Hello Maja Design Fans!  Nancy Hanttula here for my very first posting for this month’ s Guest Creative Team contribution.  I am so excited to finally get to share the creations I have made using Maja Design papers.  I am starting out with the Sommartider collection.  So, sit back, and relax, and get ready!  I have a lot to share……

Here is my first project, a mixed media piece.  Here are some photos of how I created this piece:

I started with a basic 12 x 12 canvas.  I painted the background as well as the sides of the canvas with acrylic paint.  Using stencils, masks, stamps and ink, I created the basic background texture.

I tore different squares of paper all different patterns from the Sommartider collection and using decoupage adhered them to the canvas.  I then added more stencilling, masking, stamping to the background.

I then tore and rolled pieces of paper.  I secured them together by adhering the rolls closed with hot glue, and then I adhered them to the background with hot glue.  This is how I created the dimension of my sun.

I hand-stitched a border around my little “gray” cloud and around my sun rays.

I then created my title using some alphabet stencils.

After finishing the title…I did some hand-doodling, added a bit of acrylic paint & stamping here and there for added interest, and voila, I considered the piece done.

Supplies used here included almost the entire Sommartider collection but specifically: Lata dagar, Sol o bad, Lunch idet grona, Klarbla himmel, Kvallsdopp, Badshorts, Citronsorbet, Iskall saft, Hallonsorbet, Bikini, Strandklanning, Strandmode, Badlakan,Varma kvallar, Blomsterprakt, & Massor av glass.  Other supplies included: 12 x12 canvas, Tim Holtz – CTMH – other misc. stamps, hot glue, Decoupage, Poster Stencil, Black Pen, The Crafter’s Workshop – Prima – other stencils.

My next project is another 12 x 12 canvas mixed-media piece:

Using another 12 x 12 canvas….I first painted the sides, chose the papers I wanted for the background, and using acrylic paint, stamps, and stencils created interest to my background.

After I chose the papers I wanted to use, I decoupaged them down to the canvas.

Although I used the Sommartider collection for the majority of this piece, I did use one piece of the exquisite ska vi ta en FIKA collection because I just felt that I needed a bit darker color for my branches.  I sketched out my branches….and then used my X-acto knife to cut them out.

I then used my XL and Large Paper Shaper Retro flower punches to add some flowers, and free-handedly cut out some green leaves.

Once I got the basic design down, I then decoupaged everything onto my background.

After adhering the flowers and leaves down (and after the canvas had thoroughly dried), I went back in adding extra stamping, outlining, and hand-doodling.

I hand-drew my bird onto the back of the paper and then cut it out with my X-acto knife.

After cutting out my bird, I also adhered it down to the canvas with some decoupage. (Note:  Decoupage comes in different brands…such as Mod Podge, and “Decoupage” … you can even find recipes for making it yourself on Pinterest.)

After my bird was dry…I added a butterfly for my bird’s wings…I adhered it with hot glue.  (FYI: Hot glue is my adhesive of choice for heavy embellishments. Just know, hot glue can be a bit tricky and you need to be sure where you are going to glue it down because once it is down, you will tear something if you try to get it up.)

So after I have everything good and glued down, I go back and add some finishing touches of acrylic paint, outlining, doodling, and stamping.  Once I am satisfied with the result, I am done.

And because I’m kind of a “fancy” Nancy, I had to add some fun pom-pom trim to the sides.  (adhered with hot glue) 

“ingredients” used for this piece included:  Sommartider collection, specifically:  Blommor i sitt har, Iskall saft, Hallonsorbet, Bikini, Lunch idet grona, Sol o bad  & ska vi ta en Fika paper: vaffla m bjornbarssylt.  Other supplies used here:  misc rub-ons, XL and Large Retro flower punch from Paper Shapers, butterfly from Michaels store, black Pilot pen, white Sharpie, pink pom-pom ball trim from Michaels, Decoupage, various acrylic paint, sketch pencil, X-Acto knife, misc stamps from CTMH-Tim Holtz-misc., Staz-On Ink, and various stencils including some from The Crafter’s Workshop.

And now for my 3rd project using the amazing Sommartider paper collection (can you tell I LOVE this collection?):

Gosh, I love this photo of my precious baby girl (look at those baby fat rolls on her arms, don’t you just want to squeeze her?)…she’s not really a baby any more  as she is now in Kindergarten.  Life really moves so fast.  That is really why scrapbooking our memories is so very important. Don’t you think?

 

I made the “quilted” flower on this page and here is a photo tutorial on the basic construct of it:

I traced one of my large paper flowers (stashed away in my collection) and cut it out on 2 different patterned papers.

I then drew some inside petals to  one of the flowers (on the back of the paper.)

I then cut out the insides and pierced some holes to stitch around the borders.

After that, I took the other flower and backed the stitched flower…stitching them together at the very end of the petals to keep them lined up.  I then layered the inside with some flowers from stash and voila…my “quilted” paper flower.

I also tried out the BRILLIANT tutorial that Gabrielle shared here at the Maja Design blog (Gabi you ROCK!) for making paper ruffles.  I changed it up just a bit by first using a Martha Stewart border punch.

I don’t think I was quite as successful as the ever-talented Gabrielle (gosh, her paper ruffles were GORGEOUS) but I sure did try…and over-all, I am very happy with the effect (and definitely plan on trying it out again).

Ingredients for this layout include the following Sommartider papers:  Sommarens bild, Blommor i sitt har, Hallonsorbet, Blomster prakt, Lunch idet grona, Bikini,  and other supplies include: Martha Stewart border punch, Cricut Ornament Iron 2 cartridge -frame cut at 11 inches, Thicker alpha stickers, Martha Stewart crepe paper flower, Prima & Petaloo flowers, brads from Spare Parts, butterfly from Reneabouquets, buttons, ribbon, embroidery thread from my stash,  & felt hearts from Hobby Lobby.

and NOW for my very last project I created with this AMAZING paper collection, Sommartider, my FAVORITE project of all:  But, before I show you the finished project, I want to step you through it….just know, I absolutely LOVE how it turned out…and it was a true experiment through the whole process:

I bought this multi-paneled lamp-shade at Walmart for about $12.

I then took some tracing paper and traced out the dimensions of one of the panels.

Using this traced out “pattern” – I cut out paper panels for each panel in the lampshade and adhered them using Decoupage (this was the experiment part, as I wasn’t sure the paper would actually adhere.)  But I was sooo pleasantly surprised to find that the paper adhered beautifully. (NOTE:  spray mist the paper with water before decoupaging onto the lamp shade’s fabric surface – this aids in the paper actually bending to the contours of the bend in the lampshade.)

After the panels dried, I added trim from my stash to all the borders using hot glue.  I just love the whimsical feel to this finished lampshade!  AND I was happy to use some of my HUGE ribbon stash.

“ingredients” for this project include:  Sommartider paper collection- Klarbla himmel, Blomsterprakt, hallonsorbet, Standklanning, Lunch idet grona, & Badshorts; Lampshade from Walmart, Decoupage, various ribbons and trim from stash, hot glue, Rose trim from Webster’s Pages, a few buttons from my stash and a dash of Prima flowers.

I sure hope that something here has inspired you to get crafty today! And a great big THANKS for looking!