Our Thanksgiving & Calender Vintage Printables, New Stamp Set and Samples!

Hi Everyone,

Did you See our DT Christmas Challenge HERE?
New Angel Blessings Clear Art Stamp Set!
Our Free Printable 2011 Calendar from 1910
Link to Our Printable Thanksgiving Image and Samples
New Great Samples
Splitcoast Crafty Secrets Challenge
Photos from the CKC Show in WA
Photos from Our Visit to Cherish the Thought, BC Store
Our dog Otis has gone blind

I'm back as yesterday my computer would not start and I had to do our Design Team Challenge from another computer - sans the photos. Thank goodness it turned out to just be a faulty cordless mouse. HERE is a link to see our fantastic DT Christmas creations if you missed them.

So many people this time of year want to make calendars and buy our Seasonal Image Booklet or want to use all the image on both sides of our Calendar Scraps and need a calendar. We always have links to our free printable calendars on the home page of our website but I had an old calendar from 1910 and the months matched so turned it into a free gift for you (for personal use only please). Just left click on the image (it may take 2 clicks) to get it as big as possible and save it to a picture file.

If you missed our free printable antique Thanksging Postcard last year HERE is the link and you can also see some fantastic cards and scrapbook layouts using our Thanksgiving Clear Art Stamp set in the same post!

This is our new Clear Art Stamp release SL36 Angel Blessings!

It's a beautiful large set with 20 versatile stamps in a mix of beautiful angels, powerful sentiments and pretty lettering. You can use the stamps for birthdays, dear friend cards, Christmas, Easter, birth announcements, christenings and a variety of hand crafted projects with a blessings theme. Adorn bookmarks, bookplates, place cards, wall plaques, mini albums and more. Angel trio is over 3"W and flying angel over 3"H.

Okay I admit it, this card that DT member Linda Duke created took my breath away when I saw it. It was the first sample I've seen created with our new Angel Blessings  set and I'm so HAPPY with how beautiful each angel stamps and how pretty they look colored and the lettering turned out so pretty - thanks to Cindy our graphic designer who added all the extra little flourishes.

Look at this sweet card that DT member Julie Campbell created using the new Angel Blessing stamps with an image from our Christmas Booklet. I love how Julie stamped them multiple times and added them in layers. These 2 cards were part of the DT challenge but I had to post them here with their debut!

Look at this stunning card that DT member Michele Kovack created with our SM Poppy Clear Art Stamp set! I adore the rich orange colors she used, so perfect for Fall. You can see and read all the details HERE on Michele's blog

Marcy Talbert is hosting the new challenge over a Splitcoast and she has posted clues HERE and will list the details. Last week Pammyjo hosted the challenge and asked participants to use leaves with any Crafty Secrets products. Here is Pammy's pretty card and HERE is the Gallery. Remember, you can join in any of these challenges!

Here is our booth at the CKC Creating Keepsakes Show in Bellevue, WA. It's a suburb of Seattle and a really fun busy show. Big thanks to Annette and Elaine for all their help!

Cooking and Christmas were 2 of the most popular themes

We were able to drive to this show so we took lots of fun props like this old typewriter

Here is the old Singer sewing machine my husband Scott found on Craigslist for $40.00 and it folds into a beautiful wood carved cabinet (we left at home). Our Material Girl and Sew Special stamp sets and the Sew Nice Creative Scraps were a big hit at the show.

I can't even remember what was so funny here that I'm laughing like so hard but it's always fun when DT leader Vicki Chrisman comes to shows. After she came home with us for 5 days and we worked on our new products!

The show was busy, in fact sometimes our booth was so crowded, people couldn't get in. It was great to see so many old friends and make a bunch of new ones!

Our trip last week to the store; Cherish the Thought in Port Moody, BC was big success! So many people came out to do the Christmas make & takes and chat with our DT leader Vicki Chrisman.  Vicki shared a few of her favorite & tricks and it so nice to be among so many fabulous fans!

