My Mind's Eye Blog

Our New Stamps in Action!

Happy Friday to all of you! This is Anam and I'm here to share some inventive ways to use the new MME Indie Chic stamps!

First Disco

Supplies: Indie Chic Ginger stamps;white cardstock, Banded Ink and Paper Clay and Ranger Shrink Plastic,chalks,Stazon ink

Stamping doesn’t have to be restricted to paper. I used my stamps on air-drying paper clay and shrink plastic to make embellishments.  Make sure you follow the instructions on your products otherwise you might set them on fire!

I went with the rainbow glitter colours and used my banded inkpad to make the rainbow effect.

Making Family History

Supplies: Indie Chic -Nutmeg ‘Hanging out’ Stamps, Nutmeg ‘History’ Medallions (reverse) Paper, Nutmeg ‘Memories’ Rose Patch Paper, Nutmeg ‘Boy’ Checker Patch Paper, along with the Nutmeg layered Cardstock stickers, the Lazer Cut Wooden Title and the trim stickers.  I added Ranger Shrink Plastic and used Stazon ink on the Shrink Plastic. I also used a Martha Stewart edge punch.

Stamping doesn’t have to be restricted to paper. I used my stamps on Ranger Shrink Plastic to make embellishments.

You can alternate the final effect of the shrink plastic depending which way up you put the final embellishment.  I also toned down the wooden title with some brown ink to make it match better.

I wrote on the shrink plastic frame i made with the stamp border with a sharpie before i shrunk it in the oven to make my own little journal block.

Remember that the shrink plastic wont shrink perfectly so allow yourself some tolerance on the final outcome (like my wobbly journal spot).

Hope you've enjoyed my projects today. Have a wonderful weekend!

Brad Challenge Winner!!!

Mary Pat Siehl

congratulations! please email your address and collection choice to stephanie(AT)mymindseye(DOT)com

May Challenge #2-Masculine/Feminine Products

Goodness gracious how is it already mid-May? Time flies when you are creating beautiful things, doesn't it? :)

It's time for our second May challenge. Note: look for the winner of the "unique brads" challenge later today!

Our second challenge for this month is all about mixing it up.

Many times we hear that our color schemes are gender specific. Clearly when you see a product called "girl brads" it seems that this product would only be for girls. But we beg to differ!

The challenge is simple: use "masculine" colors or embellishments on a girl page, or use "feminine" colors and accents on a boy page.

Here are a few examples from our designers.

Anam used "boyish" patterns and colors to create this girlie layout of her daughters:

Supplies: Indie Chic Nutmeg-border stickers,chipboard die cuts,6x6 paper pads

Anam says: Add some girlie touches with punches – I used a lacey edge punch for the Photo matt and Jewels also can give a more feminine touch to a layout.

Next is a card from Danni. Danni used floral paper and "girl brads" to make a golf card for her dad.

Supplies-Indie Chic: Peony patterned paper,What a Day patterned paper,Girl decorative brads,decorative buttons;Misc-pacifico and another typewriter fonts,papertrey ink script alpha dies

Danni says:I wanted to create a father’s day card using the fun MME Citron line.  We are giving my fil a golf gift certificate and wanted a card to go with it, this was the perfect challenge to create one for such a special day.

One more layout from Anam! She used darker colors from the Nostalgia collection for this feminine layout.

Supplies: Nostalgia -Classic and Diamond patterned paper,chipboard accents,layered cardstock stickers,die cuts;Misc-doily punch,alphas

Anam says:any layout can be made more feminine with a heart.  The addition of punched edges can also lean a design towards a more girlie style. I used a doily edge punch for the trim which I folded to give it more definition and then added some adhesive jewels. I also took single parts of the chipboard titles and the layered stickers to make more sense of the clustered parts.

 

So there you have it! Do you accept the challenge?

I'll remind you of the rules:

1. You can submit a layout,card,album,altered item,etc.

2. The project must consist of mainly MME. It must "look" like a MME layout. :)

3. The project must be created new for this challenge.

4.Upload the layout to the comments by the end of the day on May 31. I have enabled InLinkz on this challenge so you can see all the entries.

5. A random winner will be chosen and announced with the first June challenge on June 1. The prize is any MME collection- the choice is yours.

Can't wait to see what you create...have FUN!!!

 

 

“Sew” Cute!

