Graphic 45®

Three Ideas For Pretty Mini Albums By Maria Cole

2013-06-19T05:00:00-07:00

Hello G45ers,

There's a beautiful quote by Aristotle that says, "The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." We definitely believe that crafting is an art form that is rooted in kind-hearted reflection and love. Today you are going to see some breathtaking examples of crafts that represent this lovely notion. We will be introducing you to a fabulous new member of the Graphic 45 Design Team, Maria Cole. She has created three awe-inspiring mini albums that are sure to inspire your imagination! If you love mini albums then today's Graphic 45 is going to be pure paradise!

We are thrilled to be welcoming Maria Cole to the new 2013 Graphic 45 Design Team. Her colorful crafts are a true celebration of life! She has a wide range of talents for creating brilliant layouts, mini albums altered art and more! Her art is overflowing with lavish embellishments, dazzling colors and heartfelt sentiments. She also has a great talent for capturing the unique spirit of Graphic 45 collections. She definitely knows how to bring out the vintage-inspired elegance in all of her papercrafting creations! We are so excited to have her on our team. Please join us in welcoming the fabulous Maria!

About Maria:

My papercrafting journey began in April 2011. Back then, I was going through some hard times. On a whim one day, I decided to check out Paper Mermaids in Newport, Oregon. Let me tell you, that day changed my life! My eyes were instantly drawn to a beautiful mini album made with Graphic 45’s On The Boardwalk line. I was mesmerized by the details, rich colors, vintage designs, and how creative the entire piece was. Before this, papercrafting and scrapbooking were foreign words to me. Suddenly, I became obsessed with how artistic scrapbooking had become—and I wanted in. Experimenting with papercrafting brought me so much joy and it restored my hope. It gave me something to put my whole heart into, something to get lost in, and something to bless others with I have loved Graphic 45 from the start and I truly feel like I am my most creative when I’m making something with G45 products. I love decorating the Staples albums and altered boxes with Graphic 45’s beautiful paper, as well as making my own albums using chipboard and upcycled pieces around the house. The transformation from plain tan kraft to a magnificent masterpiece is one I always strive for!

The scrapbook store I found allowed me to design a couple projects. However, life changed course soon after, and my husband and I found ourselves in the greater Seattle area in 2012. The paper fiend that I am, the first thing I looked for was the nearest scrapbooking store: The Mad Scrapper. I’ve been truly blessed to be a regular teacher there for over a year now, and have reveled at the chance to design class projects with the latest Graphic 45 products. Teaching has truly helped stretch my imagination and teaching abilities, and I am incredibly honored and over-the-moon to be teaching as a Graphic 45 Design Team member. I love pretty and feminine styles, lots of flowers, and imaginative yet practical designs. My hope is to help inspire the Graphic 45 community with my projects and to encourage crafters of all levels to design with their whole heart—and to continue spreading the joy of papercrafting.

Maria's Blog:

http://paperiah.blogspot.com/

We begin with this stunning upcyled French Country mini album that Maria created from a pizza box! Isn't that clever?! Here she explains her inspiration behind this marvelous piece. She even includes some fun tips for how it was made! Take it away, Maria!

"I love upcycling everyday items around the house, along with making fully functional projects that still look pretty classy. So you could say that this project combines my love for reusing and for making practical crafts. This is a menu album that I made using the beautiful French Country line and a regular old pizza box! The first thing I did was separate the top and bottom lids of the pizza box, and then trim them both to 8.5” x 11”. From there, I covered both pieces of cardboard with G45 paper and used a strip of black cardstock for binding. For fun, I chose a specific photo mat from “A La Carte” and added alphabet stickers to give my menu a name! I LOVE flowers, so of course, my menu album had to have some! I used the awesome French Country flowers to accent my front cover. For the centers, I thought it would be fun to use various sizes of bling. And because I love color, I brought in some green leaves from Tropical Travelogue to tuck underneath my flowers. The inside opens up to reveal a simple two page layout. I felt the beautiful fruit designs from “Bon Appetit” were perfect for the inside. But the real highlight of the inside is the two photo mats. I placed clear masking tape on both so that I could use a dry erase marker to write and re-write what’s for dinner!" -Maria

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Paper:

French Country Grandeur

French Country Bon Appetit

French Country Bonjour

French Country Deja Vu

French Country Abundance

French Country Provance

French Country A La Carte

Tropical Travelogue Rainforest

Graphic 45 Embellishments:

French Country Stickers

French Country Flowers

Olde Curiosity Shoppe Alphabet Stickers

Additional products:

Bazzill Beetle paper

ZVA crystals

Grungepaper

Metal brads

Tim Holtz Hardware die

Perfect Pearls – Heirloom Gold

Distress Ink – Walnut Stain

Clearing masking tape

12” x 12” pizza box

Next we have another fabulous mini album by Maria. She created this treasure with Tropical Travelogue and lots of pretty Graphic 45 Staples. Maria's pizazz for creating mini albums really shines in this dazzling work of art! Here is what she had to say about it!

"I fell in love with Tropical Travelogue from the moment I first saw it. The vibrant colors, enchanting island designs, and whimsical papers took me away to a far off place! The first project I made with Tropical Travelogue was a children’s book that had lots of fussy cutting and some fun hidden sections. The ladies at The Mad Scrapper in Issaquah, Washington loved that mini so I decided to create a similar one. This was the mini album that I ended up designing for my first mini album class! I LOVE fussy cutting and this paper line has so many perfect pieces for detail cutting. The different types of flowers, leaves, and the island ladies … You can really tell a blissful story through Graphic 45 papers! One of my favorite elements of my mini are the Metal Hinges. They added a fun, interactive touch to the book that all my students loved!" -Maria

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Paper:

Tropical Travelogue 8” x 8” Paper Pad (1 of each design)

Graphic 45 Embellishments:

Metal Hinges Staples

Flower Staples

Additional Products:

Petaloo Forget Me Nots

ZVA crystals

Tim Holtz Memo Pins

Tim Holtz Hinge Clips

American Crafts Brad

Stickles – Copper

Distress Ink – Walnut Stain

Brown, coral, green, and blue May Arts ribbon

Copper rings

Chipboard

Burlap

Last but not least is this breathtaking Secret Garden mini by Maria. She definitely captures the fresh and whimsical spirit of Secret Garden in this sweet mini! Here she gives some helpful tips on how she made this marvelous mini! Take it away, Maria!

