Shabby Style Tips, 2 New Stamp Sets, Fun Ideas and France!

Ooohh… I have so many fun things to share with you today!  DT Leader Vicki Chrisman has a really great tutorial on her blog with a bunch of tips for adding shabby charm to your projects.  So many people have said they don’t know how to create a lovely worn distressed look and she has easy tips to get you started. Vicki used papers from our CD and an image from Love Mail Scraps.

You can see how Vicki’s photo keepsake above and on the card below by DT member Tammy Roberts that combing layers of papers, textures, inking, stitching, old lace, ribbons, buttons, flowers all add to the charm. So save old broken jewelry, beads, pearls, bits of lace, old doilies, fabric from a child’s outgrown outfit, etc. You can hand dye or buy seam binding, ink or spray paper die cut doilies and if you love lace – check out our new AntiqueTrims Stamp Set  you can stamp in any color!


Here is a brand new Clear Art Stamp Set SM40 Grand Greetings and I’m thrilled with the way it turned out!  There are  27 separate stamps with a variety of ornate lettering styles and all the versatile embellishment stamps you can mix and match to dress up greeting cards & gift tags.

On this layout by Vicki Chrisman she used some of the Grand Greetings Stamps (‘It’s Your Day’ and ‘Happily Ever After’ with our Vintage Label Stamp Stamp Set. You can also ENTER VICKI'S GIVEAWAY HERE on Her Blog!  She will draw a winner Sept 5/11


I love how versatile this sentiment ‘WISHING YOU A BEAUTIFUL DAY’  is that DT Member Tammy Roberts used on this card she created using a cute little girl from our Childhood Booklet. Details HERE on Tammy’s Blog.



This set is so NEW, I don’t even have a sample to show yet but many of the frames from our NEW SM41 Mini Frames Clear Art Stamp Set fit sentiments from the Grand Greetings set and the Mini Vintage Scraps, plus - there are also 3 little bails, a long piece of chain and a V chain stamp that can be placed curved on a block to stamp necklaces and create faux photo jewelry & memory keepsakes! There are 18 separate stamps in total and you can curve the words; FAMILY, LOVED, SPECIAL and GIRLFRIEND to fit across the scroll top banners.


Look at these sweet old spoons that DT Member Julie Campbell altered using images from our Mini Vintage Scraps. You can see the other spoons HERE  on Julie’s Blog.


Talking about old spoons, I need to tell you about one of my favorite companies www.spoonman.com so you can check out the incredible products he creates from old cutlery! I linked to his crazy head gear which he welds to bendable metal headbands like a ‘through the head wrench’ for $8.00 for your fav tool man but see his jewelry and pens.


He always has a booth at the Portland Saturday Market, where I bought a bracelet nicer than the one above for $16.00 and this toothpick or bud vase for $11.00. He has online ordering if you can’t get there but this outdoor arts & crafts market is really fun and full great food and handcrafted items.



Here is this weeks Orange Challenge Cynthia is hosting over at Splitcoast and YES - you can still join in the fun and post a project. Just be sure to include the code CSSC187 so your sample shows up in the Gallery. I love the way Cynthia stitched on her card and used an image from our Childhood Booklet


I promised to tell you about my upcoming trip to France, which is like a dream come true. We leave this coming Wednesday so I’ve been working non stop but Cindy & Denisa will be here looking after the office and my daughters are doggy sitting.  I'm going to hunt for more stuff like this great lettering while I'm there!

My oldest daughter Katie & boyfriend Ryan got a great deal on a week at a villa in France for 8 at a silent auction but Scott and I will be touring for 3 weeks! If you ever want to rent a villa overseas check this place out.   PS –Katie & Ryan are busy working on a TV show for the Oprah Network I will tell you about when I get back as I’m a really proud mum!



We will be in Paris for 3 days before we drive 4 hrs south to the countryside where the villa is and Katie has organized day trips to all of the neighboring towns on their outdoor market days. Here’s a link to the Burgundy area known best for it’s wine, cheese!

After we leave the villa we are driving across the southern part of France to San Sebastian in Spain and along the way staying in little villages like Narbonne and Toulouse and visiting the medieval city of Carcassonne, France. Europe is expensive but us bargain hunters found great deals on www.TripAdvisor.com  and www.Hostelworld.com and hostelworld has several private bedroom places with great reviews. Click on Carcassonne link to see more cool photos.


