Your Creative Mountain Retreat 2017

I love this airy parlor at the  Echo Mountain Inn and this is where we're holding our 2017 retreat!  Isn't this just the greatest room and there are stunning mountain views out those windows.

Are you ready to register for a creative weekend retreat (October 29 - 29, 2017) at the charming Echo Mountain Inn  in Hendersonville, North Carolina?  Registration opens today at noon, EST!  This is not simply a weekend crop. It's going to be a busy schedule that includes six fabulous classes taught by three top Graphic 45 designers, Maggi Harding, Annette Green and Ginger Ropp, make-n-takes, goodies, games and prizes.  Meals, lodging, class materials, everything you'll need is included in the price.

To register, hop on over to Your Creative Mountain Retreat 2017 blog.   You'll find everything you need to know there to register.

The Retreat has a maximum capacity of 28 guests so don't delay to secure your spot.  I am really excited about this event and can't wait to see old friends and make new friends!

Happy New Year from Petaloo!

Happy New Year everyone! Are you ready for it?  I'm not, seems like time just flies by way too fast!

I'm starting the New Year off with a colorful banner proclaiming the year 2017 featuring some of my favorite flowers and papers.  Darjeeling flowers have long been a favorite of mine and on this banner I've used mostly flowers from the Darjeeling collection.  (See my supply list at the bottom of the post).    I love bright and colorful so I chose to create my banner from Graphic 45's Off to the Races collection.

The pretty blue flowers are from the Penny Lane collection, all the others are Darjeelings.

I used Graphic 45's Staples tags to make the larger banner pieces.  The smaller banners I cut from design paper and topped each banner with a G45 diecut banner.

 I love layers and I often use diecuts to create my layers.  I love stacking the fun shapes on top of each other and then clustering flowers with the layers.

I tied the banner together with a long length of May Arts Canvas Ruler Ribbon and then I added the smaller banners with tiny clothespins.  Since you can NEVER have too many flowers, I glued some flowers to the ribbon too!

Petaloo Supplies:

Darjeeling Anenome x 4 cream 1490-105

Darjeeling Garden Rosette x 6 spice 1491-108

Darjarling Mini Garden Rosette x 6 cream 1492-105

Mini Mix x 8 Teastained Spice 1462-108

Forget me Nots x 16 Robin Egg Blue 1837-056

Butterflies x 8 Teastained Cream 1488-105

Other Supplies:

Graphic 45 Off to the Races collection

Graphic 45 Staples Regular Tags

May Arts 3/4 inch Canvas Ruler Ribbon

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Happy New Year from Creative Embellishments!

Happy New Year everyone!  It's time for a new monthly challenge from Creative Embellishments!  Their challenges are the best as they are always based on a photo inspiration, and, you don't have to use CE chippies!  Of course, you do get an extra entry if you use at least one CE product.

The photo made me think of Steampunk clocks and gears so I dug out my Graphic 45 Steampunk Debutante paper.  The photos I used were taken in Canada in Fort Nelson, BC at a museum about building the Alcan highway during WWII.  The equipment there is left over from those days.

This is the inspiration photo for January and the twist is to use numbers on your project.  

I used a Steampunk Clock and Gear Cluster and number stickers to meet the twist.  I used Lindy's Mission Bells Brown Starburst Mist on all my chipboard pieces.  In the upper left corner I used a piece from the Steampunk Corner Set and I also scattered random sized gears around my layout.

This fun chippy is from the Idea bulbs set.

Creatie Embellishments Supplies:

Gear 1 1/2" (Set of 12)

Mini Gears 3/4" (set of 12)

Steampunk Clock and Gear Cluster

Steampunk Corner Set

Adventure Word Set

Idea bulbs

Be sure to stop by Creative Embellishments blog to see the new design team's creations for this challenge and find out how you can enter.  The monthly challenge is always the first post on our blog.

Thanks for visiting today!  I appreciate it so much.

Creative Embellishments Layout with Graphic 45's new Nature Sketchbook

Awh, it still hurts my heart to see photos of my dear Chena.  This was taken on our way home from Alaska in 2010.  She was an "only dog" that summer and she loved every minute of it!  She was definitiely the belle of the ball where we were campground hosting inside Denali National Park.  So many of our campers were in rented motorhomes, and had to leave their furbabies at home so they were happy to get a little doggie lovin' fix from Chena who was more than happy to provide that service!

