Whether you”re out to make a bold statement or just add a little sparkle to a project, nothing says “look at me!” more than bling. With Mother”s Day right around the corner, it”s the perfect embellishment to charm your mother, sister, or friend. A little extra decoration can let her know how special she is…
image source: onehappystamper.typepad.com, Cindy Lawrence
For something truly ornate, a rhinestone studded pattern adds a lot of pizzazz to any layer. Nestabling, self adhesive crystals intended to follow the contours matching Nestablilities dies, could be just the ticket for easy placement and can add an extra star studded “Wow!” factor.
image source: simonsaystamp.com
A feminine swirl of pearls also adds an elegant touch.
Self adhesive jewel accents can be as detailed and dramatic as you want them to be.
image source: Cibele Glazer at Flower Foot Designs
Prima – Say It In Pearls Collection – Self Adhesive Jewel Art
image source: scrapbook.com
For a more subtle touch, even a small addition of bling can add beauty to a clean and simple card. Self adhesive jewels and jewel brads are inexpensive and easy to find in a wide variety of colors, shapes and styles to suit your taste.
image source: emmielouwho.blogspot.comRhinestone Brads by Stampin” Up!
Pearls LIGHT BLUE ch169″ />Self adhesive pearls from Hero Arts
Big, dimensional bling can be a showstopper, and may only be a glue dot (or two) away. For something more striking, an ornate button or an item from your stash of unused costume jewelry can make a card truly special. image source Paperie Blooms, Teresa Kline
A flower center is easily transformed into an incredible focal point
by a gorgeous, ornate button. Create your own, or check out your local craft store”s jewelry aisle for even more options.
custom buttons by The Button Sisters
ornate, vintage Bazzill Buttons
image source: heartfelt creations
Want something that sparkles but also easy to add to a card you may send in the mail? Liquid shimmers come in a wide array of color choices. Target an area or a layer to highlight, or spray your entire project to your heart”s content. A little glimmer can go a long way.
Iridescent or sparkling dimensional glue can also give you the freedom to add simple sparkle in just the right place, form and shape. Just leave plenty of dry time to prevent smearing.
A bold splash of bling or just hint of shimmer on your spring creations are just some of the options waiting for you. Added bling is one of the easiest ways to step-up your project from simple, to simply breathtaking. Glitz or glimmer, bold or subtle, the choice is up to you. No matter what you choose the options are endless, so…. Bling it On!
Welcome to the Makeover Monday challenge. Every Monday, as part of our project ideas newsletter we’re going to make over one of our own older cards, showing you how easy it is to use existing designs (your own OR someone else’s) as inspiration. This week Tracy has designed this “Island Paradise” card. This card features the Tropical Travelogue Collection by Graphic 45.
Your challenge – as with our previous Makeover Monday Challenges – is to use our piece as inspiration and make it into a card, scrapbook page, or other project. You can use the layout, the colors, an element you like…it can look like our piece, or nothing at all like our piece. We want to see where YOU take this. This challenge is strictly a “work from your stash” challenge.
As a newsletter subscriber you will have received a link to a private web page, from which you can watch the video tutorial. If you didn’t receive the video tutorial link then please be sure to email us at customerservice@papercrafterslibrary.com. In order to ensure you don’t miss any more of our Makeover Monday Challenge video tutorials, please be sure you sign up for our FREE email newsletter from the top right sidebar of this blog. Please note that the video tutorial will be available for general viewing for one week only – and then will be moved into our library for our members only
Every Monday, here on the blog, we’re going to post the original picture, and the made over picture. You will have ONE week to upload your challenge piece.
Instead of a weekly prize though, we’re going to award a prize monthly. So for each week you participate and each project you submit – you will get one entry into our monthly draw. On the first Monday each month – we will announce one challenge winner, who will receive one of our grab bags featuring over $30 of paper crafting products. Our next draw will take place on Monday, May 7th, 2012.
Our inspiration piece, shown below, is an archived project from the Andrea Walford blog.
Here are the details on how you can participate in the Makeover Monday Challenge:
A new Makeover Monday Challenge video tutorial will be emailed out to newsletter subscribers every Monday (so make sure you are signed up). Then, here on the blog, we will post a picture of our inspiration piece and made-over project along with an Inlinkz button for you to enter your project. Here are the details:
Work from your own stash to create a project based on the inspiration project provided – you can use any products you would like, and make any type of project you like – card, scrapbook page, album, 3D item etc.
Post your project on your blog, in your gallery or on any other photo-hosting site (such as photobucket or flickr).
Click on our inLinkz button below to add a link to your project for our challenge
You will have until 7am, Monday, April 16th to add your link to the list to be eligible to win. And you can enter as many times as you like.
One randomly selected winner will be chosen from ALL the entries on Monday, May 7th.
For each project you submit, your name will be entered into our monthly draw. The winner will be announced on Monday, May 7th.
Good luck to everyone and we look forward to seeing your projects!
Now, before I go, it’s time to announce the winner of the March Makeover Monday Challenge….
But before I do, I want to thank everyone who participated, and encourage you to keep it up – it’s a fun way to develop your creative skills, and as our winner is randomly drawn – everyone has a chance to be a winner…
So…Rosa…you are this month’s winner. You can see Rosa’s card below, and visit her blog HERE.
Rosa, please email us at customerservice@papercrafterslibrary.com to claim your prize. Be sure to put “Makeover Monday Winner” in the subject line, and in the body of the email please include your shipping address, email and phone number.
