Flowerless Bouquets 8 - Marshmallows and Candy

Today's wedding bouquets and centerpieces aren't limited to fragrant blooms. For the next five weeks, I'll be showing you my favorite flower alternatives, from new DIY creations to bouquets rich in history (and heirloom antiques!), from transient arrangements that look beautiful at your event to permanent keepsakes that'll look beautiful for generations to come.

Option 8: Marshmallow and Candy Bouquets

What's more fun, nostalgic, and delicious than edible candy centerpieces and bouquets? Answer: Nothing. Lollipops, candy canes, gumdrops, gumballs, and colored marshmallows make great options for bouquets, and they come in a great variety of bright, fun colors.

Use candy bouquets and centerpieces to inject childhood nostalgia into your wedding or other formal event, or decorate a child's birthday party.

And don't forget the main attraction - a table full of brightly colored goodies in glass jars and canisters that your guests can sample throughout the event!

-

Shameless plug time: Need invitations as beautiful as your decor? Check out InvitesbyAndea.com and let me design stationery for your event!

Flowerless Bouquet 7 - Balloons and Pinwheels

Today's wedding bouquets and centerpieces aren't limited to fragrant blooms. For the next five weeks, I'll be showing you my favorite flower alternatives, from new DIY creations to bouquets rich in history (and heirloom antiques!), from transient arrangements that look beautiful at your event to permanent keepsakes that'll look beautiful for generations to come.

Option 7: Balloon and Pinwheel Bouquets

Embrace the whimsy of childhood with balloon and pinwheel bouquets and centerpieces!
 

Use large, single balloons for unique "bouquets" or twist long balloons into flowers to create a bouquet with a more traditional shape.

Similarly, pinwheels can be tiny and grouped together like miniature flowers in a tight bouquet ball, or they can be giant and stand alone as a fun bridesmaid "bouquet." They look amazingly adorable in photos!

Versatile and fun, balloons come in every color imaginable, and you can easily make your own pinwheels out of your favorite colored or patterned scrapbook paper.

They also make great decor! String balloons or pinwheels on to your ceremony canopy or arch, attach small balloon flowers or pinwheels to the ends of each row of ceremony chairs, decorate your reception hall with balloons, or hand out miniature pinwheel wedding favors.

Balloon bouquets and pinwheels are also great for children's parties!

-

Shameless plug time: Need invitations as beautiful as your decor? Check out InvitesbyAndea.com and let me design stationery for your event!

Flowerless Bouquets 4 - Seashells

Today's wedding bouquets and centerpieces aren't limited to fragrant blooms. For the next five weeks, I'll be showing you my favorite flower alternatives, from new DIY creations to bouquets rich in history (and heirloom antiques!), from transient arrangements that look beautiful at your event to permanent keepsakes that'll look beautiful for generations to come.

Option 4: Seashell Bouquets

Like feathers, seashells are both found in nature and manufactured by humans for decor. Collect your own seashells from your favorite beachfront, or order fake (perfectly round) seashells that mimic the real ones.

Dye or color seashells to match your colors, or add hints of color with beads, fabric, and ribbon. Pearls look great with seashells!

Seashell bouquets and centerpieces are <i>perfect</i> for destination beach weddings, but also work great for under-the-sea themed children's parties, or hip urban events hosted at city aquariums!


-

Shameless plug time: Need invitations as beautiful as your decor? Check out InvitesbyAndea.com and let me design stationery for your event!

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "The Elephant in the Room"

This stationery set is perfect for any carnival or circus themed event, including weddings, child birthday parties, and baby showers!

"The Elephant in the Room" Invitation Duo (invite & reply card)

The invitation uses a bright red envelope, while the reply card opts for yellow. Both are printed on pure white cardstock and mounted on textured yellow cardstock.

The two fonts are very carnival-inspired and fun, while the simplified illustrations add extra pops of the yellow and red color scheme without getting too literal. There are no animals or carnival rides or games - just balloons and banners in yellow and red.

