Customized Bamboo Cord Valentine's Day Card

Happy Friday! Nicole here and today I have a fun card using custom colored Bamboo Cords. Bonnie carries all sorts of hemp cords over at the RRR online store and I picked few of them this month. Among those I ordered the Bamboo Cord Multi-weight Set. You have 4 different weights that fit all of your crafting needs in this assortment and it comes in white. 

So I thought, why not make it more fun? So here I am using some of the Distress Paints to create colored bamboo cord to fit the card them for today. I am using Victorian Velvet, Picked Raspberry, Fired Brick, and Seedless Preserves.

Steps are quite easy. All you do is paint on the cords to die them as your liking. I use 2 cords for each color so I would have plenty to cover up my front layer.

To dress up the card, I went from light to dark, starting from the top. I stamped a sentiment on a vellum cardstock and adhered it onto the space I left between the darker colored cords. Added couple of mini sequins, just for fun!
Thanks for checking out today's project- Hope you have an awesome weekend!

Thanks Big Time by Tracey Sabella

I can't believe how quickly the year is passing by. I'm enjoying the cooler fall weather that's arrived this week.

I have so many things to be grateful for, and it's always nice to share a thank you for a special kindness. My card features lace, flowers, and twine from the Really Reasonable Ribbon Store along with Donna Salazar Designs papers.

I normally include a tutorial with this post, but I'm changing things up this month, so be sure to check back on Sept. 30 for a layout and tutorial for two kinds of Grungy Jute/Burlap Flowers.

"Thanks Big Time"

Really Reasonable Ribbon Products

Bamboo Multi-weight Set (20-lb & 10-lb)

Juliet Natural Crochet Lace 5/8"

WOC Cosmos Daisy Stem Flowers, White

WOC Sweetheart Blossoms, White

Scor-Tape, 6" x 6"

Tombow 3-D Foam Pads

Tips and Techniques

Aren't these WOC Cosmos and Sweetheart Blossom Flowers so darling? The Cosmos Daisy required some propping up on the top where the chipboard ended, and the Tombow 3-D Tabs were perfect for this task. 

I played around with this flower cluster, and although a larger bow overwhelmed these delicate flowers, this thin 10-lb Bamboo Cord tied into a simple little bow was just right.

The Blue Fern chipboard was dabbed with Jasmine Mix'd Media Inx and then lightly sprinkled with MMI Jasmine Embossing powder and heat set for a grungy look.

I used 20-lb Bamboo Cord to "wrap" each end of my sentiment die-cut. 

I added Juliet Natural Crochet Lace below the paper block, adhered with a strip of Scor-Tape. It is so easy to use Scor-Tape to adhere lace and ribbon to my projects! The Juliet lace is so pretty with the lovely scalloped edge! 

The top border is hand stitched, and I distressed and inked all the edges. 

I hope you've been inspired to pull out your Really Reasonable Ribbon supplies and create!! 

~ Blessings ~

Tracey

Card and Twine Wrapped Corrugated Heart Tutorial ~ by Tracey Sabella

Hi, it's Tracey here today to share the anniversary card I created for our Daughter and her husband. It's hard to believe it's been nearly a year already since their wedding. I enjoyed creating my first easel card. The Silky Crush Ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon is a dream to work with and the new Wild Orchid Crafts flowers Bonnie is now carrying in her store are so gorgeous! 

"Love Needs No Map"

Really Reasonable Ribbon Products:

1.5" Silky Crush Ribbon by May Arts - Champagne

20lb Bamboo Cord

August Ribbon Club Assortment - lace

WOC 35mm Trellis Roses Mixed Pink Tones

WOC 20mm Open Roses White

Kaisercraft Pearls

(Only 2 colors left - be sure to get yours before they're gone)

Scor-Tape 6" x 6"

Tombow 3-D Foam Tabs

Tips and Techniques:

This wrapped double loop ribbon was created in two steps. First, I wrapped the mat layer with Silky Crush Ribbon, adhering to the back of the layer with Scor-Tape so the ends are not visible on the finished card. Where I planned to add the bow, I gathered and tied the base ribbon strip with a small piece of wire. I then tied a double loop bow and glued in place. 

To embellish this bow, I added one of Bonnie's new WOC Trellis Roses and tucked in a strip of delicate lace from the August Ribbon Club Assortment. Bonnie has added a fabulous assortment of Wild Orchid Crafts Flowers to the store. Be sure to check them out here. 

I created the stick pin with a corsage pin and beads from my stash. 

The sentiment is a cardstock sticker coordinating with the lovely SEI Promise Me collection used for this card. Of course, I had to get in some of my signature distressing on the mat around the sentiment. 

