October Afternoon

On The Brain | Designer Inspiration

Hello everyone! Suz here with today's OA Designer Inspiration challenge. This week Ginny challenged me to create with this fabulously fun inspiration piece:

 

 

SOURCE

"When I first saw Ginny's inspiration piece, my mind brain was a storm of ideas! (Understandably so, it is an amazing inspo piece, yes?) I was inspired by all of the stream of consciousness bubbles in the piece and while initially I thought I would create a bunch of speech bubbles at the center of my design, my creative brain made a quick right turn when I saw the adorable furniture shape stickers in the Saturday Morning collection. I decided instead of the stream of consciousness/speech like bubbles coming from the image's mind, I would make a "wall of frames" in the center of the design that enclosed my journaled list of favorite Saturday Morning childhood cartoons and then make the rest of the design look like a living room setting.

I have to say, I had so much fun making this paper living room come to life by raising up the furniture stickers with foam adhesive and hand drawing and then stitching over the frame collection (I erased the pencil lines afterwards! I really loved grounding the design with a "baseboard trim" made from the Saturday Mornings Pancakes patterned paper (woodgrain, Side B), the carpet, made from the Side B of the Crepes patterned paper, and the rug from the Cereal patterned paper (Side B). While this layout is photo-less, I am ok with that because I am quite certain there are no pictures in existence of me watching cartoons! I plan to add this to my album that is all about me. It is simply a collection of memories from my childhood and I can always pair it with a photograph of me from that approximate time period on the page that opposes this design. In the end, it's all good. ;)

Other items I used to complete this page were: Saturday Mornings Word Stickers, Saturday Mornings Border & Label Stickers, Saturday Mornings Shape Stickers, and Daily Flash Milk Money Pop Drops.

Thank you Ginny for inviting me to play along! My mind is already percolating on another layout inspired by this inspirational image!"

If you feel like playing along with this fun inspiration piece, please share your creations with us on Instagram with the hashtag #oadesignerinspiration and tagging @octoberafternoon @suzmannecke @ginnyhughes

 

Happy Wednesday all!

 

Thursday Sketch: Simple Heart

Hey guys :)

This is Laura here today with a simple card sketch, although you could definitely use it as inspiration for a layout, or pocket page as you will see bellow!

Here is the card I made using lots of goodies from the Daily Flash Girl talk line.  I thought the colors were perfect for a sweet valentines card.  I won't even tell you how many times I had to hand cut that heart to make it look even remotely good.. But in the end I'm happy and think it was worth the effort.  A bit of machine stitching helped to finish the heart and card, tying the look of them together.

I paired it with a cute chipboard heart, and a pop drop heart to add to my love theme.

And of course here is the sketch I made to share with you guys.  As usual my sketch making skills are amazing ;)

 

I have Ginny with me today to see her inspiring take on the sketch!  I was so amazed how she made it work for her.

Here is what she had to say:

When I  saw the sketch the first thing that drew me in was the heart in the center, so that was my starting point. I decided to do a pocket page layout for my yearly album. I love to have see through pockets, I think it really adds some visual interest when looking through this type of album. So I knew that was where the hearts were going to go! Then I just filled in the surrounding pockets, the color scheme came from the cute desk card from the Public Library collection. I adhered the chipboard hearts to the inside of the pocket, I then stitched directly through the whole pocket. I don’t think the hearts would have fallen out, I just like to stitch through any and everything ;)

Ginny is a girl after my own heart with all her stitching!  I just love it.

