Friday, December 31, 2010

Last Shop Hop Day, New Years Gift, Contest Entries & Winners!

Happy New Years Eve Everyone!


Final day of our Shop Hop Sale & Special Offer
See Marcy's Splitcoast Challenge 'Bling in the New Year!'
See Our Contest Entries and 3 Winner Tie
Free Printable New Years Poem and 1887 Winter Amusements!

Today is the final day of our Shop Hop Sale which runs until midnight tonight. Each year we take part in this event with Splitcoast Stampers and offer fun specials with free shipping all week in our online store. Plus – every customer will be emailed a special download link to some free goodies that will be on our new Creating with Vintage Designs CD's! See details HERE.

Besides getting the link to our digital promo, any orders over $15.00 placed today will also receive a free sheet of our Vintage Photo Creative Scraps and orders over $50.00 can choose 1 item between 19 of our Small Clear Art Stamp Sets or 9 Vintage Booklets! * Please add your choice to message box in the online store if you qualify.

Being New Years Eve, I wanted to show you this gorgeous card Marcy Talbert created for the current 'Bringing in the Bling' challenge she is hosting over at Splitcoast Stampers. She wants you to post any projects using Crafty Secrets that you have embellished with any kind of 'bling'. So pull out the glitter and rhinestones and join in the fun! You can check out the Gallery HERE.  Marcy used an image from our Seasonal Booklet to create this pretty card.


The hardest thing to do was choose the winners for our contest there were so many fabulous samples! There were 29 entries so I asked for help and took lots of votes and we had a tie.  Cindy Holshouser, Jan Hennings and Christine Nay each won a $25.00 gift certificate but really there were so many close ones it was painful. 

 This lovely card was submitted by Cindy Holshouser using the robin from our Birds & Blossoms Scraps, Hello stamp from Bouquets of Joy and rose paper from our Classic Paper Pad.

Jan Henning submitted 2 samples, a drawer she altered to hold some of her favorite cards and this cool house she created with a yardstick and then decorated with our Altered Fairy Scraps and Birdies Stamp Set.  


Christine Nay won for her beautiful card using our Seaside Clear Art Stamps. Very pretty pallet of colors, great bow, matting and coloring job!


Now for our News Years gift to you... I wanted to have a nice poem and something fun. Just right click on the poem below with your mouse a couple of times to the largest size and then left click your mouse on it to save this sweet poem to a picture file and print it full or card size
I love old books and these pages from an 1887 pastimes book have such delightful writing it makes me want to go check out their parties and get in on their parlor games! The bubble blowing game (see the 3rd page illustration) sounds like so much fun I bought bubbles at the dollar store tonight when we went to get New Years decorations. I love party games and plan to set up some 'bubble goal posts' at our New Years party and have a little bubble blowing competition!  Are you doing anything fun to bring in the New Year? I'm a new years baby, and will turn 53 at midnight - eek! I'm just happy
 I'm almost finished menopause!


We usually play the 'Guess Who I Am?' game by writing famous names on blank labels and I stick them on every one's back and they can only ask yes or no questions until they get it.  Am I a man or woman? Am I an actor, rock star, cartoon character, etc.


My daughter Chelsea gave me a game called 'Say Anything' for Christmas that is filled with fun questions and gets everyone talking and debating the answers and I think it will be fun. I thought I would set up the bubble blowing game on our island and hopefully dollar store bubbles actually work!  This page with the cute kids will get big if you click it on but I did the above text pages in lower resolution.


I want to wish you much love and joy and prosperity in 2011!  Thank you all so much for your support. I'm so excited about everything new we have in store for 2011 and all the creative adventures ahead!

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, December 30, 2010

Day 5, Shop Hop Sale, Vintage Designs Promo Details, Samples & CHA News!

Hi Everyone,

Tomorrow will be the last day of our annual Shop Hop Sale which runs until midnight Jan 31/10. Each year we take part in this event and offer fun specials with free shipping all week in our online store. Plus – every customer will be emailed a special download link to some free goodies that will be on our new Creating with Vintage Designs CD's! See samples below

Besides getting the link to the digital promo, any orders over $15.00 placed today will also receive a free sheet of our Valentine Love Stickers and orders over $50.00 can choose 1 item between 19 of our Small Clear Art Stamp Sets or 9 Vintage Booklets! * Please add your choice to message box in online store if you qualify.


