Monthly Archives: December 2010

Looking for more ideas…lucky for you…our design team just keeps coming up with them. Here are some for you to use as inspiration, motivation…or even to generate some of that famous competitive spirit that can sometimes result in the best projects of all!

This is the Hello My Name Is 12×12 layout by Amy Heller:

Notice how much some zig zag stitching can add to a page in this closeup.

And you’ll see in this closeup the extra emphasis you can add to a page with: layering, photo cropping, and journaling with colored alpha tiles (they’re not strictly for titles, you know!)

This is the My Scholar 12×12 layout by Amy Heller:

In this closeup you can see just how varied the papers are that Amy used for her layering…

And in this closeup you’ll notice that Amy created a banner across the top of the page…I thought it was a good example of a fabulous banner for strictly decorative purposes. The title is elsewhere on the page.

This is the Snow Patrol 12×12 layout by Amy Heller:

In this closeup you’ll see one of Amy’s carefully constructed embellishment clusters. It’s a great way to accent a page as well as show off some of your fabulous vintage extras from your kit. Amy’s becoming known for them here at Little Black Dress kit club!

This is the Gifts 12×12 layout by Francine Clouden. I’m a big fan of the “series” of photos layouts. And Francine does a fabulous job presenting a story.

In this closeup you can see how Francine created a space for her series of photos as well as her title using the scalloped cardboard border included in the kit.

This closeup shows Francine’s take on the pinwheel flower…I’m a fan (particularly of her paper combinations).

This is the My Snow Angel 12×12 Layout by Francine Clouden:

In this closeup you can see the layered portion beside the title that includes vintage items, a heart punch out of a vintage bookpage and some journaling (by hand…a fantastic feature of most of Francine’s layouts).

The Special Moments 12×12 Layout by Francine Clouden:

Francine used some of the unique vintage items included in her kit to generate title and journaling space on her layout.

The All I Want For Christmas 12×12 Layout by Jan Hobbins…when your kids have grown up and flown the coop…you’re left with your pets for all that celebratory overflow. Thus…Christmas outfits and photo sessions never have to be a thing of the past! I love the way Jan’s pages have a LOT of fabulously detailed work, but always seem to stay away from “overdone” AND leave the focus on the picture being presented!

Looking for a greeting card this holiday season that is most definitely NOT Christmas related? Here’s a fabulous take on the tried and true Happy Birthday card by Jan Hobbins. Square cards are my favorite and this one incorportes two of my favorite trims from the December Kit!

The Here Comes Santa Claus 12×12 layout by Jan Hobbins:

This layout makes me want to get ready for Santa Claus to come…and he was JUST HERE! Look closely at Jan’s layering…it’s a work of art.

Watch for January sneak peeks and kit details…coming soon! And if you haven’t joined us on Facebook and/or Twitter yet…don’t miss out! Become a fan today.

Need to wrap up a gift card this holiday season? Want to make that gift card seem more personal and unique? Well…here’s one way to go about it that is utterly fabulous!

The Fabulous gift Box Tutorial from Jan Hobbins using the Little Black Dress Sincerely Fond Kit (December):

It’s a birthday hat gift box! Jan admits that she gets carried away when she starts creating..but we absolutely don’t mind! In fact, we LOVE IT!

Here’s the instructions straight from Jan:

Gift Box -

1. I took a papermache round box(about 5″ in diameter), and attached a cone made of heavy brown paper or cardstock on the lid.  I used strips of gummed brown paper, but you could put white glue on brown wrapping paper or pieces cut from a paper bag , to attach the cone.

2. Next, I painted the inside of the box, bottom, and the lid rim and inside with white paint.  I then cut out another cone from the star printed paper and adhered to the cone shaped lid. I did the two layers of cone, to make it more solid.

3. Cover the outside of the box with the green paper.

4. For the paper ruffle, I cut three strips of the polka dot paper, machined stitched a large basting stitch down the middle on all three.  Then wet your paper (You need to do this so you can gather it), blot it on some paper towel, and carefully gather into a ruffle.  It does tear easy, but I find with the thicker paper, it’s not as bad.  Let the ruffle dry and then ink the edges.  I did use some crepe paper – just from one of those rolls you buy in the party supplies- and gathered that too, then dipped the edges in white glue and then dipped in glitter.  Glue the paper ruffle to the crepe paper ruffle, adhere around the cone on the rim of the lid. 

