My Mind's Eye Blog

Pinspiration Friday

Happy Friday! We are so glad you stopped by today, it's Pinspiration Friday! Every day, we scour the Internet for inspiring MME projects. We find your work on your blogs, through our FB page,and in online galleries. We pin the ones that inspire us most!

Then once a month we challenge our designers to use one of your creations as inspiration for a layout or card.

This month Jana and Shelly are joining us. Here's what they came up with. Enjoy and have a lovely, creative weekend!

Inspiration Piece: Tonya Dirk

Jana's version:

Supplies: Winter Wonderland:Tags patterned paper,In the Neighborhood patterned paper,Flakes patterned paper,Presents patterned paper,6x6 paper pad,12x12 chipboard accessories,stickers,decorative brads,buttons,twine,stamps;Misc:cardstock,silhouette,Kerri Bradford word art,Cuttlebug,Poinsettia Quilling die,stamping ink,copics,paper piercer,needle and floss,adhesives,journaling pen

Jana says:For my Pinterest lift I was inspired by the oh-so-talented, Tonya Dirk, and her page titled "A Love Like No Other".

The thing that first caught my eye about Tonya's page was that adorable banner flanked with two flowers across the top. Also, I was really inspired by how Tonya used a sheet of 6 x 6 patterned paper to anchor the two smaller photos underneath.

I used the happy and bright Winter Wonderland collection for my page. To replicate the wood planked paper in the background of Tonya's page, I stacked together several strips of the blue patterned papers from the collection. 

Lately I am really love using tone-on-tone pattern papers to create visual background textures on my pages and so this was right up my alley! For the banner across the top of the page, I used the trees from the Winter Wonderland stamps. I cut the trees out after stamping them omitting the trunk and star.

Next, I flipped them over and "strung" them together with the awesome tri-colored twine from the Winter Wonderland collection. It worked out perfectly! For the poinsettia flowers flanking my banner I used a quilling die by Cuttlebug. The script word across the top of the banner was cut on my Silhouette Cameo using Kerri Bradford artwork.

Like Tonya, I anchored two smaller photos on a sheet of 6 x 6 patterned paper. Next, I cut out several elements from the Tags paper and added them around my photos. I added a chipboard house on the right and a stamped snowman to the left. The journal block is accented with more stamping, a sticker, and a decorative brad.

Thank you, Tonya, for inspiring me to try something new on this page! Be sure to check out the My Mind's Eye Pinterest page for more project ideas from our amazing fans!

Inspiration Piece:Betsy Veldman

Shelly's take:

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing:'Smile'Bouquet patterned paper,'Everyday'crocheted doilies,'Together'Round patterned paper,Tangerine stickers,Tangerine 6x6 paper pad,'Hello'decorative buttons,'Sunshine' decorative brads,'Fabulous'label stickers;Misc:string,pop dots

Shelly says:I absolutely love being part of Pinspiration! There is nothing like surfing Pinterest and finding amazing inspiration all around you. Today, I fell in love with Betsy Veldman’s beautiful card. What is not to love with those doilies and butterflies? I immediately thought it would be the perfect “sketch” for my next layout. I had these pictures of my daughter’s first year printed out just waiting for the perfect inspiration piece to come along, and Betsy’s card was just that!

 This layout is the “closer” for my daughter’s first year album. I printed out photo strips of each monthly birthday starting with her birth and ending with a 6x4 shot at her one year mark. Because I wanted to keep the photo strips on the top in a sequence, I altered the “sketch” so that there was more space on the top half of the layout leaving just enough room to place my doilies, butterflies, and the vertical picture. I loved the notched ribbon coming off the card that Betsy used to divide her top and bottom sections, so I mimicked that look with a strip of pattern paper. I trimmed down the page to 11x11 and matted it on another sheet of paper so that I could give it a faux look of coming off the page.

