Flip Flop Time!

Yipee!  Summer like weather is here!  I'm thrilled to be going out without a coat now.  I love wearing sandals and other type of Summer shoes.  I had to make a birthday card and some thank yous for teachers (only 3 more day of school!).  The weather inspired me to dig out my "Flippin' Out" stamp set by Papertrey ink.  I was very excited to use this cute set. 

Aren't those flip flops adorable!  I used the latest PTI Make it Monday technique:  Debossing Stamped Images.  It involves using the die cut placed over your stamped images to make the paper indented at the spot.  My gibberish not making sense?  Check out the wonderful video by Dawn here.  I absolutely loved the look of the butterflies Dawn did but unfortunately don't own that stamp set...or any butterflies for that matter so I substituted the flip flops..not as dramatic of an effect since the dies aren't as intricate but still a nice technique none the less. 

I used the latest colors at the Colour Q blog.  I just thought they were perfect for the flip flops! 

I did a monochromatic look attempting matching the stamped flip flops with die cut straps/ flowers accented with metal studs. 

Oh and just in case you're looking for teacher's gifts I bought two of those double walled cups with straws you can put in the freezer and the beads freeze to keep the cups cool.  Something like this

They had them on clearance at Kmart for $2.50.  (But any cup would work just fine) I put some of those packets you can add to water to flavor it inside.  I did this last year too..it makes a wonderful yet inexpensive teacher gift. 

Sorry the photos aren't the best..I was rushing since I wanted to help hubby clean up the van. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Please come back again! 

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Last minute Christmas sale continues and Winter Tic Tac holders

Well time is winding down...before you know it Christmas will be here.  There is still a few days left though to make some goodies.  If you need something for the stockings or a simple quick gift for someone please stop by my store by clicking here and cash in on some great deals.

I am soo happy to report that I did indeed get the other Tic Tac holders done I told you about.  They are in the store now and are perfect to fill stockings with.  Check them out below.  If you would like to purchase them click on the words above the photos.

Snowman Tic Tac Holder

Snowlady Tic Tac Holder

Snowbaby Tic Tac Holder

Penguin Tic Tac Holder

If you like all of them and want to save some money you can buy the whole collection which includes the moose.  Click on the words below to purchase.  My favorite is the snowbaby.  She is made to be sticking her tongue out catching some flakes! 

Winter Tic Tac Holder

 I have yet another wonderful project to share with you from Shelly M.  She used my Notepad With Cover file to create an elegant notepad that would be great stocking stuffer.

 I love the bling she added and the double bows!  Shelly used K&CO paper and a Hero Art stamp for the sentiment.   Hmm I should make one of these to put in my purse as the one I have now doesn't have a cover and it looks pretty ratty!   If you would like to make one too simple click on the words above the preview to purchase.

Notepad with Cover

I know Christmas is just a few days away  so it is too late to mail cards but you may need one to give to friends and family along with their gift so I figured I'd share with you this beautiful card made by Shelly M also.

Here is what Shelly had to say about her gorgeous card.

"I kept this card simple by using a musical background stamp, embossing the sentiment, inking the card base, Shelly's gorgeous STARS from Build a Wreath (SS00027) and finally, using a Krylon gold pen to outline the sentiment and card base."

I don't have many backgrounds stamps but I want to invest in a musical and written word one someday as they really do make quick cards easily!

 Ohh take a look at the newest graduate in the family.  Hubby graduated last Sat with a BS!  We are sooo proud of him!  Doesn't he look handsome in his gown!  It's great to have him "back" and not tied down with school.  He is even baking Christmas cookies...bless him! 

Okay I still have a few Christmas things to finish up.  I hope you all have the best Christmas ever!  If you are traveling...I wish you safe travels!  Thanks for visiting me time and time again in 2010 and I hope you'll come see me in 2011!

Season's Greetings!

