October Afternoon

Topic Tuesday: Constant Cravings

This week's blog theme is "The Love List," which can be interpreted in many different ways. Listing is one of the easiest (and, depending on the list, most amusing) approaches to journaling on layouts. Today's Topic Tuesday prompt challenges you to create a culinary "love list," based on the kind of love that demands to be indulged from time to time. We all have cravings. What are yours?

Let's get started! Make a list of your food loves, and put those food-centered Instagram and Facebook photos to use (you know you have a bunch). Here's my take on this week's prompt:

I won't lie. My full list could have filled at least two more layouts. Still, I was able to fit quite a few of my food loves on this page, thanks to the listing approach, which doesn't require complete sentences. Between each item on the list, I added bullets and the occasional culinary-themed accent from the Apple Cider and Saturday Mornings collections. 

Those two collections, in fact, include a variety of food-related accents and patterns, as do collections from years past. I worked in a few "vintage" October Afternoon bits, like the punched circle above from the Road Map collection and the hand-cut ice cream cone below from one of the Fly a Kite Wild Cards. 

If you're feeling ready to take on this week's prompt, I must share a word of caution first: creating a page like this builds up one heck of an appetite! 

Be sure to share your projects in the October Afternoon Flickr gallery. I can't wait to taste -- er, see -- your love list! 

Thanks for visiting today! 

-- Jill 

Tuesday Inspiration: Hands

Hi everyone, Mou here today with Jill and some inspiration images!

(Via Pinterest)

(Also via Pinterest)

When I saw these images, I thought they could be interpreted in SO many ways! I love the Lord of the Rings series and I'm sure there are many others who do as well, so it could be about a favorite movie. As a child, I read Gulliver's Travels so many times and loved it. This could be about a favorite book. Then again, if we look at the images, there are the hands... that could become the theme of a project. 

Now, let me share with you our interpretaions of the inspiration. First up, here's Jill's layout

Here's what Jill says:

"I won’t lie: upon first glance at this week’s two inspiration images, I was stumped, unsure about how the graphic, almost sinister design would translate to one of my layouts. Then it hit me: I could use the inspiration as a springboard not just for the layout, but for the photo. I snapped an image of my hand on a white background and converted it to black and white, similar to the “Gulliver’s Travels” image. The ring on my hand became the focus of the page and its journaling. The “One Ring” title very likely sprung from the “one ring to rule them all” line from “The Lord of the Rings.”  In keeping with the inspiration, I worked with a relatively monochromatic design, only allowing tiny variations in color, gathering papers and accents from the October Afternoon Public Library and Daily Flash lines, along with some vintage elements, like a page out of an old French primer. The handprint in the images reminded me of a little die-cut handprint shape that I had on hand, so I added that to the page as well.  I must give a huge shout-out to Mou for challenging me with two inspiration pieces that resulted in a heartfelt page. Thanks for the push! "

 

Thank YOU Jill for the stunning layout and explaining your interpretation!

 

And now, here's mine:

 

 

 

I traced my daughter's hand and mine and cut them out as an important part of my layout design. I used papers from the Saturday Mornings collection: Bacon , Omelette, and Crepe. Most of my embellishments came from the Public Library Designer Brads. I did not stay in the monochromatic zone at all and turned something seemingly sinister into a soft and gentle baby layout.

 

And these are just two interpretations. See what elements you find in these inspiration pieces that could become the start of your next project!

Monday Challenge: Create Your Own Pattern

It's Monday -- and not just any Monday. It's the last Monday before Christmas!  It's been a busy month, but a festive one, and I'm finally making progress in my holiday album, thanks in large part to October Afternoon's December Story kit. 

Working with a kit can help to streamline the process of compiling a holiday album, but it's also fun to personalize pages, which brings us to this week's challenge: create your own pattern!  And not just any pattern, but a hand-drawn one.  

With a sketchbook, an ink pen, and some watercolors, I created a series of simple patterns that I worked into my holiday album along with the items in the December Story kit.  I started with the title page: 

To create the pattern above, I drew a series of continuous spirals, and brushed watercolors over them. Don't even worry about precision. It's all about the charm!  If you aren't interested in waiting for paint to dry, use a heat gun/heat tool to speed up the process. 

