October Afternoon

Thursday Sketch: Squares and Stars

Hi everyone! Alex here today bringing you this week's sketch. It's all about squares and stars.

For my take on it, I've used the awesome Daily Flash Snapshots line. 

I had these fun chipboard frames in mind when I was designing the sketch. So cute!

I stayed pretty true to the sketch, but switched some of the stars for other elements, such as a tin pin or the camera at the bottom which I cut out from the Compose paper. The little squares are cut out from one of the papers from the 6x8 paper pack. 

I sent the sketch to Vivian, knowing that she would rock it. Just look at her awesome layout!

And here is what she had to say about her creative process.

"When Alex sent me her sketch I immediately loved the combination of stars and squares. I knew, however, that I would have to think outside of my usual box. The design includes some overlapping and scattered elements, neither of which are part of my normal design repertoire. I decided to go with an 8.5” x 11” format, and the layout came together pretty quickly once I’d made that decision. I realized that the yellow jewel tone in the Daily Flash Snapshots line would work well with the purple jewel tone of my daughter’s coat, so I built the layout around the yellow chipboard Frame Up element. From there, I kept the color scheme simple, adding in just black, white, gray, and aqua. I stuck pretty close to the original sketch, substituting in some circular Tin Pins for some of the shapes and adding or subtracting an extra shape here and there. Multiple elements punched and die cut from yellow cardstock add more pops of that color, creating flow and leading the eye around the layout. I am so glad that I was able to work with Alex’s sketch, as I love the end result!"

I love the end result too, Vivian! Thank you so much!

We hope that you feel inspired to give this sketch a go. If you do, be sure upload your work to OA's Flickr gallery. We would love to see it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Alex and Vivian

Tuesday Tutorial: Washi Tape Background

Hey everyone! Roree here with a Tuesday tutorial. Today, I want to share with you a fun Washi Tape background I created for a card and a quick how-to of how it all came together.

I really love the Washi tape that comes with the collections, but I tend to hang on to it with plans of using it "on the next project". Well I finally made today's project "the next project" and went all out with the Washi tape to create this card:

First off, I found four patterns of Washi tape that worked really well together: Star Field and Red Mesh from the Daily Flash collection and Bowl of Cherries and Tea Towel from the Farm Girl collection.

I gathered the tapes, along with a panel of white cardstock, an X-Acto knife, and a ruler, and I got to work.

I first started by adding a piece of tape to the white cardstock panel. I used my X-Acto knife and ruler to cut a straight edge along the end of the tape. I then gently lifted unwanted piece of tape from the panel and added the next piece of tape.

Note: Make sure the blade on your knife is sharp. You will want to apply minimal pressure while cutting, so you don't cut through the cardstock panel.

I used my ruler and the first strip of tape as a guide to trim the left end of the second strip of tape. I then trimmed the right end at my desired length, which was 1 3/4".

This left me with and L shape and the beginning of my pattern. I used those two piece as my guide for adding the rest of the tape.

I alternated the patterns and continued in this manner until I ended up with this:

After I had my card base finished, all that was left was dress it up with some stitching and embellishments:

I used a chipboard frame and letter from Daily Flash, a Flash Blurb from Snapshots, a Pop Drop heart from Milk Money, some patterned paper for the flowers from All Boy, a couple of buttons from Woodland Park, and a little bit of white twill ribbon to finish it off.

I hope you enjoyed today's tutorial. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Monday Color Challenge!

Hey guys!  Its Laura here today with a new challenge for you, and I decided to do a color challenge based off some gorgeous October Afternoon supplies!

I was sorting through my supplies and organizing things, and I was just so drawn to these colors that I knew I had to do a color challenge with them.  I just thought they went perfectly together.

I made two projects today and here is the first, my layout.  How beautiful is that bokeh paper on the right? I simply can't get enough of it!  The color is as dreamy as the pattern itself.