"Secret Garden is one of my FAVORITE Graphic 45 paper lines. I absolutely LOVE flowers and soft colors, so naturally I had to use this paper line for one of my final round projects! I chose to use the kraft envelope album for this project because, when you pull the envelopes out and sit them upright, they resemble seedling packets! So that seemed to fit perfectly with the Secret Garden theme. So I made sure to put some real seedling packets in every other envelope! The stamps for this paper line are so beautiful and I wanted to incorporate them somehow. I love stamping and try to use it wherever I can. I thought I could dress up the envelopes by stamping them all over, then applying some gold embossing powder. This little mini has designs on both sides and is bound with some gorgeous May Arts pink silk ribbon, another one of my favorites! I thought about giving this to my mom for Mother’s Day, but I’ve had a hard time letting it go. (Sorry, Mom!!) I look forward to making more pretty creations with Secret Garden along with all the other new fabulous lines that Graphic 45 has in store!" -Maria

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Paper:

Secret Garden Springtime

Secret Garden Leafy Treetops

Secret Garden Meadow Lark

Secret Garden May Flowers

Graphic 45 Embellishments:

Kraft Envelope Album Staples

Secret Garden Cling Stamp 3

Metal Clothespin Staples

Additional Products:

Petaloo Ruffled Roses – Mint

Petaloo Mixed Textured Mini Blossoms – Coral

May Arts Silk 1.25” Ribbon

Ranger Embossing Powder – Gold

Distress Ink – Vintage Photo

Ice Stickles – Coffee Ice

Burpee seedling packets

We hope you all had fun exploring today's magnificent minis by Maria! We are so excited to welcome her to our new Design Team! We also want to thank all of you for joining us today. Come on back and see us tomorrow for more inspiration and fun! We wish you all a very happy day!

Your Pals in Paper,

Team Graphic 45

Whimsical Layouts & Altered Art By Maiko Miwa

2013-06-18T05:00:00-07:00

Hello G45ers,

Inspiration is in the air today as we bring you some gorgeous layouts, altered art and home decor ideas! Our fabulous 2013 Design Team introductions continue today as we share some incredible crafts by Maiko Miwa! You are going to love the enchanting works of art that Maiko created for the 2013 Design Team Call! Her bright and cheerful style is sure to put a smile on your face! So lets get to it!

First we wanted to let you all know about the amazing Graphic 45 Facebook page! It's a wonderful place to get daily inspiration and all the latest Graphic 45 news. It's also the perfect place to get beautiful ideas and upload your latest Graphic 45 creations! Here is a stunning Bird Song tag created by Stacy Rodriguez that was recently uploaded to our Facebook page! We encourage you all to check out the Graphic 45 Facebook page!

Graphic 45 Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Graphic45

We are so happy to be welcoming back Maiko Miwa for her second year on the Graphic 45 Design Team. Maiko lives in Japan and her crafts are full of spirit and imagination. She loves to create colorful depth and dimension in her crafts by utilizing fun paper layering techniques. Every one of her crafts tells a story and she loves to use fun embellishments to help bring them to life. Her crafts are a celebration of the special moments. On her beautiful blog Shiny Scrap there are lots of stunning crafts and techniques to discover. Maiko has a fun and captivating style that works perfectly with Graphic 45 papers and Staples. Please join us in welcoming back the incredible Maiko!

About Maiko:

I am a wife to a lovely husband and a mother to a 6 year old girl. I started scrapbooking in the year 2008 because I wanted to store all the memories with my family in this beautiful way. Nowadays, I teach scrapbook near Kyoto. I am willing to challenge many things throughout scrapbook. I can say my style is soft and feminine. I love to crop many elegant photos. I wish to challenge that it can make also from a different style. When I am making a layout, I always try to make it look like the whole layout is one picture. I love to use a lot of rhinestones, stamps, mists, and inks for my creations. I am honored to be a member of Graphic 45. I will do my best.

Maiko's Blog:

http://shiny-scrap.blogspot.com/

We begin this amazing day with this gorgeous piece of Bird Song Altered art by Maiko. You can see some of Maiko's famous fussy cutting techniques and superb embellishment layering. Her adorable family photos set the stage for creativity to unfold. The vivid colors of Bird Song papers, Stickers and Chipboard Die-Cuts radiate with love in this enchanting piece of home decor. It's simply dazzling!

Supplies:

Bird Song papers

Bird Song Stickers

Bird Song Chipboard Die-Cuts 1 & 2

Next we have this gorgeous layout that Maiko created using Secret Garden. The vivid colors and beautiful photographs will warm your heart! You can see more examples of Maiko's fabulous fussy cutting and paper layering. She definitely created a warm and happy world in this adorable LO! "These photos are my daughter's birthday party. She is 6 years old. Because the color combination of this collection is so beautiful, I made a rainbow !!" -Maiko

Supplies:

Secret Garden 12x12 Papers:

Graphic 45 Staples:

Ornate Metal Label Holder

Chipboard: Imaginarium Designs

Flowers & Mask: Prima

Ink: Tsukineko, Ranger

Others:

Acryclic paint

Ceramic Stacco

Next up is another fantastic creation by Maiko! Here we have a Small Matchbook Box that's all decked out in our Secret Garden collection! Maiko used lots of different Graphic 45 Staples in this amazing box. She layered beautiful Secret Garden papers with Graphic 45 Ornate Metal Keys, Ornate Metal Key Holes, Metal Butterflies and more! This is such a fun and sweet craft! This Small Matchbook Box is just perfect for little treasures, notes or as a gift! This is such a heartwarming work of art!

Supplies:

Graphic45

Ornate Metal Key Holes

Antique Metal Door Pull

Stamped Metal Brads

Metal Butterflies

others

stickles and riquid pearl :Ranger

inks:Ranger,tsukineko

Flowers:Prima

chipboard:Imaginarium Designs

This has been such a great day and we hope you all had a lot of fun exploring the crafts by Maiko! It's going to be a wonderful year with her on our new Design Team! We can't wait to see what the future holds! Big thanks to Maiko for her beautiful work today. We also want to thank all of you for joining us! Please stop by tomorrow to see even more fabulous inspiration from Graphic 45! Enjoy your day, G45ers!

Happy Papercrafting!

Your Friends at Graphic 45

Precious Ideas For Family Memories By Karen Shady

2013-06-17T05:02:37-07:00

Hello G45ers,

The sun is shining on another gorgeous week of fun here on the Graphic 45 blog! We are here to add some joy to your Monday with some awe-inspiring crafts and inspiration! We are continuing our introductions of the incredible new Graphic 45 2013 Design Team! Today you're going to meet an amazing artist, Karen Shady! She has created 3 exquisite crafts including a layout, altered frame and pretty tags! Her work is filled with adorable family photos and heartwarming sentiments that you're sure to love! But first we wanted to announce this week's new blog contest! We're giving away this magnificent Bohemian Bazaar prize pack that includes a 12x12 paper pad, Stickers, Chipboard Die-Cuts, Tags & Pockets, Large Tag Album Staples, Antique Metal Door Pull Staples and a E-Z Dots by Scrapbook Adhesives! That's a $40 value! Just leave us a blog or Facebook comment any time this week for your chance to win! A random winner will be chosen from this week's comments and announced on Friday's blog!

We are so excited to welcome Karen Shady to our new Graphic 45 2013 Design Team. Her crafts are full of love and so many gorgeous details. She definitely knows how to use colorful embellishments to add rich depth and color to her crafts. Karen loves to use embellishments that are inspired by nature like pretty flowers, butterflies, and vining chipboards to give her crafts an organic look. Her family is also a great influence on her work. As you'll see today, she loves to use precious family photos in her crafts to give them heartwarming charm and sincerity. Her beautiful blog Karen's Scrap Spot is filled with stunning ideas, fun insights and lots of inspiration. Her crafts are true celebrations of life! We are so happy to welcome Karen to our team. Please join us in welcoming the amazing Karen!

