Showing posts with label party planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label party planning. Show all posts

Sunday, May 21, 2023

A Nurses Farwell Retirement Party | Keep Calm and "Curry" On Theme

Hello friends, 

This post is long overdue, but I felt it was still worthwhile sharing for anyone interested in ideas for a nurse's retirement party. Recently a dear friend, colleague, and mentor of mine retired from Nursing after 42 years of service. Since I began my nursing career up until a few months ago Barb had been there. She has always been someone we all looked up to and learned so much from. So since this legend was about to retire we knew we had to throw her a party she would never forget. Lucky for her, but not so lucky for me I had time to plan and organize the event, since I was at home recovering from a broken ankle. Thankfully I have since recovered.

THEME
Barb's last name is Curry. Anyone who knows Barb knows the calm she brings when she's around even when under pressure. Over the years we had adapted the British phrase Keep Calm and Carry On to Keep Calm and "Curry" On, so the theme was not a hard one to come up with. Last year I made her a shirt just for fun that she actually wore on her last day to work and it was her wish for us all that she left behind.
 
Made using Silhouette Cameo and Black HTV 

NURSE'S CAP
 
Nowadays, nurses don't wear the Nursing Cap which is designed to recognize the expertise and excellence of a bedside registered nurse. But, when Bar was a new nurse she definitely did wear one and her's had a black stripe across the top of it. So of course I had to make her a "Retirement" Nurse's Cap.

A Nurses Farwell Retirement Party, Keep Calm and "Curry" On Theme, Keep Calm and Carry On, punny,Silhouette Cameo, Party planning,party ideas,

Made using Silhouette Cameo and Glitter HTV
Nurses Cap (similar but not the same one I used)

CARD

Knowing that many people would want to sign the Farwell card, I decided to create an extra large one. For this, I again used the Silhouette Design Edition software to create the XL card. Finished it measured approximately 9.5x12 inches. For the card base, I used a white Posterboard and also added a couple extra inserts for people to write messages on. On a black piece of cardstock, I die-cut the nurse's cap and bottom letters. I then die-cut the same letters and cap to create 3 layers, which I then glued together and pieced back into the openings on the black piece of cardstock. For the top wording on the card I die-cut the letters using white vinyl and then used transfer tape to add them to the top half of the card. To the cap, I added a layer of glue and then sprinkled it with glitter just for a little sparkle.


A Nurses Farwell Retirement Party, Keep Calm and "Curry" On Theme, Keep Calm and Carry On, punny,Silhouette Cameo, Party planning,party ideas,

On the inside, I printed the personalized greeting.


A Nurses Farwell Retirement Party, Keep Calm and "Curry" On Theme, Keep Calm and Carry On, punny,Silhouette Cameo, Party planning,party ideas,


NAPKINS

I thought it would be fun to incorporate the theme by stamping it on Napkins. I had never done this before or seen it done, but I was determined to figure out to make my very own customized napkins. With no budget for ordering them online, DIY was the way to go.

To create my own customized stamp first once again used the same design I had previously and shrunk it down to fit onto a 3-inch acrylic block. I reversed (mirrored) the image so that the letters would stamp correctly and then die-cut the letters from thin craft foam. Once the letters were cut out I weeded the excess material. Next, I added double-sided adhesive to the acrylic block and picked up the letters from the cutting mat. It probably helped that my mat was not very sticky and for the most part, the transfer was easy. The "A" was crooked (see next stamped image) and I later repositioned it.  

