Confetti Fair Winter Mini Mag

MINI MAG

Winter

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CONTRIBUTORS JACQUIE FITZPATRICK Arabella's Wardrobe

ROXANNE BALDWIN Lovely Occasions

CASSIE BEDFORD Bedford Photography

HENLEY VOLION Mint and Magic

DANIELA BULL Carpe Diem Events Style

KARYN KRYWICKI Peekaboo Parties

TONI KIDMAN Frosting Cakery

NATASCHA NUNEZ Petite Events Hire

© COPYRIGHT CONFETTI FAIR 2018 Cover: Photographer: Bedford Photography; Strawberry Tower: Pretty Little Desserts; Dessert Cups: Little Dessert Co; Eclairs: CupcAmyia; Cupcakes: Silver Linings Cupcakes; Balloons: Belle’s Decorations

by Design; Menus: Elk Prints; Flowers: Petal & Fern; Cakes: Buds 'n Petal Cakes, Sassy Sprinkles Cakery and Love That Lolly Bar; Meringue Kisses: Mybella Meringues and Models: Kat Sabato, Mary Chronopoulos and Mary Pericles Inside Cover (left to right) Cake: Love that Lolly Bar; Eclairs: CupcAmyia; Dessert Cups: Little Dessert Co; Flowers: Petal & Fern; Cake: Frosting Cakery; Cake: Sassy Sprinkles Cakery; Meringue Bites: Mybella Meringues; Menu: Elk Prints; Cake: Buds 'n Petal Cakes and Photographer: Bedford Photography.

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Welcome, July!

Where did the first six months of the year go? I honestly don’t know and it feels like my to-do list still looks like it did in January (filled with all the things I wanted to achieve by 30 June). Eeek! And how cold is it? Come back summer we miss you! We miss the warm Summer weather, but at Confetti HQ there's nothing that Winter can do to bring down our party spirit!

2018 so far has brought us lots of party goodness. Balloons continue to blow us away, and what has traditionally been a basic jungle themed birthday party has become an amazing jungle extravaganza that makes you feel like you are in the Amazon surrounded by greenery, animals and lots of desserts!

We are thrilled to share our fourth mini mag with you! I am super excited about this issue as our feature styled shoot continues to take my breath away no matter how many times I look at the pics. We worked with so many amazing vendors to bring our vision of a Mary Poppins-inspired baby shower to life and to be honest the end results were by far more amazing than I imagined when pulling together the moodboard and brief. I hope you LOVE it as much as we do!

As always our mini mag also showcases some amazing parties, inspiration, recipes and DIYs for you to curl up on the couch and read through.

Enjoy and keep warm,

Esther x

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE Featured Parties

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6 MRS BANKS' BABY SHOWER

LEO'S TRANSFOURMERS PARTY

A VERY SPECIAL 60TH BIRTHDAY

INDI'S SOPHISTICATED SOIREE

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A TEA PARTY IN FAERIE LAND

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STOMP AND ROAR, COOPER IS 4

Party nspiration

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INSPIRATION: BALLOONS

INTERVIEW: ILLUME PARTYWARE

RECIPE: BANANA CAKE

DIY: MERMAID FAVOUR BOXES

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35 PARTY FOOD: DESSERT CUPS

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VENDOR DIRECTORY

OUT DECEMBER

GET YOUR PARTY FIX IN PRINT! YOUR LAISSUE ST CHAN 7CE TO G RAB IN OUT NDECEMBER EWSAGENT S

Or visit confettifair.com.au

Visit confettifair.com.au to buy your very own copy!

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Like somethin' is brewin' and 'bout to begin.

FOR THIS MARY POPPINS-INSPIRED BABY SHOWER, WE IMAGINE HOW MRS. BANKS MIGHT CELEBRATE THE IMPENDING ARRIVAL OF A THIRD BABY

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FEATURED PARTY

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An old hall in southern Sydney was the perfect setting for a vintage inspired celebration. Dreamy, moody and lit by the warmth of candles, welcome to Mrs. Banks' baby shower!

You may have seen a Mary Poppins-inspired celebration before, but we wanted to take a different direction to the classic combination of navy, red and umbrellas.

