Recently, a customer of ours was kind enough to share some photos of her beautiful ribbon embroidery.  Her work is so exquisite we couldn’t wait to share them with all of you!   For this contest we want to know your thoughts.  Do you have a favorite?  Do any of them inspire you to create something special? What ribbon would you use?

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Please take the time to review the pictures & post a comment!

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All designs have been created by Mrs. Nirmala Gunawardene, Needle Treasures, Sri-Lanka:  "My favourite flower has always been roses & I have captured it's beauty in simple stitches & given life to May Arts ribbons to bloom as roses."

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Details are listed below:

• To enter: Post a comment. 

• Start date:  Monday, February 15th 2010.

• Deadline: Sunday February 28th 2010. 

• The prize:  1 Full Spool of your favorite May Arts Ribbon!

• We will select one entry.  The winner’s name will be posted on Monday March 1st, 2010. 

• The winner will have 2 weeks to contact us & claim their prize.

• Domestic & International entries are all welcome.

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Think Spring!

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At this moment outside my window it is sleeting, the ground is frozen mud with absolutely no sun in the forecast.  Blah. It is plain old icky blah this time of year.  So, I decided to pull out ribbon that made me feel sunny, happy and bright!  The answer…RIC RAC.  Not any ric rac, mind you, JUMBO, fun, make me smile, May Arts Ric Rac!  

With this in hand I wanted to make something this week that made me feel springy.  Something I could use and see all the time. I decided to make a reversible table runner.  It’s on my kitchen table and I notice it as I pass by.   That little bit of sunshine makes me feel that spring and sun MIGHT just be around the corner!
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Materials:

• 1/2 yard rectangle of green polka dot fabric

• 1/2 yard rectangle of aqua with white and yellow polka dot fabric

• 1/4 yard of grid fabric or any binding strip.

• Coordinating thread

• Jumbo Ric Rac in 330-94 Turquoise and 330-27 Yellow.

• 1/2 yard Batting

Directions:

•  Even up edges of fabric, pin and sew ric rac in place on both 1/2 yards of fabric. 

• Create a quilt “sandwich”: one piece of fabric wrong side up, batting, other fabric right side up. Pin in place.

• 3.    Quilt together as you like.  I used lines in a sort of grid pattern.  I used green thread on the green fabric and white thread in my bobbin for the reverse aqua dot side.

• With grid fabric bind table runner.  (A binding tutorial can be found at Crazy Mom Quilts)

• Place on your table immediately!

• Go to your favorite florist and splurge on a beautiful spring bouquet.  Tie May Arts ribbon on your vase and ENJOY!!!

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This week's winner for our renewed with ribbon contest is Carol of Carol's Heart Creations:
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"After the holiday decorations are safely tucked away, I am always looking for ways to capture the magic that goes with them.  I find adding little embellishments with ribbon helps give life to my weary winter home.  Photos of a valance I created in my powder room using May Arts KC ribbon to cover the top of the blinds & also a soft bow & a paper rose with sheer ribbon tucked in a painted heart bird basket help bridge the gap between winter & spring. I also embellished inexpensive towels with a beautiful floral jacquard ribbon & coordinating fringe for a fresh look.  My last photos are of a simple heart twig wreath that I added one of my papier mache heART creations to embellished with lace & double-face satin ribbon.  A tea-stained heart doily & a crocheted heart by my mother-in-law adds a little nostalgia to my unique Valentine wreath."
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Carol, congratulations!  Your work is always breathtaking!  Thank you for sending in these photos!  Please send in your ribbon selections & your shipping information to  sales@mayarts.com.

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We were thrilled to see that so many people showed an interested in this challenge!  A big thank you to everyone who participated & completed their projects!  With such a wonderful selection of entries, this was a difficult decision to make.
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The winner for this challenge is Jennifer Harrison:

Jennifer, congratulations!  We loved your Valentine’s pillow & that you were able encompass so much of May Arts Ribbon!  Feel free to browse our site & contact us at sales@mayarts.com with your ribbon selections.  You not only win 3 spools of ribbon, but also a “guest blogger” spot for one post on our site!  We are so excited to work with you!  Please contact us at the address above for details.

