Hi!  Tina here today with a super easy, super fast, and really great Holiday decor creation, using one of my favorite products; decorative tape!

Supplies:All is Bright:Christmas tag,layered stickers,chipboard elements;The Sweetest Thing-Honey:decorative tape;Misc:Ikea frame,adhesives

I love creating (and changing) my holiday decorations year after year.  I am always looking for unique, fast, and inexpensive ways to make my home festive for the holidays.

This home decor project took less than 30 minutes to make and can be changed year after year.

You will need a frame, a scrap piece of paper, chipboard or layered sticker embellishment, and decorative tape.

Here are the steps...

1.  Remove the glass and inside from the frame.  Cut a piece of scrap paper slightly larger than the frame opening.  I always use the back cardboard piece as a template.

2.  Adhere the paper to the frame cardboard.

3.  Adhere your chipboard or layered sticker on top of the paper.

4.  Adhere decorative tape on the front of the frame and trim to fit (the width of this decorative tape was a perfect fit for the front of my frame).

Voila!  Done.  In less than 5 steps.  Next year, you can remove the embellishments and replace with a new design.  You can also place new decorative tape over the old, or remove completely. 

I hope you enjoyed this little project!  Even though it's only August, it is really putting me in the Christmas spirit!

Hi everyone!

This is Karen, here with this month's mixed media project. For this month, I thought it would be fun to focus on layering. I used to be afraid of layering. I worried I'd do it "wrong" and just mess things up.

But I am here to share a secret with you.

Ready for it?

There's no right or wrong way to layer.

No, I mean it.

There's no trick. Nothing to learn. Nothing others know that you don't. The only trick is to go slow and just do what makes you happy.

It's not an art form. It's just about creating a cluster of items that appeal to you. Each person layers differently and what looks good to me might not to you. And that's perfectly okay.

So let's get started!

I'm using a Moleskine sketchbook for my collage book. The first thing I did was to cover the page with tissue paper. Since the tissue paper is so fragile and thin, it starts bunching up and ripping right away.

I love this step because the end result is so messy that any perfectionist tendencies I had are out the window.

When doing art, it's best to do away with perfectionism as early as possible.

The next thing I do is just to pull out some of my stickers and chipboard and create a frame on one side of the page.

I have no idea what I am doing yet, I am just playing.

Then, I move on to the left side. I've been meaning to use the garlands for a long time so I jump at the opportunity. I layer a peace of tape to create some contrast and then glue down the garland. To create some unity with the other side of the page, I put another flower on this side. I like how the right page is horizontal and this one is vertical.

I decide I need more color and more contrast. I add some more stickers and a little black and white behind the garland.


And then I stop and think about the message I want to give with the page. I pick my alphas and write out my title. And then go back to the right side and add some more to my frame.

I come back and add more to the left side.

I like to break my title across the pages to give the spread a unity. I use some twine to create a frame, I add some journaling and a few more stickers to the top right and I am done.

The title says: Smile and soak it up. Remember that today is all you get. Make it count.

Here's a closeup of my right side frame:


And one more thing.

Just because the layered stickers are a certain way, it doesn' t mean that you have to use them as is.

I loved the "smile" sticker but the background behind the stars didn't match my color
scheme. So I took them off and just used the top two layers:


These products are yours, don't be afraid to make them your own.

There we go! Thank you for letting me share my page with you and I hope you experiment with layering on your own and remember to have fun!

I'd love to see examples of your creations so please feel free to link me up in the comments!

Today's Supplies: Indie Chic-Citron:wood frame,border stickers,decorative stickers,layered stickers;Indie Chic-Saffron:garland,layered stickers;Indie Chic-Ginger:layered stickers,border stickers;The Sweetest Thing-Lavender:decorative tape

Good morning everyone!  Danni here to share one of my favorite things to create when we get ready to celebrate a party at the house....goodie bags and goodie straws.  I don't like to purchase the themey ones because the kids seem to just crumple them up quickly or leave them behind, but every time I create their own personal little goodie bags filled with fun treat they get really excited. 

For today's post, I created tags for goodie straws and some goodie bags to place some fun little "finds" in.  I try to buy my "goodie bags" on clearance when I see sales at Target and Dept. Stores, because they are so fun to "pretty up" with MME papers and embellies later.

First, I cut the ribbons from the bags.  They had cute pink ribbons that would be fine for my daughter's parties with friends, but I decided twine and MME supplies would make them a whole lot cuter for their get together, more girly, feminine and just plain fun.

Then, I created tags for each one of the hard plastic straws.  I like to create little tags because they look so cute on the straws and you could easily dress up a place setting with just a tag.

As you can see, in no time at all (using MME supplies I had on hand) I had a set of straws and goodie bags ready for my daughter's next little get together. It's always better to drink Strawberry Fizzies out of a fancy straw! ;)


Supplies:The Sweetest Thing: 6 x 6 pad, Happy title, Wood and Chip buttons, Decorative Brads, Together Decorative Tape, Together stickers, Misc: Cuttlebug butterfly die, heart doily, Cameo cut-file sentiments

Here in East Tennessee, our summer vacation has ended and we're entering our third week of school. As I was browsing my Instagram feed in the school pick up line, I began to see the story of how my two girls grew closer together this summer and became best friends.