I’ve been waiting for today’s Good Things Utah segment for a few months.  Ever since the first time I saw the prototypes for the new See Me Sew fabric bags I’ve been anxiously awaiting their arrival.  These darling kits have been shipping for the last couple of weeks and are waiting to find their way to your home!

There are three bag styles: Ruffled, Tote and Messenger.  Each style has three different and equally beautiful color schemes.  The patterns even come from some of my personal favorite collections: Lush, So Sophie and, of course, My Mind’s Eye’s famous polka dots and plaids.

Seasoned and novice sewers will love the ease of these all-in-one kits.  When you open the package, you’ll find a flower embellishment kit ready to stack together and sew the button on and a fabric panel pre-printed and ready to go.  No pattern needed – simply cut out each piece along the border of the printed piece.  There are step-by-step instructions printed on the inside of the box and a video for each bag style available on our website (http://www.mymindseye.com/SMS/SeeMeSew.asp)

Since I am unable to actually sew on the program today, I thought it would be fun to demonstrate a few fun techniques you’ll find helpful when creating your bags.  Like how to create the flower embellishments, what some of the basic terms used mean (for us beginners) and my Mother-in-law’s “no frustration” gathering technique using Pearl Embroidery Thread.

Look for today’s segment here as soon as it is available.

I am by no means an expert seamstress, but I can sew a straight stitch and follow instructions.  Guess what?  Turns out that’s all the expertise you’ll need to sew these darling bags!

Happy Sewing!

Layle Part Two!

Today we are sharing two more awesome projects by Layle . Again...thank you so much Layle, we are so happy with what you created. Thanks for making MME look so good! :)

Just Hanging Out layout:

Supplies - Indie Chic:Hanging Out stamps,Boy brads,Nutmeg 6x6 paper pad,Memories layered chipboard,Family buttons and Zig Zag patterned paper, Hanging Out label stickers

Layle says:

I love the textured paper in the Indie Chic line.  That, combined with the yellows and blues reminded me of our family's recent trip to Mexico for Spring Break, so it was the perfect line to break out and get started scrapbooking pictures from our trip!

I got the idea for creating the flower from paint chip samples from Home Depot - the samples were in the shape of the petals of the flower on my layout.  I 'borrowed' a few of the samples (hey, that's what they're there for, right?!) and used them as templates to trace then cut out on the patterned papers.

Today and Every Day layout:

Supplies -Follow Your Heart:Be Amazing stamps, Be the Best patterned paper,Be Happy stamps,Honey Blue patterned paper,Be Happy chipboard,Be Amazing rhinestones;Miss Caroline:Lucky brads

Layle says:

This layout came together so quickly and easily for me!  I loved this paper when I saw it and knew I wanted to use it.  Also loved the hexagons in the Honey Blue paper, so I cut several of them out, added pop dots to a few to give them a bit of extra dimension, layered them above and below the photo and called it good :)

Thanks for stopping by today- see you guys tomorrow!

 

 

Introducing Our May Guest Designer

Won't you all help us give a warm welcome to Layle Koncar?

We are so excited to have Layle joining us this month. We love her creations and the fun&playful feeling they exude!

Hi guys! Layle Koncar here.  I’ve been scrapbooking in one form or another for the past 14+ years when my first son was born.  6 years ago I decided to take scrapbooking on full time as a job and worked initially for Scenic Route and then BasicGrey.  Although I no longer ‘work’ in the industry, it still holds a place close to my heart. 

I started teaching 8 years ago and still continue to do that several times a year as well as work closely with many of the industry publications, including Creating Keepsakes and Paper Crafts, and work with many of my manufacturer and kit club friends on design teams and guest designing. 

Besides scrapbooking, I love junking, reading, skiing, interior decorating, traveling, shopping, and most recently CrossFit!  Oh yah – and spending time with my husband Nick and our two boys Jack and Sam – can’t leave these 3 loves of my life out of the mix!

Find Layle here:

Layle's blog

Pinterest

What did you have the most fun working with?

OOH, that's a tough question!  Do I have to pick just one?!  I love dimensional things, so I loved using the chipboard, the layered stickers, the banner stickers and the pearl brads.  But wait - then there are the stamp sets. 

I love the designs that match the paper lines, but my favorite stamps are the ones I used on these layouts - the 'happy', 'today' and 'recorded' stamps.  I love to buy stamps, and when I do, I always look for good staples that I can use time after time.

