My Mind's Eye Blog

Sketch Week!

Hello everyone!  We have a fantastic week planned for you, all revolved around our November Sketch!  We hope you will walk away looking at sketches in a whole new way!

On our past sketches we've noticed some great questions. Questions about how to involve more photos, questions about how to tweak the sketches...and that's what this week is all about.

Let us show you how to make a sketch your own. Not sure what to do because our sketch only has one photo and you are a multiphoto scrapper? Then this series is for you. Do you freeze and use the sketch exactly because you can't figure out how to make the sketch more "you"? Then this series is for you!

Today we will take the straighforward/ literal approach to the sketch.

November's sketch is full of pictures and little bits that all come together through a cohesive grid like design.  Swap out the smaller focal photo for a 4x6 with lots of smaller photos surrounding it.  Take the sketch and make it your own.

Supplies:  Cut & Paste: Charm - Sweet: 'Treat' paper;  Charm -Bliss: 'Delight' Paper; Charm-Smile: 'Shine Paper,' Decorative Brads, Enamel Dots; Charm-Hey You: 'Trend' Paper; Charm- Carefree: 'Relaxed' Paper, Chipboard Stickers; Flair - Small 'Charms' Paper; Flair- Snapshots: Stamps, Decorative Buttons; Flair-Wow: Label Stickers;  Chalk Studio- 'Happy Day' Paper,' Decorative Tape: Pink & Charcoal; Misc: Maya Road Mists, NeocolorII crayons, Ranger Ink Archival Ink

I used the sketch to capture an unexpected trip to Munich, Germany.  This sketch allowed me to use lots of photos I took on our journey.  On my layout, I used a lovely polka dot patterned paper from Chalk Studio as my background.  I covered it with a light gesso wash and let it dry.  I then added bits of color on the background using, paints, spray inks, and some watercolor crayons.  I then stamped some images around the page.

After adding my photos to the page, I pulled out my scraps and trimmed them down to rectangle strips & squares.  On some of the spots I used the decorative pennants, enamel dots, or even washi tape instead of scraps of paper.  I love those unexpected elements.

you can also stack strips of patterned paper to create a layered look.  I journaled around the page starting at the top working my way down to the bottom right corner.  The black elements around the page tie it all together. 

 

I asked Missy to join me today to show you how to use this sketch in a straightforward way. This is a great example if you are looking for an easy layout idea. Just follow the sketch to a T!

Supplies: Cut & Paste Flair:  “Small” Point Paper, 6x6 paper pad, Label Stickers, “Small” Enamel Shapes, “Snapshots” Decorative Buttons, “Sweet” Enamel Dots, “Small” Decorative Brads.  Cupid’s Arrow: No.14 “Chevron” Paper, “Cupid’s Arrow” Paper, “Alpha Love” Paper, 6x6 paper pad, Chipboard Hearts, Sticker Accessory Sheet, Decorative Tapes.  Find Your Wings & Fly Up & Away:decorative stamps, Alpha & Word Stickers.  Pop dots, Stampabilities ink, cord, black pen

Missy says: I took a very literal approach and didn’t stray much at all from the sketch.  I love all the squares and rectangles in this one…it gives you lots of opportunities to use lots of patterned papers or embellishments all around small photos.  I began with the “Small” Point paper from the Cut & Paste Flair collection because it coordinated well with my photos.  Then I picked out several papers and embellishments from the new Cupid’s Arrow collection. 

For some of the rectangular shapes, I decided to use one of the frame papers from the Cut & Paste “Flair” 6x6 paper pad.  They’re perfect and just the right size, and I also wanted to add some black into my page, so these fit the bill.  I also added a few of the cute quotation mark enamel shapes.  Those can add a little pizzazz to any project!

I hope this sketch inspires you to break out those patterned papers and cut them up!  Sometimes it’s fun to use small pieces for a layout and create a mosaic type look rather than always use big pieces and create layers.  I’m a HUGE fan of layering, and this sketch took me out of my comfort zone and made me try a technique I’m not used to.  I really love how it turned out.  And remember, you can always just use the sketch as a starting point and go from there.  Sometimes it’s fun to use the sketch “as is,” while another sketch you may only use a piece of it for inspiration.

