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Hello wednesday - wear a bit of ribbon

09/03/2011

Don't you just LOVE wednesday's? Say hello to wednesday "hello wednesday" It's all downhill from now on to the weekend - yippee!!!

It was a little bit slow starting at the SECC on Sunday, I hate standing around twiddling my thumbs so I started to have a play. I could see Tony doing the silent tutter "what is she doing now!". A little wander around the stand - grosgrain black and white swiss dot, ummmm a large black and white spotty button, ooooh the polka dot ribbon also in black and white. Perfect just what I needed.

A snip here, a fold there, a few stitches and...."What are doing?", I looked up to find a group of ladies all watching me. Ummmm - playing! I then started to explain what I was hoping to achieve and to pop back later to see it finished.....

Pop back they did, I was asked to put together enough ribbons and buttons for a workshop of 50 ladies - they wanted bright Easter colours. Rather than all making the same colour brooch, I chose, orange, lime and yellow in each of the ribbons and buttons, so that they could mix and match all the ribbons and buttons together and come up with some super colour combos. I hope you all enjoy your workshop ladies in Bishopbriggs this weekend.

All throughout the day I was asked how I made my brooch, so in the end I said it would be this weeks Hello wednesday project and that I would do a tutorial - so here goes, it is a long one, but I wanted to make sure I missed no stages. Regular readers of the blog will notice this is very simiiar to the football card I made last summer here.

Gather all the bits you need together - scissors, needle and thread, blue tack, brooch clasp, large button (here), 10mm grosgrain swiss dot ribbon (here) and 15mm polka dot ribbon (here).

Cut the ribbon which is going through the button to a very fine point. This makes it easier to thread through the button holes.

Thread the ribbon through the button. Play with the ribbon slightly so that the spots are on the outside facing edges.

Tie a single knot in the ribbon to create a simple bow effect. Cut the ends at an angle.

Cut your ribbons. You need 4 x 10mm ribbons at 18cms each and 6 x 15mm ribbons slightly longer at 20cms each.

Thread a needle with matching thread - I have used black so you can see my stitching. Put a knot at the bottom of the thread, give it a tug to make sure it is secure. Place the eye of the needle into a lump of blue tack (you do not have to use blue tack, but I find it helps).

Fold a piece of 10mm ribbon in half to find the centre and press with your fingers to create a fold mark.

Place the centre fold onto the needle, so it rests on the blue tack.

Place all 4 pieces of ribbon onto your needle so it looks like this.

Pull the needle up through the ribbon. Gently lift the ribbon and secure the centre of the rosette with a few stitches.

Bring one of the ribbon ends (does not matter which one) to the centre and secure with a stitch.

Repeat with each ribbon end.

Finished top rosette.

Sew the button on top of the rosette, go up through one of the button holes and through the ribbon, then back down through the same hole, repeat with the other hole. You could always glue this together if you wish.

Repeat the rosette making process with the wider 15mm satin ribbon, this time you have 6 pieces of ribbon.

Fold your ribbons over as before.

Finished outer rosette. Because the ribbon is wider and you have more ribbons, the rosette will be fuller.

Place the two rosettes on top of each other and sew together making sure they are secure. Once again you could glue together.

Sew a brooch clasp to the back of the rosette.

One finished Easter Rosette Brooch.

This little creation pleased so many people on Sunday, that we were putting different colour combos together most of the day. Each brooch works out to be less the £1.40 for the ribbons and button, you can find the brooch clasps for about 25p each. Just think you could have a different coloured ribbon brooch for every jacket at that price!!!

Show off your creations, wear them with pride. Anyone coming to see us at either Olympia or the NEC during the next two weeks wearing a ribbon brooch, will be able to pick a FREE bag of ribbon from our stand.

I will be wearing mine.

Go on - wear some ribbon today and make people smile!

Bunny hop, hop, hop...

08/03/2011

After a good nights sleep I feel so much better this morning. I have been a busy bee and taken all the photos for tomorrows tutorial - nope still not telling you any more.

Visitors to Glasgow loved all your Easter Bunny hop challenge goodies, I had them hung on a washing line effect around the front of the stand. Claire I am so sorry, your wonderful Easter egg box card was on the front of the stand, full of Easter eggs - it's not now, full of Easter eggs I mean. Tony took rather a shine to them!!!!

This basket made by Julie I had displayed on the back ribbon units and Tony was unaware it was filled with chocolates! The chick paper is so sweet Julie.

What fun Julie, is that a pogo stick the bunny is on or am I showing my age!?

Now this was much admired Julie, It sat on my demo table. I was so afraid that it would grow legs, I stuck it down with blue tac!

Look what is inside - amazing work Julie.

We love the way you have glittered the bunnies - sorry no idea what Julie has used.

