Invitation Workbook

These are invitations I plan to use in the future. These don't fit in with the plans for my next party, but I will use them someday! I only ask that people that know me personally - and live local to me - don't use these (whether or not you invite me).

Pre-invite (Save-the-Date): Halloween is a busy time for many people, so we want to make sure our tiny guest list gets our little gathering onto their calendars. Also, I get so many ideas for invitations that doing two is a good way to use up all those ideas! I liked the idea behind these Owl/eyeball invitations (no longer available), but didn't like so many of the features that it made more sense to make my own, to my exact specifications (notice that the pupils on the "eyes" are stickers, not laying completely flat, plus I don't like the owl image or the color). So, here is our version (a work in progress):

Small papier mache box, 3.5x2.5x1.5. The depth is very important, because a pair of painted ping pong balls must fit inside. This box is the perfect size in every way - I couldn't be happier!

I lucked out on a bunch of little boxes with metal handles last May.

I removed the handles...

...and covered the holes with strips of chartreuse card stock (left over from our wedding invitations - I don't throw anything away, apparantly) - inside and out, and put a piece of the paper (same color) on the bottom. More pics to come!

The image for the lid is already printed. I took this picture and cropped it so the top portion would fit onto the lid of the box and printed it on glossy photo paper. The image is from Halloween '04, when our kitten, Charlie, made friends with our skeleton, Fred. Norm the rat joined them for this shot.

The inside of the lid will be a message printed on the same chartreuse paper (a. my signature color, b. I have lots of it, c. great Halloween color!): "We'll be looking for you on ___" with the date and "details to follow."

Inside the box: a pair of ping pong balls doctored by the resident artist (my husband, John) to resemble eye balls. I bought a bunch of balls at the dollar store. He's done one so far (only 13 to go!) and it looks pretty nifty. The key is permanent markers instead of paint. Semi-opaque and a lot neater.

I'll probably use rubber cement to stick the eyeballs in place, and slide the box into a padded mailer, which I'll also decorate. See the next section for ideas on postage.

Invitation: Sent closer to the date with all the details. I'm pretty sure I'll be using the Mini Necronomicon book and adding text). I'll probably find some wonderful paper and make up some envelopes using templates we've worked up (I love the "deed" style envelope, with the flap on the short end) and decorate them with skulls, etc. using stamps from my collection. I'll hope to create my own postage using the cat, rat & skelly photo, shown above.

Greeting:
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
" 'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door;
(Edgar Allan Poe)

Invitation Text:
Could it be you and nothing more?
You are cordially invited to a Halloween party in our chamber at...