October Afternoon

Tutorial: Machine Stitching

Hello!  It is Stacey here today.  I hope all of our readers in the U.S. had a wonderful holiday weekend!  Today I want to share with you a few techniques I love using when maching stitching.

When I am planning a new layout (or card or mini album or tag or whatever), thread is one of the first decisions I make – right after papers.

Thread is critical for me. I get excited about thread. Sometimes I stitch with my sewing machine, sometimes by hand. Often, I’ll do a little of both and every once in a while, I’ll do a whole lot of both! I just love it – without some type of stitching, I have trouble feeling like a project really reflects “me.” And that’s what it’s all about, right? I want leave a little bit of myself in everything I do.
 
In my world, sewing has different “levels.” On a very basic level, machine stitching around the perimeter of a layout gives my page boundaries. This stitching sets the tone of my layout with color and movement. For example, if the stitching is neutral or just blending in with the papers, it’s mostly just adding delightful texture. When I chose a contrasting color, the stitching quickly becomes a significant page element page.
 
In addition to color, stitch movement is a defining factor on the layout. When I’m wanting a solid, grounded border, I’ll stitch straight lines around the page. Sometimes, this is all that is necessary to “contain” my page and it’s elements.  More often, I’ll stitch over that same “frame” a few times, slightly straying from the straight lines. For me, this sets a tone of imperfection and flexibility. I really like the way this unpretentious “I didn’t try too hard” stitching feels. It looks a little lazy, it’s comfortable and creative and fun. It’s really “me,” and I really like that.
 
The second level of stitching involves working with the page elements, sewing around journaling blocks, photos, patterned paper strips, ribbon, you name it. (Oh, and just FYI, there is an unwritten rule in my scrap room: no sewing though heads or body parts if you stitch on a photo.) I usually use the same color of thread throughout the page, unless my papers are very neutral and the thread is a significant color element.
 
The third level of stitching (remember this is just my world we’re talking about here) falls into the sometimes-I-don’t-know-when-enough-is-enough category. This is when I add gratuitous handstitched x’s or machine stitched zigzags “just because.” I love adding stitched photo corners with overlapping lines, little stitches here and there to make elements like tags or ribbon scraps to appear tacked down (in reality they are adhered well before the stitching is added). The stitching I’m referring to here usually includes my “finishing touches,” but can go on for a very long time if I’m not careful! 

A few things to keep in mind as you dust off your machine and grab your thread:

1. Imperfection = good

2. No sewing through heads.

3. Keep your stitches far enough apart that the paper doesn’t tear.

4. For hand stitching, pierce holes first with a pushpin, then sew through them.

5. Tape – don’t knot – loose threads on the back.

6. Do not – I repeat, do not – machine stitch through Glue Dots. Need I elaborate?

Here’s a fun little stitched banner embellishment you can make with your sewing machine and some punched scraps:
 
Punch (or cut) a pile of triangles (or hearts or little flags or whatever you like!) from a variety of patterned papers (look under your chair where you’ve been working – there’s probably a perfect little pile of scraps right there!).
 
Then feed them (carefully!) through the sewing machine to create a happy, free-moving banner that you can play around with and position any way you like.
 
I love these because I can position and reposition the entire banner easily while I am creating. I  used to stitch the banner pieces right on the card or layout where they would be immoveable...and this is so much better because I just really need to move things around! 

I have linked a few more examples of these fun little banners here and here and here. 

If this inspires you to create something, please share with us at the October Afternoon Flickr gallery!

Challenge: Food, Glorious Food!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! Vivian here with a post to help us kick off summer. As the weather starts to get warmer, the capris and sandals emerge from their hiding places, and the sound of lawn mowers permeates, my thoughts turn to food. I love lazy summer evenings and weekends spent in the backyard, grilling and eating lots of fruits and vegetables. I also love impromptu trips to test out the latest ice cream spot or the best new burger joint.

On this layout, I documented last summer’s find: Park Burger. The retro soda shop feel of the 5 & Dime line worked perfectly here.
 
Kinsey’s goal this summer is to eat at least one type of fruit with every meal. I might have to make that my goal, too! She played around with all the fun new Sprinklers here, and created little monochromatic canvases for each photo using a variety of October Afternoon product lines. My favorite part of her layout (besides the fruit, of course)? Look closely at the stitching. Yup. The thread matches too!
 
 
 
So…I challenge you to channel your inner foodie and create a layout about your favorite summer food! We’d love to see what you create, so don't forget to post your work to our Flickr gallery. 

Happy Memorial Day!!

