The designs or instructions listed on this blog are for personal use only and may not be distributed or sold in any form without specific permission from Tim Holtz, LLC.
let the holiday season begin bloggers! starting december 1st, for the 5th year in a row my "12 Tags of Christmas" will be kicking off all over again! it seems the anticipation of this annual event gets more and more exciting. i'm ready to share these creative festivities of the season with all of you once again. of course another exciting thing about the 12 Tags are the 12 DAYS of GIVEAWAYS from my favorite companies. for your chance to win, simply post a comment on each days blog post. we'll randomly select winners (worldwide) and post the names on the following day's blog post. remember to post a comment each day as you can win more than once. so as the days count down to the tags i thought i would answer the questions i get asked every year about the 12 tags tradition... (i hope you enjoyed the little video trailer i made for this year's tags - if you haven't seen last year's video check it out here.)
Q: when are the tags posted? A: the first tag will post at 12:01am PST on december 1st and 12:01am PS each following day
Q: do you actually create the tags for each day the night before? A: yes i do, and i have until midnight to get it finished, photographed, instructions, and ready to post (i've always enjoy the creative challenge). you can follow the behind the scenes aka "BTS" of each tag by following mario on twitter.
Q: do you have a supply list for 12 tags? A: although i post a list of supplies on each day's tag, the idea behind 12 tags is to inspire you. if you don't have the specific color, stamp, or embellishment i use, be creative and use what you have.
Q: where is the best place to buy products? A: if the necessity to shop is inevitable, my advice is to check your local stores first. my products can be found in many independent, chain, and online stores. for those of you that don't have a local store, each day i will link the supplies i use at the bottom of the post to the online stores i shop at.
Q: is there a way to share the tag you've made with others? A: great news! this year i'll be adding that feature to the blog posts. day 1 will explain more in detail how it works. you'll be able to upload your tag each day to share with everyone.
Q: are there different "never before seen" techniques used each day? A: not necessarily. for me, these tags are just a fun way to share the holiday season, but you may learn a new tip, or trick you never know.
Q: is there a pdf version of the tags to print? A: nope. i do these tags specifically for my blog, and they remain on the blog. the past years of 12 tags are located on the bottom left corner so they can be referenced anytime throughout the year.
Q: can i re-post your tag on another blog? A: you are more than welcome to re-post the photo of the finished tag on your blog, but please do not post my instructions, i ask that you please link back to my blog.
Q: how do i post a comment for a chance to win a prize? A: if you're visiting the blog from the main page, simply click the word "comment" at the end of that day's post to leave your comment....OR....if you're visiting the blog from a facebook, twitter, or other link there is no "comment" word, simply scroll to the bottom of the page to see the comment box to post your comment (note: your name will appear BELOW your comment when it posts).
Q: why do i get your blog email a day late? A: unfortunately i have no control over the blog feed services. my advice is to physically check the blog daily so you don't miss a thing.
once again i look forward to sharing this with all of you. i wanted to re-post this letter i wrote to a distributor last year asking for a supply list for the tags. since it's sincerely my heart-felt thoughts i feel it's worth posting again. i say it every year, but i truly hope you'll remember to make time for a little creative holiday magic for yourself - after all, that's what this is all about...t!m "well here i sit trying to type out a supply list for the 12 tags and you know what? i can't...
here's the deal - i use so many different products on the tags, that it's hard to suggest a specific product or color. for example, if i said i was using crackle paint, then the questions would be what colors, how many tags will it be used on, etc? if the stores order up on crackle and i only end up using a bit of it on a grungeboard snowflake - then what? stores will be overstocked on products and i don't think anyone wants that. i also don't want anyone to feel that the 12 tags are marketing motivated because they've never been. the 12 tags started out as a way to give back to the people who have supported me all year and more importantly, a way for me to share my love for the holidays. i know this has turned into a frenzy all it's own and i'm blessed for that - we all are, but it's still important that i don't lose sight of why i'm doing them in the first place. i enjoy challenging myself creatively by doing the tags each night before i post them (which i've done the past 3 years since they started). i love the excitement i feel when i have to finish each tag by midnight as eager people from all over the world wait to see it the moment it goes live. half of the fun is getting people inspired and challenge themselves to use what supplies they have. it's also wonderful that stores are just as excited each day trying to gather up products in their stores and plan workshops and make & takes to share with their customers. i understand that every once in a while there is that odd product that nobody expects me to use - even me, but it is what it is. i feel that by committing to products now, i'm not only limiting myself creatively on what i would actually want to use and design, but it takes the magic out of this and i don't want to give that magic up. honestly, i have no idea what i'm going to create this year, and i don't know exactly what products i'll be using, but i do know this - that in the end everyone will have enjoyed the 12 tags of christmas again - including me... i hope you understand...tim"
i just want to share how blessed i am to be able to share this amazing creative journey with all of you every single day. i am grateful beyond words and just wanted you to know how truly thankful i am...t!m
hi bloggers! as the days tick away one day closer to thanksgiving it seems my creativity is holding on to every aspect of fall holiday. check out my illuminated autumn place cards idea over at the ranger blog today. thanks for all of your comments about the gilded glassine - a cool technique for sure that can be used year round on so many things. today i had to share another fun idea i came up with using the paper rosettes. i've been working on "perfecting" my rosette skills making it easier than ever to create these cool paper elements. so today i'm sharing a brand new video showing my latest tips and tricks to making rosettes followed by step by step tutorials to create these "quirky turkeys"...
