Spotted Canary Blog

Congratulations dear reader! You’ve endured my ubiquitous banter and tangential ramblings for two whole years!

All I have to say is, yay you for surviving!

Oh, and a HUGE THANKS for coming back!

Two Halloweens and about a gazillion words ago I began writing for the Party Time Blog. Remember that first story about my non-Halloween-costume-compliant son? Update … he’s still non-compliant, but he sure does get a kick out of making sure my nephews celebrate the candy-filled evening to its full advantage.

He’s given us that.

And it is all about being thankful for what you’re given, right?

Right!

So I’ve had a lot of fun creating and writing about all-things party for the last 721 days. Hmmm … I wonder if the term “writing” could be construed as a bit of an understatement … I mean maybe the phrase “epic tale” would be more fitting to the huge quantities of verbiage you’ve had to wade through for the past two years. LOL.

But seriously dear reader, I hope you have found some inspiration here; some snippet of “I’ve gotta try that” tucked in amongst the long-winded and sometimes incoherent musings of me.

Fingers crossed you have.

If nothing else, maybe a post or two has helped you cure an insufferable bought of insomnia : ).

But enough of the mushy stuff …

So dear reader, to keep well with tradition (I mean two years a tradition makes, right?) I present you with a little Halloween story … the story of Thuperman.





Thuperman, aka Albert a mild-mannered and rather bookish Badger Meter Electronics shipping manager was Superman’s older, and much more near-sighted, brother who was challenged with a bit of a lisp. For years he worked with a kind and dedicated speech pathologist to overcome his lispiness, but alas, it was to no avail … he just couldn’t seem to get those s’s to sssss.

So on one cold and rainy October 30th, his concerned and devoted wife replaced all the S’s on his shirts with Theta’s … that’s Greek for “TH” in case you were wondering … and Thuperman was born. The next day, he rose as a Phoenix sporting his baggy off-white thermal underwear, caped in a royal blue sheet and proudly showing off his red Theta-filled chest.

Thuperman was not your ordinary super hero. He could leap over stacks of tall shipping crates in a single bound. He could wrap a box with packing tape faster than a speeding bullet. And he could wear a set of thermal underwear like no one else! 

So just who was this svelte, mustached man who could manage a day’s worth of electronics shipments without breaking a sweat?

He was … my dad.

My even-though-you-were-desperate-for-a-costume-how-could-you-let-my-mother-talk-you-into-leaving-the-house-in-those-thermals dad.

I can still remember the Halloween eve when this costume was drummed up. When my parents were giggling with delight as they made up this "thuper hero’s" back story and as they worked together to put the finishing touches on the "thuper thuit”.

It was super alright!

Super highlarryus!

Did you notice the shipping tag pinned to the Theta? Yeah, its details like that that made the whole costume even more comical.

But this, this is one of my most favorite memories.

And of course one of my most favorite pictures … I mean really … it does explain a lot of why I am the way I am … for example, things such as my need for corrective lenses and, quite possibly, my inability to put together a fashionable outfit (right Nicole?). LOL.

OK, back to something more serious (‘cause you know I’m all about the serious) ... let’s talk about a Hallowversary Party.

A what?

A Hallowversary Party!

Not sure what that is? Well, me either …

But I think it’s what’s pictured below ... a slightly romantic, slightly glam, Halloween dinner party complete with sugar-infused buffet dessert service. A little evening's festivities I’m sure all of youhave been dying to host! LOL.

Well, whatevah you want to call it, there are some fabulous (if I do say so myself) inspirational moments to see and incorporate into your next shin-dig.

So let’s take a look …


The Party Scene

My friend Jane (big huge shout out to Jane!) was gracious, generous and crazy enough to help me plan, execute and house this party. We took over her backyard one late Saturday afternoon and moved just about all of the dining room furniture she had ever owned outside under the pergola.

I don’t know about you, but I think dining alfresco is fabulous. Everything just seems to taste yummier when eaten outside imho.





