Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Stamping on Polymer, Blog Candy, and 2 Challenges!

Hi Everyone,

I have some great samples, a cool technique, details on 2 of our current challenges you can participate in and other news. Plus – I’m giving away this beautiful necklace designed and hand stamped with our Fairyland stamps by artist Melanie Kay!

Just post a comment HERE on this blog and tell us your favorite craft, whether it’s card making, painting, beading, photography, knitting or scrapbooking, what do you love to play with and create? Be sure to leave your contact info or check back here. A random winner will be drawn for the necklace and also second winner for a $30.00 gift certificate for any of our products on Monday March 2/09

Melanie Kay is a multi talented artist who has been stamping on polymer clay to create wonderful jewelry pieces that she hand paints. She designed a pretty necklace with our Cherub stamps that I bought from her and wore at the CHA Show last month. So many people asked me about the necklace that I asked Melanie if she would share a few tips and I have a link HERE to her Etsy Store where she sells her creations. Check out her other pieces including her ‘torn paper pet portraits’ like the samples I’ve shown below!
Melanies Tips and Supplies...
I use white Sculpey brand polymer clay to stamp on. I mix in nutmeg to give it kind of a stone like appearance and as an added benefit, it also smells nice! I prefer that look to the plain white, although it would work just fine without it. I've experimented using the regular clay and a product called Ultralight. There are pros and cons to each. Ultralight accepts ink very well once it's baked but it is kind of sticky and very hard to work with. It's also not very strong. The regular clay is much easier to work with but doesn't look as soft and pretty when painted. I paint them using Palette ink pads. Here is the tutorial I learned the coloring technique from on YouTube. After painting and heat setting each piece, I give them several coats of polyurethane gloss varnish.

I love the way Melanie used our Cherub stamps on this necklace and colored the journal angel with dark hair and skin and if you scroll down you will see she the same angel stamped and colored blond and lighter. These necklaces and the other items are all for sale in Melanies Etsy shop.

On this cute necklace Melanie used the little nurse from our Feeling Yucky stamp set. wouldn't she be an adorable gift for a nurse!


She also designs buttons with pin backs and used the cute robin from our Bird Note stamps to stamp the button on this card. The flourishes are from our Cherub stamp set.


Melanie says she loves playing with new materials and surfaces and she has also been creating little muslin bags to stamp on. I love the colors she choose to color the little pixie fairy from our Fairyland stamp set on this bag.


She also admits to loving anything with Kewpies and was first drawn to our stamps when she discovered we had a Kewpie stamp sets. She decorated this wooden tote using a combination of stamps from our large Kewpie stamp set and our medium Fishing Buds Kewpie set. It turned out so cute I had to show you all 4 sides!
* NOTE: This tote is not for sale. She made this one for herself.



As I said earlier, Melanie is multi talented and likes to design and play with all sorts of materials. I was fascinated by these pet portraits she custom designs for people using a photo of their pet - with torn paper! Look at the actual photo of the doggie below and you will see she totally aced this dog! I think I'm going to order one of these for our dog Otis and frame it. He's our company mascot and he is fluffy like this cute dog.
I also want to tell you about a couple of fun challenges! There is still time to enter the 'Spring theme' challenge over at PaperCraftPlanet we are giving away two random $30.00 gift certificates! So far, there are not many entries, so the odds of winning are good! You can get the details HERE. You can also see the gallery HERE.
Marcy is hosting the challenge this week at splitcoaststampers.com. You can get the details HERE and you can see the gallery HERE. Her challenge is to create a single layer card using any of our products.
PLUS - Our wonderful design team is teaming up with the talented Glimmer Mist Tattered Angels Design Team and there will be 4 groups posting samples every Monday next month! Be sure to come back and check out all of the fabulous samples each week!
PLUS - The talented Marlene Bender will be a guest designer next month and I will be sharing some of her great creations as well!
Don't forget to post your favorite craft here and you will be entered to win our random draw for the fairy necklace or the $30.00 gift certificate I'm giving away. Plus, I would love to hear what craft everyone likes!
I will also be giving you a peek at our new Creative Scraps coming in March!