So thanks for stopping by today, I hope you are having an amazing day. If you guys feel inspired to use my sketch, then please share your creations in the October Afternoon Flickr Gallery!  I'd love to see them :)

 

Laura & Ginny 

Monday Challenge: What's Old is New

Hi there!  Emily here with today's Monday Challenge!  Awhile back, I was looking through some old layouts, and I realized I have a LOT of layouts that use October Afternoon products! I've been a fan for many, many years! I though it might be fun to create a challenge around the concept of "OLD."  I decided to call my challenge "What's Old is New."  My friend Ginny Hughes is joining me this week, and I wanted her to interpret "What's Old is New" in her own personal way, so I told her to feel free to interpret the title however she pleased! She went a totally different direction, which I love - she chose an "old" memory as the inspiration for her layout!  Here is what she had to say:

When I found out the challenge today I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I recently took this photo of my father driving me around when we were on vacation and it was such a weird feeling, it took me back to when I was a kid! I used the new Saturday Mornings collection, it has a great retro vibe. The woodgrain paper is going to be a new staple for me, it goes perfectly with everything!

And here is her fabulous layout:

 

When I came up with this challenge, I thought I could either a) use old products or b) scrap in an "old" style.  I decided to do a little of both. I chose a single layout as my inspriation. I made this layout in March of 2012. 

My style has definitely change a bit in the past three years.  I have always been a lover of paper...thought I used to use a LOT more.  I started out my new layout as a "modified" direct copy of the old one. I had a lot of paper and a lot of patterns.  I pushed paper around. I added things. I subtracted things. I decided...I hated it. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen this photo at 11:30 p.m. when I ripped my layout apart and started over:

I decided that, while I may have rocked the TONS of paper look in 2012, it just wasn't happening in 2015.  I went with a lot more white space and less pattern. I did keep a few elements the same, such as the blue strip + the tickets from the Public Library Miscellany pack, the Flower Sack die cuts from the Farmhouse line, and an old vintage doily from my personal collection.  To say I am much happier with the second layout would be an understatement! It's funny - I love the layout from 2012, but as my style has changed, it was impossible for me to create a similar layout that I also loved.  So..what's old is kind of what's new, but not exactly... ;)

(Excuse the bad photo quality - I'm having some printer issues.)

We would love for you to play along! Upload your layout to the October Afternoon Flickr gallery, post it on our Facebook page, or connect with us on Instagram via #octoberafternoon. Happy Monday, and happy scrapping! 

Tuesday Inspiration: Shapes

Hi there!  Emily here with today's inspiration piece!  I knew that the fabulous Ginny Hughes would be joining me on this post today, and as soon as I saw this art in my "artsy" pinterest board, I knew it would be perfect for both of us!

(Source: Colocal)

First up, I will share Ginny's take on the layout.  She says, "I was super happy when I saw the inspiration piece from Emily. It really fits my style, and I knew it would be a fun one! The first thing that grabbed my attention was the large text up at the top. I knew it would translate perfectly into journaling and a page title. I opted to turn the bottom half of the inspiration piece on its side to accommodate a 4x6 photo. I used mostly the Public Library collection for this layout. I think the primary colors work perfectly for a sports themed page."

I just love everything about this!  The punches, the fun colors, all the little bits of goodness at the top. She did a fantastic job!  When I chose this inspiration, I envisioned staying pretty true to the design. I planned on a big bold die cut title on top and lots of small die cut shapes and photos on the bottom half.  Well, between then and the time that I actually made the layout, my laptop kicked the bucket, and I was basically rendered helpless! ;)  No electronic die cutting, no access to photos other than those on social media, no photo editing programs.  I may have actually had a small panic attack at my desk when I first started this layout, because there was absolutely no way that I would be able to create a layout like the one I had planned in my head. It's crazy how dependent I had become on my computer!  So, this layout is a pretty bare bones, basic layout.  No die cutting and no fancy journaling.  I chose to use four different large shapes, one of which was the square photo. Instead of making the shapes solid, I created each using various embellishments. This layout uses probably 5-10 different October Afternoon collections. I had to dig way back into my stash for a few items!  This layout is pretty old school. I actually used a mug to trace a circle to make that circle of stickers! In spite of my worrying and lack of electronic support, I feel like it turned out to be pretty fun.

I apologize for the poor quality photos.  My replacement computer right now is a six year old MacBook that has seen much, much better days. The only program I have to edit photos is my totally awesome 2011 version of iPhoto!  Hopefully you are still able to be inspired!! We would love for you to play along! Upload your layout to the October Afternoon Flickr gallery, post it on our Facebook page, or connect with us on Instagram via #octoberafternoon. Have a great Tuesday, and happy scrapping! 