well bloggers it's almost monday and thanksgiving is just days away. so i thought what better way to enjoy the fall season than to bring a little indoors the crafty way. so i wanted to share this cool technique using alcohol inks and metallic mixatives on kraft glassine (since after all, glassine is a slick surface right?). my friend wendy did a cool technique using snowcap mixatives on glassine a while back on her blog, but this one has a completely different effect on the kraft glassine. one of the great things about kraft glassine is it's ability to maintain it's shape when you crumple it up so you can create dimensional elements. this would be a great technique to create leaves for garland, table decor, and a variety of other ways to adorn your home - just in time don't you think?...enjoy...t!m
hey bloggers! hope your week has been great and you have some creative ideas for the weekend ahead. all week ranger has been posting "the great pumpkin challenge" with some incredible pumpkins and today my pumpkin is featured on ranger's blog and i wanted to share a few more detailed photos of it. so if you're looking for some last minute fall decor ideas, it's not too late to pick up one of these pumpkins at the craft store (no doubt they are already marked down), and add a little creative magic of your own...t!m
ah yes...my favorite time of year... when the air is crisp and filled with the faint scents of the autumn... when the leaves are turning colorful hues of warm tones... when the spirit of the approaching holiday season is evident everywhere... i am now home for a while... time to surround myself with creativity... ready to be inspired...t!m
well bloggers i'm back in the studio and inspired as ever from a great weekend at my happiest place... while i was there i received an email from a guy who shared with me a creation he made out of configuration boxes. you know i've shared some in the past from the amazingly talented laura denison, and this one was over the top too. when i asked him if i could link to his blog i didn't hear back (until today) since i guess he didn't have a blog (until today). so check out the cool works of "the gentleman crafter". who knew these boxes could be something like this? enjoy the inspiration...t!m
hi bloggers! just wanted to share some pics from the fun weekend of demos. we started off friday at the aaron brothers store in long beach, california (marketplace) who won a contest for me to demo in their store for the day. the turn out was great and it was such fun sharing all types of techniques and mixed media ideas with everyone. i also ran into several familiar faces and a couple of old friends there which is always awesome. i demoed the full day there and then we were on our way to the carson convention center that evening to get set up for yesterday's all day demo for stampers anonymous...
that's right bloggers - i'm packing up for a weekend of demo time, heading to california as this is my last "official business" trip of the year! i'll be at the aaron brothers store in the long beach marketplace tomorrow from 10am-5pm for a day full of free demos. i'll be showing techniques using ranger products as well as ideas for working with idea-ology so if you're in the area, stop on by. then on saturday i'll be back at the carson stamp show demoing in the stampers anonymous booth. i'll be sharing lots of holiday ideas using my stampers anonymous stamps, sizzix alterations products, and of course loads of ranger and idea-ology goodness. well i'm off to the airport in a couple of hours so i need to finish packing up..t!m
wow bloggers! yesterday was absolute mayhem around here. from the early morning etsy frenzy to answering lots of emails throughout the day asking for more stuff. all i can say is truly thank you for that amazing show of support. it was like a black friday shopping rush in the shop, just crazy to watch, but i do love that kind of insanity myself as a shopper - what a rush! while we are busy around the studio today, mario has been trying to catch up on shipping (he has literally hundreds of packages to go out to many of you). i also want to let you know that i spent a few hours last night trying to figure out if we could get enough supplies to make more "holiday artful journal kits". i also needed to check with michele to see if she would have the time to make more - so good news... we will be listing more journal kits in the next couple of weeks so i will post a date and time once we know for sure.
today, though i really have to share this technique that i think is by far one of the most genius things i've seen in a while. it was created by my talented friend tammy tutterow - check it out here on her blog. never did i think rock candy crackle could get any cooler, but she has inspired me in a whole new way with this stuff. enjoy the inspiration and thanks for sharing it tammy! well i've got lots to do today so i'll be back tomorrow with some info about my weekend plans...t!m
well bloggers the wait is over and i can finally share the colors for the latest seasonal distress inks winter 2011. ranger and i have teamed up once again to bring you this set of 3 distress pads to add a wonderful winter palette for your holiday projects. this exclusive mix of "evergreen bough", "festive berries", and "iced spruce" are sure to add a bit of winter magic to your creations. check out the video below as i introduce each color and share how these colors accent the current palette of 36 distress inks just in time for the holidays. get ready to deck the halls and make your seasons even brighter with these new festive hues of the limited seasonal distress inks winter 2011. i love these colors and hopefully you will too, and best of all, they are shipping today so contact your local store or online retailer for more info! i can already see a little holiday inspiration coming your way soon...t!m
just like the fall 2011 release, these inks are for a limited time, and re-inkers are not available for these colors. *if you didn't get your set of the limited seasonal distress inks for fall 2011 they are still available so check your local stores or these online places (here or here) that have them in stock.
so what's your favorite color from this new winter release? leave a comment on the blog for a chance to win a set of winter seasonal distress ink of your own - winners will be announced this friday 11/4 - good luck!
