My Mind's Eye Blog

Share Your Wealth by Anam

In our culture, Friday the 13^th is a date with Karma attached to it. A day when good Karma or Bad will come your way based on your actions.

To avoid any bad karma, we pay it forward by sharing what we have – be it goods, foods or actual money. We’ve had parties to share food or given away clothes we’ve outgrown.

We often try to share what little we have to help others realize their dreams and one of the ways we do that is through Kickstarter which is a US based crowd funding platform where a little goes a long way. It is full of Geek Nerd love which is a bonus for our family. In my opinion, making something positive out of a negatively viewed thing is always good!

Here's a layout about how we celebrate Friday the 13th:

Supply List: Miss Caroline - ‘DillyDally’ – “Celebrate”: Token Paper (front & reverse);Miss Caroline - ‘Dolled Up’ – “Living”: Blooms Paper (reverse);Follow your Heart – ‘Be Amazing’ – “Emphemera” Paper (reverse);Follow your Heart – ‘Be Amazing’ – “Wander” Paper (front);Miss Caroline - ‘FiddleSticks’ – “Home”: Diecut Title;Miss Caroline - ‘DillyDally’ – “Hello”:  Rubons;Miss Caroline - ‘DillyDally’ – “Adventures”: Sticker Tags;Miss Caroline - ‘DillyDally’ – “Curious”: Layered Cardstock Stickers;Miss Caroline - ‘DillyDally’ – “Celebrate”: Brads;Follow your Heart – ‘Be Amazing’ – Chipboard DieCuts;Follow your Heart – ‘Be Amazing’ – Metal Bookmarks; (Photo is of http://www.advancedterrain.com/ products)

Journaling:“For us, we make sure we celebrate on Friday the 13^th by sharing our wealth, even as small as we have, because by sharing what we have means we avoid any bad luck. Kickstarter is one of our favourite ways to share and keeps our geeky nerd side happy while making other’s dreams come true. These gaming terrain pieces were one of the first projects we were part of. It is amazing to see the end results of us sparing our ten or twenty pounds with others”

I used most of the embellishments as they came except I made a new word from one of the layered cardstock stickers – I changed “friend” into “nerd” because it worked for my layout – remember to always looks outside the box with your supplies for those hidden gems.

Another tip is to cut your paper to emphasize any images or sayings on it – one of our favorites is the JRR Tolkien one on this sheet.

Hope you've enjoyed my perspective on this day and how we celebrate it!

 

Mother’s Treasure Chest

Every mother knows what her treasure is.  The problem is can you find the notes and gifts from them?  The perfect gift for the mother in your life?  A treasure chest for the precious gifts from her treasures.  Whether you make this box for your self or a special mother in your life, it will be a source of joy for many years to come.

Miss Caroline (Dolled up) and her spectacular embellishments made this project quick, easy and, most of all, beautiful!

I am demonstrating this treasure box on Good Things Utah today (locally from 10 – 11am on ABC4).  Don’t despair if you aren’t local!  We’ll upload the segment as soon as it is available here:

I have included a .pdf of the instructions so you can make this project, too!

Happy Wednesday!

 

Easter Gift Ideas

Isn’t Easter fun? I love this celebration of rebirth, new life, and Spring!  The happy, bright colors of the Easter candy aisle always make me smile.  I love to give treats to family, friends, neighbors, teachers, etc.  Here are a few fun ideas for packaging yummy goodies to share.

This first project is a simple bag topper.  I love how the vintage pastel colors of the Miss Caroline “Fiddlesticks” Collection go perfectly with the large malted eggs I found. Just purchase cellophane bags from the party section at your grocery or craft store, fill with treats, and staple the top.

