My Mind's Eye Blog

Laura’s Style

I have had so much fun hanging out on the My Mind's Eye blog this month, as the October Guest Designer! I have always loved MME products, ever since I first started scrapbooking, which was forever ago. And even though I tend to work MME products onto my layouts, in my day to day scrapping, it was a fun change to focus entirely on their products for some of my newest projects. I have appreciate everyone's sweet comments on my work too. So I'm sending out a big "thanks" to everyone of you!

So, what is my style? Well, when I'm asked to pin-point my style, I usually call it "Clean & Linear". I think my layouts are very organized and laid out in a way, that it's not too busy looking. I'm really big on straight lines, and perfect measurements. But maybe adding a few things, with a little tilt, for some visual interest. I love bright and fun colors, and I adore my pattern paper. I also love my embellishments, and adding simple little touches to my layouts. I like to call myself a "lazy scrapper", since I love to just premade embellishments. Anything that I can simply pull out of a package, and add to my layouts, is a plus in my book!

This layout incorporates all my favorites, when it comes to scrapbooking. Bright and fun colors? Check. Lots of pattern paper? Check. I choose papers that have my favorite colors to work with. Aqua, red, green, brown, and yellow. My favorite combination. Premade products, that are easy to work with? Check. Love the die cut titles, and journaling cards, for quick and easy assembly. I even dug out this super old MME butterfly die cut from my stash. Fun embellishments? Check. My all time favorites are brads and buttons. And MME makes some of the cutest brads and buttons I've ever seen. I think these colored pearl brads are my new favorite brads! All of these items combined, to create a fun layout about our day trip to the county fair, two years ago. I'm so glad that I finally got around to scrapping these.

I tend to mix and match products from different manufactures a lot, in my design process. And I tend to do the same, within the manufactures. I love to pull from all different collections, and find pieces that go well together. For this layout, I mixed papers from the Good Day Sunshine collection and the Fine And Dandy collection. All my embellishments were pulled from the different Lost and Found collections.

Thank you My Mind's Eye, Amber, and all the lovely girls on the Design Team, for the opportunity to join you all this month. I truly appreciate it!

Laura Vegas 

Welcome Courtney Lee

Hello!!!  I am SO excited to be the Guest Designer for June for My Mind's Eye! I absolutely love their papers, embellishments, ribbon, everything! It's so easy to work with and everything coordinates so perfectly! Okay, you probably already know that if you are reading this blog, so I'll stop there ;)

A little about me...

I started crafting just over a year ago now. I started in May of 2010. So this is all very new to me still! The crafting world has opened up so many doors, new friends have been made, and a new passion has been discovered! I love to make cards and send them to people. I think it's wonderful to get something in the mail other than a bill so I want to share that!

I live in San Francisco with my handsome husband Hans and our sweet Yorkie named Spoon. She is my constant companion. I am a stay at home wife as my husband has a start-up - which basically means I'm a personal assistant, travel agent, office manager, and so many more roles - as most of us housewives have. :) I love my job and am so thankful for the choice that we have made for me to stay home.

I almost never make anything without die cuts (cut by my Cricut). My passion is shaped cards and my newest addiction is crinkled ribbon!

A quick 10 facts:

1. I LOVE boba. If you don't know what it is, you are missing out! If you like gummy bears, you will LOVE boba. It's little chewy gummy-like balls that sit on the bottom of your drink. I know it sounds weird, but it's SO good!

2. I am a redhead but I always told people I was a brunette and they were all colorblind. :) Since my husband likes redheads however, I have changed my tune...

3. Spoon is a spooner. Big time. She is the best snuggler ever! I guess that isn't about me, but isn't she cute!?!

4. I live in 450 square feet. We bought a studio here and you won't believe where I can hide my crafting stuff!

5. I feel like I was born to emboss. I LOVE embossing. I started crafting because I ran something through a Cuttlebug at something called the Maker Faire. I was hooked.

6. I love entertaining. I could host dinner parties every other night (one to prep and then clean the next day!)

7. I have seen 48 of the states - most of them driving to them. I have driven more miles then most people I know. And I'm a huge advocate of being aware of everything around you when you are driving. Be safe. Text later - or pull over.  Typing "LOL" isn't worth dying for.

8. I'm an Apple girl. Don't even ask me to go back to a PC.

9. I'm an open card - ask me any questions you would like! I'm happy to answer them!

10. I'll be at CHA in July (and probably January too). I would love to meet you!

Here are some of my favorite projects!

I did a Woodland Themed Birthday Party (I love doing sets like this!).

Invitation - I wanted it to look like the bee flew from the woods to their house:

Banner:

Cupcake Toppers:

Favors (up-cycled from empty toilet paper rolls):

Thank you:

I would love to have you visit me at my blog: Court’s Crafts.

Courtney

 

Let’s give Courtney a big My Mind’s Eye welcome!  Leave some love for her on this blog post by midnight on Sunday, July 10, 2011.  We will announce the winner on Monday, July 11, 2011.

p.s. Be sure to visit our blog next week (hint)!

