Graphic 45 Design Team Audition 2016

Is it that time already?  I can't believe how the year has flown by.  It doesn't seem long ago that I almost made it on to the Graphic 45 Design Team. It was so tantalising to get to the second round and I am not sure I can stand the suspense but here I go again!!!

We have been asked for three projects and a tutorial and I interpreted that to mean 4 project in total.  Most of the projects I share have tutorials with them so three of my projects have tutorials to share how to make these pieces.  We were asked to share projects that show our strengths and I just had to make new things because I take any opportunity to design with my lovely Graphic 45 papers and as I had just had a really good tidy up of my stash I was reminded of some papers past and in particular Poppy Fields from the Magic of Oz collection which inspired me to make this canvas.

I have made hundreds of crafting tutorials all of which are on my YouTube channel and that is where I love to share my creativity.  There are a huge variety of projects to be found over there and of course this canvas comes with its very own tutorial.  Lots of techniques including how to use paper doilies to add fabulously delicate texture to your creations.

I show you how to fussy cut the poppies, to layer them up and bring them to life.  I hope this project, whilst only using two designs of paper really shows off all that Graphic 45 personality we all love so much.  This project is for fussy cutting gurus or trainee fussy cutting gurus!  I definitely recommend you sit in a comfy spot with a cup of coffee whilst you tackle this little lot!

The feathers, cut from ABC Primer's Bed Time Stories, were easy to make as you will see but they are a labour of love and the perfect way to give wings to your heart full poppies!

I would say one of my main strengths as a designer is that I am very much led by what I am using.  That is why Graphic 45 is such a joy so many beautiful papers and so many ways to combine them to create new looks.  I hope you can see that in the designs I am showing you today.

Next up is this canvas which was inspired by a couple of peacock feather papers in two different paper collections, one was from The Couture Collection and one from the Olde Curiosity Shoppe.  It was fun to combine them together to make a beautiful peacock made entirely of paper.

Different papers and an entirely different design is born….maybe I should say hatched?! ;-)

There are four different paper collections bought together to make this piece and of course the tutorial will step you through so you can make this for yourself.  I hope my tutorials showcase my love of teaching.  I want other crafters to feel that they could tackle this or even if this piece is not to their taste that there are techniques and tips shared which could be used in other crafting projects.

I used the doily technique again which makes a pretty background for my fantasy weeping willow tree created with pinched flowers and hand cut leaves.

Check out all that fussy cutting on the tail!  I think I am all feathered out for a while at least!!!

I have often wondered if I have a particular style and I have come to the conclusion that I don't and I think when it comes to Design Team work that is a huge strength because my projects are so varied.  So on to my penultimate project and tutorial with a completely different look.

Sometimes you come across a paper you like but you just can't think of anything to use it for and this one was that for me.  I liked the colours and the cute flying pigs and the fact that it reminded me of the crows in the film Dumbo that sing If I see and Elephant Fly!

But suddenly I had an idea and this Art Journal page was inspired by my son and a sheet or two of Pigs Might Fly paper from the Olde Curiosity Shoppe collection!  I will explain more in the tutorial!

It is fun to look at the imagery in all the Graphic 45 collections to see how you can create settings for them.  Wouldn't our skies be fun if this little scene came to life?!

One of my all time favourite papers is Calico Kids from the ABC Primer collection.  Tiny strips of it make such beautiful borders which is the perfect spot for a bit of doodle embelishment!

It was fun to create this fantasy sky for my cute flying pigs to play in and although this is a humerous page it has meaning too.  As I make my tutorial I always share what I was thinking as I designed each piece and highlight how the viewer could make the elements of a project work for them even if they didn't like the final piece.  I see that as a strength, teach technique and the process of creativity and you will inspire creativity in others.

Last but definitely not least my final piece showcases my love of creating 3 dimensional pieces from scratch and the new to my collection Graphic 45 Cityscapes paper collection!  I have made clocks and pyramids and cakes and all sorts of things and they are always enhanced by using Graphic 45 to construct and decorate!  This is still a prototype as there are a couple of design faults I need to iron out but they don't show on camera ;-)

I love to design functional pieces that look great.  I hope you agree that this is both.  I designed it to sit on your desk looking like a pretty post box and then spin it round and……..

…..Voila!  Ribbons at your fingertips!  There is no tutorial for this one as it will one day be an online workshop….once I iron out those little wrinkles ;-)

I hope you can see how much I enjoy working with Graphic 45 and that you can see what my design strengths are.  I am keeping everything crossed that this time I might make it through!  Wish me luck everyone!

