October Afternoon

Saving | Designer Inspiration

Hey, everyone! Roree here with this week's Designer Inspiration post.

I don't have an inspiration photo to share with you today. Today's inspiration is all about an idea—SAVING. This was the design team's theme for the week, and it really is quite appropriate with Daylight Savings Time taking effect this past Sunday. The theme was open to interpretation, and here is how I interpreted it:

I wanted to make a card (no shocker there!), so what better type of card to make with a saving theme in mind than a "Save the Date" card! I used Daily Flash's Girl Talk (Dish, Giggle, and Blah, Blah, Blah) and All Boy (No Girls Allowed) patterned papers, along with my Cricut Explore and Live Simply and Doodlecharms cartridges, to create this sweet announcement card. 

I chose the "Shop Font" Alpha in Strawberry Ice Cream from Daily Flash for the title.

Then, I framed the date, created with a label from Public Library's Label Sticker sheet and Daily Flash's "Story Book" Alpha in Meringue, with two love birds and Buttons from the Midway collection.

Aren't those little birds just the cutest?! I love them!

If today's inspiration theme inspires 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!

 

Friends | Use those scraps

Hello OA fans! It's Nicole Nowosad back on the blog today with one of my favorite new pages using my favorite October Afternoon products - patterned paper!

Let's just say I have quite the collection of October Afternoon papers in my stash. I wanted to use some of those for my project, integrating in the new Saturday Mornings collection too!

I keep a lot of scraps, so I used leftovers from all my other Guest DT projects to make this page!

The best part of this project is that I barely used my paper trimmer. I simply cut some strips of scraps of papers from Saturday Mornings, Snapshots, Girl Talk and Sidewalks.

I added some Flower Sack pieces from my stash and some Pop Drops too in monochromatic colors.

I added some hand cut letters from the same papers in the strips and stitched up the whole project! I finished off the page by sprinkling some Sprinklers on my cardstock.

I have one last Guest DT post next week, I hope you will stop by and say hi. Here is a sneak of that project. See you then!

Inspiration | October Afternoon

Hi, everyone! Roree here with this week's inspiration post.

So very often when doing an inspiration post, I head straight to Pinterest. With so many ideas at your fingertips, it is THE go-to place for inspiration. But this week, I decided to look for inspiration a little closer to home. October Afternoon has the cutest products on the market and I just love each and every collection they come out with. The new Saturday Mornings collection is no different and that is where I found this weeks inspiration piece.

I fell in love with the Omelette patterned paper as soon as I saw it. The retro images of children watching Saturday morning cartoons took me right back to those early Saturday mornings when I was little. I was so inspired by the old-timey televisions sets, that I decided to make this card:

I cut out a retro TV image with my Cricut Explore and Nifty Fifties cartridge using some brown cardstock and the Pancakes and Crepes patterned papers, adding the darling bear sticker from the Shape Stickers sheet under the top cut.

I added two buttons from the Midway Buttons pack for the TV knobs.

Then, I finished the card with some sentiments from the Word Stickers and Border & Label Stickers sheets, a die cut heart, and a heart sticker from the Daily Flash Snapshots Double Take Stickers pack.

It's just a fun little shaped card with a bit of a masculine feel—perfect for a little "Love Letter" to your valentine. ;)

If today's inspiration piece inspires 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. Have a great week!

Tuesday Inspiration: Colored Stripes

Hello readers!  This is Laura here today with an inspiration image to share with you guys, and two pages based off it.

I pinned this image on Pinterest forever ago, and I have just loved it ever since.  I love the gorgeous colors, the paint like brush strokes, and most of all, the great quote.  I think there are so many directions you could go with this image.  I've just been itching for the chance to use it as an inspiration piece.  Thankfully, today is the day. 

I decided I wanted to use the quote and make it serve as both the title, and journaling for this page.  Being as there isn't really any action going on in my photogrpahs that needed explaining, I though it could work well.

One of my most favourite supplies is simply alpha stickers, you can just have so much fun with them, and I loved mixing and matching so many different fonts and colors to make the quote interesting.  Knowing that my page was going to be quite busy I wanted a background paper that felt light and airy, and this bokeh "Focus" paper from Snapshots Daily Flash worked great.