After trimming my papers to size and arranging them in a way that allowed each layer to peek out and share just a bit of the story on the next page, I used my sewing machine to stitch the binding right down the middle of all the mini album.

You could also punch holes with your paper piercer and use twine to bind your album if you don't have a sewing machine handy.

I first created my spine by scoring my cardstock, which allows the mini album to lie a little flatter than if I just scored the cardstock in half.

Let's take a closer look at these fun pages, all created with the On the Sunny Side collection with a selection of stamps and decorative tapes from Indie Chic and The Sweetest Thing.

Here are my pages in order, which will help you when I give you page dimensions at the end of this post in case you're so inclined to make an Insta-Fun Summer mini album yourself!

The second photo on the right shows the stitching right down the center of the mini album.

Thanks so much for the warm welcome to My Mind's Eye. I hope you might be inspired to gather a collection of photos that tell your summer story and begin creating a mini album, too.

You may  have noticed some pages which looked a bit bare. My intentions are to add in the personal, heartfelt Mommy journaling that tells my girls' story.

I'll be keeping an eye out here in the comments to see if you share some of your own mini album creations.!

Here are the precise measurements,album directions,and supply lists. Please click to enlarge and print!

This September, step right up to the Big Picture "Big Top" for a FREE 14-day festival filled with big ideas, big prizes, and big fun!

Some of those big prizes are from MME and we couldn't be more excited to be a part of this!

Grab a front-row seat; you won't want to miss the spectacle of the season. Seven of your favorite BPC instructors are teaming up with seven surprise instructors—who will be unveiled on opening night—to share their biggest big ideas with you.

While we can't guarantee that there will be elephants and acrobats, there will certainly be energy and excitement to spare. Register now for your chance to join in the hullabaloo and share your big ideas, too.

The seven BPC instructors are:
Ali Edwards
Cathy Zielske
Stacy Julian
Courtney Walsh
May Flaum

our very own Karen Grunberg

Amy Sorenson

For 14 days straight enjoy daily challenges and amazing giveaways, generously provided by some of our favorite companies, don’t miss out!!

To celebrate the Big Idea Festival we are giving away TWO spots in Cathy Zielske's Ten Tips for Better Type class!

 Ten Tips for Better Type taught by Cathy Zielske
Two week workshop starts September 6
$14

Join Cathy Zielske, for a class that focuses on how to create better type on your scrapbook pages. Whether you're a traditional scrapbooker who likes to add type as a hybrid element, or a digital scrapbooker who works fully in Photoshop, using type well is something that will enhance the overall design of every page you create.

Basic concepts in type go a long, long way in sophisticated and timeless design. Build your confidence with type today.

Click here for more information on Ten Tips for Better Type

New to Big Picture Classes, learn more and create an account here.

If you would like to win a spot in this class, leave a comment here by Wednesday, August 29.

Good Luck!!!

Happy Friday, MME fans! I hope your week has been beautiful and blessed and that  you are ready for the weekend!

Today it's time for another Pinspiration post! And if you don't follow us on Pinterest you can find our boards HERE. I add new projects daily, so make sure to check in often!

Here's what Tina and Tamara came up with this month.

Original projects by: Patricia Roebuck

Lift designer: Tina Walker

Tina says: I thought that Patricia's use of Indie Chic was fantastic... and her design style is truly amazing.  Instead of using one of her projects for my lift, I lifted two.

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Tangerine:'Happy' title,'Sunshine' title,tiny word stickers,wood&chip buttons,decorative brads,decorative tape;Misc:American Crafts alphas,adhesives,sewing machine and thread

The first lift is from Patricia's card, titled 'Make a Wish'.  I really loved the timeless design that is so versatile and easy on the eye.  I used this design as the basis for my layout. 

Using our 6x6 pads, I layered several pieces across the left side of my page and stitched them in place.

I added several coordinating chipboard banners and a die cut to the top of the page, and folded strips of decorative tape in half and stitched to the bottom of my page. 

In place of her small metal flower and 'Make a Wish' sentiment, I layered a large die cut under a flower brad and adhered several word banners to the side.
The second project I used as inspiration was Patricia's rolled paper frame.  I LOVE the idea (and look) of rolled paper, so I replicated this on my layout.  I rolled several small strips of paper and adhered them together with twine. 

Thank you so very much for the inspiration and your beautiful style, Patricia. It was a joy to lift you!

Original layout by: Yeva Petrovnas

Lift designer:Tamara Jensen

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell: Lively patterned paper, Remember patterned paper, Bouquet patterned paper, wood and chip buttons, stickers, journaling card, title, chipboard stickers, decorative tape, brads; Miss Caroline-Fiddlesticks: stamps;Lime Twist: twine;Other: brown ink and pen, blue machine thread, pop dots, yellow ink.

