Skinny Silk Ribbon "Tutorial/Tips"

When I find something I like and I seem to use it often.... I want to share it with you guys. Sometimes I ramble on with descriptions of what I have done to a card, other times I'm quick like a bunny and don't share any of the deets. So, I am putting together this little picture tutorial to share a couple of things that people have asked me about...

• 1/8" Silk Ribbon - coloring it with Copics, the Bow Easy, adding extra bow tails
• How I adhere small things like bows and crystals to my cards

Please remember I stamp and color in the lines -- I am not a photographer! So don't make fun of my amateur pictures. Please click on any picture to enlarge the view.

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1/8" Silk Ribbon is really skinny, but it is not difficult to work with. In fact, it is easier to use a smaller ribbon with the Bow Easy than a wider ribbon. Lately I have been coloring a lot of ribbon with my Copics. As much as I love all my ribbon, my collection is growing a bit out of control.... so I have a spool of the White Silk Ribbon in different widths from Sharon and I am now using it more than anything else.... It ties beautifully, multiple loops are very easy with the Silk because it is so light. It colors easily for the same reason. Sharon sells the silk by the spool and the yard in 1/8", 1/4" and 1.25".

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After coloring up the ribbon, I used my Bow Easy Tool to make a triple loop bow. Another advantage to the Silk Ribbon is that it cinches down so nice and tight in the center. You need to play with the bow's tails pulling them and adjusting them- while the bow is still on the Bow Easy to tighten the tails. If you take it off to tighten the bow, you risk messing up your perfectly matching loops.

Are you asking "What is the Bow Easy"?
Please discover this amazing inexpensive little tool by using these links:

Bow Easy Picture Tutorial by Sharon Johnson
Bow Easy Video Tutorial by Jerri Kay Jimenez
Buy the Bow Easy for $6!

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This is a view of the backside of the bow - the tails come from behind the bow. While your bow is still on the Bow Easy, take another piece of your ribbon and thread it through the legs of the Bow Easy, you want to keep the pretty front of your bow - so make sure the flat part of the ribbon is in the front, or under your knot as shown in the picture.

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Tie a knot with your extra piece of ribbon, the new "extra tails" are coming out towards the bottom and your knot will be hidden in the back of the bow. Repeat this for as many extra tails as you want to add.

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This is the bow flipped over- showing the front view. The center knot
is still nice and clean.

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After you have tightened the tails appropriately, and added any extra tails you might want, then you can slide your bow off the Bow Easy.

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I use Crafter's Pick Ultimate Glue to adhere my bows as well as anything and everything else to my cards. It is by far my most favorite glue ever! It goes on white, dries quickly, absolutely clear and things do not fall off later. I have taken the glue from it's original large bottle and transferred a small amount in to a little airtight jar, I use a toothpick to get a little drop and put the glue exactly where it needs to go. This prevents a big gloppy mess plopping out from the large bottle. You can use an old embossing powder container, film canister... Doing it like this is just easier to control and keeps things neat.

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I do exactly the same thing when I adhere little gems.... using a toothpick to put a dab of glue just where it needs to go.

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These little micro crystals are non adhesive and to pick them up from the container, I give it a little poke with my craft knife and it picks right up, then I can place it exactly where it needs to go, the glue grabs and holds it wherever you put it.

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I usually wait until the end before I trim the bow tails, so I can see exactly where I want to cut them off in relationship to my images.

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The cat of course, must have final "bow" approval, sometimes he helps fluff it up a bit.
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He also has to approve of the final card.

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I inked my image and sentiment in Crushed Curry, then I added a little Real Red... which turned brown, wasn't what I intended, but I went with it! I used my Spellbinder's Peony Nesties to frame the image, with the brown layers of the Peony Shapes being hand trimmed. A little soft airbrushing, some score lines made with my Scor Pal, Cuttlebug Action in the background, and some little detail dots. Finished card size is an A7.

• Stamps: Font of You by SU, Sentiment from PaperTrey
• Ink: Crushed Curry, Real Read
• Paper: Misc. DP, Neenah Classic Crest White, So Saffron, Olive, Brown
• Other: Spellbinder's Peony, Spellbinder's Petite Ovals, Silk 1/8 Ribbon from Sharon, Bow Easy, Mini Crystals, Copics/ABS, Brown Micron Pen