I was inspired by Linda Aarhus when I saw the flip flops that she had embellished using a Bigz Die and decided to make some of my own using a different, and my most favorite die, Flower Daisies #2…didn’t they turn out cute?  And they are OH SO EASY to make…instructions follow along with a printable version so that you can have them to hand…

I used some of my favorite Flip Flops – they were available to Demonstrators for a very limited time earlier this year and do you recognize the pattern?   It’s from the Pink Flamingo pack of Designer Series Papers which is so summery – Stampin Up has merchandise for us to purchase a few times a year and this always features patterns from some papers which is neat…Being a demo is sooo cool and has sooo many perks and right now you can become one during June for JUST $99!!!  That’s right, JUST $99!!! You can find out lots more information by clicking HERE – sign up before midnight on Sunday and I will give you a pair of embellished Flip Flops AND a stamp set of your choice valued up to $40 FOR FREE!!!

So how do you embellish your own flip flops?  Easily and as follows…simply take a pair of Flip Flops, purchase some foam sheets* from any craft or big box store, get out your Big Shot and a Bigz Die, Brads or Buttons, Glue Dots and a Hot Glue Gun…

Run your foam through the Big Shot using the Bigz Die of your choice – I used Flower Daisies #2 on pg 199 of the Catalog – the Island Floral Bigz Die would work beautifully too that is featured on pg 27 of the Summer Mini and you can see an example I made using that Die at the end of my post…

Assemble your flowers using Glue Dots and add a brad or button of your choice to the center – use a hot glue gun to adhere this to your flip flop and repeat…and there you have some very cute flip flops that are very unique and individual.

This would be a fun and very affordable project to make with kids during the summer vacation or as a craft activity for a girls birthday party or sleepover especially when you can find great quality flip flops so cheapily this time of year – for example, they are just $2.50 at Old Navy right now which is a great deal…  You could also make them for fun party favors for family events and birthdays this summer…how unique would that be?  Your guests would love them…

To give you a few different ideas, below are flip flops that I embellished using the Island Floral Bigz Die…

And here are the daisies again, except in a different color configuration which gives a different look…

And finally here are some that I created for July 4th…and I am giving these away for FREE to the lucky winner of my Blog Hop Candy…yep, I’m hopping again from tomorrow through Sunday in a blog hop that showcases Last Chance Stamp Sets – come back tomorrow and leave me a comment for your chance to win some Blog Candy that includes these cool flip flops…

* I found a stack of 50 foam sheets in a rainbow of colors at Walmart for just $5 – this stack gave me sheets of foam to use for months to come and is a great deal…

WANT TO PRINT OUT THIS TUTORIAL?  PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION WHICH WILL OPEN IN A NEW BROWSER WINDOW

There is a brand new Bigz Die called Island Floral that has debuted in the Summer Mini Catalog and  you can create some absolutely gorgeous 3-D flowers using it that would be just perfect for creating decor for a summer table and for events such as bbq’s, luau’s and weddings…you can even use these flowers to create your very own lei’s for guests to wear…how cool is that?

You can find this die on pg 27 of the Summer Mini Catalog which you can view online by clicking HERE and it is exclusive and only available from Stampin’ Up!…  I have had enquiries about making these gorgeous flowers so put together this tutorial – there is a link at the end of this post where you can print out and keep your very own copy 

To make these flowers you will need the Island Floral Bigz Die, your Big Shot with standard cutting plates, Cardstock in colors of your choice, your Paper Trimmer with Scoreblade or a Score Tool, a Paper Piercing Tool and some yarn, twine or string…

Using your Big Shot and Island Floral Die cut out 5 flowers and two leaves in colors of your choice – I used Rose Red and Old Olive for my flower…

Next take your paper trimmer with scoreblade inserted or using a scoring tool, score 5 lines onto each flower from the edge to the center and fold…

Cut 4 lengths of yarn, twine or string to be approximately 8″ in length and tie a knot at the end of each.  Thread each piece through a flower so you end up with 4 flowers threaded and one leftover…

Take the leftover flower and make the hole in the center a little larger – I simply used a pencil point to make mine larger – and thread all 4 strings through that hole…

Being gentle, pull the strings through and pull them so that they are snug – you can adjust your flower petals to display them how you wish and once you have them how you want them to be, tie the strings together and cut off the excess – try to tie the strings as tightly as you can to keep your flower shape…

Finally take your leaves and a Paper Piercing tool – grasp one of the leaves in your hand and take your paper piercing tool in the other – run the tool up the length of the leaf – this will create a curl in your leaf and make it look more realistic…

