Tim Holtz

bon voyage...

well bloggers we're off on this year's artful voyage at sea!  it's crazy to think that when we first started talking about this cruise it seemed so far away and here we are.  this cruise sold out in record time and i know several of you emailed me asking if i planned on doing another cruise in 2011?  well, it is confirmed for september 25-october 2 to the caribbean with an optional package to join me in disney world for a couple of days before the cruise - i can hardly wait for next year!  if you're interested, click here to contact scrapmap to book your spot and remember the cost includes all workshops, supplies, and of course some incredible surprises along with your cruise.  so don't miss the chance for next year if you're ready to join me on the high seas!!!

like i've said i couldn't have pulled this type of event off without the help of many people so a sincere thank you to my team of friends who have put in tireless hours and endless stress to get everything finished in time along with everything else we had going on this year.  a thank you to team scrapmap and especially jim west for all of their work and efforts to take care of all of the logisitic details in booking everyone and making sure everything goes off without a glitch.  finally a huge thank you to the many sponsors of this year's cruise for their generous donations of my favorite supplies, papers, embellishments and more that i can't wait to share with all of my students on the boat...

i'm looking forward to a few days to create, escape reality for a while, and live the life i've imagined.  i'll be taking a video blog of our journey and wishing all of you were here with us.  if you want to check out the past 2 years adventures to alaska in 2008, and mexico in 2009, have a look at the videos below.  be back soon...t!m

 

cruise countdown...

hey bloggers!  in less than 48 hours we will be heading off for my 2010 crafting cruise with scrapmap and 160 very excited students.  we're heading to canada and new england this year to share 10 days of creativity and experience nature's artful hand with the amazing fall palette of colors that awaits us.  of course getting ready for an event of this size at sea has been months and months of prep work from my team and team scrapmap.  bookings, supplies, prepping, kitting, and shipping all takes hours of time and attention to every detail is key.  my sincere appreciation to everyone who has helped with this year's adventure.  of course there is still lots of work to be done for a couple more store visits i have planned for this year, so unfortunately some of my team will be staying behind to continue the work that needs to be done in the studio (they aren't much into travel anyways).  soon we'll be off on our voyage, but first i wanted to share a few pics of some of the behind the scenes work that went into this year's voyage...t!m

vintage fright...

hey bloggers!  i'm flying out today to florida to teach at a rep trade show this weekend,flying back home sunday, and packing up for my cruise which is less than a week away...so excited!  i wanted to share this fun halloween tag i created using my new paper rosette die.  i'm telling you i love this die - it's so much fun to make and even better that it's SHIPPING NOW!  to create this tag, i used my retro halloween stamp set for the background images that i stamped in archival ink.  next i inked the tag with distress ink (crushed olive, spiced marmalade, dusty concord), and then misted the tag with the new perfect pearl mists (perfect copper).  i cut a grungeboard strip using my scallop on the edge die and used the 31 from the grungeboard mini set.  i painted all of the grunge pieces black using a paint dabber, let it dry, and then added black soot distress stickles for the ultimate vintage sparkle effect (the pic doesn't do it justice).  i created a ruffle along the bottom edge of the tag by gathering tissue tape and sticking it on the tag and adhering the grunge strip over it.  i made a paper rosette and adhered the 31 to the center - here's a video i did using the paper rosette die...

finally i created an embellishment with my new facets for the top of the tag by gluing paper to the flat side of the facet using glossy accents and cutting it out.  i finished the top of the tag with a piece of ribbon and added the facet and one of my new baubles with a jump ring and mini pin.  of course i would have loved to do a full step out for this tag for the blog, but i simply ran out of time to do it all - go figure?  at least i wanted to give you a quick how-to so hopefully you'll get inspired to do something creative this weekend!  also, remember to check out the links from my design team - they've been creating some amazing things too...t!m

ranger's warehouse sale.

hey bloggers!  i'm excited to share this news from ranger about their upcoming warehouse sale in new jersey.  if you're in the area, stop by and check it out...t!m

 

We are pleased to announce that our 2010 Warehouse Sale will be held on Saturday, October 2nd from 9am to 3pm!

For this one day only, a wide selection of discontinued and slightly imperfect arts & crafts and scrapbooking supplies will be available to the public!  And what a deal: many of the items will be priced 50% to 75% off WHOLESALE pricing!!

What kinds of items can you expect to scoop up?  How about stamp pads, glitter glues, embossing powders, embellishments.... the list goes on and on!

Just drop by the Ranger headquarters at 15 Park Road in Tinton Falls, NJ 07724.  We're directly across from Applebee's Restaurant off of Hope Road.

And don't forget to bring checks and/or cash... sorry, but credit cards will not be accepted.

