Invite Mock-Up #3 With a New Paisley Stamp

I found a different paisley stamp a few weeks ago at Michaels, I wasnt sure if I could make it work.  I liked the other paisley, but it seems like it was a little too busy for embossing.  It worked OK, but this one looks so much nicer and more crisp.  I thought Nick would think it was too girly, but he liked it better too.  Yippee!

Productive Weekend

I think it's been a productive weekend.  I made a flower for my hair, made another invite mock-up (see previous post) AND finished the personalized hangers for myself, my MOH and mom.  I will post the pics of my hair flower but not the hangers, because they both read my blog.  Sorry ladies! It's the ONE thing I'm trying really hard to keep as a surprise.  :-)  

The flower was really easy to make.  Just break apart a silk rose, layer the petals how you want them, add some flat back crystals and tada...done!  I attached mine to a bobby pin.

This is the finished flower...

Finished flower in my hair...

The rose before I broke it apart...

There is a cost break down in my Knot Bio.

Invite Mock-Up #2

After reading many reviews on The Knot, I decided to order samples from CardsandPockets.com.

I ordered two different color gate cards (Coffee Bean & Milk Chocolate) 

and two different color matts, (Something Blue & Hydrangea).

I also ordered a sample of the cream invitations.

After trying all combinations, we've decided on the Milk Chocolate & Hydrangea.

I picked up a couple ribbon options today too, one is just a light blue satin and the other is a light blue satin with chocolate and cream swirl.  It was also on clearance, so we'll see.  I'm not sure how I feel about it with the paisley inside.  Ugh, this takes a lot of time, but it's so much cheaper than ordering them.

I want to change the font, and the letter on the front.  So there will be more mock-ups to come.  Yea!

Favors?

Maybe I'm putting a lot of thought into the whole 'getting married at a golf course' theme, but Nick and I loved this favor idea.  Here's the thing...everyone will tell you that non-edible favors don't go over as well as edible ones, and not everyone is a golfer, so this idea could be excluding a large number of guests.  Personalized golf balls are expensive and so I thought about it for a  while and came up with the idea of chocolate golf balls.  Edible AND go along with our theme.  To buy chocolate golf balls, life size one's anyway, is extremely expensive.  Chocolate molds are fairly inexpensive and I was thinking either Easter grass or colored coconut as a bed, I'm not sure yet.  I may be spending a couple weeks before my wedding pouring chocolate into molds, but I think it will be well worth it.  I can recruit enough help right?

Here are some examples...

Paper Samples & an Invite Mock-up

I had to return some embossing powder the other day.  I didnt realize that even though it says clear on the bottle, if it's 'clear pearl,' then it turns everything, no matter what color your ink is...purple.  Not so good.   Anyway, while I was there I picked up a couple pieces of scrapbooking paper in our colors, just to play around with.  Then I started thinking maybe it's time to start making some mock-ups, like real ones, so we can decide what we like best.  I have been stalking cardsandpockets.com for a while now.  I like that you can buy individual pieces  of paper, instead of packs of 25. (like PaperSource)  So yea!!  I ordered samples from Cards & Pockets yesterday, I cant wait to see what they're like.  Since our colors are brown and light(ish) blue, I ordered samples of the gate fold card in Milk Chocolate and Coffee Bean.  Then I ordered the invitation mat in Something Blue and Hydrangea.  Our actual invitation will be cream. 

I made a pretty rough mock-up just to see what it was going to look like, but I think I love it.  I had some leftover blue paper and since I was trying to explain to the girls at work what I was talking about with a 'belly band,'  I threw it on there for effect.  I think I like the idea of the paper one.  You can open it and dont have to slide it down like a real ribbon one.  I'm still going to make a mock-up of both, just in case.  I'll keep you posted.

Embossing!

Okay, so I think I want to make my own invitations.  Since I'm adoring paisley right now, and my mom and I got a stamp last weekend.  I started playing around with it.  My co-worker had some left over embossing powder and a heat gun, Yea! Saves my budget, but when I was messing with it I realized the powder she let me borrow is too large for my fine detailed stamp.  No biggie, embossing powder is like $3.50.  

So I picked up some clear (fine detail) powder yesterday and this is how they turned out.  I think they look cool.  Nick likes how they feel.  (Boys!)  

Today at work I made a mock-up of just top part of the invitation,  complete with wording, so Nick and I can start stamping, and hopefully get an idea of what we like.   I will post some pictures when I get some good examples.  Yippee!  Another project!  :)

Paisley Everywhere? Maybe!

I am loving paisley right now...inspired mostly by Nick's tie.  So my mom and I were at Hobby Lobby on Saturday and we picked up a paisley stamp and some brown ink.  I love it. I think I want to use it for the invitations, or I hope I can come up with at least something to do with it, like belly bands or the monogram on our centerpieces.  We'll see...I'll keep you updated.

First DIY Project Complete

I've been lurking on The Knot for quite some time and I came across these DIY necklaces and thought they were super cute. My MOH Christa loves pearls and I thought they would be great for her. I decided to make them today. I say them because I couldnt decide between the white beads and the cream ones. So, when in doubt, buy both. Luckily, theyre only $2 each at Walmart.. I got the stringing wire, crimp beads, jump rings and ribbon at Michaels. I had leftover beads, so I made her a matching bracelet, I alternated the white and cream beads, so she can wear it with either necklace. I love the way they turned out, I cant wait to see them with Christa's BM dress.