Housewarming Party Invitations

Even though this month's challenge is all about works in progress, I'm declining to post most of what I'm currently working on. The internet, though it is a vast wasteland and most of the recipients are not likely to be visiting craft sites, may run across their holiday gifts. I want them to be surprises, like Sue would enjoy.


If they're not at least this excited, I'll feel like Debbie Downer.

So instead, I'll post invitations I made for my friend's housewarming party last year.
Ken & Linda are the ultimate tropical beach party people. Every year they host a Jamaican Reggae night at their beach house. So, when Linda "retired" from her travel agency (she now runs it from a home office, rather than its downtown location) they no longer needed to live in the city. They built a house in Eden, NY, a town better known for its annual Corn Festival and high school tractor parades than nightlife and urban vibes.

They were throwing an "Open House" party to show off their gorgeous new digs that backed up to a vineyard and assure their friends and family that they were not in an episode of "Green Acres." I was asked to design the invitations, which had to include a picture of a dilapidated barn somewhere. This is what I came up with.

I found the barn image online and printed it on vellum. Using red and brown colored pencils, I highlighted some areas and blended them using a blending stump and mineral spirits. I inked the edges of the card using Tim Holtz's Walnut Stain and Staz-on in Jet Black. They were attached with photo corners. I stamped the "Our Country Home" in black using an alphabet set I found on sale at Joann's. Inside, I stamped their address and the party information, and added a scalloped border (not going to post that because, well, you know, weirdos and all.) I added a tab that I attached with a brad that had their names and phone number so that, even if the invitee threw away the card afterward, they could save this little bit of information.

I also inked the edges of the envelopes to match the invitations. They were a hit, with the only caveat being the extra postage required because of the brad. They didn't lay perfectly flat, even though they were well within the weight limit for the post office and certainly not obtrusive. Eh, that's a small town post office for you. I'm sure the extra 20 cents on each one will help pull the Postal Service out of bankruptcy.