon a Springtime. Ornate door plate and knob - Graphic45

 Melisa Frances ornate oval frame

Tim Holtz - muse tokens

DanglesVine from - Prima

Chipboard Fan and Butterflies Imaginarium Designs

I am really into miniature at the moment and having great fun doing lots of little projects. I have a great photo of the Lovely Graphic 45 ladies taken in Australia this year. I decide to do this project on Aimee. The book is only 4 inches high and five inches wide. It sits on an Imaginarium Designs chipboard stand, slightly opened. I love the way all Graphic 45 papers work together, I used papers from Steampunk Debutant, Le Cirque, and Playtimes Past. The was another quick little project, as the book is two pieces of chipboard 2 ½ x 4 inches, covered with papers on the back. I used gaffer tape to create a spine and to hold the two covers together. I then covered the inside (which is really the front!) with one piece of paper. I added some chess board paper from the playtimes past papers each side of the covers. I matted a photo of Aimee. I used a large clock from Imaginarium Designs which I inked black and cut in half. I glued each half on each side of the covers, not quite touching in the middle. Aimee’s photo went on with foam tape. I used a letter tile for the A. I used some of Imaginarium designs branches with another of their mini clocks, sprayed silver and mounted with foam tape. I added some prima pearls, some of Tim Holtz’s metal embellishments and a key from 7 gypsies. On the back side of the book, I decide to keep it simple. I used a German scrap frame and a mini butterfly from Imaginarium designs. This all adds to the charm. Of course having a lovely photo helps! And you got to love this one of Aimee. I have another one for Charee and Diane, but will share another time.

Materials used
Papers from Steampunk Debutant, Playtimes Past and Le Cirque
Tim Holtz key chain and word muse
Key and gaffer tape - 7gypies
Say it in pearls – Prima
German scrap
Stand, clocks, branch and butterflies – Imaginarium designs

We want to say a very big thank you to the amazing Jane for her awe-inspiring work today! We hope you will all join us tomorrow as we announce this week's blog prize winner as well as bring you some more Metal Stapes inspiration from our design team! Have a magical Thursday.

Smiles and Butterflies,

Team Graphic 45

Hello Crafters!

Welcome to our blog! It's Friday which means we've got a winner for this week's blog prize! We also have more awe-inspiring crafts from our design team to share with you. This week's focus on our beautiful Metal Staples has been truly amazing. It has been so inspiring to read all of your clever ideas for uses of our Metal Staples. And the fun isn't even over! Today we've got Metal Staples creations from Jack & Cat Curio, and Tara Orr! But before we get to the business of wowing you with crafts, lets announce this week's blog prize winner! Chosen at random from this week's blog comments, the winner is Melissa Minor! Here is what she had to say about her idea for a great Metal Staples craft.

"I have a cute little vintage cabinet that is crying out for a door plate, knob and hinges. It is weeping for some G45 paper to cover the inside! Please help me to make this cabinet beautiful again!" -Melissa Minor

Great idea, Melissa! Please email us at info@g45papers.com to claim your prize! Congratulations!

Okay crafters, check out this phenomenal altered cigar box by Jack and Cat Curio. Their work is always remarkably clever and full of imagination. Today's work is a shinning example of their ethereal style and impeccable technique. Here is what they had to say about this wonderful piece entitled "The Invention."

"We are highly influenced by the works of American artist Joseph Cornell. Always on the lookout for an altered box craving to be transformed. Here in Arizona the Steampunk movement has been on the rise for several years... At weekly art events we often get several requests for Steampunk treasures....This last month we attended the Phoenix Comic-con event....it was Steampunk overload...we came home and created this little piece...a mixture of sci-fi and movie set magic. We hope that you enjoy the piece." -Jack and Cat Curio

Supplies:

