My Mind's Eye Blog

Wood Veneer…the Multi-Tasker

Hi all, this is Tonya with you here today. With the release of the Record It collection came a new embellishment from My Mind's Eye, wood veneer. After seeing this video by the über talented Jennifer McGuire on how to achieve the look of letterpress using your wood veneer I decided I had to give it a go! These first three cards were all made using the same piece of wood veneer.

The first card I kept very simple and basic. Since I used just the bare wood veneer with plain watercolor paper I really didn't want anything to over power the all white letterpress panel.

Supplies: Record It- Just Splendid: 6x6 Decorative Paper Pad, Decorative Tape, Enamel Wood Dots, Journaling Kit

For this next card I inked up the front of the wood veneer with a soft sea foam green pigment ink and then around the edges I inked it again using a darker teal color. Then ran it through my die cutting machine on a piece of watercolor paper.

 

Supplies: Record It-Just Splendid: 6x6 Decorative Paper Pad, Decorative Tapes, Journaling Kit Cut & Paste-Presh: "Noted" Enamel Dots Lime Twist- Fly A Kite "Spring" twine

 

This next card is the result of the wood veneer after it had been inked up for the previous card. I just let the pigment inks dry for a couple of hours before handling the card. I backed the open heart with some lime green glitter. That little strip of connected hearts was fussy cut out of one of the journaling cards in the journaling kit.

 

Supplies: Record It-Just Splendid: 6x6 Decorative Paper Pad, Journaling Kit Cut & Paste-Presh: "Noted" Enamel Dots

 

 

I have one last card for you. I made this one a while ago for a friend's birthday. To achieve the look on this wood veneer piece I first used watercolor paints to apply color to the veneer. After that dried I ran it through my Xyron machine to evenly apply a thin layer of adhesive to the front of the wooden piece. Lastly a layer of glitter on top for the final look! It really changes the look of the wood and makes it a sight to behold!

 

Supplies: Record It-Just Splendid:  6x6 Decorative Paper Pad, Journaling Kit Cut & Paste-Presh: Right Now "Hashtag" paper Lime Twist: Fly a Kite "Everyday" twine

 

 

I am loving the versatility of wood veneer. It's one of those products that can really be used over and over before it is committed to it's final project. You can keep it raw and organic or you can add some pizazz with colors and glitter. I think the possibilities really are endless!

 

Tonya

Mix and Match with Karen | May 2014 Edition

Hi everyone!

This is Karen, back with a Mix and Match for May. This month, I decided I really wanted to use the wood 4x6 piece from the Just Splendid line of Record It! I just love those pieces and I wanted to see if I could make a layout around one.

Lately, I've been having a love affair with washi tapes. I like the ease and variety, so I grabbed some and just lay it on my page vertically instead of the usual horizontal layouts I make:


Once I had the washi tape, I decided to cut the bottom off the Celebrate wood piece and attach it to the side and the rest of the layout came together much more quickly:


You can find the journaling here.

Here's a closeup of the title section. I can't remember the last time I wrote my title sideways. It was unusual for me and I thought about it for a long time, but I think I like it in the end:

For the bottom section, I grabbed my second favorite cards from the Record It! line, the transparencies. I grabbed the heart one and cut around the white section so it was in the shape of a heart and not rectangular. I then attached it to my photo. The sticker from the Now and Then line gave me a non-transparent spot so I could put the glue under there. I also stitched on top of it to make sure it wasn't going anywhere.

On the opposite page, I wanted to do a little tie-in. Usually I use washi tape to connect my two pages, but I wanted to see how little I could do while still maintaining the feeling that the two were part of a whole. So I added some wood pieces, some of the same colors and some of the glittery silver.  And then stitched around the whole layout as if it were a 12x12.


And there we go. That's my page for May. Some wood, some transparency, some glitter and a lot of moments to celebrate.

Have you used the wood 4x6s yet? If so, I'd love to see some of your pages!

Card Duo

Hey everyone!!  Lea here today with another couple of cards to share with you today!  I don't know about you, but I am SO ready for Spring.  I am ready for warmth, long & lazy days, sunshine & blue skies.  Considering I live in Fargo, ND...I think I've got a bit of a wait on my hands before that is my reality.  Lol! 