Rocket Age Room Decor

Hi everyone!  Lynn Ghahary here again to share my final project with you this week.  For today’s project I decided to create a piece of wall art to hang in my youngest son’s bedroom.  I love to browse the internet for inspiration and both Pottery Barn Kids and The Land of Nod are some of my favorite websites to find ideas for home décor for my kids.  I stumbled upon this ABC wall hanging on The Land of Nod website and decided to create my own version using stickers and embellishments from the “Rocket Age” collection.
 
To create my wall hanging I started with a piece of 12x12 white cardstock and a simple black frame I picked up at my local Michaels.  Once I had my spacing figured out this wall hanging was actually quite easy to put together.  With my letters placed I started to fill in with stickers from the 12x12 Sticker sheet, the Word Stickers, and of course those adorable Rubber Charms.  And here’s a look at my finished wall hanging … 
 
And it just so happens that the walls in my son’s bedroom are the same exact blue of the letter stickers in the “Rocket Age” collection.  How’s that for a perfect match!  LOL  I used dimensional adhesive to really give the stickers some lift and have them pop right off the background.  And while not every letter has a sticker associated with it I was pretty amazed at just how many icons and phrases I was able to use throughout the alphabet.  And here’s a detail view of the wall hanging ... 
 
This really was such a fun project to make and you could easily use other October Afternoon collections to customize it for your own child’s room color or décor. 

Thank-you, Lynn, for being our May Guest Designer.  You shared some amazing projects with us this month and we had such a great time getting to know you!

Have a great weekend everybody!

 

 

Thursday Sketch: Magazine Inspiration

Welcome to this edition of Sketch Thursday! Lexi here and today I not only have a sketch for you, but the inspiration behind it.

I like magazines. Who doesn't? But after I am finished looking at all the pretty pictures, reading the content and before tossing them I do another flip through for inspiration. Magazines are a great source for color combinations and layout ideas. Recently I came across this in Family Circle:
 
Totally workable as a layout sketch, right?
 
I know. It looks a bit too simple, but just start with the general idea and go for it! That's the great thing about sketches...there are no rules.
 
I have a few baskets full of vintage children's books. I just love the colors and unique illustrations they had back in the day...so I thought it was time to document that. My three elements at the bottom were created by masking off circles and then spraying with SprINKler in Paper Doily.

Can you tell how many times I messed up this layout? Four times in fact :) Here I misspelled a few words, but hey I am typing with a retro typewriter with no way to correct it. It's okay. I just let it go!
 
I used my Slice machine to cute the letters and the spacing was off so I had no room for my other “o” in “book”. I often think out of mistakes we learn ways to be more creative (at least that is what I tell myself!) so I stitched a circle and then added a cute button form 5 & Dime to make an “o”. I think it works. I used old dictionary paper to back the letters.
 
Here I stamped. I love to stamp, but most often it doesn’t come out “perfect”. You gotta just be okay with that. Maybe it lends itself to a more vintage-y look not stamped perfect..? Maybe? ;)
 
And my last mistake was cutting the blue-ish cardstock 8.5x11, doing my layout and then deciding it needed something more so I added a base of patterned paper. At this point I am not sure what size the actual layout even is, but like Tim Gunn says—make it work!

Here is Wilna's take on the sketch..and notice..no mistakes!
 
Wilna says "When i saw the sketch the first time i fell in love with the minimalistic design and the spaces for interesting elements. So, when i visited Starbucks again i saw these adorable cards and Lexi's sketch popped into my head and i just knew i want to use it." 
So there you have it—inspiration for a sketch gleaned from a almost-ready-to-toss magazine. We would LOVE to see your take on the sketch, or maybe you have found an ad and used it as a sketch jumpstart. Either way, join us in the Flickr gallery and share your creative talent!

Flickr Features Vol. 1

We are so happy that you all have been enjoying the challenges, tutorials and sketches that the OA design team has been putting together.  Thank-you for playing along and for sharing all your beautiful projects with us on the OA Flickr page!  Have you checked out all the inspiration there lately?  We wanted to share some awesome pages that we have spotted there with our new Flickr Feature posts.

  
Strawberry Kiss by work2011 made for Amy Heller's Color Splash challenge from May 23rd.

 
10 Favorite Childhood Memories by Michelle Burry made for Marcy Penner's Scrapbook a List challenge on May 16th.

 
A Moment In Time by Two Crazy Crafters for Roree Rumph's sketch on May 12th.
A Tuesday by Honor Roll for Kinsey Wilson's sketch on May 5th.
Words You Say at 2 by ladybird.ladybird for Wilna Furstenberg's Use Your Scraps challenge on May 9th.

