NEWSLETTER
INSPIRATION
DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKINGHybrid Project: Strawberry Shortcake Party
Friday, July 16, 2010
Hey, it’s Kathy…and I’m all about BIRTHDAYS today! It is my baby’s FIRST birthday today, and we are off to deliver the first round of the 189 quilts that have been made and donated for my Quilting for Babes project. But first I’m back to show you the hybrid projects that I put together for my daughter’s 3rd birthday party a couple of weeks ago!
When Nalley became obsessed with Strawberry Shortcake earlier this year, I knew that I had to step back into my childhood and live vicariously through her. I too, loved Strawberry Shortcake and still have my figurines…and they still smell!!! These PRECIOUS strawberry boxes from SP’s XOXO Confection Collection were absolutely perfect for the party. I had thought originally that I would use them as the party favors, but there were 20+ kids at her party, and that’s a lot of work. So, I turned them into the party invitations and filled them with strawberry and creme jellybeans in a cello bag.
I printed the party details on some cardstock, punched a scalloped circle from leftover red and white damask paper (from the Sweetie Pie Collection), punched a smaller green cardstock circle and topped it with a cute strawberry image. I attached it with some green wraphia and tied the box closed with some white grosgrain ribbon. I did enlarge the box slightly from the original and I also cut it all out on my Cricut…LOVE the Cricut! I hand delivered all of the invitations, as they wouldn’t fair well in the mail!
I wanted Nalley to have a special birthday outfit to go along with the Strawberry Shortcake theme and that would tie in to the invitations. I bought a plain white shirt at Walmart for $4 and used the same papers from the invitation to clip into the strawberry shape. I printed the image onto some iron on transfer paper and cut out the shape, leaving a small white border all around. I have used a couple of different transfer papers, and my favorite by far is the “blue back” Super Soft Iron On Transfer Paper from Dharma Trading. It prints beautifully and it goes on like a dream. When it is washed, it is so soft and not “plastic-y” feeling.
I made a very simple ruffled twirl skirt and headband to match in a red and white polka dot fabric that I had bought to make her birthday dress last year…but that never happened, LOL! The morning of the party, I put her outfit on and the shirt was too long and covered up a good portion of her skirt. The wheels started turning and I thought about when I was younger and we woud tie up our t-shirts with a knot in the front (anybody else grow up in the 80′s and do that?). Instead of just knotting her shirt, I made a QUICK button covered pony tail holder out of the red and white polka dot fabric and a white pony tail elastic. It worked like a dream and took me all of about 3 minutes, tops! If you look closely in the photo below, you can see it in the back.
We did really simple party favors, a coloring book and crayons, some strawberry candies and a party blower…
Nalley’s favorite part of her whole party was the cake (and the chocolate covered strawberries). But the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…the cake is my favorite part of ANY party!
The morning of the party, I realized that the table needed a little something else…it was kinda boring. I punched out some 3″ scalloped circles from the leftover green polka dot paper from the invitations and adhered some “3′s” in red and pink cardstock. I attached a skewer and plopped them into a champagne glass filled with extra jelly beans. I tied some grograin and chiffon ribbons on them and there you go. You can only see one of the in the pic above, but there was one on either side of the veggie tray.
The little details always make a party so special. So go take a look around the Shabby Shoppe and see how you can mix in a little Digi detail into your next party! Until next time…Cheers!
Apr 08, 2011 @ 08:50:23
I thought that was extremeley informative. Thanks for the unusual post. I’ll keep following this.
Jul 20, 2010 @ 12:14:16
I just love this idea. My granddaughter is in love with Strawberry Shortcake. Hopefully her love affair will last until the end of January when she turns 5 as I would love to steal osme of your ideas for her party.
I do have a question, though. I have looked at the XOXO Confection Collection. Is that red damask paper available in on of SP kits? Or was it designed just for this collection?
Jul 20, 2010 @ 15:27:44
Thanks so much Valerie, I hope you can use some of these ideas for a party for her! Yes, the red and white damask paper is part of the Sweetie Pie collection…isn’t it gorgeous?!? Enjoy!
Jul 17, 2010 @ 10:29:26
This is so so adorable. I love it all! And PLEASE share more about the software for the Cricut. I need to know. Really! Also, thanks for the great tip on the iron on transfer paper. I’m really loving the new blog. You all are very talented!
Jul 17, 2010 @ 10:12:57
Kathy this is awesome!! I LOVE Strawberry Shortcake, too! and I still have all my dolls – in their boxes, can you believe that?! (I have no idea why, I wasn’t a very organized kid, LOL!).