Tamara says:When I saw this beautiful and creative layout designed by Yeva , I knew this would be a fun one to lift.  I especially liked the photo booth strips of photos and collage of papers. 

My dad just did a photo shoot of my daughter a few weeks ago, so I already had a great assortment of photos to use.  I designed with the new “The Sweetest Thing Bluebell” collection, it coordinated perfectly with these sweet photos.  I loved using all of the fabulous dimensional MME embellishments: the chipboard stickers, wood buttons, decorative brads, journaling/title cards, and decorative tape.

I did a very straightforward lift of Yeva's layout. I loved it so much I wanted my layout to look very similar!

I kept the layered papers and embellishments,but I stamped along the left side of the photos instead of misting,as Yeva did.

Yeva, thank you SO much for sharing your beautiful layout. It inspired me so very much!

So what do you think ? Are you inspired to create now? I know I am. Hope you find some time to make something beautiful this weekend!

And remember...if you do,make sure to share it with us.Thanks for stopping by...enjoy your weekend!

I love going on Good Things Utah because it challenges me to think outside the box.  I’ve been trying to come up with a fun, different table centerpiece that is still simple and not too busy.  Then, I saw a gorgeous lace doily table runner and thought that I could recreate a similar look and feel that was a little more colorful and lively.

With the onset of fall quickly approaching, I thought the colors of The Sweetest Thing – Tangerine would be perfect.  I love the orangey goodness of the tangerine color mixed with yellows, blues, pinks and a punch of red.

I made three different flower patterns in three different sizes and picked 8 patterned papers from The Sweetest Thing – Tangerine collection.  Then I sat down and watched a TV show with Bryan (a rare thing) and cut away.  I used 35 flowers on my runner.

I laid out the big ones and mixed in a few smaller flowers to create the bottom layer.  Then I added small flowers to the center along with buttons, brads and crochet flowers (also from Tangerine) for dimension.  I left the center portion flat (see photo 3) to allow room for a centerpiece.

Left Side:

Right Side:

Flat Center:

Detail shots:

I think this would be so cute on a dessert table running beneath a bunch of pedestals and stands.

If you would like to create your own, simply download these instructions (patterns included), pull your My Mind’s Eye stash and have a great time!

Instructions:   Download 2012_08_23_MME_Table Runner

When the segment from today’s show is available, I will add it here so those of you who didn’t have a chance to watch it live, can see it:

(to see previous projects, visit my blog at www.amberpacker.com)

Have a spectacular Thursday!  Happy Creating!

Today we are sharing two more cards that our August guest designer ,Lea Lawson, created. For part one, make sure and check yesterday's post.

We love what she did with Nostalgia and we just know that you will too. Enjoy and happy Wednesday!

Supplies:Nostalgia:6x6 paper pad,accessories sheet,chipboard elements,decorative brads:Misc:red ribbon,cardstock

Lea says:"Today I wanted to showcase how easy My Mind's Eye makes it to create cards!!  With all the fun embellishments and accents they provide, I was able to create both of these cards in less than 30 minutes.

Card making doesn't have to take hours to create just one card (although, it is okay if it does), and with the way that MME matches everything together perfectly...they take out a lot of guess work!! 

Supplies:Nostalgia:6x6 paper pad,accessory sheet,decorative brads;Misc:cardstock

Thanks for playing this month,Lea. We love what you came up with!

Please join us in welcoming the fabulously talented Lea Lawson! Lea will be joining us for the month of August as our guest designer. We love the way she uses our products on cards....they are classic and timeless and showcase MME beautifully. Welcome, Leah!

My name is Lea Lawson, and I reside in beautiful Missoula, Montana. I am a professional photographer, who focuses on weddings and senior portraiture, but also throw my hat in on some families and babies at times.

I am mostly a card maker,, but also love to create gift packaging and decorative items as well! The card making community is wonderful, and I have met some amazing women through it. You can see my work in publications like Paper Crafts Magazine/Special Issues, Cards Magazine, and occasionally in Scrapbook Trends Magazine & Create: Idea Books.

You can read more and follow me through my blog.

What did you have the most fun working with?

I really loved using The Sweetest Thing "Lavender" collection. Pink and aqua are two of my VERY favorite colors, especially when they are together! So, I adore everything about this collection!!

What is your favorite MME line and why?

This is such a hard question to answer, because there aren't many MME collections that I don't just LOVE. But, I would have to say the Lost & Found 2 "Blush" collection is probably still one of my very favorites. I love the graphic elements added to it, the colors, the embellishments....everything about it!!

Supplies: The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell:Meadow patterned paper,6x6 paper pad,stickers,layered stickers,chipboard elements,decorative brads,decorative tape,enamel dots;Misc-sandpaper,adhesives

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell:6x6 paper pad,wood and chip buttons,crocheted doilies,chipboard elements,stamps,label stickers,decorative tape,enamel dots;Misc: ribbon,ink,pen,adhesives

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Lavender:6x6 paper pad,journal card,tiny word stickers,layered stickers,wood and chip buttons,chipboard elements,enamel dots;Misc:vintage seam binding,crochet lace,adhesives

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Lavender:6x6 paper pad, die cut title,decorative brads,enamel dots;Misc:ribbon,doily die

Stunning, don't you think? Come back tomorrow for more cards and inspiration from Leah! Happy Tuesday, y'all!

