Fall Wooden Sign

 Howdy, y'all! Misty (@mommyofkidz) here today sharing an easy and fun Fall decor project. All of this was made with items from my stash, ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and of course, a little fall cutfile from Bonnie's Etsy!

I started with a little wooden sign that I picked up at Michael's for $3.  I like to check the clearance aisles at the craft stores for little things that I can use for projects just like this! Bonnie's Etsy and her files in Cricut Access are awesome, and I always find the perfect one for all my projects. This time I chose her cute little file...TGIF Thank God It's Fall. I loved it so much, I even kept the same colors as the example! 

I matched my vinyl colors with some fall florals from my stash, then paired up the ribbon and lace for the final touch. Plaid Ribbon Forest Green Paired with the Sharon Lace  made this little sign of mine just SCREAM fall! 

Usually I wouldn't use hot glue on things like this if I were putting it outside in my porch. Texas Heat is brutal and will literally melt the glue - no electricity required. However, since it was staying inside, I didn't have to worry about the glue melting my masterpiece and it falling apart. 

 Once it was all finished, I had the perfect little indoor fall decor sign to kick off my favorite season of all! The warm colors and comforting scents of Autumn filled my mind and made me smile. All I need now is for these scorching Texas Temperatures to drop so that I can break out my cozy sweaters!

  TGIF! Thank God It's Fall!!! 

and THANK YOU for stopping by today! Have a wonderfully crafty week!

Street Party Scrapbook Layout

 Hello all my fellow ribbon lovers and Happy Monday!  Misty (@Mommyofkidz) here today, and before I share my project, I have a question for you.  

What is your favorite thing to do with your ribbon? 

The answer is easy for me. I LOVE to make boutique style hair bows. However, I also very much love to scrapbook, and I almost always use ribbon, twine, or lace on my layouts. I have one more question, then I will share...lol.  I know, I know...it is way too early on a Monday for all this! (ha ha)

What type of ribbon craft would you like to see more of on the blog?

Ok, now that we have played "20 questions", I will share! :) (Two...Twenty...who's counting!!?? :)  Anyway, today I am sharing a layout with you featuring some 4th of July Festivities. 

I did this as part of a Progressive Challenge that I participated in recently, so it is just a bit different than my normal style, but I am in love with how this turned out! I used several bits and pieces from the Really Reasonable Ribbon Store on this....

There were four steps to the Progressive Challenge, and as I was building this layout, I had no clue what the next step would be. Ultimately, one could end up with a jumbled mess, or something amazing.  I got lucky that my layout turned out to be something that I love! 

I began with the ribbon on the bottom title strip, which I pleated so that it could be seen better. The 5/8 Red Poppy Satin Ribbon was a perfect match to the vintage paper that I chose to start my layout with. 

I also used some jute string which I LOVE and use on quite a lot of my projects.  While I have used the natural color, I do have it in several other colors that can be found in the Really Reasonable Ribbon store. 

Peep all the mulberry roses that I have used! Y'all, I can not tell you enough how addicted to these things I am! I don't know if I have every color yet, but my stash has certainly grown! I used the 10mm open roses on this layout in red, white, and blue obviously. 

While I had no clue how this would turn out when I began, I fell in love with each step along the way. Part of the reason that I love it so much is the "eye candy" that I was able to add to enhance the overall "vibe" of the layout. Most of which came from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

I certainly hope that you have gained some inspiration today, and I also hope that you will leave a comment for me answering my questions that I began with today. I genuinely would LOVE to know!! 

Thank you all for stopping by and have a Creative and Crafty Week!! 

Valentine's Hair Pretties

Hi everyone!  Hope you are having a great Saturday!!!!Today I wanted to share with you how I made the bowand feather clippies from yesterday's Blog Hop Post.
First, for the Bow, I used the January Ribbon Club Assortment.I used the 3/8 width ribbons...the pink w/hearts, pink w/lips, red w/hearts and the white double ruffle.I made a korker style bow for my munchkin for Valentine's Day. >>>HERE<<< is the detailed tutorial for that style bow.
My Skye modeling her new bow:

Front view of Bow:

Back view of bow with the french clip attached:

For the Feathers...

I used:

2 inch heart snap clips

1/8 inch grosgrain ribbons to wrap the clip

*  I did try a variety of the different clips and loved them all, but the heart clip was my favorite to work with...AND PERFECT FOR VALENTINES DAY!!

I have created a simple step by step tutorial for you to print off and use if you

 would like to try to make some of these clips. 

For the clips with Dangling feathers, you will do pretty

 much the same with only a few adjustments. 

