October Afternoon

sketchy thursday!

Hi! It's Becky here today. Are you ready for another sketch? I know that if I'm having a hard time being creative, a sketch usually gets me back on track. This week rather than coming up with a sketch, I took a lesson from Roree and was inspired by a catalog page in the new Madewell catalog. 

My partner this week is Jill and she KILLED it! Love her take. 

Here's what she had to say about this project:

"This sketch really challenged me, in a good way.  I kept thinking about how to translate it spatially, and in the process, I ended up being inspired by the image itself, too.  I decided to "catalog" a few of the items that define my daughter's style, and present them in a similar format, including captions with each photo.  

Initially I was going to use die-cut letters, but when I saw the negative space left behind after I cut the letters, I decided to work with that instead.  I sprayed a variety of Sprinklers on the background and then adhered the title over the area using adhesive dots."

and a detail shot-

Would it be completely silly for me to do a lift of her layout about myself? I think I may!

My take on this inspiration piece was quite literal. I'm happy with the outcome and it was pretty effortless!

I handcut the title, keeping it pretty imperfect. I simply stitched the letters down, using no adhesive, so it isn't flat on the page. 

So whether you use this literally or maybe just use one element as a starting point, we would love to see what you come up with! Please join us on the OA Flickr Gallery and post your take! Thanks!

Sasparilla's For More Than Just Cowboys, Y'all :D

Howdy, OA fans! It's Amy here today with a little tutorial on how to look at Sasparilla for more than just cowboy/cowgirl or farm related projects. Let's get started!

We all know how adorable Sasparilla is for those country-themed projects. It's perfect for rodeos, pony rides, farm visits, and all things non city-slicker. BUT what you may not notice at first glance are the various other themes that can come together perfectly with this eclectic collection. 

WATER THEMEFor my page today, I chose to use the clouds in the Cattle Drive paper as the primary focus of my page. I paired it with the stripes from Pony Express, altering it slightly to cover up the red stripes, to give a rainy effect from below the clouds. The colors of the aquas, yellows, greys, creams and blues lend beautifully for water-themed projects, like this one of my daughter dancing in an early summer downpour. I bet there are some papers in here that would go great with Seaside or Boarding Pass, for example, even.Because many of the embellishments in Sasparilla are more "western" in flavor, I used my beautiful teal buttons, Alpha Stickers, Little Fliers and Wrap Pack to do most of the embellishments on my page along with my papers.

So, since my layout is primarily in the cool range of colors (blues) from Sasparilla, I thought I would go through the collection (minus the overtly "western-themed" pieces) with both of the projects I created and give you a little mix-and-match rundown of some of the ideas and theme's you could easily build upon using the papers I've shown. 

THE BLUES
Now let's talk about the BLUES in this collection. 
Left to Right: Rustler, Gold Rush, Tumbleweeds, Stagecoach, Wide Open Spaces, Cattle Drive, Giddy Up, Big Sky, Dash Dalton, Wagon Train

We have aqua, we have denim, we have sky blue, we have cobalt blue, we have nearly navy blue, we have grey blue and I'm sure there are a few more in there that are hidden so beautifully it all just becomes seamless! This palette right here, is so multi-functional and crosses over so many genres from kids to adults, feminine to masculine, you really can't ask for more!. You name it, the blues have it in this collection!

FISHING, FATHER'S DAY, CABIN THEMES
For example, in this selection we have Gold Rush, Stagecoach and Wide Open Spaces.This to me, looks like it would make an AWESOME fishing related layout, or what about a Father's Day card with a fishing theme? I LOVE it!

PRE-TEEN/TEENAGER THEME
And here, this one, I was excited to discover, Dash Dalton, Stagecoach, Pony Express.I can TOTALLY see this for a pre-teen/teenage boy birthday card, or layout. The jeans? Please! Yes. Totally works!

SUMMER, MEMORIAL DAY, 4th OF JULY, BBQ THEMES
Next up, this is a pretty obvious one, but I threw in the clouds to add a little more whimsy. Here we have Cattle Drive, Giddy Up, Pony Express, Dash Dalton, Pony Express.Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Memorial Day is coming up, sand that means summer! Summer means 4th of July, BBQs and all things Americana here in the states. Perfect! I can totally see an entire mini album created with just these papers, for summer - SO cute!
 

HOME THEMEThroughout this collection there is a warmth in all the pattern and color. But also a cozy warmth that resides in the "western" theme. It's a feeling of  "home". Maybe not your literal home, or mine, but that traditional old flavor, like a great patina. It's worn in and comfortable. This general "feel" lends itself beautifully to the theme of "home". 

