Tim Holtz

12 Tags of Christmas...{day 6}

oh there's no place like home for the holidays!  i am so excited about today's tag.  the reason???  because i got to work with something new, something i haven't tried before but wanted to, something that is PERFECT for projects like this - especially around the holiday season!  what is it?  here's a hint: it's sparkly and it's fluffy - definitely not the usual type of product i would be attracted to, but like i said, when you have just the right project, it's great to have just the right product and "sparkly fluff" is perfect.  this stuff is so cool - the effect reminds me of a vintage flocked tree i remember as a child bringing home from the tree lot.  oh the nostalgia of it all....

before we get started, i wanted to go over a few more frequently asked questions we've been getting, and since we're half way through the 12 Tags, i also wanted to post a few reminders.  please don't just scroll by this, take a minute to read it, hopefully it will answer a question you may have too...

*where did the other tags go?  it's okay, you can breathe!  because there are so many step outs and photos, the blog normally loads 30 pages at a time.  on the average day that would be okay, but during the 12 tags this blog can take forever to load.  so i have cut that down to 7 days, so after tomorrow's tag, when you look at the blog you will only see the last 7 tags.  to see the others since day 1, simply look over on the left of the blog and click "Archives" for December 2009.  you'll see all of them there.  this should help the blog load faster on your computer.

UPDATE: *what about the 12 Tags CONTEST?  i appreciate how many of you have been already sharing photos of the tags you're creating via email and facebook.  i love seeing them, however for the contest, i understand many of you are waiting for your online purchases to come in so i will post the details on my blog on 12/25/09  and extend the contest deadline to 12/31/09 for the tag photos.  That's when i will ask you to email me photos of all 12 Tags at once - i will not be keeping individual email pictures sent along the way.  listen, i know how busy the holiday time is, so remember you have until 12/19/09 to finish your tags.  if you create all "12 Tags" from this years blog, and by that i mean 12 tags inspired by this year's tags - they don't have to be the same as mine.  i will choose 1 grand prize winner at random and trust me, you'll want this prize package!  the winner will be posted on 1/1/10 on the blog along with your tag photos and a photo of your prize package.  oh the excitement!

*do i have to leave comment each day in order to win?  the answer is yes and no.  no you do not need to post a comment everyday if you don't want to win.  you won't be "disqualified" if you don't have time to post everyday. but...if you don't post a comment each day, your comment can't possibly be chosen as a winner.  you can't win if you don't play kind of thing.  so if you're away from the blog and haven't posted a comment in a day or two, jump right back in and start posting again - you may win something.

*will you be doing videos and printed instructions for all of these tags?  um...no, sorry.  the 12 Tags is a blog thing, so there are no instructions or videos for them other than the blog content itself.  sure you can print a copy for your reference, and i do realize that's quite a bit of ink and paper.  not to worry, the tags remain here on the blog in the archives so you can reference them whenever you wish.

*can i copy your blog instructions for the 12 Tags and post them on mine?  i ask that you please do not do that.  the information i share here is for personal use only and i ask that you please do not take my content and post it on your blog.  sure you can post the photo of my finished tag, talk about the 12 Tags on your blog, even post the "12 Tags" logo.  that's all fine.  you can certainly make the tag and explain to your bloggers how you created the tag in your own words, just please do not post my direct instructions directly.

and now...on to the tag!
supplies: craft sheet, distress inks, distress embossing ink, clear embossing powder, black embossing powder, ink blending tool, glossy accents, heat tool, matte multi-medium (ranger); grunegboard/plain basics, mini pin, philosophy tag (idea-ology); scissors, paper distresser (tonic); fabulous flourishes/flourish, retro holiday/seasons greetings, just believe/tree, old car (stampers anonymous); sparkly fluff/sugar (our craft lounge); #8 tag, dictionary paper, jute or twine, foam tape, ribbon, crop-a-dile, masking tape

step 1: stamp tree stamp on to plain grungeboard with peeled paint distress ink.

step 2: while ink is still wet, apply clear embossing powder over the image and remove excess powder.

step 3: heat emboss with a heat tool until powder becomes shiny and translucent showing the stamped green ink. *yes, distress ink is an embossing ink - every color of it!

step 4: stamp the car with distress embossing ink.

step 5: apply black embossing powder over image and remove excess powder.

step 6: heat emboss with a heat tool until image become shiny black. *i want to mention something here, yes you could have technically stamped in black soot distress ink and embossed with clear embossing powder like we did with the tree, but black embossing powder is much darker and more detailed.

step 7: cut out both images using sharp scissors. *do not worry about the inside gray areas of the tree, we'll fix that later i promise!

step 8: using a crop-a-dile, punch holes in the windows of the car as shown - this is just like what we did on tag #1 with the snowman.

step 9: cut out the windows using your scissors.

step 10: ink the edges of the embossed tree with distress ink using an ink blending tool.

step 11: ink the car with distress ink using an ink blending tool.

step 12: now bring on the sparkly fluff!  this stuff comes in little jars like embossing powders.  there is tons of this stuff in the jar - seriously.  they have lots, and lots of colors.  this is basically flocking with a cool glitter sticks in it.  what's nice about this stuff is that the glitter doesn't settle at the bottom, it's throughout the fluff!  let's go!

step 13: apply a small amount of glossy accents around the tress where you want to "flock" it.  in addition to the top edges, apply glossy accents in any of the gray grunge area of the tree, these are the perfect "flock" locations.

step 14: start grabbing pinches of sparkly fluff and cover the entire tree as shown.  okay i admit, this stuff is a bit of a mess, but you put all of the excess back in the jar anyway so get your fluff on!

step 15: gently pat over the sparkly fluff.  this will make sure it sticks to the glossy accents.  *now if you went crazy with the glossy accents and thought you were icing a cake, your accents will smoosh out and you would lose your detail.

step 16: tilt the tree on an angle and tap it on the craft sheet to remove the excess sparkly fluff.  replace the excess back in the jar.  The jar looks like you didn't use a bit - weird!?

status: check that out!  a sparkly fluffed tree - so much better in person, the texture is so unique.

step 17: apply glossy accents to the top of the car as shown.

step 18: adhere the tree to the car and use a piece of scrap paper to press down on the tree.  *this will keep more fluff on your tree if you don't handle it as much.

step 19: take about 12" of jute and begin wrapping the tree.  start going through a window of the car as shown.

step 20: continue wrapping around the tree and going through various windows.