If you're a storeowner, please ask about bulk discounts!  Call 732.389.3535 x35 for additional information.

home from scrapfest...

hey bloggers!  i'm home from scrapfest and what a wonderful time it was.  a huge thank you to all who attended the workshops, watched the demos, and we're part of scrapfest enjoying it all.  it's one of those crazy events with thousands of people that are just so much fun to do.  of course we we're busy all day, but still had the time to hang out with friends, eat, shop a little (okay shop lots - after all, we ARE at the mall of america), even snuck in a ride at the theme park inside the mall, and definitely shared lots of laughs.  this was my 7th year at scrapfest so thanks again to everyone at archiver's, and to all of you who make this hobby such an amazing thing to be a part of.  until next year...t!m

thanks everyone...

thanks bloggers!  what a great whirlwind trip to HSN this week.  so much prep to get ready and it's all over in the blink of an eye.  even though i had about an hour and a half on air, it seemed like minutes.  my thanks to the team at HSN, my great hosts who put up with all of the crafting chaos for 24 hours, and to all of you who shopped, or just shared in the fun and watched - thank you!  so i got a few hours at home, just enough time to unpack, repack, and we're off to the airport again heading to scrapfest this weekend.  i'm sure i'll see many familiar faces there, can't wait -  so it's back to the skies we go...t!m

mark your calendars...

hey bloggers!  amidst the travel since cha, teaching in texas, kitting for 360 students for scrapfest next weekend,  and prepping for the 600+ class kits for my upcoming cruise later this month, i've also been very busy getting ready for my debut on HSN!  this tuesday, sept.14th will be their first ever 24 hour craft day and i'm so happy to be part of it.  i've been busy preparing over 100 samples and color swatches for my upcoming 2 hours of on-air creative fun on HSN.   i'll be on at 10:00am EST and 4:00pm EST so check out all of the great kits we'll be selling and be sure to mark your calendars for tuesday, sept.14th.  had to share this pic from tivo - can you believe it, i'm on tivo how cool.  hope you can tune in...t!m

across the pond...

well bloggers i have some big new to share to those of you across the pond (in the uk)!  check this out:

for more info click here and i hope to see you in 2011.  thanks to lin and leandra for this opportunity to teach at their event - it's going to be amazing...t!m

creative trickery...

i have to say bloggers - what fun comments to read yesterday!  it seems i'm not alone in my addiction of halloween treats and wood mounted stamps...  thanks to all of you for taking part in the fun and posting a comment, so as promised, here are a few halloween tags i've created just for fun.  i've used my halloween stamps from stampers anonymous, my new seasonal alterations dies (shipping this week!), and lots of ranger and idea-ology stuff.  hope you find a little creative trickery of inspiration...t!m

"giggles" - tag was inked with distress ink (peeled paint, forest moss) using the wrinkle-free distress technique.  edges were tattered using a paper distresser and owl scroll was stamped with black archival ink.  witch was stamped on a scrap tag with archival, colored with distress ink (dusty concord, old paper, barn door) using cut n' dry foam , eyes outlined with white opaque pen, and then cut out.  seasonal tissue tape was added to the background of the tag, and numerals were attached for 31.  a giggle adage ticket was crumpled, inked with distress ink (walnut stain), and attached to the tag with the tiny attacher.  witch was secured to the tag with 2 layers of foam tape for added dimension.

"x-ray" - i love the x-ray look this tag has.  skeleton was stamped with paint dabber (snow cap) and dried with a heat tool.  tag was inked direct to paper with distress ink (black soot).  mist a paper towel with water from a mini mister and lightly wipe over the stamped skeleton to reveal the white paint which resembles a negative effect.  stamp poison label on tag with black archival ink.  flick silver metallic mixative on tag with splatter brush.  adhere bottles to tag with multi-medium.  embellish with locket keys, keyhole, and swivel clasp hanging from a trinket pin.

"trick or treat" - create a tiny trick or treat bag using the treat bag paper from the seasonal paper stash.  ink tag with distress ink (rusty hinge, spiced marmalade) using ink blending tool.  stamp witch hazel with black archival ink.  adhere bag to tag with wonder tape.  attach boo from seasonal salvage sticker to memo pin and stick behind treat bag.  insert candy into bag and accent tag with tulle.

"rickety haunt" - my favorite!  die cut rickety house, bat, and on the edge fence from grungeboard.  paint all pieces with paint dabbers (pitch black, snow cap), sand with sanding grip, and ink with distress ink (walnut stain).  adhere mica behind windows of house with glossy accents for added reflection.  adhere vintage book paper to tag with glue stick and ink tag with distress ink (pumice stone) using ink blending tool.  die cut ticket from ticket strip die, and stamp halloween ticket with black archival.  ink ticket with distress ink (spiced marmalade).  adhere house to tag with foam tape.  attach bat to thin wire and stick into tape behind house to secure.  attach fence below house with wonder tape.  tuck ticket behind post and adhere to tag.  attach curly prima twig to tag with tiny attacher and stuff moss behind fence.  create "trick or treat" from dymo, adhere to grunge, and cut to size.  adhere to tag with glossy accents.