What is your favorite MME line and why?  Hands down, it's Follow Your Heart - both Be Happy and Be Amazing.  I've been friends with Rhonna for many years and I just LOVE her style - it's so her!  I'm not much of a digi girl, so I was so excited when she began designing paper products again.

Rhonna and My Minds Eye are THE perfect match.  I love the papers in the Follow Your Heart lines - so easy to work with and FUN!

I'm So Lucky to Know You Layout:

Supplies - Miss Caroline-Adventures stamps,Celebrate brads,Story stamps,Curious layered stickers,Token patterned paper,small sticker accessories,Dilly Dally 6x6 pad,Hello rub-ons,Love Woodgrain patterned paper

Layle says:

I love the vintage feel of the Miss Caroline collection - the combination of the masculine woodgrain combined with the feminine doilies, polka dots and gingham was a nice balance for scrapbooking this picture of our boys and me.  

 

Happy Day card:

Supplies - Follow Your Heart-Be Happy:twine,chipboard,Be You patterned paper;Follow Your Heart-Be Amazing:Ephemera patterned paper,jewels

We will be back with two more projects from Layle tomorrow- we are so very grateful that she's shared her creativity with us this month!

See you all tomorrow,

Pinspiration Friday

We have pinned SO many beautiful layouts and cards to our Pinterest boards. You could say we are obsessed!

It was high time to put these pins to use, so our designers used them as inspiration for today's assignments.

Today Anam,Jana,and Danni are here to share some pinterest inspired layouts and cards. Enjoy!

Designer: Jana Eubank

Pin Chosen: All Smiles by Aphra Bolyer 

Original Layout:

Jana's version:

Supplies: On The Sunny Side-Happy Go Lucky patterned paper,Sweet Chevron patterned paper, Simple Stripe patterned paper, In Bloom patterned paper, Flutter patterned paper, 6x6 paper pad,12x12 chipboard,layered stickers,accessories sheet;Good Day Sunshine (Girl)-Head in the Clouds patterned paper;Miss Caroline(Dolled Up)-stamps;Misc-cardstock,rhinestones,green letter stickers,cricut,cartridges, trimmer,scissors,ink,pen,acrylic block,adhesives

Thoughts from Jana:

The first thing that attracted me to Aphra's page was the layout of the photos with the three photos stacked on top of each other along with one larger photo. I love using wallet size photos on my pages and I am always looking for new compositions where I can incorporate multiple photos.

I kept the same general layout as Aphra's page, but moved my title underneath the photos and added the row of chipboard houses to the lower left corner. I adhered the houses from the Layered Stickers on top of the smaller houses in the chipboard piece to add variety.

 A few chipboard flowers with rhinestones also add a bit of fun. The title block and word "Village" were cut using a die cut machine. I embossed the letters for more texture before adding them to my page.

A couple of the butterflies are from the chipboard and accessories sheets, but the rest have been handcut out of the Flutter paper. I love handcutting elements from patterned paper! I get a lot of bang for my buck that way.

Finally, I added journaling to the left of my photos and used Miss Caroline stamps to add the place and date to the lower right hand corner of my page.

  

Designer: Anam Stubbington

Pins Chosen:For the Record by Lynn Warner and Our Neighbor by Aleksandra Gadji

Original Layouts:

 Anam's version:

Supplies: On the Sunny Side-Parade patterned paper,Sweet Chevron patterned paper,Happy Go Lucky patterned paper,Playdate patterned paper,12x12 chipboard,layered stickers;adhesive jewels,heart punch

Thoughts from Anam:

I went with the very happy feeling of the On the Sunny Side release to play up the emotional feeling I wanted from the photograph – hence the photograph being in black and white.

I went with the punch ‘waste’ strips from Alek’s layout and combined it with the set of 3 tags/shapes from Lynn’s layout  along with the yellow/B&W photo combo.

Instructions:Cut strips slightly wider than your punched shape and proceed to punch out shapes from the strips. Adhere gently to page – I sewed through the middle to add some extra dimension.

I worked it so the hearts on the right hand side lined up. I then added the upright strip – I put sewn zigzag edges on it for an extra touch. I then added the chipboard trim and the 3 tags which I hand cut.

I added the three large hearts and the chipboard. I arranged the bird piece to cover the bird on the chipboard title. I then added a banner from the brad pack and added my Title word on top of it.  

The final touches are the little chipboard flowers and some jewels along with the layered butterfly sticker.