I actually have already made SEVERAL of these clips!  

My 11 year old wanted one for ALL of her friends! LOL

I hope this easy picture tutorial helps you to make your own feather clips.  

If you have any question I will be glad to help you out!

Oh...and before I go, I want to say Happy BIRTHDAY

to my oldest child.  He is 15 today!!

Thanks for visiting us today!!

Have a Fantabulous Day!!!

Ribbon with Scrapbooking

Way back in October when we did our monthly Blog Hop, Bonnie asked you all what you would like to see more of featured on the blog.  A few of you answered "scrapbook layouts"...as did some of you from the question a few days ago.  You want to see ideas on how to use ribbon on your scrapbooking layouts. 

Well, I have done a couple of layouts since then, and today I want to take the opportunity to show them to you and tell you how I used the ribbon on each. 

Here is "Pouty Face":

It features 2 ribbons from the RRR store...

7/8 pink gingham

1/2 Penelope natural crochet lace

and a twine

I used the pink gingham as a bottom border for my photo and made a bow accent to go with my embellishment cluster.

The lace serves as the base of my layered borders.   

I also did a Christmas layout that was featured with one of the December Challenges. 

I wanted to show it again and tell you about the ribbon that I used.

Here is "I Do Believe":

I used 4 different ribbons on this one to make my ribbon banner.

I started with 1 1/2 inch white double ruffle

Then 5/8 shimmer satin gold

then 1 inch burgandy satin 

topped with aqua seam binding.

To make the banner, I cut each "flag" piece and sealed the ends with a lighter.

I layered them just how I wanted them and then ran a straight stitch across the tops to bind them together. 

Then, I tied loose knots in the seam binding and attached it to the top of the banner using fabric glue. 

I LOVE scrapbooking and ribbon is one of my passions. 

When I combine the 2, the results always make me happy!!!

I hope I have helped you a little bit today and given you ideas for using ribbon on your layouts.  Thanks for visiting me today and have a Magnificent Day!

Misty Willis

The Dish on Double Ruffles...

Well, today marks the beginning of the "Recovery" period that I so desperately need from all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays.  WHEW!!!  I made it!!!!I have been so super busy this last couple of weeks getting my preparations made that I haven't had an opportunity to sit down and create anything new to share with you all.  What I DO have, however, is an assortment of bows that I made for my nieces for Christmas.The one thing that they ALL asked for from me is their own bow.While it is nothing new to you all that I make bows, it may be fun to see some of the ribbon combinations that I used.  I tried to keep in mind their own personalities, interests and of course, favorite colors.  I LOVE the Double Ruffle Ribbons that Bonnie has, and they are PERFECT for using in bows. They add a touch of elegance to anything and are so easy to use!....and have become a staple in my ribbon stash!Here is a photo of half a dozen bows that I made in one day...

While this is my favorite style of bow to create, it is the one that takes the longest amount of time.  To create one of these beauties, I average about an hour and a half...so you do the math on 

how long I had my rear planted in one spot! 

The upside to that is that I got to play with a boat load of Bonnie's ribbons!

Below I have included some close-ups of a few of the bows for you.

Here is the one that is probably my favorite.

It has leopard print ribbon as the focal point with accents of a variety of pinks and some sparkly golds.  The base ribbon is the double ruffle 1 1/2 azalea.  LOVE that ribbon!

Here is another animal print, but zebra instead.

I accented with white and her favorite color...PURPLE.

I used the 3/8 inch purple double ruffle in there to add some vibrancy to the otherwise muted lavender. I thought it was the perfect touch!

In this one, I used TWO different double ruffles for an added interest.  I used the 1 1/2 inch azalea for the main base, and the 7/8 inch apple green as the center to provide a "lily pad" effect for that adorable little frog.  

And here is the holiday bow.  YES...one of my nieces just wanted a bow to match her Christmas outfit.  The base is the 1 1/2 inch double ruffle white layered with the gold reindeer.  

I cut each individual reindeer off of the strand to create a  few "Lone" standing reindeer for the accents on this bow.  THAT was her favorite thing about it! 

I also used 5/8 inch red double ruffle...OMG this is GORGEOUS!!!

 The red is so deep an vibrant!  

As you can imagine, I have a plethora of scrap lengths of ribbon.

While anything shorter than about 24 inches is not useful to me in making bows, it can be useful in a variety of other projects. 

 SO...I never throw my scrap ribbon away.

I have a gallon sized ziplock that collects all of my scraps.

