‘Stampers Anonymous’ Category

  1. Monsters Reunion Christmas Edition

    3rd December, 2020 by iGirlZoe

    Hello friends. It’s December and I finally have to let go of Halloween, but maybe just one last nod in that direction as I move into my merry makes! Did you catch the Tim Holtz facebook LIVE on Saturday? It was the final part of the four part Christmas LIVE demos. You can catch up on all the fun on Tim’s blog.


    It’s been a monster of a year (see what I did there) and Saturday’s with Tim and Mario have been a bright light. I am so very grateful for all the work they have dedicated to bring us hours and hours of creative inspiration and much needed escapism. The 4 part Christmas demos have definitely charged my Christmas making batteries.

    During Saturday’s LIVE Tim showed this cool paint and stamp technique. It’s such a quick, easy and fun technique and looks incredible on kraft! I highly recommend that you watch the video demo but here’s a quick run down…


    Using sticky grid to hold it in place, I put a #8 size tag, (best cut from kraft heavystock with tag dies), onto my travel stamp platform. I placed the stamp onto the tag and when I was happy with it’s placement, I closed the lid and pushed down to make sure the stamp was attached to the lid. I inked up the stamp with distress archival ink and stamped once.


    I left my tag in place to paint as I was only doing one of each and removed the lid of the platform while I painted. If you are doing multiple tags you would just make sure they were positioned in the same place when you stamped the second time.


    I used distress paint to paint over the stamped image, not worrying about covering the detailed lines. I know it looks like a hot mess here, but wait for it…


    Once the paint was dry, I inked up the stamp again with distress archival ink and stamped over the top.


    I stamped santa hats and candy canes from the mini crazy bird and things CMS250 stamps. I would have die cut them with my matching framelits dies using the great hack from Joy Kennedy that Tim showed in a previous Saturday demo, but I couldn’t put my hands on them so I fussy cut.


    I cut the candy cane in half and added a piece to each side of his hand to look as those he was clutching it.


    I added a hat and instantly these stamps became “Christmas Edition” 😉


    I blended distress ink into the tag and used the distress sprayer to add water droplets. Using a palette knife I spread distress texture paste through the flurries THS151 stencil and set aside to dry. Finally I stitched around the edges of the tag with my sewing machine and added a little of the idea-ology velvet trim, which is DIVINE! I’m pretty sure it’s sold out everywhere and I’m not surprised. If anyone sees any… let me know! 😉


    Thank you Tim for inspiring me to make these. I was asking for Monsters Reunion Christmas edition stamps and Tim told me to stick a Santa hat on the ones I had! LOL So I did and then I couldn’t stop! This is what happened… 😉


    Monsters Reunion CMS381 Stamps + Mini Bird Crazy and Things CMS250 Stamps





    I was going to stop there but why stop when I had last years STAMPtember set to play with too.


    Tim Holtz STAMPtember 2019 Stamps (not available) + Mini Bird Crazy and Things CMS250 Stamps






    Thanks for stopping by and for hopefully smiling at the silliness. Adding a candy cane and a santa hat can make everything Christmassy.

    Zoe



  2. Winged

    24th November, 2020 by iGirlZoe

    igirlzoe: tim holtz sizzix winged 3D impresslits distinguished framelits dies stampers anonymous

    Hello friends. It’s been a while since my last post! I’ve been getting ready for Christmas and making, but I wanted to share a card I made for the Tim Holtz Chapter 4 Sizzix launch. If you missed the facebook LIVE, you can catch up on all the fun over on Tim’s blog.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz sizzix winged 3D impresslits distinguished framelits dies stampers anonymous
    I’m such a fan of the 3D impresslits folders, having them cut and emboss together in one pass is so cool and the new winged 3D impresslits folder (664248) from chapter 4 is my new favourite, the detail is insane.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz sizzix winged 3D impresslits distinguished framelits dies stampers anonymous
    See what I mean!! WOWZER!

