Monday, August 29, 2011

Happy News, Cool Samples, Links & Giveaway Winner!

Hi Everyone,

I’m excited to tell you about some publicity we’ve received in Canadian Scrapbooker and Stampington’s Sommerset Holidays Magazines!

I also have some great links for recipes, cool craft ideas and the random.org WINNER to announce, # 30, Mary Ann in NY from 170 entries who said: “ What's not to love???!!! All of your products are AMAZING!” – “Gee thanks Mary Ann - but I haven’t been able to reach you”. So if anyone knows her can you please pass on the good news?

Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine has an article in this issue about how the business has evolved and how I grew up loving old stuff. It’s been an amazing journey and I’m so grateful to all the people who have helped make it easier and more fun, like you! Seriously, your ongoing support and encouraging words mean the world to us!

Sorry, I can’t show the full page article big and readable yet as it just hit newsstands and it’s too bad they missed the photo credit info but it’s talented DT Member’s Michele Kovack and Vicki Chrisman with me in the top left, who have both been creating samples for years! Vicki has been my head sample designer & teacher since 2004 and worked on several products. I should have snaped a photo of Cindy van Koll (our graphic designer) and my husband Scott who works non stop for Crafty Secrets now that he's retired! Jessica has gone back to school so we are training Denisa in the office. The bottom right was a fun group of ladies at our booth at the Scrapbook Carnival in Calgary, AB. We can’t make their next show this Sept as we leave in a week for France (more about that in my next post).

DT Member Jan Henning's has a really cute Halloween Tree project published in the Holiday & Celebrations issue of Somerset Magazine using our Halloween Stickers!

crafty secrets pub somerset Holidays and Celebrations

I am also seriously In LOVE with the new issue of Flea Market Style Magazine and all of the fantastic ideas they have for re-purposing old junk! It’s packed with cool ideas and instructions for stuff like these ‘suitcase shelves’ featured on the front cover! Look for our ad on pg 143. We are working like crazy on our CD #2, Creating With Vintage Illustrations and there will be all kinds of fabulous BIG images you will be able to use on home decor projects like pillows, seat covers, wall art, etc.

I just adore this Watkins dish soap bottle that DT Member Pam Hooten designed a new label for with our Queen Bee and French Mail Stamps. You can get the details HERE on Pam’s Blog and check out her new ‘Blog Makeover’!

DT Leader Vicki Chrisman also posted several photos of the layout she created with our Vintage Label set HERE and this Thursday we have 2 NEW Clear Art Stamp Sets to debut: Grand Greetings and Mini Frames!

Look at this great necklace DT Member Gini Cagle created HERE using one of the brass blank pendants we sell, an image from our Mini Vintage Scraps and Crystal Lacquer from Sakura Hobby Craft

Come join in our Splitcoast Challenge! I missed posting last weeks ABC Challenge but you can post samples anytime. The easy hints are up posted HERE and Cynthia is hosting and will post her sample tomorrow in a new Gallery! Just be sure to include the code as some samples didn't show up in last weeks Gallery.

I also have these other fun links to share that I think you will enjoy checking out whenever you have time.

Tip Junkie – WOW , Laurie has an amazing amount of projects people enter and she picks the 10 best ideas for creative ideas with a mix of home dec, re-vamping, great recipes and all sorts of fun craft projects! Over 700 entries last week!

AllRecipes.com has an amazing amount of yummy recipes and I love how you can search by topics like ‘healthy, asian, spicy food, etc. and then look at the highest rated recipes. This is where I found yummy recipes for Coconut Shrimp, Beer Margaritas, Low Card Guacamole and Mango Salsa!

Okay, I will be back this Thursday with our 2 new Stamp sets and I’m so excited about our trip to France I will share some photos of where we are going!

Wishing you joy & creativity
Sandy Redburn
Crafty Secrets

Check Our Store Locator
Visit Our Online Store
Join Us on Facebook!

This Blog: http://heartwarmingvintage.blogspot.com
Our Website: http://www.craftysecrets.com

Toll Free Phone or Fax 1-888 597-8898
Local Phone 604 597-8817

Crafty Secrets Head Office
15430 78 A Ave.,
Surrey, BC V3S 8R4

USA Warehouse
250 H. Street, #436
Blaine,WA 98230

Monday, August 22, 2011

Our Design Team Fairy Challenge, Crown Pattern Printable & Giveaway!