This is fun Karen, love the eyelash at the top, just sets it off perfectly.

This is cool for your Easter morning boilies and soldiers! But what will Tony use Karen?

I think this is a great idea for Easter gifts this year. You really have made it look Easterish Karen. I still find it amazing how a few bits of ribbon and a little imagination can create such wicked makes.

Leigh really likes her bunnies, and I only worked out on the stand, that the bunnies on the printed paper are the same that Leigh has stamped. How wicked is that.

Teddies being bunnies, bunnies being cupcakes - how confusing Leigh, but what fun.

Thanks for all the wonderful creations today, if I have not show cased your goodies yet, please do not worry they will appear very soon - I promise.

Have a great day, play with a little ribbon if you can.

Late night or early morning?

07/03/2011

Drive through the night, while the traffic is non existant or stay overnight. Decisions , decisions of a ribbon seller working in Glasgow but lives in Dorset!

It was such a clear night, no traffic, not a hint of rain, snow, sleet, wind, fog (you name it we have over the years had it all on our return trip from Glasgow) that the decision was made for us. We worked out we could make home by just gone 2am, and wake up in our own bed - yeah lets go for it!

We did wave at you all as we whizzed past your homes in the wee hours, but no one returned the greeting.

We would like to thank everyone that came to see us at the SECC, we had a fantastic time, you are all so friendly. It was great to put some faces to names, if you visited on Sunday I promise the tutorial will be up and running for wednesday - arrrh non visitors will have to wait and see, tee hee.

Sam was on top form after school today and was soooooo excited to see the van, that we let him pick the Friday FREEBIE winner, while sat behind the steering wheel. Do you think he was having fun?

The winning number was......

39 = Sandra
hope you enjoyed the show in glasgow, although i live in dunfermline scotland, i couldnt make it. there's loads of ribbons i would love to have! i have been sorting out my spare room finally to make more room for more ribbon goodies. i keep on adding to them!!! fingers crossed i win this week, am making easter baskets for my grandchildren and i've been using easter ribbon i bought from you with my bowdabra. fab!! have a good weekend. x

Hi Sandra, shame you could not make the show, but you are a Friday FREEBIE winner and have £20 to spend in our ribbon Shop - all you have to do is email me at craftyribbons@gmail.com and I will send you the details of your voucher. Sorry to everyone else who left such wicked comments. Mr Grumpy soon turned into Mr Happy once we got to the show. We had so many people trying to look at our button units that we created a traffic jam down the aisle!!! Customers patiently waited to get access to our "Cut your Own" ribbons, which also created a queue. It was such a busy show that I did not get a chance to walk round either of the two halls. The only stands I saw were the ones I passed enroute to the loo!

My desk is partially filled with seam binding challenge goodies, I got a little bit behind sharing the easter goodies with you, but I will start again tomorrow - for some strange reason I am a bit tired now! Think I will go home for a long soak in the bath and an early night.

Proud to sponser

06/03/2011

We are sponsoring three challenges today - go on join in with........

Friday FREEBIE - 9

04/03/2011

We had a wicked day in Glasgow yesterday, our customers were pleased to see us back in Scotland. We had to miss the October show as it clashed with another show we attend. So it has been a whole year since we were last at the SECC. It was wonderful to see friendly faces and a big thank you to our blog readers that popped on to say "Hi". It is great to hear how you enjoy reading my ramblings!!!! I had no idea how closely you follow our challenges and how much you love the inspiration they give you. I have lots more planned.

Another week another Friday FREEBIE! First Friday of the month so it must be voucher Friday. Leave us a comment today and you will go into our "Bingo" bag for a £20 voucher to be spent in our ribbon shop. What would you put into your cyber basket?

So go on, leave me a comment - remember you have to be in it to win it!

Sorry no challenge photos today, we are running a bit late for the show this morning and I am already in trouble for spending too much time on my computer. I do not want to make the matter worse!!!! We have to work side by side today in a box of 10sq metres.

We are proud to be sponsoring Sukkersött challenge this week. Pop over and have a look at the wonderful creations Nancy and her team create.

Have a great weekend and wish me luck with Mr Grumpy today!

If you are unable to leave a comment due to our spam filters, please email it to craftyribbons@gmail.com and we will add it for you. All the comments go into our "Bingo" bag and we draw a random number(s) on Monday.
Please check back to see if you have won, it is up to you to claim your prize - we do not contact you.

Just flown in....

03/03/2011

Pretty owls can be found HERE

What can you do with ribbon, well lets see......

What has Claire hidden inside? Pull the ribbon and find out......

A choccy bar for me!!! Wicked Claire very Heath Robinson.

Not just any old card from Claire, it also holds a surprise - I like surprises.

Wow, wow, wow - awesome. What great work Claire. I have this on my demo table in Glasgow, any questions about its construction I will pass on to you!!!

