Christmas Canvas using Vintage Street Market products!

Well, I got my Christmas inspiration a little late this year! But no worries, Christmas will be back in about 362 days! Didn't mean to frighten you!

I made this canvas using Vintage Street Market's December kit, which is unfortunately sold out. They have lots of other great Christmas items available. I also used Delta Ceramcoat in antique white, fire red and metallic silver. There are some touches of Liquitex gel media, both glass beads (on the torch and girls hats) and opaque white flakes (the bottom edge). I love these media. You just have to have some patience, which is a virtue we can all do more with. Right? Right!

I will have some more projects up very shortly! The trip to New Orleans right before the holidays was wonderful, but got me off of my crafty postings.

Best of the New Year to each of my followers!

<3 Victoria

Having Fun with the December Daily (and Crafty Secrets)!

I am loving working on my December daily. I have never tried this and am sort of making my version up as I go. I am doing digital layouts with the Creating with Vintage Illustrations CD from Crafty Secrets. I am doing a 5 inch by 8 inch size and leaving a bit of room on one edge for binding when I print them out. What I am enjoying the most is looking at the vintage and not so vintage decorations we have and writing what I recall about them. I really wish I had something like this from my grandparents or great grandparents, so I hope it will be treasured in the future.

Have a wonderful week!

<3 Victoria

Creating with Vintage Illustrations - Day 4

I just cannot stop! I am continuing to create layouts with the Creating with Vintage Illustrations CD from Crafty Secrets. I just finished up this cutie with my dear little friend, Evy. Her mom made this fabulous piglet costume. She was just like I remember being - that face paint was itchy. Just adorable though!

All of these wonderful papers and embellishments are on the new CD! I hope you will check it out! I know you will love it as much as I do.

<3 Victoria

Creating with Vintage Illustrations - Day 3!

I could not be more in love with the Creating with Vintage Illustrations CD. It doesn't hurt to have highly photogenic kids around either! This is another LO from our office Halloween festivities. This little gal never is without a smile on her face. She is a gem!

Be sure to check out the Crafty Secrets blog for news about some fantastic sales!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am thankful for each of you.

Creating with Vintage Illustrations - Day 2!

I have had this vintage image of my dad and his brother Robert, in my album for years. As nearly as I can figure this would be circa 1930 - 1932. Both of these dear men have passed away now. I am eternally thankful for the sense of family and country my dad gave me. His brother Robert died at the young age of 24 during WWII. He was a member of the British home guard and contracted tuberculosis. Sadly he was never able to marry his girlfriend "Wendy", or live out his life's potential. Shortly after his death my family came to the United States. I treasure each family photograph, because they are so few due to weight restrictions for immigrants on airplanes.

I am so thrilled with the Creating with Vintage Illustrations CD, because it has the perfect images to showcase my special photographs! Hope you will enjoy it too!

Crafty Secrets is going to change their Clear Stamps to Digital CD’s and all the stamps will go on sale starting this Friday! Why? Owner Sandy Redburn says her husband retired last year and they want to simplify their life. “With over 200 stamp sets and over 100 printed products it’s time to clear the clutter and make room for some exciting new changes!"

WHY DO DIGI STAMPS? Imagine if you were to open a stamped image in a digital file and make it different sizes, be able to print it with perfect clarity on any medium, plus have an array of inspiring samples to browse through with links to the designer, read tips and tutorials, etc. With new digital stamp designs we won’t be limited to size any longer, so we can have jumbo size images, include inside verses for cards and background stamps, or have an image pre-stamped in 3 different colors to choose from and even include printable color papers in themes to suit the stamps!

Be sure to check out all of the other design team members' projects! I know I will be.

Crafty Secrets Design Team

Vicki Chrisman Team Leader
Pam Hooten
Heidi Blankenship
Linda Duke
Michele Kovack
Amy Teets
Debbie Marcinkiewicz
Fauve van Maanen
Julie Campbell
Gini Cagle
Jan Hennings
Tammy Roberts
Victoria Warren Mears (You are here!)
Viola Mahr

Heartwarming Vintage Blog
Crafty Secrets Store

Hot News! Crafty Secrets Second CD Creating with Vintage Illustrations.

