.......we have been trying to work around a group of electricians and it has been a nightmare.  Either we have been in their way or they were where we wanted to be!!  In hindsight it would have been best if we had closed for the day, but as we are leaving for Paris tomorrow, it was all hands to the pumps.

The electricians have been installing banks of electric plugs, I have lost count of the number of boxes they have opened.  As part of our near fire a few weks ago we had a visit from our local fire officer.  Very nice man BUT he made some suggestions to Tony and myself about our warehouse unit and how to reduce the risk of fire.  We we were happy to comply, hence the team of electricians.  All our computers printers, kettles....well everything electric now has it's own dedicated plug socket.  Not one extension lead left in the building.  Tony reckons he will be attending the next car boot sale in Blandford selling off all the redundant extension leads!

I only saw Mollie today so she picked our Friday FREEBIE winner for me.

Number 45 is the winner of our £20 voucher and is........

LyndA
Do you have snow now? I bet Mollie is having a whale of a time if you have!!
Just been having a look on the challenge blog. Some awesome creations on there.
Love these new wordy ribbons. Can't wait to see what you have planned for Easter.
LyndA x

Congratulations, all you have to do to claim the voucher is to email us at craftyribbons@gmail.com and we will send you the details.

Many thanks to everyone that left super comments, we had a little snow on Saturday but we woke up on Sunday morning to nothing - all gone!

I had not forgotten it was Friday but have only just come into the office.  Rachie is moving today and I have been looking after Mollie, I had to do my first ever school run this morning!!!! Normally I would spend a while on the computer at home in the mornings, but Mollie had other plans.

Tony and I got her to school on time, Bev and Sam were waiting for us in the car park.  Bev laughed when she saw Mollie, "Auntie Ali did not want you to get cold then Mollie?"  Sounds like I had wrapped her up too much, I had even put a pair of my gloves on her as I could not find any of hers.  She loved them.

First Friday of the month so it must be voucher Friday.

So if you would like to win a £20 voucher to spend on our website then just leave us a comment and we will pick a winner on Monday.  Please do not forget that if you are unable to leave a comment due to our spam filter (refresh your screen after leaving a comment, if it has disappeared then Henry has eaten it) then email it to us at craftyribbons@gmail.com and we will add it for you.

The NEW Joyeux Anniversaire ribbon is almost on the site and can be seen here

Have a great weekend every one.

I walked to work today in the snow!  Honest, it was not a lot I must admit but it was snow.

The little guys had got really excited and wore wellies and woolie hats to school, but it soon started to rain and disappeared.  I like snow, but only where snow should be, on hills and mountains and ski resorts not in Dorset where it turns to mush.

We had to pick double winners from our Bingo bag today, four winners for the macaron ribbon and two winners for the Pack winners.  As Sam and Mollie were wrapped up for their long awaited sledging (Bev brought Sam a sledge at Christmas and he sits in it while watching tellly - ahhh!) trip, but after school there was no snow so I took them to the woods instead.

Here they are picking the winners whilst sat on the Crafty Ribbons trailer!

ALL Sam and Mollies numbers for the Macaron ribbon winners

Number 3 = Laura
I've never eaten a macaroon and as I started reading I thought I should probably try one... but at a pound a pop?!  I might just stick to the ribbon!!

Number 13 = Marilyn McLaughlin
This is the first time I have heard of these sweet things.....but the ribbons are adorable! xx

Number 23 = Claire Boelema
Oh wow!!!! These are just stunning! This might even tempt me to bake :o

Number 24 = Clare Clubb
Oh how lovely, and no calories!

Mollie Picked the winners of the Friday FREEBIE

Number 3 = Sharon N
Here are my fav five it took me a while but I got there.
Saville Row
Jubilee
Green
Silver
Simply Cream

Number 24 = Julie
I hope that your hand will be back to normal very soon.

First, I would choose Purely White and Sparkle as they're my favourites from the packs I already have. And then to go along with them I'd choose Love Hearts, Silver and Paws.

