My Mind's Eye Blog

4th of July Cards

Hi everybody, Tonya here to share a few 4th of July cards with you. I adore this holiday, it's the one of the rare times through out the year that my family and my husband's family get together. The pure joy on all of the kids' faces as they light up and watch fireworks is just the best site to behold.

Red, white and blue is one of my favorite color schemes and using a variety of My Mind's Eye Products I made these three cards, all were super quick and easy to put together.

For this first card I pulled suppies from the Kraft Funday collection.

Supplies: Kraft Funday Bright Days- 6x6 paper pad, Chipboard Elements, Decorative Brads 

For this next card I put the Decorative Tape to use by cutting out three different sized chipboard stars and covering them with different tapes.

Supplies: Kate & Co.- 6x6 paper pad, Decorative Brads  Decorative Tape set, black and red Kraft Funday Bright Days- Decorative Stamp Set

 For this last card I thought I would make a play on the cute little bird in the Kate & Co Cambridge Court stamp set. Instead of "Let freedom ring", I used...

Supplies: Kate & Co Cambridge Court- Decorative Stamp Set Kate & Co Oxford Lane: Decorative BradsBoy Crazy: Enamel Dots Decorative Tape Set: Red and Black

Hope you all have a fabulous and wonderful 4th of July holiday week!!!! 

 

Tonya

  

Decorative Tape on Your Layouts with Ronda

Hi there!  It’s Ronda here with you today to share with you a layout using the new decorative tapes from Kate & Co and Find Your Wings & Fly.  We shared many ideas using decorative tape back in April.  We focused in on non-traditional ways of using it from home décor to gifts.  Today I am focusing in on using on your layouts. 

Supplies: Find Your Wings and Fly-Sky’s the Limit : decorative tape; Find Your Wings and Fly-Up & Away:  decorative tapes.  Kate & Co: Cambridge Court: decorative tapes; Kate & Co: Oxford Lane: Tartan Paper, Polka Paper, decorative tapes, enamel dots, Chipboard buttons, stamps, sticker accessories; Decorative Tape Sets: Pink & Orange; Misc: black pen, Maya Road Spray ink, Jillibean Soup AlphabeansI

Earlier this month I was at my brother-in-law’s birthday party .  It was just family celebrating with him as he turned another year older.  Adam’s favorite is French Silk Pie so we always celebrate his birthday with pie.  It’s a love that he has passed down to his sons -including his two year old Felix.  I couldn’t help but giggle watching my sweet nephew gobbling down his small slice of pie all on his own. 

We often use decorative tapes to accent a page but what if they become the background of our layouts? On this layout I used all the new sets of tapes in strips to create a stellar backdrop.  I started with the “b” side of the polka paper as it was a nice neutral background.  Then using a stencil and distress ink, I added a light layer of yellow to give it some color.  I stamped some of the dots from the Kate & Co Oxford Lane stamps randomly on the background.  

Then I started layering on the decorative tapes to make a very colorful & cool background.  I began with the blue polka dot tape by cutting it into a herringbone like shape.  To make sure I had it lined up properly, I penciled in two lines matching the width of the tape.  As I cut the shapes out of the tape, I laid them between the lines with just a bit of space between each piece using those pencil lines as guides.  I love the look of the tape cut like this.  To the right of the polka dot tape, I added a single strip of the smaller aqua herringbone and then a trimmed piece of the orange decorative tape.  I like making some of the tapes skinnier to create different widths of tape on my page.

On the left of the polka dot tape, I used a couple more strips of decorative tape.  I placed a lime green strip next to the polka dots and then a grey stripe tape.  I used the same technique with the grey stripe strip as I did with the polka dot tape, first drawing pencil lines to match the width of the tape, cutting it into pieces, and using the lines to guide the spacing.  I trimmed down the aqua polka dot tape to a skinner strip as well.

To ground my photo on the decorative tape background, I cut a piece of patterned paper in a polaroid like shape.  I layered in bits of embellishments (including buttons and enamel dots) along with the “sweet” sticker.  I used pop up adhesive to mount the sticker to give it some dimension.  The polaroid shape was perfect for my title. 

Did you notice the decorative tape along the outside border?  These little stripes of color really added that finishing touch to my page.  I like adding them in small bits so it didn’t take over my page but complimented the background.