THAT bag comes out when I am creating cards or other projects that require shorter lengths of ribbon.  I always look in the bag before I ever cut into a longer ribbon. 

Oh, and something just occurred to me...

With all of the ribbon that I used, I think I need to head over to the Really Reasonable Ribbon Store and stock up!

Thanks for visiting today!  I hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year this weekend!  

 

Wintery Bow Tutorial

It is the MOST wonderful time Of the Year!!!Love the look of the snow and the frost...how it glistens!Yes, I live in Texas, so snow is a rare commodity.Because of that, I am soooo drawn to snow and anything that represents the colder side of the world! LOL!  ...and I loved the Winter whites that Bonnie sent to us.I created my monthly bow..and I attempted to break it down so that YOU can make one, too!Here is what my bow looks like as an end result...

And here is a photo tutorial for you to hopefully help you create your own bow!

Finally you layer them all one on top of the other and tightly secure it with your size 10 cotton crochet thread that I use so often!  This is where you will add in your center knot, or your smaller center ribbon.

I know it looks difficult, but it really isn't.  I figured if I did a photo tutorial, you could try to figure it out better than trying to read a bunch of words...LOL.  I hope some of you give it a shot!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Have a wonderful "Hump Day"!!!!

As Always, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

Peppermint...the flavor of the season!

Happy Saturday, Everyone!!!  Today is Day #2 of the Recipe swap here at Really Reasonable Ribbon.Let me just tell you...you will want to come back every day just to see what treat is being shared next!  All I can say is YUMMO!!!!!
My treat is super simple, but delicious nonetheless!I used to bake everything from scratch.  Every year, I gave huge gift baskets full of homemade cookies, brownies, candies, fudges etc.  I actually broke my oven one year because I had it turned on for 22 hours straight.  NOT even joking.  
But then I became a busy Mom of 5 kids, and "Made from scratch" became "Made Quick and Easy". LOL
I do still give baked goods, but they are the kind that mylittle ones can help me with.The one I am sharing today is my FAVORITE.Peppermint PoppersThere is no mixing or measuring involved with this cookie, which is one of the reasons it is my favorite! The kids can make these with minimal help from me! YAY!

Ingredients:1 roll Pilsbury Refrigerated sugar cookie dough1 bag Peppermint Hershey's kissesmini muffin panmini muffin cups
1. Preheat oven to 3752.  unwrap 40 kisses and put them into a bowl and place them in the freezer (**This is an important step!**)3.  cut your log of cookie dough into 10 even sections (I find it easier to harden in the fridge before hand....it keeps the dough from sticking to the knife)4.  you will then cut the 10 sections into quarters and roll into balls.  This will give you 40 pieces of dough.5.  line your muffin pan with the cups and place 1 ball into each cup6.  bake for 10-12 minutes until just beginning to brown.7.  pull pan out of the oven and allow to cool for 1 minute. 8.  now place 1 frozen kiss into the center of each cookie pressing just enough to embed the candy into the cookie.  NOT TOO HARD.9.  Allow to finish cooling and then remove from the pan and repeat until all of your dough/candies are used. **Another variation of this is Peanut Butter Patties using a roll of Pilsbury Peanut Butter Cookie dough and Reeses Peanut Butter Cup miniatures.  Use the same steps as listed above.**
Now I am going to share my packaging idea with you. It is a simple white gift box wrapped with natural jute, candy cane striped ribbon and topped with a super easy "bow" and baker's twine (candy cane striped).  I lined the inside with a double layer of candy cane striped tissue paper and will fold the flaps across the cookies before I put the lid on.  I am actually making several of these boxes to give as gifts this year, and I wanted the outside to be just as "scrumptious" as the inside. I chose the striped ribbon and twine to establish the candy cane effect, but I also wanted to represent the fact that it is a homemade baked gift. Hence...the jute and baker's twine.

When I was young, I worked at Foley's department store and I befriended the manager of the gift wrapping department.  She taught me a few things about wrapping gifts that have stuck with me all these years.  She told me once that how your wrap/present your gift is what is going to get the receiver interested.It sets the tone for what they can expect to be on the inside of the package.For example...You wouldn't wrap crystal candlesticks with dollar store paper and a cheesy stick-on bow.She also told me that the wrapping is the MOST important part of the gift...especially when you are doing things like a white elephant gift exchange.  Have any of you ever participated in a white elephant?What gift does everyone try to win??The one that is wrapped the prettiest.It is just human nature to go for the prettiest.Oh yeah...and babies...what do they play with?Not the toy....the paper and ribbons that the gift was wrapped with.