Wishing you joy & creativity
Sandy Redburn
owner

Our Online Store Locator
Our Shopatron Store


Crafty Secrets
Toll Free Phone or Fax 1-888 597-8898
Local Phone 604 597-8817

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

Monday, February 16, 2009

Think Spring Ideas!

Hi Everyone,

This is a quick post to let you know our talented Design Team has been busy creating some wonderful samples with a Spring theme that I wanted to share with you as well as some links to some other fun things! Vicki Chrisman, our DT leader, hosted the challenge and created a sweet little Spring plaque and this Easter Spoolie album.


You can see all of sample photos and the details when you click on each DT members name below. Each one is perfectly wonderful and unique!

Thanks DT ladies!


Vicki Chrisman - Spring Plaque and Easter Spoolie Album

Anna Wight – Easter Bi-plane Card

Lisa Zappa - Easter and Garden Stamped Cards

Pam Hooten – Easter Egg Stamped Cards

Heidi Blankenship – Framed Garden Girl Stamped Picture

Marisa Grosson - Spring Stamped Treat Bag

Michele Kovack – Garden Girlfriend Stamped Card

Vivian Peters - Spring Heart Plaques

Linda Duke - Garden Notes Stamped Card

I also wanted to show you this adorable Spring Joy card that our graphic designer Cindy van Koll created using on of the images from our Seasonal Booklet. I just love this little boy running down the hill with his bunny friends! I also wanted to tell you about the current issue (April) of Create & Decorate Magazine because it’s a great magazine and they also have a 2 page biography written by Judi Kauffman about me (blush) and our little company on pg 56 & 57, covering our journey over the years. Judi, who is also an artist and designer, is one of those talented writers that interviews you and you feel like you are talking to a friend because she is so genuinely warm and creatively inspiring! She also really walks her talk and knows this industry so well!

Her article begins from my childhood travels with my mom to rummage and thrift sales and covers the evolution of the business and the people that helped make it all possible! I felt all sappy and so proud after reading it. I think we are all feeling ready for Spring and happy that Winter will be over soon. This card that Barbara Anders created sums it up… Winter is for the birds! I read on Barbara's blog it was the first time she’s used fabric or sewed on a card and I think she did a fantastic job! Barbara used our Winter Cotton Scraps and she posted her card in the Spring Challenge over at Paper Craft Planet HERE! That’s right, we now have a Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage group that Jan is running over at papercraftplanet.com and you can read all about the Spring challenge Darlene posted and enter a project. We will be doing random draw the end of March (Mar 28/09) from all the entries and giving away two $30.00 gift certificates for any of our products and we will pay the shipping!

Plus, in case you missed this beautiful journal and paperweight set that DT member Heidi Blankenship created using our Bird Lover stamps, you can see more details HERE on her blog as well as more CHA photos.
Sending you all wishes for sunshine and joy!
Sandy Redburn
Owner

Crafty Secrets - Heartwarming Vintage

Our Online Store Locator
Our Shopatron Store
www.craftysecrets.com

Toll Free Phone or Fax 1-888 597-8898
Local Phone 604 597-8817

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

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

Thursday, February 12, 2009

New Stamp Set, Love Cards, Challenge and Feel Better Samples!

Hi Everyone,

I have lots to share with you today! First I wanted to show you a new stamp set that just arrived. It’s so new I don’t even have samples to show you yet, but I will post some asap!

