My Mind's Eye Blog

Mini Albums with Stephanie | April 2014 Edition

Supplies: Record It! -Just Splendid:Journaling Pack. 6x6 Paper Pad; Record It! -Here is Happy:Journaling Pack,Enamel Dots; Now & Then -Mildred :Chipboard

Hello!  Stephanie here with you to share this month's mini album!  

My husband and I recently celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary with an overnight getaway.  It was so nice spending some time together and I of course had to document this occasion.  As I was looking through all of the amazing My Mind's Eye collections, the overlays from the Record It! "Here is Happy" Journaling pack popped right out at me and I knew they would be fabulous in a mini album.  I didn't have too many photos from our little trip, so the overlays added a nice visual effect to my book.  Putting this book together is super fast and easy since there is very little trimming or cutting involved!

Let's get started!



1. Start by gathering your supplies.

I am using the overlays from the Record It! "Here is Happy" collection, as well as some journaling cards and 6x6 paper pad from the Record It! "Just Splendid" collection.  I love how versatile the MME products are!  You will also need a hole punch, two pieces of 4x6 chipboard and two book rings.


I printed off five photos from our trip and then paired them with 5 overlays and 5 journaling cards.  I wanted to keep consistency throughout my album, so each spread will be:  journaling card - overlay - photo.  I also grabbed an extra overlay to use as a cover/title for my mini album.  


2. Add your title onto an overlay.

I chose to use the chevron overlay as my cover page and adhered my title "seven" and a wood veneer onto the front.


3. Adhere a 4x6 piece of patterned paper to each piece of your trimmed chipboard.

These two covered pieces will be the front and back of your book.  I trimmed a piece of patterned paper from the "Just Splendid" paper pad to 4x6 for my cover page and used a 4x6 journaling card as my end page.  

Tip |  Save the chipboard that comes in paper packages just for book binding and covers.  The chipboard adds some stability and thickness to the book.**



4. Add your journaling and embellishments and adhere your pages back to back in the journaling - overlay - photo order.


5. Punch holes in your photos, overlays and journaling cards.

Now that your pages are adhered together (with the overlay between the journaling card and photos), you will want to punch two holes on the left hand side of your book.  Be sure each adhered page and overlay is facing in the correct direction to make sure you don't add your hole to the wrong side.

Tip |  To get your holes perfectly centered, grab two 4x6 cards and punch a hole on one side.  Then flip your top card over and punch the second hole, using the first hole as your guide.  This will guarantee your holes will be equal distance from the edges.  See photo above for a better visual.

6. Add your book rings and you are all finished!!

Here's a look at my finished book...


I love the transparent effect of the overlays.  They add so much interest to the photos!!

Thanks so much for joining me today!!  I hope I have inspired you to create a mini album using these awesome overlays!!  Let me know if you have any questions!  Can't wait to see what you create!

Balboa Park

Last November, our family went on vacation to beautiful sunny southern California.  One of our favorite places to visit is the beautiful Balboa Park in San Diego.  We LOVE strolling around the 100 year old park and gazing at the incredible and intricate Spanish-Renaissance architecture.  

 

Supplies: Now & Then - Mildred: World patterned paper, Framed patterned paper, chipboard sticker; Now and Then - Milo: Shimmer patterned paper; Follow Your Heart -Record It: 8x10 Word Art print; Pretty Things-Record It: 6x6 paper pad; Lost and Found-Record It "Antique": journal cards, decorative brads, decorative tape, word stickers; Misc: Black ink and pen, pop dots.

 

For the "Old World" look, I used a combination of the new "Now and Then" collection and the "Lost and Found - Record It" Antique line. They worked perfectly together and echoed the details of my photographs.

 

 I used a large piece of the "World" map paper for the foundation of my page. Next, I place a kraft colored 8x10 word art print over it, then layered two 6x6 papers from the "Pretty Things" Record It collection.

 

 

I layered three of the "Lost and Found - Record It" 3x4 journal cards along the left side of the page. I hand cut the elegant gold frame from paper and layered it with a chipboard frame. 

 

I placed  the delicate decorative tape along the bottom edge and inserted a large brad. I used letter stickers for the title and finished off the page with a chipboard phrase and a "record the journey and the destination" sticker and decorative brad.