I am super excited to announce the release of Crafty Secrets second CD, Creating with Vintage Illustrations.

It will be available for purchase on BLACK Friday! What a perfect gift for yourself or any of the crafters you know.

I did the LO of my favorite Garden Gnome, Juniper, in just minutes with the fabulous elements on the CD. Everything you see in the layout other than the fonts for journaling and titling are from the CD.

In more big news, the following message is from Sandy at Crafty Secrets:

Crafty Secrets is going to change their Clear Stamps to Digital CD’s and all the stamps will go on sale starting this Friday! Why? Owner Sandy Redburn says her husband retired last year and they want to simplify their life. “With over 200 stamp sets and over 100 printed products it’s time to clear the clutter and make room for some exciting new changes!"

As the Clear Art Stamps sell out, they will be grouped into themes and sold on CD’s which will include inspiring samples, new images and printable papers.

This will be the SALE pricing on the Clear Art Stamps starting this Friday while supplies last.

Large Clear Art Stamps originally $24.99 on sale for $19.99, Medium sets reg $14.99 on sale for $12.99 and Small Clear Art Stamp Sets reg $7.50 on sale for $5.99!

I will post SALE prices on our printed items on the Blog this Wed, Nov 23. My goal is to transform the business before Spring so we only have CD’s or licensed products and we can move to a smaller house - but I have 1000’s of some of our printed items.

WHY DO DIGI STAMPS? Imagine if you were to open a stamped image in a digital file and make it different sizes, be able to print it with perfect clarity on any medium, plus have an array of inspiring samples to browse through with links to the designer, read tips and tutorials, etc. With new digital stamp designs we won’t be limited to size any longer, so we can have jumbo size images, include inside verses for cards and background stamps, or have an image pre-stamped in 3 different colors to choose from and even include printable color papers in themes to suit the stamps!

Be sure to check out all of the other design team members' inspiring projects! I know I will be.

Crafty Secrets Design Team

Vicki Chrisman Team Leader
Pam Hooten
Heidi Blankenship
Linda Duke
Michele Kovack
Amy Teets
Debbie Marcinkiewicz
Fauve van Maanen
Julie Campbell
Gini Cagle
Jan Hennings
Tammy Roberts
Victoria Warren Mears (You are here!)
Viola Mahr

Heartwarming Vintage Blog
Crafty Secrets Store

Check back tomorrow for some more projects with the Creating with Vintage Illustrations CD!

This week, I am thankful for each of you.....

<3 Victoria

Crafty Secrets Design Team Gift Bag/Envelope Challenge

This month we were challenged to make an envelope gift bag! It is an awesome way to use up recycled envelopes and make very inexpensive gift bags. I made mine for the guys in my life to hold sports tickets. I chose a baseball theme and used the 2011 Crafty Secret Clear Stamp set called Play Ball. The ink was a super easy choice for me. I used Ranger Distress Inks in Barn Red and Faded Jeans.

To make the bag I followed this tutorial. It was super easy. The hardest part for me was getting my big hands to be coordinated with the folding of the bottom. It took me a bit of patience, but the outcome is so worth it!

I also want to show you a hybrid card I made using the Creating with Vintage Patterns Crafty Secret CD that I am so fond of. For this card I designed the background in Photoshop and printed it out on an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of card stock. I then added the stamped title using the 2011 Clear Stamps entitled Grand Greetings. Finally I added one dimensional embellishment. Easy and I can print the JPEG background again if I want to create a similar card.

Be sure to check out all of the other design team members' inspiring projects! I know I will be.

Crafty Secrets Design Team

Vicki Chrisman Team Leader
Pam Hooten
Heidi Blankenship
Linda Duke
Michele Kovack
Amy Teets
Debbie Marcinkiewicz
Fauve van Maanen
Julie Campbell
Gini Cagle
Jan Hennings
Tammy Roberts
Victoria Warren Mears (You are here!)
Viola Mahr

Heartwarming Vintage Blog
Crafty Secrets Store

Thanks for stopping by!