Thanks for joining me today.  I hope you found some new ideas for your decorative tapes!

 

Introducing our April Guest Designer!

Hello MME fans! Hope you had a wonderful, restful, and creative weekend!

We are so glad you are joining us this morning, because it's time to introduce you to our April guest designer!

Meet Leah Cameron!  We love Leah and her enthusiasm (and love!) for MME. We are thrilled she agreed to join us this month!

Leah sent us a veritable TREASURE TROVE of projects. There are still plenty to share tomorrow, so make sure to check back then.

Here's a little bit about Leah:

I have been scrapping for about seven years.  I have always been interested in scrapbooking, even before I knew what it was!  I look back now on the photo album I made of my sister’s wedding in 1990, and can see the beginnings of my scrapping obsession.

My friend actually gave me a gift voucher for a beginner’s class in 2006, so that was when I first had a real taste of scrapbooking as I know it today.   I love scrapbooking for so many reasons – it gives me some “me” time, which has been very much appreciated over the past 7 years with two girls only 16 months apart.  I love that I can record the memories that otherwise would be forgotten.  And let’s be honest – I love the products!  

There is nothing better than getting that little ticket in the mail box which tells me there is a pizza box waiting – I think our postie must think we have a pizza addition!It almost goes without saying that one of the most anticipated scrappy parcels to receive is My Mind’s Eye – so I can’t even begin to explain how thrilled I am to have the opportunity to Guest Design for my all time favourite scrapbooking company.

Q:What did you have the most fun working with and why?

A:This is so hard to answer, as I loved it all...but if I have to choose I will go with the 6x6 paper pads – which is not what I would have thought when I first saw the ranges. My scrapbooking style is quite simple, so I sometimes find some of the “busier” patterned papers hard to use but the smaller scale of the 6x6 pads made them perfect for my Project Life and mini album.
PS. I also love the stamps!

Q: What is your favorite MME line of all time? Why?

A:Again, so difficult to narrow it down – but I think I will go with “Miss Caroline” as I adore the wood grain and floral mix. I really need to get me some more of that wood grain paper!

 

A Weekend Escape layout

Supplies: Collectable-Remarkable:Original patterned paper, Delightful patterned paper,Dates patterned paper; decorative buttons;stamps;layered stickers; enamel dots.

Leah says:Sometimes when you have a photo you just love, you don’t need to add much to create a beautiful layout that says all you need it to. Here I have just added some simple border strips that I punched from patterned paper, used the gorgeous stamps from the Beautiful range to stamp a very subtle pattern over the white background paper and added some simple embellishments. My favourite part of this layout is the Happy Days Are Here “sun” that I placed on the horizon. I knew as soon as I saw the Smile Layered Stickers packet that I wanted to use this as a sun, and this photo suited it perfectly. I simply removed the sun from the green background and adhered it directly on my photo.

 

Project Life Spread

Supplies: Collectable-Unforgettable: Today stamps; Story Journal Card; Story Journal Paper 12x12; You Are Title; You Are Tiny Word Stickers; Story Label Stickers; Decorative Tape; 6x6 Paper Pad; chipboard, Story “Story” Journal paper;Collectable-Remarkable: Beautiful Stamps.

Leah says:The Collectable Unforgettable range could not have been more perfect for my Project Life insert for my youngest daughter Alexa’s 7th birthday. I based this spread around the Story Journal Paper with it’s 3x4 sized cards, and then selected matching papers from the 6x6 Paper Pad. Again, this size is ideal for Project Life as you don’t have to cut into a full 12x12 sheet to just use a small piece. I printed out my favourite shots of her birthday week, and made quite a few of them small so I could fit more photos in the double spread. I have done quite a bit of stamping on this, as borders, background as well as feature embellishments.

 

Altered Notebooks

Supplies:My Girl: Felt Stickers; Decorative Brads; Sticker Accessory Sheet; Decorative Tape.
Patterned Papers: My Girl: Flutterby, Ride, Bouquet, Rainbow, Chevron;Decorative Tape: Yellow and Grey

Leah says:I decided to decorate the front covers of two diaries that my girls had been given for Christmas. I tried to choose papers and embellishments that suit their personality – I have one very “girly” girl, and the other, well, not quite so much! When I was half way through they came to investigate what I was up to and wanted to join in, so I let them decorate a notebook on their own. I think I must have done a fairly good job predicting what they would like, as it turns out Kiara chose the same paper I had for her notebook.