About Karen:

My name is Karen Shady, and I am Mum to my 5 gorgeous children, Ashlee (22), Matthew (20), Samuel (19), Jack (7) and Harrison (5).I am happily married to Chris, and together we own and run a 6000 acre cropping farm in Victoria, Australia. I love the country life, and am very grateful my kids are growing up here. I have scrapbooked for well over 10 years, and it is a huge part of my life. Over the years, I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work for some amazing magazines, and manufacturing companies. I have what I think is a unique blend of ‘shabby vintage ’ style. I love to layer and fussy cut images from paper, and feel my style is very well suited to G45 products. I do like to try new things, and have a love of rustic style works also. I am beyond excited to be a part of the Graphic 45 Design team, and I hope I can inspire you with my creations.

Karen's Blog:

http://karenshady.blogspot.com.au/

We begin Karen's introduction with this gorgeous altered frame featuring A Ladies' Dairy. You can see how Karen's beautiful family takes center stage in this exquisite creation. Lavish chipboards and flowing embellishments look perfect against the pretty pastel papers of A Ladies' Diary. Here is what Karen had to say about this fabulous piece of home decor.

I made this frame for my daughter, Ashlee, it was inspired by the top left photo of her, which I came across recently. I thought she looked very elegant and ladylike, and I thought these papers, and chippy pieces were the perfect combination to reflect that. She is a farm girl, through and through, and these photos of her all dressed up are hard to come by, as you can see by the other 2 photos I've used. lol. . I've used a combination of 'A ladies diary', 'Little darlings' and 'Olde curiosity shoppe'. Lots of fussy cutting, flowers, and chipboard, all my favourite things. I fussy cut the gorgeous bird nest image from the 'Little darlings' range, and layered the pieces to give it a paper tole look.

Supplies:

A ladies diary - Moment in time, A ladies diary, Picture perfect, La Gazette, Timeless memoir.

Little darlings - Little darlings.

Olde curiosity shoppe - Parlor wall, Butterfly specifics

Other: Kaisercraft frame, Dusty attic chipboard, Manor House Creations flowers, Jo Sonja crackle paint, Tim holtz distress ink, Prima resin corner pieces.

Next we have this adorable layout that Karen created with Little Darlings. This sweet creation celebrates the preciousness of childhood. The amazing photos look perfect against a backdrop of lavish paper layers, fussy cut characters and pretty floral and butterfly embellishments. Here Karen explains her inspiration for this wonderful work of art.

I created this layout a while ago now, but it remains one of my favourites. It is a precious photo of my 2 youngest children, taken in the hospital, the day Jack, my then 2 year old, met his baby brother, Harry for the first time. Is there a more perfect paper collection than the Little darlings range, to preserve and remember such a special moment.

Supplies:

Little darlings paper collection- little darlings, Bundle of joy, Baby borders

Olde curiosity shoppe - Butterfly specifics

Last but not least are these superb Secret Garden tags that Karen made. They are like a breath of fresh spring air with their vivid colors and harmonious embellishments. You can see how perfectly Secret Garden looks with lavish chipboards and bright floral embellishments. Karen definitely captured the essence of spring in these gorgeous tags. Here is what she had to say about them!

I adore the Secret Garden collection, in fact, I think it may just be my all time favourite so far. I chose to go with a shabby chic style for these 2 tags. The 2 gorgeous floral images cut from the ‘Springtime’ paper, take centre stage on my tags, I simply added some chipboard to the top and bottom of my tags, and a flower to finish. A very quick, and easy gift tag for someone special.

Supplies:

Secret Garden paper collection - Springtime, Pretty primrose, Sun kissed.

Olde curiosity shoppe paper collection - Butterfly specifics.

That's all for today, G45ers. We are so happy that you stopped by to see us! Big thanks to Karen for her amazing creations. We are looking forward to a fantastic year of inspiration and creativity with Karen on our team! It's going to be wonderful! Don't forget to leave us a blog or Facebook comment this week for your chance to win that fabulous blog prize. Come on back and see us tomorrow for more splendid inspiration from your friends at Graphic 45!

Happy Papercrafting!

Team Graphic 45

Graphic 45 Presents a May Place in Time "Dearest Mother" Card

2013-06-15T05:00:00-07:00

May Place in Time "Dearest Mother" Card

Download the May Place in Time "Dearest Mother" Card Project Sheet

Last Minute Ideas For Father's Day Gifts!

2013-06-14T05:00:00-07:00

Happy Friday G45ers,

We've got an extra special blog lined up for you today! Father's Day is this Sunday and there's still time to create something special for dad! We've got three splendid ideas for Father's Day cards and gifts! You're sure to find the perfect handmade treasure for your dad, grandparent or special guy in your life! We've got a pretty French Country altered gift box by Romy Veul. Denise Johnson has created an adorable Place in Time date keepsake mini album. We also have a fun and fabulous A Ladies' Diary trio card tutorial by Maria Cole! Today is loaded with inspiration and joy! Plus we have a new winner for this week's blog contest! We chose this week's winner at random from comments left on our Facebook page. And the winner is...

-Angel Sena: "Would really love to win especially the 8x8 proper gentleman pad. I have looked for it, but can no longer find it."

Congratulations, Angel! Please email us with your shipping information at info@g45papers.com to claim your prize. This is the beautiful prize that Angel won today! We have a new blog contest every week here on the Graphic 45 blog so there's always a chance to win something wonderful! Stay tuned for your next chance to win!

Now it's time to give all of you G45ers the perfect inspiration for handmade Father's Day gifts! We begin with this superb altered 8x8 Matchbook box created by Romy Veul. This is the perfect way to turn a simple gift into something beautifully heartfelt. Romy used our French Country collection to add rustic charm and elegance to the Graphic 45 8x8 Matchbook Box. What a wonderful idea! It's fun to make and it's guaranteed to make dad feel loved and appreciated!

"For as long as I can remember, I have always given my dad handmade gifts for Father’s Day. When I was 4, I painted a rock for him in the most awful combination of colours. But he still owns it! When I was 5, I made him a flower pot, even though he does not have any flowers. But he still cherishes it! Well, I could go on like that for a few more sentences. I really want to stick to my tradition of handmade crafts and still like to create something special for him. For this Father’s Day I was looking for a special gift packaging. As soon as I saw the 8x8” Staples matchbook box, I knew this would be perfect for it. I actually covered the inner square of the shadow box with paper, so it would become more like a secret box. I scrapped a photo of myself with the gorgeous French Country collection on top of the box and filled the inside with his favourite candy and a sweet note to my dad" -Romy

Supplies:

8x8 matchbook box

French Country 12x12 papers: Sunflower, Rendezvous, Bon Appetit, A La Carte, Montage

French Country Stickers

French Country Chipboard 2

French Country 8x8 paper pad

Staples Ornate Metal Label Holders

Staples Ornate Metal Keys

May Arts gold ribbon (along the sides of the box)

Scor Tape

Next we have an wonderfully clever date book keepsake by Denise. This sweet mini was made using the new Graphic 45 Tag Album Staples and pretty Place in Time and French Country papers. The mini is filled with fun ideas for outings with dad. It's the gift that keeps on giving! Here is what Denise had to say about the inspiration behind this lovely gift!