1. Cut a 5 1/2” x 6” piece of the purple Fiddlesticks “Lucky” Textile paper (b-side) and fold in half so it is 3” x 5 1/2”.
2. Cut a 1/2” x 5 1/2” piece of Pink Fiddlesticks “Home” Paper (b-side) and adhere along the bottom of the topper. Print “Happy Spring” on the yellow Fiddlesticks “You and Me” Bloom paper (b-side) and trim to 2 1/4” x 5 1/2”.  Sew around the top and bottom edges with blue thread.  Adhere above the pink paper strip.
3. Cut a 1/2” x 3” piece of aqua “Lucky” Tapestry paper (b-side) and adhere along the right side.  Cut a 3/4” x 3” piece of the “Home” Dotted paper and adhere over the left edge of the aqua paper.  Place the purple 3-D flower sticker (Fiddlesticks “Home” layered stickers) on the left of the topper.  Adhere topper over the bag with a few pieces of double stick tape.

This Jelly Bean Jar is decorated with the soft colors of the Miss Caroline “Howdy Doody” collection.  The jar originally held the MME glittered letters from a few years ago.  You can also find these at crafts stores.

1. Cut a 1” x 12” piece of pink dotted “Baby” Lace Paper (b-side) and adhere to the jar with double stick tape.  Cut a 1” piece of the from the front side of the same paper and use scissors to cut around the green scallops.  Adhere over the pink paper.
2. Cut a 1/2” x 12” strip of the “Happy” Beach Stripe Paper and adhere around the top of the jar.  Place the pink circle doily sticker on the lid (Howdy Doody “Lovely” stickers) and the yellow flower with a brad on top (Howdy Doody “Like” Brads).
3. Cut a 2 2/8” circle from the pink dotted paper and place the yellow circle doily sticker on it.  Print a 1 3/8” circle with “Happy Easter”, trim, and adhere.  Place the pink label sticker from Dolled Up “Favorite” Label Stickers on the top of the circle, thread the yellow Fiddlesticks “Lucky'” twine through it, and fold to the back.  Insert a yellow brad.  Tie twine around the jar handle.

Make this sweet Butterfly Basket using the Miss Caroline “Dolled Up” line.  A transparency provides the perfect peekaboo window to view the delicious chocolate eggs inside.

1. Cut a 6” x 12” piece of blue Dolled Up “Favorite” Madras Paper (b-side). Score 1 1/2” from the bottom, 2” from the left, then 1 3/4”, 4”, 1 3/4”.  Fold on score lines and cut slits/notches along the bottom folds up to the 1 1/2” score line. The basket will stand 4 1/2” tall.
2. Cut a 3 1/8” circle from the center of the basket.  Cut a 2 7/8” circle from the pink “Cute” Garden Paper (b-side) and a 3 3/4” x 3 3/4” piece of transparency.  Cut a 1 1/4” x 12” strip of “Living” Blooms Paper and a 2 1/4” x 12” piece of the yellow b-side.  Center them over the circle opening of the blue paper and trace the circle.
3. Cut out the traced lines and adhere the edges of the papers along the circle cutout with glue.  Layer the pink paper cutout and the transparency behind, then sew around the circle cutout.
4. Fold the yellow and floral strips of paper over the blue basket before you adhere them, or they will bow.  Glue the center seam in back and re-enforce with tape.  Fold the bottom pieces under and adhere with glue. Insert the Butterfly brad from Dolled Up “Cute Brads.
5. Cut a 1” x 12” strip of the “Day” Butterflies” Paper and a 1 1/4” x 12” strip of the pink “Cute” Garden Paper (b-side).  Glue them together and attach with brads from the Dolled up and Howdy Doody lines.  Fill with chocolate eggs and deliver to a friend!

Have fun creating and sharing delicious treats!

Easter Baskets

Good morning!  I hope you are having a fabulous Thursday!

This morning I am demonstrating how to make these handmade Easter baskets on Good Things Utah.  Every once in a while the producers of the show will ask me to create something special.  This is one of those times. 

When they first asked me to create an Easter basket, I had so many different ideas run through my mind.  I sketched a few ideas and began to create.  Like most things I do, the project took on a life of its own and I enjoyed a few unexpected twists.  When I was done, I had created two baskets – each with a style of their own. 

 

The first basket I created using Miss Caroline – Dilly Dally.  The grays, blues and reds add an unexpected pop of color for Easter.  I chose to weave the paper together to create the look of a traditional basket.  The red checked handle adds to the feel of a weaved basket.  I thought this basked would be a fun one for boys, so I thought a red ribbon would be a great finishing touch!

