Hello everyone, today I have some fun "business cards" to share.  Not real business cards, but fun greeting cards to share at the office.  I've been eyeing this Shorthand patterned paper from the 9 to 5 collection but didn't have any ideas come to mind.  

Then it occurred to me that I could cut apart all of the office girl images and create some fun cards using 9 to 5 (8 x 8) papers and the cute stamp set.  

 Here's what I came up with.  I paired the office girl images with manila tags from my stash that are about the same size.  I put them side by side on card fronts to create some whimsical cards for my mother-in-law who works at the local university.  

 I typed on the office girl images with my vintage typewriter then added cute Designer Brads and pearl like sequins from my stash.  I thought they were reminiscent of the pearls the ladies wore back in the day. I also added a strip of the Day Washi Tape. 

 On the manila tags, I stamped the rotary phone image and "urgent" sentiment (on stickers) then ran the tags through my vintage typewriter to type out the rest of my card sentiment.  I tied loopy bows using red & white baker's twine through the tags. A little machine stitching around the layers was a finishing touch.

There ya have it, some cute "business cards"....all in a day's work.  

See the small coffee cup stains on the cards?  Visit my blog right here to see how I created those using Sprinklers.  Thanks for stopping by today....perhaps while on your coffee break?  

Happy Wednesday! It's Jill here, with a surefire strategy to get you up and over the midweek slump: take a few minutes out of your day to work with supplies that you love! For Marcy and I, this means spending some quality time with October Afternoon's Midway collection, which includes lots of bright and energetic colors and patterns. 

I pulled together a bunch of Midway papers in varying sizes and layered them over each other, adding a little height between pieces by folding double-sided tape several times over before backing papers with it. Pop dots will work as well. 

After layering and securing the papers, I pulled out some Comet Tail, Springs, and Pink Lemonade Sprinklers. I shook up each bottle, opened the cover, and let the ink drip, drip, drip over the page.  I just love the splatter effect, especially alongside that Midway Carousel paper. 

When the splatters dried a moment later, I added the photo, some stitching, and my journaling. This came together in a little over a half-hour, and I am so glad to have set aside this time for a creative release. It's just what I needed to give me hope for the weekend ahead, which promises a little more scrappy time. 

Marcy also had some fun with Midway. She made a card that is sure to be a bright spot in some lucky person's day! 

Here's what Marcy shared about the process behind her card: 

I am madly in love with the polaroid camera from the Midway collection, so I decided to put it front and center on a card.  I layered strips of patterned paper in the same colours that are on the polaroid and added the sentiment perpendicular to that.

I think I need to make this my desktop wallpaper -- I love that sentiment! 

Do you also have nothing but love for Midway?  Do you have any Midway projects to share with us?  If so, be sure to post them in the October Afternoon Flickr gallery!  

It's Becky here today with a super simple sketch. I like to keep it simple, so that it can be easily adapted and added to. I am also a fairly simple scrapbooker, so I suppose it would seem odd if I did anything but a simple sketch!

Here you go:

I adapted my layout to an 8.5x11 format-

I used a mix of Farmgirl, Midway and Woodland Park for this one. These three collections are among my favorites and again I like how you can mix the collections and almost always have it work. 

Mou joined me for this sketch and this is her beautiful card-

Here's what Mou had to say about the sketch and her process:

Becky's sketch is so simple yet versatile! When I saw the sketch with the strip of photos in the center, I thought of the Barnyard paper from Farm Girl collection. I used the 8x8 pad to cut out the letters to replace the photo strip. Then some Sew Fun Banner pieces, Mini Market Sticker alphas, Chip 'n Stick butterflies, and a bit of seam binding from various October Afternoon collections later, my card was ready.

Thanks for stopping by today and please share your creations using this sketch with us by uploading to the OA Flickr Gallery!

Happy Monday OA fans! Lexi here to present you a watercolor challenge. Watercolors have moved up to a permanent place in my scrap space and I enjoy finding new ways to incorporate them.

When thinking about this challenge I wanted to move beyond a scrapbook page and create something for my scrap space. I am needing some prints to hang in the new space and took this as an opportunity to create something. 

I read this quote a few weeks ago on a blog and it struck a chord. I wanted to have a reminder of it. October Afternoon has some of the best background stamp designs. I rarely get to use the more floral ones on my boy pages ;) so I took this opportunity to do just that. This is so simple...I brushed different colors of watercolors on my Woodland Park stamp. The only trick is to make sure you work fast enough so it doesn't dry before you stamp. I stamped on watercolor paper. I'm not sure that it matters, cardstock would probably work just fine, but that is what I had handy so I used it. I ran the print through my typewriter to add most of the text, but used a black marker for the word "grace". Then I trimmed out the design and framed in an inexpensive Ikea frame. Done. A new print for the scrap space in under 10 minutes.

Jill joined me for this watercolor challenge. Look at this! She is pure talent. 

