May Arts and Graphic 45

it's blog hop time with May Arts, so who is ready for another tutorial?

this time i am bringing you a shadowbox where i combined may arts ribbon with graphic 45 paper and metal embellishments - sort of a scrapbook page on steroids. so many elements in this piece excite me and i can't decide if the wired pom pom ribbon, the metal button or the printed quote is my favorite part!

click here to download the instructions and start crafting!

there are prizes being given away each day, so be sure to check out the May Arts blog for details. make sure to stop by my fellow ribbonista's blogs to see their creations as well today...

Clare
Kristin
Sharon
Jenifer

tutorial and a blog hop

for my latest May Arts tutorial, we are doing things a bit differently - a blog hop with a chance to win some goodies. what could be better than that!

making a camera strap has been on my to do list for months now. nothing too complicated, just a bit of prettiness to quickly identify my camera. click here to download the tutorial or, as always, visit my "make-it" page through the link up top to see this and other tutorials.

for the first set of prizes, you can comment anywhere along the hop for a chance to win either a ribbon carousel from May Arts or 4 spools of ribbon from Ribbon Carousel. there are also give-aways happening on both companies facebook pages. all winners will be announced through May Arts on friday, may 4th.

wreaths and rest

happy monday!

i'm laying low today between a bachelorette party on saturday which i am still recovering from and a numb mouth due to a chipped tooth. please note, these 2 events are unrelated. i am not that crazy... anymore :)

check out my latest tutorial for may arts - a tiny ribbon wrapped wreath. click here for full instructions. 

have a great week!

easter and a chick

happy (soon to be) easter!

this may be my very favorite tutorial that i have created so far for may arts. say hi to my sweet easter chick and click here to download the tutorial so you can have some of this cuteness in your house as well!

she is a mash up of all the things i love - ribbon, vintage jello molds, sewing treasures, and typography. if you can't raid your mothers/grandmothers kitchen for these jello molds, i have lots of luck at yard and estate sales. so much luck that i am overflowing with them in all different shapes and sizes.

what do you think her name should be? she looks like a Millie to me :)

owls and envelopes

owl you doin' today? this mini owl card and envelope is my newest make-it, also featured on the may arts blog. the template for the owl is a stamp i inked onto a piece of canvas to use as a template for my embroidery. thanks for the inspiration jenni!

click here to download the card/envelope instructions and don't forget to check out my make-it page for more tutorials.

bunnies and banners

 i have become totally obsessed with easter decorating this year, but not just easter, i am doing an overall spring theme so that it can last longer. i have a table in my entry hall that i always like to change with the seasons and when i recently found and purchased my first dome lid, i knew just what i wanted to do. first, my favorite little iron bunny is decked out with home made pompoms as a necklace. have you ever made pompoms? you are left with a ton of yarn fuzz that usually gets everywhere and on everything. the pink and peach fuzz was so pretty this time around that i sprinkled it on top of the cake plate for some extra texture. when i returned from my trip, i noticed my mom had added some moss she found in my studio. and that's all it took to pull this vignette together.

above the table is a mirror that i strung with my latest mayarts tutorial. this spring banner is so easy and versatile because it can be adapted to any sentiment you want. to download the tutorial, click here. i love this corner and it makes me smile every time i walk down the steps or come through the front door.

link to:
the lettered cottage spring fling party
between naps on the front porch 
vintage gwen
ginger snap crafts
DIY by design

ribbon and shades

my latest mayarts tutorial is this ribbon embellished vintage lampshade. here is what i wrote as an introduction...

I have a complete obsession with anything lighting related. If I see a wire lampshade frame at a yard sale, I can’t pass it, especially the vintage ones, which have such pretty details. I use them as risers on a party buffet, displays for my festival booth, you name it. This tutorial shows how you can embellish them, but still keep their original shape. Best of all? It is super easy and can be accomplished in under half and hour.

click here to download my latest make-it!

parties and photo opportunities

this newest tutorial is very close to my heart. personalized party hats were a prerequisites at both my munchkins birthday parties when they were little. really, you can't deny how cute a little kid is wearing a party hat while blowing out their candles.

since i never wanted to mess with buying elastic and the perfect type of card stock to make a hat from scratch, i would always buy the ugliest bag of hats found in the bargain bin to use as a starting point. transformers, sponge bob, what have you - the cheaper the better.

these can be customized to match any party theme and so very easy. click here to start the party preparations! and don't forget to check out the "make-it" link at the top for other projects :)

an advent and a tutorial

my latest may arts tutorial is for a christmas advent calendar. this idea actually came from something similar that my mom made for us when we were younger, although mine always included butterscotch candies because i was a picky eater ;)

click here to create an heirloom piece that you can use year after year!