SL 21 Garden Girls is a large set with 18 separate stamps. Many of the designs were created from bits and pieces of old etchings and the detail is amazing! There are 3 little garden girls that can be built into a variety of scenes with the tree, stone walls, gate, spade, flower pot and watering can. The sentiments will work well for friendship and birthday cards, stationary, notecards and garden keepsakes. The 2 poems read; ‘Friendship is the flower that blossoms in the heart’ and ‘For your Birthday Garden these wishes are sent to express, the hope that every day will bring growing happiness’ Birthday, Wishes, Girl and Friend are all separate stamps. The floral flourish,‘Garden Notes’ and ‘Stamped by’ are little add-ons that make this set extra special.
The Garden Girl sets are starting to ship to stores now. Please check our STORE LOCATOR HERE, or ask your favorite retailer to contact us. We've been shipping lots of CHA orders to stores! If you wish to buy online you can get them now in our SHOPATRON STORE HERE. and also see it larger there.

A couple of blog posts ago, I showed you some wonderful Valentine keepsakes our Design Team had created. I also found some great Valentine love themed cards to share today, a link to a fun paper heart basket idea and a challenge called 'Show the Love'. Also, if your still looking for creative ways to say I Love you this Saturday to someone you love, be sure to read my list of 32 ideas HERE.

Design team member Vicki Chrisman created a new adorable box set of fun girlfriend Valentine cards in a pink & black theme using our Girlfriends Booklet. You can see the NEW CARDS HERE on Vicki's blog. Last year she also made these other 2 card sets shown below. You also have to check out her cool storage idea for storing Stickles. I love the cute vintage style tray she used!

I realized in the other post that I missed this sweet couples album that DT member Pam Hooten made for her parents last year using our Cherish stamp set and paper from our Pastel Paper Pad. Sorry I didn't post it earlier. It would make such a great valentine, wedding or anniversary keepsake. You also have to visit Pam's blog HERE to see the new Valentine banner she created!


How about these 2 fab Valentines DT member Lisa Zappa created last year using the diamond and sheet music papers from our Earthy Paper Pad with the heart and 'Love' stamps our Cherish stamp set. The little kids on the 2nd card are off our Valentine Cotton Scraps. Check out this new Valentine Bingo card on Lisa's blog that she created.
DT member Marisa Grosson used the same heart stamp on this card below with a pink and green combo that works perfectly. The pink floral paper is from our Radiant Paper Pad. You have to see all the other cards HERE on Marisa's blog to see the other sweet Valentine card, Boys Birthday and the 'Aged to Perfection' wine card Marisa also created!

I adore this sweet little love card DT member Anna Wight made last year using our Kewpies stamp set and her watercolor pencils. Anna recently created a new card for Valentines day using an image from our Homemade Image & Journal Notes Booklet. You can see the new card and get all the details HERE on Anna's blog.

DT member Michele Kovack made a cute little cherub card using our Cherub stamp set you can see HERE on Michele's blog and get all the details. She also posted it in this weeks challenge that Darlene Pavlick is hosting over at Splitcoast called "Show a Little Love'. You can read more about the challenge HERE and see all 24 the samples in the the Gallery HERE! We would be delighted if you joined in the fun!

Darlene has so many people revved up and posting inspiring samples you can see including these fun heart baskets that Lindsay Weirich created using a pattern she shows you step by set how to create HERE on her Frugal Crafter site. Lindsay used our Bug's Life stamp set to embellish the basket in the middle. These would be so cute to fill with valentine treats!

I've so excited about our new Creative Scraps line we have coming out the beginning of March (I will post details ASAP) but they are turning out so wonderful! I'm also excited about my 'almost new car! My 1998 Astro van was on it's last legs and my husband Scott found me a 2008 Chevy HHR for a super price in Vegas. After I got home from the CHA show, we flew to Vegas from Bellingham WA for $29.00 each (what a deal) and we drove it back home last week. I've never been so pumped about a car before but I've never owned a car this new and it has so many great features! Better on gas, lots of room, heated leather, a sunroof, gold sparkly paint and a remote starter! I sound like an infomercial but I'm so in LOVE this car and still can't believe it's mine! Even Otis gave it a paws up.
I’m also thrilled all our new stamp sets are selling so well but it’s funny how one set can get such a fun reaction from people. Our Feeling Yucky stamp set wins the award for generating the most laughs and aawwhhs from people. Everyone has fallen in love with the cute little crying duck and Campbells Soup nurse! Here are a few samples to make you smile. You will see lots more as I was waiting to get the rest of the new sets before we sent the balance off to our Design Team ladies, so some are just getting these.