What if Mrs. Banks had a third baby? We imagine she is expecting again, and hosting a gathering to celebrate the impending arrival. What might her baby shower look like? Mrs Banks is a suffragette so we have drawn our colour scheme from the movement's colours: white, green and purple, and taken inspiration from the Edwardian era.

The gorgeously illustrated invites and menus, designed by Elk Prints, were ever so reminiscent of the kites from the story. The menus, emblazoned with the line 'A spoonful of sugar' heralding both the abundance of sweets (including four cakes) on offer, as well as the sweet news of a baby being born!

Other features of the baby shower included long, draping tablecloths, decadent cakes, sweet treats, silver candelabras and beautiful garden flowers.

We hunted high and low for a vintage pram to create a scene where Mrs Banks accepts her balloon and flower laden gift - a beautifully made pram. n Special thanks to our lovely models: Mumma to be Kat Sabato; Mary Chronopoulos and Mary Pericles

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Photographer: Bedford Photography; Chocolate mud cake with vanilla swiss meringue buttercream: Sassy Sprinkles Cakery; Vanilla butter cake with blueberry buttercream and fresh blueberries: Love That Lolly Bar; Vanilla butter cake with vanilla elder flower swiss meringue buttercream: Frosting Cakery; Vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream and hand piped violets with silver leaf: Buds 'n Petal Cakes; Invites and menus: Elk Prints; Cupcakes: Silver Lining Cake Designs; Balloons: Belle’s Decorations by Design; Flowers, pram, candelabras and vases: Petal & Fern; Eclairs: CupcAmyia; Meringue Bites: Mybella Meringues; Strawberry Tower: Pretty Little Desserts; Champagne wall: Coastal Fringe Cronulla; Dessert Cups: Little Dessert Co; Cake stands: Petite Events Hire; Venue: Carlton School of Arts

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FEATURED PARTY

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leo and the TRANSFOURMERS COOL SILVER, URBAN TOUCHES AND INDUSTRIAL VIBES COME TOGETHER TO CREATE THE ULTIMATE TRANSFORMERS PARTY

BY NATASCHA NUNEZ OF PETITE EVENTS HIRE

My son, Leo, had been into Transformers, especially Optimus Prime, for a year, and it was no surprise that it was the theme he wanted for his party. The Trans'four'mer party planning began!

I wanted to modernise the usual red and blue colour scheme by bringing in an industrial vibe, whilst still allowing the kids to recognise the popular theme.

To start off, Invites by Veasna Chea created an amazing banner backdrop drop with a 3D effect.

From there, a silver, grey and black balloon garland was added to frame the whole set up.

I wanted the kids to be able to "walk" into the set

up and take pictures. To help with this, I brought in fun elements such as the toolbox filled with themed chocolate bars and chains so they could have a play. The look was completed by some chunky tyres and concrete look plinths.

The cake, created by Chaos and Couture featured a wrap-around design. It fit in with the vibe perfectly.

Despite being unable to source an actual Transformers jumping castle, the team at Bouncing Giggles and Play Hire were able to provide a red and blue one to bring the fun as well as match the theme. n

FOLLOW PETITE EVEN TS HIRE ON INSTAGRAM !

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Cake: Chaos & Couture Cakes; Cookies: Flyawaypineapple; Macarons: La Boulangerie; Balloons: Balloon Couture; Backdrop: Invites by Veasna Chea; Photography: Lucie Zeka Photography; Jumping castle: Bouncing Giggles & Party Hire.

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FEATURED PARTY

FOLLOW arabella's vintage wardrobe O N INSTAGRAM !

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A tea party in Faerie Land AN AUTUMNAL TEA PARTY CALLS THE FAIRIES FROM THEIR OTHERWORLDLY HIDING PLACE IN THIS MAGICAL VINTAGE DO.

BY JACQUIE FITZPATRICK OF ARABELLA’S VINTAGE WARDROBE.

Autumn in Perth is always a charming time of year.

There is something so wonderful about the palette of colours that forms the backdrop of this season.

We had always yearned to create a whimsical Autumn photo shoot in Hyde Park using the natural beauty as a backdrop.

One day we stumbled across the most breathtaking hand painted, six pony carousel from Wish Emporium. It was love at first sight! The delightful owner of Wish Emporium, Peggy had been a longtime customer of Arabella’s Vintage Wardrobe and was delighted for us to incorporate her fairy-tale carousel in the shoot. And so the idea of an Autumn tea party was born.