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Frugal Fridays: Lollipop Bouquet $1.00 today only and post it note holder project

Hi everyone,
Well, Halloween is over..Thanksgiving is coming and Christmas will be here in a  blink of an eye!  With all the festivities that occur at the end of the year those months just fly by don't they!  I vow to get ready for Christmas early this year as I'm always making last minute gifts.  I plan on enjoying Christmas this year instead of frantically rushing around..who is with me?!

I have a file on special for $1.00 today that might be helpful with your holiday gift giving and/or decorating.  My Lollipop Bouquet file is only $1.00.  Hurry though the price will magically disappear at midnight EST today 11/12/2010.   You could easily make this Christmas looking by using Christmas colors.  I could see it with chocolate Santa shaped lollipops too.   You could even use pencils and eraser tops to give this to a special teacher for Christmas.  Scroll down to see Sue's awesome million kisses bouquet.  Click on the words above the preview to purchase the file.
Lollipop Bouquet

Check out Sue's wonderful million kisses bouquet below.

Wasn't it brilliant of Sue to use chocolate kisses on skewers instead of lollipops?  Who wouldn't want to receive a bouquet like this?!  Love it!

If you have been following my blog you have read about these post it note holders I made for the Baltimore retreat and also as hostess gifts for crops.  Well they are having a craft sale at church and I needed something to take in for them to sell tonight.  So I made a bunch up yesterday and figured it's about time I share this wonderful project with you all.

I found the tutorial for these post it note holders from Chic' n Scratch's creative blog.  Click here to see her video tut.  I didn't stray far from the tut when making my holders but I could not find any chipboard coasters.  I considered knocking on the doors of  local bars here begging them to have pity on me and sell me a few but then I thought of something!  Yeppers the light bulb turned on bright that day!  I headed to our Dollar Tree for materials to make these holders.  I found everything but the coasters.  I was looking at the children's board books.  They looked similiar in size and sturdiness to the coasters so I decided to cut the books apart into individual coasters.  A bargain for sure as you get 3 books for $1.00 and those probably make about 15 coasters depending on how many pages are in each book. I borrowed a Zutter Round it All to make round the corners on these pages.  I was amazed at how easily it worked.  If Michelle gets more back in stock...I will be buying one!  However, the first ones I made I didn't have the Zutter so I took the pre existing rounded corner and traced it then trimmed by hand.  Works just as well!  So below are a few photos for those of you who are visual learners (like me)!

Turn this

into this

I found these cute pens three to a pack at our Dollar Tree...I couldn't resist getting them.  You can also buy the pens with the clear barrels and cut a piece of paper to fit the barrel and slide it in...that way everything matches!

Oh and I noticed the board books were pretty glossy.  I was afraid the adhesive wouldn't stick to them so I sanded my pages down a bit to give them some tooth to apply the adhesive too.  Also keep in mind since you aren't using coasters you will have to cover both sides of your board book pages with paper.  I choose a cardstock for the back as I figured it would take more wear and tear then the thinner paper.

Oh and one more tip.  I found that the little zyron X sticker maker is great for that piece of paper that wraps around the binder clip.  It's very important you have lots of glue on every inch of that paper so it smoothly goes around the binder clip and the X does a great job with this!

Above are a few other ones I made for the craft sale.  Sorry the photo isn't very good.  I'm in a hurry as we promised to take Tyler out for his birthday.  Last year we took him to this Japanese restaurant where the chefs cook in front of you on this big grill..they do tricks and stuff.  Tyler just loved it and asked to go there again.  I think we are starting a tradition here!  So I must go!  I hope you enjoyed the post it note holders.  I'm sooo glad I stumbled across Chic' n Scratches video!  They are soo easy to make..a great way to use up paper and ribbon scraps and very inexpensive too!  I had a blast making them!  I hope they sell well at the craft show.

I do have some Christmas themed files in the works including sentiments, brother, sister ornaments, and tic tac holders so stay tuned you'll be seeing them soon!  Thanks for stopping by!  Have a fab weekend!