Your post is just wonderful – looks like a truly amazing party. I am like you, I definitely appreciate all the details. This party looks SO wonderful! I bet she loved it and felt like a Strawberry Princess all day long, especially in her brand new outfit.
Wonderful job!! thanks for all the fun ideas!
Jul 16, 2010 @ 12:45:22
Thanks so much for all the sweet and kind words for this post and the party. I LOVE to throw parties cause I’m all about the details and I love tying everything in. Lawson’s first birthday party was Sunday and it was airplane themed. I have gotten the pics out of the camera, but not edited them…I will post some pics soon on my personal blog if anyone wants to see them…it was LOTS of fun!
Jul 16, 2010 @ 12:29:44
Can’t tell you how much I’m lovin’ this “SWEET” post! I’m such a fan of co-ordinating all the little details for a party – I generally go a bit overboard in this area but it’s always worth it!! Such a brilliant idea with the invitations and I love the special birthday outfit you made – how cute is that! Nalley made the perfect little strawberry shortcake – her ‘strawberry’ curls are the cutest!! You are soooo very talented!!
Jul 16, 2010 @ 15:01:53
Thank you Kylie, I too usually go WAY overboard, wait till you see the airplane party, I went NUTS! My husband says that I’m over the top, but he got right in there this year and we both had so much fun…I was actually a little shocked about it, maybe I’m rubbing off on him…
Jul 16, 2010 @ 11:39:59
Tons of fantastic ideas!! O.k., maybe I don’t understand the Cricut – I thought you had to purchase their cutting patterns. If it works to cut out the strawberry and leaf shapes, that must not be true. I cut out over 30 of them for my daughter’s Valentine’s gifts to her class in February!!
Beautiful party!!
Jul 16, 2010 @ 11:55:05
oh Janet – you were reading my mind lol! i thought the same thing about the cricut…i will be waiting to see what Kathy says, too…b/c if it can cut out shapes for hybrid projects…i am ALL IN, lol! i spend sooooo much time trimming :o)
Jul 16, 2010 @ 12:43:06
OK…so here’s the deal. Cricut is made to cut with their cartridges, but you can buy a program that will make it cut any shape (it just has to be converted first). The program is called Sure Cuts a Lot (SCAL), but using it WILL void your Cricut’s warranty, so if that’s a problem, then wait the year until the warranty is up and then use it. It has saved me SOOOOO much time and effort to cut out all the hybrid projects, it is AWESOME. There are some things i still cut by hand, but not a lot. I will post some more info about it soon on my personal blog if anyone is still interested (www.magnoliadesigns.blogspot.com). And thanks so much for all the sweetness about the post!
Jul 17, 2010 @ 12:04:12
oh yes ma’am, we’d be interested! I’m going to put in on my wish list, right after the external flash! lol! Ya’ll know when I’ve finally gotten it, when my pics start loosing those mean ol’ shadows! lol! But seriously, that software really makes you think twice cuz then you aren’t limited (I guess you’re limited, I really don’t know as I don’t have the cricut, but can see it’s a hybrid’s dream).
Jul 18, 2010 @ 23:13:52
OKAY ladies, I did a short little post on my blog about using Cricut and the other software so that you don’t have to use the Cricut software. There is lots of other info “out there”, so I just kinda touched on it, seeing as I’m NO EXPERT.
Jul 16, 2010 @ 10:00:18
Kathy – it is all just precious beyond words (as is Nalley)! You should really be an event planner (i know – NOT what you want to hear right now, lol) – you are so good at it! thanks so much for sharing all of this :o)
Jul 16, 2010 @ 14:57:37
Thank you so much, and you are too funny…I couldn’t handle being an event planner, I would be stressed beyond words all the time, my family would kick me out!!! LOL, just kidding, I LOVE planning it and seeing it all come together, it is really fun!
Jul 16, 2010 @ 09:23:52
Great Post, it’s for sure one of my favorites! <3
Jul 16, 2010 @ 14:58:02
Thank you so much, that is a VERY sweet thing to say!
Jul 16, 2010 @ 09:16:19
GIRL… now THAT’S what I’m talkin’ about!! You totally put on the dog, lol! This is so, so adorable~ I could just squeel! You are so wonderfully talented… GUSH! I can’t wait to show my SIL, she was such a strawberry shortcake fan..me, too! The little invite boxes are just the cutest… I am so going to do that! The outfit is beyond precious (thanks for the transfer pp tip, I’ve googled like crazy for that). I just adore this whole post, it is just so amazingly inspiring! Utter perfection…awesome job!
Jul 16, 2010 @ 14:59:39
Lu, you crack me right up with your Southern-isms! I LOVE it, puts me right back in the South! Coming from you, I take it as a high complement, you so rock, you know! I’m flattered really…