So Honoured to be a Graphic 45 Ambassador for 2014

Hello Everyone.
I have been a bit slow at updating my blog, but I am back on track and excited to be sharing some news with you.
Over the past few weeks, Graphic 45 has been introducing their new and amazing  Design Team on their blog. They are now introducing their Ambassadors of which their are four designers,
Clare Charvill, Jim Hankins, Laura Denison and ME. Can't even begin to explain how honoured and excited I am to be with such an amazing group of  people and back with my favourite paper company Graphic 45. I had 2013 off from Graphic 45's design team and after being with them for 3 years, I was quite lost and missed them all so much. I did do a lot of Graphic 45 projects in 2013 of which lots were published in the Australian Magazines. I also did some interstate teaching which was great fun.
 So since Graphic 45 announced their new design team along with their Ambassadors, everyone has been asking me what is an Ambassador? So I will let Graphic 45 explain.

"You may be wondering "What is a G45 Ambassador?" It's a designer we have specifically invited to represent Graphic 45, since they are already teaching so many wonderful classes and workshops with Graphic 45 products all over the world. You will see familiar faces in this group of designers and teachers. This program is invite-only and we asked some amazing crafters for this team. We are so excited to welcome these designers to this brand new program with Graphic 45! "

 

Yesterday was Clare's turn and her introduction was amazing, such a super talented Lady.

Today is my turn and after seeing Clare's  I wish I had shared more photos with Graphic 45! So I am going to put lots of my favourite projects here on my blog for you to look at.

 This was a project I taught in 2013 at the Brisbane Paper and Scrapbooking Expo. I had three full classes of 30 Lovely Ladies make this layout with me. I have finally instructions written and kits for sale for this layout at Seriously Scrapbooking if anyone wants to make it. The photo is of Tim Holtz the master of scrapbooking - a supper star in fact and my son Josh (another super star). We were able to do classes with Tim at CHA in 2012.

I do love making layouts, but I find books the most rewarding, I enjoy the challenge of taking a Graphic 45 12x12 Pad and creating a whole book from it. Normally there is not much left by the time the book is finished. This was one I made using Typography and some papers from the Steampunk Spells collections to give me some pop out elements. This is one book I am thinking of doing instructions for.

This was a huge project for me and Graphic 45. In 2012 while I was on the design team, I did a book for Graphic 45 which ran over 9 months. Each month I would send them the tutorial and photos for a double page. Each page was using a different paper collection. The final Tutorial was for the cover and putting the book together. It was a huge success for me, with many ladies making this book. I also got emails from all over the world, thanking me for sharing the book with Graphic 45 and them. I took a lot of time on my part and as much for the lovely Lady at Graphic 45 who had the job of loading it up on their blog. Thanks so much for all the effort done by Graphic 45 in bring this book to light.

 This was the final part of a project I did for Australian Scrapbooking Ideas. This is one of our Aussie magazines and they asked me to do a book for them. I talked them into a book and a box. This project was called the "Women In our Family and the book had 7 layouts in it, along with a beautiful cover. It had pockets, tags, flaps and even a fold out dress form. This allowed for more photos along with family history and more. I sold kits for it at Seriously Scrapbooking and over 100 ladies made this project following my tutorial. I still get people asking for the kits.
 I am thinking of putting the tutorial for it on my blog and then anyone can make it although some of the Graphic 45 papers are hard to get. The design and layouts would work with another beautiful Graphic 45 collection for anyone wanting to have a go. The chipboard box was made by Imaginarium Designs.

This has to be one of my favourite designs/projects and the photo does not show it off. It is about 14 inches high and 9 inches across. It is made up of 8 "rooms" and fits under a class dome, which then sits on a wooden decorated base that has a turning plate on it with a little motor that makes the whole thing slowing turn around. The whole diorama was designed by Imaginarium Designs  who did an amazing job interpreting my idea.

 This is an old favourite of mine, it was one of the first layouts I did for Graphic 45, way back in 2010/11. This was my first year on the team and it was so scary. This was such a big thing for "little old me". Not only was I from Australia, but Adelaide - right at the bottom of Australia. I was so excited to have made it "big time" in Scrapbooking.  Little did I know then, just how much I was going to love working with Graphic 45 and what a journey it was about to take me on. I still love this layout and cart it out every time I am asked to display my work at a show. I am just finishing the kits for this and the instructions are finally done - its only taken 4 years. This is one of the benefits of hording Graphic 45 paper - I have enough for about 25 kits.

 

I was delighted to see this collection come along. Couture has become a real favourite. I have done a book with Mae West quotes, which I am about to teach again for the third time. We have been doing all the photos and step by steps, so I am hoping to have it online soon. Kate (daughter in the photo) got married late last year and I had already started teaching a "Couture" 12 x12 album class. Each month a group of ladies join me and we create a single or double layout. By the end of 12 months we will have a whole album done. Kate is going to have it for her wedding album as she also loves the collection. Even though she is a modern bride and collection works with her photos. We are going to  put this collection of layouts online at Seriously Scrapbooking as well, probably next week.

 

The  last project I am sharing is another favourite and has been for a long time. I have been making Patchwork Pieces for years, in fact over 5 years and have made 100's of squares. Right from the beginning, I used Graphic 45 papers as the colours and prints were perfect for the smallness of this project. I even made one for Diane (owner of Graphic 45) for her birthday and was delighted to see it hanging at CHA when I attended in 2012. The frame is from IKEA and is about $30, you need about 8 kits to make a whole project like the one above along with 3 packets of squares for the photos. It has about 40 photos and is a very additive form of scrapbooking. Scrapbooking Creations, another of our Aussie magazines featured this as a monthly project over a whole year (2012). I lost count of how many kits I sold and how many ladies had the fun of making one of their own frames. I am still making the squares with another two new kits went online yesterday. I am about to do a whole frame "Shabby Chic" using Graphic 45's Botanical Tea and lots of white metal charms and chipboard. It will be available from Seriously Scrapbooking by the end of July.

 

 

Over the past 4 years I have been teaching interstate at shows and scrapbooking stores. I love teaching and still teach over 10 classes a month at Seriously Scrapbooking. It has been a goal of mine to get as many projects as I can into kits with detailed tutorials that anyone can do. This gets my work out to women all over Australia, who live in far flung and hard to get to places. Or in major cities with no local scrapbooking store near them. I have a huge following in New Zealand and send lots of kits all over the country, which gives me a big thrill having been born in Christchurch. My kits go to the UK, USA and Singapore, just to name a few and even Denmark. I always get excited when someone orders my kits and I find them going somewhere I have never been. It's like a little bit of me goes too with every parcel and I feel quite moved that someone living a long way away likes my work enough to have it sent to them. As a Graphic 45 Ambassador, I am wanting to teach even more this year, so if you would like me to teach near you, then contact your local store and get them to arrange for me to visit. Also if the New Zealand Ladies can arrange some teaching for me there, I would love to come, although I left when I was 12, I still get a bit home sick, especially when friends come back from their holidays and rave about the country and the people.



 It is going to be an amazing year for all those talented people on the Graphic 45 Design team.

Thanks again Graphic 45 for allowing me to be part of your truly special and unique company.

Thanks everyone for visiting.

Please leave a comment for the chance to win a kit from me.

(For those still waiting for your kit, they are coming! - just wanted to send something special and flat!)

Hugs

Jane