October Afternoon

Thursday Sketch Challenge

Hello friends! Melanie here today to bring you a fun and simple sketch challenge.  As you can see my sketch offers a lot of white space but also a lot of possibilities. I think this is one of the reason we love working with a sketch, the base is already created for us, then it is up to us to play with pretty papers and embellishments to come up with something fabulous.

The Public Library collection was ideal for this picture of my middle daughter jumping on our bed. I really wanted to take a fun approach to the house rule concept, that is why I labeled my layout 206 as we don’t really have that many rules in our house, it was just a comical way to document this activity.

The chipboard element was ideal for this picture as it beautifully complements the colors in the photo. I really took a simple approach using white letters and minimal amount of embellishments. I added some gold accents with stitching and thread, as one can never go wrong with gold accents.

I would love to see your take on this challenge! Upload your layout to the October Afternoon Flickr gallery, post it on our Facebook page, or connect with us on Instagram via #octoberafternoon.  Happy crafting!!!

Wednesday - Designer Challenge - Layers

Hello friends! Melanie here today, sharing with you a fun challenge that is close to my heart, creating with layers. Every layout I create has a form of layer, from the paper, to embellishments and journaling. Today I challenge you to incorporate one or all three of the type of layers onto your project. To create this project I used the amazing Treasure Map collection along with the Daily Flash Old Oak Alphas, Daily Flash Arrows and Stars. As you can see Treasure Map is a very versatile collection. Not only is it perfect for summer beach themed picture but can also be used with every day pictures and themes.

My first layer concept is created with the pattern paper using 3 pattern papers, a piece of velum paper and a journaling tag. Combining these elements together created the perfect anchor for my pictures, which are also layered. There is no right or wrong way to create layers with paper, simplify find colors and patterns that complement each other and start layering the papers until you are happy with the design.

 

Next up is layering with stickers, embellishments and chipboard. I wanted to create a focal point which would highlight the speech bubble and the star. By adding various texture and elements I was able to create a fun focal point that is sure to attract attention.

 

Last but certainly not least, the journaling labels. I love using these fun labels for my journaling, I selected various sizes all similar in length, add the journaling with my electric type writer and place on my layout in an overlapping fashion. A bit of gold stitching was added to complement the gold mist splatters.

 

I would love to see your take on this challenge! Upload your layout to the October Afternoon Flickr gallery, post it on our Facebook page, or connect with us on Instagram via #octoberafternoon.  Happy crafting!!!

Workspace Wednesday

Hello OA fans! Melanie here today with another installment of workspace Wednesday!! Last week I shared a glimpse of my scrap space, today I’m sharing a full view of where I create.  As I previously mentioned, my scrap desk is now located in a corner of our master bedroom, which is a work in a progress. My lovely and supportive husband doesn’t seem to mind one bit. Since I have so very little space, organization is a must and hoarding is not allowed. If I don’t use it, I can’t keep it.

Luckily for me, the only available spot in our room was under a window, which is perfect!!  I love the natural light or working when the window is open. My desk and chair are from Ikea, very simple and basic. Under my desk are my sewing machine and my PL albums.  To the left side of my desk I keep my go to items in a Raskog cart from Ikea.

On the wall to the right, I decide to add frames and inspirational quotes, along with a dedicate space for my latest layout.  I do try to keep very little items on my desk, especially since I can’t really hide a mess as I would in a dedicate scrap room.

Little containers are perfect for keeping things neatly organized. In this metal tray, which I purchased at Winners, I keep my October Afternoon roller stamps, along with odds and ends and washi tape. Since I have very little space I had to get rid of my Cameo, but I still love to use my punches, which I keep neatly put away in a wire basket in my Raskog cart.

My armoire from Ikea, it is one of my favorite items in my room; it stores all my scrapping supplies. If it doesn’t fit in the armoire or hasn’t been touch in 6 months it will be removed and given to someone who will enjoy it. My armoire is the perfect location for my Cuttlebug, spare albums, PL accessories, random embellishments and stickers. My October Afternoon supplies also have a dedicated space in a wire basket on the bottom shelf.