Here's what she had to say: "Lexi's challenge turned out to be a creative delight for me! The photo that I used includes a shade of blue-violet that is difficult to come by in scrapbook papers and accents, but the challenge gave me the opportunity to create a customized color using watercolors. I mixed some blue with a little red and a bit of white, and painted the back of a Midway rubber stamp. After stamping the image, I filled in a few areas with a navy blue watercolor pencil, and smoothed the color across the cardstock with a brush dipped in water. I then stamped the image again on a piece of scrap paper and cut out the pieces to use as a template, which I used to create a green "mirror" image on the top right of the page."

So creative! Thank you, Jill.

If you join us in this challenge link us up in the comments or add your creation to the OA flickr gallery. Thanks for joining me and have a great Monday!  

Hey OA fans ... Nicole here to share a super simple idea with you to tackle your stash!  One of my favorite things that comes with every new OA release is all of the label/shape stickers. They're always basic enough to use with lots of different projects and a great value for your spending dollar...they go a LONG way! Usually a few of the designs on a sheet stand out to me, and I end up coveting the rest but not using them. Here's an easy way to get them off of the sticker sheet and on to your project: layer and cluster them together!

This page was kept simple because I chose to use a 4x6 photo on it, and didn't want it to look 'cluttered'. You can't go wrong with a grid/graph background, so I just added a simple border of patterned paper to the left edge. I'd been holding on to the label/shape stickers from the 9to5 collection mostly because I'm a sucker for office themed products, and they were 'too fun' to use. WHAT KIND OF THINKING IS THAT?! So I dove in...

I selected the yellow starburst sticker first, and layered it over a piece of number paper from the Make it Merry collection (that's right...I dug into my Christmas stash lol). I knew I wanted to use the 'original' label sticker from the 9to5 sheet and layered a red arrow on top of it to point to the globe I altered myself. From there, I grabbed different labels and just layered them together to create the interest along the right edge of the photo.

Easy peasy, yes? Clustered together like that, the labels make a bigger impact than they may have by themselves...don't hesitate to try, and USE those stickers you've been hanging on to!!

By Mollie Deem, Guest Designer

If you ask me, not a single bit of October Afternoon, no matter how big or small, should ever be wasted!  Since today is my last post as guest designer, I thought it would be fun to make a few projects using scraps left over from the previously posted projects.

The bright poppy colors from the Midway collection and the basic blacks from Witch Hazel are just perfect for adding a little splash of color to any page (or room).  My boring beige cubicle at work is in need of a little art piece to liven up the place, so I thought I'd make a piece and share a tutorial to help de-construct mixed media for those of you who are interested in, but intimidated by, mixed media.

Step 1 - Creating the background

- Grab a pre-primed (gesso has already been applied) 10" x 10" art canvas. (I prefer to use the gallery wrapped canvases because I can paint the edges to "finish" the piece instead of framing it.) I found that the sprinklers didn't take well to the gesso, so I covered the entire canvas with a very thin layer of acrylic paint. Let the paint dry completely before starting the next layer. 

- Once the white acrylic base layer has dried, apply a coat of "icebox" sprinklers to the entire surface. To do this, I poured a bit of the sprinklers into a paint dish and brushed it on with a 1-inch flat brush. Try not to coat it too evenly and work to get a bit of a streaky effect, leaving a little of the canvas white as you go. Let his layer dry completely. (You can use a heat tool on low to speed up dry time.)

- Next, spray on a little Midway "Token" sprinkler to the center of the canvas. Using the brush, work it toward the outer edges making sure not to leave any hard edges. Once that section is complete, repeat the process until the majority of the canvas is covered. Let this layer dry completely.

- Put a generous dollop of gesso in the middle of a punch cup (or another container with shallow sides). Pour in a generous splash of Woodland Park "Springs" sprinklers and mix until the gesso is tinted completely with the sprinklers color. (Remember, you can always add more to intensify the color, but it's much harder to lighten it.)  Using an empty paper towel or toilet paper roll, dip the roll into the tinted gesso, then "stamp" circles onto the canvas. Let the gesso dry completely (I let it dry overnight).  Note: It's very important to let the gesso dry completely before moving on to the next step!

- One thing to note when drying gesso: You can't use a heat tool to speed up the dry time. If you apply heat, it will seal the top of the gesso, trapping the moisture inside of the rest of the gesso, making it nearly impossible for it to dry out. You MUST let it air dry.

Step 2 - Creating the "pie chart"

While the gesso is drying, create the paper pieces for the "pie chart" element.

- First, cut an 8-inch circle from black cardstock. Using the stencil, trace the outline of the pie "pieces" onto the cardstock. (The stencil I used is by Rhonda Palazzari for Crafter's Workshop.)

- Then cut an 8-inch circle from medium weight chipboard.

- Next, use a pencil to trace the different pie "pieces" onto a variety of patterns from the Midway and Witch Hazel lines.

- Once the pieces are traced, cut them out.

