My Mind's Eye Blog

Mix and Match with Karen | November Edition

Hi everyone!

This is Karen, back with a Mix and Match for November. I am still continuing with my 6x12 theme as they are making me happy. This month, I decided to mix and match the Cut and Paste and Find Your Wings and Fly lines and sprinkled a few embellishments from Lost and Found 3. For this layout, I just created a simple layered effect where I lined up the papers I liked and added my photo in the middle.

Here's what I ended up with:


Overall, I think this is a simple layout and just shows how seamlessly the My Mind's Eye lines work together. But, I wanted to point out a few little things that might be interesting for you to try. On this layout, I had a little space around my title and since it was segmented well by the different patterned papers, I decided to try and journal right around my title:


It clearly wouldn't work if you had long journaling, but it's a quick, simple and visually-different look to have in your list of options.

The other thing I wanted to point out is all the stitching. I think one of the fun ways to add dimension to your pages is to use stitching. And if you want to experiment even further, you can use different types of stitches. On this layout, I wanted the stitching between layers to be more prominent so I used a zigzag stitch. If you wanted just texture and nothing else, you can also use a transparent (or a color that matches
your paper) thread. This would give you a texture but would not distract the way my black thread does. I also stitch right through my chipboard elements.


If you haven't experimented with stitching, I highly recommend it. It's something I love to do on all my layouts.

That's it from me this month, thank you for letting me share and I'd love to see some of the layouts you've worked on this month so please link me up in the comments!

Color Inspiration

 

 

Welcome to the August edition of Color Inspiration! Each month I select an image, email it to a couple of MME designers, and ask them to show us a project inspired by the image.

This month Tamara and Danni are joining us. Enjoy- and please feel free to join in! Link your interpretations in the comment section below!

original source

 

Sparkle by Tamara

Supplies: Collectable - Remarkable: Dates patterned paper, Adorable patterned paper, Daily patterned paper, brad, title; Collectable - Notable: journal card; Collectable - Unforgettable: decorative tape; Find Your Wings and Fly: sticker and alpha/letter stickers; Lost and Found 3 - Oliver: decorative tape (yellow and blue); All is Bright; decorative tape (red); Lush: red chipboard alpha; Misc: white cardstock, black ink, pen, and thread, glitter glue, red, blue, and gold ink spray.

Tamara says:The fresh, bright colors of this color inspiration reminded me of a summer party.  I had just taken some pictures of my kids and their cousins playing with sparklers at our family 24th of July Celebration (also called Pioneer Day in Utah, commemorating the founding of our state on July 24, 1847). It is almost as big as the 4th of July around here, complete with BBQ's and parades, and fireworks.  I resized my photos into two "filmstrips" so I could easily fit 8 photos on my layout.

I wanted to capture the bursts of light emanating from the sparklers on my page.  I used red, blue, and yellow spray inks to echo the look of sparklers and a celebration.  I also hand cut the starburst shapes and the "24" out of the Collectable - Remarkable collection.  I used glitter glue to accent the letters, starbursts, title, and "24".

I used decorative tapes along the side of my page.  I used two strips of the yellow to create a wider chevron pattern. I layered the starbursts around my page to echo the sparklers.

 

Hello Card by Danni

Supplies:  Find Your Wings and Fly Sky's The Limit: Tiled, Flowers For You, Up and Away and Layered Ephemera patterned papers, Find Your Wings and Fly Up and Away chipboard and enamel dots;Misc:Cameo Silhouette sentiment, Bazzill cardstock and Tim Holtz mini staples

Danni says:Good morning, Danni here with you today to share a card for this month's GORGEOUS color inspiration.  I love every last bit of this color inspiration piece and know that you too.  I chose to use the Find Your Wings and Fly line of gorgeous papers and embellies for this card, and I love how soft and beautiful the patterns are together.

I love to layer, however the patterns in this line are so beautiful I wanted them to showcase along with a fun chipboard and some enamel dots.  I can not wait to see what everyone will create with this gorgeous color inspiration.

Winter Layout and Card- FREE digital file!

Happy Tuesday, MME fans! Today Danni and Tina are here to share a winter themed layout and card.