 

Her Happy Day layout

Supplies:Collectable-Unforgettable:You Are Pleasant paper, Today Moment paper, Today Remember paper, You Are Chipboard, You Are Tiny Word Stickers, Firsts Decorative Stickers;Decorative Tape: Yellow and grey.

Leah says:I just adore this photo I took of Alexa on her 7th birthday. It shows how happy she was for it finally to be her day. I love how it shows her school uniform, and her new birthday hair clips! I found the grey decorative tape to be perfect for this layout, and I have used two different patterns – one for the vertical stripes which adds great movement to the page, and also a simpler diagonal pattern around the outside of the tag that I cut myself out of patterned paper. The heart sticker was the perfect touch to this homemade embellishment.

 

WOW Leah! Thank you so much for your awesome projects! Don't you all agree she outdid herself?
And tomorrow we still have two layouts and a mini album to share!

Thanks so much for stopping by! See you all tomorrow.

From Ordinary to Extraordinary

Hi everyone! This is Karen here for my contribution to decorative tape week.

When the washi tape craze first started, I didn't really understand why these semi-transparent tapes were all that useful. I mean, they were cute, but did I really need them? I think the first pair I bought was more out of curiosity than anything else. What I didn't realize then was that these tiny, simple tapes would add an inexplicable amount of joy into my life.

What's awesome about these is that they're unlike any other scrapbooking embellishment. They are so much more versatile. They can be used in so many more practical ways than just a page. They're also non-dimensional which allows me to use them in my daily life, without worrying they will be bulky or that they will fall off. It's the fastest way to add some wonderful color in to my day-to-day life.

As soon as I realized this, I started covering my journals with these awesome tapes. I use plain Moleskine journals to hold my to-do lists, sketches, journaling, etc. I love the journals but I hate how plain the covers are. Especially cause they are black and color makes me happy. So, now, I just start putting down strips of tape.

Since the tape is semi-transparent, and the black is pretty strong, it takes two layers of the same tape for the true color to show. See how they yellow tape in the photo below is so much bolder than the one above?

I also sometimes layer different tapes on top of each other. Look at the photo below. You'll see the tape with the numbers on it has the yellow polka-dotted tape below it. This makes the numbers stand out that much more.

For the back, where the elastic is, I try not to over-worry. I cut my tape into two small sections and put one above the elastic and one below. Then I put a large piece in the middle. I need regular reminders that perfection is not a goal for me. So having this tiny imperfection at the back of my book is a great reminder.

here's the front of my journal, all covered:

and here's the full book, open:

I added a felt embellishment on the cover just to make it even happier:

And there you go! What was a plain, relatively ugly journal is now colorful and joyful and it makes me happy all day long. I look at it and I smile and feel uplifted.

All from tiny bits of happily colored tape.

Here's what I've come to realize about washi tape: it's a simple product that elevates the ordinary to extraordinary.

Hey guys. Shelly here and I'd love to share some thoughts and ideas,too.

I couldn’t agree with Karen more. She hit the nail on the head.  I love that you can take something from ordinary to extraordinary with just a few strips of colorful tape. I have had this unfinished kids table that I picked up at IKEA a few years back.

It has been sitting in the basement amongst my kids’ little kitchen set up. Recently, we have decided to upgrade my daughter’s bed with a bunk bed.  She is now sleeping high in the sky like the big girl she is. So, what to do with that empty space under her bunk bed?

My daughter absolutely loves to create and write. I decided to pull that unfinished table out of the basement and into her room, but we couldn’t just leave it like it was. I pulled out my decorative tapes and went to town.

It went from blah to WOW in less than two hours.

I first aligned my tapes in the order I wanted them in on the top of the table. I debated if I should go random with colors or a rainbow. My daughter chose RAINBOW! This worked out perfectly. I was able to use all of the new Decorative Tape Sets, excluding the grey and black. It was like it was meant to be.

Leaving the rolls in order, one by one, I put a strip of each across the table trimming off the outer edges with my scissors.

I did have to be careful keeping the tape close to the edge of the previous strip and move slowly and gently. A couple of times I hit a weak spot in the tape and it wanted to rip, but that was mostly because I was trying to move too fast.  If I was watching it closely, I could fix it with my finger tip.

