Party Like the Dead

So to finish off the perfect trifecta of a proper "Day of the Dead" theme, I mocked up a little party.
I ran out of time to really do it up the way I had imagined it. I'm calling it a win because I got the cake made. So this was strictly for photo opportunities.
(Just a little personal confession: I don't much go for parties. I get anxious in a room filled with strangers and I tend to sit in a corner and eat a lot. But I like the idea of parties and the decorating. Just not the people so much.)


So first off, you need an invitation.

Sugar Skull Invitations:  These invitations are all a bit different. I was experimenting with what I liked best. The invitation was made from left over banner parts. I made the banner but didn't need all the panels that I had created so I used them for the invitations.

The background is a collection of stamps from Rubber Stamp Tapestry (peg stamps). I was happy to find that these stamps look good just stamped in black with some gray. Coloring in the centers of the flowers was ok, too, but I like the way the grey-scale background allows the colors on the skull to pop.

Now, here's the set-up. You'll notice that those skulls are my main decoration.

I went with black and white with a pop of color. I got the tablecloth, plates and black flowers from the dollar store.

 Those clear glasses are a thrift store find and the tumbler I got at WalMart. (I rewarded myself after having FINALLY made an appointment for new eyeglasses!)

Now in the back are two skull canvases. One should look familiar from Thursday's post. The other one is going to be seen very soon in one of my other ongoing projects. I also pulled out a skull I had and some black bottles that my sister got me. (OMG, does she know me or what? Love bottles!)

I also made a cake for my little display. I admit that it reminds me of a cake wreck...or pinterest fail but hey, I ain't no cake decorator. Frosting isn't as easy as paint. And I was running out of time. I've been working the day job and haven't had much down time. So I had to scale this post back a bit. I was happy to get something done that the "straws" could stick in!

So as you can see the invitations match the straws which match the favor boxes which match the banner. Once I got going, I figured I might as well keep it consistent. I really like my pom-pom banner, too. It was a bit long for my kitchen table but I could have hiked it up some to make it more like a table skirt.

 The skulls are from a set by Simon Says Stamp. I colored them with fluorescent Zig markers. The black panels I bought like that already cut. I penned in the vine border with a Moonlight Sakura gel pen and added the little flower stickers in the corner for some bling.


I made the pom-poms from a variegated yarn that had bright colors mixed with black. It matched my theme perfectly. I just tied everything onto a strand of black yarn and called it done.

Here's a few photos of the "straws" without all the distraction.

I used them as a cake decoration but if you attach the skull further down the straw, it can be used as a straw for any creepy punch you make. As a note, these skulls could be taped back to back, too. They are symmetrical.

A party wouldn't be complete without a little take-home favor. So I made up some little favor boxes using that same sugar skull stamp and mimicking my invitation.

Because I wanted the back to be black, I cut my own tags to attach to the back of the treat box. The small box was just plain white but since I liked how my invitations turned out, I used that pattern to jazz them up. I added a little color to the center of the flowers for a bit more color. These treat boxes were a bit slick on the surface so even stamping in Archival ink (Ranger) took a little time to dry.

So that's my little party!

Stay tuned this week for more Halloween inspiration!
-Wy
"It was a grave yard smash!"