Tim Holtz

checking in from cha...

well hello there bloggers...  greetings from cha in chicago!  day one is finished and i'm back in the hotel after a long, fun, and very busy day at the show.  the vibe was great and everyone seemed very excited seeing all of the new stuff - of course so was i...  i can't wait to get back into my studio and share all of the fun projects i've made not to mention some videos with all of you!  some highlights of the day of course started off with the "official" debut of the vagabond machine right when the show opened.  the excitement and response was so wonderful and thanks to everyone who waited patiently in line to see it!


the second hour i was off to idea-ology to showcase all of my new treasures including configurations, salvage stickers, and the new trimmings which seemed to have created some serious buzz (i'll be sharing the tutorial on that next week).

check out this cool vintage shopping cart i found and filled it with vintage festive goodness to display in the booth - talk about nostalgic!

the make & take in idea-ology was busy all day too with tracey doing an amazing job keeping everyone creative and happy.  we did this fun project using the new facets, baubles, and seasonal papers to use as an ornament or just an element to adorn whatever they wish.

next i stopped over in the stampers anonymous booth to say hello to ted & michelle (mr. & mrs. stampers anonymous) to thank them for doing such a wonderful display for my 10 new stamp collections for the show.  the display was incredible.


finally i was off to finish my day at the ranger booth with 4 hours of demos using distress inks, the new colors of distress stickles, alcohol inks, and a whole bunch of new alterations dies and texture fades with the vagabond.  whew! what a day!  heading to bed and hope i can get some sleep - my mind is spinning with ideas from a very inspiring day.  thanks again everyone!  looking forward to doing it all again tomorrow...i can't wait!  t!m

cha-summer 2010 sneak peek #11 (alterations)...

well bloggers we've made it!  today is the final day of sneak peeks before packing everything up and heading to chicago for the cha-summer trade show where all of these products will be released.  it's been a busy year for me designing all of these new things - i can't wait for all of you to get your hands on them.  thank you all so much for sharing your excitement and anticipation for the new products.  like i've been saying all week, i've saved the biggest announcement for last because today i'm sharing with you my new die cutting machine in my alterations line with sizzix.  i know many of you saw the video blogs of the "preview" we did back in january at the cha-winter show in preparation for our cha-summer launch - well it's here!  i am happy to introduce to you the "vagabond"...

"a vagabond is an idle wanderer having an uncertain or irregular course of direction, leading a carefree style - which is exactly what our creative journey should be all about..."

the vagabond is a personal die cut machine unlike anything you have ever seen before, and trust me when i say it works like no other machine too.  this portable, fully electric motorized machine, makes die cutting and embossing incredibly simple and truly limitless.  i wanted a machine that was more powerful than any machine out in the market.  why???  simple, i want it to cut and emboss thicker materials like grungeboard, chipboard, bookboard, metal, canvas, acrylic in addition to layers of cardstock, grungepaper, and fabrics.  this powerhouse not only cuts with ease, but embosses full sheets of grungeboard and chipboard with out any hesitation...

of course not only did this machine have to work like no other, it needed to look the part too.  that's where the challenges really came in and everyone at sizzix did an amazing job in sharing the same creative visions - thank you so much!  i designed a machine to resembles a vintage suitcase that has traveled the world with it's unique hardware, nostalgic texture, and distressed finish.  i designed a machine that looked artful enough to leave out yet entirely compact so it wouldn't take up much space.  i designed a machine that could cut and emboss any art medium i wanted to use so i wasn't limited to just paper.  the vagabond is truly everything i imagined it to be...

so i leave you with a few photos of the cool hand-sketched, vintage suitcase styled packaging it will come in (shipping late september), and of course the machine both opened and closed.  as you can see we've made quite a few changes since it's earlier debut including collapsible guide rails, antiqued texture and finish (it even comes with themed luggage stickers you can put on your machine), and a quiet motor you have to hear to believe.   i am beyond excited to share with you, the long awaited release of the new vagabond machine - i just can't wait to show you all it can do!  i'll be posting videos from the cha show next week so stay tuned! ...t!m

cha-summer 2010 sneak peek #10 (alterations)...