A Nurses Farwell Retirement Party, Keep Calm and "Curry" On Theme, Keep Calm and Carry On, punny,Silhouette Cameo, Party planning,party ideas,

Here is an image of my first stamped impression. I then had to test out all my black inks and see which one gave me the best impression. Some bled quite a bit, and some weren't dark enough. Because I was using a stamp block I only had one chance for stamping so I needed to find the best ink for the job. Also to make sure no one ended up with black ink all over their face I did test them by spraying water on them to see if the ink transferred. The inks that I got the best results with were Blackout Ink and Bee Creative Intense Black InkVersaFine ONYX BLACK Ink gave me the nicest black impression but after a few minutes it bled into the fibers which I only found out after stamping a bunch. Good thing I used napkins from the Dollar store so not a big loss 😆

A Nurses Farwell Retirement Party, Keep Calm and "Curry" On Theme, Keep Calm and Carry On, punny,Silhouette Cameo, Party planning,party ideas,


BUTTONS
 
As a keepsake for the guests, thought it would be fun to make something that nurses love and could remember Barb by. We all or most of us wear lanyards at work and many of us decorate them with buttons, pins, and stickers that are given to us throughout the years. So I thought creating a button with the theme was a must. 

A Nurses Farwell Retirement Party, Keep Calm and "Curry" On Theme, Keep Calm and Carry On, punny,Silhouette Cameo, Party planning,party ideas,

To make these I needed to find a button maker, which I ordered from Amazon and figured I could probably use in the future for other projects. So I looked at this as an investment. I then added the design to a circular background that I sized specifically for this 1-inch button and printed them and then used my ScanNCut Machine to cut them all out in minutes. There are punch tools you can get but this was so much easier especially since I already had the equipment.

Once I was done making the buttons, I  packaged them all up as shown above. On the back of the card, I did have my handmade logo also printed.

CAKE

For the Cake is used both my papercraft skills and cake decorating skills to create this beauty. The cake itself was 2, 9-inch vanilla and chocolate round cakes and 2, 10-inch vanilla and chocolate round cakes so that everyone got a little taste of both. I then used buttercream icing to cover the entire cake. It would have been a lot easier if I had just covered the entire cake in fondant but I guess it is no longer as popular to do as many people dislike the taste and peel it off anyway. I did however use Fondant to create all the details on the cake (stethoscope, nurse's cap, pill bottle, pills, bandages). On the big heart in the center, I used an old woodblock letter set I had which resulted in some cooked letters but I was totally OK with that as it added a playful look to it. I used black food coloring to ink up the letters.

A Nurses Farwell Retirement Party, Keep Calm and "Curry" On Theme, Keep Calm and Carry On, punny,Silhouette Cameo, Party planning,party ideas,

I did also use paper pieces on the cake. The pill label and "of service" were printed and cut out. The ECG was also paper, which I cut using the Silhouette, and also made the cake topper for the cake using paper that I cut 3 layers, stacked and glued together, and added them to a couple of wooden dowels.

A Nurses Farwell Retirement Party, Keep Calm and "Curry" On Theme, Keep Calm and Carry On, punny,Silhouette Cameo, Party planning,party ideas,

 Here is a closer look at the label. When wet fondant is sticky so it is very easy to glue things to it. Just make sure no one eats these pieces, lol!

A Nurses Farwell Retirement Party, Keep Calm and "Curry" On Theme, Keep Calm and Carry On, punny,Silhouette Cameo, Party planning,party ideas,

Here is a photo of Barb and me with the cake, before I cut it all up!

A Nurses Farwell Retirement Party, Keep Calm and "Curry" On Theme, Keep Calm and Carry On, punny,Silhouette Cameo, Party planning,party ideas,

And here is a photo of the cake table and backdrop using a Balloon Kit I ordered to match the theme colors.

A Nurses Farwell Retirement Party, Keep Calm and "Curry" On Theme, Keep Calm and Carry On, punny,Silhouette Cameo, Party planning,party ideas,

Thank you for stopping by and until next time... Happy Crafting!
Ilda 💗

To make supplies easy for you to find, I have linked them above. If something is no longer available I will link to a similar product. Affiliate links may be used depending on the product linked. Please help support my blog by using these links while shopping at no additional cost to you. For more information about the affiliates I use, please visit my disclaimer here. Thanks so much for all your support!

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Floral Cross Religious Thank You Cards

Hello friends.

