The beginning of possible greatness…

I make fun of Ethan for being a nerd…a lot.  But the truth is, I like it.  I even like some of the things I make fun of him for liking.  I don’t really hate the giant Pac 10 football standing board we made.  I don’t really mind the Harry Potter ornaments on my Christmas tree.  And I kind of think his giant collection of “action figures” (not to be confused with “toys”) is cute.  Weddings usually get a bad rap for being all about the bride and I don’t want that to be case.  So, I have created a wedding craft that will pay tribute to his true love (other than me of course)…Star Wars. I have not worked out all the engineering yet, but below is my first attempt at a lightsaber boutonniere (sorry for the poor image quality).

I could be making wedding history here. I just need to figure out how to keep it quirky but not too over-the-top.  This will definitely not be the last post on this project…

Very Frustrating Road Block

I have spent countless hours creating custom save-the-date cards and invitations only to find that no one will print them!  I should amend the previous statement; many people will print them, but no one will print them the way I want them to be printed.  I first tried they convenient Kinko’s/ Staples route.  In spite of their special “matte finish,” everything they print comes out of a laser printer and is too glossy.  I have tried a local stationary shop that claims to offer custom printing.  What they fail to mention is that their “custom printing” is a women with Microsoft Publisher and a non-commercial ink-jet printer.  Her sample book included one page flyers for baby showers with cliche, baby rattle borders (the border that is included in Microsoft Office) and invitations that are the kind you print on a single sheet of printer paper and then fold in half twice.  I hate to sound like a snob but I would not call her work “professional” and she charged more than Kinkos!  Lately, I have been exploring online printing services.  Since I am a tactile person, I need to be able see and touch what I am ordering.  I requested samples from a few different places but none of them have arrived yet and they were supposed to be here weeks ago.  I feel like I have to settle for low-quality printing or order cookie-cutter invitations from a wedding stationary company.  They need to be sent out this month and having them printed is just the first part of their overall construction. 

I really am trying to stay positive.  I just don’t like being behind schedule…

Spring Break Productivity: Part 2

One of the big tasks on my spring break to-do list was to make cupcake toppers for the wedding.  I saw some wooden people toppers in an issue of Martha Stewart Weddings and wanted to recreate them to be more specific to my wedding. I tried my hand at these a while back and the results were mixed.  I was pretty pleased with how the bride turned out, but her bouquet of flowers is not centered, one of her eyes is slightly lager than the other and it looks a little smudged (I used a Sharpie for the eyes and wood absorbed it more than I thought it would and the ink bled).  Groom #1 is a disaster. I completely messed up his eyes and the gray I used to detail his suit is WAY too light (I didn’t test it to see how it would look when it dried).  He quickly became my technique tester (hence the 6 eyes).

Bride and Groom #1

Thankfully the wooden people came in packs of two.

First, I sketched the eyes, hair and clothes on the figures.  The pencil marks will show through the first layer of the bride’s dress (the marks will disappear with two or three layers of paint).  However, because the black paint of the groom’s suit will cover all pencil marks, I waited to sketch the suit details until after the first layer of paint was dry. 

Then, it was time for paint.  This was completely nerve-racking because one mistake can ruin the entire figure.  It is impossible to remove unwanted paint from the natural, unfinished wood.  Paint can be covered with more paint, but there is not erase!  Also, I was working on the figures simultaneously.  Once tiny smudge of black paint could have ruined the bride figure.  I was so paranoid, I washed my hands every time I switched figures. Trying to avoid mistakes from bride and groom #1, I was very careful to paint in layers based on depth and lightest elements to darkest.

After hours of laboring over 2, 2 1/2 inch figures…I am done!  In some ways, I like the original bride better but I can’t get past the off-center bouquet and the asymmetrical eyes.  If I can find a way to fix the eyes, I might use the first bride (my new spot sanding method is currently in beta testing…on groom #1).  Either way, I love my cupcake toppers!  They are understated but quirky and cute.  And here is the final product…

I might have gotten a little carried away taking pictures and set up a miniature photo shoot for the new couple… I like playing with my new camera…