Next up was to play with the doilies. I decided I wanted to use the same doily sticker that Betsy used, along with a crocheted doily. After trimming the crocheted doily, I put a little Glossy Accents on my finger and tapped the edge of it in the glue to make sure that it wouldn’t unravel after pushing it around my page.  Once it was dry, I placed it on my layout and embellished the doilies with butterflies, brads, and a button. The “Wonderful” diecut was just to perfect for the title of the page.

I wanted to add a little something extra to the top portion of the page. After glancing up at the same Tangerine sticker sheet that contained the doily and butterfly stickers, I decided to get the most out of that sheet and carried the woodgrain to the top of the page with the photo corners. The ticket was the perfect little filler to add to that little space at the top right. I finished it off with a brad and a couple of buttons.

Thank you so much Betsy for sharing your creativity with us! As you can see, it was just what I needed to complete this page.

 

Adornments

Good morning everyone! So glad you stopped by the blog today. I asked Suzanne to share a couple of gift pockets featuring our adormnents from the Lost and Found 3 collection. She chose to use the beautiful adornments from Oliver:

She came up with some beautiful projects and I just know they will inspire you right in time for the holiday season!

Supplies: All is Bright:6x6 paper pad, decorative brads,layered stickers,twine,faceted gems,sticker accessory sheet;Lost and Found 3- Oliver: adornments

Suzanne says: For my project today, I decided to adorn these festive snow gift card pockets using the Lost & Found 3 adornments in the Oliver Collection.

Metal adds such charm to any project, and they layered well on these vellum pockets. I stitched two 5x7 pieces of vellum along the sides. I added a bit of Christmas cheer to the bottom of them by tucking in faux snow. I then stitched along the top of the snow, to keep everything inside.

I did this recently in an album, and thought it would be perfect on a smaller scale. I decorated both gift card pockets with the All Is Bright collection, and the book labels were perfect for housing my sentiments.

I made sure to use the vintage white lace on one of the gift cards. I love the vintage feel of these pockets, and think they will be perfect to give to a special friend for Christmas!



Wow Suzanne...these are absolutely stunning. No need to even put a gift inside the envelopes...they are a gift on their own!

Have a wonderful Thursday,everyone. See you tomorrow!

Mini Albums with Monika...Perpetual Calendar

Good morning, everyone! This is Monika here with my monthly mini album feature.Let's jump start our organization and get ready for 2013 with this month's mini album post.

Today I'm here with a fun and easy mini album, which has so many possibilities.

It could be a perpetual calendar - you'll finally have one place to jot down all your birthdays and anniversaries.

It could be a gift guide - write down your awesome ideas while you think of them so you won't forget all of the great ideas you have!

It could even be a brag book for the  grandparents with photos of their precious grandchildren - separated out by month so they have a time capsule of how they've grown.

I've used a planner similar to this one in the past, with just 3 pockets, and I used it for my Christmas lists. I added my grocery lists and recipe cards in one pocket and receipts went inside an envelope in the 3rd pocket. See, such a versatile little planner.

The pocket pages can be designed to be as large or small as you wish. Play around with some scraps to decide if you'd like a shorter page, a deeper pocket, a narrower mini book. The graph papers are held together with decorative brads and are a stylish way to write a few notes and reminders.

If you decide to use the planner as a brag book, make your pages a bit smaller and it will hold your 4x6 snapshots and fit into Grandma's purse!

And here's a short tutorial for you...