Pam Hooten didn't waste any time creating this totally cute card with the little nurse from the set.


I found this colorful card in the our Splitcoast Gallery that Darlene recently created using both duckies from the Feel Better set. I also saw 2 more really cute Feel Better Cards that Lori Lynn Washburn and Melanie Kay posted in the Show a Little Love Challenge HERE.

I also adore this card that Shari made and she explains how she created it in detail and how she used Ranger Glossy Accents on the tears and medicine to look wet here on her blog.
Last but not least, look at this adorable little first aid tin that Marlene Bender (cards4U) created with our Feeling Yucky set. I love they way she added the little bandaid stamp to his head! I'm happy to announce that Marlene is also going to be a guest designer with us and she is cooking up a bunch of great projects I will start posting!
Plus, our talented Design Team is going to be posting some great cards and projects with a Spring, Birdy or Easter theme this Monday, Feb 16th!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and Happy Valentines!

Wishing you joy & creativity
Sandy Redburn
owner


Our Online Store Locator
Our Shopatron Store

Crafty Secrets
www.craftysecrets.com
Toll Free Phone or Fax 1-888 597-8898
Local Phone 604 597-8817

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

USA Warehouse
250 H. Street, #436
Blaine, WA 98230
Saturday, January 31, 2009

CHA re-Cap and Winners of Our Creative Challange!

Hi Everyone,

I’m happy to report that we had our best CHA show ever and a fantastic response to our 11 new Clear Art Stamp sets and our new line called Creative Scraps! We wrote lots of orders for stores throughout Canada and the United States but we also received orders from around the world including Australia, Amsterdam, England, France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Singapore!

I caught that horrible cold that is going around and I felt so lousy I just wanted to lay down on the floor but this is our biggest show so I waited until I got home to crawl in bed and be sick. I was very lucky that Vicki Chrisman and Lisa Zappa from our design team were there to help in our booth and teach our sold out class.

Jenn Balcer from http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ was also a sweetie and came and helped us set up the class. She also shot this video interview with me. Yikes - with a 1 min warning I was so nervous and just had to wing it!
Here are some photos from the show.
This is a photo of myself with Joy from Bumble Bee Crafts, one of our wholesale distributors in Australia.


Here is Michelle the owner of Paper Tales in San Diego, DT member Vicki, myself and Helle Greer.

We had a double booth and everyone loved all the cool samples we displayed
Here is a photo with a peek at our new line coming out in March called Creative Scraps! You can see the Easter and Garden sheets in the center. There will also be Family, Friendship, Travel and a Seasonal Calendar theme!

I'm sad our entire design team couldn't make it to the show but Vicki Chrisman, Lisa Zappa, Anna Wight and Heidi Blankenship were there and we got together for a fun dinner one night.


We also have the winners to announce from our Creative Challenge.
We had 52 fabulous entries with lots of spectacular samples you can see HERE!
Dawn (princess4101) won the $100.00 gift certificate with 99 comments for this fabulous diorama she created using our Birthday Kids stamp set.

Michelle (sf9erfan) won a $50.00 gift certificate with the second most comments (83) for this pretty card she designed using 2 of the birds and a sentiment from our Bird Lover stamp set.


For the random winner we decided to divide the 52 entries in half and picked the 26th entry which was this adorable birth announcement card that Tina (GardenDiva) created using our Baby Boy stamp set.

There were so many beautiful samples that people entered you will have to check them all out! I wanted to share a couple extra ones here. We loved this cherry yellow pop up card that Barbie (barbiegoose) created using our Sweet Kids stamp set.
I also wanted to show you this beautiful necklace that Melanie stamped using one of the little angels from our Cherub Stamp set on polymer clay and colored with Palette inks. I loved it so much I bought it from her and wore it at the CHA show! I'm hoping to have Melanie join us as a guest designer and feature more of her work later in Feb.