step 21: when you're happy with the way it looks, tie a knot in the jute and trim the ends.  love this!

step 22: apply a generous layer of matte multi-medium to a tag.  you can use a piece of foam or brush to do this - you can also use glossy multi-medium for this.

step 23: while the multi-medium is wet, press a piece of dictionary paper over the top of it. *it doesn't matter what words you have, honest!

step 24: dry the paper and multi-medium with your heat tool until the tag no longer feels damp.

step 25: tear off all of the excess paper from around the tag - or you can use scissors if you must!

step 26: press a piece of masking tape on to the paper and rub it well with your hand to adhere to the paper.

step 27: slowly, and i mean SLOWLY peel back the tape and this will start to lift off some of the dictionary print revealing random text on the back of the dictionary.  this will make for a great inking surface later.

step 28: repeat going various directions.  remember SLOWLY!  we don't want to rip the paper and expose the tag which is why we've removed the paper from around the edge first so it's doesn't tear through the tag. *this technique is how you get rid of any weird words on the dictionary paper you might have - i told you it wasn't going to be a problem.

step 29: ink the tag with distress ink using an ink blending tool.  i used weathered wood on mine.

step 30: drag a paper distresser along the edges of the tag to tatter them.

step 31: ink the edges with brown distress ink using an ink blending tool.

step 32: stamp seasons greetings with distress ink.  i like to mix both shades of red, fired brick, and aged mahogany on the stamp for a blended image.

step 33: stamp the fab.flourish with distress ink. *i'm telling you, this is always a good "fill in the blank stamp".

step 34: tie a ribbon through the tag and attach a philosophy tag with a mini pin.

step 35: apply double stick foam tape to the back of the car as shown.

step 36: press the car on to the tag and embellish with a game piece if desired.

in the details: honestly, how cool is sparkly fluff?  so many possibilities for the holidays: flocked holly, santa, snowman, the list goes on.  how about using double stick tape or adhesive rub-ons on a glass ornament and sparkly fluff them for custom ornaments?  how about die cutting double stick tape and making sparkly fluffed monograms on a journal or scrapbook for a gift?  and check out the quick idea below: snowballs using a glue dot and sparkly fluff...one word - cute.  remember, you just need any adhesive and you can apply sparkly fluff over it.  okay, but now this had me thinking about a bunny tail for easter, then i moved on to sparkly fluffed heart for valentines, shamrocks, spring flowers, summer beach projects...okay make it stop!  just wait until you try this fluff stuff - you'll see...

wow, what else is there left to say?  i hope you give this technique and product a try and have fun with it.  okay, we're half way everyone!  i hope you're having a great time and getting into the holiday spirit.  it's the season of giving...so i think we should announce our winners and give out more great prizes.  have fun with today's tag...t!m

congrats to the following winners.  please email me your address so we can ship out your prize!

Sandra Babo - Awesome as always - those fragments are so versatile. Thanks again Tim for inspiring us!

Kerry - Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Tim. These tags are wonderful and I KNOW that I will use these techniques on future projects. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!

fanny - Overwhelming!! And so cool. Another great tag to be inspired. Thanks Tim.

Audrey - What a great way to use the fragment tags. Another beautiful tag. Each tag you do gets better each day!

Ann Beach - Love the fraggi-orni. The sequence of the backgrounds is so important..paint-distress-stamp..got it.

Marilynn Michau - look at all the awesome art you have inspired - this must make you feel just super - thanks for sharing

Tamera - Going back to the scrapbook store tomorrow! I looked at the Fragment Tags and almost bought them, but went for the sq. fragments and Christmas stamps instead. Ha! I absolutely love the mini Christmas collage stamps!!! Looking forward to giving this one a try.

Chris R. - Incredible tag! Love the fragment ornaments. Thanks for sharing your awesome ideas!

Snow - I agree time to go back to the store. Each day I don't think you can top the one before but you do. Can't wait till tomorrow. Snow

Liz Dewitt - Wonderful work again Tim, keep it up, I can't wait to see what you offer tomorrow. Your directions are fun to read too :)

Helen - Fabulous! Stamping the flourish with the gold paint dauber adds elegance-stamping just twice to get all those elements-easy coloring but you'd never guess----all such great ideas! Thanks!

Pinky - Where have I been that I have never seen that Memory Foil tape??!! I need to dig out of my hole! Off to buy that stamp with Santa, I cannot resist the urge any longer!

Carol Blankenship - I had to go buy more paper for my printer so I could print out your instructions. It was a small price to pay for such great teaching. Can't wait for tomorrow's tag.

Juliana - Ohh Tim... I think I'm in love!

April - Love this tag and the ornaments are fabulous! April

Kathy in Utah - This one completely took my breath away. The colors, the German scrap, the pine branch. Le Sigh.............

Jordan pond - I love the mixed media aspect of this one. I love the idea of using metal and wire and often "blank out" on how to utilize it. I really, really like the idea of "draping" it behind the tag. Cool tip.

Christina - Awesome tag! I love how you used the fragments.

Phyllis W. - Those ornaments are totally wicked!

Doreen - There are so many fantastic details on this tag...yep, the sparkly glitter,the foil on the top (what a FAB idea!!!) and the metal wire "hangers". With so many terrific techniques, everyone always wins during the 12 tag days! :)  Doreen aka LuniLadi

leslie - ohh this is awesome..i had no idea you could put the stickles under the fragment i thought it would be to thick to stick right!! wow thanks for trying it and making it work...love it this tag!!

mary bartolotta - and they just keep comin'!! I just love seeing what's new and exciting from Tim Holtz every day!!and I love the versatility of your products...it makes them more valuable to me as a crafter...thanks for your time and talent!  Happy Holiday Tim, mary b

Ly T. Le - Memory Foil Tape... what a great ornament topper! Who would've thunk? Only you, Tim! Off to get me some...