1. Gather 14 of your favorite My Mind's Eye patterned papers {I'll have a month-by-month supply list in a download at the end of the post} - 2 will be for front and back covers and 12 will be for the monthly pocket pages.
2. Trim your 12 monthly papers to 12x12 - by removing the border strip on each page. 
3. Score all 12 monthly pocket pages at 6", flip the paper and then score again at 9". Fold the narrow side up first, then flip and fold over the wider side next. NOTE | You'll want to fold up your favorite side of the paper,which forms your pocket, as the inside pattern will not be as visible.
4. Trim your graph paper, if you decide to include those inside your and attach with a coordinating My Mind's Eye brad. Mine are sized to 5" wide x 8" tall.
5. I punched my holes at 1.50" from the top edge and 1.50" from the bottom edge. Punching your holes before embellishing the pages is a good idea, especially if you like to add layers. If it's too chunky, you won't be able to punch your holes to bind your mini album.
6. Embellish your front  and back covers.
7. Embellish monthly pocket pages.
8. Pat yourself on the back for being one organized, crafty Mama!

I've included a few scoring and folding notes in the PDF this month...I'm a visual person and pictures are always helpful to me. 

Happy Holidays! I hope you'll be inspired to jumpstart your 2013 organization plan.

Click below to download the PDF!

Ronda's Mixed Media Canvas

Hello Everyone.

It’s Ronda here today to share with you a mixed media canvas I created using a variety of My Mind’s Eye products.  This 8 x 10 canvas mixes patterned paper, brads, chipboard, and stamps with gesso, watercolor crayons, and vintage thread. 

Supplies: The Sweetest Thing-Lavender:About Me patterned paper, decorative brads, stamp;The Sweetest Thing – Honey:decorative brads, stamp, layered sticker, label sticker, chipboard elements;The Sweetest Thing – Tangerine:stamp; Misc:Ranger Archival Ink, gesso, matte medium, glossy accents; Caran D’Ache Neocolor II Watercolor crayons, Maya Road trinket pin,

I always start my canvases with a layer of gesso.  This primes the canvas as well as adds subtle texture.  I knew I wanted to use the beautiful "About Me" patterned paper from The Sweetest Thing lavender line. 

I love the script, designs, and colors and used it as my inspiration.  After laying down the first layer of gesso, I added the bits of patterned paper and scraped some more gesso over top.  I wanted just peeks of the paper showing through the gesso. 

Next I used watercolor crayons to color the background of the canvas drawing on the patterned paper as inspiration. 

Once I had the background colored the way I liked, I decided to add in bits & pieces of embellishments.  I have a love affair with brads, especially those with bold designs.

To adhere them to my canvas, I used a pair of jewelry pliers to break off the prongs from the back of the brad and glued them down.  I love layering embellishments so I used some of the die cuts from the decorative brads and the chipboard embellishment on top of the patterned paper. 

I also added some more brads around the canvas as well as some stamped images in black.  I love the crisp black images against the softer colors of the canvas. 

I inserted a turquoise leaf pin into the heart layered sticker and placed in on a label sticker and the patterned paper.  After adding vintage thread to my canvas using matte medium, I added the final sentiment stamp to the canvas.  I love the simplicity of this statement on this canvas. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I hope you found some inspiration to create your own mixed media canvas.

 

Altered Christmas Receipt Holder

Hi!  Tina here today with a Christmas home decor project that is versatile and can be adapted/updated  year after year.

If you saw the Spooky Halloween Tray I shared last month, you know that I love using printer's trays for holiday decorating.  So to change things up a bit for Christmas, I created a home decor project using a receipt holder.

Supplies:Winter Wonderland:4x6 designer paper pad,6x6 designer paper pad,Tags patterned paper,layered Stickers,twine,enamel dots,stamps,decorative brads,decorative buttons,decorative tape,sticker accessory sheet,chipboard elements;Misc:adhesives,mini canvas panels,spray mist,embossing powder,7gypsies vintage receipt holder,ribbon,sewing machine and thread,pens

This project was pretty simple to put together and only required a weekend to create all of the 'mini scenes' for each receipt clip.  The 4x6 designer pads and the 6x6 designer pads are great for this type of project and are the perfect size for each area.

For each mini scene, I layered several patterned papers and adhered various stickers, chipboard elements, and decorative brads and buttons.  I also wanted to add a little 'shimmer' to each area, so I accented each piece with glitter and glaze pens.  They added just the perfect amount of holiday sparkle to my project.