Hi Everyone, Today is our DT Challenge and the theme is fairies!

I’m excited to see what our DT ladies have created – plus I have the Free Printable Crown I posted in Feb in case you missed it, some great past fairy theme samples and a Giveaway!
But first, click on each of these links to see today's Design Team creations!

Vicki Chrisman Team Leader

Pam Hooten

Heidi Blankenship

Linda Duke

Michele Kovack

Julie Campbell

Amy Teets

Debbie Marcinkiewicz

Fauve van Maanen

Gini Cagle

Jan Hennings

Tammy Roberts

Victoria Warren Mears

Viola Mahr

I thought this crown would be great for fairy tea party hats or if you know a little fairy queen girl that is having a birthday. Printed on pink cardstock it’s easy to jazz up with gems & glitter. Just click it on to get larger & save it to a picture file.

Hah – I still just have just this one photo of our dog Otis (excuse his scary eyes, he’s blind) modeling the quickie sample I made.

Here’s an adorable fairy crown that Samantha Sibbet entered into a Party Hat Contest we ran way back in June 2009 and won. Samantha used an image from our Fairy Homespun Cotton Scraps.

I still love this album DT Leader Vicki Chrisman created a few years ago using our Fairy Enchanting Stickers and our Wood File Folder Album. Plus – they are on $Sale for $2.98! They don’t come with much except the wood front & back covers, 2 binder rings and 3 color sample projects ideas (including this album) with a supply list.

Back in Feb 2009 Melanie Kaye was a guest designer who created this adorable pendant using an image from our Fairyland Stamp Set stamped by stamping on polymer clay.

Melanie also stamped this sweet little cotton gift bag using our Fairyland stamp set as well.

Did you ever see these fun altered bottles that designer Nathalie Kalbach from Scrapbook Trends had published using our Altered Fairy Scraps earlier this year?

Look at how past DT Member Lisa Zappa used Flower Soft with our Fairy Enchanting Stamps to give her fairy a head of hair and add a meadow of flowers.

Our Altered Fairy Scraps are so popular and past DT Member Melissa Phillips used them to decorate this adorable 3D Shadow Box Frame (designed by Vicki Chrisman) in portrait or Landscape styles when they first debuted.

We finally received our NEW Vintage Labels Clear Art Stamp Set and I’m thrilled with the way how detailed they stamp and all of the possibilities! You can read details if you click on the link above.

Look at this fabulous layout DT leader Vicki Chrisman created using the stamps! The yellow & cream paper is from our Vintage Pattern CD. Vicki is going to post it with more photos & details one day this week.

Okay, now to our GIVEAWAY! Just leave a comment here and a random.org winner will get a $50.00 gift certificate & free S&H to pick any products they wish! So, tell me what you love best? Winner announced next Monday August 29/11

Wishing you joy & creativity
Sandy Redburn
Crafty Secrets

Check Our Store Locator
Shop Our Online Store
Join Us on Facebook!

This Blog: http://heartwarmingvintage.blogspot.com
Our Website: http://www.craftysecrets.com

Toll Free Phone or Fax 1-888 597-8898
Local Phone 604 597-8817

Crafty Secrets Head Office
15430 78 A Ave.,
Surrey, BC V3S 8R4

USA Warehouse
250 H. Street, #436
Blaine,WA 98230

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Inspiring Ideas, Link to Giveaway & Reminder

Hi Everyone, this Monday, Aug 22 is our Design Team Fairy Challenge, so be sure to come back!

We had so much fun at the Scrapbook Expo Show in Santa Clara last week and met so many new customers! We don’t have any new shows scheduled – but you can find a good selection of our products at almost every show now in the Nicole Petersen Booth. They devote a large section for just our products and sell at CK and Scrapbook Expo Shows.

I have a bunch of great samples to show you but first I wanted to tell you about DT Member Pam Hooten’s Giveaway you can enter HERE to win all these fun products!

Here is a pretty album Pam created using a Regal Album and she is giving one away in her Giveaway! I adore the papers she used on the cover from our CD, Creating With Vintage Patterns and all the supplies she used, which you can see more photos and enter to WIN Here on her blog!

