Behind the Scenes with Jen Matott

What prompted you to pick this take on Harmony ?

I chose to do a layout with the opposite of Harmony... Chaos.  I sometimes feel like it's important to acknowledge both the good and the ugly parts of life.

Why did you choose this photo?
I took these photos on a beach in Florida on a windy day when a storm was approaching.  We had stopped to get photos at sunset and the clouds came in bringing wind with it.  It was not a great photo opportunity and I was disappointed that we couldn't get nice sunset photos but it best shows how life throws curve balls at us and the photos were not great but they are moody and fit this idea perfectly.

How do you feel about the message of your layout?
I sometimes feel that my life is out of control... too many obligations, too little time, too much mess, unexpected negative things that pop up.  It's not always a good photo opportunity everyday.  I can't always do all that I want to do in the time I need to do it.  Sometimes you have to go with the flow and just count your blessings at the moment.  Sometimes the wind blows it all around and we end up disappointed when our plans do not work out, but it's life and we are lucky we can have the good with the bad.

What symbolism did you pull into your design?
I wanted a busy background to symbolize chaos.  I also love the tags in there to journal my thoughts on.

Tell us a little bit about how you feel now that you have "let it all out" on this page.
I think that this is a bit of controlled chaos on here. It actually looks a bit too orderly to me.  I would have added more "mess" to the page before gluing it all down.  But I love how the photos look with the colors and tags.

Behind the Scenes with Jen Matott

Hi everyone!

We have design team member, Jen Matott, sharing some more depth and "Behind the Scenes" info about one her layouts using the INNOCENCE kit. 

What prompted you to pick this take on Innocence ?

I initially thought to do a page on the opposite of Innocence.  Guilt or taking away of one's innocence seemed like a bigger challenge.  I wanted to share this difficult time in my life from back in college.  I know I wanted a moody and darker page versus the light and airy colors that are found in the other papers and embellishments.

Why did you choose this photo?I took this photo a few years back to show emotion and was planning on using it for this topic someday.  I haven't documented the feelings that I had from being raped in college though I carry them with me always.  It's a hard topic to portray.  It brings up anger, fear and feelings that I haven't explored in many years.

How do you feel about the message of your layout?
It's hard to look at this photo and not feel a bit of sadness or grief in the topic.  I was a young girl who trusted too much and didn't know that someone could take advantage of you that way.  I was vulnerable and I wanted this page to show that with the textures, drips, colors, and arrangement.

What symbolism did you pull into your design?Oh... LOTS of symbolism here.  The drips symbolize the hurt, tears, and vulnerability I felt.  I used blues, silvers, browns, and blacks here.  I wanted it to be dark but interesting.  It is a piece of me now.. the texture paste through a vinyl placemat that I got at the MOMA museum shop gives a feeling of rawness and animal to it.  I used the glitter in the wet paste and added lots of spray inks to add color. The flowers were colored blue and also add to the feeling of this page.
The way the photo shows me with my hands on my head in despair symbolizes how I felt after the event.  I was confused, scared, devastated and mostly mad.  I had to work through those emotions and go through a year of self hatred to get to the other side.  Therapy, family and friends helped me to be who I am now!

Tell us a little bit about how you feel now that you have "let it all out" on this page.
It was hard to do but afterwards, I felt a bit more liberated from that moment.  I look at this page and feel such pride that I got past the aftermath of rape and now have a loving family, kids, and a career where I can help others.  This is my favorite page this month and even though it's message is difficult, it is one of courage and an insight into my downfalls as well as my successes.

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I am so glad that Jen shared this layout with us and was so willing to share her story. It is the perfect example of how we can use scrapbooking and use it as a form of self-expression, art therapy and visual journaling. It is not easy to share our stories that include pain. It's our hope, at Scrapbooking from the Inside Out, that you find freedom to express yourself and your story by using these kits. 

Come join us on the forum for some wonderful community!

Using Pre-Printed Layered Papers

This month's papers include a couple where a layered look is already printed right on it! They are full of beautiful textures, but without the bulk.

At first glace, they are gorgeous and exciting but after sitting looking at one I got nervous about what to add. It looks beautiful as is...

But don't be afraid to turn the paper, add more embellishments, create depth with layers and add journaling. It's really just a starting point!

Created by Jen Matott for Scrapbooking from the Inside Out

In this layout named"Guilty", I wanted to mimic the layered look of the pre-printed arrangement. The doily was perfect for placing a real textured item on a flat surface. 

Here's another layout where I used the pre-printed paper as a design element. In "Pure" I used the printed elements to frame the photo.

Don't forget that you can cut out the elements and use them as another layer. I like that they have started the design for you. The papers allow for flexibility and adding embellishments to personalize the page. .
How will you use the papers that already have layers started for you? 

Visit Jen's Blog by clicking here.

Visit the Design Team INNOCENCE gallery by clicking here.

Come join us on the forum for genuine community and more exclusive content here.

You Have to Move It...

Whew!  It's hot out there.  It's days like today when I'm super thankful for pools and air conditioning.  Well, more air conditioning than pools since I don't have access to pools.  :)  As I was sitting inside, enjoying my air conditioning, I wandered back over to the boards to see what some of the new design team tips had been posted.  I came across Jen's post and really wanted to share it with you. I love the movement! 

You Have to Move It, Move It...

by Jen Matott

Maybe my kids are playing the Madagascar songs a bit too much lately... sorry! But I have a fun topic here for you. After creating one of my pages for this month's Communication kit, I noticed that I had a few that show a lot of movement or directional pull to them. I like creating motion on a flat, still surface. It creates excitement and makes the viewer's eye move around the page (therefore keeping their interest longer).

So how did I do it? Well, here are a couple of examples and tips along the way...

