Even better than all the fun pics and memories of sending the kids off to their first day of school…is all the fun associated with the memories of them coming back home! Love seeing them coming back in the front door. For that same reason, I’m so glad that Valerie sent in this scrapbook layout featuring the “return” after the first day of school. This is such a terrific idea for a layout.

The close up shows how fun this layout is…my favorite pieces? I love the way Valerie used a block of paper cut to the same size as the photo. I love the use of the simple, efficient and adorable journaling. And I love the idea for the layout in general! I might make this a new annual tradition at home. Pictures of the kids getting off the bus after their first day…great moment!

Want some details about what Valerie used to create this look? Here’s her supply list!

Pulled from the Authentic Beauty September kit from Little Black Dress Kit Club: patterned paper: Studio Calico | yellow trim | flashcard cut to make journal card.

Items used that are not from kit: pen: Copic Multiliner | punch: EK Success | sewing machine & thread | Remington vintage typewriter | black paper: Die Cuts with a View | label stamp: Studio Calico | ink: Memento

Watch for more projects by Valerie here on the LBD Blog and on the LBD Facebook page. Looking for more ideas for scrapbook pages, home decor ideas, cards, etc? Check out the LBD Blog Archive. You’ll find tons of ideas!

Some of us inherit millions, but most of us inherit something a little more personal from our ancestors: our grandmother’s nose, our great aunt’s eyes, our father’s big feet, our great great grandma’s poor hearing, etc. It comes right…Down The Line. And it’s so fun to see that depicted scrapbook style.

Check out Leslie’s 12×12 Down the Line Layout using the Little Black Dress Kit Club August Kit, Shades of Blue:

The ribbon included in the August Shades of Blue kit was the most gorgeous ever, and it is displayed to perfection here as one of the upper layers in Leslie’s layering. You’ll also notice the gorgeous black alphas included in this month’s kit as well as the teeny burnt orange alphas from Glitz Design that LBD included in the Shades of Blue kit.

Check out the closeup:

Is that not the most gorgeous bit of layering you’ve ever seen? I love that she combined the ribbon, the papers, the teeny alphas, the thickers, the cardstock cutout flower, the crossword puzzle puzzle piece, etc. What a great look she came up with!

So what did you get that came “down the line?” I have my Dad’s eyes. And my Mom’s ears. I don’t know where my forehead came from, but I’d like to someday find out so that I can complain…it’s FAR too short. There’s absolutely no possibility of ever having bangs. And, I don’t know, I might have wanted to go that direction someday. You never know!

Everybody hates the good sister, right? Or is it that everybody loves the good sister? Or wait! Isn’t it that everyone loves to hate her? Or hates to love her? Or loves to pretend to hate her? Regardless…we’ve all got one. Or we ARE one. And that leads to another tough question. Is it better to be a good sister or to have a good sister. That will require some thought. And while you’re thinking, check out Tina’s scrapalicious 12×12 layout of The Good Sister:

Tina used her I Feel Pretty July Kit from Little Black Dress Kit Club to advantage here. Don’t you just love teh combo of yellow and blue with splashes of pink. I adore that blue isn’t just for boys anymore and that yellow doesn’t have to come as a pastel.

The fabulous and American Craft Letterman Thickers are in a terrific shade of yellow. They are a great accent that brings boldness to the combination of soft colors on the page. I’ve actually been searching for a belt or a pair of heels in just exactly that color for weeks (maybe I should get both heels and a belt…I’ll think on it). It’s both lovely and dramatic without stealing the thunder of the rest of the page.

Ahhh…a pleated banner. She did such a lovely job and I love it all the more because the stitching not only holds the banner to the tip top of the layering, but she used a white that shows the pattern clearly against the colored papers from the kit.

Here you can see the banner from another angle as well as how she incorporated a bit of the vintage book page, yellow buttons, some journaling pieces, and the pink/white twine – all from the July kit. And if you look there to the left…you can get a glance at a Good Sister!

So…determine who the Good Sister is  in your life and follow Tina’s example. She deserves a page about all that goodness!

Summer is the perfect time to hang out with old Best Budz and discover new Best Budz. Whether it’s a friend that grew up across the street, a cousin visiting for a month or a brother or sister that you just couldn’t do without…the Best Budz phenomenon is so much fun during the hot, summer months. So it’s the perfect time to put together Tina’s Best Budz 12×12 layout.

Tina used various pieces of June’s Contrary Bliss kit from Little Black Dress Kit Club to piece together this priceless layout. I love all the open space. I think that it’s often hard for us to “stop” scrapping when there is “still room” left on the page. But this layout by Tina shows exactly how the focus can be amplified by the open page.

In addition to the fabulous picture, Tina was able to use several different elements of the kits. Layering the fun patterns and colors with stitching for decorative and functional purposes is done carefully so that the layering is a supportive element of the page rather than drawing all the attention away from the Best Budz!

I loved that Tina added a small string of buttons/cardstock sticker flowers. But the coolest part about this particular element of the page is that she used her stitching tool to generate a line of stitching and then stitched her buttons so it finished off the look. Perfect!

Remember to utilize your various pieces to create texture and depth like Tina did here with the popped flower embellishment. It adds so much to any page!

Watch for more June projects coming soon!

Still have a hankering to put something fun and sweet together with your LBD kit for May? We’ve got another idea to send your way. Almost all of us have our favorite “Little Bitty” person. And this layout is all about making them stand out from the crowd. Feature your Little Bitty by putting together a layout using Tina’s as a guide today:

Tina’s Little Bitty 12×12 Layout:

Awwww….RIGHT? This layout is just so perfect! I love the banner. I love the popped flowerws. I love the background paper. I love the corrugated cardboard background. I love the darker background behind the background. I love the houndstooth tissue paper accents. I love it!

And don’t you just love the black, glitter alpha stickers from the I’m Smitten May kit?

Looking for more project ideas for your Little Bitty? Or just another fun and fabulous project to use for your May I’m Smitten Kit? Check out our older posts or watch for more coming soon! And you can always look for more ideas on the LBD Facebook page, too. You might find some pictures that you’ve missed if you’ve only been keeping up with the blog posts!