Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Stamping on Polymer, Blog Candy, and 2 Challenges!

Hi Everyone,

I have some great samples, a cool technique, details on 2 of our current challenges you can participate in and other news. Plus – I’m giving away this beautiful necklace designed and hand stamped with our Fairyland stamps by artist Melanie Kay!

Just post a comment HERE on this blog and tell us your favorite craft, whether it’s card making, painting, beading, photography, knitting or scrapbooking, what do you love to play with and create? Be sure to leave your contact info or check back here. A random winner will be drawn for the necklace and also second winner for a $30.00 gift certificate for any of our products on Monday March 2/09

Melanie Kay is a multi talented artist who has been stamping on polymer clay to create wonderful jewelry pieces that she hand paints. She designed a pretty necklace with our Cherub stamps that I bought from her and wore at the CHA Show last month. So many people asked me about the necklace that I asked Melanie if she would share a few tips and I have a link HERE to her Etsy Store where she sells her creations. Check out her other pieces including her ‘torn paper pet portraits’ like the samples I’ve shown below!
Melanies Tips and Supplies...
I use white Sculpey brand polymer clay to stamp on. I mix in nutmeg to give it kind of a stone like appearance and as an added benefit, it also smells nice! I prefer that look to the plain white, although it would work just fine without it. I've experimented using the regular clay and a product called Ultralight. There are pros and cons to each. Ultralight accepts ink very well once it's baked but it is kind of sticky and very hard to work with. It's also not very strong. The regular clay is much easier to work with but doesn't look as soft and pretty when painted. I paint them using Palette ink pads. Here is the tutorial I learned the coloring technique from on YouTube. After painting and heat setting each piece, I give them several coats of polyurethane gloss varnish.

I love the way Melanie used our Cherub stamps on this necklace and colored the journal angel with dark hair and skin and if you scroll down you will see she the same angel stamped and colored blond and lighter. These necklaces and the other items are all for sale in Melanies Etsy shop.

On this cute necklace Melanie used the little nurse from our Feeling Yucky stamp set. wouldn't she be an adorable gift for a nurse!


She also designs buttons with pin backs and used the cute robin from our Bird Note stamps to stamp the button on this card. The flourishes are from our Cherub stamp set.


Melanie says she loves playing with new materials and surfaces and she has also been creating little muslin bags to stamp on. I love the colors she choose to color the little pixie fairy from our Fairyland stamp set on this bag.


She also admits to loving anything with Kewpies and was first drawn to our stamps when she discovered we had a Kewpie stamp sets. She decorated this wooden tote using a combination of stamps from our large Kewpie stamp set and our medium Fishing Buds Kewpie set. It turned out so cute I had to show you all 4 sides!
* NOTE: This tote is not for sale. She made this one for herself.



As I said earlier, Melanie is multi talented and likes to design and play with all sorts of materials. I was fascinated by these pet portraits she custom designs for people using a photo of their pet - with torn paper! Look at the actual photo of the doggie below and you will see she totally aced this dog! I think I'm going to order one of these for our dog Otis and frame it. He's our company mascot and he is fluffy like this cute dog.
I also want to tell you about a couple of fun challenges! There is still time to enter the 'Spring theme' challenge over at PaperCraftPlanet we are giving away two random $30.00 gift certificates! So far, there are not many entries, so the odds of winning are good! You can get the details HERE. You can also see the gallery HERE.
Marcy is hosting the challenge this week at splitcoaststampers.com. You can get the details HERE and you can see the gallery HERE. Her challenge is to create a single layer card using any of our products.
PLUS - Our wonderful design team is teaming up with the talented Glimmer Mist Tattered Angels Design Team and there will be 4 groups posting samples every Monday next month! Be sure to come back and check out all of the fabulous samples each week!
PLUS - The talented Marlene Bender will be a guest designer next month and I will be sharing some of her great creations as well!
Don't forget to post your favorite craft here and you will be entered to win our random draw for the fairy necklace or the $30.00 gift certificate I'm giving away. Plus, I would love to hear what craft everyone likes!
I will also be giving you a peek at our new Creative Scraps coming in March!

Wishing you joy & creativity
Sandy Redburn
owner

Our Online Store Locator
Our Shopatron Store


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

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

Monday, February 16, 2009

Think Spring Ideas!