Well done everyone, Marilyn, Laura, Claire and Clare you are going to be crafting with our super EXCLUSIVE Macaron ribbons and Sharon and Julie have bagged themselves some super January Pack ribbons.  All we need are addresses please to craftyribbons@gmail.com.

Thank you to everyone that left wonderful comments, and for your concerns for my thumb.  I have no idea what I have done.  My thumb has been unable to support itself for a while and has been really painful, at times I just wanted to chop it off!  After treatment on Friday they tell me I have damaged the tendons in my forearm which supports the thumb.  With all their prodding, pushing and manipulating the pain runs from my shoulder to my thumb, now I want to chop my whole arm off! I am really looking forward to my next treatment on wednesday - not!

Take care all.

Sorry for the delay in our Friday Freebie posting, I have only just got into the office and I am a little bit crocked.  My right hand is strapped with tape to restrict movement of my thumb and strict instructions not to use it.  Typing has never been an art I have been very good at, and left handed typing is harder than you think!

My plans have rather gone to pot with regard the prize I had for today, so how about a pick of our January packs.  Yes we still have a few left!  Which ones would you like, you can pick 5.

Leave us a comment and tell us which ones you could give a home to and we will pick two winners on Monday from our "bingo" bag.

Thanks for all you comments yesterday for the French Macarons, I am so pleased to hear you like them.  Even though I say so myself they are super!

Have a great weekend, I am about to make friends with a bag of frozen peas! 

Ali x

Oh no Tony likes some ribbon!!

We received some sample lengths of ribbons in today, straight off the printing press - they were so NEW you could smell the factory!!   I showed the girls first, they made all the right noises, ooohs and ahhs.  Bev claiming she thought they were the best ribbon she had seen.  Sorry can not tell you anything about the ribbon - it is TOP SECRET you know!

I then went and showed Tony, expecting to get the normal, "No not sure about that" - "will it sell?" sort of statement and comment.  But you could have knocked me down with a feather -  He liked it. I went back into the warehouse and told the girls we had a disaster on our hands, Tony liked the ribbon.

It has been a long standing joke, that if Tony dislikes a range of ribbons, they will become best sellers.  BUT for Tony to like a range.............doom.  Rachie even went to have a word, to see if she could change his mind.  I must admit that I am not sure that anyone could dislike these designs, thay are so cute.

I struggled to get anyone to pick my Friday FREEBIE winners today, Both Mollie and Sydney were engrossed in Where's Wally.  I only have myself to blame, I got them both hooked over Christmas.  Finally Rachie told them both unless they picked a winner for me, then there would be NO crafting with Auntie Ali,   Ooooh that was a bit stronge Rachie, I like crafting with the girls!!!

Sydney picked number................................

Number 32 = Lisa Hemmmings
Wouldn't mind getting my hands on that lovely ribbon
Lisa xx

Oooops, just realised that we should have picked two winners, so as Lisa is the last number, we will also pick the first number.

Number 1 = Audrey
I love the brooch - fantastic & well done - and great to have a stamp that matches the ribbon
I'm sure I could make something moo-ving with those ribbons!
Audrey

Lisa and Audrey you both have some mooooooo cow print ribbons, all we need is an email please to craftyribbons@gmail.com with your addresses to claim your prize.  Thanks to everyones mooo comments, rather amoooosing!

Thanks for joining in with the Friday FREEBIE this week.

It is that time of year again when we produce our little leaflets to hand out at exhibitions and to thank you for your orders.  We do this twice a year, to keep things fresh.  I wanted to try something a little bit different this year, and spoke to the printers yesterday to make sure they could print it - yes no problem when can we have the artwork.   Ummm, aaaaaa, the black and white text on the reverse, tomorrow (ie today!) BUT the photos of the ribbons for the front.........................we have not even received them yet.

There was a little mess up at the factory, we got all excited when we had a delivery this week, expecting to find our NEW exciting ribbons only to open the box and find FEATHERS! Tony came in at just the wrong moment "Who ordered feathers, why do we want feathers?".  We all looked blankly at him " not me!"

