Anything by T!m challenge

It's time for a new challenge over on our challenge blog, it's another Anything by T!m theme!  

For any newbies, Tim Holtz has designed many great products for us to use for our crafting.  If you haven't seen Tim's products before, you will find many of them HERE, just click on the ink pad and explore!!  It'll open up a whole new world of crafty bits and pieces for you:-)

Our Design Team have come up with really awesome projects for this theme.  Even if you are not able to enter this time, you really MUST see the work they have all put into this fortnights challenge, all such beautiful projects.

I started this technique board ages ago and finally put some finishing touches to it for the challenge.

I used the following products

Adirondack Paint Dabbers

TH - Ideology

Mini Postcards

7- Gypsies stickers - in shop

Rock Candy

TH - Gadget Gears Die

TH - Stamps - CMS088 Purely Random, CMS078 Just Thoughts, CMS064 Mini Ornates

Now for some close ups, sorry the photos are not brilliant

I was really pleased to get great crackle from the rock candy!!

You definitely need to pile the rock candy on to get the effect!

I had to include some stamped UTEE too

And, the gadget gears were a must have

Yes, there is quite an assortment of bits on this hanging but the whole point was to play with techniques and I certainly enjoyed playing!!!

I'm hoping blogger auto posts this for me as Ian and I will be on our way to Doncaster at noon for the Summer Crafting show at the race course.  Please come and say hello if you are at the show!

Have a great weekend, whatever you are doing.

Jill x

New Challenge - Embossing!

The last 2 weeks have flown by and here we are again at the start of a new Stamp Man challenge.

This time the theme is embossing, of any kind you fancy using, with any technique.  Use embossing powders, or even embossing stencils and paste, your choice.

We have a new Design Team Member, Neil of Neelz Expressionz, who is our host for the next fortnight, so please do visit our challenge blog to read all about it

My project started off as a plain looking address/birthday book, if you flip it over, the cover is for the address part, so I had 2 covers to alter.  

I wanted each cover to be a little different to make it easier to open it on the right side.  

I gathered some bits together to use, I've been itching to play with Tim's new distress stains, so picked the nearest colours that are available to match the embossed piece I wanted to use.

Here's the list of things I used: 

Hero Arts S5449 Fabulous Flourish stamp

Moonglow two-tone embossing powder - Poinsettia red/green

Tim Holtz - Distress Stains - Fired Brick, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss

TH - Kraft Resist Pad

TH - Pen Nibs, Hinge Clips, Game Spinners, Photo tabs

Magenta 2" chipboard tile

7 Gypsy stickers - sale room in shop.

I used Moonglow 2 tone embossing powder in poinsettia red/green onto 2 pieces of thick Magenta 2" square chipboard.  You can see how thick it is in the photo below and when I say red/green ep, I mean the red and the green in the same jar!  (When you tilt the finished piece you can see red, green or both colours).

I added a few layers of the magic powder before stamping into it with Hero Arts S5449 Fabulous Flourish.

I love this poinsettia red/green powder!! 

I also loved the texture of the original book cover so I didn't want to cover it all in paper.  

I painted it with gesso as the cover was coated and I also wanted to start with a blank canvas.

Once it was dry I got down to playing with the stains and other bits and pieces.  The next 2 photos show the embossing on Tim's new Kraft Resist paper, I used the stains and the embossing that is already on the papers just pops through, so there is more embossing that the main UTEE piece.  It wasn't easy to photograph but you can just see it.

This photo shows it a little better, the writing is resisting!  There is also some script, in black, that comes pre-printed on there too.  It's just one of the papers in the pad.  The sheets are quite thick, so excellent quality,  and I can see it is going to be a joy to use in future.

Here are the finished covers.  I used some 7 Gypsy stickers, along with a B alphabet sticker, so I know it's the birthday side.  I'm terrible about having things to fiddle with, especially on the phone and as I usually have it nearby I had to have some moving parts on there.  I can open and close the hinge clip, spin the game spinner and swivel the photo tab (the photo tab is from the same range as is in the Blog Candy prize).

I also added some pieces of a page from an antique account book that I have been stroking for FAR TOO LONG... too long for my own good (I must have been treasuring it for at least 15 years!).... So, I've now used a few pieces of it and I can still stroke and enjoy it :D

I added one of Tim's new pen nibs to the address cover, I will probably regret it when I keep catching myself on it, but hey ho, it HAD to be included!

The colours aren't showing too well in the photos but I think you can see enough.

I hope you will join us in our new challenge.