 

Funny Story - I went to sew this layout and couldn't find my sewing machine cord anywhere!  Why would it disappear from my scraproom?!?!  I tore my scraproom apart and looked in the garage and all the bedrooms for hours.  I finally found it in my 15 yea old's room with all his electronic cords.  He had misplaced his PS3 cord a few weeks ago and took my sewing machine cord - thinking it was a match.  Good thing I am a great detective. :)

 

Tamara

All About Me

Hi everyone Laurel here again. This year I decided that I need to include more photos of me in my scrapbooks. 

 

Supplies:Now and Then -Mildred:Shine patterned paper,Library patterned paper,Garden patterned paper, Yarrow patterned paper, sticky notes, enamel dots, chipboard, alpha/word stickers, accent stickers

 

I was always waiting until ‘I lost some weight...my hair grew out..’ and so on. Being in my 40s has made me realize that it is ok to be imperfect and in fact, I am pretty ok with being imperfect.

 

I used the Now and Then Mildred collection.  I love to cluster and layer bits and pieces and just play around until I am happy with how they look.

 

I also like to include some die cutting and I love cutting titles using my Silhouette.  In this case I stitched some of the letters of the title for some added texture.  I have also added some stamping here and there to carry out the theme.

 

 

The little sticky notes in the collection are so fun and I love that there are so many of them in a package.

 

How about you?  Are you including yourself in you scrapbooks? 

 

Clean + Simple Cards

Hey everyone!!  Lea here today with some very clean & simple cards to share with you today.  I feel like more often than not, I need a large padded envelope to send my cards in because of all the layers & dimension I add to them.  And that is perfectly okay...I decorate gift bags & packages with them when I'm giving presents to my family & friends. 

 

But sometimes it is just nice to be able to tuck a card into a regular envelope, throw a stamp on it & send it to a loved one.

 

Supplies: My Mind's Eye Record It! "Here is Happy"- Cardstock and Overlay Journaling Cards, Enamel Dots.

When I saw these 4x6 journal cards from the Record It! "Here is Happy" collection, I fell in love with the sentiment of them!!  They are sweet & encouraging & really can stand alone....which is one of the things that makes them perfect for Project Life & scrapbooking. 

As a card maker, I REALLY wanted to find a way to use them as well, but their size posed a bit of a challenge.  I didn't want to cover them up or cut them down much...so I decided to make the cards the main focal point of each card, and go with a really clean design.

I trimmed each 4x6 card down so they would fit on a standard A2 sized card, then rounded the corners as needed.  After adhering each journal card to the card fronts, I added some matching enamel dots as accents.  This gave each card a little bit of  added dimension & a pop of shine.  I then tied double bows from ivory colored twine from my stash & attached them to each card front...and that is it!! 

These are very quick & easy to make, but still look fabulous!!

I don't know about you, but I sometimes need the reminder that simplicity is a good thing...and these beautiful journal cards really helped me remember that!  Thanks for checking out my cards today...I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Lea

Card Trio

Hi everybody! Tonya here with you today. I've been itching to use some of the mini collections that I haven't been able to put to use yet. So I pulled out some of the product that I have been ogling and went to work making a trio of cards.

First up is a bright and happy card. This one is created with the Record It: Follow Your Heart Collection…

 

Supplies: Record It-Follow Your Heart: Decorative Tape, Cardstock and Overlay Journaling Cards Find Your Wings and Fly-Sky's the Limit: Decorative Buttons, Alpha/Word Stickers, 12x12 decorative Chipboard

 

 

I started first with the decorative tape and applied it in diagonal strips to the front of my card. The I placed the overlay over the 3x4 card and then embellished around the circle opening of the overlay.

 

For this second card I used Record It: Charmed…

 

Supplies: Record It-Pretty Things: Decorative Tapes, Enamel Dots, Journaling Kit Now and Then- Mildred: Decorative Enamel Shapes Now and Then-Milo: Decorative Buttons

 

I die cut the 'Love' with a Papertrey Ink die from one of the 4x6 journaling pages. The kraft base with the heart cut outs is one of the die cut pages in the journaling pack.

 

The top of the card is done with strips of the decorative tapes, a strip of glitter and some stitching.

 

 

Lastly, for the third card I used Now and Then: Milo.