Here is a photo of the owner Jessie, Vicki & myself with 2 walls of Crafty Secrets products behind us! Jessie and her husband Andrew recently moved a few doors down have done an awesome job furnishing this store with vintage furniture and great old props. It feels so cozy and inviting! They put on a fantastic open house with a great spread of food and the entire evening was filled with lots of laughter and inspiration as the ladies visited each of the make & take tables.



I have sad news, our dog Otis suddenly went blind last weekend and it's been so hard watching him try and find his way around! He is 11 years old and the vet said his diabetes likely was a factor. He is doing much better and can hear the fridge open and find his way into the kitchen.

Our webmaster Karin, has almost finished our new website and it's going live soon!

Wising you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving if you live in the USA

Sandy Redburn

Owner
www.craftysecrets.com
Our Heartwarming Vintage Blog


See Our Store Locator Here

Visit Our Online Store Here

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

Our DT Christmas Challenge!

Hi Everyone,

Today is our Design Team Christmas Challenge and I had a bunch of things to show you like our new Angel Blessings stamp set, plus a free printable 2010 vintage calendar, links and more and my computer crashed. I've tried restarting 6 times and no luck, so I'm doing a quick post on Jessica's computer here in the office with the links.

Visit Our Design Team Blogs!


Vicki Chrisman Team Leader

Pam Hooten

Heidi Blankenship

Linda Duke

Michele Kovack

Melissa Phillips

Flo Teixeira from France

Julie Campbell

Mary Hamer

Anna Wight (Our November Guest Designer)

I will be back ASAP with everything else as soon as I'm up and running again! 

Sandy Redburn
Owner
Crafty Secrets.com
Our Heartwarming Vintage Blog

Our Online Store
Our Store Locator

Toll Free 1- 888 597-8898

Kewpie Samples, Free Vintage Image, Stamping Background Ideas and Tags!

Hi Everyone,

I'm back with all the fun Kewpie samples and a darling printable gift for you with Kewpies. The image is from a 1918 Jello Recipe Book. I also have some great ideas for using stamps to create backgrounds by DT leader Vicki Chrisman! Plus - 2 cool gift tag ideas share. 

Here's a cute Kewpie card that our November DT Guest Designer Anna Wight made a few years ago with our SL03 Kewpie Clear Art Stamp set. Love the way she added the grassy hill and stamped the little hearts!

For our free vintage printable image, I had our graphic designer Cindy change the title so it works better for a recipe album or birthday card. The original image was old enough to be copyright free but we always make changes to the image and color corrections - thus creating our own fully copyrighted artwork. You are free to use this image on your projects but it is for your own personal use only please. Just left click on the image (it may take 2 clicks) to get it as big as possible and save it to a picture file.

I have been collecting old Kewpie and Campbell Soup kid images for years and they are sprinkled about in different products we have. There is something so lovable and heartwarming about them and hey -  we are all about that! Some of these samples are so old I don't have all the links but I will try to include some details. 

Eleanor Waladkewics loves Kewpies and cats, so after she had a couple of projects published using our large Kewpie set, I sent her some goodies including our Party Cats Stamp set. Look at the totally CUTE thank you card she sent me incorporating both stamp sets!

I admire the creative way Eleanor creates and builds entire scenes with different stamps. She used our little Kewpie with the butterflies and net on this sweet card. She probably owns every Kewpie stamp made and she has an large gallery you can see HERE of card scenes!

Here is another card Eleanor created using our Kewpie SM16 Fishing Buds Stamp set with a mix of other stamps. Look at the way she stamped the Kewpie on the rock out in the middle of the water, created the dock and added the standing Kewpie fishing off her pier! You can tell she is a talented stamper and great at techniques like masking and hand drawing details she doesn't have stamps for.

This little fishing tag book that DT member Pam Hooten created for Fathers Day is still one of my all time favorites. Pam created her own pattern, scoring each section on cardstock and cutting the round tops. She used the Fishing Buds stamp set to stamp Kewpies on both sides. Sorry, I can't find the photo of the other side but I know this sample is in a display box and I will have it at the CK Show this weekend in WA.