hey there bloggers!  wow, thank you sincerely for all of your comments about the new alterations stuff.  i definitely share in your excitement - trust me.  several of you have asked about the shipping times for these and here is what i know from sizzix.  all of these dies are going to be in limited release which means that the fall/halloween dies and texture fades will be shipping in september and when they're gone, they're gone until after the first of the year.  the winter/christmas dies will be shipping in october and also in limited quantities until after the first of the year.  this was the only way sizzix could keep up with production of so many releases by splitting them up.  so if you see them at your local store or online, be sure to get them if you want or you'll have to wait until after the first of the year to get more back in.  so let's wrap up my alterations releases of dies and texture fades today and check out the rest of what's coming your way soon.  don't forget, tomorrow is the most exciting news yet!...t!m

of course i just had to design more on the edge dies.  i am loving working with these on the edges of mini books and cards, but lately i've just been cutting grungeboard strips for my projects using these.  these snow flurries and iron gate edge dies have great function for the holiday, but year round too.  those fleur de lis have such a cool jagged design to them...

okay, these edges townscape and on the fence are so...well...cute?!  can't believe i'm saying this, but they are!  picture those houses along the bottom of a project for "we're moving", or maybe a winter village, or even a row of haunted houses!  like i've said before it's all about the possibilities with this stuff - right???

speaking of possibilities, my new decorative strip dies are so versatile to work with.  now remember, these strip dies are only designed to cut paper, but hey, when you're getting an entire alphabet set for under $20 it's a deal.  now what about that last one???  just you WAIT until you see what that die is all about!  it actually cuts and creates a paper rosette (it's my personal favorite of this release, right up next to the tag die).  i have a video all ready to go, but i'll be sharing it after cha with you...

now on to texture fades - i hope you're having fun with these.  their deeply embossed design can give a whole new look to cardstock, chipboard, canvas, and of course, grungeboard!  i've also added a seasonal spin on these and even created a few that just emboss an area of a card so you still have room to stamp, journal, or place a photo.  so let's have a look at all of them - it's time to get that imagination going...

cha-summer 2010 sneak peek #9 (alterations)...

well bloggers today's post has lots of new die designs to share from my alterations line.  staying with the holiday theme, but this time with a winter and christmas feel to them.  i have been having a great time making samples with these and just you wait and see what i have planned.  one die in particular i think will make many of you very happy - you'll know which one it is - i'm just sayin'...t!m
 

these reindeer are really elegant.  their stylistic design and 2 poses are perfect for cards, layouts, etc. ad their long necks are just waiting to be adorned with ribbons, festive greenery you name it.

this frosty fellow was inspired by my stamp of the same design.  although this one is much bigger and comes with an additional snowflake, he is just the right size for holiday cards i think.  a little distress stickles and you'll have the perfect nostalgic element.

i love this tree.   can't say much more other than finally a realistic looking pine tree.  (oh yeah and it is proportionate to the rickety house from yesterday for your winter cottage...nice huh?)

can you smell the fresh baked gingerbread?  kidding... i like this die, the funky shape of the gingerbread, and the frosting strip allows you to cut it up and decorate your own cookie just like i did.

these carved ornaments have the perfect grunged design.  the imperfect shapes can be used as solid shapes, or because they are movers & shapers you may want to drop in a word or two... (see below)



wish & joy movers & shapers - by far one of my favorite ideas for this line since on the edge.  these cut out word dies drop into any movers & shapers base die to cut out the suspended word.  sized for the carved ornaments above to create personal decor just in time for the holidays. *each word sold seperately

love & hope movers & shapers - remember these work with any base dies, including my previous baroque and ornamental movers & shapers. words like this can be use year round for sure. *each word sold seperately