Blog Challenge #22: Layout challenge

The challenge:  Design a layout or other project based on this sketch (by Anam Stubbington).

Along with the sketch, you must use this theme: "April Showers"

The rules: Use ANY My Mind’s Eye products (current or past) as long as your project has at least 80% My Mind’s Eye products.

The deadline: Add a link to your project to the bottom of this post using inlinkz by Thursday, April 21, 2011 (midnight, MST).  Please include your first and last name and project name when uploading.  (a photo of your layout or project will show directly in the post)

(For tips on how to best photograph your entry, click here)

The PRIZE: The winner will receive three ENTIRE collections of their choice!  We will also award an honorable mention winner with one collection of their choice!  All winners will be featured in a blog post and have bragging rights!

See how our designers each interpreted the “April Showers theme:

 

Kim Watson: Buddies

Kim added the feel of April showers by adding using misting spray to her layout.

Featured Collection: Stella & Rose – Hattie

 

Trisha Ladouceur: Happy

Aren’t Trisha and her husband so cute enjoying a rainy day together?

Featured Collection: Stella & Rose – Hattie

 

Amber Packer: Have you ever seen the rain?

Do you recognize this layout from our newsletter?

Featured Collection: Fine and Dandy – True Blue

Post your entries here: 

 

Blog Challenge #19: 2 new challenges!

You asked for it – and NOW you’ve got it!  A MONTHLY CARD challenge along with our layout/project challenge!  That’s right, we are now offering a monthly card challenge.  This also means that if you participate in both challenge, we just doubled your chances of winning!  Woo Hoo!

We’ll begin today with the card challenge:

The challenge:  Design a card based on this sketch (by Anam Stubbington). 

Along with the sketch, you must use this theme:  miscellaneous (that’s right, you get to decide the theme)

The rules: Use ANY My Mind’s Eye products (current or past) as long as your project has at least 80% My Mind’s Eye products.

The deadline: Email a picture of your project, first and last name to [email protected] (with Blog Challenge 19 - card as your subject) or add a link in a comment on this post by Thursday, January 20, 2011 (midnight, MST).

(For tips on how to best photograph your entry, click here)

The PRIZE: The winner will be featured in a blog post and receive one collection of their choice!

Check out the fabulous samples by our Design Team to get your creative juices flowing!

 

Piradee Talvanna:

Featured Collection: Fine and Dandy – True Blue

Suzanne Sergi:

Featured Collection: Lost & Found 

I used Lost & Found Market Street to create this card. I love the vintage, and shabby feel to this collection. I stayed pretty close to Anam's lovely sketch. I did make the right border, a little bigger on my design. I inked, and distressed the edges. One  of the elements I loved from MME, are the preprinted titles, and sentiments. This makes the designing process so easy. I pulled in some cream crepe paper to create the "ribbon candy' border underneath my sentiment. Finished the card with a butterfly, and a little bling!!!!

 

Trisha Ladouceur:

 

Featured Collection: Lost & Found 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The challenge:  Design a layout or other project based on this sketch (by Anam Stubbington). 

 

Along with the sketch, you must use this theme:  Winter (whatever winter means to you)

The rules: Use ANY My Mind’s Eye products (current or past) as long as your project has at least 80% My Mind’s Eye products.

The deadline: Email a picture of your project, first and last name to [email protected] (with Blog Challenge 19 - layout as your subject) or add a link in a comment on this post by Thursday, January 20, 2011 (midnight, MST).

(For tips on how to best photograph your entry, click here)

The PRIZE: The winner will receive three ENTIRE collections of their choice!  We will also award an honorable mention winner with one collection of their choice!  All winners will be featured in a blog post and have bragging rights!

 

Piradee Talvanna:

Featured Collection: Fine and Dandy – True Blue

 

Suzanne Sergi:

 

Featured Collection: Fine and Dandy – Tickled Pink

I really love Anam's Sketch for this month. I loved the white space, and clean lines. I kept pretty true to her sketch to create this page of my daughter, Gabriela. This was her first time to see, or play in the snow! I thought the colors from Fine & Dandy's Tickled Pink, would really make this snapshot pop. I wanted to capture how happy she was packing snow in her hands! Of course, I believe she was making them, to throw them at her brother! I added the swirls from the Die cut Accessory Sheet, and dusted them with a little glitter.I thought this was add some playfulness to my page!
I anchored my title on top of a chipboard frame. I layered the frame with patterned paper, and part of my stamped title.  I finished my embellishing in the left corner with three "snowflakes" embellishments!

 

Trisha Ladouceur:

Featured Collection: Fine and Dandy – True Blue

I used Anam's Layout as a starting point but once I got started, I went off and did my own thing. There are so many layers (not to mention a plethora of Fine and Dandy- True Blue product) to this project and then to top it off, I even used a book page to create a
flap. Because this is a layout of my nephew, I thought I would give this to my sister and so I left space for her to add another photo and her own journaling on the inside:) That is of course assuming I can give it away! Right now I love it so much that I think I may have to keep it for myself (but ssssssssssshhhhhh... don't tell my sister! LOL!)

