Nancy Dynes : MajaDesign

A Shabby Beach Card!

8 August, 2017 - Cards, Summertime

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Hello, and happy Tuesday! It’s Nancy on the blog today. How are you doing? I hope that summer is allowing you some relaxing creative time. I’ve been traveling quite a bit with my family, but not all of it has been for pleasure. We arrived home Sunday night after a long, grueling road trip. Thankfully, after a good nights sleep, I was up and running again, happily ensconced in my cozy craft room.

I was perusing the many Maja Design collections, trying to decide which papers I wanted to use for my project. It can be difficult, because there are so many beautiful choices! That was the moment my daughter called. She returned from a seaside holiday with her family on Sunday and called to share the joys of their vacation with me. One of her favorite memories is riding bicycles to along beach each morning and playing in the waves with my grandson. That’s when I knew I wanted to make a card for her using Maja Design’s Summertime collection!

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The papers are cut, distressed, layered, and stitched. The sentiment, tag, bicycle image, and ‘summer joy’ stamp are part of the paper collection. Even the blue flowers are fussy cut from a piece of design paper.

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I went pretty heavy on the layers with this card, and will try to show you some of the dimension in the photos. Foam adhesive is used to ‘pop up’ each layer. The flowers are woven in and out of a segment of wooden fence I had in my stash. The cheesecloth is stained and frayed to lend a tattered, beachy look.

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Paper flowers and a twine bow add a finishing touch. Below is a peek of the inside of the card. I enjoy adding special touches to the interior of my cards, and this one includes another postage stamp from the paper collection layered over paper flower petals.

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Maja Design Papers Used: Summertime-P

: By the sea – Diecuts

Additional Supplies Used: Twine, Cheesecloth, Tea Stain, Foam Adhesive, Paper Flowers, Detail Scissors, Sewing Machine, Thread.

Thank you so much for joining us at the Maja Design Blog. Don’t forget to check out the current Mood Board Challenge. Each entrant has the chance to win an entire Maja Design paper collection, which would be a perfect way to finish up the summer. If you love these papers and want to get a closer look at the collection, you can find it in the PRODUCTS section under Summertime. There’s also a handy STOREFINDER link at the top of the page to easily locate a shop near you. I wish you fun filled days with your loved ones and happy hours in your craft space!

Hugs, Nancy-sign

Summertime Delight Card!

Posted by Nancy Dynes

25 July, 2017 - Cards, Collections, Denim & Friends, Vintage Autumn Basics

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A happy hello to all of our crafty friends! It’s Nancy, and I’m so happy to be here with you at the Maja Design Blog! I’m playing with my Denim and Friends papers again. I can’t seem to get enough of them.

I adore the distressed barnwood pattern in the new paper collection. It takes me back to childhood summers at my aunt and uncle’s farm. My sister and I stayed with them a week or two out of each summer, which was a real treat for us. It was so cozy. Life revolved around the workings of the farm, and everyone had a part to play. My sister and I were charged with the daily picking of the strawberries and helping set the tables for the communal lunch. When we were left to our own devices we especially loved exploring in the barn, which always seemed to have a couple of bird nests and an assortment of cats and kittens to cuddle and love on. It was a simple and joyful time. This card is inspired by those memories and the happiness they bring to my heart.

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The center flower is handmade from the Vintage Autumn Basics paper collection. Can you tell I recently baked up a batch of wildflowers? I’ve been using them quite a bit lately. The butterflies are stamped on design paper then fussy cut. A little nest and a few rose petals are hiding in there as well.

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The sentiment is stamped onto design paper. Hand punched lace is is tucked randomly around the edges.

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You’ll find additional stamping and a splattering of acrylic paint on the design paper.

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Each paper is distressed, layered, and stitched together.

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Maja Design Papers Used:

Denim&Friends-K1

Vintage-Autumn-Basics

Other products used: Prima Stamps and Nest, Archival Ink, Martha Stewart Lace Border Punch, Tattered Florals Die, Magnolia Rose Leaf Die, Twine, Wooden Button, Detail Scissors, Distress Tool, Sewing Machine, Thread.

That’s all I have for today. Thank you so much for visiting the Maja Design Blog and taking a peek at my project! If you’re wondering where you can purchase these beautiful papers, just click on the STORE FINDER button at the top of the page. I hope you’re having a week filled with all things good and wonderful!

Hugs, Nancy-sign

The Curiosity Shop

Posted by Nancy Dynes

21 July, 2017 - Cards, Collections, Denim & Friends

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Hello, crafty friends! It’s Nancy, and I’m thrilled to welcome you to the Maja Design Blog. Are you as in love with Maja Design’s brand new paper collection, Denim & Friends, as I am? I’m excited to present the very first card I created using the new collection, along with a touch of Vintage Autumn Basics, so you can get an idea of how well the papers work together.

Maja Design papers speak to me like no others, and this time they inspired a project based on a wonderful memory. It’s no secret that I adore all things vintage. I can trace that love all the way back to my childhood and a special aunt who not only was a crafter, but collected antiques of every sort. I loved spending time with her and exploring the wonders that filled her home (which just happened to be a very old, restored one room schoolhouse!). Do you have someone like that in your life? My sweet aunt lives on in my memories, and to this day I can’t pass an antique shop or flea market without rescuing some type of rusty or tattered treasure.
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Each layer is distressed, layered, and stitched to form a base. Light and dark blues are combined in a monochromatic palette. This paper is from the 6×6 pack, so the 12×12 papers will have larger patterns. I think the tiny florals and dots are so sweet!

