stranodesigns

Changes

Well, now that it is over, let us all take a deep cleansing breath and inhale the crisp fall air.

Being a mom to two girls, change is a daily event, if not moment to moment. So now that we have the change of seasons, politically & environmentally, maybe we need to have a change of spirit as well.
Enjoy this moment at hand.
Look to the details in your day. What makes you happy. (Mine is ribbon!) Often with change comes opportunity.

Even with two girls changing outfits up to 4 times a day, it is a great opportunity to teach them how to do laundry!

This week’s Details brings a small project that I did. I was tired of picking up hand towels, dropped by the kids. So I made a change!  Also, take advantage of the sale that is going on at Strano Designs. Buy ribbon for simple change!

Enjoy!
jen strano

All of our solid Plain Jane ribbons are on sale until November 12th! 20% off including the solid Plain Jane’s that are in our Super Ribbon Deals section! That means pricing is from $0.39/yard to $1.01/yard on our 3/8”, 5/8”, 7/8” and 1.5” ribbon. What a perfect buy for all your Christmas crafts and cards!

Just added to our Super Ribbon Deals section ~ 

Chardonay, Sage, and Cafe Au Lait

 

A simple change can make a big difference!

Want those hand towels to stay put? No one ever hangs the towel up to dry? Then make a change! Add a snippet of ribbon to your hand towels so that they can hang on a hook or a knob. I have been picking up the darn towel for over 8 years now. It finally dawned on me that the towel bar was too high for the kids to reach to hang the towel back up properly. They are better at hanging things than folding. So what could I do to make this easier for them to do and still have order in the bathroom? Simple. Add a ribbon loop to the hand towel and add a peg to hang it on. Everything in its place makes me happy!

Simple instructions.....

You will need

~ 7 inches of a 7/8” ribbon
~ a hand towel
~ a sewing machine or needle and thread.

Fold the ribbon in half and stitch the two ends together.

Open the loop and invert it so that the stitched seam is on the inside of the loop.
Place the loop on one corner of the backside of the towel.
The seam should be resting 1/4” on the towel.
Stitch the ribbon to the towel.

Easy Peasy!!! Loving the Alice ribbon in my bathroom!

Boo!

In this week leading up to Halloween, I think back to when we went trick or treating. A store bought costume?? What was that! More often that not, I was a gypsy. Rummaging through my mom’s closet, putting together funky separates of the 1970’s. It was done on the afternoon of October 31st.

Also done on the same afternoon;
~ Going next door to my grandparent’s house and picking out costume jewelry from Nani’s jewelry box.
~ Preparing my UNICEF box and practicing what we were supposed to say in case any one questioned where the money went.
~ Selecting a pillowcase for my treats.
~ Keeping in mind my dad’s request for Good and Plenty (which was easy because no one ever liked them).

One Halloween, I got to wear the best costume ever. It was a clown costume hand made by my Auntie Carolyn for my cousin Allyson. It was red with white polka dots. It had a pointed hat and was trimmed with white pom-poms. There were pom-poms on the cuffs and collar too. It was heaven. And the pom-poms where the best. That little detail made the costume even sillier and more clown-like.
One of the best hand-me-downs ever!

For the week leading up to Halloween,  we are excited to share with you

• a delicious blog - GROSGRAIN Kathleen Dougherty stitches and has made the most amazing Halloween costume. Look out Auntie Carolyn!
• A quick visit with Donna Downey, who I know and admire.

As I have said time and time again ~ Ribbon is in the details.
It is an embellishment.
Ribbon can separate anything from average to brilliant.
It is the pom-pom.

I wish that your week be filled with pom-poms and loads of treats.
And if you can, save me a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup!

jen strano

 

Kathleen Dougherty is amazing. She is a mom, a stitcher and the author of Grosgrain Fabulous. She describes her blog as "A blog by an artsy craftsy, penny pinching, party planning, playdating, fashion finding, sci-fi loving, stay at home mommy who always keeps her sewing machine plugged in and loves all things cute!"

The pictures of her Marie-Therese costume speak for her talent, eye and dedication to her craft. The gown must have taken her hours to make. It is modeled by her daughter Lily and to top everything off!!! Kathleen gave this dress away to one of her blog readers.

She stole our hearts when we found out that she used 7 yards of pink satin on this dress alone.

