October Afternoon

Kim Watson Guest Post - Sasparilla

Hi Kim here... I am so stoked to be guesting here at OA for May. I have always been a fan of October Afternoon, not only because as a company they always generously support the Creating Keepsakes magazine Dream Team but they have a fabulous mixture of product lines & designs as well as awesome quality too. These qualities make everything so easy to design with. I have a project to share with you today designed with the super fun Sasparilla collection.

Being specifically themed means it was the perfect choice to capture thememory of my little boy living out his wildest cowboy fantasies on this huge white horse.  I have to say I don't know how he could be so calm riding so high up... I was nervous just watching the little guy from a distance. When designing the page, it went without saying that I would need to use the cute map paper.

Together with bakers twine & brads I created a 'map of his Cowboy adventures', (which incidentally were all yelled to passers-by as he rode around the fair). I also used some bits from the Flower Sack mix and Miscellany packs, plus some stickers from the Word Sticker
sheet to add to the cowboy vibe.



I love how it is the repeated circle shapes in the form of buttons, stickers & chipboard accents help the page cohesion? My most fave by far of all the accents, is the bright yellow Sheriff's star which stands out as a strong focal point.

I was so happy with how the page turned out, I created this sketch of my page. Please feel free to use it. If you do, remember to upload your page to the October Afternoon Flickr gallery for everyone to enjoy.

Thanks for joining me today. Have a GREAT Friday & weekend!

Sketchy Thursday

Time for your Thursday sketch, chalkboard style. That's just how I (Lexi) like to do it :) 

Nothing too fancy here...photo, title and journaling lined across the middle, with a scattering of embellishments floating from one corner to another. 

Here's how Vivian interpreted the sketch and what she had to say:

"I loved the simplicity of this sketch! I followed it pretty closely, combining papers and embellishments from the Sasparilla line. This sketch allowed me to use a variety of fun embellishments: a Tin Pin, Flower Sack elements, and stickers." That little posse is too cute! 

And for me, I used this sketch a little differently:

I turned the sketch into an 8.5x11 and mainly used the 9 to 5 collection, which I think has the perfect colors and patterns for boy layouts.

This 9 to 5 Date washi. Be prepared. It might show up on every project I create in the future!

Want to give the sketch a try? Load it up and share in our OA Flickr group or even link us up in the comments below.

Thanks for joining me today and have a wonderful Thursday!

Tutorial: gift envelope ideas

Good Morning! Becky here today with a simple envelope tutorial. I have gifts on my mind right now, with both Mother's Day and graduation celebrations coming soon. I like to give gift cards and money, but I don't like to give them without some flourish. Creating custom envelopes is SO quick and easy! 

For your template, the easiest idea is to use an envelope you have as a template. Carefully, take it apart.

Forgive the first two not so great images.

After you cut out your envelope, use a bone folder or ruler to crease the folds.

Then put a little adhesive on one flap that overlaps the other two. So easy!

After you have your envelope put together, it's fun to customize it with simple premaid embellishments.

It's not just a girly project. I made a more masculine version for a graduation gift.

I used a larger envelope as a template, so that a little wad of cash would fit.

A simple pattern paper strip made a perfect band to hold the cash together. Office supply tags provided a place to write a few sentiments and sign our names.

I tucked one tag behind the cash and one in front. 

The Mother's Day envies are little more feminine with a few more embellishments.

One of my very favorite October Afternoon papers is this floral. 

The sticker embellishments are perfect for this. As well as a simple little vintage flower bunch with OA ribbon...these little flowers are getting harder to find, so I hope Mom feels special.

You can't go wrong with adding a few buttons, right? 

I hope this simple gift idea tutorial inspires you. I'd love to see what you make, so please share your take on the OA Flickr group! 

Thursday Sketch Challenge

Hey everyone!  Roree here, and I have this week's Sketch Challenge for you.

While trying to come up with a sketch idea, I thought it would be fun to use up those scraps and embellishments that we all have laying around our craft rooms.  Here is what I came up with:

Perfect for those little odds and ends pieces, right?

I created two cards using the sketch as a jumping off point.  Because they are on a smaller scale than the layout, I adjusted accordingly.

For my first card, I used the Sasparilla collection. 

I used bits and pieces from the Flower Sack and Miscellany packs, plus some stickers from the Word Sticker sheet.  They are perfect for this type of sketch.

And I just love the wood grain and colors in this collection!

For my second card, I used the Sidewalks collection along with the new Washi Tape from the 9 to 5 collection and a few leaf stickers from the Fly a Kite collection.