Supplies:Six by Six Two: A Mother's Love paper pad;Lime Twist:twine; Lush2:trim,buttons;Misc:cardstock,mini stapler, square punch, border punches, black pearls, silhouette, embossing folder,adhesives

The large title letters were also cut from the A Mother's Love paper pad. I matted them on red cardstock so that they would pop against the dark teal background. I tied a bit of Lime Twist twine on one of the letters and then lined them up across a strip of cardstock accented with Lush 2 orange ribbon and button.

Good morning blog readers! Today it's time for another installment of I Spy with MME. Every day we scour blogs,online galleries,Facebook,and Twitter to find examples of layouts,cards,and other projects using our products.

Once we fine eye-catching,inventive projects...we pin them to our "Inspiring Cards and Layouts" Pinterest board. If you need some majorly inspiring eye-candy to get your mojo going,then head on over! We promise that it will be just the thing to get you creating this weekend. We have some RIDICULOUSLY talented customers and fans! :)

Today we have six projects that we wanted to share with you. Each designer's name is linked to their blog. So make sure to stop by, say hi, and see more of their talents!

Designer: Gina Rodgers 

Why it caught our eye: We love the use of white space here,not to mention the creative way Gina used the Ric Rac patterned paper from our Indie Chic (ginger) collection. Everything about this layout is just lovely,and we love Gina's techniques and artistic talent.

Designer: Andrea Ewen

Why it caught our eye: We really adore how Andrea has used our Miss Caroline collection on her beautiful card. The distressing ,combined with the delicate doily,flowers, and ribbon, makes for a beautiful and eye-catching card. This is a card that any friend would be lucky to have!

Designer: Mandy Kay Starner

Why it caught our eye: Simply put,Mandy Kay rocked The Sweetest Thing. This layout is just cool. The layering,the bits+pieces,the pops of color...all awesome. Thanks so much for making the collection look so chic,Mandy Kay.

Designer: Patricia Roebuck

Why it caught our eye: Um, how could it NOT? Talk about creative! We can honestly say we do not see mirrors made with our products very often. Or...ever? Crazy smart,pretty,and inventive all rolled into one. Way to go,Patricia!

Designer: Sandy Ang

Why it caught our eye: This 8 1/2x11 layout exhibits strong design and mixes graphic (hexagons) with girlie (florals,layering,embellishments). The fussy cutting and detail here is just mind-blowingly lovely. We're not sure we'd be able to put this layout in an album. It deserves framing! :)

Designer: Tanya Dudinka

Why it caught our eye: This card popped right off the computer screen! It is vibrant and stunning,to say the least. The twine Christmas tree and rhinestones work together beautifully. This card is a work of art!

Would you like to be featured in I Spy with MME? Then make sure you are sharing your projects using our products!

Share them on our Facebook page,in our blog comments,on Twitter. Upload them to online galleries,making sure to link the MME products used. Share them on your blogs and send us the link! We LOVE seeing what you all do with our papers and embellishments. We have the most creative and smart group of customers on the planet!

Happy Friday...make sure to take some time this weekend to make something beautiful!

Welcome to the second August challenge! Today we want you to pull out those holiday papers and use them on a non holiday layout,card,or other project.

Tina and Suzanne are here today with some examples!

Merry Memories by Tina Walker

Supplies:Winter Wonderland:6x6 designer pad,designer accessory pad,enamel dots, twine,decorative brads,sticker accessory sheet,chipboard elements;Misc:cardstock,Silhouette Cameo,adhesive,sewing machine and thread

Tina says:Admit it...we all do it.  New holiday collections get released and we buy up every last piece.  We create adorable holiday projects, layouts, and cards, but yet we still have product left.

What should I do with it, you ask?  Just use it I say!  Just because the paper has snowflakes or cute little snowmen doesn't mean you can't use it for a non holiday project. 

Here are some ways I like to use Holiday collections for non-traditional projects.

1.  For holiday papers with typical holiday themes, cut them up!  Cut them into smaller sized pieces where the themed design isn't so obvious.  In my layout, I cut the snowflake paper into smaller pieces with my die-cut machine and adhered them to my page with pop dots.  Also, using Holiday paper with basic designs, such as dots and stripes can be used for any project.

2.  Hide holiday words on embellishments.  For my layout, I love the 'Christmas Memories' chipboard banner, but I obviously didn't want the word 'Christmas'.  So I hid the undesired word under my photo and you would never know it was a holiday embellishment.  You can also do this with tags or die-cuts that contain holiday words or phrases.  Layer and hide the words.

3.  Mix up individual letters from phases or words to create your own unique saying.  A great site to help you create new words is 'Scrabble Cheat'.  You enter the letters you have and possible words will be provided.  For example, you can enter the letters 'Merrychristmas' and you would get multiple words from those letters.  You can also use individual letters for unique meanings.  In my layout, I used the 'T' and  'S' from the 'Merry Christmas' stickers for initials of the people in the photo. 

