Puppy Love! Dogs at Weddings? wedding patterns for your pups

picture from weddingwire.com

The music plays, the doors open, the guests rise and here comes . . . a dog wagging down the aisle? Yes it is true! Dogs at weddings are more popular than ever. On the most important day of your life, you don’t want to leave out your best four legged friend! Have your pup join in the bridal party!

You might be planning on having your dog serve as a ring bearer or little flower pup at your wedding. If you are then you will need some spiffy clothing to go along with your bridal party. In my latest book, Bow Wow WOW! I have patterns for both a bride and groom outfit for dogs. Both patterns can be adjusted from a tea cup to a large dog.

If you are thinking about having your dog at your wedding, check out the following websites for tips and tricks to including your pup in the ceremony. Ehow, The Knot Message Boards.

The Bride costume from Bow Wow Wow!

detail of flowers - can be made in any color

The Groom from Bow Wow WOW!

full view

Get a copy of the book at Barnes and Noble or Amazon!

Step by Step instructions!

40 Floral Centerpieces

40 small and medium arrangements for the dinner tables.

2 large arrangements for the sign in table etc.

Here is how it all went down.......

The Containers... 1/2 small - 1/2 medium and 2 Jumbo.
The beautiful containers were donated!

Chunky Moss

Flat Packed Moss

I spray glued moss to the corners.

I added clear containers and aquafoam to the interiors.

A trip to the flower district of LA.
Hometown, USA - Look for flower wholesalers.

Pack your car with buckets and plastic lining.
Bring CASH and a smile.

Lots to choose from.
My color pallet is green, cream and white.

Cock's Comb in Green - So velvety, I just love them!!

Cut Orchids - 50 blooms total!

Bells of Ireland

Snapdragons

Spider Mums with protective coverings

A bright pop of color!

China Mums

Coffee Bean Filler

A house full of flowers.

A kitchen full of flowers.

Step1 - Begin by adding a cut Bells of Ireland and a little lemon leaf to the container. Make sure you have soaked your aquafoam for 1 hour in water. The label on the foam should be facing up and the tiny holes should be facing down.

Working in an assembly line is much easier than one at a time.

Step2 - Next, add the China Mum (or your largest flower). I like to position the bigger flowers off to one corner.

Step 3 - Add the snapdragons.

Step 4 - Add the cut orchids and Spider Mums.

Keep working the assembly line!

Add filler to hide any holes peeking through.

All done and it was time to call it a night! The Awards Gala is tonight and I think the centerpieces will look lovely on the tables.

Embellishing Tricks for Plain Dresses

Embellishing Tricks for Plain Dresses

Materials:
nylon lace trim with a repeated, linked design
6"-8"-wide flat nylon lace
fabric dye
sequins
flat-bottomed Swarovski crystals
thread to match the garment
hand-sewing needle
jewel glue
toothpick

1. Dye the lace according to the directions on the dye package. Allow the lace to dry.

2. Pin the wide lace around the waist of the dress, beginning by folding and pinning it at one side of the zipper. Continue pinning until you reach the other side of the zipper. Cut the lace with enough to turn under. Turn under the end and pin to the other side of the zipper.


3. Hand-stitch the top and bottom edges of the lace to the waist of the dress.


4. To add scattered lace details to dresses or purses, cut links of the lace design.


5. Embellish the lace or other portions of the garment with one crystal at a time. Dot the bottom of the crystal with jewel glue, using a toothpick. Apply to the lace link and allow to dry. Stitch the lace pieces onto the dress or use fabric glue to attach to a purse.

Make It: Two Ways to Seal Envelopes with Wax

With wedding season just around the corner, I started thinking about wax seals again. I have two techniques that work great for wax sealing. The first technique uses traditional wax sticks that are melted with a flame. The second, uses wax "hot glue" sticks. The sticks are not hot glue, they are a wax that melts in a glue gun.

These sticks are from Scribes Delight.

Make It: Sealing Envelopes with Wax Sticks

This is from the Global Shipping episode of Creative Juice

Materials:
coffee - cooled
sealing wax stick
metal seal
envelopes
paper
matches
optional: metallic stamp pad

Steps:

1. To create an antique look, wrinkle up an envelope and soak it in a coffee bath for a few seconds. Blot to remove excess moisture and set aside to dry.



2. Light the wax stick's wick and tilt the stick at a slight angle over the envelope, lit end facing down.


3. Holding the stick over the area for the seal, let the wax flow onto the envelope until there is enough wax for a seal (10 to 15 seconds of melting wax should produce enough wax for an average 1/4"-diameter seal). Be careful not to get soot in the wax.



4. Press the seal into the wax; remove by lifting straight up. If the wax won't let go of the seal, rest the seal on the wax until it's completely cool, then lift the seal off.


5. Highlight ink (from a metallic stamp pad) can be used on the seal before embossing to help the wax release the seal, as well as to create a dimensional look. Or you can add a little ink to a paintbrush and brush it into the seal.

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These sticks are from Save-on-Crafts

Make It: Sealing Envelopes with Wax Glue Sticks

Materials:

wax glue sticks
metal seal
low-temp glue gun (dedicated for this type of project)
paper
optional: metallic stamp pad

Steps:

1. Insert a wax stick into a standard-size low-temp glue gun (use a second wax stick in the gun to help advance the first stick). Bring the gun to the desired temperature and rest it on a piece of foil to help reduce drips or wax strings on the work area.


2. Use a few test pulls to get a feel for the quantity of wax to use with the seal. Two firm pulls of the trigger will produce a full seal for larger sealing coins. Waiting for 10-15 seconds before embossing the wax with a seal will create a better definition in the wax. Experiment to find the correct waiting period based on temperature conditions.


3. Emboss with a seal; remove by lifting straight up out of the wax. If the wax won't let go of the seal, rest the seal on the wax until it's completely cool, then lift the seal off. Highlighting ink (from a metallic stamp pad) can be used on the seal before embossing to help the wax release the seal, as well as creating a dimensional look on the seal.

Tips and Tricks: Alternating 1" plugs of different colors of glue-gun wax sticks can create a unique marbling effect. Glue plugs can be created by cutting the glue sticks into sections with craft scissors.