 

While I am waiting for the warmth to set in around here, I've chosen some fresh & light colors and super fun patterns from the Record It! "Just Splendid" collection.  I seriously love how whimsical and fun everything is, and I've paired it with some embellishments & stickers from the Now & Then collections!!

While both cards are fairly simple in nature, I chose to pop a lot of the elements up off the base of the card using foam adhesive.  I love the added dimension that this gave to each of the card.  To make the cards feel cohesive, I diecut a bracketed label from woodgrain paper, cut it in half and used it on both cards.

Supplies:Record It!-Just Splendid:  cardstock journal cards & wood dots, Now and Then :Dorothy,Milo & Izzy-decorative buttons.

For the birthday card, I focused on some of the journaling cards.  I trimmed down the 4x6 card to fit a standard A2 card, then trimmed the 3x4 card so it wouldn't cover the "say cheese" sentiment.  After layering them to the card front (with the bracketed label half)....I found matching buttons for the balloons, thread them with twine & adhered them to the 3x4 journal card.  After that I just added some stickers, a bow & wood dot to complete it!!

Supplies:Record It!-Just Splendid:  6x6 paper pad, cardstock journaling cards & wod dots, Now and Then-Mildred: alpha/word stickers & sticky notes, Now and Then-Dorothy:accent stickers.

For the second card, I focused on the 6x6 paper, and layered strips of it to the bottom & the right side of the woodgrain A2 card base.  I cut out the speech bubbles from a 3x4 journal card, and added them to the top with foam adhesive.  After that I added the other woodgrain bracket label to it, then accented with stickers.  I added the sticky note to the bottom, then accented with wood dots to finish!!

I hope you enjoyed my cards today, and here is hoping that your spring weather is A LOT better than mine.  :)  Have a great start to your week!

Lea

Mini Albums with Stephanie | April 2014 Edition

Supplies: Record It! -Just Splendid:Journaling Pack. 6x6 Paper Pad; Record It! -Here is Happy:Journaling Pack,Enamel Dots; Now & Then -Mildred :Chipboard

Hello!  Stephanie here with you to share this month's mini album!  

My husband and I recently celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary with an overnight getaway.  It was so nice spending some time together and I of course had to document this occasion.  As I was looking through all of the amazing My Mind's Eye collections, the overlays from the Record It! "Here is Happy" Journaling pack popped right out at me and I knew they would be fabulous in a mini album.  I didn't have too many photos from our little trip, so the overlays added a nice visual effect to my book.  Putting this book together is super fast and easy since there is very little trimming or cutting involved!

Let's get started!



1. Start by gathering your supplies.

I am using the overlays from the Record It! "Here is Happy" collection, as well as some journaling cards and 6x6 paper pad from the Record It! "Just Splendid" collection.  I love how versatile the MME products are!  You will also need a hole punch, two pieces of 4x6 chipboard and two book rings.


I printed off five photos from our trip and then paired them with 5 overlays and 5 journaling cards.  I wanted to keep consistency throughout my album, so each spread will be:  journaling card - overlay - photo.  I also grabbed an extra overlay to use as a cover/title for my mini album.  


2. Add your title onto an overlay.

I chose to use the chevron overlay as my cover page and adhered my title "seven" and a wood veneer onto the front.


3. Adhere a 4x6 piece of patterned paper to each piece of your trimmed chipboard.

These two covered pieces will be the front and back of your book.  I trimmed a piece of patterned paper from the "Just Splendid" paper pad to 4x6 for my cover page and used a 4x6 journaling card as my end page.  

Tip |  Save the chipboard that comes in paper packages just for book binding and covers.  The chipboard adds some stability and thickness to the book.**



4. Add your journaling and embellishments and adhere your pages back to back in the journaling - overlay - photo order.


5. Punch holes in your photos, overlays and journaling cards.

Now that your pages are adhered together (with the overlay between the journaling card and photos), you will want to punch two holes on the left hand side of your book.  Be sure each adhered page and overlay is facing in the correct direction to make sure you don't add your hole to the wrong side.

Tip |  To get your holes perfectly centered, grab two 4x6 cards and punch a hole on one side.  Then flip your top card over and punch the second hole, using the first hole as your guide.  This will guarantee your holes will be equal distance from the edges.  See photo above for a better visual.