4.  And who says red and green are for Christmas only.  These 2 colors look great together, so just use them!

The Best Day Ever by Suzanne Sergi

Supplies:Lost and Found Halloween:accessory sheet,chipboard elements,Hallows Dots patterned paper,Hallows Skull Doily patterned paper

Suzanne says:Even though the Lost & Found Halloween collection is spooktacular for Halloween memories, I thought it was perfect for creating a Happy Birthday card.  It has a vintage feel with the black and creams found on the papers.

I cut a small portion from a label found on the accessory sheet to add a bit of interest at the top of the card. I also created my own banner from cardstock that I used to print my sentiment. Some fancy trim along the bottom adds a bit of a party theme!

Great projects,ladies!

So here's the fine print,MME fans!

1.Project must be created new for this challenge.

2. Project must look like a MME project. I say this every month-but I'm not going to give you a percentage of MME that you have to use. Just make sure that it is comprised mainly of MME product.

3. All submissions must be turned in by midnight on August 31. A random winner will be announced with the first September challenge on September 3. Please enter via the InLinkz form below.

4.Winner will win MME collection of their choice.

Good luck!

I pulled the red, blue, and yellow colors from the fun photos of my little guy trying on Mickey Mouse slippers at Disneyland.  I enjoyed the freedom of just sticking on tape in random order to make my background.  It is so nice that this tape is easily removable and forgiving (I need that!).  So if you don’t like the color combo, just peel it off and reposition it. I especially LOVE the bracket shaped tape along the bottom of the page!

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Is Leigh Penner!

Way to go,Leigh! And thank you to all of you for playing along!

Leigh,please contact me at stephanie(at)mymindseye(dot)com with your choice of collection and address!

We think that The Sweetest Thing is truly the sweetest collection around right now. The variety of prints,patterns,and colors is just beautiful. We hope you think so too!

Today Jana and Danni are here to share projects using The Sweetest Thing. Enjoy!

Jana Says:I LOVE the mixture of patterns of The Sweetest Thing collection! I love the way the casual polka dots & plaids play off the trendy chevron and hexagon prints, as well as the elegant florals, doily and damask prints.

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Honey: Damask patterned paper, Notable patterned paper,Cheerful patterned paper, Fond patterned paper, Flawless patterned paper, die cut title,layered stickers,tiny word stickers,decorative brads,decorative tape;The Sweetest Thing-Lavender:stamps;Miss Caroline-Dilly Dally:Planks patterned paper;Misc-cardstock,vellum,letter stickers,journal block,ink,embossing powder,journaling pen,adhesive

I used the Lavender Cutie Pie stamps to create a raised doily accent. The heat embossing on the vellum paper adds a bit of shine to the page along with the decorative brads. I love how bright and fun the NEW enamel dots are!

I wanted my title to go across the bottom of my photo, but found that the letter stickers were getting lost in the image. I added a couple of strips of the decorative tape to fade and soften a section of the picture, allowing the letter stickers to show up better. Almost like a beautiful strip of patterned vellum. Love it! 

Danni says:Hi everyone!  Danni here to share some cards created with the new enamel dots in The Sweetest Thing line.  I was giddy to see these new enamel dots in the CHA summer releases.  I love the colors, sizes and texture.They are perfect for cards and layouts to add the extra little something without adding a lot of bulky embellishments.  My favorite part about these enamel dots is how you can use them to accentuate your card, as a subtle embellishment, or as the main focal because of the fun colors. 

On the first couple of cards, I wanted to use the dots to accentuate my sentiment, adding the little extra splash of color while still allowing the cards to be mailed easily.  I love that you have so many sizes to choose from in each package to add the perfect amount of color.

On the next two cards, I was excited to create focal embellishments using the dots.  I really wanted to play with the colors on the first card, a bright, cheery card for someone special so I pulled out the new stamp set and matched my inks to the enamel dots.
 
Aren't those dots the most cheerful little things?  I just love them.  After creating this card, I had an idea to use them as flower centers because...well,they just HAD to be used this way! I punched a few flowers and added them as focals.  I love them against this background patterned paper, it really allowed the colors to pop.

As you can see, even with the larger dots, you could still mail these relatively easily, without a lot of hassle. 

I really hope you'll give these new enamel dots a try, they are so much fun and really add a lot of color to your projects.

Supplies: The Sweetest Thing-Tangerine:Sunny patterned paper,Woodsy patterned paper,Dandy patterned paper, Blossom patterned paper,Round patterned paper, Chevron patterned paper,enamel dots,tiny word stickers,stamps;The Sweetest Thing-Lavender:Swatch patterned paper,Misc: Cameo File cuts, lace trim from stash, Jenni Bowlin and Papertrey Ink ink pads, Lil Inkers label die

Hi, Tina here today with one of our new products,enamel dots!  When I first saw these, I immediately thought of the typical uses for these, such as centers of flowers and for small little embellishment clusters.

