{New to the Shop} Let's Set Sail Collection

 

In May, I began working on a new party collection for my daughters.  We decided on a nautical beach themed party and I have to say that this collection is my favorite one that I have created thus far.  It is with great excitement that I share with you our newest printable collection called Let's Set Sail.  The designs include a fun color palette consisting of a bubblegum pink, fuchsia, sunny yellow and navy that cheer for celebration!  My goal was to create a party collection that can be easily recreated for children and adult parties and one that can be used for any occasion or event.

Sailboat and anchors in the party's color scheme were used throughout the party decor and printables including the cupcake toppers, dessert labels and party favors.

 

 

The dessert table consisted of a tiered cake, cupcakes and cake balls from Sweet Treets Bakery, nautical themed cookies from Sweet Goosie Girl and sailboat lollipops from Vintage Confections that matched the party's theme perfectly.  The centerpiece for the table was a cake topped with a matching sail boat I constructed out of paper.  I made a layered jello dessert (recipe coming soon) and tied wooden hand stamped spoons with matching twine from InTheClear.  I created a tower of donuts glazed with icing that resembled lifesavers.  To tie the look all together, I used my daughter Madeleine's ruffled curtain panel from Pottery Barn Kids as a backdrop for the dessert table.  

The birthday girls wore adorable custom tanks adorned with bows, a heart and anchor that were hand stamped with their names created by my sweet friend Melissa of Oh Fiddlesticks.  The girls wore matching bow hair bands made by Sweet and Sassy Boutique.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The "Let's Set Sail" collection includes:

1. Invitation

2. Striped Flag Banner

3. Wrappers

4. Blank Gift Tags/Labels

5. Blank tents/placecards

6. 2.25 Inch Party Decor

7. 2.25 inch Party Tags

8. 2.25 inch favor tags

9. Cake toppers/table decor/lollipops

10. Welcome sign

11. Straw flags

12. Happy Birthday Cake Banner

The "Let's Set Sail" printable party collection is currently on sale for 50% off in my etsy shop HERE through July 25, 2012

 I have to say thank you to all of the wonderful contributors who helped to make the Let's Set Sail party perfect. The party could not have been such a success without their beautiful products.

Cake, Cupcakes and Cake Balls - Sweet Treets Bakery

Anchor Cookies - Sweet Goosie Girl

Sailboat Lollipops - Vintage Confections

Tanks - Oh Fiddlesticks

Hair Accessories - Sweet and Sassy Boutique

Straws, Favor Tubes, Hand Stamped Spoons, Twine - InTheClear

Vendor Credits & Resources

Striped Place Mats - West Elm

2.25" Circle Craft Punch

White Dessert Plates, Lantern, Captain's Wheel, Pillows, Wooden Boxes - HomeGoods

Yellow Cupcake Stand - ThePaperedNest

Pink and Yellow Gumballs - Candy Machines

Donuts - Shipleys Austin

Sailboat, Favor and Napkins Wooden Containers - Michaels

Skirts - Childrens Place

Dessert Table Backdrop - Pottery Barn Kids

{New to the Shop} Surf's Up Collection

I posted about this on Facebook and wanted to make sure I posted for our blog readers as well. Are you a photographer and planning an upcoming birthday party for a boy?  Please contact me at stefanie@annaandblue.com.  I have a proposition for you.  Thank You!

Last year, I designed the Aloha Summer collection and it has been one of the most popular collections sold.  I have had numerous requests for a "boy" version of the collection.  Ask and you shall receive! I decided to incorporate the hibiscus flowers from the Aloha Collection onto surfboards for a little twist.

Pops of bright colors make up the color palette which include green, brown and different shades of blue.

This printable collection would make any party so unique and festive with its rainbow of vivid colors. Perfect for surfing, beach, luau, Hawaiian and summer themed parties. The collection is versatile so that it can be used for Birthday Parties, Baby Showers and more!

