My Mind's Eye Blog

Jana Creates with Six by Six 2

 

Families are like quilts ... and all the different personalities are stitched together with love. Whenever I scrap a photo about my family, I can't help but think about this little thought and feel inspired to create quilt-inspired backgrounds.

The Six by Six Two paper pads are perfect for this! I chose to use the A Mother's Love pad on this page because it reminded me of the bright, spring day that this photo was taken. I punched out several different papers with a square punch and matted them together on a large strip of red cardstock for a mosaic background.

Supplies:Six by Six Two: A Mother's Love paper pad;Lime Twist:twine; Lush2:trim,buttons;Misc:cardstock,mini stapler, square punch, border punches, black pearls, silhouette, embossing folder,adhesives

 

I love to watch quail families scamper around our neighborhood. The baby quails are always trying so desperately to keep up with their parents. They are just too cute! Sometimes I feel like a mother quail with my own children following behind me wherever I go and thought they would make the perfect icon to include on this page about my kids.

I cut the quail out using my Silhouette die cut machine and added them to embossed cardstock circles across the bottom of the page.

 

The large title letters were also cut from the A Mother's Love paper pad. I matted them on red cardstock so that they would pop against the dark teal background. I tied a bit of Lime Twist twine on one of the letters and then lined them up across a strip of cardstock accented with Lush 2 orange ribbon and button.

 

Have a wonderful Monday!

I Spy with MME-August Edition

Good morning blog readers! Today it's time for another installment of I Spy with MME. Every day we scour blogs,online galleries,Facebook,and Twitter to find examples of layouts,cards,and other projects using our products.

Once we fine eye-catching,inventive projects...we pin them to our "Inspiring Cards and Layouts" Pinterest board. If you need some majorly inspiring eye-candy to get your mojo going,then head on over! We promise that it will be just the thing to get you creating this weekend. We have some RIDICULOUSLY talented customers and fans! :)

Today we have six projects that we wanted to share with you. Each designer's name is linked to their blog. So make sure to stop by, say hi, and see more of their talents!

 

Designer: Gina Rodgers 

Why it caught our eye: We love the use of white space here,not to mention the creative way Gina used the Ric Rac patterned paper from our Indie Chic (ginger) collection. Everything about this layout is just lovely,and we love Gina's techniques and artistic talent.

 

Designer: Andrea Ewen

Why it caught our eye: We really adore how Andrea has used our Miss Caroline collection on her beautiful card. The distressing ,combined with the delicate doily,flowers, and ribbon, makes for a beautiful and eye-catching card. This is a card that any friend would be lucky to have!

 

 

Designer: Mandy Kay Starner

Why it caught our eye: Simply put,Mandy Kay rocked The Sweetest Thing. This layout is just cool. The layering,the bits+pieces,the pops of color...all awesome. Thanks so much for making the collection look so chic,Mandy Kay.

 

Designer: Patricia Roebuck

Why it caught our eye: Um, how could it NOT? Talk about creative! We can honestly say we do not see mirrors made with our products very often. Or...ever? Crazy smart,pretty,and inventive all rolled into one. Way to go,Patricia!

 

Designer: Sandy Ang

Why it caught our eye: This 8 1/2x11 layout exhibits strong design and mixes graphic (hexagons) with girlie (florals,layering,embellishments). The fussy cutting and detail here is just mind-blowingly lovely. We're not sure we'd be able to put this layout in an album. It deserves framing! :)

 

Designer: Tanya Dudinka

Why it caught our eye: This card popped right off the computer screen! It is vibrant and stunning,to say the least. The twine Christmas tree and rhinestones work together beautifully. This card is a work of art!

 

Would you like to be featured in I Spy with MME? Then make sure you are sharing your projects using our products!

Share them on our Facebook page,in our blog comments,on Twitter. Upload them to online galleries,making sure to link the MME products used. Share them on your blogs and send us the link! We LOVE seeing what you all do with our papers and embellishments. We have the most creative and smart group of customers on the planet!

Happy Friday...make sure to take some time this weekend to make something beautiful!

Footloose and Fancy Free

Hello dear blog readers! This is Tamara. I just LOVE the new My Mind’s Eye decorative tapes – such fantastic and creative scrapbooking tools!!  They have such wonderful colors and patterns.  For this layout, I used tapes from Indie Chic, The Sweetest Thing, and All is Bright. I actually used products from seven different collections.  That is another fabulous thing about MME – their lines coordinate so perfectly together.

