My Mind's Eye Blog

Classroom Valentines

We’re celebrating Valentine’s Day all week here on the blog. You are in for a treat! Today we have some ideas for Valentines to share with the whole class. These DIY Valentines are sure to stand-out and be a hit with your child’s classmates. 

 

Supplies: Now & Then “Dorothy" 6x6 paper pad and Now & Then “Mildred" 6x6 paper pad. Other: Silhouette Cameo (font: No. Seven) and cardstock.

 

This gem design is totally girly, but what kid—boy or girl—doesn’t love Ring Pops? When making Valentines like this in bulk, I like to keep it simple. Just a couple die cuts layered on top of one another.

 

I used my Silhouette Cameo for all three of these ideas. I flipped through my My Mind’s Eye 6x6 designer paper pads to match up some coordinating papers. I know I say it all the time, but I really love the 6x6 size pads, especially when I’m die cutting.

 

And here you go, this “You Rock!” one is more boyish. I picked papers that I thought would coordinate well with the candy packaging.These papers were pulled from the Now & Then collection (still my all time favorite My Mind’s Eye collection).

 

Supplies:  Now & Then “Izzy" 6x6 paper pad and Jubilee Tangerine “Awesome” enamel dots. Other: Silhouette Cameo (font: Contour Generator) and cardstock.

 

Maybe you’re not into giving your kids more candy on holidays like this—this pencil one might be more your style. I decided to use just one layer of paper for this one, but you could easily add a solid color behind the text. I like how the red sparkly pencil shows through. These three projects are all so easy to throw together and have that special handmade touch.

 

Supplies: Just Sayin’ 6x6 paper pad and Market Street "Ashbury Heights" 6x6 paper pad. Other: Silhouette Cameo (font: Days).

 

Because you all are so awesome, I made a .png file for you with these three designs. You can convert them to cutting files and use them for your own personal use. You can download the file HERE !!!

 

*This file is free for personal use only and is not to be distributed or republished.*

 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Valentine's Layout for Siblings

It’s February and with Valentine’s Day about a week away I’ll give you one guess as to what my layout is about.

Yep! You guessed it—LOVE. But not the mushy, kiss kiss romantic kinda love—it’s a layout about sibling love.

Supplies: My Mind’s Eye Jubilee Wild Berry 6x6 pad and Sherbet 6x6 pad. My Mind’s Eye Now & Then Milo 6x6 pad. My Mind’s Eye Jubilee Wild Berry “Today” enamel shapes and Wild Berry “Life” enamel dots. Other: Silhouette Cameo (font: No. Seven) and kraft cardstock.

I knew I wanted a layout with a bunch of photos. So I gathered twelve photos of my two cute subjects together and turned them all black and white to unify them. I just love black and white photos. Always have, always will. You can’t go wrong with black and white photos, kraft paper, and pops of color. It’s always winning combination in my opinion.



How cute are those conversation hearts!? You can find them in the Silhouette store. I picked four different patterned papers from a variety of My Mind’s Eye's 6x6 paper pads. I love the smaller scale of the patterns when I’m die cutting shapes. Also, I can load all four of these papers onto my cutting mat at the same time and get all my cutting done with one loading of the mat.



I finished the layout off with some enamel dots and hearts and colored stitching. Usually I stitch with either black thread or white thread, but with the black and white photos I thought a pop of color would be fun.


The countdown to Valentine’s Day has begun. Happy Friday everyone!

Product Spotlight | Brads

Hello! It’s Valerie here today with a couple layouts featuring My Mind’s Eye’s fun decorative brads. 

 

Supplies: Market Street :“Nob Hill” Streamer paper. Jubilee Tangerine 6x6 pad, Jubilee Tangerine “Fantastic” chipboard elements, Jubilee Tangerine mixed bag. Necessities decorative brads: Teals, Blues, Reds, and Black & Gray. Other: Silhouette Cameo (font: Intro), baker’s twine, and black mist.

