Monday, February 28, 2011

Design Team Party Time Challenge, Party Crown Printables, New Samples & Offer!

Welcome to Our DT Party Challenge!


Come see the fabulous samples our Design Team has created by clicking on each of their names below. Then check out the rest of the wonderful samples I have to show today and get our free printable Party Crown and Party Cone Hats. You can also turn the cone into a Tussie Mussie!


Vicki Chrisman Team Leader


Pam Hooten
Heidi Blankenship
Linda Duke
Michele Kovack
Melissa Phillips
Flo Teixeira from France
Julie Campbell
Mary Hamer

In honor of our Party Time Challenge I thought we should have a big fun PARTY CROWN that you could print and decorate for a family member or friend to wear to celebrate an event. Our graphic designer Cindy van Koll Cindy created this crown pattern from 3 different crowns images I had and it turned out really fun. You can make crowns for birthdays, wedding showers, Mothers Day, His & Hers Anniversary parties and more!



Just left click on the image with your mouse until it gets as big as possible and then right click it to save to a picture file. Print it on light colored cardstock so you can see the design and read the Decorating Ideas below for inspiration.

 I printed the pattern quickly last night during our annual Oscar Party but no one wanted to be a model, except for Otis (in return for a biscuit). By the way, thanks for all the positive feedback when he went blind a few months ago. He is doing great and finding his way around the house great now.


We also Have a Party Cone Hat or Tussie Mussie Printable!

Way back in Dec 2007 I posted some fun samples our DT Ladies created with a cone style party hat pattern but the link to the pattern broke, so I thought we should enlarge it and offer it again. Cindy, our graphic designer enlarged it but kept it so it will still print on a 8.5 x 11 sheet of cardstock to create a Party Cone Hat to wear, or use as a festive cornet or Tussie Mussie you can decorate and fill with treats, flowers or party favors. You can glue the flap or cut a slit and insert it and adhere.


If you punch 2 small holes on either side you can add elastic to keep the hat on, or add ribbon or wire to hang your cone and fill it with all kinds of goodies to suit almost any occasion and celebration!  Look at this fun bird's nest hat DT leader Vicki Chrisman created. She made her own tall pattern and used Bird Notes Stamps to embellish with. NOTE: Vicki has a wonderful post on her blog HERE asking What Warms Your Soul? and a link to a GREAT Video!


Here is a Tussie Mussie or Cornet style cone DT member Michele Kovack created a few years ago as well and she also added a little nest but in the top. Michele also used a stamp from our Bird Notes stamp set to stamp the birds on a branch decorating the front.  Also be sure to see this super cute Tea Time card HERE on Michelle's blog she created recently using our Tea With Alice Scraps.


Here is a sweet Tussie Mussie Cone that DT Member Pam Hooten made back in 2007
for her new grandson for. Pam used our Cherubs stamp set and an image from our
Spring Joy Stickers. Sorry, the paper was from our Radiant Paper Pad which has sold out.


Here is a pretty card DT member Heidi Blankenship created recently with our Altered Fairy Scraps. You can get all the details HERE on Heidi's Blog.


I love this pretty card DT member Linda Duke created with our new Love Mail Scraps! You can get all the details HERE on Linda's Blog.  I'm so excited for Linda as she just retired last week and is thrilled with her new freedom!


I adore this image on our new Love Mail Scraps and I knew that DT member Melissa Phillips would also and of course it was the first image she created a new sample with! 
You can see the other cute little girl card HERE on Melissa's Blog  as well as read her heartfelt message about blogging


I love the way DT member Julie Campbell weaves her family stories into her blog posts with old vintage photos like this layout she did with her Grandmother and how she always added a XO for each birthday year. Julie used a the image from our Sew Special Scraps that you can fold into a little needle case. The details and story are HERE on Julies Blog.


Look at this rustic country style layout DT Member Mary Hamer created with our Farm Fresh Creative Scraps and how she stamped the little boys from our Down on the Farm Stamp Set and cut them and the fence out, so they could 'oversee things'



I will be back this week with some other fabulous samples from other designers I simply couldn't fit in this post. If I add to many images the patterns may not enlarge.  If you create a fun Crown, Party Hat or Tussie Mussie - please post it on our Facebook page HERE!
I have to tell a little secret - I'm scared of Facebook!  I don't understand it very well (geez I sound old or slow) but I'm trying to learn all the lingo and rules. I just don't have much time - so the wonderful Vicki Chrisman and DT ladies have been helping!

