Tim Holtz Sizzix Sidekick Side-Order Series 2024: Christmas Dress Up Paper Doll Letterboard Cards

Hello All! Exciting news today! Tim Holtz and Sizzix have just added to the uber cute Sidekick Line with five new Side-Order Dies and (Longer) Texture Fades. They are the Letterboard, Christmas, Valentine, Birthday Celebration, and Cafe. They are so super cute, and just because they are small to fit into the Sidekick, you can still use them for larger projects like I did on these 5x7 Christmas Cards. I had so much fun with the sentiments and the dressing up of the paper dolls...I think some of these are hilarious! Enjoy!

Before I jump into the step outs for the cards, I wanted to tell you a bit about the Sidekick  and Side-Orders. I use my Sidekick always while traveling, because it suctions down perfectly on the travel glass mat and fits into the small Sizzix Storage Boxes (the fabric ones). I keep the Sidekick, the acrylic plates (long and short), the embossing plate, sticky grids, and adhesive strips in one box, and the Side-Orders in another...so convenient.

I use the Sizzix Side-Order Storage Envelopes to store  all the dies and fades to keep everything all tidy. They come four to a pack. 

First I fold the paper image to fit into the envelope, and then cut magnetic sheet to fit into that and add the dies on. The previous Side-Orders had smaller Texture Fades, and this release has longer and wider, so I use scissors to snip the slit in the back a little on each side to fit the width of the new fade. I put the dies inside, and slip the one side of the fade into the opening. They are stack nicely in the storage box. This really is a perfect system for traveling, OR if you have a small craft space yet still want to be able to use Dies.
 

 After planning out the cards, I started with the Letterboards first. I cut Black Kraftstock the same size as the Texture Fade, and then ran it through the Sidekick in the fade just one time for a nice embossing. I die cut all the letters for the sentiments on the boards as well using Distress Watercolor Paper from Ranger. 

 

 For the Santa face on the Cabinet Card, I die cut all the pieces, and did two of the mustache to use the other pieces as eye brows. I traced the face part on the back of the solid whole piece and then cut it out so that the face could be seen on the card. I adhered all the pieces together with Collage Medium.

 

 While I was die cutting all the pieces from the Christmas set (two each of the Gingerbread Man (one with a cut out bite) and four Holly), I noticed that the red Holly pieces could be poinsettias, and since you have the pieces after doing the Berries, I also made the poinsettias, adding gold pieces to the centers and then having the extra gold parts so I added those too.

 

 After embossing the Candy Cane Stripe Fade with Watercolor Paper, I used a Detail Waterbrush to add stripes of the Barn Red Distress Ink. I did two of these, and then cut each into eight strips, four for each Letterboard for the frame.

 I adhered the Letters in place first and then added the strips of Candy Cane to the edges, cutting off the excess. I inked the edges of these and pretty much everything with Vintage Photo Archival Ink, even the paper dolls. I used permanent markers to color in some of the parts on the dolls as well.

 For the backgrounds, I misted Watercolor (cut to 4.5 x 6.5 inches) with water first, then Tumbled Glass Distress Spray Stain and Distress Oxide Spray. While drying I misted Tumbled Glass Distress Spritz over.

 Using the Music and Advert Stamp Set from Stamper's Anonymous, I stamped the script in Speckled Egg Archival, and then the snowflakes from Mr. Frostie in Glacier White. I mounted this onto Black Kraftstock, and then Kraft Cardstock base cards cut and folded to 5x7 inches. I added all the pieces onto the front, and then used Snowfall Distress Grit Paste for all the snow areas. I needed it more white, so I inked over it with the Glacier White. Then I covered the snow with Sparkle Distress Texture Paste, as well as the berries and the fur on the hats.

 

 

Supplies:

(Paper Trimmer, Two Sided Tape, Glass Mat, Sidekick Machine, Die Pick, Scissors, Ink Blending Tool, Detail Waterbrush, Water Mister, Stamp Platform, Small Paintbrush)

-Tim Holtz Kraft-Core Nostalgic Collection Cardstock

-Sizzix Tim Holtz Sidekick Side-Order 2024: Christmas, Letterboard 

-Ranger Surfaces: Black Cardstock, Kraft Cardstock, Watercolor Cardstock

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium: Matte

-Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Paper Dolls, Found Relatives, Christmas Cabinet Cards, Metallic Kraftstock

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Barn Door

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Spray: Tumbled Glass

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Spray: Tumbled Glass

-Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz Stamp Set: Music and Advert, Mr. Frostie

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Archival Ink: Speckled Egg, Vintage Photo

-Ranger Pigment Ink: Glacier White

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Grit Paste: Snowfall

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Texture Paste: Sparkle

-White Pen, Permanent Markers

 

Thank you so much for stopping by here today! I so appreciate y'all! Until next time, I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Tim Holtz Stamper’s Anonymous Christmas 2024 - Santa Visit Christmas Postcards

Hi and happy October...less than three months until Christmas! Yikes! That made me a bit anxious, so it's a good thing to have some Christmas cards made already, and these postcards made with the new Santa Visit Stamp Set from Tim Holtz and Stamper's Anonymous (plus a few older sets) are assembly line style so you can make a slew of them! AND...these can actually be mailed as a large postcard (they are 5x7 inches) without an envelope for $0.73 in the U.S. I believe. Almost all the Christmas cards I've made in the past are always too thick or too heavy and have to be mailed as a package, so these flat postcards are a money saver too. LOL! That sounded a bit like an infomercial, sorry, but it's true. Enjoy!