    igirlzoe: tim holtz sizzix winged 3D impresslits distinguished framelits dies stampers anonymous
    I cut 3 wings from one piece of 4.25 x 5.5 inch distress watercolor cardstock. Even in the raw you can see the depth of the embossing!

    igirlzoe: tim holtz sizzix winged 3D impresslits distinguished framelits dies stampers anonymous
    I tried blending in a few of my favourite shades of brown.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz sizzix winged 3D impresslits distinguished framelits dies stampers anonymous
    For the background I used a palette knife to cover the cardstock randomly with white gesso. Allowing to dry, I then added a tap of speckled egg distress oxide and a little distress opaque grit-paste here and there. Once dry, I blended in distress ink and a little walnut distress crayon with my finger.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz sizzix winged 3D impresslits distinguished framelits dies stampers anonymous
    I added some remnant rubs and a top hat and suit jacket from the distinguished CMS371 stamp set which now has a matching framelits die set, available while stocks last so don’t delay.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz sizzix winged 3D impresslits distinguished framelits dies stampers anonymous
    I stitched the card with my sewing machine and mounted onto idea-ology blackout kraftstock and distress cracked leather cardstock. I love the new cracked leather cardstock looks like real leather when covered with distress ink.

    Thanks for stopping by and I hope you make some time to make.
    Zoe



  3. Snarky Christmas

    15th October, 2020 by iGirlZoe

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies

    Hello friends. Thanks for joining me, I hope you have snacks because this is quite a long post. I’ve been quite the makey maker recently and have lots of posts coming. First up is a fun tag I made using the new Snarky Christmas CMS416 stamp set for the Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Christmas stamp release. If you missed the facebook LIVE on Saturday you can catch up on all the action on Tim’s blog.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    I’ve added some “how to” steps and hope that this helps you to make your own birdhouse tag. This could be adapted for Valentines with the addition of a heart above the birdhouse or for Spring, Halloween or Easter by just swapping out a few items.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    When the Snarky STAMPtember stamps were released, I was really taken with the tiny bird and I was so excited to see him return, facing in the opposite direction and with different foliage on the snarky christmas set. I wanted to make something that included them both and this was my starting point for this tag.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Gather a #8 kraft tag, mini brayer, picket fence distress paint, vintage photo distress archival ink and the snowflake stamp from the snarky christmas CMS416 stamp set.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Add a few drops of the paint to your glass media mat or non stick surface, roll the brayer in the paint and roll over the kraft tag. Any direction, messy is perfect and don’t go too heavy on the paint. Allow it to air dry.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Ink up the snowflake stamp with the distress archival ink and stamp several times over the tag. The colour is a great match and gives the illusion of the snowflakes having resisted the paint you brayered on in the last step.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Lightly sand the edges of your tag (you can skip this if you like it less grungy). Using a mini blending tool, blend distress ink into the edges. I used ground espresso.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Gather your decorated kraft tag, a #8 thickboard etcetera tag, paintbrush, distress brush, distress collage medium and ground espresso distress paint.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    I like to paint around the edge of the etcetera tags with ground espresso distress paint because it gives it a nice dark edge that looks like burnt wood. You could add distress ink or leave it natural.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Using the distress brush, cover the etcetera tag with distress collage medium matte and adhere the kraft tag over the top. Distress collage medium dries fast, so work quickly.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Gather scissors (you will need heavy duty ones like the Tim Holtz Tonic Snips), etcetera thickboard scallop trim, distress crackle texture paste, paint brush, ground espresso distress paint, walnut stain distress crayon, a stick and a sanding grip or sandpaper.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Cut the etcetera scallop trim to fit the tag and keep the excess. Paint both with ground espresso distress paint and when dry, sand back the edges. Using your finger, add distress crackle texture paste to parts of the tag and parts of the trim and set aside to dry. Once dry, add walnut stain distress crayon and rub in with your finger. Using a babywipe or damp cloth, remove some of the crayon. Set aside whilst you build your birdhouse…

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Using the largest house from the paper village and a circle from the stacked circles thinlits die sets, die cut from distress woodgrain cardstock. The paper village thinlits dies are perfect with the Sizzix sidekick. So easy right?!