 

 
Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Strawberry Swing"


Click here to view all Sunday Sample Spotlight posts.

"Like" Invites by Andrea on Facebook!
Follow Invites by Andrea on Twitter!


-

Shameless Plug Time: Love this invitation (or others featured on this blog)? Want something similar (or something completely custom) designed for your event? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "The Only Exception"

This stationery set uses a funky bubble font great for whimsical events!

"The Only Exception" Invitation Duo (invite & reply card)

The neutral color scheme keeps this curly font from feeling too strange; there's just a hint of peach in the pattern, while the envelopes are ivory and brown to match the brown font and ivory cardstock.

The pattern fades into the ivory cardstock; because there's no crisp edge, it softens the design and makes it less jarring.

While the font certainly isn't for everyone, it would would great for any casual wedding or child's birthday party!

 
Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: A carnival-themed invitation set!


Click here to view all Sunday Sample Spotlight posts.

"Like" Invites by Andrea on Facebook!
Follow Invites by Andrea on Twitter!


-

Shameless Plug Time: Love this invitation (or others featured on this blog)? Want something similar (or something completely custom) designed for your event? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Fun Bandana Decor

I love bandanas - they're colorful and cute, and they're useful for so much more than just wearing. They're so carefree and summery, they're perfect decor for this time of year!

1. Use bandanas to jazz up your patriotic Memorial Day, Fourth of July, or Labor Day party or picnic!

2. Bandanas come in other colors, too! Use them for outdoor parties, office picnics, children's birthday parties, and decorating your house (especially kids' bedrooms or nurseries)!

Bandanas are perfect alternatives for cloth napkins, make great flags, banners, tablecloths, and table runners, and easily roll up for utensil holders or clever nut/popcorn carriers!

And bandanas aren't limited to just summer, either - orange and black bandanas are great for Halloween and other autumn events!

-

Need party invitations? Check out my custom stationery at InvitesbyAndrea.com!

Children's Birthday Party Theme Ideas - Part 2

Still need some inspiration for a child's birthday party, even after last week's post? Here are three more fresh, fun ideas!

1. Obstacle Course Party

Turn your backyard into an obstacle course for kids! Divide them into teams and have each team wear a different color shirt (or a different color bandana). Weave string in between trees for them to duck under or step over or crawl through and use old tires or draw hopscotch squares on your sidewalk with chalk for them to skip through. Include non-athletic "stations" in the obstacle course as well, such as solving math problems, "name that tune," blowing bubbles, balancing eggs on spoons or books on their heads, reciting the alphabet backwards, Pictionary, shaping things out of clay, bouncing balls into plastic cups, etc.

In the end, everyone wins! Distribute gold-medal shaped cookies and hand out awards - "Most Spirited," "Fastest," "Most Artistic," "Best Team Player," "Most Encouraging," etc.

2. Dr. Seuss Party

Set up a photo booth with Dr. Seuss props like crazy wigs, comically big sunglasses, and feather boas. Serve green eggs and ham, and a Dr. Seuss themed birthday cake. Watch a Dr. Seuss movie or cartoon, or read one (or several) of his books.

3. Safari Scavenger Hunt

Distribute cheap plastic binoculars, cameras, and butterfly nets or small picnic baskets and set them off to find everything on their scavenger hunt list. Some items to consider - scraps of fabric or felt with animals on them (like giraffes, elephants, etc.) or prints like zebra stripes or cheetah spots, school supplies (such as cute animal-themed notepads or paperclips), pencil erasers in the shapes of safari animals, rubber or plastic toy insects, and fake plants (such as ivy and other plastic leaves and vines). To eat, serve animal crackers!

-

Need party invitations? Check out my custom stationery at InvitesbyAndrea.com!

Children's Birthday Party Theme Ideas - Part 1

Need some inspiration for a child's birthday party? Here are some fresh, fun ideas!

