Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog Hop - September 2024

    

Welcome to the Really Reasonable Ribbon September Blog Hop! Our hop theme this month is Halloween Themes and Colors! Each of the design team ladies is going to be creating a project in an Halloween theme or using colors of the season, PLUS ribbon!

You should be coming to my blog from Ginny's Blog. After visiting me hop on to Kathy's Blog next! (The full blog list is at the end of the post.)

At the end of the hop, comment on the RRR Blog post, answering the question listed, for a chance to win a $10 Gift Card to the RRR Shop, plus one digital stamp set of your choice from Bonnie Garby Designs. The Design Team appreciates your comments, too!

I have a stack of cross stitching projects that I have finished over the winter, spring, and summer. I am finally getting around to fully finishing them into...something. I have another one for you this month!

This design was a freebie from The Wishing  Thorn (Birgit Tolman). It turned out quite small because I used a 16 count Aida fabric. I originally thought to turn it into a little pillow to use as a bowl decoration, but....I just didn't have the mental bandwidth to figure out how to sew a pillow! (Sewing is NOT one of my strengths!)

Full confession: My husband surprised me with a new sewing machine over a year ago. I FINALLY set it all up and taught myself how to sew around the edges of my cross stitch fabric - to keep the cloth from unraveling! (Ok, so I YouTubed how to set up the machine and to zigzag sew the fabric edges!) I do want to stitch a little pillow, but I am afraid of messing up a stitched piece! My sewing skills are limited to a horrible experience in the 7th grade! I am an accomplished and confidante woman...surely I can DO THIS!! {grin}

I have a stash of small, bamboo hoops and used one of those to finish the project. The  hoop is 5 1/2" across. It is perfect for a table or shelf decoration, or this could be hung on the wall. 

I gave the piece a more Halloween flair by adding all the wonderful ribbons! I have a nice stash of Halloween-themed ribbons. Bonnie used create a Halloween ribbon pack every year for Really Reasonable Ribbon. I don't make a lot of Halloween items, therefore, yes...I have loads of ribbons to choose from! 

I started out with a large bow made from 3/8" Grosgrain Swiss Dots ribbon. I used the orange with black dots, which is out of stock, however there there is a version with white dots HERE. I then created another bow made from 3/8" Black Grosgrain with spider webs. Again, this one is out of stock, but there is a reverse print, white ribbon with black webs HERE. 

I then tied a loopy bow from Halloween Baker's Twine and attached an orange button to the bow. I glued all the bows together at the top of the embroidery hoop. I dangled a jack-o' lantern charm from the button. (I found the charms on Amazon for a great price.)

I topped the bow stack with a 25mm Black Rose. Super spooky cute!

I used some scrapbook paper to cover the back of the hoop. This hides the stitching and my finishing "mess." I used a large Spellbinders die to cut the 5 1/4" paper circle.

I am simply  loving my return to cross stitching! It was my "first craft love" in 1988 and after putting it aside for over 20 years when I was homeschooling and raising three kids...it is so nice to come back to it! I have to do things a bit differently to accommodate arthritis in my hands and my ageing eyesight, but...it is going well and I love it! 

I am attending my FIRST cross stitching retreat next week! A four day weekend here in Temecula, CA (about a 40 minute drive) with 50+ other stitching folks! I don't know a single person, but I am looking forward to meeting new friends, having a full long weekend to stitch...and of course there will be some vendor shopping! 

On another note: we are having a lot of smoke and ash from the fires around the area, but my town is not threatened at this time. The air quality is terrible, which is bad for my allergies, but we are safe, praise God. My prayers go out to those in the danger zones and to all the firefighters and rescue personnel. It is so very hot here and I know their job is made worse by the extreme heat. 

Thanks for joining me today! Hop on and see the other projects from the other ladies! 

