Tim's Tags...

For Saturday Surpirse -- "Christmas in unconventional colours" theme

  

Tag--You're On Vacation!

Just havin' some fun, and LOTS of it!  Every year I collect Tim's tag recipes.  I have a binder full of them. But every year I'm just too busy to play.  I'm not letting that happen this year!  This year it occurred to me just how long it's been since I've had a vacation, and just how much I need one!  Can't go anywhere right now, so I'm taking my vacation in my studio--making Tim's tags!!  

Go Get It For Yourself!

If you want his instructions -- and who wouldn't? -- you'll have to go to his blog.  I'm not embedding a youtube, adding photos, nor am I going to say things like, "First Tim did "this", then he did "that"...and bore you to death over something that is not in anyway shape or form boring!  Instead, I will tell you a bit about what I did that's different.

Tim's Way and The Ranger Way...

What I take away from every conversation, every class, every online tutorial with Tim is twofold:  Tim's way, and the Ranger way!  These don't conflict.  They are two sides of the same, generously talented guy.  Tim's way is to show you how to use his ideas to spread your wings and have lots of fun and success.  The key word that repeats itself here is "explore".  You use what you have to create in new and exciting ways.  Don't have stickles?  Be creative.  Find something you DO have that will work instead and use it!  The Ranger way will show you how to use every Ranger product on the market precisely so that you get the most out of it and make your work sparkle in ways you couldn't have otherwise imagined. And of course to learn how to use Ranger products,  you should actually be using Ranger products, or how else would you know?

What I Do, and Do Not Do...

So here's how I've chosen to get the most out of this and come up with some spectacular and unique tags in the process:  I read through Tim's blog post, gather up the products he uses that are already in my stash, and look for clever substitutes for the ones I don't have.  I do not interrupt my fun by taking trips to the store!  However, if there's something I really like and think I can use in the future (there always is...), I'll put it on a list for later.  

What's Different?

Alas, I don't have many of Tim's stamps, so I used PSX's Brushed Snowflake 5, and some snowflakes from a set of Art Journey Christmas stamps (RAK'd from Willy).  Rudolph is actually "Rob the Reindeer" from JudiKins.  

I didn't have the stickles that Tim used for the icicles, but did have red and black stickles and used them for Rudolph's (aka Rob's) eyes and nose.  I do regret not having the icicle stickles, because while I love the range of light that DecoArt's brush-on crystal twinkles achieves, they don't hold their shape and tend to flatten out and spread very quickly.  Stickles rock!  They have body and the power to hold their shape, but can also be flattened and spread around if that's what you need.

I substituted Range's Crackle Accents for the Ranger brush-on distress crackle that Tim used.  It did the trick and gave stunning results, but it was a labor to squeeze out in quantity and work to spread it around with a popsicle stick.  Much easier and efficient to have what Tim used, but the final crystal crackle looks the same. 

Tim's tip on wiring ribbon makes me hoot with joy!  The sad thing is that it requires a heavy-duty artist's double-stick tape, not Scotch brand, which is too weak to hold the wire.  So I beefed-up my ribbon with an undercoat of Diamond glaze, exercised copious amounts of patience, and moulded it into shape.  It worked, but there's no question: I gotta get the right tape!!

I do have Grungeboard!  LOTS of it!!  And until now, I wasn't really sure what to do with it, so it sat in a drawer with some other DT stuff plus some other mystery products I've been given by advertisers over the years.  Stamping Rudolph (Rob) onto Grungeboard and embossing him with Ranger black made him easy to cut out.  Really easy.  And notice those antlers?  The detail?  I had no problem at all with that area being weak or frail as I snipped away.  Grungeboard rocks!  

I do have my share of Ranger's wonderful paint daubbers, but no white.  Plenty of acrylics, though, so I used a dampened fingertip and some titanium white to glaze the flourish behind my reindeer.  And about that flourish....Tim used one from his collection of Grungeboard flourishes.  Very lovely!  But I don't have any Grungeboard shapes.  So I freehand cut mine from a sheet of plain.  Like I said, Grungeboard rocks!  All that snipping detail, and not a bit of it weakened or lost to the cutting floor.  Strong and flexible.  Just like me!  (Hah!)

Now there is one other item that has me lusting and salivating.  That Dymo labeler of Tim's that writes in script!  LOVE that!  But my antique version worked quite adequately, so I'm not disappointed.  However, if you're wracking your brain for that perfect Christmas gift for me, and you haven't already purchased a Cricut Expression, then perhaps a Dymo labler with a script font?  Wouldn't want you to have to suffer over wondering what to get me, now would I?

Dr Who?

I realize full-well that I've just said "Tim" all through this post.  Don't tell me you're asking, "Tim who?" If you don't know who "Tim" is, then what the heck are you doing here?  OK, I'll be gentle.  If you're a newbie, or "otherwise" talented, then meet Tim Holtz.  Click on his name.  He's a great guy who hails from my old and frequent stomping grounds--Prescott, Arizona, and he is artist, craftsman, spokesman, and product demonstrator and developer par excellence for Ranger Industries.  Never heard of Ranger?  Unbelieveable!  Go to Tim's blog.  There are plenty of links.  

Now it's time to tell you what I'm up to next...

More tags!

A very late breakfast (Is it really 2PM?)

Another cup of tea to take off the chill

Another box of kleenex (tis the season *sniffle*) 

And some music!  For once, it's actually too quiet in here!

...And as always, there are journal pages, books, and a collage or two in the works as well!

Have a great day, Everyone!

Comments

[Terri @ Pringle Hill]

Oh, My!!!! There's a dymo labeler that writes in script!?! Don't tease me, now!!! Seriously, I've really enjoyed your post. Tim would be thrilled to see your tags! Hugs, Terri

[Yvonne]

Gorgeous, Barbara!

[Heather Robinson]

This fellow looks as though he's gotten himself caught in a magical blizzard. Love the energy and sense of movement in your tag. Like Terri I didn't realize that dymo labelers could print script!....gotta get me one of those!!