You can check out all the March entries by visiting the Makeover Monday posts:
Before I announce the winner of the Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue collection, I wanted to take a minute and sincerely thank Graphic 45 and their phenomenal design team for making this collaboration such an amazing and memorable experience. They are an outstanding company with an outstanding product line!
In looking back at all the wonderful projects showcased this week, I am so impressed by the amazing variety of looks and styles you can get with just ONE collection. And all their collections are like that – you can use them in and of themselves and you can combine them one with the other. Over the last few weeks I’ve spent HOURS pouring over their blog, soaking in all the inspiration, and marvelling at how their designers mix and match the different product lines, and how their projects look so cohesive. I hope that you’ll bookmark their blog and visit them regularly.
I can definitely promise you that this won’t be the last you see of Graphic 45 here at Paper Crafter’s Library. They have many more collections we’re just dying to work with *wink* so send them lots of love and tell them we sent you!
So…..the moment you’ve all been waiting for…the winner of the Tropical Travelogue collection shown below….
is……
Congratulations Laura! Please email us at customerservice@papercrafterslibrary.com and put “Graphic 45 week winner” in the subject line. In your email please include your full shipping address.
Graphic 45 is also giving away this same collection on their blog, so be sure to stop by there and check out the winner.
Well, before we sign off for today, I just wanted to let you know about a couple of things going on:
We currently have our “Win a ONE YEAR Membership” contest going on – so be sure you check that out HERE.
Next week we’ll have some videos featuring some very useful Imaginisce products, so stay tuned.
The week of April 16th – 20th is Ranger week here at Paper Crafter’s Library and we’ll be showcasing Distress Stains. We’ll have lots of great video tutorials and some more amazing give-aways so be sure to stop by!
If you haven’t already, be sure to take a look at all the amazing benefits of being a Paper Crafter’s Library member.
We hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend – and if you don’t celebrate Easter, then we’d like to simply wish you a wonderful weekend!
Welcome to Day 5 – our final day – of Graphic 45 Week on the Paper Crafter’s Library blog!
Before you go any further, we’d really appreciate it if you take a minute to stop by the Graphic 45 Facebook page, leave a comment telling them we sent you and “like” them. We want them to know how much we appreciate them and all the work their designers have put into this collaboration with us, as well as how much we appreciate their give-away.
We’ve had am amazing week with our friends at Graphic 45 showcasing a huge variety of gorgeous projects using Graphic 45’s Tropical Travelogue collection. As you’ve seen with the projects so far, along with our final projects for today – it’s an amazingly versatile collection of products. That’s what I love about Graphic 45 though – ALL of their product collections are like that. Each collection comes with so many different patterns, in different styles – allowing you to get a lot of different “looks”. The other thing I really like is the fact that in their collections they incorporate papers that are essentially a collection of “elements”, so that you can cut them apart and use them as stand-alone embellishments, or cluster them together.
If this is your first time tuning in to our Graphic 45 week, then be sure to check out our posts for Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4 for more great projects and video tutorials. Later today we’ll be giving away this amazing assortment of products from the Tropical Travelogue collection generously provided by Graphic 45. So you still have today to enter – the winner will be announced today at 4 pm EST!
The prize pack includes the 12″ x 12″ paper pad, the 8″ x 8″ paper pad, the Alphabet Stickers, the sticker sheet, and both chipboard sheets from the Tropical Travelogue collection (you can get an up-close look from here) as well as the Antique Typewriter Wood Stamp Set.
Graphic 45 Designer Project
Our first project for today is by Jane Tregenza. You can see the gorgeous project below but in the meantime, here is a little bit about Jane:
I am Jane Tregenza, mother to five adult children who all feature regularly in my work. I have been privileged to be on Graphic 45’s design team for past two years now. This year I am on 3L Adhesive Design Team and Design Team leader for Imaginarium Designs.
I love all forms of scrapbooking, altered art, mini books, popup books and layouts. I am a bit of a perfectionist when it come to my work, I have been known to scrap a project and start again because I am not happy with it. I regularly teach in my own store as well as doing Master classes for other store owners and teachers. My work as been published in magazines in Australia and the USA and you can visit my blog here: http://www.janetregenza.blogspot.com.au/
Black Policay Tropical Travelogue Mini Book In a Box
I love making mini books with a matching box. For this project I used one of Graphic 45’s staple albums. I decided to use the Black Policy album as I thought the black pockets would look great with my photos. As for the subject of the album, I decided to make it for my son Josh who travelled with me early this year to the United States of America.
I wanted to be able to include ephemera in the pockets along with extra photo and keepsakes. I also need to add more pages, as I had about 40 photos to fit in. I find that Graphic 45 staple albums are great as they are but sometimes even better if you cut them smaller! For this album I have cut the pockets to different lengths, this also gave me more pockets, as the bits I cut off, I put through the Zutter and re-punched the holes turning them into more pages.
1st pocket is only 6 inches long and I have stuck the opening shut. The bit you cut off becomes the 2nd pocket at 3 ½ long.
3rd pocket is 5 inches long. The bit you cut of becomes the 4th pocket at 4 inches long.
5th pocket is 5 inches long. he bit you cut of becomes the 6th pocket at 4 inches long.
7th pocket is 4 inches long. The bit you cut of becomes the 8th pocket at 3 inches long.
Cut your back cover back to 6 ¼ inches long ( I have measured from the pocket opening and not from the end of the flap- from the end of the open flap it should be just over 9 inches) . Make sure you are cutting off the bit with the holes in it as you need the flap to fold around your album and close on the front cover.
