Bridesmaid Luncheon Invitations

My next-door-neighbor asked me if I could make some Bridesmaid Luncheon invitations for her older daughter's wedding this June. Of course I told her that I would be happy to.....then I started to panic!

We've known our neighbors for 10 years and they are like family to us. We've watched the girls turn into beautiful young ladies and feel as if we're gaining a son just as much as Gary & Katie are (yes, my neighbor's husband is also a Gary....and their last name starts with 'P' as well!)! For this reason, the invitations had to be perfect! This was nerve-wracking for me and as a result, I didn't get started on putting them together until today!

I actually dreamed one of the layouts and in my dream, it was Kehley's favorite! The bad thing is that I didn't "see" what was stamped as the focal point. What's that all about? If I'm going to dream her favorite invite, shouldn't I see the whole thing so that I can re-create it?!!

Four of the five cards you will see were CASE'd from our Stampin' Up! demo-only website. I changed something on the card on each one & will tell you what that was as well as who created the original card, but I won't post the originals as I don't have permission to do so and I just don't feel right doing that.

Jane Hignite created the original that this card was based off of. I changed the colors to Kehley & CJ's wedding colors, changed the way the flowers were placed (Jane's were cascading down the cake) and I ran the cake "layers" through my "Elegant Bouquet" embossing folder.

Anita Haines was the creator of the original card this one was based on. I still used the Manhattan Flower embossing folder but I tied my tag to the ribbon and I again changed the colors. I also inked up one side of my folder so that it would add just a tad bit of color (Regal Rose) to the So Saffron.

Teresa Giordano is the one that created this original. Honestly, I changed very little of this one because I thought it was just beautiful! I added the Chocolate Chip base and I didn't heat emboss the bride and groom as she did (she did that in silver - beautiful!). I again changed the colors to the wedding colors.

Kathy Baffone is the creator of this card and she's being SO kind! She stated that she used a template to make the "bride" side of this card and she's looking for it so that she can send it to me. I'm hoping like crazy she can find it because I just couldn't get the bust of the card to look "right"! The only two things I changed on this card is the stamp and I didn't add flowers.

This is the card I dreamed! I wanted to use my Manhattan Flower embossing folder to create a dress as the focal point but I had a "blonde moment" and it just wouldn't work out. I figured out how it would have worked as I was showing the cards to Katie & Kehley earlier tonight! I may create that card to see how it would have looked if I hadn't been so darned blonde earlier tonight!

Which one do you think Kehley picked as her Bridesmaid Luncheon Invites? You'll have to come back tomorrow to see! She asked about changed a couple things around and Katie had a couple ideas as well so I'm going to make those changes for them so they can actually see what they're thinking and then make their final decision....but Kehley already knows what she wants.

Hmmmm, maybe I need to turn this into a contest?! I will wait until Tuesday to post the requested changes. Y'all post a comment telling me which card you think Kehley picked as her favorite and the first person to answer correctly will receive a prize. I can't tell you what it will be (because I don't know right this minute) but I'll make sure it's pretty! ;o)

Melissa's 23rd

I sat down to make my older step-daughter a birthday card and knew that I wanted it to be simple and pretty. I had just made Kehley's engagement card (see previous post) and loved the way the Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder worked with the vellum and I decided to do it with Melissa's birthday card.

I embossed the vellum and cut it down to 5 1/4" x 4". I stamped "Happy Birthday" on the same size Whisper White card stock and then adhered the vellum to the card stock using mini glue dots on the two upper corners (you couldn't see them through the vellum either!). After I did that, I wanted just a tad bit of color so I gently went over the raised edges of the vellum with my pastels and a sponge dauber. It doesn't really show up, but I used blue to give the rose some color...I didn't want a lot so I barely did it.


I wanted something more than the sentiment on the inside of her card so I stamped the big rose on the inside bottom corner. I *really* liked the way this card turned out!



Now that you saw the card that I created especially for Melissa....this is the card she'll get in the mail! Why? Because when I gave Gary the card to sign I didn't specifically say, "This is Melissa's card." and he signed "Gary" instead of "Love, Dad". I didn't because I told him earlier that I was making cards to get into the mail along with Melissa's birthday card that we would send her and another that we'll give her when we take her to dinner Sunday night.....I thought he would remember that his daughter was the only birthday card I would be making. Yeah, I know what you're thinking...."Are you kidding?! He's a man! Men don't remember things like that!" Oy! It was late last night and I was not going to make another card to get in the mail this morning so I went to my box of cards and grabbed this one. I'll most likely re-make the one above to give her Sunday night because I liked it so much but this is the one she'll be getting in the mail. :o( Oh well, at least she'll be getting one!

So excited!

I got a phone call from our neighbor telling me that her older daughter is engaged! I'm SO excited for Kehley and CJ! They are such a wonderful couple....sooo nice and just exactly what you would want in your own kids! I had to know how he proposed....OMG - he just stole my heart again (our family just loves CJ and Kehley!)!

He hid in Kehley's apartment - she came home from class early (she's attending UGA) and he almost got caught! He asked her if she had made her bed that morning. She went in to check and found a rose & a note. The note told her to go to a friend's apartment....where he had a rose & note waiting to give her. That note told her to go to another friend's apartment....where she had a rose & note waiting to give her. That note told her to go to the balcony....where she found another rose & note. That note told her to look down....where CJ was standing with a rose. She ran down to him and he proposed! How sweet is that?!!

I made the card below using UGA's colors since I have no idea what colors they will use (they're thinking next year) and I don't know what Kehley's favorite colors are. I used the Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder and cut out the dress. I saw this idea on a blog one day and knew I had to try it for myself! I really like how it turned out! What do you think?