photo corner movers & shapers - these 2 sets work with the previous baroque and ornamental movers & shapers cutting 2 slits to create photo corners to slide your photo into - very useful for atc's as well. *each bracket set sold seperately

mini baroque & ornamental movers & shapers - designed to drop right inside the prvious larger versions of these shapes to either cut mini designs, or create a frame. *each mini sold seperately

saving the best for last for today, this tag movers & shapers and book plate die makes me smile!  sized exactly to the #8 tags i've used for years finally allows you to cut your very own whether it's from old file folders, sticky back canvas, grungeboard, or even fabric, you'll never run out of tags.  this die also includes the little reinforcements to add to your tag.  remember because it's a movers & shapers you can even drop in the above words, photo corners, or shapes to create unlimited possibilities.  of course in addition to the tag are 2 styled bookplates to add to your tag books or other paper craft projects. (want to know something else? the inside "leftovers" from the oval and rectangle book plates fit the insides of my idea-ology ornate plates perfectly... how's that for details?)

cha-summer 2010 sneak peek #8 (alterations)...

seriously bloggers - you ARE as excited about the configurations as i am!  thanks for all of the kind words.  i'm telling you the possibilities are going to be endless with those - i can't wait!  they will be hitting the stores in september in plenty of time for your holiday projects and gift ideas.  as the days are ticking away, i still have so many to-do lists around here it's insane.  one list i'm almost finished with is my sneak peek list of all of my new cha-summer products -
let's see...
stampers anonymous.....check!
ranger.....check!
idea-ology.....check!

then i guess that leaves one more company...sizzix alterations!  i can't tell you how thrilled i am at how well received the alterations line was.  quite honestly it was only planned to do one release a year in the line, but with everyone's support of it, they asked me to do a summer release too - thank you everyone!  if you liked the first release of alterations just WAIT until you see what i have coming your way this time...let's just say it's enough stuff to fill the rest of the week on the blog and ending with one of the biggest and most "cutting edge" (pun intended) products i've ever designed!  for today, however, let's start with some dies...t!m

fall is one of my favorite times of the year.  the colors of these elements from nature invoke a look and feel that embraces a memorable time of year.  of course with the incredible popularity of one of my favorite dies "tattered floral" it seemed only natural to complete the look with this addition - "tattered leaves".  whether you use them together or individual the jagged shapes of these leaves will compliment a variety of projects and yes, that green leaf fits the tattered floral perfectly...

another die with great possibilities is this tree.  whether you see at as a creepy scary tree, or a winter touched snow tree, you'll be seeing some incredible transformations with this "branch tree "die - i have ideas i'm telling you, just wait and see...

i think the weathered design of my dies have such potential when you create with them.  this one for example the "rickety house" can been used for a spooky haunted house with spider webs just waiting for trick or treaters, or perhaps a quaint holiday cottage with smoke drifting out of the chimney and adorned with lights and garland, or even perhaps a beach bungalow with shabby paint and accented with sand and seashells.  whatever your imagination can dream up you become the creator...


another favorite season to stir up the imagination of a child is halloween.  marked by classic icons of this time of year, halloween wouldn't be complete without a few eerie elements (and a little candy wouldn't be bad either).  these next two dies "bewitching hour" and "raven and scaredy cat" have a touch of nostalgia with their silhouette design.  whether it's a seasonal card, mini book, or scrapbook page, these devious designs will add just the right amount of fright...

cha-summer 2010 sneak peek #7 (idea-ology)...

hey bloggers!  with just a week left before i leave for cha i still have an overwhelming amount of things to do!  of course that also means i have a week's worth of sneak peeks to still share as well.  you know it's funny that after all of these years of this "ritual" from companies and designers to share their new cha product releases via "sneak peeks", there are still people out there bothered by it all.  some feel it's antagonistic, while others feel there's nothing "sneaky" about it?

the meaning of a "sneak peek" is defined as a special viewing or informational presentation of an art piece or product, given to a select audience before being shown to the general public. It is synonymous with "special preview" or "teaser."