I used the scraps on another page of the album, incorporating them into a grid of 2" x 2" squares (the page protectors make it so easy!). 

Even handwriting can produce a pretty pattern. Find a word or phrase to repeat, and write it over and over without lifting your hand from the page until the end of the line.  
I opted for the line, "Prepare ye the way," since the focal page on which I planned to use it was about Advent.

You can see a little peek of the plaid paper from the new Saturday Mornings collection here.  I used it to create an envelope for my journaling, which I wrapped wtih twine and tucked into a page pocket. 

If the idea of a hand-drawn pattern sounds daunting, start with a simple design, like the one that I added to the page below.

I spritzed a piece of cardstock with mint-colored mist, drew tiny circles (lopsided ones, at that), and then dabbed the tip of a paintbrush over them, alternating colors. 

I graduated from circles to Christmas trees eventually, and even attempted stripes. 

I didn't even bother with a ruler. Just go with the flow! 

I hope you'll try this, and that you'll find it a worthwhile challenge! Not only is it fun to experiment and to play, but it's also so very meaningful to incorporate patterns that you created with your own hands into your keepsakes. 

I'd love to see the patterns that you create!  Be sure to share them in the OA Flickr gallery. 

Have a very merry week! 

-- Jill 

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!!

Monday Challenge: Somethings

Here in Hawaii, we don't celebrate Columbus Day, but we do celebrate Discoverer's Day, honoring the Polynesian voyagers who made the Hawaiian Islands their home. In the spirit of discovery, today's challenge offers a series of journaling prompts that drive self-discovery while also enabling others to learn more about you. I call these prompts "somethings."

• Something that is guaranteed to put a smile on my face instantly:
• Something that brings tears to my eyes:
• Something I have been called that surprised me:
• Something that keeps me up at night:
• Something that helps me to sleep:
• Something I am trying to change about myself:
• Something I refuse to change about myself:
• Something I have read/watched multiple times:
• Something I tried to read/watch but couldn’t finish:
• Something that shows up a lot in my wardrobe:
• Something I probably need more of in my wardrobe:
• Something I say far too often:
• Something I don’t say often enough:
• Something I got criticized for recently:
• Something I criticized someone else for recently:
• Something I want to learn to do:
• Something I probably take way too much pleasure in doing:
• Something I lost:
• Something I found:
• Something that sets me apart from others:
• Something that makes me human:

Here's my version: 

I listed each of the prompts and replied to each one as honestly and directly as I could, underlining the prompts so that they would stand apart from the responses. Before printing my journaling, I aligned the margins to match the width of my photo. The photo/journaling block then became the first of a series of vertical layers on the page, the rest of which were comprised of papers and accents from the Public Library and Daily Flash collections, along with a few sheets of vellum. 

Laura Craigie joined me for this week's challenge, organizing her "somethings" into a text block and setting apart the prompts in bold print. 

 

Here's what Laura shared about her process: 

"I loved Jill's challenge and am always happy for the reminder to do a page about myself.  I so often get caught up in making pages about my kids I forget that one day they will probably want to know more about me too.  It's also a good reminder that I need to take more pictures with myself in them!  I was short on time to make this with holiday guests staying with us (Happy Thanksgiving, fellow Canadians!), but sometimes quick simple pages will do too. :) I used lots of Daily Flash goodies to bring this page together, and to save even more time I skipped patterned paper altogether and stuck with stickers and embellishments."

I discovered so much that I didn't know about Laura through her journaling! 

Now it's your turn, if you're up for the challenge: journal your "somethings." In fact, they don't even need to be yours -- you could change the pronouns to "you" or "he" or "she," if you wish. 

Enjoy the process! 

-- Jill 

Thursday Sketch: Squares and Strips

Happy Thursday! This week's sketch offers up a simple design at first glance, but it ensures ample space for photos, journaling, and accents. 

