confetti

colleen's candy bar {part 1}

this post has been a long time coming!  i finally sifted through the tons of pictures we took of colleen's candy themed sleepover birthday party and picked out the ones that tell the party story the best.  actually it will be two posts long!  first, i have the invitations and decorations, and then, the activities--and lots of candy all around!  after one of big sister's friends had a "lilly wonka" sleepover that i did the invitation for a couple of years ago, colleen has been determined to have candy as the theme of her first sleepover party.  she loves dylan's candy bar so instead of doing the chocolate/wonka theme, we came up with "colleen's candy bar" and went with a more overall candy land theme.  we still did candy bar birthday invitations, but skipped the golden ticket, making the whole label the invitation.

welcome to colleen's candy bar!  the girls were welcomed by an official sign, foam core/printed lollipops, and...

"plumpy" trees!  (wait 'til you see what else was outside tomorrow!!)

inside, the party table was decorated with a variety of candies, "lollipop stick" straws, and toothbrushes!  most of this was for prizes & party favors.  we got a lot of the fun specialty candy at a cute local candy shop, lucky you!  they even had a small version of the piñata--a sweet keepsake!

there's the full-size piñata--a cute decoration for now, ready to be beaten apart later!  and look at the cute mini candy bins we got from dylan's online, filled with a few of colleen's favorite sugary treats, complete with mini scoops.  the disks in the bucket (also in the big jar on the table) are "flying saucers" from lucky you!  they're flavored wafers filled with sweet and sour sugars and are a huge kid fave--i loved the bright colors they added.

and last, but not least, logo labels on mini water bottles added to the candy store feel--a quick and easy touch!

this was definitely a great theme for decorating--bright colors + candy, candy, and more candy!  we came up with lots to do besided eating candy, too, but you'll have to come back tomorrow for that...

sweet dreams!
:) lexi

gator fest

i have a backlog of invites to share, so i thought i'd quickly post one today.  this was for a company retreat and was sent via email.  there's no reason why an e-vite has to be plain and boring.  you can do almost anything you would do on paper--minus the printing, of course!

:) lexi

a slam dunk!

i'm sorry i haven't been around much--the busy-ness continues!  but i think i see the light at the end of the tunnel now.  here's a cake i made last friday.  i can't believe it's taken me so long to get the pics off of my camera.  anyway, it's another actual ball cake.  remember the golf ball last year?  and i guess the bowling ball sort of qualifies--it's really only half a ball, but it is rounded rather than round and flat.  this one's a little squatty because i forgot how i added the extra round layer between the bowl layers, but it was also a small party and they really didn't even need this much cake.  i happened to do the invite too...

i've shared this one before, but i wanted to show it again with the cake.  it's a take on an actual game ticket.  i've done it in different color combos, as well as for football, too.  it's definitely one of my favorite boy invites!

believe it or not, i'll actually be back tomorrow for sure.  and my stamping readers will definitely want to tune in!!

:) lexi

the runner up

this is the runner up to yesterday's communion invitation.  it was actually a little too similar to big sis' invitation two years ago because of the blue sky paper.  which is why we then spent way too much time creating the new background diamond paper and figuring out just the right color!  the little birdhouse church from the saltbox studio tweets is another great communion image, though.  and hey, all saltbox stamp sets are now on sale on the a muse website, so get 'em while the gettin's good!