12 Tags of Christmas...{day 5}

get ready to deck the halls with today's tag bloggers!  i thought this was a fun way to use fragments for the holidays and i love the versatility of these plastic tiles.  i have used them throughout the year in my workshops on a variety of projects including jewelry, but i think these fragment charms make the perfect embellishment for today's tag.  i also wanted to thank all of you for supporting your local stores many of them have called to let me know they are promoting the "12 Tags" in their stores which is great.  i also want to thank the 2 online stores that have supported the "12 Tags of Christmas" - scrapbook.com and eclectic paperie.  i have linked both sites throughout the blog on the tags so if one site is out of something, the other should have it.  hope this helps everyone get the supplies you want in time for the holdays - now let's get started!

supplies: craft sheet, distress inks/assorted colors, distress embossing ink, distress embossing powders/assorted colors, gold paint dabber, jet black archival ink, glossy accents, ink blending tool, memory foil tape, stickles/christmas red/green/diamond, heat tool, bone folder (ranger); fragment charms, sanding grip (idea-ology); scissors, craft pick (tonic); holiday collections/collages, retro holiday/pine, fabulous flourishes, letter to santa/script stamps (stampers anonymous); holiday rub-on (hambly); #8 tag, 24g wire, ribbon, german scrap, white cardstock

step 1: stamp a couple of holiday images on to white cardstock using jet black archival ink.  i used the holiday collections set today.  these collages have lots of mini images (smaller than the mini i used on yesterday's tag) so they are perfect for these fragment ornaments.

step 2: color various parts of your stamped images (the ones you want to use) with distress inks and an ink blending tool.

step 3: apply colors of stickles to your image. *i use regular stickles for this since the glitter is smaller sized and more "glittery".  i like to use christmas red and green for the holly.

step 4: allow these stickles to dry completely.  it's very important before you move on.

step 5: apply glossy accents to one side of a fragment charm and spread the adhesive around with the tip of the bottle. *fragment charms come in a variety of shapes and sizes in one package and they already have a hole in the top of them.

step 6: press the fragment on to your image and move it around in a slight circular motion to spread out the glossy accents.  press and hold the fragment down for at least 60 seconds for the accents to dry - that's all it takes.  *this is why you needed the stickles dry or they would have smooshed out everywhere.

step 7: continue adhering various fragment charms to your stamped, inked, and stickled images.

step 8: cut around your fragments using non-stick scissors.  there may be extra glossy accents around the edges so non-stick scissors work the best for this.

step 9: trim off all of the excess paper around the edges of your fragment charms.

step 10: around the top tab of the charms is a bit tricky to cut so i prefer to sand off the excess paper with a sanding grip.

step 11: remove the backing from a piece of memory foil tape.

step 12: press the tape over the front of the fragment charm tab covering the hole.

step 13: trim the tape leaving enough to wrap around the back of the fragment charm.

step 14: using a bone folder or something OTHER than your finger, smooth out the memory foil tape along the front and sides of the charm.

step 15: repeat the previous steps for all of your fragment charm ornaments.

step 16: pierce the hole though the fragment charm using a craft pick.  although you may not be able to see where the hole was initially, if you just go for it, chances are it's right where you think it is...  you'll see.

step 17: for the tag, stamp pine spray with distress embossing ink.

step 18: shake various "pine" colors of distress embossing powder.  *i used pine needles, vintage photo, and walnut stain.  take a pinch of pine needles distress powder and twist your fingers together to disperse the powder over the pine area.

step 19: repeat the previous step using vintage photo and walnut stain distress powders on the branch portion of the image.

step 20: once the image is covered with powders as show, hold the tag level and gently tap the bottom of the tag with you fingers doing a "tap-tap" finger dance under the tag.

step 21: this will remove all of the excess powder coloring your stamped image with distress powder - neat huh?  *you can save your "party mix" of excess distress powders in another jar.

step 22: heat emboss the distress powders until they turn darker in color.  allow the powders to cool, then rub your hand over the image to remove the release crystals. *this is the same technique as tag#2

step 23: apply gold paint dabber to the fab/flourish stamp.

step 24: stamp the image a couple of times on the tag with the paint and clean your stamp.  heat the paint to dry.

step 25: ink over your tag with distress inks using an ink blending tool.  * i used various shades of brown/antique linen, frayed burlap, vintage photo, and aged mahogany as a red.

step 26: lightly swipe the jet black archival pad over the script stamp - do not tap the ink on - and stamp the script over the background of the tag.  be sure to swipe the ink on the stamp for each stamping.

step 27: insert and piece of 24g. wire through the holes in the fragment.

step 28: twist the wire together like a twist tie and cut the excess from one side only leaving the longest piece attached as shown.

step 29: place the wired "ornament" on the tag to determine placement and pierce a hole through the tag with a craft pick.

step 30: fold the wire down in the back and repeat this for the other ornaments.

step 31: once your finished, stick a piece of tape over the wires on the back of the tag and trim the excess.

step 32: embellish the tag with rub-ons, german scrap trim, and ribbons.

in the details: i love the way the stickles glitter sparkles under the fragment charms.  the metal memory foil tape wrapped around the top really give these "ornaments" a finished look.  using wire allows the charms to move around on the tag.  this is a fun tag!

i hope you enjoy making this tag - i sure did and had quite a few laughs along the way.  this idea just popped in my head when i was looking at the fragment charms  - "what great ornaments" i thought.  keep in mind you can adapt these fragment ornaments by using scraps of holiday paper, giftwrap, even your own photos to change it up a bit.  just have fun with them...t!m

congrats once again to our 12 tags comment winners.  i appreciate all of the comments you're all posting each day.  keep it up!  you never know when your name might get picked to win a prize.  we still have 7 days to go!  here are the winners from yesterday's tag.  please email me your contact info and we'll get your prize out to you!

12 Tags of Christmas...{day 4}

happy holidays bloggers!  today's tag has a bit of a bonus on it - a wearable festive pin.  i did this little project as a make & take during the july-cha show and many of you asked me to please share the instructions with you.  well it's another one of those things i was holding out on for the 12 tags - hope you enjoy it.  this project is made using the memory line of products from ranger that consists of coordinating glass, frames, and capsules.  i am also showing once again my favorite technique for the holidays - creating a custom stamp pad using cut n'dry felt.  ironically i shared this technique on day 4 in 2007 with the same stamp only bigger.  this year, i've put a twist on it using the technique not on the tag, but on an adornment for the tag and as a bonus, there is a video for this technique to!  more on that later.  i figured this would be a good project to share for friday so you have the weekend to get crafting!  here we go...

supplies: craft sheet, distress reinkers/assorted colors, distress ink pads/assorted colors, archival ink/jet black, cut n'dry felt pad, adirondack paint dabber/pearl, distress stickles/rock candy, glossy accents, ink blending tool, memory glass/1x1/1x3, memory frames/1x1/1x3, memory capsules 1x1/1x3 (ranger); metal corners, trinket pins, jump rings, swivel clasp (idea-ology); scissors, craft pick (tonic); mini holidays (stampers anonymous); #8 tag; clear glass shards (art glitter); ribbon, thin wire, bells, charm (available from your local craft store)

step 1: determine the stamp you want to use to create your own custom stamp pad with.  i chose the mini collage from the holiday mini set.

