This month we asked our blog readers which 2012 trend was set to be their favourite, and watercolour and ombre effects was a clear winner. For some ombre inspiration check out our Novembers blog posts, and we'll be sure to bring you more ideas in the coming months.

So what's been happening on 'i do' it yourself this month? Well, we launched a stack of new designs including loads of wedding menu cards. Here are a few of our latest invitation designs:

Burlap and Lace Invitation

Top Hat Invite - great for a birthday or a bachelor party

Bunny Ears Invitation

Jumping Bunny Invite

We are coming to the end of the month so we're wrapping up our pretty peacock party theme. Earlier this month we showed you Keri and Tanner's elegant and classic peacock wedding. Today we have the second gorgeous event to share, Laryssa and Sharyn's beautiful outdoor country wedding shot by De Nueva Photography.

The setting was calendar house, an historic farmhouse in NY state surrounded by acres of orchards and farmland. Laryssa and Sharyn chose a peacock theme for their day, with plenty of beautiful blue and turquoise shades.


White table clothes were given a rustic touch with the addition of hessian fabric squares in the centre and pretty birch vases filled with wildflowers. A scattering of sparkly blue and green sequins added that hint of peacock glamour.


Laryssa's Ukrainian heritage was celebrated with the custom of a candle lighting and shared bread and wine before the reception. The girls wore the most beautiful floral and ribbon head pieces for this part and shared a bread called Korovai, which is traditionally severed instead of a wedding cake. It looked fabulous decorated with ribbons, but sweet tooth's didn't miss out with a delicious cake being served later too.


Laryssa and Sharyn asked all their guests sign their ketubah by adding a fingerprint to the custom peacock designed by 'i do' it yourself. A lovely way to involve guests in what was a truly beautiful wedding day.

You might have come across fingerprint guest books before, usually they are trees and the fingerprints form the leaves. But we've got a really beautiful alternative - the peacock. In this design guests leave their print inside a feather, or they can just sign. They look fabulous filled in with different colours. Here are a few finished results.

Pics: Patrick Remington Photography, customer pic, Bear and Penguim Photography, De Nueva Photography

Tidy up the edges and it's finished. Sticking all the layers down was the tricky bit, making sure they were done in the right order and getting everything to line up across three panels. But pretty happy with the end result. What's missing from the pic is all the different textures in the paper which looks really nice.

A few things I learnt from this one.

• To get a really smooth glossy finish for the sky I'll probably need to sand the board a few times first. It's a little too rough at the moment.
• Thick paper layers with thin layers over the top need to run the full length of the piece or be added to with paper of equal thickness. Otherwise the thin paper folds over the thick and you can see too much of a line.
• Damar varnish takes a really long time to dry! Don't pick it up too soon. 

Via Poppytalk

Here are a few more peacock cakes to inspire. And if you're feeling extra clever, Decorate The Cake has a step by step for making the most amazing pearl peacock cake!

Betty Crocker Recipes, Pinterest, Wedding Via Color, Anna Elizabeth Cakes

Decorate The Cake

via pinterest

Pam Toll