Behind the Scenes with Diana Brodeur

Hello everyone. Diana here to share with you a behind the scenes look at one of my layouts from this month's Curiosity kit.

  

What prompted you to pick this take on curiosity ?

I dug into a past memory for this layout. I loved when my grandmother and mom baked goodies and how the kitchen smelled when the cakes or cookies were baking. When I was 16 I wanted to try and bake a goodie of my own. It was a total flop but it did not sate my curiosity for baking. Years later and lots of practice, I finally have the baking thing down pad!

Why did you choose this photo?

This is a picture of one of my favorite chocolate chip cookies. It took me lots of attempts and various recipes to satisfy my curiosity of the perfect texture and flavor.

How do you feel about the message of your layout?

I feel it conveys my curiosity for baking and learning new recipes. It's something that I hope my daughters are curious once they get older.

What symbolism did you pull into your design?

The flower symbolizes my growth in baking. Tell us a little bit about how you feel now that you have "let it all out" on this page. I am happy that I documented this little tid bit about my past. It's something that I don't want to forget. I want my kids to know that it is ok to try new thing and that practice makes perfect.

 

Behind the Scenes with Diana

Hello everyone! Diana here with an little peek into one of my layouts from this month's Respect kit. Here is the layout I will discuss.

What prompted you to pick this take on respect ?

In today's busy world, I tend to focus on getting through the day. I often forget to focus and enjoy the little things in life. Time is my mortal nemesis and often causes me to miss what is truly important in my life. Being a single mom, my kids and job are very important to me. I often miss out on the day to day, something that I am determined to capture and document in my layouts whenever I can.
 

Why did you choose this photo?

I happened to capture this photo while my daughter was putting together a puzzle all by herself. Times like these pass us by so quickly and before you know it, our kids are adults. This picture has caused me to respect time and how important it is to capture and enjoy all the little moments in life.
 
How do you feel about the message of your layout?

I feel that this layout signifies my respect for time passing by and to make sure to enjoy all the moments I possibly can. 
 
What symbolism did you pull into your design?

I have two items that symbolize time and respect. The first is the piece of a clock you see next to the picture. This symbolized a piece/section of time. The notebook paper punch is used to symobilize a piece of the story in time. Kind of like when you write about your day in your journal.
  
Tell us a little bit about how you feel now that you have "let it all out" on this page. 

I feel that this has open my eyes on respecting time. To pay attention to everything around me and to be thankful for every moment that I have.

I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my creation process. Don't forget to stop by my blog and say hi!

Using Vellum with Diana Brodeur

I was cleaning, or should I say reorganizing, my scrapbooking stash when I came across a couple sheets of vellum that I forgot I had. I kept them out so I could use them on some layouts. I decided to start printing my journaling on them. I love how it still allows you to see the patterned paper underneath and how clean and fresh it looks. Now I can't seem to get enough of vellum!

For this kit, I used vellum journaling on two of my layouts. This one....

And this one...

You should give it a try. I think you will love it too! 

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Here are some tips on adhering your vellum, as discussed on our SFTIO Forum:

1. You can use an adhesive specifically for vellum. There is spray, glue dots and tape runners.

2. Use a very small amount in the corners. It might still show through, though.

3. Use staples or brads.

4. Stitching! 

5. Or use a very thin line of glue around all the edges. It will give a cool "matte" look. 

Behind the Scenes with Diana

Today we have the talented Diana, from our design team, sharing a little bit more about one of her layouts, using the September kit - Innocence. Let's take a closer look, shall we, at how Diana approached this emotion - inside out style.

Follow Your Heart by Diana Brodeur for Scrapbooking from the Inside Out

1. What prompted you to pick this take on innocence ?

As many moms know, their kids mean the world to them. They will do anything to shield and protect their kids as best as they can but we live in a world where that is a very hard thing to do. The innocence topic made me think about how kids are exposed to so many things way sooner than I was in my youth. This layout is my feelings on this.

2. Why did you choose this photo?

I chose these photos because I felt that they best represented the topic of the layout.

3. How do you feel about the message of your layout?

In some ways, the message of this layout makes me sad. As much as I hope my kids go through life happy, I know that they will have some sad times ahead and I can only hope that I can be there for them. To comfort them. To hold them in my arms and tell them everything will be alright.

4. What symbolism did you pull into your design?

The two butterflies represent my kids and their innocence. At some point, their innocence will "fly" away. I just hope that it's not anytime soon.

5. Tell us a little bit about how you feel now that you have "let it all out" on this page. 

I feel relieved. One day when my girls get older and they have kids of their own, they will know that I had some of the same feelings they will probably have with their own children. 

I love how Diana was able to include her children on a layout, while still capturing her own thoughts and feelings. By comparing her own childhood innocence with what her children experience in todays' world, it ends up being a beautiful expression of something deep inside Dianas' heart.  

Are you ready to dive in and explore your inner world? Come join us! Still want to dip your toes in a little bit more? No worries. We have an industry exclusive Inspiration Page that is FREE. That's right. I said FREE! 

Still want more? Come join us on the forum and view our galleries. We have a lovely, encouraging community. 

The COMMUNICATION Kit. Wanna Chat? Plus Layouts from our New Designers.

The July kit from SFTIO, COMMUNICATION, is a kitchy and stylish mix of fun paper and embellishments to help you explore and express how you connect with the world around you.

In the era of quick and easy ways to touch base, how much time do you make to connect on a deeper level? Is your life enhanced by social networking or hindered by it? Do you walk your talk? Are you a good listener? Are there topics that are off limits?

Paper from October Afternoon, Echo Park, Nikki Sivils and Jillibean Soup provides the perfect symbolism with everything from vintage phones and paper airplanes to notepads, typewriters, cameras and viewfinder reels. Embellishments include a custom chipboard polaroid frame, perfect for using as a stencil, mask or as a page element, kraft paper circle garland, epoxy woodgrain buttons, flags and banners and lots and lots of journaling stickers and cards. You'll also get a great stamp from Lawn Fawn and a long awaited Tim Holtz Distress Marker.

There's no shortage of ways to tell your story - join us and let's talk all about it!

Get your kit HERE; start or extend your six month subscription and you also get this from Seven Gypsies for all those secret love letters and communiques!:

And we're welcoming three new DT members! You'll love their deep and meaningful work.

 

 Here's just a taste of what they created on the topic of COMMUNICATION:

So what do you have to say?