When done, adhere the leaves to the underside of the flower using Sticky Strip or Snail and there you have an absolutely beautiful flower that you can use for any occasion simply by changing the colors to suit your decor…

This Die co-ordinates beautifully with the Island Oasis Designer Series Papers, Tropical Party Stamp Set and Party Favor Boxes which makes it so easy to produce co-ordinating decor and favors for a summertime event -  using the cute  Polka Dot 6×6 Album you can even make up a scrapbook of your event to give to those special attendees afterwards as a keepsake…you can find all of these items on pgs 26 & 27 of the Summer Mini so be sure to check them out…

WANT TO PRINT OUT THIS TUTORIAL?  PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION WHICH WILL OPEN IN A NEW BROWSER WINDOW

You can find more of my project tutorials by clicking HERE and if you have any questions about making these flowers, please email me and I will be very happy to help…

Big apologies for my absence from blogging – we had the dreaded Strep Throat bug visit our house and my girls were very poorly with it – but now everyone is up and well and thankfully back to school and normal life has resumed…phew!!!

I have to tell you that Stampin’ Up! have just released some brand new My Digital Studio downloads including the most beautiful Designer Series Papers – the collection is called Summer Splendour and features six stunning floral backgrounds that will make creating scrapbook pages an absolute pleasure…I can’t stop looking at these beautiful papers and you can view them below – you can find details and images of the other new downloads just released by clicking HERE

This first one is my favorite and features lillies…

I am loving this blue one too…

Next we have these gorgeous Gerbera Daisies…

Then we have a beautiful greyscale one…

And then we have a riot of gorgeous wildflowers…

And finally we have a page that reminds me of being back in England on a country walk looking at Foxgloves…

Aren’t they beautiful?  And the best bit is the price – this digital download costs just $4.95 and you have them literally forever – the beauty of My Digital Studio is that once you download a pack of papers  or embellishments you don’t use them all up – unlike a pack of DSP where once you have used it up, you need to buy more they are on your computer to use as often and for as long as you would like – they never run out making them fabulous value for money!

You can find out lots more information about My Digital Studio by clicking HERE – it is available for both the PC and Mac and it comes pre-loaded with 61 Stamp Sets, Designer Series Papers, Scrapbook Kits and loads of Embellishments, Cardstocks, Inks and Punches – it is just unbelievable value for money – if you have any questions about this wonderful product please Contact Me and I will be very happy to help.

Did you enjoy the Blog Hop?  There were some fabulous ideas put together by some very talented Demonstrators…I love working with these ladies – it’s so much fun – and the Summer Mini is just amazing…if you haven’t seen it, I have a link on my sidebar where you can view it online…

The set I used for my projects was BOUQUET BUNCH that you can find on pg 21 of the Summer Mini – it is a bargain priced at just $13.95 (or $10.95 for Clear Mount) and this is what it looks like:

I promised more details and some closeups of my projects plus the winner of my Blog Candy…so please read on…

Well from the comments  the favorite item was my card where I turned the vase into paper pieced fish – aren’t those fish cute?  And SO easy to do…take the stamp, some ink and some DSP – I love how they turned out…

Because I wanted to create a summery beach theme I used some brand new DSP from the pack Island Oasis that you can find on pg 27 of the mini – that Tempting Turquoise Polka Dot paper is just PERFECT for this effect – I used So Saffron cardstock for the ‘sand’ and used my Color Spritzer Tool with my So Saffron Marker to make a sandy effect.  I attached the fish using Dimensionals and put in a little metal hook with Linen Thread running from it (pg 183).  The silver frame?  Sooo simple to make – I took some Brushed Silver cardstock (pg 159) and my Circle Scissors Plus & Glass Mat (pg 191) and cut it out and adhered it to my DSP (which I also made a hole in using the same tool) – I attached my top layer onto my base using Dimensionals to give a real framed effect…

The sentiment is from one of my absolute favorite sets, Teeny Tiny Wishes (pg 145) and I used my large and small Oval Punches to create the tag (pg 186) – I used a shell and some Micro Beads (pg 180) threaded onto Linen Thread as a cute finishing touch…speaking of that thread, I LOVE it – it costs just $4.50 for 15 yards and I use it for so many projects…I used it again below on my chocolate bar bundle…

By using Punches and this Thread you can easily create tags for any occasion…I love em…and don’t you just love that DSP that I wrapped the candy bars and my charm box in?  Again, another paper from the new Island Oasis pack…you are going to love that pack of papers…