Missy

 

Thanks Missy!

Now it's up to you guys to decide how you'd like to use this sketch. We will be sharing variations on it all week long but we are also challenging YOU to join in our November sketch challenge.

A random winner will be chosen and shared with our next challenge on December 2nd . You have until the end of the day on Sunday, December 1 to share your project.

Please link your sketch via the InLinkz tool at the bottom of this post. Your layout must feature MME products. Only one entry per participant, please. The prize is any MME collection.

 

Decorative Tapes with Missy

Hey there, everyone!  It’s Missy here with you today.  I was so excited to be asked to work with MME’s decorative tapes for this assignment.  I just love combining them with paint and stamps to create a fun and unique background.

For this layout, I decided to scrap a few photos from a spring photo shoot I had with my youngest daughter a few years ago.  I put her in a sundress hoping for some cute girly photos.  What I wound up with was a lot of pictures of her with her legs in the air, flashing everyone her bloomers!  Lesson learned…Paige isn’t the dress-wearing type…haha!  The pictures turned out so cute, and they really show her feisty yet adorable personality.

I used the Cut & Paste Charm collection for this page.  I liked that the colors aren’t really girly, yet you can still use them for a feminine page.  I started with the Charm “Sweet” Spin Paper and added lots of watered down acrylic paints.  Then, I began adding lots of tapes.  I used the tapes from the Charm collection as well as some from the Adorbs and Presh lines and some from the stand-alone tape sets. 

Supplies:Cut & Paste Charm “Sweet” Spin Paper, Cut & Paste Presh Tape, Cut & Paste Charm Tape, Cut & Paste Adorbs Tape, Decorative Tape Sets Blue & Yellow, Emerald & Blue, Charm “Sweet” Treat Paper, Charm “Carefree” Chipboard Stickers, Charm “Sweet” 4x6 Journal Card, Charm “Carefree” 4x6 Journal Card, Charm “Hey You” Decorative Stamps, Collectable Stamps, Find Your Wings & Fly – Up & Away Decorative Stamps, Cut & Paste Flair “Snapshots” Decorative Stamps, Cut & Paste Charm “Smile” Enamel Dots, Charm “Smile” Decorative Brads, Charm “Sweet” Bits & Pieces, Charm “Carefree” Label Stickers, Charm “Sweet” Tiny Word Stickers.  Misc—Acrylic Paints, October Afternoon Mini Market Letter Stickers, Making Memories Letter Stickers. 

I love this woodgrain stamp.  I started adding in different MME stamps all over the place to add interest and give the look of dimension.  I also enjoy using hemp cord on my layouts.  

Layering washi tape together is a great way to add pops of color, patterns or designs to your pages.  I love how well these coordinate together.  Here you can see an arrow stamp and an enamel dot. 

Another angle on the paint and stamps.  One of my favorite things about combining tape, paint and stamps is that you can’t really mess things up.  It’s supposed to be messy and random, so even if you make a mistake, you can fix it easily.

Tapes can also be a good background for your title.  If your background is busy, use some tape behind your stickers to break it up and make it stand out.  Don’t you just love this striped tape?  It’s so bold and bright…one of my favorites, for sure! 

Another tip about creating a background like this is that it’s great if you don’t have a lot of patterned papers left.  The only patterned paper I used was the background.  The rest of the layout is bits and pieces from the collection.  I used the Journal Cards, Bits & Pieces, Label Stickers…you’d be surprised what you can make without patterned paper.

I hope this inspires you to pull out your tapes and try something fun and challenging!

 

 Have a great day!  

Mini Canvas by Valerie

Happy Tuesday! Valerie here today with a bright, colorful canvas to share with you using the Cut & Paste Collection. I really enjoy creating art for the walls in our home and being able to switch items out as the seasons change. It's kind of just a coincidence that this came together at the start of a new school year.