 

Supplies: Now and Then-Milo: Decorative Tapes, 6x6 Decorative Paper Pad, Decorative Buttons, Decorative Brads, Enamel Dots

 

 

 

For this one I used strips of Decorative Tape along the top again, however this time I placed them at an angle and stitched through the middle of them. 

 

These cards are all so different looking from one another. That's one of the great things about My Mind's Eye...their variety, you can create so many different looks with their products!

 

Tonya

Using Record It! Journal Cards on Standard 12x12 Layouts

Hello! Valerie here with you today. I’m sharing a couple layouts that feature the Record It! journal cards on standard 12 x 12 layouts. These journal cards are ideal for pocket scrapbooking; although, if weekly/daily documenting with pockets just isn’t your thing (like me) there are still ways to incorporate them into your scrapbooking.

 

Supplies: My Mind’s Eye Record It! Pretty Things journaling cards, decorative tape, and enamel dots. Now & Then Dorothy “Wild & Free” Spirited paper, Mildred “Girls” Decorative Brads, Mildred “Oh Happy Day” chipboard stickers & decorative buttons, and Mildred “Today” accent stickers. Lost & Found Record It! “Heirloom” pockets. Record It! Just Splendid wood dots. Other: shipping tag, roller stamps, lace trim, baker’s twine, and Thickers.

 

At least once a year, I try to make a layout about myself. It’s something I should do more, but something I find difficult when I’m always behind the camera. Although, I love the camera feature on my iPhone and how I can flip it around from the back to the front camera.

 

It has definitely helped me get in more photos. Here in this first layout I mixed some 3 x 4 cards from Record It! "Pretty Things" with Now & Then “Mildred.” They coordinate so well together. I love the hip, shabby chic look of “Pretty Things" with it’s brush script and woodgrain. The gold accents from “Mildred” look so pretty mixed in with the pinks and neutrals.

 

 

This cluster of elements in the upper left corner helps balance out the larger grid below. You can’t go wrong with a straight line of small banners, brads, and dots!  The chipboard frame is from Now & Then “Mildred.” Don’t those tiny enamel dots make fun bullets for the list?!

 

 

 

 

Supplies: My Mind’s Eye Record It! "Just Splendid" cardstock & wood veneer journaling cards and wood dots. Other: Silhouette Cameo (font: Allura), typewriter, mist, cardstock.

 

Here’s a SUPER simple layout using a minimal number of products. I stacked two 4x6 journaling cards behind my photos for a unique photo mat. The “Just Splendid” line has lots of fun confetti colored dots incorporated into many of the journal cards, so I mimicked that effect with multiple colors of mist splattered around the page. Add a die cut title and fun wood veneer card and I’m just about done!

 

 

My Mind’s Eye journaling sets are so much fun! Not only have I been using them on layouts like above, but I even made a mini album recently with the 3 x 4 cards. How are you using the Record It! journaling sets? We would love to see how you are incorporating them into your paper projects.

 

 

Turks & Caicos

Hi My Mind's Eye fans! Tonya here today to share a new layout with you. Over Spring Break we were fortunate to get to spend 10 glorious days in Turks & Caicos. I could hardly wait to scrap some of the photos. The Now and Then-Izzy was just the perfect match with all of the blues, aquas and greens.

Supplies: Now and Then-Izzy: "Boys" Smart paper, 12x12 "Dream Big" Chipboard, "Dream Big" Buttons, "Dream Big" Alpha/Tiny Words, "Boys" Brads, 'Happenings" Enamel dots, "Smile" Enamel Shapes, 6x6 Decorative Paper Pad

I started this layout by designing the wave on my Silhouette Cameo and then backed the opening using different papers with varying hues of blue. Then stitched around it all. I inked around the sun to make the edges stand out a bit more since I was using two vivid patterned papers next to each other.

I'm telling you all the water was really that blue..the most stunning color of turquoise, as far as the eye could see!

 

 

Finished it all off with some layering of chipboard flowers and some scattered sequins (that is an enamel dot in the flower center). I really do so appreciate it when someone comes along and offers to take a family photo for us (otherwise I wouldn't exist in any), but why must they always chop off our feet??? :)

 

Thanks for taking a peek today!

 

Tonya

Product Spotlight | Now and Then Journal Cards

Hi everyone Laurel here.  I have a fun layout for you today.  I am not doing a Pocket page album this year but I do like the look of those type of pages so I incorporated a few of the Now & Then Dorothy Journal Cards onto this fun page. 