Cigar Box
Graphic45 Collection: Steampunk Debutante
Steampunk Debutante, Modern Marvels, Eclectic Emporium, Time Warp, Nouveau Artistry
7gypsies Tissue Paper NUMERO
Geometric Metal Door Plate and Knob Staples
Tim Holtz idea-ology: Foundations Box Feet
Ink: Ranger Distress Walnut Stain, Black Soot, Spiced Marmalade, Ranger Archival Inks Jet Black
Liquitex Molding Paste, Claudine Hellmuth multi-medium matte, Claudine Hellmuth Studio semi-gloss acrylic paint Altered Orange, Claudine Hellmuth Studio semi-gloss acrylic paint Blank Canvas, Kaisercolour Terracotta, Golden Glaze Burnt Umber
Ranger Perfect Pearls: Mandarin, Mint
Stamps: Hero Arts H2365 Old French Writing, small numbers
Salvage: Glass bottle, light bulb, copper tape, wooden finial, metal gear, shells, mini pearls, fiber

 

This next craft was created by the brilliant Tara Orr. Tara seems to have endless sources of craft inspiration. Today's creation, a stunningly beautiful Steampunk Debutant card, is filled with amazing layers, colorful embellishments, and clever surprises. Here is what Tara had to say about this inventive and vibrant card.

We want to say a super huge thank you to Jack & Cat Curio, and Tara Orr for their astonishing creations today. And thank you to all of our readers and everyone who left us comments this week! We will be posting a very special blog post tomorrow, Saturday, so be sure to stop by and see us! We hope you have a wonderful Friday and a terrific weekend!

Happy Papercrafting,

Team Graphic 45

Hello There Crafters,

Welcome to our special Saturday edition of the Graphic 45 blog! We are just so excited about this summer's CHA in Chicago. The G45 headquarters are buzzing with creativity and anticipation of this amazing event! If you've seen out past booths at CHA, you know we love to put on a big show. Today we're giving you a sneak peek of a few of the Magic of Oz crafts that we've been working on for our booth. These beautiful creations were made by Diane Schultz, designer and CEO of Graphic 45! If you're going to be attending this summer's CHA, be sure to stop by our booth #715 and say hello to us. We'll have lots of stunning crafts, prizes, fun and inspiration galore! Have a look at the first of many Magic of Oz crafts to be featured here on the Graphic 45 blog! Wow, these are amazing!

Thank you all so much for stopping by today. We will have more Magic of Oz crafts to share with you very soon. We hope Diane's amazing creations helped give you some great ideas today. We hope to see you this summer at CHA! Until then, have a terrific day and keep on scrappin'!

Happy Papercrafting,

Team Graphic 45

Hello Crafters,

Happy Monday and thanks for joining us on this splendid day. This is going to be a very exciting week. We have a new craft challenge to announce! Since summer has pretty much arrived, we're asking you to create a fun summer-themed craft out of Graphic 45 product and post it on our new Facebook page. We will randomly pick two winners for this challenge on Friday, June 24. The prize will be this spectacular Le Cirque Door Plate Mini Album kit. This amazing kit, featured in the photos below, is a Graphic 45 original creation and was taught in Canada and Australia by our team. Check out this super cute Le Cirque mini album and start thinking about what you'd like to create for this week's challenge. Remember to submit your works to our new Facebook page! We can't wait to see your summer-inspired crafts! 

Have a look at the finished product! It's fun to create and it looks amazing!

Today's dose of craft inspiration is brought to you by the amazing Nicole Eccles. This is the kind of project that you can't help but fall in love with when you first see it. It's a Le Cirque pull-toy and it is equal parts gorgeous, fun, and adorable. It's a true craft treasure. Nicole has even prepared a tutorial for this wonderful work of art! Here is what she had to say about this wonderful and whimsical creation. 

 

 

We want to say a huge thank you to Nicole Eccles for her phenomenal project today. We are so excited to see everyone's summer crafts on our Facebook page this week! We hope you all have a terrific day and we hope to see you back here tomorrow for more awesome craft inspiration.

Smiles and Sunshine,

Team Graphic 45

Hello Crafters,

Welcome to our blog today! Thank you for stopping by and seeing us for some terrific craft ideas! Today we have gorgeous projects and tutorials by Sherry Cheever of our design team. Her amazing work features our beautiful collection On the Boardwalk, which is absolutely perfect for fun summer crafts! We hope that today's creations will help inspire you to make something terrific for this week's Summer Fun Craft Challenege! Don't forget to post your projects on our new Facebook page for your chance to win this week's amazing prize! Well, enough talk, lets get to the crafts! Check out this wonderful On the Boardwalk card by Sherry, complete with brilliant tutorials that are filled with excellent crafting techniques! Check it out!