 

To begin, I started with an 8 x 8 inch canvas and searched through the embellishments and sticker sheets to find what I wanted to say. I picked up the Cut & Paste "Presh" Decorative Tape tube and pulled out three of the four rolls (the woodgrain was left out due to it's width being wider than the others). I then took a look at all the other tape and started picking out more rolls that I felt coordinated well with the color scheme that was forming. Matte gel medium is my preferred "glue" for projects like this on canvas. I applied a thin layer with a paintbrush (one row at a time), and row by row I alternated tape pattern and length. Once the whole canvas was covered, I added a layer of matte gel medium over the entire canvas to ensure the tape will stay in place.

As i'm working, and the canvas is evolving, I take into consideration the elements and principles of design. I was able to use repetition and a variation in size with some of the words for some added interest and emphasis. I adore those layered stickers from the collection that add some dimension to something that is otherwise rather flat.

I continued to use matte gel medium as my glue for this entire project—even under the stickers that already had adhesive. Last step was to add a few enamel dots. A project just doesn't feel complete without them these days.

And there you go—easy, right? If you have never created a canvas, I hope I inspired you to try one soon! 

September Sketch Challenge

Hello everyone.  It's Ronda here today bringing you the September Sketch Challenge.  We are going for the top on this month's sketch, the top of the page that is.  I love this sketch for it gives you ample opportunity to use your stash of My Mind's Eye patterned paper along with some fun decorative tape.  By placing the photo and embellishments down the left side, we keep the layout balanced.  The title & subtitles stretche across the page echoing the strips of patterned paper & decorative tapes.  Remember the photo can be multiple photos in a strip down that left side. 

Supplies:  Cut & Paste: Charm   - Sweet: 'Spin' Paper, 'Treat' Paper, Bits & Pieces Stickers;  Charm-Smile: Decorative Brads, Enamel Dots; Charm-Hey You: 'Trends' Paper; Charm- Carefree: 'Relaxed' Paper, Chipboard Sticker, Label Stickers; Charm- Decorative Tape; Decorative Tape: Mint & Grey; Misc: Maya Road Mists, Black Pen, Jillibean Soup Alphabeans.

Every time I visit my husband in Doha, I have to step out on the balcony and take in the view.  I just love taking my tea & breakfast out there to look at the downtown buildings and soak in city life.  On my layout I wanted the one photo as my focal point.  I split the top with patterned paper and decorative tape.  The torn edge gives added texture to the layout. 

I sprinkled mists on the background and let some of the yellow mist drip down the page.  I love layering the chipboard hearts, brad tags, and an arrow sticker around the photo.  The vellum clouds added the perfect touch to my photos.

I created a faux stitching along the patterned paper using a black pen.  The enamel dots add in pops of color all around the photo.  I snuggled the title & journaling right up against the photo. 

Supplies:  Cut & Paste: Charm   - Sweet: 'Spin' Paper; Charm-Hey You: 'Trends' Paper; Charm- Carefree: 'Relaxed' Paper, Charm- Decorative Tape; Flair - Snapshots: Decorative Stamps; Misc: Ranger Ink Archival Ink, Ranger Ink Distress Ink, Jillibean Soup Alphabeans.

The great thing about sketches is that they can be used for a multitude of projects including cards.  I used the same sketch and leftover paper to create this simply cute card.  The layers of patterned paper and decorative tape look great at the top with the stamped frame acting as the focal point. 

Now it's your turn to take on the sketch! 

A random winner will be chosen and shared with our next challenge on October 1st . You have until the end of the day on Monday, September 30 to share your project.

Please link your sketch via the InLinkz tool at the bottom of this post. Your layout must feature MME products. Only one entry per participant, please. The prize is any MME collection.

 

Cut & Paste Tags

Hi Everyone, it's Ronda here today with you to share some easy tags using the Cut & Paste lines.  I love the versatility of tags. With the school year kicking off, tags are great to have to have in your stash when you need a little something for a gift. 

Supplies:  Cut & Paste: Adorbs  - Special: ''Unique' Paper; Adorbs-Story: Bits & Pieces Layered Stickers;  Adorbs-Be: Chipboard Stickers; Adorbs- Decorative Tape; Phresh-Good Times: 'Decorative Stamps;  Misc: Ranger Archival Ink, Maya Road Twine, Black Acrylic Paint, Gesso,

I knew the Adorbs Special Unique Paper had to be my background for one of my tags.  I just completely adore it but wanted it tone down just a touch so my chipboard pieces would stand out.  I used some waterdown gesso to create a light wash over this beautiful paper. 