<3 Victoria

Daddy's Girl - Crafty Secrets

I just recently found this photograph of my dad and me. I believe that my grandpa made my dress. Not sure where we were going, but it was somewhere special! I love the shades of brown papers from the Crafty Secret Creating with Vintage Patterns CD. I recolored the journaling tag from a lovely soft pink using a sepia filter so it would coordinate more with my chosen papers.

This layout is based on my October sketch over at Scrappy Chic Cafe. Please join us for the reverse challenge. Check out the DTs awesome Halloween items and vote for your favorites. You might even chose to lift one or two before Halloween arrives.

This CD is so versatile, I have used it for digital and hybrid projects. What I really love is that I can print the same pattern over and over. So if I create a coordinated mini album, I just can buy white card stock and print the design multiple times.

Watch my blog over the next weeks for a special give away to one of my followers. If you aren't a "follower of record" please consider joining my blog so you don't miss a RAK opportunity.

Have a wonderful week!

Throwback Halloween - Crafty Secrets

Wasn't my DS cute in 2004? This year we are going as a mummy. Each year requires mommy to get more creative. So we are off to the store to buy a white long sleeved shirt and miles of gauze which we will dye with black tea for that aged mummy look! I really love making costumes.

This LO was created with the Crafty Secrets Creating with Vintage Patterns CD. This CD is so versatile, so many more possibilities! Thanks for stopping by!

Crafty Secrets Design Team Challenge "Retro Inspiration"

This month's design team challenge theme at Crafty Secrets is Retro look. What could be more retro than this '64 1/2 Mustang that was owned by my dad. It was the second one on the road in Washington! My dad was cool that way.....

This layout was created digitally using the Creating with Vintage Patterns CD
. I especially love the red and turquoise papers. Our car was a steel blue-gray so I sampled the color of the car and used the free-font "A Hard Day's Night" for the writing.

By the way, that is retro me in the photograph! I really loved this car and the cars that followed, including a Pontiac Firebird and a Chevy Malibu.

Crafty Secrets Design Team

Vicki Chrisman Team Leader
Pam Hooten
Heidi Blankenship
Linda Duke
Michele Kovack
Amy Teets
Debbie Marcinkiewicz
Fauve van Maanen
Julie Campbell
Gini Cagle
Jan Hennings
Tammy Roberts
Victoria Warren Mears (You are here!)
Viola Mahr

Heartwarming Vintage Blog
Crafty Secrets Store

Thanks for stopping by!

<3 Victoria

A One Dollar Frame Transformation

For this project, I took a frame that was plain from Joann, it had monkeys on it to color in. I modified it using:

1. Gesso
2. Delta Acrylic Paint in Tahiti Blue and Magnolia White
3. Crafty Secrets Stamp SM40 Grand Greetings
4. Staz On Black Ink
5. Ranger Ink - Tim Holtz - Distress Crackle Paint - Clear Rock Candy
6. Ric-Rak and Ribbon
7. Crafty Secrets Homemade Images and Journal Notes

It was so easy to gesso and paint the frame, stamp the image, paint with distress crackle paint, add the ribbons and cut and add the embellishment "coffee, tea or me" and frame up the picture.

Hope you enjoy this end of summer project! Look for more great ideas from Crafty Secret next Monday!

<3 Victoria

A Party is Coming Soon! Congratulations Ticey and Antwan!

I just love weddings and engagements, well parties in general. I made about 60 favors for Ticey and Antwan's engagement party coming up this weekend. Ticey wanted Damask and Blush Pink. The favors are from a template on the Crafty Secret Creating with Vintage Patterns CD, as is the damask. I just took white card stock and ran one side with the template and the other with the damask. Could not be simpler!

These are filled with dinner mints and embellished with hand made paper flowers, ribbon and the couple's names. Tomorrow, I will show them to the future bride. Hope she likes them!

Have a beautiful week!

Crafty Secrets Design Team Challenge "Fairy Theme" - Fairy Unaware

The challenge theme for Crafty Secrets this month was to create a "fairy" themed object. I am so in love with the Creating with Vintage Patterns CD, that I used it again for a digital LO.

I chose to focus on a "vintage" photo of me from about 1967, when my mom and dad thought I should take dance lessons. I was *so* uncoordinated. The thing I remember about my recital was that I was doing the dance steps slightly after everyone else. Thank goodness my coordination and abilities improved later in life.