:) lexi

another first communion

today was colleen's first communion.  as with most other special milestones, the occasion called for an invitation and cake.  i showed her two options for the invite and she fell in love with the bible in church mice from the saltbox studio...

it took us a while to design the perfect background paper and finalize the color scheme, but it finally came together!  as we were working on it, she asked if i could make the cake match the bible stamp...

so of course, i had to deliver!  it was pretty easy too--a 9 x 13 cake cut in half and stacked.  after icing the three "paper" sides with white buttercream, i used a texture triangle to add lines for the pages.  the look of a cover was easy with a little extra line of icing around the top edges and the base.  rolled fondant made the perfect cross detail, as well as the ribbon marker.  colleen was thrilled with the outcome!

i also printed my blue diamond design on text weight paper so that i could wrap her cross pendant to match the invite...

and onto labels to make favors for our guests--i found these great dove sweet tarts at party city and they were a big hit!  the new a muse anniversary set was also perfect for adding a green frame around the bible to mimic what i'd already done on the invitation.  have you placed an order to recieve your free set yet?  and speaking of a muse's anniversary, don't forget that there are chances to win lots of different a muse stuff on the a muse news blog every other day during the celebration--in fact, i hosted today's contest!  so if you haven't already, be sure to head over there and tell me what your first a muse stamp was...

thanks for stopping by!
:) lexi

it's always someone's birthday!

i think high school musical will continue to be a fun birthday party theme for a while to come, especially for young girls.  the cute actors, the catchy music--so much inspiration!

cheerleading is another favorite for girls' parties.  these two little girls wanted a tulane color scheme since some of the cheerleaders were going to be there to teach them a few tricks.  hip, hip, hooray!  happy birthday!

:) lexi

just add water

the busy-ness of the end of school is quickly building--and it's not even may yet!  today i have a recent invitation.  the request was for a mermaid themed party, based on the the show h2o if possible, but still keeping it young.  i was stumped at first, but then it finally came together, and birthday girl and mom both loved it!  i was also asked to make the cake...

this is the third time i've done this family fun mermaid cake, and while it's not the easiest, i love the outcome!  it's so big, the trick is to take it in pieces and assemble it at the very end.  and i always hit a point where i think it's not going to turn out right, but now that i know it, i can work around it.  happy mermaid birthday emma!

:) lexi

pack your bags...

here's another recent invitation i worked on.  the challenge was to create an invitation that would also be the party favor and include items needed on an overnight trip to the country.  the party was small, so i was allowed to "go big"--which was quite fun to do!  girly camo was also part of the request and i think i found the perfect bag to go with.  believe or not, i designed the invitation before i found the the bag.  how lucky is that?!  here's a close-up...

since each girl was getting the same bag to bring and they were being delivered to their homes, i included a laminated bag tag on each one.  that way, they could tell them apart and they'll be labeled for any future uses, too.

i also labeled a few of the items since they each would have them, using my handy vinyl stickers again so that they would last longer.  this was yet another fun project to work on--i love my customers!  now, i may have to think of a variation on this for colleen's sleepover in may...

:) lexi

workin' at the car wash!

i finally had a chance to edit the pics from mignon's birthday party last weekend--she had a car wash and it was such a fun party!  as always, it all starts with the perfect invitation.  we started with a car wash name, mignon's splash-n-dash, and created a logo, and then the invitation just took off from there.  it was a bit of a middle of the night project for me (surprise, surprise!), but it all came together!  don't you think every car wash needs a dirty limo to clean?!

so that became the cake too!  although it turned out looking more like a hummer than a limo in the end.  i even gave it "dirty" windows with messages and doodles in every one!  it's a little rough, but it is my first car.  my two favorite parts are the tail lights & license plate, and the sun roofs.  completely 3d cakes are always a little more challenging for me, but it was fun and it all gets cut up and eaten anyway!

one of my last minute ideas was to have t-shirts for the employees!  it had been really hot the week before the party, but was supposed to be cooler that day, so i thought it would be good to have the t's for during their breaks.  wilton t-shirt transfers for inkjet printers made this so easy and the girls looked really cute in them!

along with the car wash, we had a lemonade & cookie stand.  the first girls at the party helped create the signs to place at the front of the house, in front of the lemonade stand, and by the driveway where the actual washing took place.  we also had plenty of refreshments for the girls, too--whenever there were no cars, they were either having water fights complete with water balloons, or camped out around the snacks!  i found the little plastic buckets at the dollar store and used them all around the party and for the party favors...

a few little car wash supplies along with some things just for fun.  the christmas tree air fresheners were probably the biggest hit in the bucket!  when all was said and done, mignon raised $150 and decided on the local SPCA as her charity.  if you have the right space for a party like this, i highly recommend it.  and it really doesn't matter how much money you make.  it's more about the effort and embracing the idea of giving back, and i think turning 10 was a great time to do that in this way.  plus, it really was an absolute blast--good ol' wet & messy fun!