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    In order to get the house to sit comfortably on the trim and make the roof seem larger, I altered the die cut. Here’s how…

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Using my Tim Holtz Tonic guillotine, I trimmed off a quarter of an inch from the side tab. I repeated this on the other die cut, (the back of the house).

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Using a score board, I created a new tab by scoring a quarter inch in from the edge. I repeated this on the other die cut, (the front of the house).

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Using a mini blending tool, blend in vintage photo distress ink. I covered both sides with ink as you will see portions of the underneath of the roof and inside of the birdhouse once it’s assembled.


    You can use distress collage medium to put these together and I do for the roof but I find scor-tape is perfect for the side tabs. Cut the top of the tab at a slight angle (see pic above).

    TIP: Make sure the ink is dry before using the scor-tape or it will slide off.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Assemble the house by laying the back of the house over the tab on the front of the house (see pic above).

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Fold the house over (see pic above) and add the second tab in the same way as the first and then press down so the house is flat and the tabs are secure.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Pop the house up and add distress collage medium to the tabs on the top where the roof will sit.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Add the roof and hold down with your fingers for a few moments until bonded. I positioned the roof flush with the back of the house so it would sit flush against my tag and give more overhang.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Like this…

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Using stamps from Snarky Christmas CMS416 set, stamp with distress archival ink onto distress watercolor cardstock (smooth side) and fussy cut. I used a tail from one cat and the body from another (you’ll see why later on). I stamped the tiny bird from this set and the one from the STAMPtember 2020 set.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Place your fussy cut snarky cat into the back of the birdhouse and trim to fit. Color and then adhere him to the inside with a little 3D foam so he pops forward a little.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Now it’s time to assemble the tag. Using distress collage medium, glue the etcetera thickboard scallop trim across the tag. Once dry, add the stick and base trim underneath and finally the bird house, with the tiny birds in front.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Using 3D foam, mount the cat tail (from the other snarky cat) under the bottom of the trim, the join will be covered by the icicles.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Add distress collage medium to idea-ology icicles and cover with distress glitter using the glitter duster. I hate glitter, I really do and I have to say that the glitter duster eliminates a lot of escaped glitter. I used a splat box and did the glitter work on my balcony… I wish to apologise to my neighbours! LOL

    I added more distress collage medium and sprinkled with distress mica. I LOVE DISTRESS MICA! It’s not glitter, it’s like shards of vintage sugar glass….

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    I added mica to the roof and splatted it with some picket fence distress paint to give the appearance of snow… or bird poop… you decide! 😉

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    As there’s a very naughty snarky cat hiding in the birdhouse, I thought this snarky sentiment from the Snarky Christmas CMS416 set was perfect. I stamped it with distress archival ink onto distress watercolor cardstock, cut with my scissors and edged with a little ground espresso distress ink.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz stampers anonymous snarky christmas stamps sizzix chapter 4 paper village thinlits dies
    Thank you Tim for adding the idea-ology snowflakes adornments with an idea-ology loop pin to hold the GORGEOUS new idea-ology christmas velvet trim in place. I would love to see these trims in shades of brown in the every day line, it’s so nice… stock up!

    A big thank you to Tim Holtz, Mario Rossi and Paula Cheney for all they do for the makers and a big thank you to you for stopping by. If you have any questions, please let me know and I’ll do my best to help.

    If you’re a Tim Holtz Addict looking for a home, check out the Tim Holtz Addicts group on facebook. For an encyclopedia of demos, techniques, tips and tricks, check out the 16 weeks of demo magic on Tim’s blog.