"Create this gift for dad that will last long after Father’s day....the whole year in fact! Using Place in Time monthly themed elements create a date with dad page for every month of the year. This keepsake includes a date for each month, a pocket for mementos as well as room for photos and journaling for each date. After the year is through not only will you have had 12 fun dates with dad, you will have a keepsake/scrapbook to cherish the memories long after. PS... I chose some dates that cost me a little, along with some freebies. Check out Restaurant.com and group-on for great ideas and good deals! A friend of mine did only freebie dates, the planning and scheduling is the most important thing here...spending the time and looking forward to your dates!! Enjoy!" -Denise

Monthly gift ideas I included:

June- Cinetopia (dinner and a movie GC)

July- Beach trip (include a map and list of things to do)

August- Baseball game (game & train tickets)

September- Golf & coffee date (GC for local par 3 and Starbucks Card)

October- Pumpkin Patch outing

November- Big Al’s Bowling date (CG)

December- Ice Skating (include a flyer from the ice rink)

January- movie date (GC)

February- 1st Friday Art Walk (include flyers from participating studios)

March- bike ride at the lake (include a map of the trail)

April- Fancy Dinner date (include a Restaurant.com GC)
May- Subway picnic and hike (GC and a map to a local hiking trail)

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Staples- Regular Tag Album

Graphic 45 Staples- Large Tag Album

Graphic 45 Place in Time Collection 8 x 8 Papercrafting Paper

Graphic 45 French Country Collection 8 x 8 Papercrafting Paper

Graphic 45 Bird Song Collection Chipboard Tags 2

Graphic 45 French Country Collection Chipboard 1 & 2

Graphic 45 French Country Collection Tags & Pockets

Graphic 45 French Country Collection Banners

Graphic 45 French Country Collection Flowers

Graphic 45 French Country Collection 6 x 6 Patterns & Solids

Graphic 45 Staples- Ornate Drawer Pull, Ornate Keys

Graphic 45 French Country & Secret Garden Collections- misc. Alphabet Stickers

Graphic 45 Staples- Alphabet Stickers

Misc. May Arts Ribbons

7 Gypsies- paper fasteners & manilla tag pockets

Scrapworks- misc. rub-on letters

Misc bits- chipboard crown, bulldog clip, vintage buttons, bakers twine, crown brad, tickets, metal sprocket charm, plastic Tim Holtz letters

Distressing ink and tool

Journal stamp and ink

Last but not least is this wonderful and fun card trio tutorial by Maria. Follow along with her step-by-step tutorial to create the perfect card for dad! This tutorial is filled with lots of great techniques for working with Graphic 45 papers and Staples! Take it away, Maria!

"For Father’s Day, I wanted to make a unique card set that you can use for the important guys in your life! I love trying alternate ways of using Graphic 45 products, so the idea to use the envelopes from my black policy album hit the spot. Not only are the envelopes lean and long, but they have a uniform style so that each guy receives an equally elegant card. Since most of us may have used up our Proper Gentleman paper, the next best paper line to use for a Father’s Day gift was A Ladies Diary! I felt it would be a fun challenge to use paper that I would normally use with feminine projects for masculine recipients instead. Being the flower-lover I am, I did end up adding in some fussy cut flowers and mini roses but I don’t think my dad, grandpa, or father-in-law will mind! So these envelopes have a front flap that flip up to reveal a message area along with another area that you can place a photo, or something fun like tickets to his favorite sporting event! I left the inside of the envelope empty, so that your dad can fill it with little mementos from Father’s Day. These envelope cards are quite easy to put together! Feel free to substitute other paper patterns or colors wherever you like." -Maria

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Paper:

A Ladies Diary Ageless Beauty

A Ladies Diary Fashion Plate

A Ladies Diary Lasting Impression

A Ladies Diary Moment In Time

A Ladies Diary Timeless Memoir

Graphic 45 Staples:

Black Envelope Policy Album

A Ladies Diary Alphabet Stickers

A Ladies Diary Chipboard Die-cuts 2

Ornate Metal Label Holder Staples

Ornate Key Hole Staples

Ornate Keys Staples

Additional Products:

May Arts sheer gold ribbon (6) 1 foot long pieces

May Arts black plaid ribbon (3) 1 foot long pieces

Imaginarium Designs chipboard pieces

6 tiny metal brads

Prima mini roses

Corner punch of your choice

Ranger Distress Crackle Paint in Clear Rock Candy

Tutorial:

Overall note: Ink and distress edges of all papers that you cut and fussy cut with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and a paper distresser before adhering.

Step 1: Remove (3) envelopes from your black policy envelope album.

Step 2: Take Timeless Memoir paper, tan side up, and cut (3) 3 7/8” wide x 12” tall pieces. With each piece, score 3” at the bottom and fold. You will use one piece per envelope.

Step 3: Adhere the 9” tall section of the Timeless Memoir pieces to the front of the envelopes. (The front of your envelopes have the envelope flaps on top.)

Adhere the 3” tall sections to the back of the envelope.

Step 4: Take Fashion Plate paper, black side up, and cut (3) 3.75” wide x 12” tall strips. Trim each of these to 3.75” wide x 8.75” tall, but save your 3.75” wide x 3.25” tall pieces for Step 7.

Step 5: Take 3.75” wide x 8.75” tall Fashion Plate paper and score .75” from the top and fold. Adhere just the scored section to the front of each envelope to create a flap.

Step 6a: Take Lasting Impression paper, border side up, and trim off the bottom (3) patterns: the journal images, clocks, and pink fashion plate. Cut out each journal image; you will use one per envelope. Take clock border and cut (3) 3.75” long strips. Take pink fashion plate border and cut (3) 3 7/8” long strips. Save the pink fashion plate strips for Step 15.

Step 6b: Take your remaining Lasting Impression paper and flip over to reveal blue side. Cut (3) 3.75” wide x 7.5” tall pieces. Then, trim each piece to 3.75” wide x 6” tall but save your 3.75” wide x 1.5” tall scraps for Step 11.

Step 7: Locate your 3.75” x 3.25” Fashion Plate pieces from Step 4. Turn pieces so they are 3.25” x 3.75”. Use a fancy corner punch (I used Martha Stewart’s Deco Shell punch) on each corner.

Step 8a: Locate your Moments In Time paper. Fussy cut (6) bunches of flowers, (3) medium clocks, and (3) large clocks from the edges of your paper. Set aside the medium clocks for Step x10.

Step 8b: Locate your Ageless Beauty paper and cut out the (3) photo mats that have men in them along with the photo mat of the car. Fussy cut (3) stamps.