- Fit the patterned paper pieces onto the black cardstock and glue them securely into place.

- Lay the template over the top of the pie chart pattterned paper pieces, use a couple of pieces of washi tape to tack it in place, and then begin tracing with a black pen (I used an extra fine point, water-based Sharpie paint pen. If you use it, work quickly so the ink doesn't collect and bleed under the stencil.)

- For the "love" piece, I only outlined the letters and the pie piece. For the "circles" piece, I outlined and then filled in the pieces between the circles. For the "chevron" piece, I outlined the chevrons, and then did a vertical "scribble fill" so that parts of the patterned paper would still show through.

- Once all the pieces are traced and the pen work is completed, follow around the black cardstock circle to cut the excess patterned pieces away.

- Use the stencil to draw an outline on each wedge. Then freehand an extra outline by following the outline traced with template. (Don't try to be perfect with the second line ... the imperfection is what gives it character.)

- Because cardstock has a tendency to fade over time, I also painted the black parts between the pieces with the Sharpie paint pen as well.

- To give the paint pen a little time to dry before the next step, prepare and apply the brads to the "circles" wedge. For this step, select the brads you want to use, remove the metal "wings" that would normally poke through the paper by snipping them off with scissors and then flattening the little piece that remains. Apply a thin foam dot (no thicker than 1/16-inch) and use those to affix the brads to the "circles" wedge.

- Glue the pie chart to the front side of the chipboard circle, then add thin foam tape to the back side of the chipboard.

- Glue on two strips of black and white baker's twine. Set aside.

Step 3 - Completing the background

- Baby wipes are the "magic eraser" of the acrylic and water-based paint world. Gently wipe the canvas with a baby wipe in straight lines to take off some of the mist and blend the two mist colors together to create a streaked effect. If you wipe off too much, you can always layer it back on, but it's much easier to just go gently and lightly and make multiple passes until you achieve the look you want.

- Once you're done wiping away the layers, use a white (water-based) Sharpie poster paint pen to draw circles inside the teal gesso circles. Let air dry or use a heat tool to speed up dry time.

- Get messy. Unscrew the spray pump from the Midway "Token" sprinklers. Put a little drop of it on the tip of your finger and start gently rubbing it around and over the circles to dull down the color of the white and teal circles so they blend in with the background better. Continue repeating this process until you've worked across the entire canvas. Let dry. (You can use a heat gun to speed up the dry time of the mists.)

- On a mixing tray, add a small dollop of flexible modeling paste and mix in a little black acrylic paint to tint it. (Make sure to use the flexible kind because the stretched canvas moves and will crack the dried paste if you don't use the flexible kind.)  Lay the stencil down so it aligns with two outer edges of the canvas. Use a pallet knife to spread the modeling paste over the "stitching" pattern. The modeling paste will give the "stitches" a raised texture on the canvas.

- Make sure to keep the stencil flat and tight to the canvas so the paste doesn't bleed under. Also work with a very small amount of modeling paste at a time so it doesn't gush over the edges of the stencil onto the canvas.  Ideally, you would wait for the first two sides to dry completely before doing the other two sides, but if you are VERY careful, you can do the second two sides at the same time.  I let two of the corners go past each other so it looks a little like a crop mark symbol. Be sure to let dry completely before handling the canvas (I think the jar says overnight for best results.)

- Center the pie chart to the canvas and affix using foam tape. Flip the canvas over (face down) on a flat surface and apply pressure from the back side to help the tape adhere without stretching the canvas.

You canvas is done! Step back, admire your work and give yourself a pat on the back. Then decide whether to leave it as is or to frame it. (I chose to frame mine.)

WEAR YOUR FAVORITE PAPERS!

I don't think you can consider yourself a full-fledged October Afternoon fanatic until you wear your favorite patterned papers around town. Yes, you read that correctly. I said WEAR your favorite patterned papers! :)

To help you accomplish the much-coveted, full-fledged fanatic status, here are a couple of simple designs for making jewelry with your favorite patterned papers.

One of the first scrapbooking techniques I learned involved making your patterned paper look like old, worn fabric. To do this, cut or punch out circles of patterned paper and then simply spray them with water, wad it up in a ball, gently work it with your fingers a little bit and then open it back up, lay it flat, and iron it dry. For these "homespun" pendants, I simply used the fabric technique on circles, stitched the paper to two layers of canvas (with a smaller piece of chipboard in the center for stability), frayed the edges and added an eyelet with a jump ring. Wouldn't these be totally adorable paired with a denim shirt?

For a slightly more modern take, I used patterned papers from OA's Make It Merry, Witch Hazel, Midway and Farm Girl collections all mixed together on metal charms/pendants of different sizes and shapes.

For these, I used full-sized 12" x 12" patterned papers because that's what I had leftover for scraps, but I typically prefer to use papers from the 8 x 8 paper pads because the smaller scale lends itself better to pieces for jewelry making.

