Beach Sighting -- {Viva Las VegaStamps! & Genuinely Jane Studio}

Hello everyone! Today we're hopping with Viva Las VegaStamps! and Genuinely Jane Studio!! 

We're combining some superb wooden albums with our gorgeous, deeply etched, high detailed, pink rubber stamps!

You should be here from LORI. If not start over @ the VLVS! blog :).

Today you saw THIS Sneak peek:

The whole piece is a Barn Door Album that I've tied together in a display piece:

I started by scene stamping some different images to create an under water scene. The stamps I used from left to right for the scene stamping on the bottom: Sea Scene - Leaf - Mountains and Cactus (this was PERFECT for the bottom of the ocean!) - Century Plant - Long Shell - Sunken Anchor - Leaf (again) - Helix Shell - Century Plant (again).

I also used the Scuba Diver, the TadPole, and the Jellyfish in the background. I stamped all stamps in black archival ink by Ranger, then colored my wood with glimmer mists. I laid down some tissue tape and my photo, then collaged shells all around the base. The shells were covered with glimmer glaze. I then decked out the collage in glitter, seed beads and e beads.

Other supplies used : UmWowStudio small shipwheel, May Arts Ribbons Twisted Burlap, a starfish, cheesecloth, adhesive. 

I grabbed my Anchor stamp and my Line of Chevrons stamp as a final step to completing this baby!

The Hop:

VLVS! (http://vivalas.blogspot.com/)

Glenda (http://somewhereovertherainbowunicornsdream.blogspot.ca/)

Lori (http://www.lorishappyplace.blogspot.com/)

DeeDee (http://umwowstudio.blogspot.com/)

Natasha (http://ur-la-la.blogspot.com/) 

GJS (http://www.genuinelyjanestudios.com/blog/)

Oh Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree...

Hello :) If you're here from the May Arts blog today, welcome :) if you're not you might want to take a peek over there, as the Ribbonistas have put together some FABULOUS Christmas tree inspired ribbon projects!

With a 2 year old running around the house I didn't think it would be very smart to put up a whole tree this year, but I've always REALLY loved decorating a mantle and so made my own smaller tree out of paper and ribbon :)

Start with a piece of 12x12 cardstock, in this case I used a piece of tan colored Echo Park. Roll it into a cone, and cut the bottom so it sits flat. Grab your favorite May Arts ribbon and wrap the cone. I used SD01, and purposely made it uneven to get a little vintagy home feel. I then wrapped a section of vintage tinsel from Pink Paislee around it and glued an UmWowStudio flower on top. 

As a final step I used May Arts Burlap Twine SM10 to wrap around the tree and tie on the letters J O and Y from Pink Paislee. LOVE! 

I love this baby on my mantle! I also linked this beauty up @ CropChocolate in their weekly challenge for Thankful + twine. I'm thankful for being crafty enough to still participate in Christmas even when I can't have a tree, lol :) 

Some News + Sneak Peek

I finished up the VLVS! Newsletter today - you should check it out for 20% off storewide!!

I also finished my term at Basically Bare today and won't be renewing with them, the best of luck in the future BB!

and here is a sneak peek at all the goodies I'll be using for the 2nd round of applications for May Arts:

aaaaaaaand... have you left a comment for the set of flowers giveaway?!? I'll be choosing a winner this weekend! Scroll down and comment :)

May Arts DT Call Round 1

Here I am, throwing my name into the hat for the May Arts DT call. I've been lucky enough to be chosen for quite a few of the May Arts monthly challenges and love working with such beautiful high quality ribbons.

Here is my tutorial format project (in written format): 

Gather supplies: a gorgeous super wide dark brown burlap ribbon by May Arts, Basically Bare canvas fleur de lis, Distress Stain in Pumice Stone, a medium color burlap, muslin, dark brown quilting thread (it’s thicker than normal every day thread), vintage buttons and pillow fluff! (don't forget the sewing machine!)

I splattered some distress stain on my teflon mat, gave it a bit of a spritz with water and dipped my fleur de lis in it. I then set it out in the sun to dry… I did try heating it with a heat gun and for whatever reason it kept getting a purple tint. Mr. Natural Heat to the rescue 

After he was dry I sewed a piece of burlap to a piece of muslin.. I knew I wanted the burlap to be the main texture of the pillow.. but didn’t want the fluff to poke through the open texture, so I created the base of the pillow from a nice tightly woven muslin. After the burlap was sewn to the muslin and my fleur de lis was dry I placed the Basically Bare canvas piece on top of the muslin and stitched a couple of times with the dark brown quilting thread.. not only to hold it in place but to pull together some of the darker browns I wanted to introduce into the pillow.

Then I sewed my May Arts ribbon on at the top and bottom.. Keep in mind there’s no back on my pillow yet.. At this point in time I’m basically building what I want the front to look like! After the ribbon is in place I pulled a couple of burlap strings from a scrap of the ribbon and sewed my vintage buttons into place.

Then I sewed my two sides of the pillow (my front piece and the back piece) together WRONG SIDES touching.. but I left a small section unsewn so I could pull my pillow right side out! This makes a very crisp clean sew line all the way around. Stuff pillow.. sew shut the tiny spot.. and DONE!

Here is a video I did on making Washi tape (not ribbon based, but a video none the less!)


 
 

And here are some general projects that utilize ribbon:

A mini album made of journaling cards. Ribbon is wound through the binding as well as used for tabs to open the book.

A Christmas tag using gorgeous May Arts ribbon to hold together all the beautiful layers.

A Mother's day card using white seam binding hand dyed and burlap string.

A wall hanging using four different May Arts ribbons, three to make a Prima inspired flower and one as stitching on the stocking. 

  

An altered tray using tinsel/ribbon and a sheer ribbon as a layer in the title banner. 

A Christmas tag/card using four different May Arts ribbons to really make it a "keeper"

A Basically Bare Pillow

I love burlap. and muslin. and canvas.

I also love distressing and old vintage buttons... 

this pillow has all :)

Basically bare fleur de lis in canvas, may arts ribbon, vintage buttons, burlap, muslin, dark brown quilting thread, pillow fluff.