    Have a great Thursday and see you tomorrow for my next project.
    Zoe



  4. Resting Witch Face & Sisters

    11th September, 2020 by iGirlZoe

    igirlzoe: tim holtz ranger ink crackling campfire distress

    Hello Witches… There have been so many awesome makes with the new crackling campfire distress colour and I was excited to get to making something myself. If you missed the facebook LIVE, grab your snacks, jump on your broomsticks and fly on over to Tim’s blog to catch up on all the fun.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz ranger ink crackling campfire distress
    There’s been some serious story telling going on over at Resting Witch Face & Sisters publishing company! Their witchy typewriters have been clackety clacking away, as they write by the light of the crackling campfire. The full moon seems to make them particularly imaginative and they’ve been cooking up some serious story soup…

    igirlzoe: tim holtz ranger ink crackling campfire distress
    Much like speckled egg, crackling campfire is a chameleon of the distress family. It’s not one colour, it’s many and this would be one I would travel with now (if we could), because it’s like those retro pens with 4 colours in one. I’ve had yellow, orange, pink and a red tone all from one distress colour! It will sit alongside rusty hinge as my fave in that colour range …once it’s been released from it’s special quarantine tin of course! 😉

    igirlzoe: tim holtz ranger ink crackling campfire distress
    I used the retro type bigz die from this years Sizzix chapter 1 release to die cut grungeboard. Unfortunately, grungeboard is long retired, but I have a small hoarded stash that I’ve decided to use and enjoy! I sanded the die cut and blended in walnut stain distress ink and added a little crackling campfire distress paint to the edges. I used a stamp from school desk CMS057 stamp. Stampers Anonymous don’t retire Tim’s stamps and if you’re having trouble finding a set, especially an older one, they’re always available direct from Stampers Anonymous.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz ranger ink crackling campfire distress
    The keys fit pretty well over the typed stamp. I filled them with glossy accents, added brushed pewter distress paint to parts of the typewriter and set aside to dry.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz ranger ink crackling campfire distress
    The card background was made by stamping the new background stamp from tapestry stamp set CMS414 in crackling campfire distress ink, spritzed with water. I blended in antique linen and hickory smoke distress inks and edged with walnut stain. Using the new snarky cats halloween stamp set CMS407 to stamp a sentiment in black soot distress archival ink over the top of cardstock, which was covered with the new crackling campfire distress paint. I also stamped the hat from the same set and used the crackling campfire distress ink to watercolor the band. See all the different tones?

    igirlzoe: tim holtz ranger ink crackling campfire distress
    You can see the dual colours in the paint on the cardstock too. When the paint was mixed with water it took on a pinkish tone and when I picked up the droplets with less water, they remained really orange. Walnut stain distress ink was the perfect match to tone down the brightness, which was perfect for me. You can see where I didn’t quite wipe the ink away when stamping the snarky sentiment on different lines. I was going to do it again but I liked the imperfection of it, it’s like an actual “typo”…

    igirlzoe: tim holtz ranger ink crackling campfire distress
    I used the alphanumeric tiny type upper and lower thinlit die sets from this years Sizzix chapter 1 release to cut my message. Die cut from the new distress cracked leather cardstock and blended crackling campfire distress ink over the top with a blending tool, edging with walnut stain distress ink. I love that it looks burnt like fire. I used distress collage medium (and tweezers) to attach them to the card. I stitched with my sewing machine and mounted onto blackout kraft-stock and sanded the bottom layer but left the middle layer unsanded.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz ranger ink crackling campfire distress
    Thanks for flying by and a big thank you to those who left kind comments, and to those who left the other ones, oh well, thanks for taking time to swing by anyway. Fly safe when you leave, there’s a lot of trees out there and karma is a witch. 😉

    Zoe



  5. Surgeon

    5th September, 2020 by iGirlZoe

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous examination anatomy chart

    Hello friends. Happy Saturday! I’m sharing another card I made with the new Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous halloween stamps. If you missed the Halloween party on facebook LIVE you can catch up on all the fun on Tim’s blog.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous examination anatomy chart
    I love the new Anatomy Chart CMS411 stamp set, the detail on the stamps is incredible and they’re beautifully vintage, which I really love. Here’s how I made the card…

