Desperately – Vintage Winter

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Posted by Nancy Hanttula

3 October, 2014 - ,

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Hello Maja Design fans and friends!  Nancy Hanttula here again.  Today I am going to share a wall hanging I created using the Vintage Winter paper collection.

Vintage Winter

All of the Maja Design paper collections are so versatile in creating projects – not necessarily themed for say…”Winter” as the name of this paper collection suggests.

God

I started by choosing my background paper (Skicka En Halsning – Send a Post Card- front side).

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I layered a torn piece of the next paper (December -back side).

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I then layered part of the packaging from some of the Prima flowers that I used, and a playing card (ephemera from Glitz Designs.) I also used some cardboard and some calendar wheels from Studio Calico.

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I used a frame that I bought out of the dollar bin at my local Michaels craft store….used some ink and used the paper, Julgladje – Christmas Joy, to stamp my sentiment.

frame

I adhered it onto my frame and the frame onto the background using hot glue.

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I also added an ornate belt buckle that I have had in my stash to the top of my frame.

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And finally, I layered a ribbon like piece of paper that I created but did not use on another project. (shown above)

Thanks for taking a quick peek into my latest creation.  I hope something has inspired you to create something amazing this weekend! Hugs!

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You Are So Loved

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Posted by Nancy Hanttula

19 September, 2014 - , ,

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Hello Maja Design fans and friends!  It’s Nancy here today, and I am going to share a card I created with several different saved scraps from 2 different Maja Design paper collections:  Vintage Winter- used for the background; Vintage Summer Basics – the pink paper layer; and Vintage Winter again – used for the card sentiments.

you are loved

I adhered my background paper to my card base (I used Tombow permanent double-sided adhesive tape.)  The background paper is from the Vintage Winter paper collection – Baka En Julkaka – Bake a Christmas Cake (fs).

adhere background paper

I distressed and inked the edges, layered a pink paper piece, from Vintage Summers Basics paper collection – 1909, over the background, then layered a loose woven piece of burlap.

layer papers and burlap

I shaped some Ashlynn wire into some flourish stems and adhered them down with hot glue.

shape paper covered wire

I added a ribbon flower from Bazzill and some lace.

add flower and lace

I hand-wrote the card sentiment onto some paper from Vintage Winter- Skicka En Halsning/Send a Postcard and glued it down.

so loved card

Thanks for taking a moment to take a peek!  I hope you have a super creative weekend!

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Halloween Banner

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Posted by Nancy Hanttula

5 September, 2014 - , ,

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Hello Maja Design fans and friends!  Nancy Hanttula here again.  Today I would like to share a Halloween banner that I created using papers from both the Vintage Autumn Basics and Vintage Winter paper collections.

Halloween banner

I started by picking out the papers that I wanted to use to cover the Ranger tags that I would be using in the banner.

supplies

I adhered the papers onto both sides of the tags, inked the edges and then decided on the various embellishments that I wanted to incorporate.

before

I knew that I wanted to use some the heritage photos that are on the Heritage paper in the Vintage Autumn Basics collection…but I wanted to give them a Halloween flair.

with hat

So, after I cut out the pictures I wanted to use, I added some hats.

witch hats

I used some ephemera pages from Glitz Designs in between my tags to further create the Halloween atmosphere.

center frame

To create the spider web effect, I simply used my hot glue to draw out spider web lines.  The fine strands of hot glue that normally irritate me so, just added to the spider web effect.

web

Particular papers used here included:  Vintage Autumn basics:  front & back of No. IX, No. XXI (front), and front & back of No. X;  Vintage Winter paper used:  Vi Onskar Er – Wishing You (back).

warlock

Other supplies used for this project included:  hole punch; Tombow Permanent adhesive; hot glue & glue gun; Glitz Design ephemera paper; Prima packaging; Prima flowers; EK Success flourish stickers; small orange frame from Michaels; Tim Holtz metal “Halloween” adornments; TH Distress Stain in Persimmon; Prima chalk ink in Dry Sand, Rusty Bucket, Branch Bark, & Black Coal; natural twine; Martha Stewart black lace; and buttons & ribbon from my personal stash.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek at my latest creation.  I hope something here has inspired you to create something amazing today!