i am excited to continue sharing all of the things i've been working on with all of you!
so for those of you still reading...
get ready to alter your creativity like never before.
get ready to have the ability to design with your specific creative needs in mind. 
get ready to find a place to display your favored keepsakes and artful treasures.
get ready to explore "configurations"!

configurations are dimensional shadow boxes made from 1/8" wrapped paper board (not thin chipboard or paper mache').  these sturdy covered boxes are inkable, paintable, collagable, and best of all - configurable.

available in 4 different sizes, each configuration comes with a framed lid with removable acetate window so you decide how you want to display it.  measuring approx. 2" deep each configurations can be used to display your most dimensional elements, mini books, and better yet, they fit the curio knobs and foundation feet like a dream!  stand them up or lay them flat, you decide how to display it.

what makes these unlike anything out there is, they are of course, completely configurable...or re-configurable if you wish.  inside each box are individual boxes that can be configured in a variety of ways.

of course my most favorite aspect is you can even remove any of the boxes to create larger compartments for taller or wider objects, it's completely up to you how you customize it.  now THAT IS cool..

don't forget to use the boxes you choose to remove too...  look at that - mini shadow boxes, as many as you'd like!

cover the boxes with your favorite inks, papers, paints or fabrics to create a design to fit your style - and for those seams between each inner box, tissue tape is the perfect solution.  in fact, that's what holds everything together!.

so i hope you're as excited about the new idea-ology configurations as i am.  imagine the options...the themes...the creative possibilities limited only to your imagination!...i'm in heaven...t!m

progress...

hey bloggers!  here it is sunday night already - the weekend is almost over, and i've decided to take a break to show you a few pics of things that i've been working on.  did i mention that these were elusive pics?  well they have to be since i'm using a new product that i am most excited about for idea-ology (and i haven't even shared it with you yet...)  any guesses?...t!m

cha-summer 2010 sneak peek #6 (ranger)...

happy friday bloggers!  hope you've had a great week and find a little time this weekend to be creative.  i know i'll be busy as ever locked away in my studio from morning to night making projects - have i mentioned how much i love show time!  today's sneak peek is my new release for this show with ranger, and if you're like me, this was just a must have following the release of the 12 new distress ink colors this year... the 12 new distress stickles!  whether you're a spun sugar person (margie), or more of a wild honey, stormy sky, crushed olive, barn door, or my favorite pumice stone - all 12 of the new colors are new in distress stickles!  just in time for the holidays... imagine rusty hinge with black soot for halloween... or barn door with forest moss for christmas... or how about tumbled glass for a winter feel... yes! yes! yes!  so excited for these to work with the new distress inks color (which i'm loving by the way)...

i'm thinking i might get a chance to post a few elusive pics of what i've been creating around here this weekend - stay tuned...t!m

cha-summer 2010 sneak peek #5 (idea-ology)...

more sneak peeks today bloggers!  i hope you're enjoying a preview of all of the new stuff. yes it's exciting, and yes it's a bit of torture having to wait for it all to hit the stores - i totally understand.

here are some of the cool idea-ology findings i'll be releasing at the cha-summer show later this month.  (these are catalog pages for retailers so pay no attention to the minimums, etc.)  to start off, these are the last of the seasonal additions to the line for this release:
- seasonal masks (just like the papers & stickers, all of your favorite seasons on one sheet of masks.  these mini holiday icons are the perfect addition to the mask collection)
- tissue tape (i can't get enough of this stuff!  these 2 collections feature halloween & christmas designs and are in a thinner 1/2" width for edging cards and scrapbook pages)