5.  I then took 1/4 strips of green paper, pleated them and glued these to the middle of the ruffle. 

6. I cut out a shape with my slice, matted, and adhered three of the jewels on it, then glued it to the cone. 

7. Gather up the tulle, stick in the top of the cone, adhere some of the orange ribbon around the top to cover and secure. 

8. For the happy birthday banner, I covered both sides of the chipboard banners, punched two little holes on the top of each, strung them together using embroidery floss, and then stuck on the small letter stickers. 

Jan says, “If I’m giving a gift card or money as a gift, I try and find or make a neat box to give it in.  It makes it feel more like a gift then!”

Hope all of you have fun making your version of Jan’s Birthday Hat Gift Box!

We all need help thinking of the perfect gift sometimes…and hearing what other people are “gifting” is the best inspiration of all. We sent a few ideas your way earlier this week, but there’s no such thing as too many ideas! So here are a few more:

Ginger says that she is gifting:

1. Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher (mini stapler)
2. Zutter Ditrezzer Tool for (distressing edges of stuff)
3. And…GLITZ products, ha!

Jan says that she enjoys gifting a finished project (that is utterly amazing, of course) along with a packaged kit of everything that will be needed to create a second project. Isn’t that fun? It’s a gift that keeps on giving (since the gift recipient typically makes the second project in order to gift it to another).

Still need ideas? Check out Little Black Dress on Facebook! We’ll be posting gift ideas for the  avid scrapper randomly throughout the week.

Amy Heller’s Having a Ball 12×12 layout is a fantastic project for many different photos and events. She pulled several different aspects of the Little Black Dress Sincerely Fond December kit together to create a great overall look for this layout!

Here you see the full layout. We love the combination of alphas (the red Thickers really stand out) and the light aqua alpha tiles are a great contrast. We also love the incorporation of various size of pendants/banners as well as the series of photos. It’s a great way to commemorate a certain event or memory or special moment. And you can’t see the page without taking notice of her method for laying out the pendant string on the top left corner of the page. Her stitching not only holds elements to the page, but it serves as the “banner.”

This close up shot shows just how much layering can add to a layouts’s look. You can also see the zig zag stitch that adds a subtle, but distinct border around the left edge of the photos.

This closeup shows the variety of trims that Amy pulled from the Little Black Dress December kit for the layout. She incorporated the aqua scalloped corrugated cardboard, the polka dot, orange scallop and the white with orange trim.

Using a “text” based paper “sideways” is sometimes not only more fun, but less distracting from the photos that and/or journaling that should immediately gain the attention on onlookers.

Notice how Amy “pops” certain elements of the page to give the layout some added dimension.

We love the layout, Amy! Thanks so much.

Watch for more projects and layouts coming soon from Amy Heller!

Looking to give more than receive this holiday season…good for you! Are you stumped on what to get for fellow scrappers, friends and family? Here are a few suggestions:

For the fellow scrapper, Little Black Dress Design Team member, Amy Heller, suggests:

Scotch ATG tape gun
Washi tape sampler
tiny attatcher from Tim holtz
Border punches
A twine sampler from the twinery
American crafts thickers
Fabric brads
Kraft Envelopes and bare chipboard from Maya rd
Rainbow array of eline pearls/rhinestones from prima

For the tough to buy for family member who may or may not already have everything they may or may not want that is known to man…try:

A mini album

**this It Was a Good Day Mini Album was made by SarahBeth using the Homespun Sunshine Little Black Dress Kit.

A recipe album

**This Rub a Dub Dub seasonings and rubs recipe album was made by Cathleen using the Not Just Navy Little Black Dress kit

A floral arrangement

**This floral arrangement was made by SarahBeth using the Vintage Sunshine Little Black Dress Kit.

Bookmarks (for those of you who MUST have SOMETHING for EVERYONE!) This might be a good choice…

**This bookmark was made by May Flaum using the Little Black Dress June kit!

A unique piece of home decor

**This Treasure Box was made by SarahBeth using the Vintagre Sunshine kit.

**This easel photo album was made by Heidi Swapp using the Pretty in Pink Kit from Little Black Dress Kit Club.

**This paintbrush holder was made by Francine Clouden using the Little Black Dress Kit Club Homespun Sunshine Kit.

Wall art

**This LOVE wall art was made by Francine Clouden using the Homespun Sunshine Little Black Dress Kit Club Kit.

Other gift ideas that you can work with include: garlands, cards, journals, and more. Happy Holidays from Little Black Dress!