Saturday, December 12, 2015

Vintage, funky earring bracelets


 
A few bracelets made with 1950's earrings. Have made several as commissions for weddings for Etsy Customers. So much fun! I've been wearing 3 stacked together, and I like the boho "look". I use brass vintage bracelet blanks, and that makes a big difference! Bracelets are on my etsy site at

Monday, September 21, 2015

New Fabric book back cover

 
I've started designing a 12-page fabric book, thanks to Stephanie. Stephanie Novatski put together all the pages, using muslin with a fusible back. She then cut twelve square pieces of batting and included two pieces of grunge board for the covers. She dyed an assortment of laces.  Her book is almost complete! We just returned from Brimfield, Mass., searching for antiques. We were going to work on the books at night, but just completed the cover and back cover at the studio. Can't wait to see this project completed.
 
Still have a bit of silk ribbon embroidery to do on the lime green silk doupioni.
 
The book pages will feature quotes about women, written by women. I wanted to use quotes that we don't often see.
 
A great project for all the laces I've collected over three decades. I hate to admit how much lace I have. More than can be used in a lifetime. Something about lace....


Sunday, June 14, 2015

My Studio

Here's a shot of my parlor in the studio. It's rather dark, but it gives a bit of a glimpse of what a great space this has been for creating! The studio is eleven rooms on the second floor of our Pennsylvania bank barn.  We have held wonderful classes, complete with tea in the afternoons.  Years of collecting  need to be reduced, in my ongoing quest to keep my most important treasures and move treasures on to new homes. Many of my items will be listed on my etsy and ebay sites. Grateful every day to have had my dream studio.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Gorgeous 2mm Silk Ribbon at our Etsy Store at RibbonSmyth

 
We sell the nicest quality hand-dyed silk ribbon at our Etsy Store ~ search "RibbonSmyth".
Many new colors and the one above is in the Mermaid colorway.
Lots of new listings coming to our Etsy site!

Monday, April 13, 2015

My Crazy Quilt Blocks in new book ~ 1000 Quilt Inspirations


Thrilled to have seven of my images in this great book. 320 pages of quilts featuring quilts from 72 designers from around the world. And my crazy quilt blocks can be seen on the cover, the Introduction page and the Contents page. Wowza!  Wonderful editing, visually inspiring, and very happy to be the only designer representing embellishing, in a book featuring traditional, modern, and art quilts. Purchase at Amazon.  I'll have copies with me in West Chester and at my workshop in Vermont!

A Memoir about Depression & Discovering Art by David Sandum - ON SALE!

 
Many of you probably follow David on Facebook and Twitter. I'm a fan of his art. His color sense is brilliant, and his style, developed from learning from the Masters,  creates fabulous landscapes with great movement.  His book is 20% off during the month of April. Several of us have already placed our orders.  The book is $23.95 plus $5.95 freight and PayPal payment is accepted.  I admire David for sharing his journey with depression, and his art. 
 
David is the founder of the Twitter Art postcard project. I've participated in the project in the past, and look forward to participating in, and viewing the collection in New York this fall.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Lace collage Embellished Denim Jacket

This is a denim collage-embellished jacket that I made for Rengin Yazitas. It was a treat to create it for such a nice person. The last piece I designed for Rengin, was a pillow made with vintage embroideries and the pillow never arrived. I hope someone has it, and that it was not destroyed, while processing through Customs.   So this jacket is shipping via UPS and I will hold my breath until it arrives.
 
On the back of the jacket is a copy of an 1873 fashion plate, taken from one of my vintage magazines. I used pieces from a bodice of a wedding gown as well as pieces of table scarves and lace doilies. All were dyed, along with several yards of double-faced Swiss silk satin. I dyed some vintage velvet yardage as well. In one of the lace motifs, I stitched a small 1920's Czech turquoise bead, that I bought at a Paris flea market. I finished the jacket, by stitching a small label to the inside of the jacket.  The photos of the jacket will be submitted to several magazines for future inclusion. Now to make several more!



Thursday, March 5, 2015

 
A big Thank YOU to each of YOU!
 
All inventory can be purchased at our Etsy Store ~
 
RibbonSmyth at www.etsy.com

Monday, February 23, 2015

30% off Sale ends March 9th and RibbonSmyth closes it's site!

Our newest inventory of velvets and they are a gorgeous assortment!  Velvets!
 
You all have been the best! Packing orders around the clock, and each and every order is always sent with a prayer, for your well-being! While I'm assembling your order, and lately it's been late at night, due to the heat and wind problems we have been dealing with, trying to keep power cranking with the wind, I try to imagine what you will create with the items I'm sending to you.
 
I've been so blessed to know the best women and work with you.
It will take the rest of the year, but the best customers, on this planet, will be receiving little envelopes of trims and ribbons as a small token, to express my appreciation to each of you. You helped keep RibbonSmyth going for 2 decades! My gratitude to each of you!
 
Our best sellers and favorite inventory is being moved to Etsy.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

RibbonSmyth Website Closes March 9th! Grab everything at 30% OFF NOW!