Today is also the last day to enter our Contest by submitting one or more of your favorite projects using any of our products! I'm going to post the entries on Friday and will announce two $25.00 gift certificate winners. Please email your entries to me at: sandy@craftysecrets.com

I want to show you some samples DT leader Vicki Chrisman made today using designs included in our free promo that all Shop Hop orders will be emailed. There are 8 separate files in the download. I've held off emailing it out as I wanted to show some ideas first of what you can do. Vicki just opened the Damask jpg file and printed the design on white cardstock for this LO and used other supplies from her craft room along with paper from our Classic Paper Pad, assorted Artsy Banner stamps and our ABC Top Hat Alphabet stamps.


Here she printed the same damask design onto some colored cardstock. Imagine the black on red for Christmas or Valentines and the versatility to print on various mediums such as fabric or vellum! Most photoshop type programs will also allow you to change the black to a custom color. There will be several designs on the first CD; Creating with Vintage Papers including more damasks, sheet music, text, florals, etc. as well as basic instructions, inspiring samples and tips & tricks. Available for sale mid February with a Typography and Image CD's to follow.


All of the new CD's we are working on will also include templates and patterns for creating all sorts of fun projects. On the free download there is a card template for a A4 size bulky cards as well. You can print the template on the back of any pattern paper or cardstock you have printed to make it easy to cut out.

  On this sample, Vicki printed the Aged Birdy Sheet Music on white paper to decorate a plain book cover and added ribbon and a rose. There is a jpg and a png of this design on the download. Both file types will be on these CD's as digi scrappers like png files because you can make them transparent. See png files explained on Wikipedia.


Here are a few more peeks and some of the design are in both card and page size.


This has been a crazy hectic week with our sale, limited staff and working on new product releases and I apologize for not emailing every person back.

NEWS: This will be our first time not to attending the CHA Wholesale Show in Los Angeles as I've decided to take a stand and protest the high drayage charges and other excessive exhibitor costs. (over $700.00 drayage just to bring 2 skids from the shipping door to our booth), not to mention the shipping from WA to CA and back, airfare, hotel, staff, etc. seems a bit ridiculous. We are going invest the savings into several promotions to help retailers.

We’ve been exhibitors at the show for 7 years so this was not an easy decision. We will be hosting a Crafty Secrets Online Wholesale Trade show Jan 17 to Feb 2, 2011 with fabulous Show Specials, free printable projects, an online class, videos and more! I would be so grateful if you passed the date on to your favorite retailer!

We do really want to support the retailers we sell to, so you can also buy our products from your favorite retailer and fax or email us a receipt (before Jan 1, 2011) and we will email you the free digital download file.

Okay, to finish off I have a fantastic sample to share with you that DT member Pam Hooten just sent me.  Look at the rooster card she created with our new Farm Chicks Clear Art Stamp Set! You can see the card and get the details HERE on Pam's Blog.



See you again tomorrow!

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

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

4th Day Shop Hop Sale and More 2010 DT Favorite Samples!

Hi Everyone,

Today is the fourth day of our annual Shop Hop Sale which runs until midnight Jan 31/10. Each year we take part in this event and offer fun specials with free shipping all week in our online store. Plus – every customer will be emailed a special download link to some free goodies that will be on our new Creating with Vintage Designs CD's! See details HERE.

Also - today's Special Shop Hop Offer is a Free Wood Clipboard Album with every order over $15.00 and orders over $50.00 will also receive a small stamp set or Vintage Booklet. For orders over $50.00 please write your choice in the comments box, or let our shipper pick.

Bellow is a cute Recipe Card Holder DT leader Vicki Chrisman made a few years ago using one of the wood album covers and our What’s Cooking Stickers. She painted a clothes pin red, glued it to the cover and attached a rolling pin sticker. She used our Little Chef set to stamp the recipe cards.


Yesterday I shared some of my favorite 2010 samples by half of our DT ladies and today I have the balance to show you. It was so hard to decide again because there are so many great samples! 

I really love this album DT member Michele Kovack created earlier this year and just realized we are out of our House Albums but I know Maya Road has similar ones. Michele added so many great details to each page and used several Clear Art Stamp Sets. You can see all the pages HERE on her blog.