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Another dose of Art Journaling – using Vintage Autumn Basics

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Posted by Nancy Hanttula

22 August, 2014 - ,

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Hello Maja Design fans and friends!   Nancy Hanttula here again, and I am still on an Art Journaling kick.  Lots of heavy hearted stuff going on in the Hanttula household at the moment, and one of the only ways I can de-stress is to art journal.  So, without going into a whole lot of personal details,  (any and all prayers are so appreciated), I would like to share my latest art journaling endeavor.

Time

I used the gorgeous Vintage Autumn Basics paper collection for my background  papers.

Vintage-Autumn-Basics

I know I have said it before, but I just have to say it again……if you haven’t tried your hand at Art Journaling, I highly urge you to give it a try.  There are no rules.  It is what you make it.  It can be used to experiment with new techniques.  It can be used to pour out your heart and soul. It is quite amazing how cathartic writing down your thoughts can truly be.  But,really, It can be exactly what YOU need it to be.

art journal

Some Art Journaling instructors have said to skip the first pages of your Art Journal.  Maybe some people find the first pages to be just too overwhelming, maybe a bit too “blank”.  Maybe some “fear” messing them up.  Really…you cannot mess up art journaling.  It can be a legacy of who you truly are that will be left behind. or  You can document something so personal that you absolutely cannot share it with anyone else…and then cover it up with layers of paint and ink. What IF it was the most freeing art experience you ever had.   What IF?

So where do you begin?  Quite simply, you can art journal in almost anything….an old book, even a super inexpensive spiral notebook.  The book I used here is a 7 x 10 mixed media art book from Canson.  I like this type of book because the papers are heavy duty and you can get the book in a variety of sizes.

choose your papers

First, I chose the papers I wanted to use on my background.

use wax paper

I placed them down before adhering them to get a feel for placement.  I placed wax paper in between the pages to protect the pages before and after these 2 pages from sticking together.  I adhered them down using Liquitex Matte gel, but other mediums that work well for this include regular school glue, Mod Podge, Decoupage, & Liquitex Matte Medium (but dang that stuff is pricIey.)

let them overhang

Don’t worry if some of your background paper overhangs a bit after you glue it down.  Once it is dry, just turn the paper over and cut the excess paper off from the back using the back of the page as a guide.

once dry cut off the overhang

Once the background paper was glued down….and dried, I, then,  inked the edges of the papers- I used Prima/Ingivld’s chalk ink in Black Coal.  I also added some quick doodles using a black permanent pen, and added some Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Peacock Feathers to the edges of the paper.

adding inking and distress stain

I love to look around for untraditional ephemera or embellishments to use on or in my art.  For this project I used a gift bag that I bought at our local Dollar Tree store (everthing is a dollar in that store…..I love to go through it and look for untraditional embellishments 🙂 ). I bought this bag (and few more actually)

gift bag embellishment

and I decided to fussy-cut the bird out of the bag’s design to use on the page. But before I glued down the bird and branches, I dry-brushed some acrylic paint in “skin-tone” color onto the background of the pages.

embellish

I glued the bird down with the Liquitex Matte gel.

screen print style stencils

Next, I used a Zip Screen screen print/stencil from Hirschberg Schutz & Co. (I bought at Walmart.) and stenciled down the butterflies using purple acrylic paint.

purple acrylic paint

I added a bit more acrylic paint using some Tim Holtz Acrylic paint dabbers in Aqua and Sunshine Yellow…and then finished off with my journaling all over the page.

journaling

I love to outline images on my pages by journaling around them.

finished pages

I hope this has inspired you to try your hand at some Art Journaling.  It has been a blessing in my life, that is for certain…..and I wish all such blessings to all of you.

