October Afternoon

Tuesday Inspiration: String Art

Hello, and Happy Holidays!  I have a couple of string art displays or projects pinned.  They are so inspiring. My favorites things to pin are window displays.  This is the inspiration for my layout today.

This is how I interpreted it with the Under the Tree collection.

I started by using the First Snow background stamp on my plain white cardstock.

Then on the bottom half, I cut different size strips from the Candlelight Pattern Paper to create the look inspired by the string art display.  I started placing them in the directions similar to the inspiration piece.  

To give my photos more focus, I layered a piece of Family Gathering Pattern Paper along the middle, and added gold stitching.  I added a few stickers, a tin pin and enamel shapes under the large red bow I made to also help bring focus to the photos, along with some black paint splatters.

I added a strip of the washi tape at the bottom and layers of pattern paper and an ephemera die cut at the top to help give the layout a little balance.  For my journaling, I used the labels to layer near the top by the photos, and added a straight stitch in gold.

Of course, the puppy adds a little more innocence to the theme of this layout, and doesn't take away from my photos.  I am always a big fan of October Afternoon's Christmas collections.  It is such a beautiful collection to work with.  Hope you are able to grab some to use for your holiday memories!

I would love to see your interpretation of the inspiration piece.  On Instagram, tag @octoberafternoon and me @Patricia_Roebuck using hashtag #octoberafternoon, upload to October Afternoon Flickr gallery, and/or post it on our Facebook page.  Happy Holidays and happy scrapping!!

Monday Challenge: Stripe it out

Hey October Afternoon fans, Mou here with today's challenge and it's all about STRIPES! You have to mix at least two different stripe patterns in one project, be it card, layout, or anything you can imagine. Here's my take.

To make this 6" x 6" card, I used Carol Singing and Stocking Hanging 12x12 papers from Under the Tree collection.

These two papers provided not only contrast but also different widths of stripes.

To make this card, I cut out a 6"x12" piece from Stocking Hanging and two 2" x 6" strip from Carol Singing papers. With scissors I notched the ends of the smaller strips of Carol Singing paper and folded the Stocking Hanging paper in half to make the card.

I stacked the cut out notches to create a Christmas tree, added a sentiment from the Merry Making paper and a star from the Shape Stickers to finish the card.

What will you create with stripes?

Tuesday Inspiration: Layers upon Starry Layers

Hi there! Happy Tuesday! Emily here with today's inspiration piece! When I was searching for inspiration, I came across this fun photo of star confetti:

(source)

I was hesitant to use this for my layout because I've already used stars on a number or layouts for October Afternoon, including this one using stars cut from map paper. After searching for awhile without any luck, I decided the star confetti was meant to be!  I pulled out a few different star punches and began punching away at stars on every piece of blue, red, gray, and orange patterned piece of paper I could find. These colors matched my chosen photo, which is of my kiddos on Halloween this year. I also included a few plain black stars that I cut from cardstock. When I had a large collection of stars, I literally dumped them on my page into a giant pile and then spread them out around my paper. I wanted the layout to be very multi-dimensional and I didn't want the stars to be perfectly placed or adhered to the background. 

After sticking all the the stars down (definitely the longest part of my process) I added my photo on top of the stars and cut out a title using my die cut machine. I wanted a big, bold title, so I used black cardstock and a very simple font for my title, "Fun." The title comes from a Facebook status I included with this photo.  I had hoped I could convince my kids to have matching costumes this year like they have had for the past few years. However, they all had their own ideas, and I was a little bit sad about their mismatched costumes. After a fun night of trick-or-treating I concluded, and posted, "I have reached the point in parenthood where I realize that it doesn't matter if they all match, it only matters that they all have fun."

Finally, I added a few simple embellishments to my layout. Let's face it, it's a pretty crazy layout already, I didn't feel like I needed to add a ton more. I even opted not to include my journaling, because I couldn't find a good place to put it. Instead, I will simply write it on the back of my layout, which is something I frequently do! 

 

Here is a look at my final layout. I love good color combinations, and I can honestly say this is the first time that I have ever used red, orange and blue...it might be a new favorite!

I would love to see how you are inspired by these fun confetti stars! Upload your project to the October Afternoon Flickr gallery, post it on our Facebook page, or connect with us on Instagram via #octoberafternoon. Happy Tuesday, and happy scrapping!

Monday Challenge: Touch of Gold

Hey everyone! Roree here with a Monday challenge for you.

Metallics are pretty hot right now, so I thought it would be fun to challenge you to add a touch of gold to your next project.

I created this card for the challenge:

I used the new Under the Tree collection. I stamped the "First Snow" Background Stamp over a panel of Family Gathering patterned paper using embossing ink. I covered the stamped image with gold embossing powder and set it with a heat tool.

