How to tie a knot that lies straight and flat:

Everyone is always in search of a perfect knot, whether it be for a card, a scrapbook page or a special package. Here it is! You're (k)not going to believe how easy it is either! For the purpose of this tutorial, I'm wrapping my ribbon around a coaster, but you'll be able to do this on sturdy paper if you need to. I'm using a ribbon with a deffinate front and back so that you'll be able to follow easily.


1. Bring the right-hand side of the ribbon across your surface and then turn it back under itself at a right angle, aiming away from you. (It will resemble the letter "L".)


2. Bring the left-hand side of the ribbon across your surface and turn it back under itself at a right angle, aiming it toward you. The two ends should be intertwined.


3. Pull snugly to tighten it up. You will have the letter "T" now.


4. Hold the center knot snugly and bring the top end of the ribbon down to the right.


5. Still securing the center knot, bring the bottom end up and to the right. The two ends will now be crossed.


6. Take the end that is aiming up and tuck it into the hole created where the two ribbons cross and start to pull, turning the ribbon slightly to position it so that the correct side of the ribbon is showing. Pull tight enough to secure and trim the ends. Viola!! Easy right? After you do this a few times, you'll never forget how to do it again.

Altered Game Tin

I made this tin lunch pail for my Grandma's birthday last month. It started as a plain miner's pail that I added paper, stamps and ribbon to. I then filled it with stamped game cards for dice games, dice, pens, paper pads(refillable), coins and poker chips. In this one box she has everything she needs to play 15 different games. The games vary from easy (my 3 year old played them) to moderately difficult (you need to focus, not visit) and everything in between. This way, wherever Grandma goes, she can play games with whoever is there. My son loves it so much that I'm thinking about making one for his upcoming birthday with tic-tac-toe, memory and things like that in it.

Sandscapes

You can make a nautical themed card without buying anything! Most people have balloons and white rice in their homes and that's what you'll need to do this project. Fill a balloon with about 1/2 to 3/4 C of rice (use a funnel) and tie it off without adding any air to it. Then gather:

4 1/4" x 3" piece of sand colored paper
Sand colored Ink (I used SU So Saffrom )
Rice filled Balloon


1. Squeeze the balloon to stretch the rubber and then ink it up on the ink pad. (The ink will come off with a Stampin' Scrub & Stampin' Mist so that it can be reused indeffinately.)


2. Stamp the inked balloon onto the paper, reinking every or every-other time you stamp. Cover the paper completely.


3. Cut the paper so that the 3" side becomes two pieces, each 1 1/2" x 4 1/4".


4. Tear the pieces across the top so that they have one rough edge. Make them curve slightly so that they have a natural roll to them. Stack them so that the bottom of the piece in back is hidden. Adhere to your card or scrapbook page.


To see how to watercolor the sea creatures on this card read the tutorial Watercoloring With Blender Pens.