step 2: stamp the image with archival ink on to the felt side of the cut n'dry felt pad and clean your stamp. *a few things to mention that are very important!  you need to use cut n'dry FELT and not foam, you need to make sure you stamp in a permanent ink for this image, and yes you do need to actually clean your stamp - shocking i know!

step 3: cut out the stamped image with sharp scissors.  *when creating a custom stamp pad with a cling mounted stamp is easy to line up later (you'll see), but if you were creating this with a wood mount stamp you would need to outline the block of the stamp while it's on the felt and cut the foam to the size of the wood block and not the image itself.

step 4: begin inking the stamped (black part) image using a waterbased dye reinker by applying the ink directly to the felt pad over the design.  i like using distress reinkers for this technique because of their color palette and eye dropper applicators, plus they re-ink my distress pads.

step 5: continue inking with your reinkers using various colors.  the inks will immediately start to wick throughout the fabric, but don't worry.  just work one section at a time.

step 6: continue inking until the entire pad is covered.  *some things to know: when 2 colors of ink touch, they will not cross contaminate so when you're inking, just ink from section to section and don't worry about the inks mixing.  if you want anything black when you stamp it, you need to ink that portion of your pad with black ink.  and lastly, don't ink any white space.  there is no stamped image there, the inks will bleed into that area and that's okay.

step 7: get ready to stamp your image by lining up your stamp to the pad.

step 8: press the stamp on to the pad - you've created a custom ink pad, so you need to press into it to ink up your stamp.

step 9: stamp your image on to cardstock by pressing with firm pressure and lifting straight off.  check that out!  your image is already custom colored wherever you applied the color of ink.  now you have a custom stamp pad for that stamp.  it can be stored in an airtight container or zip bag and used again and again!  cool huh?

step 10: let's stamp that again, and again, and again... continue stamping as many images as you want on to the paper being sure to re-ink your stamp each time using your custom stamp pad.  you should get anywhere from 30-50 stamped designs from each "inking" of your stamp pad.  woo-hoo!  no more coloring the stamp with markers each time you want to stamp!

okay this technique is so cool you should see it in action.  check out this video tutorial i did showing the larger version of this same stamp used to make holiday cards!

...now on to create our festive pin!

step 1: place a piece of memory glass over the area of your stamped image that you want for your project.  *you can use frosted or clear glass for this project.

step 2: cut around the glass with your scissors.

status: here's what you should have - make sure your background is the same size as your glass - no exceptions!

step 3: print, stamp, or write a small word for your project - here i printed wish in a 14pt. font, and cut out the word.

step 4: ink the edges of the word with distress ink using an ink blending tool.

step 5: adhere the word to the background with a small amount of glossy accents.

step 6: select a memory capsule the same size as the glass you're using.  add a scoop of clear glass shards into the capsule as shown.  *these shards are random glass glitter pieces - so cool!

step 7: apply a small amount of glossy accents around the outside edge of the capsule.  don't over-do it!

step 8: place your background face down on to the capsule and let the glue dry.  don't turn it over, you'll be tempted do, but you need to wait for the glossy accents to dry or you'll have a mess - trust me!

step 9: adhere a piece of scrap paper to the back with glossy accents to cover the white paper.  i used some music paper.

step 10: place the piece of memory glass over the back - do not glue the glass.

step 11: now it's time to put everything together into the memory frame.  select the coordinating sized memory frame and open it by gently bending out the side tab as shown. *these frames come in a variety of finishes too.

step 12: gently pull the frame apart until you create a tear drop shape as shown.

step 13: insert the glass, background, and capsule sandwich into the track of the memory frame making sure the rings of the 1x1 frame are at the top and bottom of your background.

step 14: continue wrapping the frame around and reinsert the tab of the frame through the slot you pulled it out of and bend the tab back down to secure the frame closed - it's that simple!

step 15: attach a trinket pin to the top ring of the memory frame with a jump ring.  add a bow to the bottom ring and 2 bells using a jump ring as shown.

step 16: for the roof, gently bend the 2 inside tabs of a metal corner out as shown.

step 17: apply pearl paint dabber with a small brush or nib to create icicles.

step 18: accent with wet paint with rock candy distress stickles and let dry.  *these are good to prepare in advance when making several pins.

step 19: cut 2 small pieces of double stick tape with non-stick scissors and adhere to the inside areas of the corner as shown.

step 20: remove the backing of the tape using a craft pick.

step 21: press the corner on to the top front of the memory frame flush against the memory capsule as shown.  *pull the trinket pin up between the opening in the corner and your pin is finished.

...but we need a tag to put it on so let's continue!

step 1: stamp several mini holiday images in a collage fashion on a tag using jet black archival ink and let dry. *i love the versatility of this stamp set and the minis are only available in this set.

step 2: ink the tag with various colors of distress ink using an ink blending tool to colorize your collage.

step 3: tie ribbon through the top of the tag and thread a swivel clasp through the ribbon as shown.

step 4: pin the trinket pin through the chain of the swivel clasp and add a charm to the end of the chain.  *sure you can just pin the trinket pin to the ribbon, but i like the way the swivel clasp lets the pin dangle more and when you remove the pin, the tag still has a little embellishment.

in the details: i love the look of the icy roof the metal corner creates.  the touch of rock candy once again proves to be the perfect amount of nostalgic shimmer.  the glass glitter floating around inside the memory capsule is such a cool effect.  keep in mind this idea can be used on the 1x3 longer memory glass and memory frame sizes.  makes a neat whimsical house don't you think?...

wow that was quite a bit of multi-tasking on that tag.  really it's learning 3 different techniques: a custom stamp pad, the memory glass pin, and a quick collage tag.  put them all together and the possibilities for this one are truly endless and makes a great holiday gift for family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, you get the idea.  hey these can even be an ornament!  so have a fun time making today's gift/tag combo.  if you need the supplies for this one, better shop fast - the memory line of products seem to be really hot this time of year.  wonder why?  well bloggers, the comments are going strong, thank you for all of your kind words and excitement for these tags...t!m

remember the way it works, you leave comments, we give prizes!  so congrats to today's winners from yesterday's blog comments.  please email me your contact info so mario can get your goodies shipped out to you!  thanks.