I used the Flower Sack flowers and banner, leaf stickers, and sun in place of the squares in the sketch. 

Two totally different cards inspired by one sketch.

I hope you enjoyed today's sketch.  There are definitely lots of different directions you could go with it.  If you get a chance to play along, don't forget to post your project in the OA Flickr group.  I can't wait to see how you interpret it!

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

~Roree

 

Monday Challenge | Repetition

Hi there everyone.  Marcy here to start your week off with a challenge.  

I love using the same element multiple times on a page for emphasis and direction.  Sometimes when I want to put a lot of elements on my page I find that using a repeating element allows me to do that while also keeping my page calm and cohesive at the same time. 

So I decided to toss the challenge of using repetition to Vivian today... and here's what she sent back to me.

What perfect photos for the Sasparilla line!  Here's what Vivian had to say about using repetition on her pages.

"Repetition is a technique I use often on my layouts to help create flow and direct the viewer's eye across and around my page. On this layout, created with the fun new Sasparilla line, I repeated colors, shapes, patterns, and motifs. The three primary colors repeat, as do stars (most raised on pop dots and accented with twine), cowboys, horses, and bandana prints."

And here's how I interpreted the use of repetition.

I love repeating star patterns on my pages, so for my layout I used my Silhouette to cut out a star pattern on a piece of white cardstock.

I used a variety of different patterned papers behind some of the stars and lifted the die-cut paper up with pop-dots. 

The stars add an interesting design element to the layout with the repetition of the same pattern also being relatively sedate.

How about you?  Do you ever use repetition on your pages?  

 

Thursday Sketch: Collaged Elements

Looking for a fun way to use lots of embellishments? If so, today's sketch is for you! Brought to you by Vivian, with added genius from Danni, today's sketch features collaged clustered elements topping a photo and journaling/title block:

I used this sketch to create a layout with the Boarding Pass line, collaging pieces from the Miscellany pack with chipboard embellishments, a sticker from the 12 X 12 sticker sheet, and a bit of patterned paper:

Danni used today's sketch to create this fun card featuring the Sasparilla line:

I love how she scaled the collage to work on a card by using label stickers and word stickers along with three-dimensional embellishments. Here's a close-up of that portion of the card:

Adding a rub-on in place of the title in the sketch is also a fun way to interpret the sketch for a card:

So...get out all of those embellishments you've been hoarding and create a collage! We'd love to see your interpretations of this sketch, so please post your work to our October Afternoon Flickr gallery if you create something!

Happy String

Okay, yes, happy spring, too. :) Today's tutorial was inspired by an image I, Vivian, pinned on Pinterest a while back:

(Click on image to see source and directions for making these eggs.)

I love the simple yet bold look of these egg designs and wanted to replicate that look with paper. Today I'm going to show you just how I did that, using string to mask off cardstock prior to spraying ink over it. Let's get started!

 

Step #1: Materials

Grab the "ingredients" needed:

• White cardstock
• String
• Scissors
• Masking tape
• Sprinkler color(s) of your choosing

Step #2: Mask Off the Paper

Cut several different lengths of string that will be used to make your design. Make sure each length is a little longer than either the length or width of your piece of white cardstock. Tape one end of the string to the back of the white cardstock and stretch it across the front of the cardstock, taping the other end under on the back of the cardstock. Repeat with as many pieces of string as desired. Here's what this looks like, front and back:

 

Step #3: Apply Sprinkler

Put your string-covered white cardstock inside an empty box. Spray the ink directly over the top of the string-covered cardstock, let dry, and then remove the string. Here's what this looks like immediately after applying the ink and then after removing the string:

 

Step #4: Use on a Layout (or Card)

I cut three 3.5" squares from the masked/misted piece above and used it to create this layout:

The lines looked a lot like clotheslines to me, so I used mini clothespins to "hang" stickers, Flower Sack elements, and die cuts from the Sidewalks and Cherry Hill collections.

I used this string-masking technique on another layout, creating a mat for my photo and using the string lines to draw attention to the subjects in the photo:

This layout features the new Woodland Park collection and the Cactus Sprinkler from the Sasparilla collection (which coordinates beautifully with Woodland Park). In addition to spraying ink, I also dripped some bigger blobs of ink on the cardstock for a different effect.

If you give this technique a go, please be sure to post your creation(s) to our October Afternoon Flickr Gallery for all to see!

Happy String/Spring!

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

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!