Scroll down for a tutorial to create this charming Twine Wrapped Corrugated Heart. I used the Bamboo Cord Assortment and a WOC 20 mm White Open Rose. I used a fine tip paint brush to add a touch of pink to the center of this sweet rose. I popped up the solid heart with Tombow 3D Foam Tabs.

This is the inside/base of my easel card. I framed my stamped sentiment with a chipboard frame layered over more of the Silky Crush Ribbon wrapped around the card base. The pearls are not only decorative, but are placed to hold the top of the card in place when displaying. Bonnie is discontinuing these pearls so if you need the colors that are left, grab them while they are still available. 

I hope you enjoy my tutorial for the wrapped corrugated heart. Bonnie sells a wide variety of twine and any of them would look great wrapped around one of these hearts. 

Baker's Twine

Hemp Cord Assortments

Hemp Cord Spools

Jute String

Metallic String - Iridescent White

Metallic String - Gold

Metallic String - Silver

Twine Wrapped Corrugated Heart Tutorial

Supplies:

Supply List:

Twine - (I used 20lb white bamboo, but you could use any twine.)

Inks - in colors to coordinate with project. One lighter and one darker

Embossing Powder to coordinate with your inks (Optional)

Heart Die

Corrugated Board (I used Donna Salazar's corrugated board by Zutter.) 

Tweezers (Optional but helpful for holding heart during embossing. 

Small Flower

Paint or gesso - not pictured

Die cutting machine - not pictured

Embossing tool - not pictured. (Only needed if you use the embossing powder.)

**Note** If you do not have a heart die, you could also hand cut a heart from corrugated board.

**Note** There are many different sizes of corrugation from the tiny ridges in postal boxed to the larger ridges in the corrugated board I used here. Use what you have available and what goes with your project. 

Step 1. Cut heart from corrugated board. 

**Note** if you have used a die to cut your heart, you can cut a border around the negative to create a heart outline to pair with your wrapped heart like I did for my card. 

Step 2. Paint heart to coordinate with your project. Here I used DecoArt Americana Buttermilk craft paint. I often use white gesso as well. Sometimes I just paint the top of the ridges leaving more of the natural corrugated kraft color showing. Here, I left some small areas of the natural kraft color showing for a more rustic feel. If you want to just paint the tops of the ridges, dry brushing with a foam brush works best. 

Step 3. Select an ink for your primary color. I used Mix'd Media Inx and embossing powder in Chiffon. Ink the edges of your heart, drawing the ink towards the center, but not completely covering the heart. While your ink is wet, sprinkle with coordinating embossing powder and heat set. The heart is small, so a pair of tweezers comes in handy to hold it while heat embossing. If you desire a more rustic look, you can just ink without embossing. 

Step 4. Select a contrasting ink for your edges. I used Mix'd Media Inx and embossing powder in Honey. Just dab a little ink on the very edges, then sprinkle with embossing powder and heat set. 

Step 5. Wrap twine around your heart and glue ends to the back of the heart. 

Step 6. Rub ink on the twine. I used Mix'd Media Inx Honey. 

Step 7. Select a small flower that coordinates with your project. I used one of Bonnie's new Wild Orchid Crafts 20 mm Open Roses. For my card I used a white rose and painted the center with glimmer mist. Here I've used an Ivory and Pale Pink Rose. 

One more shot of the embellished heart on my card:

Thanks for stopping by. 

I hope you've been inspired to grab your Really Reasonable Ribbon and WOC flowers to create something today!

~ Blessings ~ 

Tracey

Happiness is . . .

Hi, it's Tracey here to share the anniversary card I created for my husband, Gary, featuring a variety of natural, masculine ribbons from the Really Reasonable Ribbon Store. We are celebrating 31years in a few days. 

"Happiness is . . . Being with you"

Really Reasonable Ribbon Products:

Natural Burlap w/Wired Edge ~ Silver/White 1.5"
Jute Ribbon ~ Natural 1.5" (Frayed Burlap)
Jute Ribbon ~ Natural 5/8"
Leaves, White

Hemp Spool ~ Natural 20lb

Bamboo Cord Multi-weight Set
Button Grab Bag ~ Natural
Candi Choc-a-Mocha

Candi Fix Foam Pads
Score-Tape 6" x 6"

Tips and Techniques:

Pleated Ribbon ~ The May Arts Burlap Wired Ribbon is a dream to work with and pleat. I've included a tutorial to create this pleated ribbon below. 