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The vintage buttons are from my own collection of curiosities, which is beginning to rival that of my aunt’s.

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The center flower is handmade from Maja Design’s Vintage Autumn Basics Collection. Purchased paper flowers are also worked into the arrangement along with various ephemera, a resin embellishment, a tiny clothespin, a loopy twine bow, and bits of vintage lace.

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Aren’t the new papers beautiful? It’s such an honor to share them with you here on the blog.

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Maja Design Papers Used:

Denim&Friends-K1

Other Products Used: Spellbinders Scalloped Ovals Die, Tim Holtz Ideology Ephemera, Prima Resin Treasures, Vintage Buttons, Vintage Lace, Twine, Paper Flowers, Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die, Tim Holtz Distress Tool, Wooden Clothespin, Sewing Machine, Thread.

Thank you so much for stopping by the Maja Design Blog today. I hope you’re having a fun-filled and crafty summer!

Hugs,

Nancy-sign

Sweet Summertime Card

Posted by Nancy Dynes

27 June, 2017 - Cards, Coffee In The Arbour

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Hello and welcome to the Maja Design Blog on this lovely Tuesday! It’s Nancy on the blog today. How are you doing? How are you filling your summer days? Are you crafting, or maybe gardening, enjoying the seaside, or possibly exploring far away places? We’re blessed to live near the beach, but we’re looking forward to spending some time cooling off in the mountains as well. I’m especially excited about having extra time for creative pursuits.

This card is the result of some happy hours in my craft room. Maja Design’s Coffee in the Arbor paper collection inspires memories of childhood summers for me, complete with flowers, picket fences, and lemonade stands. I love recalling those carefree days and the idea of getting rich with a lemonade stand, the first form of entrepreneurship for me and my little sister. It involved setting a pretty table in the garden (that was half the fun!), making pitchers of fresh lemonade (with the help of my sweet mom), and selling it for about 10 cents a cup to anyone passing by. The riches we gathered were memories, and those memories are the sweetest treasure of all.

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Layers of design paper are distressed and double stitched to form the base, with bits of pretty lace stitched in as well. Circles are layered, cut in half, and staggered. The sentiment stamp is from my stamping cabinet, and seems perfect for this card.

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The picket fence is from my stash. I’m so happy I rediscovered it amidst the many odds and ends that are patiently waiting to be used. You’ll find a plethora of summer blooms and leaves climbing in and around the fence. A natural twine bow is added for a finishing touch. I love bows!

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Maja Design Papers Used: Coffee-in-the-Arbour

Other Products Used: Paper Flowers, Twine, Wooden Fence, Lace, Red Lead Stamp, Archival Ink, Spellbinders Circle Dies, Foam Adhesive, Sewing Machine, Thread.

Thank you so much for joining me here on the Maja Design Blog! If you’d like to bring any of these papers home, just click on the STORE FINDER tab at the top of the blog. If you haven’t heard the news on social media, Maja Design has released a new collection called Denim and Friends (I’m doing a happy dance here)! Don’t forget to take a peek in the PRODUCTS tab for a first look at these fabulous papers. I send wishes for everything good and wonderful to come your way!

Hugs,

Nancy-sign

Le Jardin

Posted by Nancy Dynes

2 May, 2017 - Cards, Vintage Summer Basics

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Hello and welcome to the Maja Design Blog! I hope this post finds you well. It’s Nancy, and I’m beyond delighted to be here with you on this lovely spring day.

As you know, I love every single collection that Maja Design creates. Each is timeless and compliments the other designs beautifully, but the Vintage Basics collections are truly my go-to papers. I simply can’t do without them! It seems the perfect time of year to relish the season’s exquisite gardens, so I’m sharing this new ‘Le Jardin’ card crafted from Maja Design’s Vintage Summer Basics papers.

I don’t believe I’ve ever used this gorgeous floral pattern before. It’s deliciously shabby chic. I don’t know how this pattern escaped me for so long, but I’m making it right today.

Each paper is distressed, layered, and stitched to form a base. I’m feeding my addiction to flower making with these blooms that are handcrafted from the paper collection.

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The florals are layered over a backdrop of pretty, die cut ovals. A resin timepiece is tucked away in the corner. An abundance of die cut sprigs and leaves are interspersed throughout the bouquet, along with a natural twine bow.

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‘Le Jardin’ is stamped onto design paper, then fussy cut, distressed, and layered. All of the ticket shapes are created using a ticket edge punch.

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Here are the Maja Design papers I used today:

: 1925

: 1934 bs

I also used: Melissa Frances Resin Clock, Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die, Wild Rose Studio Oval Frame die, Memory Box Blooming Branch die, Magnolia Rose Leaf die, Stampin Up Ticket Corner punch, Hero Arts Clear Stamp, Tim Holtz Distress Oxide in Broken China, Prima Twine, Flower Centers, Tim Holtz Distress Tool, Foam Adhesive, Hot Glue Gun, Sewing Machine, Thread.

Maja Design papers are my favorite in all of the world! I can’t say it enough. Every other brand of paper in my craft room is completely neglected. All you have to do is work with them once to see and feel the difference. After that you’ll never want another brand again. I consider them the luxe line in the world of papercrafting, the Chanel of the crafty universe, but priced so you can afford to treat yourself. You can have them on your doorstep just by clicking on the ‘Store Finder’ tab at the top of the blog. For the chance to win a free collection don’t forget to check out our monthly Mood Board Challenge! Thank you so much for stopping by today. I send wishes for all things wonderful!

Hugs, Nancy-sign