I also added some cardstock pages as well they all measure 4 1/8 high and 5 ½ inches long. I added 4 of these which I put through the Zutter.
For the decorating of the album I used Papers from Graphic 45’s Tropical Travelogue Collection, Chipboard Tags 2 and Travelogue Letter stickers. I covered every pocket and page with print papers. Some of the pages I added flaps to them. I still have to add more photos and all the journaling. I will be posting more photos of all the pages on my blog.
Materials used Black Policy Envelope Album G4500400 Tropical Travelogue G4500401 Garden Isle G4500402 Jungle Fever G4500403 Botanica G4500406 Seaside Holiday G4500407 Oceania G4500409 Paradise Postage G4500410 Tiki Voyage Chipboard Tags 2 Tropical Travelogue Letter stickers Chipboard – corners, travel works, and box are all from Imaginarium Designs. 3L Adhesive, foam squares and black photo corners.
Paper Crafter’s Library Designer Project
Now for our Paper Crafter’s Projects for today – and I’ve got three of them for you, all of them showcasing mixed media techniques. As an avid art journaler and mixed media artist, I wanted to incorporate Graphic 45’s Tropical Travelogue collection into some of my mixed media pieces. The first project is is this set of three 4″ x 4″ Botanica Canvases created in beautiful muted tones – for which I’ve created a video tutorial for you. Actually, there are two separate tutorials.
The first tutorial is a technique called Faux Soldering. See the memory glass frames on the front of each canvas? Looks like they’ve been soldered don’t they? I used a technique I learned from Christy Tomlinson at Donna Downey’s Soulful Artist event last month – and you can see the video below the picture.
Faux Soldering Technique Video
The video for the canvas itself was filmed in two parts. You’ll also need to watch the video on how to create the Faux Fishnet Using Cheesecloth from Day 1 of our Graphic 45 Week.
Botanica Canvas Set Part 1
Botanica Canvas Set Part 2
Here’s another mixed media canvas I created – this time a 10″ x 10″ canvas. I have to say, this my favorite because of the colors – teal/turquoise and that shade of green are two of my favorite colors! There’s a whole range of different techniques incorporated into this canvas, including the Faux Soldering which I showed you guys how to do above, so it took me significantly longer to make. There is a video tutorial and handout for this project available to our Paper Crafter’s Library members.
The final project I wanted to show you is this Art Journal page I created below. So many of the elements and images in the Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue collection (as well as the other collections) are perfect for collaging into your art journal pages. I loved the image of the Beach sign and the woman with the umbrella so much that I decided to create a two page spread incorporating those images called “Life is a Beach” as a reminder to myself to focus on the positives in life. Besides – the images and colors just make me happy to look at LOL.
In order to make the images look more “grounded” and dimensional and as though they were a part of the page, I added shading around them using my Faber Castell Pitt Big Brush Pens which you’ve seen me use in a number of the free video tutorials I did this week. If you enjoy art journaling and mixed media you’d can see more of my work on my personal blog.
So there you have it! Day 5 of our celebration of Graphic 45’s Tropical Travelogue collection!
A Bit About Paper Crafter’s Library
The world of paper crafting is HUGE! Whether you are a beginner, or you’ve been creating for years, the sheer number of different products, tools, techniques and project ideas can be overwhelming. After spending 6 years helping thousands of paper crafters around the world become more successful in the creative space through her series of kits, digital tutorials and online classes, Andrea Walford began looking for a new approach to education. In 2011 she launched Paper Crafter’s Library – the first, and still to this day, only website that provides an all-in-one learning solution for paper crafters. With almost 800 videos currently in their library and 4-5 new videos added each week, Paper Crafter’s Library offers comprehensive training on products, tools, techniques, and project ideas. From beginner through to advanced, whether your interest is in stamping, card making, scrapbooking, creating 3D items or altered art – you’ll find all the resources you need to navigate the world of paper crafting in ONE place, organized and indexed so that it’s quick and easy to find.
We’re having a contest where we’re giving away 8 more one year memberships to Paper Crafter’s Library (valued at $200 each) – click HERE to find out how you can enter to win!
Tropical Travelogue Collection Give-Away
To enter to win the Tropical Travelogue Collection please leave your comment below. Also, be sure to stop by the Graphic 45 Blog for another chance to win, and tell them Paper Crafter’s Library sent you! Winner will be announced today at 4 pm EST!
We sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed this week with us and our friends at Graphic 45 and you’ve been inspired by the gorgeous projects and by the Tropical Travelogue collection. We’d also like to thank you for your participation!
This past January Paper Crafter’s Library celebrated our first year anniversary – and in that time we have established ourselves as the THE all-in-one learning solution for paper crafters with the largest {and best} online library of video tutorials on the internet. From beginner through to advanced, covering product instruction, techniques and project ideas for stamping, card making, scrapbooking and altered art – we have something for everyone! We’re proud of how far we have come, and we’re hoping you can help us spread the word!
That’s why as part of our first anniversary celebrations we have an exciting new contest which we are running for a total of 9 months (this is now our second month) – where we will be giving away a total of 18 ONE YEAR MEMBERSHIPS to the Paper Crafter’s Library – each valued at $200! We will announce 2 winners at the beginning of EACH MONTH – starting in April, and ending in January of 2013.