Michele used our Sunflower Clear Art Stamp set to create this stunning card. You can get all the details on how she added the sparkle and 3D petals HERE on her blog.

DT member Melissa Phillips is known for her perfectly pretty shabby appeal and I adore all 3 cards you can see HERE on her blog. She used our Birds & Blossoms Creative Scraps and Artsy Banner stamps. The little cherub card on her blog is from our Girlfriend Scraps.


Melissa posted this wonderful calendar in our last DT challenge but every page is so pretty I had to pick it for my other choice. In stamps she used our Calendar set, Artsy Banners and Art Studio and in Creative Scraps the Seasonal Calendar, Vintage Photos and Altered Fairy Scraps. Inspiring ideas on each page.


Flo Teixeira creates samples for a EmbelliScrap, a chipboard company in France and she always has such fantastically detailed memory albums and boxes decorated with our products. This Halloween Chest is one of my favorites and she has instructions on how she made the tiny booklet, spider web and pumpkin HERE on her blog. She used our Halloween and Seasonal Calendar Scraps.



Flo also decorated this stunning boxed album with many pages using our Birds & Blossoms Creative Scraps. Stamp sets used were Bonjour Merci, Book Lovers, French Mail and the decorative corners from our Serenity Prayer stamps. You can see several close up photos HERE on Flo's blog and there is a English translator on the right.



I love the gold and pastel colors Julie Campbell used on this pretty card and the way she cut out and added the little girls hat and the shells from our Seaside Stamps. You can get all the details HERE on Julie's Blog.


I really love the depth created when you pop an image up such as this little country girl that Julie stamped and colored from our Down on the Farm set and then how she placed her on this image from our Garden Creative Scraps. The colors go perfectly and just draw you in. You can see see a close up and the details HERE on Julies Blog.


I love the warm cozy colors DT member Mary Hamer created on this autumn keepsake  wall layout she created using our Autumn Vintage Cuts.


I know I showed this Christmas layout recently that Mary created but I like the way she added a journal pocket behind her photo and used images from our Christmas Creative Scraps to create a 3D ephemera style keepsake layout that can be displayed each year and with a new family photo. You can see details HERE on Mary's blog.


Lastly I have Lisa Zappa, our guest designer for Dec. Lisa was on our Design Team for over 2 years and created so many fantastic samples, often accompanied with a great tutorial or technique such as this pinwheel banner she shows you how she made it HERE on her blog.  She used our Christmas Creative Scraps but you could easily use her same idea to created a really sweet birthday or theme banner to celebrate an occasion.


Look at this adorable flash card album Lisa designed with our Mouse Party Stamp Set  to hold school photos. The vintage flash cards are totally suited to the theme as well as the way she has stamped and posed the mice. You can get the details HERE on Lisa's blog.


Don't forget about our CONTEST you can enter! I would love to see what everyone has created using our products and thought it would be fun to hold a little contest. Please email me a photo of one of your favorite samples you've created using any of our vintage images or Clear Art Stamps and I will post photos this Friday and announce two $25.00 gift certificate winners! Email to: sandy@craftysecrets.com  


Wishing you joy & creativity until tomorrow
when I will be back for the 5th Shop Hop Sale Day!

Sandy Redburn
Owner Crafty Secrets


Visit Our Store Locator HERE
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

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Day 3 Shop Hop Sale, 2010 Favs, More Promos & Contest!

Hi Everyone,

It’s the third day of our annual Splitcoast Shop Hop Sale which runs until midnight Jan 31/10. Each year we take part and offer fun specials with free shipping all week. Plus – every customer will be emailed a free special download link to some free designs that will be on our new Creating With Vintage Designs CD's you can read about HERE.  They will start emailing them today.

We want to promote the stores we sell to, so you can also buy our products from your favorite retailer and fax or email us a receipt and we will email you the free digital download file.

I’m going to getting nostalgic as the year is coming to an end so I thought I would follow DT leader Vicki Chrisman’s idea HERE to post some favorite 2010 projects. I also have 2 great promotions you can read about and details on today's Shop Hop Sale Special Offer! Each order will be emailed the digital file – plus if you spend over $50.00 you will receive a small Clear Art Stamp set or a Vintage Booklet. Just put your choice in the message box when you place your order and be sure to enter the code: freeshipping.
Note: if you already ordered and spent over $50 you will get the extra gift my shipper ws off and is shipping a ton of orders today. 