Of course one of my dreams has been to go to a French Flea Market and there are a few in Paris as well as in other towns we will visit so I am super excited to to go treasure hunting and promise to take a bunch of photos & buy stuff!  If you ever go I found a great info site on French Flea Markets!


I’m sure we will visit a couple of art galleries so when I saw this fun photo you can alter on Photofunia I had to add photos of our dog Otis and his buddy George. If you’ve never played on Photofunia you have to try it out. It’s free & addictive!



I added this photo of my niece Arissa to a building in Times Square over at Photofunia. Her & brother Kason have been staying here at my mom & dad’s place downstairs and it’s been fun and hectic having small kids in our house again.

It will try and do another post before we leave but head DT member Vicki Chrisman will be posting in my absence and possibly some of our other DT ladies.
Wishing you joy & creativity
Sandy Redburn
Crafty Secrets
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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

Happy News, Cool Samples, Links & Giveaway Winner!

Hi Everyone,

I’m excited to tell you about some publicity we’ve received in Canadian Scrapbooker and Stampington’s Sommerset Holidays Magazines!  
   
I also have some great links for recipes, cool craft ideas  and the random.org WINNER to announce, # 30, Mary Ann in NY from 170 entries who said: “ What's not to love???!!!  All of your products are AMAZING!” – “Gee thanks Mary Ann - but I haven’t been able to reach you”. So if anyone knows her can you please pass on the good news?


Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine has an article in this issue about how the business  has evolved and how I grew up loving old stuff. It’s been an amazing journey and I’m so grateful to all the people who have helped make it easier and more fun, like you!  Seriously, your ongoing support and encouraging words mean the world to us! 



Sorry, I can’t show the full page article big and readable yet as it just hit newsstands and it’s too bad they missed the photo credit info but it’s talented DT Member’s Michele Kovack and Vicki Chrisman with me in the top left, who have both been creating samples for years! Vicki has been my head sample designer & teacher since 2004 and worked on several products. I should have snaped a photo of Cindy van Koll (our graphic designer) and my husband Scott who works non stop for Crafty Secrets now that he's retired!  Jessica has gone back to school so we are training Denisa in the office. The bottom right was a fun group of ladies at our booth at the Scrapbook Carnival in Calgary, AB.  We can’t make their next show this Sept as we leave in a week for France (more about that in my next post).

DT Member Jan Henning's has a really cute Halloween Tree project published in the Holiday & Celebrations issue of Somerset Magazine using our Halloween Stickers!



 I am also seriously In LOVE with the new issue of Flea Market Style Magazine and all of the fantastic ideas they have for re-purposing old junk!  It’s packed with cool ideas and instructions for stuff like these ‘suitcase shelves’ featured on the front cover!  Look for our ad on pg 143.   We are working like crazy on our CD #2, Creating With Vintage Illustrations and there will be all kinds of fabulous BIG images you will be able to use on home decor projects like pillows, seat covers, wall art, etc.



I just adore this Watkins dish soap bottle that DT Member Pam Hooten designed a new label for with our Queen Bee and French Mail Stamps.  You can get the details HERE on Pam’s Blog and check out her new ‘Blog Makeover’!



DT Leader Vicki Chrisman also posted several photos of the layout she created with our Vintage Label set HERE and this Thursday we have 2 NEW Clear Art Stamp Sets to debut: Grand Greetings and Mini Frames!

Look at this great necklace DT Member Gini Cagle created HERE using one of the brass blank pendants we sell, an image from our Mini Vintage Scraps and Crystal Lacquer from Sakura Hobby Craft



Come join in our Splitcoast Challenge!  I missed posting last weeks ABC Challenge but you can post samples anytime.  The easy hints are up posted HERE and Cynthia is hosting and will post her sample tomorrow in a new Gallery! Just be sure to include the code as some samples didn't show up in last weeks Gallery.

I also have these other fun links to share that I think you will enjoy checking out whenever you have time.

Tip Junkie – WOW , Laurie has an amazing amount of projects people enter and she picks the 10 best ideas for creative ideas with a mix of home dec, re-vamping, great recipes and all sorts of fun craft projects! Over 700 entries last week!



AllRecipes.com  has an amazing amount of yummy recipes and I love how you can search by topics like ‘healthy, asian, spicy food, etc. and then look at the highest rated recipes. This is where I found yummy recipes for Coconut Shrimp, Beer Margaritas, Low Card Guacamole and Mango Salsa!