 

Designer: Danni Reid

Pin Chosen: card by Tracie Claiborne

Original Card:

Danni's version:
Supplies:Indie Chic-designer tape,ginger layered stickers,buttons;Misc-twine

Thoughts from Danni:

There are so many creations that inspire me on our Pinterest page, it was really hard to choose just one to share. I finally decided on this card from the incredibly talented, Tracie Claiborne.  I was instantly inspired by the incredible design and kept coming back to it as I was perusing the gorgeous creations.  One of my favorite things about MME papers are the beautiful assortment of patterns in each line.  It makes creating with them so easy and the end result, as you can see by her card, so beautiful!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today guys- hope you have a beautiful and blessed weekend!

I Spy With My Mind's Eye

Time for this month's installment of I Spy With MME! Remember to keep sharing your MME projects right here and on our Facebook page. You can even tweet them to us!

If we think they are unique and eye-catching we will pin them to our Pinterest board and you just might be featured here. We are also using our pins for something fun tomorrow...so make sure to check back at 10 am EST!

This layout popped off the screen when we saw it. The texture and layering is outstanding. It really makes Follow Your Heart look even more beautiful:

Designer: Felicity Wilson

Blog: Her Hand

Designer Thoughts: My son is always happy and never stops smiling. The bed post at feeding time at night even gets a smile! When I saw the Follow Your Heart collection and all the happy happy colours, especially the yellow, I knew I wanted to use that photo and lots of yellow! What was even better was that the chipboard kite had the word smile printed on it.

 

This layout stuck out to us because it is pretty much the cutest thing ever. :) We love the use of negative space and the happy, fun vibe:

Designer Name: Becky Litz

Blog: Scrap Circus

Designer Thoughts: Hexagons are the biggest trend right now. I hadn’t had the opportunity to create anything with them yet so when I saw that My Minds Eye had a challenge to use hexagons I thought I'd give it a try. Another big trend I see going on right now is to use the negative space left over when you make cuts on an electronic die cut machine. I have been wanting to try this as well, so I combined the two ideas into my challenge entry. I popped up the hexagon paper with dimensional adhesive then used a whole bunch of paper lines from MME that had blue, black, white and yellow to fill some of them in. Then the little chipboard bees from Alphabet Soup and the Lost and Found2 brads really finished it off!”

 There is nothing better than a beautifully designed clean+simple scrapbook page. This one fits the bill 100 %:
Designer Name: Jan Tatomir

Blog: Simply Made

Designer Thoughts: I love the happy colors and patterns of the Hip Hooray line. It's so easy to mix and match. I used this sketch but added my own twist to it.

Last (but certainly not least) this month is this darling card. It makes us long for summer:

Designer Name: Regina Mangum

Blog: The Stampin' Bean

Designer thoughts: For this "Stacked Delight Birthday Card," I stamped directly onto different patterns from the Away We Go Collection and fussy cut each scoop of ice cream before layering them up for one, big, happy birthday cone!

Wow ladies! Thank you so much for making our products SHINE! See you all soon, have a beautiful and blessed Thursday!

Mother's Day Cards with Suzanne

Hello everyone! Suzanne here with you today sharing two Mother's Day cards with the Nostalgia collection. This collection has a retro feel, and is one of my favorite releases.

On both of the following cards i used the 6x6 Designer paper pad to build my cards.

I loved the sentiment inside, and knew this was exactly how I feel about my own Mom. I did add another sentiment using my computer, and added it to the bottom of the card.

Supplies:Nostalgia-6x6 pad,accessory sheet,layered stickers;Misc-twine,adhesive

If you have not created a card for your Mom, this next card will be simple to duplicate. I kept it pretty simple, and used one of the larger journaling tags as the main embellishment on the front of the card.

Again, I turned to the layered stickers to add part of my sentiment, and as another layer under the letter "u."

Since we are celebrating a happy day, I could not resist adding some party trim underneath both of the embellishments.

Even though I cannot be with my Mom this Sunday, I do plan on mailing this to her in Texas. It might be a good idea to get it into the mail today, and I think I will also give one to my sister! Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there! Thanks for visiting the My Mind's Eye Blog!

mother's day layouts

As Mother's Day approaches, we thought we would share some layouts on the topic of motherhood. The designers were encouraged to look beyond the usual "being a mother" theme and come up with a creative spin.