Supplies:Indie Chic Ginger: Spice patterned paper, decorative tape, brad,layered chipboard;Indie Chic- Nutmeg: Family patterned paper,decorative tape;Nostalgia:chipboard;The Sweetest Thing-Honey: tiny word stickers, label stickers, decorative tape;The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell:decorative tape;The Sweetest Thing- Lavender:decorative tape;All is Bright:decorative tape;Winter Wonderland:accessory pad;Lime Twist:letter stickers;Lush:black chipboard letters;Misc: white cardstock, red machine thread, black ink and pen

I pulled the red, blue, and yellow colors from the fun photos of my little guy trying on Mickey Mouse slippers at Disneyland.  I enjoyed the freedom of just sticking on tape in random order to make my background.  It is so nice that this tape is easily removable and forgiving (I need that!).  So if you don’t like the color combo, just peel it off and reposition it. I especially LOVE the bracket shaped tape along the bottom of the page!

Have a wonderful Thursday!

10 Photo Challenge Winner

Is Leigh Penner!

Way to go,Leigh! And thank you to all of you for playing along!

Leigh,please contact me at stephanie(at)mymindseye(dot)com with your choice of collection and address!

August Challenge #2

Welcome to the second August challenge! Today we want you to pull out those holiday papers and use them on a non holiday layout,card,or other project.

Tina and Suzanne are here today with some examples!

 

Merry Memories by Tina Walker

Supplies:Winter Wonderland:6x6 designer pad,designer accessory pad,enamel dots, twine,decorative brads,sticker accessory sheet,chipboard elements;Misc:cardstock,Silhouette Cameo,adhesive,sewing machine and thread

Tina says:Admit it...we all do it.  New holiday collections get released and we buy up every last piece.  We create adorable holiday projects, layouts, and cards, but yet we still have product left.

What should I do with it, you ask?  Just use it I say!  Just because the paper has snowflakes or cute little snowmen doesn't mean you can't use it for a non holiday project. 

Here are some ways I like to use Holiday collections for non-traditional projects.

1.  For holiday papers with typical holiday themes, cut them up!  Cut them into smaller sized pieces where the themed design isn't so obvious.  In my layout, I cut the snowflake paper into smaller pieces with my die-cut machine and adhered them to my page with pop dots.  Also, using Holiday paper with basic designs, such as dots and stripes can be used for any project.

2.  Hide holiday words on embellishments.  For my layout, I love the 'Christmas Memories' chipboard banner, but I obviously didn't want the word 'Christmas'.  So I hid the undesired word under my photo and you would never know it was a holiday embellishment.  You can also do this with tags or die-cuts that contain holiday words or phrases.  Layer and hide the words.

3.  Mix up individual letters from phases or words to create your own unique saying.  A great site to help you create new words is 'Scrabble Cheat'.  You enter the letters you have and possible words will be provided.  For example, you can enter the letters 'Merrychristmas' and you would get multiple words from those letters.  You can also use individual letters for unique meanings.  In my layout, I used the 'T' and  'S' from the 'Merry Christmas' stickers for initials of the people in the photo. 

4.  And who says red and green are for Christmas only.  These 2 colors look great together, so just use them!

 

 

The Best Day Ever by Suzanne Sergi

Supplies:Lost and Found Halloween:accessory sheet,chipboard elements,Hallows Dots patterned paper,Hallows Skull Doily patterned paper

Suzanne says:Even though the Lost & Found Halloween collection is spooktacular for Halloween memories, I thought it was perfect for creating a Happy Birthday card.  It has a vintage feel with the black and creams found on the papers.

I cut a small portion from a label found on the accessory sheet to add a bit of interest at the top of the card. I also created my own banner from cardstock that I used to print my sentiment. Some fancy trim along the bottom adds a bit of a party theme!

Great projects,ladies!

So here's the fine print,MME fans!

1.Project must be created new for this challenge.

2. Project must look like a MME project. I say this every month-but I'm not going to give you a percentage of MME that you have to use. Just make sure that it is comprised mainly of MME product.

