Creating an Upcycled Tag with Graphic 45 and Couture!

Hey friends!
Today I have a fun tutorial to share with you. I discovered a new medium to deliver my tutorials thanks to Joanna and Charee from Graphic 45! It's called SnapGuide and WOW! If you thought Pinterest was a vast sea of inspiration, you have to check out the array of tutorials available on SnapGuide. I literally was engulfed in SnapGuide tutorials for nearly an entire day on my first visit! It is such a great place to find step-by-step tutorials on nearly everything from crafting, cooking, home improvement to even emergency planning! 

So let me jump right into the project and tutorial!

Aren't the Graphic 45 Staples just amazing?! ♥ Well, what about the packaging they come in? Simply fabulous! ♥ Save them! I save all of mine and upcycle them into tags, albums and inserts for my mini albums. The project ideas are endless and not to mention environmentally friendly, too! ♥

For this project I upcycled the Staples packaging from Graphic 45's Shabby Chic Ornate Metal Keys and used the fabulously chic Couture collection to create this tag. What a wonderful gift in lieu of a card! ♥

My tutorial will take you step-by-step on how to upcycle the packaging!

First here is a quick photo of the tag in its entirety! ♥

...now here is my Snap Guide Tutorial!

Check out How to Create an Upcycled Tag Using Graphic 45 Packaging by Arlene Butterflykisses on Snapguide.

More information and pictures of this project can be found on the Graphic 45 blog.

Hope to see you over there! ♥

xoxo,

Product list:
Couture 8x8 paper pad Couture 6x6 Patterns & Solids Couture Banners Couture Chipboard Couture Stickers Graphic 45 Staples packaging May Arts ribbon Recollections & I Am Roses flowers Lace and Pearl Trim Ranger Distress Ink - Black Soot 3M ATG Adhesive Hot Glue Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares

Card with Box measurements & Tutorial

Hey there blogging friends! ♥

I received several requests for the measurements of the 12 Days of Christmas card with box I created for Graphic 45. Here is a peek at the project:

I created a video tutorial to show you how to create the card and interior "surprise" box.

Here are the measurements for the card and the interior box:

Card:

8 1/2" x 8 7/8"

Score at 4" on each side on the length of 8 7/8" side

Fold at score lines

Box Bottom:

5 1/4" x 7"

Score at 3/4" on all sides

Fold at score lines

Cut slits (see video tutorial)

Top of Box:

5 1/4" PLUS 1/16" x 7 1/16"

Score at 3/4" on all sides

Fold at score lines

Cut slits (see video tutorial)

Supplies needed to create the card and box:

Scoring board and scoring tool

Paper trimmer

Scissors

ScorTape or strong adhesive

Enjoy! ♥

xoxo,

G45 Bohemian Bazaar Altered Photo Carousel

Hello friends and happy Monday to you all!

Today, I have a special altered project I want to share with you. I found this raw wood photo carousel at my local Michael's and I thought it would be fun to alter something special to place on my office desk.  I buffed the wood with my Tim Holtz sanding block, then painted it with Ivory acrylic paint and edged it with Ranger's Distress ink in Vintage Photo. All the beautiful and virbant decor is from the Bohemian Bazaar paper collection. Available to match the paper collection are the matching chipboard and stickers. I really love coordinating embellishments. It saves me a ton of time when creating because I already know all the product will compliment each other! ❤

Here are some photos:

I also created a video to walk you through this project:

Thank you ever so much for joining me today!

Be sure to stop over at the Graphic 45 BLOG for your daily inspiration! xoxo

Have yourself a wonderful crafty week! ❤

xoxo,

Product List:
Bohemian Bazaar 6x6 paper pad, Sticker Sheet, Chipboard 1 Staples: Ornate Metal Keys, Ornate Metal Keyhole, Ornate Door Knob, Stamped Metal Brads, Metal Clothespin, Metal Drawer Pull Coordinations Signature Series cardstock Raw wood Photo Carousel from Michael’s Petaloo Flowers White paper doilies Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo Acrylic Paint in Vintage White Tim Holtz Chit Chat stickers Momenta Metal corners May Arts ribbon Apple Green toole

Secret Garden "Seeds That Grow" 12x12 Scrapbook Page

Hi everyone! It's been awhile since I've blogged. This summer has been super busy so far and I don't think it will slow down! LOL! But I wanted to share a project I created that was just featured on the Graphic 45 blog earlier in the week. This scrapbook page was super fun to pull together, I even created a little video tutorial to take you through the process!