Thank you for popping by!

Helen
X

PS Here are the links to previous Auditions:

http://acraftproject.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/graphic-45-design-team-audition-2015.html

http://acraftproject.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/graphic-45-design-team-audition-2015.html

http://acraftproject.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/graphic-45-design-team-2014-audition.html

http://acraftproject.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/graphic-45-design-team-2013-audition.html

Graphic 45 Design Team Audition 2015 - Round 2!

Hi Everyone

Shaking in my slippers right now!!!  I have just pushed the publish button on my You Tube tutorial for the second round of my Graphic 45 Design Team Audition.

I decided to stop second guessing myself about what kind of video to make - what project to share, tutorial - video tour……my head has been spinning for days!  I have never been so nervous about making a video!!!!

So I decided to stop fussing and to do what I love so I am sharing a page in my Journal where I combine Art Journalling and Scrapbooking making pages with interactive elements to create a journal that capture my memories.

I really hope you enjoy my tutorial where I you will find all the information and tips you need to make a page like mine.  The inspiration for this romantic page came from the lovely Cherry Blossom paper I have used from the Graphic 45 Bird Song collection.

Thank you so much everyone for all your support and good wishes.  It really means so much to me XOX  If you can keep you fingers crossed for a while longer ;-)

A big thank you to everyone at Graphic 45 for this amazing opportunity.  I hope my video submission for round two shows you how your amazing papers always inspire me and how much I love to share my creativity through my tutorials.

Good luck to my fellow finalists.  Whatever happens I have had a wonderful time.

Thank you for popping by X

Graphic 45 Design Team Audition 2015

It's that time of year again when I surround myself with Graphic 45 goodness and just create to my heart's content!  So without further ado…….Welcome to my blog and to my Graphic 45 Design Team Audition 2015!

I hope the projects I am sharing today show my love of designing, my versatility and my love of Graphic 45 papers!  You might want to get a cup of coffee and a biscuit as this is a teensy bit of a long post ;-)

Those of you that know me already know I am totally addicted to making video tutorials to share and I have videoed all my new Graphic 45 creations so there will be a video or two to share today and a few more in the pipe line for later!  I am going to start the ball rolling with a couple of projects in my Art Journal.  Since I began this book 7 pages ago I knew I wanted to combine mixed media and art journalling with scrapbooking and Graphic 45 papers were the perfect inspiration for Pages 6 and seven.  Page 6 was inspired by the fresh and intricate patterns of Bohemian Bazaar and I was inspired to make this page to celebrate my garden……..

Throughout the year I intend to take photos of the flowers in my garden which I will print out and make into pretty tags to tuck into the pockets of my page.  I only have tiny daffodils blooming at the moment so until I have more flowers to photograph I can look at the sunny flowers I have created with my Graphic 45 papers!  Here is a video tutorial to show you how I made this page I hope it reflects my passion for sharing my love of paper crafting.

I decided to use Bird Song next and I just had to use my favourite paper in the whole collection - both sides are fab so I am using them both!!!  It is such a pretty paper and so romantic and that set me in the mood to create a page to celebrate 33 years of marriage this year (I know, I know, I can't possibly be old enough surely!!!!? ;-)

It took me a while to work out how to create my pop out heart shaped frame so that it didn't pop right out of the book when it was closed!  I love how the pretty fussy cut blossoms bring an extra dimension to the frame.  I have two tags in the side pockets that record how hubby and I first met and what we have been up to over the years - they are really, really long tags ;-)

Mmmmm what next……I am a crafting butterfly as you will notice during this audition and that is part of the reason I love Graphic 45 so much.  With each new collection comes the opportunity to try different styles and By the Sea was the perfect excuse to up-cycle three picture frames for our holiday photos.

I mixed in a little Tropical Travelogue into some of my frames too.  I love that there are so many opportunities to create embellishments and adornments with all the Graphic 45 paper collections - I just wish I could cut out as quickly as I do in fast forward on my YouTube tutorials!!!

You can see I have imported some of that sandy beach from Sarasota to Derby ;-)  Love that little starfish saying.  These frames were surprisingly easy to create and of course there will be a video coming soon!!!

My next set of photos were taken during the recent partial eclipse we had here in the UK.  Love the peachy tone it gave to my Bohemian Bazaar canvas!  I really enjoy creating mixed media pieces like this one - I think I became queen of the dimensional paint dots by the end of the project ;-)

Here is a close up of those blooms……I was thinking Peonies…..Have I captured them in paper?