I added a strip of cardstock and a gold polka dot bow below the center of the card and layered one of the "birds on a branch" stickers from the Shape Stickers sheet just above. I stamped the "Joy" sentiment from the Under the Tree Clear Stamps set onto a label sticker with embossing ink, covered the stamped image with gold embossing powder, and set it with a heat tool. I layered the label sticker at the bottom of the "birds on a branch" sticker and added an enamel heart and dot from the Pop Drops pack to finish.

If you would like to take on today's challenge, please share your creation by linking it on Instagram with the hashtag #octoberafternoon, along with tagging @octoberafternoon, so we can see! You can also share your projects on our OA Facebook wall or the OA Flickr gallery.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

Monday Challenge: Pattern over Pattern

Hey everyone! Roree here with a Monday challenge for you. 

With Halloween just around the corner, I decided to get out the Witch Hazel collection to use for creating today's project. I was playing around with the Spooky Music background stamp and stamped it over a scrap piece of Freckle Dust patterned paper. While I originally was just using it as a practice piece for stamping, I ended up really liked the way it looked. So, I decided to use it for the base of my card.

I added some striped strips from the Spider's Silk patterned paper along the top and bottom of the stamped panel. I cut out a cute little ghost with my die cut machine from white cardstock and vellum, added some black gems for eyes, and placed the ghost in the center of the panel. I stapled a tab from the Tidbits pack to the top right corner of the panel, then I layered a black gem and chipboard star from the Chip 'n Stick chipboard sheet over the right side of the tab. I attached the "Boo!" sentiment from the Chip 'n Stick chipboard sheet to a label from the Label Stickers sheet, added a couple more black gems, and placed the label at the bottom right side of the panel. I finished by adding the panel to the front of  4 1/4 x 5 1/2" card to finish.

I wouldn't have normally overlapped two strong and distinctive patterns like this, but I think it works on this card. Such a fun and happy accident!

So here is my challenge to you, create a project mixing one pattern over another. Maybe you will end up with something fun and unique like I did.

If you would like to take on today's challenge, please share your creation by linking it on Instagram with the hashtag #octoberafternoon, along with tagging @octoberafternoon, so we can see! You can also share your projects on our OA Facebook wall or the OA Flickr gallery.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Monday Challenge: Inspiration Right Under Your Nose

You hear it all the time, "inspiration is everywhere."  I think sometimes it isn't a problem finding the inspiration as it is interpreting or just actually committing and doing it!  As I was planning my week and projects, I just happened to notice how pretty the box of Kleenex sitting on the counter was.  I almost didn't give it a second thought.  

I thought the shapes looked like leaves and almost used them in a different way then clustering them for a background.  That can be for another layout!  After I cut the background, I used Saturday Mornings pattern paper and Apple Cider pattern paper to fill in the background cuts.

Since the colors were Fall and my photo was about school, I used the Apple Cider puffy pillows, Milk Money Stickers, Stamps, Daily Flash Stamps, and Public Library embellishments.

And last but not least, since it inspired the layout, here is the box of Kleenex! 

I really hope you not only find inspiration right under your nose, but make the time to create something with that inspiration!  I would love to see what you create.  Hope to see your project uploaded to either the October Afternoon Flickr gallery,  our Facebook page, or connect with us on Instagram via #octoberafternoon.

Monday Challenge: Record Your Summer in Pocket Pages Part 3

Hello there October Afternoon fans, Mou here today with your Monday challenge!

Summer is wrapping up here. Schools start this week. This has been a summer of big events for our family. We have moved from Florida to New Jersey. And yes, for the first time, I am sensing that summer is really coming to an end as the evenings are getting rather chilly. New Jersey is not the land of everlasting summer... but I'm looking forward to welcoming autumn because that has always been my favorite!

At the beginning of this summer, I challenged myself and invited you all to join me to record this summer in pocket pages. You can read my original post here. I have used the October Afternoon Daily Flash system to record our summer. In order to not miss a single beat, I have taken photos all summer with my phone and posted them on my Instagram account with #oursummerof2015. As I progressed with my project, I realized yet one more time, how helpful the Daily Flash system is..

Here are two more spreads from my album.

As I continue working on this album, I find myself reaching for more October Afternoon Collections than just Summertime and loving it because they all blend together seamlessly!

So, how is your summer memory keeping coming along? Please share in your comments.

Monday Challenge: Create a Scene

Hey everyone! Roree here with a Monday challenge for you.

As I was browsing about Pinterest one day, I came across this pin:

Image via Pinterest

I immediately fell in love with the little cityscape at the top of the image. I thought it would be fun to create my own little scene on a card (and I did!). Here is what I came up with:

For the base of my scene, I used a journaling card from the Summertime Memory Cards pack. I used cloud stickers from the Saturday Mornings Shape Stickers sheet and hand cut a house and tree from Summertime Puffy Clouds, Heat Wave, and Green Grass patterened papers and Treasure Map Moby Dick Isle patterned paper.