First up is my "Art Talk" page in which I was inspired by a design on Pinterest

I love the chevron feel and the way they push/pull the viewer's eye. So I thought to myself that maybe I could achieve the same feel...

Here is my page... I cut the cardstock and arranged them on the page much like the image above. I like the vibrant effect it has but also the way it creates movement of the eye.

Here's a closer look. The colors also create a sort of Op Art effect that seems to vibrate!

Next up is the "Rebel Yell" page where I wanted to show my son in his yelling stage (not sure that ever went away)...

I loved the little paper airplane stamp from the kit and wanted to create a more 3D effect. So, I folded 3 little dart airplanes to add to the page!

Before I glued down the paper details, I dripped some ink on the page and blew using a drinking straw to get the ink flowing and moving! It was so fun to do and I loved seeing the little legs of ink moving in different directions. 

I then, stamped using the distress marker and the paper airplane stamp in different directions. Another trick to adding more movement.

The paper airplanes were then glued down so that they looked like they are soaring around the page. 

Finally, I used the photo corner stickers to create more directions by stacking them to create a chevron or repeated arrow.

If you are looking to create some movement or just direction for the viewer's eye to follow, then using arrows (even chevrons) or vibrant color or drips will add excitement to your work!

How can you add some movement to your page? 

Great inspiration there.  I'm itching to find some time so I can communicate with movement in my scrapbooking. Thanks Jen!

Behind the Scenes with Jen Matott

Today we are going Behind the Scenes with design team member Jen Matott. She chose one of her favorite layouts using the March GRACE kit and has answered a few questions for us.

Heart by Jen Matott

What prompted you to pick this take on Grace?
This layout is all about my relationship with my Mom and how much I worry about a time without her.  I wanted to do a page with mostly journaling about my feelings and love for her. 


Why did you choose this photo?
This is a photo of my Mom and I when I was in college.  It's not a recent one but it is my favorite one of the two of us.  It shows so much love between us.  This photo just makes me smile. She came to visit me at school for a Mother/ Daughter sorority event.  It was a great day and this photo brings out the memories. 

What symbolism did you try to bring through your design?
I used Kraft cardstock as a base and wrote the journaling first.  I placed the photo and papers down so that I knew how much room I'd need. Then I took them off and sprayed over a heart mask and the wooden doily in the kit.  I wanted the rest simple with the focus on the journaling but also muting it with the spray to make it less prominent. It's kind of like bearing your soul and how vulnerable you feel... having a comforting blanket to shield you makes it less scary. I wanted the veil of spray to be that buffer.  I can still read the words, but it's less threatening then leaving them on a bare page. 


How did you feel about the message of the layout?
After I reread what I wrote, I cried.  It was just a spilling of my worries/ fears and love for my Mom.  I wanted to write what I felt on that day of her surgery. To remember how scared I was. She was so calm and my Dad and I were a wreck inside but trying to hide it for her sake.  We were thinking along the same lines (all of us)... what would happen and how could we live without her here. Fortunately, it turned out fine.  I still worry about her as she has more medical issues but I know we can get through them as a family. 


Why did you choose to show your journaling?
I chose to show the journaling and use it as a main part of the page but also "hide" it with the sprays a bit.  It's a bit like putting it all out there but covering up to keep it less scary. 

Tell us a little bit about how you feel now that this layout is done?
I feel relieved that the event is over and my Mom is okay... this layout is proof of my thoughts and feelings towards my Mom and how I feel about our relationship.  We are close and I love her with all my HEART.  She is a very strong woman and I hope she's around for a LONG time!  This layout is a tribute to her strength and my own.  Everyone has a relationship with someone in which voicing your feelings is therapeutic in the end. I loved how simple this page was and how much I treasure the photo and memories. 


You can visit Jen's blog here: Art Talk
Visit the Design Team Gallery to see more of Jen's and the rest of the teams amazing work using this month's GRACE kit!

The Negative Can be Positive

Hi everyone!

Did you know that about every five days, our fabulous design team members share exclusive tips and tricks utilizing our beautiful and meaningful kits? Our brand new team has been doing an awesome job with their debut kits and I'm here to share with you just a little taste of what is going on at the message board. (That's where we share our Exclusive Content.)

Oh.. and did I mention it's free? ;)

First off, I'd like you to all help me welcome Jen Matott to our team and then take a read and see what she has to share about using negative space in creative ways.

The Negative can be Positive

By Jen Matott

Using negative space in an artwork or layout creates an exciting accent and uses your supplies in a new way! We all have either punches or die cutters (or both) that create fun shapes. I love using mine to create pops of color or design in layouts. Here are a few ways that you can use the negative space (or left over punched out area) to your advantage:

1. Back the cut out area with patterned paper for a fun shape with extra POW!

I punched circles and added scraps of patterned papers to the back before adhering it down. Here is the finished page:

This page is about my need to find my style and how in the past, I struggled with fitting into the popular crowd and being the same as the people I thought were better than me. I felt a bit empty when I tried to fit in and not be true to my own style and self.

2. Using the negative space as a frame. You can frame items that you want to use as a focus... photos, special items, journaling. I use this is several of my layouts this month. Here are a few ways I used negative space as a frame.

3. Use negative space as a mask or stencil for a shape to be painted or sprayed on. I love to do this with many of my left over cut outs. I use a die cutter or punch and then use the remaining cut out to mask an area on my page with sprays.

I often do this in my visual journal as above. These are 3 ways that you can use the left over cut out papers that your die cuts or punches leave behind. I hope I have inspired you to use your scraps in a different way! 

Thank you so much Jen for sharing these tips! Make sure to come by our forum for more ideas and discussion about our January kit - INDIVIDUALITY!