this release also includes several elements i felt were missing from the line including more ornate vintage inspired elements like...
- baubles (various sizes of pearls, droplets, capped, a cool tassel, and even crystal beads all with a loop on the top)
- trimmings (a great assortment of texture and style perfect for coloring with inks and pearl sprays - the mini roses are yum!)
- lace chain (finally an elegant yet oxidized chain for making jewelry with your favorite idea-ology goodies complete with mini jump rings and matching clasps)
- charm clips (inspired by the function of the memo pins, these charm clips can attach elements to your project by dangling it from the loop using included jump rings and simply slide the clip on your page or card)
- accoutrements 2 (if you loved the first set, these have more sparkle with a vintage glass inspired look and feel)
- facets (just like fragments, these clear acrylic pieces can be inked, or adhered to papers and photos, but the facets have a faceted crystal front and flat back.  these also have tiny holes drilled in the top and come with small jump rings to attach them to your project - just wait until you see these for yourself!)






so tomorrow i'll be back to share my new release from ranger.  for now, it's back to the studio making more samples, samples, samples - gotta love show time!...t!m

cha-summer 2010 sneak peek #4 (idea-ology)...

well bloggers it's time for more sneaks!  with a mere 10 days before leaving for the cha trade show it's time to kick the sneaks into high gear...  so get ready to see what i've been busy designing and what i am excited to start creating with - new stuff is always so exciting isn't it?  okay so today i'm sharing something i have been working with in the studio lately, my new salvage stickers (i'll be showing samples of what i've made using them the week i'm at the show - i can't reveal everything now you know?).  these 2 new collections of salvage stickers coordinate with my favorite paper stashes lost & found and seasonal.  the wire bound books of heavy-weight cardstock stickers can be sanded, inked, and distressed to your creative desires.

lost & found captures the eclectic elements from the papers with each design perfectly die-cut including:
- random alphabet and number stickers (a variety of sizes perfect for cards, atcs, and scrapbook pages)
- 12 month vintage calendars (for those special days you want to rememeber)
- tickets, travel labels, and large clock faces (i'm thinking dimensional embellishments adhering them to grungeboard)
- bingo cards and vintage photos (cool vintage accents)
- all 50 state vintage license plates (perfect for your next travel journal or vacation project)

seasonal of course matches the newest release of the seasonal paper stash with a page devoted to my favorite words and elements from each season including:
- valentines
- easter
- 4th of july
- halloween
- thanksgiving
- christmas (i actually have 2 pages for this favorite time of year)

just imagine the possibilities these new salvage stickers are going to have!  i'm telling you now, they are quite addicting to use - luckily there are entire books full of them!  more idea-ology to share tomorrow....oh the suspense...t!m

cha-summer 2010 sneak peek #3 (idea-ology)...

hope you had a great week bloggers!  today i'm excited to share another sneak peek from one of my cha-summer releases scheduled to be released later this month.  it's from my idea-ology line and definitely something i've been wanting to do for quite a while - a seasonal paper collection.  of course i had to put my own spin on it, so i've created a paper statsh that contains a year's worth of vintage seasons, colors, and holidays.  from valentines, easter, and 4th of july; to halloween, thanksgiving, and of course christmas - everything is in one stash.  just like my other paper stashes, this one includes 12x12, 6x6, 2x2 snippets, atc's and border strips of 80lb. printed double sided cardstock.  so take a look at this seasonal paper stash and hopefully it will rekindle special moments of the season (whatever one that may be).  leave a comment telling me your favorite seasonal collection and i'll pick a winner on monday who i'll send a free seasonal paper stash to!..t!m

festive samples...

hey bloggers!  well i'm all packed up and ready to head off to california this weekend for the carson show.  luckily i have a few friends staying behind to work in the studio all weekend to continue prepping for the show workshops (so much still to do...).  as promised i wanted to share a few more samples i've created using my new release stamps debuting this weekend at the carson stamp show, but "officially" released at cha-summer later this month.  many of you have asked if there is any way to pre-order the sets and i have GREAT news!  my friends at the inspiration emporium are now taking pre-orders of the images, but even better - they are going to be at the carson show picking up their stamps so they will be shipping them next week!  lucky you!  well let's get on with the tags.   i'll be tweeting from the carson show so be sure to follow me on twitter to see more tags i'll be creating during the weekend.  you can also follow mario on twitter for all of the behind the scenes stuff - he's really good at tweeting all of that.  oh yeah - another BIG sneak peek tomorrow...t!m