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous examination anatomy chart
    I squished speckled egg distress oxide and frayed burlap distress ink onto my glass media mat and spritzed with water. I laid a piece of distress watercolor cardstock over the top and pressed down, leaving for a moment for the ink to be absorbed and then lifted. Once dry, I added distress crackle texture paste around the edges and stamped the rib cage from Anatomy Chart CMS411 in hickory smoke distress archival ink using my stamp platform, leaving the stamp in place so it can be stamped a second time later.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous examination anatomy chart
    Mixing gesso and water I painted the rib cage, don’t worry about covering the detail. I used Dina Wakley’s gesso, adding water to get a slightly more translucent look.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous examination anatomy chart
    Once dry, I placed back onto the stamp platform moving the cardstock ever so slightly and stamping again, this time in black soot distress archival ink.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous examination anatomy chart
    Check out the detail of this stamp!! You see the nice subtle drop shadow from stamping the first time in hickory smoke distress archival ink.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous examination anatomy chart
    I pulled out Examination CMS412 stamp set and stamped the awesome poison label. Cutting it in half and sliding it underneath the frame I made using the Tim Holtz Sizzix stitched rectangles thinlits dies (661189). I use these all the time to make frames cut from idea-ology blackout kraft-stock, sanded and blended with walnut stain distress ink.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous examination anatomy chart
    I added idea-ology hardware heads that I covered in distress grit-paste, iced spruce and ground espresso distress paint. Check out the crackle from the distress crackle texture paste. I blended in walnut stain distress crayon to highlight the crackle. I stitch my cards using a singer heavy duty sewing machine and a sharp needle, I don’t use special needles.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous examination anatomy chart
    I added a piece of packaging I recycled from a Sizzix bigz die with Surgeon stamped using the Examination CMS412 stamp set which I cut a jagged edge and added mushroom alcohol ink to the back. I glued under the frame at the top and side edge with a tiny line of distress collage medium using the fine tip applicator bottle.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous examination anatomy chart
    I mounted the card onto more idea-ology blackout kraft-stock and added some idea-ology halloween design tape.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous examination anatomy chart
    Using the same technique as with the rib cage, I added another stamp from the Examination CMS412 stamp set.I love love love this little stamp.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous examination anatomy chart
    I used the technique again with the hand stamp. How cool is this?! You’ll see this crop up in a project coming later in the season, there is literally not a surface in my apartment that is free from craft supplies and “in process” projects. I simply love this time of year and it’s definitely my favourite time for making.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous examination anatomy chart
    Thanks for stopping by. Hope you’re having a great weekend.

    Zoe



  6. Specimen

    23rd August, 2020 by iGirlZoe

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous specimen examination tapestry stamps

    Hello everyone. Did you catch the Tim Holtz facebook LIVE showcasing the new Stampers Anonymous Halloween stamps? If you know me, you know that stamps are my jam and Halloween is my favourite flavour, so this is always my favourite release of the year.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous specimen examination tapestry stamps
    I love tapping into my dark side during Halloween and those dark days are coming… but I wanted to share this card first and show that these stamps are not just for Halloween…

    The specimen CMS410 stamps blew me away. They are big bugs, but certainly not too big for cards. The detail is incredible and they totally have a silence of the lambs vibe… (trust me, it’s going to get really freaky in the coming weeks)!

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous specimen examination tapestry stamps
    Background stamps are so useful and this set Tapestry CMS414, can certainly be used all year, like the Specimen set.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous specimen examination tapestry stamps
    I covered the stamp with distress embossing goo, I hate the stuff, it’s sticky and gross but it’s awesome for embossing and a baby wipe takes it off your stamp and lets face it, who isn’t washing their hands 60 times an hour?! Be gentle with it, it’s thick and if you squeeze it you’ll blow the top off and you’ll have sticky gross goo everywhere! I store mine upside down and pump the dabber top on my glass media mat to prime the dabber and then you’re ready to go. I used speckled egg distress glaze and walnut stain distress crayon, using a baby wipe to remove some of the crayon from the glaze, which acts as a resist.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous specimen examination tapestry stamps
    It wouldn’t be Halloween without Blackout kraft-stock from the idea-ology range. There’a truly nothing else like this and I’m beyond happy that it comes in paper pads of 24 sheets of just black. I sanded the edges and blended in walnut stain distress ink. I cut the banner frame using the retired sizzix banner die set. I can’t wait to share this years Halloween banner with you…

