Saturday, June 28, 2008

Free Sheet Music, Patriotic Stuff, Sports Car and News!

Hi Everyone,

It is so HOT here in Surrey (we are right beside Vancouver, BC) it's like an giant heat wave and it's supposed to continue! This is my patriotic post as Canada Day is July 1st and Independance Day follows on the 4th with lots of celebrations! If any of you own our Seasonal Booklet and are making cards or decorations I have some inspiring samples below to share that designers Lisa Zappa and Vicki Chrisman created!


I also wanted to do a free gift for everyone to play with and I thought some old sheet music from my collection would be fun. Just click on the image to make it large and then right click your mouse on the image and save in your picture files. You can then open your picture file and print it in any size on paper or cardstock and use it to embellish cards, banner flags, table place cards, scrapbook pages and more!

I’ve included America the Beautiful but Canada is so young I couldn’t find any copyright free sheet music, so I’ve added some pretty sheet music that everyone can use (we have TONS of global readers) to create and play with! Hey – email me any cool projects you create or add them to our online Gallery, so others can see them!

Here are 2 great cards I love that Lisa Zappa from our design team made last year.
She used 2 images from our Heartwarming Vintage Seasonal Booklet, plus some of our stamps and paper. She created the star paper by stamping red and navy blue stars from the "French Mail" set on glossy white paper, and then distressing it by putting a creamy caramel Stampin Up ink pad directly onto the paper. The faux anchor turns & round eyelet embellishments are from the Card Sentiments set. Other paper is from the Earthy Pad


Vicki Chrisman made this cute banner, card and tag also using images from our Seasonal Booklet. At first I didn't even recognize that the paper was ours! The scallop edges really add a decorative touch and create a perfect spot to hold the ribbon.

I think she is going to post some details on her blog on how and what she used but all the images are from our Seasonal Booklet and the red paper is from our Radiant Paper Pad.


There are 3 Canadian images in our Seasonal booklet and I was going use them and make 3 little pennants but I got three great offers today I couldn’t pass up! I was talked into going to garage sales in the morning with my mom, riding around in a 350Z sports car in the afternoon and a BBQ pool party later. So I never got mine made but you can see how cute the images are here.
We did score some great deals at the garage sales. My fav was an old silverware set with the lined wood box for $10.00 and a stunning cutwork tablecloth & napkins for $1.00!

Here is the cute sport car (my ride today) that my husband Scott is selling. He has imported a couple of these cars in the past as a hobby to re-sell but I think he would love to keep this one! It's like brand new. I’m posting his ad here on my blog just in case someone wants to buy it – before he gets too attached to it!

FOR SALE!
2007 Nissan 350Z Grand Touring Roadster

2007 Nissan 350Z Grand Touring Roadster.
Daytona Blue with heated black leather seats, 300 HP, Tiptronic automanual transmission, Brembo brakes, Traction control, LID Xenon Lights, Bose 6 CD.,tinted windows, 1 owner, immaculate condition and fully loaded. Only 2300 KMS! Balance of full factory warranty. $38,500 NO G.S.T. Phone: Scott C) 604 617-3055 H) 604-572-0488






You also have to check out our online Gallery here to see all the cool samples our design team has been creating like this one with little 'inchies' by Anna Wight! Anna also has a little online store here and sells a bunch of our stuff! If you go to the top of this blog you can see links to all of the other talented ladies on our design team, except Janel doesn't have a blog but her link goes to her online gallery on our website.


In my next post I will introduce you to Marisa our talented guest designer for July. We will also be getting our new Image & Journal Note Booklets back from the printers and will have more blog candy give-aways! Plus - I will give you a peek at some of our NEW stamp sets coming!


I hope you are all having a fun weekend!
Sandy
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Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Stamp Challenges, Calendar Cards and Diaper Cakes!

Hi Everyone,

This is a quick post to show a couple of fun ideas.

I wanted to post this last week but I had download issues with my camera. You should be able to click on any hotos to see the details larger.

The girls at http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ have been creating challenges for using our stamps and any of our other products with different themes each week. Last week there was a challenge to create a card with a theme that you had marked on your calendar. I had my girlfriend Marianna's birthday marked down and thought it would be fun to create a card for her using our FREE Calendar downloads the home page of our website www.craftysecrets.com . Please note that the 2009 calendar page will be added today or tomorrow to the site. Lots of people create the CD calendar or desktop version from our Get Round and Get Creative books and start mid year and add 2008 & 2009 months.

Remember those old advertising calendars that businesses use to give out with the tiny calendar pages stapled together? Well I cut the last 6 months from our free 2008 calendar page out and inked the edges, stapled them together and used a hi-lighter on June 15th, her birthday on the first page. I used our double sided paper from the Classic Paper Pad to make the card and 2 way tape to attach the mini calendar. I hardly ever play and make samples and it was so much fun, I'm thinking we should schedule a 'play day' once a week here in the office! First we have to finish the 4 NEW Image & Journal Notes Booklets we are working on but they are almost done and I will post a peek very soon!


My friend Marianna is a cat lover and she use to be a hairdresser and cut my hair for years, so I knew I wanted to use the 'Kitty Haircut' image from our Childhood Image & Journal Booklet! Then I used a Sakura Clear Gelly Roll Pen to go over the scissors and hat pin but I kept doodling and got a little carried away because these pens are so much FUN and they add sparkle without any crunchy messy glitter!

I also got a little carried away with our stamps and used several from a variety of sets.

Hello, Wishes, the swirls and To and From are off our Mini Memories set. The crown and little flourish line (under June) are from our Altered Art set. Happy Birthday is off our Sexy Little Numbers stamp set. The hat pin and the sentiment I stamped inside the card are from our Greetings & Sentiments set. I love the poem and how delicate and clear it stamps!