1. Messy Party 

The idea of this party is just what it sounds like - to make a giant mess. Throw out the idea that decor has to be just-so and the food has to look perfect - you know those excited children will just make a mess of all your effort anyway!

Serve messy or gross-looking foods (Jell-O, gummy worms, cupcakes splattered with food coloring, etc.). Fill a pinata with an unexpectedly messy surprise (like cooked spaghetti). Cover your lawn or driveway with plastic sheets and let the kids go crazy with (washable) fingerpaints or paint-filled water balloons. Or fill a kiddie pool with potting soil and water to make your very own mud pit. On the invitations, request that everyone come dressed for a mess (i.e. bathing suits), and spray everyone down with a hose before they go home. Hand out towels as party favors on their way out the door!

2. Superhero Party

Serve food with primary colors (like a superhero-themed cake, and all-American red, white, and blue Jell-O parfaits) and label glasses of juice with different superpowers (invisibility, super strength, the ability to fly, the ability to read minds, inhuman speed, etc.) - whatever drink each kid chooses will be their superpower for the rest of the party! Decorate with campy "POW!" and "WHAM!" signage, and end the party with a fun superhero movie and buckets of popcorn.

3. Tiny Party

Give the kids the experience of following Alice down the rabbit hole by making everything at the party tiny, from the decorations (use Tootsie pops for balloons, make tiny flower arrangements out of paper or fabric, etc.) to the food (make cakes the size of cupcakes, and serve food like Pizza Bites or mini hamburger sliders). Play tiny board games (travel games are great, and often use miniature pieces or versions of the typical size board games), and hand out tiny party favors (sample-size mini tubes of lip gloss or nail polish, Hot Wheels cars, Polly Pockets, M&M minis, etc.).


Check back next week for three more ideas!

-

Need party invitations? Check out my custom stationery at InvitesbyAndrea.com!

Supersize Pastel Inspiration Board

As March draws to an end, I leave you with this - an oversized inspiration board featuring this season's beautiful pastel color palette!

Within this inspiration board are ideas for everything:

- Easter decor (ornate eggs, pastel balloons!)
- Spring fashion (pastel lips, jewelry, clothes, hair!)
- Interior design (a pretty mint green sunroom, and floral wallpaper!)
- Party refreshments (gelato-colored candies and cupcakes!)

- And, of course, spring wedding decor (painted mason jars, bouquets, centerpieces, dresses!)

If you're planning a baby shower, child's birthday party, Easter gathering, or spring wedding, this board is for you. :)

Enjoy!

-

Follow Invites by Andrea on Twitter!
"Like" Invites by Andrea on Facebook!

Shameless Plug Time: Love this color combination? Looking for custom stationery made to match these colors (or whatever other color combinations you're using for your event)? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Spring Color Combo: Mint & Coral

Candy-colored pastels are super stylish this season - so why not use this beautiful mint and coral color scheme for your upcoming event? (These colors work for almost any springtime event, from weddings to Valentine's Day and birthday parties!)

These colors work because they're near-complements on the color wheel and because they're both tints (light hues of deep, saturated colors).

Play with a few different shades of coral (from brighter red-orange shades to pale pinks) and tie it all together with the cool consistency of mint green - a classic color with a vintage feel.

This color scheme would also work great for a child's bedroom or nursery!

-

Follow Invites by Andrea on Twitter!
"Like" Invites by Andrea on Facebook!

Shameless Plug Time: Love this color combination? Looking for custom stationery made to match these colors (or whatever other color combinations you're using for your event)? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "The Art Teacher"

I had a lot of fun with color and simulating paint splatter in Adobe Illustrator to create this invitation design.

"The Art Teacher" Invitation

The text blends into the paint splatter so much that at first glance it's a little bit like "Where's Waldo" - but it's easy enough to read as long as the text is minimal. In this design, not much information needs to be given since there is a website guests can visit for more details and to reply online, so the crazy text is perfect.

