Tim Holtz

it all starts tomorrow...

the countdown continues...

that's right bloggers!  you've been asking for it, and i'm doing it again this year -
the "12 tags of christmas" are coming in just 2 more days!!!
starting december 1st through december 12th, i will be posting a different holiday themed technique tag to inspire your creativity and get you in the swing of the holiday festivities.  you won't want to miss a single day since each day in addition to the technique tag, there will be giveaways to celebrate the season!  so mark your calendars, tell your friends (because the more unique viewers i get to my blog - the more prizes i'll give away each day), and get ready for a whole lot of creative fun!

i want to share a few questions i got several times last year that might help you out:
Q: can i print these instructions and teach classes with them?
A: absolutely.  it's all about sharing, but you'll need to get the info directly from the blog.  i won't be able to email you individual .pdf files or various formats personally.  what you see is what you get.
Q: do you sell kits for the tags?
A: sorry i don't, but i do my best to list everything i am using for each technique.  in addition to checking with your local store, i will have direct links to purchase the supplies from scrapbook.com to make it easier for you.
Q: why the tags?  what size do you use?
A: for me, it's all about the technique and tags are a simple way to show you how to do it.  please remember to use this technique on something that will work for you - maybe a card, a scrapbook page, home decor project, or whatever - it does NOT have to be a tag, but it still makes a great gift tag! i just like tags.  i use #8 manila tags 13pt. weight.

so have fun with this - i hope you learn a new technique or re-kindle an old favorite.  this is my way of thanking all of you for your support, excitement, and creativity throughout the year.  if you didn't get a chance to check out last year's "12 tags of christmas" be sure to click the link.  wishing each and every one of you all that you are wishing for this holiday season!...t!m

let the countdown begin...

that's right bloggers!  you've been asking for it, and i'm doing it again this year -
the "12 tags of christmas" are coming in just 3 more days!!!
starting december 1st through december 12th, i will be posting a different holiday themed technique tag to inspire your creativity and get you in the swing of the holiday festivities.  you won't want to miss a single day since each day in addition to the technique tag, there will be giveaways to celebrate the season!  so mark your calendars, tell your friends (because the more unique viewers i get to my blog - the more prizes i'll give away each day), and get ready for a whole lot of creative fun!

i want to share a few questions i got several times last year that might help you out:
Q: can i print these instructions and teach classes with them?
A: absolutely.  it's all about sharing, but you'll need to get the info directly from the blog.  i won't be able to email you individual .pdf files or various formats personally.  what you see is what you get.
Q: do you sell kits for the tags?
A: sorry i don't, but i do my best to list everything i am using for each technique.  in addition to checking with your local store, i will have direct links to purchase the supplies from scrapbook.com to make it easier for you.
Q: why the tags?  what size do you use?
A: for me, it's all about the technique and tags are a simple way to show you how to do it.  please remember to use this technique on something that will work for you - maybe a card, a scrapbook page, home decor project, or whatever - it does NOT have to be a tag, but it still makes a great gift tag! i just like tags.  i use #8 manila tags 13pt. weight.

so have fun with this - i hope you learn a new technique or re-kindle an old favorite.  this is my way of thanking all of you for your support, excitement, and creativity throughout the year.  if you didn't get a chance to check out last year's "12 tags of christmas" be sure to click the link.  wishing each and every one of you all that you are wishing for this holiday season!...t!m

let your creativity cruise...

that's right - it's time to share the details of my next creative cruise with all of you!  join me and my friend (and guest instructor) wendy vecchi along with scrapmap for our artful voyage in mexico next year - october 11-18, 2009.  let your creativity take you on a new adventure at sea as we cruise through the mexican riviera on this 8-day artistic extravaganza filled with workshops, fun, sand, and sea!  we will be sailing and enjoying the ports of Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas.  it is truly going to be an incredible experience, and you are personally invited.  if you didn't get to join the fun of our creative journey to alaska this year, now's your chance to experience an inspiring event like no other.   you won't know what workshops you'll be doing, what projects you'll make, or what goodies you'll gather because it's all about expecting the unexpected!  one thing is for sure, you're finally going to have a chance to take time for yourself and enjoy your own creative journey - you won't be disappointed...

visit scrapmap for all of the details and information you'll need to come along.   if you are interested in joining us on this cruise, scrapmap has have made it very easy for you to afford it. they have established a monthly payment plan for you, and the deposit is only $100.00 to secure your space. plus, you have a complete 100% refund up until the final payment date, should you change your mind or decide you are unable to join us - so there is really nothing to lose and seating is extremely limited!
so are you ready to let your creativity cruise?  don't miss out on our artful voyage in mexico - october 11-18, 2009.  i can't wait - happy thanksgiving everyone...t!m

some exciting news....