Okay, I will be back this Thursday with our 2 new Stamp sets and I’m so excited about our trip to France I will share some photos of where we are going!


Wishing you joy & creativity
Sandy Redburn
Crafty Secrets 
   
Check Our Store Locator
Visit Our Online Store
Join Us on Facebook!

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

Our Design Team Fairy Challenge, Crown Pattern Printable & Giveaway!

Hi Everyone,  Today is our DT Challenge and the theme is fairies!

I’m excited to see what our DT ladies have created – plus I have the Free Printable Crown I posted in Feb in case you missed it, some great past fairy theme samples and a Giveaway!         
But first, click on each of these links to see today's Design Team creations!

Vicki Chrisman Team Leader

Pam Hooten

Heidi Blankenship

Linda Duke

Michele Kovack

Julie Campbell

Amy Teets

Debbie Marcinkiewicz

Fauve van Maanen

Gini Cagle

Jan Hennings

Tammy Roberts

Victoria Warren Mears

Viola Mahr

I thought this crown would be great for fairy tea party hats or if you know a little fairy queen girl that is having a birthday. Printed on pink cardstock it’s easy to jazz up with gems & glitter. Just click it on to get larger & save it to a picture file.

Hah – I still just have just this one photo of our dog Otis (excuse his scary eyes, he’s blind) modeling the quickie sample I made.



Here’s an adorable fairy crown that Samantha Sibbet entered into a Party Hat Contest we ran way back in June 2009 and won. Samantha used an image from our Fairy Homespun Cotton Scraps.

I still love this album DT Leader Vicki Chrisman created a few years ago using our Fairy Enchanting Stickers and our Wood File Folder Album. Plus – they are on $Sale for $2.98!  They don’t come with much except the wood front & back covers, 2 binder rings and 3 color sample projects ideas (including this album) with a supply list.

Back in Feb 2009 Melanie Kaye was a guest designer who created this adorable pendant using an image from our Fairyland Stamp Set stamped by stamping on polymer clay.



Melanie also stamped this sweet little cotton gift bag using our Fairyland stamp set as well.



Did you ever see these fun altered bottles that designer Nathalie Kalbach from Scrapbook Trends had published using our Altered Fairy Scraps earlier this year?

Look at how past DT Member Lisa Zappa used Flower Soft with our Fairy Enchanting Stamps to give her fairy a head of hair and add a meadow of flowers.

Our Altered Fairy Scraps are so popular and past DT Member Melissa Phillips used them to decorate this adorable 3D Shadow Box Frame (designed by Vicki Chrisman) in portrait or Landscape styles when they first debuted.

We finally received our NEW Vintage Labels Clear Art Stamp Set and I’m thrilled with the way how detailed they stamp and all of the possibilities!   You can read details if you click on the link above.



Look at this fabulous layout DT leader Vicki Chrisman created using the stamps! The yellow & cream paper is from our Vintage Pattern CD.  Vicki is going to post it with more photos & details one day this week.

Okay, now to our GIVEAWAY! Just leave a comment here and a random.org winner will get a $50.00 gift certificate & free S&H to pick any products they wish!  So, tell me what you love best?  Winner announced next Monday August 29/11

Wishing you joy & creativity
Sandy Redburn
Crafty Secrets    

Check Our Store Locator
Shop Our Online Store
Join Us on Facebook!

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

Inspiring Ideas, Link to Giveaway & Reminder

Hi Everyone,  this Monday, Aug 22 is our Design Team Fairy Challenge, so be sure to come back!

We had so much fun at the Scrapbook Expo Show in Santa Clara last week and met so many new customers!  We don’t have any new shows scheduled – but you can  find a good selection of our products at almost every show now in the Nicole Petersen Booth. They devote a large section for just our products and sell at CK and Scrapbook Expo Shows.

I have a bunch of great samples to show you but first I wanted to tell you about DT Member Pam Hooten’s Giveaway you can enter HERE to win all these fun products!



Here is a pretty album Pam created using a Regal Album and she is giving one away in her Giveaway!  I adore the papers she used on the cover from our CD, Creating With Vintage Patterns and all the supplies she used, which you can see more photos and enter to WIN Here on her blog!

I love these tins that DT Leader Vicki Chrisman embellished with images from our Mini Vintage Creative Scraps! NOTE:  the same BEE is on the inside of our Mini Scraps and on our Queen Bee Stamp Set.  You can get the details and see more photos HERE on Vicki’s Blog.

