We had some fun with this one.  For most of us, it was our first time dressing up for a TV show.

I received these photos today and was impressed at the wide variety of themed props that were thrown together. Most impressively was the depiction of Kate, shown here by Andee. She’s not only in costume, but almost a look-alike. Lucky man Joe!

For those of you who have been stuck figuring out how to edit the LOST boarding pass invitation, I have created this quick video tutorial to run you through the basics.  This is a basic overview of the process used to edit the graphic in GIMP (www.gimp.org).

If you’ve been waiting for the release of the most recent Boarding Pass Invitation for LOST, wait no longer.  I have just released the latest version in Photoshop format for you to use for the Series Finale!

As with the Season 6 Premiere Boarding Pass, the Finale comes in two versions.  There’s the FREE version, which allows you to make a few changes, and there’s the completely unlocked version for a whopping $4.95, which allows you to edit, change, or delete any element on the canvas.  Use the shopping cart to grab your version today!

The boarding pass was designed in Fireworks 8 and its native format is *.PNG.  To accommodate GIMP, which is a free graphics editing tool, I have generated copies in Photoshop (*.PSD) format.

For those of you who have Photoshop or Fireworks, you will be able to edit the graphic very easily, or have a friend help you if they have more skills than you .

A note on GIMP.  When you open the file as layers in GIMP, all of the editable text is rendered as bitmaps, which removes the ability to simply replace the text with your typing tool.  You will need to use the Text tool in GIMP to replace the text where you want to change it, then delete the original layers as you see fit.  Some of the effects that I have applied to various elements will also be stripped, which will reduce the dynamic visual quality of the invitation slightly.  Although, it still looks pretty good.

In addition to the FREE version, and the Premium Edition, I have just created and posted the Ajira Airlines version of the Lost Boarding Pass Invitation which you can get to from the Products Page.

There’s also a new modification of the Premium Edition that allows you to replace Hurley’s photo with a photo of your guest, or a photo of the host, or anything you want.  Just make sure the layer you add to the graphic is 190 X 190 pixels in size to fit the frame of the design.

Have you already customized your invitation?  I’d love to see what you’ve done.  I’ll even showcase it on the site and point back to your blog or website!

A special thanks goes out to Courtney Contey of Adirondack Dream Homes who recently purchased the Premium Boarding Pass and tipped me off to an inherent design flaw.

The boarding pass was designed using Fireworks 8 from the Macromedia Studio 8 Suite which is severely outdated, yet usually compatible with some of the free graphic editors out there.  When Courtney called me to ask me how to edit the layers so she could put the right name on the invitation, I mentioned that she needed to know how to edit graphics with layers, and that she needed software that could do so.  She downloaded the widely popular GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) which is a free image editing package to find that the graphic wouldn’t open in multiple-layers.  I tried as well, and it just wouldn’t work for me, but I’m an inexperienced GIMP user, so perhaps I’m missing something.

I’m sure this must have been quite frustrating for her.  Through a connection at work, she was able to open the file in Photoshop, but not everyone has Photoshop, and my goal is to make this as easy as I can within my own skill set (i’m not a programmer, I’m a visual guy) and to not have it cost you a fortune.

Solution

I poked around for a few minutes and figured out that I could in fact save the PNG file straight out of Fireworks in Photoshop format (*.PSD.)  So that’s what I’ve done.

If in the past you downloaded the free version and were unable to manipulate it due to file compatibility constraints, I have re-placed the original with a new Photoshop version.

Ladies and Gentlemen, after two solid seasons of successful Boarding Pass Downloads from over 3000 individuals, I am thrilled to announce the release of an ALL NEW SEASON 6 BOARDING PASS INVITATION in honor of the final season of LOST on ABC.  If you’re getting ready to host a party, you’ll not want to miss out on this!

Download and customize your boarding pass invitation today and be the talk of the party.  Print and anonymously mail or e-mail your invitations to all of your party-hardy pals and they’ll be shocked when they receive it!

Download your FREE copy today, OR purchase the premium edition for the low, low price of only $7.95.

For the season 4 finale, we decided to put together some poems which I captured using a really horrible Palm Treo video camera.

Here is the resulting set of videos, broken into two parts:

Introduction

This FREE Boarding Pass Invitation is a custom designed image created in Macromedia Fireworks Studio 8. It was designed to look and feel just like a real boarding pass and looks quite authentic when customized and printed, especially when printed on card-stock. It was recently converted to Photoshop format.

Theme and Features

The entire boarding pass was designed to correspond with various themes from the hit TV show LOST on ABC. From flight number, to the mysterious hatch numbers, and the travel route, LOST was the focus. When you download this free boarding pass, you are downloading the LOST Boarding pass as is, with “Lost Guest” as the recipient. Simply print and send to someone for this year’s season premiere party.

When you purchase the Premium Edition for only $4.95, you will have full access to all of the available editable layers of the original graphic which will allow you to change enough elements to theme your boarding pass on a completely different premise, and you have unlimited use of the image provided you do not resell it.

