Fun Photo Friday: Fist Pump

Image via Tumblr

DIY twine lanterns

Today's DIY is a little messy, but the end result is totally worth it! I think these twine lantern would look perfect hanging from the ceiling or rafters if you're having a ranch or autumn wedding with a "natural" look to it. I found the idea on Pinterest, but the tutorial originated from http://www.craftynest.com/.


The tutorial says to hang them over a lightbulb or electrical fixture, but I think these would look really cool just hanging above at a wedding. Here are the different steps to make the twine lanterns:

Images via Crafty Nest

Supplies and tools

- bouncy balls of various sizes
- clear drying craft glue (about 1 bottle per ball) such as Aleene’s Clear Gel Tacky Glue
- hemp string 20lb. weight
(estimated amounts needed):
16 inch diameter ball—400 yards
14 inch diameter ball—300 yards
9 inch diameter ball—100 yards
- plastic gloves (optional but highly recommended)
- trash bag or small drop cloth
- permanent marker
- ball inflating needle

To view the step-by-step tutorial, visit the Crafty Nest website. 

Fun Photo Friday - Behind the door

This is one of my favourite wedding photos I think I've come across so far. As some of you may know if you follow my Facebook page, I have been talking about my obsession with Pinterest this week and all the wonderful wedding inspiration brides can find on there. The photo today is from the author of the Peanut Butter Fingers blog. This was an actual photo of the author and her husband on their wedding day:

Photo from www.pbfingers.com. Sorry, I don't have the photographers name - otherwise I would give credit.

Isn't it just such an adorable picture? The phrase "pictures say a thousand words" definitely applies here. Thanks for stopping by my blog and have a wonderful weekend!

Purple and silver bridal shower invitation

I stumbled across this gorgeous photo of a bridal shower candy buffet and it inspired me to make a coordinating invitation. I just loved the elegance of the cupcake stand in particular. Here's the photo of the buffet:

Photo and design by Enchanted Expectations

And here is the invitation I created as a sample bridal shower invitation that would have coordinated with the theme:

I embossed the design along the left-hand side with silver embossing powder and I just love how it turned out! Here's a closer look at the details:

Thanks for stopping by!

Bridal Shower Themes

If you've ever been responsible for hosting a bridal shower, you know that it's not an easy task. And probably one of the hardest, yet most important, aspects of planning a shower is the theme. You also want to make sure the shower is fun, not cheesy. We searched the web for some unique themes to help inspire those of you who are planning showers for a bride-to-be this summer:

Image from Martha Stewart Weddings

Sweet beginnings
Have a shower centred around a ``sweet beginnings`` theme. You can bring the theme in by hosting a candy and dessert bar, having candy bouquets made for the centrepieces, candy-themed invitations and even gift ideas - bakeware, dessert cookbooks, etc.


Cooking Theme
Do a cooking-themed shower by having guests bring their favourite recipes to the shower and putting together a cookbook for the bride filled with guests` tried and true recipes. You could also have a fun cook-off for one of the bridal shower games, or hire a professional chef to come in and do a cooking lesson.


Around the World Theme
This is perfect for a globetrotting bride or a bride who`s planning an exotic honeymoon! Have guests bring travel-inspired gifts such as travel guides, passport holders, luggage, make-up kits, language books, etc. If the couple is taking an exotic honeymoon, try to tie the place(s) they`re visiting into the theme and activities - for example, if the couple is going to Paris, have mini Eiffel Tower vases as the centrepieces and Parisian food for the guests.

Photo from Hostess with the Mostess blog

Bling Bride
This theme is for the girlie bride who loves her bling! Incorporate a bling-theme by embellishing the invitations with rhinestones; have tiaras for the guests and make a "bride-to-be" tiara out of rhinestones for the bride; place giant-sized ring napkin rings around the room for decor; give out Ring Pops and shimmery lip gloss for bridal shower favours, etc.


Time Theme
This theme is typically known as the 24/7 shower theme, but with a twist - instead of assigning guests a "time" like 9 a.m. that they  have to base their gift around, you can make it more generic so the bride gets a variety of gifts by assinging different time themes to each guest  - for example: time for a bath  - guests could bring towels, handcloths, washcloths, bubble bath, etc. as gifts; time to cook - guests could give gifts of pots and pans, utensils, a crock pot, cookbooks, etc.;  time for bed - guests could give gifts like duvets, pillows, bed sheets, lingerie, etc. This is a very versatile theme.

