Hello wednesday - ribbon pansies
16/02/2011
Don't you just LOVE wednesday's? Say hello to wednesday "hello wednesday" It's all downhill from now on to the weekend - yippee!!!
I saw my first crocus in flower on Monday in Paris and this morning driving down Tin Pot Lane there were small clusters of Snow Drops - Spring is on it's way.
This NEW wire edge organza ribbon arrived in the warehouse while I was away, soooooo I just had to have a quick play with it this morning! Makes great ribbon flowers.
Not on the website, but I will promise to let you know when it is.
Back home
15/02/2011
Oooh it is good to be back home!
Thanks for your wonderful comments while we have been away, it's great to read them and it keeps my home sickness at bay! We also had some delightful ladies tell us how they enjoy the blog and what an awesome website we have. One Dutch lady was desperate to know who Bev was - she receives emails telling her all about Bev's new ribbon bags, but who was Bev?
We also had prezzies.....
....jams and sweeties from Michelle an avid blog reader. I so wanted to open the sweeties on Sunday, my sugar level had got really low (that's what I told tony) but I thought I should keep them intact so I could take a photo. So now photo taken yum yum!!!
We picked the winner of this weeks Friday FREEBIE prize from the back of the empty van, it did not take us long to unload the van this morning, we had very little left. Sorry Sam and Mollie are not looking at the camera, I found out afterwards that Tony was standing by the van doors sticking his tongue out at the pair! It certainly made them laugh.
This weeks winner is number 22 who is Mary
Hello All,
What a super sweet treat for Friday to see all those lovely creations.
Mary x
Congratulations Mary all you have to do to claim your prize is to email us with your address to craftyribbons@gmail.com and a bag of sweet treats will be all yours.
My desk is covered with packets, parcels and envelopes, which I believe are the Easter Bunny Hop Challenge goodies. I will not rip them open today otherwise I will get all the names mixed up.
Au revoir
Happy Valentines
14/02/2011
Heres hoping you will all have a fantastic Valentines Day, lots of love and romance, a little lunch together and a stroll hand in hand through the park.
O.K. we can all dream! The truth is not quite so dreamy for us, a cross channel ferry from Le Harve to Portsmouth. But aleast we will be together all day - arrrrgh!
Actually I think it will be quite pleasent to sit and chill on the ferry, we are both exhausted. I am not sure what it is about the French shows but they are so draining compared with the shows we attend in England. Maybe it is speaking French or just the long hours, but I have to tell you it was FANTASTIC. We had a wonderful time, sold loads and loads of ribbons, super evening meals, great company a truly enjoyable time. It is just a shame we get to see so little of Paris. The exhibtion centre is in an area of Paris called "Little Venis" and our hotal is on a canel, so the morning walk to the show - although bitterly cold, was delightful. But that's it we - have no time to do anything else. We thought about adding extra days to the start or end of the show, but the big problem is the VAN - where do you keep it? Not something you can leave on the side of the road, full of our exhibtion stand and stock. Only one thing for it Tony - we will have to go back to Paris without the VAN!!!! yeah.
I have the last few Sweet Treat goodies to share with you.
Tracey and Paul also set in a selection of sweetie tags - remember I showed your their Ice Cream Van card on Saturday for Sams birthday.
This is a cool idea - a laminated bookmark. Whos idea was that Tracey's or Pauls?
A German customer took a shine to this card Margaret, she wanted a kit to make it. Sorry it's not a kit, I couldn't even sell her the ribbon, we had sold out!!! Ooops not a happy customer, but it was Sunday afternoon.
Also sold out! Your cards and tags must have inspired many customers Margaret.
Mmmmmm.....cupcakes but no ribbon!! margaret your cards went down a storm - thank you.
I had a lovely letter from Lorraine, she loved the Sweet Treat ribbons so much that she did not want to cut them up.....no. no cut them up, use them and then we can give you some more!!!