Special hint:  To make each mini scene more rigid (so they don't crinkle or buckle under the clip), I backed them with chipboard. 

After each scene was complete, I arranged them on the receipt holder and added additional chipboard elements and titles. 

After the holidays are done, I can remove each scene and use them on additional projects, such as layouts...or or add them to a blank card and give them to friends and family next year for Christmas.

I hope this puts you into the holiday spirit and in the mood to start decorating!

Thank you for stopping by today!

I Spy With MME- November 2012 Edition

As I finished up my turkey,stuffing,and pie yesterday, I decided it was time for some lazy Internet browsing. And what was I looking for? Inspiring and creative MME projects, of course!

I like to look through blogs, online galleries, and our Facebook page to find pages, cards, and all sorts of projects to pin to Pinterest. Most of these are projects that you've brought to our attention. In other words, you have shared them on our FB wall, linked them to our blog, or emailed them to me.

I never cease to be amazed at the beautiful things I see on a daily basis. And on "I Spy With MME" days I like to share these finds with you. Would you like to be featured? Then share your work!!!

Here is what caught my eye this month...

Jennifer Grace shared this gorgeous Winter Girl Cabochon pendant on her blog, Jennifer's Jumbles. There is also a great tutorial there. I love the inventive way that she used All is Bright...and how darling is this sweet necklace?

This Christmas card by Nina B. Designs brought a huge smile to my face. I adore the non-traditional color scheme, the layering and the stitching. Nina uses an older line, Be Merry, proving that MME products are timeless!

I found this page by Carol Monson on Two Peas in a Bucket. Every single thing about it is just plain cool. Carol uses Indie Chic beautifully. I love the layering, circle theme, and pretty scattering of embellishments.

Gina Rodgers shared this on our FB page. I adore her use of The Sweetest Thing. Especially the way that she incorporated the packaging right into her layout. I could look at this layout forever...so many sweet details.

I am a big fan of Emily Spahn and her classic designs, and this page is no exception. I especially like the way she used our designer tapes to tack these precious photos down. She rocks The Sweetest Thing here and I couldn't love it more.

This card by Evgenia Petzer has a lovely,ethereal quality that caught my eye right away. Follow Your Heart takes center stage here. The hexagon motif is current but Evgenia uses it without it looking trendy. This card is timeless.

I fell in love with this layout by Linda Eggleton the moment I saw it. Linda should place it in a frame, as it's a complete work of art. I adore the layering, beautiful textures, and the lovely combination of patterns and colors. The best part? Linda created a beautiful tribute to "her boys" without using a traditionally male color palette. The colors she's chosen from The Sweetest Thing line are just perfect.

 

That's it for this month. Am I right that MME fans are the most talented crafters out there? I know I'm right. :)

Happy Friday,everyone!

 

 

Please Welcome Ronda Palazzari to the team!

We are over the moon to (finally) tell you all that Ronda Palazzari is joining the MME team. We've known this news for quite some time and we were bursting at the seams to tell you. And now that we can.... we'd like to say that SHE IS AMAZING!

Ronda is a talented artist who makes beautiful,beautiful things. We just know she will bring so much to MME and we couldn't be happier that she is joining the team.

Ronda is an author, mixed media artist, scrapbook designer, and an instructor living in the burbs of Denver.  Her first book Art of Layers with North Light Publishing/F&W Media was released in March 2012. She has published in several magazines and idea books including Artful Blogging, Creating Keepsakes, Memory Makers, Scrapbook Trends, and Somerset Magazines.  She’s best known for combining her mixed-media techniques with scrapbooking, but Ronda is one to follow because you never know if she will be sewing or getting messy with paints; her craft changes day-to-day.  She continues to teach worldwide as well as providing inspiration and telling her dorky stories on her blog HelpMeRonda.

