A Pumpkin Party: Part 2

I have been excited to show all of you the rest of the decor details I put into my sister's pumpkin themed baby shower!

To see other pumpkin party ideas, check out my previous post here.

I left off by showing you these beautiful pumpkin floral arrangements.

To add some interest to these centerpieces, I found leafy autum garland at the craft store and placed it along the center of the tables. I loved how this immediately brightened the room with orange and red hues.

And check out those cute and unique party favors! Baby food jars filled with candy corn and pumpkins. I came across this idea here, and it was perfect for our pumpkin themed baby shower. And it was a great way to recycle all those baby food jars I had laying around.

I created a personalized "food label" in Photoshop, and attached them to the jars with a little glue. What a fun way to say thank you.

 

 Now, when planning a party (especially a baby shower) there are several important details. Food, decor, favors, games. Games. Don't forget the games!

Looking for some fun pumpkin baby shower games? Here are some of the ideas we used. We also played a little nursery rhyme Jeopardy that my sister worked on so diligently.

The games were a huge hit. But you can't have games without prizes! And why not put a little effort into wrapping up those prizes in a pretty, hand stamped fall bag?

These pretty prize bags were made from plain white paper bags. Dress them up with some metallic tissue paper, hand stamp leaves in a nice arrangement, and viola! I used copper ink and a little pink to add a girly touch...(it's a girl!)

Overall, I think this theme came together beautifully.

 

 

Remember, it's the little details that can make a party a party.

 

But the most important detail is for everyone to have FUN!

Next time you have a party to plan, don't get intimidated by all the details. Relax, enjoy yourself, and focus on one thing at a time. Anyone can have a beautiful party, so why not make it one that your guests won't soon forget?

Now go make something, and enjoy the day!

A Pumpkin Party: Part 1

Well, as you all know, I have been slacking big time when it comes to keeping my blog updated . But, I have a good excuse (I think). I was out of town for 10 days to surprise my sister at her baby shower. The surprise was a success, and so was the shower. 

I was in charge of decorating. Oh, the fun I have making things look pretty.

My other sisters (I have three) chose to have a pumpkin themed shower since it took place on Halloween weekend. I have to admit, I was a little unsure of how this was going to work at first. But I quickly started looking for pumpkin decor and ideas, and the visions started pouring into my crafty little mind.

Want to see what I envisioned? Here's a little taste...and it came out even better than I could have imagined.

 

Pumpkins, leaves, and bright orange flower arrangements made this baby shower full of fall elegance.

Let's start by taking a look at the cake. Look at that cake! My incredibly talented oldest sister recently found a new hobby: baking. She made this ganache filled chocolate cake, with a buttercream filled spice cake on top, right in our mother's kitchen. Mmmm....chocolate ganache... This cake was full of yummy goodness. 

And it doesn't look too bad either, does it? My sister enlisted my help, as well as my younger sister's, to give the cake a pretty finish. She made the fondant from scratch, following this recipe. Do you know what fondant is made from? I didn't...but maybe you can guess. :)

 

That's right. That soft, smooth and chewy icing has a scrumptious marshmallow base. Who would have thought?

Combine it with a little powdered sugar and shortening, and you've got yourself the most popular finish on professionally made cakes to date.

We mixed and colored the fondant, then rolled it out and placed it over our pre-iced cakes. 

Then the fun really began. I cut out a pumpkin shape with an Exacto knife and placed it on the top tier. Taking a paintbrush handle, I made indents in the pumpkin to give it those dividing ridges that make pumpkins pumpkins. I then added a green stem, some fun swirly vines, and simple letter cut-outs to finish it off.

 

We added orange circles and rings to give it a little flare, and place a green border around the bottom of each tier to hide any blemishes at the base of the fondant.

Have you ever seen such a happy pumpkin cake? Maybe I'm biased...and partial because we stayed up until 3 a.m. finishing the little details. I guess I put a little heart and soul into this cake, but it was totally worth it! Don't you think?

Ok, moving on. Want to know what my favorite decor detail was?

These.

Look how fun these pom pom hangings are, floating over the table like big sunbursts.

 

These were so easy and fun to make. I used this tutorial to get me started. What a great way

to add a burst of color in an unexpected way.

Another important element of decor were these beautiful pumpkin flower arrangements.

We purchased lots of silk flowers from Joann's and Michael's. The great thing was, a lot of the fall decor was on sale since we are now coming up on the Christmas season. So, I carved three medium sized pumpkins and arranged the flowers as I saw fit. Very simple, but the impact was amazing. I spread these pretty pumpkins all throughout the house, and they quickly gave it the fall feel I was going for.

These arrangements were fantastic centerpieces for the party tables. And they went perfectly with the other little accents I added...which I will get to in my next post.

I hope you find a little inspiration in my party planning. Once I start, I can't seem to stop. So I have many more details to share another day.

Now go make something, and enjoy the day!

