school is cool

Last weekend, we had a “School is Cool” birthday party for our little 4-year old. She went to school for the first time this year so I thought it would be cool to have a party celebrating everything fun about school.  It was held at Adventure Valley Camp where we enjoyed an afternoon of gorgeous weather, fun activities for the kids (thanks to our awesome camp facilitators, Robyn and Natasha!) and lots of chatting and dessert-eating for the grown ups.  

Here is the celebrant test driving the fabulous photo booth created by Craftmate Virna.  She is a class nerd, cheerleader and prom queen all rolled in one!

Virna's creative props for the photo booth

Here is the class schedule for the day.  I love the combination of primary colours to create a really fun and  festive vibe.

First subject was Science.  Here, the kids made their own gooey slime which they put in their little containers to take home.  It was fun seeing the kids’ squeamish faces as they mashed their slimy concoction.

Next up was Math.  We went outdoors to enjoy the perfect weather and give the kids some active fun. They used their memory (with coaching from the mommies) to flip open numbered plates in the right order.  They had a kick trying to decide which parent to listen to!

And lastly, the crowd favourite...Phys Ed.  Everyone felt like a winner as obstacles were overcome and balls were transferred.  There were lots of cheering and high fiving all around!

Then it was time to head back in for snacks. 

Here is the kids’ table decorated with school-themed flower lollies from Virna and a healthy lunch box containing a juice box, fruit cup and homemade strawberry and cream cheese  sandwich based on this recipe.

Tag from Papertrey's Fillable Frames and Way to Go Kiddo!





Of course, she (and  the other kids) chose pizza over the healthy snack!

Here is the hot food table decorated with a blackboard-inspired backdrop. 

Made from foam board covered with black poster board and
decorated with Cricut die cuts

 After snacks came dessert.  Here is Craftmates’ school-inspired dessert table.  This was the kids’ favourite hang out area as they decide which treat to try out first. 

Here's an unobstructed view of the backdrop taken before the dessert crew arrived.

Some close up of the desserts... all edible (had to clarify that again as some thought otherwise)



Fabulous cake and cupcakes by Bebsycakes
Cake Pops by Aimee



Edible Dessert Art by Aimee

 

More edible dessert art by Aimee

This table has so many little details that it deserves a separate post.   So watch out for the details in the coming days.

Here is one of Frances’ favourite parts of the day, candle blowing.  I mentioned before that this girl enjoys blowing candles more than eating cake.  So she is delighted that now, she has 4 candles to blow. 

 

A school theme party is not complete without class pictures.  The kids had a cute class photo by the photo booth with some of them in characters like class nerd, cheerleader, school jock, class clown, teacher's pet, prom king and queen.  One parent commented that this was even better than their actual class photo in school J ( I am not posting it here since I am not sure if it is okay since I did not ask permission from their parents.  But trust me when I say, it was CUTE!)

Instead, here is a photo of the Craftmates.  Guess who is the nerdiest of us four...

Overall, the celebrant and her friends enjoyed the day.  And that is what matters. But being able to  plan the party with the Craftmates made it extra fun for me.   There were lots of photos exchanged on how the dessert table would look like, several practice sessions to perfect those cake pops and crayon rolls (Bulk Barn is now our friend!) and countless emails to confirm who would do what.  Thank you Craftmates for making this a memorable experience not only for Frances but for me as well.  So very thankful for your friendship!

Thanks for stopping by and for getting to the end of this post!  I will be back to  share with you the details of some of the projects we created and some inside story of what went on in the preparation of this party.  Hope you are having a fabulous week!

flashback friday -- It's been four years

My little sweetheart turns four today!  I am thankful for this wonderful blessing who gives us joy and a whole lot of other emotions everyday.

Here is a layout I made early into my scrapbooking obssession.  It makes me smile looking at how teeny tiny she was then.  Oh, where did time go? 

No Papertrey products back then, just good ol' Cricut and Michael's cardstock and patterned paper. 

We are having a "School is Cool" birthday party celebration tomorrow.  I am so looking forward to that.  Have a great weekend! 

more peaceful pinecones

I shared with you here how much I love Papertrey's Peaceful Pinecones set.  A friend from work is celebrating her birthday this week so I made her a set of Christmas tags to give her a headstart on  her holiday gift wrapping. 

I took inspiration from Dawn's post here.  Aren't her tags adorable?  And that pillow box, ah-mazing!

Here is my tag...

I used Papertrey's die (tag sale #5), cardstock (white), ink (dark chococolate, kraft) and patterned paper (bitty dots dark chocolate).  I also used a foam adhesive to pop up my pinecone to give it some dimension.

And here they are together..

And this is how I  packaged them using the pillow box die.  Love how the tags fit perfectly inside.

Thanks for stopping by!

  

Amanda's Tea party

About a month ago, I posted about the paper lollies that I made to use as decorations for a tea party for my friend's daughter, Amanda. 

For those who have been following our blog, you all know that we love tea parties (or any kind of party). Since we enjoy planning parties, me and my fellow craftmates, Aimee and Irma, volunteered our services to help decorate the party room.  Unfortunately, Bebsy could not make it but she was the one who made the cake for the birthday girl. 

Here are some photos from Amanda's special day. 

Centerpiece for the tables

Craftmates minus Bebsy

The birthday girl with her parents and sister 

Bebsy's cake and cupcakes

The girls playing "hot potato"

What? Paper pompoms again!!!

It was a fun party! The birthday girl looked very happy and a great time was had by all. 

Till next time!

our first craftshow

Last weekend, the Craftmates took part in the Jade Garden & Greenhouse 3rd Annual Craft Show in Milton, Ontario.  It was a wonderful gathering of over 100 vendors and artisans featuring thousands of handmade products, baked goods and fabulous art pieces.

Irma, Virna, Aimee and Bebsy
fabulous aprons by our sassy sewer, Virna

It was a momentous time for us, as it was our very first craft show we participated in as Craftmates.  Our table featured a variety of goods, showcasing each of our little specialties, and stamped with the happy and whimsical look of Craftmates.

Gift tags by Irma

Irma's paper talent on display

Bestseller! Virna's husband Louie created these
one-of-a-kind terrariums 

Peanut Butter Dog Cookies by Aimee

cupcake goodness by Bebsy

Pastry Stands made of refurbished antique plates by Louie

A customer enjoying our cupcake

We had to put a sign that they were actually edible.
Many thought they were fake!

Calendars and Notebooks by Irma

We're in our happy place!

We received the sweetest treat on Day 2 of the craft show when our friend Cindy of Just North of Wiarton & South of the Checkerboard surprised us with a visit.
It was wonderful finally meeting her in person with her adorable boys.
Such a kind and supportive friend! We're still blown away by her sweet surprise!!

We had an amazing time at the Jade Garden craft show!  We would like to thank everyone who came to say hello, and the countless others who emailed, tweeted and texted us their love and support!

We'll see you next year in Milton!



Thank you!

Aimee, Bebsy, Irma & Virns
craftmates