Lorraine you cards are wicked and you certainly have no need to worry, they were greatly admired on the stand and I am sure the readers will love them today. Glad you enjoyed your first challenge with us, and hope you will join in with many more.
Unless some extra Sweet Treat goodies arrived while I have been away, this is the end of the challenge. But don't worry hopefully, fingers crossed there will be a big bundle of parcels greeting me tomorrow in the office from the "Bunny Easter Hop" Ribbon Challenge.
See you all then, have a truley special Valentines Day.
To YOU - Sam
12/02/2011
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAM
Sam is 3 today and I am missing his party - boo hoo.
When I saw this card from Tracey and Paul I thought it had been made for Sam, it is just perfect.
Have a fantastic day Sam
Love auntie ali and uncle T xxxx
Friday FREEBIE - 6
11/02/2011
Tony and I definitely woke up this morning with a few oooohs and arrrrghs - why do they make the floors of exhibtion halls so hard!!!!!
As I have been sharing all the Sweet Treat challenge goodies with you all week I thought a collection of Sweet Treat ribbons would be a perfect Friday FREEBIE prize.
So if you want to indulge in a little sweet naughtiness leave us a comment and you could be this weeks winner. So go on, please leave us a sweet comment. I will not get a chance to read them until well after 11pm, we have a late night at the show, so they will make good bed time reading! I am not back in the office until Tuesday so we will pick a winner from the "Bingo" bag then.
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 a we draw a random number on Tuesday. Please check back to see if you have won, it is up to you to claim your prize - we do not contact you.
What an adorable little girl Jenny, super colours.
I love little pots Jenny, and perfect to hide a few sweeties away from the children. What a clever idea.
This reminds me so much of Sam, ice cream EVERYWHERE! What a shame Julie I do not seem to have the photo of the inside of the card with me - sorry.
Pure elegance Julie. Perfect.
Once again huge thanks to everyone for such delightful Sweet Treat goodies, they are certainly being admired in Paris.
First day of Paris
10/02/2011
First day of the show today, an early start and a late finish. I think Tony and I are going to find today very hard work, this is our first show of the New Year and we are definitely NOT show fit!!!
All the Sweet Treats were put out on the exhibtion stand yesterday, I made a washing line around the front of the stand and pegged all the goodies on the line. I thought it looked wicked and it also stopped a few fellow exhibitors in their tracks. This really is a sewing/textile show - actually it is the best I have ever visited. If you are into to sewing or embroidery you should think about coming over.
It was a French customers in November that asked me for narrow cupcake ribbons - and Gemma has certainly given them some ideas for using it.
Very simple Gemma but totally gorgeous.
First a card then a tag and now a little bag - you have thought of everything Gemma.
Oooh yummie, who would not be delighted to receive this card from Helen. It is Sam's 3rd birthday on Saturday and we have been teaching him the happy birthday song, he is not quite there. But he has mastered the TO YOU and belts it out with all his might! TO YOU, TO YOU...
This also looks yummie Helen, the colours are a perfect match to the ribbons - wonderful.
Not sure these lollies will make it home from Paris Jan - I am very partial to sweeties!!!!
This is wicked Jan, I adore the way the cupcakes "dangle" in front of your eyes!
Wish us luck....
Hello wednesday - Cute as a...
09/02/2011
Don't you just LOVE wednesday's? Say hello to wednesday "hello wednesday" It's all downhill from now on to the weekend - yippee!!!
I designed this card for my friend, she is not a girly girl, you know pink, lace over the top sort of mum. I wanted to give her something very simple but what I thought was elegant. Her 6 day old baby girl got rushed into Great Ormond Street Hospital last week and underwent a 6 hour open heart operation to reverse the valves of her heart. All went well and she is responding to treatment and should be out of hospital soon. It is a pure miracle what can be done. I hope she likes it.
I love these large buttons (here) and they were just perfect for my card. For the twine bow I used our Summer Fizz Cord (here) it comes in two colours pink or blue. There are nine seperate twines that have been pleated together to make the cord, so at 30p per mtr it is a bargain. All I did was pull two of the twines from the pleat, threaded it through the button and tied a bow.