 

 

The second basket is created using the soft, gorgeous pastels of Miss Caroline – Fiddlesticks.  For this basket, I wanted to accentuate the femininity of the colors, so I added a frilly border using a scallop border punch.  The yellow twine added an earthy touch and the buttons look like they are holding the handle on the basket.

On both baskets, I added ruffled trim along the top of the opening to add the look of grass without the mess.

These baskets went together surprisingly fast!  I used Tombow Mono Adhesive to quickly adhere the paper to the paper mache hat box which was the “base” for this project.  Tombow Mono Adhesive is my favorite liquid adhesive because it is strong and it dries fast! 

As always, I have included step-by-step instructions so that you can create your own!

For those of you who are unable to watch the segment live, I’ll upload it here:

Do your projects take on a life of their own too?  I hope your day is wonderful and that you have a little time spend creating!

Hugs,

Amber Packer 

 

p.s. The Tombow team has been creating with My Mind’s Eye products all week.  Be sure to swing by there and check out their beautiful projects and great products.

Blog Challenge 33: Layout

It’s one of our favorite times of each month and we are pleased to announce this month’s blog challenge!

As you participate in the blog challenge, please keep in mind a few items:

1. We only have three guidelines for you to follow:

• Use the theme “your choice” (any theme you’d like).
• Use this month’s sketch by Anam Stubbington as your starting point.
• Use 80% My Mind’s Eye products. That means our products will be the main focus (besides the photo and story you share).

**Remember that you must adhere to all three guidelines in order to win. A beautiful entry that does not follow the guidelines will not be eligible to win.**

2. We are not looking for a particular style. Be yourself – create what you like and enjoy the process. The main goal is to document your memories.

3. Have fun and be positive.

The challenge: Design a layout based on this fabulous sketch and use the theme “your choice” (yes, you can choose any theme you’d like) on the card (sketch by Anam Stubbington).

The rules: Use ANY My Mind’s Eye products (current or past) as long as your project has at least 80% My Mind’s Eye products.

The deadline: Add a link to your project to the bottom of this post using inlinkz by Sunday, March 25, 2012 (midnight, MST). Please include your first and last name and project name when uploading. (a photo of your layout or project will show directly in the post)

(For tips on how to best photograph your entry, click here)

The PRIZE: The winner will receive the collection of their choice and will be featured in a blog post and have bragging rights!

Anam Stubbington and Suzanne Sergi have created these beautiful samples to help you get your creative juices going!

 

Adventure by Suzanne Sergi

Featured Collection: Miss Caroline

I can tell you that hands down the Dilly Dally Collection may be my all time favorite! I love the colors, and the carnival feel to the papers! I used the sketch as a starting point of the layering of my papers. I did use a horizontal photo of my children. So glad to see a nice photo of all three of them at one time. I did change the color to black, and white. I thought it paired better with the Dilly Dally Curious plank paper. To follow the scallops borders on the sketch, I used a ticket die to create ticket borders. I tend to like clean lines when I am scrapbooking ,but love the creating the angels to further create movement onto my page.

So many possibilities with this collection. Just in time for summer!

Perfect the way as you are by Anam Stubbington

Featured Products: Follow your Heart ‘Be Happy’ 6x6 paper pad, chipboard, brads, layers cardstock stickers and two of the clips from the ‘Be Amazing’ range.

“Fay and Lily – my beautiful amazing girls – playing with their shadows during the summer of 2011 – I am constantly humbled by the fact they are my own wonderful daughters. I hope they always remember that I love them very much. March 2012”

Instructions: just trim the 6x6” paper and distress the edges. I used just one sheet of each design from the pad. I also cut the chipboard so I could use the rest on other projects to make the most of the chipboard.

We can’t wait to see what you create! Good luck!

Please upload your project here:

Blog Challenge 33: Card

It’s one of our favorite times of each month and we are pleased to announce this month’s blog challenge! 