"The card base is 5-1/2 x 5-1/2.  All the designer paper and cardstock are sewn together and the edges have been sponged with Antique Linen Distress Ink.  The seam binding was dyed with Wild Honey Distress Stain.  All the images were raised with foam mounting tape to add dimension to the card front." -Sherry Cheever

Supplies:

Graphic 45:  On the Boardwalk
Spellbinders:  S4-116 Small Classic Circles, S4-114 Large Classic Circles, S4-243 Ric Rac Diamond Border, S4-307 Reverse Wonky Rectangle
Stamps:  Sentiment from Stampers Anonymous E1-1384
Ink/Paints:  Ranger Archival Jet Black, Wild Honey Distress Stain and Antique Linen Distress Ink
Tools/Miscellaneous:  Ranger Matte Accents, Mini Mister, Craft Sheet, Ink Blending Tool; idea-ology Memo Pin; Seam Binding; Black and Blue Cardstock; White Shipping Tag

How to dye seam binding with Distress Inks

How to use Distress Reinkers, Mini Misters and Perfect Pearls to dye seam binding

Up next, Sherry has created this brilliant On the Boardwalk wall hanging that includes tips and instructions for making one of your own! Just look at this amazing work of art! It is loaded with vibrant colors, lavish layers, and impeccable style. It's a classic Sherry Cheever creation!

The base of the wall hanging is a piece of illustration board that was die cut with Spellbinders Grand Labels One.  On the Boardwalk paper was then die cut with the same die template and glued to the base with matte multi-medium.

The shelf is made from hobby wood, cut to size, and painted black.  The shelf was then sanded at various spots, dyed with Vintage Photo distress stain, glued to the base.

The background is made up of a postcard image of the beach, an image of the back of a postcard and a frame to encircle them.  The frame is made from a rectangle chipboard coaster that was covered with On The Boardwalk paper and then die cut with Spellbinders Labels Eight.

The larger bottle was filled with play sand and the taller with sand and water to represent the beach.  The tag of the men are the cabana boys she’s dreaming of.

The flowers were made with Spellbinders Carnations Creations and there is a new tutorial containing a little twist to the flowers.

Want to learn how to make these wonderful paper flowers? Check out this great tutorial,  filled with helpful tips!

Supplies:

Paper: Graphic 45 On the Boardwalk;  idea-ology GrungePaper; Illustration Board; Chipboard Coaster

Spellbinders:  S4-328 Foliage, S5-050 Rose Creations (leaves), S5-049 Carnations Creations, S5-019 Labels Eight, LF-161 Grand Labels One
Ink/Paints:  Ranger Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress Ink; Forest Moss, Peeled Paint, Vintage Photo, Antique Linen Distress Stain; Crushed Olive Re-Inker (Mini Mister and water to make a spray); Black acrylic paint
Miscellaneous/Tools:  Ranger Mini Mister, Craft Sheet, Ink Blending Tool, Matte Accents, Multi-Medium Matte; Antique Brass Paper Fasteners; Black Craft Wire; Paper Distressing Tool; Corked Vials; Wood Hobby Trim; Sanding Tools; Play Sand and Water; Trinket Pins

Huge thanks to the amazing Sherry Cheever. It is always a pleasure to share her creations with all of you. We are super excited to see what you'll post on our Facebook page for this week's craft challenge! Have a terrific day and we hope to see you all again tomorrow!

Happy Days,

Team Graphic 45

Hello Crafters,

Welcome to wonderful day of crafting here at Graphic 45! We are so glad you are joining us for today's inspired creations.  We have more warm summer fun projects from our design team to share with you. Don't forget to post your fun summer creations on our Facebook page this week for your chance to win a super prize! This first craft was created by the amazing Laura Denison. She used Transatlantique and beautiful Core'dinations/Graphic 45 Timeless sandable cardstock to create the exterior for this amazing backgammon suitcase. This project is so stunning and inventive. Check out the amazing detail and symmetry on the inside of the suitcase. It's just astonishing!