Karen gives advice to a younger version of herself and Tina talks about being a "little momma" to a younger sibling. Tamara shares her relationship with her mother,as she is the only daughter. Their takes on a classic theme are fresh and inspiring and we know you will think so too.

Little Girl You Will Love Being a Mom

by Karen

Supplies:Miss Caroline-Beautiful Roses patterned paper,Happy Beach Stripe patterned paper,Like Wildflower patterned paper,Favorite Decorate patterned paper,Favorite stickers,Princess layered stickers,Cute brads,Curious rhinestone swirl,Story stickers,Like brads,Beautiful layered stickers,Baby stickers,Day pins&buttons;Follow Your Heart-Be Happy paper clips

Journaling:
I was never one of those girls who grew up dreaming about her wedding day. But I did often imagine having kids, taking care of them and loving them. What I could have never known then was how much having kids would change my life. How much more confident, calm, and deeply happy it would make me. My life got so much better as soon as David was born. Now with Nathaniel, too. It's as if I feel complete for the first time in my life. Thank you my boys.

As a little girl I often remember feeling sad and alone. And over the years, there were many times I worried about being a mom and being able to do right by my kids. I used to be a negative and sad person and I worried that it would rub off on my kids and make them worry that they caused me to be the way I am.

What I didn't know at all was how much peace and joy having kids would truly bring me. I distinctly remember that when my son was born, I felt like a chapter of my life was over and a new, much better one, begun.

I often wish I could tell the little girl that I was not to worry and that life is going to work out for her in magical ways. And one of the most special of these is having the amazing kids she will have. So I took this opportunity to "tell her."

Little Momma

by Tina

Supplies: Nostalgia-Roses patterned paper,Scallop patterned paper,Jacks patterned paper,Chevron patterned paper,chipboard elements,die cuts;Misc-twine,Martha Stewart sunburst punch,lattice punch,EK Success scallop border punch,October Afternoon letter stickers,sewing machine,thread,pen,adhesive,silhouette tags

Tina says:

I love the new Nostalgia line.  It compliments perfectly with vintage and black & white photos.  The colors are muted yet colorful.  In celebration of Mother's Day, I thought I'd create a non-typical layout, showcasing my 'motherly' instincts when my little sister was born. 

Journaling reads:
"The year was 1970, but I remember it like it was yesterday.  We are 7 years apart, so naturally when you were born, I became an instant 'little momma'.  You were a sickly baby, so I was always helping mom take care of you.  I like to play 'momma' to you.  :)
love,
your big sister"

This layout was fun to create.  I used scraps and little strips of paper that were left over from punching.  I stitched them in place and added several of the great chipboard elements to continue the vintage theme.

I snuck the journaling on a tag behind the smaller photo.  The tag was too small for the journaling, so I typed up my journaling on a larger piece of paper, then adhered the tag to the paper.  It's hidden, so you can't tell.

 

You are Sunshine in My Soul

by Tamara

Supplies: Indie Chic: Ginger-Tulips Patterned Paper,Spice patterned paper,flourish patterned paper,damask patterned paper,Jewel patterned paper,label stickers,adventure journal card,layered stickers,pearl medallion,decorative tape,wood label,layered chipboard,garland,metal medallions,relax title;Citron-trim;Nutmeg-brads;Lush-red rhinestones;Misc-adhesive,pen

Journaling Reads:

“My Mother taught me: to believe in myself, Love the Lord, be honest, true and kind, serve others, to work hard, embrace creativity, how to cook and sew, to love reading and learning, cherish music and nature, to be a good mother.”

When I saw the bright yellow and red colors of the fabulous new Indie Chic Ginger line, I knew the perfect photo to use. 

I adore all of the embellishments in this collection: the gorgeous metal flowers, pearl medallion, wood label, stitched garland, beautiful brads, title, and journaling cards.  The decorative tape has to be one of my most favorite things ever, perfect for borders and a quick accent of color.  I can wait to use it on other projects. 

I love this photo of my mom and I, it just captures the warmth and love I felt in my childhood.  My dad took it on a sunny summer day in our backyard when I was just 5.

I am the only girl in the middle of 4 brothers, so my mom and I have always been very close.  She has always been a wonderful friend and the greatest influence on my life. The wood label title was perfect “You are the Sunshine for my Soul”.

We hope you enjoyed these beautiful layouts today. Thanks so much for stopping by!!