I can’t get enough of the Secret Garden papers by Graphic 45! My husband took this picture of us at a restaurant on Mother’s Day and I already knew I wanted to create a scrapbook page with this picture using Secret Garden! The vintage-spring themed papers are so beautiful and versatile - truly perfect to use for almost any project from scrapbook pages, cards, tags, altered boxes and canvases! The papers marry nicely with wedding/anniversary projects, baby projects, and more. It’s has quickly become one of my new favorites by Graphic 45!

Here are some photos:

Video Tutorial:

Click HERE to read the post on the Graphic 45 blog and access the detailed product list for this project.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your weekend! xoxo

Father's Day Gift Card Holder Tutorial: featuring French Country!

Hello blogging friends! ❤

I'd like to share a project and video tutorial that I hope brings you some inspiration for this Father's day or any special occasion!

I created these gift card holders for Father's Day for my husband, Dad and Father-in-law using Graphic 45's gorgeous French Country paper collection. They were quite simple to make and I created a video tutorial to help walk you through the process. I hope you give it a try!

Here are some photos to get you started:

The base of the gift card holders are Graphic 45's large tags from the Large Tag Album. 

The coordinating French Country Tags & Pockets are a perfect companion to help make creating so easy! Here I used one of the tags and some dimensionals to create a "pocket" for the gift card. I wanted to have space to include a photo of the kids and myself, so I opted to use a tag versus a pocket from the Tags & Pockets set...

The "Happy Father's Day" sentiment is cut from the Sentiments 12x12 sheet from Graphic 45's Place in Time collection.

Here's my video tutorial to help walk you through the process of creating these gift card holders. Grab your kids and have them join you... these are definitely fun to make!

I want to wish all the Father's out there a very joyous and special Father's Day!

Thanks for joining me today!

xoxo ♥,

Product List:

French Country paper collection,  featuring:

French Country Tags and Envelopes

French Country Flowers

French Country Banners

French Country Chipboard

French Country 12x12 Stickers

French Country Alphabet Stickers

Graphic 45 Staples: Large Tag Album, Ornate Metal Key Holes, Ornate Metal Keys, Stamped Metal Brads, Chipboard buttons

May Arts ribbon

Black cardstock

White cardstock

Ranger Distress Ink: Walnut Stain

Scor Tape

Glossy Accents

E6000 glue

3M ATG adhesive

Sticky Stuff Store dimensionals

3M dimensionals

Little Darlings Baby Card

Happy Tuesday all!

Today I have a quick project I want to share with you. This past weekend, my husband's cousin and his wife renewed their wedding vows in a Catholic church and during the same ceremony their new, gorgeous baby girl Cadence was baptized. I created this sweet baby card for little Cadence using Graphic 45's Little Darlings paper collection:

This project will also be featured on Graphic 45's blog today along with a few cards created by my 2012 Graphic 45 teamies. Please join us!

Enjoy the rest of your week!

xoxo ♥,

Products:

Little Darlings 8x8 papers

Little Darlings Chipboards 1

Little Darlings 12x12 Sticker Sheet

Little Darlings 12x12 Alphabet Stickers

Staples - Ornate Metal Key

My Favorite Things card stock

I Am Roses flowers

White acrylic paint

White Doilies

White seam binding

Tile stickers

Secret Garden: Mixed Media Altered Shadow Box

Hello there bloggers! Arlene here again with a project for Graphic 45!

