Margaret's first 8th birthday party

Margaret had her 8th birthday party TWO WEEKS AGO!!! Ugh. It was on a Friday. The following Monday was the last day of school, then we left immediately for our trip "home" (300 miles away) and spent a week there. She had another party there, with family, ON her actual birthday. We traveled home Sunday, went to visit friends at Lake Cumberland in KY on Monday, "caught up" at home Tuesday, than visited Splash Country in Eastern TN with friends yesterday. Whew! Busy start to the summer :)This was the group of friends that were able to attend the party:Marie (her sister), AC, SM, EC, and the birthday girl herself :)She had three other people that were invited (she was 8, so I planned for a party of 8) but they didn't come.

We decided on a "crafting" party this year. My good friend and neighbor, Rene, works with Stampin' Up! and put together a great party at her house in her stamping room. The girls all made photo albums and charm bracelets. It was soooooooo much fun!!!
Marie carefully stamping her album. . .

Margaret showing the finished front panel for her album. . .
Not sure what happened to the lighting on SM's photo here, but she took this activity very seriously :) Her album was BEAUTIFUL.EC is holding up the final project here. . .Rene had a sample but let the girls choose their colors and how they wanted to place their paper and stamps and punches on each of their albums. They turned out really neat. Then, later, she gifted Erin with the stamp set that they used to create the project!Next, the girls made charm bracelets. Earlier in the day Rene and I had a good time making a sample for the girls. . .stamping the shrinky dink paper, watching it "bake" in the toaster oven, than placing them on pre-made bracelets with jump rings.

We had to do a lot of the stamping for the girls ahead of time because of the time involved drying the ink, but the girls got to pick which images they liked the best and cut them out.
Here is AC doing some careful trimming. . .

Look at their faces as they watch the charms "shrink" in the toaster oven :)
I just realized that I never got a picture of the final product. . .they were pretty!!

Then we did cake and gifts. . .
This was the last picture my camera took before it bit the dust forever.Margaret, I hope that this party was as much fun for you as it was putting it together :) And thank you, Rene, for hosting these girls at your home!

And Margaret, time to get your thank-you notes out. . .I didn't have all the pictures ready until today but now they're ordered for you to send to your friends so they can fill their birthday albums with these memories :)