My Mind's Eye Blog

Classroom Valentine Ideas with Shelly and Suzanne

Welcome to the blog guys! You picked a great day to come by, we have some amazingly creative and darling classroom/child valentines to share with you all today.

Enjoy and have a wonderful Thursday!

Die Cut Valentines by Shelly Jaquet

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Honey:'One of a Kind' title,'Perfect' title,'Simply Lovely' title, 'One of a Kind' journal card, 6x6 paper pad,decorative brads;The Sweetest Thing-Lavender:'Cutie Pie' title,'The Best' title,'Fabulous' title, 'About Me' journal card, decorative brads, 6x6 paper pad;Indie Chic-twine;Winter Wonderland-stamp set;Misc:tag punch,Versafine black ink,sewing machine and thread

Shelly says:With Valentine’s Day right round the corner, we are starting the next round of “holiday” parties for the New Year.

My daughter just loves it when she gets to play with all my craft stuff with me, and so do I!

What could be easier than using My Mind’s Eye pre-made die cut titles and journaling cards?We flipped through my stack and together we chose our favorites. Then, we pulled out the coordinating 6x6 paper pads and decorative brads.

My daughter will be having a Valentine’s Party with her Daisy Girl Scout Troop next Sunday. So we sat down together this past weekend to create some special handmade Valentines for her Daisy Friends.By keeping to this size, the valentines will easily fit into an envelope.

We trimmed 2” strips of paper from various patterns and matched them up to each of the die cuts. Using a 4.25”x5.5” card base as a guide, we trimmed the 2” strips to size after arranging them how we wanted them.

We finished each card off by stamping “to and "from” (using the Winter Wonderland stamp set) on to white tags. I have a punch to create these, but you can also find pre-made tags at your local office supply store.

Next, we attached the tag using brads and twine from the Indie Chic Collection.With the odd shape of these valentines, I was worried that they might fall apart after all the handling they would endure with the kids, so I quickly ran each through my sewing machine. Those babies aren’t going to fall apart now!

To add a personal touch, my daughter added to the pre-printed sentiment. I have to say that I was pretty proud of how she knew just what she wanted to say to each one to make it her own message in her own handwriting. She is so excited to hand them out at her Valentine’s Party!

I hope you feel inspired to pull out your stash of die cut titles and create with your kids today!

 

Assorted Valentine's Day Treat Bags by Suzanne

Supplies: Lucky in Love:Flower patterned paper,Cupid's Arrow patterned paper:Lost and Found 3-Ruby:stamps,enamel dots;Misc:glassline bag,doily,glitter

 Suzanne says: I thought cookies would make for a fantastic Valentine treat for my children's classmates. They are easy to make, and fit nicely in these glassine bags.

I took a 5x7 glassine bag that I cut to 5" x5 3/4". Then I took an oval punch, and punched the top of the bag to add a handle at the top. Glassine bags are perfect for baked goods, and make a beautiful presentation.

I covered the middle of the bag with the Flower Power patterned paper, and added a stitched doily to the top.  A few glittered hearts, and a cute stamp (from Lost & Found 3) add fun valentine details. 

Supplies:Lost and Found 3-Ruby:Grey Quatrefoil paper,Ruby Stripes glitter paper,enamel dots,layered stickers;Misc:vellum,heart doily,glitter,ribbon

Suzanne says: I also created these popcorn pockets stitched together with vellum. The Lost & Found 3 Ruby Collection has a color palette that is so very perfect for Valentine's Day crafts. This was so easy to create...and it is a beautiful way to present special treats, notes, and cards.

These were the perfect size to add individual servings of popcorn tucked inside! An inexpensive way to ensure all 25 classmates are gifted with a treat on Valentine's Day.

And another vellum popcorn pocket example:

Supplies: Lost and Found 3- Ruby:Medallion patterned paper,Quatrefoil paper,Floral patterned paper,layered stickers,decorative brads;Misc:vellum,doily,ribbon

Supplies:

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope I've given you some different and fun ideas for your valentines!

Pinspiration Thursday

We are so glad you stopped by today, it's Pinspiration Thursday!

Every day, we scour the Internet for inspiring MME projects. We find your work on your blogs, through our FB page,and in online galleries. We pin the ones that inspire us most!

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

This month Suzanne and  Stephanie are joining us. Here's what they came up with. Enjoy and have a lovely, creative day!