 

Taking Ivory Mixed Media Heavystock cut to 5 x 7 inches for as many postcards as you want to make (This is assembly line card making, so go ahead and make a slew of cards.), place one into the Stamping Platform. Arrange the 'postcard and stamp' from the Santa's Visit Stamp Set at the top right corner, and the 'deliver to' from the Scenic Holiday Stamp Set in the lower right corner and close the lid to secure the stamps. Stamp these in the same color of Archival Ink from Ranger, and repeat with as many as you want this color. I used Hickory Smoke first, then changed to Peeled Paint, then Vintage Photo, and then Barn Door, doing two of each color. Remove those as you are finished with them.

 

Take the 'arrow with correspondence and address' stamp as well as the 'stars' from the Correspondence Stamp Set, and cut the address part away from the other, and cut off one of the stars. If you have a problem cutting your stamps then just mask it off, or use another. Add the 'correspondence' below and to the left of the 'postcard' and the 'address' to the right with the star in the center so that the star with just be on the left edge of the 'deliver to' box. Add the 'arrow' stamp below the star. Add the 'special delivery' sentiment below the box. Using the same ink colors as the others, stamp these onto the cards, EXCEPT do not stamp the end part of the arrow. Just don't ink that part yet. If you have a shade darker ink in Archival use that to make these stand out just a bit more. For example, I stamped in Hickory Smoke, then stamped again with just a lightly inked Black Soot, Peeled Paint then again in Rustic Wilderness, Vintage Photo and then Ground Espresso, and Barn Door and then Vermillion. I had to use Vermillion as there is not another darker red in the Distress Archival yet. You don't have to do this, but it does just make these pop a little more from the others. Once all are stamped, remove all the stamps, BUT this time add the arrow back on below the other so that it matches up, and then stamp the whole thing so that it forms a dividing line between the correspondence and address. Do all the cards and then remove it. Add the letters "NICE" from the Sign Painter set going diagonal inside the 'deliver to' box, and stamp all the postcards in Frayed Burlap Archival Ink with them, just dark enough to be seen, so it looks more like a watermark. You are finished with all those stamps. You need fine point pens in the same color as your ink to make the lines inside the 'deliver to' box. I only had these pens and found out later that they are not permanent and waterproof and that could be a problem, so if you have permanent use those. I also just got the Media Ruler and used it for the first time here, and WOW it made this so much easier. Using the side with the holes that are 1/4 inch apart, I made dots in the holes with the pen on each side of the box, and then just drew the line across to the other dot using the ruler. They came out perfect and this was fast going.

 

 

Add Santa's words from the Santa's Visit set to the middle left side under the 'correspondence' and stamp them in Black Soot Archival for all the postcards, nice and dark. Remove it, and then add Santa to the lower left so that only 3/4 of him will be stamped, and then use Frayed Burlap Archival so you will have that watermark look. After you've stamped all the cards with him, stamp him on a sticky note for masking, and cut around the side that you need masked and not everything else. (NOTE: I wondered what Santa would look like in Barn Door so I did try that on one card only just to see, but ultimately I wanted a watermark look, so this defeats that, but I went ahead with just that one card.) You can remove the Santa or leave it in just in case you need to restamp any after the coloring (like I did), so if you have another platform use it, or just be brave and remove him. Add the tree stamp to the left of Santa just above him, and then mask Santa off. Stamp the tree in Frayed Burlap Archival for all the cards. (Again, I stamped that one card's tree in Peeled Paint.). All the stamping is done now.

 

Using Frayed Burlap Distress Ink and an Ink Blending Tool, ink around the edges of the cards bringing the ink in especially in the open areas for a vintage look. Then flick water drops on for a mottled look. NOTE: Like a big dummy I didn't test the pens I used for the address lines, and sure enough as I was inking, the pen ink started to smear. They are not permanent. So I had to cover them up with sticky note before flicking the water on. These are as good as trash for me, and I will not be using them again. So make sure you use permanent ink or cover your lines up like I had to. Live and learn for me, and it's always important to know your mediums.

 

 

Using Distress Ink straight from the pad, apply it to the glass mat and squirt water into it to dilute the color down well. Use an empty Detail Waterbrush to pick up the diluted ink, and color in portions of the Santa, Tree, and Holly at the top, but you can color in the Holly much darker as it's technically a part of the postcard. The goal is to get the ink soft and pale for a watermark look, so the lighter the better and don't worry about details in this kind of watercoloring. I started with Tattered Rose for Santa's face, lips, and hands. This really set the tone for the watermark look, and I really loved it. Speckled Egg for the glasses, Peeled Paint and Rustic Wilderness for the tree, holly, gift sack, and present, Barn Door for the suit and ornaments, Hickory Smoke for the belt, Fossilized Amber for the buckle, ornaments, and tree topper, Vintage Photo and Frayed Burlap for the chair, and Picket Fence for the hair. 