Finally here is how I made my frame for my Mothers Day card – I simply used the Modern Label and Word Window Punches that you can find on pg 186 along with Dimensionals (pg 192)…firstly punch your Word Window shape out of a piece of cardstock…

Then take your Modern Label Punch and position it centrally over that hole…

Punch it out and this is what you get…attach it over your sentiment using Dimensionals and it creates a very cute frame…

Can you tell that I am loving that Island Oasis DSP?  Well tomorrow I am going to show you a very cute Scrapbook that you can make using it – it would make a perfect gift for Mothers Day or for end of year Teacher Gifts…so please come back then to see it and for a Tutorial that you will be able to print out complete with photos so that you can easily recreate it yourself…

Lastly the winner of my Blog Candy…the lucky winner will be receiving a Simply Adorned Bracelet and a Simply Adorned Square Charm…and the lucky winner chosen by random number generator is…

Comment no. 11 – Lora Oliver – who gave another vote to the fishy card – a BIG congrats Lora – I hope you enjoy your goodies 

I hope you enjoyed the Blog Hop…and remember to come back tomorrow to see that scrapbook…it’s CUTE…

Welcome to Stop no. 14 on the Stampin Addicts Summer Mini Catalog Blog Hop – you just arrived here from Twila’s fabulous blog and  now that you’re here, I am going to show you some fun things that I made using the set Bouquet Bunch that you can find on pg 21 of the mini – it is a super cute set featuring flowers, leaves, a vase, a pot and some adorable critters – and an absolute bargain at just $13.95…read on for my projects plus info about my scrummy Blog Candy…

If you know me, you know that I LOVE versatility…soooo it got me to thinking about what to make that’s a little bit different…we have teacher appreciation week coming up and one of my girl’s teachers just loves chocolate so I came up with a little something to give to her on Monday…I hope you enjoy it Ms Phillips…

I took 3 Hershey bars and stacked them, then stuck them together using a little Snail adhesive – I cut a piece of paper from the gorgeous Island Oasis pack that you can find on pg 27 of the Summer Mini and wrapped it around the bars to form a wrapper and then used  stamps from Bouquet Bunch to make my tag – I also used Punches, buttons, beads and linen thread to decorate…what a yummy treat…I hope she enjoys it…

Now I found myself looking at these stamps trying to work out a way to use them outside the box…hmmmm…I turned the little vase stamp horizontally and BING – a lightbulb went off – it looks like a fish!  I ran it past my 7 year old and she confirmed it instantly when she said ‘that’s a fish mommy’ and thus this card was born…

Aren’t they cute?  I simply stamped the vase onto some Designer Series papers and cut them out – I added eyes that I made using small circle punches and voila – there you have CUTE little fishy’s swimming around a hook…this card also uses paper from the gorgeous new Island Oasis pack which is sooo summery…I just can’t stop using it!  On Monday I will have lots more info and close-up photos and the how-to to make this super cute card…

Well, we have Mother’s Day coming up and what a great use for this flower themed stamp set – order it on the 1st and it will be here in time for your Mothers Day projects.  This is a Mothers Day card that I came up with using the beautiful flowers and stems stamps from this set…

I used my Stamp-a-majig to ensure perfect alignment of my flowers and stems and colored them in – like the label?  I took my Modern Label Punch and then punched out the center using my Word Window Punch to create a frame that I mounted on Dimensionals – its a cool effect…and I just LOVE how Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive work together…absolutely beautiful…on Monday I will have a close up photo of this neat little tag so can see how fab it looks…

Well, as I was on a creative roll I decided to make a  side item to co-ordinate with the card…this is a Simply Adorned box containing a necklace and large charm that I am sending to my wonderful Mother in Law and I wanted to show you how easy it is to package up a little unassuming gift like this to make it look a bit special…

I created a wrapper again using Island Oasis DSP (can you tell I love it?!) and tied around a piece of Rich Razzleberry ribbon – I took a 5/8″ square charm and put a stamped image* into the charm and tied it onto the ribbon using a piece of Linen Thread – I love to use those cute charms in this way – not only do they make a gift look really special, but the recipient can use them with the chain that you put in the box…

And that leads me onto my Blog Candy…leave me a comment to let me know which project you like the most and you will be entered into a drawing to win a Simply Adorned Bracelet and a Simply Adorned Charm – and be sure to come back on Monday to find out who the winner is along with lots more details and photos of my items…

I hope you enjoyed your visit – you are now leaving to visit the magical creations that Kim has come up with at Stitchin’ and Stampin’ by clicking HERE - and don’t forget to come back on Monday!

