G45 Olde Curiosity Shoppe Tin

Hiya crafty folks! Yesterday was a bright sunny day and I was able to get outside for a little yard work. Today will be gorgeous also, if you can believe the weather man. *wink* I choose to believe!

I have another project made during my Graphic 45 marathon, this time with Olde Curiosity Shoppe. This is a really fun line with loads of neat oddities. I used a window tin with the acrylic window cut out. I'm pretty pleased with the framing effect.

Here's a view of the right inside edge. For the hanging jar, I cut a slit in the cork lid and shimmied the "knees" into it, then glued the cork lid to the glass. Many of the bottles on the G45 paper are covered with Glossy Accents.

Here is the left inside edge. I layered a wicked moth and put him on the side - what a surprise! The wooden clock is one of the new Prima embellishments, and hanging from it is a pendulum charm and bit of metal.

Here's the back (shot at an odd angle). The tag has my shipping info so the kind folks at Graphic 45 can send it back to me once their design team decisions are made. *wink*

So that's it for me. Thanks so much for visiting today!

Cheers,
Susan

Graphic 45 Little Darlings Mini Album

Hiya friends! As you might know, I've been in a G45 crafting frenzy nigh on a month now, what with the audition (I made the Final 30!) and then my three projects shipped to G45 on Monday. I posted the Communique shadow box HERE, and I want to show you another project included in that shipment.

I used G45's newest line - Little Darlings. Such beautiful graphics! Here's a very chunky 4"x4" mini album.

Not a lot of embellishment on the front since the mother and baby are so darn cute!

The little girl is a pull-out tag, and the right side has space for a photo. I still have to make the coordinating photo corners before this goes to it's new home. :)

More pull-out tags on these pages. Don't you just love that little baby face?

A single tag on the left and two on the right side.

I don't have a photo of the back (gasp!) but it's covered with the blue "B" paper. I used a combination of 12x12 sheets and 8x8. Also the sticker sheet and chipboard pieces from both sets. It's a Little Darlings embellishment extravaganza!

I'll post my last project in a day or two, as well as the Little Darlings one that didn't make the cut. :)

Thanks for visiting today! It's a gorgeous day and I'm going to go outside for sun and yard work. Next week we're headed back down into the 60's (*still* higher than normal temps) so I'm going to take advantage "soak up" the vitamin D while I can.

Cheers,
Susan

Graphic 45 - Communique Shadow Box

Hiya crafty folks! I've been busy on a new G45 project. Want to see it?

I've used papers from the Communique collection and a few bits and bobs. I absolutely love this George Bernard Shaw quote, "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." Isn't that the truth?!

I've used bits of the paper to create communication-themed vignettes in the boxes. Sending a telegram, typing a letter, listening to the Edison phonograph, writing a note, watching the movies and taking photographs, speaking on the telephone. In each of these methods there is a sender and a receiver and the hope that the message sent is the message received. *wink*

The inside of the inkwell is painted with a Qtip.

I love this box and the optical-illusion created by the diamond patterned paper.

Thanks for visiting today! I'll have more stuff up as the glue dries.

Cheers,
Susan

Graphic 45 Finalist!

*squee*

Thanks so much for your well wishes everyone - it worked! Along with 29 other fantastic folks from around the world, I have been selected as a Graphic 45 design team finalist.

I admit I checked the post a couple of times, just in case I was imagining my name on the list. (Wait, let me check again... oh, there I am at #19!) My foot is really in the door and now I have the opportunity to WOW 'em with 3 projects in their hot little hands. This is an immense honor and I truly appreciate it.

I have to send a special thanks to my big sister for being such an inspiration in life and a rock through this process. L - you affect my life in positive ways every single day. Thank you!

So, wish me luck!

Cheers,
Susan

Trashy Vampire Novel Altered Altoid Tin!

Hi folks! Over at Craftster I'm participating in a "Wicked Vices Altoid Tin Swap". Hee hee hee. My UK-based partner finally received so I can share it with you now!

Each partner was supplied with 5 "vices" to inspire the other to alter an Altoid tin. One of my partner's vices was reading trashy vampire novels. I couldn't pass it up!