The "Surfs Up" printable collection includes:

1.  Invitation

2.  Pennant Banner

3.  Bottle Wrappers

4.  Blank Gift Tags/Labels (4 designs)

5.  Blank Tents/placecards (4 designs)

6.  2 Inch Party Decor

7.  2 Inch Favor Tags

8.  Cake Toppers/table decor

9.  Party Sign

The “Surf's Up” printable collection is currently on sale in my etsy shop HERE until May 25, 2012.

{New to the Shop} Color Splash Collection for Boys!

A few weeks ago, I posted about having designed a "boy" version of our popular Color Splash printable collection and that I had a proposition for anyone planning an upcoming party for a boy.  I had so many responses and it was hard to choose.  I decided to go with the party that was taking place first.  Tatiana of Little Bubbles Photography contacted me and mentioned that her son's party was scheduled right around the corner!  We worked together to customize the package for the birthday boy and everything worked out perfectly!

Pops of bright colors make up the color palette which include a green, blue, yellow and turquoise blue.

Crisp patterns of polka dots and overlapping stripes will give a very stylish look for your party!

This printable collection would make any party so unique and festive with its rainbow of vivid colors. The collection is versatile so that it can be used for Birthday Parties, Baby Showers, Wedding Shower, Play dates and more!
 

The "Color Splash" printable collection includes:

1.  Invitation

2.  Pennant Banner

3.  Bottle Wrappers

4.  Blank Gift Tags/Labels (4 designs)

5.  Blank Tents/placecards (4 designs)

6.  2 Inch Party Decor

7.  2 Inch Favor Tags

8.  Cake Toppers/table decor

9.  Party Sign

The “Color Splash” printable collection is currently on sale in my etsy shop HERE until December 12th.

Thanks so much to Tatiana at Little Bubbles Photography for creating a beautiful party and working with me on this project.

Frames via: JasperLilly Designs 

Aloha Summer Party Details & FREE Printable!

The party decor for the Aloha Summer birthday party didn't start at the dessert table but rather at the front door.  I made a colorful wreath using a Styrofoam ring and placed cocktail umbrellas all around it. Then, I added a matching ribbon and hung it on our front door. The guests were welcomed with leis and hula skirts to wear.   

I made hair clips from a flower bouquet I purchased at a dollar store that I added to tree branches I found from our yard which made the perfect centerpiece for our family room.  Girls chose their favorite flower clip to go along with their aloha accessories.

I styled our console table in our foyer by adding a welcome sign to greet the guests and it also served as the place to hold the favors for the party guests.

  I placed white frames with pictures of the girls on the table.  Using a flower punch, I punched flowers from papers in the birthday party colors and used "pop stickers" to add them to the frame.  To add a fun touch, I embellished each flower with a piece of candy.

I found beach pails for a dollar each at Michaels that made for the perfect containers to hold the loot for the favors.  The dollar store also had packages of bubbles for a dollar and I thought they would be cute to wrap the bottle wrappers around them from the Aloha printable collection.  At the store, I also found water squirt toys that I placed in the pails.  

Included in the favor pails were Christina from Cookies Are My Canvas' beautiful cookies. The favors were adorned with the Aloha Summer favor tags that I made using my favorite craft punch.

Last but not least, I added flowers that I made from tissue paper.  They were super easy to make and they turned out beautifully.  Tutorial coming soon!

Activities for the party consisted of coloring hibiscus flowers and beach themed coloring pages, a paper leis craft station (tutorial coming soon), hula lessons and a tiki piñata. 

 I am excited to share with you a free printable from the Aloha Summer birthday party.

Download your free Aloha printable HERE.

The Aloha banner can be cut as squares or cut into circles, add a lollipop stick and ribbon and you can use as a cake topper or table decorations. 

Enjoy!

Aloha Summer Birthday - Dessert Table Details

The dessert table was incredibly fun to style.  Once I decided on a color scheme that consisted of orange, tangerine, yellow and fuchsia it was time for the creativity to begin.  When I came across the gorgeous hibiscus flowers created by DK Designs, I fell in LOVE.  They became the focal point when putting together ideas for the Aloha Summer themed birthday party.  I worked with incredibly talented ladies who made the most breathtaking treats for the dessert table.