To make these I glued the metal charms to patterned paper using Diamond Glaze (I call it the liquid cement of the paper world). Once the glue is dry, trim the excess paper away using fine-tipped scissors. Then punch the hole at the top and sand and lightly ink the edges. After the prep work is done, place the charms on a styrofoam plate or wax paper and carefully apply Diamond Glaze to the top to make it look like epoxy. Let dry overnight, add a jump ring and then put it on the chain.

THANK YOU!

It's hard to believe that a month has gone by already! I'd like to say a big thank-you to October Afternoon for inviting me to create with their products and to share those products with each of you.

And to each of you ... thank-you for inviting me into your homes each week. I hope you've enjoyed the last few Fridays and I'm looking forward to seeing what you create in the October Afternoon galleries or on OA's Facebook page. I still have several ideas and lots of October Afternoon goodies to create with, so I hope you'll continue to follow me on Facebook at https://facebook.com/pages/PlayswithGlue/127871400623708 or at my blog at http://www.girlswithglue.blogspot.com/

BEFORE I GO...

The March/April issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine comes out on Tuesday, February 26 and you'll be able to get a little October Afternoon "fix" when you take a look at the two-page layout, "Best day ever," made with the Midway collection.  You'll find it in the feature article Accentuating the Negative on Page 71. Here's a little sneak peek of the March/April edition for you:  http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/articles/March_April_2013_Sneak_Peek

Hey everyone! Roree here. One of my favorite places to go on the internet is Pinterest. For today's post, I thought it would be fun to share one of my pins and create a project using it as inspiration.

Here is the inspiration piece:

And here is the card I created with it:

I really loved the sayings on the original piece so I decided to use a few of them on my card. I created it by using letters stickers from the Farm Girl collection along with items from Midway, Woodland Park, and Holiday Style.

I sent the inspiration piece to Vivian, and here is the layout she created and what she had to say about it:

"This was a fun inspiration piece! I love the mix of colorful letters in different fonts with the black print, especially with the typewriter font. I decided to duplicate that look in both my title and my journaling, highlighting a variety of colorful Mini Market alphas in the journaling and the Farm Girl alphas in the title. I printed my journaling directly on the cardstock and then stuck the Mini Market alphas over the printed letters. I used my die-cutting machine to cut the title letters from the same font, substituting the Farm Girl alphas for the first letter of each title word."

Adorable, isn't it? I just love her take on it! 

If you get inspired to create a project using this inspiration piece, post it in the OA Flickr group so we can all see. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Good Morning!  Danni here with you today to share a sketch that could be interpreted in so many ways and is PERFECT for using up your scrap stash.  I could've created all day with this sketch, literally or liberally, and had lots of different cards. Can you tell I am excited to see what YOU will do with it? 

Here's the sketch I created for today's cards

sketch by danni

As you can see, I really wanted scraps to be the focal for this sketch.  I have lots and lots of scraps that I am in the process of using since we have recently moved and I realized it's not fun moving scraps...giggle.

On my first card, I wanted to play with the cuuuute typewriter from the 9 to 5 line.

hello card

I've shared with you that I love to mix the lines and on this card, I used the 9 to 5 line and the Farm Girl line

I decided to use some of my washi on this card for the bottom strip. 

On my next card, I wanted to play with the chipboard telephone, love it!

hello card

I still can't get over that cute phone, maybe it's because we don't have phones like this anymore, but it just makes me so happy

On this card, I chose to add a sticker trim to embellish the "bottom strip" of the sketch, love the flexibility of CAS sketches

We hope you'll give this sketch a try and if you do, please link us up in our OA Flickr Gallery.

Thanks for visiting today.

happy creating?

danni

Welcome to another Monday Challenge on the October Afternoon blog. 

Every now and then I like to take a look at the things I've pinned on Pinterest to give me a jumping off point or a fresh perspective.  So, what better challenge this week than one based on something on my PInterest boards.

When I first took a look at this image I thought about three things.  

1. the monochromatic color scheme

2. the literal presentation of the items... lots of layers clipped up by clothespins

3. the individual elements, specifically the large monogram

I chose to focus mostly on 2 and 3 for my page.

I pulled out my papers from Make it Merry and found a "2" that I was going to substitute for the monogram.  Then I layered numerous papers from that line and from Farm Girl.  I worked in two groups... layering papers and die-cuts on the bottom half and attaching those with a paperclip. 

 I repeated the same for the top, but used a button to act as a fastener for those items.

I tossed this inspiration piece over to Becky as well.  She dug into her Woodland Park stash and came up with this awesome page!

I love how two people can use the same inspiration piece and come up with two very different pages! 

How will you interpret this inspiration piece?

- Marcy

Happy Valentine's Day! For me, Valentine's Day is all about the treats. So today I wanted to share a "sweet" little project with you — a lollipop bouquet.

For this project, I used products from the Farm Girl, Woodland Park, and Cakewalk collections, along with a small pail and green ribbon.