(*note: if you are unable to view the video below, please click here for one without music.)
i just wanted to share these photos of my very good friend E.L. with you! mario and i flew to california early yesterday morning to be here for her surprise birthday party. it was so great to surprise her, get to meet her family and friends, and catch a glimpse of her life through an incredible photo board her husband made. you see i met E.L. when i started working with sizzix on my alterations line as she is the creative genius behind it all. as a designer i was completely in tune with designing stamps, papers, inks, embellishments, etc., but when it came to taking my dimensional ideas and turning them into a die cut, i was at a total loss. that's where E.L. shines! her genius has no problem taking my ideas and creating the dies and embossing folders you see today. i know without a doubt, there would be no alterations line if it weren't for E.L. we work so closely together on every release, she flies out to my studio twice a year where we spend days brainstorming and creating alterations magic. i am so blessed to have her in my life and to have met such a genuine, sincere, talented, and the sweetest friend ever! so happy birthday E.L. and wishing you all the wishes you can possibly imagine...t!m
hi there bloggers! it's been a while and i'm finally back to feeling normal from our amazing adventures in hong kong. what a journey for sure as it's a place i've never traveled to before, but so happy i did. i have to say this trip definitely took a bit more time to bounce back since our journey back was about 24 hours of total travel time - ugh! however like i said, i'm so happy we went, it was worth every moment...
the lifestyle, culture, and surroundings are unlike anything i've ever experienced before. the scenery was simply spectacular in so many different ways. i loved the water surrounded by mountains, the thick tropical greenery, mixed with the highrise buildings jetting up everywhere...
we experienced so many things from seeing the sights, stopping at a starbucks or two (or course), and there was shopping, lots of shopping. there were marketplaces everywhere both day and night and we did our best to shop all we could, tons of fun...
then of course there was a trip to hong kong disneyland which totally blew me away. i mean with my love of disney and having the chance of a lifetime to visit the disneyland in hong kong? seriously? it was simply fascinating to see this park, go on the rides (which were similar, yet different) like the jungle cruise with lines for either english or chinese, and let's not forget the food - let's just say there were no corndogs or mickey pretzels...
all in all it was a great journey and i'm happy to share a glimpse of the experience with all of you. just fyi, i am loving my new iphone, i used it for every photo i took, the camera is incredible. so for the exciting news that i was mentioning before i left, we are working on some holiday project kits and christmas embellishment packs for sale coming soon to my etsy shop! we are still finishing them up, but they should be ready to go the first week of november. i'll post the details soon - for now, it's time to catch up on a little more sleep...t!m
well bloggers, we're off on yet another adventure leaving bright and early this morning...we're heading to hong kong! even though we've only been home for about 24 hours, it was enough time to unpack, repack, grab the passports, and open up my new iphone. i've been (impatiently) waiting for this new phone since i lost my last iphone back in july at disneyland (i'm sure it's somewhere on the indiana jones ride). i use my iphone for everything, especially blogging, so i'm excited to be taking it on this trip! we were invited to go hong kong last month and even though we seem to be traveling so much already, just couldn't pass up the offer to go. i'm looking forward to seeing this part of the world we've yet to see, and since i'm not going there to teach, we simply get the chance to take it all in. we'll be back next wednesday, but while we're gone michele and her friends will be working in the studio on something cool i'm excited to share with you guys when i get back - until then...t!m
hey there bloggers! hope you've had a great week. we just returned from texas last night, what a great trip! i taught several retailer workshops over the weekend in houston using the latest idea-ology, sizzix, and ranger products including distress stains, perfect pearls, melt-art, and studio lines. the store owners/students learned several hands on techniques incorporating an assortment of products as we assembled canvas panels for display. the final day included an all day event of christmas holiday projects called creative wonderland. as festive music filled the air, the students discovered some creative ideas for holiday projects, and workshops - certainly a great way to kick off the holiday season. i wanted to share pics of the projects i taught. for now, it's time to unpack, i have lots to get done by morning...t!m
hey bloggers! with halloween getting closer and closer i find myself wanting to create more and more halloween things. the house is decorated, the candy corn getting consumed daily (can't resist), and my studio table is covered in an array of oranges black, green, and purple. i have to say, there is something about the imagery of halloween that really inspires me. i'm at the airport heading to a retailer trade show in houston where i'll be doing this tag for a make & take. so i wanted to make a quick tag tutorial to share with you. hope you find this a little bewitching as well - enjoy...t!m
just because i appreciate you sharing in the creativity... just becasue i happen to love these new seasonal distress colors so much... just because i appreciate you taking the time to comment... i've decided to give away sets to 5 lucky winners who posted a comment... more halloween inspiration coming tomorrow on the blog...t!m
congrats to the following winners! please email me your contact info so i can send out your seasonal distress inks. remember: you can pre-order the fall 2011 seasonal distress online here...or here...or check your local store to see when they are getting more in.
Love the idea of stamping then embossing for that letterpress look! I'd LOVE to have some stamps for the folders and folders for the stamps...that are already available. Does that make sense? I hope so! Posted by: Barbara Albrecht | October 11, 2011 at 07:34 AM
Oh - I just think I found my Christmas card idea for this season - awesomeness! Welcome back and thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to inspire us! Posted by: Cindy Araneda | October 10, 2011 at 02:50 PM
Love the limited release colors! Using these new embossing folders with coordinating stamps is fun! Posted by: SusanK | October 10, 2011 at 05:26 AM
WOW! Again! The texture fades on their way to me in the mail & now I am anxious to get my greedy hands on them and start creating some holiday fun! I really appreciate the teaching you do to share your products with us to make our creations look awesome! Thanks- Hugs- Kavi Posted by: Kavi Coulson | October 10, 2011 at 08:27 AM
wow, those are awesome. Love how you inked the halloween words different colors. Looks really cool and then to emboss it, awesome! I see some stamps and embossing folders on my want list now! Thanks for sharing! Posted by: Vicki Morris | October 10, 2011 at 11:12 PM
it's a new week bloggers and time for a new technique to share! i was so excited to release these stamps and texture fades at cha-summer that can actually be used with each other (this was a great effort between stampers anonymous and sizzix). since these stamp sets and texture fades are now in stores, i thought a video was the best way to share this cool technique - i hope you're inspired...t!m
great news! the second batch of the fall seasonal distress inks from ranger shipped out last week to stores. you can pre-order them online here...or here...or check your local store to see when they are getting more in. i have to say i love using these new seasonal colors on fall and halloween projects...