We had recently created a new range of charming handmade fairy wings and matching fairy wands using soft shades of pink and lavender tones. I invited the incredibly talented stylist Alexandra Moala to help complete our vision. We have fangirled over Alexandra’s beautiful setups several times and knew Stylish Soirées Perth shared our love of timeless, beautiful, vintage-inspired pieces.

After several late night conversations, we created

a dreamlike concept of two fairies discovering an enchanting magical carousel and a whimsical tea party. Alexandra selected an array of her vintageinspired props such as tea sets, suitcases, furniture, flowers, mirrors as well her amazing balloon garlands, supplied by Favor Lane Party Boutique.

One of the show-stopper items was her stunning handmade wooden flower swing.

To achieve our vision we invited the Queen of tutus - Sasha of Little Chiyo to make two stunning tutus for our fairy models to wear. Her divine creations of lush layers of pink tulle literally took our breath away. Finally, we called upon the very talented photographer Viktoria Saar.

On the day of the shoot, our beautiful little models nearly caused the park to come to a standstill. They certainly created some enchanting magic. All the elements came together including Perth putting on the most divine autumn day. Working with such uber talented ladies is so inspiring and so much fun.

I think Viktoria summed up the day perfectly. “We didn’t realise we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun”. n

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FOLLOW ST YLISH RTH SOIREES PE M! A ON INSTAGR

Photographer: Viktoria Saar Photography; Handmade vintage inspired, lace fairy wings and magical fairy wands: Arabella's Vintage Wardrobe; Styling and props: Stylish Soirees Perth; Children's English Rose tutus in full and standard length: Little Chiyo; Balloons: Favor Lane Party Boutique; Hand painted Le Dream six pony carousel: Wish Emporium.

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FEATURED PARTY

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A Special 60Th Garden Party ROXANNE BALDWIN FROM LOVELY OCCASIONS WORKED HER MAGIC TO BRING HER MUM A GARDEN AFFAIR THAT WAS TRULY A CELEBRATION OF A LIFETIME.

Being a Christmas baby and the eldest of six, my mum, Chris, couldn't recall having had a birthday party of her own. Her birthday always seemed to be tacked onto our family Christmas event and being a busy time of year, her friends were never able to come. So for her 60th birthday, I wanted to throw a party that was just for her.

Mum chose the theme, requesting a pretty garden party where she could mingle and chat with her guests. For decor, I used plenty of hanging tissue paper garlands in matching pastel colours and paper lanterns. I also added two dry bars to create the cocktail garden party area. Hanging the decorations not only created a wow factor for all the guests as they arrived, but it also meant that there was more room to mingle and gave the party the atmosphere mum had hoped to achieve. For a bit of party fun, I created a photo wall with the Illume Partyware Happy Birthday Balloon Banner.

The bar and the beautiful grazing table were the two main focal points of the party. Sonya from Ate on Queens created the most amazing grazing table!

Filled with a gourmet selection of meats, cheeses, dips, crackers and fruit, it made it so easy for guests to help themselves. The bar offered guests Pimms with lemonade as well as lemon iced water from drink dispensers, with champagne and a selection of beer.

What's a garden party without lawn games? The guests enjoyed playing croquet, giant Jenga and quoits, which were a hit with everyone!

The cake was a vanilla bean sponge layered with raspberry buttercream and a white chocolate drip, topped with fresh blooms in soft pinks. It looked and smelled amazing, and tasted even better!

Having set up and planned so many of my client’s events, I knew that having a photographer was essential. It meant that the whole day would be captured for mum to treasure and we now also have beautiful family photos. I wanted to be able to enjoy the day with mum and focus on sharing this special moment with her. My top tip for anyone planning a party is to not try and do everything yourself. Pick one or two things that you would really love to organise (for me it was decorating and creating a beautiful party space) and delegate or outsource the rest.

By setting up the party decorations the day before and organising amazing suppliers I was able to enjoy the whole day with my mum, getting our hair and makeup done in the morning, having beautiful photos taken of us together, giving her a special speech to thank her for all that she does and most of all making her feel special and loved. n

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FOLLOW LOVELY OCCASIONS ON INSTAGRAM !