As you can see, it is possible to have a scrap nook even in a small space. The trick is organization and wire baskets that will keep your scrapping treasures out of sight and away from curious little hands. My girls do love to come around and look at my supplies, they love to be involved and will often ask for my leftovers, which I am more than happy to share.

We would love to see your scrap space, make sure to share it with us, upload your scrap space to the October Afternoon Flickr gallery, post it on our Facebook page, or connect with us on Instagram via #octoberafternoon. Happy workspace Wednesday!!!!

Workspace Wednesday

Hello October Afternoon fans, Melanie here today for a workspace Wednesday edition with a bonus layout! I couldn’t do a blog post and not share a layout, hope you all don’t mind.

First of all my scrap space, it is more like my scrap desk because I do not have a dedicate room for my scrapbooking. I have taken over a small corner in our master bedroom, my wonderful husband doesn’t seem to mind, or if he does he isn’t vocal about it. Since I have a small space a couple of things are crucial, lots of baskets for organization, keeping things tidy and in their rightful location and not hoarding my supplies. I do have a dedicate armoire in our bedroom which holds all my supplies, it’s beautiful and works perfectly. The beauty in a small space is that less is more; I am more selective about what products I bring home, what I use and how I display my supplies, because in the end there isn’t any space for anything that will not be used.

My October Afternoon supplies are located in a small wire basket which is kept in my armoire and a larger plastic bin which is kept in our master bedroom closet. I pull out these containers when I work on my projects and once I am done everything goes back in its appropriate location.

While thinking about today’s workspace post I started pulling out my supplies and was immediately inspired to create a quick and fun layout. In an effort to use what I have I pulled out my favorite OA collection, Girl Talk, which I have been hoarding. Now is the time to put it to good use! I wanted to use the 3x4 card as the focal point of the layout, this song is my oldest daughter’s song, so very perfect for this layout.

Another one of my favorite OA items are the roller stamps, they have a permanent spot on my work table, as I use them on almost every single project/layout I create. For this layout I decided to use them in two different ways, one as an accent to my photo and the other as part of my title work.  I really love the versatility of these roller stamps and I’ll be honest, roller stamps are so quick to use, no fuss and that makes me happy.

I hope you have enjoyed a glimpse into my scrap room, I will be back to share more very soon. In the meantime, make sure to upload your layout to the October Afternoon Flickr gallery, post it on our Facebook page, or connect with us on Instagram via #octoberafternoon.

Sketch Thursday

Hello OA fans and friends! Melanie here today bringing you a fun sketch which focuses on incorporating multiple photos on your layout.  This sketch is created for an 8.5x11 format, but can certainly be adapted to a 12x12 layout.

 

My design is pretty true to the sketch, however I did change things up a bit with the pattern paper. I wanted to incorporate a bold pattern paper that would balance out the smaller pictures, in order to do this I used the Bonfire pattern paper from the Apple Cider collection, paired with a larger star die. This really creates a nice balance between the four pictures and the journaling card.

I wanted my layout to have a soft color palette, I was excited to finally be able to pull out the Girl Talk collection, which has to be one of my favorite line ever created!!!! The Memory Cards, Snap Caps and Flash Blurb were ideal to create small clusters of embellishments.  I could have left my 4 2x2 pictures in a 4x4 square print, but I thought it was more fun to split them in two and to layer them together. I found this created fun element to my layout. Additional supplies used on this layout; Daily Flash Stars and Hearts, Daily Flash Sign Board Alpha, Daily Flash roller stamp.

 

 

I’m so excited to have the wonderfully talented Jill Sprott joining me to play along with this sketch. I love Jill’s work and her interpretation of the sketch just blows me away. I love how she incorporated scraps of papers and created beautiful layers with something that could have easily been discarded. I love to see people making the most of their supplies and paper, this layout just makes me happy. Thanks Jill for playing along and the amazing inspiration.