Supplies:

  "There is no denying it, summer has finally arrived.  From cookouts to pool parties and trips to the beach.  It is a time for celebration! And what better way to celebrate then to send out some yummy G45 On the Boardwalk inspired cards to friends or family. What I love most about creating with G45 papers are the possibilities for creating scenes, or moments by just layering a few images. Die Cut a shape out of your card front, use the negative and instant shadowbox effect.  So Fun!" -Nicole Eccles

Thank you all so much for joining us today. Huge thanks to Laura Denison and Nicole Eccles for their amazing projects today. We hope you are all enjoying this week's craft theme as much as we are. Join us tomorrow for more splendid ideas.

Happy Papercrafting!

Team Graphic 45

Hello Crafters,

Welcome to another bright day of summer craft inspiration here at Graphic 45! We've got more marvelous craft ideas from our wonderful design team today. There is an adorable layout by Hilde Janbroers, and a gorgeous gift card holder and tutorial by Gloria Stengel. Just a reminder, you still have one more day to submit your summer-inspired Graphic 45 crafts to our Facebook page for your chance to win this week's amazing blog prize! We will be picking two random winners and announcing them on our blog tomorrow. We've already seen so many beautiful crafts so far. It is always such a joy to see what you are all creating with our papers. Thank you so much! Well, lets get to the crafts. This first ray of sunshine is by Hilde Janbroers. It's a stunning On the Boardwalk layout that is full of wonder and cheer. Check out the beautiful paper rosettes! This piece is full of so much love, it's like a big craft hug.

Hello Crafters,

Happy Friday and thank you for stopping by and seeing us on this lovely summer day! Today is exciting for so many reasons. We have amazing summer craft ideas from our design team, and we have two winners to announce for this week's craft challenge! We have had so much fun featuring all of these amazing summer-inspired crafts! We want to thank our amazing design team for all of their hard work, and big thanks to all of our readers, and everyone who submitted projects for this week's challenge! Our randomly chosen winners are: 

Melissa Hampton and Margreet Westerling. Here are the great projects they created for this week's challenege! Ladies, please email us at info@g45papers.com with your contact information so that we can send you your prize! This first adorable project was made by Melissa Hampton.

And here is Margreet's wonderful summer mini album! You can see more photos of this sweet mini on our Facebook page! You can also see all the beautiful crafts that were submitted for this week's challenge. Thank you all so much for sharing your amazing work with us!

Okay, lets get to the crafts! Today we have a stunning summer layout by the amazing Yuka Hino, as well as a gorgeous and fun altered lifeguard birdhouse by Nancy Wethington. Nancy's project also includes a fabulous tutorial! We hope today's crafts give you some great ideas for your weekend crafting. This first project is a splendid On the Boardwalk layout by Yuka Hino. This LO features beautiful paper flowers, splendid central photos, and a wonderful use for our Ornate Metal Door Plate and Knob Staples. Take a look!

 
 

 

 

    

 
 

 

 

Papers:  G45 Halloween In Wonderland Collection
Jaberwocky
Through The Looking Glass
Wonderland Classifieds
Alice’s Tea Party
 
G45 A Proper Gentleman Collection
Timely Point of View
Man About Town
A Proper Gentlemen
G45 Steampunk Debutante Collection
Time Flies
G45 Once Upon A Springtime Collection
Butterfly Kisses
G45 Le Cirque Collection
Magnifique
Bohemian Floral
Wizards of Wonder
7 Gypsies Avignon collection
Ecriture
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Inks
Tumbled Glass
Frayed Burlap
Shabby Shutters
Black Soot
Stamps:  Cherry Pie Art Alice Collection
Hero Arts Bold Flourish
Embellishments:  G45 Ornate Door Plate and Knob Staples, G45 Metal Flowers, Making Memories Metal Frame, Prima Flowers
Extras:  Twine, Mod Podge, Black Acrylic Paint, Vintage Book, Vintage Clock Face, Vintage Key
Adhesives:  Scrapbook Adhesives 3d foam squares, E6000, Tombow Mono Color Glue stick

Next we have another brilliant altered book creation. This one is by the wonderful Melanie Forbes and even comes with a great tutorial! This awesome book features A Proper Gentleman and Steampunk Debutant, two amazing collections that look great together! Just look at all the gorgeous details in this book! It's so inspiring!

