I realized not too long ago (like, minutes) that I enjoy appearing busy- but when faced with the mountain of work I've made for myself I clam up. I was just realizing that as I read last night's Facebook Status update. Maybe I should worry less about appearing busy- thus, appearing important, and focus on the projects at hand. Can I finish them? Do I have the materials or finances to get the materials? Will it stress me to the max? My health is more important that how I appear to others. So yea- a bit of insight :P
Tomorrow is my son's birthday party. He turned six last week and being as his b-day weekend lands on the Canadian Thanksgiving, I usually wait a week. The kids are fine waiting on their parties (my 8 yr olds birthday is on the 30th of December- RIGHT SMACK in the middle of Christmas vacation- so we usually party at the end of January to give kids enough time to recoup after Christmas and parents to not have to worry about buying yet ANOTHER gift right away). So the kids are okay waiting- mom and dad do a good job of making the actual day special for family- so they basically get two parties :)
For Gabe's party it's going to be a mixture of things. He really wants a Lightening McQueen cake (I've dabbled in cake decorating- REALLY want to take that Wilton course!) and I have already made train themed party things. I am pretty excited about this :)
Last Christmas I really wanted to make a choo choo train out of paper as a centerpiece for candies and such- well, procrastinator I am Christmas came and went with no train. I was bound and determined and made one for my son- each 'train car' will be a goody bag. Goody bags are going to be pretty basic- just some candy (really- that's all kids care about) because it's a mixed gender party. Figuring out toys and such for boys and girls is just not gunna work.
So for this set I created the train in two parts. I made a simple box at 2 inches wide 2 inches deep and 2.5 inches tall. I made another box at 2x2x4 and then adhered them together with sticky tape. I then made a 2.5x2.5 inch pizza box for the top. The nose of the train is just a square (2 inchs? I think) scored in half and folded, then scored on each side at .5 inch to adhere to the front of the train. I took another peice of paper 2x5? and folded it over the front peice of the train to curve the top. I smooshed the paper with alcohol ink to give it a pattern and then stuck some 1 inch circles with silver brads for wheels. Embellish and VOILA done. The train cars (that will have baggies of candy) can fit some other stuff too- they are 2 inches high, 2 inches deep and 3 inches wide. Simple box without a top. I placed the wheels higher than I originally had them- because I wanted them to look 'wheel' like before- I had them lower- but the weight of the candies bent the wheels so I had to glue them higher. I also peirced some ribbon and stuck a small brad in there and adhered to the front and the back for those hooks that hook the train cars together. Does anybody know what those hooks are called? lol- after watching Thomas the Train for so many years- one would think I'd know!The invites were fun and simple- I kept the same color combo- and you can't see it here- but it's actually layered. I used my cuttlebug and the train engine and caboose, taping them into place, and then had this die cut window to put "You're Invited" behind it. The cards are 4x4 and were pretty simple other than that. Just some silver brads, alcohol ink and scalloped edges. Then I made one cupcake topper so I could set this up as a set and sell them on line. I think I may have been a bit more excited than my son about the train. All my kids thought it was a toy so I had to keep taking it away and then sticking the scallops back on. I am in the process of making a hallowe'en one too- very simple and fun- using 'coffins' for 'train cars'.
Well- I hope I inspired you all this wonderful Saturday morning! Thanks for reading.
~Brandie~
No comments:
Post a Comment