'nite!
:) lexi

message in a bottle

i did it--i made it back for a second day in a row!!  a few weeks ago, i posted this pirate invitation i created a long time ago for a new customer interested in throwing a pirate party.  i also suggested that it would be great in a bottle since she was planning on sending them from school rather than mailing them.  so i just had to repost the new version including the awesome bottles she found.  it was too windy to burn the edges outside, so i had to do it inside--i don't recommend that unless you have to like me!  but, that aside, these will probably always be one of my favorite designs.

she also had me create a set of personalized note cards for thank you's.  the a muse poison bottle was the perfect image.  she wanted to see a couple of font options, so i mixed up the colors, too--choices, choices!  the one on the left was the final pick.  and while we're talking pirates...

how about a few highlights from the "pirates in the caribbean" party on the disney cruise?!  you can click for a closer look.  this was definitely one of our favorite nights--dressing up, lots of characters singing pirate songs, a take-over by captain hook & co., and mickey zip-lining in to save the day...

followed by fireworks, dancing, and a late night dessert buffet!  aren't those the cutest pirates ever?!

:) lexi

shhh, don't tell...

here's a recent invitation i created for a surprise 40th birthday.  the request was for something fun and festive, with bright colors and birthday images.  i went for bold shape drawings and circles with different line styles.  glitter stickles on each image and on the center of the stars gave it just the right amount of glitz.  i really like the outcome!

have a great weekend...
:) lexi

lost & found!

i've been cleaning my desk today and found a few invitations from the end of '08 that never got posted.  these first two are two options for the same invite--the birthday girl chose the hanging trapeze design!  i've also done a similar version for two birthday girls using both on the same card.

i love doing game ticket invitations like this one.  it's such a fun layout for any sport and easy to personalize with your favorite team colors.

and last, but not least, a fortieth anniversary invite.  the princess kissed the right frog--definitely cause for celebration!

tgif!
:) lexi

ay mateys!

i received a request for a pirate invitation, and since i created one five years ago that has always been one of my faves, i thought i'd post it for all to see.  i really like creating for boys, because having two girls means i tend to do more girl stuff.  in this case, the pirate theme was particularly fun--there are so many touches and details to play with, like printing on parchment, making it look like a treasure map, and burning the edges.  it would also be really cool to roll it into a bottle.  all of the pictures were drawn on the computer--just think how much easier it would be now with my new pen tablet!

:) lexi

seven is heaven!

i'm still on that crazy ride of christmas orders, but there is an end in sight and at least i'm feeling better!  the day before i got sick, i baked two cakes for a friend who was throwing her two girls' birthday parties on the same day.  i also did the invitation for the first party--isn't it heaven to be turning seven?  the first part of the phrase was the mom's idea and i immediately thought of my cloud paper and cupcakes--a perfect match! 

i also recreated my blue skies cake to go with, adding a few fondant cupcakes to float with the clouds.  and since my girls were attending the party, i created a bag tag too...

i love it when things fall into place easily!  i'll be back tomorrow with big sister's cake...