Hi Everyone,

This is a quick post to let you know our talented Design Team has been busy creating some wonderful samples with a Spring theme that I wanted to share with you as well as some links to some other fun things! Vicki Chrisman, our DT leader, hosted the challenge and created a sweet little Spring plaque and this Easter Spoolie album.


You can see all of sample photos and the details when you click on each DT members name below. Each one is perfectly wonderful and unique!

Thanks DT ladies!


Vicki Chrisman - Spring Plaque and Easter Spoolie Album

Anna WightEaster Bi-plane Card

Lisa Zappa - Easter and Garden Stamped Cards

Pam HootenEaster Egg Stamped Cards

Heidi BlankenshipFramed Garden Girl Stamped Picture

Marisa Grosson - Spring Stamped Treat Bag

Michele KovackGarden Girlfriend Stamped Card

Vivian Peters - Spring Heart Plaques

Linda Duke - Garden Notes Stamped Card

I also wanted to show you this adorable Spring Joy card that our graphic designer Cindy van Koll created using on of the images from our Seasonal Booklet. I just love this little boy running down the hill with his bunny friends! I also wanted to tell you about the current issue (April) of Create & Decorate Magazine because it’s a great magazine and they also have a 2 page biography written by Judi Kauffman about me (blush) and our little company on pg 56 & 57, covering our journey over the years. Judi, who is also an artist and designer, is one of those talented writers that interviews you and you feel like you are talking to a friend because she is so genuinely warm and creatively inspiring! She also really walks her talk and knows this industry so well!

Her article begins from my childhood travels with my mom to rummage and thrift sales and covers the evolution of the business and the people that helped make it all possible! I felt all sappy and so proud after reading it. I think we are all feeling ready for Spring and happy that Winter will be over soon. This card that Barbara Anders created sums it up… Winter is for the birds! I read on Barbara's blog it was the first time she’s used fabric or sewed on a card and I think she did a fantastic job! Barbara used our Winter Cotton Scraps and she posted her card in the Spring Challenge over at Paper Craft Planet HERE! That’s right, we now have a Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage group that Jan is running over at papercraftplanet.com and you can read all about the Spring challenge Darlene posted and enter a project. We will be doing random draw the end of March (Mar 28/09) from all the entries and giving away two $30.00 gift certificates for any of our products and we will pay the shipping!

Plus, in case you missed this beautiful journal and paperweight set that DT member Heidi Blankenship created using our Bird Lover stamps, you can see more details HERE on her blog as well as more CHA photos.
Sending you all wishes for sunshine and joy!
Sandy Redburn
Owner

Crafty Secrets - Heartwarming Vintage

Our Online Store Locator
Our Shopatron Store
www.craftysecrets.com

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

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

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

Thursday, February 12, 2009

New Stamp Set, Love Cards, Challenge and Feel Better Samples!

Hi Everyone,

I have lots to share with you today! First I wanted to show you a new stamp set that just arrived. It’s so new I don’t even have samples to show you yet, but I will post some asap!

SL 21 Garden Girls is a large set with 18 separate stamps. Many of the designs were created from bits and pieces of old etchings and the detail is amazing! There are 3 little garden girls that can be built into a variety of scenes with the tree, stone walls, gate, spade, flower pot and watering can. The sentiments will work well for friendship and birthday cards, stationary, notecards and garden keepsakes. The 2 poems read; ‘Friendship is the flower that blossoms in the heart’ and ‘For your Birthday Garden these wishes are sent to express, the hope that every day will bring growing happiness’ Birthday, Wishes, Girl and Friend are all separate stamps. The floral flourish,‘Garden Notes’ and ‘Stamped by’ are little add-ons that make this set extra special.
The Garden Girl sets are starting to ship to stores now. Please check our STORE LOCATOR HERE, or ask your favorite retailer to contact us. We've been shipping lots of CHA orders to stores! If you wish to buy online you can get them now in our SHOPATRON STORE HERE. and also see it larger there.

A couple of blog posts ago, I showed you some wonderful Valentine keepsakes our Design Team had created. I also found some great Valentine love themed cards to share today, a link to a fun paper heart basket idea and a challenge called 'Show the Love'. Also, if your still looking for creative ways to say I Love you this Saturday to someone you love, be sure to read my list of 32 ideas HERE.