The Color Scheme

The inspiration for the night’s motif came from the new curtain fabric Jane had just ordered for her daughter’s room. See that beautiful black and white damask print on the table? Not only will it make gorgeous valances and pillows, but it was a fabulous starting point for the party décor.






The Bling Scheme

We decided to hit the black and white with splashes of silver for that certain “wow” factor and to also make the tablescapes a bit more reflective under the candlelight. Silver pumpkins? Why not! A can of metallic spray paint can do wonders for a set of cheap burnt orange plastic gourds.






And for that matter, it can transform a bundle of dead branches too! Scroll back up two pictures and take another look at the silvery branch backdrop behind the table. The branches help to enclose the space, making it more intimate, plus they add an element of eeriness to the scene. But the backlighting helps too don’tcha think? Love what a pair of can lights can do for effect!

Along with the silver, we threw in some crystal elements to add additional sparkle and glam. These candle chandeliers have been collecting dust in my attic for a few years now. One day they will hang above my bathtub and provide soft ambient lighting (which I am sure I will look 10 pounds lighter under), but for this Saturday night, they illuminated our party table and help to cast a dreamy deckled glow.





Even the glittered centerpiece tree got a touch of bling with the addition of a few crystal chandelier drops. I found these in the bridal aisle of the crafts store. I know! Who’d have thunk? So, lesson here: don’t forget to check out the bridal department when you are gathering party décor … there are tons of great finds there … it’s not all about cheesy “bride and groom” stuff anymore.





The shininess continues on the table in each of the place settings. We used cut crystal glasses, high sheen silver chargers and silver-plated lidded pots. My mom brought the pots back from Turkey in anticipation of serving ice cream in them … she’s done it once … I think they call for a non-acidic soup myself … either way, they are shiny and almost shaped like a pumpkin which makes them a party two-fer. And you know I love a great two-fer!





Now I know you are already doing this, but in case there are some newbie tablescapers out there, don’t be afraid to mix and match your plate patterns. If you make sure to keep the color stories in the same family and the scale of the patterns different, you’ll be fine to put a floral next to a geometric or a traditional motif against something more modern. Just remember two words … color and scale.


The Food Scene

In a perfect pretend party world, the buffet table would be filled with all kinds of delectable culinary delights.





Our Halloversary Party? Not so much.  We decided to serve things that are white and kid friendly … kinda sounds like a category on $100,000 Pyramid with Dick Clark doesn’t it? … loved that show : ).





Anywho, for Jane and I it wasn’t about the food anyway … we really just wanted to merchandize the goodies … to make it all look pretty.





And I think we accomplished that.

But then, I might be a bit biased : ).

Highlights of the buffet table?





- Plates and platters perched atop candlesticks for fabulous make-shift serving pieces (see marshmallows, doughnuts and pumpkins).

- Cheese cloth and netting wrapped around table top to tie pieces together, soften hard lines and add some additional color albeit another neutral.

- Spooky branch and coffin backdrop … every Halloversary Party needs a coffin right? We even thought about using it serve from, but couldn’t get it to be the right height … how cool would that have been though ... maybe next year.

- Large bat cut outs added to the trees for one more layer of detail. Jane cut them out of insulation board from the home improvement store and, you guessed it, spray painted them black and silver. From one $10 4’x8’ sheet, she got a ton of bats, so many I lost count.





It was a fabulous deal so I recommend if you have a need for large quantities of Styrofoam-like cut outs, head to the home improvement store. Bargain bats with a capital B. Our only suggestion … you might want to peel the plastic sheeting off before you spray paint. Even though it gives the project a cool hammered metal look, the paint can (and probably will) pull the sheeting off the board, causing the board to look warped in spots. If you’re going for a bubbly warped look, spray on. If not, peel first.


So … whatcha think? Are you now totally inspired to throw a Hallowversary Party this weekend?  Party, yes. Halloversary, maybe not so much. LOL.