Enjoy and stay warm!

A Little Hello by Danni Reid

Supplies: Collectable: 6 x 6 pad, chipboard sentiment,brads;Misc:Cameo cut,white cardstock

Danni says: I love that winter MAY be coming to an end and a hello card celebrating cute snowmen in tape measure patterns and a fun sentiment is just the kind of wintery card I can get into right now.  I love the beautiful patterns in this pad, a lot of fun blues, deep reds, yellows, everything fun and wintery.

The brads from the Collectable line are so cute and make me so happy.  These brads added a perfect amount of embellishment to the snowmen without a taking away from the cute patterns.

I cut my snowmen paper on my Cameo and lined them with a sheet of the multi stripe tape measure paper.  I love how stylish it makes them feel, not so wintery and coooold!

Winter Fun by Tina Walker

Supplies:Lost and Found 3-Oliver:Blue Quatrefoil Embossed' Paper,‘Lace Fan’ Pape,‘Blue Lace’ Paper,‘Honey Embossed’ Paper,12x12 Chipboard,decorative tape,enamel dots,decorative brads,buttons

Tina says:Tina here today with a heritage layout featuring ME, during a winter in Wisconsin, circa 1967.  Lost & Found 3 Oliver is great for heritage and vintage themed layouts, and especially for winter layouts with its icy blues, yellows, and greys.

I wanted my title to coordinate with the rest of my winter layout, so I cut my title from a sheet of the Blue Lace paper, and cut a second title from a sheet of gold foil paper.  I offset the top title from the bottom title so that the gold foil paper would peek from behind, and adhered the title to the layout with foam tape.  The gold really makes the title stand out and coordinate with the  gold glitter embellishments.

As an added bonus, we are sharing the digital file for the title below, so you are welcome to use this on your own winter themed layouts.

TO DOWNLOAD THE CUT FILE, CLICK HERE

Enjoy!!!

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!

Valentine's Day Frame by Jana

Hello everyone! Jana here today. Valentine's Day is such a beautiful holiday. It's a time to express your love to those who are closest to you. I like to sprinkle soft, romantic touches around our home to remind my family how much I love them.

However, I needed something to brighten up our kitchen counter. Something romantic, soft and beautiful. That's where the My Mind's Eye Lost & Found 3 Ruby collection came into play.

 

Supplies:Lost & Found 3-Ruby:Red Floral patterned paper,Pink Lace pattered paper,Medallion patterned paper,enamel dots

 

I found an abandoned white frame in our closet and decided to create a dimensional art piece. I used my electronic die cutting machine to cut out the graduated hearts in different Ruby papers.

The hardest part was deciding which of the beautiful patterns I was going to use! I stacked the hearts together and then used my sewing machine to zig zag stitch down the center. Next, I folded up the layers of the hearts and used pop dots as spacers in between each layer.

 

I created a folded banner and added a calligraphy sentiment (also cut out with my die cutting machine). I used pop dots to attach the banner to the frame.

Finally, I used the enamel dots in a few spots to look like paint droplets. I love how this came together! Easy and beautiful. And definitely something that can be replicated for any type of holiday.

 

Thanks for coming by today!

 

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!

Introducing our January Guest Designer!

Please help us welcome Gina Rodgers to the MME team for the month of January!

We discovered Gina when we realized we had been pinning a LOT of her layouts. She has an amazingly cool and artsy style. We know you will love what she has to share this week.

 

Hi there, I'm thrilled to be guest designing for MME this month! I live in Tasmania, Australia with my partner Mark and our two gorgeous teens Rhiannon and Jemma. 

I've been scrapping for almost 6 years now and just love the creative journey this hobby is taking me on. I've been a big fan of MME products for a long time so this is dream come true!. I always struggle to define my style but I guess it could be described as fairly detailed with while still maintaining quite a lot  of white space.. 

I like to build up layers and play around with paint, mists and other mediums to add texture to my layouts. I design for a few companies including ScrapFriends (Australia) Citrus Twist Kits (USA) and I'm also a Jenni Bowlin Studio Ambassador.

You can keep up with Gina through her wonderful BLOG.

