Spring Day
16/03/2010
What a beautiful spring day we have had in Dorset. It has been the first time we have been able to have our tea breaks out side in the sun this year.
Regular readers of the blog will know that on certain days of the week we get some extra help and that Sam has a "thing" about tail lifts. Well today was one of those days that we had little helpers, not content with playing in the childrens area, nope! We heard this dragging sound, with a few squeaks and followed the noise. This is what we found....
....what could we say?
I must say sorry to Leslie I forgot to show you the wonderful bag she made for the Easter Ribbon Challenge, I showed you all her other goodies yesterday. Sorry Leslie.
She had planned to send it filled with chocolates, but her children ate them!!!
Here are the next batch of Challenge goodies from Jenny and Carol, we think they are stunning and are already packed on the lorry for London.
Jenny sent in this delightful little box and the matching card, the ribbon on the card is the "Sydney" ribbon I mentioned yesterday. Great goodies Jenny, thank you.
This is one of Carol's cards, she has spoilt me (I will tell you about that later). I love the colours here and she has used my favorite chick ribbon.
Carol these eggs look good enough to eat. A perfect Easter Card.
What do think of Carol's box?
Look what happens when you take the lid off.
It explodes - isn't that just wicked.
....and ALL these goodies are for ME, well ok - the card did say girls!! I will share the choccy eggs and the card, but I am keeping the stamped bears all for ME. Carol sent them so that I could practise my colouring in!!! Thank you Carol I will have great fun.
Off to London early tomorrow, wish us luck.
More time please
15/03/2010
Where does the time go? I seem to be chasing around doing 2 million jobs at once, but completing none! At least the Olympia exhibition stand was finished today, and it is all cling filmed and sat in the loading bay waiting to be loaded up tomorrow morning - well that is one tick on my never ending list!!!!
Ok, what you really want to know is who won the Friday FREEBIE - was it YOU? That depends on your number - Mollie and Rachie picked the numbers today, Mollie was not keen on letting us see her number, but we finally got a photo.
This weeks Friday FREEBIE winners are.....
Mollie picked number 33 - Noreen
"Bev's bag....Eyelash. Bev's bag....eyelash. Ummm - If I'm forced to make a decision, it will have to be ..... Bev's bag - what a gorgeous selection they alway are. Thanks for the opportunity"
Rachie picked number 35 - Annie
"Fabulous Bev's Bag, please (if I'm lucky enough to win!) - gorgeous spring colours 
so fresh and spring-like! Wilma - love your creations they are wonderful - well done. annie "
That's settled then, you both have a Bev's Bag as your prize, all we need are your addresses please to craftyribbons@gmail.com You all left super comments this week and I think it was a Bev's Bag that took the majority vote. Many thanks to you all for taking the time to leave us a comment.
We have had a few entries for our Spring Competition, I will show you all soon. Just in case you are having a mental block on what you can do for our Spring Competition then let our Ribbon Challenge girls give you a helping hand. First up we have Beryl, I think Beryl has been in every challenge we have set.
You can not get more "spring like" than this Easter booklet - isn't it wicked.
Oh how sweet, these little guys are so cool.
This card is beautiful Beryl, I can not work out what you have coloured it with. The little chicks on the ribbon are my favorite, I think they are sooo cute! I have your email Beryl with your Spring Competition photos - thank you.
Next we have Leslie's collection of cards. Leslie really loved the Sydney ribbons but could not decide what to do with them. She will be interested to see what the other challengers achieved.
These polka dot ribbons are just perfect for Easter - Bev loves polka dots all year round! I like crafters that use 4 different ribbons on one card!
Can you believe it we are nearly sold out of this Easter Egg ribbon, I think we only have metre lengths left, all the rolls have gone. Great colouring on the bunny and eggs Leslie - wish I could colour in!
As promised I will share more creations with you everyday this week - as there are lots.
I hope you all had a great day yesterday, the family went to take the little ones to see the new born lambs, but Tony and I struggle with Mother's Day so I cleaned the oven!!!!
Friday FREEBIE 10
12/03/2010
Do you remember the advert - Daddy or Chips?
When I have a dilemma I repeat this over and over again hoping I might find the solution in those few words Daddy or Chips, Daddy or Chips. Your Friday FREEBIE this week could cause you a bit of a dilemma - Bev's bag or Bling Eyelash?
I can hear you all now "Bev's Bag or Bling Eyelash, Bev's Bag or Bling Eyelash"
When you have made up your mind then all you have to do is leave us a comment with your FINAL decision! We will pick TWO, yes TWO Friday FREEBIE winners on Monday from our "Bingo" bag, assuming it is still in one piece after Sam ran over it in his car!
If your comment is being blocked by our spam filters please email the comment to us here craftyribbons@gmail.com and we will add it for you. Your email address will then be verified and you will be able to leave further comments without any hassle.