For my card I used this theme to create a home related sentiment that could mean welcome home or you are home "here". I decided to stay very neutral with an emphasis on the greys, yellows, creams, and little bit of aqua, green. I used the map image to give the sense of  "here you are" and added the crocheted trim from the wrap pack, to further emphasize that feminine touch of "home" in my card.

THE YELLOWS
Now let's talk about the YELLOWS in this collection.

The blues and the yellows, I felt, were the standout colors from this collection, aside from the decidedly cowboy related papers. So here I've put together a couple swatch groupings using the yellows as the jumping off point for a couple more themes to try out with the Sasparilla collection.

FASHION THEME
To me, this group of papers screams "wear me!" all over it! And believe me, I wish I could! :D 

Dash Dalton, High Noon, and Gold Rush round out this trio of trendy colors that's made it's way beautifully into the Sasparilla collection just to make us all swoon. Ahhhh, yellow, grey, cream, and denim! I love it! I would love to see layouts or cards made with this group all about wearable fashion or even about home decor. Those are great things to scrap about!

EVERYDAY, TRADITIONAL THEME
Gold Rush, HIgh Noon, Gold Rush, and Tumbleweeds is a nice blend of current colors mixed with traditional patterns and textures.  This classic grouping of high, medium and low contrast valued papers would be just splendid for everyday or traditional-themed scrapping. This mix really reminds me of my grandfather's wool jackets, and I really can see this being an ideal mix for a theme related to similar stories.

YOU-NAME-IT THEME
Last up, I thought I would present my favorite mix of all the papers in the Sasparilla collection. Gold Rush, Tumbleweeds, Wide Open Spaces, Stagecoach and High Noon.
I believe you could do just about anything with this group of papers. The reason I feel this, is because its two most dominant colors are neutrals - the grey bandanna pattern and the wood-grain pattern. Then the lighter papers are all in the same color range with yellows, warm and light. The project could go masculine. It could go feminine. It could go young. It could go not so young. It could be about the outdoors, or the indoors. I really see this group of papers very versatile and a grouping that I am anxious to work with in the very near future!

That's going to do it here for me today! I hope that you've seen Sasparilla in a little broader fashion than you may have previously. It's such a fun collection and FULL of possibilities! Thank you so much for stopping by today and I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday! :D

♥challenge:celebrating dr.seuss♥

good morning.  danni here with today's new monday challenge.  when thinking up the challenge today, i thought it would be fun to celebrate Dr. Seuss, with the release of The Lorax in theatres this month. 

the challenge:  create a layout or card using one of your favorite Dr. Seuss quotes

 joining me today is kinsey and she chose one of my most favorite quotes by dr. seuss, sure to be one of yours too ;)

 

today you are you

that is truer than true

there is no one alive

who is you-er

than you

 and she created this wonderful cut file for your silhouette cameo for anyone that may want to use it {yeah, she's awesome like that}

 

 Download Kinsey lo cut file

 

 

layout by kinsey

 

 

 

 here's what kinsey had to say about her layout. 

"When I first read about Danni's challenge, my mind immediately went to "oh the places you will go" and I really thought that would be the quote I would use and I then I did a google search and the quote from Happy Birthday took first place. I love it. I didn't even feel like I needed to add any journaling to this one because the quote says it all. I created a silhouette cut file with the text and cut it out of the wood grain paper from 9 to 5."

 

 

 

this is such an amazing layout kinsey to go with that quote.  love all the stars, the amazing cut-file and what a fun pic!

 

for my layout, i chose a recent picture of my daughter reading her new favorite book and of course chose the following quote:

 

the more that you read,

the more things you will know.

the more that you learn,

the more places you'll go.

 

 

layout by danni

 

 

 

 i can not tell you how i love all the different colors and patterns in the Woodland Park line

 

 

 

 

 

thanks for joining us today!   if you participate with your favorite dr. seuss quote, we would love to see your layout/card in the OA Flickr gallery.  please leave us a link here in the comments section so we can check them out.

happy creating♥

danni

Thursday is Sketch Day!

Happy Thursday to you! Stacey here, bringing you a fun, new card sketch. I drew this one on cardstock:

I sent it to Roree Rumph and she used it to make this adorable card: 

I love how she stitched the grid background! Here's a closer look:

I used the sketch to make Easter cards. On this one, I created the grid background with squares from two alternating Sasparilla papers.The grid was so easy to put together, and I made sure to keep it a bit on-purpose-imperfect - mostly because it would be hard to make all those squares line up perfectly!

Here is my card:

I would love to see what you do with this sketch! Please post your creations in the October Afternoon Flickr gallery...

Have a fantastic Thursday!

Art Masking Fluid Tutorial

Hello! Wilna here today! Anyone in the mood for a little art lesson? Play with paint? Make a bit of a mess? Well, then this tutorial is for you!