I will show half of my favorites today and the others tomorrow from our Design Team, so today is Vicki, Pam, Heidi, Marisa and Linda. It was so hard I had to pick 2 from each lady! This 18" oval frame DT leader Vicki Chrisman altered using our Sew Nice Scraps is stunning. You can see the details HERE on Vicki’s blog.


I adore this pretty hanging Vicki created using the birds from our Birds & Blossoms Scraps and a border and ephemera stamps from our Artsy Banner Clear Art Stamp Set.  She did a great tutorial with lots of cool ideas and samples using this set you can see HERE on her blog.


DT Member Pam Hooten created this pretty basket using 2 of the postcard images and chipboard from our Best Buds Postcard Kit. The bird, butterfly & hearts are from our Cupcake Party stamp set  She also decorated a adorable wood tray with our Easter Creative Scraps and you can see details HERE on Pam’s Blog.


Pam designed this Santa card using our Christmas Mail stamp set and Dec from our Calendar Scraps is so cute.  Look how she stamped him again on pattern paper and cut out and layered his overalls! You can see the details HERE on Pam’s Blog.


Look at the gorgeous Easter card DT Member Heidi Blankenship created using an image from our Seasonal Booklet, flourish stamps from our Cherubs set and the purple flowers are stickers off our Greetings & Sentiments Stickers. See all the details HERE on Heidi’s Blog.





Marisa Grosson is taking a break from our DT as she is so busy but she created so many fabulous samples I have to share some.  I’m in awe of this 3D pattern frame she designed using a new medium stamp set we have coming our for the CHA show next month called Floral Art. There are 2 large floral sprays on it and she stamped one randomly and cut out and added some extra flowers for a 3D effect you can see better HERE on Marisa's blog.


Marisa created this pretty keepsake to hold her parents wedding photo using a 3D Shadow Box frame that DT leader Vicki Chrisman designed for AccuCut. She decorated it using our Birdy Clear Art Stamp Set, music notes from our Bird Lovers set and 'Perfect Couple' is from our Cherish stamp set. This Landscape style Shadow Box Frame comes with the 2 little 'curtain' sides and all the parts are cut from cardstock weight paper. You can see all the details HERE on Marisa's Blog.


I also have a couple of cards DT member Linda Duke designed including this beautiful card she made using angel stamps from our new Angel Blessings Clear Art Stamp Set. You can see more details HERE on Linda’s Blog.


I also love the colors Linda used on this card with our Mermaid Stamp set and the way she added the ‘water droplets’.  You can see more details HERE on Linda’s Blog.


Okay, now I want to tell you about a fun promo I want to start. I’ve had people ask me for logo graphics they can add to their blog our website and I got an idea

I want to create sort of a 'club' and do a draw each month for a $50.00 gift certificate drawn from a list of people who link to our website and/or blog. Our webmaster is on vacation but I realized I can start it myself now and add some here (and add more to our website next month). Alexa.com has a list showing any sites that link in and my goal is to increase our numbers. I’ve been so busy working on new products I haven’t devoted much time to marketing. Every time we go to shows so many people say they’ve never heard of us and go nuts over all our stuff. We need to get the word out!

I’ve attached 3 different styles if you want to add any to your blog or website. Just email me, sandy@craftysecrets.com the link where you have added it and I will enter you into the draw which we will do at the end of each month (Jan).

I'm also going to create a product endorsement program to pay people who get projects published in the major magazines a $30.00 gift certificate. I will post details later this week.



Here are the 3 online ads you can choose from for now


Whew - this was a long post! I will have more great samples tomorrow and we will run the same special as today that all orders will receive the digital file and free shipping when they add the code:  freeshipping and if they are over $50.00 a free Small Clear Art Stamp Set or a Vintage Booklet. If you qualify, please add your choice to the memo section when you place your order in our Shopatron Store.

PLUS - Don't forget about our Contest to see your favorite project using any Crafty Secrets products! 2 winners will be announced this Friday and you can email any samples to me - sandy@craftysecrets.com  Yes, you can enter more than 1 sample!