The stamps are all separate so you can create different combinations like this wonderful card that DT Member Heidi Blankenship created with the Queen Bee set and Spellbinder products. You can get all the details HERE on Heidi’s Blog.



Look how cute the tea cup stamp looks stamped 3 times and stacked on this adorable card DT Member Michele Kovack created using stamps from our Tea With Alice Stamp Set.  Most of the characters from the story have their hand out on this fun set so they can hold the tea tray, teapot, cup, birthday cake or cookies. You can see the details HERE on Michele’s Blog.

DT Member Linda Duke created a great tutorial showing how she used inks and Prismacolor Pencils to color and add shading to her card using our Antique Trims Stamps, paper from our CD and an image from our Little Blessings Scraps. You can see a bunch of close up photos, the full supply list and watch the photo video HERE on Linda’s Blog.

I love the little trinkets that DT Member Julie Campbell created, especially the sweet pendant she made with an image from our Mini Vintage Scraps! You can see all 3 HERE on Julie’s Blog and get the details.

Julie also has a wonderful story on her blog HERE about how we share and pass on skills to our children like sewing, cooking, cleaning and gardening, often taught to us by our mothers and grandmothers. Life is busy but I think it’s so important we take time to teach our kids (sons & daughters) any home skills we can. One of my loves is cooking and I’m delighted I’ve passed that passion on to my 3 daughters (wish I could say that about cleaning). But I I know my favorite times are when we are all together in the kitchen cooking and talking. I love the image Julie used here from our Sew Nice Scraps on her tribute card. 

Look at this digital layout DT Member Amy Teets created with layers of papers, a frame, buttons and journal card off our CD, Creating With Vintage Patterns. Hands down – the coolest part of digital is how you can quickly add multiple layers, any embellishments and make changes with no mess! The files are all jpg or png, so you don’t have to have digital software, you can simply print and use any of the designs.



I like the way DT Member Jan Henning's decorated this plain wood box by tearing the paper off some corrugated cardboard and adding images from our Halloween Scraps.

How about this adorable card that DT Member Tammy Roberts created HERE using the sweet pea girl from our Farm Fresh Scraps and paper from our CD. Love the way the red trim on the paper ties in. Not sure who the pretty roses are from but the 'Hello' stamp is from our Best Buds Postcard Kit.



DT Member Victoria Warren-Mears is in charge of decorations for a friends wedding shower and is going to create favors for the guests using the treat holder template from our CD. She made this sample but to keep a wedding theme, she’s going to print the black design on white card stock and add pink ribbon. You can also hang them from the little handle.



Victoria also made this quick and pretty pendant HERE on her blog using an image from our Bird & Blossom Scraps with a Memory Frame from Ranger. It would be perfect tied to a gift (like a bottle of wine).



I had to laugh when I saw this adorable card that past DT Member Marisa Grosson created using our new Let’s Hang Out Clear Art Stamps. This large set is so much fun  and has so many creative possibilities with all the expressions and images like the clothes line, iron, crown, martini glass, etc. You can see another really cute card Marissa also made with our Birds of Happiness stamp set HERE on her Blog.



DT Member Violetta Mahr captured perfect shabby loveliness on her beautiful card here with her inking, stitching and all her pretty embellishments. The ‘Love You’ image is from our Love Mail Scraps and the paper is from our CD. Get details HERE on Violetta’s Blog.



Lastly, I wanted to tell you about a fun and easy challenge that Joanne Allison is hosting over at Splitcoast to use any of our products and create something with a square theme.  I’m in love with this beautiful Christmas card she created using our Christmas Joy Stamp set.  I think this is one of the most versatile sets we have ever created and I love the way Joanne used the single branch to stamp a larger branch, added the red gems, stamped the snowflake background and the sentiment across the gold embossed ornament with the glitter.  You can see the Gallery HERE and join in the fun! Just be sure to add the code: CSSC185 to make sure yours shows up in the Gallery.




If you don't subscribe to this blog, be sure to come back this Monday, Aug 22 and see all the fabulous creations our DT ladies create for our Fairy Challenge!  Our new Vintage Label Stamps will be in stock and I have a great layout to show you and a GIVEAWAY!

Wishing you joy & creativity
Sandy Redburn
Crafty Secrets

Check Our Store Locator
Visit Our Online Store
Join Us on Facebook!

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