A couple of cards to share next because I think they quickly show you how different paper collections inspire me and take me in so many different directions to explore lots of different crafting techniques and styles along the way.

Ladies Diary is simply elegant and romantic and perfect for my Mum's Mother's Day card this year.  There are those tiny daffodils in my garden I was telling you about earlier!

Sometimes it is fun to combine collections …..take a little bit of Secret Garden and add a sheet of Curtain Call…….

…….and voila!   Do you think this would be perfect to wear to a Graphic 45 Design Team Audition?  I hope it is in my size!

For a totally different vibe let's get fresh and vibrant with Bohemian Bazaar.

I loved weaving the patterned papers together to create my background and using one of the journalling cards as my inspiration for the cheerful colour scheme that is sure to make you smile.  Pretty fabric daisies with colourful button centres and the card is complete.

Before I go I just had to share some of my favourite creations from previous auditions.

Why not turn your favourite layouts into canvases to decorate your home:

I had great fun turning the die cut flowers from Secret Garden into flower vines to embellish my canvas.  Working on a canvas means you can still incorporate journalling and interactive elements but you can go a little further with dimension as you don't need to confine your layout to an album!

Here is a Graphic 45 Book Box makeover that now records our families favourite recipes and the documents the good times we had sharing them with friends and family:

There is a video tour of this project if you want to see more of the details.  This is from my first Audition in 2013 so it is fun to see how my videos have changed!

There is also a video tour of this fun and spooky mini album which I made last year.  The journalling cards that accompany many of the Graphic 45 paper collections were the starting point for me coming up with the pocket page design of this mini.  This time I used SteamPunk Spells and I am currently working on a By the Sea version.

Please watch the video if you want to see all the details in this mini - Notice it is complete!!!  Journalling and all ;-)

I couldn't let you go without showing you my love of designing 3D projects which I normally teach in my workshops.  I love to turn a piece of chipboard into something entirely different!  Graphic 45 papers make sure everyone loves the end result.  Here is my Pyramid Mini that I had the pleasure of teaching in Cornwall last year.

The Couture Collection was perfect to mix and match both in the creation of the pyramid and the mini contained in the base.

The pages of the mini open up to reveal more space for photos and journalling and check out the beauty of the papers that are revealed when the pyramid is fully open!

Time is running out ……..did you see what I did there!???

This clock is testament to the longevity of Graphic 45 Designs - Vintage never goes out of style.  This clock was created from chipboard and a metal flower tin many years ago and it is sitting on my dressing table…….and was made gorgeous by mixing and matching my Graphic 45 papers.

Last but definitely not least - another clock made entirely from chipboard (except the clock!)  This is one of my latest creations and it is decorated with Tropical Travelogue Papers.

And this one is Old Curiosity Shop.  When I designed the aperture in the base of the clock it was to showcase the fussy cut elements from the Graphic 45 paper collections that I used.  I always say if you are going to take the time and have the patience to fussy cut the elements from the papers you might as well celebrate them and get them noticed!

I have chosen to show you projects old and new and I really hope you like my creations.  Sorry about the length of the post but it is mostly pretty pictures!  I love to create and I love to teach so most of my creations come with a tutorial. All that is left for me to say is good luck to my fellow auditionees and a great big thank you to Graphic 45 for giving me the opportunity to audition today.  Keep everything crossed for me and wish me luck everyone!  How fabulous would it be to make video tutorials for Graphic 45?………...

Thank you for popping by

Helen
x

Graphic 45 Design Team 2014 Audition

Welcome to my Graphic 45 Design Team 2014 Audition.

I have loved Graphic 45 papers ever since I bought my first sheet which was 'Bees Knees' it was full of red cherries and polka dots (I still have one piece of it left!).   I love the versatility of the gorgeous mini prints as much as I love the intricate vintage images we all love to fussy cut.  I hope my post showcases my love of designing and that Graphic 45 paper collections fire my imagination.  I am so excited about taking this opportunity again (audition post from last year) to audition once again for the wonderful Graphic 45 Design Team.

I am passionate about designing projects and then teaching others how to make them.  So it is natural for me to run classes and workshops and to share lots of tutorials on my You Tube Channel as well as creating online workshops for larger projects.  I am addicted to creating videos and work hard to make my tutorials and workshops professional and easy to follow.

I have taken this opportunity to create some new projects for this audition and I found it difficult to choose which other projects to include in my audition post as I know I am going to be competing with lots of very talented people out there in Graphic 45 land!  Fingers and toes crossed and here we go……..

Secret Garden Canvas - Lots of fussy cutting with a touch of silver gilding.