Bond of 3 Brothers by Yael Yaniv also for Wilna's Use Your Scrap Challenge.
You Make Me Happy by Ann Schneider for Stacey Kingman's Use A Quote challenge from May 2nd.

Amazing job ladies!  Again, thank-you all for sharing your creations with us and please keep it up.  We will continue our Flickr Features here on the blog so don't forget to upload your OA projects on our Flickr page here.

Happy Wednesday!  Thank-you for visiting us today :) 

Tuesday Tutorial: Sprinklers and Stripes

Hi all!  It’s Jill here, and if you, like me, are excited about the new October Afternoon Sprinklers, then you will appreciate today’s tutorial.  We’ll be creating a striped foundation for a layout using four of my favorite Sprinklers: Buttermilk, Brown Bag, Paper Doily, and Tin Type.

The first rule of thumb when it comes to misting is to plan for “blowback.”  Many a mister has learned the hard way that mist can be messy, and that it has its own weather patterns, tending to “drift” as it is sprayed.  The solution?  Use a cardboard box, since its sides will function as a buffer of sorts.  Also, try to mist outdoors, if possible, or away from anything that might accidentally get sprayed.

Now it’s time to grab those Sprinklers and get to work! 

To create a striped background, two additional pieces of paper are necessary (scrap paper is fine).  They will serve as guides, delineating the space that will form each stripe.

I began by placing one of the scrap pieces of paper over the blue paper to create the first column, and then I spritzed over the area.  Be sure to shake the Sprinklers (or roll them back and forth between your hands) before spraying them, to ensure that the desired color appears evenly.

I repeated the process from left to right, moving the scrap paper bit by bit and alternating Sprinklers colors to form stripes.

If you like your stripes to be neat, clean, and “just so,” then you can stop after the last stripe, but if you like a bit of messy charm, then you may want to try this next step.  Since the scrap papers that I used were still slightly wet with layers of color, I flipped the papers over the striped background, wet side down, smoothed over them lightly with my hands to transfer some of the color, and then pulled up the paper, leaving traces of color behind.

The resulting background will be a combination of colorful stripes and artsy smudges.

This process is not only easy, but it is easily adaptable as well.  I used straight edges on my scraps of paper to create stripes, but you might consider using scalloped or pinked edges, or repeating an image or title by misting over it multiple times with different colors.  Try different approaches -- and have fun playing with your Sprinklers!

GlueArts Winners!

We wanted to say one last thank-you to GlueArts for all the fun last week!  We loved working with their products and seeing all the wonderful projects put together by their design team.  If you missed any of the fun, be sure to check out their blog.

Thank-you all for playing along with our blog and Facebook contests.  We loved getting to meet all the new visitors and hearing what projects you all are up to!

The blog winner is Julie Urban:
 
 
 And the Facbook winner is:
 
Congratulations ladies!  Please e-mail your address to me at amanda.s@octoberafternoon.com.

 

Color Splash! Challenge

Hi Everyone! It's Amy here today and I have a bright, and fun inspiration challenge for you. One of my favorite things about October Afternoon has always been the COLOR. Bright, bold, fun and incredibly cohesive between collections. Today I thought I would bring you a post FULL of color, bright and vibrant, showcasing how all the different collections work together brilliantly when you want to put together a card, layout or mini album that focuses all of it's "umpf" on COLOR, glorious color!!
 
*Spring by Amy Heller*

OA Collections used: Rocket Age, 5&Dime, Campfire, Seaside, Modern Homemaker, Fly A Kite, Thrift Shop, Farm Fresh, Roadmap, Cherry Hill, Ducks in A Row

SprINKlers: Paper Doily, Buttermilk
 
*First Grass Stain Season by Amy Heller*

OA Collections used:  5&Dime, Campfire, Modern Homemaker, Fly A Kite, Farm Fresh,  School House, Report Card, Cherry Hill, Roadmap, Good Cheer
 
*Nothing But Blue Skies by Amy Heller*

OA Collections used:  5&Dime, Campfire, Thrift Shop, Fly A Kite, Weathervane, Thrift Shop

Mini Markets:  Mini Markets (Rocket Age) Light Blue, Sticky Keys (Playtime)

As you can see, I think I've used most of every collection in the OA line up to create these cohesively color-themed projects. Now let's take a look at Roree's incredible favorite pictures mini album!
 
When I presented the challenge to Roree, I told her we were doing a monochromatic challenge. When she finished her project and presented me with this beautiful tag album, I decided to mix up the focus of the challenge a tad to feature exactly what her project shows, that is that every collection you posses in your October Afternoon stash can work beautifully together! And her mini encapsulates that message in such a fun, creative way!