3. All submissions must be turned in by midnight on August 31. A random winner will be announced with the first September challenge on September 3. Please enter via the InLinkz form below.

4.Winner will win MME collection of their choice.

Good luck!

 

 

The Sweetest Thing with Jana+Danni

We think that The Sweetest Thing is truly the sweetest collection around right now. The variety of prints,patterns,and colors is just beautiful. We hope you think so too!

Today Jana and Danni are here to share projects using The Sweetest Thing. Enjoy!

 

Jana Says:I LOVE the mixture of patterns of The Sweetest Thing collection! I love the way the casual polka dots & plaids play off the trendy chevron and hexagon prints, as well as the elegant florals, doily and damask prints.

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Honey: Damask patterned paper, Notable patterned paper,Cheerful patterned paper, Fond patterned paper, Flawless patterned paper, die cut title,layered stickers,tiny word stickers,decorative brads,decorative tape;The Sweetest Thing-Lavender:stamps;Miss Caroline-Dilly Dally:Planks patterned paper;Misc-cardstock,vellum,letter stickers,journal block,ink,embossing powder,journaling pen,adhesive

The number pattern from the Honey collection especially caught my eye! On this page, I chose to cut out the number eight from the One of a Kind Notable paper to signify my daughter's age in this photo. But I can think of so many other ways I want to use this paper!

A countdown calendar or daily type of mini album would be fun! So would a "Top 5 or 10 Reasons I Love You" page. Or how about including one of those cute numbers on a birthday card?!

I used the Lavender Cutie Pie stamps to create a raised doily accent. The heat embossing on the vellum paper adds a bit of shine to the page along with the decorative brads. I love how bright and fun the NEW enamel dots are!

I wanted my title to go across the bottom of my photo, but found that the letter stickers were getting lost in the image. I added a couple of strips of the decorative tape to fade and soften a section of the picture, allowing the letter stickers to show up better. Almost like a beautiful strip of patterned vellum. Love it! 

Danni says:Hi everyone!  Danni here to share some cards created with the new enamel dots in The Sweetest Thing line.  I was giddy to see these new enamel dots in the CHA summer releases.  I love the colors, sizes and texture.They are perfect for cards and layouts to add the extra little something without adding a lot of bulky embellishments.  My favorite part about these enamel dots is how you can use them to accentuate your card, as a subtle embellishment, or as the main focal because of the fun colors. 

On the first couple of cards, I wanted to use the dots to accentuate my sentiment, adding the little extra splash of color while still allowing the cards to be mailed easily.  I love that you have so many sizes to choose from in each package to add the perfect amount of color.

On the next two cards, I was excited to create focal embellishments using the dots.  I really wanted to play with the colors on the first card, a bright, cheery card for someone special so I pulled out the new stamp set and matched my inks to the enamel dots.
 
Aren't those dots the most cheerful little things?  I just love them.  After creating this card, I had an idea to use them as flower centers because...well,they just HAD to be used this way! I punched a few flowers and added them as focals.  I love them against this background patterned paper, it really allowed the colors to pop.

As you can see, even with the larger dots, you could still mail these relatively easily, without a lot of hassle. 

I really hope you'll give these new enamel dots a try, they are so much fun and really add a lot of color to your projects.

Supplies: The Sweetest Thing-Tangerine:Sunny patterned paper,Woodsy patterned paper,Dandy patterned paper, Blossom patterned paper,Round patterned paper, Chevron patterned paper,enamel dots,tiny word stickers,stamps;The Sweetest Thing-Lavender:Swatch patterned paper,Misc: Cameo File cuts, lace trim from stash, Jenni Bowlin and Papertrey Ink ink pads, Lil Inkers label die

Tapes+Cards with Danni

Happy Friday, everyone! This is Danni and today I'm here to talk about tapes+cards and how beautifully they mesh.

I absolutely love to create cards with The Sweetest Thing Decorative Tapes.

The patterns and colors are absolutely gorgeous and they adhere to any of the card stock or patterned papers I am using.  I love to use the tape to create patterned papers and gorgeous embellishments and shapes. 

The tapes have become one of my go-to embellishments to add that little something extra to all my cards and projects.   There are so many things you can do with these tapes from creating patterned paper blocks, creating handmade embellishments, adding a finishing strip to any projects or a strip to dress up an envelope, they are so much fun.

