My Mind's Eye Blog

Scrapbooking Heritage Photos with Tina

Happy Thursday everyone!  This is Tina, and today I would like to share this special layout about my grandmother and how I am just like her.

Supplies: Indie Chic:Nutmeg-Checker patterned paper,Roses patterned paper,Rainbow patterned paper,Bloom patterned paper, decorative brads,layered stickers,chipboard stickers,border stickers,label stickers,twine,Family journaling card,stamps,decorative tape;Misc-American Crafts cardstock,distress ink,alphabet stickers, Studio Calico veneer,adhesives,journaling pen

For this layout, I wanted to reflect on the belief that no matter what influences you have in your life and what experiences you have, many of us grow up to be just like our parents and grandparents. 

I remember my mom saying on many occasions that she wanted to react or do things different than her mother.  I also remember thinking to myself the same thing, but as I get older, I am JUST LIKE GRANDMA! {and just like my Mom}.

I love creating with older and vintage photos.  Instead of the traditional heritage themed papers and embellishments, I love to mix the old photos with the new, fresh, and colorful designs of today. 

For my layout, I wanted to create my own, unique background by using MME stamps in a repetitive design.  For this layout, I used the flower and border stamp from the Indie Chic Nutmeg collection. 

I stamped the flower randomly across the center of the paper making sure that I stamped several times before reloading the ink.  I use this technique to create a 3 dimensional look to the background.

I also used the border stamp in a coordinating color across the top and bottom of the page so that it 'peeked' out from behind the strips of patterned paper and decorative tape stitched to the bottom of the page. 

Many heritage layouts can get rather fussy and cluttered, but I wanted to keep the layout simple, focusing on the picture of my grandmother.  To add color and interest to the simple layout, I layered small scraps of patterned paper and decorative tape behind the photo. 

I then added several layered chipboard stickers for added dimension.  To finish the layout, I added more layered stickers to the bottom of the page and adhered my title by stitching it in place.

I hope you pull out those old photos (scan them) and create some NEW layouts with them.

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope you have a great day!

Wednesday Layout and Card Inspiration

Hello everyone!

Today I'm quickly sharing a couple of projects from our talented designers.

First up is a layout by Tamara. Tamara uses the Follow Your Heart collection beautifully here. I love the stitching and the clusters that form a visual triangle.Lovely layout, lovely girl!Next up is this darling card by Danni. I love the way Danni uses our fabulous new Indie Chic tapes combined with Indie Chic papers and the sweet die cuts from Nostalgia.

Hope you have time to make something beautiful today! Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

Paper Issues

This month we are featuring a kit club called Paper Issues and their "Honey Bee" theme. 

All of the papers in this theme are from the Follow Your Heart collection.

"Boys are Sweet Too"

"Bees Love"

Here is some information on Paper Issues:

At Paper Issues, we know that sometimes you want a kit filled with papers from the same manufacturer.  We also know you love My Mind's Eye!

We are offering two new kits that are sure to please!

Paper Issues features great paper crafters every day.  We want the world to get to know YOU!  Every two weeks, we pick a "theme" and invite everyone to post their own projects.  Interpretation is always up to you.  We have a seriously talented Design Team who can rock some paper.  

We have a Facebook page in addition to our blog, where we post projects for everyone to see.  We also offer some deep discounts for the Paper Shop, where you can find everything new for your paper crafting pleasure.

Here are some examples of what the talented Paper Issues designers came up with this month:

by Corri:

by Holly:

by Judean:

by Kristy:

Now THAT is some MME goodness, is it not?
Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone!

A Salute

Memorial Day

by Jana Eubank

Supplies:Indie Chic-Saffron:Silk patterned paper,Geometric patterned paper,Daisy patterned paper,Chevron patterned paper,Ornament patterned paper,6x6 paper pad,brads,buttons,journal card,layered stickers;IndieChic Ginger:stamps;Lush:Houndstooth patterned paper;Misc-cardstock,Cricut and cartridges,needle and floss,paper piercer,adhesive,pen,glitter,ink,scissors,trimmer

Jana says:

For as long as I can remember, my mom and dad have been taking us to the cemetery each year on Memorial Day to pay our respects to our relatives & ancestors. We visit 4 to 5 different cemeteries across the state.

As we travel on the 6 hour journey, they tell us stories about each person and teach us about our lineage. Gramma has an intense love for our country and our founding fathers. She teaches us about being patriotic and Grampa tells us stories about serving in the army.

As we drive from place to place we love to look out our car windows and count how many American flags we see. It is now a tradition that they carry on with my children and their cousins. My kids love to bring flowers for each gravesite. They each bring their watering cans and give all of the flowers a drink. It's a great day to be together as a family.

The colors of the Indie Chic Saffron collection reminded me of the flowers on Memorial Day. There are lots of handcut & die cut elements on this layout. First, I anchored my photos along a handcut chevron border ("Free Spirit" Chevron Paper).

I also added handcut zigzag borders ("Girl" Geometric Paper)  to each side of the gray patterned paper.

