Design Team

Rachel Kaufman - Founder and Owner

I have been scrapbooking in some form or another for as long as I can remember. As a small child, I made books about movie stars, poster collages of my dreams and wishes for my future, and magnetic albums with family and friends' photos, embellished with stickers and handwritten journaling written on construction paper. I graduated to a wedding 'storybook' album made for close friends in 2000. Soon after, I was introduced to the 'new' world of scrapbooking...

I have been teaching at three local scrapbook stores in the Los Angeles area since 2007. I have really enjoyed the chance to watch others take my vision and transform it into something that speaks directly to their hearts. The publication of my album called "Sedona Moments', about moments of clarity in my life, in the Write from the Heart section of Simple Scrapbooks in Nov/Dec 2007 ( click here and here ) played an important role in helping me develop my teaching business, and for that I am so grateful.

When I first started scrapbooking, I covered events, trips and the like. I came to realize that the things I loved to scrapbook about were about my heart and soul. I'm a firm believer in the value of psychotherapy - and found that while other people were journaling as part of their therapy to get their feelings out and expressed, my best and most complete way to do that as part of my therapy was by scrapbooking and then studying and discussing it - so I created a unique tool for helping process my life. I am so thrilled and so motivated to share my 'way' of scrapbooking with others as it has helped me so much, and continues to, even to this day. It is my passion and my dream to help others understand themselves, deal with life's difficulties and celebrate their inner and most private victories through our craft.

I live with my family in beautiful Santa Monica, California, just 10 blocks from the beach. Seriously, you gotta come out here-it's amazing!

Rachel's Blog:  Inside Out

Nancy Doren - Design Team Coordinator

Hi! I'm Nancy and I've been scrapping for about four years. I'm passionate about scrapbooking my emotions... it I've learned so much about myself and the world through this amazing hobby! My first scrapbook was a honeymoon album I created right after I got married. Unfortunately, I burned out pretty quickly because I was consumed with getting every little detail perfect, so I gave up scrapping altogether. A few years later I decided to treat my scrapbooks like my journals and put my heart into what I did...I fell in love with scrapping again and now I find it so fulfilling! I love to get all my emotions out on a page... it's very satisfying to name a feeling and turn it into art.

My scrapbooking style is colorful, organic, and composed. I love mixing bright colors together, stitching, painting, hand-cutting, and circles. I'm inspired by magazines (I'm a little obsessed with them), my fellow scrappers, illustration websites, and children's books. I love watching sci-fi with my husband, beach vacations, reading in bed, and blogging.

Nancy's Blog:  My Paperview

Rita Barakat

My name is Rita Barakat. I have been married to my wonderful hubby for 19 years. Before I had children I painted life size murals for a living. I am blessed to be a SAHM (stay at home mom) to five beautiful children ages 18 down to 4! My talents are all in the fine arts. I direct a youth choir and drama team. I sing and have always been a crafter and an artist. When I ran across scrapbooking I was immediately hooked! Scrapbooking is my passion.

I love being a part of Scrapbooking from the Inside Out! I love the process of journaling your emotions through scrapbooking; what a wonderful legacy we are leaving for future generations! I love that SFTIO gives us the opportunity to explore and express our feelings, I really enjoy hearing what everyone has to say and it's nice that we can be so honest. (WTG Rachel!) I am so excited to work with Rachel, Nancy and the SFTIO team.

Rita's Blog:  Let's Embellish

Arlene Camacho

Hi! My name's Arlene, and I am addicted to scrap booking! I knew that my addiction would grow and grow as time went on so at first I'd admire what my online friends would make and try to stay far away! One day we went to an arts & crafts store and my hubby did the unthinkable...started buying me scrappy stuff to get me started....and that was it! I am blessed to say that my husband of 11 years is my number one fan and a huge enabler! He is known to go on his own and pick stuff up for me, just if he's thinking of me. Between him and the 4 kids (aged 4.5-10.5) they keep me busy and inspired at my desk. It's funny how now my family says or does something out of the norm and ask me "wait! are you scrapping that??!!!"

This art has allowed me to open up and express myself, IRL I am such a shy person, so it's interesting how scrapping has enabled me to spill the beans. I am honored to be a part of this design team and so very grateful for this opportunity! Hope to do Rachel and my fellow DT members proud!

Arlene's Blog:  I Just Wanna Say

Stacey Hansen

I am Stacey Hansen. A scrapbooker, cake baker, band aid administrator, wife with six kids and a husband of 11 years that keep me employed. I began scrapbooking about 15 years ago right out of high school. I had those fun edged scissors and a new creative outlet was born. Now I don’t have any of those fun scissors left but a full arsenal of tools that have taken over my closet. Scrapbooking is a way for me to relax, create, and express myself from the Inside Out.

Stacey's Blog:  Sassy n Sweet Scrappin

Cristal Hobbs

Hey I am Cristal, but everyone calls me Pinky. Who am I? I am one of those crackled glass vases you see and wonder how they stay together in that shape, broken but beautiful.

I have been scrapping for just over 2 years now and I fell hard in love with it. I have always scrapped just 10 degrees off the "norm", for me it has always been very personal. Scrapbooking pages from the inside is my passion, I love that it heals me and makes me stronger with every page I create. I am always amazed at how many approach me about my pages and how many strong bonds they create with others who are broken and beautiful just like me.

Of course I have 3 beautiful boys who I love to chronicle on paper, I am blessed with an amazing supportive hubby too, who reads every page I make. With such a great support system, how can I not scrap it all? Life is full of mayhem and curves, why not make them beautiful too. I am so excited to be a part of SFTIO!

