Embellishing Cards made with the “Bird Watcher” Collection by Graphic 45

Hello creative and crafty friends! This is ReNae and I’m here to share a card with you today!
I’m going to show you how just by changing just a few embellishments, you can change the entire look and feel of a card. But before we get started, let me tell you a little bit about the brand new and amazing “Bird Watcher“ collection.

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The Bird Watcher Paper Collection

Graphic 45 is known for their beautiful papers, and this new collection called “Bird Watcher” is no exception! The bright colors and detailed images of these tiny winged creatures and gorgeous florals are a card makers dream!

“Bird Watcher“ features a 12” x 12” Collection pack with 8 double sided patterned papers, (with stickers included), an 8” x 8” Paper pad, Chipboard Embellishments, Journaling and Ephemera cards, Diecuts, and a coordinating “Patterns and Solids” paper pad. Additionally, many of their collections coordinate with each other which gives a Cardmaker many options when designing a card.

The “Bird Watcher” collection coordinates with another paper collection called “Ephemera Queen“ for example, so their papers are interchangeable! This makes creating a project more interesting! There are so many fun and interesting ways to create when you can use more than one collection!

The Card Base

I cut apart all the different images on the three patterned paper sheets containing images which were “Look up”, “Learn to fly” and “Bird Watcher”. Once I decided on the focal image I wanted to use for my first card, I then selected the other papers and constructed a card base as follows:

The 5” x 6 1/2” card base was made with blue patterned paper as the first panel, the yellow patterned paper was the next panel and then a strip of the blue and white striped paper called “Flock together” was used as a tag on the left side. I then selected a tag from the “Diecuts” pack that had a floral image which coordinated nicely with the focal image. I embossed the yellow panel using an embossing folder from my stash. Both the yellow and blue patterned paper were from the “Ephemera Queen” Patterns and Solids paper pack and coordinate beautifully with the “Bird Watcher“ images!

After the card base was finished, had a general idea of what I wanted to create for my Bird Watcher card. Now it was time to select the embellishments.

Bird Watcher

Bird Watcher Embellishments

I first took the Bird Watcher “Chipboard” pack and selected a few of the sentiments that I thought would look nice on the card. I did the same with the “Diecuts” pack, selecting various options that I thought would look prally I went to my stash and from there I selected several different packages of flowers. Some were from Prima, some from other manufacturers. (I’ve built up quite an arsenal over the years)! I also found various sizes and colors of doilies which coordinated with the paper. Then I just started trying different combinations to see what looked good. I tried lots and lots of combinations and it all looked really pretty!

So many choices!

Soft and subtle

Subtle with a peachy pink flair

Bringing in the yellow

Adding warmer tones

Orange really makes it pop

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Choices

Now I had to decide. Did I want it to be a birthday card? A Thinking of you card? Did I want a Sympathy card? Did I want it to look whimsical or more subdued? What kind of card did I want it to be? The decisions I made from here on would decide the look and feel of my Bird Watcher card!

Speech bubble in pink

Blue banner with space for your own sentiment

Striped flower in orange

I see twin birds! Too much?

Three flowers

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Sentiment Embellishments  

Decisions, Decisions!

In the photos you can see the many different configurations I came up with. First I used three flowers, then four flowers, then different shades and colors of the flowers which really made a big difference in the way the card looked and felt. It was fun trying different sentiments and stickers and they too made the card feel different with each change. There was even a little ladybug in my stash that I could use! I found that Bird Watcher paper was indeed very versatile!

Kristine’s Card

After lots of experimenting, I chose a bright, uplifting and cheerful card to send to my friend and fellow designer Kristine, who was recently awarded the title of Brand Ambassador for Graphic 45! I hope she likes it! It’s bright and cheerful just like her!

More Bird Watcher

I will be creating more cards and projects this month using the Graphic 45 “Bird Watcher“ paper collection so be sure to check back soon! The supplies I used to make this card are linked to our website.

I hope you’ve been inspired! I do hope you’ll give “Bird Watcher” a try... making lots of cards and using lots of different embellishments (of course)!

Happy Creating!

ReNae

My Sweet Altered File Folder & Pocket Letter

Hi everyone! Jeanne here today to share with you this Altered File Folder and Pocket Letter I created using the beautiful papers from Prima Marketing My Sweet collection!

My Sweet Collection

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My Sweet Altered File Folder & Pocket Letter

The Beginning Process to Alter a Manilla File Folder

There is different ways that you can add pattern paper to the file folder. You can either adhere each side onto the pattern paper or you can trace each side of the file folder and cut it out. Then, adhere your pattern paper onto it which is what I did. However you wish to do it and is easiest for you.

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Once I finished adding the papers onto the folder, I used my newly purchased stitch stamps from 49andMarket called “Gabi’s Line Stitch”. I used them using the Detail Ink from Brutus Monroe. Of course you can sew on a real stitch but these stamps I feel look pretty real . Once I was done with this, I cut another sheet to make a pocket. I used a decorative punch on it before adhering. Next, I thought I can add a short letter or even a tag or card can go in it or sending extra goodies like ephemera for example.

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I had purchased the entire collection from Fotobella so I added some of the beautiful butterfly trim that came in this collection onto the front of the altered file folder. Also I used the flowers I had left from my DT package on the cover of the folder adding them around a chipboard piece that I was also sent. I then added some of the collections embellishments such as the metal scissors and the butterfly charms on the cover as well.