postcard tags: i know many people thought i was crazy doing a set of just vintage postcard headers, but guess again.  i always design with purpose!  i'm always asked "what to do with tags after you make them?"...the answer - mail them of course.  here i created a set of postcard tags that can be used on the back of your tags, or better yet, make a set just like this and tie them up to give as a gift to someone traveling for the holidays.  i simply stamped the postcard top with archival ink, stamped the holly cluster with distress ink, and  blended the edges with distress.  the final touch were berries created with distress stickles.  pretty cool after all huh???

happy holidays: each year i try to design a santa with the special look in his eye.  this year is an instant favorite!  i also love the other elements that go with this set including the christmas carol background, holly cluster, and this cool vintage "happy holidays" embossed with gold embossing powder.  the tag was stamped and inked with distress inks, but the santa was created by painting a small area in the center of the tag with snow cap white paint dabber and then stamp the santa with archival.  once dry, i accented with a little distress stickles and blended a bit more ink around the edges.  the dimension of the happy holiday banner and timepiece really give this a festive feel...

winter watercolor:  this new sketch set is so fun to use.  whether you can watercolor or not, this set will make you look like a pro.  just create an inked background on the tag using distress ink and a little water on your craft sheet.  once dry, stamp the tree with archival ink and emboss the merry christmas with red embossing powder.  using a wet paint brush or waterbrush, simply swipe the brush across your distress pad to get color to paint with.  the tree was colored and shaded with one single distress color - walnut stain.  just keep adding layers for more depth.  the pine and snowflakes were stamped later with distress inks and to finish it off, i stamped the splatter stamp with white paint dabber for a flurry effect.  just like walking in a winter wonderland...

festive flight: okay i really do like this one.  i think it's the classic colors of red and green.  for this tag, i inked my pine cluster stamp with various colors of distress ink (greens and browns) and stamped on the tag.  then i poured clear embossing powder over the image, removed the excess, and embossed it.  remember distress ink is an embossable dye ink!  then i inked the entire tag with distress inks using an ink blending tool.  finally i stamped the greeting with archival ink and stamped a few splatters around it as well.  the bird charm is one of my adornments attached to the tag using a memo pin.  i can see this one as my holiday card this year - hmmm....

jack frost:  there's nothing crazy about this last tag, but i do like the look of these new grunge snowflakes.  i'll admit, there are lots of snowflake stamps out there, but they all seem to "clean" to me.  i wanted snowflakes with some imperfections and character.  i think you can tell they add a cool effect to this tag.  i simply inked the tag with distress ink and an ink blending tool.  then i spritzed the whole tag with water and dried it - this gave the background a mottled look.  then i stamped the snowflakes with white paint dabber and applied a little distress stickles over the top.  then i immediately dried the distress stickles with a heat tool for a cool shimmer effect.  i feel jack frost nipping at my nose already...

spooky samples...

hey bloggers!  i've been having such fun with my new images for cha-summer and making samples for the upcoming carson show where i'll be demoing for stampers anonymous.  let's face it, whether you're a big fan of halloween or not, there is something about the nostalgia of it all that takes me right back to that magical evening of childhood - i love it!  here are some of the samples i've been making with the halloween and leaf set.  once these start shipping, i can't wait to see what all of you come up with.  i'm busy making more samples to share with you tomorrow with a christmas theme and then it's another cha sneak peek on friday and  just WAIT until you see what it is!!!  for now, enjoy a little inspiration...t!m

spooktacular garland: here i stamped all of the retro halloween images on to grungeboard with paint dabbers.  next i inked them with various distress ink colors using a blending tool, accented them with distress stickles, and highlighted the eyes with ranger's white opaque pen.  finally i cut them all out with my tonic scissors which are perfect for cutting grunge, and attached them to a piece of wire.  the wires were wrapped around 2 paint brush handles (a great use for old brushes) and secured to wooden spools wrapped in tule.  talk about happy memories...