Fun Photo Friday: Keep Calm

Today's Fun Photo Friday is for my dear friend, Elizabeth, who gets married tomorrow :)

Photo by Hanowell Photography

Pretty colour combination: peach and pink

Happy Thursday, everyone! One more day left until the weekend. I will be posting pictures of Sarah and Michael's wedding stationery suite next week and thought I would share some colour inspiration using their colour palette. Sarah and Michael's wedding colours are peach, pink and white. I thought this inspiration board brought in all of their colours beautifully:

Image from Perfect Palette

Stay tuned to the blog next week when I'll share Sarah and Michael's stationery suite!

When NOT to DIY

It’s no secret that DIY is all the rage for 2011 weddings. But sometimes you need to step back and think about the golden question when it comes to weddings: is it really worth it? Here are some signs that it might be best NOT to DIY:

1) You have to buy too many supplies. For example, for invitations, you would need a variety of cardstock papers (at least 100 if you’re having 100 guests); a scoring board; a bone folder; several different types of adhesive; ribbon; ink for your printer; envelopes; embellishments; and ink and rubber stamps if you are getting crafty. If you're looking to buy pocketfold invitations, you're looking at $1.70 each for blank pocketfolds. For all of these supplies, you would be looking at $200 - $300 minimum, and that’s not counting your time.



2) You have a large quantity to make. For example, it might seem like a great idea to make your own packaging for your wedding favours, but if you have 250 to make, your time is better spent elsewhere (unless you have a long assembly line of family and friends, of course)



3) You’re not crafty. Sometimes you just need to accept the things you cannot change. If you’re not “naturally” crafty, chances are it’s going to take you waaay longer to do things than it should and they might not turn out the way you want them to, costing you more time and money in the end.



4) You just don’t have the time. When it comes to weddings, there is a never-ending to-do list. Time is money, so sometimes it’s worth it just to fork over the cash rather than saving $15.



5) You’re willing to pay a professional who can get it done right and save your sanity. Some things just need to be left to the wedding pro’s who do these things day in and day out.

Night Out on the Town hot pink and black stagette invitation

Did you know that Glass Slipper Designs specializes in a variety of event invitations, including stagette invitations? We did a super girly hot pink and black "night out on the town" invitation recently that we wanted to share with you. The invitaton features a small rhinestone at the top and a hand stamped image of a dancing silhouette - a perfect image for the occasion! If you would like to order this invitation, please contact glasssslipperdesignscalgary@gmail.com and we'll get in touch with you to talk about the customization details.

Design by Glass Slipper Designs

A closer look at the details

Fun Photo Friday: Looking out

Image by Shutterbugs Photography via WedLuxe Magazine

Bridal shower card for the bride

One of my best friends recently had her bridal shower in June. When you go to a card store to buy the bride a card for her shower, your choice is very limited and she usually ends up getting the same card at least twice, so I wanted to make her something unique and special that no one else would give her. Here's what I came up with:

Front of card - the bride stamp and sentiment are embossed with silver powder and I used rhinestone accents to add some more "bling" to it.

Blank inside with a cute border and some bling

Patriotic Kate

The Duchess of Cambridge was a real crowd pleaser during the first leg of the Royal Tour. For Canada Day, Kate paid a patriotic tribute to Canada, opting for a white wrap dress complete with red pumps, a red clutch and a red fascinator with maple leafs on it. 

Image from Calgary Herald

Can't wait to see what outfits Kate has in store for Calgary when she arrives on Wednesday!

Will you be my bridesmaid?

Sometimes it's hard to decide how exactly you'll ask someone to be in your bridal party, which is why I am in the process of designing a few different cards that will help you "pop the question." This is one of the first cards I've done for this type of category, which was inspired by a t-shirt I blogged about a while ago. I plan on selling this card in my Etsy store, which I will be launching shortly, as well as at the Bliss Bridal Fair that I will be in on September 25.

Front of card

Inside of card

 

 

Thanks for stopping by! For more pictures of my work, visit the Glass Slipper Designs website.