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.

Just a Little Something Sweet

Not much news, just some more fun handmade embellishments and ribbon sets. I absolutely adored the colors in Cosmo Cricket's "Jolly by Golly" Christmas line: and while it took several mixings to get the pink, it definitely is the piece de resistance for the ribbon set.

Lastly, I knew that I would eventually bow down to the makers of Basic Grey, and created ribbons and felt/button embellishments for their line "Lemonade".

All are in my etsy shoppe!

Made to Match

I've always been so inspired by scrapbooking paper collections, so it's always been lurking in the back of my mind to do specific coordination embellishments/ribbons to match some of my favorites.
Finally, that time has come. Introducing "Apple Evening" a made to match set for Pink Paislee's Amber Road.
The ribbons, in the shabby sugar (grunge) style...

And the felt and paper embellishments...

In the shoppe now. I hope to do similar sets for some of my other favorite lines (Basic Grey for sure). Would love input!

Madness&Mayhem, and Harvest Moon

I was inspired to do two major ribbon sets for Halloween. The third happened by accident, but a very happy accident as I believe it will lead to even more in the future. Harvest Moon is an altered seam binding ribbon set, with colors reminiscent of ghosts, pumpkins, golden moons, and eerie black nights. This particular set I will continue to make through the season.

Madness is entirely black and white, with hand painted velvets and laces, marbled silk and semi-striped seam binding.

Mayhem uses the most basic of Halloween pallettes, with two striped seam bindings, a bicolored marbled silk, a dipped black-edged ruffle ribbon, and a velvet ricrac dyed to look like orange tarantula legs.

Madness & Mayhem will be very limited. I will list these when I have a chance, but the shoppe will be closed a few days next week for vacation, so it may not be til after that. Bonjour!

Summer UnVacation

Now that the royal heirs to our throne are celebrating their freedom from all things scholastic, the King and Queen (dearest husband and myself) have been finding ourselves dropping into bed almost the same time of the late evening as they do. (Cause those dishes don't wash themselves). Which, of course, does not leave much time for creating. Still, I'll try to keep a few things new things in the shoppe, and share pictures when I can. I did order some pretty new ribbons and laces to dye, and some new types of dyes that may be more colorfast. Also experimenting with ribbons flowers I hope to show off soon.

I did enjoy dyeing a few silks and velvets for the shoppe- hope to make these a permanent fixture in my creativity. Actually, I will dunk anything that is not moving into a dye bath just to experiment lately. Will show off what I find out!

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!

Cottage Charm Giveaway!

May marks my one year blogiversary, and in celebration, I am joing Kim's Cottage Charm Giveaway! She has done this for three years now (click on the link to find MANY more giveaways!) and it is a great way to meet new bloggers.



I am going to giveaway one set of my Cottage Style Spun Sugar Twist Hand Dyed Seam binding ribbons, in the prettiest pinks and light blues. The winner will receive one glimmer tag with five yards of ribbons, two glitter hearts, and...

Some of my newest Hand Dyed Silk Ribbons in Robin's Egg Luxe. There are two lengths here, one yard and one-half yard tied up with vintage German text and silver string.

Just comment to this post, along with a way to contact you, by May 30th!

100th Sale!

I reached my first goal of 100 sales! Since the purchaser had a fondness for earthtones, I created this special ribbon, in the new silk!, just for her. Two yards of "Mink Marble Luxe" coming your way, enjoy and thank you so much Kendra!

of Lilypads and Tomatoes

Return of Everlasting Gobstopper. I wasn't thrilled with the tickets from the first set so I redid them as tags and flashcards. Only two sets left before these ribbons are gone! I also heard some desire for Earthtones. I imagine I may do more along those lines in Autumn (thinking pumpkins already!), but I did find some inspiration for a few sets now. The first set "Fire and Blueberry" came from a Marjolein Bastin painting...

And a summer set, Heirloom Tomato, with browns, greens, and a dark red...

(Don't look too closely- I could only find apple vintage labels)

And a few Fabulously Shabby Blossoms. I only had enough green to do one set for Lily Pad.

And I am thrilled to say that I hope to add real SILK ribbons to the shoppe soon, too. The roll I purchased to experiment has a GORGEOUS soft hand to it, with nice solid sides unlike some silk bias ribbons. Look forward to some new spring and summer palettes soon!

Collect like a Magpie

Every now and then we all need a little destash. My ribbon box was filling up too fast with extra cuts from sets, colors that didn't quite match particular ideas, or maybe a small run in the wrong place. Going up in the shop this weekend. "Just the Ribbons" from sets such as Pompeii and Strawberry Sundae. Magpie lots featuring the mismatched, extras, and not-quite perfect ribbons.

and a pretty set, again with the pretty scrunch-ribbon, Sea Whisper.

We've had thunderstorms all day, but it caused all the trees to bud overnight! Such a beautiful green world! We have very few spring days here before summer rears its heat. I'm enjoying it, are you?

Berry Sweet Ribbons

Lots of pretty new ribbons and crepes in the shoppe now. I was inspired by warm strawberry sauce dripping down fresh vanilla ice cream for this first set "Strawberry Sundae". Rich and red flowing mellowly, intermingaling with the cream to form soft pinks...

...or bright red varigating into rich ivory for "Strawberry Cheesecake"...

I just love the way thre ribbons fell into this flower shaped pattern.

I wrapped the ribbons around a Sweet Nothings Journal, this one a soft pink cardstock filled with vintage papers, paper lace, and a smidgen of swiss dot organza.

The next set I had the colors in mind for awhile, I just wasn't sure how I wanted to prepare the ribbons, or present them. I was struck with inspiration whilst reading the latest issue of Somerset Home, Connie Govea Stuart talked about her dyeing technique for ribbons using Easter Egg tablets. I decided to try her technique (although I still used my regular dyes). They were gorgeous even during their dye baths!

A rainbow confection of ribbons starting to appear...cherry, orange, lemon, lime, blue raspberry, and grape.

Tutti-frutti bright and scrumptiously crinkley!

The Everlasting Gobstopper!

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.