Creative Embellishments has some great chippies to use with Graphic 45's new Nature Sketchbook collection.  Here's a closeup of the Fern Foliage 4 I used.  I colored them with Lindy's Gator Gumbo Olive.

For the title I used Best Friends Border Words that I sprayed with a gold mist.  I used the Leafy Corner Flourish Set in the upper left and lower right corners.

My favorite chippies on this layout are these cute little  Mini Mushrooms.  I painted the caps with tan acrylic paint and then misted with Lindy's Creme Brulee Cream.

Creative Embellishments Products Used:

Fern Foliage 4

Best Friends Border Words

Leafy Corner Flourish Set

Mini Mushrooms

Other Products:

Graphic 45 Nature Sketchbook collection 12 x 12 pad

Petaloo Botanica x4 teal

Lindy's Starburst Mists

Thank you so much for visiting.  Don't forget to enter our monthly challenge on the CE blog, you could win a $50 GC to the Creative Embellishments store!  The monthly challenge is the first post on the blog, check it out!

Happy New Year from Cheery Lynn Designs

Maggi here to wish you a very Happy New Year with a fun shaker card.  It sure is hard to believe that 2016 is almost gone.  Cheery Lynn released a whole set of shaker card kits last month and they are so fun! There are shaker sets for so many occasions, take a look here.

I used the New Year 2017 Shaker Die Set to make this card.  It comes with the dies you need to cut 2017 and Happy New Year as well as  the fun shakers inside that say Happy New Year.  Aren't they so cool?  I also added in rhinestones for some sparkle.

 I decided to go for the BIG Bang and added a Champagne Bottle Shaker  too!  I used some gold embossing paste behind the champagne shaker to add a little gold to the card.  The inside of the bottle shaker is a gold glittery paper that unfortunately, did not photo very well.  I used Cheery Lynn's champagne shakers inside the champagne bottle.  These come in the Champagne Bottle Shaker Kit , but you can just buy the shaker pieces too.

I made the flowers with the Floral Bouquet Kit 8 Piece Die Set using 3 of the large flower diecuts and 2 of the smaller flower diecuts.  Then I used Stickles to give the flowers lots of sparkle.

New Year 2017 Shaker Die Set - K102

Champagne Bottle Shaker Card Kit - K103K

Floral Bouquet Kit 8 Piece Die Set - B777

Shaker Mini Champagne Bottle Set - K101-10

Thanks for stopping by.  I am wishing you the happiest of New Year's and most importantly health and happiness forever.

Your Creative Mountain Retreat 2017!

Echo Mountain Inn is so pretty all decked out with Christmas lights!  The Inn is so warm and inviting and this picture really captures that feeling.   

Are you wondering what this photo has to do with anything?  Well, this is the site of Your Creative Mountain Retreat 2017 hosted by Graphic 45 designers, Maggi Harding (that's me!), Annette Green and Ginger Ropp.  We've put together a package that includes 6 classes,  meals and 3 nights in this charming Inn that was built in 1896.  Visit the Your Creative Mountain Retreat 2017 blog to find out more about this event and how you can register on January 1, 2017.

Christmas Fantasy Home for Petaloo

Holiday traditions are the things that make us feel nostalgic.  Sometimes those traditions evoke the feelings we had as children, you know the excitement of waiting for Santa!  As a child I used to make a gingerbread house every year.  Gosh I haven't done that in so long!  This year, keeping in my paper crafter mode, I decided to construct a snowy winter scene.  The house is two different Sizzix Alterations dies, the larger trees are Creative Embellishments chipboard and the beautiful blooms are Petaloo, of course!  The small trees in the background are Sizzix Alterations diecuts.

I started out with a round canvas and spread lots of snow white TCW Modeling Paste (nice & thick) all over a round canvas.  While the modeling paste was still wet, I embedded the little house and the trees. I made little triangular back stops for them so they would stand up straight.  

I allowed that first thick coat of modeling paste to dry and then I added more modeling paste.  I repeated this several times, until I was satisfied with the look of the snow.  Then I took a narrow modeling paste trowel and added modeling paste to the house and the trees.  I love Petaloo's glittered stars.  Look closely and you will find red, green and white stars.