 

Inspiration Piece: Tamara Tripodi

 

Stephanie's version:

Supplies:My Girl: Flutterby patterned paper,Fancy Free patterned paper,Genuine patterned paper,Playful patterned paper,designer tape,felt stickers, layered stickers,enamel dots,decorative buttons,chipboard accents;Collectable-Unforgettable:'You Are' tiny word stickers,'First' decorative stickers;Collectable-Memorable:enamel dots;Collectable-Notable:'Love This' tiny word stickers;Misc:doilies,Simple Stories letter stickers,Dear Lizzy Thickers,American Crafts precision pen,adhesives

 

Stephanie says: Tamara's page made me so HAPPY the moment I saw it. I just knew immediately that her's  was the page I wanted to lift.

The first way I lifted Tamara's page was to use My Girl, since she used all Boy Crazy for her page. I would have used Boy Crazy, too...but with four little girls in this house that just ain't happening. :)

I lifted the overall design- photo placement, paper layering placement, embellishment clusters,etc. The title is in generally the same place.

The biggest design element I lifted from Tamara is the sweet scattering of embellishments all over her darling page.

She used brads, enamel dots,stickers, and chipboard...I used layered stickers, enamel dots, tiny word stickers, and felt accents.

Thank you SO much for the inspiration, Tamara...you've help me create a page I love!

 

Inspiration Piece: Marlene Gomez

 

Suzanne's version:

Supplies:Lost & Found 3-Ruby:Doily patterned pape,Medallion patterned paper,Stripes patterned paper,Floral patterned paper,decorative brads,enamel dots,layered stickers,sticker accessory sheet;Misc:letter stickers, adhesive,doilies,sewing machine and thread,embossing folder

 

Suzanne says:I was really drawn to this altered set by Marlene Gomez. I loved the combination of pinks and browns. The softness of her layout and all the pretty details inspired me to create a layout of my two favorite girls!

I used a large banner on the left hand side of my page, and used doilies to replicate her white diecut scrolls.

I used hearts and vellum flowers as the tiny details to my page. I also added stitching on my page. I also love the enamel dots, as they are a quick way to add interest to letters, and images found on the patterned papers.

Gina Part Two

Yesterday we introduced you to our fabulous January guest designer, the crazy talented  Gina Rodgers.

Today she is back with two more layouts, and we couldn't possibly love them more. We know you will love them too. Enjoy!

 

Thirteen

Supplies: Lost & Found 3-Ruby:Pink Lace patterned paper,Doily patterned paper,Honeycomb patterned paper,Collage Stripe patterned paper,Floral patterned paper,Postcard patterned paper,Medallion patterned paper, cecorative brads,adornments,decorative buttons, enamel dots,chipboard elements,decorative tape,sticker accessory sheet

Gina says:This layout is of my 'baby' who is thirteen, she looks like she's going on 18 in the photo and it's a bit scary! I've used some layering, paper and decorative tape strips and added a
border using strips from the Ruby Doily paper.

 

Circle of Friends

Supplies:Lucky in Love:Hugs & Kisses patterned paper,6x6 paper pad,Multi Stripe patterned paper,Floral Stripes patterned paper,sticker accessory sheet;Lost & Found 3 -Ruby: decorative Brads,sticker sccessory sheet,decorative tape,6x6 paper pad,decorative buttons,

Gina says:I had so much fun scrapping this photo of my youngest daughter Jem with her fabulous group of friends. I love how the Lucky in Love collection goes so well with the Lost & Found 3 Ruby line!

I've run 3 narrow strips of paper through the center of the page with the top and bottom strips overlapping on angles which helps to draw the eye to the photo.

I also added some dimension to the decorative brad below by pleating a couple of strops of paper from the Lost & Found 3 Ruby 6x6 paper pad.

Thanks SO much for sharing your creativity with us this month, Gina. It's been a pleasure and a treat!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!

Mini Albums with Monika..."Right Now"

We're just days away from a brand new year, can you believe it?

Greetings...I'm so excited to share another Mini Albums with Monika project today.

A few years ago, I recorded answers to the same questions every month for a year...similar to the "currently" journaling prompts we've all seen around.

Fun project to do and even more fun to look back to read what was on my mind back then. I thought it was time to do this project again, so let me share with you my process and the mini album page download, which you'll find at the end of the post.

Supplies The Sweetest Thing-Honey:Love patterned paper, 'One of a Kind' layered stickers, Lost and Found 3-Ruby:chipboard elements;Indie Chic:'Hanging Out ' decorative tape,Misc: sewing machine and thread, glue stick, spiral binding machine and o-wires, raw chipboard

When I create a mini album project, I nearly always design the cover last. Once I began my search for goodies to embellish the front cover, the chipboard piece "Tell Me All About It" seemed just the perfect title for this collection of "right now" thoughts.