Concept, decor and styling: Lovely Occasions; Photographer: Angelico Jarvis Photography; Grazing table: Ate on Queens; Cake: Baked by Julz

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WANT MORE? READ OUr BLOG! Image credit: Arnold Events

INSPO•••REAL PARTIES•••DIY Image credit: Scott Surplice Photography

CONFETTIFAIR.COM.AU confettifair.wordpress.com For submissions or collaborations email info@confettifair.com.au hello@confettifair.com.au 23

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FEATURED FEATURED PARTY PARTY

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INDI'S SOPHISTICATED LITTLE SOIRÉE LIGHTS, FLORALS AND POPS OF BERRY CREATE THE ULTIMATE PLAYFUL AND MODERN COOL KID DO.

BY DANIELA BULL OF CARPE DIEM STYLED EVENTS.

Tickled Pink was the name that inspired this sophisticated little soirée. Tickled related to being playful and childlike and pink was the chosen colour palette and inspiration for the party.

From the moment guests entered the room, the scene was set. The table was adorned with fresh blooms, which included different shades of pink roses and white hydrangeas. The pink blooms were used to give the table colour and draw the eye to it as a focal point in the room. Roses were reflexed to create the illusion of fullness and make them appear as if they were in bloom (awesome hack).

With their timeless style, mini white Tiffany chairs were chosen to complement the table. Gold placemats, pink plates and knotted linen napkins, created the feeling of elegance, fit for any prince or princess. I envisioned this party to feel like a child’s version of an elegant grown-up tea party.

As with any party I style, I like to have a statement backdrop. They are a must, perfect for photo taking and nailing a great shot for Instagram! For this party, I wanted something on trend so worked with Foote and Flame to create the statement neon sign with the birthday girl's name. It added a total wow factor to the room and created a beautiful scene for the table. A small garland of balloons was added to create dimension (and what child doesn’t like balloons)?

I chose the venue because it had an attached playground and was safe for kids to play, being an enclosed environment. As well as the built-in kitchen, I liked the tones of the room which I found worked perfectly with my colour palette.

For entertainment, I chose Parties Kids Remember as they had a pink fairy who fit in perfectly with the theme. There were glitter tattoos and bubble fun for the children too. The bubbles were a huge hit and once again fit into the idea of the 'tickled' (playful) component of this party. Indi’s second birthday party wouldn't have been complete without this whimsical entertainment.

For desserts, I wanted an ombre of pink tones and chose red velvet and vanilla cupcakes, enlisting the talents of The Cake Nook. I created the birthday cake, which was a simple and elegant creation, topped with the perfect flower - a phalaenopsis orchid. I wanted a playful cake topper and found a perfect pink one by Embar Designs. It was just what was needed to make the cake pop.

There was a separate space for the cake and cupcakes, which was another show-stopper element for photos and guests. For this, I worked with Foote and Flame who created gold plinths to hold the cupcakes, and another for the cake. Gold circular signage was also created to showcase the birthday girl's name in fuchsia pink, adding another layer of the wow factor! n

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FOLLOW CARPE DIEM ST YLED EVENTS ON INSTAGRAM !

Styling and cake: Carpe Diem Styled Events; Neon sign, gold plinths and gold Indi Signage: Foote and Flame; Photographer: Sandie Mallon Photography; Entertainment: Parties Kids Remember; Cupcakes: The Cake Nook; Cake Topper: Embar Designs.

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INSPIRATION

Reaching New Heights WE'RE STILL OBSESSING OVER BALLOON ART IN 2018, AND THERE'S ONLY ONE RULE; BIGGER IS BETTER! Never having had the chance to go wild with balloon art, we finally decided to do it. Armed with a bucketload of inspiration, we set out to create something we've never done before.

We enlisted the services of Meredith from Belle's Decorations

by Design with a simple brief - lots of bright colours, and plently of height.

We’d had our eye on a location for over a year. It was an old School of Arts building from 1900. These buildings were an institution in Sydney and centre of social life in the 20th century. Few remain and are dearly holding on for life. I was excited to see the juxtaposition of the bright balloons against the old building.

le's l e B w Follo ions t a r o c e D n on g i s e D by am Instagr

Despite nature setting us back (June’s coldest and windiest day, with rain thrown in), we finally got to see our vision come together... an amazing organic entry way balloon garland. We absolutely love this trend and can't wait to try it again!