hope everyone is busy getting ready for a fun-filled holiday weekend.  wishing everyone a very safe and happy thanksgiving day.
i have so much to be thankful for - i appreciate all of the blessings my life has unfolded and i am thankful for the chance to live the life i've imagined.  i am thankful for each and every moment, the friends that surround me...and each and every one of you!  i'll be posting some exciting news tomorrow on my blog - check back to find out what???..t!m

twilight...

yes i admit it... i am hooked!  i'm not much of a reader, but i have to say that when you find a book that just pulls you in, get ready for a great escape.  i'm deep into the twilight series and seriously obsessed with reading every single night!  right now i'm only on book 2 and i must admit i'm trying to drag it out since  i've read on several blogs that people were sad when they finished - craving more.  of course there is all the buzz about the twilight movie too.  if you're looking for a great read - this is it!  it really reminds me of one of my favorite movies while i was in high school "the lost boys" - a very hip and cool vampire movie (at the time anyway).  thank you stephenie meyer for one incredible reading adventure.  so anyone else out there reading the twilight series?  are you as obsessed as i am... t!m

the true winners...

well bloggers i am simply amazed... amazed at your graciousness, sincerity, and openness as so many of you have shared your quotes and stories of what inspires you.  who knew that this cool giveaway would have given us all so much more.  if you've taken the time to read the comments from the giveaway post, you know exactly what i'm talking about.  thank you so much to those of you who shared their favorite inspirational quote: some about life, some about creativity, some about staying true to one's self, and so many others....  it was so difficult to choose but worth every minute reading everyone's comments so thank you for taking the time to share a little of yourselves...

Wow, I kind of got caught up in Jason's blog and his story. Very inspirational and heartfelt. I would love to get to know him and his wife better and take this course. Everyone's spirit could use a little boost and to throw in a big dose of creativity just makes it all the better for me. Here's my quote, I've never found the author, but it really resonates with me: "This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind...let it be something good."
Posted by: Kelly Malacko

congratulations kelly, you are the winner of the year long "a life well crafted" workshop on big picture scrapbooking taught by kolette and jason hall (please e-mail me your contact info).  now for those of you who have been thinking about signing up for the workshop - hopefully this has provided a little more inspiration for us all.  as the title of today's post reads "the true winner" - i honestly believe we were all true winners for taking part in this amazing journey.  my sincere thanks once again... t!m

a life well crafted...

we all meet people in our lives that touch us in ways we never expected.  well this past year i met one of those people - and his name is jason hall.  now to be honest i have met jason in the past, but it was just one of those quick pass by moments where people are introduced and that's it.  at creative escape this past year i had the opportunity to spend a little more time with jason, talking, sharing, and more importantly listening...  jason was the keynote speaker at creative escape this year and shared with all of us, his amazing life philosophy, his story, his triumphs, and his wish for us all - to find the champion inside.  this was all part of a very emotional night for many of us, and one that truly changed my life.  recently jason did a blog post about that night at creative escape, that night of giving the shirt off my back just to do something good, that one good deed which would have lasting effects on me i never imagined...

i recently received an email from kolette (his wife) sharing some great news about an online workshop her and jason were teaching on big picture scrapbooking.  she told me that not only was this a year long workshops titled "a life well crafted", but it was a workshop that could change the way we go through life, the way we think about who we are, and the kind of life we create...  not only did she invite me to take the workshop myself (which i am), but her and jason are allowing me to offer a giveaway on my blog for 1 free tuition to their workshop (thank you both)!

that's right!  one of you has the chance to win a seat in their year long workshop on big picture scrapbooking titled "a life well crafted" taught by both jason and kolette hall.  this workshop is valued at $170 and is free to the winner.  the workshop kicks off january 1, 2009 so you'll have plenty of time to get ready for it!  if you've never taken a workshop at big picture scrapbooking, check it out - you can learn at your own pace, your own time, in the comfort of your own home.

for your chance to win, post a comment on my blog of your favorite quote that inspires you in your everyday life.  comments will be closed at 9:00pm pacific time on friday 11/21 and the winner will be announced shortly after. c'mon start sharing those inspiring quotes and here's to living the life you've imagined... t!m
*comments have been closed...

check this out...

