Sunday, June 1, 2008

Tim Holtz - Rubber Stamp Designer & More!!!

Yes, today I want to feature Tim Holtz for the rubber stamp designer this week. Now, I had planned to have a bit of info provided from Tim himself but he's been going non-stop since he got back from his excursion in Alaska and will continue to be extremely busy as the Summer CHA show is just around the corner! Be sure to check out his blog for his Alaska trip video. It's a great way to see the fun places they hit along the way. You'll also want to check out the class examples they made as well!!

Tim is a well known Designer & Senior Educator for Ranger Industries. He can often be found teaching classes or offering up amazing demos at stores, conventions and expos all over the world. His down to earth and humorous approach of teaching makes any of his classes a joy to take. Traveling most of the year he still finds time to share techniques and challenges on his blog - Tim Holtz - Life the Life You've Imagined.

Tim is known and associated in large part with his line of Ranger Products. My favorite being the Distress Inks line of dye ink pads. Specially formulated they are intended to be used with water to create a multitude of effects. Tim selected the colors and helped develop these inks to produce a realistic, weathered look on paper, photos and decorative fibers. The Distress Ink line has grown from it's original 12 colors to include 24 amazing inks with fun names like Shabby Shutters, Broken China, Aged Mahogany and my favorite Walnut Stain Distress Ink!


The popularity of this particular line been enhanced with a couple amazing innovative additions ~ Distress Embossing Powders and Distress Crackle Paints. Each offering up unique qualities without compare.


The Distress Embossing Powders are a revolutionary product in the embossing line. This powder contains a special release crystal which will yield a truly vintage, distressed image! After these powders have been heat embossed and cooled simply rub off the crystals. You'll be amazed by the results. One of my favorite projects using this embossing powder is this mirror which uses a variety of colors of the powders.

Distress EP's - Hanging Mirror


The newest in the Distress line is the Distress Crackle Paints. Another amazing product ~ creating years of crackle in one simple step. This product is so innovative that it won 2nd place at CHA's Summer 2007 Innovations Showcase !! This paint is so easy to use, simply paint onto your project using the built in brush and let dry. Thin layers create tiny fine cracking while thicker layers produce larger and more pronounced cracks. My particular favorite technique is to add a layer of Distress Inks over the top of the dried Crackle Paint working it into the cracks with my Ink Blending Tool! Simply wipe off the excess ink once you have achieved the desired look.
The card below was made using all three of the Distress products ~ Vintage Photo Distress Crackle Paint was used on the coaster, Distress Inks were used to stamp the background images as well as added to the cracks in the paint and finally the bird & sentiment were embossed using the Distress Embossing Powders!
Escape
Another Ranger product Tim Holtz is closely associated with are the Adirondack Alcohol Inks. Demonstrating some amazing techniques and stretching your creativity to the limits, his numerous AI techniques will make your projects shine! I especially love using these inks on Memory Glass projects as it really lets the inks become the focal point as you can see.


FamilyMemoryGlass
In addition to being a superior designer & educator Tim also has many other products to his name. He is an author with 2 books published through Design Originals ~ Distressables & Distressables 2 as well as his own paper line, Distressable Doo-Dads, also through Design Originals. Tim has also made 2 DVD's ~ An Altered Journey & The Journey Continues both produced by Page Sage. You'll definitely enjoy all of the informative and imaginative projects which are included in all of these books & DVD's.


Surprisingly enough there is still more....Tim also has a line of tools with Tonic Studios; a unique line of alterable storage boxes for inks, paints and more; his amazing ideology line which includes Fragments, Grunge Board and now an awesome assortment of hardware & embellishments!


And yet there is even MORE..... his amazing stamp line through Stampers Anonymous! Too numerous to mention them all I would have to say that Dream a Little Dream (pg 142 - Main Cat.), The Little Prince (pg 141 Main Cat.), Photo Studio (pg 8 Sup. 8.2) as well as ALL of his wonderful quote stamps have to be my fav's. You'll just have to take a look to find your favorites.


