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In September, I was honoured to design a special “Bat Mitzvah Invitation Suite” for Miss Audrey Cole, a dear friend of my daughter, Kate.
Audrey’s parents shared a family photoshoot from 11 years ago, and with that I began to build a custom book invitation. On the spread below I featured a very sentimental letter written by her parents, paired with a touching portrait converted to black and white.
Inside the book, I included bible verses and more gorgeous monochromatic childhood images.
To accent, I designed a custom logo for Audrey which anchored the invitation book and was also used throughout the event, on t-shirts and other give-aways.
A portrait session with Robyn Graham, Photographer, provided the current image below which was placed opposite the formal invitation to the event.
Celebrating with good friends is absolutely the best way to celebrate. Audrey with Kate at the Waterwheel, Doylestown, PA.
Auxiliary pieces with the full Invitation Suite.
Contact Heirloom to create something special to memorialize your next life or business event.
Memories matter.
Happy New Year to all my Heirloom friends. It’s been a very long time since my last blog, so here is one to get you thinking about summer again. This is a blog about the ART of creating a party from scratch. Brought to you by the Heirloom Studio in Doylestown, PA, BUT brought to life in Rehoboth, DE. last July.
After years of enjoying the royal treatment from my husband’s parents, it was my turn to treat them. This is how it all went down. I decided on a 70th surprise party ….with lots of twists. It all began with the creation of custom designed wearable TARGET props and a scrolled list of invitation directions, uniquely wrapped in a mailing tube. You’ll see these again soon. All props and party supplies were secretly transported to Rehoboth Beach for the grand unveiling.
Here are my in-laws. Susanne and Jeff Bensing. Two of the jolliest folks I have ever known. They both celebrated their 70th birthdays this summer, which I know is hard to believe just looking at them.
After we tricked them into dressing up for dinner, we laughed instead and handed them a tube with these colorful instructions inside. Instructions read: “Because you were lucky enough to survive the last 70 years, today you have to go on a beach scavenger hunt, while being video-recorded.” Wait til you hear some of the things we had them do.
1. Place these “younger you” faces in front of your current faces, and walk up and down the street introducing yourself to complete strangers. 2. Walk toward the beach and draw a hopscotch on the boardwalk, and begin jumping. 3. Go into a boardwalk shop and ask for shark teeth to replace yours when the fall out. Buy them for the future.
Yes complete strangers. They did it.
4. Choose a spot on the boardwalk to sing a Beach Boys song to the masses. Good sports that they are, they also did this.
5. Place these artfully-designed front/back targets on your shoulders and walk back to the beachhouse. Targets read: “Shoot me because I’m 70!” and “Shoot me because I am nearly 70!”.
Kids and Grands all hid behind trees, cars and houses with water guns waiting for the “AMBUSH”. Yes, we got them…good!
They hid behind me, the camera girl, but I was simply too fast.
After they dried off, we surprised them with polka dot cupcakes, popcorn cups, ice cream sodas and an assortment of fun games and activities they played against their grandkids for prizes!
All the games had my in-laws competing against their grandkids. Prizes included great memory makers such as: “A morning walk with nana”, “An ice cream treat with Doc (my father in law)”, “A trip to candy kitchen”, “A breakfast alone with your grandchild”.
Here we have the “Great Bubble Blow”. Judges chose the largest soap bubble blown.
This was probably the hardest contest to judge.
Next we had a “Bubble gum blowing contest”.
“The Great Lick Off – A lollipop licking contest”. The fastest wins.
“Traditional apple bobbing”.
Even “Rubber Duckie Water Races” in the pool. No hands, just current. First one to the other side wins!
It was a great day, and a forever young way to celebrate 2 very happy lives.
Back to front: Kim, Mike, Kyle, Angie, Doc, Susanne, Tessa, Kate, Anya, Luke, Noah, Blake and Nick.
I was recently asked to become a founding member and designer for an elite group of specialists, the Bucks County Event Specialists. We are all award-winning Bucks County Artisans, creating together and inspiring each other, to elevate upcoming special events. So whatever your event, holiday party, birthday, anniversary brunch, wedding, backyard picnic…let us help you elevate. Follow us on facebook.
*Design
*Illustration
*Invitations
*Calligraphy
*Photography
*Printing
*Florals
*Favors
*Make-up
*Music
*Culinary
It feels good to win. Recently Heirloom held a facebook contest and Katie Hopkins Kessell of Bucks County won our GRAND PRIZE DESIGN: her very own LOGO!
Several designs were submitted and this is the one she chose. It’s nice to have your own piece of graphic art to use whenever you want, on whatever you want. Here are some great uses:
Gobo lights for a party or event
Gigantic wall art for a kids room
Box design for homemade holiday sweets
Fabulous family t-shirts for a vacation or reunion
Rubber stamps for classy mail
Trendy designed cake topper for an anniversary or birthday
Cocktail napkins for funky backyard events
Wine or beer bottle labels
Thank you cards for everyone
Custom designed hair ribbons
Fabric or wallpaper design
Designer luggage tags
Personal gift tags
Personal logos $100, Corporate logo design by appointment
I had to blog this find right away. It was just THAT cool.