But as I started playing around with them, I thought of another idea....using them as a border.  When using them in quantity, they become a strong visual element and have a fresh and new look to borders typical created from paper.

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell:Bouquet patterned paper,Lively patterned paper,enamel dots, chipboard elements,layered stickers,layered stickers,decorative tape;Misc-American Crafts thickers,adhesive

To create the background on my layout, I layered three styles of decorative tape in a large chevron pattern. I love to use decorative tape this way!

Before I placed my enamel dots on my page, I wanted to  move them around to find the best position.  So I cut the enamel dots (including the plastic packaging) into strips, so I could move them in various spots on my layout before adhering them.

To finish my layout, I added  a chipboard banner and layered sticker banner to the top of the page, several label stickers and my title.

It was a really simple and easy layout, but by adding the enamel dots it made it a fun and fresh new design.

I would love to hear your ideas for using enamel dots.  Please share them here and on our Facebook page.  I hope you have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!

Happy Friday, everyone! This is Danni and today I'm here to talk about tapes+cards and how beautifully they mesh.

I absolutely love to create cards with The Sweetest Thing Decorative Tapes.

The patterns and colors are absolutely gorgeous and they adhere to any of the card stock or patterned papers I am using.  I love to use the tape to create patterned papers and gorgeous embellishments and shapes. 

The tapes have become one of my go-to embellishments to add that little something extra to all my cards and projects.   There are so many things you can do with these tapes from creating patterned paper blocks, creating handmade embellishments, adding a finishing strip to any projects or a strip to dress up an envelope, they are so much fun.

On my cards today, I decided to create patterned paper blocks and embellishments with my tapes.

I love that you can use the smallest piece of tape to create something so unique and beautiful.  To create the cards I adhered strips of the designer tape to a block of white cardstock, alternating the patterns.

I then punched shapes using my Martha Stewart Magnetic Punch All Over the Page Butterfly Punch, Papertrey Ink stamp die and Sizzix 2" Hexagon dies.

In order to have my patterns line up the way I want on my embellishments, I flip my block of card stock with the tapes upside down so I can see the shape through the punch before punching the shapes.It helps to have a magnetic punch but I have created these without magnetic punches.

And, as you can see, I never waste a "negative" punched piece of card stock either, they make the cutest note cards to let someone know that you are thinking of them.  You can stitch the block of card stock, adhere a little trim, stamp a sentiment onto a small card base and you have a note card in no time at all.  Every bit of this card was made of scraps off of my desk.

I hope you'll give these embellishments a try with your tapes and link us up in the comments section, we love to see what you're doing with your tapes. 

Supplies: The Sweetest Thing-Hello Greetings, Sunshine Blossom, Together Round, Wonderful Delightful paper, Wonderful Delightful tiny word stickers, Hello wood and chip buttons, Hello acrylic stamps, Sunshine title, decorative brads, enamel dots, decorative tapes, label stickers;Misc:kraft cardstock,white cardstock,Cuttlebug embossing, Martha Stewart butterfly punch

Hi everyone, it's Karen and I'm here today to talk about our decorative tapes!

I've been in love with the decorative tapes from the first time I saw them. These tapes are so versatile that you can use them as small accents on your pages or as the main feature like I have. My favorite part about the tapes is that they are bright and semi-transparent. Since I often use white cardstock for my background, the white paper makes the tapes even brighter. I loved all the colors that came with The Sweetest Thing and decided to use them together to create my own background.

The first thing I did was to tear long strips and tape them next to each other, layering a little bit each time. I made sure some of the chevrons were up and some down to create a more dynamic look. I alternated my
colors as well so there was no dominance of yellow in one corner, etc. I didn't overthink it; I just wanted to have fun and end up with something that looked organic and colorful and happy.

The second thing I wanted to do was to add some texture using stamps. I grabbed a few of my favorites and randomly stamped on the seams on the tape. I felt like the black ink grounded and defined the background a bit more.

The next thing I did was to pick my photos. I knew I wanted to use these silly photos of my kids and I wanted the photos to stand out a bit so I added white paint to the edges of the photos before I put them down on my page.

After I put the photos on the page, I added a title using black letters and decided my photos needed a little more definition so I stitched around them using black thread. I also added a few pieces of tape on two edges of my page. Since my pages are white, I like to guide the viewers eyes back into my page by putting elements on the edges and by stitching all around my layout.

The last thing I did was to add the journaling lines all along the title. They can be stamped right on to the tape and I wrote my journaling on top. The title and journaling reads:Thank you for teaching me the joy of being silly.My sweet boys, I'm not known for being silly. Truth be told, I am too serious and find silliness, well...silly. But ever since you came into my life I find a lot of joy watching you be silly, especially since you
think it's so funny to be silly. Thank you for letting me see it through your eyes and allowing me to laugh more. I love you so much and appreciate you so much.

On the upper left corner, I used my stamps to note the month and year.

And here are a few more detail shots for you:

Thank you so much for letting me share my layout! I love love love playing with these tapes and hope you like them as much as I do. If you've played with them I'd love to see yours too, please leave a comment with the link so I can come look!