Supplies:

Graphic 45:
A Proper Gentleman            
The Sophisticate #4500181
Tags from 12x12 pad
Dressed to the Nines #4500180
A Proper Gentleman #4500176
Timely Point of View #4500185
Steampunk Debutante: Fantasy Floral #4500263
Graphic 45 Staples: Geometric metal door plate & knob #4500298, Metal hinge Staples #4500299
Twiddleybitz                        
Roman Clock small CF002
Chicken Wire WIR002
Small Shadowbox SBS001
Name plate curved NP002
Itty bitty Alpha raw ALPHA005R
Old hard cover book
Tim Holtz Distress Stain Wild Honey & Broken China
Tim Holtz Distress ink Vintage photo & Broken China & Wild Honey
Tim Holtz Paint Dauber Sandal
Tim Holtz light bulb, glass bottle, clock face & hands
Maya Rd Calendar numbers black

Tutorial:

1. Assemble shadowbox according to instructions and then trace around the box on the inside of the book ensuring there is enough depth to cut into the book deep enough.

2. Using a craft knife cut a hole deep enough for the shadowbox to sit inside snugly as per photo below

3.  Cover inside of shadowbox with paper as per photo.

4. Paint metal door plate and knob and 2 metal hinges with Paint dauber (I used Sandal). Once dry gently sandpaper back to rough up finish.

5. Cut paper to fit book and decorate with tags. Stamp over the top of tags once in position. Attach metal doorknob, plate and hinges and place stained chipboard clock on top. Using stain Broken China – stain nameplate and place title and glue to spine of book.

6. To decorate inside book – cut paper to page size and adhere to book pages – here I have simply scrunched up the paper and inked creases prior to attaching to book pages. Cut out clocks from A Timely Point of View and using 3D foam tape adhere to inside of shadowbox. Glue trinkets into place and then glue shadowbox into place inside of box.

 7. Stain edges of book with Tim Holtz Wild Honey stain.

Voila!

Huge thanks so the amazingly talented Nicole Eccles and Melaine Forbes for these gorgeous creations today. And many thanks to all of you for joining us today. We can't wait to read your blog comments this week! We also love seeing what you're creating with our papers. Don't forget to post your Graphic 45 creations on our Facebook page, Ning site, or website gallery!

Have a beautiful day, crafters!

Your Pals in Paper,

Team Graphic 45

Hello Wonderful Crafters,

Thank you for stopping by today! It's going to be a very exciting day of craft inspiration. We've got absolutely stunning creations by Laura Denison and Gloria Stengel. Today's crafts focus on some amazing ways to use our beautiful Metal Staples. Gloria has even prepared a fun tutorial that shares some brilliant techniques for working with out Metal Flower Staples! So get ready for heaps of enjoyment because today is going to be amazing! First up is this spectacular alarm clock by Laura Denison. Not only is it a completely gorgeous work of art, but it contains a special surprise inside! Check it out!

 "I love clocks...maybe it is because I am always looking for more time! Clocks have been a common theme in my work ever since I started paper crafting. I have had the idea to make an alarm clock out of an old flower tin for quite some time. The hold up was what to use for the the domed "bell" things on top. When I saw the knobs for the Graphic 45 Door Plates, I knew they were the perfect solution. As I eyed the plates themselves, I thought to myself:  "How easy are these to bend?". They were quite easy! and they became the perfect wrap for the outside of the Alarm Clock. A friend has said I will put a mini album in anything, so of course the clock needed a mini album to go inside! Paper covered coasters were the perfect size for the pages and, of course, the Graphic 45 "Steampunk Debutante" paper was the perfect paper!" -Laura Denison

Supplies:

Hello Crafters,

Happy Thursday and thank you for stopping by our blog today.  Now that summer is upon us, it feels like there are more hours in the day to get things done. Even though the actual length of our days hasn't changed, as much as we'd want them to, summer is that magical season where the days feel longer. More sunlight almost always translates into more energy and more ideas. We're trying to make the most of this amazing season by being very creative, staying up a little later than usual, and deeply enjoying the experience of summer crafting. Today we're bringing you some amazing and vibrant Once Upon a Springtime crafts from our design team that are sure to get you inspired. Jack & Cat Curio have created a gorgeous tattered Once Upon a Springtime gift bag and tag. And Melanie Forbes is going to share her techniques for creating a wonderful altered bird cage. It's going to be a great day, so lets get to it! This first creation was made by the always clever Jack & Cat Curio. Here is what they had to say about the inspiration behind this magical gift bag and tag.

"This is not your average store bought paper gift bag. We wanted to create a rich and vibrant gift bag for a good friend. We decided to alter a plain brown bag with things she holds dear. Ruffles, lace,ribbon, and touches of Spring romance. Torn and tattered pieces stamped and sewn into a complex layering of beauty. Enjoy." -Jack & Cat Curio

Supplies:

Paper Bag
Graphic45 Collection: Once Upon A Springtime
Fairy Folk, Butterfly Kisses, Woodland Fantasy, Once Upon A Springtime, Pixie Post
Trim Staples
Metal Button Staples
Cavallini & Co.Decorative Paper Tape Numbers
Stamps: Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection V1-1161, Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection U3-1158, A Stamp in The Hand Co. F-2042 Bird-Flycatcher, small letters
Ink: Ranger Distress Ink Vintage Photo, Ranger Archival Inks Jet Black, Ranger Distress Embossing
Claudine Hellmuth Studio semi-gloss acrylic paint Blank Canvas
Embossing Powder: Ranger Super Fine Detail Black
Vintage ribbon, lace, seam binding, and twine
Manila tag
Tools: Sewing machine, heat tool

This next spectacular project was created by Melanie Forbes and it comes with a great tutorial. We're obviously huge fans of altered bird cages, and Once Upon a Springtime is the perfect collection for such a project. Melanie's tutorial is going to show you a great technique for creating beautifully layered paper shingles on a roof. It's a pretty simple way to give your altered birdcage, or any piece that has involves a roof,  some stunning depth and texture. Have a look at this amazing work of art, and find out how to create one of your very own!

Supplies:

Graphic 45:
Once Upon a Springtime
Flight of Fancy #4500290
Primrose Cottage #4500289

Twiddleybitz
Bird cage large BCLG01
Row of Mushrooms MUSH003
Swirly Flower elements BAS022
Small cluster of Mushrooms MUSH002
Fern & Flourish border BOR0020

Stamping up border punch
Tim Holtz aridondack
dabber Sandal, Copper, Willow
Generic cream rose, leaf ribbon, eggs, moss, beaded ribbon
Allison Ellis glitter - gold

1. Paint all pieces of chipboard and put aside to dry whilst making roof of birdcage.

2. Cut 5 one inch strips from patterned paper and using border punch - punch one side.

3. Using glossy accents or equivalent apply a small strip of glue to bottom of roof and lay down one strip. Cut off at edge of roof.

4. Repeat with remaining strips until you cover the entire side. Repeat with remaining roof sides.

5. Neaten edges of roof using a craft knife then ink all edges and turn up shingles to create a more 3D effect.

6. Assemble birdcage as per instructions.

7. Glue to top of birdcage.

8. Embellish remaining birdcage with choice of embellishments (eg chipboard, moss, eggs, flowers.

Technique can be easily used to cover all sorts of roofs!

We want to thank the brilliant Jack & Cat Curio and Melanie Forbes for their astonishing projects today. We also want to thank all our readers for joining us on this beautiful day. Don't forget that there is still time to leave us a comment for this week's blog contest. Tell us what your favorite fairy tale is and you will be entered to win this week's blog prize! We will be announcing our random winner tomorrow, right here on the blog. We hope you all have a terrific day!