Next i added the "B" side of the paper as a topper to my tag along with some decorative tape,  I then added some small black paint splatters and stamped the Phresh Good Times images on the background.  I love that pop of black sitting in the background. 

After getting the background just right, I added in the chipboard saying, tucking in the speech bubble tale into the layered sticker.  I love how these two statements naturally go together.  To finish this card, I simply tied soem black twine to the top bringing the black all around the tag. 

Supplies:  Cut & Paste: Adorbs  - Special: Sticker Sheet; Adorbs-Story: Bits & Pieces Layered Stickers;  Adorbs - Hello: Enamel Dots; Adorbs - Loved: Decorative Buttons; Adorbs-Be: Chipboard Stickers; Misc: Ranger Colorwash Spray Ink, Dylusions Spray Ink; TCW Stencil, Modeling Paste, Maya Road Twine, Acrylic Paint

This UR2 Cute Tag began with some modeling paste and a stencil on a manilla tag.  Using the Cut & Paste Adorbs line as inspiration, I colored in the background with blues, yellows, and greens.  I left some spots open with no color letting the manila peek through the background.

Next I layered on the pink pennant sticker and the UR2 Cute layered sticker in the center of the tag.  To give the tag more punches of color I scattered the enamel dots in the background.  I also added some chipboard flowers that are similar in color to the main sticker.  I added that extra green button to the sticker drawing your eye to the phrase. 

I keep all my tags in a little basket ready to add to a girft.  I usually write my sentiments on the back of the tag and use the twine to tie it to the gift.  How do you store your tags?

Anatomy of a Double Page Layout - August's 4x6 Photo Love

Hello everyone and HAPPY MONDAY! This is Shelly back with another behind the scenes look at the makings of a double page layout.

This month I am going with a 4x6 photo theme! As with probably a lot of you, I enjoy being part of different online communities across the web. I have read several times in different places people searching for inspiration using only 4x6 photos. They love to keep things real and simple by ordering all their pictures in stacks of the traditional 4x6 size. I usually plan out my pages prior to ordering so that I can size my pictures accordingly, but I thought I would take on the challenge today to create a page using only 4x6 photos.

Supplies: Kate & Co.-Oxford Lane: From Me, Tartan, Triples, and Polka patterned papers; Chipboard Elements; Sticker Accessory Sheet; Enamel Dot; Decorative Tapes; Kate &Co.-Cambridge Court: Sticker Accessory Sheet; Boy Crazy: Tags pattern paper, 6x6 paper pad; Misc: Silhouette, photo corners, string, Zig photo pen, Bazzill cardstock

I picked out a small handful of pictures taken over the Fourth of July week last year. I printed them all 4x6 without doing any page planning ahead of time. Awe, I have to admit. It was pretty darn nice just to send these off to the printer without putting any thought into it.

Like I do with just about all my pages, I laid out two sheets of white cardstock to plan my attack. Within no time, I had my pictures placed just where I liked them. I was able to fit 7 of the 8 photos I had printed on my layout. Nice.

I really loved the bold colors of the blues and yellows from the Kate and Co-Oxford Lane Collection. I pulled out a few of the papers and realized that I really needed a pop of red too. The Boy Crazy Collection had just what I needed to complement the Oxford Lane papers.

I decided to do different vertical strips on the left side of the page. I knew the navy chipboard border from the Chipboard Elements would be perfect for this page. So, how do you get a 12-inch border to work for a double page layout? You cut it. I do this a lot. I usually just zip it in my trimmer while the border is still on the packing sheet, but this time the backing kept slipping. I pulled out my trusty scissors to cut away following the inner circles as a guide.

Once my paper strips and border were in place, I was able to work on the title. I cut the “Summer” title from my Silhouette. After having the full title in place, I realized that the “vacation” didn’t have enough pop. To fix that I already had the Boy Crazy Collection on the floor next to me, I layered a 6x6 sheet of the grey stars underneath my title. That solved the problem!

