October Afternoon

Very Merry December album preparation

Hi OA fans! Alex here today with more Very Merry December kit inspiration. With December just around the corner, I would like to share with you more preparation ideas.

I have never made a December Daily album before, so I spent some time just surfing, reading about it and looking for inspiration. I really liked the transparent trend I noticed around me and I decided to make it a part of my album. 

I started by making my title page. I adhered my elements to a 6x8 sheet of clear trasparency to make them look like if they were "floating" inside the pocket. 

On the back side, I wrote a little December bucket list. Since everything is sitting on a transparency, I covered the back of the chipboard banner with the golden washi tape. I added two little star stickers from the Eggnog collection, that was not in the kit.

Since I know that we are spending most of the December 1st on the road, I am pretty sure that only one page will be enough. I am most likely going to scrap a picture of our Advent candles, when we lit them once we get home. I punched out the circles, stamped "1" with a stamp that came in the kit and adhered them together with a circle label on a piece of a transparency.

On the next page, I used the circles for the new date. Now, I am not sure what the following pages will be about and definitely not in which order they will come, so I am most likely going to move things around once I start filling the album with photos. My guess is though that this will be a spread about my daughter's list to Santa. On the right side, I am planning to scrap a 4x6 photo that I will cut in 2x2 squares.

For the next spread, I had snow in mind. I hope we will get some by then, otherwise I will have to move this page :-) I cut three snowflakes with my Cameo and covered them with glitter. Again, I used the transparency inside the pocket. I love big photos, so I am probably going to cut a 6x8 photo in 2x2 squares and use it on the left page.

The next spread is wintry too, or at least the left page is. I may use one page per day here. The left one with some outside activity and the right one for something cozy we'll do in the evening.

One thing we can count on in December, is Christmas tree trimming. That's what I had in mind when making the next spread. I made the little tree out of the green felt from the kit and decorated it with the tinsel ribbon. I added a little button from the Travel Girl collection. Come back on December 10th to see the details about the tree. As for the rest, I am going to keep this spread clean and simple since the tree trimming usually involves a lot of colors itself.

After this, I have a couple of empty spreads, that I will fill inspired by the pictures from those days. They could be about Christmas crafting with my daughter or simply about us drinking hot chocolate. We'll see... But there is one thing I already know that we will be doing during the weekend and that is baking. Here is the spread base I made for it.

Another thing I know I have to do is shopping. Hence, a spread (or a page) about it is a must.

I also made this "filler page". Not sure what I am going to use it for, but I got this idea and I had to try it. Again, come back on December 10th if you want to see how I made this tree.

Here in Sweden, St. Lucia on December 13th is a pretty big deal. Each year, all the kids in all the schools have St. Lucia concerts for their parents. I don't have to worry if I'll have something to scrap about that day. Here is the spread base. That pink paper on the left page is my absolute favorite!! I just had to use it as a background.

The last spread I've made so far is for something I am really looking forward to. My husband and I are going out on a kids free date on December 14th! Eeeee! Definitely worth a page or two! 

I am going to add more decorations and transparent pockets to each of the spreads when the time comes. These are just initial ideas. I didn't want them to feel too complete, because I know that I am going to need some freedom when I start adding pictures.

I am definitely going to keep making these foundation pages in parallel, once I start filling the album with photos! And I can't wait to start!

I hope you are having fun with your kits!

♥

 

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Christmas Fun for Kids

Guest Designer Anna-Maria Wolniak - Post 5

 Hi everyboday! This is my (Anna-Maria Wolniak) very last Friday with you as a guest designer. It was an  amazing month and I would like to thank you - October Afternoon - for inviting me.

For today I prepared a special project in a not-very-traditional-christmassy palette. I mixed pale pink with this amazing green shade - both you can find in the 'Silent Night' line. If you already noticed, I used the watercolour technique and layering from my previous Friday's posts. What I added here is multiple stamping.

I took a mistletoe cling stamp and, when my sprinklers base was totally dry, I stareted to stamp using a few shades of chalk inks to create an interesting background - a kind of ornament. The effect is so subtle so you have to look at this project very carefully to notice that there is something :)

I was in love with this chipboard mistletoe (in the original it was held by a mouse, but I cut it out) and it was my main inspiration to create this layout.

I hope you had a great time with me in November. I wish I gave you some inspiration for the upcoming Christmas season to create some lovely layouts with your family photos. I hope I can come back here one day with some new inspiration and techniques which I can share with you - of course with October Afternoon papers and supplies which inspire me so much. Thank you, and have a nice weekend everybody!