Wow, I have been one crazy Momma lately! My daughter celebrated her Confirmation this past Sunday and it just so happened to fall on the same day my son turned 14 years old. So I did what any other crazy crafty mom does and went overboard with the all the crafts, making all the DIY decorations and party details. From the cake table, cake toppers, sugar cookies, flower arrangements, guest keepsakes, and Thank you cards, yup did it all... yah, a bit nuts I admit... That's just me! The only thing I didn't do this time was make the cakes. I think I would have died if I had to do those too as they are so time consuming and I knew I wasn't going to have the time. I also asked my lovely and very talented sister in law to make me some cake pops as they are my daughter's favorite. If you have been following on Social Media, I have already shared some pictures of most of the decor but I will share some also here at the end of the post.

Today I want to focus on a few of the cards I made for some of the other important people that shared the day with us. The Confirmation Sacrament occurs when the child reaches adolescence and seals their own faith to complete what began with during the child's Baptism. As part of this day the child chooses a Sponsor, who then we refer to as a Godparent.  To thank the Godmother and the Catechists that prepared my daughter for the special day I created these very simple Thank You cards.


Floral Cross Religious Thank You Cards by ilovedoingallthingscrafty

The Floral Cross stamp I used for the card comes from Studio Katia. You may have have seen me use it recently on an Easter Card - here. Love that this stamp is so versatile!

Since I was creating multiples I used a stamping platform to stamp out each panel. I then used Silver embossing powder and heat set it. Ran each panel through the sizzix die cutting machine using MFT's Scalloped rectangles. Then layered the card front onto a piece of  silver glitter vinyl that I had adhered onto the card base. The Thanks die comes from a Hero Arts set. See links below for all supplies used.

Floral Cross Religious Thank You Cards by ilovedoingallthingscrafty

To stamp out the word Godmother took some creativity. I used letters from the Best Ever stamp set to put  the word together. I began with the "other" from brother, masking off the "br" then adding embossing powder and setting it. I then worked my way backward through the entire word masking off and stamping the remainder of the letters I need to use. I did use a positioner, and as you can see it's not perfectly positioned but I had no time to waste to re do it, but after all it is handmade 😏

Floral Cross Religious Thank You Cards by ilovedoingallthingscrafty

On the inside of the cards I stamped out this message from the Honey Bee Stamps Bless Your Heart set.

Floral Cross Religious Thank You Cards by ilovedoingallthingscrafty

 Here are some photos of our day and some of my DIY decor!

Cake Table and Paper Flower BackDrop

Cake Table and Paper Flower BackDrop by Ilovedoingallthingscrafty

 DIY Cake Toppers

Confirmation Cake topper by Ilovedoingallthingscrafty

Son is a HUGE Star Wars Fan!

Darth Vader Cake topper by Ilovedoingallthingscrafty

Maia and her new Godmother Marissa.


My Loves on their Special Day, Maia and Tomas!


 Hope you were inspired by today's post, sorry I became a little photo heavy and personal. If I have time I will share more on the DIY Decor and possibly share the files I created for the Roses.

Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Crafting  :)

