Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Learn Easy Color Tips for Digital Stamps and Great New Samples!

Hi Everyone,

Many of our customers are new to digital and want to try it out but don't own a program like Photoshop Elements. I'm excited because I found a really easy way to show how you can change black digital stamps to color with a free program called Paint.net from Microsoft. I colored the lettering sample below and it took less than 2 minute but I left the last few letters in black to compare. We also have a printable 'How To Color Digital' Sheet Using Photoshop Elements below.

UPDATE: Yippee - I just tried and it also works with 'Paint' a program automatically installed on many Windows based computers. Check to see if you have 'Paint' and try it with a black design! Mac users can use Gimp. Click 'Edit Color's to change the hue of each letter. Be sure to save file with a new name - so you keep your original black design. See new example I just added.

Look at the color wheel - it's like having a giant rainbow of every ink! The Paint Bucket in Photoshop changes all the black at once. In Paint.net only design parts touching will change color, so see how I changed the color slightly before I touched a new word or letter with the paint bucket. If you don't own any editing software you may want to see my post: Best Free image editing software and low cost ink).

Here are some tips for using Paint.net to color stamps. You can left click it to make it big and right click to save to your computer but you simply open the color wheel and using the paint bucket icon to touch all the black pieces. It works best for designs like the sentiments above but I wanted to show you how I changed the color's on the rose and bird.

Here's a printable sheet with the same technique using Photoshop Elements.

Sometimes you have to play to see a good idea you missed. While working on a mini heart album this weekend I realized it would be great to have a red heart and a blank heart in the same shape as PNG files to use with this Heart to Heart Set. Cindy our graphic designer created them and everyone who has ordered this set has been sent the 2 new files and they are updated in our store.

I didn't love all my hearts printed on bright white paper in black ink, the white seemed so intense I kept adding more color. I do love color but I'm not a great painter and I don't want the hearts to over power everything else so I will finish the 3 below for another project. Weird, they don't look as white in this photo.

Here's mail heart stamp I changed to dark red and I printed the French heart on our cloud scene paper from CD # 3, Creating With Vintage Typography.

I like how the hearts look printed in different colors on various pieces of card stock but I still want to add some chalk and do a little watercolor painting with some Glimmer Mist

You have to see DT leader Vicki Chrisman's Valentine Pretties Post with some fabulous samples like the one she made with our Free Printable Valentine 10 Things I Love About...List. If you are looking for a quick Valentine packaging idea check out these cute goody bags Vicki created using our Be My Valentine Digital Art Stamps (which come in red and black)

DT Member Michele Kovack created this very pretty lacey card using our Love You Mother Stamp Set. You can get all the details here on Michele's Blog. Ooohh, love the lacey paper over the blue and the sparkley eggs!

How about this fun rooster card Michele Kovack also created using our
Farm Fresh Stamp Set (which I'm happy to say - we still have a bunch in stock).

DT Member Darlene Pavlick created this super pretty Set using our Valentine Digital Collection and some paper from our Radiant Paper Digital Set. I love the other teacup she has on her blog as well!

Elizabeth is a fabulous card maker who I was lucky to meet a couple of years ago when she came to see us at the Sewing & Craft Show. She has been busy the last couple of years after moving but I'm thrilled she is back creating beautiful cards like this one she made with our Art Blooms Stamp Set~

We are working on some amazing Easter goodies I will share soon. Plus we are going to start having more tutorials and I would love to hear any suggestions you have!

Wishing you joy and creativity
Sandy Redburn

See Our CraftyVintageGirl.com Store
Our Online Shopatron Store (sorry No digital downloads)

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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

Friday, January 25, 2013

Our Free 10 Things I Love Valentine Printable, Links, Winner & Samples!

Hi Everyone,

This post includes our Free Vintage Valentine Printable ‘10 Things I Love About – List’ and links to our past free vintage Valentine Printables! Feeling loved and letting others know you love them is essential to our happiness in life and this list provides a fun way to let others know how much you love and appreciate them.