I mimicked that same look on the right side of the page, adding in my journaling. By total chance, the journaling matched up perfectly with the lines from the B-side of the Polka patterned paper. I had my journaling printed out on a white sheet of cardstock. The paper was sitting right next to me, so I lined it up out of shear curiosity. Boom! Perfect match. If you are curious to what my settings were for my journaling, it was Bohemian Typewriter font (downloaded from the internet) with a font size of 10.5 and single line spacing. Don’t you just love it when the stars line up for you?

My final step was to have fun embellishing! I filled the open space on the left side of the layout with that bold yellow doily flower from the Kate & Co.-Cambridge Court Sticker Accessory Sheet. It may have taken me some time to pop out those little holes, but so worth it once it was in its home. I finished it off with a chipboard button and some decorative tape across the picture.

Once I do something to one side, I like to do the same to the other. So, more decorative tape, buttons, and enamel dots were in order.

I know not everyone likes to do double pages like I do, so I thought I would show you this trick again.

......

Do you see it? This layout has three times the inspiration! Each side will totally work for all you single page loving, 4x6 photo printing scrappers out there too.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! Hopefully, I have inspired you to pull out those pretty papers and scrap a double page layout (or maybe even a single or two!). If not, is there something else you are looking for when it comes to doublers? I would love to hear your comments, concerns, and challenges when it comes to a double page layout!

Cut & Paste Charm with Tonya

Hi everybody! Tonya here today to share with you a layout using the new Cut & Paste-Charm.

About four years ago my husband and my father in law headed out in the motor home to go back to North Dakota for a visit to the family farm. They took my two oldest boys with them. This little expedition has become a yearly ritual and now that my third son is old enough he has also gets to go with them. That leaves my daughter and I at home...ALONE...for about 10 days (not a bad thing if you ask me!). It's a great time for them, they fish, they work the farm, they pheasant hunt...male bonding at it's finest!

Every year I beg my husband to get a few photos and this year he finally pulled through for me!

Supplies: Cut & Paste-Charm: Smile "Twinkle" Paper, Bliss "Delight" Paper, Bliss 5x7 Sticker Sheet, Enamel Shapes, Enamel Dots, Decorative Brads, Sweet Tiny Word Stickers, Hey You Decorative Buttons.

As you can see I took the arrow stickers and popped them up with some foam tape and then decorated the edges of that awesome cloud paper with the buttoms and enamel dots.

I also thought I would share with you a card that I made using the decorative tapes from this same line. I absolutley adore the tape set for this collection and am really happy with the way this card turned out!

Supplies: Cut & Paste-Charm: Decorative Tapes, Enamel Dots, 6x6 Paper Pad

Thank you for stopping by the blog today! I'm off to celebrate my 20th wedding anniversary!!!!

Tonya

New Collection Reveal - Happy Haunting + Mistletoe Magic + Decorative Tapes

 

 

TGIF, MME fans!

Welcome to the very last day of our new product reveals. We are sad to have to end this week...it has been so much fun for us and we've LOVED seeing your enthusiastic response!

Now remember, there are five total posts this week revealing new product. And there are chances to win in each one of them. Make sure that you visit each post and comment on each one in order to increase your odds of winning!

On to today's business. We have three reveals today! That's right...this post is jam packed with goodness.

 

Up first is Happy Haunting by Janet Hopkins. Happy Haunting is a spooky vintage modern line that has touches of glitter here and there.

In this collection you will find skulls, bats, and birds coupled with classic motifs like dots, zig zags and stripes.

Look closely because there is something new in this line...8x10 ready to frame decor pieces! We think this line will help you scrap those Halloween memories and decorate your home for October 31!

Happy Haunting is comprised of nine 12x12 double-sided patterned papers (some are glittered):

 

a 6x6 paper pad:

chipboard elements:

stickers:

8x10 ready-to-frame decor pieces:

decorative brads:
stamps:

layered stickers:

and a paper kit:

 Danni Reid

Danni Reid

 

Next up is Mistletoe Magic.

This traditional and sweet holiday line just makes us smile. It's made up of greens, reds, and blues and plenty of magic.

Snowflakes, Santas, trees, and sleigs are paired with music notes, stripes, and dots. This line will help you document your holiday season.