well hello there bloggers! i know it's been a while but i needed a few days to recover from the cruise and get my land legs back before i could sit down to write this post. all is better now and i'm ready to share all about our artful adventure at sea. i have to say it was definitely the best cruise yet in my opinion. i had such fun, so many laughs, got to spend time with friends both old and new, and shared creativity with my amazing students. thanks again to jim and team scrapmap for making sure everything on board the ship went smooth. thanks also to my team: mario, joy, richele, and monica for their tireless work before, during, and after all of the classes, and of course running the marketplace. the ship was over the top wonderful with good food, drinks, and all the amenities you could want for your paradise at sea. i must say the weather was hot, hot, hot, and not to mention humid, but hey we were in the caribbean so it's all good. the ports were beautiful, tropical, and i've never seen water so turquoise blue. our group this year had the most talented and amazing students who were willing to share their excitement and creativity all week long...
the workshops i planned for the cruise had a mix of technique and of course incorporating several found elements challenging everyone to acquire throughout our voyage. our first evening workshop was this fun travel mug where students created a personalized, one of a kind souvenir of the cruise because they were given a custom stamp of this years logo from stampers anonymous. this was a great ice breaker for many first-time cruisers and a fun project for our seasoned cruisers.
next up was our 3 hour journal class where we created this cool gate journal using custom art parts for covers, kraft resist, tissue tape, kraft glassine, distress stains, and more. we constructed the entire journal including several pocket pages from cardstock, fabrics, tags, and tabs so students could fill their journal throughout the journey. here are a few pages from mine as i included mini instax photos throughout the book along with lots of fun travel themed embellishments.
mid way through the cruise we had a quick late night workshop where students designed a wearable pocket watch from idea-ology. they got to select the theme and embellishments to make one as unique as their own creative style.
our final workshop was a 2-day 6 hour workshop and one i've honestly been wanting to teach but never have. it was a configurations tray! we incorporated lots of treasures i provided each student along with incorporating trinkets they have gathered throughout the cruise (check out the cool pirate ship i found for mine). the design of this tray also had a shaker insert where we included sand and shells from the various islands we visited. we also created a photo flip in one of the inserts using a small ring binder so photos could be incorporated in the tray. i also thought adhering a square of cork in one of the inserts would be a great way to showcase buttons or pins many collected from the various ports. all in all it was my favorite project from the week as each student had gathered unique elements from the voyage we all shared together considering i had to create my project on board before the class. a great way to capture and share those found mementos...
so now it's back to reality and back to work. although it is true this was my final "big" cruise, i have other things in the works for 2013 that i'll be sharing later next year. thanks again to all of my wonderful students and friends for making this final voyage such a memorable and creative one. thanks to all of the generous sponsors who made this an exciting cruise for sure. thanks also to you bloggers for waiting patiently for me to return, you were not forgotten at all so here is a video blog i captured of our crafting in the caribbean - enjoy...t!m (note: song credit at the end of the video: good life by onerepublic)
hey bloggers! well it's bon voyage time as we set sail to the caribbean tomorrow for a one week artful journey at sea. i have so much planned for this final cruise and can't wait to share it all with my students. i'll be taking a break from my blog while i'm out at sea, but will return with a recap video as always. thanks again to scrapmap and all of my generous sponsors for this years cruise. i sincerely appreciate their support to make this adventure a memorable one. until next week bloggers...t!m (you can check out videos of my previous cruises below) - 2008 alaska - 2009 mexican riviera - 2010 canada & new england
hi bloggers! well we're off to the airport (again) in just a couple of hours to fly off to florida for the cruise. we get to spend a couple of days at disney world before boarding the ship on sunday. there's a number of students from the cruise also taking part in the extra disney days so it's going to be a fun weekend! michele has decided to take a break from this years cruise, but will be staying in the studio. there's still work to be done here for our next retailer teaching event in houston which is the week after we get back from the cruise. she has about 250 kits to make for that event which will keep things busy around here while we're gone. lucky for michele, she won't be here alone as mario's boys will also be here to help and work on some projects around the studio. so all in all it's business as usual. i'll be posting before we set sail to share our disney adventures with you...t!m
hello again bloggers... i've finally had a chance to sit down to post about last week's travels to minneapolis. it was a jam packed weekend and so amazing! first off, i was invited to participate in the creative connection event. i heard incredible things about this event last year, but after checking it out, i realized it was part of "where women create" magazine so i knew i would never be part of that. well never say never right? earlier this year i was contacted by jo packham founder of where women create and asked if i would consider being featured as their first "man" in the magazine for their new feature "the men who make it"... seriously? of course i would! to say i was honored would be an understatement. so fast forward to last weekend, and in a full circle moment, i was invited to attend the creative connection event. this incredible event is all about empowering women in business. from designing and creating, to blogging and running a successful business, there are so many types of workshops, seminars, and keynotes to attend. i was part of a pitch slam team where up and coming designers could pitch their product ideas to a panel of "experts" to get feedback and input. one of the nights was an autograph party where numerous authors from all types of creative books were on hand to meet everyone and connect in completely creative forum. it was really cool to be a part of and i thank jo and her team once again for allowing me to take part in it all - i can't believe it!
