Here is the latest installment of our Graphic 45 Guest Designers. Many of you may remember that back in April we hosted a Graphic 45 Week on the Paper Crafter’s Library Blog. It was week filled with projects and inspiration using Graphic 45’s Tropical Travelogue Collection. We had such a great experience partnering with Graphic 45 and their design team, and such a great response from you, that we’ve decided to partner with them on an ongoing basis. The first and third week of every month one of the Graphic 45 Designers will share a project they’ve created here on the PCL Blog. We started with our monthly designers in June and before I introduce you to our latest Designer, I just wanted to take a minute to re-introduce Graphic 45 for those of you that may not be familiar with the company.
Graphic 45 is an award-winning scrapbook and paper crafting company— owned and operated by a mother and her two daughters.
Diane Schultz (pictured center)—Designer and CEO (aka mother)
“I’m passionate about being creative and eager to make it possible for others to find their creative voice. My background includes stints as a designer for, McCalls, Simplicity, Vogue/ Butterick, Mattel Toy Company and a host of other jobs that each, in some way, led me to what I do now. At 45 I went back to school and got my degree in graphic design— I named the company to celebrate that achievement.”
Aimee Filimoehala (pictured left) —Director of Operations
“I wear a lot of hats and love it that way. Business, marketing, operations, etc. have made me a pro at multitasking (aka juggling‑figuratively and literally). When we launched Graphic 45 just three years ago we had no idea what was in store, working together as a family has been an amazing journey that we all feel so grateful to be apart of.”
Charee Filimoehala (pictured right)—Director of Customer Service and Design Team Coordinator
“I joined the team a little over three years ago and haven’t looked back…what a life-changing experience this has been. I love working with and around creative people and products (not to mention I like my co-workers quite a bit). I spend my days working with our friendly stores and talented design team…the occasional trip to a workshop or tradeshow pretty nice too.”
Together we create vintage inspired crafting products that capture the flamboyant style of the 1920’s and 30’s – with vibrant color, irresistible texture and imaginative design to create products with decades-old appeal that’s both fresh and familiar. Let our products inspire your next scrapbook layout, card, album or home decor project.
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Here’s a picture of their booth at the CHA show which absolutely blows us away every year! The artwork inside is absolutely stunning and totally unique. At the last show as we were speaking with Diane she told us that many of the altered pieces were vintage finds which she and her team transformed with their gorgeous Graphic 45 products. We can’t wait to stop by their booth at the Chicago CHA and see what they’ve got in store this year!
Here’s a picture of the Graphic 45 team – they’re always dressed in period costumes to complement the themes in their collections – every day of the show brings a new set of costumes. The ones shown below were for their Little Darlings collection.
Graphic 45 Designer Nicole Eccles
Our next Graphic 45 Guest Designer for this month is Nicole Eccles who is part of the 2012 Graphic 45 Design Team. We are very excited to share Nicole’s project with you. She has an amazing project.
You can see Nicole’s fabulous project below, but first, here is a little more about Nicole:
Art for me is a daily part of life. It is my release, my strength, and my inspiration. It has taught me patience, how to let go, and most important, who I really am. I feel as an artist, the world around you is seen in a different hue. Not always marching to the same beat as everyone else. Maybe you are a dreamer, or hopeless romantic. As artists We live in a reality based world, that is often visited by fairies, strange creatures and all things magical. Where pigs really can fly, and anything is possible!
For me, the creative process is something that just happens. I never really have a set plan to create anything specific in mind. Maybe I know it is a canvas, or a shadowbox, but otherwise I let the papers and images guide my imagination. Once an idea sparks, it becomes a mad dash to make the vision come to life, as dust bunnies build up and dinner becomes something just quick and convenient. Searching for images, or staining my fingers with inks, clothes covered in paint and staying up past the witching hour driving to just get a little more done. And once I finally do hit the bed, dreams of my creation keep me working all night long, sometimes to where I don’t feel I have slept at all. Wake up, send the kiddo off to school and do it all again, until it has come to life!
With a deep interest for Halloween, and the more bazaar. I have been inspired by artists like Edward Gorey and Tim Burton. Add a love for science, architecture and anything mechanical, it was only natural for me to be drawn to the style of steampunk.
These collages are the perfect example of my love for steampunk and all things funky. Each one is created on stretched canvas, with a unique hand painted background by using a mix of Acrylic paints, and adding a touch of shine and wonder with Twinkling H20s. Bright colors and imagery pull you into an almost surreal world, where giant octopus battle with big fish. Elephants perform in top hats, and ravens rest about. This is my fantasy world come to life!
Toy Truck Gift Box
I’m happy to bring you this Toy Truck Gift Box using Graphic 45’s Small Matchbook Box and A Nutcracker Sweet. This fun little project not only makes the perfect little gift box for all ages, but it also makes a fun little toy! Designed to actually roll, this tiny truck was created using Graphic 45’s small matchbook box and a little imagination!