Anna-Maria Wolniak

Very Merry Page Prep!

With December just days away, many of us are poised to begin adding pages to our Very Merry December albums. Before the month offiically begins, howeever, why not prep a few pages? 

You can start simply, with a title page, as I did: 

The "December 2013" card from the Very Merry December kit made for the perfect title page accent, under and over which I layered papers and accents, including a few misted die-cut trees. 

Because I tend to select page colors based on my photos, I did not prep any pages beyond the title page, but I did plan a series of journaling prompts that I will use each day in December. The first twenty-four days feature prompts designed around Advent, which runs from December 1 through 24. I will focus on a single word each day, using it as a springboard for each page. 

Holiday album prepwork can also go beyond a title page.  Mandy, for instance, is already at work on her base pages: 

Here's some insight into Mandy's album planning process, in her own words:

"As you can see from the photos of my December Album, I'm not too far yet.  I'm making a list of the things we usually do during December and trying to guesstimate what I might use as far as page protectors because I'd really like to have the album done so I can just slip photos and journaling at night when the day is over instead of trying to make the whole page. I'm usually one of those gals that's a winger, but this year I don't want to be, I just want it to be simple and fast! As you can see, I've started adding my sticky notes here and there with ideas for those days like December 24th. I am pretty sure that my title page is complete but it could change." 

Mou went all in with her album prep work. Her base pages are a colorful collection of papers and accents: 

According to Mou, "I have kept my base pages flexible so I can move them around as I need. I cut the papers up and put them in the pockets based on the things we usually do in December. In some of the pockets, I put some embellishments like chipboard, doily, Tin Pins, etc. But nothing is glued down or stitched yet. I'll keep moving things around as I add photos, journaling, and memorabilia throughout December."

Clearly there are many different approaches to preparing the Very Merry December album. No matter what route you take, enjoy the process! 

Tuesday Tutorial: Washi Tape Bows

Hey guys!

It's Laura here for this week's tutorial :)  I had a bit of extra time and I decided I would actually film my process, and make a video to share with you all.

I am a really, really, really big washi tape fan, and I'm always trying to figure out new ways to make use of my stash of washi.  I particularly love the gold mesh washi that comes in the Very Merry December kit, and that's what I chose to use today.

I paired it up with some great products from the Daily Flash Eggnog line, and I thought they mixed together really well.

This card is pretty simple in that it only uses 3 things.

A piece from the Spritz patterned paper:

Another piece from the Gingerbread paper:

And then the gold tape:

Here is the finished card:

Isn't that bow so darling?  And I promise it is really simple to make too!

Here is my video tutorial.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today, I had so much fun making this card and I hope you feel inspired to try this fun technique on your own projects, and if you do, don't forget to share them in our Flickr Gallery.  I would love to see them!

Have a happy Tuesday!

Laura :)

2013 Santa Sack Sale - Week 3!

Welcome to Week 3 of our Annual Santa Sack Sale!  HINT HINT!  There might be a sneak for this week's Santa Sack on October Afternoon's brand-new Instagram account (octoberafternoon).

Each Santa Sack contains assorted products from a variety of October Afternoon lines up to, and including, Travel Girl.  Get over $100 retail value of merchandise for the bargain price of just $39.99 plus shipping.

See Paypal button below

 

 

 

Santa Sacks ship within 2 business days following receipt of order.

To combine shipping, please e-mail us at [email protected]
(prior to placing your order).

All sales are final.

 

Monday Challenge | Thanksgiving Place Cards

Hi everyone! It's Amy here today and in the Untied States, we are prepping for this upcoming Thursday's, Thanksgiving holiday.

I thought, since we are a few days out, why not share some ideas for place settings for your holiday table this week. 
For this project, I used a single piece of cardstock, and cut my pieces into 3"x6" pieces, then folded them in half, leaving me with eight, 3x3" folded cards. I then cut pieces of the paper "Harvest" from the Daily Flash, Apple Cider collection into 2.5" squares. Next up, I used two of the "b"sides from the Apple Cider 6x8" Paper pack that are already 2" wide, to create my inner paper base. That inner piece, is the more densely colored of the two, making a good foundation for creating contrast between it and my monogram sticker that I wanted to use. Once I had my papers together, I stitched the 2" piece to the 2.5" piece prior to adhereing to my cardstock base. Next up I chose my alpha stickers to use as my "monogram" for guests' places. I used woodgrain stickers from the older Sasparilla collection, and the orange alpha stickers from the more recent Farm Girl collection. Both pair beautifully with Apple Cider.
My final touch to my cards was a twined button to add a bit more pizazz and dimension. 