For the last strip, I simply laid it down like the other strips and trimmed the edge with my scissors. It is slightly jagged, but I am okay with that.  I am sure you could just as easily cover the side edges of the table with tapes too, but I decided to just cover the very top of the table.

And just like that, it went from ordinary to extraordinary with just 19 ½ inches of 40 different decorative tapes in a rainbow of colors. My daughter couldn’t have been any happier or a better assistant choosing which pattern to go next in the line of colors.

She couldn’t wait to put her pencils and paper on her desk. I slid it up there to take a picture of it to share with all of you in its new home, and I turned around to see her goodies already in their place. So the next time you see something plain and boring, think about completely covering it with decorative tapes! Go from ordinary to extraordinary in no time.

Disclaimer… I am currently working on putting a few coats of Polyurethane found at any home repair store to protect it. I have two coats on it right now, and the decorative tapes are taking it well. No running of color and the tapes are staying in place. So far, so good! Only time will tell how it will hold up over the long haul, but I am excited to see that the Polyurethane didn’t damage the tapes. My daughter is very anxious to get her table back into her room!

Jana Shares Everyday Uses for Decorative Tape

Hello! It's Jana Eubank. I hope you are enjoying all the great ideas for using decorative tape here on the My Mind's Eye Blog this week. I feel inspired to pull out my tape stash and get tearing! Today, I wanted to share a few everyday uses for decorative tape that you may not have thought of before. There really are so many uses for the tapes, which makes them a versatile supply to have in your stash! I especially like the splash of fun color they give everyday items around my house. Take a look!

 

DRESS UP MECHANICAL PENCILS

 

At the beginning of the school year, I bought each of my kids a large pack of mechanical pencils. The barrel of the pencils are white ... which makes them the perfect canvas for some decorative tape fun. Check out the pencils now!

 

Before: Plain Jane Pencils

 

 After: Happy, Colorful Pencils! Yay!

 

 

ADD COLORFUL LABELS TO YOUR STORAGE CONTAINERS

 

I love using containers to organize my scrapbook supplies. But as my stash grows and changes, I often switch around the contents to adapt to my different needs. I needed a way quick and easy way to label my containers that wouldn't take a lot of time or be too permanent. Decorative tape to the rescue! The low tack adhesive on the tapes make them ideal for this purpose. Here is what you will need: your favorite My Mind's Eye decorative tapes, a piece of cardstock, a computer & printer, and a permanent marker.

 

First, type the words that you would like on your labels in a clear, easy-to-read font. Print the words onto a sheet of cardstock.

 

Apply decorative tape over the words, centering the words top to bottom. This is easy to do because of the tape's semi-transparent quality. Use a black permanent marker to trace the words onto the decorative tape.

 

Finally, peel the tape off the paper and apply to your storage containers. Voilaaaa! Easy and FAST! ... and CUTE to boot!

 

 

USE DECORATIVE TAPE TO REINFORCE 3-HOLE PUNCHED PAPERS

 

Recently, I created a study binder to use at church. I created a divider for each monthly topic using cardstock and my Silhouette Electronic Cutting Machine. The dividers are functional, but I know that over time the holes on each divider will begin to wear down and possibly tear. I needed a way to reinforce the holes, so I again pulled out my decorative tapes.

 

I ran a length of tape down both sides of the punched holes and then used my craft knife to carefully trim the excess from the holes. I love the fun punch of pattern the tapes add to my study book! Do I dare say that the tape makes it more fun to study? :)

 

 

DECORATIVE TAPE STORAGE

 

While I love my decorative tapes, I needed a good way to store them. Previously, they were all tossed in a box together, but I had to dig through the box and I couldn't easily find the colors or patterns I needed. Here is a great way to store all of your decorative tapes using an upcycled cardboard, aluminum foil or wax paper container.

 

First, cut a wood dowel a little larger than the width of your container. Next, use white gesso to paint the box and the dowel. Using a punched circle as a template (find a size that is slightly larger than your dowel), trace the circle onto each end of the box. Use a craft knife to cut out the holes.

 

If desired, use patterned paper to line the inside of the box. Decorate the outside of your box. I used decorative tapes and a label that would indicate the colors inside the box.