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

A:I loved working with the Lost & Found 3: Oliver as the rich, warm colours really appealed to me...and how much fun are the enamel dots in both the Oliver and Ruby lines? I think I am addicted!

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

A:It's very hard to narrow it down to one favourite, but I had so much fun creating with The Sweetest Thing 'Bluebell' collection, in particular the gorgeous mix of blues, yellow and neutrals.

 

Always and Forever

Supplies: Lost & Found 3-Oliver:Collage patterned paper,Mixed Floral patterned paper,6x6 paper pad,decorative brads,chipboard elements,decorative tape,enamel dots,decorative buttons,sticker accessory sheet,stamps

Gina says:I created this page using one my favourite photos of my girls spending time together. The message is a simple one but I wanted them to know how much they mean to me.I've layered papers, tape, stickers and also some 'decorative buttons' packaging behind the photo. 

 

 

A Special Kind of Friendship

Supplies:Lost & Found 3-Oliver:Yellow Floral patterned paper,6x6 paper pad,decorative tape,enamel dots,decorative brads,sticker accessory sheet,decorative buttons,chipboard elements

Gina says:Here is a second layout using the gorgeous 'Oliver' line and it's of my eldest daughter and a friend.I've used some banner style chipboard elements under the photo and double stitched them in place. 

The cotton scraps have been used under a couple under of buttons to add texture to the layout.

How AWESOME is Gina? We are so happy to have her joining us this month! Check back tomorrow for two more equally stunning layouts.

Thanks so much for coming by today!

Details by Jana

Happy Wednesday guys! So glad you stopped by today, Jana has a pretty layout to share with you all!

Oh- and make sure you enter all of the fun giveaways from the past week.

Collectable 1

Collectable 2

Designer Tapes

My Girl/Boy Crazy

 

Details by Jana Eubank

 

Supplies: Lost and Found 3-Oliver:Yellow Honey Embossed Paper, Collage Glitter Paper, Yellow Floral Paper, White Floral Paper, Mixed Floral Glitter Paper, Ledger Stripe Paper, Adornments, 12 x 12 Chipboard, 12 x 12 Sticker Sheet

Jana says:One thing that I LOVE about the Lost and Found 3 collection is all of the textures. This collection not only has embossed papers, but check out the glittered papers, glittered chipboard pieces, metal accents, and soft trims. I tried to incorporate all of these different textures on this page.

I wanted to use the square artisan chipboard shape in two places on this page … I used my scissors to cut it into two pieces and tucked the raw edge of each piece behind my photos.  I also handcut a few flowers from the Mixed Floral Glitter paper, and then added the white lace trim underneath the bottom edge of the striped pattern paper strip.

 

Doilies!

NOTE: There will not be a challenge posted today. there will be a challenge halfway through the month, and the special Gossamer Blue contest/challenge at the end of the month.

I will post the sketch challenge winner later today. Thanks!

Today Tamara is sharing some inspiration on how to use our adhesive doilies. Enjoy!

Supplies:Lost and Found 3-Oliver:Blue Quatrafoil Embossed patterned paper, stickers, brads, decorative tape, layered stickers;The Sweetest Thing-Honey:chipboard and decorative tape;The Sweetest Thing- Bluebell:decorative tape;Indie Chic-Citron:Tangerine patterned paper;Misc: White cardstock, blue thread, black ink and pen, frame printed from from CSI pdf

Tamara says:I created this layout as a guest designer for CSI (Colors, Stories, Inspiration). I incorporated many elements from their "Case File" assignment: the colors - teal, yellow, orange, gray, and white, doily pattern, transparent elements, and framed journaling. It was fun to use this case file as inspriation and try out a color combination with design elements I hadn't thought of. It also worked perfectly with this recent portrait of my daughter.

The fabulous Lost and Found Oliver line already had the teal, grey and yellow color palette I needed (I especially LOVE the embossed Quatrafoil paper).

I added a touch of orange from the Indie Chic collection. I used the fabulous doily stickers and brads running along the right side of my layout. For the transparent element, I used the decorative tapes from The Sweetest Thing. I love the translucent quality of the tape, it reminds me of vellum.

Happy New Year!

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!