my friend jo pearson who works for michaels has done an AMAZING job on these holiday videos on their
"where creativity happens" site - i must have watched each one 2 or 3 times.  the quality of the videos is incredible, and jo is just so darn personable it makes me smile just watching her.  the ideas are clever, simple, and sure to get your holiday decor ideas in full swing!  check them out here...way to go jo! ...t!m

and the winners are...

thanks to all of you who shared your ideas using masks - they were great to read!  i like this idea of sharing techniques through giveaways don't you?  well we have 3 winners so congrats to them - please email me your contact information so i can send out your set of 6 new masks!  ...t!m

my favorite thing to do with masks is to paint over them (to get the negative print) and then flip them over while the paint is still wet and press down on the back to get the reverse positive print. two different looks from the same mask in the same application!
Posted by: antoinette

Hi Tim - So love these- played a little with them recently, I think I am loving the stamping over the top for the moment, although must say using distress ink is a close second. Thanks for the chance to win a whole set.
Posted by: Ruth in OZ

So far I've only used ink and acrylic paint. It's an awesome look when you have to "adjust" your eyes and then see 3 depths of layers. Hope that makes sence. Liz
Posted by: Liz Walters

inspiration...

so it's monday, the beginning of a new week, and always things to get done...  i have to say it's been a busy weekend but a creative one.  i'm working on some things to share with all of you later on in the week, but for today - why not just a random giveaway???   today you have a chance to win a full set (all 6) of my new masks.  if you haven't had a chance to see the video on how to work with these - check it out here.  for your chance to win, simply post a comment and tell me what your favorite mask technique is (inking, stamping, etc.) just a way to jump start your creativity this week... (oh and did i mention i'm giving away 3 sets to 3 winners?) comments will be closed at 9pm pacific tomorrow - good luck...t!m    *edited: (comments are now closed)

something to do this weekend...

hey bloggers!  well for those of you on the east coast i wanted to tell you about an event that ranger is at this weekend that you can go to...
it's called art of the carolinas and is hosted by jerry's artarama.   the reason i'm telling you this is there are workshops to take and shopping to do and ranger has a booth there!  this is the first time ranger has hit the road to sell products.  they are there to support our newest designer claudine hellmuth and her studio line.  claudine is teaching workshops this weekend and ranger is doing free demos all weekend!  so if you're in the area or planning a road trip, stop by and check it out.  they have all of the new distress stickles, alcohol inks, claudine's entire studio line and much more... have a creative weekend...t!m

seasons change...

ahhh... i simply love this time of year.  i know i've said it before, but i'll say it again - fall is my favorite!  it's starting to get so crisp up here in the mountains of arizona.  the sound of the leaves blustering around is just so cool - seriously this time of year i get inspired!  i shot this photo in front of my house - quite the collection of vintage junk huh?   i've been keeping myself very busy unpacking and getting everything put away.  let's face it just because i'm home for a while certainly doesn't mean i have time off - there's always something to do to keep busy.  right now things are in full swing planning and finalizing all of the details for the CHA-2009 Winter Show for next january.  it's always such an exciting time testing and tweaking all of the new products scheduled for next year's release - i can't wait!  hope you're having a great week...t!m

home to stay...

hey bloggers!  just checking in to say that i am finally home to stay for a while - yeah!  the stamp show this past weekend in carson, ca. was a blast.  thanks to those of you who could make it and had fun shopping your little hearts out.  i was able to demo my new images, grungeboard, distress stickles, masks, and much more all weekend long, it was fun!  so i'm settling in at home where i get to stay for a while...  time to recharge, time to be inspired, time to create, and time to enjoy life!  looking forward to it.  hope your week is going great so far.  thanks for all the kind comments on the new holiday images - i'm loving them too....t!m

just in time for the holidays...

one of my ALL TIME favorite quotes in life is from gwen stefani and it is something that i can relate to more than anything else i've ever read:
"Sometimes it's so hard to find what it is I'm trying to say. people might think you can turn creativity on and off, but it's not like that. It just kind of comes out. A mash up of all these things you collect in your mind. You never know when it's gonna happen, but when it does...it's like magic. It's just that simple and it's just that hard."

