Happy Ribbons - more gifts in the Blog Celebration Boxes

Apparently I am far too trusting when I stick gems and bling to my cards.  I almost always stick them down without augmenting their sticky backs.  If I happen to remove a gem from the backin and it separates from the adhesive, I will add adhesive.  My "go-to" adhesive for this is the Creative Memories Precision Point Adhesive.  I have a stash of these that I am using sparingly since they are no longer sold.  Thanks for all of the alternatives suggested in your answers!

Too Much Snow!

I know I promised more details about that butterfly cut - but that will have to wait a day.  We had another good 8 inches of snow.  I was shoveling again and ran out of time.  Just one photo to share,  That is a birdbath piled high with snow and the two dark lines that look like a fallen branch by the tree are really the tops of the boxes for our phone and cable service.

I will share that this butterfly (from the Art Philosphy cartridge) was cut at one inch on my regular Cricut Expression machine that is about four or five years old.  So why did I order the Explore?  Check back tomorrow for my reasons.

In the meanwhile,  I think we should talk about ribbon.  As with many of the other craft supplies we have been discussing, ribbon is addictive.  The colors and patterns are so pretty and you often find ranges meant to work together that lead you into the "must but them all" mentality.

Ribbon can be found cheaply but it can also be very expensive.  One of my favorite ways to indulge a love of ribbon is to check out the spools at Costco.  They sell spools with fifty yards of ribbon for well under $10  - the price can vary seasonally but it is always a bargain.

Some people have told me that they don't get this ribbon because it has wired edges.  Wired edges are great for making large bows that hold their shape for wreaths or gifts.

Remember the "faux" presents I wrapped to anchor the Christmas tree for my in-laws?  The wired edge helps you to "fluff" the bows and keep them looking pretty.  (The post with the bow instructions is HERE).

If you want to use the ribbon for a card or scrapbook page, it is very easy to remove the wires.  Just hold the edge of the ribbon and push along the top until you can see the wire poking out.  Then grab it and pull the wire straight out. 

A short piece of ribbon and a strip of cardstock is all you need to make a quick card that is similar to the card I made with the flower and washi tape a few days ago (HERE).

If you don't remove the wire, the ribbon is too stiff and difficult to fold around the cardstock strip.  So go ahead and pull out those wires (if you are like me you can save them because you never know when a thin piece of wire might come in handy!).

Decide on the placement of the ribbon to make the design look attractive and then wrap the ends of the ribbon to the back of the cardstock and tape them down.  I just use regular Scotch Magic Tape to do this.  These cards are not likely to be kept forever.

Some ribbons will still buckle the cardstock a bit - especially if you taped them down a bit too tightly.

If this is happening, just push down from the top to separate the ribbon and cardstock and sneak in a line of Scor Tape.  Then attach the ribbon strip to the card.

I stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment  from the CTMH Joyful Birthday set (B1419).  This stamp set has four very attractive birthday sentiments and you can find it HERE on my friend Joy's website.

I used a silver metallic pigment ink and would advise heating the sentiment with a heat tool to get it thoroughly dry. The gems along the bottom of the words add some sparkle to balance the glittered balloons on the ribbon.

You could add more layers to the card but the fast and simple version works well.  This basic design can be replicated many times so you could build a stock of ribbon cards that just need a last minute sentiment stamp and message inside to cover a variety of occasions.

Click on the photos below to see the details about a couple of other projects I made using wired ribbon.

So - I am sure you already know what went into the boxes today...

I fluffed up the ribbon for the photo - it will be rolled neatly when the boxes are sent to the winners.

Three pieces of ribbon in three patterns.  Each ribbon is three yards long (give or take).  I thought these designs would be good for the warm weather ahead...the warm weather ahead...(if I say it enough times will it be here sooner?).  That's a total of nine yards of ribbon in each box - enough for a lot of cards or to wrap some very pretty presents.

How do you play along in the blog celebration giveaway?

To enter for a chance to win one of the three boxes - see all of the details on the first blog celebration post HERE.  Then come back and get your comments in on this post.  Remember, if you sign up for the new newsletter (see the box at the top right of the page) I will be choosing one person from the subscribers as a box winner (you don't need to leave a comment here since I can see that list).

Today's question to answer in your comment is:

Confession time!  Are you a ribbon buyer/hoarder?  Do you have your ribbon neatly stored or does your craft space contain a ribbon explosion in one area - or more than one.  Do you have a favorite brand of ribbon?  What o you use your ribbon for in addition to cards and pages?

I have had a few questions about the newsletter email list.
If you have signed up for the newsletter email list, you should have received a short welcome email from me.  I am not planning to use the email list to send out the daily blog posts so if you are on the Feedburner list or use a reader like Feedly or Bloglovin you should just keep that subscription as well.
The first Newsletter will be going out at the end of February/beginning of March so don't worry if you haven't received anything after the first welcome message.  I haven't sent anything else yet!

If you have any suggestions for things you'd like to see included in the newsletter please let me know.


 Subscribe to Capadia Designs if you would like to have new posts delivered directly to your email. 


This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product using the link I may receive a commission. I only participate in affiliate programs for products that I use or can recommend without reservation