*  *  *  *  *

I've had a bit of a move around on our website this week, I've added some new things too, plus I'm trying to get more of what we do stock in the shop on there.  I hope you will be able to find things OK, it's my intention to make things easier to find, especially all the Tim stuff as there is so much of it now!  We'll see how this way works.  Basically I've put Tim and all the other Ranger designers into a Ranger section, it might take a bit of getting used to!!

Jill

TIM HOLTZ BLOG CANDY - NOW CLOSED!!

We haven't offered any blog candy for a while and I thought it would be nice to start this during our Anything by Tim challenge (the actual challenge ends on 7th April) so I've gathered another bunch of loveliness of Tim's stuff from the shop worth over £60!

There are newly released products included, plus a few of the items are from way back, some of Tim's first design products!  The last winner of our Tim blog candy giveaway was happy to win those rare items:D

This time the prize consists of:

6 sheets of Tim Holtz 8" x 8" double-sided papers

TH Alterations Texture Fades Burlap and Swirls set of 2

TH Ideology (just released) Alpha Parts - Ransom

TH Stamp Set - Take Flight

TH Distress Stains (just released) - Antique Linen, Fired Brick and Broken China

TH Frostz  2" Circlez (can be used with alcohol inks)

TH Metalz Snapz (copper)

TH Metalz Large Photo Anchorz with large brads (mixed metals) - with family words

TH 2 3/8" Metal Disks

Please enter your details using Inlinkz 

(comments will not be included as entries)

You MUST also place the Blog Candy picture (above) into your sidebar, and link it back to this post until the prize has been claimed in order to qualify for a chance to win the prize.

One entry per person only, duplicate entries will not be counted.

This candy will run from now until

 9pm (GMT) on Tuesday 26th April 2011.

The winner will be selected at random and announced soon after.

You will need to call back to see if you have won.  
You may wish to join as a follower to receive a reminder/the winner announcement post

If the prize has not been claimed by midday Sunday 1st May, a new winner will be drawn.

New challenge starts today - Anything by T!m

I'm sure our new challenge will be a popular one for all you T!m fans!!  

For this challenge you need to include anything designed by T!m Holtz, his stamps, distress inks, alteration dies, embossing folders, ideology etc.   

Our design team have made some amazing things for this challenge so do pop over there by clicking HERE

I hope you will be able to join us in this challenge and as and added bit of fun I will be offering some T!m blog candy on this blog at some point during the next fortnight so please call back to join in with that.

So, to my card for the challenge...I used a number of distress inks on the card then embossed it with the Cuttlebug folder Leafy Branch before inking the raised pattern lightly with aged mahogany DI.

I distressed the edges of the card too to give some texture.

I embossed the blank canvas stamp from our new Framie 5 stamps with gold ep before inking with wild honey, rusty hinge and a little aged mahogony DI.

I embossed the wording (T!ms) with Moonglow Midnight Teal Obsidian ep before again inking with various DI 

I hope you have all had some of the gorgeous sunshine this week, it is very welcome isn't it!! Spring has definitely sprung:)

Have a great weekend

Jill

New Tim Holtz and Wendy Vecchi stuff in stock

Oops, it's been a while since I last posted, but it's a nice post to come back with.  We had a delivery yesterday that included some of Tim's new ideology accessories that can be found on our website HERE

Chain tassels

Light Bulbs

 Coat hanger clips

 Reinforcers

 Plaquettes

 Game Pieces

Here's a couple of the Wendy Vecchi stamp sets, the rest can be viewed HERE

The stamps come ready mounted on cling foam with a laminated storage sheet.

We also have the April issue of Craft Stamper in stock HERE

We also have some of the newly released Hero Arts stamps, I still need to get those on the website, but they are in the shop.

Too much temptation!!!!

I hope you are having a good week

Jill

New challenge - Take ANY 3 colours - Christmas theme

I'm a little late posting my card for our new challenge, I adore this stamp set and was happy that I could use it with T!m's on the edge snowflake die along with a  number of extra snowflakes that I punched.  I added self-adhesive gems to the centres and painted on icicle glitter glue which finishes them off.  I used the following items:

TH stamps - Reindeer Flight
Distress Inks - Chipped Sapphire and Walnut Stain
TH - Adage Ticket and Hinge Clip
TH - Alterations die - on the edge Snowflakes
Snowflake punch available from the shop
Christmas Wishes greeting from AOD 33 Holly Sprays

Icicle Stickles

Self adhesive round crystals

Here's a few close ups.

I hope you will join us with this challenge!!  The details are given on the challenge blog

Keep safe and warm

Jill

Anything by Tim Christmas Challenge updated - tim left a comment!!!!!