To create a lollipop flower, I started with a lollipop, some die cut flowers and a circle, some foam adhesive, and some ribbon.

I punched a hole at the center of each die cut. I made sure that the hole was slightly smaller than the lollipop stick.

I added foam adhesive to the back side of each cut, except the bottom layer.

I curled the petals of each flower.

Then I layered the circle and each flower onto the stick from smallest to largest.

Finally I added a green ribbon bow to hold the die cuts in place.

And there you have it... a lollipop flower.

This would be a cute gift for any Valentine on your list, but it could work almost any occasion just by changing your color scheme.

Hope you all enjoyed today's project. Thanks so much for stopping by! 

By Mollie Deem, Guest Designer

I'm always on the hunt for cute things to make as gifts for friends and family. Since I can't think of two things that go better with friends and family than love and food, today's projects focus on those two themes.

I happen to have a few hundred vintage berry baskets. Why do I have a few hundred vintage berry baskets?  Well ... the super short version of the story is that I was at an auction and I only needed 18 berry baskets to complete my vintage berry carriers. BUT, the auctioneer wouldn't split up the lot, so I ended up with all of them!

What's a girl to dow ith a few hundred berry baskets you ask? Well, I've been using them for all sorts of things ... drawer organizers, washi tape holders, embellishment bins (October Afternoon embellishments fit perfectly) ... you name it! Then, when I saw the Farm Girl collection from October Afternoon I thought it would be just perfect for turning one of them into a recipe basket. How cute, right?

While I love the look of inks and mists, I hate the mess of spraying! So, to color the berry basket, I unscrewed and removed the spray pump from the sprinklers bottle, dipped a paintbrush in the ink, and then painted the berry basket inside and out. Applying one coat resulted in a lightly stained look, while two coats created a rich, saturated color.  Plus, since the sprinklers are not completely opague, a little hint of the wood grain still shows through.

While the basket was drying, I used graphic design software (Corel Draw) to create index dividers custom-sized to fit in the berry basket. I cut the divider pieces from the patterned papers in teh Farm Girl 8x8 paper pad because the smaller scale of the prints fit the dividers much better.

Because I wanted the backs of the dividers to just be plain chipboard, I started working on decorating the patterned paper dividers first, and then once they were finished, glued them to the chipboard dividers. (This way I didn't have to worry about trying to make the backside of the dividers pretty too.)

To help "ground" the decoration on each of the dividers, I started by first adding a square of Kraft-core cardstock (that I embossed to look like old tile) and then layered embellishments on top.  Isn't it great how simply using a combination of October Afternoon chipboard pieces and stickers are more than enough to make each of the cards visually interesting without a lot of fuss?

Here are the finished dividers:

I tried to keep the decoration simple so the dividers wouldn't take up too much space in the basket. Here's what each divider looks like:

And then every recipe basket needs recipe cards, right? So I designed a blank recipe card template, printed them out and cut them apart. I also added some corner rounding to match the dividers. Just to dress the recipe cards up a bit, I also added a few stickers, some washi tape and a fussy cut stamped pig. This is a great way to use up scraps.

Here's what it looks like with everything pulled together:

One of my friends who recently took up quilting loves to collect heart-themed items and decor, so I thought it would be fun to create a little mixed media(ish) piece for her. I am pretty much dismal when it comes to real sewing on fabric, so I did what I could, and applied my version of a "free arm" quilting technique to pattern piece a paper heart onto the linen background.

In order to keep this post from getting WAY too long, I'll post instructions explaining how to make this on my blog at http://playswithglue.blogspot.com/ next week.

And last, but not least ... I made this cute little card to send to a loved one.  It's cheesy, but totally makes me giggle!

Have a happy, scrappy weekend!

Good morning!  Danni here with you today to share a last minute Valentine card idea with you for a special someone that may not be a lovey dovey someone.  Do you have a special friend, neighbor, co-worker that you would like to give a Valentine to but do not want it to be filled with hearts, pink, red and lovey dovey stuff?  Well, then I hope my card will give you a couple of ideas.

Be Mine Card by Danni Reid

I wanted to incorporate a beautiful flower sticker from the Farm Girl line to symbolize the feeling Valentine's Day without a lot of hearts and pink and red.

I also wanted to still incorporate a little red, because what would Valentine's Day be without a little red?  (not very good if you ask me....giggle)  So, I incorporated it on my card by using the labels from the Farm Girl line.

I hope you will be creating your Valentine's this year for someone special and if you do, we would love to be inspired! Please upload your creations in The OA FLICKR Gallery

Thanks for joining us today, happy Valentine's Day and happy creating?

danni

Yesterday, Mou and Michelle challenged you to use hearts in honor of Valentine's Day, and today, Vivian and I (Jill) are happy to share a sketch that will help you to give those hearts a home! 