Supplies used for this included:  Vintage Autumn Basics paper collection: papers:  No I; No X; No XXI; Heritage; Liquitex Matte Gel Medium; Canson Mixed Media Book & x 10; Prima/Ingvild chalk ink in Black Coal, Dry Sand; Precise V5 black pen, Scarlet Lime permaball permanent black ink pen; Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Peacock feathers; Tombow Permanent adhesive; FolkArt acrylic paint in Skintone; Delta acrylic paint in Purple; Adirondack Acrylic paint dabber in Aqua and Sunshine Yellow; CTMH acrylic stamps, Ranger Jet Black Archival ink;

I wish you a blessed and wonderful weekend! Hugs!

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Unshakable Faith – Coffee in the Arbour

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Posted by Nancy Hanttula

8 August, 2014 - , ,

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Hello Maja Design fans and friends!  Nancy Hanttula here again.  Today I am going to share another creation with you use using the fresh new “Coffee in the Arbour” paper collection.

I really felt it was time to create something new in my art journal.

Art Journal

So I pulled out a journal that I have been steadily creating for my children in which I call my “Book of Truths.”

Book of Truths

It is a collection of quotes and sayings that I find to be “true” to life or have a message or teaching that I find important to share.  AND, this way I can pass on to them, and perhaps future generations, things that ring true to my heart and life experiences, and share some of my art at the same time: a perfect combination, wouldn’t you say?!

background

I chose the front side of the “Let’s Share a Cookie” paper, cut it to size, and glued it down with Decoupage to the art journal page already in my book.

glue down background

I inked the edges of the paper with “Old Rose” chalk ink from Ingvild/Prima’s chalk ink, and then I did random stamping onto the background.

background details

I added a rub-on from Tim Holtz’s Remnant Rub-ons – the “noteworthy”.

pencil sketching

Then, I got out my sketch pencils and started sketching some details and images.

butterfly sketch

I sketched the butterfly and the journaling lettering.

watercolor

Using my Caran D’Ache Watercolor Crayons, I colored in my butterfly and flowers…and later some red areas on the background of the page.

color in with watercolor crayons

You can use these crayons wet or dry.  When activated with water, they give the most amazing vibrant color to your creations.  *Maja Design papers take watercolor techniques beautifully!

You can use any watercolor brush to activate the color in these watercolor crayons, but I LOVE these watercolor brushes (I call them pens) that you fill with water and they dispense water automatically.  *They are awesome for traveling!

water brush

You can get them at most craft stores.  The one shown above is from Kuretake Co.

You just fill them up with water from your sink…..squeeze them a little to activate (I squeeze them into the palm of my hand) and they are ready to go.  I have 3 of them….One for my red paint hues, one for my greens/blues, and one for my light colors such as yellows. When I need to clean them, I just squeeze a lot of water through them to rinse out the color.

Once you color you image with the Neocolor II watercolor crayons, you go back in with a watercolor brush a water and activate the color.  Below is an image of the butterfly after I have gone back using my watercolor brush.

add water to the crayon

You can repeat this process several times until you are satisfied with the result, just be sure and either dry the paper or let the paper dry naturally in between the layers.

After I achieved the look I wanted, I went back with a black Permaball permanent pen and black Sharpie marker to add some finishing details.

I also added some ephemera (some numbered tags from my husbands dry-cleaning) and outlined my sketched titling and journaling with permanent pens.

Unshakable Faith Art Journal page

If you haven’t tried Art Journaling, I highly encourage it.  It is an amazing way to ground your soul, try out new techniques, & grow creatively.  There isn’t a right or wrong way to art journal.  It can be as personal as you need or want it to be.  It can be as “pretty” or as “messy” as it turns out to be.  But a lot of people tell me how “freeing” it feels…and honestly, I couldn’t agree more.  Give it a try.  You will love it, I can almost guarantee it. 🙂

Supplies used here and not already mentioned included:  Prima/Ingvlid chalk ink in the following colors:  Blossom Bud, Farmer Jeans, Old Road, Raspberry Pie, & Old Rose; Stamsp from Stampabilitiles; Hampton Arts, Stampendous, & CTMH; Bazzill Basics Template used as a stencil; wood embellishment from Michaels.

I hope you have a positively wonderful day!

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