For Step 2, I used Ali Edwards' Photo Outline brushes and stamps. I just printed it on my 12x12 white cardstock. There are so many options to use, this is just one.

 

And here is a look at the finished page:

If you want to play along, i would loooove to see your pages! Upload them to our FLICKR gallery.

Smiles

 

Challenge: Clustered Patterned Bits

Happy Monday!  It's Jill here with a challenge that invites you to cut out shapes (like diamonds, hexagons, triangles, circles, etc.) from various patterns (or even from accents/stickers, if you wish), and create your own pattern from them.  You can use a die-cut machine or punches, or you can even hand-cut the shapes. 

Here's my take on the challenge: 

I used my Cameo to cut out a series of hexagons from various patterns from the 9 to 5, Cakewalk, and Thrift Shop lines, and I added the shapes to a hexagonal pattern that was formed by spritzing Lemon Drop and Robot Blue Sprinklers over the negative spaces.

I had the pleasure of working alongside Vivian for this challenge: 

Doesn't this layout perfectly channel the vibe of the era?  I love how Vivian used a variety of shapes here.  The design itself allows for the eye to travel easily from the top of the layout to the bottom, aided by the patterned "trail."  

Here's what she had to say about the challenge: 

Jill's challenge is so on trend! I've been seeing a lot of the quilted look lately, both within and outside of the papercrafting world, with larger patterns formed by combining smaller shapes,  often in different colors and patterns. Jill's challenge spurred me to scrap my "Mad Men" obsession. I used my Silhouette to cut retro shapes from the Boardroom (woodgrain) paper from the new 9 to 5 line and created a pattern around my "photo," which is an image I created at http://www.amctv.com/madmenyourself/. My take on this challenge added variety with different shapes, rather than patterns, so I added some color and interest with bits from the 9 to 5 Miscellany and 9 to 5 patterned papers.

Both Vivian and I would love to see your approach to this challenge.  Be sure to share your creations in the OA Flickr gallery.  Have a great week! 

Thursday Sketch

Today's sketch is pretty adaptable to many styles and interpretations.  It features a row of photos or patterned paper blocks across the middle and a diagonal swoop of circles.

I left the orientation of the sketch alone for the most part.  I chose to use a photo for one of the blocks and patterned paper for the others.  I also substituted triangles for the circle embellishments.

I sent the sketch off to Lexi and this is what she did with it.

She switched the journaling and title, but kept most of the rest of it the same.

So, if you're going to tackle a sketch do you leave it much the same?  Do you feel free to move elements around?  Turn it?

We'll be checking the OA Flickr gallery, so please share if you do.

Give Away Time!

Giddy Up!

With Sasparilla arriving now in stores, we'd like to do a little giveaway.

Hey everybody! We hope you're as excited about Sasparilla as we are. Please share with us which product you like best from the above selection.  We'll be randomly picking a winner on Monday, March 5th.

Tuesday Tutorial: Creative Space Organization

Happy Tuesday! Stacey here, with a tutorial (using the term "tutorial" very loosely today) about organizing a creative space. I shared some photos of my space a few months ago and received some questions about what I had in all of the different containers, so here's a run-down of what I have going on in my happy little space!

The room that I use for my scrapbooking and other crafty endeavors is the "formal dining" room in our home. I cannot imaging having an entire room devoted to something that we already do at our big table in the other room next to the kitchen (the informal dining area?), but I am sure that there are people who think it's crazy to fill up an entire room that is designed for eating with pretty paper and glue and stickers, etc.

A little history...The first dedicated creative space I ever had was in a tiny hallway where the washer and dryer were supposed to go in the first house we ever owned. I loved having that little place of my own for sewing and scrapbooking, and I rearranged my meager crafty possessions with as much regularity and passion as I do today. I always feel creatively "fresh" after a little session of moving my stuff around...

So. The next creative space I had was much larger because it was part of our finished basement. I set up about six 6-foot-long tables and organized my scrapbooking supplies and some homeschool materials. I think that this is about the time I began to love my labelmaker so much.

But then we moved again. And again. And again. Every time we moved, I had a little better idea about what worked for me and what didn't. I learned that no matter how much space I gave myself to work in, I'd always end up with a little 12" X 12" square cleared on the table and supplies everywhere else. I learned that no matter what I did, a "school room" set up in my house would soon turn into a "resource room," and then it would finally become a "storage room" where rejected curriculum went to die. I finally let go of the guilt associated with having a creative space for myself but no school space for my homeschooled kids. I needed my space and they just did not need a school room. (FYI: I think it took me a solid seven years to figure that out.)

