Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Santa's List Card!


Hello, my friends! I hope you had a blessed Christmas! I'm thrilled to be sharing a project on the Maja Design Blog today. This is the last of my 2016 series of dimensional cards using Maja Design's festive 'I Wish' collection. Sunday was truly the very first day of Christmas, so the way I see it we're still firmly in the midst of season. 

Santa is the front and center of this card as he studies his list in preparation for his holiday deliveries.   

Each layer is distressed, layered, stitched, and popped up using foam adhesive.  


The image of Santa and the holiday ornaments are fussy cut from the paper collection. 


Snow frosted holiday greenery, berries, and a twine bow add finishing touches. 


The lace trim is created with a Martha Stewart border punch.  


Thank you so much for visiting! It's a great honor to share my card with you. I want to thank you with all my heart for your kind comments. I am humbled and forever grateful to be a part of such a fabulous crafty family. I can't wait to see what y'all are working on as we head into the New Year. I send wishes for many cozy days of crafting!  

Hugs,
Nancy-sign

Maja Design Papers Used: 


Other Supplies Used: Twine, Holiday Greenery and Berries, Foam Adhesive, Tim Holtz Distress Tool, Martha Stewart Lace Border Punch, Sewing Machine, Thread. 

Did you know Maja Design is on Social Media?

Pinterest: Did you know that Maja Design has a Pinterest Page? You can find it right here.
Facebook: You can follow us on Facebook right here and of course "LIKE" us.
Instagram: Maja also has an Instagram account – majadesigninsweden.
(Use the hashtag #majadesigninsweden or the tag @majadesigninsweden
with your Maja papers so we can find you.)

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Christmas Greetings!



Hello, friends! It's getting cold outside, but you have the warmest of welcomes here. I'm up again on the Maja Design Blog, presenting another holiday card featuring the brand new 'I wish' paper collection.

There is nothing that brings more joy than seeing the magic of Christmas through the eyes of a child. This sweet little girl, fussy cut from the paper collection, is my inspiration for today's card.

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There are several layers here. Each layer is distressed, stitched, layered, and popped up with foam adhesive. I'm trying to capture the dimension in my photos, though it doesn't always show up as well as I would like it to.

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The sentiment card above is also part of the collection. The stunning ephemera and vintage inspired images included in 'I wish' truly capture the imagination. They make holiday crafting a cinch!
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Snow capped greenery, glass pearls, liquid snow, and a twine bow provide a finishing touch.

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Thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to join me. I know how busy this time of year can be. It's a great honor to share my project with you. It is my Christmas greeting to you and your family!

Hugs, 
Nancy-sign

Maja Design Papers Used: 


Other Supplies Used: Martha Stewart Lace Border Punch, Lace, Pearls, Greenery, Twine, Liquid Snow, Foam Adhesive, Sewing Machine, Thread.

Did you know Maja Design is on Social Media?

Pinterest: Did you know that Maja Design has a Pinterest Page? You can find it right here.
Facebook: You can follow us on Facebook right here and of course "LIKE" us.
Instagram: Maja also has an Instagram account – majadesigninsweden.
(Use the hashtag #majadesigninsweden or the tag @majadesigninsweden
with your Maja papers so we can find you.)


Friday, December 9, 2016

Shabby Altered Birdcage!


Hello again, friends! How are you doing? Is your home full of frantic holiday preparations (like mine), or are you way more organized than I am? 

It's been a super crafty week at my house. You should see my craft room. There are about 5 layers of projects on my desk and I can't find anything anymore. I desperately need my Tim Holtz non-stick scissors but it's going to take days of cleaning before they make their way to the top of my mess.

Happily, I'm back for a third post today (because my computer is still taller than the pile of crafty goodness everything else is lost in). I have the honor of hosting the Friday Focus on The Frilly and Funkie Blog! I've left a sneak peek here, but I hope you'll click on the link above and take a closer look at my altered bird cage. 

I send wishes for a fabulous day of crafty endeavors! 

Hugs,









Monday, December 5, 2016

Maja Design December Mood Board Challenge!


A happy hello to all of my favorite crafty people! I hope you're having a fun and festive holiday season. I am so thankful to be here with you. I am counting my blessings each and every day. 

I have new card to share with you in honor of the December Mood Board Challenge beginning today at the Maja Design Blog! This is something you'll definitely want to fit in to your holiday schedule, as the winner receives an entire collection of beautiful Maja Design Papers--any collection you choose!! I"ve posted the mood board and challenge guidelines below, but be sure to click on the link to the Maja Design Blog to check out the amazing inspiration of my teammates!   
 This is how we use the mood boards:  
Definition mood board – n
[a board used by designers on which samples of various colours and textures are mounted to help in deciding which elements complement each other]
We are using mood boards for our challenges. We truly believe in creativity and art at Maja Design. You are free to interpret the mood boards in any way you’d like. They are supposed to set you in an inspirational mood without too much controlling. We would like you to be inspired by the poems, words and photos. They are not given rules, they are just there as inspiration. Feel free to use any Maja papers you’d like as long as they follow the color scheme.
We will pick a winner and present it on the Maja Design blog on December 26th.
Have in mind that these challenges are a really great way for us to discover new talents and maybe some future Creative Team members…