Step 9: Open up each flap. Adhere 3.75” x 6” Lasting Impression, journal image, stamp, and large clock to upper half. Adhere 3.25” x 3.75” Fashion Plate pieces and fussy cut flowers to lower half. Optional: Use Ladies’ Diary Alphabet Stickers to spell “for you” on each.

Step 10: Locate your fussy cut medium-sized clocks from Step 10. For a crackled effect, apply some Distress Crackle Paint in Clear Rock Candy to each. Dry completely before using.

Step 11: Optional: Take some fancy chipboard embellishments, such as these corner edges and medallions from Imaginarium Designs, and apply some brown ink. Set aside.

Step 12: Locate your 3.75” x 1.5” Lasting Impression pieces from Step 6b. Make sure the blue side is face up, then use your alphabet stickers to spell “Dad” or “Papa” in the center of the piece. (Note: These particular letters from Ladies’ Diary can only fit 5 characters or less.) Adhere Ornate Metal Label Holder over stickers; punch holes and insert brads. Also punch holes in the lower left and right corners and insert tiny metal brads. Adhere to the bottom of the front flap to create nameplates.

Step 13: Locate 3.75” wide clock border pieces and adhere above nameplates. Then, arrange Ageless Beauty images, chipboard embellishments, Ladies’ Diary chipboard die cuts, mini roses, fussy cut flowers, and medium-sized clock per photo.

Step 14: Take black plaid ribbon, fold in half, then fold in half again. Take a Metal Brad and pierce through ribbon and insert into envelope flap hole. Take 1 foot of gold ribbon, tie an Ornate Metal Key in the center, then tie around Metal Brad. Place a letter sticker under the envelope flap to hide the brad arms.

Step 15: Take your Lasting Impression 3 7/8” strips from Step 6a and adhere to the back of your envelopes, blue side up. Take 1 foot of gold ribbon and tie around the inside of the envelope, making a bow on the side. Take a large monogram sticker and attach with foam dots to the back.

Step 16: Insert some movie tickets or other fun things underneath the gold ribbon. Or, tuck a menu from his favorite restaurant inside the envelope. Then, give him a big hug and tell him “Happy Father’s Day” and how much you love him!

We hope you all had a lot of fun exploring these fabulous ideas for Father's Day gifts and cards! We encourage you all to take some time to create a special handmade gift for your dad! Huge thanks to Romy, Denise and Maria for their gorgeous work today! We hope you all enjoy your day! Come on back and see us for more joyful craft ideas to brighten your day. Have a great weekend and a Happy Father's Day!

Your Pals in Paper,

Team Graphic 45

Decorate in Style With Denise Johnson's Minis & More!

2013-06-13T05:00:00-07:00

Hello G45ers,

Get ready for a whimsical day of breathtaking mini albums, journals and more! We are thrilled to be introducing another talented member of the new Graphic 45 2013 Design Team, the fabulous Denise Johnson. She has created three extraordinary crafts that are sure to knock your socks off! You will see amazing ideas for creating perfect mini albums for any occasion! It's going to be so much fun! We also wanted to remind you all that today is the final day to leave us a blog or Facebook comment for your chance to win this week's blog prize! You could win 8x8 paper pads from both A Proper Gentleman and Olde Curiosity Shoppe, Stickers and Alphabet Stickers from Olde Curiosity Shoppe, Large Tag Album Staples, Black Policy Envelope Staples and Chipboard Button Staples! That's a $42 value! Just leave us a blog or Facebook comment today for your chance to win! A random winner will be announced on tomorrow's blog!

We are so excited to welcome Denise Johnson to the Graphic 45 2013 Design Team. She is an artist with a refined style and incredible creativity. She has an incredible knack for making superbly detailed and embellished crafts that are instantly heartwarming. Her blog Art Soiree is filled with incredible ideas, lavish crafts and fun insights. She definitely has a talent for adding the classic Graphic 45 vintage charm to all of her creations. Her work overflows with superb technique and alluring style. One look at Denise's captivating crafts and you'll understand why she's perfect for the Graphic 45 Design Team! We are so excited to welcome her on board for another great year of inspiration! Ladies and gentleman, please join us in welcoming the amazing Denise Johnson!

About Denise:

Denise Johnson…designer, artist and purveyor of good junk. My passion for paper, repurposing and treasure hunting have melded together splendidly, allowing me to do what I love every single day. Whether I’m designing for an upcoming workshop, on the hunt for discarded, rusty treasure or building a new vignette to showcase my creations, I’m immersed daily in all my favorite things and life is GOOD!!

I’ve evolved right along with the ever-changing paper crafting industry. What started out as a part-time, just-for-fun gig, designing & teaching for a few of my local scrapbook stores, developed into an amazing, rewarding career. Through my store contacts I acquired a position with a large paper crafting manufacturer, moving through the ranks, advancing to National Education Director. After years of travel and commuting, I decided to create a home base, and opened my own store, providing the very best in mixed media art supply, creative workshops and custom framing services.

Today, my aspirations of establishing a thriving home studio and classroom have been realized. I host workshops and parties, participate in vintage markets and design paper goods for events and local businesses.

I’m living my dreams on our farm, with my dogs and always amusing, ever-accommodating little family. We enjoy our bucolic life immensely, however we do occasionally leave the farm, mostly to engage our foodie senses, exploring all the wonderful restaurants & eateries in the big city just over the river. Running, cooking, shopping, gardening, hiking and entertaining are a few of my {other} favorite things.

Denise's Blog:

http://junquesoiree.blogspot.com/

Here we have one of Denise's amazing altered journals. This one features Steampunk Debutante and it's filled with lots of enchanting embellishments. Denise definitely captures the fun-loving spirit of Steampunk Debutante on every page of this pretty journal. We love her clever technique for book-binding! Metal Staples mingle amid lavish paper layers and fussy cut elements. This journal is a true celebration of creativity!

Supplies:

Graphic45 Steampunk Debutante 12x12 papers

Pink Paislee chipboard letters

manilla file folders

corrugated paper

wire rebar

wing nuts & bolts

misc. nuts and bolts and washers

door hinges

medium weight welding rod

diamond glaze

bronze embossing powder, clear embossing ink, embossing gun

music sheet paper

adhesive rhinestones, paper flowers, brads, buttons, twine

journal line stamp/ink

circle punch

distress ink, distressing tool

stapler

adhesive- dry and foam tape

scissors

paper trimmer

needle-nose plier

wire cutters

Summer is in full swing in this joyful mini album featuring On the Boardwalk. Denise combined lots of different designs and colors to give this mini a bright and cheerful look. Pretty ribbons, sea shell embellishments and cute pockets only add to the allure of this clever creation! It's the perfect mini to house your precious memories from summertime!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 On the Boardwalk 12x12 papers

Graphic 45 Bird Song Cardstock Stickers

Graphic 45 Place in Time Chipboard

Webster’s Pages 12x12 papers and stickers

journal line stamp & ink

distress ink & tool

sanding tool

misc. ribbon scraps

found shells

3-D Art Gel Medium

key tags

shell charm

mini brads

foam tape

hole punch

5 x 5 book board covers

5 x 5 book pages

book rings

Here is a stunning French Country portfolio that Denise made! This astonishing creation definitely highlights Denise's attention to even the smallest detail. You can see how she loves to layer lots of gorgeous embellishments to give her creations beautiful depth and dimension. French Country Banners and Stickers only add to the vivid color and charm of this amazing creation. All the rustic elegance of French Country is in full display in this expertly decorated work of art!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 French Country Collection 12 x 12 Papercrafting Paper