Artsy and playful, this design would be great for a creative venue (such as a rehearsal dinner or holiday cocktail party at a modern art museum), a more casual affair (like a child's birthday party boasting lots of arts-and-crafts activities), or a baby announcement or shower invitation.

Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Florentine Brown"


Click here to view all Sunday Sample Spotlight posts.

"Like" Invites by Andrea on Facebook!
Follow Invites by Andrea on Twitter!


-

Shameless Plug Time: Love this invitation (or others featured on this blog)? Want something similar (or something completely custom) designed for your event? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Take a Bow"

I love this colorful stationery set!

"Take a Bow" Invitation Duo (invite & reply card)

First, I chose a hot pink folding "Cascade" envelope, hot pink reply envelope, and pale yellow envelope to tuck everything inside.

Then I adorned the left flap and right pocket of the folding "Cascade" envelope with pieces of pastel-colored stripe-patterned scrapbook paper.

The invitation and reply card are printed in purple and black text with thin pink stripes (and one thick stripe at the top) and a pale yellow background.

Then I used "glue dots" to secure a strip of green ribbon across the top of both the invitation and reply card (to reference the green stripe in the pastel scrapbook paper). I tied two small bows out of the same green ribbon, and attached them with one glue dot each to the strip of ribbon already stuck to the paper.

I chose a unique elongated font for the design's text to mimic the vertical length of the scrapbook paper stripes.

Because of the colors and bow accents, this stationery set would be great for children's birthday parties, baby announcements or baby showers - but it could be appropriate for almost any event. The pale pastel scrapbook paper and yellow invitation and outside envelope give it a vintage feel that would totally work for a unique, whimsical wedding!

Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: A stationery set featuring the beautiful shade of Tiffany blue


Click here to view all Sunday Sample Spotlight posts.

"Like" Invites by Andrea on Facebook!
Follow Invites by Andrea on Twitter!


-

Shameless Plug Time: Love this invitation (or others featured on this blog)? Want something similar (or something completely custom) designed for your event? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Photo Inspiration: Candy Shop

Today's photo was taken inside a large candy store just outside Montpellier in the south of France, which I visited as a high schooler in 2005.

Why these colors go together: The pink and blue colors of the candy wrappers go together because they're both tints (lighter shades) of primary colors - created by adding white to either red or blue. Adding the green (found in the darker candy wrappers on the next shelf up on the left side of the photo) is a great way to relate back to the pink and blue, since green is pink's complement and sits next to blue on the color wheel. For the last color to pull out of this photo, I chose a neutral tan. Neutrals go with everything, and are a great way to add some depth without introducing a fourth eye-popping color.

How to use this color scheme: This color scheme would be great for a winter or spring wedding, since the pink and blue tints have a bit of an icy feel. It would also be ideal for a baby shower or for decorating a nursery, since it features the quintessential "baby" colors of pink and light blue. Perhaps less obvious are other fun choices like valentine's day parties, the interior of bakeries or ice cream shops, or a unique, modern living space.

-

Follow Invites by Andrea on Twitter!
"Like" Invites by Andrea on Facebook!

Shameless Plug Time: Love this color combination? Looking for custom stationery made to match these colors (or whatever other color combinations you're using for your event)? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Photo Inspiration: Four Bright Colors

For the month of January, I have planned a series of blog posts featuring color schemes pulled from different photographs I've taken. These color schemes could be incorporated into a room of your house, an art project, or event decorations (for birthdays, weddings, you name it!).

Today's photo is one of the many floral pictures of taken of gardens. I just loved the bright, highly saturated colors!

Why these colors go together: The most dominant color in the photograph is that gorgeous kelly green color, and each of the other three picks relate specifically to that green. Yellow is next to green on the color wheel, pink (as a shade of red) is green's complement, and orange is a secondary color (a color created by combining two of the three primary colors of red, yellow and blue) - just like green. Since each of those colors work nicely with green, they also work well with each other!
How to use this color scheme: These bright colors would be great for spring or summer weddings, outdoor events, kid's birthday parties, sunny kitchens or living rooms, and children's bedrooms or playrooms.