12 Tags of Christmas...{day 3}

well bloggers, the holiday spirit is definitely in the air!  here in northern arizona the smell of the cool pines and crisp winter air was the inspiration for today's tag -  tags actually (don't worry, they don't count as two days!).  this technique is so much fun and seriously addicting so consider yourself warned.  this technique is unique in it's simplicity, but impressive in it's results.  well gather up your supplies and get ready to play and get a little inky - it's such fun!

*since we have so many prize winners each day i will be posting all of the blog winners at the end of the post...

supplies: craft sheet, adirondack alcohol inks/assorted colors, adirondack blending solution, ink applicator tool, replacement felts, archival ink/jet black, paint dabber/snow cap, distress ink/black soot, ink blending foam, glossy cardstock (ranger); trinket pins, long fasteners, washers, philosophy tags, word sticks, jump rings, texture hammer (idea-ology); craft pick, paper distresser (tonic); glue glider pro (glue arts); reindeer flight/trees, letter to santa/santa, fabulous flourishes/flourish, urban tapestry/speckles (stampers anonymous); #8 tag, jute, ribbon

step 1: my best advice is to open up all of your alcohol inks first.  this bottle is designed to be left open, so it's fine to leave them open for a while why you're creating - the inks won't evaporate from the bottle.

step 2: apply a piece of felt to an ink applicator tool.  *this is the same handle as the blending tool, but we're using felt instead of blending foam when working with alcohol inks.

step 3: apply a squeeze of your first color of alcohol ink.  *we will be adding several colors of ink to this tool and it's important for this technique that you apply the inks from end to end.

step 4: continue applying as many colors of ink as you wish to a single row.  *if you want a wider strip of color, be sure to add a wider dot of alcohol ink to the tool.  i use a variety of tones - lights, brights, and earthtones of a color.  it provides more depth.

*important tip: i use only one little drip of pitch black alcohol ink in every plaid i do.  it breaks up the color and creates better lines in my opinion.

step 5: place a piece of glossy cardstock on your craft sheet. place your ink tool off the top edge on one side of the cardstock.  *it's important to work on a craft sheet for this of your work surface will get stained with ink, and be SURE you're using glossy cardstock and not glossy photopaper.  photopaper will become very sticky if you try to put alcohol inks on it.

step 6: on one steady motion press the tool on to the paper and swipe it down the cardstock.  cool huh? *you may be tempted to go back over your inked strip because you didn't swipe straight or whatever your excuse might be but DON'T DO IT!  it will be fine in the end trust me.

step 7: turn the tool facing the opposite direction, and swipe next to the previous strip of ink also in the opposite direction.  *notice the logo of the tool between the last 2 photos?  the reason you flip the tool around is to create a more random pattern - see how wide the green ink area is?

step 8: continue flipping the tool between swipes until the entire glossy cardstock is covered in one direction.

step 9: re-ink your ink applicator tool with the same colors of alcohol ink on the same piece of felt.  you can see what colors go where on the felt - take your best guess it doesn't have to be perfect.

step 10: begin swiping the tool following the previous steps only this time swipe in the opposite direction.

step 11: continue flipping the tool around as before and swipe until the entire surface has been inked in the opposite direction - you have now created a plaid!  check out how the alcohol ink color blend on the glossy cardstock!

step 12: basically at this point you are finished, but i told you not to worry about what you think might be a mistake, it isn't.  if you want to ink over the background again you can, just use the same inked tool (don't add anymore ink) and follow your swiped marks and go over them, this will help blend out your colors more.

step 13: BUT WHAT IF? you want a plaid with a white stripe?  starting with a clean piece of felt, ink your ink applicator tool with whatever colors of ink you want, but where you want white, apply blending solution to the spot.  *it's very important that you apply blending solution because if you just left that part of the felt blank, the inks would bleed into it and you wouldn't have a white stripe.

step 14: following the previous steps, begin swiping the tool across the glossy cardstock.

step 15: continue swiping in the opposite direction - make sure you reinked your tool before you changed directions, even the blending solution. *make sure for a white striped plaid, you don't do back over it a second time or you will muddy the white areas.

step 16: BUT WHAT IF? you don't like the white?  yes, you can blend it and here's how.  apply a clean piece of felt to the ink tool and apply blending solution to the felt.

step 17: swipe the tool over the background following the same swiping motion and the colors will start to blend and lighten every time you swipe it.

check these out:  see i told you it was addicting.  try various color combos with reds, blues, greens, browns, even brighter colors for spring and summer plaids.  *this is the best part of having lights & bright alcohol inks along with the earthtones.  combining these tones makes for a much better plaid - unlimited possibilities.

step 18: clean your craft sheet by apply some blending solution to it and wipe it up with a paper towel.  this is a pretty messy technique so this craft sheet is very important.

step 19: stamp your trees with jet black archival ink.  *the reason i always stamp on alcohol ink background with archival is because this ink is not solvent based and won't react with the alcohol ink background.  IF you stamp with a solvent ink, your image will usually start to fade or bleed because it's reacting with the alcohol inks.

step 20: for a great speckled look to the plaid, stamp the speckle stamp with archival ink.  dry the images with a heat tool and trim your background to fit your tag if needed.  (wait is that a fab.flourish i see in the corner?  i think it is...)

step 21: ink a tag with black soot distress ink using an ink blending tool.  you only need to ink around the outside of the tag as we are trimming the background to adhere to the center of the tag.

step 22: drag a paper distresser along the edges of the tag to tatter the edges.

step 23: apply your favorite adhesive to the back of your background - i love this glue glider pro with high tac.  i think it's the most convenient craft adhesive and the high tac is the only tape gun i've found to adhere grunge.  love this thing.

step 24: press your background to your tag.

step 25: place your tag on a piercing pad (i use a cork) and place a washer in the corner of the background.  pierce a hole through the washer using a craft pick.  repeat this step for all 4 corners of your background.

step 26: insert a long fastener through the slot of the washer.

step 27: place the long fastener in the hole your pierced and secure it in the back of the tag to create a faux rivet.  neat huh?  repeat this step for all 4 holes.

step 28: place your tag on a hammer mat and tap the tops of all of the fasteners with the bump tip of a texture hammer to dent the fasteners - this gives them a cool distressed look.

step 29: take a piece of jute or string and begin wrapping around the bottom of the tag.

step 30: continue wrapping it several times and tie a knot.

step 31: gather a philosophy tag, trinket pin, and jump ring.