*i love how the distress stickles adds the perfect vintage sparkle to these and check out those eyes with the white pen - so crazy spooky huh?

witch hazel: what a quick and cool decorative element.  i stamped a piece of cardstock with black archival ink and then inked it with distress ink.  a little tattering with the paper distresser then i stuck it on to a glass bottle with a little twine wrapped around it.  the locket key finishes it off...

mr. bones: for this tag i applied various colors of distress ink to my craft sheet and misted with water from a mini mister.  then i swiped the tag through it and dried with a heat tool.  i repeated that about 3 more drying each time in between.  next i stamped the skeleton and webs in jet black archival ink for the ultimate detail.  next i stamped the owl scroll with distress ink.  for the edges of the tag, i used my paper distresser and then inked the edges with distress ink using an ink blending tool.  finally i embellished with a timepiece, game spinner, and a couple of sprocket gears.  looks right out of the laboratory...

the raven: sometimes a single color can achieve the perfect look.  on this tag i inked the entire tag with dusty concord distress ink using an ink blending tool.  then i flicked water on it and dried with a heat tool to create the splotches.  next i stamped witch hazel with the same color distress ink.  next i stamped and embossed the owl scroll using fine detail black embossing powder.  the raven was stamped on a scrap of grungeboard with black archival ink and cut out with my scissors.  i attached it to the tag with a piece of foam tape for dimension and embellished with a metal corner and the numerals 31.  classic halloween...

falling: i love the colors of this one and it's so easy to do.  first you glue a piece of dictionary paper to a tag and cut to size.  next i stamped the leaves with clear embossing ink and embossed with clear embossing powder.  then i inked the tag with various colors of distress ink using an ink blending tool (the new colors of barn door, wild honey, rusty hinge, and forest moss are perfect for this!).  i added a philosophy tag to the top with a trinket pin.  see it told you it was easy...

so much...

so much rubber...so little time!  hey bloggers - hope you had a great weekend.  i've been busy at work in the studio making samples for the upcoming carson stamp show, planning classes for cha, prepping for my workshops at stampaway next month, and booking dates for my next store visit.... whew!  it's always busy around here i tell you.  so i'll be sharing pictures of the samples i've been making tomorrow on the blog, and then more cha sneak peeks later this week.  talk about creative chaos - i'm lovin' it...t!m

weekend winners...

well what do you know - more winners?  thanks for all of the comments about my new stamps from stampers anonymous, i was so excited to share them with you and just wait until you see what i'm making with them (more on that next week).  just wanted to post the names of 5 more lucky winners who will each receive one of the new stamp collections from this release.  please email me your contact info so we can get your stamps out to you on tuesday.  enjoy the weekend...t!m
Bea said:
Tim! You read my mind! I love the second set even MORE! Oh la la I'm so excited!!!

Tracey A. in NH said:
Uh oh! My wallet just took a big hit with these 5 sets! :-) My fave is the ticket stub set!! And how did you know I can't resist snowflakes??? Thanks for always bringing us GREAT products, tim! Can't wait to see what else is being released!! Have a Happy 4th!

Traci Severson said:
Awesome sets! Just when you think how could Time actually come up with something even better he does! Love the 100th set! It's on the "gotta have" list right now!

CoreyW said:
SNOWFLAKES!!!!!!!!!!! AND SANTA'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY!!! I am truly in love with today's peeks! wow! So excited because Christmas is THE most wonderful time of the year and I love all things that go with it!!!!