Lets take a closer look:
 
This is what Roree had to say about her album:

It is a little 'Fave Photos' pocket tag mini. There is a tag for each person in my family. We all got to pick our own favorite photos from the past year to put in our pocket, so it is personalized for each person. I am not crazy about doing monochromatic projects, so I got around it by doing each individual pocket tag as a monochromatic but putting them together to be a rainbow of color.
 
 
 
*Fave Photos Mini Album by Roree Rumph*

OA Collections used: Rocket Age, 5&Dime, Campfire, Farm Fresh, Modern Homemaker, Fly A Kite, Thrift Shop

Mini Markets:  Sticky Keys (Playtime)

So what do you think!? Are you up to digging through your OA stash of goodies and creating a super COLORFUL project? We would love to see your takes using all of your creative takes on OA Color!! Simply upload them to our Flickr gallery and let us all see your wonderful creations! I hope you are inspired to use a BIG splash of color in your next projects!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a WONDERFULLY colorful Monday! ;D

Toothless by Lynn Ghahary

Hi everyone!  Lynn Ghahary here again to share another project with you this week.  For today’s project I created a 12x12 layout using more goodies from the adorable “Rocket Age” collection.  These pictures of my oldest son Darian have been sitting on my craft table just waiting to be scrapped.  Even though he had already lost his two bottom teeth this tooth – tooth #3 – was a BIG deal for Darian.  Not only was it his first top tooth that he had lost, but it was also the first time he had lost a tooth at school.  He actually pulled it out himself with a little urging on by his peers.  And apparently he has major bragging rights now for pulling it out all on his own.  Boys!  LOL  
 

I’m a real sucker for anything plaid so I decided to use the Blast Off patterned paper as the base of my layout.  I cut some red strips from the Deep Space Probe patterned paper to create a frame around my main photo.  I love how the pop of red against the plaid immediately draws your eye to the photo.  And I added just a bit of stitching in the corners of my frame for some more detail.  I created a visual triangle with my two supporting photos and an embellishment cluster on the right side of my layout to help draw the eye around the page.
 
 
For my journaling I used my vintage typewriter to type a few sentences on several different label stickers.  I included some of the adorable stickers from both the Word Sticker sheet and the 12 x 12 Sticker sheet to embellish and added some more hand stitching for detail.  
 
I used a few of the cards from the Miscellany pack to create an embellishment cluster on the right side of my layout.  Of course I had to use the “3” card since this was lost tooth #3 for Darian.  A planet sticker from the 12 x 12 Sticker sheet popped up with dimensional adhesive and one of the adorable Tin Pins finishes things off.  

And wouldn’t you know that as I was working on finishing up this layout Darian arrived home from school yesterday with tooth #4 in his proud little hands.  I think I see another layout in the near future … :)

Don't forget there are several ways to win some goodies from OA and GlueArts!  You can leave a comment on Wednesdays blog post, you can visit GlueArts facebook page and tell them OA sent you and you can visit the GlueArts blog and enter the drawing there.  We have had such a great time working with GlueArts this week.  They truly are a wonderful, generous company and their team of Glue Girls are so very talented!  Thank-you for everything GlueArts!

Let's Get Sketchy!

Hey everyone!  Jaime here today with a sketch!  I found this incredible sketch over at Pencil Lines and fell in love.  It's simple yet whimsical - just my style!  I loved using this sketch and putting my own spin on it with lots of layering and adding fun little tid bits around the edges of my layout.  The fabulous Stacey Kingman joined me and created a gorgeous layout. She too put her own unique spin on the sketch!  Sketches are a great way to get the ideas flowing!
 
For this layout I strayed from my usual adhesive and used the amazing Glue Arts Glue Runner - LOVE it!  I was amazed at how easy it is to use and how super strong the adhesive itself is!
 
I combined several of the lines for my layout - it's so hard not to want to use it all!!
 
I cut out several of the flowers from one sheet of patterned paper and then cut it in half and adhered it to the edges of the layout.  I also used lots of the fun chipboard pieces for extra texture and dimension.  I still kept the bones of the layout, but added my own special touches.
 
I love Stacey's take on the sketch - the stars combined with the flowers and all of the bold colors.  I also love how many photos she used on the upper left hand corner - genius!
 
 
 
I hope you all enjoy this sketch as much as we have!  As always, don't forget to share your OA projects with us at our Flickr Gallery.

And don't forget to leave a comment on yesterday's post for the GlueArts giveaway.  Also, visit the GlueArts blog to see some gorgeous Modern Homemaker projects and for another chance to win some goodies!