June has been a busy month, but I don’t think that it’s been any more busy for me than anyone else.  Lots of brides and dads, lots of beautiful flowers (and the pollen that goes with it…) and I’ve been dealing with all of it.

First things first–my wonderful younger brother got married yesterday so I have a brand new sister-in-law! I’m very excited about everything, but more than that, I’m just so supportive of my brother and his new bride. They are both beautiful people and I wish them much deserved happiness.

As most young couples planning a wedding, money only goes a short way.  My gift to them was to create their invitations (with all the needed extras) as well as programs for the wedding and a few other little things that they wanted.  This process in creating each handmade, hand-stamped piece of paper was tedious and intricate but it was worth it–because I could stamp a little love on each piece.

Here are the things that I learned in creating custom invitations, etc.:

• It is important to remember to keep the overall design simple, because you will have to replicate it at least a hundred times
• While the bride (and maybe the groom) may ask for lots of different things, you have to consider the cost and effort it will take to make good on the request (let your gut be your guide; luckily for me, my new SIL made things very easy)
• If costs are a consideration, explore various sizes for your final design; calculate how many different pieces can you get out of one 12×12 sheet of cardstock or paper
• Simple touches go a long way so use items like ribbon and embossing powder as extensively as possible
• Make sure you have enough to go around–if you are doing a lot of printing, for example, you will probably need a few cartridges of ink to get everything covered
• Don’t forget your calling card!  Negotiate where you can place your brand.  Perhaps you can make your business cards available at a reception or you could include a small, tasteful business stamp somewhere on the product.

At the end of the day, you should attempt to deliver your client’s vision before promised and at or below budget.  Luckily for my brother and his new bride, I was able to deliver to their satisfaction!

I was able to personalize these programs with the same ribbon that I used on the original invitation, I used the same plum-colored paper from The Paper Source, and I embossed the feather stamp with the same color embossing powder that was used on the other materials.

While I definitely helped behind the scenes, I chose let my son, who acted as the ring bearer, take the spotlight.  However, I thought that it was important dress myself appropriately and stay close to the color scheme of the wedding.  So I pulled an oldie-but-goodie from the closet (we won’t talk about what it took to actually get into this frock!) and jazzed up my accessories, namely my hair.  I am not the type of girl to fuss for hours in a salon, although I did spend some time in one getting ready for the wedding.  And… I did want to get myself as primped as possible because I know that it will probably be a long time before I spend that much time and attention solely on myself.  To that end, I decided to make some special hairpins using some hot glue and a few flower picks from the local craft store. The result?

A very simple but pretty adornment that looked effortless to create.  I didn’t take the time count how many I made, but I suppose it was about 30 or so and it only took me about an hour after I got going.  With these beautiful hydrangea petals, I wanted to use the color of my dress to complement the lavender/purple theme of the wedding.  These were pretty simple to create:

1. Before purchasing, look at how the petals are attached to the pick; they should be easy to remove
2. Choose what you think you will need, but add another pick or two–it’s better to be safe than sorry!
3. Choose a good, quality pin that is the right type and color for your hair
4. Once you remove the petal from the stem, figure out the best way to glue it onto the pin. I removed the individual petals and then cut a small piece of the original attachment to get the flattest surface possible.
5. Once your glue is ready to go, try to attach the petals using a couple of different methods and see which one seems to hold up the best.
6. Allow adequate drying time, but if you are using hot glue this shouldn’t take long at all.
7. Pin to your hair as desired and get beautified!

I was trying to think how else to use this pins after I got home. They could make pretty bookmarks, don’t you think?

Last but not least, as part of my continued commitment to the Glue Dots team, I created this pinstriped-project just for dear old Dad:

The hardest and longest part of this quick craft was getting the die cut letters cut out.  With the help of my Cricut, it didn’t take me long at all.  Once you’ve got the letters cut and adhered with Glue Dots, you simply use whatever size Glue Dots that you like to decorate the letters.  In this case, I used some to help adhere metal beads.  You could also use glitter or confetti dots or anything else that you would like and simply press down on the Glue Dot to make sure that it stays.  Add your magnets and voila…and instant surprise for dad to find!

There you have it. I told you I was busy!