* The heart stamp is actually from the set Tiny Tags that you can find in the Occasions Mini Catalog on pg 28 – these stamps are the PERFECT size to use in the little charms and make it SO easy to put together a charm gift in minutes…

I was looking through my craft closet this morning and came across the box full of stunning swaps I received at Founders Circle in September and found the card made by the fabulous Shelli Gardner – yes, she participated in swapping there too! I couldn’t resist showing you her card…it is simple yet stunning…

To attend Founders Circle was just one of the amazing perks that has happened since I joined Stampin’ Up! as a Demonstrator – and the upcoming annual Convention is coming up in July which is sooo fun to attend – additionally I am about to choose 8 free stamp sets that I earned this year too – want to enjoy lots of perks and get the chance to go to Convention as well?  Click here to find out about the many benefits open to you when you become a Demonstrator…

Shelli’s card base is Kraft with a strip of Not Quite Navy down the edge – she used the French Filigree background stamp (pg 133), Of the Earth Level 1 Hostess set (pg 13) and the polka dots are from the set For All You Do (pg 118) – I just love how she stamped her images in Not Quite Navy and Crushed Curry directly onto some DSP from Bella Blue – a very elegant look…and look at that accent of yellow she used by adding some Polka Dot Ribbon and layering her bird onto a shape cut out using the Curly Label Punch…

I love this layout and think it is adaptable to use for so many occasions…and with just a pack of DSP, a stamp set or two and a few colors of cardstock you can create a batch of similar cards to have to hand for thank yous and birthdays…it’s on my list to do…

I absolutely LOVE the Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper Stack in the Occasions Mini Catalog – you can find it on pg 33 and it is a stack of 48 double sided papers that perfectly co-ordinate with one another and it is a steal of a deal at $24.95 – this makes each sheet just 51c which is an amazing price for quality scrapbooking paper…

The Sweet Pea stack features lots of beautiful patterns and some sheets feature the most adorable flowers and birds that are perfect on their own to create the most amazing scrapbook pages…I also love to cut or punch those flowers and birds out to feature them on cards – the card below is just one of my ways to do this…

I chose papers from the stack that had the colors Old Olive, Bashful Blue and So Saffron in them – I punched out squares from various patterns using my 1″ Square Punch and arranged them into the order I wanted – I adhered them to a piece of Old Olive cardstock and tied around a piece of 5/8″ Old Olive Grosgrain – I then matted this onto a piece of So Saffron cardstock.

I took a 1 1/2″ Metal Edged Tag (pg 181) and punched out a piece of DSP featuring another cute bird – I stamped my sentiment onto it from the set Teeny Tiny Wishes and adhered it to the tag.  I punched a hole through the top and tied it to the ribbon using a piece of Linen Thread and used Dimensionals to secure it to the card base…and there you have a very easy but co-ordinated card to use for any occasion by simply changing the sentiment…

Want to try this paper without buying the full pack?  I still have a couple of spots available in a paper share and satin ribbon share from the Occasions Mini – please click HERE for more details…

AND IT’S SOOO EXCITING!!!  In a color shake up Stampin’ Up! are releasing 5 BRAND NEW COLORS and bringing back 10 RETIRED IN COLORS to add to the core color collection in July – this is fabulous news!

Want to know what In Colors are coming back? Baja Breeze, Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, Rich Razzleberry, Riding Hood Red, River Rock, Soft Suede, Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point and Wild Wasabi – isn’t this exciting?

Want to know what new Colors are coming? Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, Cherry Cobbler, Cajun Craze and Early Espresso – delicious names…

Want to see the new Color collection and to find out which colors will be retiring in June? Click HERE or on the picture of them below for lots more info and close-ups 

To make room for the new ones some have to go…if you need to stock up on any of your cardstocks & ink refills for those that will soon be retiring, you can order directly online 24/7 by clicking HERE… I would urge you to order sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment…

Additionally ALL colors will be available in Markers, Watercolor Crayons and Pastels – this is fab news for you watercolorers out there!  The new colors will be available to everyone from July 1st – but if you are a demonstrator you get to order them early – not a demonstrator yet?  Find out more about joining my Ink Spot Stampers group by clicking HERE

Want to see more NEW stuff? Yesterday Stampin’ Up released some new Digital Downloads for My Digital Studio including a brand new alphabet set that will be featured in an upcoming catalog – Rough Type Alphabet which is just perfect for those rustic projects and I used it in my page below along with the gorgeous Pink Pirouette which is coming back soon – Rough Type is available for purchase NOW and you can see this and other brand new downloads by clicking HERE

The page above is to say a BIG Happy Birthday to my dear Mum-in-law Diane – Happy Birthday Diane – hope you have a fabulous day 

As always if you have any questions please click here to contact me and I will be very happy to help.