Ronda will be using MME in ways you've never seen before (like in this fantastic layout!) and we love what she does.

 

And...now that we've finally made the big announcement, here is Ronna's first post! So much goodness in one day, can you handle it?

Happy Thanksgiving week everyone! I know that Thanksgiving is traditional a US/Canadian holiday but the beauty of this holiday is that everyone can celebrate and express gratitude.  Being thankful for the big things as well as the small things is important every day.  I have learned so much these past few years about being thankful for the small things since my husband is currently living overseas.  Things like holding his hand, dinner time together, or even the bigger stuff he took care of so I didn’t have to.  Being grateful lets people know how much we love & care for them. 

Supplies: The Sweetest Thing-Tangerine:crocheted doilies,buttons,enamel dots,chipboard elements,label stickesr,tiny word stickers,The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell:decorative tape;Misc:Ranger manila tag,gesso,Maya Road spray inks,twine

This Thank You tag is a fairly simple tag that can adorn any gift for family or friends.  Like all my tags, I start with a color story.  I was really inspired by the Sweetest Things Tangerine line, specifically the Hello buttons. I used gesso and spray ink on the background of the tag in teal, aqua, and yellow and then I cut a piece of decorative tape for the top of the tag adding in more yellow. 

Next I layered the crocheted doily with the wooden button.  I really wanted to add in another color for that pop so I used the tangerine chipboard buttons and tiny word sticker.  The final touch is adding a few enamel dots around the tag along with the “you are the best” sticker. 

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Tangerine:journal card,buttons,stamps,chipboard elements,layered stickers;The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell: enamel dots;Misc:Ranger manila tag,archival ink,gesso,Maya Road spray inks, twine,Doodlebug letter stickers

This next tag could adorn any Thanksgiving gift or any layout documenting this festive holiday.  Again I used gesso and spray ink on the background of the tag, this time working ink yellow, brown, pink, and red.  The brown stamped image on the background adds a cool decorative touch without overpowering the tag. 

Next I layered the journal card onto the background and then added a layered sticker.  More chipboard stickers around the page (both by the layered sticker and over the word happy)  make it stand out more and add dimension to this tag.  I want to use this tag for a Thanksgiving page so I added the stickers to the bottom of the journal card.  I absolutely adore using enamel dots to add that final touch of color. 

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Lavender:"The Best" Impressions patterned paper,chipboard elements,buttons,decorative brads,stamps,stickers;The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell:chipboard elements;Misc:Ranger manila tag,archival ink,gesso,Maya Road spray inks,twine,pop up adhesive

I really love the layers of this thank you tag.  It all started with gesso on a manila tag along with some painted spray ink in yellow, brown, and pink.  Next I layered on some patterned paper to the background of the tag.  These circles from the Impressions patterned paper were perfect.  Next I stamped in black ink the doily images around the page.  Three is always a good number.

Adding similar designs creates harmony on this tag.  I added some chipboard elements to reinforce the circle shapes around the tag.  By layering them, I also added dimension to the tag.  For the flower, I stacked the chipboard element with a wooden button and two more chipboard buttons.  I also added a brad to the center of the doily chipboard piece.  Lastly I used 3-d adhesive behind the sticker to pop it up on the tag. 

I love keeping these kinds of tags in my stash for a nice homemade touch to any gifts or any page.  Thanks for stopping by today.  Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Wow. To say we are in love with Ronda's first assignments would be a massive understatement. We are THRILLED! We hope you'll join us in welcoming Ronda to the team! See you all tomorrow!!

Thanksgiving Inspiration

 

Happy Tuesday everyone! We are so glad you are here today. We have some beautiful layouts to share. Shelly and Tamara have created beautiful Thanksgiving layouts for you.

We love these pages and know you will too. There is so much love in each one and it really shows.