Linda H said:
Wow! Another grand slam! Think I will have to a random drawing of my own to decide which set to get first! lol Congratulations on your 100th set! An accomplishment to be EXTREMELY proud of! Congratulations to yesterday's winners! Linda

cha-summer 2010 sneak peek #2 (stampers anonymous)...

wow bloggers!  thanks so much for the kind comments yesterday.  i truly appreciate hearing your congrats on the 100th collection set and of course reading your comments about the stamps.  some of you mentioned the repetition of images, keep in mind that these are the minis i've been doing for those who asked for smaller sizes of your favorites to use on atc's and tags (these images are over half the size smaller than the originals).  i'm so excited to share these remaining 5 sets which includes some great christmas images, new minis, and my personal favorite...#100th collection called "odds & ends".  it's my favorite because it has so many uses: first it fits my ticket strip die with sizzix so you can simply die cut your tickets and stamp them for your favorite holiday ticket, or the new calendar, journaling, or created by tickets.  second, there is a blank ticket stamp that you can stamp on the tickets and stamp one of the various text quotes which fit inside that ticket.  third, of course these text quotes also fit inside the ornate plates form idea-ology (both the oval and rectangle ones) so you can stamp them and place the plate over them.  lastly, the text quotes also fit my file tab on the edge die with sizzix, so you can stamp them on to the tab for a cool addition to your mini book - how cool is that???

get this... although these stamps are not being released until cha-summer later this month, like always, stampers anonymous will be bringing a limited number of each of the new stamp sets to the carson stamp show next weekend july 10-11 in carson, california.  so, if you're lucky enough to get to the show, you can get your stamps weeks before they are even released!  of course i'll be at the show demoing with the new stamps and lots of ranger and idea-ology products too - i can't wait...

and speaking of not waiting...simply for posting a comment on yesterday's blog, these 5 lucky winners have won a stamp set from my new release collection!  just email me with your contact info by monday and we'll get your stamps out to you on tuesday.  congrats and thanks again for taking time to post a comment - you just never know when you might win something!  have a great 4th of july weekend...t!m

Jason Pettigrew said:
First of all Congrats on your 100th collection and to ask which collection is your 100th? I love the Halloween sets, and I have to chuckle I love the halloween cutouts those are some of the deocrations that my Grandma had. . . oh you really know how to bring back memories that is why I like your products so halloween vintage chic. ~Jason

Debbie Blanken said:
wow - 100 stamp sets - I love your leaves stamps and the owl - ok all of them, my husband groans (not really) and I am happy.
 
Eileen Bellomo said:
Wow! Those leaves made my heart skip a beat, and so much Halloween goodness...how to choose? And then, the post card set...I love being able to make postcards look authentic. Looks like it's rob-a-bank time again, LOL. Eileen in NYC
 
Stephen said:
Amazing. I want them all!!
 
darlabibeau said:
Tim.... AWESOME as always! A huge congratulations on your milestone with creating stamp images...so creative! Darla

cha-summer 2010 sneak peek #1 (stampers anonymous)...

well hello there bloggers!  hope you're all getting ready for a nice long holiday weekend.  as promised here's the first sneak peek of many to come, for some of my new products scheduled to be released at cha-summer held in chicago on july 27-29.  i can hardly wait for this show and i have so many new things releasing that i hope you'll enjoy.  it's always such fun getting new stuff but i truly believe to use what you have first and then incorporate something new.    trust me when i say i'm like everyone else who isn't very patient when it comes to waiting for new things!  remember these are only sneaks...the product isn't even releasing until the show and most of it shipping the weeks following in august.  however i'll be randomly posting sneak peeks on my blog leading up to the show.  so be sure to check back often so you don't miss a thing!  let's start off with one of my favorites...stamps!

during this next release i'll be releasing my 100th collection set with stampers anonymous!  it's hard to imagine considering i was only asked to design a few stamps with them to begin with.  reaching the 100th collection set is a very exciting milestone for me totaling over 500 images!  today i'll be sharing 5 of the 10 sets i'll be releasing and tomorrow i'll share the other 5.  for this release i thought what better than to design for the seasons in mind - with my own personal twist of course.  hope you like them..t!m