You can see the other cards that people created in this 'calendar event' challenge here. Plus, the girls have posted a NEW challenge HERE. on Splitcoast. I love the new current challange - this week it's SUMMERTIME and I LOVE the cards everyone has been creating! You can see them here in the SUMMER GALLERY You can also use this link craftysecrets to see a big bunch of cards and keepsakes talented people have posted on Splitcoast!

Don't be afraid to post anything you have created on our website gallery HERE or on Splitcoast! Samples are the best way to share your talents and spread inspiring ideas!

Here is an adorable card that Darlene who issued the Summertime challenge created
I had to also show you this adorable cake my daughter Holly whipped up last night for a Baby Shower she is attending this weekend. She's never made one of these and put it together so fast I was amazed at how darn cute it turned out! Here are some links for seeing more cakes and how to make one:
Happy Summertime!
Sandy

Monday, June 9, 2008

Our Favorite Fellas Contest Winners and Photos!


We are back from Texas and I have 3 WINNERS to announce tonight for our Favorite Fellas Contest Entry!
The $100.00 Gift certificate (and free S&H) goes to Pammyjo for her King of the Castle Candy Card Box! We loved how she creatively used our stamps and paper! She wasn’t very happy with her photo but if she sends us new one, I can switch it.

Here are her notes and the supplies she used to create this cute box, which she is going to fill with her husband’s favorite candy

I used a 2,4,6,8, box (from Stampin Up) made it look like a castle using the ticket stamp from the Journey Clear Art stamp set (Crafty Secrets) to make it look like blocks. The castle top is using the SU spiral punch. Everything is sponged in Going Gray SU ink. I added a few dots of gold glitter to his crown. I made the robe collar and free handed banner using the Radiant Paper Pad (Crafty Secrets). I used the tie from the Favorite Fellas Clear Art stamp set(Crafty Secrets) to stamp on a piece of paper from the Radiant paper pad. I stamped the ‘fellas’ face and colored it using colored pencils.

Only 3 people were brave enough to enter this contest - can you see my sad face? All the other entries were really great and we decided to award a $25.00 gift certificate and free S&H to Marlene cards4U who entered these 3 great cards!
Notes & Supplies from Marlene:
When I was growing up my mom had an antique store in our home. I have always had a heart for vintage but never thought about bringing it into my stamping. This is a fun adventure of starting a new collection of ribbon, buttons, paper etc.
Supplies: Favorite Fellas Clear Art Stamps and Earthy Paper Pad (Crafty Secrets)
Brown CS - DCWV,
True Thyme, Black CS - SU!
Parchment CS
True Thyme Ink - SU!
Antique Linen, Old Paper Ink - Tim Holtz
Buttons - JoAnne's, Ribbon - Bobbin Ribbon

Tie Gift Bag - by Marlene
This is a gift bag. You could also make it into a card with the fold on the side. It is your basic shirt card with a horizontal slit at the top on either side with the corners folded in. The tie is the FREE TIE PATTERN reduced. The piece of brown CS is 5 1/4'' x 7''. This could be attached to anything from a brown lunch bag to a gift bag in need of being recycled.

Supplies:
Favorite Fellas Clear Art Stamps and Earthy Papers – Crafty Secrets
Chestnut Roan Chalk Ink – Clear Snap
Misc: Brown CS, Brown Brads, Bag, Ribbon (attached from inside)

Marlene also emailed us this cute apron card she created!
King of the Grill - by Marlene
Supplies:
Red Check paper and baked beans image from Earthy Paper Pad and King stamp from Favorite Fellas set - Crafty Secrets
Parchment/ Black CS
Versafine and Old Paper Ink
Black Brads Black Ribbon


Joanne (angelnorth) sent in the this handsome card below
and included some helpful tips

King 4 the Day - by Joanne (angelnorth)

Supplies: Favorite Fellas and Adore Alphabet Clear Art Stamps by Crafty Secrets, Versamark, Distress Ink in Vintage Photo, Adirondack Ink in Cloudy Blue and Stonewashed by Ranger. Prismacolor pencils/OMS/stump, Classic circle Nestabilities, nail art gem, detail gold embossing powder, gold gel pen, eyelet, gingham ribbon (Bazzil).

Tips: Place your Nestability die over your folded card base so that you leave enough to form a reasonable hinge for the card. Cutting the crown out after embossing and colouring with a gel pen gives a tiny bit of dimension and nail art gems are the perfect size to add a bit of bling for the crown jewels! I used partial inking of three of the stamps in Favorite Fellas to make the sentiment (the only one that might not be obvious is THE which is the first part of the word THEIR from the 'boys and their toys' stamp). Using a gold gel pen to outline the lettering gives a special finish to the sentiment. I stamped Happy Father's Day (from the set) inside the card but this would work for a birthday card, too!
The random WINNER of the $50.00 gift certificate (and free S&H) chosen from the BLOG ENTRIES for posting a Favorite Memory of their Dad or a Farther figure is # 9 Maren, who said:
My favorite memory is having my dad and step dad walk me down the aisle on my wedding day. I was so blessed to have them both there and it symbolized how important they were to me in my life. I felt so supported and loved by both of these amazing men!

There are so many great funny and sentimental posts and you can read all of them HERE.

Here is a photo from our booth at the Great American Scrapbook Show in Texas. We got back home yesterday afternoon and although I'm tired, I'm still feeling the excitement and happy vibes from meeting and talking to sooo many great ladies at this show!
Vicki Chrisman came to the show to demo and
you can see a bunch more photos on her blog here. Not only is Vicki talented - she is a hoot!