I asked Danni to help out in this challenge and I knew she'd knock it out of the park, just like she did! Just look at what she created:

 

Here's what Danni had to say about her creation:

I was really excited when Amy shared what her idea was for the challenge this week. I had set out to create these place cards/silverware wrap with the new October Afternoon Apple Cider line, but I am out of most all of it and so I went to plan B to create these for the kids' table using the DF Girl Talk Whisper paper.  I LOVE how my turkey turned out, the kids will love their table this year.  Thank you so much Amy for such a fun challenge this week.  Happy Thanksgiving U.S. friends♥

Such a brilliant idea for the kids' table don't you think!? I just love it! Thank you Danni, for creating along with me this week!

If you have a chance to play along and want to share your creations with us, we'd love to have you upload your creations to our Ocober Afternoon Flickr pool. In the meantime, for our US followers, have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving this year! ~ Amy & Danni

One More Cover...

This week, the October Afternoon blog has featured a variety of approaches to the holiday mini-album cover. I have found myself so very inspired by all that the team has been sharing, and I love how each designer's style has translated to her album cover.  My own cover reflects the holly jolly mood that I have found myself in ever since I had my first look at the Very Merry December kit. 

I used the "Joy" stamps from the add-on kit:

I placed both stamps on an adhesive block, one just above the other, and stamped one row across the cover using watermark ink. I then sprinkled embossing powder over the stamped sentiments, gently shook it off into an open catalog (yay for holiday mail!), and then applied heat using a heat gun/heating tool. I then returned the excess powder to the bottle by tilting the catalog so that the powder that had collected in the crease of the catalog could be returned wtihout much of a mess. 

I repeated this technique with various colors of embossing powder -- white, copper, and teal. 

Be sure to stop by this week to see what the team has been doing to prep some of the inner pages of the album in anticipation of the holidays ahead! 

-- Jill 

 

 

Very Merry December Kit Cover Inspiration

Hey guys!  Laura Craigie here, and today I'm here to show you two more cover inspirations for using your Very Merry December Kit! 

For me personally, before I even set out to work on my album I knew I had to think of how I was going to store and display it.  Because this album will most likely be stored on a bookshelf with the spine out, I knew that I needed to keep the cover as flat as possible.  I don't want bits and pieces flaking off when it gets pulled in and out.  

So I started off my album by adding the gold mesh washi tape to both the front and the back covers, lining it right up to the red fabric binding.  If you know me, I can't call something "done" without sewing on it.  Since that wasn't entirely possible with the thick cover I pulled out a white gel pen and drew ticking lines around the perimeter of the cover.

The next part is my stamping on the cover and back of the album.  I have to admit I was a bit scared about heat embossing and if it might warp the cover or not, but it worked perfectly!  I just adore the shimmery silver embossing powder.  It's such a simple thing, but looks quite striking in person.  I started on the back corner by stamping the December 2013, because I figured if it was going to mess it up I wanted it to be on the back and not the front, but as you can see I didn't need to worry at all.  Next I stamped the front of the cover and did it all at one time with a large acrylic block making it was really quick and easy.  For the record I let my heat gun fully heat up before using it so that I had the heat on it as little as possible.  

Since the spine of the album is always sticking out I felt free to add some dimension in the way of chipboard and a sweet little silver bow. 

So that is my very simple, and sweet album cover.  I also have the pleasure of getting to share with you Aleksandra's amazing cover too!

Here is what she had to say about her process:

"I am in LOVE with the Very Merry December kit! It took me awhile to decide a style of my cover. The possibilities with this kit are endless! I went for a rather clean red and white look with a tiny touch of light blue. I used my Cameo to cut the zig zag background and my title.To pick up the red from the binder, I placed the red felt behind the title. I cut the Very Merry December banner from a sheet with cut-outs. It's the name of the kit and not the actual cut-out, but it was too pretty not to use :-) I have also used a couple of doilies, a tin pin and a little elf (oh, that little elf... I die of cuteness every time I see him!), Finally, I stamped "it's the best time of the year" with the add-on stamp, cut it out and layered it on top of a piece of washi tape. White trim and some golden splatters and my cover was done. Now I can't wait to start filling the album!"