First, congrats to #33, Becky Dunham, who won our , Love Mail Scraps, Cherish Clear Art Stamps, Romance Cotton Scraps and Vintage Love Cuts

Each season we have a some type of free printable as a thank you gift for your support and I love how great this 2013 Free Valentine Printable turned out! The file was so huge I reduced it to 250 ppi (pixels per inch) so it's now only 1.5 MB size but it's still prints beautifully on 8.5 x 11" sheet. To save this file just left click your mouse on it a couple of times to get it as large as possible and right click on it to save it to your computer. You can see small samples with links to our past 'Valentine Love Printables' images farther down in this post.

Here's 10 Creative Ways You Can Use this Free Printable. If you think of any more, please leave a comment. I thought of 1 more. Print a copy for everyone in your family and create a '10 Things I love About Our Family Album Cover', then fill out a page for each family member and present them as cards. Later, add them all to the keepsake album. I borrowed this idea after seeing Vick Chrisman's Altered Book she made with Christmas photos and cards her family received over the holidays.

This List is pasted on the '10 Things I Love About' List but the text is tiny.

Add to a fridge with a cute magnet

Fold or roll, tie with ribbon, add to a lunch bag, pillow, plate, purse or pocket

Add to a scrapbook layout with a photo of loved one

Turn into a postcard back and add an image or photo to the front.

Decorate and add ribbon or wire to hang on plant, vase, wall, etc

Print on fabric to make a mini pillow (add photo for extra personal touch)

Embellish with glitter, gems, ribbon, lace, etc to create a beautiful card

Make 2 copies to cut and add images for a 3D paper tole effect

Cut the inside of the title and frame out and add your own words and photo

Take a photo of your list and send it by i-phone or email to a loved on

Look at this sweet family keepsake DT leader Vicki Chrisman made using this Free Valentine Printable List with papers from our $9.95 Valentine Digital Download and the new Frame and Bow Die she designed for AccuCut.

I adore this layout Cindy van Koll our graphic designer made for my niece using our 'free
printable 10 Things I Love About list'. The papers, 3D frame, rose and valentines are from
our Digital Valentine Kit. Arissa was so excited and proud! What a great way to boost
anyone's self esteem and let them know they are appreciated and loved!

After Cindy made the digital layout above she added some 3D fun buy re-printing the 5 valentines and rose head and adding some pop dots and glitter. You can see how 3D the rose looks below. Too bad the photo didn't turn out great, so I showed the flat sample above.

I wanted to show you what I'm working on this weekend and plan to use my new sewing
machine to sew on card stock I printed with hearts from our Heart to Heart Digital Art Stamp Set.

This is the first EVER sewing machine I've owned and I'm thrilled with it! It's a Brother CS6000i Advance model and was$155.00 from amazon.com with free shipping, 60 computerized stitches, all the accessories, a free arm and a case!

Here's my 2011 list with 32 Creative Ways to say I Love You and it was the inspiration f0r creating our new 10 Things I Love About List. Click the link to get the printable full page

This is a link to our 2 Crafty Secrets Free Valentine Printables from Feb 2010.

Here's a link to our Free 2011 Printable Valentine Message adapted from an antique postcard. I was away for Valentines in 2012 and didn't do a printable.

I also have a few samples I wanted to show you. Vicki Chrisman, created these 2 new dies for Accucut with a frame you can create albums from and a cute bow die. Here are 2 inside pages using our Cherish Clear Art Stamp Set, still in stock and on sale for $15.50!

DT Member Darlene Pavlick has been busy whipping up all sorts of samples and look at these 2 cute cards for Valentines or they could work for a birthday girl. The cupcake girl is from our Valentine Digital Kit and the little love chef is from our $4.95 Homemade Booklet.