And now for the the best part....
Tell me what your favorite Tim Holtz product is....it can be from any of the manufactures mentioned above. Tools, Stamps, Ink products, Distressables, whatever your fancy!
And why should you do so??? Well, one lucky person will win a whole box full of Tim Holtz goodies which will include 3 Distress Ink Pads, 3 Adirondack Acrylic Dabbers, 3 bottles of Alcohol Ink, 2 jars of Distress Embossing Powders, 2 jars of Distress Crackle Paints, an assortment of Grunge Board, a few Fragments as well as some of Tim's newest line of Hardware/Embellishments! The best (if I do say so myself) prize of the whole Ink Stains 6 Month Anniversary week!!
You will have until June 7th to post your favorite Tim Holtz product and get entered for your chance to win!!

48 comments:

  1. Ooooh!! Another giveaway!!

    I'd have to say my favorite t!m product is his red-handled scissors. I just love them!! They cut just about everything from ribbon to chipboard! LOVE 'em!!

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  2. Ooohhhh!!! This is so easy because I love Tim Holtz's products, and so difficult because I have to choose only one!

    I love Tim's distress inks. Use them all the time on practically every layout, my favourites being Walnut Stain and Frayed Burlap for the wonderful distressed, vintagey look they give. I love love love the crackle paints. I have several colours and love using them on chipboards. They're simple to use and so stunning in effect. I just got me some of the philosophy tags which are such a neat idea. Gonna use them for a father's day layout. And one of my latest favourites is Tim's rubber stamps! The designs are beautiful and the quotes so meaningful.

    So which is my favourite? I'm going to have to say, once again, the distress inks. Just because they're so versatile. I use the browns to give a distressed, vintagey look. I use the darker colours to accent and outline edges. I use them over my crackle paints to highlight the cracks. I use them over my b/w photos. And they come in so many shades!! Distress inks - my favourite, gotta have them Tim product. :)

    Susan (luv2scrap)

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  3. Oh my....this is an AMAZING giveaway! Some lucky stamper is going to be in heaven!!
    I have to say that I haven't had the opportunity to try many of the Tim Holtz products...but one that I would love to try is the crackle paint. Love the effect..but mostly the one-step ease!
    As for products that I have used and love...alcohol inks are my newest discovery! Can't wait to try it on microscope slides.
    Grunge board is another goodie that is unique and wonderful to use.

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  4. O. M. G. ! Your anniversary week has been truly a m a z i n g I couldn't imagine how you'd top it on the last day, but you did! You have done a great job and my favorite part of the last 7 days was jumping on Ink Stains to see what was coming next.

    So, now you're really going to get me started. I am proud to say I have every Tim Holtz product on the market with the exception of his newest hardware and embellishments (only because I haven't found them yet to buy - lol). Yup - including th DVDs and books and tools and inks and, and, and... well you summed it up in your post.

    So, what's my favorite? Yes! Yes is my favorite, because there is not a single product that isn't cool, innovative and of the highest quality. I don't make a singe ACT or project without using several of Tim's supplies and tools.

    So, since I use it all, I will tell you about my newest "thing." I found a place where I can order in bulk for a really low cost per piece. I do this for very few products, but last week I just received 6 (count 'em - SIX) of the 1" square clear memory glass 24 each... so that makes... um... er, 144 glass squares. (And, of course the patina and black frames.)

    And what am I going to do with this amazing stash (besides hoard it and laugh evilly when it sells out all over the US - these go so fast)I am going to take my inchie art up to the next level, I am going to make charms and jewelry, I am going to go crazy with alcohol ink, I am going to add dimension and texture to my art pieces... well, I can think of dozens of things.

    That's my story and I am sticking to it! *grin*

    Thanks again, Roni, for an amazing blog and an amazing Anniversary Week Extravaganza.