Here is the RRR Blog Hop Order in case you get lost!
Really Reasonable Ribbon's Ramblings
Ginny
Gloria - YOU ARE HERE!
Kathy
Cheryl
Bonnie
Misty
Karen
Really Reasonable Ribbon's Ramblings

Really Reasonable Ribbon Supplies Used:

Trims: 3/8" Grosgrain Orange with Black Dots Swiss Dots (alternate version with white dots HERE), 3/8" Black Grosgrain with Spider Webs (reverse print, white ribbon with black webs HERE), Halloween Baker's Twine 

Flowers: 25mm Black Rose. 

Bow making tools: Zutter Bow-it-All

Other Supplies Used:

Cross stitch pattern: Harvest Moon by The Wishing Thorn

Fabric: 16 Count Cosmo Off-White

Floss: DMC

Hoop: 5 1/2" bamboo (Amazon)

Paper: scrap of Authentique

Die cut: Spellbinders Grand Circles

Charm: Amazon

Butt: my stash

Adhesive: hot glue, Art Glitter Dries Clear Glue

Other tools: scissors, sewing notions

Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog Hop - August 2024

     

Welcome to the Really Reasonable Ribbon August Blog Hop! Our hop theme this month is Autumn! Each of the design team ladies is going to be creating a project in an Autumn theme or using Autumn colors, PLUS ribbon!

You should be coming to my blog from Ginny's Blog. After visiting me hop on to Kathy's Blog next! (The full blog list is at the end of the post.)

At the end of the hop, comment on the RRR Blog post, answering the question listed, for a chance to win a $10 Gift Card to the RRR Shop, plus one digital stamp set of your choice from Bonnie Garby Designs. The Design Team appreciates your comments, too!

Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for joining me today! I DON'T have a card for you today, I have another cross stitch piece to share! I have completed about 8-10 pieces since last November, but I still need to turn them all into something. I decided to use this one for the blog hop today because it matches the theme!

I created a 9" x 8" home decor piece by mounting the stitching onto chipboard. It is all ready for the fall decor in September! 

The stitching is from a FREE pattern by Crocette a gogò from 2019. There are five patterns of seasonal cottages, plus Christmas. (To see my spring cottage, click HERE. To see my summer cottage go HERE.) I have finished stitching the winter cottage, but I have not created anything with it yet. I still need to stitch the Christmas cottage. 

I created the stitching on 14 count Vintage Country Mocha Aida fabric by Wichelt using most of the called for DMC floss. I did change the color of the roof (Sulky variegated thread), the fence (it needed to be spooky), and the birds. I wanted the birds to look like crows.

I attached some batting to chipboard, then mounted the stitching to the chipboard. I then used some very, very retired autumn themed papers and more chipboard to create an easel to hold the stitching. 

I then chose some ribbons for my bow, trying to coordinate with the stitching and the paper choices. For the larger bow I used 5/8" Ivory, Brown, Copper Plaid ribbon. This is such a lovely fall and Thanksgiving themed ribbon! I added a tiny bow created with 3/8" Orange Gingham ribbon. I adore this tiny size of ribbon. I wish I had every color invented in the 3/8" size!

I added paper to the inside of the easel as well. This is an excellent way to use up paper, of which I have much! {smile} I love those goofy birds!

Here is what the back of the easel looks like. This is perfect for one of my table displays for the autumn. Stitching these cottage scenes has been a lot of fun and they don't take too much time to create.

Thanks for joining me today! 

Here is the RRR Blog Hop Order in case you get lost!
Really Reasonable Ribbon's Ramblings
Ginny
Gloria - YOU ARE HERE!
Kathy
Cheryl
Bonnie
Misty
Karen
Really Reasonable Ribbon's Ramblings

Really Reasonable Ribbon Supplies Used:

Trims: 5/8" Ivory, Brown, Copper Plaid, 3/8" Orange Gingham

Adhesive: 1/2" Scor-tape

Bow making tools: Zutter Bow-it-All

Other Supplies Used:

Cross stitch pattern: Autumn 2019 Freebie by Crocette a gogò

Fabric: Wichelt Imports 14 Count Vintage Country Mocha

Floss: DMC, Sulky

Cardstock: ColorMates Smooth Dark Coffee Brown

Paper: Miscellaneous retired papers from 2010 and 2015

Chipboard: Grafix

Batting: sewing supply

Adhesive: hot glue, ATG

Other tools: paper trimmer, scissors, score board, bone folder, sewing notions

Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog Hop - July 2024

    

Welcome to the Really Reasonable Ribbon July Blog Hop! Our hop theme this month is CHRISTMAS IN JULY! Each of the design team ladies is going to be creating a project in a Christmas theme, using ribbon!