Call it whatevah you’d like … just have fun taking a glam approach to the traditional Halloween party … it would be an especially fab approach for a grown-ups only dinner … well, minus the doughnuts and cupcakes … but I say, always keep the mallows on the table … leave no mallow behind : ).

Well, have a safe and happy Halloween dear reader! May your pillowcases be over flowing with full-size bar goodness and your face paint leave no traces of evidence the morning after.

And thanks again for another year of patronage! I hope the next 721 days are just as inspiring and fun for us both! I would love to hear from you, so leave a comment and I will do my best to figure out how to respond … even after 721 days there are still some things I have no clue how to do on here … like bullets … still can’t get them to appear where I want them … thankfully there’s a magic bullet fairy who always puts them in for me ... thank you Magic Bullet Fairy wherever you are!


Happy Hallowversary!

~ Elizabeth (ekb) 

Fall is here – the time when leaves start changing, pine cones and acorns start falling from trees – and the leaves start falling from the sky. Plus, I blogged about it last week or so. I love collecting pine cones and displaying them in a wooden bowl on my counter – or turn acorns into pumpkins or make piles of them for the deer to eat. Lately though, I’ve been thinking about using them in my crafts. And that’s how it all started.

I posted a picture of these pretty pine cones that I saw my Mother collecting over the weekend on my personal blog the other day and mentioned I had idea of a project that I wanted to make with them. Well, that idea has been percolating in my head since I first saw them in my Mother’s yard on Sunday afternoon.

Percolating to the point of distraction. I have had other things to do this week, but those darn pine cones kept jumping to the top of the list.

I decided to get it over with – or take the pine cone by the glitter and make something.  I thought I would share it with you, since I know you all are pretty crafty too!

For this project you will need:        

• Large pine cones (they should be at least 4” to 6” or longer depending on how large you want your decoration) they can be ones you harvested from the forest or purchased from the store
• Mod Podge or Glitter Glue
• Glitter
• Paint Brush
• Ribbon
• Silver Embroidery Floss or Twine
• Blue Perfect Pearls
• Holiday Stamps – snowflake image and sentiment
• Cardstock
• Black StazOn, VersaMark, Brown Distressing Inks
• Twine
• Button      

1. When you gather your pine cones, depending on where you live – keep in mind that spiders and ants like to live inside them. If you live in an area of the country where you have to worry about spiders – put your pine cones in a plastic bag, tie the bag closed and leave it in the hot sun for a week or longer to make sure they aren’t in the pine cones when you want to start using them.
2. I made sure to borrow pine cones from my Mother’s basket that had long stems.  (In case you are wondering, I made one for her too, since she did collect all the pine cones and said I could take as many as I wanted!)  

    

3. The first step is to brush Mod Podge on each pine cone, start at the stem and apply mod podge (or glitter glue) down to the tip – be sure to brush glue on each petal of the pine cone, covering just the tips with glue. Sprinkle your choice of glitter over the entire pine cone and shake the excess off. Apply glitter to each pine cone you plan on using and set them all aside to dry completely, several hours if possible.

     

    

4. To prepare the “swag” or “mini-swag” cut a length of silver embroidery floss about 20 to 24 inches long for each pine cone and tie one piece around the stem of each pine cone.

     

5. Gather the three (or as many pine cones as you are using) pine cones and arrange the lengths so the pine cones hang in a pleasing way – you don’t want them all to be the same length. I found it looks best to vary the lengths of each piece of embroidery floss so the pine cones hang nicely. Tie the strands of embroidery floss in a knot to secure them when you are happy with the arrangement.

     

6. Separate the strands, leaving just two of the longest ones, and cut the shortest pieces to remove them – the two you left will be used as a hanger for the swag. 
7. Let’s switch gears for a few minutes and make a tag for our glittery decoration. Choose either white or cream cardstock and use VersaMark ink to stamp a snowflake. Brush blue Perfect Pearls over the VersaMark ink and heat set. Use StazOn ink to stamp a sentiment over the snowflake. When the ink is dry, use a punch or die-cutting machine to cut a tag for the swag. :-) Distress the edges of your tage with brown distress ink.