As always, EVERYONE is a winner!  We love seeing what you create for our challenge and want to thank everyone who will participate.  Every entry will go in a photo album here on the blog.  By submitting, you are giving My Mind’s Eye permission to include your entry.

 

We can’t wait to see what you design!

Blog Challenge 18: It’s a __________ Thing

As we said in the newsletter, this month is a busy month for all of us.  We know it.  Some of you began Hanukkah today.  Christmas and Kwanzaa are also coming up.  We would like to help you take some time out of your busy December to create something for yourself and join us in our blog challenge!

The challenge:  Design layout OR other project (card) based on this sketch (by Anam Stubbington). 

Along with the sketch, you must use this theme:  “It’s a ___________ Thing!” (you get to fill in the blank)

The rules: Use ANY My Mind’s Eye products (current or past) as long as your project has at least 80% My Mind’s Eye products.

The deadline: Email your project, first and last name to [email protected] (with Blog Challenge 18 as your subject) or add a link in a comment on this post by Thursday, December16, 2010 (midnight, MST).

(For tips on how to best photograph your entry, click here)

The PRIZE: One winner will be featured in a blog post and receive three ENTIRE collections of their choice!  We will also award an honorable mention winner with one collection of their choice!

As always, EVERYONE is a winner!  We love seeing what you create for our challenge and want to thank everyone who will participate.  Every entry will go in a photo album here on the blog.  By submitting, you are giving My Mind’s Eye permission to include your entry.

We hope you enjoy this month’s oh-so-fabulous samples:

 

“It’s a GIRL thing” by Trisha Ladouceur:

Featured Collection: Fine and Dandy – Tickled Pink

I used the fine and dandy collection for my "It's a GIRL Thing" layout showcasing pictures from a girls day in Chicago last summer with a few of my fabulous friends whom I never get to see often enough.    The sketch was a great starting point.  Since I was working with horizontal photos, I turned the sketch 90 degrees and made it work!  I traced a paper from the So Sophie collection to give me the bracket background page. I even broke out my sewing machine to give all edges a bit of additional detail.

 

“Wanted: It’s an OUTLAW thing” by Jana Eubank:

Featured Collection: Fine and Dandy – True Blue

Dress-ups aren't just for girls around our house. My son has just as much fun as they do dressing up as a pirate, storm trooper, or, in this case, an outlaw. I just HAD to use the cute Cowboy accent from the Blackbird collection. Using papers from the Fine & Dandy True Blue collection keep this page from feeling like a Halloween layout.

 

We can’t wait to see your entry!

A different view for the Album

Quite often when I make albums, they are as gifts for friends and family who in turn want to display them in their home. So when I saw the awesome new Fine & Dandy Albums, I knew I would be making a standing album.

This is a very simple and quick album - from start to finish took me about and hour and most of that was stressing about the hole placement. It's one of those pieces that you can add a lot of elements to it without it feeling overcrowded.  And, you only need adhesive for the photos and everything else comes ready to stick down! 

The printable instructions are * here* but the basics are:

Take the following Fine & Dandy products: True Blue Chipboard Album, Adhesive Chipboard Elements, Layered Cardstock Stickers and Epoxy brads. Add some Tulle and the ever-so-useful hole Punch (I used a Crop-A-Dile as it goes through this thickness of chipboard so easily).

1. Open the album package and discard the binder rings.

2. Line up the pages in the order you want them when standing.

3. Take the smallest page and use that as you template for hole placement.

4. Punch enough holes to enable you to connect all the pages.

5. Using the tulle, tie all the pages together.

6. Cut your photos to size & adhere where desired.

7. Add your chipboard elements and your sticker elements as desired.

8. Write a few words on the inside page & Enjoy

Helpful Tip: to add epoxy brads to the album pages, I snipped off the brad points and used adhesive dots instead to adhere it to the album.

A few more photos to show the details:

Just a hint - the adhesive on the chipboard & stickers is pretty strong so i try to pop them out only when i am ready to stick them down or i push them out from back to front and use a craft knife to cut away the backing sheet completely.  I used some foam adhesive to help with the layers, but you don't have to use it as the chipbaord is so strong on its own.

(Even half opened i think it looks pretty.)

So there you go - a super quick and easy way to use the chipboard album and the beautiful chipboard elements.

Regards

 
 

My Sunshine

Designer: Anam Stubbington; Featured Collection: Fine and Dandy – True Blue

These products are all from the Fine & Dandy “True Blue” collection. 

• ‘Keen’ paper - front
• ‘Fabulous’ paper - front & reverse
• True Blue Large Chipboard Elements
• True Blue Layered Cardstock Stickers
• True Blue Alpha & Banner Stickers
• True Blue Adhesive Jewels
• True Blue Ribbon
• Other items:  Adhesive, brown ink, pen and lots of foam adhesive dots!

Anam, you rocked the numbers paper!  What a fabulous example of using Fine and Dandy on an adult layout!  Thank you for your gorgeous sample! 

Guess what!?  Anam has included instructions!  Download Anam_My Sunshine_2010_10

 

Have a great weekend!