October Afternoon

Surf City | Old with the new!

Hello again, it's Nicole Nowosad here again for my last Guest DT post here on the October Afternoon blog!

I am mixing some older October Afternoon products with new on my project today.

I couldn't resist the urge to use several patterns from the Saturday Mornings collection, mixed together with some of my favorites from my stash like Daily Flash, Sidewalks, Girl Talk, Snapshots, Boarding Pass and 9 to 5! That is a lot of collections :)

It was easy to layer and mix the patterns from these collections by creating a simple grid and layering papers together. I stitched the layers together, added my photos and then some October Afternoon embellishments. I have always loved the fun buttons by October Afternoon and used some of those on this page.

I have been hoarding this pretty floral paper and fussy cut some out and added more stitching and buttons to finish off my page.

Thank you so much for joining me this month on the blog - I hope you enjoyed my projects! Thanks to October Afternoon for having me this month!

 

ETA: Thank you Nicole for sharing your time and your talent with October Afternoon and with our fans and followers here!

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!

February's Guest Designer | Nicole Nowosad

Good morning! My name is Nicole Nowosad and I am very excited to be guest designing for October Afternoon this month!

 

I am a full-time working mom to two boys (12, and 9) and our princess who is almost 6!  I live a busy life, and that is just how I like it.

I have been scrapbooking in one way or another for about 15 years now. If I had to describe my personal style, it would involved a few words - color, pattern and stitching. I love using pieces of paper instead of whole sheet and yes, I keep even the smallest of scraps! I have am very fortunate to be on the Design Teams for Scrapbook and Cards Today Magazine, Jillibean Soup, Silhouette, Bella Blvd and Hip Kit Club.

Q: Are you a layout person, a card person ... or both?

I mainly scrapbook layouts but do make cards also! I would say most of my creative time surrounds scrapbooking 12x12 layouts.

 Q. What is on your scrap desk right now?

 

I just switched desks, so right now there is actually nothing which is odd for me. I always have something on the go, whether it is just some Silhouette cut shapes for my next project or odd supplies that need to be tucked away.

 

Q. What is your favorite October Afternoon line or product?

 

This is acutally a tough question! I have been hoarding lots of October Afternoon, but I would say I still love Cherry Hill, Sidewalks and Snaphots the most. I love the October Afternoon floral patterns and fun B side patterned papers. I could scrap all day with just OA papers!

 

Q. What can you NOT scrapbook without?

 

Oops, I think I just answered that! Patterned paper, it is my go-to supply. I try to make everything and anything from it. Tool-wise, I would say my Silhouette Cameo. I would even give up my paper trimmer for that.

 

Q. What is your favorite source of inspiration?

 

Truthfully, I don't really look for inspo. unless I have absolutely no mojo. I don't often go into galleries, I do Pinterest though. If I am needing some mojo, I will search shapes or graphic art prints on their to peak my interest.

 

 

 

Q. What is your favorite movie or TV show?

 

Well, I am sad to admit that I have watched Days of Our Lives since I was about 12 years old... so maybe that??? But, I do LOVE Scandal!! It's my new fave. Love that Olivia Pope :)

 

Q. What is your favorite food?

 

Hands down - Pizza. I even worked in a major pizza chain for 18 years and you would think I would hate it. Nope.

 

Q. What is your fondest childhood memory?

 

Hmm, good question. When I think back to my childhood, I always recall the times my family spent camping at various places in Canada, so I will have to go with that! 

 

Q. If you were a superhero, what would your name be and what power would you possess?

 

Oh my. Hmm, Multi-Task Mama. I would possess the power to get multiple things done in a flash.

 

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

 

That's easy. My deceased grandparents. There is so much to ask them, and I never had the chance.

 

 

I look forwards to being with you every Friday in February!

 

You can follow me here:

 

Blog:  Nicole Nowosad

Instagram:  http://instagram.com/nicolenowosad Username: @nicolenowosad

Facebook:  Nicole Nowosad

Twitter: Nicole Nowosad

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/nicolenowosad/

Galleries:  http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/469117.html

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!

Thursday Sketch: Hearts, Hearts, and More Hearts

Hi everyone! Roree here with today's Thursday Sketch Challenge. With Valentine's Day not too far off, hearts have been on my mind. And as you can see, my sketch reflects that:

I created the sketch with a card in mind, but you can easily switch this into a layout by replacing one or more of the hearts with photos.

Here is the card I created:

The majority of my card was created using Daily Flash, specifically the Girl Talk, Milk Money, and Apple Cider collections. I also dug a little deeper into my stash and added a couple of buttons from Travel Girl and Rocket Age, along with some baker's twine from Sidewalks.

I just love these colors for Valentine's Day. The yellow makes me happy!

I hope you enjoyed today's sketch and the card I created using it. If you get a chance to play along, don't forget to post your project in the OA Flickr group. I can't wait to see how you interpret it.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day, and thanks so much for stopping by!

When the fair isn't in town, Guest Designer Melanie Fink makes her own!