Please note, a firm understanding of photo editing software is required in order to make custom design changes to the Premium Version.

SPOILER ALERT! LOST is a very addictive television series.  As a result, a cult following has emerged over the course of the past 5 seasons.  If you have been recently bitten by the LOST bug, but you’re not yet through Season 3, it is likely that the information here will be more than you’re ready to know.  This is your fair warning.

Prior to the season 4 premier of LOST on ABC, Carson and I began planning a themed LOST party that would include a prop contest.  As usual, our creative group of friends pulled out all the stops.  Since it was such a huge success, and we had such a great time researching, creating, and hosting the party, Carson decided to publish a “how to” guide by sharing our experience with the world.

Feel free to adapt any of these ideas for LOST or any other television series or themed party that you may throw.

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How to Throw a LOST TV Show Theme Party

The first thing any self-respecting LOST party needs is an array of “DHARMA” product labels, most notably for the beer.  We located the labels {[download id="1"]}, and replaced the manufacturer’s labels, giving us an authentic DHARMA brew.

Next, if you’re really serious about surprising your guests, your food for the evening should be LOST or ISLAND themed.  Ours was “Taco Night” with mango salsa & chips for the appetizer.  Dessert was a combination of tropical flavored sorbet from Costco, and hand crafted DHARMA fish biscuit cookies.

The décor for the evening was creative on a budget.  Had we more time and money, we would have been able to implement some serious Hollywood style decorations.  Unfortunately, we didn’t come up with the idea until it was too close to the premier, however, what we did do was good enough.

Around the television was an assortment of suitcases with clothing hanging out.  Coconuts, Mangoes, and Papayas were strewn throughout the house as well as various boxes with DHARMA logos, including a supply drop.  The inside of the guest bathroom door and the exit doors had QUARANTEEN signs attached them.  Using a digital photo frame, Carson uploaded various images from the Brainwashing scene.

For an obsessed group of LOST fans, open up the party to the idea of costumes or props from the show.  We held a prop contest and voted on the winner.  A few people showed up in costume as well.  The winner of the prop contest won a Beanie Baby Polar Bear.

Some of you may think we’re a bit obsessive and that we need to get lives.  Get over it.  We only live once.  Enjoy it.  When all was said and done, everyone had a really good time being total TV nerds for one night.

Below are some prop and decoration ideas that you can use for your next LOST Theme party.

Props and Decorations

Handcuffs (Spencer’s)
Toy Plane (Hobby Lobby, KB Toys)
Sand & Shells
Power Cable (Home Depot)
Luggage with Clothing
Backpacks with Dynamite (spray paint, papier mache candles)
Tropical Fruits (coconut, papaya, mango)
S.O.S Message In A bottle
DHARMA – Ranch Composite, Beer, Supply Boxes, Cans, Boxes, etc.
Other Hidden Dharma Logos (toilet paper, remote control, etc)
Stuffed Polar Bear
‘Driveshaft’ album
Guitar w ‘Driveshaft’ Stickers
Pearl Station Pneumatic Tube & Notation Booklet (create using a large water bottle)
Stuffed White Rabbit painted with 15 or 8
Diorama scene (sand & shells for beach)
Digital Photo Slideshow (screenshots & pics using your computer or digital picture frame)
Quarantine Signs on Exits (use a textured spray-paint for cool effects)
Boardgames: Backgammon & Connect 4
Hurley’s Comic Book (purchase online or re-create)
Download Hatch Computer Clock (recommend Yahoo widget version here)
Fish Biscuit Cookies
Apollo Chocolate Bars (print and wrap around Hershey bars)
Virgin Mary Statue w Heroin bags (obviously fake)
Hurley’s Golf Flag (long branch with red surf shorts)
Caged Sawyer & Kate cut-outs (dog kennels work well)
Strap a homing beacon to your dog
Eko’s stick (good luck)

Food and Beverages

Fresh tropical fruit (pineapple, mango, papaya)
Themed drinks (daiquiri, pina colada, mai tai, mini liquor bottles, MacCutcheon Scotch, served in halved coconuts)
Taco Night
Mango Salsa
Mr. Cluck’s Fried Chicken (slap logos on KFC or Church’s)
Dharma products
Apollo Chocolate Bars
Tropical sorbets
Sushi (sea urchin? …eww)
Airplane food trays (could use frozen dinners)

COSTUME IDEAS
Dharma workers (jump suits, syringes, beer)
Charlie (F.A.T.E. on fingers, ‘Not Penny’s Boat’ on hand, hoodie, checker vans, guitar)
Kate (plane in envelope, handcuffs, orange juice w white powder, wedding dress)
Jack (shaved head, scratches on face, mini liquor bottles, black suit)
Locke (khaki pants, bald head, large knife, bowl of orange paste, wheelchair)
Sawyer (long hair, suitcase full of monopoly money, hoard of medicine, hand-written note)
Sayid (long curly black hair, tank-top, transmitter, pictures of Nadia)
Rousseau (rifle, tank-top, music box, notes)
Ethan (crazy hair cut, Wisconsin hoodie, syringe)