So if you are looking for a truly unique gift/box idea this year, this project is for you.
Supplies Needed to create toy truck:
Graphic 45 Staples: 1 Small Matchbook box
1 Ornate Metal Key Holes
1 Metal Brad
1 Sm. Metal Tag Staple
G45 A Nutcracker Sweet : 1 Endearing Sentiments
1 Holiday Magic
1 Land of Sweets
1 A Nutcracker Sweet Sticker Sheet
G45 Christmas Emporium: 1 All I Want for Christmas
Ranger: Glossy Accents( for adhesive), Xmas Red Stickles, Lime green stickles
May Arts Red Ribbon
Fine tip black sharpie marker
Paper trimmer
Black acrylic paint
Paint brush
1/4”Scor Tape
3D foam Squares
3 – 1/4” Wooden blocks found at any craft store
6 – Wooden wheels measuring at 1’”x 1/2” w/ 1/4” hole, found at any craft store
1- 1/4” Dowel Rod
Step 1: Using your paper trimmer, cut Endearing Sentiments to 8 1/2” x 5”.
Step 2: Wrap and adhere the cut strip of Endearing Sentiments around the outside of the small Matchbook box,starting and finishing on the short side(this will become the bottom of the box)
Step 3:To uncover the front opening on the box, carefully use scissors or an Exacto knife to cut an X, working from corner to corner. (To make it easier remove the sliding tray, and watch where you are cutting from the open side)
Step 4: Fold the cut flaps into the box, cut away an excess paper, and adhere flaps down using Glossy Accents.
Step 5: Next, using your paper trimmer, just cut Endearing Sentiments into two small strips measuring 1 1/4” x 2 3/4”.
Step 6: Adhere the cut strips to the ends of the matchbook box.
Step 7: Adhere a Sm. tag to the underneath side of the matchbook box. Leave approx. half of the tag hanging off.
Step 8: Cut All I Want for Christmas into 6 squares measuring 1 1/4” x 1 1/4”, and adhere on all the sides of one wooden block.
Step 9: Adhere 2 wooden blocks together using Glossy Accents.
Step 10: Cut All I Want For Christmas into
4 -2 1/2” x 1 1/4” rectangles
2 – 1 1/4” x 1 1/4” squares
Adhere to all the sides of the glued blocks together
Step 11: Adhere the single covered block on top of the double covered blocks.
Step 12: Adhere the stacked covered blocks on top of the metal tag.
Step 13: Remove the slide out tray by pushing just above the cab of the truck.
Using your paper trimmer cut Holiday Magic to 4 3/4” x 2 1/2”, and adhere to the inside back of the slide out tray.
Step 14: Cut 1/4” Dowel rod into lengths of
2 – 2 1/2” Pieces
1 – 2 1/8” piece
Step 15: Using 6 Wooden wheels, slide them onto to each end of the cut dowel rod pieces. Paint black using acrylic paint
Step 16: To attach the wheels, use your paper trimmer to create the attachments.
Cut 3 pieces of patterned paper to 1” x 1 1/4”
Step 17: Using your scoring board and tool, score at 1 /16”, 1/2” and 1”. Fold in half, then fold the ends to create a fancy V shape.
Step 18: Attach the wheels w/ the dowel rods by placing the dowel rods into the V shape, and adhering the small flaps to the bottom of the truck using Glossy Accents.
(Please note my wheels are not painted yet in the picture, but to make things easier your should already be painted)
Step 19: Using 1/4” Scor Tape, adhere the red May arts ribbon directly to the center of the truck. Starting at the top of the opening, and wrapping around to finish off at the bottom of the opening.
Step 20: Peel and stick the Nutcracker Sweet sticker and adhere to a piece of scrap paper. Cut out the sticker, and adhere to the back of the truck using 3D foam squares.
Step 21: Using your paper trimmer cut a strip of Land of Sweets to 3/4” x 12”.
Step 22: Lay the cut strip onto your scoring tool and score every 1/2”, or for a tighter rosette every 1/8”
Step 23: Once the complete strip has been scored, begin to accordian fold each score line, back and forth until the entire strip has been folded
Step 24: Now you can can glue the ends together and flatten the ring to create your rosette.
To keep the rosette flat, adhere a small piece of paper to the back.
Step 25: Peel and stick the circular Nutcracker sweet sticker, and adhere to the front of the rosette. Decorate using stickles.
Step 26: Adhere completed rosette to the front center opening of the truck
Step 27: Adhere the Metal Keyhole and Metal brad to the side of the truck using Glossy accents
Step 28: To complete the truck, add hand drawn details to the doors and windows of the cab using a fine tip sharpie marker.
We hope you have enjoyed this fun creation from Nicole. I would also like to extend a warm thank you to Nicole for sharing her lovely project with us! Please take a minute to stop by Nicole’s Blog and of course the Graphic 45 blog to check out all their amazing creations!