Watch for a bunch of Valentine cards to be posted shortly and more new samples using our new stamp sets!

Wishing you joy & creativity
Sandy Redburn
owner

Our Online Store Locator
Our Shopatron Store

Crafty Secrets
Toll Free Phone or Fax 1-888 597-8898
Local Phone 604 597-8817

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

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

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

32 Places to say I Love You, Valentine Ideas and News!

Jan., 20/2009
Hi Everyone,
I have a bunch of great things to share with you today!

Linda Duke has re-joined our design team!
We had 2 lucky winners!
32 Creative Places to Say I Love You!
Link to Free Bluebird Valentine Image
Valentine Keepsake Ideas

Yes it's true, Linda Duke has come back to join our design team! I'm so pleased she can play with our products again. Linda is also on the Spellbinders design team and she has been creating some fantastic samples with the new dies they have coming out and for their big contest. I just love this ‘sassy and classy’ girlfriend card she made using our Glamour Girl Stamps and Spellbinder dies. You can get all the details here on Linda's blog and find out about the contest and see the beautiful birdie card here (Jan 16) she made with our Birds & Botanical Booklet.
As this post also has a valentine theme, I wanted to also show you this stunning card Linda designed using the Love stamp from our Cherish stamp set with the Spellbinder butterfly and scallop dies.

As you may have seen in my previous blog post, Marcia and Trisha were the 2 winners for our 3 Favorite New Stamps Contest. You can read about it HERE and you can also get our FREE Bluebird Valentine Image we are giving you this month. Please email me photos of anything you create, so I can share them later! You can now see all of our new Clear Art Stamps HERE except Easter Joy (available soon) and 1 last set.

With Valentines Day approaching I thought I would update my list of Creative Places to say I Love You. I started this list a few years ago and I just keep adding new fun ideas and a few shameless plugs for our products!

I Love You! The 3 most important words in any language. To love and be loved is essential to our happiness. Love has the power to make our hearts swell or feel broken. From romantic love to the deep love we feel for our family and friends, here are some creative ways you can express and affirm your love to the people you love. Love is a gift but when you give some away your heart will smile, so why wait for Valentines Day!

32 Creative Places to Say I Love You!

1.) Write it in a romantic love letter to mail - decorated with our stickers and stamps!


2.) Go extravagant. Put it on a billboard - or write it on a tiny keepsake love note


3.) Write it on a driveway or sidewalk using chalks.


4.) Write it with icing on a heart shaped cake or cookie.


5.) Stamp a temporary love tattoo using our Cherish or Sweet Stuff Stamps!


6.) Say it in Post-it-notes left hidden in surprise spots.


7.) Write it on a steamed up bathroom mirror or a frosty window.
8.) Create a keepsake bookmark to tuck in a new book by their favorite author.


9.) Write it on balloons with permanent markers to create a ‘love bouquet’.


10.) Record it on an answering machine or text a loving message.


11.) Call the local radio station with a love song dedication.


12.) Record your love message to leave in car deck or MP3 as surprise.


13.) Create Love Coupons with message of love.


14.) Send it as a message in a bottle (glue sand and shells on)


15.) Write it in a giant size jumbo card you made.


16.) Sung in a love song you write.


17.) Create a 'Reasons Why I Love You' scrapbook page.


18.) Record a video and share it on www.youtube.com , www.myspace.com or www.facebook.com


19.) Write a love poem and spray it with your perfume.


20.) Write, stamp or type it on vellum and wrap it around a clear glass candle cup.


21.) For FREE add their photo to a fun spots at www.photofunia.com


22.) Spell it in rose petals in a bubble bath, on a bed, or grass.


23.) Put it on a T Shirt or a pillow using iron on transfer material.


24.) Carve it in a tree, on a wood fence, or on a picnic table.


