The ART of creating a party.

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.

Creative Specialists.

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

The Winner.

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

Reblogging Coolness (3rd edition)

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

Sweet Dreams

Welcome back to Creating Heirlooms Blog. I had a wonderful summer enjoying my three children. I hope all of you made many lasting heirloom memories as well.

The creation of “Sweet Dreams” (two darling antique twin beds) was one of my artsy summertime activities. It was fun vintaging these two very precious pieces of art worth saving. For help shopping for, purchasing and incorporating personal Vintage Pieces & Heirloom Creations into your own home, talk or text Kim  @ Heirloom.

Inspired by Mom

I am not sure what prompted this, my desire for a pretty laundry room, or the nearing of Mother’s Day, but I recently decided to give this little room of ours a much deserved facelift. Most of you know we live in a 19th century farmhouse in PA, so prior to the redesign, laundry was not such a great experience in our home. Baskets teetered on an ENORMOUS wash sink that just didn’t fit the room,  and there was absolutely nothing to look at while washing and folding clothes, day after day, hour after hour.

One day this spring I decided to change all that. After I forced my loving husband to agree with me (the toughest obstacle of all), we ripped out the gargantuan sink and faucet and patched the holes. Next we mixed up a bunch of old white paint left over from other jobs and just got to painting, praying I had just enough to cover the walls. I did. Then we bought a little bit of white base trim and covered some old glue that was all around the bottom of the wall to make it disappear.

We kept the same washer and dryer, as an upgrade was not necessary quite yet, but needed to hide the old pipes behind them, so I bought a shabby chic valance and draped it across a wrought iron curtain rod I had lying around, and attached it to a shelf. Presto…pipes gone, but still easily accessible.

We added a pegged shelf from another room, to hold memories and vintage laundry items I’ve been collecting. One of the items I’ve collected is an antique ironing board which I propped against the wall. Next to it I added an old white window that I found in my barn. I grabbed several christening dresses I have acquired from family and hung them on antique baby hangers. The linen dress on the far left adorned every child on my mom’s side of the family since 1927. All 3 of my children were baptised in this precious heirloom. But the main focus of my new room is a small sepia photograph of  my mother pushing a bike at the age of 2. She sits centered above the ironing board right in the middle of “our new room”. Since I lost her 21 years ago this May, it’s nice to see her every day now. She certainly makes doing laundry much less of a chore.

This mother’s day week find your least favorite room and give it new life. Use your imagination and your Heirlooms, instead of your wallet. Total cost of renovation. $15 for wood trim, $50 for 2 white valances and $8 for a basket hook. All the rest came from upcycling and repositioning.

Antique ironing board framed by my collection of sepia children in white dresses, including mom, above ironing board.

An old window and a linen curtain hang next to my collection of sepia children in white dresses.

Find a stylish book to prop, grab a little lamp, and take a glass bowl and fill it with laundry detergent, then add a little tin scooper. This adds a fresh linen scent to the room, naturally. I just reach up and grab soap powder.

Found this great oval bucket one day and couldn’t pass it up. Paired it with an embroidered laundry bag I’ve had for decades. It was probably my mom’s.

Here is the collection of linen christening dresses. Some from my side, some from Mike’s. The one on the left has been passed down in my family since 1927, and christened my grandfather, my 3 children and almost every cousin and aunt and uncle in between. Antique laundry beater hangs alongside.

Pretty basket hook from Lowes.

Make sure it’s sturdy enough for everyday use.

Above the pegged shelf I have an assortment of things I just pulled from places around my home. Vintage sewing spools plopped in a cream crock, a little white McCoy pitcher with flowers, a vintage comb and brush holder and a book I love about New England design. Above all is a framed vintage school photo passed to me from my mother’s sister. The pretty white vase came from the salvation army shop, and I placed scrub brushes inside.

This wooden  yellow table (now work surface) was just the right narrow width for the space. This, I found a long time ago at the Habitat for Humanity Re-sale store. It was a steal.  I “repurposed pottery barn baskets” which were once lined in red checkered fabric and used in my children’s playroom, a gift from my mother-in-law. Now they store, plastic bags, rags and detergent under the table very neatly.

Found a wrought iron curtain rod and attached it to the shelf with a white eye-hook. Draped the valances to hide the ugly pipes and knobs. Who wants to see that!

A wrought iron candle holder from my uncle’s farmhouse. Incidentally, my mother’s brother.

I took a glass bowl from my kitchen and filled it with detergent, then found a old tin cup to scoop soap into the machine. The tin cup came from my mom.

And old lantern I had lying around, a framed piece of art from a neighbor and the framed photograph I had commissioned of the 1927 vintage christening gown sit on this shelf, along with dryer sheets tucked into a basket for easy access. I use the little lamp for all-day lighting. It provides a nice glow.

The Unboring Business Card

I love it anytime people take a design “jump” and really create something fabulous. As I was recently asked to help with a business card design, I got the bug and went on a “creative quest”.  I want to share with you some innovative business cards, hoping that you will find something in your life that needs a little “re-invention”.  Just go for it already! Life is too short to be boring.

This would be great for a drycleaner, housekeeper, or someone who makes smelly cheese.

Versital set for a printer by Joseph Parra

Round cards are just fun and memorable.

Minimal design that gets the point across well, by Luke Elliott

I love this for a hair colorist OR an actor/actress.

This could work for prop rental or home stagers.

Just cool.

Try printing on unique materials.

– Award-winning, CUSTOM DESIGNED STORY INVITATIONS, & Businss Cards for EVERY EVENT –

Easter Table ART

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.

And every evening 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 –

Reblogging coolness (2nd edition)

Design for Thought

This just says it all. Paint or rub these letters on your floor today.
I like the idea for an office, hallway or child’s room.

ART MAKES YOU HAPPY

OR

HAPPY YOU MAKES ART

Design for Blogs

Here are some great little blog buttons I found recently. If you don’t have a blog,
start one, and start a conversation with a pretty button.
Blog Buttons!

Design for Yards

Think about how cool this is. Now you might need a landscaper first but if your grass is pristine, why  not create interesting letter stencils and write someone a love note. Ingredients: paper, flour. Mix.

Inspire always.

See Heirloom Designs for every Occasion!

Reblogging coolness (1st edition).

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!