Monthly Archives: October 2011

All You Need is Love & Grandma…that is so true! There are so many times in life when everything can be made right by a simple visit, a simple phone call, or even simply sitting back and flipping through your memories of your Grandma. It’s one of the beauties of scrapbooking. It can remind us what’s important, who is important and what we love about them.

Pick your favorite picture of your Grandma and put together a Love & Grandma 12×12 layout of your own. You’re welcome to gather inspiration and ideas from Valerie’s project design:

There’s so much to look at on this gorgeous 12×12 layout by Valerie that I don’t know where to start. The pink polka paper is lovely. The cut out birds creates a fantastic negative space that Valerie was clever enough to stand on its own at the bottom of the page. The subtle tag in the midst of the birds and the flowers provides the title of the layout, Valerie added white paint to the background as an additional matte layer for the photo. the origami style flowers are so fun with the buttons for centers, and the extra little focal point at the top left adds SO much flair to the page. It balances out what I wouldn’t have even guessed was an imbalance in the first place. \

Such gorgeous flowers! What kind of paper flowers are your favorite? We’re thinking about putting together a few video tutorials on how to make flowers. Which versions or types of flowers would you be interested in learning about?

And if you’d like to see more projects from Valerie…come back soon! We post designer projects here on the blog and on Facebook.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…you keep me happy when skies are gray! Don’t you just love people that can make you want to sing such a recognizable and lovely and happy song? We all need to have one or two people like that! And we should probably make sure to document any that we discover in our lives. We recommend scrapbooking: layouts, mini albums…or even…if you want to get crazy and let them know that you feel they are one of your “sunshines” you could make them a card.

Here’s a couple of Francine’s “sunshines!”

How happy does this particular project make you? Francine put it tougher  using the September Authentic Beauty kit. And it makes me smile. Smiling makes me happy. What an appropriate tribute to someone who acts as sunshine in your day to day life! Things I love LovE LoVE LOVE about this layout: the sweet pink background in combination with the neutral color of the second background, the “rays” of sunshine (both the varying patterns of paper and the stitching), the aded banner that accentuates the page title, the closer of stamps and pins held together by the date (one of the most important aspects of the page) and the pull out journaling. I love hidden elements! It makes the page interactive and fun.

I absolutely adore this 12×12 layout. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said that it makes me smile. And I believe that means success in the scrapbooking world.

Watch for more projects coming soon!

Awh…I love LovE LOvE LOVE babies. They were designed to make me smile and laugh. And there’s something wonderful about that. Someone once told me once that to laugh is to take a mini vacation and I immediately decided that they were right. My kids and I take spontaneous mini vacations all the time (don’t be startled by sudden bursts of unexplained laughter followed by assurances that it was a good one if you ever find yourself in our home). And all that fun and happy is SO much easier to accomplish when you have a little baby or a little PRESLEY on hand.

I bet Leslie was smiling when she put this 12×12 layout together using her Authentic Beauty kit from Little Black Dress Kit Club. In fact, I’m sure of it. You can’t come up with a finished product this happy-making unless you smiled at least a bit while you were working on it! We know…we collect them on our Ideas Page.

This is one of my favorite color combinations (red/brown/teal). It’s amazing on paper. It’s amazing in a room. And it’s amazing for a Friday night out with your favorite man or your favorite girls. But Leslie really worked it well here. And it’s only more yummy with the teeny pops of pink throughout. Things to notice in that came from the Authentic Beauty kit: trim (SO fun and SO pretty), flags, letter buttons, pink buttons, those fabulous paper combos, and…of course…those absolutely gorgeous and whimsical flowers.

Leslie, thanks for reminding me that even the teensiest little touches (like the flag, tiny date journaling, and button) that are evident in this close up can make an enormous difference.

“She Asked for Her Niece.” What a sweet addition to the page. And what a sweet little lady! Love those round baby cheeks! They remind me of my nephew that I don’t get to see nearly often enough. Elements to note in this closeup: one of our favorite papers (the perfect red covered in off white music notes), vintage stamp, pink button, flag.

Watch for more fun projects using the Authentic Beauty Kit coming soon!

Don’t forget…no October kits will be going out. But don’t worry about it…you’ll get another fabulous kit from Little Black Dress Kit Club again in November. And you’re going to L-O-V-E it. So, just to reiterate:

1. Little Black Dress Kit Club Members will not get an October Kit.

2. Little Black Dress Kit Club Members will not be charged for October (and if a charge sneaks through it will be refunded).

3. NEW Little Black Dress Kit Club members will receive an alternate kit (Sweet Bravery, first issued in January 2011).

4. ALL Little Black Dress Kit Club  members will get a fantabulous, splendiferous November kit that has never been seen before here or in Oz. I’m just sayin’.