There’s several ways to enter, and each way gives you 1 entry into our draw – so the more ways you participate the greater your chances of winning:
1. Put our Fan Badge on the sidebar of your blog or website. In the right hand sidebar of our blog, under the heading “Grab Our Fan Badge” you’ll find a box with the html code which you just need to copy and paste into the sidebar of your blog.
2. Create a post on your blog letting everyone know they can win a One Year Subscription to Paper Crafter’s Library and linking back to this post for instructions on how to win.
3. Post about our give-away on your FacebookPage linking back to this post.
Once you have done any or all of these things, leave us a comment here on this post letting us know, with a link back to your blog or FB page and we’ll pop by for a visit. When you leave your name, make sure that if you don’t put your full last name, at the very least you put your last initial.
So how do you enter if you don’t have a blog or FB page? Simple, leave us comments on our daily blog posts. We love hearing back from you, we love your feedback and we read each and every comment. For every comment you leave on one of our blog posts* you get one entry into that month’s draw. * Please note Freebie Friday is separate from this contest – comments left for our Freebie Friday give-aways do NOT count as entries in this contest.
Remember, we’ll be running this contest for the next 8 months, so you will have LOTS of opportunities to win. The next two winners will be announced at the beginning of May. Please note this contest is open to current Paper Crafter’s Library members – if you are a current member and you win, that time will be added on to the end of your subscription.
Here’s our First Winner for April
And here’s our second winner for April.
Congratulations to the both of you! Please email us at customerservice@papercrafterslibrary.com and put “PCL One Year Subscription Winner” in the subject line. We’ll need you to email us all your info – first and last name, your choice of a username and password, your mailing address and phone number.
We’ll be picking two more winners in May – so if you entered in March and you weren’t picked there are still plenty of opportunities to win! Make sure the badge is still there, put up another post or tweet or FB, or simply keep visiting and leaving us comments.
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to check out our Day 4 post for our Graphic 45 week. There’s an awesome prize pack up for grabs! Also be sure to stop by tomorrow for Day 5 of Graphic 45.
It’s Day 4 of Graphic 45 week on the Paper Crafter’s Library Blog! I can’t believe how time has flown! Collaborating with Graphic 45 and their fabulous designers has been such an amazing experience and we can’t thank Graphic 45 enough! All week we’ve been using their Tropical Travelogue Collection – an assortment of products with gorgeous patterns and vibrant colors.
If you’re just tuning in today, be sure to check out our posts for Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 for more great projects and video tutorials. At the end of this week we’ll be giving away this amazing assortment of products from the Tropical Travelogue collection generously provided by Graphic 45. So you still have today and tomorrow to enter – the winner will be announced on Friday, April 6th at 4 pm EST!
Graphic 45 Designer Project
Our first project for today is by Tara Orr. You can see the gorgeous project below but in the meantime, here is a little bit about Tara:
I live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada with my gorgeous husband of 11 years and our three amazing kids. They are the heart and soul of my projects. I am now a SAHM to my precious little kiddos but before that, I worked as a webmaster in the Technology industry for many years and loved it.
Random Facts about Me: I have a degree in Psychology, a green belt in karate, love horseback riding, order a grande dark from Starbucks almost every day, prefer chocolate to any other sweet, am the oldest of 3 siblings, gave up hope of maintaining my ‘Monica from Friends’ (as my husband would describe) cleaning habit once I had kids of my own, have earned more grey hairs and wrinkes in the past 7 years than I could have imagined and love my family more than anything else on the face of this earth!
I started scrapbooking in November 2008. Instant addiction. I love papercrafting. It challenges me, it relaxes me and it lets me escape into a world of creativity that I adore. If you want to take a peek at some of my work, please stop by my blog (http://eachmoment-onlyonce.blogspot.com/) for a visit – I’d love to have you!
Memories Tag by Tara Orr
Supplies:
Patterned Paper: Island Jewel, Seaside Holiday, Paradise Postage, Exotic Destination/Tropical Travelogue Collection by Graphic 45 Chipboard Tags 1: Tropical Travelogue Collection by Graphic 45 Chipboard Tags 2: Tropical Travelogue Collection by Graphic 45 Metal Brads by Graphic 45 3D Foam Squares by Scrapbook Adhesives Decorative Chipboard Frame by Imaginarium Designs Chipboard Title by 7 Dots Studio Misc: Twine, Acrylic Paint, Edge Scraper
Here are some up close views of the tag:
Paper Crafter’s Library Designer Project
Our second project for today was created by Sophia Landry, one our talented Paper Crafter’s Library Designers. Last time Sophia was visiting we went “junking” together at our local thrift store (same place I bought the coasters I altered for yesterday’s project). Soph found this pretty beat up shelving unit that was obviously quite old, and although it had a beautiful shape to it, it was not in the greatest condition. With a little love, and the application of Graphic 45’s gorgeous Tropical Travelogue papers, she turned it into a treasure.
The piece itself is quite large being about 2 1/2 to 3 feet tall and about 2 feet wide. She started by spray painting it and then covering all the flat surfaces (inner and outer) with patterned papers. Because she was working with only one 12″ x 12″ pad of the Tropical Travelogue papers (which have two sheets of each different double sided design) – she had to mix and match patterns.
Here’s a view of the front of the altered piece:
Here’s a view of the back which was completely spray painted white:
Here’s a view of the top:
Here’s a view of the inside bottom:
Here’s a view of the inside side:
There is a video tutorial and handout for this project available to our Paper Crafter’s Library members. The principles she used in altering it though, are pretty much the same as those that I applied when I altered my coaster holder (for which there is a free video tutorial in yesterday’s post).
