Ribbon Rosettes for Spring

Has it really been a month? I must admit that Library of Memories is keeping me busy, but I am still super thrilled with the progress we are making toward better kept memories and stories.
It's been hinted that I needed a few more items up in my shoppe, and the rosettes are still top requested. I hope to have some of these beauties up in the next few days!

Except maybe that last one- it's may be a keeper! I'll see how much more of that ribbon I have left to make more.

Riot of Ribbons

It is so much fun photographing the new silk ribbons, they take to the camera more easily than the seam bindings. I really tried to experiment with color mixing for Pears, Raspberries, and Bluebirds set. The aqua is a single color, but the green and pink required two colors, and the yellow was dyed then partially re-dipped into brown to give that just ripe pear color. I didn't twist them because I think they may set the wrinkles more quickly than the rayons. And though I didn't intend it, the colors match surprisingly well with Basic Grey's Urban Prairie line. Hmm, maybe I should save myself a set.

I also wanted to do a deeper colored Patriotic set, below is the new Betsy Ross set, also silk.

This photo snuck out of order....

Lastly, wanted to share a photo of a custom order I did for a dear who wanted aqua/light blues. Near the front are silks, in back are a few seam bindings.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

Back to Business as Usual

After spending a week doing some custom orders, my fingers have been itching to get back to ribbons, especially the new silk! I have had some good (and not so good) results with it. Stripes need some refiguring, and some colors set differently, but otherwise it is very similar to the results I've seen with the rayon seam binding. I hope to have some of these lovelies listed tomorrow:
Time Travels in the Garden Silk Ribbons. Purposefully dyed very pale, as if in a misty memory.
This one is in seam binding: Hula Hoop. I photographed these before I ironed them, they will be displayed/sold smooth.

And an idea I'm still tossing around: Fairytale tags.

For these I collaged an assortment of vintage book papers onto one large piece of cardstock then cut it down into 4x6 tags. Mostly fairytales, some dictionary. So glad I switched decoupage mediums, Golden's soft gel is simply heaven to use!

We'll see what shows up in the store tomorrow!

Memories of Pompeii Spun Sugar Twist

In those short days before children, my husband and I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Italy. I was reminded of the trip recently while talking with my friend Lu, as we both longed for a taste of Limoncello (or Venetian Lemonade, as she puts it). I was inspired to create several lengths of ribbons while reminscing.
Since five ribbons were created, it didn't work for me to put them on the usual trifold card, so I put the "pages" together like a book. Pompeii sky and Lemon Grove ribbons

From the top: Lemon Grove, Italian Pink Grapefruit, Olive Leaf, Limoncello, and Pompeii Sky

I collaged each page before adding the ribbon: Limoncello

(Back of Limoncello) Pompeii Sky

Olive Leaf

Italian Pink Grapefruit

Lemon Grove. This one has a warm spot of yellow fading into white, then green with touches of brown

I have more lengths of the ribbons, but I'm not sure yet if I'll offer more than one card.

Valentines Spun Sugar Twists

I added another Spun Sugar Twist to my shoppe- this one in a Valentine's theme. This pretty set has two stripe hand dyes (one multi-hued!) and two commercially dyed seam bindings. I twisted the two commercially dyed (red and pink) together for interest.

Here's a shot of just the red/white stripe. I love the softness of the color blending to the white.

And the red/white/pink stripe.

Blue and White

Blue and white, white and blue. So are the colors in January's theme on Artsymama's A Year of Color blog. With her permission, I've added a line in my shoppe to feature A Year of Color. I'm very excited to work with this theme- although there are some challenges ahead! (I'm really trying to start thinking of what to do when the month's theme is polka-dots!). The first thing I want to share is something I'm happy to present- Spun Sugar Twists! I wanted a way to present seam binding that is different from what I've seen. I've used a double sided piece of paper and folded it into a three partioned card. Each partition will have seam binding on it- this set only the hand-dyeds are "twisted".

I labeled each ribbon color by stapling a piece of vintage bird book text (being careful, of course, not to staple the ribbon) and a pretty blue punch with the name on it.

I also added a few inexpensive items to my shoppe just for fun, like Giggle Twinkle Wings button ticket set. These small treats will go to the "Sugar Wafers" section, although the blue and white ones are currently in the Year of Color section.

And I did put together one Sugar and Spice Tin set for Year of Color. Loads of pretty blue images for crafting here.

I'm also lucky enough to be able to participate in the swaps available to a Year of Color blog participants. Our first theme is Valentines, and that should be so much fun to prepare a box for my Swap Sister! I'll be sure to post what I'm up to soon!

From one Holiday to the Next

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We were snowed in most of the week here at the North Pole, I mean, Michigan. We were not plowed out until Christmas Eve at 9PM! The kiddos got loads of toys and sweets. Santa must've thought me good this year- I got Starbucks and Michaels giftcards and a whole box of Martha Stewart glitter in every color! He also left a Wii here, which Dearest is hooking up as I type. We've also watched many of our favorite Christmas movies, and a new one highly recommended by sweetie Candice Carpenter, Bing Crosby's White Christmas. I had never seen it before, but it's now my favorite Christmas movie (move over Elf!).
I've been working on some new Valentine's goodies for the shoppe. I must give a standing ovation to Lisa's Altered Art. Her collage sheets are lovely and may show up in a few art treats later on. Meanwhile I've been busy keeping my fingertips pink and red with dye inks. Here's a beauty from one of my kits at etsy. I'm still working on techniques that will minimize the tearing in separating layers of wet crepe streamer. Keep your fingers crossed for me! Also have many ribbons soon to be added to the sale block. I've placed a few on vintage flashcards or these lovely mini-cards from Jenni Bowlin. They are hand-dyed, as well, with lovely subtle shadings. Scrumptious!

Here's the full Spun Sugar set, with dyed ribbon and matching crepe. This crepe streamer was originally ivory, although that side is down in the picture so you only see the dipped pink end. I have several larger kits I'm putting the finishing touches on. Hopefully will be up soon!