I've been having a great time creating mixed media pieces and recently spent some time figuring out what I wanted to create next. As I was going through my scraproom, I ran into a few of the 12x12 Matchbook Boxes by Graphic 45 that have been dying to be altered! So I got my hands a little dirty and created a new mixed media piece!

This Mixed Media Shadow Box is a unique piece using Graphic 45's Metal Staples and various other embellishments and flowers from my stash. So much fun!

I pulled together a 2 part video series that shows you step-by-step how I created this Mixed Media Altered Shadow Box. The video series can be accessed towards the bottom of this post.

This project will also be featured on the Graphic 45 blog HERE. But before you head over there, let me share some photos with you and talk you through the shadow box...

The photos on the layout were taken on my wedding day when I was in the hotel room with my bridesmaids and Mom, preparing for the wedding ceremony...

The 12x12 Matchbook Box is so fun to work with. There is a limitless amount of ways to alter this box.  I thought it would be fun to do some mixed media art on the "cover" and create a shadow box peeking into a scrapbook page.

Mixed media art is very liberating... throwing on the layers, textures and just having fun! I covered everything with gesso, then sprayed over the gesso with Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays in pinks, peaches and greens... You'll see

some of the metal embellishments, doilies and stenciling peeking through.

Here you'll see the Antique Metal Door Pull embellished with flowers... 

I used a variety of mulberry flowers including I Am Roses, Recollections and Prima...

Here is an up close picture where you can see the detail of the stenciling, stickers, doilies and flowers...

I love the Ornate Metal Door Plate and Knob. This set is one of my favorite metal Staples from Graphic 45...

I embossed the Metal Butterfly with an Impressions Folder, then shaped the wings with my jewelry pliers. I topped an Ornate Metal Key Hole over it and accented around with mulberry flowers...

I used an Imaginarium Designs chipboard phrase accented with angel wings by Tim Holz...

Here is a peek at the stenciling on the side of the box...

I adhered the layout to the inner "box" which slides out from the mixed media piece. I added a Staples Metal Tag topped with an Ornate Metal Label Holder to pull the box out...

Look at all the Graphic 45 Metal Staples goodness.... ♥

The box pulls right out to reveal the layout...

...the layout is adhered down to the inner box...

I used Graphic 45's Secret Garden collection on the layout... the papers and coordinating embellishments are just gorgeous! I love that the coordinating embellishments like the chipboard pieces, and stickers make creating so easy...

I altered this miniature flower pot and added a bouquet of I Am Roses flowers inside... I added a string of pearls, doilies and lace to add feminine charm to the project...

But then... I also added metal pieces to the layout to "pull in" the feel of the mixed media shell... 

Here is what the Matchbook Box looked like before the gesso and sprays...

Be sure to join me for my video tutorial series so you can see how to create one of these pieces for yourself! It was certainly a fun project to create and I hope you give it a try! ♥

Mixed Media Tutorial

Part 1

Creating the Layout

Part 2

Be sure to stop over at the Graphic 45 blog where this project will be featured today!

Thanks so much for joining me and have an AMAZING week ahead!

xoxo ♥,

Product List:

Secret Garden papers: Secret Garden, Meadow Lark, Springtime, Pretty Primrose

Secret Garden Chipboards 1 & 2, Stickers, Alphabet stickers

Staples: 12x12 Matchbook Box, Antique Metal Door pull, Ornate Metal Keyhole, Ornate Door Plate & Knob, Ornate Metal Label Holder, Metal Butterfly, Metal Tag, Metal Hinges 

Other Metal findings and embellishments from my stash

Doilies

Cheesecloth

I Am Roses flowers

Recollections flowers

Prima flowers

Imaginarium Designs chipboard phrase "Lifetime of Memories"

Miniature flower pot

Pearl string

Lace

stencils

Modeling Paste

Gesso

Mod Podge

Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays: Salt Water Taffy, Cotton Candy Pink, Cape Cod Coral, Sea Grass Green, My Mojito Green, Green with Envy Green

Scor Tape

E6000

3M ATG adhesive

Glossy Accents

Hot Glue