well in addition to the creative connection, we also attended scrapfest at the mall of america. this annual event hosted by archiver's is over the top huge and located throughout the mall. there are demos, make & takes, and loads of workshops. i attended the event with another ranger signature designer claudine hellmuth who also taught and demoed as well as colleen and mario. i taught 5 workshops with approx. 60 students in each for a total of 300 students over the weekend - whew! my workshops were located in the rotunda which is an open arena 4 stories tall with a huge "jumbo-tron" screen that displayed my powerpoint for the class. it can be a bit intimidating when you look up and see people on the upper levels looking down watching. this year the students had an hour and 45 minute class time which was great since we were able to create and finish the artful journal project. we worked with distress, perfect pearl mists, art parts, kraft resist, kraft glassine, and a few idea-ology findings to assemble a cool mini book. thanks to all of my students who shared in the creative journey of the class, and the ranger and archiver's teams for their help in the workshops - i couldn't have done it without you guys... in addition to workshops i also demoed 3 hours a day in front of the archiver's store in the mall. this was a great opportunity for attendees to get a more up close and personal look at the products and a chance to ask questions. it was a great turn out each day and always fun to take time to just play with products. so now i'm back in the studio getting unpacked and then repack to head out tomorrow on my final crafting cruise with scrapmap. more on that in tomorrow's post. enjoy today...t!m
hey bloggers, after the exciting launch last week of the new seasonal distress series, i have to say once again how overwhelmed and grateful i am for it all. i can't even begin to thank everyone so much for sharing in the excitement and creative chaos this launch stirred up. so i wanted to share a little background of how the idea of the seasonal distress series came to be. as you know, i truly love my distress line with ranger. after being on the market for over 7 years, i continue to use these inks as if they are the latest and greatest. i'm happy with the palette of 36 colors of distress, but of course there are times when i want a certain color especially around certain seasons. which got me thinking…i've said it many times, trust your crazy ideas...
so i pitched my idea to ranger, to create a batch of unique seasonal colors for distress inks. i loved the idea of creating a palette of 3 new colors perfect for the season. we would create a batch of these colors once a year to release to the market. these colors would only be available for the season and not be made again until the following year. being a U.S. manufacturer, adding new products of any capacity has its challenges, but adding more to the already popular distress line had even more. numbers we're crunched, reports ran, production materials ordered, distributors notified, and schedules made, if we were going to launch this we were going to be ready - at least that was our intention…
to say we were all blown away at the response from all of you would be an understatement. based off any previous new distress ink launch we produced more than predicted sales. in fact we manufactured what should have been weeks worth of inventory, but instead it sold out within 6 hours, completely unexpected. don't get me wrong, i knew it was going to create a bit of a frenzy being limited and all, but 6 hours? of course once we all realized what was going on, it was too late to do anything about it immediately, but that didn't stop us from trying to figure out a solution.
one of the many benefits of ranger being a U.S. manufacturer is the ability to react quickly, so we began to try to secure more materials, create more dyes, allowing us to make another batch of these seasonal fall distress inks. although it was not part of the initial plan, we want to do our part to meet the demand set by all of you. so i'm happy to say that ranger is making one more production run of the fall seasonal distress inks to ship out in the next few weeks. i truly appreciate the support from all of you, and wanted to do my best to make sure more people had the chance to get a set of these colors if they wanted. simply amazing!…
now to answer some of the many frequently asked questions: - are there going to be reinkers for these colors? the short answer is no, but the reason is simply because these unique seasonal colors are made in a small batch to create the specific colors i want. so i had to choose and i would rather have more distress pads available than half the amount if we made reinkers. - will i be able to get these seasonal colors again? yes, my idea was to have these colors around for the season. so next fall, these same colors will be created again and made available for the season (kind of like seasonal fruit i suppose). - are you making other distress products in these seasonal colors? i only wanted to create these seasonal colors in distress ink pads. - since they are part of a "seasonal series" does that mean there are going to be other colors for winter? yes, i've created a set of seasonal colors for winter as well, and they will be released on november 1st!
well hopefully this has explained a little more about the seasonal series of distress inks. i can't express my sincere thanks enough to all of you for sharing your creative energy with this launch. it's been a fun way to bring new colors to the distress palette and i appreciate all of your amazing support and excitement. guess this idea wasn't so crazy after all - who knew?…t!m
well bloggers, i am overwhelmed to say the least! yes, this seems to be a record breaker for comments and i thank you all for sharing in the fun and excitement of the seasonal distress series launch. i'll be back later with another post about seasonal distress series...t!m
great news bloggers! ranger and i have been busy working on this for months and have kept it under wraps for long enough as today's the day i finally get to share the news... announcing the limited edition seasonal distress inks! this limited series of brand new never before seen distress colors are only available while supplies last. inspired by the colors of the fall season, these rich harvest hues are sure to add that special touch to your halloween and fall projects (not to mention they would make a great addition to the rest of your distress inks). sold in a stacked set of 3 pads which include: ripe persimmon, gathered twigs, and seedless preserves. check out this video i did introducing you to this incredible collection. these are shipping now, but remember they are limited supply and like the changing of the seasons, when they're gone - they're gone so check your local store. (note: due to the limited release of this product reinkers are not available) just wait until you see them for yourself, but only if you hurry...t!m
i have a few sets to give away to some of you lucky bloggers! just leave a comment on the blog for a chance to win a set. winners will be posted on monday 9/19 - good luck...
i'm keeping today's post short because i'm working on something very EXCITING to share with you tomorrow. the post will go up at 12noon EST and i'm telling you now, you don't want to miss out on this! until tomorrow...t!m
thanks for all of the great comments yesterday bloggers. i loved reading them, and i have to agree with many of you that for me, it's all about the candy too... congrats to the winner of the halloween prize pack! please email me your info so we can send it out to you...