How to participate?
♥ Create anything you’ll like – a layout, a card, something altered or maybe a canvas, take a nice picture of it and send it to moodboard@majadesign.nu. We also need to know your full name, address and a phone number. Please specify what collection you would like to win, if you are the lucky one. We will also want to know if you would like it in the size 12*12 or 6*6. Please send us the pictures in the size of 800 pixels on the width. We would be so grateful if you also could change the file name of the photo to your first and last name including your country.
♥ Feel free to send us more than one picture, from different angles or some close-ups – or why not more than one project?
♥ Publish the project/s on your blog (or/and any social media, e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) with a link to our site. Please also add the picture of the mood board.
♥ Feel free to combine your entry with other challenges.
♥ The winner will be revealed the last Monday each month, at the Maja blog. The winner will be sent one collection by their choice, and also a digital Winner’s Badge to use and brag with. 

I've included a couple of extra photos below. I'm sorry I don't have as many as usual. I've been traveling, splitting up my time between our home in Charleston and the one in Gatlinburg, trying to get repairs started our mountain home that was damaged in the wildfires. We were some of the lucky ones. The death toll continues to mount as search and rescue efforts continue. Hundreds of people lost homes and businesses. The devastation there is heartbreaking. I feel guilty going about my normal life and dealing with the fairly minor repairs of smoke, soot, and roof damage when so many others are grieving tragic losses. It's hard to wrap my brain around the fact that we left Gatlinburg last Monday morning with no sign of the wildfire in the National Park spreading towards populated areas. The air was smoky, but it had been for several days. Just a few hours after our departure the cities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge were in flames. I'm sorry. I don't mean to be depressing, but this event has had a profound effect on me. The wonderful people of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are ever on my mind and in my prayers.   
A 2
A 1
I'm so grateful you took time out of your busy day to stop by. I hope you'll participate in this months Mood Board Challenge. I send my heartfelt thanks and wishes for all the joys of this wonderous season! 

Hugs, 

Maja Design Papers Used: 

Vintage-Frost-BasicsKL

Vintage-Autumn-Basics

Its-Christmas-time-P

Did you know Maja Design is on Social Media?

Pinterest: Did you know that Maja Design has a Pinterest Page? You can find it right here.
Facebook: You can follow us on Facebook right here and of course "LIKE" us.
Instagram: Maja also has an Instagram account – majadesigninsweden.
(Use the hashtag #majadesigninsweden or the tag @majadesigninsweden
with your Maja papers so we can find you.)

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

A Frozen Lamp to Light the Night!

Hello, crafty friends! I hope you are well and looking forward to a happy holiday season. It's been a bit of a stressful week as our mountain home is in the path of the wildfires in Gatlinburg. It was reported via national news that our home (and the entire resort of Black Bear Falls) burned to the ground. Receiving that phone call was a very surreal moment. Thankfully for us the reports named the wrong resort. Our home has minimal damage, for which I am much relieved, but deeply saddened for the homeowners in Gatlinburg Falls where there was not one home left standing. The good folks in Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains National Park area definitely need prayers and positive thoughts. Many have lost homes and businesses. They're in a severe drought situation and the wildfires continue to burn. What makes it even worse is that the original fire that was started in the National Park and quickly spread to Gatlinburg is believed to have been arson. I can't understand who would do such a thing.  

On a lighter note, I'm back today with a fun project for the latest challenge at The Frilly and Funkie Blog

My sweet friend, Kathy, is our hostess and her guidelines are as follows: Let's get ready to Deck the Halls by creating some home decor for the holiday season. You can make centerpieces, wreaths, banners, ornaments, wall hangings, or little vignettes  ...basically anything BUT a card for this challenge. If you don't celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, then just make some home decor with a wintry theme.

At the end of the challenge the team will choose their top four picks. Our first place winner will be invited to join us in a Guest DT spot at The Frilly and Funkie Blog . Three additional talented participants will receive badges to display on their blogs. Everyone who enters and adheres to the challenge guidelines will be entered into a drawing to win a $25 spending spree at The Funkie Junkie Boutique! For entry specifics and inspiration from my fabulous teammates just click on the blog link above.

My snow and ice encrusted oil lamp is my 2016 nod to one of my favorite Disney movies, Frozen! I found this little lamp while antiquing, with this particular challenge in mind.

It begins it's transformation with a coat of gesso followed by two coats of Tim Holtz paint in Antique Linen. The next step adds Tim Holtz Spray Stains, Prima Color Bloom Spray, and Prima Art Powder - I'll leave a list of the colors I used at the bottom of this post.

Prima flowers, Prima Art Stones, cheesecloth and white seam binding are colored in coordinating stains. Tim Holtz mini snowflakes that are die cut from chipboard also receive a coat of paint and stains. The cheesecloth is soaked in Prima Sculpture Medium and molded to a shape of my liking.   
A few iced twigs from my stash are tucked in here and there. Of course there is a bow, this time from seam binding. In the end my lamp is embellished and dusted with gesso to a frosty finish. I feel it will fit in quite well in Queen Elsa's ice castle-lol.  

Thank you for joining me today! I'm beyond blessed to have such amazing, artistic friends. Y'all always inspire me with your work. I can't wait to see what you'll create for this new challenge!

Hugs,