My brother sent me to this wonderful site called Child’s Own Studio that creates a doll out of your child’s piece of art. Is that not one of the coolest things you’ve ever seen? Holidays are coming. Check them out at www.childsown.com
It’s Easter, my favorite week of the year. As I watch the birds outside my studio perch on limbs with brand new buds, I anxiously prepare for our Annual Vintage Easter Brunch. Each year I try some new ideas, simple cakes, lavender cookies, and a little luxurious outdoor table art. We live in the Northeast, so we can’t always rely on the weather to cooperate, but we try our best to set a few pretty tables outside, just in case we get lucky!
I am obsessed, by the way, with this artform, so I studied the internet for some great examples for you. You can also see them on my new pinterest board which will be continuously updated, Outdoor Tables.
Here are some simple ideas that do NOT need to be reserved for weddings and big events. Try some of these the next time your best friend is coming over for lemonade, or when your kids invite a few friends for backyard soccer. Lovely ideas when the neighbors stop by with a new bottle of wine. And remember, don’t buy anything, instead use vintage tablecloths from your grandmother, buckets from your shed, pretty vintage glasses from a consignment shop, and any pretty plates you pick up! Place your table in an unexpected spot and enjoy.
Take note of the bucket of flowers off to the side and the mix matched chairs –
all colorful and perfectly positioned in this lovely orange grove above.
I think this table is stunning. Fun bird houses dangling from trees.
You can use a giant curtain and just throw it over any old table.
I just love lime, so this image above spoke to me.
I could not take my eyes off this table and natural lattice. Dangle a little chandelier, and you are all set.
This is colorful and fun. Just hang some paper butterflies or birds above your table of cakes.
Every afternoon should look like this.
My favorite place.
Above I love the big benches and the huge vase of water and greens.
Simple and easy. Enjoy Easter and Passover, a little bit outside if you can!
– Award-winning, CUSTOM DESIGNED STORY INVITATIONS for EVERY EVENT –
Everyday I read blogs and surf the virtual world in search of creative intervention. Then I do one of two things, purchase or use exceptionally cool things or reblog their coolness!
Designs for the Body
PANTALUNA – right here in Frenchtown, NJ
Each design collages reclaimed 100% cotton t-shirts into a distinctive, comfortable American made wearable work of art. Yoga pants and skirts are exceptional.
Pantaluna site!
Designs for the Wall
Shanna Murray – illustrated decals.
Love these for your own homemade chalkboards
Shanna Murray site!
Designs for the Future
A new IMAGE capturing site getting lots of buzz. I launched my pinterest page a few weeks ago and find I don’t really know what I did without it! “Pin” everything you love from the internet on your personal “boards” so you can access it later.
Pinterest is an online pinboard.
Organize and share things you love.
See Kim’s Pins!
Each year around this time I find myself becoming impatient with ever frantic TV ads and the crazy “gift-giving scramble”. Each season Mike and I try to buy a few gifts for our own three children in November and then try to rest, enjoy and create homemade treats for everyone else on our list during December. We tried to pass that value along to our children this year. They are creating home-sewn pillows, crocheted bracelets and model cars for one side of cousins and have opted for a day of lunch, music, play and laughter with their other set of cousins. Stress levels are down, but anticipation for a fun time is up.
Here is a gift idea we like to use around the Bensing house often. When another kid birthday or holiday sneaks up on you and you have limited gift shopping time and/or you just don’t know what to buy, try this: Create a “Friendship or Cousin Coupon®”, like we often do. This coupon is good for one arranged activity of the recipient’s choice. It’s a great alternative to more STUFF, commercialism and wasteful shopping. In the case of a birthday gift, your child actually gets to plan the activity, and interact one-on-one with their special friend. Tie a balloon or flower to one of your own “Friendship Coupons®” next time you just don’t feel like another trip to the mall, or call or email Kim at Heirloom. Many designs in stock. Complete customization free of charge. Sent to your computer within 24 hours. $5 each. Give one for the holidays, it will help you remember why we celebrate in the first place.
Heirloom
– Award-winning, CUSTOM DESIGNED STORY INVITATIONS for EVERY EVENT –
A long time ago all little girls played with paper dolls. Fun, simple, creative. Here is an oversized party invitation idea that goes in the mail in a 9×12 envelope. Guests cut out one of the dresses and send it back as their rsvp. It then gets recycled and made into their nametag. Completely customizable, interactive and also very GREEN. Boy versions available upon request. See some other Heirloom Party Designs.
Sometimes a brief announcement is perfect for a birthday, graduation, anniversary, save the date, or even the holidays. Here is an example of a Philadelphia Wedding Save-the-Date, created to resemble the Declaration of Independence. A simple parchment was chosen, printed and then hand-burned around the edges before it was tied with brown twine and scrolled into a kraft brown mailing tube. Easy, economical and interesting to receive and read. Currently Heirloom is creating a similar proclamation for an Enchanted Forest Wedding. Use your imagination. See Heirloom Designs.
Creating Heirlooms 