DT member Julie Campbell is also in love with Kewpies as you can see in the next 3 cards she created. Our online sample Gallery is messed up and Julie hasn't ever been able to post samples so I'm showing them here. On this card Julie used an image from our Summertime Booklet and then stamped a Kewpie and cut it out to 'watch over the little hay scene'. I'm happy to say our new website will be ready soon and you can see the themes page HERE!

Look at this cute birthday card Julie made with the Kewpie standing on his head

Julie stamped the 'megaphone kewpie' from our SL03 Kewpie stamps on the mushroom with bugs from our SL13 Bug's Life Stamp Set and they look so suited and cute together.

This is another of my long time fav Kewpie cards created by DT member Linda Duke with our SL03 Kewpies Stamp set. The pastel florals, matting and ribbon Linda used look so pretty with the embossed (unknown) paper. Look how she cut out the Kewpie and popped him up for dimension.

Past DT Member Lisa Zappa (our Guest DT next month) wasn't sure if she liked them naked, so colored their little chubby bodies like they have on pajama's! Love the way she stamped and stacked them adding the singing birds on the Kewpies feet, all from SLo3 set.

DT Member Michele Kovack designed this birthday card a couple of years ago using our SL03 Kewpie stamps. The scallop papers, inked edges, beautiful buttons and glitter she used on the cake all add up to create a such charming little card!

Past DT Member Michelle Wooderson created this pretty Kewpie card using the 'conductor Kewpie' from our SL03 Kewpie stamps with the flock of birds from our SM02 Bird Notes Clear Art Stamp set. The soft colors and and little embellishments are perfect.

DT leader Vicki Chrisman created this cool little paper bag recipe album a couple of years ago and she decorated the pages with our What's Cooking Stickers, which have some Kewpies. You can see the Kiss the Cook and there is a little Kewpie with oven mitts on the pages below. 

  

Check out the adorable Kewpie samples created by our July Guest Designer Isabelle Norris in this post HERE with a blue 3 pc fishing set, a Kewpie 'sunset jar' and layout she did with her children. I also showed a cute card' Michele Kovack made using Kewpies baking from our Homemade Image Booklet.  Isabelle also designed this very pretty birthday card below using our SL03 Kewpies Stamp set.

Okay, now I want to show you a fabulous sample by DT leader Vicki Chrisman for using stamps to create backgrounds. Look how she used our SM33 Dahlia stamp randomly on this white photo mat to create a striking and classy frame! You can get the details and see how she made cool tissue paper HERE on Vicki's Blog. 

Plus - think of all the blank items you could dress up by randomly stamping any designs in black or colored inks on gift or lunch bags, boxes, wrapping paper and party items like paper plates, napkins and tablecloths.

Speaking of Vicki, I'm bringing her as a guest of honor to teach at a fun make & take and demo night at the Cherish the Thought Store in Port Moody, BC Canada on Tues, Nov 16/10. If you live in the area and can make it, you need to contact the store to sign up  We will also be at the CKC Show in Bellevue Fri & Sat, Nov 12 & 13 and if you missed the $3.00 coupon from my last post HERE it's at the very bottom.

Before I sign off, I have a couple of gift tags to share. Look at this quick and easy thank you tag DT member Mary Hammer made simply stamping one of the girls from our Sweet Kids stamp set and a sentiment on a blank shipping tag and adding a pretty seam binding bow, lace and a strip of vintage style fabric.  Details HERE on Mary's Blog.

Last of all, here is a tag that DT Member Linda Duke created using a section of our Christmas Creative Scraps, the Merry Christmas from our Little St. Nick set and a bunch of Spellbinder Dies (love the Poinsettia one!). You can get all the details HERE on Linda's blog.

Wow, this was a long post! I will be back with photos of the show next week and 2 fabulous NEW Clear Art Stamps to show you.