So, when you are wrapping your gifts this holiday season, keep those things in mind. Bonnie has a huge selection of ribbons, trims and laces.I am confident you will find just the perfect one for your special gift!

Gift Giving from the Heart

For our current SALE code, click HERE.

Well,  today is "Black Friday"...the busiest shopping day of the year.

I used to do the Black Friday thing, but I no longer enjoy fighting the crowded stores and the crazy drivers in the streets just to get a good bargain.  

Giving the perfect gift is just so much MORE than that to me.

 I have gotten more into 

"Gifts from the Heart" rather than the stores.

If I had it my way, I would completely De-commercialize Christmas and demand handmade gifts.

Unfortunately, I can not do that world wide, but I have been successful the last few years in doing it with my own family.  Rather than buying a gift, I have my kids pick

 a person that they want to make a gift for.

When they have chosen the person and decided what they want to make, then we go buy the materials that we need in order to MAKE it. The only guidelines that I give them in helping them decide who and what...is I tell them that it should be a Gift from their own heart.

This year, Skye decided that she wanted to give some clips to her little cousin for Christmas since she always admires the ones that Skye wears.

She picked the ribbon out of my stash from the Really Reasonable Ribbon Store.

(She did have a little bit of help from me picking MATCHING colors...LOL)  

Here is the Flower Clippie Bouquet that I made for my niece...(with a little help from Skye)

The flowers are made out of 3/8 inch ribbon loops, alligator clips and buttons.

They are mounted on dowel rods covered with floral tape and are easily removable for wear!

Skye wanted to model one for all of you today!

This little bouquet will be wrapped up and given to my niece for Christmas.

Hopefully, she will love it as much as Skye does.  

I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and blessed!

I would love to hear your ideas about giving Gifts from the Heart!

Bow of the Month

As most of you have figured out, I LOVE LOVE LOVE to make bows with the Monthly Ribbon Club Assortment.  Each month, when Bonnie sends out the ribbons, I get all giddy with anticipation of what the  ribbon will be.  Each month is fantastic, each month is better than the last, and each month, I CAN NOT WAITto design a fantabulous bow for my daughter!
This month was no exception.  The golds and silvers are GORGEOUS!!!! As I was conjuring up the bow in my head...I kept imagining twinkling stars and Christmas Tree lights.I decided that was the way I would go. And, a Star was born! (figuratively speaking...lol) 

Would you like to be able to make this super easy bow for your special little girl for the holidays?  Well, I have created some instructions that will help you be able to do just that!

You will Need:

November Ribbon Club Assortment

French clip **I used a 60 mm

glue gun

size 10 cotton crochet thread

**Some people prefer a thin wire**

stars on wire

scissors and a lighter to seal your ends

1. First, layer your ribbons alternating silver and gold.

Tie the ends together tightly and clip and seal with the lighter.

2. Remove the hardware from your clip.

Secure your tied ends of your ribbons to one end of the clip, and make a loop, wrapping the thread multiple times to secure. 

3. Continue making the same sized loops wrapping with the thread multiple times to secure tightly.  

*If your thread breaks off, dab the broken end with hot glue securing it to the clip and start again.

*I used 2 different colored threads to show this. 

**I use the thread because it is easier for me to tighten. It doesnt hurt my hand, and it rarely breaks off.  Wire will work also without breaking, but hurts when I pull it tightly.  :)  

4. Once your have finished making your loops, you are going to hide the threads using a strip of ribbon hot glued to the underside of the clip.  DO NOT get glue on the two ends of the clip.  You need to be able to replace your hardware!  

Here is a top view. 

 At this point, you will start forming the fun part of the bow!

5.  Start fanning out your loops, pulling to one side or the other, alternating direction as you go. 

View of how it should look at this point.

6. Now, clip your star wire into 4 inch lengths and fold in half. 

7.  Separate your loops to expose your threads.  This is where you will place a dab of hot glue and add your stars at the fold. Do this randomly all over your bow until you have satisfied your need for stars. :)

Once you have added all your stars, don't be scared to fan them out and re-situate your ribbons to the perfect position. 

 When you are done....

A STAR will be Born!!!

A little side note about the dress....

Yesterday, when the hop officially posted, 

I honestly did NOT have the dress.

I made my regular weekend trip to Wal Mart,

and I saw it. 

THE PERFECT DRESS.

Hanging right out in the middle of the main aisle on display!

How perfect was that!

Of course I snatched it right off that display and brought it home to Skye. 

My husband told me I was Impulse shopping!!! 

I don't think so....

  I think it was more like Destiny! LOLOL.