For those who didn't see the link to her tutorial, please take the time to check it out now at Hopeful Homemaker.

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We also want to send out an honorable mention to Susan Ikin:
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Susan, we loved your noticeboard!   Please feel free to pick out 2 spools of ribbon as your prize!   For everyone who wants to know how she made this one, check out the fabulous tutorial she sent over to us!
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Everyone else, please contact us with your selection for 1 full spool of ribbon for completing your projects!
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Remember we will have another challenge coming up in March!  So be sure to check back soon for more details!

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This tutorial was sent to us by Susan Ikin as an entry for the Valentine's Challenge!  We have been very eager to post this for everyone to see.  So without further delay, here is our honorable mention for our 'For The Love Of Ribbon' Valentine's Challenge:

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Materials:

• Framed canvas of required size

• Sufficient wadding to cover canvas and take over edge to back (approx 6 inches more than top and side measurements of canvas)

• Sufficient fabric to cover canvas and take over edge to back

• 4 yards of double sided satin ribbon in two colours

• Extra organza ribbon for ribbon roses

• Staple gun and staples

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Instructions:

• Place wadding flat on table and place framed canvas face down on wadding. Staple wadding to back of canvas, making sure it is smooth on the front surface.

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• Repeat with fabric, making corners neat.

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• Place ribbon on diagonal on fabric front. Hold in place and staple to back at one side, then pull ribbon firmly and staple on other side.

• Place another piece of ribbon parallel to the first, 4 inches away from first. Staple into place as before. I used the reverse side of the ribbon on alternate rows.

• Repeat until all diagonals in one direction are complete.

• Repeat process with the other color ribbon.

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• Make some ribbon roses - the double sided satin is great for ribbon roses.

• Stitch the ribbon roses into a bouquet.

• Pin, staple or stitch the bouquet to the canvas.

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• Hang noticeboard and add beautiful cards to display.

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Blog Posted By: Leah Farrar-White

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We loved everyone’s photos this week!   We had a truly difficult time choosing a winner.  So, we separated the submissions in to categories: paper crafts, gift & notions, creating 3 winners as fairly as possible.  

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Our first winner is Beverly of Magnificent Wrappings:

Beverly, congratulations to you!  We were blown away by the beauty of your wrapping & the amount of pictures you had sent over to us.   We wish we could have posted more! 
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Our second winner is Sharon of Stamp Simply Ribbon Store:

Sharon, congratulations to you too!  We always love your work and can’t wait to see what you have in store for us in the future!
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Our final winner is Carol of Carol's Heart Creations:

Congratulations Carol!  Your designs are stunning & we always look forward to posting them!

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Ladies, please forward your shipping information & your ribbon selections to sales@mayarts.com.  For those of you who did not win, check out our latest contest – Renewed With Ribbon – for another chance to win a full spool of May Arts Ribbon!

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The cold & snow of this winter season has all of us here at May Arts thinking one thing…spring!   Spring has always been a perfect time for cleaning & freshening up your home.  Which brings us to this week’s contest.   Ribbon is the perfect embellishment to help make something old look new again, without the expense!  We want to know how you have used ribbon in your home décor to renew your surroundings! 

Details are listed below:

• To enter: Post a comment &/or send us a photo of your ‘renewed’ designs.  If you choose to send in a photo, our email address is sales@mayarts.com.   They will promptly be posted on the blog.  **It is not required that the ribbon be May Arts**   We will also gladly include a link to your own site, if you like!

• Start date:  Monday, January 25th, 2010.

• Deadline:  Sunday February 7th, 2010.  

• The prize:  1 Full Spool of May Arts Ribbon!  Your choice!  

