October Afternoon

Thursday Sketch: Scrap Layers

Hey OA fans! Mandy Koeppen here your Thursday sketch. This week's sketch is based on a simple layered card I created using leftover scraps from previous projects. 

 

Here is the card I created:

There's lots of layers, shapes, and some dimension going on with this card but it was created rather quickly.

I have to say that barefoot guy from the Public Library - Miscellany is one of my favorite die cuts ever! It was really easy to mix and match scraps from Public Library, Daily Flash Snapshots, & Daily Flash All Boy together since the OA collection colors seem to coordinate so well together. 

Remember take the sketch use it as is or make it your own it's up to you. It can easily be adjusted and use on a layout which I plan to do this weekend. So go have fun with it! We'd love to see anything you create with this sketch, so please post your work to our October Afternoon Flickr gallery.

Thanks for joining me today! MK

Tuesday Tutorial: Make your own mixed media embellishments

Hi everyone, Mou here with a tutorial today about making your own mixed media style embellishments.

Here's a layout in which I used my home made embellishments.

I am using the Public Library Clear Stamp set along with some bare chipboard I have had in my stash for a long time. If you don't have something similar, you can always cut your own chipboard shapes from packaging materials.

Apply a thin coat of white gesso to prime your chipboard pieces.

I colored my shapes with Gelatos colors. Feel free to use any paints, markers, etc. you like.

Add some texture to the pieces using Whipped Spackle or another modeling paste or texture medium. Be sure not to make the surfaces too uneven as that it will make stamping on them harder.

Once the medium dries, stamp images from the Public Library Clear Stamp set using a permanent ink like Archival Ink, StazOn, etc.

Here are some close-ups of my layout using these embellishments.

Hope you enjoyed today's tutorial and thanks for stopping by!

Monday Challenge: A Selfie, Through and Through

If you've watched a summer movie at a theater recently, you may have seen that commercial wtih the girl who has "selfie arm." It's pretty funny, and speaks volumes about our culture, but there is also an interesting line in it toward the end: "There's nobody better at taking a picture of you...than you." Of course, that is debatable, but there's some truth in it. When you turn the lens on yourself, you pose and you compose the shot. 

This week's challenge celebrates the selfie, scrapbook-style, extending the idea of the self-portrait to cover an entire page. 

Here's the deal: 

1. Include one or more selfies -- that is, photos of you, taken by you. Try to keep it real -- don't get dressed up for the shot (unless you're already dressed up to begin with). Come as you are. I dispensed with makeup (and with brushing my hair -- can you tell?), leaned on a nearby window to find some light since the sun was setting, looked into the camera, and took the photo. It's honest. 

2. Incorporate your handwriting as a text-based pattern. Even if you don't like your handwriting, I bet it will still look awesome turned into a pattern. I repeated the phrase "me myself and I" on a sheet of Public Library "Story Time" paper with a white gel pen, keeping the words rather small and close together. I used my text-based pattern as a photo mat. 

3. Include your name or initial(s) on the page. I opted to use the letter "J" from a sheet of Public Library "Encyclopedia" paper. 

4. In your journaling, focus on you. Go beyond the surface and concentrate on the self in "selfie." As you look at the person in the photo, what do you see? What is there that others may not see, but that you know is there? Inspired by the book-themed elements of the page, my journaling takes a metaphorical approach, pushing me to think about myself as a book and to contemplate that book's contents. 

5. Select accents, papers, and colors that are SO you. Be true to your style.  

I would absolutely LOVE to see your take on this challenge. Link me up to your "selfie" layouts in the comments below. You can also share them in the October Afternoon Flickr gallery. 

Thanks for visitng today! 

-- Jill 

Thursday Sketch: Circles, Squares, and Rectangles

Hi everyone, Mou here with today's sketch based on three basic geometric shapes: circles, squares, and rectangles. When I say circles, squares, and rectangles, I interpret it loosely as you'll see below. But these shapes layered together can be used to create many interesting sketches for layouts. 

And here's my take:

I started with an 8.5" x 11" white cardstock as my base. I cut out rectangles from Daily Flash Milk Money 12 x 12 Social Studies paper.  I used both sides of the paper for a variety of colors and patterns. Next, I cut out a big circle from Public Library 12 x 12 Dust Jacket paper. Then I cut two more rectangles to layer on top of the circle from Public Library 12 x 12 Biography and Daily Flash Girl Talk 12 x 12 Whisper papers.Another rectangle came from Daily Flash Snapshots Memory Cards. The topmost rectangle is my photo. The square is a sppech bubble from Daily Flash Snapshots Flash Blurbs.I added embellishments in the form of smaller circles, all diecuts from the Daily Flash Snapshots collection. Added title and journaling and a few splatters of paint to finish.

Here's a close-up of details:

Hope you liked today's sketch and it can be the groundwork for a future layout for you :)

Tuesday Tutorial: Attaching Tags to Bows

Hey everyone! Roree here with today's Tuesday Tutorial.

Let me start by saying, today's tutorial isn't so much a tutorial as it is a tip or a trick. I tend to create in the moment. I add things, take them away, add them back until they seem to work. Sometimes this causes me to have do things in multiple steps rather than in a simple step or two. But after spending so much time on a project I usually don't want to start from scratch, so I come up with creative ways to attach things after the fact.

Here is a card I created using the new Public Library collection:

I added lots of little bits and pieces to my card, including the ribbon from the Miscellany pack.

After adding the bow to my card, I decided that it really would look better with a tag underneath. Since I didn't want to re-tie the bow, I got creative.