I love these tins that DT Leader Vicki Chrisman embellished with images from our Mini Vintage Creative Scraps! NOTE: the same BEE is on the inside of our Mini Scraps and on our Queen Bee Stamp Set. You can get the details and see more photos HERE on Vicki’s Blog.

The stamps are all separate so you can create different combinations like this wonderful card that DT Member Heidi Blankenship created with the Queen Bee set and Spellbinder products. You can get all the details HERE on Heidi’s Blog.

Look how cute the tea cup stamp looks stamped 3 times and stacked on this adorable card DT Member Michele Kovack created using stamps from our Tea With Alice Stamp Set. Most of the characters from the story have their hand out on this fun set so they can hold the tea tray, teapot, cup, birthday cake or cookies. You can see the details HERE on Michele’s Blog.

DT Member Linda Duke created a great tutorial showing how she used inks and Prismacolor Pencils to color and add shading to her card using our Antique Trims Stamps, paper from our CD and an image from our Little Blessings Scraps. You can see a bunch of close up photos, the full supply list and watch the photo video HERE on Linda’s Blog.

I love the little trinkets that DT Member Julie Campbell created, especially the sweet pendant she made with an image from our Mini Vintage Scraps! You can see all 3 HERE on Julie’s Blog and get the details.

Julie also has a wonderful story on her blog HERE about how we share and pass on skills to our children like sewing, cooking, cleaning and gardening, often taught to us by our mothers and grandmothers. Life is busy but I think it’s so important we take time to teach our kids (sons & daughters) any home skills we can. One of my loves is cooking and I’m delighted I’ve passed that passion on to my 3 daughters (wish I could say that about cleaning). But I I know my favorite times are when we are all together in the kitchen cooking and talking. I love the image Julie used here from our Sew Nice Scraps on her tribute card.

Look at this digital layout DT Member Amy Teets created with layers of papers, a frame, buttons and journal card off our CD, Creating With Vintage Patterns. Hands down – the coolest part of digital is how you can quickly add multiple layers, any embellishments and make changes with no mess! The files are all jpg or png, so you don’t have to have digital software, you can simply print and use any of the designs.

I like the way DT Member Jan Henning's decorated this plain wood box by tearing the paper off some corrugated cardboard and adding images from our Halloween Scraps.

How about this adorable card that DT Member Tammy Roberts created HERE using the sweet pea girl from our Farm Fresh Scraps and paper from our CD. Love the way the red trim on the paper ties in. Not sure who the pretty roses are from but the 'Hello' stamp is from our Best Buds Postcard Kit.

DT Member Victoria Warren-Mears is in charge of decorations for a friends wedding shower and is going to create favors for the guests using the treat holder template from our CD. She made this sample but to keep a wedding theme, she’s going to print the black design on white card stock and add pink ribbon. You can also hang them from the little handle.

Victoria also made this quick and pretty pendant HERE on her blog using an image from our Bird & Blossom Scraps with a Memory Frame from Ranger. It would be perfect tied to a gift (like a bottle of wine).

I had to laugh when I saw this adorable card that past DT Member Marisa Grosson created using our new Let’s Hang Out Clear Art Stamps. This large set is so much fun and has so many creative possibilities with all the expressions and images like the clothes line, iron, crown, martini glass, etc. You can see another really cute card Marissa also made with our Birds of Happiness stamp set HERE on her Blog.

DT Member Violetta Mahr captured perfect shabby loveliness on her beautiful card here with her inking, stitching and all her pretty embellishments. The ‘Love You’ image is from our Love Mail Scraps and the paper is from our CD. Get details HERE on Violetta’s Blog.

Lastly, I wanted to tell you about a fun and easy challenge that Joanne Allison is hosting over at Splitcoast to use any of our products and create something with a square theme. I’m in love with this beautiful Christmas card she created using our Christmas Joy Stamp set. I think this is one of the most versatile sets we have ever created and I love the way Joanne used the single branch to stamp a larger branch, added the red gems, stamped the snowflake background and the sentiment across the gold embossed ornament with the glitter. You can see the Gallery HERE and join in the fun! Just be sure to add the code: CSSC185 to make sure yours shows up in the Gallery.