Hello wednesday - 2 ribbons & card only

02/03/2011

Don't you just LOVE wednesday's? Say hello to wednesday "hello wednesday" It's all downhill from now on to the weekend - yippee!!!

What can you create with just two ribbons and card... I do like to test myself sometimes. With so many ribbons and buttons on offer to me, I have a tendency to want to use them all!!!!

Sometimes I lose track of "Less is more" and "be happy with white space".

The two ribbons used are the "Daisy Sheer" from the Full Bloom Collection (here) and the NEW Easter Ribbon launched Monday (here). They just seem to work so well together.

A bit of mat and layering and all was done.

Simple see.

Tony and I finish the last part of the trip to Glasgow today and then we set the stand up for first open day tomorrow. I sat still for almost 6 hours yesterday, OK not totally still - I thought of something to do in the van while Tony was driving. I piled cut lengths of ribbon on the seat between us (I could just see Tony over the top of them!) I then sat and happly bagged up the ribbons for our "I'm Free" box. If you have received an order from us, you will know what "I'm Free" is all about! By the time we arrived at the hotel my big blue ikea bag on the floor was full - that will keep us going for a week or two!!!!

Have fun with ribbon.

Replacements found

01/03/2011

Come on, how can it be the first of March. Where has January and Feburary gone? This year is whizzing away.

Something else is wrong as well......Crafty Ribbons have been exhibiting at retail events for ummmm 15years. And in all those years we are never ready for a show, the exhbition stand is always still being restocked as it makes it's way onto the van/lorry/trailer/van (what ever we are using at the time!). Or worst case, we restock it on the set up day of the show. It does not seem to matter how much time we allocate to the stand, it is never enough. Well..............A FIRST FOR CRAFTY RIBBONS........our stand was completed and wrapped for transit yesterday afternoon. It proudly sat in our loading bay waiting for the van.....hooray!!! Well done Rachie and the girls, but I will now expect this as the norm for Olympia and Birmingham!!!!!!

I have also found two willing replacements for my trip to Glasgow today.

Mollie and Sam just love the van, I had a brain wave, let them go to Glasgow in the van and I will fly!!!! Yeah. Sam would tell Tony which way to go and Mollie would not stop talking - perfect.

Once we get these little guys out of the cab we will be ready to leave, the van is all fully loaded and secured in place for its long trip up north, Cumbria tonight and on to Glasgow tomorrow. We have lots of NEW ribbons for visitors to the Hobbycrafts at the SECC to feast their eyes on, lots of cards and goodies to give inspiration.

Carol your bunny is a real sweetie, he is adorable.

I had a strange long parcel sent to me, I thought someone had sent me a number plate!

Carol had not sent a number plate silly, but a Easter album, it is loooooong! Wow it is wicked, so long it was to wide for my back drop.

Ribbon is just perfect to add that little extra detail on photo albums.

This is fab Carol, thank you.

Ooooh I love these colours Donna, very Easterish - is that a word?).

I have not caught Donna's works of art very well on camera, these chicks are 3D and been created by decoupage, layering the image. Fantastic Donna what skill.

All these goodies will be on display in Glasgow this week, Thursday through to Sunday, come and say hi.

Smile it's Monday

28/02/2011

Where does the weekend go? One moment it is Friday evening then with a blink of an eye it's Monday morning. Although I have no problems with going into work - I love it, but this week I have the long trip to Glasgow for the Hobbycraft show. It's just such a long long way to go, the main problem (apart from the numb bum) is I get bored!!! There is nothing to do in the cab of a van. Over the years I can assure you I have tried everything - from winding ribbon to knitting. Oh well, I will think of something.

I have added the last of our Easter Ribbons (HERE) - I promise this is it, no more.

No deliveries are due, well there are, but not with any Easter Ribbon. We have 4 shipments due this week and I know what will happen, I will get a call from the girls half way up the M5.....'they are HERE, your NEW ribbons have arrived!" "We have seen them first!!!"

Thanks for all your wonderful comments, yes headache much better, it took a long time to fully disappear. I thought I would do an early posting of the Friday FREEBIE winner today, we have lots going on with the exhibtion stand. Sam picked the winner of our Friday FREEBIE "Take your Pick" ribbons, what will the winner pick..........

Number 58 = Sarah

love the easter chic ribbon
sarah

All you have to do is email me at craftyribbons@gmail.com to claim your prize Sarah. Looks like you will be wanting the Easter Ribbons, hope you will enjoy playing with them. If you need a little inspiration on what you can do with the ribbons Sarah keep an eye on the blog all week - we have some fantastic goodies to show you from Ribbon Challenge # 21 - Easter Bunny Hop.

This card and tag has come all the way from Finland.