I have received several emails asking what I mean by distressing our Seam Binding. So thought there was only one way to show you. There are many ways in which you can achieve this vintage look, I only have limited tools and too far away from any shops to dash out and get new ones, so I used what I had.
Distressing Seam Binding to create a Vintage Style ribbon tutorial.
Gather the bits around you, a water spray or mister, a plastic bag, ink pad, a glass work top and some Seam binding which you can find HERE. The glass work top is so you do not ink your table, if you have a stamping mat use that or even a sheet of laminated card.
Spray the seam binding ribbon with a little water, you do not want to soak it, but just make it damp in places. The colour of this seam binding is a very pale pink, you do not have to start with a white or cream colour.
I used a normal ink pad and just placed it on the ribbon, a bit scary the first time you do it!
As you can see the ink has only covered part of the ribbon, this is what you want.
Spray with a little more water and ink again.
Mix the ribbons around, soaking up any stray water or ink from the glass surface.
All inked up. You can experiment and use more then one colour of ink, I wanted mine to be simple remember.
Scrunch the ribbon into a tight ball.
Push the ribbon into a corner of a plastic bag, twist it several times to make it secure. Leave this overnight if you can bear to or at least a couple of hours.
When it comes out of the plastic bag it will look like this, allow it to air dry.
It really is that simple, just play with your inks and sprays and see what you come up with. The ribbon is so cheap at less then 17p per mtr that you can have a few plays!! Also do not forget to play starting with a coloured base ribbon, you will be surprised.
Have fun playing, I wish I was back in my play room rather than in an exhibtion centre.
Nice and early
08/02/2011
Thought I would post nice and early today, Tony has gone to collect the van and check that everything is ok with it, we leave on the night boat for France. I have everything crossed and I do mean everything, the last ferry we took to France at Christmas we were unable to dock due to high winds. We bobbed, wobbled, rocked, pitched and dived along the Brittany coast line for hours - 19 hours on a cross channel ferry!!! Not something I can recommend, both Tony and I felt so washed out but relieved when we finally got off.
I received an email yesterday from Lucy asking me to send "A big blogging thank you" for all the wonderful comments, help and information that the Crafty Ribboners have provided over the weekend. She has been overwhelmed by the response and would like to thank everyone all at once.
We have a lot to do today - my to do list is so long I should have written it on a roll of wallpaper. Also Florence the girl that helps us in France has asked me to go to TESCO's to pick up a few "English Treats" for her, I am sure our "Sweet Treats" would be better for her.
This ice cream cone looks so real Claire, I love the way you have created the ice cream - awesome.
This wall hanger is wicked, the stamped cupcake is delightful and will take pride of place on the exhibtion stand tomorrow, hanging just above our demo table. As you all know my French is awful, but I am picking up some words and stamp (as in cupcake stamp) is one that sticks in my mind - tampon!
You set me a challenge here Claire, how to photograph ear rings. Your image is so small.
Amazing Claire, brain buzzing how can I display them on the stand without them growing legs?
You finally managed to persuade Samantha to let you send me the card then Gail - cupcakes galore. No wonder Samantha wanted to keep it. Please tell her it will be in France tomorrow being admired by stylish Parisian ladies who also love cupcakes!
Samantha made this one all by herself. Wicked Samantha, thank you. Tony has a special little French girl that always comes to visit him, without fail she brings him a little crafty creation. She was very taken by our Hello Kitty ribbon in November and came back onto the stand four times to buy different colours. We have some NEW ones Louise.
Must get on, loads of things to do and a ferry to catch!
Easter Ribbons
07/02/2011
We have had some really windy and wet weather in Dorset this weekend, not at all nice to be outside. Although Annette tells me they are having the worst summer since she has been in Australia, 28 degrees with thunderstorms - not nice. Hope you managed to sort your garage roof out Annette.