step 32: attach the tag to the pin with the ring.

step 33: pin the trinket pin through the jute.

step 34: BUT WAIT - WHAT IF? you make a plaid you like but it's just too busy for the stamp you want to use like this santa stamp on this red background?

step 35: apply 3-5 drops of blending solution directly on to the background where you want to stamp the image.

step 36: immediately heat the blending solution with a heat tool.  this will begin to actually evaporate the background color like magic in a bottle! (you'll see it on your craft sheet when you pick up your background).

step 37: make sure your background is dry - don't worry about the shape of the spot.  right now it looks like the background is ruined... trust me it's not.

step 38: stamp the santa with jet black archival - check that out!  dry the image with a heat tool.

step 39: for this one, i wanted the speckles to look like snow flurries, so i stamped it with snow cap paint dabber several times.  have i mentioned i love this stamp?

step 40: embellish the same way only this time i used a word stick and painted snow cap inside the word.

in the details: i like the wrapped look of the jute, the texture of the metal accents, and of course the variation of using alcohol inks to create a plaid.  these inks blend beautifully!

so are you addicted to making this plaid now?  they're pretty fun, very simple to do once you get going, and have unlimited potential.  theme them for any holiday (valentines, st.patty, easter, 4th of july, halloween, fall, whatever!).  so it's time to get your alcohol inks out and try this one, it takes a little practice at first, but you'll quickly find your groove.  i wanted to just thank everyone once again for your continued comments and excitement for the 12 Tags.  yes, they are an incredible amount of work (about 6 hours from tag to blog post) but i'm happy to be able to do it again this year.  keep leaving your comments for a chance to win some cool prizes throughout the 12 tags - i'll pick  more winners from today's comments!  happy inking...t!m

congrats to our  prize winners from yesterday's blog post - yes   someone didn't claim their prize in 24 hours, so one more winner for today!  please email me your contact info so we can send out your prize tim@timholtz.com .  remember, you only have 24 hours to claim your prize so don't forget!!!

12 Tags of Christmas...{day 2}

happy holidays bloggers - well i'm speechless!  would you believe over 30,000 views on yesterday's first tag post and over 10% of you left well over 3,000 comments?  thank you so much for all of your kind words and sharing your favorite parts of yesterday's tag.  the "12 Tags of Christmas" has taken on a life of it's own it seems and i'm so happy to read  from many of you about how these tags kick off your holiday season - they definitely kick off mine.  so i wanted to share a funny story that happened while i was working on this tag.  as many of you know, mario started his little "behind the scenes" on twitter giving away prizes, and what quickly turned into a "twitter chat with mario".  well i guess twitter limits the amount of tweets you can do so he got kicked off and told to "try back later".  he was bummed to say the least, but not discouraged as he quickly figured out a way to conduct his "nightly chats" with all of you.  here's the scoop:
-for those of you following him on twitter, keep following.  mario will still be giving away random prizes through twitter throughout the 12 Tags - heck i might too if you're following me.
-if you want to be involved in the nightly "Q&A" here's the solution he came up with...facebook.  now i know many of you are probably rolling your eyes and throwing your hands in the air, saying now facebook, i just got on this twitter thing, but understand this is ONLY if you want to be in the live "Q&A" each night.  facebook has an open forum under a fan page for Tim Holtz that we set up tonight.  mario will send out a tweet to his followers to say he will be heading over to facebook for "Q&A"  he'll be there live to chat with you under the discussion "Behind the Scenes with Mario".  this way everyone can see what everyone is asking and it should be more interactive fun for everyone (we hope).  if you're interested, click this link and become a "fan".

so let's start off with our first batch of winners from the first tag - congrats to the following winners of one of the prizes listed on yesterdays tag 1 post!  please email me your address and we'll get your prize out to you...

supplies: craft sheet, distress inks/antique linen/fired brick/aged mahogany/pine needles/vintage photo, distress embossing ink, distress embossing powder/antique linen, archival ink/jet black, mini mister, perfect pearls/heirloom gold, heat tool (ranger); metal corners, foliage, texture hammer, sanding grip (idea-ology); paper distresser, craft pick, tim holtz scissors (tonic); tattered elements, retro holiday, fabulous flourishes (stampers anonymous); #8 tag, ribbon, needlenose pliers

step 1: stamp the ornate frame with distress embossing ink on tag

step 2: shake antique linen distress embossing powder and pour over the image.  remove the excess powder and replace in the jar.

step 3: heat emboss with a heat tool until powder lightens.  distress powders are matte finish powders that won't become shiny so you need to watch for the color change to know when they are embossed.

step 4: LET THE POWDERS COOL!  this is the most important thing to remember when using distress powders.  they need to cool completely in order to stick to the surface.  once cool, rub your entire hand across them to remove the "release crystals" in the powders.  these crystals never melt which create a pitted effect when parts of the image wear away.

step 5: begin inking the tag with antique linen distress ink using an ink blending tool.  we will cover most of this color up eventually, but it gives us a great base to blend the other colors together.  be sure to start the tool on the craft sheet and apply the ink in a circular motion.

step 6: ink various areas of the tag with fired brick and aged mahogany distress inks using an ink blending tool.

step 7: continue inking with pine needles distress ink using an ink blending tool filling in the un-inked areas.

step 8: continue inking with all three colors until you're happy with the color combination of your tag.  notice i left the inside area of the frame a little lighter.

step 9: mist a paper towel with water from a mini mister.

step 10: wipe over the embossed image only to remove the excess ink and reveal the antique line color.  the texture of these powders are incredible.  the image is raised and feels like stucco.

step 11: stamp the season greetings with jet black archival ink in the center of the frame.