Firstly, a very Happy Easter to all…I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing family day…

I came across something that I made last year that I thought I would show you – it might give you more ideas on how to use those retired bargain items that you can find on sale in the Clearance Rack right now…

I made some decorated clipboards to hold lists for end of year Teacher gifts last spring and for my base, I used the On Board 9×9 Clipboard which is available right now in the Clearance Rack for ONLY $2.99!  I used some Designer Series Papers from Good Morning Sunshine to decorate it and that pack of paper is also there on sale for just $3.99 – what an amazing price!

I traced around the clipboard onto a piece of DSP from the pack Flock Together (pg 162) and cut it out.  I took my chipboard branches and owl from the On Board So Tweet pack (pg 185)  – I painted the branches using brown acrylic paint and traced the leaves onto a piece of DSP from Good Morning Sunshine – I cut out those leaves and adhered them to the chipboard.

I cut out another piece of DSP for my owl and painted his feet yellow – the buttons for his eyes and those on the tree branches are from Button Latte (pg 181) and I used some Linen Thread as a finishing touch on the flower buttons (pg 183).

For adhesives – I found that Mini Glue Dots work well for adhering the buttons, Sticky Strip for adhering the paper to the clipboard and Tombow Multi-Purpose Adhesive  for gluing the chipboard pieces – all can be found on pg 192.

We are coming up to Teacher Appreciation season and this is such a cute and economic gift to make and  give – to purchase the Clipboard and a pack of retired Designer Series Papers from the Clearance Rack will cost JUST $6.98 – this is an amazing price and you can embellish your clipboard however you wish – you get 12 sheets of double sided papers in each pack of DSP and so you could buy just one pack and a few clipboards and you are well on your way to making gifts for multiple teachers…

To find the Clearance Rack simply click HERE – then click on ‘Shop Now’ in the top right corner of the page it takes you to and you will find it – all of these items are only available whilst stocks last so be sure to check it out soon…

Stampin’ Up! added a bunch of stuff to the Clearance Rack a couple of days ago and there are some unbelievable bargains in there – you can get packs of retired Designer Series Papers for just $3.99, Simply Scrappin Kits for just $7.99, pots of Buttons for $2.97, packs of Rub-ons for $4.97, ribbons for $2.97 and lots of other fab products…

Here is an album that I made last year and most of the products I used on it are available right now in the Clearance Rack…the album is made of shaped acrylic sheets and co-ordinating chipboard sheets that I found in a scrapbook store – not shown on the photo below, but to the finished album I tied lots of 1/4″ Grosgrain ribbons onto the rings as a cute finishing touch…

I used Designer Series Papers from two packs – Good Morning Sunshine and Raspberry Tart – and various ribbons including the beautiful Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon – they all co-ordinate so beautifully together.  The front of the album uses Rub-ons from the pack Bright Delights which I just my favorite- by using a sheet of DSP on the page below my acrylic cover, the rub-ons are highlighted beautifully.  ALL OF THESE PAPERS, RIBBONS AND RUB-ONS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE CLEARANCE RACK RIGHT NOW UNTIL STOCK RUNS OUT!

Other embellies that I used on my album are 1/4″ Grosgrain Ribbons in the colors Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose and Old Olive (pg 183) – buttons from Playground and Sherbet (pg 181) – and felt flowers from Flower Fusion (pg 180) along with various colored brads (pg 179) and beads from Bead Duos (pg 180) – I love how you can tie ribbons thru the holes and onto the edges of these acrylic sheets and that the album is layered so that you can feature embellies down the edges…I use Mini Glue Dots to attach buttons etc as they hardly show thru the acrylic the other side…

And to show you some more rub-ons from that fab pack, here is a birthday card that I made for one of my little girls for her 7th birthday – it uses papers from Good Morning Sunshine and rub-ons from Bright Delights, both of which are in the Clearance Rack…I wanted to create a simple, bold but striking card and it worked out so well…

I had forgotten just how much I love these rub-ons as they are colorful and just fun to play with and such amazing quality which makes them very easy to use…I love the cute owl that is in there…I just had to order a few more packs for him alone and what a deal – you get two sheets of rub-ons in each pack for just $4.97!

Have a great Easter Saturday…if you have any questions please contact me and I will be very happy to help – and happy browsing the Clearance Rack!