Thank you to everyone who responded to Lucy's plea for help and advice. I have been forwarding emails to her all weekend, crafters are such wonderful people. Professor Peach from The Italian Job said " Shame people are not as nice as flowers" he obviously did not know any crafters. (Tonys all time favourite film, he knows it backwards)
All our wonderful NEW Easter Ribbons are on the website - You can see them all HERE. A little warning - we are unable to get anymore of these designs, therefore stock is limited, once it's gone, it's gone. Prices start at only 35p per mtr, you do not have to buy masses and masses they all come in 1mtr lengths. We will be cutting for every order, so if you want 5mtrs it will come in one length. If you were lucky enough to get into the "Easter Bunny Hop" Ribbon Challenge then you have been playing with these ribbons for a while!
I had no battle to take the this weeks photo of picking the winning number from the "Bingo" bag. Mollie sat in the front office and picked the number, wish every week would be that easy!
The winner of this weeks Friday FREEBIE is........
Number 14 = Dorothy
Love is in the air
every where I look around.
ribbons every where
on the shelves and on the ground.
My guilty pleasure so they say
Hope a voucher is on its way.
Good selling in Paris Ali
Congratulations Dorothy you have £20 to spend on our website, what will you put into your shopping basket - oh do tell us Dorothy. All you have to do is email me at craftyribbons@gmail.com and I will email you your voucher.
Don't forget that any order over £10.00 (ex postage) placed with us before Valentines Day with receive a FREE bag of LOVE.....
Love Bags ready to be dropped into your orders
As it is still rotten outside it must be time for a little bit of sweetness to brighten our day - Sweet Treat goodies!
We could all take a stroll around Carols sweet shop, but oh no it is closed.....
...perfect timing it has just opened! What a wonderful display you have put on for us Carol - super idea.
Carol has even made us a little cupcake bag to take our goodies home and a muffin card.
Charlotta had posted back her other cards....but....just....had to have one more play with the ribbons. This card is stunning Charlotta thank you for sending it .
Thanks for joining in with the challenge Carol and Charlotta, if everything goes to plan there will be more Sweet Treats tomorrow.
We have been having a few last minute wobbles with our exhibition stand - nothing major, we have lost the French signs!!! I can reprint and laminate them again, but it's rather annoying, I bet you if I remake them tonight we will find them tomorrow.
Shall I remake or wait?
Friday FREEBIE - 5
04/02/2011
Can anyone help? Lucy, one of our regular blog readers and Challengers is still new to cardmaking and would like to know where she can learn how to make different style cards. She was very taken by the Cross Over Cards made by Charlotta and the Easel card made by Claire for the Sweet Treat Challenge. Are there templates for these cards? If you can guide her in the right direction, please email me some details craftyribbons@gmail.com and I will forward them to Lucy. I am sure someone will be able to help you Lucy.
First Friday of FEBRUARY - wow January has already gone. Did I tell you why I was late posting the Hello Wednesday this week? We were all in a meeting with a ribbon supplier, choosing ribbons for Easter, Spring, Summer nope none of those BUT CHRISTMAS. Yes we have placed our Christmas ribbon order. I just can not believe it, I am sure they are making us commit much earlier than normal. Oh well that is another line crossed of my never ending list. I cross one item off and add another two to the bottom!
Back to the Friday FREEBIE - as it is the first Friday of the month it must be Voucher Friday.
So if you fancy a little FREEBIE spending spree on our ribbon website, then just leave us a comment.
Valentines day is just round the corner, I am going to be in the capital of LOVE on Valentines day - PARIS. But I will be working. Crafty Ribbons wants to send you some LOVE, Ribbon Love that is - place an order of over £10.00 between today and Valentines Day and you will receive a bundle of romantic red ribbons FREE. No special codes, the girls were busy yesterday making up Crafty Ribbons LOVE BAGS ready to go into the orders.
Share the LOVE with others and tell them all about our FREE LOVE BAGS. Lets give some LOVE....
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 a we draw a random number 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.
my basket