Anyway, our printers have confirmed that we can get our new leaflets in time for our Paris exhibition if we get the photos to them for Thursday.............come on DHL deliver our parcel, and please, please Mr Customs man, do not hold up our delivery.  Nice thoughts everyone.

At Hobbycrafts last November we met up with Andrea, Sharon and Mel, they came to see us so many times we lost count.  On one occasion I gave them some of our cow print ribbon to have a play with.  I received this wonderful email this week..........boy have they played.

Andrea loves the Tatty Teddy collection (so does Rachie!).  Look Tatty is playing with the ribbons as well.

Ooooh this card is so cute. 

Wow look at the design on the candle.  Tatty tells us to be candle safe and remove the ribbon before lighting it.

I think this brooch is my favorite, and think it would look stunning on a denim jacket.

Thank you girls for sharing your creations, I am really pleased to hear you enjoyed playing with the ribbons.  You can find the cow print range here

Would anyone else like some cowprint ribbons to play with?  Just leave a comment and we will pick two winners on Monday.  There are still unclaimed prizes from last weeks Friday FREEBIE, so please check it out.  Any problems with Henry (Sorry I have given him a name) our over active and very hungry spam filter, he likes nothing better then eating comments.  Just email  your comment to craftyribbons@gmail.com and we will add it for you.

What ever you are doing this weekend, we hope you have fantastic time.

If you are unable to leave a comment due to our spam filters (comment disappears when screen is refreshed), please email it to craftyribbons@gmail.com
and we will add it for you. All the comments go into our "Bingo" bag and we draw a random number(s) on Monday.
Please check back to see if you have won, it is up to you to claim your prize - we do not contact you.

.............we all have our fingers crossed for a quiet week.

I have managed to get some work completed today - hooray!!

Do you remember way back in August we launched our Basics 2 Go range here of Sheer and Grosgrain ribbons.  I kept promising you that I would add the Satin colours...........well the arrival of our Exclusive Christmas ribbons...................then we started our Autumn season of exhibitions..............then the Christmas rush..............what I am trying to say is that I never got round to photographing them or getting them onto the site.

This morning they we all inputted onto the system, nearly 60 different colours in assorted widths from 7mm through to 39mm.  You can find them all here.  Phew that is one large tick completed from my to do list!!

All the Satin colours come on 20mtr rolls and start at an amazing price of only £2.50 for the 7mm and 9mm widths, that's 12½p per mtr.

So sorry for the delay, I do know that several of you have been waiting for their appearance on the site.  Please rest assured I have had a weekly nag from the girls.........all I needed was extra time!

Miss Mollie had trouble holding all the four numbers from this weeks Friday FREEBIE.  She refused all forms of help.  Mollie do it! So who are the lucky four girls?

Number 5 = Laura
Will be thinking positive thoughts for you!  Nothing else will happen!

Number 27 = Leanne
Thank heavens you are safe.

Number 34 = Ardilla
Thankfully you are safe!!!
Thanks for the chance with your cute ribbons, please, pick me!

Number 45 = Carol
oh dear, what a fright you had and I'm so glad you are both alright. New car time? Why did you have all those firemen? Have they a need for ribbons?
My microwave went strangely wrong on Thursday.... New one is coming next week. First the turntable wouldn't go round and when I opened it to see what was wrong the microwaves didn't turn off so I could be radio active now (I tried turning it off at the wall and repeating so did this a few times)!

Would love to win this sexy bag of ribbons.

Carol x

Well done girls, we have your Bev's bags all ready and waiting for you, all we need are addresses please to craftyribbons@gmail.com.  Thank you to everyone that left super messages, yes we are all fine and looking forward to a quiet week!  Tony and I have a meeting tomorrow morning in Weymouth and we laughed with the girls this afternoon, that we were going to be delayed and may not make it back to work.  It took a while for them to work out that we were talking about having fish and chips for lunch looking out to sea!!!

