Spicy and Sweet Invitation Tutorial

So, I'm way behind on blogging, but I kind of love it because I'm too busy with creating and party planning to blog.  So, it's coming!  I promised to share more about my friend's bachelorette party/lingerie shower that I planned, so I'll do small bits to get there.  Today is all about the invitation! 

My friend Beth is super cute, and very stylish and classy.  :o)  I know her party had to be totally "her" and I also know the importance of a first impression.  I think invitations almost set the mood for the party and can either be a piece of paper that is stuck on the fridge without a second thought or something that leaves a "WOW" impression.  If you pause when you open an invitation, I feel like you're more likely to attend the event.  That's why wedding invites are so fancy.  To leave an impression.  

So, long story short, I wanted to combine Beth's style and my desire to have a full house for her party into a fabulous invitation.  I think I accomplished that goal.  

I started with these supplies:  Some shiny, pearlescent type navy blue scrapbook paper, white cardstock, silver envelopes, Martha Stewart flocking powder in Cosmos, Martha Stewart tinsel glitter in Onyx, and my AMAZING 2-Way glue pen!

So, once I spent some time at Michael's getting inspiration and pulling together different materials, I came up with this:

I decided on a Spicy or Sweet theme for the party after stumbling across this one on 100 Layer Cake.  Beth is a sweet and innocent girl, but I know she has some spice to her personality, and will bring a lot of it to her new marriage.  I wanted guests to feel like they could provide her with gifts for either side so Beth (and Scott) had a variety of goodies to "play" with.  :o)  After I formatted, edited, and printed the wording, I had to add some more flavor.  

I started by tracing the words "Spicy" and "Sweet" with my 2-way glue pen to help them POP.  

I used the sexy black tinsel glitter for the word "Spicy" and for the first time ever, tried flocking powder. I was a little nervous because it was my first time using it, but it turned out great.  I just used my glue pen over the word "Sweet" and then sprinkled the flocking powder right over it, then tapped off the excess, just like you would with glitter.  If you're doing this, make sure the glitter COMPLETELY dries first, and tap it again...otherwise you get extra flecks of glitter on the wet glue with your flocking powder.

I love how the embellishment gives both the exotic feel for spicy and a soft, "comfy" feel for sweet.  I put one together and thought I was done.  But...after sleeping and looking at it again, I decided it needed something else...

So, I found these sweet little sequins flowers that I have had in my scrapbook supplies for YEARS.  I used my tiny hole punch, and attached the flower with a small white brad, which made a cute little center for the flower.  It added a great "aww, cute" to my sweet side.

So, then I wrapped my blue scrapbook paper (that I cut just an inch larger on each side than the invite) with some pretty pink glitter ribbon I found at JoAnn's.  All I used for this was Scotch tape.  Really.  

You don't need much.  I just taped the end in the center of the front, and then one on top and bottom of the other end wrapped around and on top.  This part will be covered, so it really doesn't matter what it looks like underneath.  :o)

Then I used my larger 2-Way glue pen (same company that makes the thin one) to attach the invite on top.  Again, it doesn't have to be pretty.  And I didn't want to put the glue to close to the ribbon, or there would be a very noticeable bump on the front of the invite once it was glued down.  

So, once it was attached, I thought, "Well, I guess the Spicy side needs something, too!" So, I used some pink ink and a kissing lips stamp I had to add a little more spice.  But then...I went back to JoAnn's (I know...it's a tough habit to break)....

I found this AMAZING stuff!!

I just traced over the stamp and let it dry, and it looked like some pretty sexy, glossy lips!

So, here's the finished product, all pulled together:

Of course, I had to include shopping information, so I created this cute little guide to help our guests find something PERFECT for Beth.  I searched FOREVER to find a silhouette of a respectable woman's body that was realistic.  Then, I added the sizes pointing to where on the body it would be used.  

Then, I made this card to go with the invitation to help guests come prepared.  I'll explain more about what we did with these things in another post:

And finally, I sent a card asking guests to think of a Spicy or Sweet memory they've had with Beth.  I figured they would have more time to come up with something special if they had more time to think of it before the party.  It made a wonderful surprise for Beth, and provided lots of giggles, reminiscing, and celebrating friendship with Beth once the party started.  

One final tip that I learned a bit too late, but know for the future.  Make sure your invitation FITS the envelope you plan to use before doing them.  I know...duh, right?  But I got so excited about making the invitations, I didn't think about the size for mailing.  I ended up buying bigger envelopes and it worked out, but I definitely learned my lesson!

So that's it!  I'm hoping to figure out how in the world to use Etsy soon so I can make these things available for customizing and printing for anyone who would want to use them.  I spent the time to make them, and would love for someone else to have the opportunity to use it.  I'll post back if and when I get that part accomplished.  

Stay tuned for more bridal shower/wedding updates.  My sister's wedding is only 42 days away, so we are in full wedding swing...planning showers, crafting for the big day, and organizing!  Lots of tips and ideas coming your way!