Birds & Words

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Frosted Film CC3C #32

Hello summa!!  I can take a hot week over a cold day anytime and I LOVE summer.  I was born for shorts and flip flops.

We had a certain teacher come to the shop and teach a few years ago who was wearing some really cute shoes she had decorated.  I can't tell you her name (it starts with Wendy and ends with Vecchi), but she's sort of a sandal enthusiast.  Okay, she's a full blown sandal freak but this was a great idea.  Based on her inspiration, I started doing make and takes in the summer at the store for tourists to trick out their flip flops and, of course, tricked out my own.

This summer mine were kind of sad.  I had done them forever ago and they needed an update. I thought this challenge was a good time to do that AND do a tutorial on how to interchange your FFF (flip flop flair).


Our challenge this week uses Tim's self adhesive Frosted Film.  You can pick some up at your local craft shop or order it from our sponsors, Funkie Junkie Boutique or Inspiration Emporium.  It comes in a roll like waxed paper and you get a ton of it, 12 x 72 inches.  You can apply it to a variety of surfaces to give a soft, translucent frosted effect.  The technique Tim teaches is on page 59 of Compendium of Curiosities.  You'll need your own copy for our challenges and for your own general creative health and well being!


I've employed Tim's technique using Frosted Film and die cut butterflies from his new Butterfly Duo die and embossing folder set.  As you can see in the photo, I tested my coloring on the die cut scraps, which I recommend that you do.  I differed a little in the way I applied color from Tim's book in that I  put a few drops of Archival reinker on a felt applicator and inked my die cut pieces.


A little text over my butterflies with my favorite script stamp.


I shaped the butterflies with a heat tool.


I heat shaped a white butterfly layer and stapled the two together with my mighty Tiny Attacher.  LUUUV that thing.  I used my dark brown waxed linen to wrap and form a butterfly body and to partially hide the staple.




I hand stitched some strips of Tim's Eclectic Elements fabric on the edge, pulled the thread and made yoyo's for a backing for my little butterflies.  


I wanted to create some antennae but the waxed linen was too thin.  So I braided some strands, tied some knots and then cut between the knots.


I glued the antennae and the die cut greenery sprigs to the yo-yos with fabric glue.  Now time for the tie assembly.....

I like to make these so that I can tie and untie them on my flip flops.  So here's my system:
Thread a tapestry needle with waxed linen or a narrow ribbon.  Tie a knot at the end and another knot about 6-8 inches higher.



Pull the needle from back to front of the yoyo.  Your higher knot will catch and leave a 6-8 inch tail.  Stitch the butterflies to the yo-yos, with the last stitch coming out the back.  Knot the thread to secure and then cut the thread to leave another 6-8 inch tail.  You can trim and shorten these later if they're too long.

I needed to do it this way for my butterflies.  If you use flowers, you can just thread your tie through a button flower center, leaving the tails hanging from the back.

I used a button and red ribbon so it would be a little easier to see to a demo.
Here's how you tie the FFF to your flips:





This is challenge number 32.  We're gonna have to start using Roman numerals, this thing is getting so epic!!  If you aren't aware or are new to our challenges ("welcome!!!" in high falsetto), please check out the beautiful Linda Ledbetter's website for poetically worded guidelines and advice that will make you eligible to win inspiring prizes!  Funkie Junkie Boutique has donated a generous $25 gift certificate to a lucky random winner.  Tim Holtz and Mario Rossi have donated a incredibly cool cache of giveaways to the Curiosity Crew choice.  Be sure to leave a note on each Curiosity Crew blog to be eligible to win either prize!!

Three more chances to win!

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Thank you so much to all of you who expressed thoughts and good wishes for my husband.  He's on the mend and doing great.  I so appreciate your kind words and care.

30 comments:

  1. Cheryl....I LOVE this idea and your butterflies (FFF) are epic! Super cute idea courtesy of the lovely Wendy Vecchi but you have really made this idea your own with these little winged beauties. Your tutorial is really worth the time you put into making it...directions easy to understand and pics are great. Your post is so lyrical and beautifully written!

