Nancy Dynes : MajaDesign

Autumn Elegance

6 September, 2016 - Cards, Vintage Autumn Basics

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Hello, crafty friends! Welcome to the Maja Design Blog! I hope you’re having a wonderful day. It’s Nancy here, and I have a brand new card to share.

The promise of autumn is in the air. To quote my favorite bear, Winnie the Pooh, it’s a time for ‘hot chocolatey mornings and toasting marshmallow evenings’. In honor of this glorious season I’m opening my stash of Vintage Autumn basics.

The lovely papers are distressed, stitched, and layered. Foam tape adds dimension to the torn strips on the right, forming a base for the floral embellishments. The two large flowers are handmade using design paper. The resin frame is a very happy surprise, found hidden away in my stash.

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There’s a bit of stamping in opposite corners and on the inside of the card.

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Paper flowers from my flower basket and some natural twine are added alongside the handcrafted blooms. Below is a little peek inside the card.

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Maja Design Papers Used:

: no.XV

: no.XIII

: no.X BS

: no.VIII

: no.VIII BS

: no.XVII

Additional Supplies: Stamps: Invoke Art Script, Indigo Blu Ink Splats; Archival Ink, Prima Resin Frame, Paper Flowers from my stash, Natural Twine, Foam Tape, Sewing Machine, Thread, Tim Holtz Distress Tool.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll join me in creating your very own autumn treasures with Maja Design’s fabulous papers. I wish you a day filled with every good thing!

Hugs,

Nancy-sign

Bygone Days of Summer

Posted by Nancy Dynes

23 August, 2016 - Cards, Summertime

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Hello and welcome back to the Maja Design Blog! It’s Nancy here, with the honor of sharing a new card with you.

Today my card is very personal. It is an expression of the love I have for the exquisite, historic city that is my home, and a tribute beauty I see around me every day.

Charleston is a wonderfully preserved Southern colonial city. It is rich in history, boasting breathtaking architecture, quaint cobbled streets, manicured gardens, and cloistered courtyards with teasing glimpses of the lushness within. Maja Design’s ‘Summertime’ papers provide the perfect avenue to transfer what I can to a 6×6 card. I especially love the images of the bicycles in this collection, as this is the preferred manner of transportation for many residents and tourists.

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All design papers are distressed, layered, and stitched. Rubber stamping enhances the ‘yesteryear’ feel of the card. Acrylic paint is randomly splattered for a rustic effect.

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A dimensional garden is achieved by much fussy cutting from the paper collection and detailed layering. Foam adhesive gives each element a ‘pop’. You’ll find some close ups below.

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I enjoy coordinating the inside and back of my cards with the design on the front. One of our sweet readers requested photos of this process, which you will find below.

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I also include a little pocket for tucking away a gift card, photo, or note.

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Maja Design Papers Used: Summertime-K

Other Products Used: Magnolia Rose Leaf Die, Stamps: Prima Rust and Dust Cling Set, Impression Obsession Cover-a-Card, Oxford Impressions stamp set; Archival Ink, Detail Scissors, Tim Holtz Distress Tool, Natural Twine, Foam Adhesive, Sewing Machine, Thread.

Thank you so much for taking a peek at my card! I hope you enjoy Maja Design’s enchanting papers as much as I do. I wish you a day filled with all things wonderful, and hope that each person who enters here as a guest will leave as a friend!

Hugs, Nancy-sign

Milady’s Closet

Posted by Nancy Dynes

9 August, 2016 - Cards, Vintage Summer Basics

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I wish you a warm welcome to the Maja Design Blog! It’s Nancy today. I’m thrilled to be here with a brand new card to share. I know I’m always saying how inspired I am by Maja Design’s beautiful papers, but I really mean it. I sit down in my craft room and look at them, and ideas instantly pop in to my head. That’s exactly what happened with today’s card.

Design papers are distressed, layered and stitched for the base. Flowers are a must for this card. The flowers I’m using are from Prima, as well as fussy cut from the paper collection.

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A vintage inspired stamped image provides an elegant focal point.

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Layered papers, lace punched edges, a bit of bling, and a chipboard accent add a soft, feminine feel.

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I adore lace! Here it’s layered, running down the front of the card to hug the florals at the bottom.

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Additional petals peek out from beneath the top panel.

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Below is a little look inside. A pretty stamped corner image is a nice finishing touch, while still leaving plenty of space for a personal note.

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Maja Design Papers Used: Vintage-Summer-BasicsK

: 1922 bs

: 1922

: 1921

Additional Supplies: Tim Holtz Distress Tool, Stamps: Crafty Individuals, Blue Fern Studio’s Bottled Sentiments, Prima Finnabair Stamp. Prima Flowers, Timber Brown Archival Ink, Martha Stewart Lace Edge Punch, Twine, Chipboards, Bling, and Lace from my stash. Foam Tape, Sewing Machine, Thread.