"scaredy cat" - die cut cat and iron gate from grungeboard.  paint with paint dabbers (pitch black, silver metallic).  glitter cat with black soot distress stickles for vintage sparkle.  emboss tag with webbed texture fade.  ink with distress ink (dusty concord, walnut stain) using ink blending tool.  mist tag with perfect pearls mist (blue smoke) and dry.  adhere grunge elements to tag with glossy accents.  attach game spinner to timepiece and secure to tag with glossy accents.  attach fleur adornment to trinket pin.

it's that time again...

hey bloggers!  hope everyone enjoyed their weekend.  as you can imagine, around here it was spent prepping and kitting for the cruise coming up REAL soon.  at least i was with friends and had lots of fun working all weekend, good food (thanks to mario), and good treats (thanks to michele).  treats meaning candy corn!  yep, it's that time again - one of my favorite candy times (besides easter) where the store shelves are stocked full of sweet tiny wrapped colorful treasures of goodness.  it's also the time i can get my favorite candy brach's autumn mix in bulk!  i know, i know "tim, you shouldn't be eating so much candy...blah, blah, blah...".  what can i say - i love it! 

another thing i love are wood mounted stamps.  i guess it's just a preference from the beginning days of stamping for me - just something about a stamp on a wood block - nostalgic.  truth be told, the only stamps i ever use in my studio are wood mounted.  i only use cling when i demo.  i know the cling and wood mounted stamps work exactly the same, and you get the same quality image - it's just another one of those quirky things about me i guess...

so of course getting my new wood mounted stamps along with a 2lb. bag of halloween candy inspires me to be a little creative.  so tomorrow i'll share a few of the halloween tags i've been creating in between kitting (it can't be all work and no play you know?).   also, so you can create right along with me, i'll be doing a little giveaway of one of my favorite halloween stamps from this release "the witch" (wood mounted of course), and a great ranger prize kit that includes (black archival pad, ink blending tool and foam, mini glossy accents, heirloom gold perfect pearls, craft scraper, picket fence distress crackle paint, and the NEW craft scrubbie hand cleaner bar)!

all YOU have to do for your chance to win is post a comment on today's post and let me know your favorite halloween treat!  c'mon you know you want to... what is it???  candy corn?  popcorn balls?  candied apples?  mini snickers???

i'll select 5 random winners from the comments and post them on tomorrow's blog along with my tags - in fact i'll send one of my tags to each winner along with their prize!!!  candy makes me happy...so get happy with me...t!m

info on absolutely everything...

hey bloggers...  i received emails from many of you about getting more details on my upcoming classes at absolutely everything in october.  here's a link to all of the info.  sign ups begin this sunday, september 5th at noon - don't miss out...t!m

here i am...

hey bloggers - wow, what a week!  we hit the road last friday to texas where i taught 3 workshops for the stamp asylum.  what a great time.  thank you to everyone in texas for your hospitality and sharing in the creative fun!  thank you to monica (owner of stamp asylum) and of course her team and friends for all of the tireless hours everyone put in.  we certainly could not have done it without you...  we landed on friday with lots of prep and set up work ahead of us.  we started set up at about 3:00pm at a local hotel to get ready for the 102 students i had in class the following day.  we had lots of supplies to unload, tables to cover, and product to put out to get ready, but we wrapped everything up by midnight in time for a few hours rest before starting the next morning.  the classes were so much fun to see everyone put their creative spin on it and learn a variety of techniques working with alterations, distress ink, paint dabbers, grungeboard, and of course all things idea-ology....

we finished classes and started to pack things up to move to a new room for the folowing day's workshop.  like i said, we had big things planned for the "artful curio" workshop.  we set up in the ballroom complete with round tables and a large banquet of tables down the center filled with more vintage findings than you could dream of.  again without the help of monica and her team, we would have been there all night, but managed to get everything done by 1:00am (of course a late night trip to the local mexican restaurant was included).  the curio class started the following morning to a group of very anxious students waiting to enter to room.  with a few words from me to guide them through the process, we were off to a day long workshop filled with ideas and inspiration from everyone there.  even lunch was included so students could spen the entire day immersed in artistic bliss - the projects were simply amazing....

at the end of an amazingly creative and fun weekend we packed everything up to ship back to the studio to get refreshed and packed up again for our next adventure .  mario flew out the next morning and i stayed in dallas to demo for a retailers event for michael's.  it was a very busy week to say the least, but i returned home last night making it out just before a big storm hit dallas - very thankful for that...

so thanks again to everyone in texas for sharing your time and creativity.  i also want to share a link to a great interview i did for paper crafts magazine and "moxie fab world" - i hope you check it out.  i've also confirmed my next store visit to absolutely everything later this year.  sign ups begin this sunday so check out the details and i hope to see you there.  i'll be teaching the "ultimate alterations" and "creative blocks" workshop i did in texas along with 2 seasonal workshops using my new configurations shadow boxes - should be great fun, i love seasonal projects....

okay, lots to catch up on around the studio - gotta go...t!m