Onto the Pocket Letter

The pocket letter is pretty easy to complete, if you haven’t created one before, it really isn’t hard. You start off using a baseball card collectors sleeve, each section measures 2.5 x 3.5, so you cut the pattern paper to this size. I completed the front first then for the back, I chose one of the beautiful floral pattern papers from the 12x12 paper pads. When you create these to send to a crafty friend, you can add some goodies, ephemera, adding a short note or something about yourself.

The creator of these pocket letters is Janette Lane and here is a video where she lets you know what these are. A lot of you might already know about these pocket letters. For a while they were a big craze and seemed to have slowly vanished but there are many new people just beginning to craft or someone who just hasn’t created one yet.

The Final Step of the Altered File Folder

Back onto the front of the pocket letter, I added some of the ephemera that I was sent from the collection, then also adhered on some of the buttons from it as well. A while back I was sent some adorable wooden embellishments from a crafty friend that went perfect on this. I also propped up some of the ephemera pieces with foam dots for added dimension which I love doing this on my projects.

Before adhering the pocket letter onto the file folder, using my WeRMemory Keepers punch to make the holes where the pocket letter matches onto the folder, I then added some brads from an older Prima Marketing collection I had hoarded in my vault.

These are what I used to hold the pocket letter onto the file folder. Lastly , I made a small charm to hang from the pocket letter.

This project is a favorite of mine, I love creating these. Give it a try and let me know how you enjoyed creating yours. There are still My Sweet Bundles left at Fotobella to purchase. See ya next time!

XOXO,

Jeanne Rodriguez

Products used on this project:

Prima Marketing My Sweet Collection Bundle

A Mini Album made from Toilet Paper Rolls? Yes!

Have you ever made a toilet paper mini album? As a paper crafter navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself constantly looking for ways to repurpose and upcycle materials for new projects. Realizing that toilet paper rolls were something that everyone who ever hoarded TP has access to, and that they were made of paper, an idea popped into my head! I’ll create a toilet paper mini album! In my craft room were the remnants of a paper collection from Ciao Bella called “The Muse“. I had used this beautiful paper on two other projects this month and had enough paper left for one more!

This beautiful toilet mini album is easy to make

What You’ll Need

Making a toilet paper mini album is easy and fun! If you have four or more toilet paper rolls, an empty cereal box, some beautiful Ciao Bella patterned paper, scissors and some glue you can make it! There are numerous tutorials on YouTube that demonstrate how to make a toilet paper mini album so I won’t reinvent the wheel. But if you look at the photos in this blog post you will see how I created mine, by using recycled material and my leftover Ciao Bella “The Muse’ paper, thus finding a fun way to re-purpose and upcycle materials that would otherwise be thrown away!

Here is the comparison of the rolls flattened vs. unflattened

Flattened rolls

The rolls should be very thin

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Prepare the Toilet Paper Rolls

Making your Mini Album

Start, by selecting your toilet paper rolls. Usually you need at least four and you can use up to eight or 10 in a mini album like this. Flatten each roll with your bone folder and then run your toilet paper roll back-and-forth through your die cutting machine. This makes them significantly flatter and they will look better in your album. Trim the rolls with your paper cutter to make sure they’re all uniform in length. Next, create the cover. A cereal box works great, but you can use any medium weight chipboard. Sizes of toilet paper rolls will vary so keep that in mind as you create your cover.

Score of the patterned paper to fit toilet paper roll

Ciao Bella patterned paper

You will need ciao Bella patterned paper, tape runner, and a bone folder

Wrap the rolls with Ciao Bella patterned paper

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Score and wrap the toilet paper rolls

Embellish your Mini Album

Once you create your hinge and attach the paper-wrapped toilet paper rolls, you can begin to decorate your mini album! The Ciao Bella patterned paper works beautifully! Here are some photos of how I decorated my mini album.

The papers from ciao Bella “the museum” create beautiful pages for your mini album

Tags made Ciao Bella paper

I tied a gold ribbon into a fluffy bow

Pockets covered with Ciao Bella patterned papers

A vintage necklace and some gold ribbon embellished the front flap of the cover

Ciao Bella patterned paper

Ciao Bella patterned paper Covered the front flap of the mini album

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decorating the toilet paper mini album

The Icing on the Cake

Lastly you’ll want to create the tags. The Ciao Bella patterned paper “The Muse“ collection has the most beautiful floral images and you can create some gorgeous tags. Here are some that I created to slip inside the pockets of the toilet paper rolls.

Ciao Bella “The Muse” collection Makes beautiful tags

A gorgeous handmade tag from the Ciao Bella Collection

So beautiful!

Some snug hug seam binding makes pretty little bows for your tags

Another handmade tag from the Ciao Bella “The Muse‘ collection

Tag made with Ciao Bella “The Muse” collection

They’re cut from beautiful Ciao Bella” “The Muse‘ paper

Fussy-cut images from the patterned paper to embellish your pockets

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Tags: the icing on the cake.   

I hope you were inspired today to make your own toilet paper mini album! If you use the Ciao Bella “The Muse” paper collection, you can be sure it will be beautiful! Have fun and happy creating!

ReNae