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Saturday 29 October 2011

Bows are the frippery of the devil!

Afternoon all, how are you?  It's late Saturday afternoon, there's an apple pie in the oven and we are considering battening down the hatches as it gets dusk and hanging garlic outside the front door to repel the invasion of witches, spooks, ghouls and vampires.

Now, you might say "Bah humbug" when I say I don't do Hallowe'en.  But, what I mean is, I see no harm in kiddies dressing up, scaring each other, having fun and bobbing for apples - no problem with that.  What I do have an issue with is this 21st century trend of turning everything into a huge marketing tool for the stores and for kids to go out to strangers houses to do what is not far short of begging and intimidation.  OK, I'm off that soapbox now.

And onto my next soapbox - bows!  Something strange has happened between Thursday morning and today because the sketch I printed off from the LOTV challenge isn't the one that's there now, so the card I made Thursday night I can't enter into the challenge and will have to make another one (grrrr).  And it was this card that caused a great deal of annoyance and frustration.


I thought it would be lovely to have a matching Organza ribbon bow on the central ribbon band of this card.  I have a bow maker and a Bow-Easy, so out they came on Thursday night and I sat and I practised.  I was very patient.  I tied a series of cute little bows, each one an improvement on the last, until I was happy I had the hang of it.  My sixth, and last bow, was the nicest with beautifully even loops and a flat middle and neatly trimmed tails.

So why, when I attempted to glue (Pinflair Glue Gel) it to the card did it turn into a wild, savage and totally uncontrollable beast of disproportionate dimensions that not only would not stick to the darned card but managed to smear glue everywhere and certainly did not resemble the perfectly formed ribbon confection that it had once been?!  In total frustration, I flung it into the bin where, once more, it looked like the bow it previously was.  Aaaargh!

And as it was late, I made the hasty decision to cover up the splurge of glue with some flowers cut from the same papers (double sided) that I had used for the base layers.  On reflection, it might have been better to chuck the whole lot in the bin and start again, which is what I've got to do now anyway as I used (somehow) the wrong sketch.  Botheration.

Yours, in a right old humph.
Hugs, Sxx

26 comments:

  1. Pssst... bows.... glue dots... or silicon glue directly onto the card then place the bow into the bedded in glue.



    Aj.

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  2. Yes those pesky bows can be tricky..I tie mine by hand...technique practiced over the years...but not all come out right..lol..I use silicone to stick or ...a drip of Glossy Accents ok you have to hold in place for a tick..but works everytime...its a lovely card..pop it in you Craft Fair box...dont throw it away...
    Hugs
    Jan...xx

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  3. Poor Squirrel. Maybe you're not getting enough sleep. It is the beginning of your natural hibernation season after all. Resisting the urge to curl up in a nice warm tree, snuggled up to your loved ones and dozing about, popping out in little spurts for a snack... that must be hard for you. And gluing bows on just seems like so much work.

    Well, either that or your anti-froufrou-frippery-fluff genes kicked in subconsciously when you weren't looking and freaked out. We are our own worst enemies some days. ;)

    Anyway, Rosie is still totally sweet. I'm sure if you decide to bin this self-claimed minor cardtastrophe, you'll come up with another squirreltastic creation. I have faith in you. =)

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  4. Anyway, lovely card, Squirrel. Your post and the lovely comments made me laugh....
    hugs Dorte

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  5. Yum!!! my fave colours, lovely card, hugs Vicky x x

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  6. LOL your posts do make me chuckle. Best way to stick bows down onto your card is either using a sticky dot or using silicon glue or pinflair straight onto the card - then pop the bow on - it never moves, wriggles, wrinkles or anything! Your card is fab btw. Hugs, Claire x

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  7. Wow, gorgeous card♥. Love the color and your colouring is just fabolous♥.

    Hugs, Marita

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  8. Kids banging on my door at all hours does not appeal to me either...my usual reply is..'show me a trick for a treat' they stand there with a piece of sheet wrapped round themselves. or just a mask on the face, blank expressions, and say they dont know any tricks...well says I ...no treats...and shut the door...and I really only respond like that to kids without adult supervision...but we dont get many here...we save ourselves for 5th Nov...guyfawkes night,and my G/sons birthday that night...

    As for your bow...yep...everytime..but still you have a gorgeous card..

    Luv CHRISSYxx

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  9. Oh Squirrel, poor you, what a botheration!!
    I am a bit of a lazy crafter, if it's a bit messy, fiddly or takes a long time I DON'T DO IT!!

    As for the Halloween palarva, I totally agree, last year i had 13 witches all at the same time and i was disgusted at the way they all tried to grab my plate of sweets. No Mr Nice Guy this year, I am not letting them anywhere near my sweets, they can put their hands out and I will put in what i feel like.
    I hope it is horrendous raining weather to stop 'em coming out!! Oh is that awful? I don't care!!

