May Arts Christmas Craft Challenge - Finalist

I always feel so fortunate when selected to be part of a May Arts Craft Challenge.  And, this time, is no exception as it is their Christmas Craft Challenge.  Who doesn't like working with gorgeous ribbon! For this project, I selected the ribbon to work with from the below:

The decision was tough but I chose the: 3/8" Solid Stitched Center Ribbon Mini Pom Pom Ribbon 1/8" Curly Sparkling Ribbon 1" Sheer Tinsel Edge Ribbon I took a 5 3/4" x 5 3/4" glass deco block and collaged a holiday napkin to the outside.  A mini light string was added to the inside of the block.  The ribbon was showcased by use around the edges and top of the block.   I love the way it looks both lit and unlit.

All of the wonderful entries are posted for the Christmas Craft Challenge.  
And, you have a chance to win your choice of 3 full spools of ribbon.  To enter, go here and view all of the projects.  Leave a comment as to which project(s) are your favorites at the end of that post.  In addition for an extra chance at winning, post on the May Arts Facebook Page, too.
How easy is that!  Plus, you receive all sorts of wonderful holiday inspiration.
Happy Holidays!

May Arts Design Team Call - Round 2 Finalist

I am excited, nervous, and ever so grateful to be one of the finalists for the May Arts Design Team Call.  For this round, we were able to select the May Arts ribbon we wanted to use and create our project idea.

Do you remember the Welcome Rocks?  The ones with a bigger rock as a base?  Little rocks were painted to resemble ladybugs.  The one on the front step to the home I grew up in had ladybugs with our names painted below.  My project idea is based off that rock that still graces my Mom's front step.  Some of the supplies are the same - like the big rock for the base.  Nevertheless, the little rocks have now been replaced with May Arts ribbon.  To see how I made the below, read on.

Supplies Needed

My tutorial assumes you have some experience with crochet.

 

May Arts Ribbon 

1st card

BY 30y - Leaves (green)

360 3/8"x30y SCALLOPED TRIM (green)

359 3/4"x15y ELASTIC/PLAID RUFFLE (yellow)

 

2nd card

TZ 1.5"x10y-Flowers/Pearl Center/Wired (yellow)

XL 1"x15y - Faux Suede/Leaves (ivory)

MNN 3/8"x50y - SOLID/WOVEN CHECK (blue)

337 1/4"x50y SATIN - CENTER BAND (red)

367 5/8"x25y SHEER/LOOPED TRIM (blue)

 

3rd card

DA 3/16"x50y - STRING/LOOP (green)

SY 100y --------------- SATIN/STRING (black)

.SM 400y - String/Burlap (black)

BA 3/8"x10y - SATIN/CENTER RUFFLE (yellow)

BA 3/8"x10y - SATIN/CENTER RUFFLE (white)

367 5/8"x25y SHEER/LOOPED TRIM (green)

 

Additional Supplies

Rock

Spray Paint (I like to use this vs. acrylic paint as it is already waterproof)

Waterproof Spray (I used one for waterproofing shoes)

Clear Polyurethane

Beacon 3-in-1 Glue (It is waterproof)

Crochet Hooks (various sizes)

Acrylic paints

Scissors

How To

Step 1 - Waterproof the Ribbon

Spray and toss the ribbon with a waterproofer. 

Let dry. 

 Reapply. 

 

Step 2 - Paint the Rock

                            

 



Spray paint the rock giving it 2 - 3 coats for full coverage.

 

Note:  Using spray paint has the advantage of being waterproof.

 

Step 3 - Magic Knot

Use the Magic Knot for the flower buds and ladybug.

 

Make a loop with ribbon.

Cross the long tail over the top and to the right.

Short tail is under thumb.

Insert "J" crochet hook through the loop.

Hook ribbon and bring through the loop.

You should now have one loop on your hook.

 

 Hook ribbon again and bring through hoop on the hook.

*Go through loop on your finger from left to right and hook ribbon.

Bring back through finger loop. 

You should now have two loops on your hook.

Hook ribbon and bring back through both loops.*

Repeat from * to * for the desired size.
Work stitches over the tail.

 Once desired size is reached pull the longest tail up and through last stitch.

Pull both the short and long ends to cinch up the hole.

For the flower buds I made only five stitches.

Note:  Size of crochet hook and width of ribbon are factors in end result.

 

Step 4 - Ladybug

Follow the above procedure for the Magic Knot with 12 double-crochet stitches.

 

Hole has been cinched by pulling both ends.

Tie knot to hide underneath.

 

Use black cord for line down the middle of ladybug.

Tie off underneath.

 

Again, using the black cord, loop through top two stitches (one on each side of middle line) three times.

Thread cord through back stitches to tie off.
Note: Pearl is only head of pin used to pin to board for photo.

Cut length of black twine and thread through top loops.

 

Step 5 - Flowers

Note:  For tutorial purposes, I am showing how to do this off the rock.