    ~phinny

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  5. Here in Brittany, France they are way behind with stamping products. However, I have just managed to purchase two distress ink pads in tea and linen. Aren't they just the business? Good quality, versatile and sooo easy to use! That's what crafting should be about, making sure anyone can make something to be proud of! So I cannot compare with his other products & being out of work we do not have any disposable income. But what a chance to practice with what I have! Thanks for the article on Tim. I have heard so much about him but have only recently joined the Ranger Yahoo group and discovered all their new products inc. Tim's. Way to go!!!

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  6. 'anonymous' should have appeared with the name Duffy. Don't know what happened there!

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  7. Favourite? This is too difficult a decision to make. All time favourite would be the distress inks but upcoming products I have played with are crackle paints and grunge boards.

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  8. Blimey – how to choose????

    I am a total Sir Tim groupie, and have pretty much *all* his products

    How to choose just one??? Eek

    I need to rule out things that could be substituted in for, I guess….. so that knocks the Adirondack alcohol inks off the list as there are others out there (although I LOVE the Adirondack colours)…. and I guess it rules out the crackle paint too as a similar effect can be achieved with patience and crackle medium (don’t get me wrong, I ADORE the ease of use of the crackle paint, and the colours again are beautiful)

    Most other things Tim has his name against are pretty much unique. The distress EPs certainly are, as is grungeboard (love the stuff, despite the smell :D)

    I think I have to be boring and go with the original, the best, and never surpassed – the genius that is the distress ink line…. These inks are unique and amazing and so versatile, and I use them pretty much every day and on almost everything I do.

    (with the 2 DVDs as a close runner up, I get some new inspiration from them every time I watch)

    Sarah

    PS Roni - love this blog - thank you for all the time and effort you put into it

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  9. My Favourite Item from Tim Holtz has got to be his Stamps from SA ... those ... oh those lovely lovely stamps .. what more can I say ..

    A close second will be his distress inks .. the versatility of these inks is endless .. and his crackle paint, just paint and watch the cracks appear .. and his grunge board .. Never knew i could love skulls and angel wings that much ... *DROOLZ*

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  10. WOW! I have to say my first love is the Distress Inks. I think they'll always be my favorite.

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  11. Hmmm, to just select one of Tim's items is sooo hard, I love it all :-)

    Okay, I would have to say the distress inks are my favourite as they can be used in so many different ways. I have used them for making backgrounds and love spritzing them with water or glimmer mist. I also use them for stamping and they stay "wet" long enough to use with embossing powders. Also the colour range available is great.... if only I'd discovered these before buying other ink pads, I could have saved a fortune.

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  12. I have only recently discovered just how fab the Tim Holtz products are and have been playing with some grungeboard I bought recently -it's fab! However at a workshop I went to recently they gave us some of the new Tonic Scissors to use and they are at the top of my wish list right now - I would have bought them during the workshop day but they did not have enough stock and the others who were at the workshop had found them in the shop and grabbed them first!!! That'll teach me to be quicker off mark next time

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  13. It's hard to choose just one Tim Holtz product above the rest, but for me it's the Distress inks. I use them all the time--they are so versatile.

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  14. I would have to say alcohol inks!
    You can do so much with them!
    I love using them for dichroic illusions!

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  15. I really like the distress inks. My favorite color is actually one of the first ones that came out, the Walnut Stain. It's so dark that I can use it when I would normally use black. I use it for regular stamped images as well as for distressing. I recently watched Tim's first DVD and now I'm eager to try ALL his products!
    Sachi H.

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  16. My favorite product would have to be the alcohol inks. No matter what colour combination you use, it always turns out great. And after that would have to be Tim's 2 DVDs -- I always find something new or am reminded of a technique everytime I watch them.

    Sheryl H

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  17. Well I just love his Grunge board it's the coolest stuff ever I use it in so many diffferent ways but my favorite is making 3 dimensional flowers!!!!

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  19. Oh my I feel so pampered...I have just been on the dream cruise of a lifetime with Tim! He shared many of his newest products that are just now getting to the stores. I must say the hardware is tons of fun! And also hot are his new digital dvd's with the images that he had previously for sale in paper. They are not available in many places yet but if you need to take a look you can check here http://www.blockheadstamps.com/books-digital.html

    My favorite product is always whatever I played with last...tonight that is alcohol inks.