First, I added a hole to the top of a Sew Fun Banners pennant die cut.

I snipped the hole at the top (sort of in an upside down V shape) so it was open. Doing it this way gave me a little more wiggle room to get it over the ribbon, yet it still has the look of being closed after I attached it.

Then, I just slid it over the ribbon on the underside of the bow.

Voila! The tag is attached and you can't even tell that it was added after the fact!

Hope this tip/trick helps. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Monday Challenge: Accent Colors

Hi everyone! Alex here.

I love using accent colors when I design my layouts (or the interior of my home, for that matter). Today, I wanted to challenge you to do the same.

I googled a definition of accent colors: "Accent colors are colors that are used for emphasis in a color scheme. These colors can often be bold or vivid and are used sparingly, to emphasize, contrast or create rhythm." I don't think I could define them better myself :-) 

For today's layout, I chose to use red as my accent color for different shades of teal.

I have used the lovely Public Library collection. For my background I have mixed patterned papers Encyclopedia, Reference Section, Biography, Fiction, Dust Jacket and Sh-h-h. The last one I chose to add a little touch of red. 

Further, I brought in more red by adding small accents, such as a red journaling card, the "bee a reader" sticker, red tidbits, label stickers and a tin pin. I even stamped the "Alphabetical Order" background in red and stuck it underneath my photos. 

And I just can't seem to make a layout without adding a couple of Daily Flash chipboard hearts and arrows...

I hope you feel inspired to pull out your Public Library collection and start creating! :-)

Have fun!

//Alex

Thursday Sketch: Building with Blocks

This week's sketch is composed of rectangular blocks in various sizes:

The sketch provides space for a title, journaling, and five photos: one 4 x 6, and one four-photo collage printed at 4 x 6. The title sits atop a large block of patterned paper, and five embellishments add to the design.

I (Vivian), stuck closely to the sketch in creating my layout:

The Daily Flash Snapshots line was perfect for these photos. The text-print patterned paper serves as both patterned paper and title, and a combination of chipboard, die-cut, and sticker embellishments finish this simple layout.

We'd love to see anything you create with this sketch, so please post your work to our October Afternoon Flickr gallery.

 

Tuesday Tutorial: Faux Letterpress

Happy Tuesday!  I hope you are having a great day :)

I'm excited to be here with a fun and easy tutorial to share with you guys.  Essentially it's a faux letterpress look.  I don't have a fancy letterpress machine, but what I do have is a slew of embossing folders I've collected over the years, and a bunch of colorful inks.

My absolute most used, favorite embossing folder is this medium polka dot one that I will use today.  I paired it with some pretty blue Distress ink, and a blue patterned paper from the Girl talk Daily Flash line.

This is so easy to do!  All you do is rub your inkpad over the raised part of the embossing folder before you stick your paper in and run it through your machine.  If you want a clean look then be extra careful when swiping your inkpad across the folder.  You can see in my image below I got some ink on the other part of the folder, but that's okay because I wanted a more inky, splotchy look.  You will get the best clean look with a pigment inkpad since it will "stick" to the folder better exactly where you want it.

After running it through my machine you can see how the ink has colored all the indented parts of the embossing, just like a letterpress would do.

As I said, it's such an easy and fun technique.  All you need to do is wipe your embossing folder clean when you are done.

Here is the card I made with the embossed polkadot panel.  The rest of the supplies I used are also from the Girl Talk line.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, I hope you will share you creations in the October Afternoon Flickr Gallery!

Laura :)

Monday Challenge: Make it You

Hey October Afternoon fans! Mandy Koeppen here with this week's Monday challenge. This week's challenge   may have you saying what?? when you first read the post but I promise you it really could be challenging to some. So here goes... I'm challenging you to create a layout using your own style! no color challenge, no layers challenge or shapes challenge this week it's all your choice. JUST BE YOU!! SImple right? Not so easy for some believe me. I know lots of scrappers out there and I was once one of them that had a really hard time finding their true THEM style. You are always trying to stay on trend or have the latest and greatest or be like so and so...Clear your desk and your thoughts, don't look at any galleries or blogs, grab your supplies and create!!

Here is the layout I created for my challenge. 

Keeping to the true Mandy style this layout came together last minute, rather quickly(under 30minutes), has tags and layers,is simple, and it includes a black&white photo. I used a mix of October Afternoon lines on this layout from Milk Money, Public Library, and some old favorites. 

This challenge gives you that take a deep breath moment relax create a layout and just make it you and let the YOU style shine. I can't wait to see what y'all create!

Please share your creations in the October Afternoon Flickr Gallery!  I'd love to see them :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

~Mandy

Thursday Sketch: Which came first—the project or the sketch?

Hey everyone! Roree here with today's Thursday sketch!

I am all for sketches. They can really be a great tool for getting a project started. But this time I was having trouble coming up with ideas for one, so I decided to create first. (Sometimes moving things around on paper really gets the creativity going. ;) )

Here is the card I created:

I used the new Public Library collection.

When I got out the A to Z Washi Tape, and I noticed it had a clear background. I layed a few strips on the B-side of the Biography patterned paper and loved the way it looked, so I kept taping.

I added a stitched border and then I clustered embellishments from the Doo-dads and Tidbits packs, along with a Designer Brad for the flower I created and a bit of red baker's twine from my stash.

Lastly came the sketch:

I kept it pretty simple so that you could take it in any direction you would like to go with it.

I hope you enjoyed today's sketch and the sample 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.

Thanks so much for stopping by!