Way to Go, Grad!

Hello, everyone! It is Gloria with you today. It is almost time to celebrate all those high school and college graduates in your circle! My circle of potential graduates contains only young men at the moment, so I created a masculine style card.

It is always a challenge for me to add ribbon to a masculine style card and not make it too frou-frou. I think I did fine this time! The card base is 5" x 6" made from black cardstock, lined on the inside with white cardstock. 

I attached two pieces of printed paper together and then placed a length of 5/8" Gray Plaid Ribbon over the seam where the two prints meet. I then cut a few small lengths of Oyster Baker's Twine to create a "spider-y" knot around the left edge of the ribbon.

I found some greeting cards with Saturday Evening Post/Norman Rockwell art on them in my stash. They were plain and an odd size, and not printed on particularly nice cardstock. So, I did what anyone would do, I cut them apart so I could use the images! 

I matted the image onto black cardstock, then stamped the hashtag sentiments along the bottom. I wrapped more of the Gray Plaid ribbon around the top of the image, then I added a button tied with a bit of the Oyster twine.

I stamped a greeting onto a scrap of white cardstock and tucked it under the left edge of the image. 

I stamped another greeting on the inside of the card, and then disguised that I stamped it off-center by adding a strip of the printed paper. (Oops!)

Thank you so much for joining me today! And congratulations to all the graduates for 2023!

Really Reasonable Ribbon Supplies Used:

5/8" Gray Plaid Ribbon

Oyster Baker's Twine

1/2" and 1/4" Scor-tape

1/4" ATG tape

Other Supplies Used: cardstock, printed paper, stamps and ink, button

Winter Blues Shaker Card

Hello, Ribbon Lovers!  Winter days can be long and dark and cold.  So here's a lovely little Winter Blues Shaker Card to brighten your day.

 I've adorned it with a country fresh Gray Plaid Bow and sparkling White Iridescent Metallic String.  They look wonderful with all the lovely shades of blue in this Ciao Bella Time for Home paper collection.

The inside is sweet and simple with more pretty patterned paper and a little tea/tag pocket.

Winter is the perfect time to stay indoors and play with our paper pretties.  I hope you are staying warm and well during this long, cold month of January!

Thanks for stopping by!
Cheerio,
kathy

Last Minute Valentine Tips and Tricks

Hello, Ribbon Lovers! I'm back today with more Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine Cards and Tags. With the Day of Love just a week away, I know we are all looking for some last minute Valentines that are quick and easy to make. But we also want them to look great, right? So these little cards and tags come together in about 20 minutes each, but look like you spent hours and hours on them. That's a win/win in my book!

 

How cute are these Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine cards and tags? Once again, I used the Schoolhouse Vintage Valentine digital download from Polly's Paper Etsy Shop and paired them up with some fabulous ribbons and flowers from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

Tips and Tricks for Making Quick Cards

 

 There are some simple tricks I use when I need to make a quick card that I thought you might find helpful:

• Keep a file full of scrap papers that you've cut to measure 4" x 6". I have mine organized in a bin by color. That way, I can just reach in and grab papers that go well with my images and quickly cut them to fit my card base. It's a huge time saver, and a great way to use up your scraps.
• Keep an ephemera file for small tickets, tags, and other goodies that you can layer in with your papers. I have a small bin that is full of little bits and pieces I've salvaged.
• Be prepared! Tie a bunch of neutral bows and store them for future use. This black and white houndstooth plaid is one of my favorite ribbons. It goes with everything and ties beautifully. I always tie an extra single or double loop bow and then toss it in a little container. That way, the work is already done for me when I'm in a hurry!
• Don't worry about matting each layer. Since these cards are more simple, maybe just mat the focal image to make it stand out. This will save loads of time!

Make a Tag!

 

Another trick that I use when I'm in a hurry is to make a little tag. Instead of packing my scraps away in the scrap drawer (aka "the land Kathy forgot") I'll make a quick little tag and pop on a pre-tied bow. This grey plaid ribbon is another favorite of mine. The neutral color goes with so many different palettes..and always looks great with pink.  

Don't have any pre-tied bows? Add flowers for texture!  

This sheer white organza is another ribbon that I use quite often. Again, it's a neutral so it goes with everything. The real bonus here is the texture and shimmer it adds to a project. 

So there you have it! A few tips and trick that will have you cranking out super cute cards in a flash! I hope I shared some ideas that you'll be able to use. I'd love to hear if you have any tips or tricks that you use to make cute cards in a hurry. 

 Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

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