Here’s what Jill had to say about her layout;

"What I love most about this sketch is that it welcomes multiple photos while still making room for journaling as part of the page design.  I’m happy to share that I worked entirely from scraps of paper here, with the exception of the cardstock background. Drawing from the colors in the photos as well as the theme of the page, I incorporated layers of patterned paper from the Saturday Mornings collection. Added to the mix is another “scrap” — a bit of ephemera — from a cup of coffee, a staple on our morning commute. Rather than focus the journaling solely on what is in the photos, I chose instead to concentrate on what the photos represent as a whole: time together with my daughter, something that is in short supply as she looks ahead to her high school graduation in a few months."

 

 

I hope you like the sketch and that you feel inspired to play along! If you do, share your take on OA's Facebook page or connect with @octoberafternoon on Instagram. We would love to see what you make!

Celebrating Spring with Saturday Mornings

Hello OA fans! Melanie here today to challenge you to scrap those Spring time activities, yes you heard me right, SPRING time activities!!!!! March is finally here and hopefully it means that the beautiful weather is just around the corner, waiting to bring along all those fun activities like going to the Sugar Bush. I know this is more a Northern activity but I thought I could still share it with you. The sugar bush is a yearly tradition with my family, we plan an outing to our local Sugar Bush to enjoy maple syrup, large amounts of pancakes and taffy on snow. It was my youngest daughter’s first time tasting taffy, at first she was very skeptical and unsure of that “sticky” stuff but she quickly developed a taste for this sweet stuff and nothing could come between her and her taffy. The SaturdayMornings collection ideal to document such an activity! 

When I first sat down to create this layout I wanted to do a grid design using the Memory Card mix, after a copious amount of moving things around, I decided to go back to creating with layers, it’s what I do!  I still used with the Memory Cards but instead of using them as focal points, I used them to create layers. I also recycled a glassine bag to create a subtle layer, I collect (ok hoard!) these glassine bags, I love how they bring a touch of softness to any project. The Memory Cards were also ideal for incorporating my journaling, which I did using my vintage typewriter.

 

After establishing my layers, it was time to create clusters using the Saturday Morning Tidbits, Designer Brads, Daily Flash Chipboard Stars and Daily Flash Tin Pins. When creating clusters I will always repeat the same elements, in this case I used stars, brads and stickers. By doing so it creates a cohesive design that is intriguing but not overwhelming. Also by layering the embellishments you will create depth and dimension, which is also always eye catching.

 

 To finish my design I used the Daily Flash Roller Stamp, the OA roller stamps are my favorite in the scrapbooking industry. I always reach for my OA stamps, they have become a staple in my projects. This time I used gold ink to compliment the gold mist splatters.

 

I hope you will be able to go out and enjoy some Spring time activities! If you decide to use the Saturday Mornings collection to scrap those activities be sure to upload to the October Afternoon Flickr gallery, post it on our Facebook page, or connect with us on Instagram via #octoberafternoon.

Topic Tuesday | One Little Word

Hello OA Fans!  Patricia here with you today to challenge you to document about your One Little Word (OLW) if you haven't done so already.  And if you have, maybe create another layout on your progress.  With the holidays and new year, the year is already going too fast, but it is never too late to set goals and dreams.

October Afternoon has created I think my most favorite collection.  Saturday Mornings has both great A and B sides to the pattern papers.  The A side of Scones and the B side of Cereal pattern papers were my two favorites for this layout.  I backed the grey cardstock with the Omelette pattern paper.

I used the Saturday Mornings collection with Daily Flash to document my OLW "Stretch."  I incorporated some long stitching using all 6 strands of embroidery floss horizontally and then one diagonally, tucking in the photo under some of the strands.  Extended my OLW title with an arrow from Daily Flash, and added more color by die cutting a stacked flower.