    Take care and your card is lovely. I like the ribbon and the flowers without a peski bow!
    Debbiexx

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  10. lovely card, flowers look fab. don't be turning into the Halloween grinch! :)

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  11. Mmmm when I was little all the kids in our village went round all the houses. We weren't fancily dressed and we were expected to sing or recite or something to get some monkey nuts or an apple or whatever. Sweets or a toffee apple if you were really lucky.

    I take it you have a wee bit of an issue with bows then Squirrel. I usually tie mine by hand and stick them down with a glue dot or glossy accents. Some are better than others. But never mind the bow your card looks fine to me as it is. That sweet image doesn't need a lot of fancy bits and pieces lol.

    Kat xx

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  12. Gorgeous card Squirrel
    Hugs Dianne xx :)

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  13. You know Squirrel, some days I can tie a lovely bow then other days they turn out totally rubbish.

    Your card is gorgeous even without a bow.
    Happy crafting
    Tracy x

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  14. Squirrel I am so sorry that the devil has cast his useless ornamentation upon you - however, seeing as you do everything else with such perfection I won't show too much pity ;)

    Your card is beautiful - I think it looks better with flowers anyway ;) Can't wait to see the 'real' LOTV entry ;)

    I can guarantee myself a chuckle when I start to read your posts x
    Carol x

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  15. Oh, Squirrel, thanks so much for the giggle! I know that you weren't feeling at all giggly but maybe by now? Anyhow it's still lovely...with your coloring skills that's what gets noticed! As somebody else said, stick it in the show bin not the rubbish bin!!! And next time...glue dots!!! As for Halloween I haven't gotten a trick or treater in years..won't have a thing to give 'em if I got one! But you are def. right it's gotten totally commercial and very greedy.
    Warm hugs,
    R/

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  16. Hi Squirrel
    Your card is gorgeous. Lovely colours and cute image. I have that image.
    If you are like me a bit messy with glue. I now used red backed tape, they stick to anything. They are extra strong. I get mine from The Ribbon Girl or something like Stix. Bit exspensive but worth it.
    Kathleen x

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  17. oh dear hun your ribbon dilemma would of had me turning the air blue at the first try. :D
    love your card, the image is so sweet and really gorgeous colours and design :D
    yum to your apple pie too and i am with you on trick and treat.i will shut my curtains earlier and i don`t answer the door.i won`t allow my son to go trick or treating, i don`t agree with it at all hence why i made him his own treat bag.

    xx coops xx

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  18. Oh hun you do make me laugh, I take it I won't be offered any apple pie as a treat if I knock on your door then lol.
    I always like to the confuse the trick or treaters and say "I'd like a treat please" and hold my hands out. You would not believe how many look really puzzled and give me sweets lol.

    Your card is absolutely gorgeous hun, so sweet and pretty.
    I always use Crafters Pick glue for bows & embellies as it dries quicker than pinflair and is strong, I haven't had any embellies fall off, yet!
    hugs Mandy xx

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  19. My sentiments exactly, I don't 'do' halloween either!
    Your card is gorgeous :o)
    Jackie xx

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  20. I'm not a fan of Halloween either, used to love the apple bobbing as a kid but all this begging is not for me. I'll close my curtains early tonight and ignore the knocking. Sorry to hear about your disaster with the ribbon but I do think it looks lovely with the flowers. Good luck with the Craft Fair. Debs xx

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  21. Ohh we have a lot in common!!! Bows and trick or treating:-) To think all my pupils are going to ring at my door, just because they know it is my house... I think I am going to visit my parents tonight LOL! Anyway I love your card, great choice of colours and papers and this little girl is too cute to go into the bin! BIG hugs Delphine xx

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  22. I bought a Bow Easy as i'm pants at doing bows, but i don't seem to have had much luck with it, don't know if it's because i an using grosgrain ribbon ???

    I agree with you about Halloween - i have a 4 year old, but i don't go round the streets with him and i have a sign on my front door 'No Trick Or Treating'

    Fabby card and lovely sentiment too, Luv Sam x

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  23. Hi Squirrel, this post SOOOO made me laugh !! Your card is adorable, but i do know so well what you mean about bows misbehavin'!! I don't have any bowmakers apart from my fingers .... I'm ok with quite large bows shape-wise following a tutorial by Bev Rochester, but haven't got it down yet for teeny bows. However .... I do find that sticking them down can be the greatest challenge cos they do tend to want to spring up off the page. In my experience my normal "sets rock hard" tacky glue just doesn't do the job ... and the one thing that can grip the little blighters is a LARGE glue dot!! I don't use silicone glue personally as I can't stand the smell of the stuff .. so that is my best solution to tame the little b****rs!!
    Hugs
    Pauline x

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  24. I just love the colours on this card! I hate bows too, got a bow maker but still can't do a perfect bow! xxxx

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I know there is no LIKE button to click, so I truly appreciate you taking the time to leave me a message in actual proper words. Thanks sooo much. Hugs, Squirrel xx