"Life is Art" with Hand-dyed Silk Ribbon

Hi, it's Tracey here to share a mixed media graduation card I created for our daughter, Maria, who graduated just over a week ago. Bonnie's fabulous hand-dyed silk ribbon is the focal piece for my card. 

"Life Is Art"

Graduation Card

Our daughter, Maria, is an artist. She has played piano for 10 years and started taking art lessons about 5 years ago. She is quite accomplished. I've been known to say, if I had her talent I wouldn't scrap; I'd draw and paint. She's won several art contests this year and really has the heart of an artist. This may not be a typical sentiment for a graduate, but it just fit Maria perfectly. I hope she embraces the life ahead of her and enjoys the journey. 

Really Reasonable Ribbon Products:

Hand-dyed Silk ~ 1 inch

Iridescent White String

Kaisercraft Pearls

Scor-Tape 6" x 6" Sheet

Tips and Techniques:

Double Loop Bow ~ Bonnie carries the most gorgeous and luxurious hand-died silk ribbon in her store. You really should try some of this fabulous ribbon. This particular color is not currently in stock, but she has some amazing color combinations that are sure to fit your needs. The tutorial by our RRR DT, Ginny, for these sweet bows can be found here. She shows how to tie them right on your fingers. So easy!! 

Mixed Media Background ~ Creating this mixed media background was a perfect way to showcase the gorgeous hand-dyed silk ribbon.

I started by stamping my sentiment with Donna Salazar's Jasmine Mix'd Media Inx, then sprinkled with opaline embossing powder and heat set. 

Then I laid punchinella next to the sentiment and "inked" through the holes with Perfect Medium. Any kind of clear embossing pad should work. I sprinkled with Fran-Tage Shabby White Embossing powder and shaved ice mica then heat set. 

I've had Faber-Castell Gelatos in my stash for some time, but just never have gotten around to trying them out. Let's just say, I'll be using them a lot more now that I've broken the ice. What gorgeous colors and so easy to work with. I scribbled the colors across my nonstick craft mat using similar colors to the ribbon, spritzed with water, then laid my paper into the liquified color. Just like the ribbon colors blend, gradating into each other, the Gelato colors did the same. I just love the effect!!  I colored two pieces - the white cardstock background and then the stamped and heat embossed sentiment on water color paper. 

Once the water color paper was dry, I hand sketched the heart shape around the sentiment, cut it out and hand distressed. The background paper was distressed with my Donna Salazar Distrezz-It-All. 

On the background I took some bubble wrap and painted it with gesso and used as a stamp in places. This is very subtle, but adds great visual texture. I also "stamped" some circles of gesso using a small bottle cap. 

Oh, and wouldn't you know, the sentiment got a little muddied by the mixed media, so I took a white Glaze pen and carefully went over the letters to make them pop again. 

What I love about this technique is that you can really create a custom background to go with any of the hand-dyed silks. 

Pearl Accents ~ I added Kaisercraft pearls from the RRR Store. There are a wide variety of colors to choose from. 

Ribbon ~ I adhered a strip of the hand-dyed silk ribbon across the card using Scor-Tape. I wrapped the Iridescent White String around the ribbon three times, crossing in the center. This string is one of my favorite items in the RRR Store. I already had to order more!! LOL It shimmers so beautifully in the light. Finally, I attached the bow to overlap the heart. 

Other products:

White Cardstock 

Strathmore 140lb Mixed Media Vellum Surface

Bienfang PH Neutral 140lb Watercolor Paper

Faber-Castell Gelatos ~ Metalllic Melon, Metallic Blueberry, Butter Cream, Lemon, Boysenberry, Tangerine

Donna Salazar Mix'd Media Inx ~ Jasmine

Ranger Perfect Medium

Punchinella

Sparkle N Sprinkle Embossing Powder ~ Opaline

Stampendous Fran-Tage Embossing Powder ~ Shabby White

Stampendous Fran-Tage Shaved Ice Mica

Sakura Glaze Pen ~ White

Liquitex Gesso

Bubble Wrap

Bottle Cap

Stampendous Cling ~ Life Is Art Stamp

Beacon 3-in-1 Adhesive

Donna Salazar Distrezz-It-All

Tim Holtz Distress Tool

Tim Holtz Grid Blocks

Ranger Mini Mister

Ranger Craft Mat

EK Cutter Bee Scissors

Martha Stewart Mini Score Board

Thanks so much for joining me, today!

Stop by my blog, Garden of Grace, 

if you'd like to view larger photos. 

Blessings, Tracey