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In 1862, a shy Oxford don named Charles Lutwidge Dodgson rowed two little girls along the River Thames. One of the girl’s was Alice Liddel, the daughter of the dean. Alice enjoyed the story so much that she asked Charles to write it down, which he did as a Christmas gift in 1864, accompanied by his own illustrations. A year later, the story was published under the name Alice in Wonderland, using Dodgson’s pseudonym, Lewis Carroll.

The story went on to become one of the most popular works in children’s literature. Critics were initially unimpressed by the publication, but as time went on, the public fell in love and fans included Queen Victoria and a young Oscar Wilde. Today, the timeless fantasy of Alice in Wonderland has captured the imagination of filmmakers and theatre directors alike with countless stage productions and two dozen big screen versions, including the beloved animated adaptation by Walt Disney and the trippier live action reworking directed by Tim Burton.

As Alice celebrates her 150^th Birthday, the story continues to inspire us too! From Mad Hatter’s Tea Parties to Croquet with the Red Queen, every little girl and boy can tumble down the rabbit hole into their very own Wonderland, created by the Crafty Arty Parties team (with a little help from Prop Dead Gorgeous too, of course!). So if you think the Cheshire Cat and some giant cards will brighten up your family fun day, contact heather.mitchell@craftyartyparties.com for more information!

With the reindeer and snowmen safely packed away, it’s time to dust off our thinking caps and focus on creating more sensational parties for 2015. Our creative team draws inspiration from upcoming movies and popular events to create the ‘hottest’ themes for everything from corporate parties and family fun days, to private screenings.

So, to make sure your party is innovative and bang on trend, take a look at our predictions for the Spring/Summer 2015 children’s events scene:

• Disney’s musical Into the Woods was released in January, and is now nominated for a host of Academy Awards. The film re-visits Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Jack and the Beanstalk, elements of which can be brought together to create a fairytale wonderland for any Family Fun Day.

• Hot on the heels of Into the Woods, Disney’s Cinderella will be making a solo on-screen appearance in March. With an all-star cast, the live action film will predominantly follow the 1950s animated adaptation. We’re certain that the film will have every little Princess dreaming of the arrival at her very own ball in a magical pumpkin carriage…

• With a new addition to the Royal Family due in April 2015, we have no doubt that the country will be poised with anticipation to hear the baby’s name and see the first photographs. Always keen to join in with patriotic celebrations, CAP will be at the ready with bunting, rose garlands, and Princesses fit for Royalty!

• It’s set to be a big year for adaptations of animated fairytales, with Pan joining the list of live action releases in July 2015.  Boys and girls alike are sure to love entering the magical world of Neverland, through their very own private screening, or party complete with pirate galleon.

• This year marks the 150th anniversary of the release of Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland. An ever popular theme amongst adults and children alike, we don’t think it will take much encouragement to get people jumping ‘down the rabbit hole’ this summer…

• Still going strong, the BBC’s Great British Bake Off will be returning for a sixth series this Summer. Amateur bakers will once again be perfecting their patisserie and styling their sponges. Meanwhile, CAP will be on-hand to ensure that children don’t miss out on frolicking in flour, with our tasty baking workshops and recipe treasure trails.

• We’re positive we’ll have our clients saying, “You’re the one that I want”, when we present our Grease theme this Summer, complete with a whole host of 1950s Diner props to make Danny & Sandy proud. We think Grease is due a revival when Fox airs their production of the iconic musical, starring High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens as Rizzo. A whole new generation of Pink Ladies and T-Birds will be born, and we have dancers ready and waiting to teach them all to jive.

For a closer look at our unique props and never-ending selection of themes, please visit propdeadgorgeous.com. For more information on corporate parties, family fun days, private screenings and character meet and greets, please email heather.mitchell@craftyartyparties.com.

We were thrilled to receive such amazing feedback just recently following a fantatsic event we produced for The Walt Disney Company, and simply had to share the wonderful comments…

“Thank you so incredibly much to you and your sterling team for another first class and outstanding event…  

I have received so many comments from the parents saying they had never seen such a beautiful set-up and how fantastic everything was!  

It is always such a pleasure to work with you all, thank you for all of your tireless and meticulous creative work…”

The Walt Disney Company

To find out more about our stunning events, please email heather.mitchell@craftyartyparties.com.