Graphic 45 Design Team Audition 2015

As Spring approaches, it is once again that fun, amazing and ever so slightly nervous time that is the Graphic 45 Design team call.  This year I am excited to present five pieces that range from a prize winning ATC to a construction project that was inspired by 3D modelling technology.

Project One:
Steampunk & Gears themed ATC card.

This card features paper from Graphic 45's "Steampunk Spells" line, a stamp from "Steampunk Debutante" and brads from the Staples collection.  It was made for the Original Rubber Stamp Convention's ATC contest and won honorable mention. I choose to work with the theme "gears." For more info about the card and how it was made please check out my blog post about it.

ProjectTwo:

Gift Box for a Wine Bottle.

This began as a birthday gift. I wanted to make something original and fun. So I used G45 Le Cirque paper and matched it to a bottle of wine with a cute label.

When several of my friends and fellow scrappers commented on how much they liked the box, I decided to create a new one that I could teach. The second one features Artisan Style paper. The way the houses create a 3d effect on the peaked top looks almost surreal to me.

 

For more details about the box including class schedule, check out my blog post. To see a step by step tutorial on building this box, click here.

Project Three:
Mini Album featuring Couture & Typography papers.

This album was made as a gift for a friend who lives in Russia. I haven't seen her in several years and was very excited to make her a special gift. The album is based on Kathy Orta's "My Design Mini album" which features her hidden hinge system.

 I matted it with Couture and Typography papers. I felt like the colors and styles of these two lines not only reflect my friend's taste and personality, but also accentuate the beauty in each other. To see more about this album, please, see my blog entry.

Project Four:
Shadowbox Wall Hanging with Precious Memories Paper

I created this project as another gift for a friend who recently adopted.  I used the four panel shadow box, covered it with the Precious Memories paper and added flowers and butterflies.  To make many of the flowers, I used one of my current obsessions, the Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch. To see more about the shadow box click here.

 

Project Five:
Gramophone Box with Curtain Call Paper

I created this Gramophone with a hidden drawer using Curtain Call paper, chipboard and a few pieces of hardware. The original idea came to me when I learned I could used 3D modeling to create patterns to cut on my Eclips. This is how I made the speaker horn.

The piece can be used for storage or to house a mini album.  I really enjoy how the Curtain Call paper worked with the gramophone theme. Especially how it brought out the whimsey and fun while still highlighting the theme of music. To learn more about how I made this piece check out my blog post about it.

Final Thoughts:
Hopefully you have enjoyed my submissions as much as I have enjoyed making them. This year I tried to make some projects that tested my ability to construct, work with themes and to teach what I have learned to others. And in doing so, I think I have learned and grown as a papercrafting artist.

Thank you for your consideration.
Laurel

Old Style Gramophone Box with Graphic 45 Curtain Call paper

This project started off as an idea I got at the 2015 CHA. At the Sizzix Eclips booth, they were building 3D items, like an Iron Man mask. I found out that they had created the objects in a 3D modelling program (like Max or Maya) and flattened it out (unwrapped) for cutting. Well considering my degree is in Game Art & Design this sounded VERY exciting!

 

So, I dusted off my modelling skills. And created a very simple model of the speaker horn. And after a few false starts I unwrapped my model and cut it on the Eclips. I was pretty happy with how this worked overall. But I did not make the best pattern when I unwrapped the model, so the base of the cone needed extra support. Which it got via a cardboard cone (which got a copper metal jacket) and apiece of copper piping.

After creating my cone, I went ahead and made the base cabinet for the Gramophone. I decided I wanted to make a drawer unit and built a 9 x 9 x 4.5 box with three sides. I then made a slightly smaller bow sans top to be the drawer. (I used medium weight chipboard for all my construction.)

At the bottom I added a second box that was 10 x 10 x 1 that I attached to the bottom of the open sided box as both support and extra decoration.

After I finished my basic construction, I began to decorate the box.  I decided on Graphic 45's Curtain Call paper because it suited the vintage feel of an old time Gramophone and reflected the idea of music and dance in its patterns. Around the sides of the box I used a pattern of dancers interspersed with a geometric pattern. To get a little more dimension, I glued the top piece of pattern paper to some of the chipboard scraps and trimmed it with a slight border.

On the box top I used the beautiful peacock feather pattern. I added a "record" made up of polka dot and geometric patterned paper. I pop dotted the "45" to give it a little more height.

I used the same yellow geometric pattern as the label to line the drawer. And on the sides, I used the black and kraft colored music notes.

For the cone, I started with the music note paper. But when I looked at the size of the cone when placed on the box it seemed really small and unimpressive, I decided I needed to improve my speaker cone.  To do this, I added teardrop shaped petals to the inside of the original cone. I made these with black card stock adding a smaller teardrop of peacock feather paper on one side and the showgirl ladies on the other.