I added my journaling to the top on the same grey cardstock, layering more of the Saturday Mornings pattern papers and stickers and Daily Flash.  

Finished off the layout with OA pink Sprinklers.  I love how this layout came out!

 

I am so excited to have Melanie Blackburn with me today to share her take on documenting her OLW.

Melanie says:

I'm so excited to be contributing to today's blog post along with Patricia. For the first year I'm attempting to document my OLW. To create this layout I was inspired by the cloud stamp from the Saturday Morning collection. This layout is 6x8, to accommodate the handbook in which I document my OLW, so the stamp was perfect for creating a fun background. I used regular ink, once it was dry I painted the clouds with watercolors. Afterwards I added my OLW in some of the clouds using my typewriter. I'm really happy with how this turned out!!! The following supplies were also used on this layout; Partly Cloudy chipboard, Label Sticker Public Library, Saturday Mornings Tin Pins and Brads.  I hope you will play along with us and share your OLW. Thank you for the inspiration Patricia, I'm glad to finally have documented my OLW.

I LOVE how Mel repeated the clouds and the word 'embrace.'  Repetition is key to keeping with your intentions of your OLW, and this layout captures her desire to make this word a reality.  Thank you so much Mel for sharing your gorgeous layout!

Now it is your turn.  We would love to see your layout for your OLW or a layout about your progress of your word this year.  Please share on the October Afternoon Flickr Group, or share on Instagram using hashtag #octoberafternoontopictuesday and tag me @patricia_roebuck.  Can't wait to see!

Mix it up Monday: A Love Letter Recipe

Hello, and happy Monday! Emily here with a Monday challenge for you! As we mentioned last week, we are changing things up a bit here on the October Afternoon blog, and every week will be focusing on a theme. This week's theme is:

I decided to do a recipe challenge along with our theme.  My "ingredients" include:

• 1 love letter
• 1 photo
• At least one heart
• At least one label
• The color green

Joining me today is the super talented Melanie Blackburn.  I was super excited to have Mel play along, because I pretty much adore everything she creates! She did not disappoint!! Check out her fabulous love letter layout:

Mel says, "I was so excited to be playing along to Emily's fun recipe challenge. This type of challenge is always a sure way to spark an idea. I incorporated all of Emily idea's on my layout, however I did tuck the love letter under the picture. Since this is a private note to my husband I felt it was more appropriate to hide this love letter. To create this layout I used the Public Library collection, even though it is not love themed it was still perfect for this layout. I was able to pull elements from this line to complement my love theme. The large chipboard numbers from the Daily Flash collection were ideal for my title, which I completed with a die cut word. Hope you enjoy this challenge, I can't wait to see what you create. Thanks Em for the inspiration!!!"

Next up is the layout that I made. I have to admit, when I found out that this week's theme was "love letters," I think I may have let out an audible groan. I am like the least love-lettery person ever. I can barely bring myself to write a romantic one sentence Facebook status on my anniversary.  I decided to just ditch the traditional love letter and do something a little silly. ;)  So...I wrote a love poem.  To my shoes. Yes, my shoes.  I actually like to think of it as a little shoe love rap.  Check it out:

I know. It's totally ridiculous, but sometimes it's take a little leap outside of the box a bit!  The layout itself is super simple. I used some papers from the new Saturday Mornings line, as well as a mix of other green and aqua products.  You may notice that my green mist was still wet when I took this photo - daylight is precious right now, so I didn't have time to wait for it to dry.  

What about you? Are you a love letter writer?  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!

Designer Challenge | Magazine Inspiration

Hello again everyone! Suz back again today along with the lovely and talented Mel to share two design takes from the same inspiration piece.

While perusing Pinterest, I came across this inspirational, graphic design from a magazine.

 

Source

I immediate saw all sorts of possibilities with it, from the two page design, the oversized, bold text, and the areas for journaling or embellishments.

Mel shares how she utilized this inspiration piece and tweaked it to fit her own design style. I am constantly amazed and inspired by how my fellow OA designers the inspiration pieces to fit their own styles and create something completing inspiring and different from the others!