 

Next, add your rolls of tape to the box, and insert the dowel through the center of the box, threading the tapes on the dowel as you go. The box stays closed with the help of a Sticky Back Velcro dot.

 

I love my box! My tapes are now stored neatly in my desk drawer by color and the serrated edge of the box makes using the tapes a breeze!

 

Thanks for letting me share these ideas with you today! I hope you found some useful ways to use decorative tapes.

 

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Monika Takes on Decorative Tape Week!

I love to cook. And I love to EAT what I cook. My downfall in life, but thankfully I'm tall so there's more room to distribute it all! Hello, it's Monika and welcome back to decorative tape week. For ages and ages, I've had this idea in mind to recreate a project I saw online, covering papier mache letters, and this seemed the perfect opportunity to finally get it done.

Materials Used  |  Decorative Tape Sets: Green + Navy, Red + Turquoise, Papier Mache letters: Hobby Lobby, Craft Paint: Americana, Apple Barrel, Martha Stewart

TUTORIAL

I began by painting my letters with craft paint and a sponge brush and found that two light coats of paint works well. I paint atop a sheet of waxed paper so that my items don't stick to the paper and I can mix custom colors as well, if needed.

Cover just the front sides of your letters with your choice of decorative tapes. Use all the same pattern on each letter as I did, or go wild + crazy and spice it up with a different tape design for each row.

Trim the tape with scissors, where you can, and for the more difficult areas use your craft knife. I found that scissors gave me better control and a cleaner cut.

Smooth down the decorative tape along the edges and display your craftiness proudly!

I loved doing this project so much, I think I might recreate this project with my One Little Word to display in my Studio.

Tina's Take on Decorative Tape Week

Hi!  Tina here today and welcome to Decorative Tape Week! Decorative tape is seriously one of my favorite products and I can't get enough.  Some might even say I have a tape obsession, but that's okay by me.  ;)

Today, I'd like to share how you can use tape on projects where you might ordinarily use paper or paint. I used a similar process for both projects, so let's walk through how I made this trio of Decorative Tape Owl Canvases.


Step One:
Gather supplies.  For this project, you will need several canvases, tissue paper, matte medium (or Mod Podge), a paint brush, and your favorite MME decorative tape.
Note:  I prefer matte medium or matte Mod Podge instead of glossy for my canvases. 

Step Two:
Apply a coat of matte medium/Mod Podge to your canvas.  Not a real thin layer, but not dripping wet.

Step Three:
Cut a piece of tissue paper slightly larger than your canvas and 'ball it up'.

Step Four:
Gently unwrap your tissue and place on top of matte medium/Mod Podge.  Apply another layer of matte medium/Mod Podge to top of tissue paper. 

Note:  When applying the matte medium/Mod Podge to top of tissue, apply gentle pressure or the tissue paper will rip and lift from the canvas.

Step Five:
Remove tissue paper excess from the edge of your canvas.  Since the edge is wet, you can gently remove the excess by tearing the tissue paper away.

While your canvas is drying, you can get your washi tape ready for adhering to your canvas.

Step Six:
Apply your favorite MME decorate tape to white cardstock. I used several patterns and designs to add more interest to my project.

Step Seven:
Either with an electronic die cut machine, a punch, or decorative scissors, cut zig zag/chevron shapes from the washi tape/cardstock sheet.  I used my Silhouette to cut the shapes and it cuts like 'butta'.  :)
Note:  I also cut my owl shape with my electronic die cut machine.

When your canvas is dry, proceed to Step Eight.

Step Eight:
Adhere washi zigzag shapes to canvas with matte medium/Mod Podge.  Allow to dry completely.


Step Nine plus:
Decorate canvas with paint, rub-ons, stamps, spray mist, doodling, etc. and allow to dry.  If you desire, you can seal your canvas with another coat of matte medium/Mod Podge, but it isn't necessary.

To show you how versatile washi tape is, I also decorated a wooden bird house using MME decorative tape, and cut shapes (for the roof) using the same method above.  Instead of cardstock, I used vellum to create a thinner layer.  I adhered the washi strips to the roof using wide strips of Scor Tape applied directly to the wood roof.


I hope that the next time you reach for a piece of paper or paint to complete a project, you will think about using decorative tape!

Welcome to Decorative Tape Week!