You should be coming to my blog from Ginny's Blog. After visiting me hop on to Kathy's Blog next! (The full blog list is at the end of the post.)

At the end of the hop, comment on the RRR Blog post, answering the question listed, for a chance to win a $10 Gift Card to the RRR Shop, plus one digital stamp set of your choice from Bonnie Garby Designs. The Design Team appreciates your comments, too!

It is always fun to play with Christmas in July, except it has been 100 degrees, give or take at my house! Which is normal for this time of year, but my craft room sure heats up fast! I try to work in the morning before the afternoon sun makes it unbearable, even with the A/C going. I spend the afternoon in the back of the house which gets just a bit of morning sun, so it stays cooler...or the very back which means I am in the pool!!

I made a giant of a card for today. This bad boy is 6" x 8" and who knows if I have an envelope to fit him! But I had a wild idea, and, well, here we are. 

I purchased a lot of new Christmas paper last fall and didn't get much of chance to use it, so I was itching to pull some of it out. I used the Mintay Papers White Christmas collection, both the 12x12 and the 6x8. This is lovely paper, just beautiful.

The really cool thing about Mintay Papers is that the back of the cover sheet in the 12x12 pack is all cut outs! You can fussy cut to your heart's content. I am struggling with horrible arthritis, which is why I am not crafting very much, and fussy cutting is a struggle. However, I have been working with some physical therapy putty, trying to get my fingers to limber up some and....I was able to fussy cut a bunch of stuff for this card! I did pay for it later, but no pain no gain, I guess. 

I used the stunning 5/8" Mineral Ice Taffeta ribbon to make my bows. The shade of blue is a perfect match to the blues in the paper collection. I created a large bow for the top right corner of the card. I used layers of scrap chipboard to add all the sweet fussy cut items and made an adorable motif on the card.  

I used a tiny bit of Peppermint Baker's Twine to add to the Merry and Bright "brad." The brad is really an adhesive-backed chipboard piece from Simple Stories. 

I created a smaller bow from the same ribbon and more fussy cut items for the lower left corner of the card. So pretty! This paper is just beyond stunning. It was a bit expensive, but so worth it. I found it at the Frank Garcia Studio last October! That shop is gorgeous...and dangerous for my wallet! I didn't know it was only about 45 minutes from my house! My husband wishes I had never found that out!

I hope you have fun celebrating Christmas in July...even if you are also sweltering in the heat!  Thanks for joining me today! 

Here is the RRR Blog Hop Order in case you get lost!
Really Reasonable Ribbon's Ramblings
Ginny
Gloria - YOU ARE HERE!
Kathy
Cheryl
Bonnie
Misty
Karen
Really Reasonable Ribbon's Ramblings

Really Reasonable Ribbon Supplies Used:

Trims: 5/8" Mineral Ice Taffeta ribbon, Peppermint Baker's Twine

Adhesive: 1/2" Scor-tape

Bow making tools: Zutter Bow-it-All

Other Supplies Used:

Cardstock: ColorMates Smooth Dark Coffee Brown, Hammermill White

Paper: Mintay Papers White Christmas (12x12 and 6x8), 49 and Market Christmas Spectacular 2023 6x8 pad,

Chipboard charm: Simple Stories Simple Vintage Dear Santa Decorative Brads

Adhesive: Art Glitter Dries Clear Glue, hot glue, foam tape, ATG

Other tools: paper trimmer, scissors, score board, bone folder

Triple B Challenge - July 2024

 

Hello! I am joining Darlene and Diane again for the Triple B Challenge this month! Triple B is a card challenge that is all about Birds, Butterflies, and Blooms! Plus, each month there is an Inspiration Board to help you get your creative juices flowing! 