:) lexi

fiesta time

today i have an invitation i created a couple of weeks ago for one of mignon's friends.  they're all turning ten this year--boy does time fly!  anyway, the request was for a mexican fiesta and to try to include a tiered cake graphic that i could turn into an actual cake for the party.  the invitation was a quick turn around project, so i drew a simple two dimensional "cake" with bright, funky colors and patterns, topped with a sombrero, also by request.  then, friday and saturday, i created the 3d, sugar and butter version...

i tried to copy the invite as closely as possible, so it would be recognizable, but with the added flair of angling the tiers.  the patterns are created with fondant icing, so that the lines would be crisp.  the hardest part was the zig zag lines, but i really wanted a different pattern on each tier--i did make sure to think the basics through when creating the drawing!  we didn't find a small sombrero, so i got a small straw hat from the doll aisle at michael's and did my best to mimic my drawing.  we added the maracas to help angle it, securing it to the cake with the happy birthday flag--the skewer goes right through the brim.  this was the first cake i've created quite like it, but i think it came out okay.  as always, i learned a little for the next time--mainly, i need to be able to create when i don't have a hundred things going on the same day!

i also created a quick sticker for the piñata bags--can't have a mexican fiesta without a piñata, right?!  i used elements from the invite to tie it together like the hat and the font along with the pattern from the bottom layer of the cake to create the bands of color.

and since that worked so well, i used the same design to create a gift tag for mignon's gift to the birthday girl.  i picked up a carload of girls from the party and my noisy car was definitely proof of a fun fiesta!

:) lexi

dis is sewious!

every now and then i get asked to create an invitation based on a children's tv show or character.  wonder pets came along a little after my kids had moved on to older shows, but it still caught their attention a few times--how can you not get that theme song stuck in your head?!  anyway, i didn't know the show much beyond the song, so i was a little intimidated when a friend issued the challenge.  luckily she brought me a sticker book and print outs from the website and we brainstormed together, after which i made sure to actually watch an episode online.  the easel at the beginning of the show, along with the theme song, were the perfect inspiration--the wonder pets really did save the day!  the easel shaped invitation above was the final product.  the top page, which tucks just a little into the easel tray, lifts up to reveal the rhyme and party details.

the cutout was too hard to resist, but i also created a flat card version as option two.  either way, the end result was a tv show themed invitation that was a little more personalized and not too commercial looking, which is exactly what we were going for!

thanks for stopping by!
:) lexi

october birthdays

here are a few invitations i created last month for various kids' birthdays.  this one was for a party at a local candy store, created to match the logo and include a small sucker.

bowling at rock 'n' bowl and one of my favorite invites!  the black layer with 3 stamped dots looks like a bowling ball through the window of the cd envelope.

chugga, chugga, choo, choo!  train parties at city park are always popular.  this invite is my quick and easy train, but i'll have to show my train shaped invitation one day--another one of my all time faves!

and of course, what better theme for an october birthday party than halloween--on halloween day, no less!

:) lexi

two more...

a quick post for today!  since i'm trying to make it through the pile on my desk, i have two more recent invitations.  both are variations of invites i had done before, changed slightly for the new birthdays.  both feature font as a central design element.  i think i've said it before, but i love fonts just about as much as i love stamps!

:) lexi

lots of dots!

here's another recent invitation--lots of polka dots!  i was asked to create this based on the polka dot napkins purchased for the party and i love the bright colors.  while i did not plan the party, we were invited and polka dots ended up being such a great theme.  they were on the birthday girl's outfit, on the cake, and even on the floor--so cute!

:) lexi

forever catching up!

this is an invitation that i created for a gymnastics birthday that took place the last weekend of the olympics.  it was definitely perfect timing and fun to create!  i also did a matching fill in the blank thank you...

actually, i think you could get away with an olympic themed gymnastics party for a while.  it was great to watch and always leaves such a good impression on kids.  colleen has suddenly decided that she wants to start taking gymnastics and plans to make it to the olympics one day!

i have a stack of invites and cards to photograph and post over the next few days.  the last month has been crazy for getting things done.  it's gone kind of like this:  pick up mignon from camp, start school, evacuate for a week, go back to school, worry about evacuating again.  i'm really sorry ike is headed to texas, but i am relieved that we didn't have to pack up and go again so soon...

'nite!
:) lexi