    Thanks Roni for sharing a terrific celebration this week! You sure throw a great party!!!...Jan

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  20. i couldn't have said this better myself. wow roni - thank you for all of the info and kind words. YOU my friend are one talented and amazing person! thanks for sharing all you do and i wish you continued success on your creative journey. thanks again, i am humbled by your genuine kindness... tim

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  21. I love all of Tim's stuff, but I think my most favorite, can't live without product is his red scissors. They are awesome! Cut through everything, don't get mucked up with goo, are comfortable and affordable. I'm just sorry I didn't buy more pairs when I saw them. Can't find them anywhere local now.
    Susan

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  22. His distress inks were the beginning of a rewarding journey of fun with atc's and cardmaking for me. Love them, can't do without 'em!

    Bobee

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  23. I love alcohol inks! You can create such beautiful paper, backgrounds, altered art, etc......

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  24. OMG, you've got some fantastic giveways going on!!! I love all of Tim's products starting with the distress inks and his beautiful stamps (Stampers Anonymous) - difficult decision on which ranks no.1 between the 2 to say the least!

    And once again Roni, you are such an angel to share all the wonderful info/items that you do on your blog. A sincere thank you for that :)

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  25. WOW! Great blog!! I've only recently found it and there's SOOOO much to look at!
    I'm with the consensus - there are so many fabulous 'Tim' products it's hard to choose (just stop & think how boring our stamping would be without all these yummy things to use) but my faves are the Distress Inkpads - they're so versatile they're always the first inkpads I reach for!

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  26. I still like distress ink the best. Any of the colors. My fav.
    Sherri

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  27. Love your blog, thank you for sharing your experiments.
    My fave T!m product is the Distress inks. Especially love the re-inkers. They make fantastic shimmery sprays when mixed with perfect pearls. And those mini misters don't get clogged with mica. Amazing they are. x0x Annie P

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  28. While Tim has some amazing products, I don't know that I can narrow down to one...but two will work! My absolute must-use-all-the time is the scissors from Tonic (hehe, my son has been grounded for touching THOSE babies!) and my new love is what i affectionately call the "Timmy hammer", lol! Such a satisfying tapping stress-reducer!

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  29. Gosh...Tim Holtz...where do I start? I love, love, love the stuff he comes out with! It's hard to pick a favourite, but if I have to, I'd say it's the craft sheet. I use it all the time when working on messy stuff. I even roll it up and take it to crops. What an amazing product!

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  30. Wow, this is a tough question to answer, but I'd have to go with the grungeboard. That stuff is soooo much fun to play with - you can use it with virtually any medium, and it still looks marvelous.

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  31. My favorite products are the new Adirondack pigment ink pads.

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  32. I have alot of favorites! Why should we pick just one? I have to say that I love my distress inks - I use them more than any of my other ink pads. So versatile. And I love the Fragments! So very cool =)

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  33. Everything is inspirational, original and can be relied on to do as it claims. Tim Holtz is also great at answering product related questions so great products, great back up! If I had to choose a favourite i would go with the alcohol inks. i am not artistic at all but alcohol inks allow me to express myself creatively in a way far beyond colouring in images or stamping them (though I adore this too). It's almost a form of alchemy, to have bottles of liquid that creat magicical results and totally unique each time.I think Tim Holtz has taken the craft industry forward more than any other individual and with him we are definately 21st century crafters!

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  34. Crikey that's a tough question. So hard to choose just one!
    For me it would have to be Tim's Alcohol Inks love using them and especially on anything transparent.

    You've a great blog here Roni thank you for your time.

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  35. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OMG how to choose ONE product?????? I am a Tim groupie too, met him this year when he demo'd and he was FAB.
    one product, omg well I use distress inks on every single thing I make almost.....just bought the gorgeous keys though and dying to use them. also loads of grungeboard I haven't used, and the red handled scissors are excellent. and I have the crackle paints too, they're brill....and the fragmentz....love the papers too though....and the books and dvds are a must.....oooooooooo choose one.

    er.......well.....i love the bird and tree stamp from stampers anon, use them all the time, but i'm going with distress ink. i use most of the colours on everything i ever do, so that has to be the one i couldn't do without.

    love your blog, looks fab!

