Friday, July 27, 2012

Scrapbooking From the Inside Out Blog Hop!

Welcome to our blog hop!
The purpose of our hop today is three fold :)
We are sharing the July Communication kit one last time, giving you a chance to get to know the design team members, and posting a peek or two of the new August Escape kit.
In addition, we have a great prize to give away to one of you :)

I have already shared my five projects here on my blog this month. But for anyone new to my blog, here is a quick look at how I used the kit.
You can see the individual layouts a little closer as well as all of the other design team members terrific work in the SFTIO gallery here!

Now that I have worked with the July and August kits, I have noticed that I have a specific approach to planning and completing my projects.
When I first learn the theme for the month, I brainstorm ideas and think about photos I have that might fit.
Once the kit comes, I sort through the product and see if any of it inspires me. Let's just say that all of the little rotary phone embellishments that kept popping up, inspired my "Those Were the Days" layout in a big way :)
Another great place to look that may spark some ideas is the SFTIO inspiration page! Each kit has it's own page with journaling prompts, a link to our Pinterest board (one for each kit), music playlist, and quotes. The work is done for you!
Then towards the end of the month, Rachel provides amazing, thought provoking challenges on the boards.

I love these kits because for me it is about sharing the good as well as the rough times. And it is about lessons learned. How I get through those rough times and feel stronger as a result.
It is also about the memories of times gone by that won't be coming back. But I have those memories to share and that is what counts!
And maybe by sharing a piece of myself, I can inspire or help someone else going through something similar. : Or just give them an "aha" moment :)
Like C.S. Lewis said, "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one."

 And now, here is a peek at the August kit...
 And here is a peek at one of my layouts...

I will share a few more peeks on Monday and then the reveal will be on Wednesday.

And now for the prize! Leave a comment on my blog today and you will be entered to win this collection pack by Nikki Sivils...
You may recognize a few pieces of paper from the July kit in there :)
The deadline to enter is Sunday, July 29th at 9pm Pacific time.

Next up on the hop is Nicole Martel.
And if at any point you become lost, the SFTIO blog is here.
Thanks for stopping by today!

26 comments:

  1. I am loving all the pages you created with this fabulous kit! I would love to get my hands on it too and play around. Thank you so much for the hop, I am looking forward to checking out this site too, as it is new to me! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's really cool to see all of your July pages together because you can really appreciate how you used all of the kit elements. I can't believe you have August peeks already. Where did July go?!? I'm looking forward to seeing more of your page. I'm always looking for good book recommendations. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. the new kit looks awesome- can't wait to see the entire project

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mary Jo, what great layouts! I have never visited your blog before-I'm so glad I did! I am a new follower, so I will be back. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Escape kit looks like so much fun! Can't wait to see the rest of your sneak.

    ReplyDelete
  6. You have been so productive with these kits....love your routine. I might have to try that.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow!! Your July pages look amazing my friend and I'm loving the sneak!! You are awesome!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. The August kit looks like fun! Hope you have a great time celebrating Erin's birthday this weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for sharing your layouts.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am loving the colors of the August kit! It reminds me of summer sherbert!

    ReplyDelete
  11. love all the layouts! beautiful colors in August kit!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your LO's are great. I am new here and so happy I found you ... :) Thanks for sharing and a chance to win.

    ReplyDelete
  13. 1. Love the Niki Sivils you all are giving away.
    2. I love all your Communication layouts, especially your son sitting across the table from you at a diner with "time to talk" - that's what it looks like to me and I think it's hilarious! My son still tells people what I said to make sure he wasn't putting his "dip stick" into other people's "crank shafts." (He's 26)
    3. Jealous of your treehouse picture!
    4. LOVE your sneak peak of a book for escape -- totally would not have thought of that and now I have! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  14. thanks for that sneak peek of the new kit. That is the one thing that always excited me, seeing what is new. :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love that friendship quote. I feel like I've had that moment with all of my close girlfriends, even if its over something silly, just knowing someone else is in the same boat is definitely a bonding moment!

    Thank you for the sneak peek and the chance to win! I hope you have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  16. That is a terrific quote on friendship... I've always admired that one!

    I'm also enjoying your work with the kit, as well as your sneek for August! :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your LOs are so pretty!! Love your scrap room in the picture above.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Awesome pages!!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Love, love, love these, Mary Jo!!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Love your LO's!!
    Love your sneak!
    What a fabulous kit!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Altought I missed the deadline for prizes, I am still enjoying the hop! I am a new visitor and I love to scrapbook for all the same reasons that you do! I love the quote you posted about friendship, so true sometimes! Thanks for sharing your creative mind with us!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Have the winners been announced from the blog hop yet?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kelly - I think it will be on the blog this week. I will double check.

      Delete
  23. oh good thank you! I have been checking all week ;)

    ReplyDelete