What is sweeter than the feeling of giving a beautiful gift? Some might say it's the sweetest thing. And that's why our new The Sweetest Thing collection meshes so well with the spirit of giving. They are simply a match made in heaven!

Today Suzanne and Danni are hear to share some beautiful and elegant gift wrapping options using MME.

Enjoy! 

Gift box,Paper Box,and Gift Tag by Suzanne

Supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Bluebell: Bright Blossom patterned paper,Lively patterned paper,decorative brads,layered stickers, chipboard elements,stamps,'Best' die cut title,'Remember' die cut title,'Bright' journal card;All is Bright:sticker accessory sheet

Suzanne says:I decided to create a trio of items that would compliment any celebration! I love the Sweetest Thing collection, and used many elements to add festive touches to the gifts.

First,I covered the outside of a gift box with Lively patterned paper and used one of the diecuts along the bottom.

I created a trio of paper ribbons across the top with vellum, and added a border strip from the paper.

Lastly, I finished the border ribbon with a paper bloom found on the decorative brad package, and hung a small banner that I also stamped with the Happiness Stamp set,

So I could enclose a card,candy, or gift card...I used a festive striped paper sack that complimented this collection perfectly!

Pillow Boxes by Danni Reid

pillow boxes gift supplies:The Sweetest Thing-Tangerine:Hello patterned paper,Sunshine patterned paper, decorative tape,stickers,decorative brads,doilies,buttons;Misc:twine, pillow boxes, machine stitching 

Danni says:
I love to use scrapping supplies to wrap gifts! Whether I'm making gift bags or wrapping presents, it's so much fun to "dress up" a little package with my favorite supplies.  I decided to "wrap" two pillow boxes for today's post because these little boxes are perfect for gift cards and money alike and are wonderful to have on hand.

I love every last detail of The Sweetest Thing Tangerine collection. From the patterns, colors, embellies, and crocheted doilies to the the buttons, it's all pure eye candy.  This collection is perfect for wrapping little gifts because you can't help be happy when receiving such a summery, fresh,and airy little package.

Wow,ladies. These are absolutely stunning. Thank you so much for sharing your endless creativity today!

The sketch winner is wendi r!

Love it, Wendi! Thanks so much to all of you for playing along!

Wendi-please email me at stephanie(at)mymindseye(dot)com with your address and collection choice! See you all tomorrow!

Q:What is your favorite MME collection of all time? Why?

A:How do you ever pick just one favorite? I have been a fan of MME ever since I got my hands on the original Asparagus line. Since then, my color choices have adjusted a bit more towards the brighter and more vibrant colors, and MME has always supplied me with plenty of that.

I guess I would have to pick I would say that Lime Twist would top my list now, but I reserve the right to change my mind. Those bright vibrant colors and playful patterns are just too perfect for all my little munchkins’ pages. And of course how could I not love the amazing twine addition to that line!

Q:What is the one MME item you find yourself reaching for over and over?

A:The one thing I have always grabbed for are brads, and MME brads are no exception. ?I love the variety of colors, patterns, and sizes in each package. '

Although...I do have to say that with the addition of their decorative tapes, I find myself shuffling through my rolls to find the perfect one to tape up my favorite pictures.

Q: What is your favorite thing about designing for MME?

A: My favorite thing about designing for MME is the amazing product and the opportunity to share my creativity with everyone here!

I love that MME is always adding fun new embellies with each line. From rhinestones, to twine, to labels, to decorative tapes and now the new doilies & enamel dots, they just keep the fun coming. I am just so lucky now to be able to share my love for creating and recording memories with everyone on the blog each month.

Q:If you could design a MME collection what would it be called and what would it contain?

A:Oh my, what a loaded question! I have to say that I am a total B-Side scrapper, so my line would have to have lots and lots of tone-on-tone dots, circles, stripes, chevrons, woodgrains and more...all with vivid colors.

The other side would have to be a nice neutral of creams, browns, and grays in those same tone-on-tone patterns. Yep, gotta love my tone-on-tones! As for a name… well, my husband is chanting “Shelly Chic! It’s got to be Shelly Chic. AND it even rhymes.” Yep, he is mine!!! :)

Q:If you could wallpaper a room in your home with one MME paper what would it be?

A:Oh easy! After just receiving The Sweetest Thing line, I would say the b-side of Honey’s Simply Lovely Doily paper. That clean classic tone-on-tone chevron would be amazing on my walls. Oh, and I would also have to add a few throw pillows with Tangerine’s Together Chevron paper and Happy Woodsy paper too!

And a sneak into Shelly's craft room...

We are SO glad to have Shelly on our team. I hope you enjoyed getting to know her today!!!

Check back later for the sketch winner!

Sometimes it seems like A sides get allllll the attention. They are bolder,bigger patterns and what you notice first. But don't forget about B sides. The smaller scale/more subtle patterns are priceless.They can add so much pop to your project!

Today Jana and Tamara are here to share layouts using B sides. Enjoy!