Next, I added two handcut floral ornaments from the "Create" Ornament Paper to decorate opposite corners of the layout. Along with the chevron border, this helps draw your eye across the page. 

Finally, I created my own flower and butterfly embellishments with an electronic die cut machine using the 6 x 6 paper pad and "Dreams" Buttons.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by today...see you all tomorrow-

MME+SC - Giveaway!

The June Studio Calico kit and add-ons are live today and they feature LOTS of MME.

 

Here is what SC has to say about this kit:

Surf's up! We're heading to sunny So Cal for our June kit. This bright and airy mix of products from My Mind's Eye, Heidi Swapp and Echo Park will have you dreaming of fruity drinks and flying kites at the water's edge.

We've packed in more exclusives than ever - paper, Thickers, die cuts & a stamp set from Studio Calico plus papers & a tiny sticker alphabet from Tim & Beck. It's like a trip to the beach, with no sunscreen required.

And here are some great SC+MME layouts from a few talented designers:

by Nicole Samuels:

 By April Foster:

By Jen Jockisch:

Beautiful!

Would you like to get your hands on a So Cal kit?

You are in luck today! Leave a comment here by Friday 6/1 if you'd like to win this beautiful kit. I will draw one winner and announce your name on Saturday 6/2.

But wait! There's more!

There is a MME giveaway up on the SC blog. ETA- this is not up yet. We will let you know when SC gets it up. Make sure to stop by and enter!

Jana and Tina also did some projects with So Cal, we will share those later this week.

Please check back later this afternoon, we will have a lovely and meaningful Memorial Day project by Jana. You won't want to miss it, trust me.

See y'all later...

Teacher Gifts With Danni+Tamara!

It's that time of year again...the time when we say goodbye to our children's beloved teachers and hello to summertime.

Today Danni and Tamara are sharing some great end of the year gift ideas using MME products.

Card Set by Danni

Supplies:Indie Chic-Saffron:6 x 6 paper pad,garland, decorative buttons, layered chipboard stickers;Misc: pom pom trim, Papertrey Ink flip flop dies and clear card box, Martha Stewart doily, Cameo (monogram)

Danni says:

I was really excited to have the opportunity to create for this blog post because my hubby is an administrator to four schools and we love to give gifts to the teachers.  We create teacher appreciation gifts in early May for all the teachers.

 

I also like to create for my kids’ teachers at the end of the year.This year I decided to create boxed monogram notecard sets and a card for each of their teachers.  I chose to use the Indie Chic Saffron line because all of their teachers this year love pinks, greys and oranges.

To decorate the box, I wrapped a piece of Indie Chic Saffron Girl patterned paper around the box and embellished with the gorgeous Indie Chic embellies.

Danni-these are simply stunning. What teacher wouldn't love these?

Supplies+Sentimental Notes by Tamara

Supplies: On the Bright Side:Multi Chevron patterned paper,Stitched patterned paper,Floral patterned paper,White Wood patterned paper,Blue Wood patterned paper, Red Wood patterned paper,accessory sheet;Miss Caroline-Dilly Dally:brads,twine,3D stickers;Indie Chic:decorative tapes,chipboard,twine,brads;On the Sunny Side:brads;Misc-black ink \

Tamara says:

The school year is coming to a close and it's time to start thinking about teacher gifts.  Instead of the usual chocolates or candles, why not give them some supplies that will be helpful in their classroom, with sentimental notes?

I took at trip to my local dollar store and found this adorable little red pail and tons of fun supplies to fill it.

PUSH PINS: Thanks for helping me “STICK” with it this year.

STAPLES: Thank you for teaching me the “STAPLES” of life.

GUM: If I had a choice, I’d “CHEWS” you for a teacher!

ERASER: You’ve given me memories that can’t be “ERASED”.

PENS: You have “WRITTEN” on my heart.

PAPER CLIPS: Our hearts will always be “LINKED” together.

TAPE: You’re so patient, even when things get “STICKY”.

MINTS: You were “MINT” to be my teacher.

HIGHLIGHTER: You’ve been the “HIGHLIGHT” of my year.

PENCILS: You have “SHARPENED” my mind.

GLUE: You’re the “GLUE” that holds our class together.

POST-IT NOTES: Take “NOTE”, you’re the best!

Oh my goodness Tamara this is so creative and (especially as a former teacher) I LOVE how much time and thought you put into this gift idea.

For all of you who love Tamara's gift idea as much as I do,

you can download the PDF HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, friends of MME! Have a wonderful weekend!

Bonus Sketch Layout from Tina

Today Tina is sharing a bonus layout using the May sketch.

Here's the May layout sketch again:

And here's Tina's out of this world take on it:

Supplies: Indie Chic-Saffron:Silk patterned paper,Posy patterned paper,Daisy patterned paper,Lattice patterned paper,6x6 paper pad,Free Spirit die cut frame,decorative brads,label stickers,decorative stickers,chipboard stickers;Misc:staples,Martha Stewart punches,Lily Bee alphas,sewing machine and thread,adhesive,pen

Tina says:

When creating a layout or card with a sketch, I really love to mix things up.  I rarely stick exactly to a sketch.  I will usually pick one or two elements of the sketch and go from there.