SUPPLIES
To make supplies easy to find, I have linked them below. If something I used is no longer available I will link to a similar product.
Affiliate links may be used depending on the product. Your purchases help keep my blog running, so thanks in advance for the support!
Floral Cross
Floral Cross
Shop at:
SSS | SK
Best Ever
Best Ever
Shop at:
SSS | SK
Dotted Patterns: Darling Ribbon Dies
Dotted Patterns: Darling Ribbon Dies
Shop at:
SSS | SK
Dotted Patterns: Loops
Dotted Patterns: Loops
Shop at:
SSS | SK
MFT STITCHED MINI SCALLOP RECTANGLE Die-Namics
MFT STITCHED MINI SCALLOP RECTANGLE Die-Namics
Shop at:
SSS
Hero Arts Stamp And Cuts THANKS Coordinating Set
Hero Arts Stamp And Cuts THANKS Coordinating Set
Shop at:
SSS
Honey Bee BLESS YOUR HEART Stamp Set
Honey Bee BLESS YOUR HEART Stamp Set
Shop at:
SSS | HBS
Neenah Classic Crest 80 LB SMOOTH SOLAR WHITE Paper
Neenah Classic Crest 80 LB SMOOTH SOLAR WHITE Paper
Shop at:
SSS | AMZ
Tonic Studios Tim Holtz Stamp Platform
Tonic Studios Tim Holtz Stamp Platform
Shop at:
SSS | AMZ
Juicy Clear Embossing & Watermark Ink
Juicy Clear Embossing & Watermark Ink
Shop at:
IO3
Blackout Hybrid Detail Ink
Blackout Hybrid Detail Ink
Shop at:
IO3
Inkadinkado Embossing Magic
Inkadinkado Embossing Magic
Shop at:
SSS | AMZ
Ranger Embossing Powder, Super Fine Silver
Ranger Embossing Powder, Super Fine Silver
Shop at:
AMZ
Black & Decker HG1300 Dual Temperature Heat Gun
Black & Decker HG1300 Dual Temperature Heat Gun
Shop at:
AMZ
Sizzix Big Shot
Sizzix Big Shot
Shop at:
SSS | AMZ
STANDARD CUTTING PADS
STANDARD CUTTING PADS
Shop at:
SSS | AMZ
Sizzix Big Shot Magnetic Platform
Sizzix Big Shot Magnetic Platform
Shop at:
AMZ
Tombow Mono Permanent Adhesive
Tombow Mono Permanent Adhesive
Shop at:
AMZ
Craft Smith Metallic Foil 12x12 Inch Paper Pad
Craft Smith Metallic Foil 12x12 Inch Paper Pad
Shop at:
AMZ
Glitter Vinyl
Glitter Vinyl
Shop at:
AMZ
SSS Card Stock 24 Colors
SSS Card Stock 24 Colors
Shop at:
SSS
Recollections White Heavyweight Cardstock 110bs
Recollections White Heavyweight Cardstock 110bs
Shop at:
AMZ

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

DIY Paint Theme Birthday Party

My daughter Maia will be 7 if a few more weeks but because her birthday always falls on the August long weekend here in Canada, her little school friends always seem to be away on vacation. Last year it was she who was on vacation, so she never did get to celebrate with her little friends. This year we thought we would celebrate it earlier to avoid disappointments.

Since Maia loves art, we thought it would be a great idea to have her party at a local art studio. Turns out the owner of the studio's son was in Maia's class last year... what a small world! If you are an art lover, you should definitely check out 4 Cats Art Studio. This fun little franchise started here in Canada and is spreading all over the world! Here are some pictures of the party... I'm warning you, there are quite a few! 

This was such a fun place, here is the cake table all set up. I love all the art on the walls, so bright and colorful!


Here is Maia surprised to see her name upon the board!


Pictured below are some of the girls quietly coloring while they wait for all the guests to arrive.


The Birthday girl showing off her pastel drawing.


Look at all those paints... an artists dream *swoon* ;)


Maia's ready to start on her version of Picasso's flower paintings!


 What a bunch of great little artists!


Clean up time!


After all that work they deserved a little snack!


Yay! Cake time, my favorite ;)
Don't they look so excited?! LOVE those little smiles!


Sit back, it's sparkler time! Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you...


Maia couldn't blow out the last two candles, but I love how she got some help from her friend Elise!


Cake anyone? If you would like to see more details on the cake click here.


Here are our future little artists posing by their masterpieces! Beautiful job girls! So much fun!


As our little guests left the party, they each received a goody bag. Here is what was inside... more crafty goodness and some candy to keep them going, hehe!


Thanks so much to Maha from 4 Cats Art Studio for making this such a fun Party, everything ran on time and very smoothly. Also, thanks to all the little girls that were able to come out and join Maia on her"early" Bday!

I hope I've inspired you with some ideas for your next birthday party! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy Crafting and Party Planning :)