Creation Station Thanks

In everything give thanks!  And, I do.  There are countless blessings for which to be grateful; I am thankful for family, friends, my faith in God, my talents and abilities, health, home, work, ... and for sure rubber stamps, ink, paper, scissors (in the form of Framelits/Thinlits), and being able to craft.  

Our theme this month for the Creation Station blog hop is "thanks."  Here in America we will celebrate Thanksgiving in just a few days and so our theme may be infused with the upcoming holiday, but we all know the spirit of gratitude is everywhere and anywhere at all times and places.  The more we recognize it and praise it the better we all are.

This fall themed gift is a perfect way to say thanks for all you do for anyone who loves a cold glass of bubbly yumminess.  This sweet bottle of sparkling cider is all dressed up in a cello bag collared with a unique paper bow, a faux stitched tag, and two beautiful leaves from my front yard.

Can I digress here and say "I love these big huge leaves that cover my front yard every November.  They are gloriously ginormous and perfect for decorating in so many ways.  I have arranged them down the center of a table as a runner, tucked them under pumpkins to give them a bit of pizzazz, tucked them under pillar candles on candle sticks, wrapped them around napkins, and now added them to gift packaging.

Okay, back to the project.  Below are a few tips on how to make a paper ribbon bow.

Cut six to seven 3/4" x 11" strips of card stock.  Run them over a bone folder, twice on one side then flip it over and run it over a couple times.  Repeat until the paper fibers are loosened enough to split apart.

 Gently pull apart the card stock strips.
(did you notice that super cool bone folder I have.  It's from Mercedes Weber--thanks friend!) 

 Gather and pinch one of the strips and hold it with one hand.

 Using your free hand make a loop.  Gather, twist, and pinch the end of the loop and hold it with one hand.  Note, the twist is important to keep your front side of the ribbon/paper showing AND to give the bow fullness.

Add another strip of paper and keep adding more loops until the bow is the size you need.

Check out the Stitched Shape Framelits.  They are available as a sneak peak item this month only.  You get 12 dies in the set.  Four squares, four ovals, and four circles that coordinate amazingly with the Layered Framelit sets in the main catalog.  In June they will be available again in the 2017 Annual Catalog.

A big thank you for sharing in our "Thankfulness" themed hop this month here at the Creation Station.  Your next blog is The Creativity Cave.  Go and check out what fabulousness Dena Rekow has to share with us all.

Have a great day, Elizabeth

To Sara

To Dena