The heart and wings are from Grungeboard die cut sheets. Those poor wings have flown around two or three different projects before alighting on this one. The heart was trimmed down to size, painted red then coated with crackle paint. The crackle paint wanted to flake off with all the manipulation so I coated it with Glossy Accents.

The book cover is made from three pieces: the covers are separate pieces of chipboard and the binding is a piece of Grungepaper. I needed the binding to be pliable and the Grungepaper worked perfectly. I adhered the 3 pieces to the ivory liner paper and carefully put the precut red Graphic 45 paper on. There is a wee bit of space between the chipboard sheets and Grungepaper to allow for movement. I used a scoring tool to create the groove on the Graphic 45.

Inside is a trashy vampire novel of her very own! The bookplate is from a set of American Crafts stamps called "Librarian". I jut happened to stumble on it at Tuesday Morning the day I was trying to figure out the inside cover. It was a serendipitous moment!

For the inside pages, I scoured the Internets for fun vampire-related photos and quotes.

This one is my favorite:

The end!

Thanks for visiting today! Here's a link to our Craftster Wicked Vices gallery if you'd like to see more. There's a plethora of funny vices represented in Altoid tins! Here's a little hint for you - to the right of center there's a button that says "show images only". Click and you'll get all the photos without the chatter. :)

Ok, that's it for me. We're going to see 70 degrees today for the first time this year. I've saved up all my errands so I can ride around with the sun on my face and wind in my hair. Glorious!

Cheers,
Susan

You're The Tops!

Hat pins, stick pins, pretty sparkly baubles. So many of us have a feminine side that thrives on a wee bit 'o bling, right? For me, it's bracelets and brooches. I have a small collection of vintage rhinestone bracelets that I love to wear and a monster rhinestone sunburst brooch I bought  from a street vendor in New York. It is a winter staple on my sweaters. Oh, the sparkles!

So, you know my Etsy shop scrapbook and stick pins, right?

Welll, Etsy seller Nekoda, from the It's A Girl Thing Shoppe makes adorable tutu dresses and couture mini top hats. I'm tickled to show you what she's doing with my sparkly little stick pins:

Aren't these the cutest hats? They are 5" - 7" high and come with built-in hair clips. I love them!

Thanks for visiting today. Hope you have a great day!

Cheers,
Susan

Graphic 45 Design Team 2012 Audition

Hello crafty friends! As you might know, the Graphic 45 folks are holding a design team call. As I am smitten with their papers I just have to throw my hat in the ring! In this post I am showing brand new Graphic 45 projects (I've been busy!) as well as one or two you've already seen. So grab a cuppa and walk with me through the beauty that is Graphic 45.

My first projects are greeting cards made with An ABC Primer and a combination of Renaissance Faire and Curtain Call.

An ABC Primer

Renaissance Faire and Curtain Call

The next two projects are re-purposed tins - one from Altoids and the other is the bottom half of a gift card tin. The Christmas (Altoids) tin includes paper from Christmas Emporium and was made for a vintage Christmas-themed swap on Craftster.org.

This shadowbox tin was made with the fanciful Once Upon a Springtime papers.

Next is the little calendar that hangs right above my work space. She's made with Fashionista Le Fleur paper.

My favorite flower is a red poppy and even though this red sweetheart isn't really a poppy I'm imagining she is (just because I can!). This 5"x7" canvas was made using beautiful Botanicabella.

My final project is a 6"x7" album made with the gorgeous Tropical Travelogue line. Oh how I love this collection!

Pages 2 and 3:

Pages 4 and 5:

Pages 6 and 7:

Back cover:

Wow, seven projects in all! Thanks so much for following along with me. I know this was an image-heavy post, but you know how important details are to me.

Next Friday, March 2nd, the Graphic 45 team will announce their Top 30 applicants from the hundreds I think they will receive. Competition is fierce and the crafty skills "out there" are quite impressive. After that announcement the Top 30 have a few weeks to get 3 projects in the hands of the G45 team for some down and dirty inspection. We all know that our projects always seem to be better in person than in photos, right? Can you imagine a conference room bursting with all those fabulous submissions? Oh, to be a fly on those walls!

I've got fingers crossed for luck that I will make it to the final round. I'm already noodling away at ideas for new projects. I can't help it - these papers are so inspiring! Maybe they can be final round submissions. A girl can hope, right? *wink* Wish me luck!

Cheers,
Susan