Here is your inspiration board for July. I sure love making patriotic things with red, white, and blue! It is my second favorite type of project, after Christmas projects! 

I concentrated on the BLOOMS this month, along with the red, white, and blue color palette. 

I made a standard A2 card this month, using dark blue cardstock for the base, but matted with white cardstock. The paper collection is a new to me 6" x 8" paper pad from American Crafts called Flags and Frills.  

The paper collection has a lot of foiled pieces which are really pretty, but don't show up well on camera. I am not a big foil person, but for the 4th of July (or Christmas) I will give foil a whirl! Even the flag banner has foil stars!  

To bring in the BLOOMS, I added red, white and blue roses and buds. I love that big ol' red rose! I also added a sparkly gold spiral stamen. So festive! 

Thanks for joining me for the Triple B Challenge! I hope you get inspired by this challenge. Dig into your stash and play along! 

Remember you do NOT have to follow the board as it is just for inspiration, BUT YOU DO have to use 1, 2 or 3 of the B's ... Birds, Butterflies, and/or Blooms.

Now it's YOUR turn, so pull out those stamps, dies, stencils, or whatever other goodies you have in your stash and have some fun with us.

We won't always have a prize but periodically we will, you just never know! To link up your challenge project, click on THIS link to take you to the Triple B Blog. 

 

Challenge ends: 8 PM July 31st    

Winners announced: August 2nd.

You can read all the rules in the rules tab on the Triple B  Blog.

Cardstock: CutCardStock Basis Navy, Hammermill White

Printed paper: American Crafts 6x8 pad Flags and Frills

Flowers: Really Reasonable Ribbon Wild Orchid Crafts 45mm Mixed Red Tone Trellis Rose, 25mm Mixed Blue Tone Cottage Rose, Mixed White/Cream Rose Buds, Gold Spiral Stamens  

Adhesive: Art Glitter Glue, ATG, Hot glue

Tools: trimmer, score board

Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog Hop - June 2024

   

Welcome to the Really Reasonable Ribbon June Blog Hop! Our hop theme this month is Bright Summer Colors. Each of the design team ladies is going to be creating a project in this theme or style, using ribbon! 

You should be coming to my blog from Ginny's Blog. After visiting me hop on to Kathy's Blog next! (The full blog list is at the end of the post.)

At the end of the hop, comment on the RRR Blog post, answering the question listed, for a chance to win a $10 Gift Card to the RRR Shop, plus one digital stamp set of your choice from Bonnie Garby Designs. The Design Team appreciates your comments, too!

I found this super cute paper at the Scrapbook Expo last October. I was saving it for another project, but couldn't resist cutting into some of it for today's card!

The paper collection is Sweet as Honey from Photoplay Paper. The pack also came with a sticker sheet, which I used for the sentiment. I admit that yellow is the color I use the least, but I found that luscious honeycomb ribbon in my stash, and how could I resist it?!

Note: The color I used is out of stock, but here some other options of 3/8" Satin Honeycomb ribbon to choose from.

I created a larger bow using 5/8" Yellow Gold Plaid ribbon. I think this card is very cheerful and screams summertime in the garden!

I added lots of paper flowers, including two roses to the image, to give it a 3D look. The flowers I used are: 10mm Open Roses in shades of yellow, Mixed White/Cream Cherry Blossoms, and White Cosmos Daisy Stems.

The card is 5" x 5" and made from black cardstock. I layered the paper, plus I also layered the ribbons across the center area of the card. I like my bows to look tied on, but that never works out, so I "cheat" and secure the ribbon to the card panel, then I hot glue the bows onto the top. It looks like I can tie on lovely, chubby bows, but it is all trickery. {smile}

I finished off the inside of the card, using the cute honeycomb paper for the top panel. There is a nice blank spot to write or stamp a message.

Thanks for joining me today! I "gnome" you will have fun hopping!