6. Add your book rings and you are all finished!!

Here's a look at my finished book...


I love the transparent effect of the overlays.  They add so much interest to the photos!!

Thanks so much for joining me today!!  I hope I have inspired you to create a mini album using these awesome overlays!!  Let me know if you have any questions!  Can't wait to see what you create!

Project Life Ⓡ with Shelly | April 2014

Hello everyone! This is Shelly with some Project LifeⓇ inspiration. I am so excited to finally play with some of the new Record It! Just Splendid Collection. It is just so playful and versatile with lots of ledger sides for those times when you have lots to say and lots of graphics for when you want something fun!   

Supplies: Record It!-Just Splendid: Journaling Kit; Now & Then- Izzy: “Dream Big” Alpha/Word Stickers, Now & Then-Dorothy:“The Best” Accent Stickers, Now & Then- Mildred: “Hello” Enamel Dots; Other: Becky Higgins Design A Page Protectors, Date Stamp, Ink, Marker, Bohemian Typewriter Font, Twine, Spiral Notebook Border Punch.


Another fun surprise with the Just Splendid Collection was that it coordinated beautifully with each of the Now & Then Collections. It didn’t matter which one I put in front of my pages, it just seemed to work! Just on this spread alone, I was able to mix in Izzy, Dorothy, and Mildred.

I added a touch of fun with a few enamel dots and an accent sticker. This picture of my son playing in the backyard had lots of white space, literally, for the “You Rock” sticker. I have to say, I wanted to do this with one of my pictures, but I never seem to have enough open space to pull it off. Note to self: Take more of these shots!

I also played with the journaling cards to make them my own. I do this on my layouts, but have never done this for my project life cards. This go around, I had the right amount of open space on the top of “the Details” card that I needed to fill it in with something. I went the tag route and ended up loving it so much, that after looking at the mint ledger card, I pulled out my spiral notebook border punch to change that card up too.

As an adult, I know it can be a little redundant to say “Best Day Ever,” but to my little ones, it is a different story. I hear this phrase come out of their mouths on a regular basis, which just puts a smile on my face. It is nice to know that they are happy with their day, isn’t it?!

When I came across the “Best Day Ever” card, I knew this particular card would be the perfect match for this particular day. It also gave me lots of room to journal about that day too, double bonus.

I love the woodgrain card that I used as my title card, so I repeated that look with the 3x4 label woodgrain card. I simply added an enamel heart and word stickers to dress it up. I am pretty sure those word stickers are my most used embellishment from the MME Collections when it comes to my Project LifeⓇ pages.

Thanks for taking time out of your day to stop by. I know I say this each and every time I post, but don’t forget to link us up if you have had a chance to play with any of the amazing Record It! Collections.  That way we can “oh” and “awe” over your craftiness with them!

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Collection Spotlight | Record It! - Just Splendid and Follow Your Heart

Hey there, everyone!  It’s Missy here today.  Have you had a chance to play with any of the new Record It lines yet?  They are simply amazing!  They are each so different, and you can really use them for just about any project. 

 

I love using the small journaling cards on layouts.  I treat them like little pieces of patterned paper.  For this layout, I used the Just Splendid and Follow Your Heart collections. 

 

The only patterned paper I used was from the Just Splendid 6x6 paper pad, and I cut out those arrows on the right side.  The rest is cards and embellishments.

 

Supplies : Record It Just Splendid: 6x6 paper pad, Cardstock & Wood Veneer Journaling Cards, Decorative Tapes.  Record It Follow Your Heart: Cardstock & Overlay Journaling Cards, Decorative Tapes, Enamel Dots.  Now & Then- Mildred: “Girls” Decorative Brads, Decorative Buttons, Alpha & Word Stickers.  Now &Then-Dorothy: “Lovely Day” Smile Flair Pins. Cut & Paste- Flair: Decorative Stamps.  Sweetest Thing: Decorative Stamps.  Other: Cardstock, thread, pop dots, watercolors, StazOn ink, Stampabilities Ink, Recollections Date Stamp.