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous specimen examination tapestry stamps
    I used sizzix square frames die set to create a faux slide. I stamped “Identification Check” from the new Examination CMS412 stamp set and flicked ground espresso distress paint at the slide to give it an aged look.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous specimen examination tapestry stamps
    These are my background pieces ready to be assembled. I use dimensional adhesive foam on some layers to give some height. I also use scor-tape and distress collage medium as my go to adhesives.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous specimen examination tapestry stamps
    I love this die from the Tim Holtz mixed media thinlits die set. It reminds me of bubble wrap and adds a little texture.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous specimen examination tapestry stamps
    I added the small “refer to” stamp from the Examination CMS412 stamp set and the “collection of specimens” stamp from the Specimen CMS410 stamp set and of course that beautiful moth. I stamped with distress archival ink onto distress watercolor cardstock and fussy cut,  bending the wings up to give some dimension.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous specimen examination tapestry stamps
    I stitched the base layers using my Singer Heavy duty sewing machine. My stitching is getting better and I’m going to try stitching fabric next month with some fabric that’s “winging” it’s way t0 me… I’m nervous-excited.

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous specimen examination tapestry stamps
    Seriously, how awesome are these stamps?!

    igirlzoe: tim holtz halloween stampers anonymous specimen examination tapestry stamps
    Thanks for stopping by, enjoy your weekend and I’ll be back next week with some more Halloween makes.

    Let me know if you have any questions.

    Zoe



  7. Focus On The Good

    20th July, 2020 by iGirlZoe

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz ranger ink distress crayons distress embossing glaze stamps mixed media

    Hello friends

    A few months ago I shared a tag on social media that I made using one of my favourite techniques from the incredible 16 weeks of demos Tim Holtz shared. If you missed any of these, you can find them all on Tim’s blog. Hands up who misses the Saturday party at Tim and Mario’s?!

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz ranger ink distress crayons distress embossing glaze stamps mixed media
    Now more than ever I think it’s so important to focus on the good and I thought it would be nice to share the tag in a little more detail, so here we go.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz ranger ink distress crayons distress embossing glaze stamps mixed media
    I followed Tim’s distress crayon and distress embossing glaze technique, which you can see here. I have been a long time fan of distress crayons and used with the new distress embossing glaze, WOW!! This grungy weathered effect is completely up my street and it’s so easy to do.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz ranger ink distress crayons distress embossing glaze stamps mixed media
    I stitched the edges of my tag with my Singer heavyduty sewing machine. Practice makes perfect with stitching and mine is definitely getting better! Tip, if you miss a stitch, (which happens to me all the time), draw it on after with a marker. The background stamp is from the professor 2 CMS395 stamp set.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz ranger ink distress crayons distress embossing glaze stamps mixed media
    I had to add a hat, I think dapper CMS267 and distinguished CMS371 stamp sets will always have my heart, it doesn’t matter how stuck I get creatively, I break out these sets and it inspires me. Stampers Anonymous never retire Tim’s stamps so you can pick up them up from set 001 to set 406! I added a bug from the entomology CMS328 stamp set, the matching thinlits dies makes it really easy and they fit in the Sizzix sidekick.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz ranger ink distress crayons distress embossing glaze stamps mixed media
    I used part of the weathered clock (664173) bigz die cut with texture paste and distress crayon added to weather.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz ranger ink distress crayons distress embossing glaze stamps mixed media
    Using the same technique as linked to above, I altered this quote chip. I always remove several layers of the cardboard to make the quote lower profile. The layers separate really easily, you can do it with your finger nail. They are now longer so you can add hardware to the end. I used idea-ology hardware heads with distress crayon and a waterbrush to add a little rust effect.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz ranger ink distress crayons distress embossing glaze stamps mixed media
    Hope you have a creative week and focus on the good.