Here is what she had to say about her creation and the inspiration piece:

"I am so very excited to be playing along to Suz’s challenge today! The inspiration piece really sparked a lot of ideas. I debated using a very large picture to mimic the focus on the right side, I also (very briefly) thought of doing a two pager but I’ll be honest, I let go that idea pretty quickly (2 pagers just aren’t my thing). In the end I was inspired by the design structure of the piece, that being; the focus to the right, the arrow, and of course the title, which the font is an exact replica of the Daily Flash Nightfall alpha stickers. The Daily Flash - Flash Chip arrows were the ideal items to use as a focal point. I used the negative part of the chipboard sheet as a guide for placing the arrows, and then I added stitching to each arrow. I also used the December Story kit for embellishments.

 

 

This was such a fun and quick layout to put together, I had been hoarding those arrows for very long time and I’m thrilled to have been able to use them in such a predominant way. Thanks Suz for the inspiration!!!"

(*ETA-You are welcome Mel! Thanks for playing along with this challenge! -Suz)

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My take on the design was more of a direct translation. I loved the big, bold oversized text and decided to keep that element of the design as well as the two page element.

I choice this inspiration piece as an opportunity to complete yet another day in my December Story album too.

 

 

I decided to keep the one page photo as well, and this photo of our Elf on the Shelf scene my boys playfully set up fit the bill. Since my title words contained my letters than the original title, I used two smaller arrows running across the page and added a few to the right hand page for the trajectory of the Lego dude's weapon. (Yeah, this is definitely a page that epitomizes life with imaginative boys. It also depicts that in this stage of my life, with two teenagers in the house, the fact that actual photos of them are few and far between, so taking images of things that represent their interests, their personalities, their antics has become the "go to" photographic captures.

 

I used elements from the December Story Kit  (Chipboard elf, Little Labels, and patterned paper) as well as Daily Flash - Eggnog. Daily Flash Flash Chip -To the Point, Daily Flash Eggnog - Pop Drops, Daily Flash - Flash Blurbs - Eggnog, Daily Flash Snap Caps - Eggnog.

I really loved this inspirational piece!! I already have at least two more designs in the making from it! I hope you find it inspiring in some way and share your takes on this OA Designer Challenge by posting on Instagram, tagging us @octoberafternoon, @suzmannecke, @melblackburn05 and use the hashtag #oadesignerchallenge! We'd love to see your takes too!

 

Tuesday Inspiration Challenge

Hello friends! Melanie here today to share a fun Tuesday Inspiration challenge, grab a beverage and let’s get started! I think the very cold weather has influence my choice of inspiration. Who doesn’t love wrapping itself in a warm cozy quilt, spending some quality time with a good book in front of a fireplace with a nice warm beverage? It’s one of my favorite things to do. So it goes without saying that my need for warmth and comfort has influenced my choice of inspiration. I find that quilts are so beautifully designed; such a labor of love, one of my favorite quilter is Blue Elephant Stiches. I actually own one of her beautiful quilts; it keeps my sweet baby warm on these cold nights.

For my challenge I selected this amazing quilt inspired wall hanging.  I love the strips of fabric, the bold colors and the fun quote. Such an inspirational piece – I just want to make.

 

My initial idea was to use strips of paper and add stitching, then I debating use the colors as a guide for my layout and then I thought the quote could also work well on a layout. So many options, my head was spinning with ideas. In the end I took a simple approach, I stitched on my white cardstock multiple lines, with white thread. It creates a soft texturized background, the tone on tone effect is always one of my favorite technique.

 

To create my layout I used the December Story kit, I love the versatility of this kit. Perfect for a mini album but also for scrapbooking and cardmaking. The sequins included in the kit were the perfect element to add to those stitched lines. They added just a little tad of sparkle, which compliments perfectly the picture of my oldest daughter who is bursting with joy and excitement.

 

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.