 

This patterned paper is one of my favorites!  I decided to cut each chevron/arrow out and have it pointing towards the photo.  I lightly inked and distressed the edges.

 

 

These overlays may be my ultimate favorite from the Follow Your Heart line…oh my!  They are gorgeous.  I used two of them, and I love that they’re transparent yet have loads of gorgeous color!  I layered them slightly, but you can still see the color they provide.

 

 I cut this cute camera out and added some watercolor to it.  I think the enamel dots are just the perfect touch, too.  I raised it up so I could add some tangled thread underneath.  You can see more of the overlay here as well.

 

 This “Say Cheese” piece was cut from one of the journaling cards.  It’s just so cute!  I had to use more of the enamel dots, some of the brads and buttons…they are all just too bright and colorful and go so perfectly with everything!  I love adding the little pieces at the end.

 

Here you can see some of the watercolor.  I wanted to add in more pink, and watercolors do that perfectly.  I also added in some of the older stamps.  Sometimes they add that one little thing that seems missing in a certain spot.

 

 So don’t be afraid of trying out all those journaling cards on a layout.  They actually help it come together quickly because they’re pre-cut and ready to use.  They are easy to layer and tuck behind photos, and they’re easy to fussy cut.  The possibilities are endless!

 

Thanks for stopping by today!

 

 

 

Mini Albums with Stephanie | March 2014 Edition

Hi everyone! Stephanie back with you to share this month's mini album. I love the new Record It! collections. The journaling kits are perfect for just about any project! Today, I wanted to share a fun way to use those journaling cards to create an accordion mini album.  

Supplies needed:
MME Record It! Just Splendid Journaling Kit
MME Record It! Just Splendid Decorative Tape
White cardstock
Corner rounder
Adhesive
Bone folder


1. Start by gathering your supplies.

As I mentioned, I'm using the Record It! Just Splendid journaling kit as the main base of my album. I will be using the wood veneer cards as the front and back of my book. They are super thick and sturdy and will stand as a great base to the accordion book. I also pulled some of my favorite journaling cards from this pack! The colors are just so fun and happy...you really can't go wrong!



2. Trim two pieces of cardstock to 4x12 inches.  

3. Score your card stock a little larger than 4 inches.  \

Repeat the scoring for the remainder of your trimmed paper. You will have one section on each piece that is a little smaller than 4 inches. You will use these two smaller pieces to connect the strips of paper together.

**Note: Feel free to add in additional strips of paper for a longer accordion album.  There are no rules here!  :)**


4.Using a corner rounder, round your corners to match the corners of the journaling cards. The journaling cards will be covering this section, so don't worry if they don't match up exactly!

5. Adhere your two strips of scored cardstock together.  

Use the two sections that are smaller than 4 inches and try to make the combined section roughly the same as the other sections. Your two pieces of paper will not line up perfectly. That's ok. You will cover this section with either a card or photo, so it will not be seen.


6. Create a cover for your accordion mini book.

I trimmed the journaling card that had a pie chart on it and added it to the back of the wood veneer card.  I love the starburst effect that the circle has peeking out of the open heart!  You can add a different journaling card, a photo or journaling in this section.
 

7. Adhere your cover to the front section of your accordion album.  

I also used the additional wood veneer card included in this pack as a back cover (not pictured). Adhere the back wood veneer as you did for the front.


8. Choose your favorite journaling cards and add them into a few sections of your album.  Save a few places for photos.
 

9.Trim out several sections of the journaling cards.  

These fun sentiments and journaling labels make the perfect embellishments and journaling spots for your photos.
 

10. Print your photos at 3x4 inches and round your corners.

11.  Add your trimmed embellishments and some washi tape for fun pops of color.



12. Fold and enjoy!

Thanks so much for joining me today! This little accordion album is so fun to put together and would make the perfect card or gift! I hope I have inspired you to create one for yourself or a loved one!! As always, let me know if you have any questions.

Tanya Part Two

Yesterday we introduced you to our March guest designer, Tanya Privlova. If you missed yesterday's post make sure to check it out. We shared some beautiful projects by Tanya.

Today we have the rest of her work. We know you'll love it as much as we do. Thank you again, Tanya!

 

 

 

Enjoy your Wednesday. Thanks for stopping by!

