Wednesday Trends - Tassels

Hi Everyone!  It's Christine here again, and today I get to show you a fun trend... Tassels.  I read recently on a Fashion Website  via Moxie Fab World that Tassels are going to be the trend in fashion this spring, so you can only imagine that they'll be the IN thing cardmaking too :)  So, lets start the trend early shall we?

I am so taken by this gorgeous new stamp set illustrated by Chris Dark, Season's Greetings.  The vintage country feel is just so well done in this set!   I thought I'd make something I can set out each Christmas as a pretty festive decoration, a 3D Christmas Frame.

I colored up this gorgeous Santa, and these pretty trees with Prismacolor Pencils and OMS, I stamped several of each and layered them in the design for a real Paper-Tole effect, the trees are under the glass and the Santa, the tassel and the buttons are overtop of the glass on this frame.  That way you don't lose all of the 3D effect.  

Now...how to go about making the tassle?  

First you begin by using a wider grossgrain ribbon (or something with that same type of vertical and horizontal weaving).  

I added a strip of Scor Tape where I wanted the fraying to end, and you'll need a pair of good ribbon scissors, nice and sharp. 

Now take your scissors and cut off the webbed edge of both sides of the ribbon up to the Scor Tape  (it's the fused edge that finishes each side of the ribbon).  

Now begin pulling out the short threads on the horizontal edge, you'll be left with long tassels hanging down. 

Once the ribbon is pulled to your desired length, you'll want to tie off the tassel.  I used jute thread and wrapped it around several times and tied a knot. 

Here you can see how I've tied it off and how I've attached it to the back of the design with more Scor Tape. 

There you have it!  You can make short tassels, long tassels, lots of tassels, they can be an accent or focal point...now go and have some fashionable trendy fun!