Pony Party invites on a Budget - Plus links to rest of party

Western Cuteness on a VERY THIN DIME!!

As the time quickly approaches for Kissi-cat's 4th b-day, I am nearly finished with her invites. I loved the video I saw on Scrapping with my Bug's blog, actually I LOVE nearly everything she does...but I digress, she did a tutorial on tri-fold card found here that is super easy and looks more complicated than one might think. I won't lie to you, if you really want to use this for more than 4 cards it gets involved what you save in financial means you spend in your time economy especially if you plan on using your cricut to cut all these tiny images for each block...like I did with 14 cards!! But if you use pre-cut images or stickers it goes really fast and gives a big impact for little time and money..

What you need- if you want a look-a-like to my customized [cow-girl/boy, western, pony] birthday invites:

• 6" X 12" Black card stock
• Cow Hide print card stock- or black polka dot print paper
• red banana print card stock- or customize your own
• ruler
• black marker, opaque white marker, 
• stickles glitter glue (Y stickles glitter glue? Cuz; it's the best IMO!!)
• adhesive of choice
• paper trimmer w/card scorer
• die cuts, stickers, or images of choice 
• Old West Cricut Cartridge

I used black card stock as back ground, then could NOT find red bandana print card stock ANYWHERE, grrrrrr!! SO I did find a free printable digital print but the red didn't translate well once I printed it out-- it was a berry red...so necessity is the mother of invention, right? I took the paper I printed off and used as a pattern to make my own customized paper on a 12X12 deep red card stock I all ready owned, 6 pieces of card stock to be exact. I didn't want to spend 50 cents/sheet for cow spots so I used black polka dot on white background, problem solved!

The tutorial here explains it all better than I could say plus it might scare you into not trying with my wordy explanation, you know I can make a sentence into a 300 page novel, holla at yer girl!

But a brief explanation I shall attempt:

• take a 6X12" piece of black card stock and score @ 2", 4" SKIP 6", 8". & 10"
• At the 2" & 8" score line measure in 1& 1/2 " & mark with pencil on either side of paper.
• Then use a paper trimmer, or ruler and craft knife {Whatever you are comfortable with using!} to cut from the 2" mark through 8"~  AGAIN WATCH THE TUTORIAL HERE, it will make more sense to see a visual.
• Then fold each score mark every other way.
• Use 2 different pattern paper in each square and rectangle shape leaving a 1/4 boarder
• Decorate with choice of die cuts, stickers, word art, glitter, skies the limit!
• Make a custom envelope, here is a gr8 resorce for free printable patterns for any size and quirky envelope you can imagine- will basically be a 4X6" card when finished folding up.

Now I messed up with my invites, at first I planned on doing as video suggested and not place any wording on front, but I was just afraid some ppl would NOT think to look on back of card, then if I did write on back since I was making 14 how was I sure WAS NOT going to hand write the info, I would have to make a card cut to dimensions of the blocks then make the print large enough to fit in space yet small enough to contain all the details of the party NO STINKING WAY-- me and my BIG ideas!!??All this work and it's just an invite no one is going to save it but me, so why go to such extremes-SOOOOOO...

I opted to make a cute "wanted" poster as an insert to card, here is how I did it:

Wanted ...
_______~ 4th Birthday Party Guests!
Round up is: _________
Head on Over to:_______
Neighs Only  Give us a holler! (123) 456-7890

Used Caligraphy paper I bought over 12 or so years ago for next to nothing that had that weathered looked, used my paper trimmer with pinking edges, then used tea/coffee stained cream chalk product for edges of mini poster and random places to give an aged effect.


After all this I realize I left out" _____~4th birthday" ... ALL I had was "Wanted...Party Guests" No birthday child's name, LOL! Grrrr, so I thought I would use a sharpie and try to make it look like it kinda matched...uhh NO! Looks so NOT MATCHED, I really dislike the messy way it looks, I used bleeding cowboy font and thought the bleeding marker would kinda blend it-- NOPE it doesn't.

I have revamped the file I made the Rich Text Edit file(MAC document program) so it contains all necessary info and might remake the signs, but it was some time I might not want to spend again when I still want to make:

• Horse, Cowgirl,  Boots for center pieces {All ready customized a doll in the birthday girl likeness for the center pieces using ONCE UPON A PRINCESS cartridge, really cute looks like the pillow case dress in the cow hide bandana print plus cowhide hat and black boots she will be wearing for the party}-Will post a tutorial
• Place Cards-Will post a tutorial
• Happy Birthday Bunting from grocery store bags and Plantain Cartridge-Will post a tutorial -
• mini bunting for cake-Will post a tutorial
• cake pops-Will post a tutorial 
• Cake Pop, Marshmallow, pie pops Display/holders tutorial- Click here
• Wanted Posters for kids to color-Will post a tutorial
• Felt Hobby Horse-Will post a tutorial-Will post a tutorial -
• Color Cow Spots on white balloons-Will post a tutorial
• Make Favor Bags from lunch sacks-Will post a tutorial
• Western Die Cuts from Old West to make Kissi's Birthday Signs- Will have a post with pics of all and party decor plus food once party takes place!
• MIGHT make a peasant blouse from Muslin with red bandana print fabric accents, {first 2 attempts remind me of Chris Farely in that one movie with David Spade "Tommy Boy-Black Sheep" in the one scene Chris is trying on David's sports coat and he is singing "Fat guy in a little coat"... LOL!! Don't know that one, well image squeezing into a shirt that barely fits and is bulging all your fat..NOT ATTRACTIVE but still kinda humorous kinda wanted to run upstairs singing that song with it on, but really didn't want my hubby to have this visual of me..so I just snickered and realize I might be wear a plain black shirt...see a sentence into a novel, yes some ppl want an "easy button" I need an "edit button" LOL!}

Linked to Growing Home & 30 Days handmade  Linky party, Uncommon Design on line