We are holding a Spring is here Competition - something we have never done before. Competition time! It is all about Spring, anyone can enter from children to grans, everyone is welcome. All you have to do is make a card or project using ribbon for Spring, it does not have to be our ribbon (although it would be extra nice if it was!). Take a photo of the project and email the picture to us at craftyribbons@gmail.com , please mark your email SPRING Competition. If you are not able to photograph the card then pop it into the post to us at Crafty Ribbons, 3 Beechwood, Clump Farm, Tin Pot Lane, Blandford, Dorset DT11 7TD and we will take the pic for you.
Closing date is 31st March and Rachie will pick the winner on the 1st April (it's her Birthday but no bribing her with chocs!!!!) Yes there is a prize for all your effort. The winner will receive 1mtr of all the 196 colours in the 3mm satin range WOW! and they can pick a WANT IT ALL Collection of their choice.
To get you in the Spring mood here are Wilma's goodies from our Ribbon Challenge #13 "Easter Treats"
We all need an Easter basket, whether for Easter eggs or Spring Flowers, Wilma has made some ribbon flowers for her basket - did the needle and thread come out Wilma?
If you do not want your Easter Eggs to get squashed you can always make a box for them.
oooh yummmie!
Wow! Who would not be impressed to receive this card.
The detail is amazing.
How perfect is this card for Easter - it says it all.
It appears that everyone liked this "Sydney" ribbon, slightly different to normal ribbon as it is not woven but made from compressed fibres.
Wonderful goodies Wilma - thank you. I have lots more Challenge goodies to show you, I will bring a different selection to you everyday next week, just to ensure that your Easter Creative juices keep on flowing!
Have a fabulous weekend, and get those emails a flowing...
New In!
11/03/2010
These only arrived into the warehouse yesterday and I just had to get them on the website, they are stunners!
ooooh I could stroke this Bling Eyelash forever, it is so tactile! Put it down Ali.
When Bev and I opened the delivery yesterday I thought Bev was going to faint - she got sooooo excited about these two colours, purple and white. There are 8 awesome colours - Copper - Gold - White - Red - Aqua - Forest - Purple - Multi, you can see all the colours by clicking HERE.
I have also been opening other kind of boxes today, yes Wilma you are right I like opening boxes!! What am I going on about - the Easter Treat Ribbon Challenge goodies of course! We do have lots of treats for you to get your Easter creative juices flowing, watch this space, I will share the first batch with you tomorrow.
Amongst the Easter Goodies I found these "Cherry Pie" projects.
Margaret had not been well and was a little late getting her projects back to us - well worth the wait Margaret.
I adore these little boxes, they are wonderful, and filled with goodies for ME!
This card came in it's own little box - what a great idea Margaret. We do hope you are feeling better.
We are sponsors over at Quirky Crafts, not been over there before, then have a look http://quirkycrafts.blogspot.com/
You could win some extra ribbons for your stash!
I have been invited out, Sydney has asked me round to play this evening with her and her two bunnies Fifi and Flopsy. They were kind enough to loan us some hay for the Easter Treat photo shoot - thank you. Bev thought she had brought two little girl bunnies, but one is getting rather fat!?
Have fun...
Bev's NEW Easter Bag
09/03/2010
Look what I had waiting for me on my desk this morning.....
Bev's NEW Ribbon Bag and it is crammed full of wicked Spring and Easter Ribbons, she has even snuck some ribbons in that are not on the website yet - naughty naughty Bev! You can get one of Bev's bags by clicking HERE and they are still the amazing price of £5.00 yep 5 x £1 coins for all those ribbons. Billy Bargain!!!!
We are very sorry but we do not take Bev's Ribbon Bags to any of the exhibtions, you can only buy them on line.
Tony and I had a good trip back from Glasgow, we stopped off at Tebay services Sunday night in Cumbria, as we had a meeting at the factory on Monday. I love going to the factory, anyone who is a ribbonholic would love it too. Rows and rows of nothing but ribbon, we get customers overwelmed when they visit our warehouse, but the factory ooooooh heaven! After several hours of trying to get lost in the factory, we selected some stunning beauties, which will be coming your way soon. The best part of visiting is that we can have exclusive ribbons, select the colour and design just for me - and you too. Nope it's top secret and my lips are sealed.
The girls enjoyed the Mars Bar Cakes, I had hoped to get a photo, but they were consumed within the blink of an eye. I am sure they did'nt hit the sides!! It's two years since Rachie came to help me in Glasgow, so two years without a Mars Bar Cake - poor Rachie.