On my cards today, I decided to create patterned paper blocks and embellishments with my tapes.

I love that you can use the smallest piece of tape to create something so unique and beautiful.  To create the cards I adhered strips of the designer tape to a block of white cardstock, alternating the patterns.

I then punched shapes using my Martha Stewart Magnetic Punch All Over the Page Butterfly Punch, Papertrey Ink stamp die and Sizzix 2" Hexagon dies.

In order to have my patterns line up the way I want on my embellishments, I flip my block of card stock with the tapes upside down so I can see the shape through the punch before punching the shapes.It helps to have a magnetic punch but I have created these without magnetic punches.

And, as you can see, I never waste a "negative" punched piece of card stock either, they make the cutest note cards to let someone know that you are thinking of them.  You can stitch the block of card stock, adhere a little trim, stamp a sentiment onto a small card base and you have a note card in no time at all.  Every bit of this card was made of scraps off of my desk.

I hope you'll give these embellishments a try with your tapes and link us up in the comments section, we love to see what you're doing with your tapes. 

Supplies: The Sweetest Thing-Hello Greetings, Sunshine Blossom, Together Round, Wonderful Delightful paper, Wonderful Delightful tiny word stickers, Hello wood and chip buttons, Hello acrylic stamps, Sunshine title, decorative brads, enamel dots, decorative tapes, label stickers;Misc:kraft cardstock,white cardstock,Cuttlebug embossing, Martha Stewart butterfly punch

Tape Decor with Shelly!

Hello MME fans! This is Shelly and today I'm here to talk a little bit more about decorative tape.

 

I love that decorative tape can go on just about anything. It’s nice because it sticks, but it can easily be peeled if off too.  I’ve had these frames for several years that have a large open space photo mat. Open space you can do anything with. I chose to snaz one up with some of MME decorative tapes in a chevron pattern.

Supplies:All is Bright:decorative tape;The Sweetest Thing-Honey:decorative tape;Indie Chic-Ginger:decorative tape

 

If you can’t find a photo frame with a mat that you like, you could go to your local craft store and have the framing department cut a custom photo mat for your liking.

First, I started to experiment with the length and size of the pattern. I choose to go with about 2 inches. I pulled out my ruler, stuck one end at the 2-inch mark, and cut the other end leaving the tape on my ruler.

I then grabbed my speed square to mark a 45-degree angle on each end to create a parallelogram. I simply peeled it off my ruler trimmed the 45-degree edge off, and placed on my photo mat.

I repeated this, flipping the speed square over at each section I cut. Good thing I had Geometry back in the day!

The next project I did with MME decorative tapes involves Christmas ornaments. Yes I know it is only August, but the stores have it out, and I was ready to play! I chose a frame and a metal star.

For the frame, I pulled it apart, and simply put strips of decorative tape across the front of the glass, and trimmed off the edges.

I really wanted the light to shine through the glass to show the sheerness of the tapes, so I spread a bead of Glossy Accents all the way around the inside of the frame.

After placing the glass piece gently into the frame, I put another bead of it to fill in the gap between the frame and the glass. To add a little something extra, I embellished the front with three of the rhinestones from the All is Bright collection.

Supplies(for both this and the ornament below):All is Bright:decorative tape,twine,faceted rhinestones;Winter Wonderland:decorative tape,twine;Indie Chic-Nutmeg:decorative tape;Indie Chic-Ginger:decorative tape  

 

After doing this mini project, I think it would be kind of neat to hang it in your window too. Maybe even doing a larger fancier frame? Oh the possibilities!

For the star, I wanted to try my hand at punching shapes out of the tapes. I peeled off strips of tape and lightly put them on a scrap piece of paper. I wanted the paper to be thin enough that my punch would go through the tape and the paper. I punched away, and it worked!

To peel the tape off of the paper, it wasn’t too tricky at all. I used my exacto-knife (or you could use your finger nail) to get in between the paper and the tape. When I punched the circles, there was always a little frayed spot on the paper. That was the easiest spot to start pulling them apart.

I hoped you enjoyed seeing what I did with MME’s decorative tapes. There are so many things that can be taped up with all these pretties. I hope you try your hand at it, and share what you did with us!

Tape Tricks with Karen!

Hi everyone, it's Karen and I'm here today to talk about our decorative tapes!