PLUS - I have to tell you about a Special Offer that Cyndi Duncan has from Altered Arts Magazine!  For all NEW Club Members who join now (while supplies last) they will receive the April 'BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED KIT - which includes both our Garden and Birds & Botanical Creative Scraps plus a great Garden Journal Cover Download Link, as well as several other wonderful garden theme goodies from an array of vendors!  You can get all the details HERE on the Altered Arts Website!
I will be back Wed with some great stuff!
Sandy Redburn
Owner
Crafty Secrets


Visit Our Store Locator
Visit Our Online Store Here

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





Thursday, February 24, 2011

Printable Vintage Images, Need Help for Victoria BC Show & NEW Samples!

Look at this wonderful card DT member Michele Kovack created with our Wizard of Oz Stamp Set

Hi Everyone, 

I only have a few fabulous samples to show  you today as I'm having computer grief.

I also have a cry for help! We leave today to set up for the Victoria Sewing & Craft Show (on Vancouver Island) and we lost our helper. If you live in Victoria, BC or know someone who does and you want to help at the show Fri &/or Sat - we need to talk! Please call our toll free # 1-888 597-8898, or 604 617-3055

I counted and we now have over 30 free online vintage printable files (for personal use) with a large array of seasonal images, poems, sheet music, templates and other goodies! Some of you have been following this blog for years and may be familiar with our free printables but we have so many new subscribers and people keep asking us what we have for Saint Patricks Day. I didn't realize how many people celebrate St. Pat's! Did you know more Irish people live in the USA than all of Ireland? 

HERE is a link to our cute St. Pat's Girl! The link will take you to our website with all of the printable images. There are a few that I've posted here on the blog (Valentine & Christmas) that our webmaster will be adding. Plus - this Mon., Feb 28/11 is our Design Team Party Challenge and I will be posting a fabulous Free Big Crown Printable and a NEW Party Hat & Cornucopia Template! Our old Party Hat link stopped working so I asked Cindy, our graphic designer to enlarge it. I also added links on the side of this blog (if you scroll down) to our Easter, May Day and Mothers Day vintage printables!

Look at this beautiful sample DT leader Vicki Chrisman has in this months issue of Paper Creations Magazine!  It's a 3 page article with instructions on creating this shadow box as well as a very sweet Easter one.


Here is a wonderful little piece of wall art that Vicki also created using one of the birdy images from our Birds & Blossoms Creative Scraps. You can see details HERE on Vicki's Blog


Drat, all of the rest won't load. they will have to wait until I get back

Sandy Redburn


Owner Crafty Secrets

Visit Our Store Locator

Visit Our Online Store Here

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, February 14, 2011

32 Creative Places to Say I Love You All Year, 2 Winners, Bow Tutorials & New Samples!

Happy Valentines Day!

I forgot all about this old list I began years ago. I just updated it and added it to a printable page  Remember to say I LOVE YOU often to those you care about. You can say it 365 days a year and this list may give you some creative ideas to 'spread some love'. Click it larger with the left side of your mouse a couple of times, then right click it to save it.


We had 266 people post comments to enter our LOVE YOU Giveaway posted HERE and www.random.org  picked #202 as the winner, so congratulations goes to Sonya who said: Please count me too! I love all the valentine projects that everyone made! Beautiful! Thanks for the chance to win! Have a great day!    She has won our 3 love theme Clear Art Stamps and 2 sheets of our new Love Mail Creative Scraps (or a $72.00 gift certificate).
I was also really moved when I read this comment by RubyHannah said... I absolutely LOVE your products - am in the process of making 10 identical scrapbooks for my brothers and sisters - both of our parents were killed in a car accident in 1965. I was given a box of "stuff" a few years back that an aunt had in her garage - it was filled with all the news articles, cards, letters, photos, signup sheets for fund raisers. It took me about a year to go thru and process emotionally what was in that box - much of it I vaguely remember. The outpouring of love and concern in the cards and letters from around the world was overwhelming. Your products grace every page as I carefully and thoughtfully put these scrapbooks together. I was 9 when my parents were taken and am blessed with many memories my younger siblings don't have. Your images and sayings remind me of happier times before the accident that I can share in these scrapbooks. I have come to view this project as my therapy - Thank you, Crafty Secrets, for being a part of this.

It’s too bad our new Love Mail Scraps didn’t get finished in time for Valentines day but when I saw they wouldn’t be, I decided we should change them to have more pretty pastel colors and love sentiments that work more ‘year around’. I’m thrilled with the result!

Our Creative Scraps were originally printed single sided but all the sheets have been re-printed double sided (except for Easter and Wacky Animals) and any single sided left are on sale while quantities last. The double sided sheets provide more choices for the same price and are perfect for punched and die cut windows, hanging ornaments, tags and all kinds of frames!


Now I have some great resources to share! We recently started doing a little advertising with 2 great ladies; Sarah and Lyndsay from the www.blogguidebook.com and I’m so impressed with their site and all the fantastic blog links in different categories they have! They have themes for; Bridal, Classes, Country Life, Fashion, Health, Scrapbooking blogs and much more! They also great tutorials on how to create Blog Banners, Buttons, Photoshop Tips and more. You can add your blog or search for great blogs HERE on their site.


