Kevin from Up by Pixar - Surprise Ball

After making a replica Flying House with balloons, it is no secret that I love the movie Up by Pixar.  Actually, I love almost anything made by Pixar and Disney.  So it's no surprise that I was super eager to jump on a customers request to make a Surprise Ball in the shape of the exotic bird, Kevin, from Up.  Here he is in all his colorful splendor.

This particular surprise ball is filled with 12 prizes suitable for young children including carefully chosen, vintage trinkets, souvenirs and novelty items. Kevin stands about 16" tall from base to head feathers. 

Deluxe Surprise Balls from Watermelon Party are like wedding cakes - they are so pretty that you don't want to destroy them, but eventually, you give in and devour it!

Hot Air Balloons Work in Progress

Here are some wall hanging hot air balloons I have been working on for a while now but I've been stuck on choosing a design.  But the other day I finally had a chance to go to the new Paper Source store in Garden City Long Island and immediately fell in love with the hot air balloons on their amazing wrapping paper.  Now to choose just three.....

Peacock Surprise Ball

This Peacock Surprise Ball is the 6th and final addition to my Winged Creatures Edition Deluxe Collection. The Peacock is made using yards and yards of crepe paper strips surrounding 6 special prizes. Painted facial details and printed paper finish the assembly of the peacock who stands on a piece of green flocked paper.  This Deluxe Edition Peacock Surprise Ball measures about 8" tall.

The deluxe surprise balls are made with extra attention given to detail and construction making each one a work of art. Each one is suitable for decorative display. The prizes included are also superior to regular surprise balls as they include carefully chosen, one of a kind or hard to find trinkets, souvenirs and novelty items. If you can bear to break him open, prize after prize will be presented as you unwind the paper (for at least 6 prizes). One jewelry item will be included upon request.

Now available for purchase at:

Hot Air Balloons and Paper Dresses

Here is are a couple of custom orders that have been keeping me busy.

Paper Dresses on Wire Dress Forms

A trio of colorful Hot Air Balloons

Penguin Surprise Ball

This Penguin Surprise Ball is the 5th in my Winged Creatures Deluxe Edition Collection. The deluxe surprise balls are made with extra attention given to detail and construction making each one a work of art. Each one is suitable for decorative display. 

This Deluxe Edition Penguin Surprise Ball measures about 5" tall. He is made using crepe paper with acrylic painted accents. He stands atop a piece of "ice" made of tissue paper and iridescent glitter.

Hot Air Balloon Ride and new HAB

I finally flew in a hot air balloon! 

It was at the Warren County Farmers Fair in New Jersey; about 1 hour and 15 minutes away from NYC.  The tethered balloon ride was $10 per person for a couple of minutes....just long enough to enjoy the experience before you start flipping out because you suddenly realize you're scared of being in a hot air balloon.  

For those of you who have never ridden in a HAB before, standing in the basket was surprisingly very stable but the spurts of fire that are released right above your head are loud and hot.  We had to wait 2 hours from the scheduled flight time to wait for the winds to die down.  I thought it was a pretty calm day but it appears there has to be practically NO wind at all.  Even though the balloon was tethered to the ground, it was a great experience and besides, I'm not sure I'm brave enough to go for a real ride.  
The tethered rides were run by a friendly family owned company called Skylands Ballooning.

And new to my Etsy Shop is the Millennium Vintage Hot Air Balloon.  (Similar to the Millennial Hot Air Balloon I made in June).

Swan Surprise Ball

This Swan Surprise Ball is the fourth addition to my Winged Creatures Deluxe Edition Collection. The tips of the feathers on the sides of the swan are lightly brushed with gold glitter. Around the swans neck is a silky light blue ribbon that holds two wedding bands - these are removable/optional.  These will make great bridesmaids gifts or bridal shower favors and I offer discounts for large orders!.  Available for purchase on Etsy. 

Winner Announcement Update!! ~ Mad Tea Party Giveaway ~ Blog Hop

Since I arrived to the Mad Tea Party late, not many were able to enter my contest so the odds of winning were pretty good.  The names of participants were written on strips of paper, shaken up in a bag, and one was chosen from the pile.  

And the winner for this year's Mad Tea Party giveaway from M Ann M Creations of a Alice Deluxe Surprise Ball is....

Sylvia!

Thanks to the fans who left comments!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In celebration of this years Mad Tea Party hosted by AFancifulTwist.com, I am offering another fabulous giveaway! Anyone who leaves a comment on this post with a link back to their blog or website is entered to win a Watermelon Party Shop Surprise Ball called Alice.  You don't have to be a Mad Tea Party goer to enter, but I'd still love to meet fans of my work!

Contest ends on Saturday, July 20.  Winner will be announced on Sunday, July 21st.

Watermelon Party's Alice in Wonderland is a combination paper doll and surprise ball. Alice sits on a surprise ball that has 8 special prizes inside. Alice can be separated from the ball of prizes she sits upon so you can enjoy the surprise ball without destroying the doll. She can be posed in a seated position on a shelf or desk for you to enjoy for years to come. 

Alice is made completely of crepe paper with painted accents. Her arms have a wire armature so they can be carefully posed to hold a flower, small toy or mini teacup. Alice is made for decorative purpose only and is not intended for play.

Alice is available for purchase at my Watermelon Party Etsy shop here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/156725326/alice-in-wonderland-surprise-ballpaper

Stick Puppet Workshop on Governors Island

Join me on Governors Island for a free and fun NYC themed workshop! I will teach you how to turn a simple drawing into an articulated stick puppet that you will color and assemble yourself.  All ages are welcome and all ages will enjoy!