Our Vintage Images are the best quality available on the market! Grab them now while they are on Sale! We will be moving our inventory over to Etsy from our Website. Our Etsy Site ~
 
 
It has been an absolute luxury to have my website for 19 years, while exhibiting at trade shows, teaching workshops,  Creating ArtBra calendars and exhibitions, travelling back and forth from Minnesota and Washington DC, maintaining the farm and rescuing a variety of little animals. I was honored to work with the best women. To all of you, that have supported our site for almost two decades...my gratitude.
I have 11 rooms in my studio and the contents of each of those rooms will make its way to my Etsy and Ebay Sites! What fun to unearth treasures and get them to new homes! Yay!
 Time to create and re-invent!
 


Tuesday, February 10, 2015

30% off the entire RibbonSmyth site at www.ribbonsmyth.com !!!!

These are lace trims and a vintage image, with a collection of hand-dyed velvet ribbons and silk satin ribbons, that will be used to embellish this denim jacket. I'm designing the jacket for Rengin Yasitas, such a talented and kind lady that lives in Istanbul, Turkey.
 
Visit our Sale while we have all our lovely trims and ribbons in stock!


Velvet Heart with rococo ribbon

This is another velvet heart with ribbon embroidery. I stitched the heart by hand and for this heart, I've added a trim of rococo rosettes in pastel colors, around the edge of the heart . This heart goes to a friend in New Jersey, who lost her husband unexpectedly. Each year, she receives a velvet heart for Valentines. I love this one the best!
 


Silk Ribbon Embroidered Velvet Heart


To honor Valentine's Day, I designed 3 hearts that have been sent to 3 friends, all experiencing some form of loss. Wish I could be with each of them. This heart was created with our variegated 7mm silk ribbon stitched onto a shot silk velvet.

Friday, January 30, 2015

"Sisters" Block One Completed

The photo does not do justice to the rich colors of the fabrics and hand-dyed ribbons. I have two more blocks with companion vintage images, to create. The fabrics are a beautiful burgundy/bronze shot velvet, a grey soft rayon floral pattern, moss bengaline moire, a tufted celery bengaline and pieces from a moss/blue men's tie. White laces, used for seam treatments, may seem too stark and instead of moving the eye within the block, the eye is drawn to the white laces or motifs. (I use the ragged edge of netted lace, stitched around the vintage image, as a design element.) Once the vintage image was ironed to the fabric ground, a piece of netting, from a 1920's dress, was tacked into place. All the tatting and rayon lace motifs, were tea-dyed using 3 Lipton tea bags. The orange Pekoe of the tea, was the perfect shade to complement the moss fabrics and the burgundy velvet.

Although the luster of the silk ribbon cannot be seen, I dyed 1 1/4" wide silk ribbon using burgundy and moss Ribbonsmyth silk dyes. I twisted the ribbon and tacked into place over the bottom seam. Then  tacked burgundy RibbonRuffles over the silk ribbon. I think the ribbon may be too heavy, but it will remain. I made a 1 1/4" Mother of Pearl Pansy button and it fit beautifully with the theme of the block.

Buttonhole silk twist in lavender is used for a variety of stitches. The light touch of the silk twist does not overpower any of the other elements. I finished with silk ribbon embroidery in assorted variegated silk ribbons and 7mm ribbons. Can't wait to see the next two blocks!

Sunday, January 25, 2015

New Silk Ribbon Combo Packs

 
A new shipment of ribbon is always exciting! This is the new "Peacock" silk ribbon combo pack available in our Etsy Store. 25 yard ribbon packs available in 2mm, 4mm, and 7mm widths. What fun!

Judith Leiber Minaudiere

 
As an admirer of Judith Leiber minaudieres, I was able to purchase "blank minaudiere" stock in New York, when Judith Leiber moved their NY showroom. The purses are metal, made in Italy, just waiting for Swarovski crystals. This small clutch has over 3,500 vintage Aurora Borealis number 12 ss vintage crystals, each crystal glued in place, one at a time, using tweezers. It was a great evening project. Every time I've worn this purse, it has been enjoyed. I still have some Judith Leiber minaudieres, that can be purchased at our Etsy site.


"Sisters" Crazy Quilt Block for 2015


With the beginning of a new year, my goal is always to produce more. During the dark, winter months, we are given time to create. To remove the pressure, I try to focus on creating one piece at a time. I'm teaching for a week in Vermont in July and plan to have several new small wall-hangings for the classes. This piece started with a collection of three RibbonSmyth vintage images. A block will be created for each of the images. Our vintage images are printed on a fusible-back cotton with a beautiful, long-lasting resolution.  I piece the block by hand, then iron the image to the block and lay-out pieces around the image and work "out" from there, with stitching and embellishing. This block will be assembled into a kit featuring celery, gray and burgundy fabrics. 

We still have a few Valentine Post Card Kits

 
I can't believe it is 2015! Writing this on a cold snowy night, wishing each of you a healthy New Year.  And now in the new year, we think about what we would like to create for Valentine gifts for friends. We still have some Valentine postcard  kits, ready to wing their way to you. The little kits include Fusible post card backs, trims and a fusible Vintage heart image.
http://ribbonsmyth.com/fabricpostcardsscrapbookingandatcsupplies.aspx