Inside Out with Bonita Rose

Bonita Rose
Design Team Member

Lately, I've been really enjoying scrapbooking in the 6x12 size. I have a few of those sized albums.. and I love how quickly a page can come together with only half of the regular 12x12 page size, plus your paper can go a lot further!

The SFTIO kits are full of so much inspiration! The papers are always so rich, and everything in the Kit goes together so beautifully. The first step for me, is deciding what papers I want to use for a specific layout. It's usually the colors and pattern that speaks to me first. Once I choose my papers I want to use for a specific layout, the next step for me is finding a photograph that conveys what I'm feeling and what I want to share. 

For me, it all starts with my soul, what do I want to share? What do I want my children years down the road, to really know about me? What part of my life do I want to share on this page? 

I sift through my photos, finding the perfect photo to go with the emotion and tone of what I'm feeling, keeping in mind the colors in the photograph and the colors used on the papers. 

Next is the fun part!
I decide on the photo placement and crop the photo if necessary, then I start playing with the embellishments, journal spots, and alphabets included in the SFTIO KIT! 

I scrapbook haphazardly. There really isn't any rhyme or reason on how I put a layout together.. I just start moving things around on the face of my layout till I love the final look.. that's when I adhere everything down to the page. The last thing I do is write my story. I take a look at the photo, the embellishments, the paper colors and how it all works together, and then I begin to write. 

I share from my heart. I share and write how I talk to myself inside my head. I don't care if it sounds perfect or grammatically correct English. I just write down my heart. 

Every time after the process, I'm always pleased. 
I look at my layout, and I smile.


To visit Bonita's blog click here: A Life Unrehearsed
To view our wonderful design team gallery click here: Contentment Gallery

The YES Layout

Have you ever sat down to create a layout and what appeared on the paper was, not only what you pictured in your head, it was even better? I call these the YES layouts. The ones where everything just falls into place. From the design to the journaling to the message and emotion. It all just works. And when we're done, we want to hang it up for a little while and glean from it. 

There's nothing wrong with this feeling! I think with the type of approach we use here at SFTIO, it can be a very fitting feeling to have. While we can discuss techniques and give inspiration, my post this month is going to be about that YES layout. The one where I'm going to give you permission (because you need MY permission, didn't you know?) to pull out that layout and hang it up. Enjoy it. Re-read your journaling. And pin point what makes it your YES layout. 

Here is my YES layout from this month, using the March GRACE kit:

I remember the idea for this layout began to form while my little toddlers, at school, were napping. I was sitting in the chair writing out their daily reports when my mind began to wander. It often does. And I began to think about Grace and what I would scrap about. I already had four layouts created but needed one more. Not sure about the actual content, a design began to form and I had to sketch it out. As I looked at the sketch, it was completely out of my style. I've dubbed myself as clean and simple. But I'm trying to step out of my comfort zone here and there so I did.

And I'm so glad! 

I knew I wanted a misty, ethereal look to the layout. I wanted to challenge myself and use a patterned background. Those papers from Memory Box are perfect! Subtle. Calm. Perfect for those of us who don't usually use a patterned background. I also used a trick from past design team member Nancy and created my own paint mist. By mixing some acrylic paint with water, I spritzed that around on the paper.

I love banners but they can be a challenge for me to figure out without a sketch. The symbolism they can imply is so great but, composition wise, I can never get it right. But I like how it works with this layout... giving it that "in the sky" look.

And then the journaling. I didn't want my journaling to be on the page. It needed to be hidden. I almost forgot to do this but, thankfully, some of the layers were adhered with pop dots so I had room to stick my journaling underneath. 

For the actual content, I visited dictionary.com and quotes.com. I typed in Grace. And a flood of information came to me. I just kept reading until something spoke to me. I love the quote for this layout! Courage is grace under pressure. I think there is a certain amount of courage that comes through when we are challenged in this area of life. In some aspects, most of the creation of this layout showcases that... The white paint almost looks like it's bursting through the blue paper with my photo and the papers. But in a soft way. A way that conveys beauty. And with such beautiful papers and elements - I can say it was pretty easy to convey that said beauty. 

Do you have a YES layout??? If you have it uploaded in a gallery somewhere, share it with us! Show it off! Share the story behind it. 

P.S. We haven't forgotten about the Blog Hop winner! Watch the blog and Facebook for who the lucky hopper will be soon. Will it be YOU? 

Getting to know Bonita

We are so very thankful for our design team that puts their heart and soul into each layout. They are here to provide you with that extra shove and inspiration that is needed to guide you in digging deep into your own heart and creating with all you are and with all you have. I am so pleased to have Bonita on our team. I asked her a few questions, in an effort to get to know her better and she has a layout to share as well.

What is your philosophy when it comes to scrapbooking? 