 

Supplies:Now & Then Dorothy:  Wild & Free Spirited; Lovely Day Play;  Lovely Day Party; Pretty Blossom; The Best Happiness; The Best 3 X 4 pack; Pretty Label Stickers; Pretty Brads; Wild & Free Enamel Dots

 

The colors and fun patterns in the Now & Then Dorothy collection were perfect for scrapping this photo of my daughter and her best friend. 

 

 

I used my Silhouette to cut out the title as well as the speech bubble and the word sixteen. 

 

 

What I love about this type of layout is that you could use a 6 X 6 pad and the little bits and pieces behind the panels are scraps that I have saved from previous projects.  I love the dimension when tucking in bits and pieces here and there and it is a great way to use up your scraps!

 

Laurel

Collection Spotlight | Now and Then

Today we have a treat for y'all. Some beautiful, beautiful Now and Then layouts from the fabulous and talented Jana Eubank.

Below each layout we've listed the supplies and a link to Jana's blog (where you can find out more about each project).

Enjoy!

SUPPLIES My Mind’s Eye Now & Then Dorothy Collection: Charmed paper, Blossom paper, Happiness paper, Spirited paper, 6×6 paper pad, “Wild & Free” Mixed Bag, Enamel Shapes, Decorative Brads, Stickers, 12 x 12 Chipboard, 3×4 pack

For more information check out Jana's blog HERE!

My Mind’s Eye Now & Then Izzy Collection: Smart paper, Dapper paper, Regard paper, Flair Pins, Enamel Shapes, Mixed Bag, 3×4 pack, Decorative Brads, Label Stickers, Buttons, 12×12 Chipboard

For more information check out Jana's blog HERE!

 

 

My Mind’s Eye Now & Then Mildred Collection: World paper, Shine paper, Framed paper, 6×6 paper pad, 12×12 chipboard, Enamel Shapes, Decorative Brads, Mixed Bag, Alpha/Tiny Word Stickers

For more information check out Jana's blog HERE!

 

Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful work, Jana. We miss you!!!

Mixed Media with Karen | April 2014

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to another Mixed Media with Karen. This month, I wanted to  do something simple and fun.

I love all the papers in the new Now and Then line but I especially love the ones that have maps on them. For this month's page, I decided to start with the Journey paper from the Izzy line. I loved the subtle, faded colors on this page.

The first thing I did was to glue it on to my journal. Then, using the decorative tapes, I spelled out "never ever give up". (I clearly should have used a different color tape since it  would have shown up better in photographs. but it's not important what color you use for your project since we will eventually remove them.)


Here's a side view too. To do this right, I measured my page and then divided in 4, leaving a quarter inch for margins. I then measured the page horizontally and picked my longest word ("never", in my case) and
decided how wide each letter could be to fit properly. I drew lines in pencil to use as guides before writing the letters with tape.


I then wasn't sure what colors to use, so I tried a bunch of them on a scrap piece of the same paper:


I decided I liked the light blue on the top left the best and would use the other colors too but more sparingly. When I do art, I keep chanting "don't overthink" in my head the whole time. I try to remember to just let it all be. If it's not the way I like it, I keep going until it looks better to me. Here's where I ended up:



and a side view:


I then, slowly, started to peel the decorative tape off.


It's not hard at all but if you go too fast, you can rip off the bottom paper, too, so go slowly. Once all of the tape was off, I ended up with this:


As a side note, I saved the tape I removed too because it has a lot of beautiful color and could be used on a different project.


I couldn't decide if I was done or if I wanted the letters to stand out more. I thought about it for a while. I fretted about ruining it if it didn't end up looking the way I wanted. And then I remembered that this is my journal. The goal is to have fun and experiment and try new things. So I stopped worrying and decided to try. I painted the edges of the letters with black and smudged a bit. I also inked up the edges of the page. I ended up with this:



and here's a side -view:

I am not sure if I like this one or the one without the black but I am glad I tried. I feel like the former has a softer look while this one is more striking. As always, art is a matter of taste and the first might please some while the latter will please others.

So the lesson is to never be afraid to "ruin" your art. Always choose to experiment and try any idea that comes to you. You never know where it might lead.

Thanks for letting me share my page and if you would like to try this tape technique, I'd love to see your pages.