You might notice that I added a chipboard arrow to cover the title that was already on the layered sticker. A little machine stitching (in red) highlights the red spiral binding and the red in the chipboard arrow that points to the title.

I'm still crushing on the decorative tape trend and I chose the gold polka dot tape to enhance the gold from the layered sticker embellishment on the front cover. For the back cover, a little more decorative tape to add a bit of interest. If you don't have a binding machine, use binder rings instead.

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Honey:Love patterned paper,'One of a Kind' layered stickers,Lost and Found 3-Ruby:chipboard elements

See those blank blocks at the top and bottom of the mini album page? Here's how I decided to kick it up a notch...add more MME paper to the project!

I printed enough pages to record my thoughts for two years, but left some pages unembellished so that I can add other MME collections to my mini album as new collections are released.

 

DESIGN TIP | When adding paper that needs to fit within a block, my go-to adhesive is a glue stick, which gives me just a bit of time to wiggle the paper around until it's in just the position it needs to be in.

Supplies Lost & Found 3-Ruby:Floral patterned paper,Lost & Found 3-Oliver:Mixed Floral patterned paper;The Sweetest Thing -Honey: 'Perfect' Flawless patterned paper;The Sweetest Thing-Tangerine: 'Happy' Sunny patterned paper, 'Hello' Wishes patterned paper;The Sweetest Thing-Lavender:'Reasons Why' Swatch patterned paper,'Fabulous' Berries patterned paper;Lucky in Love:Multi Stripe patterned paper

Here's another peek at the Right Now mini book and the link to the mini album page template for you to download. Just print the file on your favorite 8.50 x 11 piece of cardstock and trim to size. 

I would adore seeing how you used the download for your own mini album project posted to our Facebook page, so please share!

For some reason we can not get the download to work today. Just CLICK HERE if it isn't working for you below!

Pinspiration Wednesday

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

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

This month Suzanne and Ronda are joining us. Here's what they came up with. Enjoy and have a lovely, creative day!

Inspiration Piece: Juliana Michaels

Suzanne's version:

Supplies: Lost and Found 3-Ruby: Floral Glitter patterned paper, Pink Lace patterned paper,Collage Stripe patterned paper,Glitter Stripe patterned paper,Ruby Medallion patterned paper,decorative brads,decorative buttons,chipboard accents,sticker sheet;Misc:adhesive,sewing machine and thread,doily,die cut machine

Suzanne says:I loved the following scrapbook page from Juliana. One thing that drew me to the page was her design using many different patterns of paper. I loved her creative use of the papers, and the many layers she created within the page.

I am normally a one picture type of gal, so this was another element that drew me to her page.

I tried to mimic her use of the various papers to showcase my little girl.

The different layers added a soft element to my page, which complimented my sweet photo.I also added a doily to my page. A perfect detail on a girl page.

I also was inspired by the cluster of buttons & brads, and used buttons from the lost & found 3 Ruby collection on the right side of the page. 

Inspiration Piece: Mary Ann Jenkins

Ronda's version:

Supplies:Lost and Found 3-Oliver:Garden Gate patterned paper,Bingo Glittered patterned paper,Blue Quatrefoil embossed paper,Lace Fan patterned paper,Blue Lace patterned paper,decorative brads,decorative tape   ;Lost and Found 3-Ruby:Medallion patterned paper,Honeycomb embossed patterned paper,Collage Stripe patterned paper,Grey Quatrefoil paper,decorative tape,enamel dots,stickers   ;The Sweetest Thing-Tangerine:'Together' Chevron patterned paper,buttons;Misc:American Crafts thickers,adhesive,ink 

 

Ronda says:When strolling through My Mind’s Eye Inspiring Cards & Layouts, Mary Ann’s layout jumped out at me.

I usually condensed in my designs using a lot of white space around the page.

Mary Ann’s page is both beautiful & frightening to me.  I absolutely adore the design but it is out of my scrapbooking safety zone.  That’s the beauty of finding inspiration and challenging yourself, so I stepped outside by comfort level and started creating.

I was drawn to her used of patterned papers in all the polaroids found on the Follow your Heart Be Happy Adorable paper. I decided to use the Sweetest Thing Together Chevron Paper and layer some of the frames from a second sheet to add some dimension. 