The sketch is based two intersecting visual triangles. The first triangle is comprised of three photos (sized at approximately 2" x 3"), and the second triangle includes the title, journaling, and a cluster of accents. There is enough white space on the page to allow you some room to play, or you can embrace the space and keep your layout simple. 

Vivian's layout demonstrates that it is possible to tweak the sketch while maintaining the two visual triangles at the heart of it.  

She reduced the number of photos by one and replaced the third photo with a journaling block. The die-cut hearts and arrows form the second visual triangle.  

Here's what Vivian had to share about her process: 

This was a fun sketch to work with, allowing for the use of multiple photos and patterned blocks. I combined patterned paper from several different lines - Farm Girl, Make It Merry, Midway, and Witch Hazel - to create this layout, backing die-cut cardstock shapes with pops of the different patterned papers. In addition to the patterned papers, I sprayed several different Sprinklers on white cardstock and used bits of that alongside the patterned paper. I love how the different Sprinklers combined in different ways on the cardstock, allowing for a unique look for each of the Sprinkler hearts.

My own layout pushes the sketch slightly left of center in order to incorporate some Sprinkler-splatters and stitched ribbon. I worked with a bright triadic color scheme, pulling together red, yellow, and blue items from the Farm Girl, Make It Merry, and Midway lines.

One of my favorite papers from the Midway collection is Ring Toss, which features a series of pie charts. I positioned a heart punch just above the centers of a few of the pie charts and punched out multi-colored hearts. I mixed those with some solid-colored hearts of various sizes.

I also painted my title using Sprinklers. I dipped a brush into Sprinklers of varying colors (including Carbon Copy, Red Wagon, and Lemon Drop) and painted in and around my half-handwritten, half-die-cut title. 

There you have it -- sketch love. 

Vivian and I are looking forward to seeing your take on this week's sketch.  Be sure to share the love in the October Afternoon Flickr gallery! 

-- Jill 

Hi everyone, Mou here with today's challenge! It's simple...it's almost Valentine's Day, only 3 days away, so in honor of heart day, use hearts in any way you like on any paper project!

Here's my take:

I punched out small hearts from Pie Tin, Berry Basket, Fresh Eggs, and Mason Jar papers from the Farm Girl collection, lay them in two columns on the Almanac paper and stitched them down the middle. I fluffed up the hearts a bit for dimension. Then created a cluster with photos, Mini Market Front Porch alpha stickers, Bowl of Cherries and tea Towel washi tapes, Farmyard Friends stamps, labels cut of Almanac paper, and some stickers from the Woodland Park collection. Then a little bit of paint and doodling later, my layout was complete. Here are some close-up shots.

Today, I have Michelle playing along with me. Look at her fluttering hearts cards!

Michelle says, "When I think of hearts, especially around Valentine's Day, I am instantly taken back to my grade school days of cutting out paper hearts for homemade Valentines.  Sometimes, old school is still cool!  Today I have some simple "fluttering hearts" that you can create with a piece of patterned paper and a pair of scissors. I simply used a paper heart doily to get the heart shape I wanted, then while the heart was folded in half I cut out concentric hearts.  I used every other heart size on my two cards so that the paper doily showed through.  After adding my embellishments, I slightly tipped the hearts up so that they were "fluttering" about. Perfect for Valentine's Day cards or any occasion by simply changing out the sentiment.  All October Afternoon products are from the Farm Girl collection."

Adorable!

You can play along too! Please share your creations with us in our October Afternoon Flickr gallery. And a very Happy Valentine's Day to you all :)

First, let me just say "Thank you" for all of the kind comments and warm welcome. I am "pee my pants" excited to be guest designing for October Afternoon and all of you!  I can’t think of a brighter or more cheery line to convey excitement and fun than the Midway line, so today’s post is going to feature Midway and grid-based design. I can't wait to share some awesome projects with you, so let's get started shall we?

This year I decided that I wanted one of my scrapbooking goals to be staying current with my pages. Okay ... truth be told, this is one of my goals every year, but I really mean it this time! I think it’s so much easier to scrapbook things while they’re still fresh in your mind and before you’ve had a chance to misplace memorabilia or photos. I do have to say that the thought of actually keeping current seems like a pretty daunting task, so I’ve also been looking for ways to make scrapbooking easier and more efficient.

Being that I am totally a “grid girl,” I am very much intrigued by all of the divided page protector options that have come out recently. The ease and simplicity of slipping things into designated places calls to me, but it seems to be oriented toward “flat” scrapbooking (limiting page elements
to flat stickers, die cuts, patterned paper and the like). Since I’m a girl who loves texture and scrapbooks as much for the “art” of the hobby as I do for the purpose of collecting and documenting memories, this just wasn’t going to work for me.

So I thought back to my early days as a scrapbooker and my love for grids. If you think about it, when you break down the design of divided page protectors, they really are just grids.  …Grids that can be adapted, modified, and used as the basis for a traditional layout. And that, my friends, was my “Eureka!” moment. (It’s also what started me on my quest to search for grid-based design inspiration that I could start adapting in layouts.)