-

Follow Invites by Andrea on Twitter!
"Like" Invites by Andrea on Facebook!

Shameless Plug Time: Love this color combination? Looking for custom stationery made to match these colors (or whatever other color combinations you're using for your event)? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "Jazz Hands"

Themed events are so fun - especially if guests come in appropriate costumes! :) Themes can instantly make even the most formal event feel more fun and casual, and they work for almost any occasion, including weddings, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, and dinner parties. This week's Sunday Sample Spotlight mixes a spirited Roaring Twenties theme with a modern red and navy color scheme.

"Jazz Hands" - Invitation

This dark blue metallic "petal" envelope has four flaps (two of which I decorated in red argyle scrapbook paper) which fold in on itself to create its own envelope. The red scrapbook paper really pops against the dark navy, and calls to mind the red velvet curtains of a theatre. I wanted to use the "petal" envelope for this theme because I loved the act of opening up the envelope to this lively scene - like how one might sneak into a clandestine bar for some moonshine and a burlesque show. ;)

I created these silhouettes by tracing images I found on Google with Adobe Illustrator's pen tool. Then, I drew the music notes freehand with the pen tool so they'd feel more syncopated (instead of exact and manufactured), added a line of small red diamonds to border the left and right sides of the invitation (to relate back to the argyle pattern of the scrapbook paper on the envelope), and chose a period font.

Voila! A unique invitation perfect for any casual or formal Roaring Twenties event!


Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: "In Grape Demand"


Click here to view all Sunday Sample Spotlight posts.

"Like" Invites by Andrea on Facebook!

-

Shameless Plug Time: Love this invitation (or others featured on this blog)? Want something similar (or something completely custom) designed for your event? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

Flower Bat Mitzvah Placecard Poster and Table Markers

A couple months ago I posted a pink and green flower-themed Bat Mitzvah invitation set I designed for a client. A few weeks after I made that post, the client came back to me to ask for some table markers and a placecard poster in a similar theme for the dinner party after the ceremony.

I used the same template for the table markers as I did when I made some for my own wedding. The three-sided self-standing table marker template fits onto standard legal paper (8.5" x 14") - a size that's bigger than the usual 8.5" x 11" but still fits into my printer. :) I used the same rose design from the invitations on each side of the table marker, but changed the number to a different (serif) font since the sans-serif font I used for everything else didn't have the most recognizable number characters from a distance.

Before I sent them off to the Chicago area (where the event was to take place), I first took some photos of them in my apartment. I had a bit of fun setting them up on a chair by the window, letting the spring sunshine work as lighting. Since they're self-standing, they even easily stack on top of each other to make a tall tower!

And here is a photograph of the table markers at the actual event. I love how it works with the color of the tablecloth and centerpiece flowers! :)

I also painted and assembled a sign for the dining room to show guests where to sit. I painted a large version of the same rose design along the right side of the sign (a large tri-fold foam board I found in the science fair aisle of my local Michael's store), and painted the new Bat Mitzvah's name across the top in both English and Hebrew (just like I did on the invitations).

To make sure that I painted it as accurately as possible, I printed out a template from my computer and traced it onto the board before painting. I used acrylic paint, mixing my own pink and green to try to emulate the exact colors I used on the invitations. For the rest of the sign, I printed a list of names for each table on my computer and attached each to a piece of the same metallic "pink azalea" colored cardstock I used on the invitations.

Here are a few photographs I took in my apartment of the completed sign:

And here is the self-standing sign on a pink-clothed table at the entrance to the dining room at the Bat Mitzvah celebration:

The clients loved the table markers and sign, and a lot of the guests were talking about them too! I'm glad it was a successful event!