As Shanna Noel and I discovered as we partnered for today's post, this basic sketch also leaves lots of room for interpretation. My layout features a fairly direct translation of the four-quadrant design, but I also made the sketch my own by building up the squares layer by layer, incorporating items from the Public Library and Daily Flash collections (with a little 9 to 5 thrown in). 

The strips are my favorite part of the sketch and of this layout. Their staggered placement adds a sense of movement to the page. I also like the effect of enjambment produced by the "run-on" lines and the resulting anticipation created through the transitions from line to line, strip to strip. 

Shanna's interpretation of the sketch had me unleashing a litany of "whoas" and "wows" at first sight. 

Here's what Shanna had to share about her page:

When I saw Jill's sketch I was immediately inspired! My mind went to all sorts of places, I saw the strips as little word strips at first, but then I saw them as a pattern, and that is what I ran with! I created a woven background for my layout, speaking to the little strips on Jill's photo. 

 

I have been going through my great-grandmother's old scrapbooks and having SO much fun hearing her stories. There were a couple duplicates, so I wanted to scrap this photo. I love the felt banners she had all over her book. I have no idea where they came from but they are ADORABLE! What I love about October Afternoon is how BEAUTIFULLY the collections work with modern and vintage/heritage photos. 

 

Thank you Jill for all the inspiration!

Shanna's layout is a reminder that sketches exist to inspire; they don't need to be regarded in terms of exactitude. Even if you just take a single element -- like the strips in this week's sketch -- and riff off of that, the sketch has done its work by sparking an idea. 

So has the sketch sparked any ideas in you?  Here's hoping that it has, and that you'll be willing to share the project that you create in the October Afternoon Flickr gallery!  

Thanks for visiting today! 

-- Jill 

Thursday Sketch : Start with Simple

Hello everyone! 

Sasha here with a simple sketch for you to play with this week. Start with simple is the way I work most of the time. I mean, I don't want to be too ambitious and start a layout with a complex design only to spend majority of my time banging my head on the wall (just kidding!!) in the initial stage, if you know what I mean? :) :D Simple is good, you can always elaborate the story, the layout and the design once you have a solid foundation in place. 

The talented Jill Sprott is joining me with her own spin on the sketch. I love love love love, did I say love Jill's layout! Her use of color and her clever journaling always leave me wanting to look at more of her work!

Jill says : 

I don’t often use circle-shaped photos on layouts, but when Sasha shared this sketch with me around the same time that my daughter shared a silly series of circle-shaped selfies with me, I knew that I was ready to embrace the circle. Behind the row of circles, I created a stamped background using a stamp from the Public Library collection, and added a row of punched shapes from a pack of Sew Fun Banners. I also added some painted paper behind the stamped block, building contrast by pairing red and green. 

 

The entire layout is based on an “A to Z” concept, sparked by the title. Sasha’s sketch allows for lots of white space — or lots of room to expand, which is the direction I took with this layout, adding rows of alphabets to accompany the alphabetical journaling. 

 

And here's my take :)

 

 

 

 

 

Instead of four circles, I decided to create a long rectangular photo collage of my eldest daughter. I only have low res copies of those photos and I wanted to print it big. Combining them all on a new canvas works for me. 

 

I cut some Due Date PP to use as photo and cluster mat and trimmed 'Favorite Story' from Journal Cards PP, both from Public Library collection. I also added #14 chipboard at the start of my journaling. It's a success story, it only took me 14 years to document. :D

 

I die-cut the white background of my layout to resemble a postage stamp sheet, and stamped 'Love this' (Daily Flash - Homemade) repeatedly all over. That turned out to be quite a busy background for me, so I kept the embellishing to the minimum. A white tag, a chipboard heart, a pink label and a wood veneer later, I'm done. 

 

I hope you've enjoyed the sketch and our examples. I would love it if you play along with us, you can post your creations to the OA Flickr Group. I can't wait to see your interpretation of the sketch. 

 

Have a great day ahead!

 

 

Monday Challenge: You've Got Mail (Now Use It)!