*did you know this ornate frame stamp was designed in one of my earliest collections and 90% of the verses i've designed (i couldn't show them ALL here) were made to fit inside the frame either horizontal or vertical?  check it out.

step 12: stamp the fab.flourish with jet black archival ink as an accent. (did i mention i'll be using this stamp on every tag one way or another?  i love this stamp)

step 13: apply a brush load of heirloom gold perfect pearls on to your craft sheet.  this is from my favorite kit of perfect pearls "aged patina"  it has the best colors!

step 14: mist the pearls with water from a mini mister.

step 15: mix the pearls with a paint brush to create a metallic paint.  this should have the consistency of thick ink.

step 16: load the brush with this liquid goodness and tap it on your index finger to create rather large droplets of liquid gold pearl on your tag.  a couple of things to mention: cover anything you don't want splatter with pearl (including yourself) and this is why we stamped out images in waterproof archival ink.  let the droplet dry or dry them with a heat tool.

step 17: drag a paper distresser back and forth across the edge to create a tattered effect.

step 18: ink the tattered edges with vintage photo distress ink using an ink blending tool to give the look of burned paper.

step 19: hold a metal corner in one hand and a sanding grip in the other.

step 20: drag the sanding grip over the raised metal design on the corner to remove the antique finish and highlight the design - dramatic huh? repeat this of one more corner.

step 21: place the corner on the corner of your tag.

step 22: turn the tag over and fold the tabs in.  repeat this for the other corner of the tag.

step 23: place your tag on a hammer mat and tap the back with the bump tip of the texture hammer.  this will create create crisp folds in the metal and small dents in the metal and secure it to the tag without the need for any adhesive.

step 24: next we're going to create a metal rose from 2 large foliage flowers.  begin with 2 large 5 petal foliage flowers. 

step 25: using your tim holtz scissors, cut two petals out of one of the flowers only.  yes these scissors will cut the metal without damaging them - i'm serious!

status: this is what you should have at this point -  be sure to keep all 3 pieces.

step 26: using a pair of needlenose pliers, bend the petals of the full flower up to the center.

status: this is what you should have at this point.

step 27: using the pliers, grab the end of each petal and curl it under as shown.

status: this is what you should have at this point.

step 28: using your pliers, bend the 3 petal flower into a cone as shown.

step 29: using your pliers, grab the each petal and curl it under as shown.

step 30: for the final 2 petal flower, fold it in half and curl both petals under as shown.

step 31: place a long fastener on your hammer mat and flatten the top with the metal tip of your texture hammer.  we need to use this fastener so don't pulverize it.

step 32: using your pliers, create a small fold in the head of the fastener as shown.  we're ready to put this rose together.

step 33: slide the long fastener in between the 2 petal piece and pull the end of the fastener out of the bottom with your pliers.

step 34: nest that piece inside the 3 petal flower sliding the post of the fastener in the hole created by the cone shape.

step 35: nest that piece inside the 5 petal flower sliding the post of the fastener in the hole.

step 36: slide one of the foliage leaves over the fastener and open to secure everything together to create a foliage rose.  you also want to gather 2 of the smallest foliage flowers and 2 more fasteners.

step 37: place the tag on to a piercing surface (i use a cork mat) and determine where you want the 3 flowers to go and pierce holes through the tag with a craft pick.

step 38: secure the flowers with the long fasteners.  on the rose, simply open back up the fastener, insert it through the tag and open it again. accent your tag with ribbon and you're all finished!

in the details: i love the accent of the gold perfect pearl splatter against the bold colors of distress ink.  the stucco finish of the distress powders on that ornate frame provide great texture and contrast, and let's not forget about that metal rose.  pretty cool huh?  i've been saving that little trick for a while now for the 12 Tags.  i'm sure you'll be seeing more of these in other projects down the road.

well another tag complete!  are you having fun?  i sure am.  so as overwhelmed as i am with the amount of comments the first tag received i think i better step up the prizes!  if we don't get all of today's winners to claim their prizes by tonight, i'll add what's left to this number so who knows how many we'll end up sending out?  remember to leave a comment on today's post for tag 2 for another chance to win some prizes.  remember you need to comment on all 12 days to have a chance to win something each day.  i know many of you feel discouraged about the amount of comments, but don't!  hey you never know you just might win - somebody has to right?  good luck...t!m

12 Tags of Christmas...{day 1} get ready to rock!

well bloggers, here we are again - it's already december can you believe it?  even harder to believe is that this is the third year of the "12 Tags of Christmas" - wow!  whether this is your first year celebrating the creativity the holiday season inspires, or if you're a "seasoned" pro of the "12 Tags" - WELCOME!  we'll be sharing the magic of this festive time of year with some holiday themed tags.  each day, for the first 12 days of december, i'll be posting a christmas tag right here on my blog.  each tag has complete step by step instructions to guide you in creating one of your own.  here are a few things i want to mention before we get started...

- keep in mind, this is just for inspiration!  you don't have to use the same stamps, colors, products etc. that i do - just check out the idea and run with it!  feel free to think outside the box and create in your own style.  however if you're wanting the same stuff i'm using, check with your local store.  if you don't have a local store, click the highlighted supply for a direct link to buy it online - these vendors i'm linking have made a serious effort to carry just about everything i'm using, and not knowing exactly what i'm using, means they carry just about everything i use!

- what about the stamps?  all of my stamps are from stampers anonymous.  they are sold individually wood mounted, or in cling mount sets (which work with an acrylic block) either way the image is exactly the same size and everything it's just a matter of preference.  i always work with wood stamps in my studio and cling when i travel as they are much more convenient storage wise.  i store all of my cling sets in my stamp storage binders - each binder stores 9 sets.

- so why tags?  i use #8 manila tags because i like them, and well because they are easy to finish, transformed into a card with ease, attached to a holiday scrapbook page, or even hung as home decor for the holidays.  whatever you want to make with these techniques make it - the most important thing is to remember to take time for yourself to play and be creative during the busy holiday season.

- what about the prizes?  there are so many things to win during the "12 Tags" and all you have to do is post a comment on the blog.  just click the word "comment" at the end of the post and say what you want.  it doesn't have to be much, just let me know you're out there.  whatever you do, just be sure to leave a comment each day.  winners will be chosen at random each night and posted on the following day's post.  this year you have 24 hours to claim your prize by emailing me at tim@timholtz.com with your info.  names will be removed from the post once the 24 hours is up and any unclaimed prizes will roll over to the next day.  the more comments posted throughout the "12 Tags" the more prizes i'll be giving away.  it's going to be crazy fun!

- do you have to make a tag everyday?  listen, i know how busy the holiday time is, so i'll give you an extra week to keep up with the tags.  if you create all "12 Tags" from this years blog, and by that i mean 12 tags inspired by this year's tags - they don't have to be the same as mine - take a picture of them and email it to me by 12/19/09.  i will choose 1 grand prize winner at random and trust me, you'll want this prize package!  the winner will be posted on 12/20/09 on the blog along with your tag photo and a photo of your prize package.  oh the excitement!