Thankful by Shelly Jaquet

Supplies:Six by Six 2-Gnome Sweet Gnome paper pad;The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell:Remember die cut title;The Sweetest Thing-Lavender:"About Me" Collage patterned paper,"Fabulous" stickers;Lost and Found 3:buttons;Misc:adhesive,twine,Silhouette,pen,vellum,sewing machine and thread

Shelly says:  I absolutely love Thanksgiving. It is a time for "just family". We cook and play all day long...sometimes not even getting out of our pajamas. We go the whole nine yards with food; big turkey,mashed potatoes,gravy, caramelized carrots, and my Mom's calico beans and homemade dinner rolls. Yum! It has always been just the four of us, but a couple of years ago, we invited my husband's parents to join us. It was our very first time cooking such a big meal to share with others. I pulled a page together to document it. 

Nothing says warm,cozy,and family to me like a quilt. I decided to create a quilted background for my page.

The designer 6x6 paper pads work perfectly when you need lots of fun different patterns and colors. Gnome Sweet Gnome was just what I needed for the job. I cut 2"x3" rectangles from various sheets. After laying them them out on my paper, I stitched them down.

I cut my title from my Silhouette and accented it with the "Remember" title card from The Sweetest Thing collection. I finished my page off with a few scattered buttons here and there.

Gathered in Gratitude by Tamara Jensen

Supplies:Lost and Found Halloween: Halloween Cottage patterned paper, Hallows Pumpkins patterned paper, Hallows Music patterned paper, Hallows Rounds patterned paper, journaling circle; Lost and Found 3-Oliver: stickers, metal adornment, brad; Lost and Found 3-Ruby :stickers; All is Bright: rhinestones; Lost and Found 2-Breeze: Train patterned paper; Misc: black thread, ink and pen, orange paper

Tamara says: I love the month of November.  I always think of it as a month of thankfulness and make sure to write down and express gratitude for my blessings daily.

Thanksgiving dinner is also a special time to gather as family and loved ones to give thanks and enjoy a special meal together.  I loved using the Lost and Found Halloween collection for my Thanksgiving layout - it is very versatile.

I printed a title and layered it over the crows sitting on top of the pumpkins. I covered the witch on the journaling circle with a doily sticker. To frame the page, I cut down the glittered border paper and covered the seam with a hand-cut border and a strip of orange paper.

Don't be afraid to mix lines - the doily stickers are from the new Lost and Found 3 collection and give the layout a "homey" feel.  They remind me of Thanksgiving meals at my Grandma's.

Thanks for stopping by, y'all. Have a beautiful and blessed Tuesday!

 

More Holiday Cards with Suzanne

 Happy Monday morning, friends! We hope you had a relaxing and wonderful weekend and that today you are refreshed and ready to be inspired.

Suzanne sent us a couple of holiday cards and we wanted to share them with you. Enjoy!

Christmas Cheer card

Supplies:Winter Wonderland:6x6 paper pad, Flakes patterned paper,chipboard elements,sticker accessory sheet,decorative buttons;All is Bright:gems,twine

For this sweet card, Suzanne simply layered Winter Wonderland patterned papers,chipboard accents,and a button...and topped them with a delicate embossed circle cut from vellum.

If you do not celebrate Christmas, but would love to make a winter card,simply remove the sentiment and the card is purely wintery and just right for your seasonal greetings. :)

 

Be Merry card

Supplies: Winter Wonderland:6x6 paper pad,decorative brads,chipboard elements,sticker accessory sheet;Misc:diamond dust,Studio Calico Mister Huey's in white,embossing folders

Here Suzanne combined embossed cardstock and Winter Wonderland chipboard accents and stickers to make a simply sweet card. Isn't that snowman adorable? She added some diamond dust to him to make him sparkle and the result is just perfect.

A piece of twine ties the whole card together just like a pretty little package.

I hope you found some holiday inspiration and cheer here today. Are you using MME on your holiday cards? If so we'd LOVE to see. Link them up here or share them on our Facebook page.

Thanks for stopping by today!