We are SO excited for this week on the blog.

All week long we will be sharing brand new decorative tape projects from our wonderful design team. We wanted to show you creative and interesting ways to use our tapes.

The design team came up with some incredible ideas and we can't wait to share them with you. Make sure to come back every day for a new decorative tape idea!

Ronda is here with the first tape project, and you won't believe what she came up with!

 

Hello Everyone, Ronda here with you today  for the first day of washi week! Washi tape can add so much to your scrapbook pages, mini albums, art journal pages, mixed media pieces and more.  I am sharing how to use washi tape in home décor pieces.  A while ago, I purchased three white hanging lanterns on sale.  I knew I wanted to hang all three of them in a guest bedroom but wanted to do something a little different on one of them.  Enter washi tape. 

The room's decor is greys, yellows, and aquas, with hints of blacks & greens.  My Mind’s Eye has a variety of colors and designs so I picked ones that would coordinate in that room.  Note: you could cover the lantern in one color or multiple colors, either would look fabulous!

I decided to use multiple colors.   To begin, build the lantern as per the directions.  Next add little strips of washi tape at the top circle overlapping the pieces.  Long pieces won’t work at the top since it is curved. 

 

Keep overlapping the pieces filling up the entire lantern.  You can go back and fill in any gaps.

 

I love how the lantern turned out with the beautiful overlapping colors.  I think I want to do one more lantern in a solid color and hang up the three pieces in a grouping together.  I think the multicolor, solid color, and white will look stunning together. 

 

I hope you will look around your house and add some washi excitement into your décor. 

 

How AWESOME is that lantern? We just love our decorative tapes and love using them for more than scrapbooking!

See you tomorrow-Tina is sharing a project that will knock your crafty socks off!

 

February Mixed Media with Karen

Welcome to another Mixed Media with Karen. As soon as I saw this  paper, I knew I wanted to use it in my page this month. The first thing I did was to cut out the Polaroid frames.


Since I knew I was going to use a part of my page to collect all my daily gratitudes from the week, I covered the page with graph paper from the new My Girl line. I then used an edge punch with the rainbow paper from the same line and covered a third of my page with it.

Then I added my three Polaroid frames. I like to make my objects come off the edge of the page cause it gives it a feeling of continuation and it's not so "perfect."

I then added some embellishments using the days of the week  and washi tape. I just had fun with it didn't over-think it.

Next, I added my title and two photos. One of me and my sister from when we were kids. And one of my two boys. My title says: Family is where you are loved just the way you are.

Next came stitching. I stitched right through all my alphas and the tiny word stickers on the edge of the Polaroid frames. I love love love adding stitching to my pages, it adds texture and makes me happy.

Once all of the elements were down, arranged, glued, and stitched, it was time to add paint. I picked my two favorite colors from the paper with the stars: orange and pink. And I just had fun with it. My last step was to add black paint to the edges of my page. It makes everything else on the page pop that much more.

and here's my final page, ready for the daily gratitude journaling.

Thanks for letting me share my page and process. I hope you liked it and if you use the awesome My Mind's Eye products on your mixed media pages, I'd love to see them so link me up in the comments!

Supplies: Collectable:'Love this" Adore patterned paper,'Journey' journal patterned paper,'Memo' label stickers,tiny word stickers;My Girl:Fancy Free patterned paper,Rainbow patterned paper;Decorative Tape Sets: red and turquoise, red and black

A Card Sketch from Danni

Good Morning! Danni here with you today to share a card i created using the new Collectable "Handsome" dots and "Remarkable" decorative  tape.

I started my card using the sketch below and deciding on one of my favorite quotes "Shoot for the Moon" by Les Brown.

I wanted to bounce the fun, bold colors in the enamel dots against the white and the designer tape allowed me to do just that. Instead of patterned paper, I chose to work with the tape because you can still see "white" through the tape so I was hopeful to really bounce the playful colors and make a "bold" statement.

I love how the enamel dots add the perfect touch to embellish the arrows and stars, it makes it playful, fun, bold yet still mailable (yay!!!).

Thank you for visiting us today and if you give the sketch a try, we'd love for you to link us up!

card supplies:Collectable: 'Handsome' enamel dots,decorative tape;Misc: Cameo arrows, computer-generated sentiment, Bazzill white cardstock