So there you have it! Day 4 of our celebration of Graphic 45’s Tropical Travelogue collection! Be sure to stay tuned for tomorrow’s post with more great projects, free video tutorials, and a wrap up of Graphic 45 week!
A Bit About Paper Crafter’s Library
The world of paper crafting is HUGE! Whether you are a beginner, or you’ve been creating for years, the sheer number of different products, tools, techniques and project ideas can be overwhelming. After spending 6 years helping thousands of paper crafters around the world become more successful in the creative space through her series of kits, digital tutorials and online classes, Andrea Walford began looking for a new approach to education. In 2011 she launched Paper Crafter’s Library – the first, and still to this day, only website that provides an all-in-one learning solution for paper crafters. With almost 800 videos currently in their library and 4-5 new videos added each week, Paper Crafter’s Library offers comprehensive training on products, tools, techniques, and project ideas. From beginner through to advanced, whether your interest is in stamping, card making, scrapbooking, creating 3D items or altered art – you’ll find all the resources you need to navigate the world of paper crafting in ONE place, organized and indexed so that it’s quick and easy to find.
To enter to win the Tropical Travelogue Collection please leave your comment below. Also, be sure to stop by the Graphic 45 Blog as well as Tara’s blog for another chance to win, and tell them Paper Crafter’s Library sent you! Winner will be announced on Friday!
Happy April!!! I’m excited to be back with you this month after playing with the Attic Boutique Suite from Stampin’ Up! I love how being a Design Team member challenges me to try new things and work with products that I might otherwise not play with! Who knew I would fall in love with designer series paper that first made me go “eh, it’s okay” when I first saw it?! Maybe another way we can all find inspiration is by challenging ourselves to play with supplies that we might otherwise just walk by. Who knows, you may just fall in love! 😀
I don’t know about you, but when Spring is in the air I definitely get the urge to do a little Spring cleaning to spruce up the house. For my first project I decided to decorate my home for Spring with this Altered CD Door Hanging! By now you know that I love doing a bit of “upcycling.” I come across used CD”s in my day-to-day work and also receive them in junk mail. Instead of throwing them out when I don”t need them, I decided there had to be something I could do with them. This door hanging is the first idea I came up with! The possibilities are endless with this project – you can decorate it however you would like (with a name, initials, messages…go crazy!!!!).
Of course, online casino I couldn’t stop at just a door sign! I had to figure out how I could combine more than one CD into a project. I came up with this Altered CD Mini Book that uses 4 upcycled CDs with the Attic Boutique Side Notes and Designer Series Paper. I added some vintage photos and inspiring quotes from women. Once again, the possibilities are endless!
Here is a picture of the inside of the mini book…
For my next project I decided to do a tri-fold card. I like cards atoledo that fold in non-traditional ways. Here I incorporated stamped images from the Rue De Fleur stamp set with casino online the Attic Boutique Designer Series Paper. The stamp set is designed to coordinate beautifully with the other Attic Boutique Best UK Casinos Suite items.
Last, but http://dicters.net not least, I decided that the card needed a little gift box blackjack to go with it! I used the same stamp set and designer series paper with the Fancy Favor die and came up with this:
I hope you’ve enjoyed these projects! Please let me know if you have any questions! Video tutorials and pdf handouts for all of the projects are available to Paper Crafter’s Library members. I”ve also filmed a video for our members on how to make the Altered CD Door Hanging and the Altered CD Mini Book. Please make sure that you are logged in first in order to access the videos and handouts.
If you’re not already a member of Paper Crafter”s Library, it’s worth checking out. As a member, along with our existing video library of over 700 videos, you’ll receive daily inspiration, great project ideas, fun techniques, instruction on how to use your products, and more! For more information and to join, click here.
For some more project ideas, be sure to visit my blog Figments of My Imagination. I”d love to have you stop by!
It has been a pleasure being a part of this Design Team and I am looking forward to continuing my journey with Papercrafter”s Library as a Designer/Educator! Thank you for all of your encouragement and your comments – I really appreciate it!
It’s Day 3 of Graphic 45 week on the Paper Crafter’s Library Blog! Collaborating with Graphic 45 and their fabulous designers has been such an amazing experience! And of course, I just can’t get enough of their Tropical Travelogue Collection. Throughout the course of the week we’ll be sharing over 10 different projects using this collection, we’ll have an abundance of video tutorials for you (today is another video tutorial day!) and then to top off the week, Graphic 45 is generously giving away the collection of products shown below to one lucky winner, to be announced on Friday, April 6th at 4 pm EST.
If this is your first day tuning in, then be sure to check out Day 1 and Day 2’s posts. For today we’ve got two more great projects to share with you – one from the Graphic 45 team and one from our Paper Crafter’s Library Designers.
The prize pack includes the 12″ x 12″ paper pad, the 8″ x 8″ paper pad, the Alphabet Stickers, the sticker sheet, and both chipboard sheets from the Tropical Travelogue collection (you can get an up-close look from here) as well as the Antique Typewriter Wood Stamp Set.
Graphic 45 Design Team Project
Our next Graphic 45 Designer with her lovely project is Nancy Wethington. You can see the gorgeous project below but in the meantime, here is a little bit about Nancy:
Graphic 45 Design Team 2011. A crafter since time began, Nancy turned to scrapbooking and paper arts about 10 years ago.