    Zoe x



  8. The Professor 2

    1st May, 2020 by iGirlZoe

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous professor 2 mini glitch digits stencil collage paper

    Hello friends. Anyone know what day it is? It’s Sunday right?! Speaking of days, who’s been counting down until Saturday? I know I have! Whilst we wait, I wanted to share a card shown during the first Tim Holtz Saturday facebook LIVE, which by the way was 7 weeks ago! Wowzer that’s a lot of techniques and inspiration. I’m so grateful to Tim and Mario for all the time they dedicate and work they put in to bring us this weekly treat.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous professor 2 mini glitch digits stencil collage paper
    This year at Creativation Tim Holtz released a new bigger Professor stamp – Professor 2 (CMS395) and he both stole our hearts and the show! I stamped him onto plain collage paper with distress archival ink. Using a detailer waterbrush, I painted a line of water around the edge of the professor and gently tore away the excess paper. I then burnished it to the background with distress collage medium.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous professor 2 mini glitch digits stencil collage paper
    This grungy background was created using distress spray stains, lots of water and rubbing until the paper pilled away. As a side note, because the distress surfaces are designed to take water so well, it took some doing! I dried it so it was really crispy and added walnut stain distress ink to the edges and worn portions.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous professor 2 mini glitch digits stencil collage paper
    I used the new digits stencil (THS145) with black soot distress ink blended through. This stencil is so awesome!

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous professor 2 mini glitch digits stencil collage paper
    I also had a chance to briefly play with the new distress cracked leather cardstock. I swiped the surface through a walnut stain distress ink wash on my glass media mat, drying between layers. I added a little black soot distress ink over the top to make it look weathered, worn and water damaged. Really looking forward to trying out some of the techniques shown by Tim Holtz that were inspired by Ann Sullivan Barnes using the distress cracked leather cardstock.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous professor 2 mini glitch digits stencil collage paper
    I love love love the new idea-ology factory tags. I distressed with a little iced spruce distress paint and frayed burlap distress crayon. I attached it with an idea-ology mini fastener over a fussy cut stamped image from the mini glitch (CMS405) stamp set.

    Thanks for stopping by and see you at the facebook LIVE party tomorrow…
    Zoe



  9. Gears Up

    26th April, 2020 by iGirlZoe

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous dapper sizzix 3D mechanics texture fades impresslits ranger ink distress embossing glaze

    Hello everyone and happy Sunday. Like many people I am still spinning after yesterdays epic 3 hour facebook LIVE demo with Tim Holtz. Saturday has become my favourite day of the week, getting together with everyone and watching the professor work his magic inspiring us all to create. And Mario Rossi totally upped his sound effect game yesterday! I’m still laughing…

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous dapper sizzix 3D mechanics texture fades impresslits ranger ink distress embossing glaze
    The card that I’m sharing today uses techniques from the previous Saturday’s demo. Tim revisited an old technique that I learned from his 12 tags years ago and I simply love. I hadn’t tried the technique with the idea-ology metallic kraft-stock before and wanted to see how it looked! You can see the technique on Tim Holtz Blog.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous dapper sizzix 3D mechanics texture fades impresslits ranger ink distress embossing glaze
    I stamped the gear stamp from the dapper (CMS267) stamp set and watercolored with oxides as per Tim’s demo. I used the new Tim Holtz Tonic craft knife to cut away 2 sections of the stamped image and mounted over a small piece of metallic kraft-stock, embossed with the 3D mechanic folder and following Tim’s demo again.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz tonic studios retractable craft knife
    I have been asked a few times what the difference is between Tim’s craft knives. The new retractable craft knife comes with 3 blades. The blades are bigger and more heavy duty for a more precision cut. I’m really impressed with the new craft knife. You can see from the photo that the blade on the older knife is tiny (how tiny) 😉