To start, I flipped the sketch on its side.  I only used one photo, and I replaced the other photo placement with strips of patterned paper.  I clustered 3 of the fabulous die cut flowers in the bottom right corner and layered two chipboard flags on the upper left corner. 

I moved my title to the bottom of my page.  I really loved mixing several of the Indie Chic Saffron papers for this layout and love how they all look coordinate so well together.

We love it too, Tina! Thanks for sharing your layout with us today!

 

Clustering Elements

Welcome! Today we are talking about a skill that is sometimes hard to master...clustering elements.

It's hard to know what is too little, what is too much,and what is juuuuuuuuuust right. But we have a gorgeous example from on of our designers today.

Check out this adorable layout by Karen:

Supplies:On the Sunny Side:Flutter patterned paper,Parade patterned paper,Simple Stripe patterned paper,Play Date patterned paper,brads,12x12 chipboard,layered stickers,accessories sheet;Follow Your Heart:be happy rhinestones;Lush:alphabet stickers

Karen says:

I love to cluster small and medium-sized items on my layouts. I also love creating my own borders so I have edges I can tuck things under.

I tend to cluster on three edges of the page. I feel like this draws your eyes back into the layout so they don't wander off. I also love to cluster around my photo. Little bits of punched paper here and there makes the layout more fun so you notice more details each time you look.

She makes it look easy doesn't she?  Wow!

Thanks so much for stopping by today, we hope your day is beautiful and blessed!

May sketches!

It's sketch time again! Thanks to Anam Stubbington for providing us with these wonderful sketches!

Remember I mentioned that sketches will NOT be for a challenge every month? Well this month is one of the months they are not a challenge. These are just for fun this month! But of course we would LOVE to see what you make!

If you make a layout or card using this month's sketches, link them in the comments section. We are always looking for inspirational projects to pin and feature in our "I Spy With MME" posts!

 

 

Layout by Jana Eubank:

Supplies:Indie Chic-Citron:Tangerine patterned paper,Forest patterned paper,Festive patterned paper,6x6 paper pad,brads,journal card,decorative stickers,label stickers;Lost and Found Two-Breeze:Wallpaper patterned paper;12 Days of Christmas:12 days rhinestones;Misc:letter stickers,inks,pen,trimmer and scissors,adhesives

Jana says:

Last year we went on a road trip through the Four Corners region. One of our stops was the beautiful Monument Valley. I don't have a panoramic setting on my camera, but I tried to capture the vista by taking three pictures in a row.

This sketch was wonderful for scrapping my photo experiment! The colors of the Indie Chic Citron collection complimented the colors of the red rock formations in my photos perfectly.

Layout by Tamara Jensen:

Supplies:On the Bright Side-One: Multi Chevron patterned paper, Polka patterned paper, White Wood patterned paper, Red Wood patterned paper, accessory sheet;Miss Caroline -Dilly Dally:stickers,brads,twine,Tickets patterned paper;Nostalgia:chipboard stickers;Misc:black ink pad,pen,machine thread 

Tamara used banners and tickets for a fun version of the scallop border!

Card by Danni Reid:
 

Supplies: Nostalgia:Diamond patterned paper,Scallop patterned paper,Chevron patterned paper,Vintage patterned paper,layered stickers,decorative brads;Misc:Martha Stewart heart punch,Bazzill beetle black cardstock

Danni says:

I absolutely fell in love with the floral/sentiment block in this sketch and wanted that block to be the focal on my card. 

Instead of creating flowers I really wanted to create half-pie charts with the gorgeous papers from the Nostalgia line and accentuate them with a fun 3-D sentiment.  The Nostalgia line has such an amazing vintage feel, I am in love.

This sketch is so fun and versatile and I have so many ideas for it, so don’t be surprised to see it again soon.

 

Hope you enjoyed today's inspiration, have a lovely Tuesday!

Banners with Anam

Banners are a trend that is still going strong. From home decor to layouts to cards...banners are appearing all over the place.

Today Anam shares a couple of ways you can incorporate this trend using our products.

Banner Desk Display:

Anam says:I cut a paper strip 12” by 2” and folded it into 2 ¼ “ widths. I adhered the overlap behind the large diecut.

I then covered the two wooden banners with the paper. Next I added the paper strip between the two.

I adhered the paper folded sections together to make it more like a book as that helps it stand on its own.  I added relevant diecuts and chipboard pieces to the cover.

I cut two photos 1.5 x 1.75” and added them to the middle pages as this is what will be visible when it is displayed open on a desk.

I then outlined it with the black pen to make it more masculine.

I left the last page blank as Fay and Lily want to put their own message on it for their daddy and Lily has a tendency to scrawl over everything.

Banner Card (bonus with leftover scraps from die cut sheet):

Thanks so much for sharing Anam!

Have a wonderful Monday, everyone!