Mini Bouquets

June 19, 2017June 18, 2017 | mel@apeaceofcreativity.com

I don’t know what it is but I love mini bouquets! They are such a sweet, little sentiment to give someone and are perfect for those “just because” occasions. If you hate the clear plastic wrapping as much as I do, here is a super easy way to dress up your mini bouquet.Grab a sheet of your favorite printed scrapbook paper. Glitter and double-sided paper would be super fun too! (Have you heard about my scrapbook paper addiction???) Turn it over and fold up one corner.Place your bouquet on top and start to wrap the sides around the bouquet.Once you fold over the last side, fasten with a piece of clear tape or even a pretty printed label or sticker. You could even wrap a ribbon around it if you wanted to get extra fancy.That’s it! Really! Pretty market flowers that no longer look like they were from the market.

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Baby Album(s) Prep

May 18, 2016April 21, 2017 | A Peace of Creativity

My c-section date is almost a week away. In my time before the boys arrive, I have been trying to think of as many things that I can do now to make my life easier after the births. It is so cliche but so true that it is just harder to do these things the more kids you have and now I have two more albums to make, not just one! I had to come up with a plan now so that this process would not be so time consuming.

I picked up a couple 8.5″ x 11″ scrapbook albums in different colors. I want the boys to be twins but to also have their own identities and so I decided against making each one the same. Photo May 17, 10 41 29 AM.jpg Coordinated sets of scrapbook paper and animal stickers set the theme and tone for each book. One, jungle animals and the other, sea animals. Photo May 18, 8 53 08 AM.png These monthly stickers by Months In Motion came in the perfect palettes to match each album. Not only can I use them for the boys’ monthly photos but they can go in their scrapbook after. Photo May 18, 8 52 38 AM I assembled each book, choosing which page in which order and including a monthly sticker every two pages. This will give me a two page spread for each month of photos. Photo May 17, 10 48 50 AM.jpg We have received so many adorable cards for the boys and I hate to have to throw them away. In the past, I have made milestone frames from them, but I also love to cut out the cute parts and include them as embellishments in the albums once the photos are in. Photo May 17, 10 50 10 AM I also picked up a pack of themed cards from Project Life and will use them for more embellishment and to write little notes about the boys throughout the books. Photo May 17, 10 51 24 AM.jpg Organizing photos is always challenging. As we take photos of the babies, I hope to create a folder either on my phone or computer of ones that would be good for the album and to have them printed on a regular basis.

I really think this prep work will allow me to enjoy the process and to not feel overwhelmed that I have two to make! Having all the supplies I need, ready to go, will also motivate me to actually get it done. Wish me luck!

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A Hot Air Balloon First Birthday

September 28, 2015April 12, 2017 | A Peace of Creativity

When my sister-in-law told me she wanted my nephew’s first birthday theme to be “Growing UP, UP, UP”, I was super excited. The possibilities with hot air balloons seemed endless. To start the process, I gave her a selection of color palettes and asked her to pick her favorite. I find that this is the best place to start. When you begin an event, you most always have an idea of a few colors you would like to use, but finding coordinated hues can be difficult. That is where searching color palettes online comes in handy and you can base the entire event off of an inspired palette.

For invitations, I like to incorporate a 3D aspect using foamy double-sided tape. In this case, I found mismatched prints that went with the theme and cut out number ones. Pair with red envelopes and they are ready to send! The other item that I was in charge of was the Happy Birthday banner. Using the same font from the invitations, I printed and cut out letter stencils on cardstock. Those stencils were used on a thick, red scrapbook paper.
For the bunting, I cut letter-sized, brown, kraft colored paper in half and created another stencil to cut out the triangular shape from the bottom. Punch two holes on the top and string! To add more color and make it a little more dynamic, I picked out 3 coordinating prints and 3 solid papers in the same colors. Having the color palette on my phone made it easy to make sure I was picking out the correct shades at the store.
Spray adhesive really worked best on this project as the craft glue was creating wrinkles in the paper. The party was at a beautiful park in the neighborhood. To separate each word on the banner, I used the extra invitations and as a finishing touch, added some red, burlap ribbons.
My sister-in-law created this adorable banner of all of the monthly photos using scrapbook paper and string to attach and decorate the baskets. In a stroke of luck, Oriental Trading Co. had these paper lantern, hot air balloons in the exact colors we needed. They really added to the space and were super easy to assemble and take down.
It was a beautiful day only made better by celebrating the very first birthday of the sweetest little nephew.

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Embellished Letters Part 2

August 17, 2015April 12, 2017 | A Peace of Creativity

A good friend has been searching for art ideas for her home and after the Keira letters, I couldn’t wait to try another set. The biggest challenge in this project was choosing a style that was refined and contemporary for their home, which was a lot harder than letters for a little girl’s nursery.

The walls in their house are grey and I thought the black letters would give a nice contrast. I was lucky to find this set of scrapbook paper with mellow geometric prints in a neutral and grey color palette.

After tracing and cutting out the letters in scrapbook paper, I used spray adhesive to affix them to the front of the wood letters.

One thing I really liked about these particular letters were that they stood up on their own. This gives my friend some flexibility in where she can put them in her home.

Since the letters were already black, it allowed me to save time from not having to paint them and accented their depth.

With all of the fronts of the letters on, it was time to add some decoration. I picked up some paper daisies, pearls, white twine, and metal-like embellishments and the stickers came with the scrapbook paper set. Using craft supplies by Handmade Modern from Target, I painted the wood shapes gold and added some daisies and stickers.

For me, this project was all about simple elegance. I wanted it to look crafty but not kitschy, modern but not cold. Honestly, it was not easy to find coordinating pieces to meet this vision, but knowing my friend and her style definitely helped. The daisies instantly reminded me of her and I based my decor around them.