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Frugal Fridays: $1.00 bouquet, 50% off storewide sale, penguin ornament, and glass block

Happy Holidays!  Are you in the Christmas Spirit?  If not I am having a fabulous sale that might get you in the moood!  See the details in the Ad below and it to go shopping!

That's not all I have for you today.  For today only 12/18/09 I am offering my lollipop bouquet file for only $1.00.  This price will expire at midnight EST.  See the clock on the right hand side to see what time it is in the store right now.  This makes a great teacher's gift...you can even replace the lollipops with pencils and erasers tops.  It also makes the perfect hostess gift.  Click on the preview below to purchase.  Also, scroll down to check out what Sue Shaff did with this file...she made a million kisses bouquet...how sweet is that!  She used Hershey Kisses and wooden dowel rods.    Oh yeah with Valentine's Day coming up this file would be perfect for the sweetie in your life too.  Perfect for those of you who are early birds and whom I admire greatly!  I haven't even begun to think about V-day I have yet to mail my Xmas cards! 

I'd also like to share with you a wonderful project by Kelly Stone a member of my creative design team.  She used gallery glass to paint the background of this glass block then she added vinyl cutouts to it.  This one uses my build a snowman file, tree is from Ginny's Happy Cuts Christmas Wishes file, and the snowflakes are from Sam and Hailey's Design's Itty Bitty Snowflake file. These blocks are soo popular now a days and they make quick gifts.

Click on the preview below to purchase my file at 50% off today!

I'd also like to share this wonderful ornament Sue Shaff made with my penguin file.  She simply cut out the penguin's belly and place a photo behind it.  She did enlarge the file a bit so she could use a larger photo.  I just love her out of the box and onto the tree thinking!  LOL! 

The penguin file is only available through my quarterly membership.  It is not too late to join.  You get at least 20 high quality files for only $10.00.  You can buy gift memberships too...just place the person's forum name in the spot on the order form.  Click on the the cutey below if you'd like to purchase my membership.

Oh and I have added another file to membership that was designed for all the little boys and big boys too in your life.  It is an airplane on a cloud box.  I love this box style..it comes together quickly and requires no glue to put it together.   Again if you'd like to purchase my membership click on the preview below.

If you don't care for surprises and want to know for sure what you are getting for your $10.00.  You can checkout the camera slideshow marked Membership Club files to the right and see what has been offered so far.  You can also show this slideshow to a fellow crafter and ask her if she/he likes what they see so you know if they would like the membership as a gift or not.

Okay time for lunch so Bye for now! Thanks for stoppping by!   Merry Christmas!
Shelly

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Technique Tuesdays: Ribbon Tree, freebie and another teacher's gift

Howdy!
I hope you are all enjoying the holiday seasons. I am listening to Christmas music and it's cold outside. I was watching a movie about Chirstmas in LA. I can't imagine being in shorts and celebrating Christmas. Just doesn't seem like Christmas without having to bundle up!

Okay on to the technique. This is a quick simple one in which you can use up some of those ribbon scraps or ribbons you have too many of! I am demonstrating it being used as a tree but any die cut can be used. Remember you can click on the photo to see it larger.



A few examples for embellishing your tree. OH Psst...I have the tree freebie for you later.



Hints and Tips:
I used plain ivory cardstock for my tree because I knew the ribbons would cover the tree completely. If you are using sheer ribbons keep in mind your base tree will show through.

Scor-Tape or Terrifically Tacky Tape (Red-Line) hold very well just about anything you want to add to your tree. Seed beads look very pretty but know that your base will show through that is why I added them on top of the red ribbon instead of the actually paper tree. You can add glitter in the same way. Just lay down the tape and sprinkle glitter on top. Flower Soft would work too...how about trying candy sprinkles!

Dew drops, pearls, brads, or dots of glitter glue can be added to the tree to act as ornaments.

It is very important you get the glue evenly dispersed on your die cut. If you don't you'll get bumps or loose unattractive ribbons.