Becca from Amazing Grace has such a helpful and inspiring blog filled with so many ideas and helpful tips on stamping and card making. She has been so sweet to put several of her tips into step by step tutorials with some fantastic videos like her Bow Tutorials.  A pretty bow can turn a plain card into a WOW card and you learn how to create Rushing with Ribbon as Becca did on this sweet card below she created using our SL38 Angel Blessings Stamp SetCheck out her BOW Tutorials on tying Figure 8 Bows, Collar and Double Tied Bows.

Becca also created this pretty card with one of the Bird images from our Birds & Blossoms Creative Scraps.  You can get all the details HERE on Becca's Blog.


I'm loving all the paper piecing ideas our DT ladies have been using with our new Little Boy and Little Girl Stamp sets. This cute card by Pam Hooten shows a perfect example of how she stamped the little boy again on her pattern paper so she could cut out overalls for the him. I love how she stamped the puppy and added him to the wagon. You can see details HERE on Pam's Blog.


I love the way DT member Linda Duke used a piece of real chicken wire to create a little cage for her rabbit and the checkerboard and chicken stamps from our Farm Chicks Stamps. 


Look at this great collage card DT member Linda Duke also created using our new Wonderland Tea Creative Scraps with details HERE on Linda's Blog.


Joanne Allison from the UK was a past Design Team Guest a couple of years ago and she continues to create beautiful samples like this card she made with our Rose Stamp set.
She just had a card published in PaperCrafts Magazine and will be receiving a $30.00 gift certificate with the new Rewards Program we are starting (details on my next post). You can see 43 fabulous samples HERE on Joanne's Blog. 


Designer and teacher Tammy Tutterow created a wonderful little file box keepsake to hold memory cards she decorated with images and quotes and some of the journal cards from the inside of our Vintage Photo Creative Scraps and I love the way she colored the little drawings of cherubs we added to some the corners.  You can see samples HERE on Tammy's Blog.


Look at this close up photo showing how Tammy colored the tiny photo studio angels


 I hope you all have a great day spent with those you love!

Sandy Redburn
Owner Crafty Secrets


Visit Our Store Locator
Visit Our Online Store Here

This Blog: http://heartwarmingvintage.blogspot.com
Our Website: 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
Friday, February 11, 2011

Vintage Valentine & Other Printables, 'Love You' Blog Giveaway & Inspiring Ideas!


Hi Everyone, 

Ha- I said I would get this posted this afternoon and it turned out to be another busy day. Two visits from my printer with color proofs and our daughter Holly had surgery today for a hernia , so she is staying here at home to recover.  I want to play nurse and we have a movie to watch, so I will come back and add the rest of the links later. For now I wanted to post our free Valentine printable for 2011 and post links to the past images that would be great for Valentines projects. 

I love this old valentine poem but the original was in bad shape, so I added a new I and changed the background so you can print it on various colors of paper.  Left click your mouse on the image a couple of times to get it as large as possible and then right click it to save to a picture file. Please keep in mind our free printables are for personal use only.






Here are some samples created last year with our free printables!  I love this tin that Janice Knapp did by turning the color free Angel Printable image to B&W.  You can see all sorts of great projects people submitted using the Angel or the Puppy.



Here is a quick card DT leader Vicki Chrisman created with our valentine puppy printable


In our free LOVE YOU Blog giveaway, you just need to leave a comment on this blog post to be entered to win all of the items I showed at the very top (or a $72.00 gift certificate). You could use our Cherubs stamp set to create a pretty keepsake like the picture frame DT leader Vicki Chrisman made by stamping on an old photo frame she found at a thrift store.


Here are some great valentine card and gift ideas.  You may already own some of our products used on the following projects.  Lisa Zappa decorated an old chocolate box using our Cherish Stamp set, crepe paper and floral paper from our Radiant Paper Pad (sorry that Pad recently sold out).


Here is one Vicki made that she lined with sheet music paper and the image is from
our Love & Romance Cotton Scraps.


DT member Linda Duke created this little Feb Calendar using our
Seasonal Calendar Scraps


DT member Pam Hooten made a little Love Shack by decorating one of our Chipboard Houses with paper scraps and our Valentine Love Stickers


DT Member Michele Kovack used our SS11 Message on a Bottle stamp set to create this cool bottle and I thought the colors suited a Valentine card perfectly


DT Member Melissa Phillips used our Altered Fairy Scraps to create this sweet card


DT member Flo Teixeira used an image from our Love & Romance Cotton
on this romantic wall decor piece.

I showed this layout that DT member Mary Hamer created recently using our Angel Blessings Stamps but I thought it worked so well for a Valentine layout.