Thankfully, her husband of 40 years supports her paper and rubber stamp addiction (her craft room has been affectionately named *Nancy-land* by her son). Nancy’s home away from home is her LSS, For Keeps Sake Scrapbook, where she has been teaching workshops for over 8 years. In addition to the Graphic 45 Design Team, Nancy is also on the Simon Says Stamp & Show Design Team.
Her work has been published in over 10 nationally recognized magazines and newspapers. Retired from the travel industry, Nancy’s time is spent doing what she loves the most – paper crafting. You can find Nancy on her blog: http://art-from-the-heart.typepad.com
Tropical Travelogue 12×12 Layout
These photos of Puerto Banus had shades of blue and gold. My intent was to use the monochromatic browns of Tropical Travelogue so I turned to Botanica for a background paper and cut it down to 11.5”x11.5”. Matching the Core’dinations cardstock with the deep browns and blues of Tropical Travelogue, Botanica was double mounted on deep brown 11.75”x11.75”cardstock and then that on top of a 12×12 blue cardstock.
I rounded the corners of both Botanica and the brown cardstock. Flags and embellishments from Graphic 45 chipboard Tags, alphabet stickers, cardstock stickers and Spellbinders dies decorate the page. A Graphic 45 Metal Staple Button holds a tag as well as *flies the flags*. Oceania & Tiki Voyager papers were placed horizontally across the layout to bring out the blue and gold tones in the photos.
An image from Paradise Postage is given some height with the help of chipboard. Miscellaneous flowers and leaves mimic the colors of the postage.
Exotic Destination paper was cut & made into a passport that slips out so photos and journaling can be added. Other images from Exotic Destinations were used throughout the layout.
Paper Crafter’s Library Designer Projects
Now, for our Paper Crafter’s Library project for today – below you can see a set of glass coasters and a coaster holder which I (Andrea) altered using the Tropical Travelogue Collection. I found the set of four glass coasters in a dark brown wooden coaster holder at my local thrift store for $2.99. The coasters themselves were quite scratched up on the surface and the paint on the wooden holder was chipped in a number of different places – so they were the perfect candidates for altering. Other than the papers from the Tropical Travelogue Collection, I also used some Liquid Pearls from Ranger to add some pearlescent accents to each of my coasters.
We have a video tutorial for you on how I altered the coasters, as well as a video tutorial on how I altered the coaster holder. Please note that the coaster holder video had to be created in two parts as it was a long process LOL!
Accessories: Multi-medium matte, wide paint brush , Claudine Hellmuth Gesso, Lettuce Adirondack Acrylic Paint, Peacock Liquid Pearls, Hot Cocoa Liquid Pearls (Ranger); May Green 170 PITT Big Brush pen (Faber-Castell); Brayer (Speedball); Fabri-tac (Beacon Adhesives); spray lacquer (Krylon); black felt (papertrey ink); craft blade (Fiskars); rotary cutter (Martha Stewart); craft mat (Vantage); glass coasters and holder (Thrift Store); sanding block (The Scrapping Turtle)
Watch the video below to see how I altered the coasters:
The videos below show you how I altered the wooden coaster holder – because of the length of the video it was filmed in two parts:
Part 1:
Here’s Part 2 of the Altered Coaster Holder:
So there you have it! Day three of our celebration of Graphic 45’s Tropical Travelogue collection! Be sure to stay tuned for tomorrow’s post with more great inspiration!
A Bit About Paper Crafter’s Library
The world of paper crafting is HUGE! Whether you are a beginner, or you’ve been creating for years, the sheer number of different products, tools, techniques and project ideas can be overwhelming. After spending 6 years helping thousands of paper crafters around the world become more successful in the creative space through her series of kits, digital tutorials and online classes, Andrea Walford began looking for a new approach to education. In 2011 she launched Paper Crafter’s Library – the first, and still to this day, only website that provides an all-in-one learning solution for paper crafters. With almost 800 videos currently in their library and 4-5 new videos added each week, Paper Crafter’s Library offers comprehensive training on products, tools, techniques, and project ideas. From beginner through to advanced, whether your interest is in stamping, card making, scrapbooking, creating 3D items or altered art – you’ll find all the resources you need to navigate the world of paper crafting in ONE place, organized and indexed so that it’s quick and easy to find.
To enter to win the Tropical Travelogue Collection please leave your comment below. Also, be sure to stop by the Graphic 45 Blog as well as Nancy’s blog for another chance to win, and tell them Paper Crafter’s Library sent you! Winner will be announced on Friday!
It’s Day 2 of Graphic 45 week on the Paper Crafter’s Library Blog! We’re so excited to be collaborating with Graphic 45 and their fabulous designers to bring you a week of inspiration using their stunning Tropical Travelogue collection! If you missed our kick-off along with our free video tutorial please click here.
Throughout the course of this week we’ll be sharing over 10 different projects with you using the Tropical Travelogue collection – including a tag, a card, card set, scrapbook layout, a couple of mini albums, a few altered art pieces, an art journaling page and some mixed media canvases. We’ll have an abundance of free video tutorials on a range of different projects and techniques and then to top off the week, Graphic 45 is generously giving away the collection of products shown below to one lucky winner, to be announced on Friday, April 6th at 4 pm EST.
Each day we’ll be showcasing several different projects, with video tutorials on Monday, Wednesday and Friday so be sure to read to the bottom every day’s post so you don’t miss a thing!