Mistletoe Magic contains nine double-sided 12x12 patterned papers:

a 6x6 pad:

a paper kit:
decorative buttons:

chipboard elements:

stamps:

stickers:
decorative tape:
layered stickers:

and enamel dots:






Danni Reid

Danni Reid

Danni Reid

Danni Reid

Danni Reid

 And last (but certainly not least)...our newest decorative tape sets!

Each set contains seven rolls of decorative tape in fresh new color combinations:

     

Whew!!! That was a LOT to share! So what do you think? Are any of these three collections catching your eye? If so, let us know. Leave a comment here to win the entire collection of your choice!

Winners will be drawn Friday, July 19.

See you all Monday with our July guest designer!

 

Fourth of July Cards with Danni

Good morning, Danni here with you to share a couple of cards to celebrate the Fourth of July.  I created three different cards using similar supplies from the MME Kate & Co. Oxford line and Collectable line with some washi tape, punches and my Cameo.  I used the Red and Black Decorative tapes to create my red and white stripes for the cards and love how fun this tape is.

  On my first card, Stars, i created a banner strip using the red stripe designer tape on some heavy vellum.  The banner strip paired with the Collectable "Remarkable" was easy to layer with the fun buttons, brads and enamel dots in the Kate & Co. Oxford line and bring the mid-western feel to the holiday.

Supplies: Collectable-Remarkable:Authentic patterned paper;Kate & Co-Oxford Lane:Triples patterned paper,Designer brads, Enamel Dots;Red & Black decorative tape;Misc:  Cameo cuts (heart, stars and sentiment), Tim Holtz Mini attacher, machine stitching, Bazzill cardstock, vellum

On my second card, Star & Stripes, I created an Uncle Sam hat using the red stripe designer tape on vellum paired with the Kate & Co. Oxford Lane Triples paper.  I cut the sentiment using my Cameo and added the fun ampersand brad to finish the "star and stripe" sentiment. 

  Supplies: Collectable-Remarkable:Authentic;Kate & Co.-Oxford Lane:Triples patterned paper;decorative brads, Enamel Dots;Red & Black decorative tapes;Misc: Cameo cuts (sentiment), EK Success punch, Tim Holtz Mini attacher, machine stitching, Bazzill cardstock, vellum

On my last card, Happy, I die-cut a little envelope and layered it onto a poloroid frame cut with my Cameo.  I adhered vellum to the back side so you could still see the fun dots behind it and then adhered lots of various hearts and a star coming out of the envelope.

Supplies: Collectable-Remarkable:Authentic, Kate & Co.-Oxford Lane:Triples and Floral Burst patterned papers;Misc: Cameo cuts (sentiment and poloroid frame), EK Success punch, Martha Stewart heart punch, Tim Holtz Mini attacher, machine stitching, Bazzill cardstock, vellum

Thank you for visiting us today.  We hope you enjoy your fourth of July celebration with your friends and family!

4th of July Decor with Tamara

Hi, this is Tamara with a 4th of July decor idea.

Have you ever wanted a festive holiday centerpiece at the last minute, but don't have the time or means to run to the store?  Well, I have a fabulous and easy decor idea: Decorative Tape Candles!  

They are simple, colorful, and easy to make with supplies you may already have on hand.  I also love that you can easily swap out the colors to coordinate with different events or holidays.

I used the fabulous turquoise and red MME Decorative Tape Sets.  I love the teal blue for the 4th of July, it is such a bright and summery shade and really makes the red pop!

First step: Plan out your tape patterns and color scheme.  That way you don't have to waste time and tape removing layers that don't look right.  I simply prestacked my tape rolls in the order I wanted to place them on the candle. A made sure I staggered the dots and stripes so they weren't next too each other.

Second, start wrapping!  Overlap the tape about 1/2" on the back side, trimming neatly with scissors.  I used a white candle for neatrality and it makes the tape colors pop!  

Third: Place the completed candles on candle holders and display.  If you are going to be burning the candle, you may want to wrap the lower 2/3 or 3/4" of the candle.

I hope you enjoy wonderful Independence Day celebrations with your loved ones.