     

8. Use seam binding tape or ribbon to tie a triple bow around the embroidery floss hanger. Secure the bow underneath the knot you tied to keep all the pine cones together, this will keep it from slipping off.  

8. Tie the tag to the center of the bow using twine and add a button to the top and you’re glittery pine cone swag is ready to be hung. The great thing – this decoration doesn’t weight that much so it will easily hang from a suction cup on a glass door!

Thank you all for sticking with me – I know it’s hard to start thinking about the holiday decorations so early in the Fall, but I know for me – I’m so busy at the end of November and all of December that anything I can make now is a plus – and frees me up for more fun things as the holidays quickly approach.

Christmas isn’t for another 59 (fifty.nine, aack) days when people will start putting up Christmas trees and decorating their homes and yards for the holiday season. Forty one days – well that’s really just a little less than 6 weeks….plenty of time to start making things when you have a minute or two.

Thanksgiving isn’t for 4 or 5 more weeks; but if you spend a few minutes here and there creating holiday decorations for your home – you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how much you can get done by starting this early!

Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a great day!

It seems like the buzz word in the art and craft world lately is Mixed Media. Many of my friends say “oh – I don’t do mixed media” when we meet for our creative time together, I am always quick to prove them wrong! It’s not quite as difficult to “do” this type of craft, or art; depending on what your final product is as you may think!  Sometimes people think Mixed Media has to be messy and involved, and it doesn’t really. I will always defend this old love of mine – it’s the way I make art – like drinking a cup of coffee every morning – I’ve got to do it!

This  scrapbook page is a mix of stamping and embossing, sewing, distressing, punching and coloring

I really think my friends have this fear of what Mixed Media is. For much of my “professional” life as a crafter I have incorporated many different types of Mixed Media techniques into my projects; way before Mixed Media was cool and I didn’t even realize it! The first piece of Mixed Media art I created was a collage of several watercolor paintings that went wrong! I cut out the elements I liked and collaged them on a background I loved, added some wire and other bits and bobs -  the final result was a beautiful collage of elements that still makes me smile every time I see it! I made that piece of art over 10 years ago!  

This card was made with stamping, painting, distressing, collaging and sewing.

At this point, you may be wondering what the hype is all about, well – it’s really pretty simple. Mixed Media Art is the art of combining one or more art or craft technique together to create one final, cohesive project -- which can be anything from a scrapbook page to a card to even a piece of fine art that is sold in a gallery or hung on the wall. It doesn’t have to be messy and whimsical – depending on your style – it can be elegant and beautiful and realistic if you want it to be. Mixed Media is what YOU make it. I happen to love getting messy when I create art this way! 

This shadowbox was created with punching, stamping, hand and machine sewing and collage

To make it easier to identify with – if you rubberstamp and then color your stamped image with watercolor paint, markers or pencils, then punch or die-cut that image and collage the image on top of a variety of papers and then sew it all together – you are a Mixed Media Artist! It doesn’t matter what mediums you mix – just the fact that you are mixing them makes you a MMA, Mixed Media Artist – LOVE having those initials after my name.  Hopefully your friends won’t think you are into Mixed Martial Arts, unless of course you are!

This piece of art was created with bees wax, collage, watercolor and pastel crayons, stamping and distressing  

If you use your computer to make pretty papers, embellishments or start a scrapbook page and then add elements to the printed page – or call yourself a Hybrid Scrapbooker, your pages really fall into the Mixed Media category as well as hybrid stamping and other art forms that incorporate digital elements.

I used a mix of collage, acrylic and crackle paint, distressing, punching and wire wrapping to make this fun piece of art.

