Today's post has a dual purpose. First, I needed a baby girl card for one of my dear blogging friends. And second, I have had a rash of bow-tying questions lately. Truly, I'm not holding out on you: I have no really juicy bow-secrets! I will share pictures of a few different bows after I show you tonight's card, and I'll try to direct you to bow resources.
Even though I haven't seen baby pictures yet, I am positive that this baby is a cutie pie--a perfect reason to break out my Tiny Words Borders and Centers Set stamps and my 1-3/16" Just Rite Round Stamper. I stamped the cutie pie image and the scalloped ring in Versamagic Pink Petunia ink on Vintage Cream cardstock, and then die-cut the sentiment and and the extra matting circle using SpellbindersPlain and Petite Scalloped circle dies. I then used some Antique Linen Distress ink to sponge my cardstock edges lightly, as well as edging the plain circle with a gold paint pen. I used a tiny heart rhinestone (one of Taylor's Tiny Twinkles) to dot the "i" in Cutie Pie, and a partial Heidi Swapp Circle Frame of pink rhinestones to surround the lower right part of the sentiment.
Papers are Melissa Francespapers, Lindsay and Susan. Cardstock is Lemon Tart and Plum Pudding (PaperTrey Ink). Ribbon is 1-1/2" pink silk---I love silk! Now, onto the burning questions about bows.
More than you ever knew was possible to say about tying bows:
First, I have never filmed a bow tutorial because I usually tie a very average bow, and then fiddle with it from five to thirty minutes to get it to lay just right. That would make for one boring video! I promise that if I ever get consistently good at making bows, I'll try to film one--fair enough? [Click on any of the pictures in this post to see a larger version.]
Having issued that disclaimer, I'll tell you that I tie three kinds of bows. My ordinary bow, one tied around a card and not attached by glue dots, almost always has one tail on top of one loop. Some people get both tails behind the loops, but I can do that only by accident. Here are a couple of pictures of my regularly tied bows. See that tail on top? I told you that it wasn't anything special! Still, it works fine most of the time, especially for a casual bow.
Next is the Bow Easy bow. (The card at the top of this post has a Bow Easy bow.) A couple of weeks ago, I watched a tutorial on Jerri Jiminez's blog on using the Bow Easy, and I promptly ordered one from Sharon Johnson, my silk ribbon supplier (or is it dealer?) ;-D It took me a day or two to figure out how to get a tail on both sides of the bow--yes, I was that learning challenged! But when I read Sharon's instruction sheet as a last resort, I figured it out. (If guys don't ask for directions when they are lost, how can we be expected to read directions on tying a bow?) In my opinion, the Bow Easy works best for thinner ribbons such as silk and the gingham ones that Sharon carries. I have a little harder time with grosgrain, especially if it is a thicker grosgrain. On a thicker grosgrain, I occasionally end up with one tail coming through a loop and the one on the opposite side going behind a loop, which makes them lay differently.
This is what a Bow Easy bow looks like on the back and on the front before removing it from the Bow Easy. After removing it, you still need to plump up the bow if you like a plump bow.
If you promise not to assume that I am obsessive (who, me?), I'll share that I keep a ball of polyester quilt batting in the drawer beneath my photo tent just to be able to stuff the loops of plump bows if I am submitting a card for publication. I include a sticky note asking that the photographer remove the fluff before photographing the card. I guess my bow-vanity will really suffer someday when a photographer doesn't see the note and I have tell-tale wisps of batting sticking out of a bow loop! Here is a picture of a bow loop being filled with batting. I insert my needle-nosed tweezers through a loop and pull the batting in from the opposite side.
Finally, I sometimes use the pegs on the Crafter's Companon to tie bows. For comparison purposes, (again, only my opinion), I think that maybe the Crafter's Companion pegs edge out the Bow Easy when it comes to thicker ribbons. However, I definitely prefer the Bow Easy when it comes to being able to adjust the size of the bow. It is true that you can move the pegs around with the Crafter's Companion; but with the potential configurations, I still miss a mid-size between its largest small bow and its smallest large bow, if that makes sense. A plus to the Crafter's Companion is that both bow tails always end up behind the loops; it isn't dependent upon how you hold it or twist it.
Also, I really like it for whipping out an envelope in a hurry with no measuring other than my initial paper cutting. With both the Bow Easy and the Crafter's Companion, I usually attach the bows with mini glue dots.
Well--that's it--all you asked and more! Would you like to know what bows I can't tie to save my life, but adore? It would be the casual ones that Melissa Phillips and Beatriz Jennings tie--those romantic little bows that have tails going in different directions and are perfectly charming. I wonder if it's my Type A personality. . .
Have a great weekend!
P.S. Here's a link for a great video bow-tying tutorial by my friend Becca Feeken, the Queen of Elegance. Also, Kristina Werner has an excellent basic bow-tying YouTube video here; this is exactly how I tie bows, except that sometimes I can't get the tail to go behind and look right. If you or someone you know has a helpful bow-tying resource, please feel free to leave a link in the comments section. I would love to send traffic to good resources. Thanks!