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FEATURED PARTY

FOLLOW MINT & MAGIC ON !

INSTAGRAM

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THIS PA R COMES TT Y YOU FRO O THE USAM !

Stomp and Roar, Cooper is 4!

BOLD POPS OF COLOUR AND BRIGHT DECOR IMBUE THIS DINO CELEBRATION WITH A WHOLE LOT OF FUN! BY HENLEY VOLION OF MINT AND MAGIC.

This adorable dino party was inspired by birthday boy Cooper’s very colourful personality and his love for dinosaurs. Normally, when you think dinosaurs, you think gloomier colours such as dark green and dirt brown.

However, Mint and Magic had a little something else in mind and when we came across Daydream Society’s dino line, we fell in love! The design just pops! Once we found our tableware, we then playfully tied in the surrounding elements to match. Using the colours dark blue, baby blue, seafoam green, red, and yellow as our main colour scheme, we then ordered the perfect cake, cookies, invitations, and of course, built our balloon garland.

We created three different stations for the kids to have a "dinomite" experience. Each station is incredibly easy to recreate for your own party! Our first station was an area where the kids could create

their own safari hat. We ordered plastic safari hats from Amazon and set out a ton of different stickers so that the kids could design their own hat.

The next station included a huge sandbox filled with dino bones waiting to be discovered. Wearing their new hats, the kids gathered their digging shovels and quickly got to work. The excitement was too real and just too cute. Our final station included a homemade game we called “Triceratoss” The kinds threw circle glow sticks and tried to make it on the horns of the Triceratops. So much fun!

One of our favourite easy peasy party hacks included in this design was the colouring paper tablecloth. You can find these at your local craft store and they were a huge hit! We set out colours along the table and the kids went right to it. What a simple way to add a little something extra to the table! Yes, pun intended! n

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Tableware (plates, napkins and cups): Daydream -Society; Photographer: Amy Dighton Design; Design, tablescapes and balloon garland: Mint and Magic.

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HAVE A PARTY, DIY, RECIPE OR SOMETHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE PUBLISHED? We're always accepting submissions for our blog, and print and digital magazine.

WE LOVE ALL PARTIES! * hello@confettifair.com.au 31

PARTY PEOPLE

SHINY, STYLISH PARTY THINGS LOUISE LAZENDIC OF MUCH LOVED AUSSIE PARTY BRAND ILLUME PARTYWARE DROPPED IN TO CONFETTI HQ TO TALK SHOP AND TELL US MORE ABOUT HER STORY AND INSPIRATION .

"Our brand is about high-end partyware and unique products that you can't find at your local department store." Louise Lazendic, founder of Illume Partyware tells us. With their beautifully designed on-trend collections, Illume Partyware has forged a position as a leader in the party industry, supported also by their informative website - an excellent knowledge base for both party vendors and party lovers alike.

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Louise continues, "Our values are very important to us. We aim to support our wholesalers at every point in their journey and strive to produce content that can be shared and celebrated by all.

Most of all we love to celebrate! That’s why we got into this business in the first place, to encourage everyone to stop, laugh, relax and come together to share and create memories".

Being an international brand, have you noticed any differences in the way hosts and planners shop and style? Do trends vary across countries?

We have stockists around the world and last year opened a US warehouse for faster, cost effective distribution. There are definitely differences as to which products sell better in different countries, for example in the US, metallic items are most popular. I’m also a big believer that it comes back to brand, relationships, quality and passion. Our sales are consistently growing because we engage our stockists and we meet their needs on several levels; leading designs, quality, and timeliness.

Your blog and YouTube videos are always filled with great content and inspiration for party lovers.

What inspires this content?

The core driver of our content is to help people to What inspired you to start a partyware business? celebrate! We want to make it as easy as possible for everyone to bring their party theme to life.