how perfect is that?  seriously, when the creativity is flowing you just have to go for it...and a couple of weeks ago it happened.  i had this festive inspiration one morning and sat down and designed 3 NEW holiday stamp sets - crazy right?  well i called stampers anonymous and asked if they would be interested in releasing these new designs this year or not, and within 7 days i had these 3 new sets in my hands!  how exciting is that?  just in time for the holidays, because i'm sure many of you are like me and haven't even started your holiday cards - well here are some new images that will hopefully spark a little holiday magic...
these images are making their debut at the carson stamp show this weekend and i'll be there to demo and share all the ideas i have for them!  these images should go up on the stampers anonymous website this weekend too - and of course don't forget to call your local store to see when they're getting them - they are shipping now!  so i hope to see many of you at the show this weekend, i'll take a few pics to post on sunday when i return.  let me know what you think of the new desgins!  enjoy your weekend...t!m

check this out...

i am so inspired by people who share what they have learned from my monthly technique challenges!  i got an email tonight from cindy at starlitstudio where she did her own tutorial of the tag so i just had to post a link to it.  check it out here and enjoy a different spin on the technique challenge - so cool...t!m

congrats "muse" winner...

we have a winner!  *please email me your information.
awesome tag!! i so love your talent!!! i really want the distress stickles...maybe santa will bring them...will he know what they are?? LOL  Posted by: chris

it's great to read all of the comments about the challenge and i'm happy to hear that many of you are trying things out every month - that's what it's all about!  i've been spending a couple of days in my studio working away on so many different projects.  it's been one of those weeks where i work on a little bit of everything and just try to finish something to check it off the list!  but at the end of the day, it's all worth it.
enjoy today...t!m

november technique challenge...

"november technique challenge" - tim holtz(c) 2008
supplies: craft sheet, distress inks (weathered wood, faded jeans, broken china, walnut stain, frayed burlap, black soot), jet black archival ink, glossy accents, distress stickles (fired brick), ink blending tool, mini mister, heat tool (ranger); grungeboard plain basics, borderline mask, game spinners, sprocket gears (tim holtz idea-ology); tim holtz scissors (tonic); "creative muse" stamp set, text background #V1-929 (stampers anonymous); tag; ribbon

step 1: rub distress inks directly to craft sheet.  use various colors for this just make sure you don't swipe one directly over the other to avoid contamination.

step 2: spray water from mini mister over ink to create droplets.

step 3: press tag on to ink and lift.  heat with heat tool to dry. *repeat previous step with additional layers of ink until desired look is achieved.

step 4: place borderline mask on edge of tag.

step 5: ink using ink blending tool by working in a twisting motion to avoid lifting mask.  *you can see the contrast to your background since the masks are clear.  *for more info on using masks, check out my video here.

step 6: with mask still in place, stamp "text" over tag using distress ink.

step 7: wipe mask with cloth first, then carefully remove mask to reveal design and ink edges of tag if desired with ink blending tool.

step 8: stamp "lucky 13" in fired brick over tag.  let dry.

step 9: stamp "birds on wire" and "live the life" text on tag with archival ink.

step 10: accent "13" with distress stickles and let dry completely.

step 11: stamp "umbrella man" image on plain grungeboard sheet with archival ink and let dry.

step 12: cut out image using scissors.

step 13:  ink edges with ink blending tool and distress ink

step 14:  adhere grungeboard shape to tag with glossy accents.

step 15: embellish tag with assorted idea-ology embellishments

wrapping it up...

(from left: sandy, myself, richele)

hey bloggers...  back at the airport waiting for our flight home.  just wrapped up teaching at the final store of the year at the stamp art shoppe in roseville, ca.  this is such a great store and sandy (the owner) and richele are such gracious hosts!  this was the last stop of a great year of teaching and the west coast location of the holtz holiday festival.  this weekend in addition to the holiday workshops, the store celebrated their 6th anniversary !  we arrived on friday to attend the anniversary party - sandy pulls out all of the stops for this with an invite only dinner and shopping extravaganza for her top customers in her store.  each year sandy has a theme for this event and this year was the wild west.  the store was decked in western festivities.  every last detail is taken care of from hand-made gifts for the customers to personalized invitations and an on site photographer (even fake mustaches were handed out....talk about a photo opportunity with the class!) we had a great time the entire weekend with this theme...

i want to thank all of my GREAT students for such a fun weekend!  the projects were inspiring to me as always and the creativity was definitely going.  we  played with so much ranger products including distress, crackle, stickles, beeswax, dabbers, grungeboard, all things idea-ology, new masks, and much more throughout the workshops - what a blast...  it was also great to catch up with several friends throughout the weekend - thanks again to all of you for taking the time to make this a great way to wrap up the year.  here are some photos of the weekend - enjoy...t!m
(*remember i'm posting the technique challenge tomorrow...)