As you participate in the blog challenge, please keep in mind a few items:

1. We only have three guidelines for you to follow:

• Use the theme “your choice” (any theme you’d like).
• Use this month’s sketch by Anam Stubbington as your starting point.
• Use 80% My Mind’s Eye products.  That means our products will be the main focus (besides the photo and story you share).

**Remember that you must adhere to all three guidelines in order to win.  A beautiful entry that does not follow the guidelines will not be eligible to win.**

2. We are not looking for a particular style.  Be yourself – create what you like and enjoy the process.  The main goal is to document your memories.

3. Have fun and be positive.

The challenge: Design a card based on this fabulous sketch and use the theme “your choice” (yes, you can choose any theme you’d like) on the card (sketch by Anam Stubbington).

The rules: Use ANY My Mind’s Eye products (current or past) as long as your project has at least 80% My Mind’s Eye products.

The deadline: Add a link to your project to the bottom of this post using inlinkz by Sunday, March 25, 2012 (midnight, MST). Please include your first and last name and project name when uploading. (a photo of your layout or project will show directly in the post)

(For tips on how to best photograph your entry, click here)

The PRIZE: The winner will receive the collection of their choice and will be featured in a blog post and have bragging rights!

Anam Stubbington and Suzanne Sergi have created these beautiful samples to help you get your creative juices going!

Lucky to know you by Suzanne Sergi 

Featured Collection: Miss Caroline

On this card, I used the ticket borders in place of the scallop borders on the sketch. The ticket background paper is perfect in creating a card for that "lucky" person in your life! Again, the Dilly Dally collection is all about having fun, and I tried to create a card that reflected that emotion!

Cards by Anam Stubbington

Featured Products: Follow your Heart ‘Be Happy’ 6x6 paper pad, chipboard, brads, layers cardstock stickers and two of the clips from the ‘Be Amazing’ range.

We can’t wait to see what you create!  Good luck!

Please upload your project here:

Layers of Ruffles Lamp

As I was working on the jewelry box for last month’s Good Things Utah, I had an epiphany.  As I was looking a the layers of ruffles on the sides of the box, I thought to myself what a cute lampshade that would be. 

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was totally do-able.  At first I was worried about the heat from the light bulb.  But LED lights don’t get hot, so the paper won’t be a fire hazard.  If you are careful, you can use an incandescent (regular) bulb, as long as the lamp shade is far enough away from the bulb, it won’t get hot either.  Test it out and see what you feel comfortable with.  Personally, I would use the LED bulb.  You will need to be careful, but if you are, you can have a beautiful, hand-made, one-of-a-kind ruffled lamp within an hour or two. 

 

 

 

Since I have a few teenagers and their leaders in my area coming to watch me, I wanted to make the project something that they would like.  So, I pulled out the new Miss Caroline – Dolled up collection.  The combination of pinks, grays, blues, yellows and whites are the perfect mixture of soft and bright that teenagers (and preteens and grown up women) LOVE.

I used one 6 x 6 pad to create my lamp shade.  Depending upon the size of your shade, you may need more than one pad.  I like to use the pads because the patterns are made smaller and you can see more when you punch the holes

This was a fun and easy project that makes a big impact.

As usual, I have created project instructions for you to download so that you can make this project for yourself.

When the segment is uploaded, I will add the video here:

 

I hope you enjoy this project as much as I do!

Amber Packer 

Lisa’s Style

So this has just been the best month, Guesting here at My Mind's Eye..I feel so honored and blessed to be amongst the "regular" designers at MME, who are nothing but EXTRAordinary!  I have loved each challenge and post and the chance to work with all the beautiful new products fresh off the press was a dream come true!  So now, I'm here at my last post of the month and I'm to define "my style".  I do find that hard to do as I tend to evolve with the trends and my interests, but I think what comes to mind, if I had to choose a couple of words, it would be "Simply Embellished".  More than anything, my memory keeping is about the photos and the memories so I do like to keep the focus there...but then, the artist in me jumps in and says "now make it pretty!"  And that is what I do!  I start with the photos and then make them pretty.  I spend most of my scrappy time creating layouts for our family scrapbooks, and I'm highly motivated by a great photo.  This one was taken just yesterday and the minute I took it I literally ran in the house to upload it and get started scrapping it as I knew exactly what papers I wanted to use. My daughter and husband came home a couple hours later from the dance and handed me this pin so of course I had to add it to the layout, too, and it was the finishing touch to their memory.