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  2. Very nice and wonderful idea to give new look to flip flops, I think I'll try it too, thanks to great tutorial.
    Happy Independence Day

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  3. Oh my gosh Cheryl! These are the cutest and I absolutely adore the butterflies. Definitely going to jump back in and join this challenge. :) LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

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  4. Charyl, what a genius way to use the frosted film to embellish and renew some flip flops. I got to try that. Thanks for sharing your cool project.

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  5. Wow! What a clever idea and a beautiful transformation of those flips. The butterflies are fabaroonie. Besides the CC3C board, I must pin you on my Altered Shoes board!

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    1. You have an Altered Shoes board?? This is why Ima MarjieFan. <3

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  6. Oh wow Cheryl, what a fabulous idea (I want to go and do this right now!), the butterflies are stunning and I love the little base you created for them. Clever, clever, clever! Thanks so much for the 'how to' as well. Anne x

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  7. WHOA!!!! LOVE that you altered shoes...my favorite things ever! LOVE those butterflies!!! You are so creative and clever!!!

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  8. oh so pretty - this is brilliant xx

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  9. Love this creative idea, Cheryl! Those flip-flops were so beautifully transformed! I love them! Great job!

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  10. OH my goodness, what a fun idea this is! And what pretty toes you have, my dear.

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  11. These flip-flops are soooo cool. I may have to have a go at this before I go on my holibops. Love the butterflies.

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  12. What an awesome idea!! Love the butterflies!!

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  13. You have GOT to be KIDDING me!!! These woukd sell like hotcakes around here!!! I can't wait to show these to my Besties!! I can just see us sitting together in our usual circle....makng these together!! ✌️😎

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  14. OMG CHERYL! These are soooo cute! What a clever way to update flip flops!! I love those beautiful frosted butterflies--they completely look like two butterflies have alighted upon your feet!! Just WOW! Love your summer toes, too!! :) :) XOXO-Shari
    (So glad that your hubbie is doing well!)

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  15. This idea is fabulous!!! The butterflies are gorgeous!!!
    What a great way to use the film!!

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  16. I have to admit, I wasn't prepared to see feet when I was looking at the challenge! I love how your fancy flip flops turned out. I live in flip flops for a good part of the year(being in Arizona people wear them year round, but I have to respect my Massachusetts upbringing and wear closed toe shoes sometimes). I think its time to deck out a pair.

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  17. Oh my Cheryl! What a fabulous way to dress up a pair of sandals! Those butterflies look amazing! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  18. Not only have your decorated your flip flops with some amazing flair but make it easy to change it up! Love your butterflies. Great idea for the antennaes too.

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  19. OH MY ... HOW ADORABLE these Butterflies are ... what fun !!!

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  20. Now this is just too clever! Cheryl, I can't believe what a lovely pair of flip flops you created. Love those frosted butterflies! Happy Weekend!

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  21. these are the coolest flip flops ever!!

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  22. I can't enter this contest, but I Really love this idea. And even though I can't get my hands on any of that crazy awesome frosted paper, I'm so inspired by your project I'm going to fancy up an old pair of my own flip flops; with a few minor changes. I have some frosted shrinky dink sheets I could try using, lol. And I like to put a spooky twist on my crafts, and since I absolutely LOVE bats I'll be using those instead of butterflys.
    -Nikki- (/|\_{^.ω.^}_/|\)

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  23. I'm blown away by how those butterflies GLEEM! I'm not a flip-flop kind of gal but I'd buy a set of these juist for the butterflies!

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  24. Hey, how would these look on Crocs? (Seriously; I only ever wear Crocs! LOL) What an ingenious idea to make interchangeable flip-flop flair! Your butterflies turned out really great and I love the tip for testing the colors on scraps first. Thanks so much for the inspiration!

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  25. this is such a cute idea! Great tip for coloring; mine didn't get nearly deep enough.

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  26. Brilliant Cheryl a totally genius project love your flip flop make over ! Toni x

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  27. Cheryl, you are stylin! I love how you used the technique on those flip flops...absolutely wonderful. I will have to try your coloring technique. My colors are softer which worked for my piece but I would have liked them a little brighter.

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  28. Okay AWESOME!!! I wanna do this to my flip flops!!

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