Like Mary Ann I chose to use mostly black & white photos, with one exception which became my focal point. 

I love how she used embellishments outside the frames a knew I had to incorporate those elements and add in my own little splatters of ink.

My title is a nod to her use of numbers and really finished off my page.  I love this page and am very happy I pushed myself.  Thanks Mary Ann for such an inspiring page.

Mixed Media with Karen...Lost and Found 3

Good morning everyone! This is Karen Grunberg and I'm here with my December mixed media blog post.

This month, I wanted to have fun with some of the beautiful papers and embellishments in the Lost and Found 3 line.

As I looked through the papers, the labels jumped out at me and gave me the inspiration for my page. So I cut them out and started laying them down in my book. I didn't over-think it, I picked two corners and cut out the two pieces of paper I liked the best. I painted my background a muted gray and glued the papers on the edges.

Supplies:Lost and Found 3-Oliver:Bingo glitter paper,Collage glitter paper,enamel dots,chipboard,stamps,sticker sheet;Lost and Found 3-Ruby:sticker sheet;Lush:black velvet alphas;All is Bright:stamps;Kraft Funday-Everyday Fun:stamps

I then used the sticker sheets and chipboard accents to add some layers and shimmer to my page. I grabbed some contrasting alphas and wrote my main word (free) and started adding more letter stickers.

After adding my title, I also used some of the texture stamps to add a little interest and layering to my background. The gray looked too dull to me and I like the noise and texture the stamps added. I colored the
edges of my page with some black paint and I was done.

The title reads: You are not bound by the labels others have put on you. You are free. Only you choose who you are. Only you.

And here's a closeup that shows you all the beautiful shimmering glitter Lost and Found 3 accessories and papers have:

And there you go, another fun mixed media and collage page. My challenge to you this month is to pull out some paper you love and start playing with it. Don't save them for a special occasion, every single day you
live is a special occasion. Use the supplies you love!

Thanks for letting me share my art and see you next time!

Naomi Part 2

Today we are back to share more beautiful layouts from Naomi Atkins. Make sure to check out yesterday's post (if you haven't yet)!

Thanks for being our December guest designer, Naomi! We love what you came up with!

 

Joy layout

 Supplies: All is Bright:Chevron patterned paper,Christmas Tag patterned paper,chipboard elements,decorative brads,decorative brads,twine;Lost and Found 3:chipboard elements;Misc:sewing machine and thread,doily,American Crafts cardstock,adhesives,letter stickers;Photography:Inspired and Enchanted Photography

 

A Tip from Naomi: I love this vintage Christmas line! I cut some of the details out of the patterned papers and sewed along the lines of some of the chevron patterned paper. I layered the chipboard shapes, and added paper and date stickers underneath the chipboard tag. I sprayed with a but of Mr Huey's as well.

 

My Girl layout

Supplies:Lost and Found 3-Oliver:Yellow Floral patterned paper,Blue Lace patterned paper,Ledger Stripe patterned paper,adornments,chipboard elements,decorative buttons,enamel dots;Misc:sewing machine and thread,doily, American Crafts thickers

 

A Tip from Naomi: I did a lot of stitching and detail cutting of the patterned papers. I hand cut the banner out of paper and decorated and added a title. Last, I added lace under the border of the photo.

 

 Love ,Most of the Time layout

Supplies: Lucky in Love:Cupid's Arrow patterned paper,Multi Stripe patterned paper,Along for the Ride patterned paper,Floral Stripes patterned paper,Chevron patterned paper,6x6 paper pad,stickers;Lost and Found 3-Ruby:decorative tape,buttons;Misc:doily,adhesive,American Crafts thickers,Silhouette Cameo,Kerri Bradford arrow die cut,sewing machine and thread

A Tip from Naomi:I had fun die-cutting the arrows from the different patterned paper and then sewing and layering them to the layout. i also adhered the pictures with some fun strips of washi tape.  

Thanks again, Miss Naomi!

Introducing our December Guest Designer!

Please help us in welcoming Naomi Atkins as our December guest designer. We love Naomi's whimsical and elegant layouts. They always have the perfect amount of "shabby chic" and her photography is amazingly beautiful.

Hello! My name is Naomi Atkins, and I'm so happy to be the guest designer this month for MME! MME has been one of my favorite companies since I fell in love with the first line ever, all the way back to the Wild Asparagus!!! The first time I saw the paper, it was a very new type for scrapbooking paper and I was hooked.