I thought that the washi tape from the Girl Talk Daily flash line matched the inspiration so perfectly I just had to use it.  It also helped visually "ground" some of the words, and helped this busy page feel a little more cohesive.

I'm pretty sure these great stickers from the Travel Girl line are one of my all time favorites; I just love the soft blue color, and thin red outline they have.  I also wanted to point out something very unusual for me, and that is that this is almost a completely flat layout apart from the one tiny enamel heart.  I'm not sure I've ever made such a flat page, but I still love it :)

I have the amazingly talented Patricia with me today, to share her take on the inspiration image.  Here is what she had to say.

"The repetition in Laura’s piece instantly caught my eye, then the color, then the paint strokes, and last, and I think the post impactful part of the design for me, the way the words were placed.  I used strips of Apple Cider  and Public Library pattern paper and washi tape for the lines of repetition and then used the Everyday roller stamps and Public Library Tidbits placed along the edge of them.  I stopped about 3/4 down the layout, and then placed my small photos in a row, also adding to the vertical repetition of the lines.  I broke up the lines a little with stitching, more die cut shapes, Public Library stickers, Daily Flash stickers, chipboard, and tin pins, and Apple Cider stamp."

I just love her page, don't you? So many amazing details.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, I hope that you feel inspired to get crafty too.  Please share your projects on our Flickr group, and use the hashtag #octoberafternoon on other social media platforms so we can see all your awesome designs!

Have a great day!

World Card Making Day Challenge With Suz

As many of you may know, World Card Making Day was celebrated over the weekend and in the spirit of it, I want to share with you some cards I created with the adorable Witch Hazel collection.

The cards range from fairly clean and simple to more complex and more time consuming in their creation. They also implement a few different techniques.

This one? 

Clean and simple with a bit of machine stitching and a few metallic brads for the cauldron bubbles! Love the effect that  it gave to the card without adding a bunch of dimension!

And this one? 

Silver and gold metallic misting adds a little extra special touch without a bunch of effort. The card is matted on black polka dot embossed cardstock for a bit more texture.

 

Next up:

This card which implements more techniques (and more time); fussy cutting, silver Stickles (glitter glue) on select stars, misting, machine stitching, and vintage type. The witch was fussy cut from left over CHA scraps I had on hand from the Witch Hazel line. I raised the background moon with 3D adhesive for more dimension and to cast a moon shadow onto the card. ;)

Lastly is this card, which implements larger, three dimensional embellishments like this spider. (This card will not be mailed but handed to the recipient in person due to the bulkiness of it). Other techniques I used on this card were: fussy cutting, machine stitching, misting, Silhouette cut (sentiment), and vintage type. 

All of the cards were made using the Witch Hazel collection except for the gentleman in the above card. He is from the Midway collection. 

In honor of WCMD, my challenge to you is card related.

I challenge you to make a Halloween/fall themed card that implements at least two of these techniques and uses October Afternoon products. Your card does not have to be 100% OA products.

Share your creations on Instagram with the hashtag #oadesignerchallengefallcards and tag me @SuzMannecke so I can see your designs!

Not on Instagram? No worries! Share in the OA Flickr gallery, or on OA's Facebook wall. ;)

Happy Manic (or hopefully not so manic) Monday to all!

Suz

Tuesday Inspiration: A Single Circle

Hi there!  Emily here with your Tuesday inspiration!  One of my favorite methods of discovering fun inspiration on Pinterest is to do a general search for graphic design. This will include both genuine artwork (for the sake of art), as well as posters, ads, and other types of graphic design. I stumbled upon this poster and knew it would be perfect for a layout:

 Source: From Up North

First up, we have a layout from Mandy, who says, "I was really excited to be paired up with Emily for this challenge and couldn't wait to see what she would choose for an inspiration piece. When Em shared this ad I thought it was totally cool & up my alley… my 2 favorite colors, pretty simple, and bold so how does it inspire me to to create a project? I chose to use the color combination with a pop of pink and an enlarged photo as the main focus. I added bits and pieces from a few different October Afternoon lines including: Midway, Witch Hazel, and Travel Girl. This was a really fun inspiration piece to work with! Thanks Emily! ~MK"

I love how Mandy used the Ferris Wheel as her circle and included the green and black color scheme. In fact when I look at the two pieces, they are very clearly related, even though her overall design differs from the inspiration.  Her interpretation is so different than mine, which is what I love about using inspiration pieces when creating a layout.  She and I saw the same poster, and came up with two very different  layouts!