Layered and Wrapped Ribbons ~ I layered four of Bonnie's fabulous natural ribbons starting with the Natural Jute Ribbon topped by Wired Pleated Burlap Ribbon, then 5/8" Jute Ribbon, and finally wrapped with white Bamboo Cording.

Twine Flower ~ Who says you can't use flowers on a masculine project? This one is created with 20lb Natural Hemp Cord using my Twine Flower Tutorial found here. I topped it with a button from the Natural Button Grab Bag. There is such a nice variety of buttons in the grab bags! 

Leaves ~ I trimmed several small sections of May Arts White Leaves and tucked around my flower. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pleated Burlap Wired Ribbon Tutorial

Supplies:

May Arts Wired Burlap Ribbon

Ruler

Pencil

To determine the length of ribbon needed, each 1 inch pleat takes 2 inches of ribbon with an extra ½ inch on each end, so the 6 inch section of pleated ribbon on my card required 13 inches of wired burlap ribbon. You can work directly off your roll of ribbon, so there is no need to cut until your pleating is completed, but this guide will help you assure that you have enough ribbon for your project. 

Step 1. On the back of your ribbon, make a small pencil mark at 1.5 inches from the end, then ½ inch from that mark, then repeat across the length of your ribbon. Your pattern will be 1.5 inches, ½ inch, 1.5 inches, ½ inch, 1.5 inches, ½ inch etc . .

Step 2. Fold the end of the ribbon at the first 1.5 inch mark towards the back with wrong sides together.

Step 3.  At the next mark, ½ inch further into the ribbon fold in the opposite direction this time with right sides together to create your first pleat.

Here’s what it should look like from the top side:

Here’s a side view so you can see the direction of the folds:

Step 4. Fold again on the next mark 1.5 inches further into the ribbon with wrong sides together.

Here’s a view from the back side after this fold:

Step 5. Fold again on the next mark ½ inch further into the ribbon with right sides together.

Here’s a view from the top of the ribbon after the fold.

And a side view:

Step 6. Continue to repeat these folds until you get the length of pleated ribbon required for your project:

Note, I have shown the side view with the folds slightly open so you can see the direction of the folds. You will actually pinch the wired ribbon so it lays flat:

The wired ribbon holds the pleats well, but I tucked a piece of Scor-Tape in the fabric layers to hold the pleats in place before adhering to my card with more Score-Tape. 

Be sure to stop by the Really Reasonable Ribbon Store to check out Bonnie's amazing selection of ribbon. 

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you've been inspired to create a masculine card for a special guy in your life.

~ Blessings ~ 

Tracey

Dots make our world happy!

 

Hello, my dear crafty friends! Irit is here and this  is my second  post as RRR guest designer for January. I already made cards, an altered bag and a box. So today I am going to show you simple and lovely projects that can even be made with kids (10 years old girls will love it a lot).

All you need is this gorgeous Swiss Dots Bright Assortment from Really Reasonable Ribbon, wooden spools- small and one medium, tacky double sided tape, some old beads and some jewelry bases.

Let's begin with a necklace.

This is what we call "tie a knot" beading and you need about 3 yards of the hemp – I used the thin one from Bamboo Cord Multi Weight Set as some of the beads have small holes only.

Fold your hemp in half and make a knot, then begin to add beads and make it totally random. Add one bead over the double string and then add one on one string only, make another knot and so on. But now, as you can see, the most colorful part of this project is those covered with dotted ribbon wooden spools. The size on the small spools is just perfect for the ribbon width in this collection. Use your ScoreTape to add small bits of ribbons and add more beads until the necklace is done. Tie the ends and your necklace is ready.
Now for the hair clips. I used this wooden clips base, but you can make it from polymer clay, paper clay or use the old piece you already have. This time use stronger glue (kind of jewelry making one) and add 3 strips of your dotted ribbon over it. Now cover the big wooden spool with 3 different dotted ribbons (the size is just perfect for full 3 ribbons to cover it all) and glue the spool over the clips. Add the metal base with the same strong glue and your hair clip is done.

And as I still had a lot of ribbons and some small spools I decided to make this dash pin using the metal base (can be bought in every craft store).

I wrapped 2 small spools and glued them over the metal base (use strong glue) and then added a small bow over it for this fancy look.

So, as I said, even small kids can do it, but please be careful with glues (those are not kid safe glues after all) and with a pin (just cover it with a cover before they begin).

Product list:

Really Reasonable Ribbon:
Swiss Dots Bright Assortment
Bamboo Cord Multi Weight set
Glue: 1/4'' Score tape
French clips
Wooden spools: Maya Road
Clips, pin: craft store
Other: Beads

Hope you like my project for today and see you next time with  my Make your Bow maker tutorial.