Thanks so much for visiting! I hope you’ll find as much inspiration from these lovely papers as I do. May your day be filled with sunshine and smiles!

Hugs, Nancy-sign

Extraordinary Adventure!

Posted by Nancy Dynes

26 July, 2016 - Cards, Vintage Summer Basics

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Welcome to the Maja Design Blog! It’s Nancy, and I’m so excited to be here with you today! I’m sharing a new card inspired by Maja Design’s stunning Vintage Summer Basics Collection. This week I’m opting for a soothing, neutral palette, handmade mixed media blooms, and some fun rubber stamping.

The base of the card is formed by distressing, layering, and stitching lovely Maja Design papers.

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The flowers are created with mulberry paper and a plethora of products to add texture and color. They coordinate with the card perfectly in real life. I think the camera picked up on the sheen in some of the sprays, giving them a brighter gold tone in my photos. My hands will be stained for days, but these flowers were ever so much fun!

Below is a side view of the bouquet and it’s many layers.

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Artistic tearing reveals a second layer of design paper.

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Below is a closer look at the stamped image and stitching. One of the rubber stamps is an ad for paint, so I blended some acrylics to coordinate with the design paper and randomly splattered it about the card.

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The twine bow and flower stamens are stained to fit in with the color palette.

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The interior of the card is finished in design papers and stamping, but my photos of it didn’t turn out well. The picture below gives you an idea of how it’s completed. A 7

Maja Design Papers Used: Vintage-Summer-BasicsK

: 1916 bs

: 1905

: 1905 bs

: 1903 bs

: Minnen bs

Additional Supplies – Dies: Tim Holtz Tattered Florals, Magnolia Rose Leaf, Memory Box Flourish. Stamps: Carabelle Text et Negatif, Paper Artsy Hot Picks 1602, Inks: Archival Ink (Potting Soil). For Flowers: Prima Heavy White Gesso, Prima Texture Powder, Distress Stains, Prima Color Blooms, Lindsay’s Stamp Gang Starburst Sprays, Flower Stamens, Flower Shaping Tools, Mulberry Paper, Acrylic Paints. Pop Up Foam Adhesive, Tim Holtz Distress Tool, Natural Twine, Sewing Machine, Thread

Thank you so much for joining us on the blog today! I also want to thank you for your kind words on my last post. I treasure each of crafty friends and your comments warm my heart. I wish you carefree, fun filled summer days!

Hugs, Nancy-sign

Summer Fun

Posted by Nancy Dynes

12 July, 2016 - Cards, Summertime

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Hello! How are you doing on this lovely day? I’m so happy you’ve stopped by the Maja Design Blog! It’s Nancy today, and I have a new card to share with you. I’m super excited about Maja Design’s new Summertime paper collection, so I’m featuring it again, but in the blue colors this week.

Summer is well and truly arrived. I live in the Southeastern United States near the Atlantic Ocean. We have a humid, subtropical climate, and temperatures have been holding in the mid 90’s for over a week now. A bicycle ride along the beach is a refreshing way to beat the heat, so this is my inspiration for my card.

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The base of the card begins in the usual way, by distressing, layering, and stitching the design papers. The center of the card is cut with a Spellbinders circle die to create an opening peeking through to another layer of paper.

For my coastal theme I want a little bit of mixed media feel. Paint is randomly splattered around the card, but after the embellishments are in place you can only see a few areas in the center. The twine bow is distressed with the same paint.

The flowers are handmade, coated in gesso, and colored with Distress Stains, Lindsay’s Stamp Gang Starburst Sprays, and watered down acrylic paint.

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Here is a close up peek of the circle cut out. Stained cheesecloth and Prima Art stones lend a seaside feel to this project.

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The bicycle image below is part of the paper collection. It’s fussy cut and popped up with foam adhesive.

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Stamping is added to opposite corners of the card.

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The sentiment is also part of the paper collection. Everything in this collection is absolutely divine. If you haven’t seen it yet be sure to visit Maja Design’s website for a closer look.

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Below is another peek into the circle cut out.

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I enjoy embellishing the inside of my cards. This one is stamped with script and a bicycle to coordinate with the front.

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Maja Design Papers Used: Summertime-K

Additional Supplies: Spellbinders Circle Dies, Cheesecloth, Prima Art Stones, Tim Holtz Distress Sprays, Lindsay’s Stamp Gang Starburst Sprays, Sizzix and Spellbinders Flower dies, Memory Box Flourish Die, Prima Script Stamp and bicycle stamp (maker unknown).Staz-On Ink, Foam Adhesive, Prima 3D Matte Gel, Natural Twine, Sewing Machine, Thread.

I’d like to thank my friends here at the Maja Design Blog for your kind comments on my last post. It makes my heart so very happy that you enjoyed my card.

I wish you days filled with sunshine and crafty adventures!

Hugs,
Nancy-sign