So, it’s not as hard as you may think, and it doesn’t have to be messy either! Stamping, sewing, die-cutting, punch art – combine them all and you are a mixed media artist….now just add some gel medium, gesso and paint and you can get messy too! 

I can’t believe I am actually typing the words “holiday season”.

Um, seriously?

How’d we get here on the calendar so quickly? Wasn’t I just posting about the Fourth of July?

Well, given the few and far between posts since July 4th, uh, yeah, it was just about yesterday. LOL.

But, seriously.

It’s hard to believe that we are on the countdown to the Big Three.

And what do we usually think about when we start to ponder the holidays? Well, besides a lengthy to-do list, more than likely we begin to envision home and all that it means and feels.

Now if any of you have or have had someone in the military, you probably know that the holidays can be a difficult time for soldiers. When they are stationed far from home, tasked with mundane, dangerous and stressful work, the weeks we usually find to be so joyful can for them be rather dismal.

So what can combat this potentially gloomy time of year for them?

Letters from home. (Insert one of the few songs my husband knows the words to playing softly in the background.)
Even in this day of electronic communication, there’s something about opening a piece of mail... a piece of home ... a physical reminder of all that home is and stands for.

Physical mail is about time. The time it takes to pick (or make) the stationary; the time it takes to compose a message that can’t be backspaced and started over; the time it takes to put a stamp on the envelope and get it to a mailbox. Time is precious and when we give it, we are giving a great deal.

So because Spotted Canary and EK Success Brands recognize and value the need to affirm and acknowledge the sacrifices of our Armed Forces, they have partnered with Operation Christmas Cards to call their patrons to duty.

The Mission ... to collect 9,000 holiday cards by November 11th.

Not so impossible.

Totally doable.

Even Tom Cruise could do it.

Hmmm ... I wonder if he knows what a tape runner is ...

Ok, back to hitting the card target. Focus Elizabeth, focus.

So how can you get involved in meeting this objective?

Well dear reader, what’s my answer to all of life’s questions and dilemmas?

Invite some friends over for ... wait for it ... A PARTY!

Getting your pals working and writing will definitely help SC, EK and OCC meet their objective. (If I could throw in one more acronym, I would ...’cause you know, the military is all about their acronyms.)

Yep, divide and conquer.

And that’s just what I did a few Saturdays ago.

And here’s what it looked like ...


The Mission

The party’s mission was to make and write in as many cards as we could. We followed the Operation Christmas Cards guidelines which are here and not at all hard to do.

Basically cards need to be signed on the inside, not encrusted in glitter and put in unsealed envelopes.

Easy peasy.


The Operation Order

I fashioned a simple invitation (my SOP) for invitees to physically open so they could experience the same kind of anticipation that soldiers feel when they get mail from home.




(Never mind the crazy man in the background ... too many years smelling M1 tank fuel.)


The Training Schedule

You can structure the creative card making part of the party any way you want. I opted for a combination of having a few examples done and pre-cut for those gals who didn’t want to “think” and of having basic supplies at the ready for those who wanted to play and experiment.












Since I’m not all that original, one of my non-thought cards looked like my invite. There is after all no need to re-invent the wheel (which btw is the Army’s MO). The other non-thinking card? Well, I put it together with supplies I had leftover from another project. A circle die-cut, with the quick and simple addition of a hanger and wire, becomes an ornament. Viola! Using what you have ... love that!




BTW, you can click on the above picture to take you to specific instrctions and a supply list ... in case you are interested ... if not, carry on reading : ).





If you’d like additional ideas and instructions on holiday cards for this occasion, go here and register for a free SC class. There are quite a few examples as well as tips and techniques to see and learn from.


Logistics and Support

Put a unique spin on the party’s chow by offering your guests a true taste of military life ... a MRE. Meals Ready to Eat are a pre-packaged dining experience, complete with matches and toilet paper (insert nine-year old boy potty humor joke), and have the added benefit of a thirty year shelf life.

Yeah, you read that right. Thirty years.