Wow!  Don't you just love her cover?? So gorgeous!

I hope you guys feel inspired to dig into your kit and get started!  I also hope you'll continue to join us every week on Wednesdays and Saturdays as we work on our albums throughout December and into the New Year :)

Guest Designer Anna-Maria Wolniak - Post 4

A FEW WORDS ABOUT LAYERING.

I thought I might share with you something that is a common feature in my work, though still not too complicated. I have decided to acquaint you with a layering technique, or creating the composition of a work on various, multiple layers. The layers in my works are structured on various planes - these are diverse, applied by layer media and paper elements. Today I would like to focus on the latter becasue I mentioned a few words about media last week.

WHAT MATERIALS CAN BE USED TO CREATE LAYERS.

The answer is anything you have at hand - any available paper scraps, pages from notebooks, clothing labels, tracing paper, tissue paper, fabric, tags, labels, stickers, paper bags, envelopes, threads,
and any other possible pieces. There are countless possibilities - you are limitied only by your imagination and the contents of your drawers.

To create the layers of the work described below, I used: a fragment of a folded paper bag, a half of white paper doily, a piece of pattern papers, a chipboard, one stripe of washi tape, piece of cardboard,
little label and some stickers. Usually I use more 'not so scrappy' things, but this time I got so many amazing 'Silent Night' goodies from October Afternoon that it would be a sin not to use them on my proejct.

HOW TO CREATE LAYERS AND WHAT IS ESSENTIAL TO MAKE THEM.

Layering means applying subsequent elements of composition onto one another. I prefer working "from detail to whole". I start with a picture. Then, using some glue or double-sided adhesive tape, I attach additional layers of paper under the photo. Sometimes I try to align the elements along the edge of the picture, other times I concentrate on creating a really big mess. Remeber that not all the layers must closely adhere to each other. It is sufficient if they are attached to each other in two or three places. Thanks to this, the whole work will seem more dimensional. It is also cool to stick some little 3D sponges underneath the final layers. Then, the effect of dimension is even more visible, which makes the work even more interesting.

As soon as all the layers are arranged and glued, I attach them to the base. Later, I add some elements such as a title, journaling, stamps. You are always bound to find some free space that asks for a sticker or a stamp.

WHY LAYERING PRODUCES SUCH AMAZING EFFECTS.

I do not really know how to answer this question myself. When I look at such dimensional works, I have an impression that, thanks to layers, the whole structure is much more interesting. Something is hidden behind something else, some other thing is being pushed to the foreground as if it wanted to say: "I am more attractive." "My colour is nicer." "Pay attention to me first!" You might think that I am a bit round the bend, but these are the impressions I really get while admiring these sort of works. They talk to me, they appeal to me. Their speech leads me through the whole work, starting with the dominant elements (which is usually the photo - the main element of the composition), until the tiniest, the least noticeable details, such as miniature stamps or almost invisible, pastel colour spots. Dimensionality is an instrument that allows me to enter the word of travelling through layers, and I really think it is wonderful.

And the most important thing about it is that it is so incredibly easy, which is something I hope I have proven to you in this text. You do not need much to have your layout look attractive - you do not need an excess of materials, you might even use scraps and fragments of previously cut papers. It is also a perfect way to create hiding-places for your souvenirs, or private notes.

Thanks for your attention, I cannot wait to see your layering attempts - please, share them on the October Afternoon flickr gallery!

Anna-Maria Wolniak

Thursday Sketch: Text + Three

Today's quick and easy sketch features a bold title, two photos, and three large embellishments. Perfect for getting a quick layout done amidst this busy holiday season!

I (Vivian) shared the sketch with Nicole, and she came up with this holiday stunner using Silent Night:

Nicole turned the sketch 90 degrees to the left, substituting one larger photo for the two in the sketch. I love all of the gold details on her layout: the row of embossed presents at the bottom, the sequins, the stitching, and those amazing vellum quotes! Let's take a closer look:

Like Nicole, I used Silent Night (plus bits from Daily Flash, Daily Flash Eggnog, and the Very Merry December Kit):

I die cut and assembled festive holiday bows and used those as my three embellishments, adding Tin Pins to the center of each. A large Silhouette cut file I designed frames the layout and adds the title.

I'll share this Silhouette cut file with you as a fun holiday bonus: Download Merry Christmas

Please share anything you create with this sketch with us via the October Afternoon Flickr gallery - we'd love to see your work!