• We will select one entry.  The winner’s name will be posted on Monday February 8th, 2010.  

• The winner will have 2 weeks to contact us & claim their prize.

• Domestic & International entries are all welcome.

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These photo entries were sent in to us by Carol of Carol's Heart Creations:

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"After the holiday decorations are safely tucked away, I am always looking for ways to capture the magic that goes with them.  I find adding little embellishments with ribbon helps give life to my weary winter home.  Photos of a valance I created in my powder room using May Arts KC ribbon to cover the top of the blinds & also a soft bow & a paper rose with sheer ribbon tucked in a painted heart bird basket help bridge the gap between winter & spring. I also embellished inexpensive towels with a beautiful floral jacquard ribbon & coordinating fringe for a fresh look.  My last photos are of a simple heart twig wreath that I added one of my papier mache heART creations to embellished with lace & double-face satin ribbon.  A tea-stained heart doily & a crocheted heart by my mother-in-law adds a little nostalgia to my unique Valentine wreath."

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Ribbon in the bathroom?

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Yes. It is true.  There is ribbon in the bathroom of my home.  In my daughter’s room, of course, ribbon decorates her pillows and curtains.  In the kitchen I have been known to tie a ribbon on a jar or add ribbon to a handmade recipe book. But in the bathroom? Yep, I  even have ribbon in the loo.  A sign that read “WASH” was the impetus to my artistic endeavor.   Unable to find any paintings that matched the sign, yet able to find the perfect May Arts ribbon…I decided to create a little bathroom art.  (And you can too!)
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Art instructions:

• Paint canvas with acrylic paint and gesso. Mix the colors and experiment.

• Mod Podge decorative paper on top of canvas.  Sand the edges.

• Create dots by using texture paint with a writer tip.

• For writing-use an artist pen that works on canvas, I used a Faber Castell PITT Artist Pen. 

• Lastly, adhere May Arts ribbon!  I used Fabri-Tac adhesive.

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RIBBON USED: 342-15-46 BLUE/GREEN/LIME GREEN   1.5"X25y GROSGRAIN/HORIZONTAL STRIPES

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Blog Posted By: Leah Farrar-White
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This week's contest: Renewed With Ribbon!

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This Valentine’s Day, make sure you use May Arts ribbon to package your sweet treats! Packaging can make all the difference and today’s post will give you some ideas for containing your confections.
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BEFORE:

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AFTER:

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BAGS of Candy

• Ribbons:  AX14, EX22, EX09 - Satin Cutouts, 347 - Sheer / Satin Stitch Center ,  KS - Wired Colored String

• Materials: cellophane bags, tags, candy

• Cellophane bags are available in all sizes and a few different shapes.  Fill your bag up with the candy of your choice, tie the top with wire string. Fold a 5 inch strip of satin shape ribbon and secure with a glue dot.  Tie small tag and wrap ends of wire string around a chop stick or a pencil to create spirals. You have a fun, easy party favor!

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Boxes of Candy

• Ribbons: AX14 - Red Heart, KN26 - Solid / Two Tone, BB08 - Satin Center Dot. NE01L - Red Lips

• Materials: Patterned Cardstock

• Print out the box template onto patterned cardstock. Score and cut out box. Fold into shape and glue sides.  Add ribbons of your choice to embellish the mini box. Fill with candy! (many free templates on line.  I used one from PackageTech.com)

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Envelopes to hold Candy

• Ribbons:  347 - Sheer / Satin Stitch Center, NE01L - Red Lips,  NP01 - Crochet

• Materials:  Cardstock, felt sticker

• Use home cutting system or an accucut machine from a local craft store and cut out envelope template.  Glue side to secure envelope.  Decorate with trim.  Place small candy bars inside envelope and seal. (Individually wrapped cookies also fit nicely.)

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Blog Posted By: Leah Farrar-White

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Don't Forget About this week's Photo Contest!

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