Next, I made a card for my husband.  I don't do that often enough, and I just wanted to give him a quick bit of love to remind him how much he means to me.

I found that both of these projects came together really quickly once I had pulled out my supplies in the three beautiful colors I'd chosen.  Of course you can add in other colors too, this is just meant as a jumping off point.

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope you feel inspired to create a project with some fun textures!  If you do, please share them in the October Afternoon Flickr Gallery.

 

Have a happy Monday, and a great week!

Laura :)

Thursday Sketch: Squares & Layers

HI OA fans, Mandy here with today's sketch. Lots of squares and layers. 

This sketch started with Jill in mind because I knew she would be joining me today. I am a big fan of Jill's work especially her layering and handwritten journaling OMG awesomeness! I knew she would create something fabulous and she totally did! I have to share a little secret with y'all...I don't put the computer generated sketches together until I put my post together for the blog so my partner usually gets my inspiration image or something really sketchy. Something like this. 

Thank goodness the girls I design with here at OA get where I'm going creatively when they get my emails. 

Flip it, flop it, re-size it, whatever you wish so that it works for you. As you'll see Jill and I both went with 8.5x11 layouts this week. 

Let's start with my layout.

This sketch is a great way to use up some of those scraps you have laying around too. I used a mix of papers from Daily Flash Snapshots to Midway.  I love the new Flash Chip- Frame Up chipboard pieces,"Sign Board" Alpha and the Everyday Roller Stamp so I had to use them on this layout. 

 

Now for Jill's fabulous take on the sketch, a layout about her and her husband. 

Here's what Jill had to say:

"When I set eyes on Mandy’s sketch, the first thing that I noticed was the layering.. This is definitely my kind of sketch!  Because I adapted the sketch to fit an 8.5” x 11” layout, I thought that I would be limited in how many layers I could add, but it turns out that even a smaller layout format contains enough room for ample layering.  As in the sketch, I repeated a series of squares and rectangles, varying their placement on the page while also keeping them connected. The resulting “network” of layers is what makes this sketch magical. In addition to larger photo blocks, I worked in a bunch of smaller bits in the form of rectangular and square accents and papers from the Daily Flash 2 lines as well as the Milk Money and Apple Cider collections. Handwritten journaling is a personalized approach to an already personal layout.  I “sweetened” the letters a bit by inking some of the open spaces in the cursive letters and drawing tiny hearts here and there. A huge THANK YOU is in order to Mandy for sharing this sketch with me!” 

I hope we've inspired you to get sketchy with layers and squares with your next creative venture! Please post projects inspired by the sketch to our October Afternoon Flickr gallery.

~Mandy 

Tuesday Tutorial: A semi-pocket page

Hi everyone, Mou here with today's tutorial!

I'm not a conventional pocket page scrapper. I don't do Project Life. But I like how the Daily Flash pockets look. So, I wanted to see if I could use these pockets as part of my design on 8.5" x 11" layouts. On this layout, I used a 6x8 Sleeve for 2x2 photos from the Daily Flash line. It seemed like an easy and fun way to save some of those Valentines the kids got this year. Let me show you how I included the pocket page on my layout.

First of all, lay out the Valentines and pick the ones that would look best on your page.

Insert the Valentines in the little pockets. Some might fit better at an angle. Some you will need to cut apart to fit. Once you are happy with the arrangement, trim off the spine section with the punched holes. Take care not to cut into the seam line.

Attach some paper strips (I used 12 x 12 Stamp Book paper from Travel Girl and 12 x 12 Carol of the Bells paper from Silent Night collection) and washi tapes (Tropical Sherbet and Red Mesh, both from the Daily Flash line) near the top and bottom of the cardstock.

Attach the pocket page to the cardstock. Even though the pockets are clear, attaching them with double-sided tape was not difficult when I hid the adhesive behind the pocket contents. You could also sew it in place following the seam lines. 