Pictured above, is the birthday cake which served as the centerpiece for the table. The cake was adorned with eco-chic hand crafted hibiscus flowers created by Diane of DK Designs.  

When I opened the package from Diane in the mail, I was speechless.  Diane's work is so intricate and beautiful! Her gorgeous flowers truly made the cake simply amazing and made for the perfect centerpiece for the dessert table.  The celebration candles from Shop Sweet Lulu matched perfectly.

 I am loving all of the colorful, layered cakes that I have come across lately.  I so wanted to have a layered cake consisting of the party's colors.  The night before the party, I decided to give it a try.  Part of me thought I was crazy for making a layered cake without having made one before.  What if it turned into a disaster?  I enlisted in the help of my sweet hubby.  His engineering skills came in very handy indeed!  If it weren't for him, you might be looking at pictures of one lopsided mess.  When we cut the cake, it definitely set a "wow" moment at the party.  I was so happy that it turned out exactly as I had envisioned.  I had so many guests ask where I had the cake made.  I have Betty Crocker to thank.  We used four 6 inch cake pans and created 4 sets of batter each using Motek Sugarcraft's Magic Colours concentrated paste until we reached the colors we desired.  Just a couple of drops and the colors were achieved.

Inspired by Amy Atlas, who creates the most stunning dessert tables, I incorporated the hibiscus flowers and party color scheme throughout the dessert table.  A happy and colorful bed linen print with bright swirls of flowers and paisley from Pottery Barn Teen was used as the backdrop for the dessert table.  The dessert table was adorned with large paper flowers that were added to the backdrop.  I made a table skirt using raffia hula skirts and I added a garland in matching party colors using leis from Party City.

When I received the cookies that Christina from Cookies Are My Canvas sent, I think my mouth dropped.  I was completely blown away at how fabulous they were.  Never before had I seen such stunning cookies before.  Every little detail was so perfect even down to the glitter in the icing.  Christina took the colors and flower designs that I emailed her and created perfectly coordinating cookies.

I absolutely loved Christina's yellow polka dot ALOHA cookies.  They were the perfect addition to the centerpiece for the table.

I love making cupcakes and they are always a favorite among kiddos as well.  I used my favorite decorating tip which is the Wilton 2D.  The flower drop tip always gives a fun ruffled look to the icing.  Icing cupcakes is not my forte (although I have been getting lots of practice this past year) but I find by using this tip, no matter how I angle the tip, the icing always turns out looking very pretty.  I added my party tags as toppers for the finishing touch!

When I came across Charynn's at Two Sugar Babies fondant hibiscus flowers, I knew that they would be the perfect treat for the dessert table.  Charynn customized the toppers to match the colors of the party and I adore how they turned out.  Her designs are delightfully simple and stunning!

Many elements of the party came from inspiration that I found at HWTM, including the candy kabobs. I really had a fun time making these.  I found lots of gummy candies at the dollar store.  The candy kabobs were a BIG hit with the kiddos.  They were simple to make and I look forward to sharing the tutorial I put together with you soon!

I bought Jelly Bellys in shades of yellow, orange and pink.  They added an additional splash of color to the table.  I found the white pails at a dollar store.  By placing the jelly beans in the white pails, the colors really "popped" from the table.  Who doesn't love jelly beans?

I used one of my signs from the collection and used a circle cutter to create the circle shape for a cute table decoration.  I then added a long lollipop stick to it and tied a matching bow around it.  Then, I filled a jar with candies which held the party sign in place. 

I used Starbuck's Frappuccino bottles to serve fresh lemonade in.   I dipped the bottles in pink sugar sprinkles and placed yellow striped straws from Shop Sweet Lulu to top off the look.

The adorable birthday hula girls taking a peek at all of the birthday treats and goodies.

Thanks so much to everyone who helped create such delicious and beautiful treats that helped to make this party such a hit!
The dessert table was incredible!

Many more details coming soon!
xoxo, Stefanie

In the meantime, the Aloha collection is available in my shop HERE.