How To Make a Beautiful Faux Poinsettia

Whether you are decorating your Christmas tree, adding color to your packages, or using it for table decor, this easy-to-make poinsettia is sure to please.  I used Over the Moon Ribbons Elite red velvet for this particular poinsettia , however, you may choose to use any color that will work with your decor.


What you will need:

• between 1-1/2 and 2-1/2 inch wired ribbon
• sharp scissors
• craft glue (Sobo) or glue gun
• small beads or berries that simulate the stamen of a flower (any craft store will have these in the silk flower section)or a sparkly piece of jewelry
• 12-inch piece wire or 1 pipe cleaner

Step 1:  cut 4 pieces of  ribbon approximately 8 inches long
Step 2:  cut 4 pieces of ribbon approximately 6 inches  long
Step 3:  take each piece of ribbon and cut a point on each end
Step 4:  start with the longer pieces of ribbon.  Fan out into a flower shape.  Squeeze all of them at the center.  While continuing to squeeze, add the shorter pieces on top.  (If it looses it's shape, don't  worry, you can reshape).
Step 5:  Fold wire in half, fold side at top of flower.  Now add the wire or pipe cleaner to your flower twisting as tight as you can at bottom of faux flower.
Step 6:  Glue the berries or  jewelry to center of flower (glue gun or craft glue (Sobo) will work fine.

For a video tutorial with additional tips, try our extremely popular video:

 Enjoy!

The Ribbon Lady

Carol Brings Joy to Eaton Village

When Carol ordered 300 yards of weatherproof velvet, I had to know what was going to happen to all that velvet. She wanted to beautify her neighborhood for Christmas, and beautify she did. Twenty four gigantic bows later you can see the results.


Kudos to you Carol,the bows are spectacular!!!

Do you have pictures of your creations using Over the Moon Ribbons? We love to see them.  Send to ribbonlady70@gmail.com.

Alice
The Ribbon Lady

Remember Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is almost my favorite holiday. It truly is a time for family, food, and of course decorating.

I  keep the decorating part somewhat simple.  I know what I will be decorating for  within a week. That being said, please enjoy the richness of pumpkins, fruits, hams,  turkeys,  turduckins, chestnuts, stuffing, and apple and pumpkin pies. Don't be too quick to get out the tinsel and mistletoe.

I always, always have ribbon on my napkins in some way, even if it is a simple bow.

This year I  will carve out my "mini pumpkins"and fill them with fresh flowers in autumnal colors. If I can find some nice brown oak leaves I will give them a wash of copper or bronze to complete my Thanksgiving table.

Of course my table won't be complete without the best china I own, the silver, the celery dish, and salt dishes we have used in my family since I was a kid.

All of the above can happen the day before, so while I am cooking, and watching the parade, boiling the giblets etc. I can walk by the dinning room table and know this truly is a special day not to be forgotten.

Just remember, on Thanksgiving, you can eat anything you want to-----"Why do you think they call it Thanksgiving?" A quote from a great lady, Irma Bombeck.

You must have some childhood memories, I would love to hear them.

Enjoy!

The Ribbon Lady

Victorian Days in Belvidere New Jersy

Despite earthquakes, hurricanes and severe flooding, Victorian Days went on.

Some ribbon offerings
from Over the Moon at Victorian Days

The weekend after labor day the Ribbon Lady and the Ribbon Man look forward to the lovely Victorian Days Event in Belvidere, NJ. We fill our vintage suitcases with ribbon, the van with autumn wreaths, garlands and arrangements and away we go.

Couple in vintage clothing for
 Victorian Days in Belvidere, NJ

This year involved quite a bit or maneuvering to get to our space because the Peaquest Creek caused major problems for the residences of this quaint historical town in New Jersey.


The antique cars took up their spots with the owners proudly polishing and shining every speck of dust off of them. All the antique dealers and crafters were in the same spots they have occupied for many years around the beautiful square that is the center of Belevidere.
The master of ceromonies and the town crier proudly announced that the clocks were turned back to the year 1900. The costumed residence and visitors started to appear strolling about, the Star Spangled Banner was played, and Victorian Days 2011 opened.