Cristal's Blog:  Much Ado About Nothing

Diana Kennedy

Hi! I am Diana Kennedy from Edmonton, Alberta Canada. A “creative junkie” I have always been drawing, painting, sewing, crocheting, sculpting, jewelry making and dancing from a young age. I am learning how to create art journals, mixed media art and mixed media fibre art. I was introduced to scrapbooking a couple of years ago when I went on a retreat with one of my best friends. I was scrapbooking my wedding and was instantly hooked!

I am married to a wonderful man whom I am madly in love with and he supports me in every way…even enabling me with purchasing scrapbook supplies! I am educated with a Masters degree in clothing history and museum studies, but manage an art gallery located inside a hospital. My other interests include clean eating, baking, organic gardening, hiking, running, biking and of course shopping!

As a scrapbooker, I have been published in Canadian Scrapbooker magazine and Scrapstreet.com. I am inspired daily by all the many talented people who tell their life stories through the art of scrapbooking.

Diana's Blog:  Scrap Your Life 

Kai Baldwin - Marketing Graphic Designer

Vertically challenged, blonde (most of the time), easy-going yet verbose scrapbooker seeks strong, bold, colorful and funky patterned paper for long-term, yet vulnerable and intimate love affair. I can’t stay away from a good line that coordinates well with other fun pals, especially “Chip” and “Tag”. I love to be adventurous with stamps and Stickles. Got flowers? If not, no worries, I do! I adhere to few rules and hope you like cutting and tearing it up as much as I do. If you’re ready to dig deep and expose your inner self with me, then you bring the bling and I’ll bring the ribbon and we can meet up for a sticky good time!

Whoops! How did my ScrapperMatch.com bio sneak into this one? Sorry! How embarrassing! Boy, is my face red. Let’s try this again…

Hi, my name is Kai. It’s pronounced K-eye or rhymes with tie, bye, hi, sigh, cry, why, lie… well, you get the picture. I currently reside in central Ohio, but hope to eventually move back to my home state of New York… western or “upstate” NY to be exact. I started scrapbooking about ten years ago after visiting a friend back in NY who had just attended an in-home Creative Memories workshop. Looking at her completed page just sent little electrical impulses through me. I realized then that this was what I had been searching for. Prior to this day, I was a “craft nomad”. I dabbled in a lot of different crafts, wreath making, sewing, decoupage, crochet (self-taught – it wasn’t very good) and most recent prior to scrapbooking – stamping and card making. As a child I had spent hours making my own cards, complete with rhyming verse, and paper-storybooks with sad little illustrations. I would cut my photos and collage them in those static-cling albums and cut pieces of paper with journaling or quips to explain the page. But I was never satisfied. I never realized what was missing until that day… when my friend’s scrapbook page opened my mind.

Soon after, I took a basic scrapbooking class at a local scrapbook store. I was so excited, and yet, after a few months, I stopped scrapbooking because I was disappointed in my pages. I would buy things at the LSS, and not knowing what to do with them, just store them away for “later”. Well, “later” came a few years after, when that same LSS was hiring. I applied, got hired, and the world of scrapping exploded for me. The talented women that I work(ed) with taught me so much and my own pages shifted and evolved. Now, years after my first class, I now teach the very basic scrapbooking class that got me started!

After a few years at the LSS, I again grew unhappy and disillusioned with scrapbooking. At this point in time I had only really had time to scrapbook an album for my eldest daughter (birth to high school graduation), a few gifts, cards and a vacation album. I was unfulfilled. It wasn’t enough. A friend of mine pointed me here to SFTIO and I immediately realized that I had found my new home. Scrapbooking as a form of therapy, release, catalyst or just to share who I really am inside is where it’s at for me now. I will be forever thankful to Rachel for bringing her vision to life and I am very excited and humbled to be a part of it!

Kai's Blog: Enjoy the Ride Today

Paige Ramos - Creative Coordinator

Hi! I'm Paige. I live in Peoria, AZ but I was born and raised in NY. I've been married to my hunky husband since 7/2/94 and we have 1 fabulous son and 2 beautiful daughters who have been the benefactors of my scrapbooking thus far. By day I am the Director of Collections for an internet travel consortium; I'm a devoted soccer mom and in my quest to lose 100 lbs, I go to the gym 5 times a week. I organize a monthly crop in my area AND when time allows I throw in a load or 19 of laundry and clean my house. When time doesn't allow, I watch Dancing with the Stars, Boston Legal & General Hospital on my DVR.

When I grow up I want to be a writer. So look for me in a magazine, bookstore, TV or theater near you, sometime in the next 10 years. I'm currently practicing my craft on my blog "The Bumpy Ride." Although my life might sound like that of the average girl next door - trust me, IT'S NOT. The most bizarre (usually comical) things seem to happen to me and I love to write about them and share my insane experiences and observations. PLEASE take a peak...

So why Scrapbooking From The Inside Out? Very simply, I want my children to REALLY know and understand me. I also think it will be a great gift for them to use to learn more about themselves and who they are as a part of our family and as individuals. By Scrapbooking From The Inside Out I will be giving them art and information about their heritage and their history while at the same time sharing with them how very much they are loved and why.

Scrapbooking in general allows me to satisfy the artist in my heart, and the writer in my soul. Endeavoring to do so from the Inside Out will be a challenge and experience that I will treasure and I'm sure you will too.

Paige's Blog:  The Bumpy Ride