The new and improved cone looked much better and suited the size and shape of the base. (What a relief!) Now to attach the speaker and add embellishments.

To add the speaker I used a paint bottle lid that fit inside the copper piping. I first tried attaching the cone with E6000. But this glue was a bit too flexible. Instead I ended up using a hot glue gun and lots of glue.  But in the end it was attached well and stayed.

For embellishments, I added a matching G45 door knob, large brad and small brads to look like they could be the controls for the gramophone. I also added a clothespin colored with copper paint to match the metal on the speaker cone to be the needle on the record.

On the box base, I added a G45 drawer pull to the front for the drawer. I also added some G45 washi tape and  Prima Finnibar square brads to the lip of the base. And to finish the gramophone, at the bottom I added the new G45 claw feet. Oh My Gosh these feet are so cool looking; they add just the right amount of vintage. (Gotta get another set!)

I decided not to add alot of bling or extras because I felt like the speaker horn was so complex that it was best to keep the decorations on the simple side. And I really dont think the project needs a lot of bells whistles or sparkle added to it.  What do you think? does it need anything else?

G45 Precious Memories Shadow Box

I really enjoy how this project came out. I think it is very pretty, fanciful and fun, just like a project about these silly sweet and beautiful kiddos should be. (It started out a wee bit different. read about that here.) I wanted to make a wall or window hanging decor piece that could hang in almost any room.
 

I began with the cream, four windowed Graphic 45 shadow box. And to decorate I used G45 Precious Memories papers and some Prima embellishments. First, i lined two of the inner windows with the Sugar & Spice and Puppy Dog Tails papers. I love these little paper doll baby outfits. How darned cute.

In fact, I liked how these papers looked so much that I added it around the out side edge too.

I then used the pink and blue floral paterns from the Cherish and Patty cake designs to line the last two inside boxes. On the front, I used the plain pattern from Cuddle time. I then cut 1/2 inch strips of the hearts from Cutie pie and centered them in the frame. I added small chip board pieces to the corners.

On the top and bottom of the frame I added the phrases from Puppy Dog Tails (Snips and snails....) and Sugar & Spice (Sugar and spice....) I really like how these finish off the front of the shadow box.

I added some ribbon to the sides for hanging the shadowbox. I chose a pink and white stripe and layered a blue check over it.

I then began to work with the flowers. To start, I punched hydrangea blossoms using the Martha Stewart punch. I really just used the selvage from the paper I used to cover the frame. I bent/rounded the petals after punching.

I started in the corners by the ribbon and added bigger flowers from Prima's Butterfly and Watercolor collections. Then I began surrounding the lager flowers with the ones I punched and a few smaller Prima flowers.
 

I added flowers around all four outside corners. Since the piece will be hanging, I didn't have to worry about the bottom being flat. In the top corners, where the bigger flowers are, I added two of the vellum butterflies by Prima. These look so weirdly real that they seem like they could move.

After finishing the decoration on the outside, it was time to work on the focal points on the inside. I chose some pictures of the two amazing kids. (Photos were taken by xxx for a friend.) And printed and fussy cut out the figures. I played around with which boxes to place them in, then glued the photos directly to the back acrylic piece.
 

Steampunk ATC its a Contest Winner (Honorable Mention)

On March 14, I attended the Original Rubber Stamp Convention in Carson, CA for the first time. I decided I would also enter the ATC contest while I was there. And my card got Honorable Mention! Yay!!
 

 

I took the theme from my monthly ATC group at Custom Impressions - gears or wheels. For the card, I started off with a pattern paper base. I used the "Clockworks" paper from Graphic 45's Steampunk Spells 8x8 pad. I love the dimension in this pattern, especially for a monotone looking print.

I then added some multicolor metal gilding to the right side and upper left corner. I really like the texture and color the gilding brought to the ATC. I also added a Tim Holtz word band on the left side.

Next, I diecut gear shapes on metal sheets and grunge board. I tinted the grunge board with brass distress paint and walnut distress ink.

The gears were added to the card background, with one being pop dotted to add a layer of dimension. A G45 brad was added to the center of the grunge board gear.
 

 

For the central image of the ATC, I choose a stamp of a woman with gears in her hair from Graphic 45's Steampunk Debutante line. I stamped it on watercolor paper with black Stazon ink.

I colored the image with Prima watercolor pencils using a water brush to blend. I tried to achive a vintage, hand colored look. After the watercolor was dry, glitter and shine was added to the gears with Zig wink of stella pens.

When the image was colored, I fussy cut the lady. And then added some embellishments, gears and a number die by Tim Holtz, then a Graphic 45 brad.

The stamp was popped dotted onto the background. And as a finishing touch, I added s little glitter. to the gears.