Thursday Sketch with Jill & Ginny

Hi guys, here is the sketch this week. Anyone that knows me well knows that I love circles! like really love them. So I had to go with a circle theme this week for our sketch. 

 

Imagine my surprise when I got Jill's layout that she and I had very similiar ideas on how to interpret the sketch! Here is her layout and what she has to say about it-

 

 

“Initially, I looked at the circles on Ginny’s sketch and thought about using a series of circle-shaped photos, but then I realized that a cluster of inked and painted circles using a palette that reflects the colors in the photos would be a fun idea. I’m always up for trying something new, and I’m glad I did! Given that the layout is about a family reunion, and the photo includes all of the cousins, the circles came to represent how, though a family includes individuals, it is also a united whole. The closeness of the circles reinforces this.  I added a few  woodgrain chipboard hearts and woodgrain title letters to reflect the woodsy Lake Tahoe setting. The accents overlap both sides of the layout, helping to create unity.  On the right side of the layout I created a collage comprised of photos, patterns, journaling cards, and stickers, all of which enhance the autumnal feel of the page. Thanks, Ginny, for creating a sketch that pushed me to be creative!” 

Thanks so much Jill, I love your page! Jill always layers her papers so beautifully, I really wish I could do that!

Now on to my layout, I too thought of using circle photos and patterned paper, but I just felt like stepping out of the box a little from my norm. I decided on watercolors. I punched a circle into a piece of thick chipboard and used that as the template for the circles. I didn't want them perfectly lined up, messy was the look I was going for here. I pulled the colors from my photo and from the Apple Cider mini collection from the Daily Flash line. I added a little journaling and some stamped leaves to finish it off. 

I hope you will take the sketch and let it inspire one of your projects! Share what you make with us in the OA Flickr Gallery.  Share on Instagram and/or Facebook and use the hashtag #octoberafternoon and #oasketchday.  Please tag us on instagram @ginnyhughes @octoberafternoon. We would love to see what you make!!

Tuesday Inspiration : Typographic Poster

Hey everyone! I'm back with another inspiration piece, this time I have the talented and fun Ginny Hughes joining me!

(source)

I personally 'pin' a lot of typographic posters because I think they're just beautiful. I want to buy prints of them and have them around my house, if possible. Not only that, most of them are good jumping off points for layouts too. 

This is Ginny's interpretation of the poster 

Ginny said :

"When I first saw the inspiration piece that Sasha chose for today the big number 2 was what really caught my attention, so that it the direction that I took my layout. I had taken a photo of a school project my son had done about his family and I really thought the idea of the numbers running up the side of the photo was a cute idea. I know that I can’t keep every piece of memorabilia from my kids school days, but I think this is a fun way to keep some of their artwork!" 

Here's my take on the above poster

I concentrated my design on the lower right hand side, just like the poster. I used a mixture of Daily Flash Apple Cider and Public Library for this layout. Those Snap Caps and Flash Blurbs are really really fun! I like how I'm able to add lots of layers onto the layout without actually having to deal with bulk later on when it's time to slip this one into the album :)

I finished the layout with title made with Daily Flash Nightfall alphas, some stamping (how cute are the 'instagrammed' stamped word!) and machine stitching. 

Share what you make with us in the OA Flickr Gallery.  You can also share with us on Instagram. Use the hashtag #octoberafternoon and tag me @sashafarina as I'd love to see your take on this piece of inspiration.

 

Tuesday Inspiration

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi everyone! Ginny here with you today to share an inspiration piece that I found on Pinterest. I think you can find inspiration for a layout anywhere such as a magazine ad, a painting or drawing, a quilt, or as I chose to use today, a book cover. This is my inspiration 

                                            (source)

I was really drawn to the lines of text and speech bubbles. I decided to print my photos into strips and use those as a replacement for the speech bubbles. 