Time for our next challenge, which is anything by Tim with a Christmas theme, and how exciting is it that tim himself has actually visited our challenge blog and left us a comment!!!!  Well done to all our DT, I'm so proud of all you talented teamies:)

So don't hang about ladies, do come and join us HERE, we'd love you to share your work with us. The challenge ends on Thursday evening 2nd December so you still have plenty of time to enter.

For mine I decided to do a variation of a card I made previously, I used Tim's Reindeer Flight stamp sheet with Chipped Sapphire and Walnut Ink distress inks.  I love the misty feel you can achieve with the Chipped Sapphire ink, by repeat stamping the trees with the same ink you will get depth through the mist.  It reminds me of how it looked outside the other morning, all icy and misty (well foggy really!)

I've used an adage ticket with an ornate plate for decoration, the Christmas Wishes wording is from AOD 33 – Holly Sprays

We are sure a lot of you out there will have lots of things by Tim now, for others it may be a case of it not being your thing this time, if that's the case then I hope you will join us for the next theme to follow which is a take 3 colours Christmas theme.

The weekend is nearly here, I hope you all have a good one!

Jill

Frosty morning

I used Tim's Reindeer Flight stamp set to create this frosty misty morning card, or that's what it reminds me of!!  All three stamps are in the set.

I embossed the largest scalloped circle and the reindeer with Moonglow Embossing Powder Twilight Blue Slate. As you can see I left the shimmery powder on the background of the smaller scalloped circle.  I just checked on our website and found that it is showing the wrong picture but you can see the proper colour on the card.  It is one of the powders that I'd never actually tried, I don't know how I missed that one in the 10 years we've been selling them, but I love it and must use it again soon!!  We have the EP's on special offer at the moment if you fancy trying them.  I will be showing more cards I've made with them soon as I'm really getting into them again.

I used the thickest card I could cut with a nestie and applied several layers of EP onto the larger circle before stamping into it to create a pattern. 

I'm not totally sure which distress ink I used for the stamping and inking, I think it was chipped sapphire, I'll have to have a look!

Thanks for visiting!!

Jill

It's all black and white

Over the 20 years that we've been selling craft materials I've found that some people like to start their Christmas cards really early (January is FAR too early me though!), and others get to October and realise the weeks will fly by from now until the big day.

The half-term school holidays always seem to be the time that shops start getting their Christmas stock, and most people seem to get serious about their Christmas card making so this week I'm going to be making a start showing you some Christmas cards, well, I started showing them on Friday night, but I'll continue to show them for the rest of the week.

Although this is not a new Tim Holtz stamp set, it's nonetheless still a favourite, it is Santa's Wish, the main Father Christmas image is just lovely and he's so jolly!  I've used the pine sprig on the right hand side and black webbing spray on the left hand side.

A few black nailheads and some small panels of black card have been used and it is a very quick and easy card to make which is ideal if you have a lot to make!  Swap the colours if you like for a more colourful look, but keep to using just 2 colours, (cream and brown is still a popular combination), and you'll have a pile of cards ready in no time!

Here's another little peek at the webbing spray, 'cos I just LOVE it!!

It was great seeing everyone at the Stamp Magic show yesterday, I got to play with Moonglow embossing powders all day as well as transfering printed images onto canvas until my fingers hurt!!  There is so much magic in those Moonglow embossing powder jars, they are a total joy to work with.

A HUGE thank you to everyone that visited our stand to watch what I was playing with, and for the usual moral boost you gave me when you had faith enough to buy the products I demonstrated, hopefully we've each gained and I thank you for your support!

In amongst all that was the fab chatter and hugs which always make a show wonderful, I think I got more hugs than Ian this time:)  Caroline was her usual amazing self and was fantastic help on the till et al, we have the turmoil in France to thank for having her stay home this half term to help us. Sorry your holiday got cancelled CC!!

Today's post is later than planned, but at least it's here before midnight:)

Have a great week!!!

Jill

Stamp Magic Show, The Dome, Doncaster

Are you planning to come to the show on Sunday?  If so, you'll see these and others I have made this week in real life!

I will be demonstrating the technique Vix showed at the Port Sunlight show and also our demo weekend last week.  It is transfering images/printed papers onto sticky back canvas.  I'll also be showing how to make embossed embellishments with Moonglow 2-tone embossing powders.  They really are magic!!!

I've also made another batch of Moonglow embossing powder sample pieces, ATC size, to give away, so that you can remember it when you get home.

The image below was transfered onto canvas from a lazer printed image.  It has a distressed aged feel to it so of course it had to have my favourite Moonshadow inks as the background for the card! 

