Entry #21 from our Calling All Bloggers Challenge was sent to us by Jen Harthorn of Jen’s Blossoms:

End Of Summer BBQ Bash

Hey there!  My name is Jen and I work in the wedding and event industry as an event designer and florist.  Over the past few years I have fallen in love with May Arts Ribbon.  I have found that using ribbon is a great way to tie all the elements of an event together…invites, bouquets, centerpieces, favors, and so much more.

For this challenge I selected the orange grosgrain ribbon with yellow circles.  It reminds me of oranges and lemons so I chose a color palette themed around citrus for my “End of the Summer BBQ Bash”.  With the colors chosen (green, yellow, orange, and a little bright blue to mix it up), it was time to create the invite.  I paid a visit to my local paper supply store and picked up the necessary supplies.

To make the invite I started with a 5 by 7 inch piece of metallic green cardstock and layered a decorative yellow cardstock on top of it.  The yellow cardstock is cut just a 1/4 inch smaller than the green.  I then printed my invite on white linen cardstock measuring 6-1/4 by 4-1/4 inches.  Using an adhesive runner I attached a piece of the 1.5 inch orange grosgrain ribbon creating a band around the invite.

I used a similar banding method for the RSVP card.  To simplify the design a bit I left out the green metallic cardstock and used just the yellow and white.  The yellow is cut to 5-1/2 by 4-1/4 inches with the white linen measuring a 1/2 inch smaller all around.  I went with the thinner orange ribbon (1/2 inch) for the RSVP and positioned it vertically rather than horizontally as on the invite.

With the invite done it is now time to plan the decorations for the upcoming party.  Here are a few ways I incorporated the ribbon into my design:

• I added tassels made from the 1/2 inch ribbon to my hanging lanterns.

• A thick band around an outdoor pillow brings the theme to the furniture.

• The basket holding my plates and utensils gets tied with the 1-1/2 inch ribbon.

• For when the bugs come out!  Small terracotta pots filled with citronella candles and tied with the 1/2 inch ribbon.

• A glass cube of limes plays into the citrus theme.  Most likely they will be used throughout the evening.

• Lime green hydrangeas in a large bubble bowl pop against the orange ribbon.

Thanks for taking a moment to check out the design for my “End of the Summer BBQ Bash”!  I think I may plan a “Back to School Slumber Party” next…