Almost as long as that chicken enchilada casserole has been in my fridge.

Anywho, open a couple of pouches up and have a go at figuring out how to get the entrée and beverage heated. I promise this will provide oodles of entertainment.

My friend Polley “volunteered” to cook and taste the Chicken ala King (which is one of the meals topping my hubby’s preferred menu chart). She was a real trooper!











The verdict? Well, see for yourself. Jane gave it a thumbs up ... Polley ... not so much enthusiasm for the ala King.





And me?

One word. 

Ewww. 

So glad I'm only required to eat these "in case of an emergency".

But I tell ya,  it's gonna have to be one heck of an emergency though. 

Just sayin' : ).


We all did agree on the “milk shake” ...





Even sipping it through Sonic straws didn’t make it palatable. It was so bad that Polley’s five-year old son refused to consume more than one sip.

Now that’s gotta be something awful if he says no way!

My hubby does assure me though that the under the right circumstances, namely the nearness of starvation, the “milk shakes” aren’t half bad ... um, ok ... if you say so.

So if you can trust a man who has eaten his share of MREs over the years, here’s a link to a place you can order some. You can also try your local Army Surplus store. They often carry the civilian versions for purchase.


Along with the MREs, I offered three kinds of easy-to-eat-while-crafting snacks. And you could have multiple canteens for various drink options ... I just set up one filled with water for use with the MRE heaters.











Oh, and here’s a peek at the “condiment pack”.





I still giggle over the TP.

I know, I’m such a nine-year old boy.


R&R

For some additional entertainment, how about giving your guests the chance to play dress up? Secure some gear and uniforms and let your friends try stuff on so that they can truly get a feel for what it’s like to haul around an 75+ lb. pack ... while wearing a full uniform, web belt, boots, flack vest and a helmet.

Crazy heavy. Crazy hot. Crazy cumbersome.

Crazy hilarious.

Here’s Jane suiting up.





And here’s Jane going, going and gone ...





Thankfully she had on head protection : ).

Now don’t fret dear reader if you don’t have twenty-eight years of military equipment lying around your house to decorate and feed your guests with. Actually, sing halleluiahs that you don’t ... ‘cause if you did, you’d have every single nook and cranny in your house stuffed with something olive drab ... not that I’d know anything about that particular storage situation. Ugh.

Ask around. I’m sure you can find someone who has extra or outdated equipment that you can borrow for the day. Or again, another option would be to hit the local Army surplus store. If you can get passed the pungent odor of sweat mixed with dirty stale canvas, there are loads of great finds to be discovered at the surplus store.


The Debriefing

Once the mission is complete (I still have a few to finish up) I’ll put the cards in a box and ship them to EK’s main office. Again, they need to be there by November 11th.  Here’s the address:

EK Success Brands

c/o Operation Christmas Cards

100 Delawanna Ave. #700

Clifton, NJ 07014


Well, there it was ... my Mission Not So Impossible party dedicated to Operation Christmas Cards. My personal plea as I wrap this post up is that you take some time, party or no party, hand-made card or store-bought note, to write a message (or two or three or thirty) of encouragement to a member of the Armed Forces.

As a military wife, daughter, grand-daughter, niece and cousin, I can with my whole heart tell you that it will not be a waste of precious time. It will be a moment of connection, hope and respite in the life of a soldier serving over-seas.

And while you’re at it, how about sending a note to your local police and firemen? They undoubtedly should also be reminded of our gratitude for their devoted service. Cookies are nice too ... from what I’ve been told : ).

So dear reader, choose this mission and do so “write” away! You’ve got about four weeks before it self-destructs ...
Well, not really ... but for literary purposes, let’s just pretend : ).

Happy card writing dear reader!

~ Elizabeth (ekb)

And PS ... big shout outs to Jane and Polley! Thanks girls for putting up with all my crazy requests and not throwing things at me when I asked you to “do it again so I could get the right shot”! You two are the best!