 

 

I can totally see myself using this inspiration piece again, you could go in so many different ways with it. 

I hope you play along with us this week and share your finished project! 

Share in the OA Flickr gallery, or on OA's Facebook wall. If Instagram is social media of choice then please tag us @octoberafternoon and give me a shout out @ginnyhughes. I would love to see how you interpreted the inspiration piece. 

 

 

Monday Challenge: Go BIG

Hi everyone! Ginny here back with another Monday challenge for you all. I am joined today by the crazy talented Roree Rumph, I always adore her cards! This week we are challenging you to go BIG with your title. That can mean literally a big title, a long title, or however you want to tackle the challenge. We encourage creativity here at October Afternoon, so show us how creative you can be!

First we have a beautiful card from Roree and here is what she had to say about her project//

"I loved Ginny's idea for going big with your title. Using a large sentiment on a card really can be a challenge, since it leaves little room for anything else. So I had to be creative. I put together a house-shaped card around the phrase, Home Sweet Home. I used the Daily Flash Grey Flannel "Sign Board" Alphas along with a die cut to create my sentiment. And because I made it the width of the card, I replaced the Os Home with embellishments—two die cut flowers with buttons. I finished the card with some machine stitching, a label sticker, a stamped sentiment, a chipboard heart, and pop drops."

 

 

 

 

 

 

I knew that I wanted to use this particular quote as my title and I had some photos leftover from another project that were already punched into circles. I remembered Suz's sketch from last week and knew that it would be perfect! 

 

 I added the pop drops and a few brads from the Public Library collection to the stitching. 

 

 

 

 

So, anyone up for the challenge? I hope so, I would love to see what you come up with! Be sure to share your creations in the October Afternoon Flickr gallery, and link us up in the comments below as well. 

Don't forget that October Afternoon is also on Instagram, so please follow us there for all of our latest challenges and any upcoming news about us!  

 

Monday Challenge: Two is better than one

Hi all, it is Ginny here with my first official post with October Afternoon and I can't tell you how excited I am to jump right in! I am here with a Monday challenge for you, a 2 page layout. Mou Saha is joining me and she has a great spread to share with us.

First up is Mou and here is what she has to say about her layout: 

To create a 2-pager for Ginny's challenge, I decided to use the Daily Flash sleeves, SL-1076 - 6x8 Sleeve for 6x8 and SL-1075 - 6x8 Sleeve for 4x4. For the base, I used Travel Girl 12 x 12 Passport paper and embellished the spread with Mix Tape paper and 12 x 12 Shape Stickers along with some mixed media elements like gesso, paint, etc.

 

 

 

 Thanks Mou, I just love your travel journal!

I am still in back to school mode here and it is the perfect excuse to break out the Public Library collection ;) I love 2 page layouts. Sometimes I use them to tell a big story, sometimes to showcase a product or patterned paper that I love and really want to show off, and sometimes, like the layout I am sharing today, I have a photo that really tells the story and captures the perfect moment in time. 

This layout all came together because of the Daily Flash Tin Pin  that says "true story". I thought it would be a neat & different way to journal on the page, to tell it in a story. 

So, anyone up for the challenge? I hope so, I would love to see what you come up with! Be sure to share your creations in the October Afternoon Flickr gallery, and link us up in the comments below as well. 

New Designer Spotlight: Ginny and Emily

Every Friday this month we will be introducing you to the new members of the October Afternoon Design Team! First up, we have the talented Ginny Hughes and Emily Spahn. 

GINNY HUGHES

Hi! My name is Ginny Hughes, and I am thrilled to be joining the October Afternoon DT!! I live in New Hampshire with my husband and 5 children. There is never a dull moment around our house. I have been scrapbooking for about 5 years. I love to experiment with digital and hybrid scrapping. Lately, I have really enjoyed playing with watercolors and paints as well. 

 

Q: Are you a layout person, card person, or both?
A: Layout all the way!!!

Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I like typed journaling, focus on the photo and the story, and I love adding in little embellishments like brads and pop drops. 

Q: What is on your scrap desk right now?
A: Lots of scraps, some ink, adhesive, and a layout in progress. 

Q: What is a favorite tool or product can you not scrapbook without?
A: Sewing machine; a layout never feels complete to me without stitching on it. 

Q: What is your favorite October Afternoon line?
A: Man, that is a hard one!! If I could only pick one it would have to be 9 to 5. I loved the colors in that collection. 

Q: What is your favorite source of inspiration?
A: Pinterest, of course! :)

Q: What is your favorite movie or book?
A: The Time Traveler’s Wife (the book not the movie) ;)

Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Mexican, I could eat it every day.

Q: What is a favorite childhood memory?
A: Going camping with my grandparents every summer. 

Q: If you could have dinner with anyone living or deceased, who would it be and why?
A: I think I would have to pick more than one person. I live really far away from all of my family, so I would love it if we could all get together in one place and have a huge dinner together. 

 

EMILY SPAHN

Hi! I’m Emily Spahn. I am a wife, a mother, a music teacher, and of course, a scrapbooker. After a decade of living and teaching in the Chicagoland area, my husband and I moved our family back to our home state of Wisconsin last November. We live in our “new” 90 year home just outside of Madison, WI. I’m currently taking a short break from teaching to stay home with my three crazy kids. I started scrapbooking in about fifth grade, when I made my first meticulously crafted page using white typing paper and a hand-drawn crayon title. It was spectacular. I’ve been hooked every since! I started to scrap more seriously about seven years ago. Since then I’ve been lucky enough to be on a number of different design teams and be published in most of the mainstream scrapping publications.  I'm so, so excited and honored to be a part of this fabulous October Afternoon Design Team!

 

Q: Are you a layout person, card person, or both?
A: I am 100 percent a layout person. In fact, cards and other projects tend to give me nightmares. If given the choice of making a card or a layout, I will choose a layout every single time!

Q: How would you describe your style? 
A: I have no idea how to describe my style!  I think my layouts really vary.  It really depends on the mood I'm in! If forced to describe it, I would say my work is fairly simple with lots of color and fun little accents. 

Q: What is on your scrap desk right now?
A: At this very moment, I have a lot of October Afternoon product on my desk - mostly Public Library and the Daily Flash - Milk Money collection.  I'm busy scrapping back to school!

Q: What is a favorite tool or product can you not scrapbook without?  
A: My absolutely MUST-HAVE item is patterned paper. I am such a paper person!  I think I could survive with just a piece of white cardstock and some patterned paper!

Q: What is your favorite October Afternoon line? 
A: Ooooh. That's a tough one.  It's old, but I really loved Cherry Hill.  Those fun patterns and bright colors are still some of my favorites!  I also think the Daily Flash - Girl Talk is so cute and perfect!!

Q: What is your favorite source of inspiration? 
A: I love looking at the work of other scrapbookers on blogs and in online galleries. There are so many inspiring people  and projects out there!!  

Q: What is your favorite movie or book? 
A: My all time favorite book is A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.  Movies are bit harder...favorites include Dead Poet's Society, Little Miss Sunshine, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Big Fish!  

Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Macaroni and Cheese.  LOVE it.  A friend and I even have a tradition called "Mac and Cheese Monday" where we try out new recipes!

Q: What is a favorite childhood memory?
A: My dad had a place right on Lake Michigan near Door County, WI.  He would get my brother and me up in the middle of the night (well, we thought it was the middle of the night..it was probably like 10 pm, ha!), and we would go see the big ferry come in.  I have always loved Lake Michigan, and I still get a thrill seeing the ferry, though it comes into a different town now!

Q: If you could have dinner with anyone living or deceased, who would it be and why?
A: I would have dinner with myself...though like 85 year old me. I'd love to hear what kinds of advice she would give me!  

We can't wait to see what fun projects Ginny and Emily create!!  Stay tuned next Friday to meet a couple more new members of our fabulous Design Team!