Graphic 45 French Country Cardstock Stickers

Graphic 45 French Country 8 x 8 Papercrafting Paper

Chipboard, elastic, binder prong (to create portfolio)

Distress Ink and Distressing tool

Collage embellishments- misc.flowers, brads, book plate, buttons, ribbon scraps, cork, bingo game piece, metal edging, gaffer tapes, jute, bulldog clip, key

October Afternoon chipboard letters

Pink Paislee chipboard letters

Typewriter key letters

gesso

journal line stamp, ink

cardstock (for cascading element, mini matchbook and garden journal)

blank manilla tags

We hope you all enjoyed today's gorgeous crafts! We are so excited to have Denise on our team and we want to thank her for all of her beautiful creations today. Big thanks to all of you G45ers who stopped by to see us. Don't forget to leave us a blog or Facebook comment today for your chance to win that wonderful blog prize! A winner will be announced on tomorrow's blog along with more amazing crafts to inspire your weekend! Thank you so much for visiting us today, G45ers! Have a fabulous day!

Happy Papercrafting!

Your Friends at Graphic 45

Picture Perfect Cards & Gifts For Father's Day

2013-06-12T05:00:00-07:00

Hello Fabulous G45ers,

Father's Day is just around the corner! There's still time to create a special handmade treasure for the dad in your life! Father's Day is a wonderful holiday to celebrate dads, grandparents and more! It is an opportunity to express your love and gratitude for all that they've contributed to your life! Why not take the time to create a beautiful handmade card or gift with Graphic 45! It's the perfect way to show you care! Today we have three gorgeous crafts and tutorials that are sure to give you some fabulous ideas! We've got French Country card creations and tutorials by Annette Green and Susan Lui. There's also a beautiful gift card holder and tutorial by Karen Shady! Get ready for an incredible day of inspiration and fun!

We begin this amazing day with this gorgeous French Country Father's Day card and tutorial by Annette. This card is so wonderfully sophisticated with it's gorgeous colors and lovely layers! This card is so much fun to make and it's guaranteed to make dad smile! Follow along with Annette's fabulous tutorial to create this very special Father's Day card!

Supplies:

12 x 12 Signature Series cardstock

6 x 6 French Country Patterns & Solids pack

12 x 12 French Country paper pack

Graphic 45 metal key

French Country Cardstock Alphabet Stickers

Ribbon

Buckle

Die-cuts from Tim Holtz Fleur-de-lis and Eiffel Tower Alterations Die

Tutorial:

1. Cut a card base from black cardstock for a 5 x 7” card.

2. Cut two coordinating pattern paper pieces (from French Country 6 x 6 Patterns and Solids) 3” x 4 3/4” each and adhere to top and bottom portion of the card front. Then cut a Carte Postale image from the French Country 12 x 12 paper pack and adhere to center of card.

3. Create a unit:

• Cut red cardstock 1 1/2” x 4 3/4” and pattern paper at 1 1/4” x 4 3/4”

and adhere together.

• From blue cardstock die-cut image of a fleur-de-lis and ink edges

• Using ribbon (or faux leather material) weaved through a buckle and adhere to

the paper unit, tucking the fleur-de-lis behind it. Add a metal key to the fleur-de-lis

using Tacky Glue.

4. Adhere the unit to the card front.

5. From black cardstock, die-cut an Eiffel Tower shape and adhere to card using foam tape. Cut the postage image from French Country 12 x 12 paper and add DAD stickers, then pop up with foam tape in lower right corner of card. Finish the card with a gray colored satin ribbon tied into a large bow. Adhere with Tacky Glue.

Next we have another gorgeous French Country Father's Day card and tutorial! This superb card was created by Susan and it's filled with rustic charm and beauty. You can see how Susan used paper distressing and pretty embellishment layering techniques to create this joyful work of art. Follow along with her fun tutorial to create this sweet treasure for your dad! Take it away, Susan!

Here’s a Father’s Day Card I created using Graphic 45’s French Country collection and Graphic 45 Staples.

Tutorial:

Supplies:

Graphic 45 French Country Sunflower, Rendezvous and Promenade patterned papers

Graphic 45 French Country Chipboard 2

Graphic 45 French Country Flowers

Graphic 45 French Country Tags & Pockets

Graphic 45 Place In Time January Foundation patterned paper

Graphic 45 Staples Ornate Metal Key Holes

Graphic 45 Staples Ornate Metal Keys

May Arts Ribbon

A heart-shaped doily

Small brads

Some twine

Instructions:

1. Cut a 6x12 inch sheet from the Place In Time Foundation patterned paper, ink the edges and fold it in half. This will be the base of your card. Cut a 6x6 inch square from the Sunflower patterned paper and distress the edges.

2. Attach the Sunflower patterned paper to the Foundation paper, followed by the heart-shaped doily.

3. Cut out a flower motif from the Promenade patterned paper. Select the small blue envelope from the Tags & Pockets and construct the envelope. Now place the fussy cut flower and the envelope on the card as shown.

4. Cut a short strip of blue denim ribbon and lay it across the card, snipping dovetails into both ends. Place the black & white die cut flower over the ribbon as shown.

5. Adhere the Ornate Metal Key Hole to the flower on the card. Now assemble the red and green flowers using pop dots and top this off with the small black chipboard circle. Adhere this onto the corner of the Metal Ornate Key Hole.

6. Write “Happy Father’s Day” on to a thin strip of Rendezvous patterned paper and dove tail one end of the strip. Adhere this to the card using small brads.

Your completed Father’s Day Card:

Last but not least are these gorgeous gift card holders by Karen featuring Bird Song and A Proper Gentleman. This is the perfect way to add personalized pizazz to any Father's Day gift! Karen created some great instructions that explains how these sweet creations were made. Create your own unique expression of love this Father's Day with Graphic 45! Take it away, Karen!

These cards are so quick and easy to make. You can use any envelope as the template, from large business sized envelopes, to small, specialty ones, like you would use for wedding invitations. I have designed some that can open up, so as you can place your sentiment inside, or, in this case, enclose a gift card, then others can be sealed closed, with the sentiment written on the back.

Supplies:

Bird song: Joy luck patterned paper, 8x8 paper pad: Jasmine dream, Tags #1

Olde curiosity shoppe: Butterfly specifics

Renaissance Faire: Tags

other: metal brads, double sided tape, hessian (burlap) foam tape, dimensional magic.

Tutorial:

1. Using your chosen envelope as a template, open out, and trace onto the reverse of your chosen paper, cut on trace lines

2. Again using your envelope as a guide, score the fold lines.

3. Adhere double sided tape along the flaps, and close your envelope as shown

3. Using the top flap as a guide, trim a piece of hessian to size, and adhere underneath flap. Again, using the top flap as a guide, trim a coordinating piece of paper, to cover the hessian under the flap.