Graphic 45 Design Team Project
The first of today’s beautiful projects is brought to you by Gloria Stengel, another one of Graphic 45’s talented Design Team members. You can see the gorgeous project below but first, here is a little bit about Gloria:
My name is Gloria Stengel and I live in Oceanside, CA with my husband Matt, and our three children, Nathan (20), Laura (16), and Jonah (11). Besides being “queen of the craft women,” I am also active in my church and I homeschool my two youngest children. (My oldest son has graduated and now attends college full-time.)
I live for exploring and creating with all sorts of mediums and products, thus I am always on the hunt for new ways to “make a mess.” My motto is “seek out new crafts that you have never done before.” I love the thrill of mixing product lines into my projects, and I guess my style is quite eclectic. I enjoy the creative process, the discovery, and the “happy accidents” that sometimes arise during crafting time. However, the biggest thrill of this business is teaching and instructing others. When another crafter holds up a finished project and says, “Look what I made!” I get the biggest kick out of it, especially if I had a small part in helping them learn a new technique.
I’ve been on a number of design teams over the past few years, including Spellbinders (2011) and Graphic 45 (2010 and 2011), plus I create sample art for various companies and online stores. I’ve been published a few times and I have a blog called Scraps of Life, that is my creative link to the world (www.gloriascraps.blogspot.com).
Now, on to her project which I know you will love as much as we do…….
Graphic 45 Stickers: Tropical Travelogue Cardstock Alphabet and Cardstock Stickers
Graphic 45 Chipboard: Tropical Travelogue Tags 1
Graphic 45 Staples: Metal Hinges
6×6 Chipboard (2 panels)
Embellishments: Dew Drop, Idea-ology Long Fasteners, Mini clip; Prima leaves
Ink: Bic Mark It Fine Point Marker Black; Clearsnap Smooch Spritz Vanilla Shimmer, Splash; Clearsnap Colorbox Fluid Chalk Prussian Blue, Dark Brown
Tools: Spellbinders Grand Calibur die cutting system; Spellbinders die templates Bitty Blossoms, Carnation Creations, Rose Creations; Zutter Round-it-All corner rounder; Fiskars hole punch; Basic Grey Notch Tool
Adhesive: Scotch 3M tape runner, foam tape; glue
This photo display is a quick and easy way to display a few special photos on a desk or shelf. Consisting of two 6×6 inch panels, hinged together, this little “mini album” makes a great gift or office decoration. I keep a basket of these little projects in my living room. Each month or season, I place a different project on the side table to use as decor.
Using Graphic 45 Metal Hinge Staples, it is simple to connect two chipboard pages to create a frame, which you can decorate and place on your desk or table.
I used paper strips to hide the hinge.
Highlight a few photos from a favorite vacation, as I have done, or create a keepsake of a party or special event.
The hand-made flowers on the cover add just the right touch. Using Graphic 45 papers and Spellbinders die templates, I created several flowers to enhance the cover of my little decor piece.
Every time I look at this little project, I remember our trip to Hawaii in 2009.
Paper Crafter’s Library Designer Project
Today’s project from talented Paper Crafter’s Library Designer Tracy, is this gorgeous mini album. The album was created using corrugated cardboard for the front and back cover and small paper bags for the inside pages. It was bound using a Zutter Bind-it-All V. 2 and their 1″ Antique Brass O-Rings. Tracy used four bags in all, and each bag has it’s own insert – giving you a total of 9 pages plus four pull-outs onto which you can put pictures on both the front and back.
In addition to using the stunning Tropical Travelogue Collection, Tracy incorporated some of her faux fishing net, some real fish in net, some shells and some silk flowers and faux greenery.
Here’s a full supply list of what was used in the mini album.
Ink: Broken China and Vintage Photo Distress inks (Ranger)
There are also 4 pull tabs in which you can add extra photos, journaling or paper souveniers of your trip. For this album Tracy had added 4 photos and left the back side of the tabs for journaling.
The world of paper crafting is HUGE! Whether you are a beginner, or you’ve been creating for years, the sheer number of different products, tools, techniques and project ideas can be overwhelming. After spending 6 years helping thousands of paper crafters around the world become more successful in the creative space through her series of kits, digital tutorials and online classes, Andrea Walford began looking for a new approach to education. In 2011 she launched Paper Crafter’s Library – the first, and still to this day, only website that provides an all-in-one learning solution for paper crafters. With almost 800 videos currently in their library and 4-5 new videos added each week, Paper Crafter’s Library offers comprehensive training on products, tools, techniques, and project ideas. From beginner through to advanced, whether your interest is in stamping, card making, scrapbooking, creating 3D items or altered art – you’ll find all the resources you need to navigate the world of paper crafting in ONE place, organized and indexed so that it’s quick and easy to find.
To enter to win the Tropical Travelogue Collection please leave your comment below. Also, be sure to stop by the Graphic 45 Blog for another chance to win, and tell them Paper Crafter’s Library sent you! Winner will be announced on Friday!
It’s Graphic 45 week on the Paper Crafter’s Library Blog! We’re so excited to be collaborating with Graphic 45 and their fabulous designers to bring you a week of inspiration using their stunning Tropical Travelogue collection! From the moment we saw this collection we fell in love! The colors and patterns are so rich and vibrant – they make you feel like you’re in a tropical paradise. And the collection is so versatile – lending itself to a HUGE range of projects.
In fact throughout the course of this week we’ll be sharing over 10 different projects with you using the Tropical Travelogue collection – including a tag, a card, card set, scrapbook layout, a couple of mini albums, a few altered art pieces, an art journaling page and some mixed media canvases. We’ll have an abundance of free video tutorials on a range of different projects and techniques and then to top off the week, Graphic 45 is generously giving away the collection of products shown below to one lucky winner, to be announced on Friday, April 6th at 4 pm EST.