Ribbons and Rosettes,

Team Graphic 45

Hello Crafters,

We hope you are enjoying your Saturday. We thought we'd take this opportunity to take you on a tour of our new offices! We just moved into our brand new space and we're so happy about the new setup. We thought it would be fun to show you some pictures! We're still in the same building as we were before, but now we have more room and windows, and lots of them! Here is a photo of our crafting  area. This is the place where we come up with ideas for projects and classes. You can also see the part of the office where Aimee and Charee work. This is where the Graphic 45 magic comes to life!

Here is another view of our crafting area in the office.

Here is our table where we keep many of our crafting supplies. You can see our large assortment of ribbon and stacks of beautiful paper. The good thing about moving is that it forces you to get very organized. It's great to have everything in its place, nicely labeled, and easy to find.

This is our office lounge space. We like to have meetings here or take breaks while enjoying the cascading sunshine through the big windows.

This is what you see when you first walk into the office. These are the desks where Dustin and Kelly sit while they process orders or work on the blog. It's quite a difference from our previous office that had no windows at all. We are very grateful for this beautiful new space.

And last but certainly not least is Henry, the Graphic 45 office mascot and cuddle pup. We love him! Henry works hard all day. His favorite activities include taking naps, playing fetch, and making friends with other dogs in the building. He's a real super star!

Well, that's all we've got for today, crafters. Thank you so much for joining us for this special Saturday edition of our blog. This upcoming week is going to be very exciting as we gear up for CHA. There are going to be some excellent surprises throughout the week so we hope you'll come back and see us. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Your Pals in Paper,

Team Graphic 45

Hello Crafters,

Thank you so much for joining us today! Happy 4th of July! We hope you are enjoying this super fun day. We have a lot of treats in store for you, including a new blog contest and some spectacular crafts from our design team. Today's crafts feature our fun and festive Le Cirque collection. Yuka Hino has created an adorable mini album, while Robin Shakoor has created one of her classic layouts and a marvelous tutorial. It's going to be an exciting day of inspiration! 

This week's blog contest is simple. Just leave us a Facebook comment any time this week and you will be entered to win this wonderful Magic of Oz prize! It includes a Magic of Oz 12x12 paper pad, both beautiful chipboard die-cuts, and two sets of Magic of Oz cling stamps! We will pick a random winner and announce them on Friday, July 8th right here on the blog. You can leave a comment on any day of the week! Yay!

This first amazing creation was made by Yuka Hino. Yuka has such a terrific imagination and her crafts are always filled with clever ideas and loving sentiments. Check out this beautiful and fun Le Cirque mini album that she created. The photos she used for this mini are so amazing and sweet. They work perfectly with the whimsicality of Le Cirque!

Instructions:

 

Before you begin, cut the images above from patterned paper and tag sheet.  Set aside. 

Layout Base – 12” x 12” - Le Cirque patterned paper.  Use black side.

Cut a 10 ½” x 10 ½” square using Circus Parade patterned paper.  Adhere to the center of the base layer. Now we will build the layers.

Adhere the pre-cut strip from Wizards of Wonders paper to the bottom of page as shown above.

Cut two squares using black card stock. The first square will be 10 ¼” x 10 ¼” and the second square will be 6 ¾” x 6 ¾”.  Using your punch set, punch design around each square.  Adhere the larger (10 ¾”) square to the center of the page.  Set smaller square aside.

Cut a 7” square from Bohemian Floral patterned paper, round corners.  Adhere to center of 10 ¼” square. 

Adhere smaller punched black square (6 ¾”) to the center of the 7” square.  Adhere photo to the center of page.

 

Here is your layered page. 

Adhere the pre-cut Ringmaster to the right side of photo using foam squares.

Cut the word “Mayhem” from Magnifique patterned paper.  Mat using the gold side of Bohemian Floral patterned paper.

Use “Controlled Mayhem to Dazzle and Delight” tag from tag sheet.  Cut the tag in half.  Place the “Mayhem” cut out in the center of the two pieces.  Adhere to layout using foam squares.

Place Crystals above the title and beside the Ringmaster as shown in photo.

That's all for today, crafters. Huge thanks to Yuka Hino and Robin Shakoor for their phenomenal talent and all of their hard work today. We wish you all a wonderful 4th of July and hope to see you here again tomorrow. We have an extra special surprise in store for you on tomorrow's blog. You definitely wont want to miss this! Thank you for joining us today and have a great rest of the day!