- how long will the tag techniques stay on the blog?  as long as the blog is here.  in fact on the bottom left column of the blog you'll find the instructions for the tags from 2007 and 2008.

alright!  let's get things going...  so, this first tag is pretty detailed, after all it's the first one this year and i think i got a bit carried away.  oh well it was fun!  there are several steps to this one, but you'll be just fine...

supplies: craft sheet, distress inks/faded jeans/broken china/weathered wood/dusty concord, distress crackle paint/rock candy, distress stickles/rock candy/picket fence, distress embossing ink, adirondack paint dabber/snow cap, black embossing powder, heat-it craft tool, archival ink/jet black, mini mister, glossy accents, ink blending tool (ranger); grungeboard/basics plain/elements, tiny attacher (idea-ology); tim holtz scissors (tonic); fabulous flourishes, retro holiday , reindeer flight (stampers anonymous); #8 tag, dymo label maker, ribbon, 24g. wire, double stick tape, foam tape

step 1: apply various colors of distress ink to your craft sheet by rubbing them directly on the sheet.

step 2: mist the inks with water from a mini mister.  be sure to create droplets of water on the ink.

step 3: press the tag into the ink making sure to cover the entire surface with your first layer of color.

step 4: dry the tag with a heat tool.  it will curl when it's wet, but flatten again when dry.

step 5: tap the tag back into the ink and stand it on end to let the inks drip and move around.  repeat this as many times as you wish and then heat the tag to dry it again.

step 6: stamp the snowflakes with jet black archival ink.  we want to use a waterproof ink for this image.

step 7: stamp the fab.flourish with faded jeans distress ink.  we want to use distress ink for this image.

step 8: begin applying rock candy distress crackle paint to the tag.  you'll notice that the flourish stamped in distress starts to bleed a little (this is intentional), that's why we stamped the snowflakes in archival to they stay detailed.

step 9: cover the entire tag with a generous layer of crackle.  think frosting on a cake - i love frosting! set the tag aside to dry. (this is going to take a while to start cracking so let's work on other components of the tag)

step 10: stamp snowman on a piece of plain grungeboard with distress embossing ink.

step 11: pour on black embossing powder over the image and remove excess and place back into jar.

step 12: heat emboss with a heat tool until the powder melts and becomes shiny. *note: grungeboard will curl when you heat it, but it's okay - it's flexible and unlike chipboard, the embossing powder won't soak into the surface and disappear.

step 13: once the image is embossed, let it cool for a minute and apply snow cap paint dabber over the entire image.

step 14: while the paint is still wet, wipe over it with a paper towel to remove the excess paint.  this will color the snowflakes white, and give the embossed image a cool white-wash look perfect for the holidays!

step 15: cut out the snowman from the grungeboard sheet.  i find it easier to chunk it out first.

step 16: begin cutting around the image - a sharp pair of scissors help.  it's okay to leave a bit of a border around it if you want.

step 17: once you've cut around the outside it should look like this.  the next few steps are the reason why i like to work on grungeboard - see for yourself.

step 18: using a hole punch (a crop-a-dile works best to go through grungeboard), punch a hole inside each arm area.

step 19: using the tip of your scissors, begin snipping out the inside areas.  i make small snips at a time and because grungeboard is flexible, you don't have to worry about anything breaking off or tearing.

step 20: finish cutting around all of the openings - yes you could use a craft knife for this part too, but i'm knife challenged.

step 21: apply a generous squirt of rock candy distress stickles over the snowman.

step 22: spread out the distress stickles to make a thin layer over the entire image.

step 23: my favorite part of using distress stickles - you can dry them with a heat tool immediately!  so go for it, dry them.  just be sure to keep the heat tool moving - remember we're drying not embossing.

step 24: remove a flourish from the grungeboard elements pack and paint it with snow cap paint dabber.

step 25: once the paint is dry, apply some rock candy distress stickles and dry them with a heat tool.

step 26: ink the edges of the flourish with distress ink using an ink blending tool.

step 27: cut the flourish in two.

step 28: check the tag to see if it's crackled.  if it's not quite finished at this point you can speed up the process with your heat tool and watch it finish crackling right before your eyes.

step 29: ink over the crackled tag with distress ink using an ink blending tool.  one of the cool things about rock candy distress crackle paint is that it's completely clear so you can add any color into the cracks to accent your background design.

step 30: create a piece of thin wired ribbon by starting with a 2 thin pieces of ribbon, a piece of 24g. wire, and a piece of double stick tape.

step 31: apply a piece of tape to one of the ribbons.

step 32: remove the backing of the tape and press the wire on to the tape.

step 33: line the the second piece of ribbon directly on top of the wire sandwiching it in between the two ribbon.  there you have it, custom wire ribbon! (this is also cool to do with any scrapbook paper or fabric scraps)

step 34: to make a scarf for our snowman, thread the ribbon inside the opening on the right as shown.

step 35: fold the ribbon around crossing the left end over the right.

step 36: slip the left end up underneath the right as shown.

step 37: fold the left down and crumple the ends to create a blustery wind blown look.

step 38: apply a few pieces of foam double stick tape (this can be any color).

step 39: remove the backing of the tape with a craft pick.  neat trick huh?

step 40: apply a small amount of glossy accents to the back of the flourish and adhere to the right and left edges of the tag.

step 41: press the snowman over the grunge flourishes.

step 42: create some words for your tag.  this can be a stamp, scraps of paper, something you print on the computer, or a label from a dymo label maker - i love my dymo!

step 43: attach them to the tag using the tiny attacher.

step 44: apply picket fence distress stickles across the top of the tag and pulling down tapered lines.

step 45: this created your own "distress stickles sickles".  pretty cool.  these are going to take a while to dry, even if you use a heat tool so do these last.  attach a ribbon to the tag and you're done!  whew!

(in the details:) i always like to show a detailed shot of each tag and what i think is the best part of each one.  here i wanted to show you the cool textures the rock candy products create.  the rock candy crackle looks like cracked ice on the background and the rock candy distress stickles look like the snowman has been sprinkled with sparkly snow.  and how cool is that wired ribbon scarf blowing in the wind?  it's in the details...

well i hope you've made it this far.  like i said, it's the first day and i was inspired.  not every tag may be this detailed, but i hope you found something along the way that inspired you to go and make something!  now on to the prizes - i think for day 1 of the "12 Tags" i'll start with 12 winners and we'll go from there.  good luck and here's to a very happy and creative holiday...t!m

it all starts tomorrow....

that's right bloggers....the "12 tags of Christmas" start tomorrow (or tonight at 12:01am for you night owls).  see you then...t!m