Don't Get Pinched - Scrap Green!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  In honor of this Irish holiday, I decided to create a green layout.  Usually green is a pretty tough color for me to scrap.  I dug through some of the new collections and came up with a variety of different greens to use on this design.

 

I decided to use some summer pool photos to make this even more of a challenge.  I started with one of the new Record It “Charmed” Word Art pieces.  I decided to cut the word “charm” out and use that as part of my title.  I love the font, and it went perfectly with the St. Patty’s theme even though my layout isn’t about that at all. 

 

Next, I dug into the Now & Then Milo collection and found a green & white polka dotted paper (“Inspired” Forest).  From there, I layered in many other green pieces.  I decided to tie in gold as well, which reminds me of the pot at the end of the rainbow.

Supplies: Record It! Collection: “Charmed” Word Art Ready to Frame Prints, “Pretty Things” Journaling Card Kit, Charmed Decorative Tapes, Pretty Things Decorative Tapes, Just Splendid Decorative Tapes, “Charmed” Enamel Dots; Now & Then Collection: Milo Papers—“Inspired” Forest, “Little Things” Doilies; Milo “Little Things” Label Stickers, Decorative Brads, “Inspired” Enamel Dots, “This Week” Enamel Shapes; Mildred “Oh Happy Day” Chipboard Elements, Decorative Buttons; Misc: gesso, pop dots, Martha Stewart Course Glitter Acrylic Paint, cord, thread, white Gelly Roll pen, Staz On Ink, Target Alpha Stamps, Sharpie black pen, transparency paper.

 

The Record It Journaling Card Kits are amazing!  I like to use these on layouts, and this one with the cut out hearts was perfect.  I backed it with green paper.  I added some blue decorative tape, some cord and a small piece from the Milo Decorative Brads topped with a gold enamel dot. 

 

The fussy cut title is my favorite part of this page!  I went over the gold with some gold glitter paint for some added sparkle, and then added in some tangled gold thread.  You can see how I also used gesso to create a faded look around the photos and papers.  I think doing this with a busy background helps the design pop and not be too distracting.  And plus it’s fun to get messy and create a not-so-perfect look!  Part of scrapping is making it look homemade, right? 

 

More gold pieces!  These chipboard shapes are from the Now & Then Mildred line.  I added more gold glitter paint inside the oval frame and then layered the heart on top of it.  Some tangled thread finishes it off.

I hope this inspires you to go green and create something that won't get you pinched!!!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful Monday!

 

 

 

March Challenge!

Hi!  Tina here today with the March Challenge!  Tapes! Use 3 or more tapes in a project.

I adore decorative tape! Tape can be used on a multitude of projects and is always the perfect little touch.

For the challenge this month, I challenged myself to create a layout using mostly tapes. Once I had an idea in mind, the layout design/creation took no time at all. Here's how I created my layout, using 6 different decorative tapes from the new Record It! collections.

To start, I drew a loose rectangle in the center of my paper.  I also (using a t-square) sectioned off several areas where I wanted to place the tape.


Using a black and white pen, I doodled on each tape, using the tape design as a guide.  This really added a  whimsical and unique look to the tape.


Draw another loose rectangle around the tape section.  This will act as a frame around the tape. Embellish and color the frame with paint markers.


Add a journal card (that is also doodled), 1/2 of a doily, and a title and you are done!

Supplies:Decorative Tapes (Just Splendid, Here is Happy), Journaling Kit (Just Splendid) ;Misc: Cardstock:  American Crafts Pen: Scarlet Lime, Uniball, Sakura Markers: Montana Markers Chipboard Alphas: Pink Paislee Stickers: Prima Doily: Knot & Bow Adhesive - Tombow

Easy, quick, and really fun!

So there you have it. My take on the challenge. Can you use 3 or more decorative tapes on a layout? Show us how! Here are the rules.

1. You can submit a layout,card,album,altered item,etc.

2. The project must consist of mainly MME. It must "look" like a MME project. :) It must fit the theme.

3. The project must be created new for this challenge. You may only submit one project.

4. Upload the project to the InLinkz link tool at the end of this post by the end of the day on Monday,March 31.

5. A random winner will be chosen and announced with the March challenge on Tuesday, April 1.

 

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!