 

Create circle of glue or use product like Tacky Dots.

Start with ribbon on the outer edge of adhesive.

 

Wind ribbon around the circle to the middle.

 Cut end to tuck in the center.

 

Step 6 - Leaves

Use desired colors for leaves.

 Lightly apply darker paint to leaf.

 Use lighter paint to add dimension.

 Paint lighter green on leaf.

Use darker green to edge leaf.

 

Step 7 - Flower Stems

 Cut various lengths of the green ribbons and apply them sporadically as the stems and vines.

Step 8 - Earth

 Apply adhesive to rock.

Keeping ribbon as one, zigzag ribbon on adhesive to hide various stem lengths and to create base.

 

Step 9 - Sealing

Spray finished rock with 2-3 coats of clear polyurethane or some like product.

 

The End Result

 

You now have the perfect housewarming gift or beautiful welcome to your own home.  With the abundance of May Arts ribbon it can be customized in numerous ways.  It can be placed inside/outside.  If placed outside I would suggest a covered stoop or porch to keep the gorgeous May Arts ribbons bright.

 

I hope you enjoyed my project idea and tutorial.  It was fun to make and exciting to be considered during Round 2 and the final selection for the May Arts Design Team.  Keep your eye on the May Arts blog next week as all the finalist's submissions will be posted.  Be sure to check them all out for what I am positive will be great inspiration!

 

Best of Luck to all the other creative souls being considered!

I am anxious for July 29 and the May Arts Design Team announcement.



May Arts - A Nautical Craft Challenge

Ahoy!

It is time for another challenge from May Arts.  This time the challenge is "A Nautical Craft Challenge".  I have said this before and will say it again - I am so fortunate to have been chosen as 1 of 20 to participate.  For this round I submitted the idea to alter the letters "A, H, O, Y".

For ribbon, the choice was to select four from the below:

May Arts Ribbon: Solid Stripes 365-2-14; Burlap Cord SP10; Solid with Diagonal Stripes 424-18-03; Grosgrain with Satin Edge 376-1-03; Metallic Chain Cord 348-14-30; Twill QN14; Woven Chevron Stripes 443-58-01

 

For "AHOY" I selected:

Solid Stripes

Burlap Cord

Grosgrain with Satin Edge

Twill (red)

It was fun altering each letter and trying to come up with a different nautical idea for each but still tying them all together in theme.

 

 

Visit the May Arts blog and look at all the fabulous projects posted for this challenge.  Leave a comment for a chance to win: 

 

Your choice of 3 full spools of ribbon

 

All you have to do to enter to win is tell us which project(s) is your favorite!  Post your comments right here! 

**For an extra chance to win, be sure to post on our Facebook Page too!**

 

**Please also note that, although I always love to know what you think, the winners are selected solely by The Ribbon Lady**

- See more at: May Arts Nautical Challenge

 

Thanks to May Arts for the opportunity and to all of you for visiting.

May Arts All New Release Spring Craft Challenge

Thank you May Arts for having the confidence in me and my creations to once again be selected to participate in the May Arts All New Release Spring Craft Challenge. 

For this challenge we were to choose four ribbons from the below:

(May Arts Ribbon Used -> Teal String: 449-34, White Eyelet: 447-38-01, Fuchsia Ruched Ruffle: 441-78-22, Green Leaves: 448-66, Natural Burlap: 398-4-11, Salmon Faux Lightweight Canvas: 444-58-20)

For the May Arts All New Release Spring Craft Challenge I submitted an idea that truly would be a challenge for me - CAS Mother's Day tags.  CAS is tough as I always want to add one more thing.  To me the tags below are about as CAS as I have ever been able to do.



The Salmon Faux Lightweight Canvas ribbon was rolled to form the heart.
It was also used at the top with the Teal String.

The idea for this tag came from a Facebook post I saw from my son.  He was born and raised in Minnesota.  He lived in Las Vegas for awhile and loved it but then was transferred to Indianapolis.  Imagine my surprise when he posted he was "Going home to visit" Las Vegas.  I still live in Minnesota.

Teal String was used for sewing around the tag.
White Eyelet was double looped at the top.

The idea behind this tag was to make a tag to accent the Teal String with like papers and embellishments.  

One of the ribbons I chose to use was Green Leaves and used it to make the leaves and stem of the lily-of-the-valley which is the May flower.
The Salmon Faux Lightweight Canvas matched the cardstock perfectly
and was used at the top.

We have lots of birthdays in May along with Mother's Day and I think I know the most about this month.  I love Lily-of-the-Valley flowers and their scent.  I just happen to have a stencil in my stash that fit perfectly on the tag.

Green Leaves was wrapped around the bottom of tag and
behind the large turquoise embellishment.
The light "poof" was made using the Teal String, separating into the individual plies, and "teasing" the string.

I love getting messy.  With the help of gelattos, stencils, paints, etc. I created the background for this tag.  The vellum saying refers to Mom giving her child wings to fly.  Green Leaves and Teal String were ideal for this tag.