I adore Halloween but I guess my favorite thing is you get to act like a kid again when you're not. Not that acting like a kid doesn't happen every other day of the year (for me, at least) but it's LEGAL and even expected on Halloween. Oh, the candy isn't bad, either. BOO! Posted by: Laure Janus | September 12, 2011 at 07:27 PM
hey bloggers... hope you had a great weekend. we've been busy doing the final prep and packing, but i'm happy to say the cruise shipment is all finished up and 5 pallets are being picked up today to head off to florida for my upcoming crafting cruise. now just a couple more days at home before heading off to scrapfest at mall of america and also the creative connection on wednesday for another jam packed weekend of creative goodness!
speaking of creative, i took some time this weekend to immerse myself in my studio where i had a chance to work with my latest idea-ology release of halloween haunts. i have to say i really like the way these elements come together to create the perfect vintage-style halloween creations. just wanted to share some tips and techniques to create these simple yet ghoulishly grunged cards. hope you'll find some ideas to inspire you...t!m
how about a giveaway? just leave a comment sharing your favorite thing about halloween and i'll select a winner tomorrow - tuesday 9/13 for the ultimate spooky prize including the halloween paper stash, adornments, muse tokens and more!
kraft resist is kraft cardstock with a printed imagery in black layered with another image in clear varnish. the clear varnish will act as a resist to inks and paints when applied over the paper. the cool thing about my new seasonal kraft resist paper is that this stash has 12x12 designs as well as 6x6 designs so it's perfect for cardmaking as well as scrapbooking...
there are many different ways to color these papers, but one of my favorties is using distress inks with an ink blending tool. simply ink the paper using the tool in a circular motion. when applied over the clear design, the contrast immediately appears and the effect of the kraft resist comes to life...
of course since we're working on brown kraft paper, sometimes there is a want for brighter colors. the simple solution is to apply a base layer of picket fence distress stain over the kraft resist. start by shaking the stain well and begin applying a single layer over the entire surface.
don't panic! when you first apply picket fence distress stains over printed paper, the image seems to disappear. as the stain dires into the paper you'll see both the printed image as well as the resist image start to appear. let this layer dry completely before inking with any additional colors...
here's an example of inking the same kraft resist design: one has been base coated with picket fence distress stain and inked using various colors of distress inks (top), and the other shows just the basic kraft paper being inked with various colors of distress ink. notice how the colors over the picket fence appear brighter?...
this next example is one of my favorite things to do with distress inks - flicking water over the top. check out how cool the top paper with the picket fence stains looks where the water hit the paper. it reveals the white base, i love the contrast...
for the base of the cards i used my new kraft core paper. this paper is so fun to work with especially when used with my kraft resist paper. i guess i have a thing for kraft...
to reveal the kraft core, simply sand over the colored surface using a sanding grip...
the more you sand the more the kraft core is exposed...
for the words on the cards i used my seasonal salvage stickers and sanded the edges. i attached them to the front of the cards using foam tape for a little dimension...
i have to say these new halloween embellishments are so cool. finally something with a seasonal vintage style to adorn my projects. i simply attached the adornment to the cards using a memo pin. i finished the cards off with some trimmings i inked to match and attached that to the card using my tiny attacher. the muse token was hooked on the ribbon with a jump ring. see i told you they were simple...
that's right bloggers, i've said it many times...when i need to be inspired, or feeling a bit overwhelmed, when all else fails i think reorganizing or re-decorating is key to get me back on track. when i got home from amsterdam i had so much to get caught up on, get unpacked, meetings, deadlines, and that's just been in the last 48 hours. when i got home my latest ebay purchase was waiting for me...a very cool, very grungy, very vintage torso mannequin. so i spent a couple of hours last night rearranging my studio space to make room for this latest treasure (and yes, my creepy little doll still has a home). i don't know what it is about shuffling things around, but it definitely recharges my creative soul and gets me back on track - crazy huh. this weekend i have so many ideas for some new projects to work and share next week. hope you have a creative weekend - so what do you do to find inspiration???...t!m
well bloggers i'm back! with a quick jet setting trip to holland for the weekend already behind us we've hit the ground running to get everything around the studio back on track. here was the trip at a glance: friday: - up at 4am for a 2 hour drive to the airport - 5 hour flight to philly with a 1 1/2 hour layover - 7 hour flight to amsterdam arriving 8am on saturday morning saturday: - stopped for a little cheese and bread at the airport and of course starbucks - met up with alain from ranger, rented the car, 2 hour drive to our hotel - checked into the hotel, did a little shopping (picked up some cool vintage books) - had a great lunch and headed to set up for the workshops sunday: - left hotel at 8am for day 1 of 6 hours of classes with 70 students - dinner with the rest of the international teachers and then off to sleep monday: - checked out of hotel at 8 am for day 2 of 6 hours of classes with 70 more students - finished classes and packed up at 5pm - drove back to airport and checked into airport hotel tuesday: - 11am flight , 8 hours amsterdam to philly with 1 1/2 hour layover - 5 hour flight philly to phoenix - 2 hour drive back home to prescott arriving 8pm
whew!... thanks to my students who traveled from all over europe to be in the workshop. we packed 13 techniques into this 3 hour session which included tons of products distress inks, stains, crackle paint, stickles, paint dabbers, alcohol inks, perfect pearls, perfect pearl mists, kraft resist, kraft glassing, tissue tape, and of course stamping. it was great to see some students embracing products and techniques that were new to many of them, as well as students who were polishing up their skills on these familiar products. with 140 students total, it was a great 2 days worth of education. i also want to thank those students who brought me some really cool gifts including chocolates, mints, pastries, licorice, a cool tin filled with vintage trinkets, and made some great artwork. i truly appreciated it all...