I started out basing a page layout on a common divided page protector style and adapted it to fit the number of photos I had.

*Image Source: We R Memory Keepers*

This page protector design called for 4 photos and 4 journaling card spots, but I only had a couple of photos for that day, so I used half of the grid design to create my layout. Here’s a sketch of the layout in its simplest form:



Here’s another thing I do to help stay current. Since I can’t always scrapbook something right away, I make mockups of the layout using the manufacturer’s product images and design software. In addition to being able to record the ideas while they’re fresh, this also gives me an opportunity to try different colors and arrangements without the fear of wasting supplies. Here’s the sketch above with the Midway elements added in.



Then, when it’s time to scrap, I basically just assemble the layout from my mockup. Putting the page together goes quickly because the paper and picture sizes are already determined – no worrying about not cutting something to the right size or wondering where to place it. I can just glue and go!

So this got me wondering what else I could adapt to create the foundations for my pages? And then, I came across this ... an image filled with arrangements for a gallery wall.

Source: http://interiorspl.com/strona-gwna/galerie-bez-tajemnic.html

For this next layout, I started with the gallery arrangement that is fifrth from the bottom in the right column and built a quick sketch to get an idea for the scale and sizing of my photos and background paper. (I chose to keep the same orientation as the gallery example, but this would work well rotated 90 degrees too.)

And from there, I mocked up the placement of the main elements including the photos, title, and a few embellishments.

To make assembly easier for myself, I printed out the placement boxes onto the patterned paper and placed a rule around the photos so I’d know where to trim them.



I typically limit my mockups to the overall “structure” of the page, and then work in extra embellishments as I put the layout together. Here’s how the mockup came to look when it was all finished:

I wanted the letters to be in the darker pink color so they would stand out better against the gray background. When I sprayed the “naked” chipboard letters they came out very dull as the gray chipboard color was coming through and muddying the sprinklers color. Not at all what I had in mind!

To solve that problem, I covered the letters with gesso, and let that dry before reapplying the sprinklers ink. (Using gesso prevents the ink from soaking into the chipboard and the white basecoat keeps the color of the sprinklers true.)

Letters with gesso applied at top. Letters with sprinklers
applied directly to chipboard, bottom.

Once the gesso dried, I applied the sprinklers ink to the letters by unscrewing the pump and painting with the little side of the plastic tube that sucks the ink into the spray pump. (Why dirty a brush if you don’t need to, right?) Painting the color directly from the bottle allows you to get a more intense color without using a lot of mist.

See how much more vibrant and intense the color is?

I hope you found today's post inspirational and I'm looking forward to seeing your take on some grid based layouts. Have a happy, scrappy weekend!

Hi Everyone! It's Becky here today sharing a simple paper punch creation. So many of us have diecutting machines now, that I'm thinking our punches may be feeling neglected. I am hosting a baby shower in a couple of weeks with an owl theme, so I thought it might be fun to create a little party decor. Sometimes, I think it's sort of theraputic to cut and glue repetitively :) 

Tools:

2 1/2 inch circle punch

1 1/2 inch square punch

1/2 inch circle punch

1/4 inch circle punch

I gathered a few circle punches and a square punch and started putting together ideas until I came up with what I thought might resemble an owl. I showed my 6  year old granddaughter one and asked her what it was...when she recognized it, I figured it passed the test. 

Not only did I have Harper take the recognizable test, I also put 5 of my little people to work punching during the Super Bowl. The little scallop chest pieces are cut freehand. You could use a scallop border punch, but I thought the piecing needed something a little less perfect. I think adding the imperfect scallops and the stitching sort of took it out of the 90s paper piecing look. 

I layered the owls on a journal card and then onto an office supply tag, adding a few ribbons, twine and buttons from the collections. Then I simply strung them up as a garland.

Creating custom party decor is one of my favorite things to use my scrapbooking supplies for, other than scrapbooking. I hope this inspires you to use your bits and pieces to create custom party pretties. 

Happy Tuesday, OA fans! Lexi here with a sketch for you today. I draw my sketches out on a chalkboard or with a pencil and paper. Fancy, right?

So for today's sketch you can see there is the title along the bottom, with a spot for a couple of photos, a strip across the top and a few embellishing spots.

I used four collections on this layout...mostly Farm Girl, but the letter stickers and red gingham paper are from Make it Merry, the ledger type paper Witch Hazel and the wood grain paper from 9 to 5. 

My little farm boy. We recently finished watching The Princess Bride for the hundredth time and I couldn't get that phrase out of my head. Since it went along with these photos I decided to go with it ;) I cut the "farm" out with my cameo, but somehow it left the bottom of the "f" attached. Rather that try and fix it or redo, I just made do and used it as a place to tuck in my photo. 

I switched the journaling to go under the smaller photo on the right, but kept the area above it for embellishing. You can't go wrong with wood grain chickens, right? 

The perfect tin pin for this layout.