I don't often copy a design outright, but I loved the design of this ad so much, that I basically stole it and used it as my own! I used my die cutting machine to cut a large circle out of two different pieces of patterned paper from the Public LIbrary line, and then I split them both down the middle and reconnected them using the opposite piece of paper as the center as the circle. Clear as mud? Perhaps a picture would help!

 I was in the mood for a monochromatic layout, so I added lots of fun blue embellishments from various October Afternoon lines to finish off my layout.

If you were as inspired by this graphic design piece as I was, I 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!

New Designer Spotlight: Sasha Farina and Patricia Roebuck

 Every Friday this month we will be introducing you to the new members of the October Afternoon Design Team! Today, we have the talented Sasha Farina and Patricia Roebuck. 

SASHA FARINA

 

Hey everyone!

I'm Sasha Farina and I'm beyond excited to be joining the October Afternoon family. I live in Singapore with my husband and two (not so) little girls. I started scrabooking in September 2006. Jumped in with both feet and still loving it! 

Are you a layout person, card person, or both?

Layouts. Have always been, will always be, I think.

How would you describe your style? 

I don't feel like I have a certain style, not yet. I like to play so I try to have fun while creating - that's the most important thing. If it's not fun, it's not worth doing and I might as well be folding laundry. LOL.

Here are some layouts I created a while ago. 

 

Be Happy. This layout was made with a kit from Blinks Of Life.

 

I

Meeting Milo. This layout was made with a kit from Studio Calico.

True Story. I am strong. I made this just for fun :) and because I cannot get enough of the Pop Drops from October Afternoon! :D

What is on your scrap desk right now?

Nothing. My desk is clean as of now. That only means I'm getting ready to do some serious scrapping. I always feel the need to clean my scrap area before I start anything. 

What is a favorite tool or product you cannot scrapbook without?

Right now, I'm crazy about roller stamps. Phrases and date stamps are always making their way onto my layouts lately. I also love hand and machine stitching + brads!

What is your favorite October Afternoon line?

 Um.. this is like asking me to pick a favorite child! I love them all!

What is your favorite source of inspiration?

People inspire me. People also annoy me a lot. (haha! sorry, that's the truth!) I'm not really a people person. I like people watching. Talking? Not so much. 

What is your favorite movie or book?

I'm a hopeless romantic. Give me romance and I will watch and read everything. Right now, I'm binge-reading everything Nora Roberts. I checked out 10 of her books from the library and am at book number 8 right now. :D

What is your favorite food?

I thought long and hard about this because I love my food! Then I remembered this photo from my Instagram feed. LOL. Indian food has my heart. 

What is a favorite childhood memory? 

Spending time with my maternal grandfather. He passed away when I was 13 and I still miss him everyday. 

If you could have dinner with anyone living or deceased, who would it be and why?

No one in particular. I'm fine with eating alone. Am I weird? I hope not. 

 ___________________________________________________________

PATRICIA ROEBUCK

Hello Everyone!

I am Patricia Roebuck, from Mandeville, Louisiana.  I started learning about scrapbooking in 2007 to do an album after the adoption of our daughter.  I can't seem to stop, and have been creating since.  I am still pinching myself to be with the October Afternoon family.

Are you a layout person, card person, or both?

Layouts, for sure.  But my Project Life album is my favorite.  And cards?  Well, they are something I now love to do as well.  So I do it all!

How would you describe your style? 

I really don't know that I have one.  I do love color, texture, and design, so I will usually have those in whatever it is I am creating.

I do know my style is eclectic.  white space, pattern paper, mixed media, graphic...I love it all.  So depends on my mood.

What is on your scrap desk right now?

Like Sasha, mine is freshly cleaned up and ready to start more projects. 

What is a favorite tool or product you cannot scrapbook without?

I really love the tiny attacher stapler, roller stamps, and the sewing machine.  But I do love my Silhouette Cameo.

What is your favorite October Afternoon line?

Seriously?  I have been OAs best customer.  But I will admit my most favorite was Witch Hazel.

What is your favorite source of inspiration?

Pinterest, shopping (store windows, emails from companies, clothing designs), and other scrappers.  I usually take photos as I shop and/or take a screen shot of emails that inspire me.  I have used several as starting points for layouts. 

