Crafty me...a girly blog

So, this is my latest creative invention. My daughter's Tea Party birthday invitations. I really enjoy creating and crafting my own invitations and I am blessed enough to have the time to do so. Actually, I get into all of it...the whole birthday party thing. So fun with little ones.

(click on any of the pic images and they will enlarge)

I have a die cut machine (sizzix). I had to cut out 60 tea pots (I have two styles and couldn't choose so I used them both). And, the tea pots have coordinating tea cups and saucers ( I had to cut out 60 of those too). Then, I had to layer the tea pots for the shadow affect and color schematic that I wanted, and finally add the flowers to the "flowered" tea pot. Again, I couldn't decide which was to be the dominant color(s) so I did two invitation each opposite in color scheme.

I haven't quite decided on the other party favors. Either cute little ceramic tea cups the little Gals can take home as a keep sake. Or, since we are also doing manicures and pedicures -- maybe a little nail polish set.

A lot of work went into these. If you wanna' know exactly how I made them then read the following, otherwise...skip this part to the next section of my post. :0)
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I do all the wording myself too. I research about the party theme online and then it develops in my mind. I was really pleased with last year's. And, the year before too (that was a princess party only I included a b&w pic of my daughter all dressed up in her Easter dress, purse and hat...it...was....adorable (if I do toot my own horn).

Anyhow, once worded and an appropriate image is included, I then print the invitation itself on vellum paper and cut around the edges with "nifty" designed scrapbook scissors. Then, to make the vellum pop -- I inked the cut edges, this time with pink ink. I generally attach the vellum to a color coded card stock and use ribbon to "tie/bow" them together. This time the vellum invitation was attached to pink textured cardstock with an opalescent pink ribbon and whala! A professional looking invitation with the homie touches of "Mama" and it only cost me about 30 cents in materials (per invite). (Don't ask me about how long it took. It got quicker as I learned to assembly line the project).

And, YES, I do dedicate just as much time to my son's parties and invitations and all. Just more "boyish" but still classy -- well, most. I had a few cheater years.

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Last year Aubree wanted a Peterpan party: Tinkerbell and Peterpan. So, I made her invitations doused in glitter "pixie dust" glue. I made a big tea pee for the "lost boys" to play in at the Indian camp. We had a mermaid lagoon (with real live goldfish -- only two of them lasted after the party). I painted a huge appliance box with a pirate ship and attached it to the swing set tower. I even made a pirate skull and crossbones flag.



I made tu-tus for the girls at about $1.00 a peice and peter pan hats out of felt topped with red feather and all for about 50 cents a peice. (I'm very handy with a glue gun....and now I even have a sewing machine!!)

The dollar store was kind enough to carry fairywings just when I needed them. And, I made her cake two layered, heart on heart with Tinkerbell edible art on top. Hot pink and lime green and Yuuuu-uuu-my!



The whole party cost about a hundred bucks. A hundred bucks to make a little girl's party into a fairy tale? Totally worth it. And, I'm totally blessed to have the hundred bucks to do it.

[I will say that planning way in advance is the key. Once I know where the party is going then I can watch and shop the sales at craft stores, fabric stores, etc. And, the regular drop by the dollar store will eventually pop up with something theme related at a dirt cheap cost.]

I considered making this a business as I really love coming up with all the stuff and ideas on a budget. But, thinking it over and talking it over with friends I realized it would totally eat into my weekend time with the family....and, I'd have to go to strangers homes. I'm not real comfortable with strangers.

I AM happy to say a good friend of mine "booked" me to do all the fun favors, artsie-tartsie stuff, invitation and the cake too for her daughter's "Tinkerbell Party." [Look? I'm already a pro and have half the gear!!]

So, I better get back to assembling the proto-type for those invitations as she might pop in this weekend.

Crafty me...a girly blog