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Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Spring brings flowers!

April 1 brings a new monthly challenge of ANYTHING GOES AND INCLUDE A HANDMADE BOW at Craft-Dee BowZ.  I've chosen to do something different than my usual 'coloring' and have taken out my old faithful rubber stamps from the early 1990's by Art Impressions and my Tombo watercolor markers. I've stored these markers for 15 years in a plastic container with their sketch tips down and every single one I picked up still worked!


I colored each rubber stamp with a watercolor marker and then stamped it. Sometimes I'd stamp more than once to get 'generations' of stamping. After I finished stamping, I took a small watercolor brush and would 'paint' some areas with water so the colors would bleed. Although I didn't learn my technique on-line, since those were the days we all took classes at our local stamp shops, you can see the technique here.  I saw kits by Art Impressions at the latest convention in Mesa, Arizona where they sell an unmounted rubber stamp and also 2-3 small greenery or flowery stamps together to make a project. In the 90's, each stamp was bought separately so I've collected a varied assortment of stamps to use.


That's a button in the middle of my bow, but I've 'adjusted' it a bit. I didn't have the perfect color that I wanted so I took my Versamark pad and inked the top of the button and sprinkled some purple pearl embossing powder on it and then kept adding more and more embossing powder until it was nice and soft and then I took a watering can charm, cut off the top loop, and pressed it into the hot embossing powder so it became embedded in it. Then I heated it up one more time to be sure that nothing short of an atom bomb could dislodge it. I made this birthday card for my friend, Roxie, who loves different techniques and it has to travel from Arizona to Michigan and I refuse to have someone open up a card and it's falling apart.


And this is my bow. It's a double loop and you can see how pretty it turned out. I'm super happy with my new bow tool by Craft-Dee BowZ.  I was a 'hand' bow maker for years and then when I wanted bows with more than one loop I experimented and tried nails in a piece of wood (BTW even clean nails leave a mark on the ribbon). And then when I got my Craft-Dee BowZ tool and now double and triple loop bows are so easy to make!

I attempted to use my solid papers to make a frame around this watercolor, as if it were matted. I didn't want to over-embellish this, but I had these perfect pearls which I used to continue the "framing" of this picture.

The challenge at Craft-Dee BowZ this month is ANYTHING GOES AND INCLUDE A HANDMADE BOW.  I hope the cards you've seen today at Craft-Dee BowZ by the Design Team have inspired you to add a bow to your project and enter it in our challenge.

                                                                                 Hugs,
                                                                         Gail

This card is entered in the following challenges:
Crafting with an Attitude, Fussy and Fancy, QKR Stampede, Throwback Thursday, Sister Act, Creative Corner, Crafty Calendar, 613 Avenue Create, Come and Get It, Sentimental Sundays, Stamp and Create, The Pink Elephant, Amusing Challenge, Whoopsi Daisy, Crafting from the Heart, Eureka Stamps, Craft Your Passion, Aud Sentiments, Little Miss Muffet, Di's Digi Designs, Simply Create Too, Little Claire's Designs, One Stitch at a Time, Corrosive Challenge, Melonheadz Friends, Not Just Cards, Scrappers Delights, TimbroScrapMania, Art by Miran, Monday Morning Challenge, Natalie and Amy's, Crazy Challenge

33 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful card. Loving the stamped image and that gorgeous bow and charm. Thank you for sharing this with us over st Crafting from the Heart. Sue DT. x

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  2. Gorge gorgeous card, love how you have coloured your stamps, I am sure your friend will love this card. Gail

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  3. This is a fabulous card today Gail its just delightful i love everything about it perfect love and hugs Carole x

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  4. This is so beautiful the image is beautifully coloured gorgeous bow set off by the button .Thank you for joining us at Aud Sentiments challenge good luck Ginny ♥

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  5. Beautiful card!!! Thank you for joining us at Aud Sentiments, good luck!!! Amy DT

