Graphic 45 Design Team Audition 2015

These projects are just some that I am really proud of and want to showcase for my audition to become a member of the Graphic 45 Design Team.

This first project is the first big project/altered item project that I created. I had only been crafting for about three months and I wanted to make something for my friend who had just had a baby. This was also the first project that I had published - it was in the Canadian Scrapbooker Spring 2013 issue. (As I don't have the project anymore, the photo below is the one that was in the magazine)

The next project that I wanted to show you is also the next project that I had published - it was in both the Canadian Scrapbooker Fall 2014 issue as well as the Just Steampunk Volume 5 issue. I had a friend take professional photos (photo is courtesy of Melanie Lapp Photography) because I knew I would not be able to send the project to the magazine to be photographed - it is 2 feet tall! I used the Steampunk Spells paper and embellishments for the project. I also made many of the flowers and embellishments out of the paper. I even have a Book of Spells on the well that is all made from the paper in the line. I made the project as a Halloween decoration for my store.

The next project I want to showcase is a gift I made for an employee. It is a tea box I altered for an online contest with the theme of doing something with coffee or tea. So I altered a tea box and used the Botanical Tea paper line.

Another project I am really proud of is this Shadow Box I made in memory of my son who passed away in September of 2008. He had spent a lot of time in China the year before he died and I wanted to honor his accomplishments while he was there. I used the Bird Song paper for parts of the project - though there is stuff you cannot see as it is inside the box and I have it so that it does not open as there are personal belongings from my son in the box. I wasn't able to work on the box for many years after the accident, but now it is a great way to remember him.

Another project I made with one of my all time favorite Graphic 45 paper lines is what I call my Magical Box of Oddities! I used the Old Curiosity Shoppe paper and embellishments to make this cute little box with shelves and books. It is just a fun project that I have on my shelf at home - though I have been asked dozens of times if I will sell it. I have also been asked if it was a kit someone could purchase!

One thing I love the most about Graphic 45 is that they inspire me to do a lot of Steampunk themed projects. Even though I didn't use Graphic 45 paper on this project, I did use a Graphic 45 shadow box and a technique I saw on the blog to create this Steampunk/Dress Form Shadow Box with a cover. I loved how it turned out and everything about Graphic 45 was really my inspiration for this project!!

And the final project I want to showcase is a project I did to for one of my vacations. Instead of doing a traditional scrapbook, I wanted to do something more unique. I altered a writing desk/box and made a companion mini album to go with it. The box is to hold all the keepsakes from the vacation and the album is for the pictures.

I appreciate the time you take to consider my application and please keep making all your great paper lines as I love them to death!!

Monica Longard
MonDo Creations

And I have been doing some art journaling! I got a couple more Express Yourself Challenges done, as well as starting an online class wit the amazing Donna Downey!

Well, obviously my plan to post more in the new year did not come to pass! I had a crazy month for February - mostly cause I spent two weeks in Cuba!!

But it got me refreshed and I have been crafting like crazy since I got back.  Here are some of my projects - enjoy!

NOTE:  This project was published in an online scrapbook magazine - Scrap N'Art. I had to remove it for a couple months while it was up, but now I can put it back. It is also going to be in another magazine. I am very proud of this project!

And in this second post today I want to show off the art journaling I have been doing. I did my first art journal page in a class at The Inked Stamper well over a year ago (sometime in late 2013 I think) and then didn't touch my journal for many many months! I got interested again first when I took another amazing class at The Inked Stamper when Dawn brought in the extremely talented Dina Wakely who taught me some cool stuff. Then it was again awhile before I went back to my journal. Not even sure why as I really loved the stuff I did with Dina. It was when I took a third class, this time with Cori-Lyn at Scrap Addicts that I really started to get the bug. I loved both pages she taught me and wanted to do more. This time I didn't get to it mostly due to time constraints. But now that SOD/SOE is having a monthly Express Yourself journal challenge and my friend Cat has Smash your Stash challenges all the time, I have been journaling almost daily!! I really love playing and getting messy. The compliments on my work don't hurt either!!

Dawn Pritchard class

Dina Wakely Class

                                                               Cori-Lyn Brittain

Cori-Lyn Brittain

So I am going to be going on vacation shortly and will be away for a couple weeks, so thought I would do a couple posts on my latest projects before I spend some time basking in the sun and surf!

In this first post I thought I would showcase some of the swaps I finished that I had signed up for. I panicked for a sec as I didn't realize when I signed up for them that I had to have them out before the middle of February. But luckily I had enough time to get them done!  I did an altered canvas swap, and ATC swap and a Balsa Box swap (though I am not 100% sure it is a balsa box!) Hope my partners like them!

I also did a birdcage album for a birdcage swap and more ATC's (with a box to put them in!) And they both get to go to Las Vegas!

Did some more crafting this weekend! Finished a couple more swaps, started a few others, and did some backgrounds for my art journaling!

So I guess I haven't stuck to my new year's resolution to scrapbook everyday, but I did get in a bunch this weekend. I did work on a couple things for a swap that I can't share yet as my partner wants to be surprised, but I did do some art journaling!

And I completed what was meant to be a design team project for The Inked Stamper - but I woke up this morning to find out Dawn has closed the store and by extension the design team. At least the project turned out cool!