I've been in love with the decorative tapes from the first time I saw them. These tapes are so versatile that you can use them as small accents on your pages or as the main feature like I have. My favorite part about the tapes is that they are bright and semi-transparent. Since I often use white cardstock for my background, the white paper makes the tapes even brighter. I loved all the colors that came with The Sweetest Thing and decided to use them together to create my own background.

The first thing I did was to tear long strips and tape them next to each other, layering a little bit each time. I made sure some of the chevrons were up and some down to create a more dynamic look. I alternated my
colors as well so there was no dominance of yellow in one corner, etc. I didn't overthink it; I just wanted to have fun and end up with something that looked organic and colorful and happy.

The second thing I wanted to do was to add some texture using stamps. I grabbed a few of my favorites and randomly stamped on the seams on the tape. I felt like the black ink grounded and defined the background a bit more.

The next thing I did was to pick my photos. I knew I wanted to use these silly photos of my kids and I wanted the photos to stand out a bit so I added white paint to the edges of the photos before I put them down on my page.

After I put the photos on the page, I added a title using black letters and decided my photos needed a little more definition so I stitched around them using black thread. I also added a few pieces of tape on two edges of my page. Since my pages are white, I like to guide the viewers eyes back into my page by putting elements on the edges and by stitching all around my layout.

The last thing I did was to add the journaling lines all along the title. They can be stamped right on to the tape and I wrote my journaling on top. The title and journaling reads:Thank you for teaching me the joy of being silly.My sweet boys, I'm not known for being silly. Truth be told, I am too serious and find silliness, well...silly. But ever since you came into my life I find a lot of joy watching you be silly, especially since you
think it's so funny to be silly. Thank you for letting me see it through your eyes and allowing me to laugh more. I love you so much and appreciate you so much.

On the upper left corner, I used my stamps to note the month and year.

And here are a few more detail shots for you:

 

Thank you so much for letting me share my layout! I love love love playing with these tapes and hope you like them as much as I do. If you've played with them I'd love to see yours too, please leave a comment with the link so I can come look!

Gift Wrapping with The Sweetest Thing

What is sweeter than the feeling of giving a beautiful gift? Some might say it's the sweetest thing. And that's why our new The Sweetest Thing collection meshes so well with the spirit of giving. They are simply a match made in heaven!

Today Suzanne and Danni are hear to share some beautiful and elegant gift wrapping options using MME.

Enjoy! 

Gift box,Paper Box,and Gift Tag by Suzanne

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell: Bright Blossom patterned paper,Lively patterned paper,decorative brads,layered stickers, chipboard elements,stamps,'Best' die cut title,'Remember' die cut title,'Bright' journal card;All is Bright:sticker accessory sheet

Suzanne says:I decided to create a trio of items that would compliment any celebration! I love the Sweetest Thing collection, and used many elements to add festive touches to the gifts.

First,I covered the outside of a gift box with Lively patterned paper and used one of the diecuts along the bottom.

I created a trio of paper ribbons across the top with vellum, and added a border strip from the paper.

Lastly, I finished the border ribbon with a paper bloom found on the decorative brad package, and hung a small banner that I also stamped with the Happiness Stamp set,

So I could enclose a card,candy, or gift card...I used a festive striped paper sack that complimented this collection perfectly!

Last but not least, you can always use a gift tag to decorate the perfect gift for someone you love!

 

 

Pillow Boxes by Danni Reid

pillow boxes gift supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Tangerine:Hello patterned paper,Sunshine patterned paper, decorative tape,stickers,decorative brads,doilies,buttons;Misc:twine, pillow boxes, machine stitching 

Danni says:
I love to use scrapping supplies to wrap gifts! Whether I'm making gift bags or wrapping presents, it's so much fun to "dress up" a little package with my favorite supplies.  I decided to "wrap" two pillow boxes for today's post because these little boxes are perfect for gift cards and money alike and are wonderful to have on hand.

I love every last detail of The Sweetest Thing Tangerine collection. From the patterns, colors, embellies, and crocheted doilies to the the buttons, it's all pure eye candy.  This collection is perfect for wrapping little gifts because you can't help be happy when receiving such a summery, fresh,and airy little package.

Wow,ladies. These are absolutely stunning. Thank you so much for sharing your endless creativity today!