4. Decorate your envelope using a variety of G45 metal staples, and fussy cut images.

5. I have used a tiny press stud adhered under the flap to hold the card closed.

We hope you all enjoyed today's very special Graphic 45 blog post. We have more fun and excitement in store for you on tomorrow's blog. We hope you'll stop by and see us. Big thanks to Annette, Susan and Karen for their superb crafts and tutorials today. We also want to thank all of you G45ers for stopping by! We wish you all a very wonderful Wednesday!

With Love and Pretty Paper,

Your Friends at Graphic 45

Magical Minis & Altered Art By Clare Charvill

2013-06-11T05:00:00-07:00

Hello G45ers,

To quote the brilliant writer Mark Twain, “You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” Well today's Graphic 45 blog is dedicated to bringing your imagination and creativity into crystal clear focus! We've got stunning inspiration from Clare Charvill including amazing mini albums and altered art! You will see some gorgeous craft ideas that are sure to get your creative gears turning. Today we are welcoming Clare Charvill back to the Graphic 45 Design Team for her second year in a row! But first we wanted to give a quick shout-out to all of the amazing G45ers on our Facebook page! That Graphic 45 Facebook page is a wonderful place to get daily inspiration, find out all the latest Graphic 45 news and connect with an amazing community of G45ers just like you! Here is a wonderful project that was recently posted to our Facebook page. It's a Bird Song altered trunk by Maggi Harding! We encourage you all to post your Graphic 45 creations on our Facebook page! Share the love and get inspired with Graphic 45!

Graphic 45 Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Graphic45

We are thrilled to welcome back the amazing Clare Charvill to the Graphic 45 Design Team. Clare's style is classic, elegant and exceptional! If you venture on over to her blog called My Creative Spirit you'll see a plethora of gorgeous crafts of all different kinds. Her talents are abundant and she loves to share her passion for crafting with others. Clare has a big following on her Youtube channel as well. She creates wonderful and informative videos that are full of fabulous ideas. Each of Clare's creations embodies its own little world with lots of stunning embellishments and vibrant color. We are very excited to have her talent and enthusiasm back to our Design Team. Ladies and gentleman, say hello to the fabulous Clare Charvill!

Clare's Blog:

http://www.mycreativespirit.blogspot.com/

About Clare:

I'm a working mum of two great teenage boys, have a very supportive partner and am a craft–a-holic in my spare time lol!!! Since I was very small I've had an interest in all things crafty, something I inherited from my mum. In my 20's I took up cake decorating, inspired by a friend who made my 21st birthday cake and went on to teach basic and advanced sugar craft for 10 years at my local college. I had great fun teaching others and sharing my inspiration. Seeing people discover hidden talents they never new they had is really rewarding.

My interest in scrap booking started about 7 years ago, when I made two 12 x 12 keepsake albums for my boys capturing their best childhood moments for them to look back on in years to come. Hooked, I joined the You Tube crafting community in Jan 2011 where I found and fell in love with Graphic 45 collections and have been making albums and altered art with them ever since. In 2012 I was lucky enough to join the design team and am over the moon to have been selected back onto the team for 2013. I’m looking forward to another really creative year with this amazing company and their truly vintage paper collections.

We begin with one of Clare's famous pieces of altered art. Here is a gorgeous French Country altered clock that opens to reveal a stunning mini album. Clare's classic style and limitless imagination shines in this elegant piece of home decor. Here she explains how she was inspired to create this elegant work of art. Take it away, Clare!

I loved designing and making this project. Inspired by the French Country paper collection, french buildings and a very old family clock I remember being on the mantle piece at home when I was small, it started life off as 2mm chipboard sheets, a Graphic 45 film canister and round album, an 8 x 8 matchbook box and papers from six Graphic 45 paper collections.

After giving the box an antique paint effect using black and gold acrylic paint I covered the front and inside with papers from the 8 x 8 French Country collection and then added some of the fabulous sunflowers, cut aparts and staples trim and metals. Next I took the film canister, painted it with black and metalic gold alcohol ink, and attached it to the inside of the matchbook box and added a downloaded clock face that aged with Antique Linen distress ink before adding the clock hands.

For the base and top of the clock I made a paper pattern, and then cut the chipboard to size. I used masking tape to join the chipboard pieces together and once assembled painted both top and bottom sections in black acrylic paint. Then I covered them all with papers from the French Country and ABC Primer collections.

The base of the album was made using four of the six rounds of the kraftcard album that came in the film canister. I themed the album using green, cream, red and black papers that I had left over from projects made from ABC Primer, Happy Hauntings, Botanicabella, Olde Curiosity Shoppe, Place in Time, and the new French Country collection and pieced each of the pages together using a semi circular theme with green on one side and reds on the other. The closure is a piece of the gorgeous checked May Arts Ribbon. Here are some close ups of each of the pages.

Supply List

8 x 8 Matchbook Box

Film Canister and kraft card album

Happy Hauntings papers

Place in Time

ABC Primer

Botanicabella

Old Curiosity Shoppe

French Country

Various stickers

Staples

Ornate Metal Brad

Ornate Metal Label holder

Ornate Metal Key

Metal Clothes Pin

Metal Tags

Staples Trim - black

Other Supplies

Black Card

On the Edge Railings die

Vintage Photo Distress Ink

Antique Linen Distress Ink

Ranger Alcohol ink - black and gold metalic

Black & Gold Acrylic paint

May Arts Ribbon

Foam Tape

Glossy Accents

Tacky glue

Next we have another incredible piece of altered art by Clare. This one features our Magic of Oz and it definitely captures the fun and whimsical spirit of this sweet paper collection. This is a great example of Clare's amazing fussy cutting skills and gorgeous attention to detail. This would make the perfect piece of home decor or even a fabulous handmade gift! Here Clare explains how she came up with this magical idea!

I love being creative with this collection. For this project I used a book box template to make the base of the book out of black card, and then used pages from the original Magic of Oz book to cover one side of the box. The other side has a cut out front cover so I decided to create a 3d collage using all of the characters. There was a lot of fussy cutting involved which I did over a couple of evenings whilst watching tv.

The left hand cover of the book comes off to reveal one of my Zig Zag albums.

Supply List

12 x 12 and 8 x 8 Magic of Oz papers Graphic 45

Black Card

Pages from the original story book

Book Box template - House of Zandra

Vintage photo Distress Ink

Tacky Glue

Foam Tape

Last but not least is this gorgeous Kraft Reflections memory book that Clare created. Every page of this fabulous album has so much vintage charm and sophistication. You can see how Clare used her classic fussy cutting and layering techniques to bring this album to life. This is the perfect album to house your most cherished memories! Here Clare explains how she used this wonderful collection to create this one-of-a-kind treasure!

I thought this was a really clever collection bringing so many of the detailed layering together in muted creams, kraft and black colour pallette. This album, made a while ago took quite a while to plan out and even longer to put together. I combined the papers, masks inks and cream card to make an album that had a vintage feel to it, oodles of room for photos and journalling and lots of flip out pages and sections. Here’s some of the pages in detail.