Next, add some Apple Cider Pop Drops randomly around the page to embellish. Spell out the title using Sherbet Mini Market alpha stickers. I also attached a cute cupcake topper to the page using some Tropical Sherbet washi tape. It's really cool how all these collections, as different as they are in theme and release date, they still work together perfectly!

I couldn't help splattering a little bit of the Pink Lemonade Sprinkler from Cakewalk collection. You could skip this, if you are not a fan of splatters.

Journal below the title. Insert photos into the remaining pockets. Stamp phrases on cardstock strips using the Inspiration rotary stamp from Daily Flash and attach to the layout to finish.

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and will think of using your pocket pages on your layouts in different ways.

Monday Challenge: Big Titles

Hi guys! Alex here today, bringing you this week's challenge. Let's go big this time. Let's use big titles and make them a part of our overall designs. That's my challenge for you this time.

I made my layout using one of my favorite collection right now, the Daily Flash Girl Talk. 

I cut the "love" part of my title from plain white cardstock, using my Cameo. I cut the negative part out from one of the "y":s to make it a little more interesting. 

As my background I used the B-side of the Giggle paper. I cut the red heart out from the Dish paper. All the 3x3 squares are cut from the same paper, too. 

I also used the tin pins and the flash blurbs. The heart shaped pop drops are from the Apple Cider collection. I must say, I am in love with all the Daily Flash stamp sets! For this layout, I have used stamps from the Picture This set and from the Homemade set.

I had so much fun making this layout and I hope that it shows! I also hope that you feel inspired to play along and use a really big title on your next layout. If you do, please share it wiht us. We love seeing your work! Be sure to upload it to the October Afternoon Flickr gallery. 

Thank you so much for stopping by today!

//Alex

Thursday Sketch: A Simple Cluster

Hi everyone, Mou here with today's sketch. It's one with a simple cluster that came together very quickly.

 

And here's my take

I used the 12 x 12 Sleigh Ride paper from Silent Night Collection and Let It Snow paper from the 8 x 8 pad along with my favorite 12 x12 Bonfire paper from Daily Flash Apple Cider collection. I embellished with Tin Pins and Inspiration Rotary Stamp.

Here are some close-up shots:

 

Today, I have Laura with me and she translated the sketch into this beautiful card...

Here's a close up of the amazing details

Laura says: "I love love love using sketches, and this sketch by Mou is just so beautiful! It helped my card come together so quickly because all the hard design thinking was done, and all I had to do was pick out pretty supplies. My favourite thing about October Afternoon products is how well they all go together. I have paper from 3 different lines on here, and labels, and buttons from even more lines, yet they all work together seamlessly. I love the little feathers from the Girl Talk paper and added a bit of glitter to them for an extra touch of fun. "

Thanks Laura for playing along!

I hope you liked the simple sketch and it helps you put together a layout or two super quick. Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday Tutorial: A Taped Title (and a Two-Pager!)

Happy Tuesday! 

Quite often I find myself adding the title to a layout at the end of my page-making process, fitting it in wherever I can find room.  Today's tutorial, however, gives the much-neglected title some tender loving care.  The title of this two-pager not only has a page to itself, but it has also been dressed up with an assortment of October Afternoon washi tape and stitched to create a charming, homespun feel. 

The focus of the layout is on "real" love, which is perfectly imperfect, and the title reinforces that.  

Here's how I approached the title: 

Step 1. Gather your supplies, including washi tape, a sheet of cardstock (or subtly patterned paper), a ruler, a pencil, a scissors, and a sewing machine (or a needle and thread). 

Step 2. Using a ruler and pencil, lightly draw lines across the page to serve as guides for your letters, and then write your title by hand. If you are wary about adding your handwriitng to the page, don't fret. You'll be covering it up soon enough with tape and stitching.  I made each of my guides 3" in height.

Step 3.  Replace at least one of the straight lines in each letter (where applicable) with washi tape, working through the title letter by letter. I erased each line as I added the tape, and trimmed the edges of the tape to ensure that it remained within the 3" height (though you need not be precise). 

