To Knot or not...?

Whenever you see a ribbon tied around some element on a card, don't you just love the hand-made look it gives? Very simple and yet elegant, you can choose from at least three ways to tie a ribbon knot even if you are all thumbs! Each has a slightly different look and feel but will give that special dimensional touch to your cards and projects.

I made a couple of quick cards to show you some tips about tying the knots with the Love You Much stamp set from the same bundle promotion and they are just too cute! (It's still on until Jan. 31; save 20% on the Stamp Set, new double-sided Designer Paper, and coordinating Heart to Heart Punch that matches the 3 little heart stamps in the set. How can you resist?!)

The most obvious way to tie a ribbon is to simply wrap it around the card and tie a knot or two. This is fine for smaller pieces to be tied, when you see the back of the ribbon (like on the inside of a card), or the ribbon is not too heavy or expensive. But if you would like to save some thickness and a few inches where the ribbon is not seen from the back, here are two ways to do that:

Faux Knot #1: Cut a piece of ribbon measuring across the area plus about 1" to be the base piece. Wrap the ends around to the back and adhere them there. Now cut another piece of ribbon about 3 1/2 ' long and tie a knot around the first base piece; you may need more if your ribbon is wider than 3/8". Trim the ends at an angle. You have the look of a wrapped and knotted ribbon but it is much simpler to do and saves weight/thickness and a few inches of ribbon for another time! Note how the knot will sit at a slant, with one end above and the other below the base piece as in my Kindness card.

Faux Knot #2: Again measure the area to be covered and add about 1". Find something that has the same circumference (distance around) to tie around. The Stampin' Up Mister bottle is 4 1/4" around and perfect for something around ~3 1/2" or less; its knurled cap is 3 1/2" around and good for ~2 3/4" span. Look around for something convenient that you can easily tie your ribbon into a double knot and then slip off.

Then cut the large loop of your ribbon: cutting in half will center it on your card while cutting at one side will make the knot sit that way. Adhere the cut ends to the back and trim the hanging ends at an angle. Wow, you have a great looking knot that will sit evenly on your card, was very easy to tie, didn't crimp up your paper, and saved you a few inches for next time! I love ribbons and use this trick for many of my cards because it just looks great and saves me time, effort, and a little money!


Stamps: Heard from the Heart (111644), Love You Much (113756), Bundle Package (115405); Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red

Tips to order SU online; getting the most for your $$

Okay, so now you’ve found some stuff that you’d like to order from Stampin’ Up, and it’s so easy now that you can also do it 24/7 in your pj’s from home! To get the most with your stamping dollar, here are a few hints:

1. Always check the latest promotions and sales. You can often get discounts on special bundle packages or seasonal/themed stamps and stuff, be sure to check my Specials and Dates to Remember section on the right, or click here: Stampin' Up Specials, or on the website at www.Stampinup.com, Online Store, Specials.

2. When you order online, you can get -10% off your order, already a good thing! If you specify me as your demo, I’ll still get credit for your order, thank you very much!

3. Have a “Catalog Party”: Stampin’ Up offers a free stamp set and free product awards when you order $150 or more when you have a workshop in your home and have guests order through you. But you can also do this with my help and without having to clean your house . Add up your items and check with your friends if they’d like to order also so that you can reach the $150 minimum. Check here on the Hostess Benefits chart and see that you earn a free stamp set and $15 (or 10%) in free merchandise, but at $300 you can choose a larger set (level 1 or 2) and get $35 (~12%) in freebies, and how each level goes up. You need to order through me to get your Hostess free sets and awards, arrange payment, etc. and I will ship your order directly to you. Contact me at pengwen@gmail.com about questions, which Hostess sets you can choose from, and what the details are. We all love freebies, and "free stamps" is what it's all about!