If you don't subscribe to this blog, be sure to come back this Monday, Aug 22 and see all the fabulous creations our DT ladies create for our Fairy Challenge! Our new Vintage Label Stamps will be in stock and I have a great layout to show you and a GIVEAWAY!

Wishing you joy & creativity
Sandy Redburn
Crafty Secrets

Check Our Store Locator
Visit Our Online Store
Join Us on Facebook!

This Blog: http://heartwarmingvintage.blogspot.com
Our Website: http://www.craftysecrets.com
Toll Free Phone or Fax 1-888 597-8898
Local Phone 604 597-8817

Crafty Secrets Head Office
15430 78 A Ave.,
Surrey, BC V3S 8R4

USA Warehouse
250 H. Street, #436
Blaine,WA 98230

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Fantastic New Samples, 2 Free Printable Gratitude Quotes & See Us at Scrapbook Expo Show Aug 12&13!

Hi Everyone,

I'm doing an overdue post before I leave for the Santa Clara Scrapbook Expo Show today and have everything from boxes, clocks, cards & layouts. We are driving to the show and would love to meet you if it's in your area. We also have free gifts with any purchase over $15.00.

I'm so grateful for all of your support I also have 2 free printable gifts in vintage quotes today with a 'gratitude and thankful' theme! They are out of an old 1914 calendar book (the dates were no good) but the calligraphy lettering is hand done. There will be more of of them on the CD's we are working on. Please remember our printable freebies are for personal use only. Just right click until it gets as large as possible and left click it with your mouse to save it to a picture file.

I also have some wonderful samples to show you and check out the gift boxes and clocks! First, look at this fabulous layout DT Leader Vicki Chrisman created using stamps from our Down on the Farm and Farm Chicks Stamps. You can get details HERE on Vicki's Blog

I adore the pretty card DT Member Linda Duke created using our new Vintage Silhouettes Clear Art Stamp Set. You can get the supply list and details HERE on Linda's Blog

I love the way DT Member Heidi Blankenship used the Expoxy Stickers we've been selling
over the dress form from our Sew Nice Scraps and our Material Girl Stamps

Look at this pretty card by DT Member Michele Kovack created using an image from our Love Mail Scraps with an embossing die. Love the glitter! You can get details HERE on Michele's Blog

Becca from Amazing Grace has been printing papers from our CD again and creating more beautiful card s like this one where she shrunk down the sheet music birdy page and used another sheet behind it . You can get the details HERE on Becca's Blog. I will also be posting some tutorials on using the CD soon after I get back home.

I also love this wonderful box Becca created and used the same CD paper Jan used on the clock posted farther down. It's not our sentiment stamp but you can get the full supply list HERE on Becca's Blog You have to check out how she added the little 'spools of wisdom inside.

Here is a fun box that DT Member Amy Teets created using our Alice Scraps which is perfect for a birthday gift. You can see photos and details HERE on Amys Blog

I'm in love with this clock that DT Member Jan Hennings whipped up HERE from a junk store clock she picked up. I think it's the paper she used from our CD, as it's one of my favorites. Look around your house and see what you might be able to re-vamp with some of your fav paper scraps!

DT Member Victoria Warren-Mears also made a cute clock and did her's in a retro style for the kitchen, using papers from our CD and images from our Domestic Goddess Scraps.

Debbie Marcinkiewicz has been busy creating and recently made this card using this image from our Wonderland Tea Scraps and you get the rest of the supply list and see more photos HERE at the Shabby Tea Room Challenge.

Look at this beautiful card Debbie created using our Blessing Scraps! It's no surprise she won the Pink Elephant Challenge. I love the ribbon rose she added with this image

Darlene Pavlick is hosting the Crafty Secrets Challenge this week at Splitcoast and I love here idea to case an older card for inspiration and she pick one of my fav designers - Lisa Zappa! Lisa used our Sew Special Stamps HERE on this card and stamped the 3 ladies a second time to create a row, with the sentiment.

Here is the card that Darlene created and she used our Garden Girl Stamp set and you can get the details and join in the fun HERE as today is the first day!

Ooops, I almost forgot, check out these great paper weights DT Member Julie Campbell found at the dollar store and transformed HERE using our Mini Vintage Creative Scraps!