Here is the RRR Blog Hop Order in case you get lost!
Really Reasonable Ribbon's Ramblings
Ginny
Gloria - YOU ARE HERE!
Kathy
Cheryl
Bonnie
Misty
Karen
Really Reasonable Ribbon's Ramblings

Really Reasonable Ribbon Supplies Used:

Trims: 3/8" Satin Honeycomb ribbon, 5/8" Yellow Gold Plaid ribbon

Flowers: 10mm Open Roses in shades of yellow, Mixed White/Cream Cherry Blossoms, White Cosmos Daisy Stems.

Adhesive: 1/2" Scor-tape

Bow making tools: Zutter Bow-it-All

Other Supplies Used:

Cardstock: ColorMates Smooth Black, Hammermill White

Paper and Stickers: Photoplay Sweet as Honey

Adhesive: Art Glitter Dries Clear Glue, hot glue, foam tape, Glue Dots

Other tools: paper trimmer, scissors, score board, bone folder

Triple B Challenge - June 2024

Hello! I am joining Darlene and Diane again for the Triple B Challenge this month! Triple B is a card challenge that is all about Birds, Butterflies, and Blooms! Plus, each month there is an Inspiration Board to help you get your creative juices flowing! 

Here is your inspiration board for June. Blue is tied with red as my favorite color. I wear a lot of blue because red, while I love it, is just not flattering on me. This inspiration board of blue is just stunning, especially the birds and flowers together! So pretty! 

I knew right away which paper collection in my stash has blues and oranges together...Graphic 45 Dreamland!

In the end, it seems I focused more on the orange than the blue! It happens! {smile}

I created a 5" x 5" card from navy cardstock. I found a pack of this cardstock in my stash and it is just lovely. It is called "twill" and has a subtle texture to it. The pack of cardstock is left over from a long ago design team. I am so happy to have so many choices of cardstock in my stash! 

I had made a mini album with this paper before and had a lot of little strips left over. I decided to make use of them for this card. I added a chipboard frame to highlight the sentiment. I love the sparkly enamel dots, too!

I used some baker's twine to make a little bow, and figured the card was finished. But, it was just too plain for me! So...

I added some paper flowers and a die cut butterfly! I had exactly TWO flowers in this golden color! I love when it all works out. Nothing is more frustrating than having umpteen flowers, but not having the correct amount of the color you wish to use! 

Note: In days gone by I made all my flowers by hand - or I purchased only white or ivory flowers. Then I could color the blooms with ink or sprays, and so forth. I got sick of the work and mess, and started buying flowers in different styles and colors. Well, I may be going back to my old ways because it is getting expensive to source flowers now.

Here is a peek at the inside of the card. This is a good card for a graduation or a new job congratulations. As always, this card needs a special envelope and extra postage. 

Thanks for joining me for the Triple B Challenge! I hope you get inspired by this challenge. Dig into your stash and play along! 

Remember you do NOT have to follow the board as it is just for inspiration, BUT YOU DO have to use 1, 2 or 3 of the B's ... Birds, Butterflies, and/or Blooms.

Now it's YOUR turn, so pull out those stamps, dies, stencils, or whatever other goodies you have in your stash and have some fun with us.

We won't always have a prize but periodically we will, you just never know! To link up your challenge project, click on THIS link to take you to the Triple B Blog. 

 

Challenge ends: 8 PM June 30th    

Winners announced: July 2nd.

You can read all the rules in the rules tab on the Triple B  Blog.

Cardstock: ColorMates Navy Textured Twill

Printed paper, chipboard, stickers, embellishments: Graphic 45 Dreamland

Glitter dots: Echo Park Let's Be Mermaids

Baker's Twine: Really Reasonable Ribbon Diva Blue Bonnet

Flowers: Really Reasonable Ribbon Wild Orchid Crafts Chrysanthemums Mixed Earth Tone, 10mm Mixed Blue Open Roses

Adhesive: Art Glitter Glue, ATG

Tools: ink dauber, trimmer, score board, MISTI stamp platform, Big Shot Plus