Okay, so here I am. Occupying the very first room in our house - I mean, when you walk in the door, you are immediately knee-deep in scrappiness - it cannnot be ignored. Usually a man will pretend to ignore it (and hope that his wife somehow doesn't notice a ginormous space completely dedicated to craftiness because then he might have to give up the security of his own unused "formal dining" room at home). A woman will usually exclaim over it in some way and proceed to tell me that she loves scrapbooking (or cardmaking, stamping, sewing, etc.) or that she is completely not creative.

Sometimes I wish that my special room could be revealed only to people who I want to share it with - instead of everyone. Even the delivery people (bringing more October Afternoon goodies!) will comment. I did almost put doors on this room back in 2007, but it's a sad story, and I don't really want to share it again today.

Okay, so on to the organization!

I am a fan of plastic drawers. They make life just so compartmentalizable. I think that they can be ugly, though. As much as I like shabby, vintage stuff, shabby, vintage drawers just cannot be cute. So I opted for my second favorite visual approach: ROY G. BIV. Love Roy: Red. Orange. Yellow. Green. Blue. Indigo. Violet. The day that I realized that I could do ROY G. BIV on my drawers, I was on Cloud 9. Cloud. Nine.

But what's in the drawers?? The top drawer in each column holds alpha stickers in that color. The bottom drawer in each column holds solid, whole cardstock in that color. The second-to-bottom drawer in each column holds colored scraps for that color. The rest of the drawers have patterned paper, wooden stamps, hand-stitching supplies, and completed layouts that haven't made it to the albums yet. Some of the drawers are even empty! An empty drawer means that I am not "maxed out" spacewise, and that's a great feeling!

A word about paper storage: I have newer papers, along with the coordinating rub-ons, stickers, journaling cards, and embellishments sorted by manufacturer and then by collection in my drawers. The front piece represents the collection, and because I am quite visual, this really works for me. I keep October Afternoon scraps in a drawer maked "OA Scraps" and all other scraps get thrown together in a drawer or thrown away. The vertical paper storage containers hold older (but still beautiful!) papers, also stored by manufacturer. When papers get moved to vertical storage, their coordinating accessories and embellishments get placed in a drawer for like items.

On the top shelf near the end, there are some accordian files. There store memorabilia for each child in our family. I also have one for my husband and one for myself. The ribbon tied on each handle tells me whose memoribilia is in each container.

The canning jars make me happy, so they stay. They have very small embellishments inside, sorted according to color. If I need something from one of these jars, I just dump it, sift through the contents, and dump it all back into the jar. Simple.

I made a little work space under the shelves - my first like this one. I am still trying to decide if I like it or not.

My sewing spot is just that. There are bobbins, thread, and sewing stuff in the little drawer in the table I have the sewing machine on.If I don't leave the sewing maching completely out and ready to go, I won't use it, so out it stays.

I've been doing some research about painting concrete because I'd like to tear up this carpet and experiment with painting the concrete floor. I am thinking a checkerboard patter. If I do, I will definitely share!

Challenge: Stamp with Sprinklers

Happy Monday!  It's Jill here with a challenge that invites you to set that stamping ink to the side and pull out your Sprinklers instead.  Wilna and I both decided to have a go at this challenge, and we both loved the painterly effects that our Sprinkler-stamped images created on our layouts.  

We each took different approaches to applying the color to the stamp.  I sprayed color directly on the stamp (a cute little cloud from the Fly a Kite clear stamp collection), and stamped the image over patterned paper.  

I varied the colors and the patterns that I used, but I worked mainly with blue, gray, and white.  The Sprinklers that I chose included Robot Blue, Tinsel, Set Sail, Night Sky, Miss Mary Mack, and Tin Type. I cut out some of the stamped images and mixed them with images that I had stamped directly to paper.  I also shook off some of the color prior to stamping, to create droplets.

Rather than spray directly onto her stamp, Wilna uncapped her Sprinklers and poured a little of each color she chose (Hopscotch, Buttermilk, and Brown Bag) into a paint tray. She then painted the colors on the stamp with a brush, and applied the stamped image (from the Farmhouse rubber stamp set) to a series of scalloped circles.  

As a finishing touch, Wilna stitched over the images and around the layout using silver thread. She also backed the layout with a sheet of 9 to 5 chevron patterned paper, and she incorporated accents from the Sidewalks collection, demonstrating just how easy October Afternoon's lines are to mix.  

All in all, both Wilna and I both got a kick out of this challenge. "Stamping with Sprinklers is fun," Wilna claims, "and the textures and effects one creates are really lovely."  I definitely agree!  

We would love it if you would join in the challenge this week and share your own approaches to mixing Sprinklers and stamps in the OA Flickr gallery.