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous dapper sizzix 3D mechanics texture fades impresslits ranger ink distress embossing glaze
    The foil technique is so easy and works perfectly on the metallic kraft-stock and cutting the hole with the new craft knife was really easy. It cut away the piece first time. The blade is sharp, so please be careful.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous dapper sizzix 3D mechanics texture fades impresslits ranger ink distress embossing glaze
    I took pieces of the leftover foil embossed background and added over the top of the card and underneath the blackout kraft-stock which I use on almost every card I make. Love having an entire pad of black!

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous dapper sizzix 3D mechanics texture fades impresslits ranger ink distress embossing glaze
    This is what the back of the top layer of my card looks like. I only used a small piece of embossed metallic kraft-stock behind the cut out sections and secured with tape.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous dapper sizzix 3D mechanics texture fades impresslits ranger ink distress embossing glaze
    I used another of the awesome techniques Tim shared during the demo. This was a new one, using impresslits, distress embossing glaze and distress crayons. Check out Tim Holtz blog for details. I used the star trim impresslit folder and created a frame layer for my card. I added my favourite idea-ology hardware heads with some rusty hinge distress crayon to create a simple rust effect.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous dapper sizzix 3D mechanics texture fades impresslits ranger ink distress embossing glaze
    I shared this photo on my instagram-stories and thought I would share here too. This is my work in progress shot.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous dapper sizzix 3D mechanics texture fades impresslits ranger ink distress embossing glaze
    Thanks for stopping by and I hope you’re having a relaxing Sunday crafting. I want to say a great big thank you to Tim and Mario for all the work they put in to bringing us these weekly demos, it’s created a new normal for me and a sense of comfort in the familiar during this time. I am very thankful for them both.

    Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

    Zoe



  10. Field Notes

    13th April, 2020 by iGirlZoe

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous field notes distinguished distress archival ink

    Hello friends. Hope you are well and still enjoying your Easter candy! 😉
    I’m sharing a card today that was shown during the first Tim Holtz facebook LIVE demo. If you’ve missed any of the awesome demos you can catch up with them all on the Tim Holtz blog. It’s the perfect creative distraction and there are so many techniques to try and revisit. Saturdays have never been so much fun!

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous field notes distinguished distress archival ink
    I made this card prior to the global pandemic and had no idea how impactful the words on this card would be! Whilst some may view our current situation of being quarantined as being “condemned” or stuck at home, I don’t see it that way. I am thankful to be safe at home and I choose to live each day with purpose and choosing to see the good, like this rather distinguished gentleman who is dressed up ready for a video chat… he may or may not be wearing pants! 😉

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous field notes distinguished distress archival ink
    The new field notes stamp set (CMS396) has been a firm favourite of mine since it’s release. It works perfectly with the entomology set, but I wanted to take it in a slightly different direction and make it a little more steampunk, so I added a hat (of course) using the distinguished stamps (CMS371) which is my all time favourite, but please don’t tell the other stamp sets!

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous field notes distinguished distress archival ink
    There are so many gorgeous stamps in the field notes set (CMS396) and it’s perfect for layering. I used the distress archival inks and created some vintage labels, which I stitched before layering them onto my card.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous field notes distinguished distress archival ink
    I used a stamp from the new grunged stamp set (CMS402), which worked perfectly down the side of the card. I inked the stamp and stamped once lightly onto scrap paper and a second time onto my card to give a more faded image.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous field notes distinguished distress archival ink
    I added a prize ribbon from the idea-ology adornment ribbons set, with a stamped image from the field notes set (CMS396), cut to the right size with a circle punch.

    igirlzoe: Tim Holtz stampers anonymous field notes distinguished distress archival ink
    Thanks for stopping by, please take good care and have a great Monday.

    Zoe