I am so very excited to be the Guest Designer on the October Afternoon (OA) blog this month and playing with their AWESOME products!  Like all of you, I am a huge OA fan!  Their products are so versatile and they have a wonderful throwback feel that just makes you feel warm inside. 

I came to love OA products even more when I went to the OA Warehouse Sale last fall and met some of their employees.  They are wonderful people and they live in Minnesota, which makes them even more awesome!  Yes, I am a fellow Minnesotan, which you may have guessed already or read in my introduction on the blog last Friday.

I am a big die-cutting fan too, so you can expect to see me incorporating die-cuts (particularly SVGs) in my projects.  Die-cuts create so many possibilities with paper, as you will see with my project today.  With the exception of wooden dowels used for support, it is entirely constructed of paper!

I primarily used OA’s Midway collection to create the Ferris wheel (SVGs from the Summer Street Carnival collection at SVG Cuts) and the base it is standing on.  I used bits of other collections as well – Witch Hazel (wheel), Cakewalk (twine), and Sidewalks (buttons).  You can fill the carts on the Ferris wheel with treats and/or plastic toys, and you can embellish it so many different ways.  It is a great center piece for a carnival themed birthday party!  Disclaimer – the Ferris wheel does take patience to assemble.  The great news is that there is a video tutorial here that shows you how to put it together.

When I am tackling a big project like this, I start by cutting out all of the SVGs that need to be assembled.

Tip:  Use lightweight cardboard for the base of the Ferris wheel.  This creates a sturdier base.

Tip:  Cut each of the carts out twice – once with the Midway paper and once with a solid-color coordinating cardstock.  Then glue them together prior to assembly. This will allow you to put heavier treats in the carts and it makes the patterned papers really stand out.

Next is assembly time!

Tip:  Use Spray Adhesive to glue the wheel together – it is faster and easier to reposition before it dries.

And more assembly!

Now for the embellishments!

I created a fun star embellishment on the face of the wheel!   To create this embellishment, you will need the Midway brads, Sew Fun Banners, and Label Stickers, a 1-1/8” circle punch, foam dimensional stickers and decorative star pins.  Start by taking one of the circle banners and poke a hole in the center of it. 

Then put a Midway brad in the center (I liked the red star one) and apply one layer of foam stickers to the back of the banner circle.

Next, add the 1-1/8” circle punch to the back of the banner circle.  Apply two layers of foam stickers to the back of the circle punch.  To finish the layered circle, add the label sticker to the back (I liked the gray star-like one).

To finish off the embellishment, add star pins by pushing them into the foam stickers inside the layered circle.  I added a rhinestone circle-shaped sticker that I had lying around too.

I used buttons from the Sidewalks collection on the ends of each wooden dowel on the wheel.  I added rhinestones to the center of each button for some bling (adds to the glitzy feel many Ferris wheels have).

I chose to embellish the right side of the wheel base with stickers from the 12” x 12” sticker sheet in the Midway collection and I added a star pin too.

Who wants some cotton candy!  I do!  I put mini cotton candy bags into the carts.  I used 4” x 3” bags, cotton candy, and twine from the Cakewalk collection to assemble these.  Yes, I ate some of the cotton candy during assembly!

Lastly, I created a base for the Ferris wheel using a corrugated box (It is the one I got from OA filled with goodies and it is the standard scrapbooking paper box size).  The first thing I did was take extra tape off the box and cut off the 4 top pieces of the box using a utility knife.

Next, I cut 4 sheets of the Midway paper so they were 11x11 and would fit perfectly together on my box.  Then I started at the center of the box and taped down the sheets of paper as shown below.  Don’t worry about the tape showing, you can always cover it up, as I will show you.  To make it look like a wrapped gift box, I folded the paper in the corners as shown below.  Don’t worry about the tape showing, you can always cover it up if you don’t like it showing. 

When done adding the 4 sheets of paper, the box looks like this.  

Next, I cut two strips of the Midway patterned paper to cover up one of the taped areas on top.  You can use any paper you like. 

Then I added some ribbon and a bow to cover up the tape line running horizontally. 

There are so many different ways to embellish this paper Ferris Wheel.  You could add your own unique take - use flair, Midway miscellany, and/or goodies from other collections!

 To share in my excitement as the Guest Designer this month, I have a surprise for you!  The box I made for the base of the Ferris Wheel has some goodies inside!  Stop by my blog http://www.thepaperretreat.blogspot.com, to see what is inside and to enter to win the goodies inside!  I hope you stop by my blog and celebrate with me!

Melanie

(For more from Guest Designer Melanie Fink, check out the OA blog every Friday during the month of April!)

Tuesday Sketch: All in a Row

Vivian here with our weekly sketch. Today's sketch lines photos up in a horizontal row, with the title placement and a few key page elements drawing attention to all the photos, with one focal point photo emphasized with a large chevron/arrow element:

Interestingly enough, both Roree and I interpreted this sketch as a card.