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  36. Love the distress embossing powders the best. That nifty new ruler is neat too.

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  37. WOW....I dont think I could choose just one Tim Holtz product!!! I love all of his stuff..the only problem is..I don't have enough of it!!!! LOL....I love the alcohol inks and the distressing inks!!! I just play in them so much and seems to be so much I can do with them! I just never bore of them!! I am scoping grunge board at AC MOORE (they just got it in), I hope to play with some of that soon!!!

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  38. What a generous giveaway. Thank you. Hands down my favorite and most-used product is his line of distress inks.

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  39. Wow how generous...

    I love the adrionic inks as I can use them on so many surfaces


    TC
    Carol

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  40. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! OMGosh Roni did you see that you have a comment FROM Tim Holtz HIMSELF????!!!

    Ok, deep breaths, calm down... umm I think my favorite of his products is the distress inks. The technique I'd like to try using his products is the memory glass & alcohol ink jewelry. :-)

    Your contests are so much fun! Thanks for having them!! I'm so glad my laptop got fixed in time to at least enter this one (I missed all the rest of the anniversary celebration!)

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  41. ROTFL!Yeah, I saw Tim Holtz's message too tonight! I hope HE isn't the one who wins the goodie box!!!
    Why have I never heard of these famous red handled scissors???!!!

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  42. Oh my, I have to pick just ONE!!!
    I don't think I can. I LOVE it all, the inks, distress powders, crackle paints, the scissors, hardware, grungeboard.....OH my gosh, I LOVE the grungeboard, you can do anyhthing to it & with it. Theres so much more to say, but I'll stop here. But what I can say is, it never hurts to get some more. I would love to add this giveaway to my collection ( by the way it is running low, HAHA).
    Thanks Roni, for everything.

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  43. I have used Tim Holz products for
    sometime now, and using them makes me shine!! My Mother called me and cried the Saturday before Mother's Day. She just loved the antique looking card I made for her. Tim Holz Crackle Paint did the job! The Vintage Photo and Tea Dye worked so well, and I added a photo of my Grandmother which was why my Mom was so touched! The Weathered Wood and Shabby Shutters are colors I just love, and I am using them on my husband's Father's Day Card!
    Roni, thank you for all of your inspiration, and I apprecitate the opportunity to win this wonderful
    prize package! Happy Anniversary!
    Sincerely,
    Fran
    FranDod2@gmail.com
    PS: I have 2 of Tim's DVD's he is
    so much fun to watch and to learn from! Thanks again!!

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  44. Even though I love the distress inks, and have many colors, as well as the alcohol inks, I'm going to have to say his SA stamps! I don't have any of them - I just envy them! I love the M4-1256 Holiday Collage II and CMs030 Holiday Past!!!! He featured these on his 12 days tags... loved them!

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  45. I think the question would be what don't you love! I love it all. I really love alochol inks and the fragments! I love the distress inks too. They make wonderful shimmer paper!

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  46. My favorite item is the alcohol inks..especially using them on domino pieces.
    C Rauth
    ccriscat@verizon.net

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  47. This is a HARD question! I love all of Tim Holtz' stuff, but I will pick just one, and say Grungeboard is my favorite... it is so flexible and takes whatever you want to do to it~fun !

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  48. Wow, I have just discovered your blog after visiting Phree's blog and this is amazing , so much tips which is just what I am looking for, I want to do more and more projects like this and am like a sponge soaking up all the tips and techniques out there,and now to my favourite products, well there is so many and I don't have a lot at the moment but that is changing from day to day!!! I would have to say the Alcohol Inks are my favourites just now.
    Thanks for such an informative blog and hope it is okay if I add you to my blog.
    Thanks again
    Dawn
    p.s this is a fantastic giveaway and very generous.

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Thanks for your thoughts and comments!