i'm so happy to see all of the comments on the blog from all of you, for a chance to win a spot in jennifer's upcoming workshop - it's going to be very inspiring. congrats to the 3 lucky winners! please email me your info so i can pass it on to jennifer to get you registered. enjoy today...t!m
I'm definitely signing up whether I win or not but gee - I HOPE I DO! Posted by: BrendaE | September 02, 2011 at 06:10 AM
have fun in th netherlands rotterdam and gouda are nice places to visit my dad used to live in gouda i love the countryside and the canals. the class looks great thanks for the chance hugs joanne Posted by: joanne greathead | September 07, 2011 at 06:01 AM
wow the class sounds great. And you as one of the guest teacher is a bonus. Have a great fast trip. See you when you get back. Posted by: donna russell | September 01, 2011 at 02:22 PM
hey bloggers! well as if my calendar couldn't get any crazier, it has... i'm flying out tomorrow for a quick teaching trip in holland for 2-days of retailer education for one of our distributors over there. we leave early in the morning, land saturday, set up for the workshops, teach sunday and monday, and then back on a flight home tuesday morning...whew!
so while i'm out of the studio for a while i thought i'd share some creative news from my friend jennifer mcguire. she's teaching this amazing online workshop along with a few guest teachers - guess who's one of them? check out the introduction for more info. the best part is that i get to give away 3 spots in it! just post a comment on the blog between now and when i return from holland on tuesday 9/6 at 12:00PM MST.
winners will be posted on the blog on wednesday 9/7, but don't delay signing up as registration ends on monday 9/5. (*if you're selected as a blog winner and have already signed up, your class fee will be reimbursed). good luck...t!m
Have you ever felt stumped while crafting? Looking for somewhere to find much needed inspiration?
This class is just what you’ve been looking for! Previously only taught in stores, Online Card Classes is happy to bring you Inspiration Showcase with Jennifer McGuire! Join Jennifer in creating a canvas featuring innovative techniques and fabulous pieces that will be sure to kick-start your creativity the next time you need it.
In this class, you will follow the creation of a 12×12 canvas utilizing over 40 fabulous techniques including tried-and-true favorites as well as new tips and techniques. This technique-heavy class will explore the many forms of resist, creative uses of distress inks, die cut and embossing techniques along with fabulous finishing touches and using your stamps with more than just the usual suspects of ink and paper. Through daily videos, you will learn creative ways to make your supplies go farther, such as creating your own embellishments and making the most of your inks, stamps and papers. There will also be 15+ additional card ideas using techniques shown.
This class, which runs from September 12 - 23 and costs only $19, includes:
12+ videos and pdfs Over 40 techniques and tips 15+ additional card ideas 6 special guests, including Jill Foster, Kristina Werner, Nichole Heady, Nichol Magouirk, Shari Carroll and Tim Holtz. Prizes, discounts, sketches digital downloads and more Lifetime access to the class site and materials
hey bloggers! i honestly have no idea where to start recapping my amazing weekend of teaching in roswell, new mexico at imagine that! scrapbooks. really, it was an event unlike anything i've ever been part of, a store unlike anything i've ever seen before, and a place unlike any other. i must tell you that i really didn't know much about roswell when i booked teaching at imagine that! this year. the fact of the matter is they have been on my wait list for about 5 years and it was time to pay them a visit to teach. the owner dene, and her family krista, bobby, jared, and of course aedan were all part of putting together this fun filled workshop event at their store. located in a historic building on downtown main street roswell, this store is literally packed with anything a paper crafter could want. the staff also worked tirelessly to make sure everything was in order for the weekend.
we arrived in roswell and made a quick drive around checking out this little town and asking lots of questions about the history and exactly what put the city of roswell "on the map". no doubt the locals there seemed to have embraced this alien claim to fame so much in fact that just about everywhere you looked there were these eyes looking back at you. here you can see these cool alien statues adorning the front of the store and mario had to get up close and personal with one of them to try and make contact...lol the first day of class was unlike anything i've ever experienced before, a history making day so to speak. it started with a meeting from the mayor of roswell Del Jurney where he read a proclamation making August 26th, 2011 Tim Holtz Extravaganza Day and presented me with a key to the city of roswell. can you believe that? i have a key to the city of roswell, new mexico? simply incredible! of course the day just continued to get better when i discovered that my 40 students had all signed up for all 4 classes so we got spend friday and saturday together. there were lots of laughs, ideas and techniques shared, and of course a fun time shopping. check out this incredible gift basket that dene and krista presented us for our weekend survival kit. complete with alien beer, snacks, t-shirts, and magnets. they are truly wonderful people and i am so thankful to have finally had the opportunity to meet them and teach at their store. when the weekend came to an end i was asked to leave my mark on a wall of their store - be careful what you wish for. so if you ever have the opportunity to get to roswell, new mexico - imagine that! scrapbooks is a must stop! my sincere appreciation once again to dene, krista, crew, and my students - what a talented group of new friends. i thank each of you for sharing the journey, and for a visit that was truly out of this world (yes, pun intended)...t!m
hey bloggers! hope you're having a great week. we're headed to new mexico this morning to teach tomorrow and saturday at imagine that scrapbooks. this is another store that's been on my waiting list for years. i've yet to teach in new mexico so i'm excited to be there. although this is my final store visit of the year, i still have several events on my calendar like a trip to europe next week for a trade show, scrapfest, the creative connection, my cruise, another trade show in houston, and then a couple of cool events in california. we made great progress this week with the cruise kits and they're packed up and ready to ship - now that's exciting news...t!m
hey there bloggers! hope you had a great weekend. it's been lots going on around the studio, but of course i always find a little play time to create. i started working with the new snow cap mixative for the adirondack alcohol ink line. this was a new release at the recent cha show and just the the picket fence distress stain - it's a game changer...