 

First up is this layout about my son’s obsession with Legos and The Lego Movie. This layout was inspired by all the awesome string art that’s floating around Pinterest these days. Usually this art uses a wood board and nails, but I wanted to see if I could incorporate this onto a layout.

 

Brads made a perfect replacement for nails. I set up my layout using the Silhouette Studio software. Instead of cutting the “L” out, I placed teeny tiny circles at all the corners where I’d be poking a brad through and then deleted the “L” outline so just the holes for the brads would be cut.

 

Once all my brads were in place, I just wound some baker’s twine around the brads.

 

 

For this next  layout, I made a repeating pattern and incorporated the brads into the pattern.

 

Supplies:Jubilee-Wild Berry “Hey You” Gardens paper. Decorative brads from Jubilee Mint Julep, Jubilee Wild Berry, Jubilee Sherbet, Now & Then Milo, and Now & Then Mildred. Other: American Crafts white cardstock, Silhouette Cameo, and Studio Calico alpha stamps.

 

The scattered brads mimics how the letters are spread across the refrigerator. I was able to mix and match brads from a few different sets. Usually I’d gravitate toward enamel dots for something like this, but I’m glad I decided on the brads instead.

 

We would love to see how this inspires you to use My Mind’s Eye decorative brads! Ready, set, grab those brads, and GO!

 

Sticker Week | Valerie

 

Hello! It’s Valerie here continuing on with sticker week. My Mind’s Eye always releases such a great variety of stickers with each collection. I love incorporating the fun phrases into my layouts. Today I’m sharing a simple, no fuss layout featuring a family photo from our summer trip to Disney World and a phrase that fits in perfectly with the location.

SUPPLIES-Jubilee Mint Julep “Journey” Adventure paper. Market Street Nob Hill label stickers and Market Street Ashbury Heights chipboard elements. Other: Bazzill Basics kraft paper and vintage typewriter.


I went back a couple releases and picked up the Market Street Nob Hill label stickers. The “once upon a time” speech bubbles caught my attention and I thought they’d be perfect for one of our Disney photos. I paired it with a typographic patterned paper from one of the most recent releases—Jubilee Mint Julep. I’ve been using my own handwriting for most of my journaling lately, but decided to dust off my typewriter and use it for some journaling strips on this layout.

And a cute chipboard camera from Market Street Ashbury Heights is the perfect finishing touch. It was fun to sort through vacation photos from hot sunny Florida and think warm thoughts for a bit since it’s definitely far from warm back here at home lately.

Happy Holidays!

Holiday Layout

 

Happy Friday! It’s Valerie today with a holiday layout to share. I can’t believe December is here! I got to sort through last year’s Christmas photos when prepping for this layout and it’s really hard to believe those photos were taken a year ago! 2014 has really flown by.

Supplies:My Mind’s Eye Sleigh Bells Ring”Blitzen” paper, mixed bag, alpha & word sticker sheets, enamel shapes, flair, and gift label stickers. My Mind’s Eye Necessities Reds “Confetti” vellum paper. Other: kraft paper & Silhouette Cameo

This layout showcases the Sleigh Bells Ring collection. The colors and patterns are so warm and cozy feeling... like curling up on the couch with a blanket in front of a nice warm fire while sipping hot cocoa. The design of this layout started with and was built around that circle trimmed photo. I don’t think you can never go wrong with a circle trimmed photo, and why not frame it with a Christmas-y vellum wreath?

The Sleigh Bells Ring mixed bag of die cuts contains the perfect combo of classic/a little bit vintage shapes and artwork. It’s where I found the sleigh and “Christmas” pieces.

I always love My Mind’s Eye’s Alpha and Word Sticker Sheets. They are such a fun little text addition to pages. The alpha portion spelled out “morning” for me in the title and the “Fa La La La La” in the above photo is from the set too.

Can’t wait to see how you all start incorporating the Sleigh Bells Ring collection into your holiday layouts and projects!