Look at the sweet basket DT leader Vicki Chrisman made using one of the little girls from our Little Girl stamp set to make a cute gift tag with a bamboo skewer for the stick.


I know this isn't Valentines but I had to show you the first sample made with our Little Boy stamp set. DT member Julie Campbell made it paper piecing most of the boy and his kite. I love the string she added!  See all the details HERE on Julies Blog.


Julie also made this cute card last year but it is so fitting for Valentines and
you may own this Sweet Kid Stamp set.


This week Darlene Pavlick is hosting a fun challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers to use
any of our products with punches.  You can join in the fun and post a project or just go
and check out the Gallery HERE and you can get details HERE.

Don't forget to leave a comment here to be entered to win! Tell us what you like or what you have planned for Valentines day.  A Random.org winner will be annouced evening of Feb 14th

Sandy Redburn

Owner
Crafty Secrets


Visit Our Store Locator
Visit Our Online Store Here
This Blog: http://heartwarmingvintage.blogspot.com


Our Website: 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
250 H. Street, #436
Blaine, WA 98230

Thursday, February 10, 2011

New Samples & Tomorrow a Free Valentine Printable, Ideas and Giveaway!


Hi Everyone,  This is a super fast post to let you know I will be posting a free Valentine printable tomorrow afternoon and announcing a new Blog 'LOVE YOU' Giveaway with a bunch of love themed goodies - including our new LOVE MAIL Creative Scraps - at the printers now and available on Feb 14th.  I so wish we could have had them finished earlier but we totally changed them for a 'red valentine' theme we had to a more all year round love theme and they are beautiful! 

Look at these very cool ATC cards, envelope and box DT leader Vicki Chrisman made using our Art Studio Stamp set and a new ATC Die Set from Accucut!  See details HERE on Vicki's blog.


How about this fun card (1 of 3) that DT member Heidi Blankenship created with our new Wonderland Tea Scraps and expression stamps from our Greetings From Wonderland Stamp Set. See all 3 cards and details HERE on Heidi's Blog.


I adore this cute layout DT Member Michele Kovack made of her daughter Courtney who was Dorothy last Halloween with the perfect red shoes! Michele used our new Wizard of Oz stamps and our Artsy Banner set to make the garland.  See details HERE on Michele's Blog


I'm so in love with our new Little Girl Clear Art Stamp set and the adorable samples the DT ladies have been creating!  Look at the sweet card DT Member Julie Campbell created and how she paper pieced the little girl stamp. The colors are so warm and inviting and the scallop layered top looks like a window valance. See the details and a lovely story HERE on Julie's blog.


See you tomorrow afternoon!
Sandy Redburn

Owner
Crafty Secrets

Toll Free Ph 888 597-8898
Toll Free Fx 888 597-2578
Local Ph 604 597-8817

Head Office
15430 78 A Ave;
Surrey BC V3S 8R4

In The USA
250 H. Street, #436
Blaine, WA 98230


Thursday, February 3, 2011

New Stamps & Scraps Available Now!


Most of our New Stamps Sets & Creative Scraps are in stock and available now!  We are just waiting for our newTips & Tricks Idea Postcards to arrive Mon or Tues and we can start shipping all our wholesale orders to stores as well!

 I think I'm going to start off every post with a picture. Inspiring photos are like eye candy and I swooned when I saw this beautiful card Cindy van Koll created on the weekend with our Art Blooms Clear Art Stamp Set.  Cindy is our head graphic designer and spends all day slaving over her computer in Photoshop cutting, cleaning and often totally rebuilding images I've picked for projects. We hardly ever play and make samples in the office anymore, we are too busy. So I about fell over when I saw this pretty card she made with our new Art Blooms Stamp Set! I forgot to measure the size but there are 4 folds and you need a sharp blade to cut along the sides of the large flowers.

Look at how pretty it is when closed and tied with a piece of ribbon and how the flowers overlap and look like 1 plant!


Here is a layout DT member Mary Hamer created with the same Art Blooms set, so now you can see how versatile this stamp set is!  Mary stamped a bunch of the flowers and leaves on scraps of pastel papers and built her little arrangement but whta makes it even more special is the way she added the little pearls and embellishments!  You can see close up photos HERE on Mary's Blog


Okay, I'm in a rush as I'm going out with a dear old friend to dinner, a play (Becky's New Car) and then for a PJ Party at her place!

So far, these are the stamp set that are in stock Art Blooms, Wizard of Oz, Tea With Alice, Wonderful Pig

Creative Scraps - Farm Fresh and Wonderland Tea have also arrived!

Signed 'I'm so HappY'
Sandy Redburn

Owner
Crafty Secrets


Visit Our Store Locator
Visit Our Online Store Here


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



Local Phone 604 597-8817

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

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