and he does it again......

tag 1 of tim holtz's 12 tags of christmas 2008 has been posted and it is gorgeous (of course!). as i thought sure he would he has put several of his new items to use on this one - masks, seasonal grungeboard and distress tickles. i changed it up a bit by using a different mask and colors since the lamp post reminded me of outside......

i have also posted a tag kit for this one on my website - the supplies you need AND 10% off!!

over the holidays i also completed my version of last year's tag 12 using some pink cat studio stamps:
can't wait to see what he has for us tomorrow....

have fun!

oh can you feel the excitement??!!!!

that's right folks!!! T!m Holtz is doing it again! starting TOMORROW he will post one tutorial a day for 12 days - each tutorial is guarranteed to be FILLED with incredible techniques and tips on how to use the fabulous Ranger products he is known for. Last year's were truly stunning and i learned things i have used constantly ever since.

in addition i will be scrambling to put together kits for each tag at a 10% discount PLUS free shipping is still in effect!

SO BE SURE TO CHECK TIM OUT!!!! and then get your goodies and PLAY!!

TH tags #9 & 10 plus a tutorial on making "snow" t!m holtz style

WARNING - pic heavy post today!!






This first gift set has focal images based on t!m's tag # 9 tutorial and is done for Jen's Saturday Sketch For You To Try challenge:

sorry for the awful pics - the light has been really bad here lately! here are some close ups:





i cut the image piece with my new nesties. stamped with black archival ink and then smudged in pine needle and fired brick distress inks with the ink blending tool. tree is stamped with peeled paint distress ink and the sentiment with fired brick. the grungeboard pieces are painted with the silver paint dabber. instead of tiny brads i used a drop of mushroom dimensional pearls in each hole of the grungeboard and it dried in this weird cool way so it looks like old beat up brads! stamps are inkadinkado and sentiments are studio G. All items available at Pezadoodles!

next set up was done using MJ's sketch from last week (yea yea i know i am late EEK!) and t!m's tag 10 tutorial:

Check out that 3D SNOW!! directions below. I did not have any pattern paper i liked with these so i made my own - stamped and clear embossed some snowflakes on white cardstocke. mixed up two pearl mists using the same reinkers as the paint dabbers used on the tag - cloudy blue with pearl perfect pearls and pool with perfect pewter. i sprayed over the whole page. when dry i stamped more snowflakes in cloudy blue and pool and then wiped all the inks off the embossed snowflakes. perfectly matching shimmery paper! Again check out Pezadoodles for supplies! and now on to the snow...

gather your supplies: clear UTEE, white UTEE, holographic embossing powder and glossy accents. you will also need a small palstic container and mixing stick and something to measure with - i used a cap from a mini mister - i never put them back on anyway (organization is hopelessly beyond my reach).

your measuring tool doesn't need marks or anything - it is 3 parts clear UTEE and 1 part white UTEE - so here i used 3 capfuls of clear and 1 capful of white. add 2-3 pinches of holographic EP.




next squirt some glossy accents into the powders and mix it in really well. keep adding glossy accents until you get a mixture the consistency of cookie dough.


spread it on your project, embed charms or other items into it and let dry!

don't want 8 ounces (and $17) of UTEE just for a little snow on your cards? get a premixed jar of powder with or without the glossy accents here. Remember t!m's 12 tags kits are also available.

how cool is that! now go have fun!!

more t!m inspired playtime!

two more t!m tags today! these are SO much fun!! this first one is Tag #8 from last years 12 tags of christmas tutorials:

this next one was the november technique challenge on t!m's blog:i will be hanging out with a couple of my stamping friends tomorrow,melissa, suzanne and christine - can't wait! it's always fun!

don't forget to enter my blog tart drawing for a bracket grungeboard book.

more of t!m's 12 tags......6 & 7 today!

i have been having so much fun working my way through t!m's 12 tags of christmas. today i have 2 using tag 6 tutorial and on using tag 7! i do not have ribbons on them yet because they are the front covers of tag book ornaments.


i made my own masks with transparency sheets, my cricut and the new christmas solutions cart. after cutting i ran it thru my xyron with repositionable adhesive. i attached the mask to my coaster tag (cut from a coaster using a sizzix die in my cuttlebug) and then sprayed lightly with perfect pearls mist. i also sprayed some grungeboard pieces from the seasonal set and minis set. once the tags were dry i peeled up the mask and then rubbed more distress inks on. stamped my sentiments in black soot, distressed and inked the tag edges, attached my grungeboard and highlighted several pieces with distress stickles. i also added a bit of the german scrap i now carry to the reindeer card - i inked it with copper mixative to change it from silver.

these close ups show the glimmer and the distress stickles a bit better....

tag 7 is one of my fave techniques tho i have not used it in quite awhile. i inked up my tag with distress ink, poured on clear embossing powder and then flicked the back hard to make the powder come off in spots. melted it and then smooshed in some darker distress ink. the sentiment is inked in several different colors of distress inks and then clear embossed. the key is painted with copper paint dabber and i added more german scrap.

remember these tag kits are available to purchase in my webstore!

and now i am off to do some cleaning because boy do we need it!!!!!!!

have a fun day!!

gift set using tag 5 (t!m holtz)

ok so i skipped tag 4 for now.....but here is tag 5 with a tutorial and all done up in a gift set based on last weeks Technostamper sketch->



and the finished tag:

and the gift set with close ups:

here's the how-tos:


Gather supplies: from Pezadoodles - 2-3 colors alcohol ink, pearl mixative,blending solution, glossy cardstock, felt and applicator tool, black brilliance ink (memento is pictured but i found brilliance to be better...)

In addition - stamps, bead trim, acetate die cuts (i did mine with my cricut)

add alcohol ink to the felt pplicator along with the mixative.

i cut my glossy cardstock into tags with a sizzix die and my cuttlebug. Dab the ink applicator randomly around on the glossy cardstock.

next add blending solution to the same piece of felt. dab tags again to blend the alcohol inks:

next step will add an interesting effect. hold your heat gun in one hand and blending solution in the other. drip a bit of blending solution onto tags and immediately dry. repeat until happy with the effect.

stamp tags - i used black brilliance for the tree and orchid brilliance for the sentiments. this is when i love allmy studio Gs - the tree and larger sentiment came from the costco inkadinkado set. the smaller sentiments for the smaller tags are studio Gs and i easily found matching sentiments!

now for the "ghost embellishments" - rather than buy them i prefer making mine with my cricut and transparency sheets. here i have snowflakes.

i added more pearl mixative and blending solution to the same piece of felt and pounced it onto the snowflakes to give them just a bit of color

and here is my three completed tags

i hope y'all try some of these! alcohol inks are a super easy way to get dramatic results quickly. once again I will have the kit for 10% off!

don't forget to enter to win my blog tart -a t!m holtz bracket grungeboard book!!