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
This is such a fun and pretty card by Heidi using images from our Sew Nice Creative Scraps and our Material Girl stamp set.  I love how she stamped and cut out the little floss card and the dress form stamps and cut the measuring tape from the Scraps. You can get all the details HERE on Heidi’s blog.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Shop Hop Sale Day 2, Recipe Album Instructions & Contest!

Hi Everyone,


Today the second day of our annual Shop Hop Sale which runs until midnight Jan 31/10. Each year we take part in this event with Splitcoast vendors and offer fun specials with free shipping all week in our online store when you use the code: freeshipping  Plus – every customer will be emailed a special download link to some free goodies that will be on the new Vintage Designs CD's we are working on (see details here).

We want to promote the stores we sell to, so you can also buy our products from your favorite retailer and fax or email us a receipt and we will email you the free digital download file.

Today I have a wonderful project sheet for a recipe album that DT leader Vicki Chrisman created using our Domestic Goddess Scraps and Sweet Stuff Stamps. Today's Special is a Free sheet of our Domestic Goddess Scraps with every order (1 per customer) - plus all 3 of our cooking theme stamp sets are marked down 20% off today including: Kitchen Classics and Little Chef!


I would love to see what everyone has created using our products and thought it would be fun to hold a little contest. Please email me a photo of one of your favorite samples you've created using any of our vintage images or Clear Art Stamps and I will post photos this Friday and announce two $25.00 gift certificate winners! Email to: sandy@craftysecrets.com

In case the project sheet doesn't get big when you click it on (left click it twice), you can download it HERE at yousendit.com

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

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Shop Hop Sale on Now, 2 Winners and Some Great Samples!

Welcome to Our Shop Hop Sale!
Vintage CD Promo
We Have 2 Winners
See New Samples


Our Shop Hop Sale just started and I wanted to post the promo code to get FREE Shipping in our Online Store.  All you have to do is enter the code: freeshipping. The SALE lasts from Dec 25 to Dec 31 at midnight. Each year we do this sale with other Splitcoast Stampers vendors and to make it fun we will change the free gift each day sent with orders. Today's (Dec 26) gift is  a free sheet of our Birds & Blossoms Creative Scraps!

Plus - every order will also be emailed a free special download link to some free goodies that will be on our new Creating With Vintage Designs CD's! Click on the image below to get a peek.  Note: The Dowload links will begin emailing Monday.


We are working on 3 CD's in a new series that will be filled with vintage papers, templates, illustrations and typography. Inspiring samples and instructions will be included for creating an array of paper arts projects as well as adding the designs to a variety of surfaces and sizes! From ATC’s, aprons, banners and book covers to pillows, T-shirts and wall hangings, the creative flexibility will inspire your artistic possibilities! The first will be available in Feb. Watch for more details this week.

We have 2 winners for the Blog Giveaway! Random.org picked #6 Rene and #17 Gloria Westerman. Congratulations ladies!  


I have 2 more fabulous cards our Dec Guest Designer Lisa Zappa created using our Farm Chicks Clear Art Stamp set!  Look at the way she stamped 3 of the phrases on an angle down the side


I love the way Lisa added the little party hat to the chicken on this card, stamped down the side and stitched around her edges.


I also have a few beautiful samples to show you by Tammy Roberts and you can see more HERE on her blog.  Look at this sweet baby card she had published using an image from our Baby Girl Cotton Scraps. The Congratulations stamp is from our Cherish Stamp set.


This is another adorable card Tammy created with an image from our Baby Girl Cotton Scraps and the stamps are from our Baby Girl Postcard Kit.


This is another card Tammy had published in Crafts Magazine using the angel image from our Little Blessings Creative Scraps. The stamp on the bottom is from our Artsy Banner Clear Art Stamp set.

  I thought this one was really pretty that she created using an image from our Summertime Image & Journal Notes Booklet. The image on the bottom is part of a journal page in the booklet


I hope your Christmas was Magical!  We bought Nintendo Wii Fit Resort as our big family gift this year and it is so fun to play and watch.  The bonus is it made us get off butts and work off some of the gravy, the pie, the cookies....

I will be back tomorrow

Sandy Redburn
Owner



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