-

Shameless plug time: Love these design? Want some of your own? Download my convenient pdf catalogue to see all of my design options, or check out my Invites by Andrea website to view some samples and get more information. I can also do custom designs! Need a sign painted in acrylic or watercolor for your event? I do paintings, too! :)

Sunday Sample Spotlight: "The Orange and the Green"

Happy St. Patrick's Day Weekend! And here's something else to celebrate: you're currently reading my 100th blog post!! :)

I gave this design the name "The Orange and the Green" because of the colors it uses and because the petal folding envelope resembles a green four-leaf clover. Despite all that, this design is not for St. Patrick's party - though it could certainly be adapted for one, or for any other springtime party, with its bright, sunny colors.

"The Orange and the Green" - Invitation with Petal Envelope

Though it doesn't particularly look like it in the photograph above, the petal envelope is a metallic green (you can see the metallic shine better in the next photo, below). Instead of lining each of the four petal flaps with scrapbook paper, this time I only lined the top and bottom flaps. Since the colors were so bright and bold, I didn't want to overdo it.

Above, you can see what the petal envelope looks like when closed. The envelopes lie perfectly flat until the you open up the flaps like a blooming flower to reveal the shape seen in the first photograph.


The invitation, which is for a kid's birthday party, is printed on standard 67# bright white cardstock and mounted to a textured orange cardstock paper with yellow brads, which I punched through the printed blue stripe.

Because the scrapbook paper featured little dots in some of its striped pattern, it was a no-brainer to also include round brads to mount the invitations to the orange cardstock. The brads match the exciting, bold colors found elsewhere in both the scrapbook paper and the printed invitation, and the circular shapes are just larger scale versions of the dots seen on the paper's pattern.

Next week's Sunday Sample Spotlight: The epitome of springtime!

Click here to view all Sunday Sample Spotlight posts.

"Like" Invites by Andrea on Facebook!

-

Shameless Plug Time: Love this invitation (or others featured on this blog)? Want something similar (or something completely custom) designed for your event? Visit Invites by Andrea to view more samples, download a catalogue pdf, or fill out a design request form. Or shoot me an email to ask me your questions or learn more information.

How to Use Illustrations on Stationery - Part Six: Animals

This is the sixth (and, sadly, second-to-last) installment of this illustration samples series, and I have a lot to show off today. These are all animal-themed illustrations, which are fantastic for stationery for events for and about children - birthday parties, baby showers, and baby announcements. Of course, they're also great for events hosted by anyone who's a little more grown up - but still a kid at heart!

These ducks and baby birds are perfect for young children or baby showers. Anything cute and feathery!

Have a favorite animal? Perhaps your son loves amphibians and reptiles - why not have a frog-themed birthday party for him?

Baby animals or illustrations of animals that look more like plush stuffed toys than the real deal are also great options for baby shower invitations and baby announcements. How cute are these guys?

Or maybe you're really into mythology, culture, symbols, or art from a certain part of the world. Do you collect brass elephant figurines from India? Do you love to scuba dive and wish you lived closer to a coral reef? Or do you just love Chinese food and want to invite your friends to join you on your birthday at your favorite Chinese buffet? Illustrations of Dragons are awesome for Asian-themed events!

Of course, there are also animals that are specific for certain holidays. How can you host Thanksgiving dinner without the obligatory picture of a turkey (perhaps even in a stereotypical Pilgrim hat)? Or have the neighborhood over for an Easter egg hunt without including illustrations of adorable bunnies on your invitations?

And then there are insects, some of which have become common themes for parties in their own right, such as butterflies, ladybugs, or bumble bees. I have a bit of a phobia about bees myself, so I would never want to host a bee-themed party (even if it was super cute, like a gender-reveal baby shower I saw on a party blog that asked 'what will it bee?'), but even I have to admit illustrations of butterflies and ladybugs can be downright adorable.

Tomorrow - my absolute favorite illustrations! Plants!

-

Shameless plug time: Love my illustrations? Love these designs? Check out Invites by Andrea's website to see examples of these illustrations or download a catalogue pdf (coming soon!). Or drop me a line at andrea@invitesbyandrea.com to let me know what you think!