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Framing a Milestone

May 26, 2015April 5, 2017 | A Peace of Creativity

Greeting cards…from birthdays, from showers, from graduations, stacked high in boxes, in the closet, in the garage, or not. Maybe they collect for a day or so and then find themselves in the trash bin. Yes, we have all done it with maybe just a little bit of guilt, or not.

The first Milestone Frame I ever did was after our wedding. This project lent itself nicely to this time as we had just celebrated a major moment in our lives and were beginning to build our home. The same goes for baby showers and first birthdays as the parents I know are always looking for ways to decorate the walls of the nursery. This current project is from the cards from Julie’s baby shower.
After gathering all of the cards from the occasion, I used a heart shaped punch to highlight certain pictures or patterns that I thought were interesting and in this case, cute! Sometimes, I find entire pieces of a card to incorporate, like the letters, the bear, and the duckie.
The best part about getting a card is the message inside. Before closing up the back, I wanted to make sure to preserve and include these well wishes.

In this piece, the hearts took a very organic shape around the letters. In others, I have used a more structured form. On a side note, my favorite place to buy frames is IKEA. This is the Viserum, but I also love the Ribba and the Sondrum. The frames are classy, modern, come with matte board and are unbeatable in price!

For my nephew’s room from the baby shower.

As a gift or something you do for yourself, with happy occasions or even ones with grief, these Milestone Frames can serve as a constant reminder of all the love and support around you.

INSPIRED PEACE

Milestone Frame by April!

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5 Minute Frame

April 27, 2015April 5, 2017 | A Peace of Creativity

A dear friend and colleague of mine will be a first-time grandmother to not one, BUT THREE grandchildren this year! I had been keeping an eye out to find frames to showcase all 3 grandbabies in her office. Nothing was striking me, and so, I decided that I should start with something simple and elaborate on it.

My original ideas were to cover the entire matte board in some sort of print or cut out large paper flowers and put in the corners of the frame. Going through my expansive collection of scrapbook paper to find inspiration, I came across a geometric pattern which happened to have wording applicable to the occassion.

I used the outline of the geometric shapes to cut out interesting patterns that could be glued right onto the matte board.

With minimal time or effort, this is a fantastic way to add a personal touch to your gifting.

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Julie’s Baby Shower

April 19, 2015April 5, 2017 | A Peace of Creativity

I had the honor of helping to throw a baby shower for my sister-in-law, Julie, with a wonderful group of ladies.

There wasn’t one theme to the party, but many recurring touches: florals, hearts and chalkboards in pinks, greys and golds. My toddler generously donated the use of her easel for the welcome at the door.

You will soon learn that I have a thing for scrapbook paper. I find the possibilities of its use endless. These heart lanterns were made from 4 sheets of scrapbook paper and a couple sheets of tissue.

The longer I throw events, the more I understand the value of creating sustainable decor. With the help of my mother-in-law, Vicki, we made fabric flags using various prints and patterns that Julie can hang in the nursery. The paper heart cut-outs surrounding the invitation were the scraps from the heart lanterns.

From the fabric scraps, Vicki made these adorable stuffed elephants.

Using a random assortment of vases and a handful of flower bunches from the market, arrangements were scattered all around the house. If you find arranging flowers a daunting task, use small and simple combinations with only a couple different types of flowers.

More scrapbook paper! Attached to sticks, you can plop them into centerpieces, in food displays and even use them to cover the tables. These three platters are some of my favorites as the height gives the buffet spread a little more dimension.

If there was one thing that was absolutely necessary, at this shower in particular, it was dessert! Cari and Heather did a fantastic job with fruit skewers, dipped rice krispie treats and Oreo pops!

Heather put together the “Headband Bar” and it was a great way to let everyone put their touch on a little gift for the new baby.

This centerpiece is made with dollar store fake flowers and Honest Co. rolled diapers in their strawberry print. Each of the planning ladies were asked to bring a onesie to make another element of decor that is adorable and functional. Go Dodgers!

Vicki created a diaper cake and this little diaper bassinet!

Incorporating the fonts and images from the original invitation, Cari took regular candles and made them into custom, elegant favors.

If you couldn’t tell by now, Julie and Lance will be welcoming a sweet baby girl in July and we are SO excited!

Thank you for all your help, Vicki, Cari, Mary, Erika, Heather and Marcy! I don’t think the day could have been more perfect for Julie, someone we love very much.

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Totoro Party

April 6, 2015October 21, 2025 | A Peace of Creativity

My kiddo has been enamored by the Japanese animated film, Totoro, from the first time he saw it and we knew this would be the theme for his second birthday. Preparation started months before, not necessarily creating but brainstorming. This was not something I could run to the store and buy for, so I had to figure out how to create the best Totoro party from scratch.

Here are some supplies you can use to make your own!

More often than not, I start to create for parties without knowing exactly what I am going to do with them. My motto is that you can always find a place for things as long as you are happy with the outcome. The design of Totoro is so simplistic, it lends itself nicely to the imagination. The soot sprites are a sort of dust bunny in the film. What could be easier than googly eyes on a black poof ball!

I hardly ever throw anything out from a previous event. These buckets were the centerpieces at my daughter’s first birthday and I was able to draw a quick Totoro face with black marker and a little felt and use them for favors. Tags made of Japanese inspired scrapbook paper completed the look.

Creativity definitely runs in the family. My mother and sisters made the birthday banner, my cousin made the soot sprite cupcakes and my brother in-law took the photos at the park.

I still love sending mail and I think people still enjoy receiving mail! I found a pack of Totoro playing cards online and thought they would be a great addition to create custom thank you cards.

photos by cole-montgomery.com

I could not have been happier with the way the decorations worked with the location and I am so incredibly thankful to everyone who made the day so special for our little one!

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