by simply adding this wonderful opaque white alcohol ink to the mix, it takes the translucent alcohol inks to another level of possibilities. i decided to do a little how-to and show you what this one ink can do to whatever collection of alcohol inks you may have. i'm working with the basic supplies when it comes to alcohol inks: non-stick craft sheet (this is so important to have a non-stick and non-porous surface when working with the inks), ink applicator tool, alcohol inks (various colors), blending solution, and the new snow cap mixative. let's get started...
one of my favorite uses for the snow cap mixative has to be creating the look of patina. the technique is the same in all of the samples i'm showing here, it simply depends on the colors you select. so i've decided to share a few of my favorites:
step 1: apply alcohol inks to metal adornment by dripping directly on.
step 2: shake snow cap mixative well. (since it's a mixative you need to shake it each time before you use it)
step 3: drip the snow cap directly over the inks.
step 4: tap ink applicator tool with a piece of felt attached to it on to inks to combine the mixative with colors creating a milky mixture.
step 5: allow ink to dry or dry with heat tool (careful metal gets hot). reapply if needed.
another cool thing to use this ink combination on are staples - especially tiny attacher refills. i get asked all the time about creating these staples in more colors and antique finishes. the solution is simple, just ink them! simply apply the inks directly on to the refill block of staples and dry with a heat tool.
check out the color possibilities. here is the difference when coloring the staples with just the ink (remember the colors are translucent), and using the same color alcohol ink with a little snow cap mixative (which creates a perfect pastel color).
another possibility is creating faux antique finishes just by using alcohol inks: antique silver (mushroom), antique bronze (ginger), antique brass (caramel)
you can see that when stapling on your projects inking them really stands out.
now how about creating backgrounds with alcohol inks and the snow cap mixative? again, really cool results. this photo shows ink backgrounds on ranger's alcohol ink cardstock. the background on the left is just using alcohol ink colors, the one of the left uses the same colors plus the snow cap mixative. see the pastel effects this gives?
well hopefully this little how-to inspires you to give this new snow cap mixative a try. whether you're creating your own patinas, altering your favorite embellishments, or using it for backgrounds, it's amazing how one single color opens up numerous possibilities. let the inking begin...t!m
hey bloggers! well the piles continue around here in the studio as we're busy prepping for my upcoming cruise with scrapmap. this is such a huge project for us to take on considering we're just a studio and not a warehouse. imagine finding room to store and organize supplies and kits for a week's worth of projects. i'm telling you, the garage has been overtaken by pallets and boxes already and we still have weeks of prep to go! i'm sure i'll be making my way back to the studio to work on some projects, but for now i'm doing all i can to keep up. hope you're having a good week...t!m
hello there bloggers! hope you had a fun weekend. i had a great time at home, did some creating, did some antique shopping, and of course enjoyed simply being home. i appreciate all of the kind comments on the distress stain video and hope you had a chance to watch it and learn a few new things. i definitely enjoy doing videos to share all that i can. another thing i wanted to share way something i found at target this weekend... i've been on the search for something to store my grid-blocks in and with back to school supplies everywhere i stumbled across this cool solution. it's a clear binder pencil pouch that stores all 9 grid-blocks perfectly, and best of all it was only .69 cents! so if you're looking for a convenient way to keep all of your grid-blocks together this is a perfect solution...
i appreciate everyone who takes the time to post a comment on the blog, and to show my appreciation the following winners will not only recieve a few distress stains, but one of my new spiral journals from district market!...t!m congrats to the following winners - please email me your contact info so we can send your prize out to you!
it's distressing 101 - thanks for so many cool tips all on one video. can't wait to get inky! Posted by: Janeen the suburbngypsy | August 11, 2011 at 12:45 AM
Tim...this has got to be your best tutorial yet! I'm so appreciative of your ability to teach - and you do it so well. I love Picket Fence because I have so many papers that I no longer use, and now I can change them! Posted by: Eileen Turner | August 11, 2011 at 05:33 AM
Love the distress inks!!! I appreciate the start of your video where you explain the difference between the 3 types of inks. Thank you for the clarification!!! A great how-to video!!!! Posted by: Melanie | August 11, 2011 at 05:38 PM
My favorite thing about Distress Stains is your video! I love it and love these stains. They cover a large area easily, still react with water and I can stamp with them and now I know I can do so much more! Thanks Tim. My favorite color is wild honey. Of course I haven't tried picket fence yet so who knows....it could change my mind. Posted by: Ruby C | August 12, 2011 at 05:28 PM
Great video! Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Posted by: Patricia | August 13, 2011 at 12:24 PM
I bought a distress stain when they first came out and fell in love! My 12 year old son watched your video and now he wants me to get all the colors so he can make some tags. He thinks they are the neatest thing and he loved that you can do all sorts of things with them. I just wanted to thank you for being such an inspiration! :) Posted by: Dawn-Marie | August 14, 2011 at 07:53 AM
hey there bloggers! i'm excited to share a video i did using the newdistress stains from ranger. i have to say i love using these stains, they are so cool. i get asked many questions about what makes them different from distress ink pads, or even the distress re-inkers? well hopefully this video will answer those questions and more. i've also posted a f close-up pics of some of the techniques i show - so it's time to get a little inky. leave a comment and share your favorite thing about distress stains, i'm just sayin'...t!m
well bloggers we are in full prep mode around here for my upcoming cruise with scrapmap. i can't believe it's going to be here next month already - yikes! so we are busy ordering, prepping, sorting, cutting, and kitting for the workshops. as always, the workshops on the cruise are "top secret" so the students have no idea what or how many classes i'm teaching until we're on board. this is only the beginning of the prep work, but i just wanted you to see what 2,400 sheets of sorted kraft resist paper looks like. let the fun begin...t!m