The journaling reminds me that I was not only a fairy unaware, but fairly unaware! So instead of the art of dance, I eventually moved along to the art of music, which was one of the best experiences of my life.

How to make the layered Flowers in Photoshop Elements:
1. Select your paper from the digital CD.
2. Open in Photoshop Elements
3. Create a new file (I did a 1 inch by 1 inch; 300 dpi file with white background)
4. Cut a flower shape with the cookie cutter tool from the patterned paper and copy your layer to the new file. I duplicated this layer 4 times.
5. Add a drop shadow to each layer and adjust each layer so you have a flower that appears to be multiple stacked layers.
6.On the final layer, I used a plastic layer to give the look of a rounded embellishment.

That simple!

I also found yet another photo of my dad. I love how he is taking vacation movies (yep I'm a chip of the old block with photography) and wearing his "signature" flat cap. We lost more of those over the years than I care to remember, but he always had a flat cap on. I miss my dad <3. Fortunately a bit of my dad lives on in my DS, (and me I am sure) he is never far away.

Now, head over to the other design team members blogs and check out their fabulous fairy projects!

Crafty Secrets Design Team

Vicki Chrisman Team Leader
Pam Hooten
Heidi Blankenship
Linda Duke
Michele Kovack
Amy Teets
Debbie Marcinkiewicz
Fauve van Maanen
Julie Campbell
Gini Cagle
Jan Hennings
Tammy Roberts
Victoria Warren Mears (You are here!)
Viola Mahr

Heartwarming Vintage Blog
Crafty Secrets Store

Engagement Favors!

OM Goodness! I am so excited. My assistant at work got engaged on the 4th of July. She is having an engagement party in September and I am going to make candy holders for her guests. Shhhhhh! I made these prototypes using the Crafty Secrets Creating with Vintage Patterns CD. I printed hot pink paper with the damask pattern AND used the template on the CD to create the gift cone! We have since decided to go with black and white cones, with pink sheer ribbon. I can hardly wait to get started!

MUAH! Have a great day and here is to new love <3

Jewelry Time!

I just finished this necklace using a square slide mount and a wonderful bird image from the back of the Mini Vintage Creative Scraps from Crafty Secrets. I used the square with the large bird as my background. I cut out the nest and added some Stickles to the eggs for a tiny amount of bling. Finally I printed a patterned paper from the Creating with Vintage Patterns CD and added the tiny flying bird to the pendant. I hand tied the bow to the bail and added the pearls on jump rings. Finally I added the ribbon necklace. Now I have a cute and simple pendant to wear with a plain shirt.

Have a splendid week everyone!

Does Anybody Know What Time It Is? Crafty Secrets Altered Kitchen Clock

I have had a great time working on this quick and easy altered clock. The background tiles are printed from the Crafty Secrets Creating with Vintage Patterns CD. I then used the Domestic Goddess Creative Scraps at 12, 3, 6, and 9 positions. Finally, I added the numbers and the flower with the help of a circle template.

This is a quick and fun housewarming gift, especially in the land of the Ranch Houses, we live in!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week!

Life On A Farm

I have been looking through my vacation photos. I love digital photography, so much easier than film and you can see if you have good photos ahead of time. It is a far cry from when I was little. I have so many photos of Preston and our vacations that it is hard to get to them all.
This is from last summer at a little farm near Kensington California where our friend Lyle lives. Preston had a great time with the animals!

I used the Creating with Vintage Patterns CD from Crafty Secrets. I did this LO in Sketchbook Pro, which I have to confess I am still learning. I was able to add paint splatters and hand doodling. It is a lot of fun but a steep learning curve for photoshop trained me!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Oh Happy Day!

Isn't it a happy day when the weather is fine and you are feeling great? Well, that has been my day today!

I just finished a card using the Crafty Secrets Creating with Vintage Patterns CD and Mini-Vintage Creative Scraps. I designed the card base using the patterned papers on the CD and elements in Sketchbook Pro. I created my design in a 10 inch by 7 inch format for my 5 inch by 7 inch card. I designed the front and back at the same time! So simple. I printed the base card out on a white 5 x 7 card blank and added buttons, stitching, the mini vintage scrap mounted on card stock and a little bit of stickles on the Robin's blue eggs.