I am a wife to my wonderful husband of ten years, Jonathan, and my five beautiful kids, Katlyn, Elise, Everett, Weston and Camille. I am a photographer and co-owner of Inspired and Enchanted Photography.. it is a second career for me, I spent the eight previous years as a adjunct legal research and writing professor a local college :)

I have never looked back.. I simply love photography and scrapbooking. I currently design for Crate Paper, Gossamer Blue and Freckled Fawn. My first ever scrapbooking layout to be published was the cover of Scrapbook Trends (September)! That was a little bit crazy, but wonderful!

Our website/blog is www.inspiredandenchantedphotography.com and our facebook page is Inspired and Enchanted Photography where we have a TON of our latest work :) We really love vintage, styled photography and we have such a great time doing it!

 

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

A: I had the most fun working with the patterned papers and the chipboard sheets. I LOVE playing with all of the beautiful things that go with the paper collections! I am really loving all of the washi tape as well!

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

A:My favorite line is very hard to pick! I love them all! I seriously have never not liked anything MME has come out with! I really love the lost and found lines. I love the rich, bold hues, as well as the glitter!! I also like the nice thick paper/textures the lines have :)

 

Merry Christmas layout

Supplies:Winter Wonderland: Snowmen patterned paper,Stripes patterned paper,Tags patterned paper,chipboard elements,decorative brads,decorative buttons,enamel dots,layered stickers,twine;Misc:American Crafts cardstock;doily,adhesives;Photography:Inspired and Enchanted Photography. 

Tip from Naomi: I strung the twine through all of the specialty buttons.Then I stitched around the patterned papers like a frame. As a final touch I added the enamel dots to the hand cut border at the bottom.

 

First Kiss layout

Supplies:Lost and Found 3-Ruby:Red Floral patterned paper,Collage Strip patterned paper,Medallion patterned paper,6x6 paper pad,decorative chipboard,decorative brads,decorative buttons,stamps;Misc:Zing
embossing powder (white),machine stitching;Photography:Inspired and Enchanted Photography

Tip from Naomi:This layout was fun because I stamped and embossed all of the doilies at random places on a dark piece of cardstock. I then cut it out into a heart shape, and layered embellishments all around it.

 

Aren't these layouts so beautiful? We love what Naomi came up with and can't wait to share three more layouts with you tomorrow.

Make sure to stop by again then!

Thank You (a Veteran's Day layout)

Happy Friday, y'all! This is Stephanie and today I'm here to talk about something very near and dear to my heart.

As most of you probably know, Sunday is Veteran's Day.

I happen to be married to a veteran. My husband has served this country since 1997 when he attended West Point. He has now deployed eight times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

He has lost many friends and many colleagues. He has served selflessly. He has missed years of his children's lives and sacrificed many luxuries. And he has done all of this not expecting anything in return. As have all the men and women that have served this amazing country throughout the years.

And I will never stop telling him thank you. I will never stop telling all of our servicemen and servicewomen thank you.

Supplies: Lost and Found 3-Ruby:Grey Quatrefoil paper;Lost and Found 3-Oliver:Lace Fan patterned paper,chipboard elements,decorative tape;The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell:layered stickers,decorative brads,The Sweetest Thing-Honey:layered stickers;The Sweetest Thing-Tangerine:chipboard elements;Misc:American Crafts thickers,adhesive,precision pen

This is a pretty straightforward design. I used Lost and Found 3-Oliver and The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell to form a cluster of elements under my photo.

Something fun and simple I did (I am NOT a technique-y person but I do like to add details to my layouts) is embellish the gold chipboard piece with designer tape.I cut the tape to form an "arrow" on the chipboard".

But to me, the reason behind this layout was the journaling. It reads:

10 years ago I knew I was proud of you. But I never could have imagined the pride I feel today. Thank you for being my hero. Thank you for your selflessness and bravery. Thank you for doing what I'm not strong enough to do. Thank you for your service. Thank God for you coming home safe.

Are you wondering how you can show your gratitude today? Well...the easiest way is to simply say "thank you" to someone that serves our country. A "thank you" and a handshake is so very meaningful.

If you don't know anyone you can thank in person, there are many wonderful charities and services that can convey your gratitude.

Wounded Warrior Project

Fisher House Foundation

Special Operations Warrior Foundation

National Military Family Association

Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust

and countless others. Please click here to read more. I can tell you firsthand that these charities change peoples lives. I have seen it happen and I believe in the power of giving with all of my heart.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. And please make sure to thank a veteran on Monday.