I love this fun birthday card that DT Member Michele Kovack created for a 'golfer guy' because I adore the crazy pants and socks on this image on our SM43 Golf Time Clear Art Stamp Set and we still have this set in stock and on sale for $9.50

Whew, that all for now! See you soon with more inspiring samples
Sandy Redburn
Owner
Crafty Secrets

See Our CraftyVintageGirl.com Store

Our Online Shopatron Store (sorry No digital downloads)

Visit us on Facebook with over 5035 Fans!
Join This Newsletter on: 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, January 22, 2013

Love You Giveaway and My Visit to Chintz & Co Store!

Hi Everyone,

We have one last great Giveaway for Valentines Day and I will announce a random.org winner this Friday and send these off in a priority envelope. Just leave a comment here to be entered to WIN our Love Mail Scraps, Cherish Clear Art Stamps, Romance Cotton Scraps and Vintage Love Cuts!

I am so in love with our new Heart to Heart Digital Art Stamp Set I gave away in yesterdays draw I'm going to play today and create something cool. It's the size of the collage hearts that are making my heart go pitter-pat - there are 5 and they are 5" tall!

Also, scroll down to see my visit to my favorite decorating store Chintz and Company!

Every year I try and do a photo post on a visit to my favorite decorating store Chintz and Company. If I could win a gift certificate anywhere it would be to this store! Tell me what store you would pick? Yes, some of the furniture and big ticket items are pricey and over my budget but they have 2 floors in their Vancouver store packed full of everything from you can imagine and there many small items from bath soaps and lotions, botanicals, cards, fabric, gift wrap, jewelry and gorgeous decor and gift ideas.

Too bad this chain is just in Western Canada - but if you ever need a bit of inspiration and love looking at decorating displays in themes this store is a feast for the imagination as they group their furniture, pillows, wall art, glassware, picture frames, lamps, etc all together with such style! Check out the funky stool!

This year the biggest change I noticed was there was so much color! Vivid, happy and wacky fun colors in flowers and patterns on fabric, dishware and more.

I love the contrast in this stunning plate.

There was an array of beautiful fabric art from stunning pillows, canvas pieces, place mats, linens and more.

These pillows reminded me of what you can create with images on our CD 2, Creating with Illustrations like pretty bird pillow DT Leader Vicki Chrisman made.

I don't have much blue in my home but I adore this pretty blue shabby chic grouping

I have 2 friends who have decorated their houses in whites and I'm jealous because I love how you can change the entire mood with splashes of color. Still...I'm scared of getting things dirty but a bit of bleach and it's all new again. Look at this pretty bedroom

They have the most stunning artificial flowers and plants and I always have to buy something, even if it's a single flower or a little plant for a teacup gift.

Fake plants are way nicer than they use to be.

Here's my kitchen window sill and yes - I do fake - because I can't kill them and they never out grow the tea cups or pots I put them in!

I like their variety in little things like these paper birds and little glass plates

Downstairs in the basement there are bolts and bolts of amazing home decor fabrics
all divided into color groupings.

Plus, a wall of the most stunning trims

Items piled floor to ceiling in such an eclectic assortment

On the way out I snapped this photo of one of the jewelry cases as I noticed even it was full of color. Now the purse may be a little over the top, even for me. Mind you with a little black dress and one of the necklaces I bet it would be stunning!

So tell me your favorite decorating store if you didn't have a budget to follow? If I'm in the USA I love going to Home Goods, which is like HomeSense in Canada because their prices fit my budget and they have such a selection, but Chintz and Co. makes my heart flutter and a girl can dream right?
Here is a link to my 2012 post at the Chintz Store in Victoria BC Store and Valentine samples, plus Chintz store visit in 2010 but I can't find the 2011 Vancouver post.

Also, see the great Men cards Vicki made with our Barbershop Kit and Mustache Men Digital Art Stamp Set!

Be sure to leave a comment and I will announce a random.org winner this Friday, Jan 25/13

Wishing you joy and creativity
Sandy Redburn