Jana Says:I'm loving the color combination in the All is Bright collection. It's so refreshing to see soft blue, aqua, white, kraft, and deep red used together in a holiday collection.

I know that my holiday photos will really shine against these colors and that I'll be able to use this collection for my winter photos,as well! But that is not all these papers can be used for . . . when looking at just the "B" sides of the patterned papers, I realized that there are many, many more opportunities waiting for me to use this collection.

This collection would be great to use for patriotic and even everyday memories. Today, I actually decided to use these papers to create a school themed page of my daughter in her student body sweater.

Student Body Office Sweater by Jana Eubank

Supplies:All is Bright:Collage patterned paper,Christmas tag patterned paper,Merry patterned paper, Linen patterned paper,4x6 accessories pad,sticker accessories sheet;The Sweetest Thing:Bluebell-stamps;Indie Chic-Southwest patterned paper;Kraft Funday-Super Star patterned paper;borders,decorative brads,stamps,wood banners;Misc-Vellum, Cardstock (black, deep red), Mini Letter Stickers, Sewing Machine & Thread, Distressing Inks, Black Ink, Die Cut Machine & Cartridge, Journaling Pen, Acrylic Block, Paper Piercer, Scissors & Trimmer, Adhesives

If you are nervous about adding stamping to your scrapbook pages, try stamping on vellum and cutting out the elements to hold up to your page first. You can see how the stamping will look or get an idea of where you would like the stamp to go.

Then, either adhere the stamped vellum image directly to your page, or move it out of the way and stamp directly on your project where you had it positioned. Here, I adhered the vellum arrow border and vellum date label images to my page.

Hello Sunshine by Tamara Jensen

Supplies:On the Sunny Side:Flutter patterned paper, The Sweet Life patterned paper,Play Date patterned paper,Simple Stripe patterned paper,Parade patterned paper,chipboard,decorative brads;Miss Caroline: Wall patterned paper;Misc:red machine thread,black ink,pen

Tamara says:For this layout, I thought it would be fun to explore the b-sides of the the summery and bright “On the Sunny Side” Collection. 

I decided to use a color blocking format to add focus to the fabulous papers that coordinated perfectly with my photos. The chipboard accessories and brads added the perfect touch.

You Make Me Smile by Tamara Jensen

Supplies:On the Sunny Side: Flutter patterned paper, Simple Stripe patterned paper], Happy Go Lucky patterned paper, Flutter patterned paper,Sweet Chevron patterned paper,accessories sheet,chipboard, decorative brads;Follow Your Heart:twine;Misc-black pen and ink.

Tamara says:Since I was on a roll with this fun collection, I just had to create another layout.  4 of the 5 papers I used were the “B sides”.  I combined the chipboard and accessories sheet banners to create the festive border along the bottom. 

Can you believe the amazing array of decorative brads from this collection?  I also cut out along the chevron pattern to add an interesting border along the top.

Hi, Tina here today with a layout I created for CSI - Colors, Stories, & Inspiration using one of my favorite MME collections, Follow Your Heart.  CSI is a challenge site based on a crime scene.How fun is that? There is a scene, scheme (color palette), evidence, and testimony.  The idea is to incorporate the challenge colors, design elements, and journaling to create a layout based on your interpretation of the inspiration.

Here's what I came up with:

Supplies:Follow Your Heart-Be Amazing:Honey Blue patterned paper,Be Adored patterned paper,12x12 chipboard,layered stickers;Follow Your Heart-Be Happy:6x6 paper pad,decorative buttons;Misc-Making Memories - glassine envelope,stickers: Lily Bee Design,wood birds:  Studio Calico,index tab:  American Crafts,sewing machine,thread,adhesive

The color palette for this 'crime scene' was perfect for the Follow Your Heart collection, so I went to work solving the case. 

I was able to use many of the 'evidence' prompts, such as:
1. Use stripes? 2. Use labels - I typed up labels and put them in a glassine envelope. ?3. Use wood/woodgrain - the little birds are wood veneer.? 4. Use something transparent - I used a glassine envelope.? 5. Use paint and then sand some off - I painted my wood birds and sanded some of the paint off.? 6. Place something at an angle. My placed my photos at an angle. ?7. Use something with a weathered look. The papers I choose all have a weathered and worn look.? 8. A pocket with elements sticking out-my glassine envelope with my labels.

One of the testimony (journaling) prompts was to journal about labels.  So I created 10 labels that described/defined me and placed them in a glassine envelope.  The labels I choose included:
daughter, sister, caring, traveler, photographer, mother, open minded, day-dreamer, dog lover, crafty.

Kind of a cool way to journal, don't you think? I really love the new MME collections, but it always great to be able to go into your stash and pull out one of your favorites.  The Follow Your Heart collection is such a timeless and wonderful line, I will be sure to use it for years.  :)

Thank you for stopping by today and if you are ever in need of some inspiration and are looking for a challenge, make sure and stop by CSI. 

Is CHARITY BECKER!!! Congratulations Charity your idea was so creative! Email me your address and collection of choice at stephanie(at)mymindseye(dot)com.