Have a great evening

So.................I am not the only one that likes firemen!!!  Six firemen all in our front office, I must admit it did make me go weak at the knees.

Tony and I are a little worried, this is our second near miss in just over a week. Either someone has it in for us or we are being looked after from above.  We were driving from Salisbury, in Tonys car, approaching a roundabout when he announced he had no brakes.  Ummmmm ok.  In the movies the pedal goes all floppy and when pushed nothing happens.  Well ours was the opposite, Tony could not push the pedal down.  I could see the strain in his face as he tried to apply the brakes, but nothing. Female question here -" What are we going to do?.  he said- use the handbrake!  Silly me I should have thought of that - not.

Not quite achieved as simply as expressed, but we did come to a halt.  Thankfully it was retatively early in the morning and not many other cars on the road to avoid.  We limped back to Blandford, travelling at a very sedate pace for a noisy, scary Subaru rally car!!!

They say it comes in three's.........................................................................................

Onto ribbon matters, it is Friday so it must be Friday FREEBIE time.  I did have NEW items to add to the website yesterday, but as you can imagine I did not get much work done.   Soooooo........who would like a Bev's Ribbon Bag - Mystery? 

I feel so lucky to still have all my ribbons that we have four Bev's bags to give away. (I had a very disturbed night - What if?)

Leave us a comment and we will put you into our "Bingo" bag on Monday, any problems with our spam filters eating your comments, just email it to craftyribbons@gmail.com and we will add it for you.

Have a great weekend, I think Tony and I will be staying in all weekend, out of harms way!!

This is going to be a very very quick posting, I have been waiting for the internet to come back on for ages. I know they say that a watched kettle never boils, well the same goes for broadband routers!!

Sam helped me pick the winner this week, naughtly little thing was sat in my swivel chair, and thought it a great laugh to whizz around while I tried to take his picture.  Anyway I finally got this one.

Number 25 = Tracey
love love love them all but have gone for
pink
paws
silver
Gold
jubilee

have a great time in Bath , we've never been but are hoping to visit there this year

Well done Tracey all we need is a email please to craftyribbons@gmail to claim your prize.  Thanks to everyone that left super comments, yes we had a delightful time in Bath.  A super lunch and then a wander through the little back lanes, and a visit to a few of the smaller shops.

Sorry this post is so short, I want to publish before the internet dissappears again.

Have a great evening.

What awful weather we had yesterday.  The wind was mega here in Dorset.  I was happily driving to work down Tin Pot Lane and a large branch flew into my windscreen. No damage done but what a shock, by the time I got to the warehouse I was rather shaken up.

The girls made me a cup of tea, and just in the nick of time too.  We lost our power, first the lights flicked off - they hang from the ceiling and are very senstive, more so then the computers.  So Rachie ran to switch them off, next the main computers and then all the electrics which includes the phone lines.  The alarm decided it was under attack and started whirring away.  For several hours we were in semi darkness, the girls continued to pull orders, having to use their memories rather then the data base for what ribbons looked like!! 

On listening to the local news this morning, Blandford was lucky - Salisbury only 20miles away was still without power this morning. Yikes that would have played havoc with despatching our January Sale orders.

Have you had a peek at our January SALE - or are you being good little girls?

Which FIVE packs would you pick?  If you can decide on only FIVE that is, list them in a comment and you could be our first Friday FREEBIE winner of 2012.  You can find the packs HERE.

Hope you have something exciting planned this weekend, Tony is taking me to Bath tomorrow. I have not been out shopping since way before Christmas, so am really looking forward to it.  Tony has a favourite reataurant in bath so I believe he is also thinking of his tummy!!

If you are unable to leave a comment due to our spam filters, please email it to craftyribbons@gmail.com and we will add it for you.
All the comments go into our "Bingo" bag and we draw a random number(s) on Monday.
Please check back to see if you have won, it is up to you to claim your prize - we do not contact you.