Grace, kindness and talent make a fierce mix! Cheers to Kathleen! 

 

Meet Donna. A regular gal. Mom and wife. Great sense of humor. and an AMAZING artist. Donna Downey back in the day was an elementary school teacher. Now she is the queen of mixed media crafting.

She calls herself a Craft Media artist, but what she really does is inspire thousands of women, through her classes that she teaches around the country, her blog - Simply Me, and her annual artist workshop - Inspired.

As Donna heads to Ireland  to teach this week... enjoy reading what makes Donna ... Donna.
We threw our mini-interview her way and here is what she threw back.

Workspace: a safe place to experiment and play

Tool: heat gun…I am impatient

Color: right now, turquoise

Calendar: none. I just ask bill!

Latest or greatest: canvas and paint…I cannot get enough!

Inspiration: I find it everywhere…color pallets and design lines make me really happy.

Current Obsession: FABRIC!!!

Dream: to be able to afford to live in a small cottage in startford england and create all day

Organization: disorganized groupings of like things!

Pool or Ocean: POOL!

Book: the secret

Magazine: sommerset studio

My ribbon: right now jillian, can you please make it in 1” (he he!)

 

Finally!! Now back in stock .... Maeve.  This beautiful ribbon has been out of stock for sometime and it is finally back in!!  Available in 5/8", this ribbon is made of Crisp white and offset with the palest of pinks in a traditional design. Welcome back Maeve!

october color

Fall is here. When I was tooting around on Saturday, I drove by the cranberry bog down the street and they were doing a wet harvest. It was a sea of red berries. Probably because it was Saturday!

 

October on Cape Cod is a fantastic month for Mother nature to show off her palette. We have a late show as our fall foliage is after everyone else in the Northeast. But that also means we get our leaves late in the Spring which can be frustrating. The sky can be a brilliant blue or be filled with billowy gray clouds. The grass is rich green. And the walls in my office are begonia pink. Although the view outside my window is colorful right now, the idea of the long days of winter are looming. I am determined to color my world with pinks, blues and greens through our new blog.

We hope that Details will be a way to stay connected.
Through ideas, thought, pictures, and inspritation.
Being part of your life means that we both need to communicate. So please post a note, send us an email,  snap a picture of ribbon in your everyday life.
Enjoy!
jen strano

Ivy Star Ornament

Do you have a couple of yards of 5/8" ribbon, a needle and some thread? Well make a cup of tea and put on your fluffy socks and sit down. You can make this great ornament! We used a bit of  Ivy ribbon in 5/8". We paired the Ivy ribbon with Plain Jane's Crisp White, so that the inside of the star would highlight the Ivy ribbon. We used under 2 yards  of each ribbon.

Here is what you need:

• under 2 yards of ribbon
• needle & thread
• scissors

Take the ribbon and fold it accordion style. The height of the folded ribbon should be no more that 2.25". Once you have folded the ribbon (we will call it a ribbon stack), trim the ends so that the ends of the ribbon are facing the same direction.Thread your needle and starting on the side where the ribbon ends are, insert the needle thru the entire stack about .25" from the bottom. Pull the thread tightly and tie off the thread. Tie it tight so that the stack is snug in the center and you will see the points of the star from. That is it.... truly!

This would make a great little gift for a teacher or any ribbon lover.

Vera Wang's Bridal collection for 2009 hit the runway on Sunday in NYC. A lovely review of the show was just written by Renata Espinosa for Fashion Wire Daily. The writer says of the collection.....

One of the keys to Wang’s re-imaging of bridal is to take the traditional silhouette, but soften or update it for a more modern, fashion-conscious customer. The “ball gown” turns into a cloud of softly folded tulle with a bodice like whipped frosting, accented with a simple lavender grosgrain sash. A “mermaid” gown softly flares into oversized layers of watercolor-like, earthy chestnut organza, while sequined straps suspend a slip dress from bare shoulders for a look that is as seductive as vintage lingerie.

We loved seeing ribbon adorning many of the gowns. Here are a few favorites to share....

 

Love these! They are new to Strano Designs ~ Tubbies.

In each thick plastic jar (lidded!), comes 3 ribbons. Assorted. In 18" pieces. 1.5" width each.
And the best part, only $2.95 each.
No color choice to make, just need to figure how many to buy!