What is your favorite movie or book?

My recent favorite movie was Maleficent.  I am currently...still reading Game of Thrones.  But my all time favorite books are Harry Potter.

What is your favorite food?

Mexican.  I could live on chips and salsa. 

What is a favorite childhood memory? 

That goes really far back.  LOL  Let's see, this is silly.  Watching the Lawrence Welk show with my Mom and Dad.  We were a musical family, all 4 kids played music.  I was on the quest to discover what I would play.  I picked the clarinet. 

If you could have dinner with anyone living or deceased, who would it be and why?

Both of my parents, so they could meet their grand daughter.

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

Tuesday Inspiration: Candy Store

Hi everyone! Alex here, bringing you this week's inspiration piece. Since I love bright, happy colors, I came to think of candy and candy store displays when I was searching the net for inspiration. I found this picture on Pinterest and I instantly got in a mood to create something. I hope you feel the same way!

Here is what I came up with.

I was inspired by the colors and the shape of M&M's. 

I have mixed and matched a lot of different collection for this layout. The patterned papers (all but the pink one) are from the 8x8 Public Library pad.  The pink one is from the good old Farmer Girl 8x8 paper pad. The colorful alpha stickers and the fun sew banners are from the Midway collection, one of my all time favorites. 

I also added some small Daily Flash touches, such as this Good Day Tin Pin and a couple of All Boy Snap Caps. The yellow arrow sticher to the right of my title is from the Snapshots Double Take.

I just had to use some of the white leftover dots from the background strips I cut. I chose to raise up some of them with 3d-dots and then decorate them using different colors of Daily Flash pop drops.

That would be all from me this time. If you decide to play along and create something inspired by the M&M dispaly above, be sure to share it with us! Upload your project to October Afternoon Flickr gallery or link it up here or why not share it on OA's Facebook page. We would love to see it!

Have a lovely day!

//Alex

Monday Challenge: Monochromatic Tags

Hey October Afternoon Fans! Mandy Koeppen here today with this week's Monday challenge.

This week I'm challenging you to pull out those tags and grab your pattern papers of the same color and create. You could add the tag to a card, your layouts, mini albums, gifts etc. I have 4 examples for you today. yellow, red, green, and blue. As I've said many times here on the blog past and present October Afternoon collection colors always seem to mesh well together so creating monochramatic tags should be no problem. 

Here is a shot of all four tags together on the cork board.

The yellow "Thanks A Bunch" tag was created with a mix from Sasparilla to the new Daily Flash Alphas. 

"Remember tag" was created with all blues. Instead of the simple horizontal layers like the yellow tag I chose a bit of a different look with a woodgrain background and layers of circles and the blue doily. I added pop dots to give the remember some dimension too. "Baby O" the red tag was one of the first tags I created for this project. I wasn't sure where I was going but once this tag was done I was on a roll and had lots of ideas flowing: Baby showers, Birthday, Wedding, Graduation, Thank You's, etc. 

Last but not least the green "Congrats" tag for the 2014 grad. Simple layers of pattern papers and the fun new Daily Flash stickers made this a great addition to the grads gift.

These tags were really simple and easy to create. I'm sure your friends and family would love to recieve a tag from you next time. This is a great way to use up those scraps too! 

I hope I've inspired you to create some monochromatic tags and if you do please share your creations in the October Afternoon Flickr Gallery!  I'd love to see them :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

~Mandy

Monday Challenge: Pick a Color

Hey, OA fans! Good Monday to y'all! It's Mandy Koeppen here with your Monday challenge.

It's a pretty simple challenge this week just pick your colors. Pick 3-5 colors and work with only those colors for your papers, embellishments, and washi etc.

 

Here is the layout I created using green, grey, black, cream, and white. 

When I get stuck or feel like my creations need a little more of a change I challenge myself and this color thing is one of the challenges on my list. 

 

I used many different October Lines on this layout including Sasparilla, Travel Girl, 9 to 5, Daily Flash and Midway. Remember as you're searching thru your OA stash almost all the OA collections coordinate with each other which makes this challenge easier. 

If you get a chance to play along with today's challenge, be sure to upload your project(s) to theOA Flickr group. We can't wait to see what you create.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

-Mandy