(Miss Caroline Dilly Dally- Best, Hello and Curious lines)

I also love to give (and my family loves to receive) home made gifts, so I alter things quite frequently for my family and you will see my projects tucked into all the corners of my home (and my extended family's homes as well!).  I created this shadowbox frame for my Mom for Mother's Day (getting a little head start!) I used a white framed Shadowbox from Michael's for this one and just layered in the papers on the inside and the embellishments on the outside.  Not too fancy, but I didn't want to take away from that cute picture of me as a baby. :) Of course my parent's nickname for me was Princess, too..so the die cut worked perfectly for me.

(Featuring Miss Caroline- Dolled Up Princess and Cute Lines)

And lastly, a typical altered project from me...this was a box that previously held scrappy products.  I've been hoarding it for a couple of years and thought my daughter would love a little box for her upcoming birthday.  She is a collector (takes after her mommy) and needed someplace special to keep her little trinkets so I created this box for her. MME products are so amazing for altered projects..everything works together so beautifully to create that layered look that I love...from the bling to the paper, to the rub ons to the embellished brads and twine, the coordination of the products makes it foolproof to create beautiful keepsakes, be they scrapbook pages or altered items.

(Featured products- Miss Caroline Lovely, Happy, Beautiful and Like)

I'd like to thank Amber and all the folks at My Mind's Eye for allowing me to design for and with you this month, and to all the wonderful blog readers for all their sweet comments!  It's been a blast and I hope to be back soon!

Lisa Spiegel 

Pretty pages

Hi, everyone! Suzanne here with a couple of scrapbook pages featuring My Mind's Eye's newest CHA releases. 

First page features the gorgeous range from Miss Caroline All Dolled up. The colors are so vibrant, and soft at the same time. I love the blue woodgrain paper found on the "B" side of the Favorite paper. It was perfect with this sweet photo of Macie I took while at a wedding rehearsal.

These papers have a soft pink mixed with patterns that are perfect for the sweet girl in your life.

Here I used the butterflies paper along the bottom of my page. I used one of the dimensional butterfly stickers as an embellishment along the lace cardstock border. I wanted this page to have soft layers, so I included vellum. One of my favorite paper that I used every time I scrapbook. I also love the premade titles you will find in all of the collections. Makes the designing part come together quickly.

A new item found in the collection are the wood diecuts. This butterfly is called Living, and I simply coated it with acrylic paint in antique white. I held it in place on top of another vellum circle, and used it at the top of my journaling tag.

The next page features the Follow Your Heart Collection. I cannot tell you how much I love this line. You will find sophisticated images throughout every paper, and element. A must have this CHA!

This page also came together quickly. I used the blocks on this page to create individual stories of embellishments, and layers of paper.

Here I created a border with paper, and a chipboard border. Of course, a white doily seemed only fitting on this page. I layered it again on top of vellum, and embellished the center with a chipboard sunburst. 

This collection is pure eye candy on every corner. The button embellishments are fabulous! Here you can see that I used portions of the patterned paper to "color" in the squares on the Be Happy 12x12 paper. 

Thank you for stopping by today, and we cannot wait to see your creations with these new collections!

Suzanne Sergi

CHA-W 2012 wrap up

What a fantastic show we had this year!  The excitement in the convention center was palpable.

In our booth vendors could see, touch and feel our newest collections along with our newest releases through Riley Blake Designs (purse kits)!

    

 

We were excited to show off our new booth!  We had such a fun time freshening our beautiful booth up.  We have added wood floors, birdcages, suitcases, antique typewriters and beautiful décor using our newest collections!

 

Our Design Team created beautiful projects using our new collections!

 

Most of all, we had a great time visiting with our valued clients and friends!

We’ll see you next show!