 Mou joined me in the challenge and created this card using mostly Farm Girl and Woodland Park. What a perfect homespun take on a valentine! It's always so fun seeing how others make a sketch work for them.

Now it's your turn! Take this sketch, use it just as is or flip some parts around. Upload your project into the OA flickr gallery or simply comment with a link to your project. We love to see how you are using October Afternoon lines.

Thanks for joining me today. Enjoy your Tuesday! 

Happy Monday! Vivian here with a use-up-your-brads challenge. The last seven product lines released by October Afternoon have included brads. I don't know about the rest of you, but I still have lots of them left! I find myself using one here or three there, but never a whole bunch at one time. Enter today's challenge: use ten or more brads on one project.

I started with this inspiration piece I found on Pinterest:

With Valentine's Day coming up, I decided to interpret this inspiration piece pretty literally, using brads from the Farm Girl, Make It Merry, Midway, Woodland Park, and 9 to 5 lines, along with patterned paper and stickers from the Farm Girl line. Note: I got two dozen brads on there!

Great minds think alike, as while I had shared the ten-or-more brad challenge with Roree, I did not share my inspiration piece and yet this is what Roree came up with:

I love all of the details on Roree's card, from the chevrons to the two different types of stitching to that amazing cluster of embellishments that form the heart. In fact, let's get a closer look at the heart:

Roree had this to say, "I used a mix of collections: Farm Girl, Witch Hazel, Woodland Park, Cakewalk, and 9 to 5. I love that the pieces from one collection can work so well with pieces of the other collections." I couldn't agree more!

So...now that we've given you a two-for-one today with both a use-up-your-brads challenge and an inspiration piece, what will you do with one or both of these? Please share your creations with us in our October Afternoon Flickr gallery.

October Afternoon is pleased to introduce Mollie Deem, guest designer for the month of February.  A long-time fan of October Afternoon and its products, Mollie lives in Iowa with her husband.  She is employed as a Project Manager and previously worked in advertising and marketing for most of her professional career.

When she's not working or enjoying time with friends and family, Mollie can usually be found putting pictures to paper.

Her first brush with scrapbooking was as a child, back when Mrs. Grossman's stickers, magnetic albums and ephemera were the only supplies available. Mollie was introduced to the hobby of scrapbooking in 2001 and became a full-fledged scrapbooking addict in 2005 when she started working and teaching at her local scrapbooking store.  Today, she's expanded into all things papercrafting and often extends her supplies into home decor and altered projects.

Mollie looks to the world around her and the product she has to work with for inspiration. "While I enjoy exploring an eclectic mix of design styles, I tend to create gently embellished, clean and simple designs," she says.

In print, you can find some of her work in Creating Keepsakes, CARDS and Cricut magazines. You'll find Mollie on the web at her blog http://www.playswithglue.blogspot.com or on Facebook at https://facebook.com/pages/PlayswithGlue/127871400623708 as "Mollie Deem - Girls with Glue."

Now let's get to know Mollie a little better:

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

"I'm mainly a layout person, but I dabble in card making as well. In addition to layouts, I also enjoy exploring mixed media and papercrafting in general."

What is on your scrap desk right now?

"My tool tote, craft mat, sewing machine, and a lovely assortment of October Afternoon goodies that are just begging to be used!"

What is your favorite October Afternoon line or product?

"Oh my goodness, who could possibly choose just one?! I guess if I have to pick, it would be Thrift Shop ... or Farmhouse ... or ... Midway ... or ... see? It's impossible to select just one! One thing is for sure, though. I totally can't live without Label and Mini-Market Stickers."

What can you NOT scrapbook without?

"My scrapbooking tends to be very eclectic, so my 'must haves' vary, but right now I'd say good music and a sewing machine."

What is your favorite source of inspiration?

"I love to wander about vintage and 'junk' stores. I am always fascinated by the artistry that was incorporated even into everyday items of long ago. The colors and textures are sure to get my creative juices flowing!"

What is your favorite movie or TV show?

"I'm hopelessly addicted to Downtown Abbey, White Collar and Suits."

What is your favorite food?

"Tacos. They are the perfect food - all four food groups in a handy little shell. Yum!"

Besides scrapbooking and papercrafts, what do you do for hobbies or enjoyment during your 'free' time?

"Between my full-time job and scrapbooking, there isn't a lot of free time left over, but I typically spent it with my family and friends."

If you were a superhero, what power would you possess and why?

"Teleportation. That way I could be anywhere, at any time, in an instant.  Oh, and so I can skip the baggage claim, too!"

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

"I think it would be really fun to meet Queen Elizabeth I.  She overcame personal adversity and was a pioneering female leader who brought stability to a much-divided country. I think it would be quite interesting to chat about her thoughts on diplomacy, politics, resiliency and ruling as a woman."

October Afternoon is pleased to welcome Mollie as a guest designer.  Watch for her posts on the blog every Friday during the month of February!