Design team member Vicki Chrisman created a new adorable box set of fun girlfriend Valentine cards in a pink & black theme using our Girlfriends Booklet. You can see the NEW CARDS HERE on Vicki's blog. Last year she also made these other 2 card sets shown below. You also have to check out her cool storage idea for storing Stickles. I love the cute vintage style tray she used!

I realized in the other post that I missed this sweet couples album that DT member Pam Hooten made for her parents last year using our Cherish stamp set and paper from our Pastel Paper Pad. Sorry I didn't post it earlier. It would make such a great valentine, wedding or anniversary keepsake. You also have to visit Pam's blog HERE to see the new Valentine banner she created!


How about these 2 fab Valentines DT member Lisa Zappa created last year using the diamond and sheet music papers from our Earthy Paper Pad with the heart and 'Love' stamps our Cherish stamp set. The little kids on the 2nd card are off our Valentine Cotton Scraps. Check out this new Valentine Bingo card on Lisa's blog that she created.
DT member Marisa Grosson used the same heart stamp on this card below with a pink and green combo that works perfectly. The pink floral paper is from our Radiant Paper Pad. You have to see all the other cards HERE on Marisa's blog to see the other sweet Valentine card, Boys Birthday and the 'Aged to Perfection' wine card Marisa also created!

I adore this sweet little love card DT member Anna Wight made last year using our Kewpies stamp set and her watercolor pencils. Anna recently created a new card for Valentines day using an image from our Homemade Image & Journal Notes Booklet. You can see the new card and get all the details HERE on Anna's blog.

DT member Michele Kovack made a cute little cherub card using our Cherub stamp set you can see HERE on Michele's blog and get all the details. She also posted it in this weeks challenge that Darlene Pavlick is hosting over at Splitcoast called "Show a Little Love'. You can read more about the challenge HERE and see all 24 the samples in the the Gallery HERE! We would be delighted if you joined in the fun!

Darlene has so many people revved up and posting inspiring samples you can see including these fun heart baskets that Lindsay Weirich created using a pattern she shows you step by set how to create HERE on her Frugal Crafter site. Lindsay used our Bug's Life stamp set to embellish the basket in the middle. These would be so cute to fill with valentine treats!

I've so excited about our new Creative Scraps line we have coming out the beginning of March (I will post details ASAP) but they are turning out so wonderful! I'm also excited about my 'almost new car! My 1998 Astro van was on it's last legs and my husband Scott found me a 2008 Chevy HHR for a super price in Vegas. After I got home from the CHA show, we flew to Vegas from Bellingham WA for $29.00 each (what a deal) and we drove it back home last week. I've never been so pumped about a car before but I've never owned a car this new and it has so many great features! Better on gas, lots of room, heated leather, a sunroof, gold sparkly paint and a remote starter! I sound like an infomercial but I'm so in LOVE this car and still can't believe it's mine! Even Otis gave it a paws up.
I’m also thrilled all our new stamp sets are selling so well but it’s funny how one set can get such a fun reaction from people. Our Feeling Yucky stamp set wins the award for generating the most laughs and aawwhhs from people. Everyone has fallen in love with the cute little crying duck and Campbells Soup nurse! Here are a few samples to make you smile. You will see lots more as I was waiting to get the rest of the new sets before we sent the balance off to our Design Team ladies, so some are just getting these.

Pam Hooten didn't waste any time creating this totally cute card with the little nurse from the set.


I found this colorful card in the our Splitcoast Gallery that Darlene recently created using both duckies from the Feel Better set. I also saw 2 more really cute Feel Better Cards that Lori Lynn Washburn and Melanie Kay posted in the Show a Little Love Challenge HERE.

I also adore this card that Shari made and she explains how she created it in detail and how she used Ranger Glossy Accents on the tears and medicine to look wet here on her blog.
Last but not least, look at this adorable little first aid tin that Marlene Bender (cards4U) created with our Feeling Yucky set. I love they way she added the little bandaid stamp to his head! I'm happy to announce that Marlene is also going to be a guest designer with us and she is cooking up a bunch of great projects I will start posting!
Plus, our talented Design Team is going to be posting some great cards and projects with a Spring, Birdy or Easter theme this Monday, Feb 16th!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and Happy Valentines!

Wishing you joy & creativity
Sandy Redburn
owner


Our Online Store Locator
Our Shopatron Store

Crafty Secrets
www.craftysecrets.com
Toll Free Phone or Fax 1-888 597-8898
Local Phone 604 597-8817

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

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