On reflection it remains one of my favourite albums as it’s a little different from others that I’ve made.

Supply List

Kraft Reflections 12 x 12 paper pad

Staples Trim

Small metal brad

Black & Cream Card

Chipboard pieces for covers and spine

Vintage photo Ink

Various on the edge dies

Various That special touch of... masks

Decorative strip die Tattered Flower Garland

Book knob 7 Gypsies

Extra thick greem embossing powder

We hope you all had a lot of fun exploring today's Graphic 45 blog. We are so happy to welcome Clare back to our team. We know it's going to be another fabulous year of inspiration! Big thanks to Clare for all of her great work today. Thank you all so much for stopping by to see us! We will have some more amazing ideas for fun Father's Day gifts on tomorrow's blog. You wont want to miss out! Have a terrific day, G45ers!

Happy Papercrafting!

Your Friends at Graphic 45

DIY Gift Ideas For Dad!

2013-06-10T05:00:00-07:00

Hello G45ers,

Father's Day is Sunday, June 16th and we are making it our mission to bring you lots of gorgeous ideas for the perfect gift for dad! Our new design team has been working hard to create the most fun and awe-inspiring crafts for this very special day! Handmade cards and gifts are the perfect way to show dad that you care! Get ready for an amazing day as we bring you two stunning DIY gift ideas for Father's Day! Arlene Cuevas has made a magnificent gift card holder and video tutorial. We also have a breathtaking keepsake box by Denise Johnson! Also in honor of Father's Day we are giving away this beautiful Father's Day-inspired Graphic 45 prize pack! You could win 8x8 paper pads from both A Proper Gentleman and Olde Curiosity Shoppe, Stickers and Alphabet Stickers from Olde Curiosity Shoppe, Large Tag Album Staples, Black Policy Envelope Staples and Chipboard Button Staples! That's a $42 value! Just leave us a blog or Facebook comment this week for your chance to win! A random winner will be announced on Friday's blog!

And now it's time for some fabulous DIY gift ideas! First up is this amazing French Country Father's Day gift card holder by Arlene. Gift cards are a great idea for Father's Day. Why not turn that ordinary gift card into a handmade treasure with a beautiful Graphic 45 gift card holder?! It's a great way to add a heartfelt sentiment to your Father's Day gift! Arlene used the new Graphic 45 Large Tag Album Staples to create this elegant gift! Follow along with her fun and easy video tutorial to create the perfect personalized gift card holder for dad! Take it away, Arlene!

"Gift card holders are a fun and easy way to deliver your gift cards this Father’s Day. With Graphic 45’s Large Tag from the Large Tag Album, some Metal Staples and the French Country paper collection, you can create a fun, fast adorable little holder! I created a video tutorial to help walk you through the process, so what are you waiting for?! Let’s get you on your way so you’ll be ready for Father’s Day!" -Arlene

Here is Arlene's wonderful video tutorial where she shows you how to create this beautful gift card holder for dad!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56PrfwoD3II&feature=youtu.be

Supplies:

French Country paper collection

French Country Tags and Envelopes

French Country Flowers

French Country Banners

French Country Chipboard

French Country 12x12 Stickers

French Country Alphabet Stickers

Staples: Large Tag Album, Ornate Metal Key Holes, Ornate Metal Keys, Stamped Metal Brads, Chipboard buttons

May Arts ribbon

Black cardstock

White cardstock

Ranger Distress Ink: Walnut Stain

Scor Tape

Glossy Accents

E6000 glue

3M ATG adhesive

Sticky Stuff Store dimensionals

3M dimensionals

Next we have another amazing idea for a handmade gift for dad! Here is Denise's beautiful keepsake box that's guaranteed to warm dad's heart.Denise combined French Country, Bird Song and lots of beautiful Graphic 45 Metal Staples to give this box a stunning, masculine look. It opens to reveal mini memory books! This is a great gift idea that's both fun to make and wonderfully nostalgic. Here are some fun tips from Denise on how she created this masterful work of art!

"Bring a tear to dad’s eye with this wonderful keepsake featuring masculine tones, great texture and multiple mini journals full of all of his favorite memories. I labeled each book for specific family members. I will add photos and mementos relating to each individual, leaving room for each person to add their own personal memories, thoughts and greetings for dad. I pulled together bits and pieces from a variety of Graphic 45 collections, creating an unexpected, yet ideal masculine color story, just perfect for this Father’s Day themed project. The base was a set I had tucked away in a cupboard forever. It would be super-easy to re-create this set using a cigar box and handmade mini books. The photo montage features 2 versions of the box cover; a simplified version as well as a more embellished look." -Denise

Supplies:

Graphic 45 French Country 8 x 8 Papercrafting Papers

Graphic 45 French Country 6 x 6 Patterns & Solids

Graphic 45 French Country Chipboard

Graphic 45 Bird Song 8 x 8 Papercrafting Papers

Graphic 45 Bird Song Stickers

Graphic 45 Alphabet Stickers (a mix of Bird Song, French Country, A Ladies’ Diary & Secret Garden)

Graphic 45 Door Plate and Knob

Graphic 45 Ornate Metal Label Holder

Graphic 45 Metal Brads

Graphic 45 Metal Key

Misc. May Arts Ribbons

Tim Holtz- metal clock face, metal word charm, grungeboard letters

misc items- paper flower, pocket watch & crown chipboard, washers, screw-top brads

Distress Ink and distressing tool

Creative Imaginations- be. (bare*elements) box & mini books

Tutorial:

The base was a set I had tucked away in a cupboard forever. If you can't find a similar set it would be super-easy to re-create using a cigar box and handmade mini books.

Let's get started.....

The first step is to cover your box. I had so much fun utilizing the French Country and Song Bird Collections in a masculine way, rethinking these collections and expanding the possibilities!!
cut paper to fit each flat surface... top, bottom, sides, inside covers and your outside cover. adhere pieces into place then sand & ink as desired.

Next, cover your individual mini books and add your family names. I mixed and matched solids and patterns for the covers and spines. The scaled down patterns from the 8 x 8 collection were perfect for these smaller books. I used a variety of Alphabet stickers to label each book.

Finally...(and my most favorite!) decorate and embellish the cover of the box.

I included layers of manly metal pieces, lots of textures and a fun, whimsical banner.

We hope you all enjoyed today's DIY Father's Day gift ideas! We have more wonderful Father's Day inspiration in store for you this week so stay tuned for more grand inspiration! Big thanks to Arlene and Denise for their gorgeous work today. We also want to thank all of you G45ers for stopping by our blog today. Don't forget to leave us a blog or Facebook comment today for your chance to win that beautiful blog prize! Stop by and see us tomorrow for more fun and inspiration! Have a marvelous Monday, G45ers!

Happy Papercrafting!

Your Friends at Graphic 45

Graphic 45 Presents a May Place in Time Layout

2013-06-08T05:00:00-07:00

Place in Time May Layout

Download the May Place in Time Layout Project Sheet