Could not be easier! Hope you all have a happy day! If you have any questions about the CD or the techniques I am using just ask. I am always happy to provide you with a tutorial!

WINNERS! Crafty Secrets Give Away!

We have two winners tonight! Yeah!

First for the Mini Scraps and little goodies from me:

Becky Dunham said...
What a fun project! I have seen this kind of thing before but this one is beautiful! Love all the little images - thanks for the chance to win some for myself :)

rebeccadunham at hotmail dot com

And the winner for the Creating with Vintage Patterns CD:

Sylvia/LittleTreasures said...
What a fun post. Baseball and kids is really all summer is about
I've seen so many wonderful things made off this CD I just think it is almost a must have. The inspiration is awesome.
Thanks for the fun

If you both will send me your addresses at drvamears at yahoo dot com, I will get your prizes out in the mail shortly! Thanks for visiting and playing along.

Baseball And Crafty Secrets Have Been Good to Me & You!

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I am in Sacramento California this week at the Thunder Valley Resort for work. While I am away, I wanted to show you a layout made with the new Crafty Secrets Creating with Vintage Patterns CD and the new Play Ball Stamps (SL 44).

This is my son playing for Mt. Tabor Little League 9-10 year old All Stars. They played with heart in the Clackamas tournament. Even though they were eliminated after two games they battled the whole way. I am one proud mom!

To make this layout, I first made the heart embellishment. I inked a chipboard heart with Versa Magic Aspen Mist Ink, which I let dry throughly. I stamped the heart with the baseball stamp inked with Tim Holtz Distress Ink by Ranger in Fired Brick. I stamped the All Star Base and the Mitt on White Card Stock with Color Box Royal Blue Ink and Fired Brick Ink, respectively which I embossed using clear embossing powder. I cut these out and layered on the heart and set aside.

One of the amazing advantages of the Creating with Vintage Patterns CD is you never run out of paper. I printed one of the papers in 8 x 8 on white card stock. I added the photo. Then I stamped the three stars from the Play Ball set with acrylic paint and Fired Brink ink over the acrylic paint when it was dried.

Finally I added the embellishment and the journaling spot, which was also inked with the Aspen Mist Color.

On Friday, I will announce the winners of both today's post and Monday's post. Today, I am giving you a chance to win the Crafty Secrets Creating with Vintage Patterns CD. What do you have to do to win????? Just leave your name and a comment about why you would love to win. I will randomly select the winner on Friday July 22nd, when I get back from my business trip! Good Luck!

NEW Product Show Offs! Crafty Secrets

Today I get to show off some new Crafty Secrets Product that are ready now! I used Mini Vintage Creative Scraps for the design team challenge, I made a pretty cookie plate that is hand washable.

This project uses the Mini Vintage Creative Scraps. Let's make one together!

Supply list:

1 Sheet Mini Vintage Creative Scraps
1 Paper doily
1 Clear plate (I got mine for a dollar at the Dollar Store)
Paper Towels
Mod Podge (I used Matte finish)
Tissue paper
Acrylic spray

Tools:
Scissors, craft knife, rag, bowl of water, brush, damp sponge

Directions:

1. Cut out your Mini Vintage Creative Scraps, you can use the fronts which are brightly colored or the more softly colored cream and brown backs OR mix it up!

2. Plan you design. Adjust until it is how you like it.

3. Set up! Being organized will help this project along a lot. Make sure the water is not in your elbow space and place the paper towels on the side and have a damp rag ready handy to wipe your hands on.

4. Pick up a scrap an add it to the water. It will curl up a little and then flatten out. This makes it so that you won't have wrinkles in your work.

5. Gently taking the scrap out of water and place it on a paper towel. Brush the Front of the image with Mod Podge and place carefully on the Back of the plate.

Hint: If you have bubbles, gently dab the back of the scrap with a wet sponge or rag, until no wrinkles show.

6. Repeat with the remaining clippings, check the front of the plate from time to time to make sure everything is where you want it to be and has no bubbles.