25.) Engrave it on a locket or inside a ring.


26.) Write it in glow in the dark pens or paint. Little kids would cherish this reminder
of love above their bed.
        
27.) Paint words of love on a stone to use as a paper weight, or to decorate a garden path or in a planter. If you don't have a stone, try decorating a sign or tag for a plant pot.


28.) Write a note to tuck inside someones' lunch or put in their pocket.


29.) Write it on a beach in the sand with a stick, or spell it out in small rocks.

30.) Stamp, stitch or paint it on a special keepsake like a pillow or quilt.

31.) Create a keepsake journal or scrapbook to add a love message, photos and memorabilia.


32.) Do a video documentary on the life of someone you love honoring them. You can have old videos, favorite photographs and even scrapbook pages edited and put on a DVD and record personal messages and favorite songs to accompany them. This can be especially thoughtful if you are miles away from someone you love. The sight and sound of loved ones is irreplaceable.

You can embellish your projects with our Heartwarming Vintage images and sentiments!
Copyright Crafty Secrets - Heartwarming Vintage Co.

I searched around and found a collection of some great Valentine samples our design team had previously created but there were so many I decided to just post some of the Keepsake ideas today and I will post the Valentine cards in another post.

DT member Lisa Zappa embellished these little take out boxes she found at Target with images from our Love & Romance Vintage Cuts and the Love and swirl stamps are from our Cherub stamp set.


DT member Vicki Chrisman turned this old plastic chocolate box into a beautiful gift box using the polka-dot paper from our Radiant Paper Pad and the vintage sheet music from the Classic Paper Pad. The image is from our Love & Romance Cotton Scraps.


Janel Brown, one of our past DT members, did this adorable mini layout with her grandchildren using paper from our Radiant Paper Pad. I found out the manufacture for our Mini Hangers is discontinuing them! Too bad because they are so darn cute! We still have some left here in our Shopatron store but I won't be able to get more or wholesale them any longer - boo-hoo!


DT member Pam Hooten created this sweet little tag and a cone to fill with Valentine treats. By the way, Pam just became a new Grandma! She used our Mini Memories and Altered Art small stamp sets to embellish her tag and paper from our Radiant Paper Pad. I love the little wings and fairy wand stamps she added! To see more Paper cone samples just click HERE


Look at this cute Little Girls Chipboard Outfit that DT member Anna Wight altered using papers from our Radiant Paper Pad. It would make an adorable Valentine for a little girl and you could add a photo to the inside. There is a little boys chipboard outfit as well in this line.

DT member Lisa Zappa designed this beautiful frame using one of the cherubs from our Cherub set and our Cherish stamp set. The papers are all from our Earthy Paper Pad.
Lisa also revamped this old Valentine box using 3 stamps from our Cherish stamp set and the floral paper is from our Radiant Paper Pad.


I love the way Pam Hooten altered our Folding Chipboard House turning it into a 'love shack' here. Photos can be added to the inside walls. The pink paper is from our Patel Paper Pad. Diamond floral and blue paper is from the Earthy pad. Our Valentine stickers look so cute in the windows and door.


DT member Vicki Chrisman stitched up the cute layout and embellished it with our Dog Lover stickers.
I have one last thing I wanted to mention. Darlene Pavlick is hosting our big Creative Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers.com You can enter a favorite card or keepsake you have created using any of our Clear Art stamp sets to win prizes! See the GALLERY HERE to view and comment on the wonderful samples people have posted!

If you haven't entered yet, I sure hope you will! We are giving away 1 gift certificate for 100.00 to the person with the most comments and a $50.00 one for 2nd most comments and a $50.00 gift certificate to a random winner. The contest runs until Jan 30/09. You can read all the details HERE.

Wishing you joy & creativity
Sandy Redburn
owner

Our Online Store Locator
Our Shopatron Store
Crafty Secrets
Toll Free Phone or Fax 1-888 597-8898
Local Phone 604 597-8817

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

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