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  6. A GOgeous scene! I LOve your colours, design and this yummy bow..
    Thank you sooo much for joining us this week at QKR Stampede.
    Chrissyxx

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  7. So very pretty Gail, such a pretty image and I love that lush bow, gorgeous!
    hugs Jacee
    Simply Paper Card Design

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  8. A beautiful card Gail. I love the stamped image and soft water colouring of it. Love how you embossed the charm into the button! Susan x

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  9. Wow, the stamped image you have built up is incredible, all those little stamps carefully inked and placed - just stunning :-)
    And then you have framed it perfectly with the pearls and gorgeous bow *sigh*

    Big hugs, Kat xx

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  10. Gail, this is just gorgeous. Love your water colouring and the beautiful scene you have created. Thank you for joining in the Fussy & Fancy Friday challenge this time. Hope to see you again.

    Hugs, Vannessa
    Fussy & Fancy Friday DT

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  11. Breathtaking card, Gail! I love the fab bow and your button embellishment!

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  12. Pretty garden card. Lovely colours and little details. Thank you for joining us at Come and Get It this week. Judy DT

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  13. Beautiful flower garden, Gail, and I'm sure Roxie will appreciate all the time, love and effort put into this creation. I'm glad you kept the main focus on the image, since that's what you put the most work into. Makes for a simply stunning, elegant card - worthy enough to be a framed water color!! Pretty bows, pearls and background paper, along with the appropriate watering can to keep these babies bloomin' !!!

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  14. Wow, Gail! Just simply gorgeous! Looks like you painted it! Just stunning! Thanks for sharing it at The Pink Elephant Challenge!

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  15. Very pretty! Thanks for sharing your lovely creation for the Craft Your Passion Challenges, hope to see you again soon, hugs, Helena

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  16. This is so pretty Gail and I love the way you finished it off with that fabulous bow xx

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  17. Gorgeous card. Love your water coloring. Thanks for joining us at Melonheadz Friends.

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  18. I love the soft colors of your card. The bow and metal charm really pop. Thanks for joining our challenge at 613 Avenue Create.

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  19. Such a pretty card thanks for playing at little claire

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  20. This is really beautiful love the scene made with the different stamps and great watercolour technique,gorgeous bow and love the little watering can
    Carol x

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  21. So beautiful Amy. I love the pretty image and your coloring is amazing. Love the watering can charm. Thanks for joining us at One Stitch at a Time. Good luck. Maggie - DT

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  22. I like soooooo much this "Spring window"!
    Thnak you to share with us on the TSM challenge... and come back soon.
    xoxoxo Eulalia

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  23. This is so pretty and so uncomplicateed. Love it! Thanks for slipping this under our door here at 613 Avenue Create1
    Hugz
    Chana, Owner

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  24. What a lovely card!! Got to try this technique someday.
    Grtz Janette

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  25. Beautiful! Thanks for joining us at QKR Stampede & Eureka Stamps this week. Karal DT

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  26. Stunning! Love the image and that gorgeous bow with charm. Thanks for sharing at Eureka! Stamps Challenge More Spring. Lisa DT

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  27. Gorgeous card!!
    Lovely colors.
    Thanks for joining our Spring has sprung challenge over at CCC.
    Linda DT-CCC

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  28. Beautiful technique Gail. The colors are so beautiful - truly perfect for that image. Thank you so much for linking it up at Little Miss Muffet Stamps!

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  29. This is gorgeous, Gail! Fantastic job on the water coloring! Thanks for joining us for the Little Miss Muffet Challenge!

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  30. This is absolutely beautiful, Gail. I love the watercolor stamping, and such wonderful flowers and spring colors!
    Thank you so much for playing along in my Monday Morning "Colorful Creations" challenge!
    xEllie

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  31. Oh my word... This is so beautiful!!! Love the scene and the colors too!! Thanks for joining us at Sentimental Sundays.

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  32. this is amazing Gail... I'm spechless! I love love love it!!!
    xoxo

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