When I was putting together my son’s first This includes inspiring ideas and helping to source birthday party, I found there was a lack of the look that they are trying to achieve. It’s great quality, fashionable and stylish party products in getting lots of questions through our website the market. I wanted to style a party and have and Instagram which helps us develop topics and everything coordinated, from the tableware to focus on particular content. Our recent YouTube decorations. There is plenty of partyware out video series on table settings was inspired by there, but I couldn’t find items that were highquestions wanting quick table ideas. We thought quality and up to date with the current fashion by breaking it down into one place setting we trends. Then there was the issue of convenience, can show how simple it can be; choose a colour I wanted all this (quality, style, uniqueness) and or theme and you have a beautiful mother’s day also to be able to get it all from the same place.

Combined with my passion for design, parties and lunch or a stylish unicorn party, it really can be that easy. styling, Illume Partyware took flight.

What inspires the range? Do you follow trends or try to create more timeless classics?

My children are my biggest inspiration. I design for them - mixed in with my own ideas and experiences. I listen to my clients and constantly ask them questions about what sells and what they see as ‘fads’ versus ‘trends’. Combine this with my love of beautiful social media party imagery, and every day brings inspiration. To date I have concentrated on designs that have 2-3 years longevity. This gives the industry enough time to enjoy the new range and be creative with it across all the different themes before they have to start sourcing a new fresh look.

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What is your favourite party trend at the moment?

Iridescent is my favourite colour scheme at the moment. I’m always so excited to see it being used in different themes and across a variety of age groups. I think we have only just seen the beginning of how this colour scheme can be used and I can’t wait to see more. Balloon garlands are also a huge favourite of mine. I think there will be a growing trend towards more DIY kits and if you are using a balloon stylist there seems to be no end to their creativity! And I know it has been done a lot but there is something about unicorns that makes me think we haven’t seen the last of these gorgeous parties!

What party trend would you love to see pop up?

I’d like to see a return to feature table settings. A focus on where the heart of the party takes place.

I think there is so much more scope for a focus on where we sit down to eat, talk and cut the cake. Beautifully styled tables are inviting, they take the stress out of decorating a whole room and they can be so much fun. Whether it’s a high tea, a birthday party or Christmas we all need somewhere to sit.

What exciting things can we see from Illume Partyware in the rest of 2018?

It’s amazing to realise we are half way through the year and we have already done so much! But design is what I love, and I’m pleased to say that 34

Illume Partyware has two new ranges currently in production and we aim to launch this September!

I have also been busy designing some exciting new products to complement all our ranges as well as a few key items in time for Christmas.

In addition to this we have some exciting photoshoots we are working on and blog ideas that we hope will really help customers style their party more easily.

FOLLOW ILLUME PART YWARE ON INSTAGRAM !

PARTY FOOD

A Cup Above

Sugar & Spice Strawberry Jelly Panna Cotta Slanted vanilla bean panna cotta with strawberry jelly, topped with fresh mint leaves and pomegranate.

THESE PERFECT BITE SIZED VESSELS OF DELICIOUSNESS ARE OFTEN OVERLOOKED IN FAVOUR OF CUPCAKES, DONUTS AND CAKEPOPS AND DESERVE SO MUCH MORE LOVE! WE PAY HOMAGE TO THE HUMBLE CUP DESSERT.

The Cake Heaven Panna Cotta Vanilla bean panna cotta with crushed meringues, strawberry chocolate and edible rose gold flakes.

Little Dessert Co. Signature Unicorn Dessert Cup Fluffy strawberry mousse, handmade fondant ears and horns with edible gold paint.

Velvetier Caramel Panna Cotta Caramel panna cotta, gooey brownie, whipped white chocolate ganache coloured blue and crisp pearls.

Vintage Sugar Co. Desserts Middle Eastern Knafeh Cream with a hint of orange blossom, toasted sweet crumb, crushed pistachio, accompanied by a mini glass jar of sugar syrup to drizzle on top.

Sweet Petites Shopkins Dessert Cup. Smooth vanilla panna cotta topped with vanilla cream, a crunchy wafer triangle and some edible confetti!

The Bake Space Lemon Raspberry Mini Cakes.

Raspberries, lemon cake, homemade lemon curd, vanilla bean swiss meringue buttercream and edible petals.

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HOLIDAY FOOD COMFORT FOOD

Want more?

Follow @THEPARTYBEBE FOmLLOW on Instagra

FROSTING CAKERY ON INSTAGRAM !