Each day we’ll be featuring several different projects, with video tutorials on Monday, Wednesday and Friday so be sure to read to the bottom every day’s post so you don’t miss a thing!
The prize pack includes the 12″ x 12″ paper pad, the 8″ x 8″ paper pad, the Alphabet Stickers, the sticker sheet, and both chipboard sheets from the Tropical Travelogue collection (you can get an up-close look from here) as well as the Antique Typewriter Wood Stamp Set.
First off, I want to take a minute to introduce you to Graphic 45 itself – an absolutely AMAZING company – one that I just can’t say enough about! Please be sure you take some time to visit their site and soak in all that inspiration and beauty.
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.
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.
Okay, so now down to the projects!
Graphic 45 Design Team Project
To start off the week, we have Graphics 45 Designer Lynette Carroll. You will find her project below, but first here is a little bit about Lynette:
I have been fortunate enough to be involved in the scrapbooking industry for the past 10 years. I was an original Design Team member for K & Company, a position I held for 5 years. When K & Company were bought out several years ago by EK Success Brands, I applied for, and was successful in becoming part of the newly created EK Success Brands Design Team, which included K & Company, EK Success, Inkadinkadoo, Dimensions and Martha Stewart Crafts. I am currently a 2011 Graphic 45 Design Team Member. I have also been a member of Cosmo Cricket Design Team.
Previous to designing and teaching for some of the industry’s leading manufacturers, I owned and operated my own scrapbook store in Boston, MA.
During my time with K & Company and Graphic 45, I have had the opportunity to travel and teach extensively throughout the United States, Australia, Holland and Japan. I have taught classes at CKU, Creating Keepsakes Conventions, Archivers Scrapfest at Mall of America, CHA Trade Shows, Brisbane Papercraft and Scrapbook Expo and many individual scrapbook stores in the United States and Australia.
Tropical Travelogue Satchel Album
Supplies Used: Fab Scraps – Chipboard Satchel Album
Graphic 45 – Tropical Travelogue 8 x 8 Paper Pad Graphic 45 – Tropical Travelogue Garden Isle 12 x 12 Paper Graphic 45 – Tropical Travelogue Rainforest 12 x 12 Paper Graphic 45 – Metal Staples – Flowers
For this project, I wanted to create a mini album with a couple of my favorite photos I could display on an easel in my living room. Because I didn’t want to create an entire mini album for display, when I saw this chipboard satchel I thought it was a perfect way to display my favorite photos from our trip.
The papers in this collection all work so well together that paper layering is easy and no matter what the combination you come up with, the end result is perfect.
Paper Crafter’s Library Designer Projects
Now, for our Paper Crafter’s Library projects, Tracy has designed this beautiful card set with coordinating envelopes, which can be gifted in this decorated burlap bag. This project has multiple videos so be sure to scroll down to watch each one.
To create this project, you will need to know how to alter cheese cloth to make it look like fish netting as shown in the picture below.
You can watch the video on how to create the fish netting here
This project also uses metal flower embellishments from Graphic 45, which Tracy alters.
You can watch a video on how Tracy alters and shapes the Graphic 45 metal flower here.
This set includes four 3″ x 4″ cards. A close up of one of the cards is shown below.
You can watch a video on how Tracy creates the card here.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Here is a close up of the coordinating envelopes.
You can watch a video on how Tracy altered a standard size envelope.
Here is a close up of the decorated burlap bag.
You can watch a video on how Tracy altered the burlap bag here.
So there you have it! Day one of our celebration of Graphic 45’s Tropical Travelogue collection! Be sure to stay tuned for tomorrow’s post with more great inspiration!
A Bit About Paper Crafter’s Library
The world of paper crafting is HUGE! Whether you are a beginner, or you’ve been creating for years, the sheer number of different products, tools, techniques and project ideas can be overwhelming. After spending 6 years helping thousands of paper crafters around the world become more successful in the creative space through her series of kits, digital tutorials and online classes, Andrea Walford began looking for a new approach to education. In 2011 she launched Paper Crafter’s Library – the first, and still to this day, only website that provides an all-in-one learning solution for paper crafters. With almost 800 videos currently in their library and 4-5 new videos added each week, Paper Crafter’s Library offers comprehensive training on products, tools, techniques, and project ideas. From beginner through to advanced, whether your interest is in stamping, card making, scrapbooking, creating 3D items or altered art – you’ll find all the resources you need to navigate the world of paper crafting in ONE place, organized and indexed so that it’s quick and easy to find.
To enter to win the Tropical Travelogue Collection please leave your comment below. Also, be sure to stop by the Graphic 45 Blog for another chance to win, and tell them Paper Crafter’s Library sent you! Winner will be announced on Friday!
image source: simonsaystamp.com
image source: Cibele Glazer at Flower Foot Designs
Rhinestone Brads by Stampin” Up!
Ranger Ink Liquid Pearls, image source: blockheadstamps.com
Our first project for today is by 
Graphic 45 Design Team 2011. A crafter since time began, Nancy turned to scrapbooking and paper arts about 10 years ago.
My name is Gloria Stengel and I live in Oceanside, CA with my husband Matt, and our three children, Nathan (20), Laura (16), and Jonah (11). Besides being “queen of the craft women,” I am also active in my church and I homeschool my two youngest children. (My oldest son has graduated and now attends college full-time.)