You WILL get some fraying. You can apply some fray stop to the ends if that bothers you. Personally, I think it adds to the handmade charm and I actually considered using my scissors to make the ribbon fray and doing a rustic looking tree!

You can use any shape you'd like to as your base die cut...but keep in mind you will have to trim the ribbons off later. More intricate shapes will be harder to trim around.

This method can be used to decorate a photo frame too. Ribbon comes in such a variety of colors and style..it would be very easy to make a frame to match your decor.

You can substitute the ribbon with paper strips. Please note things look better if you vary the widths of the paper strips. This is a fabulous use of paper scraps!

Below is my example of a rather non-traditional looking Christmas tree. I loved this paper and thought the ribbon strips went with it so well. My inking could have been done better though. Oh and sorry about the photo..I didn't have the best lighting when I took it and it was too dark to go outside.



I used my folded photo corners for this card. I love how they fold around the corner of the paper or photo so no glue touches the photos. These are also great for placing photos onto card fronts since the recipient can remove the photo easily when they receive the card. If you'd like to purchase the file click preview below.

I'd also like to share with you another teacher's gift I recently made. My son's teacher asked for hand sanitizer to be donated throughout the year so I decorated the bottle with a penguin. Penguins are their mascots so it is great for a Winter theme for the classroom. After taking the photo so you wouldn't see the glare I applied clear contact paper to my design to protect it from Kindergarten hands! If yours is all paper then decoupage is a great sealer. I just wasn't sure how it would react with the Flower Soft I used on the scarf and hat...or the rhinestones I used on the snowflakes.



If you love this penguin and have to have it NOW! LOL! You must purchase my membership. Click the preview below to purchase it. You will be getting at least 20 files for one low price of $10.00 a grand deal! You can also purchase gift memberships. All you need to do is provide the Paperthreads forum name of the person you are buying the membership for. If you aren't a member of Paperthreads forum it's is easy and free to register.



Thanks for stopping by and letting me share a ribbonriffic technique with you! LOL! As a parting gift I am giving you the tree I used in my demo. I designed this tree with very simple straight edges making it perfect for this technique. Please be sure to grab it now if you want it. It will be gone in 24 hours. The zip file contains the AI, GSD, KNK, SVG, and WPC formats. Even though this file is free right now my TOU still applies. I ask that you DO NOT share this file but direct them here to download it themselves. Sorry freebie has expired.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Holidays!
Shelly

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Frugal Fridays: $1.00 file today only and a great teacher's gift idea

HEllo everyone,
Merry Christmas! I hope you are enjoying the holidays festivities. Only 13 days before Christmas. R U ready? I certainly am not...hope to get some shopping done today and get a tree this weekend.

Today only I have my Christmas parade file on sale for only $1.00. This price will disappear today at midnight CST so hurry and get it before that magical price vanishes. Don't forget this file has many other uses too. You could use the mittens on a snowy day page or winter greetings card, the carrot nose would work for carrots for reindeer or the Easter Bunny. The cloud can be use for rainy day layouts, or greeting cards. You could cut the cloud in green and it magically becomes a bush. Click on the preview below to see it in my store.



I'd also like to share with you how Helen used my birds of a feather file. She has magical powers! LOL! She turned the plain bird into a cardinal...making it perfect for Xmas. You can see she used it on a gift box and Christmas card. I just love that little birdie!



If you'd like to purchase my birds of a feather file. Click on the preview below to purchase it at a wonderful sale price of $1.5o. This price will be in effect the whole month of December.


Okay now to show you the teacher's gift. My son's student teacher had her last day recently at school so they had a going away party for her. I needed a quick gift...I could have done a slightly better job on the coloring and with the sentiment but once again I was headed out the door right after finishing this. It does go quick..coloring is the hardest part especially when you don't know what you are doing and the color keeps bleeding! It uses my notepad with cover file, the scallop circle is from my hummingbird card, and the girl and apples are a stamp called Sugar Plum: Apple Emma from C. C. Designs. You can buy the stamp at the Paperthreads store here.