Wishing you joy & creativity
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

Easy Christmas Ornaments, Fun New Samples, Challenge & CK Show Coupon for WA!

Hi Everyone,

I have a bunch of quick ideas for Christmas ornaments today, some great new samples, links to the Splitcoast challenge and a $3.00 discount coupon for the Creating Keepsake Show we will be at this weekend in Bellevue WA with DT Leader Vicki Chrisman!

I'm sorry, I planned to post Kewpie samples and the Spiltcoast Challenge and the week just ran away from me. I will post the Kewpie creations this week and I will have a great free printable! Lori Lynn Washburn is hosting a Crafty Secrets Favorite Things Challenge over at Splitcoast and I'm tardy telling you about it but you can still post a sample using any of your favorite embellishments with Crafty Secrets products. Here is Lori's very pretty card she created with an image from our Little Blessings Creative Scraps and she picked to use seam binding and a crochet butterfly. Get details HERE and see Gallery HERE!

Now I have a variety of fun & fast Christmas ornaments to show you. DT leader Vicki Chrisman created this one and a bunch more using our Christmas Creative Scraps with Fancy Pants Artist Edition Metal Frames you can see HERE on Vicki's blog. Plus, you can enter the giveaway she has for a great planner. 

Vicki is coming to the CK Show to work in our booth and I ordered a huge amount of these cool metal frames to sell at the show because she's made so many great samples using  our Birds & Blossoms Scraps HERE and with our Vintage Photos posted HERE. They are easy because each frame comes with a little paper pattern template you simply lay over an image and trace around it. Glue it in the frame and add embellishments! I love the weight of these frames and the styles!

Below is 1 of the Christmas ornaments Vicki made last year using little boxes from the $1.00 store and some frames from Tattered Angels Framed Fonts pkg. The glitter she added makes them extra festive. See all 6 ornaments from last Dec and get the details HERE on Vicki's blog.  UPDATE - Vicki just posted cute new ones HERE she sprayed with Glimmer Mist! She didn't use the little boxes so our double sided Christmas Scraps work great front and back!

Here is a really pretty ornament DT member Heidi Blankenship made using a birdie image from our Christmas Scraps with Tattered Angels frames. You can see more samples and get the details HERE on Heidi's blog. If you don't have any little boxes, just use our double sided Scraps and when the ornament spins around it will have an image on the other side already!

Here's another ornament from last year that DT member Melissa Phillips created using the same little chipboard frames from Tattered Angels with cute kids from our Christmas Image Booklet and pink glitter glued on the frame.

.

We have some Sweetchips Mini Chipboard Frames but they are not as cool as the embossed ones from Tattered Angels. I do love this idea that past DT member Janel had to hang a double sided photo or image inside one of our little chipboard frames. She stitched it on to hang by a piece of thread, so it spins.

Talking about mini frames, look at this sweet one that DT member Michele Kovack decorated with an image and words from our Vintage Photo Creative Scraps. You can see her other little keepsake friendship ornament HERE on Michele's Blog.

DT member Pam Hooten rocked this card using our new Little St. Nick Clear Art Stamps! I love the way she colored the stamp and the Jenni Bowlin papers she used. You can get the details HERE on Pam's blog and she explains what Copic markers she used and techniques.

Anna Wight is our November DT Guest Designer and she just whipped up this darling card using the little winter girl from the inside of our Christmas Creative Scraps. This girl is already colored but we also have her as a stamp on our SM27 Season's Greetings stamp set.

Lastly, look at this beautiful card DT member Julie Campbell created using the little girl and Country Girl lettering stamps from our Down on the Farm set. She popped the girl up over an image from our double sided Garden Scraps and colored her to match perfectly! You can get the details and see a close up HERE on Julie's blog.  Also check out the wonderful card HERE she created using our Sew Nice Creative Scraps.