Then I sprayed it all over with siver Thermoweb Glitter Dust.  That gave the snow a nice sparkly look.

After I was satisfied with the look of the snow platform and snow on the trees, I added Petaloo flowers and glittered stars.

I made the flower all snowy looking with white gesso, Aleene's Glitter Snow and Stickles to accent the flowers and leaves.

Petaloo Supplies:

Briar Rose CanvasHoliday mix  RS5008-502/4

Regal Gold PoinsettiaRed RS5010-002/4

Vintage Velvet Holly leaves pack x 36 RS1164-001/6

Botanica Petite’s x 11RedSKU: 1101-005

Glittered Star PickRed/White/GreenSKU: RS5012-502/4

Other Supplies:

The Crafters Workshop Modeling Paste

Aleene's Glitter Snow

Thermoweb Glitter Dust

Sizzix Alterations Village Dwelling die

Sizzix Alterations Village Gingerbread die

Sizzix Alterations Tree Line die

White, brown, red, and green cardstock

Stickles - crystal, icicle, diamond, green, red

A Christmas Layout with Cheery Lynn Designs

My furbabies are my favorite subjects for layouts and this one is of my sweet Tisha when she was still a puppy at 6 months old.  I used Graphic 45's St Nicholas papers to create layers and layers.

I love using diecuts for layers, and behind my photo I've used Celtic Oval Boutique Stacker Frames Die  and behind that, Horizon Coved Rectangle Boutique Stacker Frames Die.  One of my favorite dies this Christmas creating season has been the Holly Corner Die - B184.  I've used it under my flowers and around my photo.  

I made 3 different flowers for my layout.  This one is made with the Black Eyed Susan Strip 5 Piece Die Set - B338.  That's a great die because you cut 4 flower layers all at once.  Then give them a little dimension by shaping the paper, then stack the layers and you have a pretty dimensional flower.

This flower is made with Judy's Blooms Die - C184.   This set comes with two different sized blooms and I used both to layer up this flower.  The sparkle was acheived with a silver Wink of Stella pen.  I always like to add a little color to my leaves and I often use Lindy's mists for that purpose.  I use the dabber caps on my mists and just dab on a bit of color.  I used the Wreath Strip 7 Piece Die Set - B216 to add some pine boughs to my clusters. I just tucked the wreath pieces, that I colored with Lindy's Frosty Forest Green, around the flowers.

One more flower to share with you today!  These I made with the Sweet Williams Die Set - D137.  This set also comes with two sizes of blooms and I used both sizes.  I put two large blooms on the bottom and then two of the smaller on top.  I shaped these simple by inserting a petal in my tweezers and giving it a twist.  That's a fast and simple way to give flowers some dimension.  The shine on these blooms comes from a red Wink of Stella pen.

Cheery Lynn Designs Dies Used:

Celtic Oval Boutique Stacker Frames Die - DL258

Horizon Coved Rectangle Boutique Stacker Frames Die - DL251

Black Eyed Susan Strip 5 Piece Die Set - B338

Judy's Blooms Die - C184

Sweet Williams Die - D137

Holly Corner Die - B184

Wreath Strip 7 Piece Die Set - B216

Other Supplies:

Graphic 45 St. Nicholas collection

Tired of Christmas? Take a break with my summer LO.

Oh let's change it up today! Back in the summer Authentique  sent the Petaloo DT their Explore Collection Kit and I used it to make this fun vintage summer travel page.  The plaid paper in the collection made a great bottom layer for my layout.  I just inked and distressed several paper layers, added some white masking paste and paint and then topped it all with Petaloo's Darjeeling flowers.  I love love love the Darjeeling collection of blooms!   I used two different sized of flowers to make my clusters and tucked in some leaves that come with the smaller blooms.  Then I lightly brushed on some watered down gesso.

 I used some stickers and punched papers from the Explore collection to embellish my layout.

 Try brushing some watered down white paint or gesso over your flowers.  It gives an entirely different look that I think goes really well with vintage styling.