What: NYC Themed Stick Puppets by M Ann M Creations

Who: Sponsored by Better Than Jam and ETSY New York

When: Saturday, July 6th and Saturday, August 10th (weather pending)

Time: 1-4 pm

Price: FREE! 

Where:  Nolan Park, Governors Island - House 16

The stick puppets were designed by M Ann M Creations specifically for this event and completed projects will be made available for purchase on ETSY after the July workshop.

Here is more information as taken from the Governors Island website: 

"For it's 3rd year, the Brooklyn boutique of all locally handmade products, will be bringing the creations of New York City's most talented artists and crafters.  Better Than Jam will be moving back into one of the beautiful and  historic houses of Nolan Park and the cute yellow victorian home will be filled with the work of talented people, who have created some amazing and original products just for the island shop.  Visitors will get to take home a tangible memento from their Governors Island visit—a souvenir that was designed and crafted nearby with the island in mind. FREE  family-friendly demonstrations and workshops on Saturdays 1-4, will be hosted by the Etsy New York Team, to teach visitors some of their skills, used in creating these unique products."

  

New Hot Air Balloon ~ Millennial Vintage

This one-of-a-kind Millennial Vintage Hot Air Balloon was created to help raise funds for Gabrielle's Angel Foundation in conjunction with the 2nd Annual Millennial Ball which is being held on June 18th at Marquee NYC. All proceeds (minus seller fees) from the sale of this balloon will benefit Gabrielle's Angel Foundation which was created by songwriter Denise Rich after the death of her daughter Gabrielle to acute myelogenous leukemia when she was just 27.

The Millennial Vinatage Hot Air Balloon measures about 15" tall and 9" wide. It was inspired by a popular vintage Hot Air Balloon image used in many decorating projects and party invitations. It is painted in red, white, blue, black and tan. A fabric floss net covers the top half of the balloon with string supports leading to the woven wood and paper basket. White paper sashes, a band of light brown paper string and creme colored basket weights finish off the design.

********** ABOUT THE EVENT ****************

The Millennial Ball 2.0 brings together some of the most influential and socially-minded young people in NYC for a night of music, dancing, and magic. Last year's event put more than 300 people in Lavo and raised $57,000 for Gabrielle's Angel Foundation with the help of sponsors and partner fundraisers. This year on June 18th, the Millennial Ball is going to Marquee NYC with more space, more sponsors, and bigger acts. This will be a red carpet event unlike any other and with your help, we can leave a mark in the fight against cancer.
Date: June 18, 2013 Location: Marquee NYC, 289 10th Avenue New York, NY (Between 26 / 27th Streets) Time: 9pm-midnight

For more information and to reserve a ticket for the event visit http://mbparty.eventbrite.com/.


*********** ABOUT THIS AUCTION ************

The Millennial Vintage Hot Air Balloon can be bid on at Etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/153117138/millennial-vintage-hot-air-balloon?ref=shop_home_active

1) Convo. me with your $bid amount. (The listing price will be continually updated for you to see what the highest bid is at the moment).
2) I will reply to let you know if that bid has been made by someone else or if you have dibs on the HAB so far.
3) The highest bidder will be announced on the day of the Millennial Ball, Tuesday, June 18.

THE WINNING BID:
1) The winner will pay the winning bid via Etsy.
2) Proceeds from the purchase price will go towards a Direct Donation to Gabrielle's Angel Foundation.
3) I will send you an official receipt to know that your donation has been made.
4) The Millennial Vintage Hot Air Balloon will be mailed to you!

Vintage Melonball - New Etsy Shop!

My new shop, Vintage Melonball, is now open!   

My two young children are growing up, slowly taking over every corner of the house. Their toys (and clumsy bodies) have caused me to put my lovely vintage (and other new, but nice) items into storage. Rather than have them collect dust, they're here at Vintage Melonball for you to peruse and purchase.   (Plus, the proceeds from everything I sell will go towards a much desired, deserved and detained! vacation).

Why did I name the shop Vintage Melonball you ask?.......Most of the items I sell are vintage or have that "vintage-like charm" and "Melonball" is a nickname my mom used to call me when I was a little girl...and sometimes still does.

So have fun browsing and here's a peek at one of the items for sale.  I'm really sad to part with this dress form but I know that someone else will give it a good home.

Custom Orders and New Shop

This spring has been my busiest yet...and I love it!  I haven't had time to blog but I've been super busy creating new items, fulfilling orders, preparing for workshops and getting ready to open a new ETSY shop!...more details on the new shop in my next post... but for now, here are some things that I have been working on for both M Ann M Creations and Watermelon Party.

A custom Hot Air Balloon project....

and some seasonal Surprise Balls.

If you'd like to order a class set of the Grad Cap Surprise Ball, let me know by June 14 (delivery in 1 week from order date).

TTFN! (Ta-ta for now!)

Toucan Surprise Ball

This Toucan Surprise Ball is the 3rd in my deluxe collection. The toucan is made using yards and yards of crepe paper strips with a painted beak. He rests on a piece of real tree bark and his beak contains an extra treat inside!

Available for purchase at my Watermelon Party shop on Etsy.

Owl Surprise Ball

New at my Watermelon Party Shop, this Owl Surprise Ball is the second in my deluxe collection.   There will be a total of six different styles in this Winged Creatures Deluxe Collection set.  The deluxe surprise balls are made with extra attention given to detail and construction making each one a work of art.  Each one is suitable for decorative display.   Even the prizes included are deluxe!  Prizes are very special as they are one-of-a-kind, vintage or hard to find trinkets, toys and other little things.