Okay, I will be back with the Kewpie samples and a great free printable image for you this week.  We leave Thursday to set up for the Creating Keepsakes Show in Bellevue, WA Fri & Sat Nov 12 & 13/10 and we are bringing EVERYTHING but the kitchen sink!  There will be clearance items, little gifts with your first purchase, loads of inspiring samples - and of course ... the talented Vicki Chrisman on hand doing demos and we all want to meet and  greet you (if you live close enough)!  I even have a $3.00 discount coupon off admission you can print.

Wishing you joy & creativity
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

Welcome Nov DT Guest Anna Wight, Christmas Samples and Halloween Re-Cap!

Hi Everyone,
I thought it was appropriate to kick off November with some great Christmas samples and I have some fun Halloween Photos and links at the end of this post. I’m also excited to tell you past DT member Anna Wight is our November Design Guest and Lisa Zappa will be returning as our Dec DT Guest!  A big thanks to our Oct DT Guest Sheila Rumney!

Anna just received her goodies and whipped up some adorable samples today using our Christmas Creative Scraps. I love the way she used her Sissix tag die with vintage sheet music and added the glitter and Glimmer Mist!

Anna joined our Design Team in 2007 and for over 2 years we were lucky to enjoy her Crafty Secrets projects along with photos and stories of her life on the farm in Texas -  so we are thrilled to have her back as a guest designer this month and I so looking forward to seeing what she creates with our new Down on the Farm set and Farm Chicks (not available yet).

You can see another wonderful Christmas Snowman Tag and get all the details HERE on Anna's blog and be sure to check out her photography and her line of Whipper Snapper stamps. See Anna's Crafty Secrets Gallery HERE!

Now look at this very adorable card DT member Pam Hooten created using our new Christmas Mail stamp set and the Dec month from our Calendar Scraps. I adore the way Pam paper pieced a colorful suit for Santa, gave him a nice white beard, a sparkly hat and all her other details! You can get the list and see a close up photo HERE on Pam's blog.

Check out these cute Christmas postcards posted on the blog for Create & Decorate Magazine! They also have some fun Halloween postcards that Bev and Isabelle created using our Halloween and Christmas Vintage Postcard Kits. I love the way they used the little chipboard embellishment pieces in the kits and added glitter wire, bells and distressed the edges. You can see more samples HERE on their blog and how they stamped the backs of their postcards

 
If you are looking for quick & easy Christmas card ideas I spotted this set that DT leader Vicki Chrisman created last year using images from our Christmas Image Booklet with assorted scraps of paper and ribbon. You can see each card and get the details HERE on Vicki's blog!
 

Look at the sweet card DT member Julie Campbell created with a post HERE for her mother's birthday. Julie used our Thinking of You Clear Art Stamp set with the little Dolly Dingle girl and her kitty. I collect these old antique drawings and we just released Little St Nick and have others in the works! You can also see Julie's  beautiful friendship card HERE!

Okay, now for a few cute Halloween photos of DT members pets! Here is Michele Kovacks dog Skipper and you gotta love that fashionable hat! You can also see a sweet Halloween card Michele posted HERE on her blog with one of my fav little witches from our Halloween Image Booklet.

Here are Vicki's 2 partners in crime, Ally dressed up like a pumpkin

and here is Molly as a little lady bug.

And here are posts to more Halloween projects that I wanted to share

by our other talented DT Ladies!

Heidi Blankenship's Wall Decor

Linda Dukes Wall Decor

Mary Hamer's Scrapbook Keepsake Layout

Signing off I have a photo of our little devil and company mascot Otis. I'm happy to tell you he loves the healthy dog biscuits I've been making and a spoonful of pure coconut oil everyday -  and he's lost over 10 lbs! Oops, this is last years photo because I was out and didn't take one but I will post one asap as everyone says he looks so much younger and he skips when he walks, which is not bad for an old diabetic doggie!
 
PS - I will be back this week with a Splitcoast Challenge and a Kewpie Post!
 

 
Wishing you joy & creativity!
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