I completed the scene with a few cross stitches and a Summertime Double Take heart sticker and Treasure Map Designer Brad.

I added the scene to a Treasure Map Moby Dick Isle patterned paper card base and used Daily Flash Clover "Storybook" Flash Alphas and a Daily Flash Snapshots Double Take tab sticker to create a title.

I finished the card with some machine stitching and a bit of baker's twine from the Sasparilla Wrap Pack.

If you would like to take on today's challenge and create a scene on your next project, please share your creation by linking it on Instagram with the hashtag #octoberafternoon, along with tagging @octoberafternoon, so we can see! You can also share your projects on our OA Facebook wall or the OA Flickr gallery.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tuesday Inspiration: Polaroid Collage

Hi there! Happy Tuesday! Emily here with today's inspiration piece! I knew I wanted to use a photo collage of some sort on my layout this week, so I did a Pinterest search for collage inspiration.  I found a few really unique polaroid collages similar to these:

(Both of these images have broken source links!I My apologies to the original photographers!)

I really love the look of breaking a single photo up into a few different photos and layering them on top of one another. I had a perfect picture in mind - of the bottom half of my kids at the pool last week. I have a similar one with their heads, but I kind of love this one of just their bodies and feet!!  The only problem, however, is that I wasn't exactly sure how to crop the photos to make them all fit together just right. I ended up using my cropping tool in my photo editor to create four squares in each corner of the picture. Each square looks pretty similar...here are the four sections:

I printed all four out and tried to layer them, however it wasn't working as well as I'd hoped. I decided to make all of the photos a bit off kilter from one another, which is why my little guy on the right kind of has two heads! I probably could have just left off the bottom row of photos, as they only show the concrete, but I like having four photos versus only two. I know there is probably some way to make my collage look as cool as the two inspiration pieces, but I'm not technically savvy enough to figure out, so this will have to do!

I used foam adhesive to create different levels on my layout. The bottom two photos are flat against the background, the third is raised up by a single layer of foam adhesive, and  the very top actually has two layers of foam adhesive. I really wanted there to be a lot of dimension, so I also raised up my die cut title.

Finally I found as many blue and aqua elements I could to include! The adorable little fish from the Summertime Pillow Puffs was perfect for this layout - especially after my title ended up a little off center!  The fish just swam on to the end like he was meant to be there! There are also tons of beautiful blue papers and embellishments in the Treasure Map line that made their way onto this layout!

I would love to see how you are inspired by these cool photo collages! Upload your project to the October Afternoon Flickr gallery, post it on our Facebook page, or connect with us on Instagram via #octoberafternoon. Happy Tuesday, and happy scrapping!

Thursday Sketch with Suz

Hello everyone! Suz back with you with today's #oasketchday Sketch Challenge!

This week's sketch was inspired by the "A" Side of the Scones patterned paper from the Saturday Mornings collection here.

 

In particular, the bottom left image (the one with the "9") is what I drew my inspiration from.

Here is the sketch that I derived from my design. I actually worked a bit backwards this time and created my card and then the sketch design.

The card design uses one of my favorite design principles; repetition.

 

 

If you look closely, you can see several ways I incorporated repetition--the repeating sentiments, repeating colors, repeating stars/stellar/sunburst shapes, circles, etc. Repetition just adds cohesiveness and makes the whole creation come together for the most visual impact. And is it just me or do any of you see a gum ball machine/snow globe/fortune teller glass or a Star Wars X-Wings aircraft depending upon how you look at it?! No, ok, well then, I guess it's just me! LOL

I cut out a portion of the Scone patterned paper and flipped it over to reveal the B side (pink and taupe-grey pinwheels). Then I machine stitched for a bit of dimension. I added a bit of stamping using some stamps designed by the lovely and talented Jessy Christopher and a bit of my own printing and handwriting. 3D adhesive was used to pop my central element up ("YAY" circle stamp-a bit imperfectly distressed (user error) but I went with it) and then a triangle stamp was used to draw the eye into this element. The "21" stamp is from a Cocoa Daisy kit.

I used items from both the Treasure Map and Saturday Mornings collection as well as some Pop Drops from Daily Flash - Eggnog.

Treasure Map: Side B of Siren's Point, Treasure Map - The Ocean Blue - Label Stickers 

If you decide you want to create using this sketch as a jumping off point, please use the hashtag #oasketchday when sharing on Instagram and tag me @suzmannecke so I can see!

No Instagram account? No worries! You can post on our OA Facebook wall, OA Flickr Gallery, or link your creation up in the comment section below. (Please note, comments are moderated, so your comment will not post immediately).

Have a great remainder of your week! Be sure to check back in tomorrow when our August Guest is announced! ;)