There was much entertainment, with singing and dancing, the old calliope from Holland played, banjo bands, house tours, Victorian fashion shows, gentleman's auction, afternoon tea, an old time baseball game, and delicious homemade offerings from the churches that surround the square.


Next year will be the 25th anniversary of Belvidere Days.  I suspect it will be bigger and better than ever. Mary Ann and her devoted staff always seem to pull this huge undertaking together.


Oh yea, oh yea congratulations to Belvidere to be able to present the 24th annual Victorian Days in grand style despite,earthquakes, hurricanes, and severe flooding!

The ribbon Lady at Victorian Days

For more about Victorian Days, visit www.daysvictorian@aol.com

Ribbons "Down the Shore"

The Ribbon Lady and family had the pleasure of two weeks "down the shore" in Ocean Grove NJ.  I am always looking for fellow ribbon lovers, and the quaint little Victorian town of Ocean Grove delivered.

Ocean Grove is one mile square with a huge Methodist Auditorium and "tent city"smack dab in the middle where traditionally, the Methodists lived to be close to the church. You can still hear the large choirs as you walk by.  The town and auditorium date back to the 1800's, it's only been in the past 20 years that the town has allowed people to drive on Sunday.  Go to http://www.oceangrovenj/,  for a more extensive description of the town. One visit there and you will fall in love.  You just feel like any minute John Phillip Sousa,and 76 trombones will  come marching down the street all at the same time, while playing Stars and Stripes Forever!

Lovely Victorian wreaths, red white and blue buntings,and charming "painted ladies" abound.  Of course there were lovely ribbons on the wreaths, one home had celebrated a graduation with school colored ribbons all along their white picked fence, but my personal favorite was the basket of impatience, with the double face satin ribbons streaming from the planter.

So my friends as summer starts to fade, I will remember fondly our special family time "down the shore" in Ocean Grove.

What is your favorite summer time memory?

It's July 5th, that means yesterday was the 4th of July.


These holidays always bring a large surge of patriotism to my sole.I am one of those that cry at parades, and the Hallmark card counter.

I missed the parade yesterday, but didn't miss the family picnic---I love watermelon on the 4th,I know it has a lot of carbs but I enjoyed it.

The patriotic spirit took me back to Memorial day weekend, when I visited with my friend Donna in Auburn NY. One of the local Schools sponsored a fund raiser. Residents were offered an opportunity to purchase a flag, in honor or in memory of a friend or loved one. Each flag was tagged with names of the donators as well as the honoree. All were carefully placed in alphabetical order so the donors could claim their flags after the weekend.

To see 4500 Flags around this lovely pond, with a beautiful gazebo as it,s centerpiece was quite a site,and touched me deeply.

Only one thing could have made it better-----attach the tags with Over the Moon Ribbons.

May the Star Spangled Banner wave

Bring out the Artist Within

This past weekend we had the pleasure of a real get-away, with no agenda!

We escaped to a little town in New Jersey called Frenchtown. A B&B seemed just the thing, so off to the Widow McCree house, a charming 1800's home with many modern but well done updates.

Hunterdon County (NJ) and Buck's County (PA) are separated by the Delaware River, they are truly a weekend getaway delight.

Two of our BFFs met us there, so we were off to a weekend of fine dining, fun, shopping, and viewing of artists galleries. Which brings me to the meat of my story.

In one of the chichi galleries, there was a framed ribbon weaving in the tumbling block style. Although well done, I was dismayed the artist didn't use prettier ribbon. To top it all off, it was was mounted on a fabric covered box but the fabric was badly wrinkled.

I was curious to know how much one could charge for a piece I knew I could create better. It was a mere $400.00.

And so my fellow ribbon lovers; Google "ribbon weaving-tumbling block pattern", and you too can become an artist.

My personal favorite is Elaine Schmidt's book The Complete Guide to Ribbon Craft available on Amazon.

Send pictures, and keep on playing with ribbon.

Alice aka The Ribbon Lady

Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet with The Blue Ribbons On It!