Tutorial: Crib Rail Protector

Today I am posting my first ever tutorial! It's a simple one, but very functional if you have little ones around.

We've had a growing problem over the last few weeks, and I finally decided to do something about it after seeing this in my daughter's crib this morning...

OUCH. Our beautiful crib has taken quite the beating from my little girl's razor sharp chompers.

I new what I needed to do. I've seen rail protectors before, but I've never taken the time to sit down and put one together. So today I decided this little problem could not go on any longer. 

And here is my solution:

I made this using scrap fabric I had laying around. I had no means of going to the fabric store an hour away from us, so I used what I had and it worked beautifully.

Want to make your own?

Here's what you need:

-coordinating scrap fabric

-batting

-ribbon

-sewing machine

-scissors

Start by measuring the length of your crib rail. Add an inch for hem allowance. Mine is about 52 inches in length. Then measure around the rail to see how wide your cover will need to be. Again, add about an inch for seam allowance.

Next, piece together your scraps in the order you want them to appear, and cut them to the size you need for your crib rail. Add a couple inches to the ends for hem allowance, depending on how many scraps you are piecing together. Keep in mind that each time you sew two scraps together, you will lose 1/2 inch in total fabric length.

Pin the pieces right sides together, in the correct order.

Then sew each piece together with 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Open the seams and press flat.

You will need two strips of scrap fabric, both the same width and length, to make your rail protector. They do not have to be identical, and the back side could be one piece of the same fabric, but you do need two. 

I made mine identical...

Next, pin the strip intended to be the "back" or bottom side of your protector onto your batting, wrong side down. Cut the batting to the same size as your strip of fabric.

Take your "top" strip of fabric and decide where your ribbon ties should go. I chose to make three ties, one in the middle, and one on each end to hold it secure to the rail.

Now, this is where I goofed initially...so pay close attention.

Cut 6 pieces of ribbon, each 12 inches in length. Pin each ribbon to the right side of your fabric, going towards the inside, like this:

Make sure your ribbon is pointing inwards. I initially pinned mine to the edge of the fabric going out (which I knew I shouldn't have done) which would have actually put the ribbon on the INSIDE of the rail protector. Obviously, that would be completely useless.

So, once you've placed all your ribbon in the correct direction, take your other strip of fabric and lay the two pieces right sides together. Place your batting on the top of the bottom two layers. Pin in place.

*NOTE...ignore the ribbon in this picture. It shows the ribbon pinned in the incorrect direction*

Sew around all three layers with 1/2 inch seam allowance, but leave a 4 inch opening on one side.

Snip the corners. 

Then, using your opening, turn the protector right side out. Make sure to poke out the corners, then press the entire cover flat.

Fold the opening in 1/4 inch and pin closed.

Topstitch close to the edge around your entire rail protector.

And you're finished!

Now go try it out on your little one's crib! No more worries about the rail being chewed, and a nice and soft cushion to prevent more bumps and bruises on your ever growing baby.

Now go make something, and enjoy the day!

Drawing: Part 2 - Finishing a drawing

Finishing a drawing is the best part of the process. You get to watch your work come to life right before your very eyes.

To see how to start a drawing, click here or scroll down.




We last left the drawing fully outlined. No shading had been done yet.

Now is when the fun begins. Take your ebony pencil, or soft graphite pencil and start filling in the drawing with lights and darks. If something is very dark in the photo, press hard with the pencil. If it is pure white, leave it completely blank. The trick is to get your drawing to have the blackest black and the whitest white in your drawing. That's what really gives it depth.

I always start at the top right of the drawing and work across the paper. That way I leave less smudges as I work, and I won't smear pencil after I finish a section.

In this next section, you'll find I use the word smudging a lot. I'm not exactly sure if this is a good professional term, but it's the best word to describe what you will be doing.

When you get to a good stopping point, find a tissue. Yep, a tissue. My cheapest and most important drawing tool.

Wrap the tissue around your finger and begin smudging the graphite. This will create a much softer appearance, and makes it more realistic. Round objects look much more round when they are smooth.

After smudging, be sure to go back with an eraser and define your highlights. You may even want to go back with your pencil and darken areas that may have lightened when smudging.

Continue to do this with the rest of your drawing, by first creating shadows with the pencil, then smudging them in.

Don't worry about going past your border or making a mess beyond the drawing. We will cut off or erase those marks later.

WHEW! After all that hard work, here is the final product...

But wait! You're not done yet. We must put credit where credit is due, so don't forget to sign your masterpiece!

Cut of your messy edges or erase unwanted pencil marks. Spray the drawing with a fixative to make sure your smudges stay put, and you're FINISHED! Ready to send it to a special friend, sell it to an eager buyer, or frame it and hang it on your own wall.

**This particular drawing is a tribute to a wonderful woman who holds a special place in my heart, as does her daughter who ordered the drawing**

Now go make something, and enjoy the day!