Autumn Layout with Frightful

Hi! It’s Valerie checking in today with an autumn themed layout. Believe it or not, this is my first ever leaf pile layout. We live in a rural area with a decent sized yard and lots of trees, so raking leaves just isn’t something we ever bother with.

We’re too busy with corn and soybean harvests. But every child has got to do it at some point—rake up a giant pile of leaves take a leap. The weather was beautiful and I easily convinced my son to take a Lego break and enjoy some time outside with me.

Supplies:Frightful- 6x6 paper pad ;Jubilee -“Tangerine” 6x6 paper pad;Necessities -12 x12 wood veneer sheet and wood dots. Jubilee Tangerine “Fantastic” Sticky notes. Now and Then Mildred “Oh Happy Day” chipboard elements. Other: kraft cardstock, date stamp, alpha stickers, Silhouette Cameo (fall autumn puzzle/design id#68174).

When I was searching the Silhouette store for leaves, I spotted the Fall Autumn Puzzle leaves (design id#68174) and thought, “that’s it, these are the ones!” And based my layout around how I’d use these leaves. 

 

I chose three different papers from the Frightful 6 x 6 pad and the yellow paper is from the Jubilee Tangerine pad. I also grabbed a scrap of the 12 x 12 sheet of wood veneer from the Necessities line. I used these for all the leaves. If you haven’t checked out Frightful yet, it’s a must! It’s Halloween themed, but the patterned papers and color scheme are perfection for  Fall and Thanksgiving!

 

 This layout came together so quickly which was a nice change a pace from my last layout which took a lot more planning. My last layout was for the November challenge—there’s still time to submit a layout if you haven’t already!

 

 

Frightful Home Decor

Happy Monday everyone! Valerie here today.

I’m not much of a holiday decorator except for Christmas, but I wouldn’t mind doing a little more of it. I have absolutely zero halloween decorations and it’s not because we don’t celebrate Halloween. I guess I just haven’t really seen any decorations that I can't live without.

I enjoy making a fun costume for my son each year and visiting family and friends so he can tell everyone about his costume and collect a little candy.   I usually make one Halloween layout each year and call it good.

Holiday collections usually aren’t my style and not something I’m drawn too, but I’m so glad I gave Frightful a chance! I think it’s one of the best Halloween collections I’ve ever seen. I decided to use some of the chipboard elements for a home decor piece that I will proudly display in my home.

Supplies:Frightful chipboard elements and Necessities Black & Gray enamel dots. Other: plywood, black paint, and gold leaf kit.

I have a pile of half completed canvases and plywood that have gotten set aside because I’ve either (a) lost interest or (b) didn’t know how to finish them. So this 8 x 8 inch piece of plywood came from this pile of mine. It’s a failed project where I tried to gold leaf a design on plywood.


I messily added some black paint to the plywood and arranged the chipboard pieces on top. Hot glue is good for applying the chipboard pieces to the board. The pieces are self-adhesive, but to make it more permanent, something a little more heavy duty is required for a rough surface like plywood. And a project like this isn’t complete without a few enamel dots!



So easy, right?! I’ve picked out a couple of the 8 x 10 Frameables from Frightful too that I plan to hang too. I’m going to do some Halloween decorating this year!

Valerie's Take on Chipboard Week

Hello! Valerie here continuing on with chipboard week. What a great week of projects, right!? Today I’m sharing an 8 x 10 inch canvas that I embellished with My Mind’s Eye chipboard elements. I looked through my entire stash and mixed and matched from a variety of different collections (Jubilee, Market Street, Now & Then, and Chalk Studio).

Supplies: Jubilee: Mint Julep, Sherbet, and Wild Berry chipboard elements. Market Street: Ashbury Heights and Nob Hill chipboard elements.Now and Then: Mildred and Dorothy chipboard elements. Chalk Studio chipboard elements. Other: 8x10 canvas, mini clothespin, hot glue.

 

I love the challenge and the hunt of mixing and matching. It’s fun to sort through my stash and pull out pieces I think will coordinate well for the project I have in mind. I’ve been on a canvas “kick” lately. I could stand at my scrap desk all day and make projects like this on canvas. 

