Colorful Birthday Party Banner

I finally got the opportunity to make another banner for someone and I have been really excited.  I'm excited because it will be my first banner since I bought my Silhouette!

Up until this point, I've only used it mainly for small vinyl projects like my mailbox:

and my chalk board:

I have been TOTALLY in love with the Silhouette software, too!  I have been able to make some really cute cards using the software:

So a few weeks ago, when a coworker asked me to help with a surprise birthday party for my boss, I jumped at the chance to make a few things! 

I just happened to be Dr. O's nurse when she turned the big 5-0, ten years ago. We went wild with the black and white "Over the Hill" decor all over the office.  There may have also been signs up-and-down the Interstate that marked her path to work.  And there may have been a HUGE sign plastered on the side of our building, too. 

This time we wanted everything to be really bright and colorful and I hope I managed to do that!

I spent a lot of time looking through different blogs and Google images, trying to find some fun ideas.  This is the banner I managed to come up with:

When it's hanging at the party, it will say "Happy Birthday Dr. O".  It's hanging this way because of the length of the strings...LOL

I was able to use the Silhouette to cut the outer white and colored borders and also used it to cut out the letters.  And OH let me tell you, how much easier it is to cut out the letters!  Normally, I cut all the letters out by hand and it is extremely time consuming.  Now, it literally takes minutes to cut out the letters!

It cut the letters out so quickly, I actually cut them out of white and black cardstock and stacked them to give the letters a three dimensional look!  They seriously look "cartoon-like" in person.  SO CUTE!  I love the way the letters turned out so much, I wish I had put a black border under the patterned paper, too.

Next time....next time.....

I also made these cute and colorful goody bags:

I thought these could be scattered on the table for color and then everyone could take a baggie home with them!

I can't wait for her to see everything Saturday and I hope she likes it!

Oh, and if you KNOW my boss, PLEASE don't say anything to her until after Saturday!  LOL