7. When you are finished gluing on images and doilies, brush an even coat of Mod Podge over the back and let the plate dry face down overnight - no peeking!

8. Place the plate upside down on tissue, trim close to the edge of the plate. It doesn't need to be exact at this point.

9. Brush Mod Podge on the back of plate and smooth tissue, set the plate face down again to dry overnight.

10. When it's completely dry, trim the excess backing from the rim with a craft knife.

11. Apply three coats of Mod Podge, allowing to dry between coats. When completely dry spray with an Acrylic Clear Spray.

Remember it is only HAND Washable.

Now, head over to the other design team members blogs and check out their great projects!

Crafty Secrets Design Team

Vicki Chrisman Team Leader
Pam Hooten
Heidi Blankenship
Linda Duke
Michele Kovack
Amy Teets
Debbie Marcinkiewicz
Fauve van Maanen
Julie Campbell
Gini Cagle
Jan Hennings
Tammy Roberts
Victoria Warren Mears (You are here!)
Viola Mahr

But wait, leave a comment here and I will draw a winner for a Mini Vintage Creative Scrap sheet so you can make your own plate! Winner will be drawn on Friday. Check back on Wednesday for some more projects with new product and another give away!

Life at the Zoo

Mr. P has been at zoo camp at the Oregon Zoo this week. He is totally loving it! He had a camera with him and took these shots (among 100 or so others). He is getting to be a great photographer.

For this LO I used the Crafty Secret Digital Paper CD, Creating with Vintage Papers. I love the background paper and it seemed a little "zoo like" to me. I used the letters filled with a green hounds tooth pattern, and buttons. The collage template was designed by Amy Teets, another design team member. I love how easy this layout was to do!

Happy weekend everyone!

Whitney Family Exploration

I have been working a bit more on my heritage albums. Here are two new layouts of old photos. This first layout is of me. I found a photo with great contrast and made a "paper doll" of me. The super cute background paper is from Crafty Secrets digital CD. It was crying out for a little girl! I love the colors and the look of this paper. The layering is also done with papers cut from the papers on the CD.

I just got the photo in the following layout from my cousin Marcia. This was her dad, my great-uncle in a photograph from the 1940s. I remember him as a tall slender man and this photo certainly accentuates that. What a winning smile! The papers and embellishments on this layout and the layout of me are all from Crafty Secrets' new digital CD Creating with Vintage Patterns.

Thank you for stopping by!

Retro Summer Fun - Crafty Secrets and Scrappy Chic Cafe

Happy 4th of July weekend! (and Canada day to my Canadian friends!) Today I wanted to show you this month's sketch at Scrappy Chic Cafe. The challenges are found under the group tab and choosing the July Challenge Group. Each month I provide a sketch with a RAK to the winner. The summer is a great time to enter because more people are enjoying the outdoors than are inside scrapping, so join the challenges at the Cafe! This month's sketch is inspired by the stars and stripes, but would be easily changed by swapping out the stars for flowers!

For my sample layout, I went digital using some more of the "vintage" me photos. All of the papers and embellishments I used are from the Crafty Secret CD, "Creating with Vintage Papers". I love everything about this CD. The designs are totally fun to play with. I plan to show you a lot more in the coming weeks.

To make the LO:
1. Select your background color and duplicate the layer to a new 12 x 12 inch file set at 300 dpi.
2. Open a coordinating color and use your cookie cutter tool to cut an 11 inch diameter circle. Duplicate this layer and send to your 12 x 12 file.
3. Open a third and use your cookie cutter tool to cut a star. Send to the 12 x 12 file and duplicate 4 times, space the stars around the circle layer.
4. Add your title, I used Arial lettering at 72 pixels with a drop shadow.
5. Select your photos and crop to 3 x 3 inch. Using a grid align them to the layout.
6. Select a fourth color of pp and using your cookie cutter cut small scallop edged flowers, send to 12 x 12 file and layer on stars. Add drop shadow layer to each.
7. Choose the button embellishment and add to the center of each star.
8. Add the journaling embellishment and your journaling.
9. Finally add drop shadows to each layer and adjust to your liking, so they look dimensional.
10. Save as a jpeg and size according to your liking.