My philosophy is pretty simple really. I create what I want to say, when I want to say it. I don't suffer from guilt from not scrapbooking everything in my life. Instead I pick and choose the photos and the journaling I want to leave behind, mostly for my children. I want to leave a legacy. I want my two teenage daughters to really know their mom. To really know her. The woman I was. How I felt. What my days were like. What was important to me, and what wasn't. After I'm gone, I want them to go through the photos, the journaling -- and know -- what really made me, me.

How do you apply that to your Inside Out layouts?

Usually when I receive my Kit, I look through all the colors and the patterns of the papers first, and decide on a few of my favorites. The ones that appeal to me at that time in my life. When I work on my layouts for SFTIO, I decide on that day, at that moment, what I want to share. What do I want to talk about today? What do I want to get down in writing. And I start from there. I always start from my heart first. For me, finding a photo comes last. First, I decide what I want to say. What it is that I feel I'll want my girls to know in the years to come.

Dream by Bonita Rose

Share with us a little bit more about this layout and how it encompasses your philosophy and SFTIO.

For me, scrapbooking and saving memories on paper has always been about my heart. About my life, in my own words. It's never been about the perfect photo or the perfect paper or embellishment. First and foremost, it's been about the things I'm feeling deep down in my heart, in my soul. 

In this layout, I chose the pretty teal and gold paper first, and built this layout from there. I was playing around with some silver glitter sticks, and made a heart. Then I realized the large grey flower that was part of my SFTIO kit this month, would be perfect with this! I added some of my baby blue vintage paper lace and just started placing things on the paper, deciding where it all should go. 

We recently moved my daughter into her own apartment, she'll be 19 later this month - and she's been on my mind so so much. I found a beautiful photo of her taken in our back yard last summer.

For me, this layout is all about sharing my heart and my dreams for her. It isn't about the glam or the pretty things. First, it's about what I want for her, what I dream, what I wish for her. I want her to read this years from now, and know how much I thought about her, how big my dreams are for her and her life.

What advice would you give to someone who is dipping their toes into "emotion-based" scrapbooking?

First and foremost, remember it's not always about the products. The products in the Kits are there for you to build upon, but first and foremost, it's about your heart and what you want to say. What is happening in your life, right now. How you are feeling. Good or bad or ugly. 
The best advice I would give is to not hold anything back. Be real in your layouts, in what you create. Be the real you. The real you... not just what others may expect you to be. Share the real you. It's so freeing. Just so freeing. xo

Make sure you visit Bonita's Blog: Bonita Rose, Life.Love.Color.Art a life unrehearsed

Have you seen something created by one of our design team members and you are burning with a question? Come join us on the forum. We are chatting and always welcoming new "family" members. :)

Taking Time for Me

About 10 years ago (ish) was when I dipped my toes into scrapbooking. Then I found I loved card making even more and really got into that. Took some classes, refined some skills, learned new techniques, etc., etc. In the midst of that, I would create an occasional layout and.... hate it.

So I hid.

I hid from scrapbook layouts. LOL But I did love it and just needed to practice is all. Not sure why I was so afraid to keep trying but, eventually, I would try again. Then something else happened.

I ran out of things to scrap about. I have no children. I have no significant other. I take trips but I got tired of trying to figure out different ways to scrap the same old photo. Blah. At the same time I was going through some therapy. My counselor told me to journal. But I hated journaling and keeping a diary. I never kept it up. Maybe the first few pages and then I'd stop. Why? It was boring. It didn't free me from anything. I just hated writing. So we explored some options. Should I type it? Nope. Should I make myself do it anyway? Nope. Hey... I like to scrapbook... why not combine the two? And my friends, a new and wonderful thing happened. I decided to use my love of scrapbooking and combine it with my need to journal. Let it all out, if you will.

This brief little back story is to share how much I love and appreciate the philosophy of SFTIO. I'm a firm believer in combing something you love as your means to creatively express and "let it all out".

To see the full layout and more amazing layouts from our design team, click here.

So what's your story?

Come share with us on the forum!

Kit Giveaway on the CK Blog

Hey all - believe it or not we have another giveaway of the FRIENDSHIP kit to share - and a lesson about how to scrap about (and learn about) yourself by scrapping about the ones you love in a reflective way.

You already know how we feel here at SFTIO about scrapbooking about yourself, but there's a lot to be learned about yourself through the filter of your relationships. Enter the FRIENDSHIP kit. Now, the focus is on the people whom you've chosen to mean the most in your life. There’s a way that these two kinds of scrapbooking connect beautifully. With this kit, we're scrapbooking about someone we love from OUR perspective – that is, how they influence us and what they help us learn about ourselves.

Join me on Saturday over the the CK Blog where I'll be guest posting on this subject with some wonderful examples of how reflecting on others helps you learn about you. You'll get some great insight from our designers and about yourself.

I'm a tease:









Check out my post on Saturday and leave a comment there to be entered to win. Or get your kit now before they all go bye-bye! The price is simply unbeatable - 39.99 with your six month subscription plus two gorgeous free gifts, and it's got what other clubs offer in a kit plus a sneaky add-on. No upselling tricks here - it's all in one!

See you soon!

Rachel