I've used  Incandescent Copper with the cling film technique.The heart embellishment is embossed with Moonglow Holly Red Gold Embossing Powder, I've stamped into it with my favourite stamp at the moment, Hero Arts S5449 Fabulous Flourish.  It's such a versatile stamp!!

I'll be showing how it's done at the show so do pop along for a demo.  If you haven't got a ticket, no worries, just pop along on Sunday and pay on the door. Show open: 10am - 4pm, tickets: £5

The next card is made with the  Tim Holtz Sizzix Bigz Die - Bigz Fanciful Flight

Again I've embossed it with the 2-tone Moonglow embossing powders. This time my background is made with Starburst Stains and the scrunch technique but has an added extra, black webbing spray.  What's that I hear you think!!

We'll I first used it well over 10 years ago and like everything crafty, you end up moving onto new things and forget your old favourites, well I rediscovered this as I was looking for something to add a finishing touch to a picture frame I decorated recently, and lo and behold I looked at the mirror I painted and spray at least 10 years ago that still hangs in our living room and voila, I dug out my cans!!  It's available in gold. silver, black and white.

If you think silly spray, you're thinking along the right lines except this is finer and more hard wearing.  I've been wiping my frame at home with a damp cloth for years and it's still as good as it was when I first sprayed it.  It comes out a little like silly spray, it's quite strange!  If you spray it onto your cards/papers in a plastic bowl/tray you will get a built up of the surplus that can be peeled off and punched. Another tip, it is whiffy, like a spray paint so do your spraying outside if you can.

As it's an aerosol spray, it cannot be posted for mail order, so if you see it anywhere and think you want it, then grab it while you can, don't umm and arr, it'll be too late when you get home!!! 

We'll have some at the show.  It's not a cheap product but it lasts and is so effective.

Here's a close up that show's the Moonglow Lapis Lazuli blue/gold embossing powder and the webbing spray background

If you can't make it to the show, then we have the EP's on the website on Special Offer at the moment and if you are at the show, we have a Show Special with them too!

I'll be back on Sunday with another card showing these techniques.

Have a great weekend!!

Jill

More Tim Holtz Blog Candy - NOW CLOSED!!

Please click HERE for the details 

Please do not leave a comment here, your comment needs to be in the main post when you click through to the details.

Please scroll down for our latest posts

More Tim Holtz Blog Candy!

I had a little gathering session at the shop today and put together another bunch of loveliness from Tim worth over £50!

It is the first of 3 new blog candy prizes that are coming along to launch our new ATC Swaps and Challenges that will start in July, so do pop back for news about those too. 

This prize consists of:

2 each of 7 different Tim Holtz 8" x 8" double-sided papers
TH Alterations Regal Crest Sizzix Die
TH Alterations Ticket Strip Sizzix Die
TH Ideology Locket Keys (4 keys, 4 lockets and 8 fasteners)
TH Ideology Foliage (12 flowers, 8 leaves, 18 fasteners)
TH Clearz  2" Circles (can be used with alcohol inks)
TH Frostz Tabz (can be used with alcohol inks)

For those with blogs - to enter all you need to do is leave a comment below this post and spread the word on your blog by putting a picture of this blog candy onto your blog sidebar linking it back to this post. If you would like to sign up to become a follower that would be great, as we'd really love you to follow our blog.

For those without blogs - please leave a comment below this post. Please note that you will need to leave your full name within the comment to be entered, otherwise anonymous entries cannot be accepted.

One entry only, duplicate entries will not be counted.

This candy will run from now until Midday (GMT) on Wednesday 28th July 2010.

The winner will be selected at random and announced soon after.

You will need to call back to see if you have won. If the prize has not been claimed by midday Friday 30th July, a new winner will be drawn.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!

UPDATE:  Our new ATC Blog is now open for visitors here

Please continue to our latest post below...

Inspiration from Tracey Coates - Part 3

More inspiring examples from Tracey's demo's at our recent Open Day.  Please click on the photos to see close ups.  The tag above features a crushed bottle top, one of Tim's fragments and a rusty washer as well as designs stamped with distress inks.

The next frames are similiar but with different ink techniques.

Another example of a photo embossed with clear embossing powder then bent to form an aged cracked look.

An alternative idea to the first tag.

And, there's more, I'll be back with them tomorrow.

In the meantime, if you'd like to take a peek at Tracey's craft room, she's just bravely posted some photo's on her blog HERE

I'm hoping this is the start of Tracey blogging more of her work there!!  (Nag, nag)

Jill