White eyelet was used to embellish the top of this tag.

I have had friends that have lost children before and after birth and, some whose Mom has passed.  This tag has a simple meaning to always remember and honor.

I hope you enjoyed the tags and perhaps got an idea or two.

Please hop over to the May Arts blog to view all the wonderful projects submitted by some very creative people.

Thanks for stopping and I do appreciate your comments.

May Arts Christmas Craft Challenge: All That Glitters

Once again I was fortunate to be chosen for the May Arts Christmas Craft Challenge: All That Glitters! We were given our choice of up to four gorgeous May Arts ribbons from the below.

From the above I chose the silver, red, and green glitter ribbon and the gold mesh.  My idea was to alter a Prima Archiver's music box that I got several years ago.  It looks like a silver box that when the lid is removed there is room to include something. I chose to make a small accordian album for Christmas memories for journaling and photos. Using the gold mesh I embellished the front with a gold mesh flower with the silver glitter ribbon in the middle and to hold the accordian album closed.

The lid was outlined on the sides with the silver glitter ribbon and the top with a silver ribbon rose and curly sprouts.  The green glitter ribbon outlines the top of the lid, holds the two jingle bells, and embellishes the red Christmas bulb.  Red glitter ribbon also was used to enhance the bulb in the center of the large gold mesh flower. 

 

I hope you enjoy my creation!

 

This selection of ribbon was so easy to work it.  By accident I stumbled on how easy the silver ribbon when wrapped around a pencil curled.  The gold mesh ribbon was very versatile in its ability to poof or lay flat.

 

Thank you, May Arts, for selecting my project to be one of the twenty featured for the Christmas Craft Challenge:  All That Glitters.  Be sure to check out all the wonderful projects featured in this challenge.

 

Merry Christmas!

May Arts / Helmar September Challenge

Ink it Craft Challenge

Once again I was very fortunate to have the project idea I submitted to May Arts/Helmar chosen to participate in the September challenge.

For months I have been looking for soda crates.  One Sunday this past summer at a flea market I found a few.  I told my husband to help me remember where this vendor was located as the flea market is very large and I thought by chance we might find even more a bit cheaper.  We didn't.  And do you think we could remember which vendor had the only ones?  Nope!  I then began checking out Craigslist and when finding any they had already been taken.  Shortly before the May Arts/Helmar  "Ink It" Craft Challenge was posted, while visiting my Mom, soda crates somehow came up on the conversation.  She just happened to have one in her back garage.  At that time my thought was to bring it home, give it a white gesso wash, mount it on the wall, and use it for individual stamps, supplies, knick-knacks, etc.

The May Arts/Helmar Challenge was posted a few days later and my idea was submitted and accepted to alter the soda crate with wedding memories.  My husband and I were married October 17, 2004, in a very small, immediate family only, ceremony.  It was held in the living room of our townhouse at the time.

With fall colors in mind and using our wedding photo and my dried wedding bouquet as inspiration, my crate took on the colors of our special day.

The full view with our wedding photograph, love, my dried wedding bouquet and my husband's boutonniere.  My dried bouquet is on the top right and my husband's boutonniere is with the cluster of flowers in the center.

You can see the whitewash with the gesso and the small leaf pattern stamped on the edges.

The lower-left corner of the crate.  I love how nicely the flowers took on the ink.  Each flower was embellished with little clusters of beads.  The leaves are nice! I tried to put a few colors in each .  The mesh ribbon was inked in about 6-inch pieces of different color.  The gold ribbon is also from May Arts but was not part of this challenge.  I used it to help highlight the mesh as it winds through the crate.

One of the May Arts selections were these mini pom-poms.  After giving it this golden glow, I adhered it to this small pumpkin and added the beads for more glitz.

To the right of our wedding photo is this group of flowers are inked in variations of colors taken from my bouquet.  The leaves are tucked in and my husband's boutonniere.

The same section of the crate only from a different angle and wider view.

 Close-up of the L, the mini pom-poms used to highlight each block of L - O - V - E.

A full view of LOVE and the right side of the crate.  You can see the flow of the mesh with the gold ribbon to aid in highlighting its color.

Here is the second pumpkin the mini pom-pom was used to decorate.

The bottom right corner.  I love the vibrant color in the portion of the mesh.

The three photos immediately above are the right, top corner.  It includes my dried bouquet with the inked flowers taking on the same color scheme.  They accent each other so very much.

And, just one more time.

All this ... because I have the love of my life... and love him more today than I did then.

I can't leave out besides the four different kinds of ribbon received from May Arts, Helmar provided a bottle of their 450 Quick Dry Adhesive.  It was great to work with and told hold with the least bit amount of pressure and time holding things in place.

Thank you May Arts and Helmar!  What a fun challenge!

Be sure to check out the May Arts blog to see all the other projects.  They are all gorgeous and so very different.  You won't be disappointed!

Thanks for stopping!