Petaloo Flowers

Dahlias x 10 Teastained Yellow 1467-109

Mini Mix x 8 Tea Stained Blue 1462-103

Petites x 24 Teastained Yellow 1465-109

Authentique Explore Collection Kit

Explore One

Explore Four

Explore Five

Explore Twelve

Harmonize

Life Cards

Components Die-cut Accents

Cardstock Stickers

I sure do appreciate you stopping by my blog today.  Thanks so much!

Announcing Your Creative Mountain Retreat 2017

Your Creative Mountain Retreat blog has gone live today! The retreat is a unique crafting get-away in the mountains of North Carolina, scheduled for Thursday, October 26 though Sunday, October 29, 2017. This exclusive creative retreat is hosted by three top Graphic 45 designers, Maggi Harding, Annette Green and Ginger Ropp.  Pop on over to Your Creative Mountain Retreat's blog  and get all the details for this fabulous mountain getaway October 26 - October 29, 2017.

A Unicorn Tag for Creative Embellishments

I made this tag shortly after learning of the death of Alda Stevens, the owner of the Flying Unicorn.  Alda was a good friend and I had always intended to make something to send her with this wonderful unicorn chippie.  That never happened, so I made this to remember her and to share with all of you that loved and cherished her friendship.

I used Graphic 45's Gilded Lily collection because I know that is a collection that Alda loved because it's blue and pink.  You know that any unicorn for Alda would have to be pink so I used Stampendous Shabby Pink and Shabby white embossing enamel on the Unicorn. 

 

The Grunge Heart Corner is a symbol for all of us that she left behind with heavy hearts because she is gone.  I used chunky white embossing enamel and the chain is aged gold embossing enamel.  The little cherub is a Prima resin.

 As always, I have popped up layers to give the tag dimension.  I finished the tag off with lots of pretty flowers, Alda would want that for sure!  I used Petaloo Mixed Textured blooms and also fussy cut flowers from G45's design papers.

Creative Embellishments products:

Unicorn

Grunge Heart Corner

Thank you for joining me today.

Quick little gifts for the stocking or hostess with Graphic 45

 Aren't these just the cutest little things?   They are Post-it note pad folios all dressed up with Graphic 45's new Nature Sketchbook collection.  I think this collection is my new favorite!  Oh the images are just so pretty and the colors so rich.

Follow along with my Snapguide tutorial to make these pretty folios.  They are quick and sure to please the recipients.

Check out How to Make a Post-It Note Folio by Maggi HARDING on Snapguide.

The covers are a snap when you use an ephemera card or a cut-apart.

 Then, just add some flowers and leaves. This collection includes punch out flowers too!  I am so thrilled to see the flowers back in the Graphic 45 collections.  I just layered several flowers together to give my flowers dimension.  I also used some diecut leaves that I cut with a Cheery Lynn die.

The inside is quickly finished with another cut-apart, some paper strips and letters.  I used a little magnet set to keep the folio closed.

 I used a 4" x 6" Post-it notepad.  You could easily adapt this for a different size pad.

 On this pad, I used a smaller cut-apart and some beautiful Petaloo blooms.   Tie some jute or a ribbon around the folio for an even prettier presentation.

Under the flowers, there's some foliage that I diecut with a Sizzix die. 

 One of the papers in the collection has beautiful border strips that make trimming up the inside so easy.  Here I've use 2 of the border strips, a cut-apart and a layer of paper to finish the inside.

This cover is simply a 4" x 6" cut-apart embellished with flowers.

A fussy cut butterfly, a Graphic 45 paper flower,  and a couple of Petaloos adorn this cover.  These images are sooo pretty, they really don't need much embellishing!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Supplies:

Nature Sketchbook 12 x 12 Pad

Nature Sketchbook 1 2x 12 Patterns & Solids Pad

Nature Sketchbook Flowers

Nature Sketchbook letters or any that coordinate with Nature Sketchbook

Other Supplies:

Petaloo Botanica Blooms x 4 Teal

Petaloo Botanica Petite's x 11 Teal, Yellow

BasicGrey Magnetic closures

Scortape

Distress Ink

Jute twine
Cheery Lynn Designs Ivy Corner Flourish die
Sizzix Alterations Holiday Greens die

Thanks for stopping by!  Be sure to visit the Graphic 45 blog everyday to see more exciting projects and tutorials.