 My web savvy audience might not remember the song that I named this blog after.  It’s over 100 years old and reminds me of one of our favorite customers, Timely Tresses.  I have relationships with many of our customers and their lives and stories are so interesting that I decided to share with you.

Danielle Perry and Mandy Foster of Timely Tresses are located in Oxford, North Carolina. They make historic and authentic millinery from the regency to the civil war period. Each style is carefully researched and designed to faithfully represent historic fashion. When you love what you do, it shows. That’s why Timely Tresses was chosen to design bonnets for the Jane Austin Festival for the Royal Opera Company in London.

I love getting orders from Timely Tresses since they order ribbon that we are proud of; beautiful and luxurious ribbons such as our Swiss double faced satins and velvets that represent the attention to detail that Timely Tresses is known for. 

Whether you are a re-enactor, or you love history and reflect it in your decorating, Danielle, and Mandy are the women to contact.

View Danielle and Mandy’s work at Timely Tresses, or visit them on Facebook.

Until next blog,

Alice

Over the Moon Ribbons

Over the Moon in Honduras

Two years ago I joined a mission group and visited a little mountain place in San Buena Ventura, Honduras. It is a children’s home of 68 kids rescued from the streets to a home of love, food, shelter and hope!  The name of this special place is the Lamb Institute.

During that trip, members of the group were presented with an opportunity to sponsor a child. My husband and I decided it was the least we could do for these little angels, and we chose a little boy named Alexander.

This year I decided to take Over the Moon to Honduras, and packed one large suitcase full of Over the Moon Ribbons.

WOW, I never expected the response I received all the girls ended up with 2-3 hair bows, as well as creating belts for themselves with ribbon and beads-----even the boys wanted them for their “tutors (house mothers) It did seem strange to me that they were claiming to have  3 to 4 tutors when I knew there was only one, but I let them think they could pull one over on me because they were having so much fun doing it!

Then came the big day----One of the young ladies of Lamb Institute was getting married and could not afford a wedding until one of the members of our visiting group, I will call him ST, paid for her to have a wedding in the magnificent chapel.  

There were two wedding specialists along including me.  We engaged the children and set to work using the few resources we had brought along.  Most of the items had been purchased ahead in Honduras, thanks to ST. 

We wanted it to be a wedding that they loved, and not one we imposed on them.

The wedding was Over the Moon, nothing to do with ribbons, only to do with a rag-tag bunch of nine volunteers who truly cared about making this world a better place to live.

Thank You to the Charleston Mission Group for your southern hospitality to this Yankee!

If you would like to know more about our adventure, and how you can help, contact me at ribbonlady.

Winter on the Ribbon Lady's Mountain

Hello everyone one, and Happy New Year.

It is a beautiful, snowy day her in the mountains of Pennsylvania.  I felt compelled to snap a few pictures to share with you. They show you the beauty of our winter.


I am one of those few that actually enjoys winter. I love the shorter days, the shadows in the snow by 4 pm, the frozen ponds, good food by a crackling fire, the snowy days when everything is canceled along with the conversations at Rosie's (the local spot for breakfast)"Did you get out ok?  Do you plan on going over the mountain? Did they Plow Fox Gap yet? Are there  really people out on the Appellation Trail?"
Ask me in March if I still feel the same. Last year we had 100 inches, it did get a bit waring by March.

I took a picture of the bird frenzy at one of the feeders,  our little evergreen at night, and the kids enjoying the frozen Tarn. (Scottish for Pond.)

I have a lot more, but I didn't think you would want to look at 100 pictures of what I deem beautiful.

Here at Over the Moon we are thinking spring. Here is a picture of  a very small sampling of what is coming to the website. We will be featuring lots of checks and dots, as well as some jacquards and woven ribbons from France.

If you haven't visited our Swiss Double Faced Satin Ribbon do so--it is truly luxurious and comes in luscious colors.

Look forward to more blogs from me in 2011 (one of my resolutions), keep your creative juices flowing.

Alice
a.k.a The Ribbon Lady