I need you to plan a surprise party in two weeks....

That was pretty much the request I got toward the end of February from my uncle.

Umm...Yeah...I can do that....I sat down and wrote out a plan of action and planned big and then pared it down.I really wanted to hide the walls.  You see we had the party in "our" karate school.  In the end I settled for covering the windows with long sheets of plastic table covering.  *sigh*  I just didn't have the manpower or time to do it.So realizing that wasn't going to happen I set about to hide the "ugly" spots.  Now don't get me wrong I love our karate school but it has awkward angles and things like punching bags hanging down and a makiwara board jutting up, older televisions sticking out.... yeah... I needed to optically hide things.

The plan -

• cover the windows to keep the surprise as long as possible.  One whole wall is windows.Clear the "school clutter" such as punch bag etc out of sight/access
• Make balloon towers to cover the awkward angles in the school visually and create an entrance which means making stands too.
• Hang decorative elements from the wall of mirrors (oh I didn't mention that we had a wall of mirrors too) and ceiling.
• Use table cloths and skirts in my supplies and hurricanes and candles (another of her favorites) with hurricane holders.  
• and 50 pink roses
• and DON'T PANIC!

I realized pretty quickly I need to be able to decorate in a way that I could set up in less than 6 hours which ended up being 3 1/2 with just two helpers - we did call a friend and I roped in my mother so I ended up with 4 helpers and we were still decorating when people were arriving early!! for the surprise party.  OK they weren't early but they were. I told people 6 pm to surprise at 6:30 - somehow that got turned into 5:30 to surprise at 6?!?!?!?!?!

What!?!?!?!

And that is why I don't haven't "pretty" here it is all set up and nobody here pictures.  I was still assembling the last balloon tower when everyone came pouring in.

And lets not even talk about the food.  I did most of it but not the desert table (isn't that beautiful *points to the left of the page)- a beautiful cake all those handmade flowers at the bottom of the table were off the cake, chocolate dipped strawberries, and chocolate 50s and cupcakes!

So honestly I don't know if we made it or not.  I do know I am not a caterer.  Oh that was nearly a disaster!

My pulled pork was tough so we had to BBQ it up. ACK!  The chicken tenders we got from the local restaurant were a bit meh!  The mac and cheese solidified!  The Mashed Potatoes had to be redone.  I will say my meatballs were wonderful and I could just about kick my mother who talked me out of country ham  (I wouldn't have stressed so much about the pork then!!!).  And green beans went down well.

And all this had to be transported out of town... hmm I wonder why I didn't get a card made for a few weeks... 

Oh and you can't tell but that 50 on the wreath is sparkly Krylon glitter paint on it!  And there were 5 mesh ball puffs hanging from the ceiling.

I made two more wreaths the traditional looping mesh way but TBH they weren't that special but we put them up anyway.

Well I hope you like what you see.  Next time I'm letting someone else cater.

I purchased my wreath and puffs supplies from Mardi Gras Outlet after seeing their tutorial for wreaths and puffs http://blog.mardigrasoutlet.com/2012/07/curly-deco-mesh-wreath-tutorial.html  and http://blog.mardigrasoutlet.com/2012/07/diy-party-puffs-topiary-with-deco-mesh.html 

and this is the video I used to learn how to make the balloon towers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQL5lJegmHc

You may think I am horrible...

I don't know how anyone could have missed the news coming out of Boston.  I know we are all keeping those affected in our hearts, thoughts and prayers.  My thing during these times is that I observe and participate in more immediate social networks (forums, Twitter, Facebook - you get the idea). 

So why am I posting a random comment post?  What I know for sure.  After events like today the world needs beauty.  We need and seek out the beautiful to help us cope with awful events.  It helps us put life back into balance and find context.  So, whilst I think it is lovely that people stop craft blogging because of a tragedy, I don't think it is necessary because if someone is here going through their favorite blogs chances are they are looking for somewhere to escape.  Somewhere beautiful to be when the world itself seems so ugly.  Let us continue to share what we love, not worry about scheduled posts that don't mention the outside world and create the beauty that we aspire our world to match.

Nothing will change what happened today: a moment of silence; an in depth discussion; or even a blog post.  Yesterday will change us all.  Some more subtly than others, however it would make the world a much darker place if we didn't share the beauty we create because of yesterday.

April Fool's - My Worst Card!