 

Last time I created a canvas project, I did a lot of work with spray inks for a more colorful, mixed media background. This time I kept it sweet and simple. Just arranging the elements until I found a grouping I liked and hot glued them down. I love the thickness of the chipboard and how it adds just the right amount of dimension. I really feel like it’s finished and complete and doesn’t need anything else. Not even a couple enamel dots, even though I did consider it.

 

 

So easy, right?! Don’t be intimidated by a blank canvas, and don’t be afraid to use only one type of embellishment to create something lovely. 

 

Black and White Embellishments | Jubilee

 

Hello! It’s Valerie, and I have a layout to share with you today. I love the black and white patterned papers and accents from the Jubilee line. You can’t go wrong with black and white, right? So I thought these black and white accents from all the Jubilee Mixed Bags might be great on a layout by themselves.

Supplies:My Mind’s Eye Jubilee Mint Julep “Beautiful” Mixed Bag and Jubilee Tangerine “Awesome” Mixed Bag. My Mind’s Eye Jubilee Wild Berry “Life” Mixed Bag, Wild Berry “Hey You” Rub-Ons, Wild Berry “Life” Enamel Dots. Wild Berry “Today” Enamel Shapes. My Mind’s Eye Just Sayin’ Alpha & Word Stickers. Other: American Crafts white cardstock, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, & Studio Calico Mister Huey.

For the background I wanted to mimic the runny paint on the glass at the museum. I sprayed the top half of the white cardstock with water. Then I sprayed two different colors onto the top half of the cardstock. Next I sprayed more water and then tipped the page to let it run and drip down. I sped up the drying time with a heat tool and then laid the sheet under some heavy books overnight to flatten it out.

I store all the Jubilee Mixed Bag pieces together in the same small basket, so I simply went through and pulled out all the black and white pieces. I played around with the arrangement on the layout and then adhered them to the page. I added a rub-on and some enamel dots too. I love the contrast between the yellow, orange, black, and white!


I feel like I’ve been in a little rut lately and I am happy this layout feels totally me! I’m ready to go spend some more time in my craft room today. Thanks for stopping by!

Jubilee Tangerine + Colored Pencils

Hello! It's Valerie and I have a layout to share with you today using the new Jubliee Tangerine collection. Last time I shared this fun canvas, but today I'm back with just a traditional layout with a single photo. I love the colors of the Tangerine scheme—it's very boyish and perfect for layouts featuring my son.

 

Supplies:Jubilee-Tangerine :"Awesome" Arrow paper, "Adventure" Be Daring paper, "Awesome" mixed bag, 6x6 paper pad, "Adventure" enamel shapes, "Adventure" flair. Jubilee Wild Berry "Life" mixed bag. Record It! Just Splendid wood dots. Other: colored pencil, Martha Stewart starburst circle punch, cardstock, Silhouette Cameo.

I wasn't really a fan of orange until I had a boy, but it's totally grown on me. It's even the accent color in my son's room. I actually really love this orange polka dot paper—it's the Tangerine "Awesome" Arrow paper. I cut a couple inches off one side and adhered it to a piece of white cardstock.

 

I curled the edge and used an orange colored pencil to continue some of the polka dot pattern onto the white cardstock. (Note to self: love this—use colored pencils more often!) I actually initially started with background rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise, but I wasn't liking it. It's amazing what a simple little rotation can do!

 

 I've been hoarding the wood dots and waiting for the right project to come along. I filled in a row of polka dots on this layout with wood dots. I love the texture and interest they add to the page. 

 

The title is my own brush script art. I scanned it in and converted it to a cut file. I cut the title in white first, but it didn't stand out enough so I picked this dark turquoise shade of cardstock instead. I finished the layout with a few more embellishments from Jubilee and some punched starburst circles. 

 

Thanks for stopping by today! Ready... set... get out those colored pencils. I'd love to see how you use them on your next layout!

 

Valerie (signature)