Roree rotated the sketch 90 degrees to the right and came up with this absolutely gorgeous card:

Roree had this to say about her card: "It is always so fun to see which direction a sketch will take you. Just by turning the sketch you can get a very different look. I just love that about sketches! I created my card using paper, stickers, and chipboard from the Farm Girl, Woodland Park, and Sidewalks collections. I decided to replace the photos/journaling boxes with a long strip of floral paper. I replaced the title with a scalloped edge along the paper strip. And I kept my sentiment towards the bottom like in the sketch and replaced the arrows with white twill ribbon that I misted using Comet Tail Sprinklers from the Rocket Age collection."

Let's take a closer look:

While Roree went in the gorgeous direction, I went in the whimsical direction. My card uses the sketch in its original orientation and combines patterned paper, stickers, and embellishments from the Midway line (including the fun Photo Booth patterned paper). A few white staples add the finishing touch:

We hope you are inspired by this sketch, whether you use it for a layout, a card, or any other project! We'd love to see projects inspired by this sketch, so be sure to post them to our October Afternoon Flickr gallery.

Tuesday Sketch: Pinterest Inspiration

Hey everyone!  Roree here with today's Tuesday Sketch Challenge. I am back at it with another inspiration piece from Pinterest. (I just can't see to stay away from that place!) Today's sketch was inspired by this image:

I just love this image and I thought the design of this piece would work well for a simple sketch. With it, I created this:

With this sketch, I created this card:

I used bits and pieces from Farm Girl, Woodland Park, Midway, and Sidewalks. We are so close to the beginning of Spring that I thought a happy, cheery spring card was in order. I just love yellow in my projects, so I used lots of it.

I did lots of layering for the butterfly and the sentiment.

Danni played along with the sketch this week and created this absolutely adorable card. Here is what she had to say about it:

"I absolutely love this sketch by Roree and look forward to using it again. I think this sketch is not only perfect for layouts and cards but would be ideal for Project Life and the new October Afternoon Daily Flash.

I have been cleaning my desk all weekend and this carousel horse from the Midway line needed a home. When Roree sent over her sketch, I knew I had the perfect sketch to give this beautiful chipboard a home.

I think the arrow at the bottom of the sketch makes layering fun at the bottom of the card, little tidbits or doodads are perfect with this kind of sketch. I can't wait to see what you all will create with her amazing sketch."

I hope you enjoyed today's inspiration sketch and the samples Danni and I created using it. If you get a chance to play along, don't forget to post your project in the OA Flickr group.  I can't wait to see how you interpret it.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Thursday Sketch: On the Diagonal

Happy Thursday! Vivian here with this week's sketch. Today's sketch adds a bit of fun to a clean-lined design with several strong diagonals.

I shared my sketch with Roree, who had this to say, "When I saw the sketch, I immediately thought of sun rays, so that is the direction I went with it."

Roree created her fun card by combining products from all of the following lines: Midway, Woodland Park, Sidewalks, Thrift Shop, and Farm Fresh. I love the combination of all of the different yellow patterns on Roree's card and her gorgeous three-dimensional flower embellishments. Let's get a closer look:

I used the new Witch Hazel line to create a layout using the sketch:

My title combines black letter stickers from the Witch Hazel Mix-Up 12 X 12 Alpha Stickers with letters created by using the "Today" Here & Now Book cover as a stencil with the Swivel Chair Sprinkler from the 9 to 5 line.

If you create anything with this sketch we'd love to see it! Please be sure to post your work in our October Afternoon Flickr gallery.

Monday Challenge - Design Team Scraplift

Hey everyone!  Roree here.  It's Monday, so it's challenge time again.  The girls on this team are so talented, and I admire their work so much.  They are always coming up with inspiring projects and fun techniques that I want to try.  So, I thought it would be fun to have a Design Team Scraplift Challenge. 

This is an oldie but a goodie from Marcy: 

Harvest Festival by Marcy Penner

(You can see it originally posted here.)

I just loved the chevron pattern that she created, and I have been wanting to try it for such a long time.  I decided to create a card using the chevron pattern for my background. 

Here it is:

Happy Times by Roree Rumph

I used the blue patterned papers from the Farmhouse collection to create this fun background. 

I added some machine stitching along the edges, because I just love stitching on my cards.

I also used some of die-cuts from the Farmhouse Flower Sack along with Label Stickers, a Button, and some Sidewalks Ribbon to create some soft and pretty flowers, because who doesn't love flowers?!

Marcy played along with my challenge this week, and she chose this layout by Becky to work from:

Add Such Joy by Becky Novacek

(You can see it originally posted here.)

Here is what Marcy came up with:

All Too Often by Marcy Penner

She played off of the argyle pattern in Becky's layout using triangles to create the fun background on her layout.  

Such a fun mix of patterns from the 9 to 5 collection, don't you agree?  I just love it!

Is there any of the OA designers' work that you just love and have been dying to try for yourself?  Well if there is, now's the time to try.  You have been challenged!  ;)

If you get a chance to play along with today's challenge, don't forget to post your project in the OA Flickr group.  We love to see what you are working on! 

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

~Roree