Have a wonderful weekend! Be safe!
<3 Victoria

Crafty Secrets Design Team Challenge "Childhood theme"

Welcome to another fabulous Monday! I am honored to be participating in my first Crafty Secrets Design Team challenge today. Our theme was childhood. As some of you know I recently had all of my childhood slides scanned onto a CD. It was expensive, but it is so nice to have these images (and some film, too) digitally.

I made my project in Photoshop Elements and used the fabulous new Crafty Secrets "Creating with Vintage Patterns". All of the yummy papers and journaling mat are included on the CD.

I cut 2 inch squares for the layers. It is really important to activate your grid in Photoshop elements in order to get everything precisely lined up. The grid is located under your view tab and select grid. It really will help a lot.

You are sure to want to see the other ideas from the Crafty Secret Design Team.
Follow the links below to view all of our blogs! Please be sure to "follow" us so you can get our most up-to-date tips and ideas.

Crafty Secrets Design Team

Vicki Chrisman Team Leader
Pam Hooten
Heidi Blankenship
Linda Duke
Michele Kovack
Amy Teets
Debbie Marcinkiewicz
Fauve van Maanen
Julie Campbell
Gini Cagle
Jan Hennings
Tammy Roberts
Victoria Warren Mears (You are here!)
Viola Mahr

Have a wonderful week!

Love,
Victoria

I Love Babies! Especially when they belong to other moms!

I am so lucky that my work has a bring your baby to work policy. Moms and dads can have their little ones at work until they are 6 months old. We have been so lucky to have two beautiful little girls in our office this year - Juniper and Finley. They give the office such a nice feel and are always a mood lifter no matter what! I am hoping we will have some more on the way in the next year too! I love being an honorary auntie!

Today, I want to show you a chipboard decoration that I made with the new Crafty Secrets digital paper CD, Sweet Chips Chipboard Little Boy Outfit and Alice in Wonderland Stamps.

I printed out all of the three papers used - 2 green and 1 parchment from the CD and cut out the shapes. I adhered all of the papers with a thin layer of matte Mod Podge. When completely dry I added the Offray ribbon to the buttons, inked the edges with chalk ink, and stamped the sentiment with Black Staz on ink.

I love how this turned out and the new digital CD. Be sure to check it out on the Crafty Secrets Blog.

Have a wonderful, snuggly day!

"Vintage" Photos

I have just had all of my vintage family slides and movies transferred to DVD. It has been a fun experience seeing what pictures those slide held. I will be working my way through some of the slides and scrapbooking them. I love the ones I found of Disneyland from about 1967.
It rained so hard while we were there. I love these three photos. Waiting in line for the carousel ride with my dad. Sitting on a bench with my dad. Finally, the photo of Tom Sawyer's Island. Thanks for stopping by to visit! Have a wonderful week!

Altered Mini Notebook - Modern to Vintage

I love making new look vintage. I found a small notebook at my local department store and thought it would be perfect for carrying in my purse for notes on the go. The only thing was I am more vintage style than modern (and not so much of a pink gal).



I took the new Crafty Secrets Digital Paper disc and printed two of the papers onto white card stock.
The change was easy!

Supplies:

Mini Notebook
Crafty Secrets Patterned paper
Gesso
Sakura Gel Pen
Mod Podge
Vintage Lace and Ric Rak and Red Ribbon
Distress Ink - Tea Stain

1. First, I traced the cover onto the Birdie music paper and hand cut it.
2. I cut the scallop border from a coordinating paper
3. I adhered the scallop to the top of the Birdie paper
4. To "show off" the scallops, I colored the edges with a orange red gel pen
5. I gessoed the cover of the mini notebook, paying especially attention to the lime green binding.
6. When the gesso was dry I inked the spine and added the cover, adhering it with matte Mod Podge. It really brought out the vintage aged yellows in the paper. I also "finger painted" a bit of gesso on the lower edges of the front book cover.
7. I added the lace and ric rak, which I had "aged" with the distress ink in tea stain.
8. Finally I applied the matte Mod Podge to the cover and added the red bow.

I have the perfect "aged" notebook! This was a quick and fun project and it would make an awesome gift for a teacher too!