The stand is all offloaded and starting to be restocked for the Stitch & Craft Show at Olympia London next week. A big huge THANK YOU to everyone who came to see us in Glasgow, we had an awesome show. I love coming back to the warehouse when you can see the back of the ribbon cabinets - it makes us all feel really good and that all the hard work was worth while. It can be scarey at times deciding on what ribbons to buy and whether anyone else will like them. We sold out of "Cherry Pie" in several of the colours, all your Challenge goodies were much admired. I had planned to take some photos but I just did not have time - sorry.
We have lots going on this week and be the first to read it here!
Homeward Bound
08/03/2010
Ali and Tony are not back from their trip to Glasgow, and what a fantastic show they had. We are dreading seeing the state of the ribbon cabinets, Ali said they will need a lot of restocking. Maybe I could throw a sickie tomorrow to get out of it, but then maybe not, Ali has new supplies of Mrs Tillys Scottish Fudge and a big bag of Mars Bar cakes for us. Ok I am raring to go tomorrow Ali!
With Ali away who could take the photo of this weeks Friday FREEBIE winner?
How about our young up and coming photographer Sydney! I would like to point out that this photo took an awful lot of effort to achieve, Sam didn't want to be in the car, he has been driving us mad all week about going back in the lorry. What have you started Ali.
This weeks winner of the Friday FREEBIE is......
No. 8 - Kathleen Mioulet
Well done Kathleen, please email craftyribbons@gmail.com and tell us what colours you are missing from your 3mm satin stash and we will put a collection together for you. No need for an address as I am the one that processes the orders through the system, your name pops up quite often! Hows Brittany, never been to Morbihan but Ali tellls me it is beautiful and I would love the coast with it's bays and islands.
Many thanks to everyone who took the time to leave comments, we loved your ditty Karen J.
Safe journey home Ali, see you tomorrow with those Mars Bar cakes!!!
Rachie x
Friday FREEBIE 9
04/03/2010
Where has this week gone? How can it be Friday again!
What type of ribbon do you like working with?
Do you like the crispness that is created using grosgrain ribbon....
...or the softness of Sheer Ribbon...
....or maybe the old favourite of Satin Ribbon.
Tell us what you like/love working with and we will make a Friday FREEBIE exclusively for you.
We will pick the Friday FREEBIE winner from our "Bingo" bag on Monday.
If your comment is being blocked by our spam filters please email the comment to us here craftyribbons@gmail.com and we will add it for you. Your email address will then be verified and you will be able to leave further comments without any hassle.
Off to the show.
Glasgow Hobbycrafts
04/03/2010
What a fantastic day, thanks to everyone who came to see us at the Hobbycrafts show in Glasgow.
I struggled first thing this morning - it is our first UK show this year and I had forgotten all the sterling prices for the buttons, on top of that I had to keep looking at the notes trying to work out if they were 10's or 20's. I am sure some customers thought I was a bit "bonkers", especially when I said Merci to them!!!!!
Westmorland Cumbria
02/03/2010
Safely arrived in Westmorland
Honest this is a service station. Well actually it is the best service station in the country, maybe that's because it is the only privately owned one. If you get the chance pop into Tebay and try their mars bar cakes, I have promised to take a batch back for the gang in the warehouse, I hope they remind me on Sunday night.
Who turned the thermostat down in Cumbria, we left Dorset at 11° this morning and a glorious sunny spring day, we arrive here and it's -1.
On the Road Again
01/03/2010
Sydney desperately wanted to take the photo of last weeks Friday FREEBIE winners, but I wouldn't let her use my big boy Canon! So I promised that she could do it this week, hoping that she would forget, 7 days in a 4yr olds life is a looooong time. But no, she came running in from school clutching mummy's camera.
So the winners choosen by Bev, Sam, Mollie and myself are.....
....Friday FREEBIE winners
7 - Jennie
17 - Pam
31 - Trish
Photograph by Sydney Thay aged 4yrs
Well done girls you each have a slice of Cherry Pie coming your way, all we need are addresses please to craftyribbons@gmail.com
Thanks to everyone else who left mega wonderful comments, we had great fun reading them.
Tony and I set off on the road again tomorrow on our trip up to Scotland for the Hobbycrafts show at the SECC in Glasgow. So it has been all go today getting everything packed for the trip, we started off first thing starting up our lorry and I had a little helper.
Could I get him out of the cab, a big fat NO. He thought it was fantastic and wanted to press all the buttons, much to Tony's horror!! But as soon as we dropped the tail lift, you could see the dilemma written all over his face, cab and streering wheel, or riding the tail lift. Poor thing. Any way the tail lift won!
With the stand all re-stocked and ready to be loaded, my little helper was there again. But could we get him out, another big fat NO.
All we got were big smiles.
Finally everything is packed, excluding Sam and we are ready to set off tomorrow. What's the weather like on the way to Glasgow - will I have to take the Snow Chains!
my basket