This started life as a Scrapbook Layout way back in May last year but I was so pleased with how my flower vines turned out it would have been a shame to squash them in an album so I turned it into a pretty canvas.

Tropical Travelogue Carriage Clock - I loved creating the display of tropical flowers and foliage for this brand new piece.  This project was built from chipboard - This is my favourite kind of designing, from chipboard and paper to carriage clock - I have so many ideas for different versions of this design - I might now have the perfect excuse to get my hands on the By The Sea Collection!!!! ;-)

A close up of all the fussy cutting.

Steampunk Spells Spooky Halloween Mini - A great reminder of Halloweens past and a cute album that can be made with any Graphic 45 paper collection as it uses the cut apart Journalling Card Pages as tags for journalling and more photographs.

This was a little tricky to photograph to capture all the detail so click here to watch the video I filmed to look through this spooky mini.  I am currently editing the tutorial for this.

Ladies Diary - Box of Memories - I wanted try to create faux vintage treasures that may have been left to me by my Great Great Grandmother.

I had lots of fun thinking what might be in my box of treasure.  A valentine given to my Great Grandmother, my Grandma's locket and trinket box, a bobbin of lace and a Christmas pomander from my Great Great Grandmother.

Ladies Diary had all the delicate prints and images I needed to create this set of pretty trinkets.

Graphic 45 Mantel Clock - I loved combining Graphic 45 prints for this project.

Drawers for Tags or in my case jewellery as this clock sits on my dresser.

There is even room for a Mini Album behind the clock mechanism or it could be somewhere to store secret treasures!

Pyramid Mini for a Boy or a Girl - One project two very different looks courtesy of two very different Graphic 45 paper collections.

What treasures can you put inside?  This one was originally designed for my son Callum's 14th birthday but I have since taught it in workshops.

Complete with a Mini Album for all those party photos.

This one was just for me as I love the Ladies Diary paper collection.

When I design a large project like this I try to make it as versatile as possible to appeal to as many crafters as possible.

French Country Memory Box and Mini - Made with an altered Matchbook Box.

This is a mini and memory box combined and is a design that could be made for lots of occasions.

I am using it to record happy family memories associated with recipes.  I used the Journaling cards as tags so that I can write down those recipes as well as journal about the memories that are associated with them.

Underneath the mini is a memory box with lots of compartments to store treasures - this would make a great project to record a special holiday too (mmmm By the Sea!!!).

I made a video tour of this project last year so here is the link.  This is another project that is difficult to photograph effectively!

Little Darlings New Baby Cake and Mini Album - I loved making the little stack of cute baby blocks for the cake topper.

As I wrote all the journaling prompts for the Mini Album it bought back happy memories of filling in baby albums of my own.

The online workshop for this is almost complete and there is a Christmas and Birthday cake version as well as a three-tier wedding cake…... (no pressure on my two handsome sons though!!! ;-)

A Few Scrapbook Pages

Scrapbooking and cards was where my passion for paper crafting began.  During my crafting journey I have made many lovely and very talented crafting friends, both in the real world and more recently in the online world, over the years and I am so grateful for their support and kind hearts.

Mother Goose Layout - Gorgeous bright patterns - perfect for the fun fair photograph - a master class on how to make your supplies go a long way!

Olde Curiosity Shoppe meets Magic of Oz

What to do with such pretty leftovers?

I have a tutorial on how to make companion 'Project Life' style pages on my You Tube Channel.

Tropical Travelogue Layout - I love using Graphic 45 images as embellishments on a page.

There is so much detail on every page to inspire your creativity - I was really pleased with how the fish embellishments and fussy cut frame turned out.

A Couple of Cards


Secret Garden Double Slider Card

I made a tutorial for this shabby chic card.

Steampunk Spells - An alternative Valentine!

I think I should create an envelope with a health warning - 'Open with care!!!' (tutorial awaiting editing)

Sometimes Layouts Inspire Cards - A great way to use up pretty paper scraps.

I made a tutorial for this double easel card.

I love mixing and matching gorgeous Graphic 45 paper lines this time Little Darlings with ABC Primer for a baby to grown up layout that inspired a fun Birthday card for my lovely hubby who has been a real star supporting me this week.

Phew!  As you can see Graphic 45 fires my imagination and I thank you for that and I really hope you like my projects.  I love to design and I love to make tutorials so that others can make them too.  I hope this post and the links capture that passion.  Thank you so much to Graphic 45 for this exciting opportunity and thank you to my blog friends for your support and for giving me the confidence to give it a go!

As always thank you for popping by X