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BANANA CHOC CHIP LOAF WITH SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE BANANAS MAY BE A SUMMER FOOD, BUT THEY CREATE THE PERFECT WINTER COMFORT IN THIS WARM, DRIZZLY LOAF. BY TONI KIDMAN OF FROSTING CAKERY. My little man loves bananas but sometimes, we overbuy, meaning plenty of browning bananas for baking.

This recipe is one of my first recipes I ever baked, and it is all I baked while I was pregnant with my daughter who is now 8, so it is pretty special to me.

METHOD 1. Preheat oven at 180 degrees celsius.

3. Warm your milk in the microwave for approx. 30

seconds (depending on microwave wattage), add baking soda to your milk and stir until nice and frothy. Add this frothy mixture to your cake mixture and stir until incorporated.

4. Sift in flour and baking powder to the mixture,

and add chocolate. Mix together until just incorporated (you don't want to overmix here, as this will result in a tough/dry cake).

5. Split mixture into two greased and lined loaf tins.

2. Cream butter and sugar, add vanilla extract, eggs Then, cut a banana through the middle lengthways, (one at a time), and mashed banana and mix until combined.

and lay this down the centre of the cake batter.

6. Bake for approx. 25 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean.

INGREDIENTS • 125 grams butter • 1/2 cup caster sugar • 1/4 cup brown sugar • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2 eggs • 2-3 mashed bananas • 2 tbsp hot milk • 1 tsp baking soda • 2 cups flour • 1 tsp baking powder • 1 cup chopped Whittakers Dark Ghana chocolate

7. Leave the cake in the tin to cool for 10 mins then turn on to a cooling rack to cool completely.

8. While the cake is still warm, pour my salted

caramel sauce all over it. The cake absorbs most of this. Then pour more sauce once cake has cooled completely. Dust with icing sugar. You can find my Salted Caramel sauce recipe here.

I use this exact recipe for banana muffins, cupcakes, and a round banana cake. You will need to adjust the cooking time depending on what type of tin you use.

This cake is perfect topped with chocolate ganache, buttercream frosting, and my personal favourite cream cheese frosting.

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DIY

Mermaid Favour Boxes MAKE THESE BEAUTIFUL DIY FAVOUR BOXES FOR YOUR NEXT MERMAID OR OCEAN THEMED PARTY. BY KARYN OF PEEKABOO PARTIES WHAT YOU'LL NEED • White mini favour box (this one measures 10cm wide x 5cm high. Editors note: try Ebay or Wish) • Blue chiffon ribbon cut to length of favour box • Stick on pearls

INSTRUCTIONS Step 1 Gather your items together Step 2 Attach chiffon ribbon to the bottom of the box using craft glue Step 3 Attach pearls onto clam shell paper shapes

• Various mermaid / under the sea paper shapes (available from Ali Express) • Mini seashells • Craft glue • Hot glue gun Steps 4 - 6 Attach remaining paper shapes to the box using craft glue in the positions as shown Step 7 Attach seashells to the box using a hot glue gun Voila! Your favour boxes are now ready to be filled!

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FEATURED VENDORS Amy Dighton Design Angelico Jarvis Photography Arabella’s Vintage Wardrobe Ate on Queens Baked by Julz Balloon Couture Bedford Photography Belle’s Decorations by Design Bouncing Giggles Party Hire Buds 'n Petal Cakes Carpe Diem Styled Events Chaos & Couture Cake Coastal Fringe Cronulla CupcAmyia Daydream Society Elk Prints Embar Designs Flyawaypineapple Frosting Cakery Illume Partyware Invites by Veasna Chea La Boulangerie Little Chiyo Little Dessert Co.

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Love that Lolly Bar Lovely Occasions Lucie Zeka Photography Mint and Magic Mybella Meringues Parties Kids Remember Peekaboo Parties Petal & Fern Petite Events Hire Pretty Little Desserts Sandie Mallon Photography Sassy Sprinkles Cakery Silver Lining Cake Designs Stylish Soirees Perth Sugar & Spice Sweet Petites The Bake Space The Cake Heaven The Cake Nook Velvetier Viktoria Saar Photography Vintage Sugar Co. Desserts Wish Emporium

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AM ON INSTAGR

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