Each year, the United States Postal Service processes 158.4 billion pieces of mail. While we scrapbookers do love our happy mail and know all too well the joy of hoarding paper, chances are that we dispose of what is in the mail more often than we get a chance to create with it.

 

This week's challenge flips that dynamic, by asking you to take a second look at what you've been receiving in the mail lately. Rather than getting rid of it, repurpose it on a layout.

 

New October Afternoon team member Patricia Roebuck joined me for this challenge, and with her magic scrappy fingers, she turned trash into treasure. 

 

According to Patricia, "I was excited to repurpose this piece of packing material in a recent box I received.  It had great texture and was too interesting to throw away. 

 

My first idea was to paint it or stamp with it, but the natural color worked well with the colors from Public Library and Daily Flash Apple Cider and Milk Money.  So I cut squares and rectangles to expand the collage of the Public Library Reference Section patterned paper.  Then I added stitching, stamping, and punched out pieces of patterned paper around them."

"The main focus is the fussy cut map of the United States from the Daily Flash Milk Money patterned paper, where I also added my photo with a cluster of twine punched and threaded through, stickers, and enamel stickers from Milk Money."

 "I used a few things to go with the theme:  a stamp shaped punch, clocks, the Daily Flash Homemade stamps, and the Days of the Week washi tape." 

 

If your reaction was anything like mine when I first saw this layout, then you are still trying to get your eyes comfortably back into their sockets. 

 

My take on this challenge started out with a hunt through the stacks of mail on our kitchen table -- and there are many.  Within those stacks is a ton (or two) of college mail, which, if you have a child who is in her last year of high school, is a familiar sight.  I ripped out a page from a Pacific University brochure featuring the days of the week, and that gave me the idea to create a page about my college-bound daughter, her senior photo session, and her last first week of school. 

Joining the college mail are three envelopes that would have otherwise been trash-bound, but here, they are right at home, adding texture, dimension, and variety to the page. Worked into the mix are papers and accents from the Public Library and Milk Money collections. 

I annotated the text-based pattern found on the B-side of a sheet of Public Library "Story Time" paper, calling attention to words and phrases that stood out to me and that reminded me of the moment that I was documenting. The last few lines in particular really resonated for me, and they helped me to find a focus for my journaling. 

The journaling draws from the photos as well as the other items on the page, and serves as the "core" of the page, pulling everything together. It is the heart of the layout, but I would not have been able to get to the heart without first going through the layers that comprise this page. 

 

So what do you think? Are you up for challenging yourself to look twice at your mail, and to seek the buried treasures within what might otherwise appear to be junk? Patricia and I can assure you that you just might surprise yourself in the process. Be sure to share your creations in the October Afternoon Flickr gallery, and link us up in the comments below as well. 

 

Thanks for joining us today! 

 

-- Jill 

 

Thursday Sketch: Grid Upon Grid

When it comes to selecting a layout design that works every time, there is nothing quite like the go-to grid.  It is an appproach that suits an "everything in its place, and a place for everything" mindset.

A grid need not be perfectly aligned. Varying the sizes of the items in it and staggering their placement can create a more relaxed feel on the page.  Today's sketch features two different grids on a single layout -- a conventional, perfectly aligned grid, and a more loosely structured one. 

My take on the sketch pulls together nine photos and eleven different patterns. Those numbers sound pretty high for a single layout, but it is the sketch, with its smaller blocks arranged in two grids, that makes those numbers possible to manage. 

What also helps to create a sense of cohesion on the page is that all of the items are from the same coordinating collection, October Afternoon's Public Library. 

I modifed the squares and rectangles in the patterned grid by adding journaling and accents to them, using stickers, labels, and stitching. My favorite addition is the little doggie stamp scampering across the bottom of the page. 

The rise and fall of the stamped image gave me the idea to add similar rising and falling stitched lines to the page, breaking up the more rigid lines and "relaxing" the entire layout in the process. 

I'd love to see your interpretation of the sketch. Share your work in the October Afternoon Flickr gallery, and if you do, be sure to post a link in the comments below so that I can check it out.  

Thanks for visiting today! 

-- Jill 

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