Kitten & Buttons Notebook

Howdy!  I had an urge to make a few more altered notebooks last night.  I don't know if it the fact that I had a few hours alone at home (aka: craft room) or that I got to work with a wonderful lady yesterday {smile}!  Either way, no matter the spark, I took advantage of the creative push!

I noticed that the wonderful ladies over @ Paper Ladybirds have a beautiful color challenge.  This challenge site is from Russia, but don't let that stop you!  This design team is very talented and inspirational!  Here is the color challenge board:

and here is what I made:

Beautiful, right?!  So, I selected papers from Tilda: Happiness is Homemade.  This pattern paper collection is just so gorgeous!  It reminds me of vintage wallpaper, and fabrics prints.  Just so calming, pretty, and very easy to use!  The button card is from Tilda, also.  The buttons are from Paper Trey Ink: vintage buttons: ripe avecado and sweet blush.   The buttons are actually stitched to the cover of the mini notebook.  I just love their button collections.  You get 150 buttons of a particular color in various sizes.  The saddle stitch ribbon is from Paper Trey Ink: sweet blush.  I just love the pale, sweet pink color, with the contrasting white stitching.  Just so sweet!  I also added a scrap of the pattern paper to the inside of the pen barrel, so that the pen 'belongs'.  

I added a neutral paper doily from Recollections under the button card.  I thought the open loop design added a feminine touch to the cover.  I also added a Junk Bow to the top of the button card.  I used some scrap pieces of lace, fabric, seam binding, and crochet trim to create the junk bow.  I added a single mini paper blossom to the top of the junk bow, to add a little more sweetness.  {smile}

Thank you for looking.  I hope you get a chance to play along with this current color challenge.  It's quite beautiful!

Table Set

~ photo heavy post ~

Whew.  Sorry for the tardiness of this post.  Life has gotten in the way of my crafting {smile}.  Hate when that happens.  

Anyways, I wanted to share with you how I did my plates for this years hosting of Bunco.  I wanted the table set to match my overall style and theme: farmland.  So, I selected a clear plate.  Pinterest had a lot of great images of doilies and clear plates.  However, they were all loose doilies.  I wanted my doily to 'stick' to the plate.  Because I plan on layering the plates.  (Also, another image I found on Pinterest.)  

I have to admit, I am addicted loving Pinterest.  Anyways, I decided to get the look I really wanted by doing a reverse decoupage technique to 'stick' the doily to the clear plate.  That way, the doily would go with the top (clear) plate, and then the user have another plate incase they needed another plate for seconds, or whatever.  However, I didn't want the bottom plate to be non-usable because of contaminants from the glue on the doily.

So, I applied spray adhesive to the middle of the doily, let it dry completely.  Then applied Mod Podge to the back side of the doily, to add some sticking power to the doily and clear plate.  It also sealed the doily to the clear plate, so there wouldn't be any lingering contamination seeping through the doily onto the bottom plate.

So, this 'farmland' color scheme is a sweet pink, a nice aqua mist blue, white, and silver.  So, I decided on using silver solo cups to tie into the metallic silver on the home-made napkin rings.  I added pink polka dot paper straws, and added a small strip of aqua mist blue diagonal stipe washi tape.  Since this tape is a bit transparent, the diagonal lines on both sides, look like gingham patterns. And, to make it all work, and look like it actually belongs, I selected a silver paper plate.  The clear plate is 9" circle.  So, I selected a 10.5" circle silver paper plate.  That way, the bottom plate, looks like a charger.  A bit more classy.  The plastic flatware I used has a metallic silver shine to it.  It looks like actually flatware, and not plastic.  Another touch to improve the overall look: picnic to party!  

The continuum of paper, plastic, metal, burlap, lace, and ribbon through out the overall table setting, along with the mix of patterns, (but keeping with the same color scheme) helps keep the table setting coordinated, and gives it some visual interest.  If everything matches, items get lost in the overall landscape. (blue plates, blue table cloth, blue flatware, blue napkins, regardless of the mix of materials.)

Also, I added these sweet, fabulous broaches to the bows on the floral arrangements.  I thought they also needed a little bling, to help tie in the silver metallic additions.

The broaches came from China, so I did have to order these 3 weeks in advance.  However, please be aware, that international shipping, does take a while.  So, the lesson I learned from this, is to actually have a finished plan.  

Here are the table number holders that I had shared with you earlier: altered salt shakers.  I made button cards, to label the tables {smile}.  [these will be for sale in my Etsy shop soon.]

I altered the salt shakers a few weeks before I knew what I was going to do for the table numbers.  But, I still love them {smile}.  The salt shakers look similar, so they look like they belong, and the table numbers are all button cards, but with a different color.  Additionally, the colors do work with the color scheme.  So, it gives them that 'looks like they belong' look, gotta love that!

Oops!  I forgot a photo of the dessert table.  So, here we go!  Yeah, I am a fan of choices.  So, there are three (yeah, 3!) desserts.  Also, I did the reverse decoupage on the dessert plates and added tiny tasting folks into mini canning jars!  [keeping the country shabby-chic charm of my party theme: farmland.]

From left to right.  A mixed berry pie (strawberry, blueberry and black berries).  Lemon bundt cakes.  And peach cobblers.  All are individually sized.  That way they are portable.  And sharable with the right person!
I took dollar store cookie trays and spray painted them a cream color.  I added a piece of pink gingham parchment paper under the food items.  I took small pink and blue distressed frames to hold the dessert name.

Thank you for stopping by today.  Hopefully, you return tomorrow to see more prizes.  Beware, these next few posts (3), the photography is less than desirable.  However, I wasn't able to double check these before entertaining. {frown}