Graphic45 Goes to the Circus, Plus a Bonus Sketch!

Over at the Graphic45 Blog, they are showing off the Design Team's CHA projects! Today, three of my creations are in the spotlight. You really must read the write-up! Kelly, our blogging diva, always says such amazing stuff about the designers. She makes me feel like a superstar! And y'all know how much I love that!! My big ol' balloon head is just not big enough, apparently! {grin}

The Le Cirque collection is the featured paper line today. I have said it before, that I did not think I would like this line when I was told we were getting "circus paper." I don't "do" clowns! But, I was really surprised at how much I loved the colors and patterns of this line. (Yes, there a few scary clowns, but I just cover those guys up!)

Here is an A2 card that I made with Le Cirque. The same week that G45 sent the paper to me, I also received my Papertrey Ink banner dies! Those dies are perfect for this paper collection!

I rounded the corners of all the paper layers - with my trusty Creative Memories corner rounder! That thing is 14 years old, if you can believe it! It's still the same one I purchased in 1996 when I started to scrapbook!

I cut out the image with a Spellbinders classic oval, and also embossed. I sure love my layering! Yum! There is no other embellishment on this card! It's all paper! Can ya dig it?!

And, since you never get to see the insides of the cards on the G45 blog, here is an inside peek for you! I cut out a few of the postage stamp images to make a border. This is my favorite thing about the G45 papers - that at least on sheet has postage stamps or tickets or some sort of ephemera that I can cut up and use. I am pretty sure they include those sheets JUST for ME!

Now, you know how much I love me a tag...so I made a tag for each of the new collections. Here is the Le Cirque version.

I cut out the tag shape with the Tim Holtz Alterations die and covered it with Le Cirque papers. Then, I just started to add stuff. I glued the lion image into a bottle cap, then smashed the cap with a hammer. (THAT was FUN!) I wanted to mimic the bottle cap look for the image on the bottom, so I cut a circle with the Spellbinders inverted scallop die. It is perfect!

I used lots of stamped tickets (Hampton Art, Tim Holtz, Papertrey Ink) and Tim Holtz Idea-ology clips and pins. At CHA they had all of our tags clipped to some string, and used as decor. I think that would be such a great thing to have for a party or even for decor for a child's room!

Now, don't faint, but I also made a page layout with this collection!

This is a photo of my kids at the 2009 San Diego State Fair. This was my first time at this fair, and a city fair is very different than the fairs I was used to living in rural Pennsylvania or living in Minnesota! Here in CA it was more like a carnival than a fair. So, this paper was perfect...besides, my kids are the biggest clowns EVER!

I jazzed things up with a fabbie Tim Holtz Idea-ology frame. I love these, but hate how pricey they are. Tim, dude, for all the free advertising I give you on my blog, can ya maybe knock these down a couple of bucks?! {Oh, and that mean Tim is making me spend more money...I just put some fabbie new stuff on hold at my LSS, plus I have more stuff being shipped to me as I type! I just can't help myself! I love the metal and the grunge!}

Here is a close-up of the banner I made using the Papertrey Ink banner dies.

And, here is a bonus for you, if you have read this far! Every month, CropStop is putting one of my sketches in their catalog (they are mailed to everyone who places an order with CropStop). I think, if you use the sketch and post your project to the CropStop Gallery, you can be included in a prize draw! This was February's sketch. I cannot share the sketches during the month they are in the catalog, since this a special thing just for customers. But, if you like to collect my sketches, I can give you the chance at an extra one each month!

The reason I am sharing the sketch with you here, is because I used Graphic45 On the Boardwalk (8x8 pad) for my sample!

I embossed the dotted paper and the cardstock. (Cuttlebug D'vine Swirl, Sizzix Summer Fun Swirls and Waves).

The scallop edge under the image is punched with the EK Success bumpy road punch. It's a fun alternative to a regular scallop edge! And, of course, I used Tim Holtz stamps {sigh}.

That's all for today! Hope you had fun!