The gift bag is very simple to make..just take a brown lunch bag fold the top over and punch two holes in to insert your ribbon through. add the scallop circle with a pop dot below where you bow will be. The paper clip is simple too just two scallop circles adhered back to back with pop dots with the paper clip in between. For more durability you can use silicone to attach the paper clip...I just didn't have time to let the silicone dry. I added a pen holder to the front of my note pad by cutting a rectangle strip of paper and attaching it with brads. If you would like to purchase the note pad holder (it was a previous frugal friday special so you may already have it!) or the scallop circle click on the previews below to see the items in the store.




Okay my daughter is wanting lunch. So I've got to go. Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous weekend!
Shelly

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Frugal Fridays: Notepad for $1.00..great stocking stuffers and teacher's gifts!

Hello everyone,
It's finally Friday! I have a good friend Elizabeth (aka scramper75) coming to visit this weekend! I can't wait to see her and hopefully get in some crafting time!

Speaking of Friday it's time for my frugal deal of the week. Today only you can get my Notepad with Cover file for only $1.00. This low price will expire at midnight CST today (Nov. 13, 2009) so hurry and get this great item before the dollar days are gone! This makes a great stocking stuffer! I like to keep one in my purse for jotting down things and keeping the kids occupied while waiting. This would also be great as a teacher's gift. It fits perfectly inside Sam and Hailey Design's all purpose treat box (see an example of this in my store here). You can place a tea bag or snack size candy bag in it too. You could even put a mesh bag filled with potpourri inside and use it as a drawer scent. Click preview below if you'd like to purchase it for only $1.00!

(Just wanted to share with you a tip....if you don't have any double sided paper make your own by using spray adhesive to adhere two sheets together...if your machine is capable of cutting heavy layers you could even do a two thin pattern papers and a solid cardstock layer in the middle!)


I wanted to share with you a card I made. See the snowflake? I used the same technique I used to do the the buttons on my previous post. (If you missed it scroll down). I started with only 1 white snowflake then several layers of poly sparkle embossing powder. I am simply amazed at how this turned that paper into a sparkly plastic type of material. I can't wait to make more!



Photos just don't do justice to how pretty the snowflake is but here is a close up and you can kinda tell how it looks like glittery plastic.



If you are interested in purchasing any of the files I used for my card click on previews below.



Kelly's baby will soon be here yet she continues to amaze me with all the wonderful projects she keeps cranking out! I remember my last few months...I was sooo tired and miserable...barely able to walk let alone be creative. I'm so proud of Kelly and how she's fairing this pregnancy sooo well! Okay now to share some of her creations!



Isn't that card adorable! I love seeing my build a.. files put to use. Everyone makes it their own unique creation by what they choose. Kelly used my build a turkey file. Click below to purchase. It's on sale the whole month of November!






Kelly put another one of my build a files to good use. This one uses my build a snowman file. I love the expression she chose. Did you see the cuttlebug embossing folder matches the background paper perfectly! Kelly is definitely the queen of embossing! It is soo funny..many times when Kelly creates something I see she used papers I have in my stash. I even have that ribbon too! Thus making it easy to copy her creations! I wish her and I could go shopping together one day...we have similar tastes it seems and I know we could spend a boat load of money together no problem! What's that they say..."Great minds think aike!". Click below if you'd like to purchase my build a snowman file.

Oh I almost forgot to mention. All of these cards were based on a sketch on Mojo Monday's blog. I am using it for my monthly card sketch challenge on the Paperthreads forum. If you participate you get a free file from me. Then all who post a card get their name in a drawing for another file from one of the other PT designers. If you like to join click here. You do need to be a member of the PT forum but registration is easy and free!


Have an amazing weekend! I hope you'll stop by next Friday for another $1.00 steal!
Shelly

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