My ugliest card ever.  So many to choose from especially as I try to share everything.  It really was a close call.  I think I have a 2nd runner up, 1st runner up AND a winner to share.

So without further ado.

Our 2nd runner up is this beauty from January 2008!  Now in my defense it was a great use of supplies that I had at the time! and I think I nailed just about every technique I could throw up onto the card!

Our 1st runner up is my Nirvana grunge moment from November 2009

and without further ado - Our winner of the worst card is.... *drumroll*... no go ahead and do the drumroll in your head.... the winner is....























From April 2009 send this card to the Dinosaurs

I should have warned you a bit more shouldn't I? LOL! Hope everyone is enjoying the Foolery with these post today!

To see more of this hop click here  Many thanks to Suzanne for hosting this!

Hoppy Easter!

A not so quick CAS (clean and simple) card for my eldest for Easter.  TBH it is the only Easter card I made and I really like it.  So that means no one else will.  I'm not sure the effort justifies the outcome though.  Lining up all those letters and resisting coloring in the flowers - well I did a test run and it overpowered everything even though it would have been true to design rules to triangulate the blues it was just too heavy.

What I like about this card is how busy and yet "clean" it is.  The triangulation of the green. Yes, it is a long, flat triangle but it works and grounds the scene.  AND that I made this pastel card for a MAN!  So go on and throw that preconception out the window.  Honestly, tell me why this isn't suitable for a guy?  It drives me to distraction when I read "rules for masculine cardmaking" sort of threads and they say "use dark earthtones" etc.  Just how un-Springlike would this card have been in "dark earthones"!!!

Well that is that mini-masculine card making rant over.  I hope you and yours are have a beautiful Sunday no matter what holiday you are celebrating.

Ingredients
Card Size - 4.25 x 5.5
Cardstock - Neenah Classic Crest Smooth Solar White
Stamps - Gina K Designs: Lots of Letters; Stampendous: Spring Things
Ink - Memento: New Sprout, Desert Sand, Summer Sky

ETA I finally worked out how to put that blue triangle in! I should have just dotted the center of the flowers.  Maybe I will revisit and have one or more in my stash for next Easter!

Happy Brrr-day to you...

 

This is the second Penguin card I made for my eldest with his current penguin obsession.  It is a pretty straightforward as they are digital stamps.  I did color them myself and proceeded to make their feet black so had to paper piece them.  Not my best bit of work but I am pleased that I was able to put this together relatively quickly for me and learning how to work with digital images and merging them with sentiments too.

 

Ingredients

Card size 8.5 x 5.5

cardstock - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Smooth, printer paper

Stamps - Clear Dollar Stamps: Pal Penguins

Color - Copics

 

 



Penguin on an Iceberg

 

Peguin on an iceberg please talk free... (totally earworming that to "Mirror in the Bathroom" by The Beat)

 

 

Anyway I digress!  I totally CASEd this card from the Splitcoaststamper gallery http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/2296718?cat=fav&perpage=48&thumbsonly=0&thumbcheck=

 

And the template for the card here! http://mamadinis.blogspot.ch/2011/12/penguin-card.html

 

Please go and give them some love!

 

Ingredients

Card size - 8.5 x 5.5 in (well around that anyway!)

Cardstock - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Smooth, The Paper Source, Recollections; Bazzill

Stamps - Gina K Designs (I think)

Ink - Memento, Archival Ink

Color - Copics

Accessories - Cuttlebug Clockworks embossing folder, White gel Pen, Liquid Applique

Snail mail... well that took its time...

I seem to have an uncanny knack for sending snail mail to my eldest for end of term that he then gets at the beginning of the next term.  Well at least he had some "fun post" waiting for him!  Rather funny that it ended up being this card!

 

I love this little stamp and I'm really missing my stamps ATM - been having to use all my time organizing a party but I'm planning some card making therapy for myself soon!

 

I have a couple of more cards to post when I get a round tuit, which may be after this weekend.  Just wanted everyone to know that I miss my cardmaking but sometimes needs must and we come back stronger - of course it doesn't help that before all the party planning I had stamp orders come in that are begging for ink!!!!  Just hope I don't lose my mojo when I finally have a few minutes to play.

Ingredients
Card size 4.25 in x 5.5 in
Cardstock - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Smooth
Stamp - Clear Dollar Stamps
Ink - Memento Tuxedo black (image), Archival Ink (sentiment)
Color - Copics