Step 4.  Complete each letter by adding stitching, running over the area multiple times. I confess that I am terrible at stitching precise rounded shapes, so embracing a roughly structured (a.k.a. gloriously messy) stitch was ideal.  Just tell yourself what I tell myself: it adds to the charm! 

Step 5. Trim the ends of the thread (or leave them on, if you wish -- no judgments here!). 

Step 6.  Complete the layout, additing stamping and stiching -- oh, and that second page!  I used a variety of papers from the Daily Flash 2 "Girl Talk" collection as well as a heart stampand "Love" sentiments stamp from the "Homemade" stamp set and the stamped word "Found" from the  "Inspiration" Daily Flash roller stamp. I also worked in a few Pop Drop hearts ('tis the season, after all). 

If you happen to try this approach to the title (or any other technique that gives your title some extra love), be sure to post your project in the October Afternoon Flickr gallery and link me up in the comments below.  

Thanks for stopping by today! 

-- Jill 

Challenge | Warm & Cool Colors

Happy Monday everyone! It's Amy here today with this week's challenge. 

I was looking back on some of my challenges and saw right away that I was using color palettes that were really "cool" in tone, namely because most of my subject matter was winter-related. So I thought, why don't we do a color challenge that plays on that same theme - using "warm" or "cool" palettes? Perfect!
Since many of my recent projects were using the cool palettes, I really wanted to try and use some warmer tones. I reached into my OA stash which included Silent Night, Travel Girl, Apple Cider and a little from the latest Daily Flash collection, Girl Talk and came up with a fun and warm page about my silly daughter. This photo was taken in mid-December when it was quite cold out. I could have easily created a cool-toned page for this to go with because of that, but by using all warm-tones, it gives the page a completely new feel, totally un-related to the temperature outside that we were experiencing.

 

I asked Alex to join me in this challenge, and she decided to use a "cool" toned palette for her take on the challenge. Take a look at her stunner of a page!

 

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

"I never thought of using just cool or just warm colors for my layouts before, but I loved the idea. I pulled out my beautiful Silent Night collection and went for the cool ones. I filled a whole 12x12 page with hearts in Silhouette Studio and ran a Joy to the World sheet through my Cameo. A drew a black frame on the Carol of the Bells paper and adhered the hearts inside it, some of them using 3D dots to make them pop. Next, I layered a piece of Midnight Clear paper and vellum under my photo and that lovely chipboard piece and added them to the center of the page. I then added some tidbits, a tin pin , the black "love" sticker, vellum snowflakes and the Apple Cider pop drops hearts. For the title, I used the Strawberry Ice Cream chipboard alphas (love them!!!). Finally, I wrapped up my layout with some solid black twine. I am pretty happy with how this layout turned out. Thank you so much for the inspiration and this fun challenge, Amy!"

I just love everything about this page. It's just gorgeous! Thank you, Alex for playing along!!

Alex and I hope we've inspired you to reach into your stash and try using warm and cool color palettes this week! If you do, please post to our October Afternoon Flickr gallery so we can admire your work! Thanks so much for joining us today! Have a super day! ~Amy

 

Thursday Sketch: Hearts, Hearts, and More Hearts

Hi everyone! Roree here with today's Thursday Sketch Challenge. With Valentine's Day not too far off, hearts have been on my mind. And as you can see, my sketch reflects that:

I created the sketch with a card in mind, but you can easily switch this into a layout by replacing one or more of the hearts with photos.

Here is the card I created:

The majority of my card was created using Daily Flash, specifically the Girl Talk, Milk Money, and Apple Cider collections. I also dug a little deeper into my stash and added a couple of buttons from Travel Girl and Rocket Age, along with some baker's twine from Sidewalks.

I just love these colors for Valentine's Day. The yellow makes me happy!

I hope you enjoyed today's sketch and the card I created using 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.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day, and thanks so much for stopping by!