Pretty Paper Blog

Congratulations to Graphic 45 on their big win at CHA Summer!   

Their innovative booth and beautiful displays won BEST IN SHOW!  

Graphic 45 paper is SO beautiful, I can’t help but LOVE creating with it.

I feel so honored to be on their design team along with 9 other talented women!  If you would like to check out the other Graphic 45 design team blogs I have them listed on the right hand side of my blog. 

I know that I’ve shown you some of my Graphic 45 projects before…but here’s another look at some of the projects and layouts I have created with their gorgeous paper: 

I always seem to have “Big Plans” for my Saturdays…I can’t ever seem to accomplish all that I want to squeeze into that one day every week.  Do you have this problem with Saturdays too?  Right now I have so many irons in the fire I think I’m going to burn the house (or my brain) down. 

Around an round she goes…where she’ll stop, nobody knows!

Yes, I know this is a pretty random post…

The above photo is a little Chinese takeout box that I covered with some of the new paper from Graphic 45’s Botanica Bella Line.  I love being on their design team, seriously…their paper is so beautiful and easy to work with!

This is the class I am teaching up at Paradise Scrapbook Boutique today:

A fun summer paper bag album, bound together with (my fave) the Bind-it-all.  Nice.

And NEXT Saturday I’m teaching a Two-page Layout using Teresa Collins - Travelogue paper.  I love to work with this paper…tons of fun and very versatile, did I say I love this paper?

The photos on the layout are from our trip to Disneyland last September…I can’t believe it’s almost been A YEAR since we went last…it seems like it was just yesterday.  Man, these days (weeks, years) just fly!

So my big plans….?

Teach, clean, create, play.  Oh, and maybe get some rose bushes planted….cross your fingers!

What are your big plans?  Love to hear ‘em!

A friend is someone who knows

the song in your heart

and can sing it back to you

when you’ve forgotten the words.

Live so that your children

can tell their children

that you not only stood

for something wonderful –

you acted on it.

-Dan Zaora

Cherish Yesterday,

Dream tomorrow,

Live like CRAZY today!

-Anon

Izabelle & Emilee

Exquisite Details

present themselves

along the way

How to make Accordion-Style Paper Flowers:

1.  Start with a long strip of paper (8 to 12 inches).  I cut this strip about 1-1/2 inches wide with scallop-edged scissors.  And yes, I used the beautiful new Graphic 45  paper again today.

2.  Fold the strip of paper accordion-style from one end to the other.

3.  Gather your edges together and tie twine (or ribbon) in the center.

4.  From the center (where the twine or ribbon is tied), gently fold out the top and bottom edges from the right hand side and glue together.  You should probably use some strong glue and hold it in position for a few seconds until the glue dries a bit.  Repeat this process with the left hand side.

Ta-da!  Your Accordion-Style paper flower is complete!

Mix and match these Accordion-Style flowers with the Circle-Punch Flowers from yesterday for a interesting twist!  Have fun!

How to make Paper flowers using your circle punch:

First of all, I must apologize for my photo quality, I made these flowers late at night, therefore I had poor light for taking photos.

I used the new Graphic 45 paper to make all the flowers pictured.

1. Punch Six Circles from your choice of patterned paper using a circle punch.  In these photos I used a 1-1/4 inch circle punch but you may use smaller or larger if you prefer.

2.  Crumple each circle and then smooth it out again (I like to chalk the edges of each circle with liquid chalk for added character).

3.  Arrange five circles in a flower shape and staple the center to hold them together.

4.  Use glue dots to add a silk flower of your choice to the center of the stapled circles.  Then use glue dots to adhere an additional circle to the center of the silk flower.

5.  Tie ribbon or twine through a button and use glue dots to attach it to the top of the circle. 

Your first paper flower is complete!    I prefer to make several different flowers and bunch them together.  I’ll post another paper flower tutorial tomorrow! 

Another layout created with the new Botanicabella Line from Graphic 45.  This is one of the projects that DHL has hidden somewhere in the abyss (*sniff*).  I can’t say it enough, I love working with this paper. 

I spoke with Karen and I’ll be creating this layout (but make it 2-pages) for a class at Paradise Scrapbook Boutique in August. 

Take a close look at this paper, it’s gorgeous!

I created a little hidden journaling tag on the right hand side of the photo.

Do you like the first photo of the paper flowers?   I think I’ll run a little course on how to make paper flowers here on my blog next week….what do you think?  Is it something you all would be interested in?  Let me know.

And please keep your fingers crossed that my DHL package finds it’s way to Graphic 45 in time for their trip to Chicago!

You simply must visit the Graphic 45 Blog they have just released their new paper lines, Bontanica Bella and Playtimes Past.

I’ve been working on projects with this paper and I LOVE IT!  I have been trying help out by making some example projects for CHA Summer in Chicago.  We’ve had a little mix up with DHL and my projects are somwehere in limbo.  I hope that they get to the Graphic 45 headquarters before they leave! 

I can’t possibly post everything I’ve done in one post, but here’s a peek at a couple projects, a gift bucket made with the Playtimes Past Line and a card made with the Bontanica Bella Line:

I’ll be posting more projects throughout the week.  What do you think?  I would love your input!