thanksgiving and a tutorial

i am so excited to show you my latest project for leaf and ribbon place cards. with halloween behind us, i think it is the perfect time for a thanksgiving tutorial ;)

 

it's no secret that I love to decorate and i especially love to decorate my table for holidays. i am not much of a cook, so at least one thing that day is pretty, right? i want my thanksgiving guests to feel special, so i decided to create personalized placecards that they can take home as a small gift or even use as an ornament on their christmas tree. due to drying times, this project is spread out over a few days, but it is so worth it in the end when you see the shimmering leaves paired with beautiful may arts ribbon.

 

i am also thinking about making some leaves, stamping them with words like; joy, hope, love, and painting them gold for christmas tree decorations. 

click here to be introduced to some projects you might not have used before and learn how to make this place setting.

halloween and buckets

in honor of october, i have a new tutorial for you! for this months may arts project, we partnered up with tattered angels. they make this amazing misting paint, glaze and glitter.

i was immediately inspired to create a halloween candy bucket with ribbon, paint, paper mache and of course a glittery spider. this project is super easy and your munchkins will love helping out with the paper mache part.

click here to download this tutorial and of course, check out the may arts blog to see all the fabulous projects our team comes up with.

spin and sparkle

i'm so excited to post my new tutorial for mayarts - a nursery mobile that spins and sparkles.

i love going to thrift stores and sales with my friends because i am always interested in what they find as well as what i find. sometimes you need your friends to help you think outside of the box. one of my partners in crime, joy, picked up a couple of bike wheel frames the other month to hang on her son's wall and i couldn't help think about how cute it would be turned into a mobile. i ordered some blue velvet trim and this amazing white iridescent ribbon to start my project and it all came together very quickly. i always cringe when i think about defacing books, but i had one lying around that had been scribbled with crayon and in all around bad shape. i think the only exception for cutting up books is if they are meant for the trash bin and you are transforming them into something wonderful!

are you decorating a nursery or heading to a baby shower? click here to download instructions for this mobile that will be sure to mesmerize any baby.

glitter and stars

i'm working on a new tutorial for MayArts and i am so, so, so excited to finish so i can show it to you. i am editing photos right now and then it's time to write out the tutorial so everyone can make it.

the photo taking was quite hilarious! one of the ribbons i am using has these irredescent flakes on it, but my camera wasn't picking up the sparkle. enter brillant idea #1 for the day (possibly the week). i had a flashlight in one hand, shining a light on the ribbon, while taking pics with my other hand. all while standing with one foot on my couch and one foot on my bed. anything for the perfect shot, right?

now, any guesses on what i am making???

pillowcases and a little trim

hi all! i have another ribbon project for you that can also be found in the tutorial section on the left hand side of my blog - embellished pillowcases.

as you know, i am no stranger to estate sales. i love seeing crafts that were popular during out mothers and grandmothers time. one of my most favorite are the decorated pillowcases and embroidered hankies. they are all so unique and so sweet. i think everyone needs a little bit of unexpected beauty in their lives.

so, this time around, i decided to embellish some pillowcases for my guest room. in our grandmothers time, they would sit for hours hand crocheting or tatting around the pillowcase opening, but in our crazy packed days, many of us don't have that time to devote. so i though, why not use crochet trim where all you have to do is sew it on. perfect!


click here to download the instructions and to start beautifying your room!

bookmarks and boredom

holy cow, anyone else feel like this summer is flying by? for those of us in the lovely south that have children who go back to school the first or second week of august, well our summer is about half over!

our days have been filled with swimming, movies and general laziness. but sometimes i have to do something constructive to fill in the gaps. when i start to hear "mom, i'm sooo bored" i know it's time for a project. so, anyone who wants a quick, easy craft to do with their munchkins - this one is for you!

the kids and i made some bookmarks out of what else, mayarts ribbon. i really have a thing about grosgrain - i can't get enough of it and usually have a lot lying around the house. if your little ones are too small to sew, no worries, there is always the fun tassel fraying bit.

click here for the downloadable pdf tutorial. happy reading!!!

mayarts and a new opportunity

it's official - i am now part of the mayarts design team. woohoo! thanks for everyone who helped me along the way :)

i really am so excited about this opportunity. truth be told, i still need some clarification about what my position really involves (haha!) but i know it will mean getting my hands on some  amazing ribbon. i am toying with the idea of adding a separate tutorial page to my website since i think that section will be getting filled up awful quickly. if i can get my act together, look for it in the next few weeks...