Flowers and Fireworks,

Team Graphic 45

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Crafters,

Welcome to this very special day at the Graphic 45 blog! Today we're giving you a sneak peek of our amazing new paper collection, An ABC Primer, which will be premiering at this summer's CHA! Look for it in stores in late August. All this week we will be unveiling images from this gorgeous and heart-warming new collection! It's going to be a spectacular week! Ladies and gentleman, we are very proud to present An ABC Primer, the latest classic creation from Graphic 45.

School is in session and nursery rhymes come to life with Graphic 45! We proudly introduce An ABC Primer, a happy-go-lucky paper collection that pays homage to the vintage schoolhouse and classic nursery rhymes of times gone by. Recall fond memories from a simpler time when learning took place in a one-room schoolhouse, and cozy afternoons were spent studying the three Rs: reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic. You’ll cherish every beautiful page of this inquisitive new collection. Saturated with the classic Graphic 45 color pallet, and adorn with heartwarming vintage images and patterns, An ABC Primer is sure to enrich you with inspiration. Twelve brilliant double-sided papers, coordinating chipboard die-cuts and cling stamps will peak your curiosity and expand your creative horizons. With the An ABC Primer collection from Graphic 45, your craft creations will be at the top of the class!

Grammar School

The Three Rs

Bedtime Stories

Join us tomorrow as we unveil more images from ABC Primer. We are so excited to know what you think so don't hesitate to leave us comments. And don't forget about this week's blog contest! Just leave us a comment on our Facebook page any day this week and you'll automatically be entered to win this week's amazing Magic of Oz prize pack! Have a wonderful day, crafters!

Your Pals in Paper,

Team Graphic 45

Hello Crafters!

Welcome to day two of our CHA sneak peek! The days leading up to CHA are among the most exciting days of the year for us. There is always so much going on and lots of happy anticipation. Revealing our new collections to all of you is especially wonderful. Reading your feedback on our blog and Facebook page is always so inspiring. And remember, this week's blog contest is easy as can be. Just leave us a comment on our Facebook page and you'll be entered to win this week's prize! Today we're revealing the beautiful cling stamp designs that correspond to An ABC Primer. These amazing stamps are a collaboration between Graphic 45 and Hampton Art and are the perfect companion for our adorable new paper collection. Take a look at all of these wonderful images! Just imagine the amazing creations you could make with these beautiful stamps!

An ABC Primer Cling Stamp 1

An ABC Primer Cling Stamp 2

An ABC Primer Cling Stamp 3

Thank you so much for joining us today, crafters. We will have more fabulous images to unveil tomorrow from An ABC Primer. We can't wait for you to see them! Have a lovely day and happy papercrafting!

With Joy and Creativity,

Team Graphic 45

Hello Fabulous Crafters,

Welcome to another day of exciting sneak peeks! The excitement doesn't stop here at Graphic 45. There is so much to do before CHA. Of course it's all very fun and exciting. We can't wait for you all to see our latest and greatest creations. Here is a photo of Dustin and Charee working hard to make hundreds of pretty paper packs for CHA. It's time-consuming work but it's worth it! Every paper pack that we give out at CHA was hand-picked with love from a Graphic 45 employee. How great is that?!

Today we're unveiling the gorgeous An ABC Primer signature page and the chipboard die-cuts that accompany the collection. This new collection is so adorable and sweetly sentimental. We can't wait for you to get your crafty hands on it! Take a look at these wonderful chipboard die-cuts. They are filled with wonderful vintage images and stunning colors. Doesn't this take you back in time? It's so heartwarming. There are so many wonderful possibilities for creativity with An ABC Primer. Let your imagination run wild! Here is the gorgeous signature page of An ABC Primer.

An ABC Primer

An ABC Primer Tags 1

An ABC Primer Tags 2

We will have more amazing sneak peeks tomorrow on our blog. We will also be announcing a winner for this week's blog prize! There's still time to leave us a comment on our Facebook page for your chance to win! We hope you'll join us tomorrow for the fun! Have a wonderful day, crafters!

Happy Papercrafting,

Team Graphic 45