Saturday 16 April 2016

Graphic 45 Design Team Audition 2016 - Final Round!

Hi Everyone

Today I am sharing my Graphic 45 Design Team 2016 Final Round submission.  I can share with you how nervous I have been since I made the top 30 list of finalists and that has led me to sharing two tutorials with you today!  I had two ideas for projects and I thought I would make both and then pick one to submit but I can't choose!!!!…..what if I pick the wrong one!!

They are both so different and I love them equally so as this round of the audition is all about showing who you are as a Designer I think this is me!  I love to design projects and share tutorials and the more I share the more I love it.  I have had some fabulous feedback from my first round pieces and I just want to tell you all how much I appreciate your support and hope that you love these projects just as much as the first ones.

So…..in no particular order ;-)  Here is my first canvas inspired by the vibrant patterns and images of the Voyage Beneath the Sea paper collection.


In the tutorial you will see how much fun is to be had when using Graphic 45 papers to create canvas art.  I loved adding all of the detail and sparkle to this ocean scene and even though there is a steampunk element to this collection I just had to go with Mermaid all the way!


Here is a fabulous shot (if I say so myself!) of the mermaids tail which is such a fun technique.  So lots of hints and tips on this tutorial to help you create sea themed works of art of your own.  Wouldn't it be fun to take some of these elements and add them to a scrapbook page of a favourite day at the beach?


I will show you how using more than one image means you can bring real dimension to your projects with just a little patience for all the fussy cutting.


Another thing about me is a designer is that my mind is always whirring away and more often than not one project leads to another as you can see…….


In my last post I shared a tutorial to show how to up cycle old video cases into beautiful mini albums so this one is ready for me to add my photographs next time I go on my holidays.  Hope it is not skiing ;-)



…….and I know just where to store all the shells I love collecting from the beach…….



…….and on to my second tutorial from Mermaids to Ballerinas!  It is always nice to mix and match the different Graphic 45 Collections you may have and I have mixed up a little bit of Sweet Sentiments with Precious Memories for this pretty Canvas.


This design really took me back and I think this tutorial will remind many of happy days making clothes for Cindy Dolls or cutting out paper clothes for paper dolls!  It is probably where our love of creating started!


In this tutorial I will show you how to make paper roses which is something I know you will be able to use on lots of other projects and home decor pieces.

Instead of a quote you might want to add the name of a little ballerina you know and this would make a lovely gift.


Learn how to turn paper into fashion!  Graphic 45 prints are perfect for this kind of paper crafting.  I know I have not finished with this technique yet!  My inner fashion designer is trying to break out!!!!


….and of course one thing led to another for this piece of canvas art too!



Look at all the lovely dimension you can create when you have more than one piece of a particular design.  This Baby's Breath paper actually inspired this whole set of creations as it was my favourite paper in the Precious Memories collection.


Well I think that is about it.  Time to cross everything and wait!  But before I go I just wanted to say a big thank you to Graphic 45 for this opportunity and to all of you who have supported me with kind words and good wishes.  Please keep those fingers crossed for a little while longer!  Good luck to my fellow finalists who I know will be as nervous and excited as me right now!  Time for me to press publish and then I am off to eat chocolate!  Designing uses up calories you know ;-)  I think I am due a family sized bar lol!

Thank you for popping by X


















Monday 11 April 2016

Upcycling with Graphic 45

Good Morning Everyone

Just popping in to tell you about my latest tutorial.  This is an oldie but a goodie so it is about recycling which is Graphic 45s challenge this month and I am also recycling an idea I posted about way back in 2012 when I had no clue about YouTube or that I was heading that way!

Way back then I shared a post that was all about turing old video cases into mini albums or stamp storage!  It was a photo tutorial so I am also upcycling that to a YouTube tutorial.  Three up cycles for the price of one!!!!


In the tutorial I will show you how to turn your old video cases into mini albums (or stamp storage) and storage boxes.  As you can see from the sides of my boxes I stuck to a theme in the way I decorated them and they now look fabulous as well as being really useful sitting on my shelves.


As you know I am through to the second round of the Graphic 45 Design Team Audition 2016 and I am up to my eyes in my projects!  I say projects because I can make up my mind which one to pick to submit as my final tutorial.  I love my first one but I think I am in love with my second one too.  I am hoping to finish it off tomorrow and then try to make a decision.  They are very different in style which is what I love about Graphic 45.  There are so many combinations of papers you can choose and each one will lead you to a different creative result!


As you can see here you can really ring the changes and reflect the contents of each of your little storage boxes and because I have stuck to the same layout for my decoration they still look like a set.


In this photo you can see two of the sets of papers I am using in the two projects I have on the go at the moment!

The top box with the mermaid on (from the Voyage Beneath the Sea Collection is the one that contains the mini album which you will see me create in the video tutorial.  All the rest are storage boxes and you will see how easily this is done too.


Hope you enjoy the tutorial and get busy with some recycling of your own!  Now where did you put all those old videos?!……..

If you want to see the original post and go back and see some of the old Graphic 45 paper collections here is the link.  Hold on for a bit of time travel!!!!

Thank you for popping by X

Thursday 7 April 2016

Seaside Frames and more - a new online workshop

Hi Everyone

First of all I wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who is supporting me whilst I try out once again for this years Graphic 45 Design Team.  As you will have seen if you follow me on Facebook I have made it through to the second round and I am now excitedly preparing my final piece for the final audition round.  My mind is a whir and I am stuck between two ideas so I think I am making both and then I will choose.  I know my fellow design team hopefuls will be feeling the same pressure.  Mind you it could be worse at least I don't have to write a thesis!!!!  Here I am covered in paint and glue with scraps of Graphic 45 all over the place…..happy days!

If you want to see all the finalists and their original pieces then click on this link and pop over to Graphic 45 for a good ole blog hop!

Because I am making a tutorial (or two)  I have had a clear out of my iMovie files and have found two online workshops almost ready to go……I do let myself get sidetracked sometimes….so many UFOs.  I know you identify with me ;-)

So here is one of them all finished and ready to be purchased from my ETSY shop!

If you want to learn how to turn boring picture frames into totally awesome ones then this is the workshop for you.  I will teach you how and then once you have mastered the techniques you will be creating fabulous frames for all occasions to showcase your family photographs in style.


If you purchase this workshop you will receive a pdf file with detailed project notes and the links to two videos that will show you how to make these three seaside themed frames and give you details of a Christmas and a Halloween idea too.

They make great home decor items as well as beautiful gifts.  Just think how happy the Grandparents would be to receive one of these with their grandchildren smiling back at them!

I have of course used Graphic 45 papers….because I love them …….and because they work so well for this kind of work but lots of other paper collections will be suitable for these projects too!

So if you want to know more please watch this video advert.


If you can't wait and want to get started straight away then click on this link to visit my ETSY shop or you can order from my sidebar.  The choice is yours but the result will be the same hours of fun crafting along with me and then I just know you will come up with amazing ideas of your own!

I'm off to craft some more!  Hope you are having a fun day and thank you for popping by X
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