 

Restamp Santa (and the tree if you want) with Frayed Burlap Archival to bring him back into focus. Then you are finished with stamping. Draw a line around the open parts of the perimeter of the card using the same color of pen as the stamped ink. Stencil in holly with the Tiny Holly Layering Stencil using Barn Door and Peeled Paint Distress Ink and Detail Blending Tools. Use a small paintbrush to paint in Sparkle Texture Paste on all the fur areas. Add Glossy Accents to all the berries, ornaments, and Santa's glasses.

Supplies:

(Paper Trimmer, Stamp Platform or Two if you have another, Media Ruler, Sticky Note, Scissors, Water Mister, Detail Waterbrush, Ink Blending Tool, Detail Blending Tool, Small Paintbrush)

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Mixed Media Heavystock: Ivory

-Stamper’s Anonymous Tim Holtz Stamp Set (Christmas 2024): Santa Visit  

-Stamper’s Anonymous Tim Holtz Stamp Set: Scenic Holiday, Correspondence, Sign Painter

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Archival Ink: Hickory Smoke, Peeled Paint, Vintage Photo, Barn Door, Black Soot, Rustic Wilderness, Ground Espresso

-Ranger Archival Ink: Vermillion

-Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz Layering Stencil (Christmas 2024): Tiny Holly 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Frayed Burlap, Peeled Paint, Barn Door, Tattered Rose, Rustic Wilderness, Speckled Egg, Hickory Smoke, Fossilized Amber, Vintage Photo, Picket Fence

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Texture Paste: Sparkle

-Ranger Glossy Accents 

-Permanent Fine Point Gray, Green, Brown, Red Pens, White Pen

 

Thank you so much for stopping by here, and for commenting! I so appreciate it. I'll be back again next week with another Stamper's Anonymous Christmas make. Until then, I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Christmas 2024 - Modern Tree Stencil Christmas Cards

Hello Everyone! Wasn't that Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Christmas Release Live excellent?!! It's always amazing to me that so many sample makes can be so different even though we all used the same stamps and stencils. Blows my mind every time. On these two cards the only stamping is the sentiment. The rest is paper design and stenciling with the Modern Trees Layering Stencil. I love how they came out. Enjoy!

 

Using the Legder and Gold Stars paper as well as the Tree Line with Music Notes paper from the 2018 Christmas Paper Stash, cut both in half length ways to make 2 - 4 cards. Both papers have line space right down the middle so cutting is easy. To figure out where you need to add the tape, stencil in the Modern Tree Layering Stencil, centered and 1/2 inch from the top, using Frayed Burlap Distress Archival Ink from Ranger and an Ink Blending Tool. Archival Ink is better to use with the tape so it sticks better, and Frayed Burlap is light but dark enough to see the design. 

 

 

From the Rose Design Tape Collection (2017) there is a roll of tape with Ledger Numbers that matches the paper. Tear the end like an arrow point and add the tape the length of the tree and about 3/4 inch further for the trunk on the Ledger paper. The only Music Note tape I found that matches the notes on the paper is old school Merriment Tissue Tape. It was a little too wide and the white background blended in too much with the paper despite the red writing, so I added a strip to a few strips of Cello Sticker Tape (widest) which made the background a nice soft vintage yellow, so I inked over it with more Frayed Burlap for a deeper vintage look. I cut it in half so I can use it for both parts of the Tree Music Note Paper (I am making 4 cards) place it like the other one, pointy arrow on star and down past the tree about 3/4 inch for a trunk.

 

 

Using the Cello Sticker Tape (thinnest) add strips to the Ledger trunk going from shortest to longest to mimic branches, applying them at different angles for a wonky imperfect look, from the star to the bottom of the stencil area only, leaving the trunk bare. (FYI...I feel I didn't make my branches long enough, and you can't really see them like I wanted in the finished cards, so if you think so as well, make your branches longer.)

 

 

Using different designs of Design Tape in green tones, apply strips of tape to the Music Note trunk, applying them at different angles for a wonky imperfect look, from the star to the bottom of the stencil area only, leaving the trunk bare. 

 

 

Add two sided tape to the back of the Ledger paper so it doesn't buckle for this next part. Pounce an anti-static pouch over the paper very liberally especially over the tapes. TRUST ME! You need to do this or there will be embossing powder stuck to everything as I learned on the first one. Blow off the extra dust (I think it's actually corn starch.). Add the Modern Tree Layering Stencil over one of the papers and line it up with the ink you already did. Have all your Distress Embossing Glazes and Embossing Powder ready, as you will need to work fairly quickly, not rushed but quickly. I used Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, and Vintage Photo glazes and Gold Embossing Powder. Take the SNOWFALL Grit Paste and spread it over evenly and fairly thick (you can't see the circles under) with a palette knife, and then remove the stencil and place it in water with the palette knife to clean later. Quickly pick up one of the glazes either pinching it up with your fingers or using a mini spoon like I do because I can control it better, and randomly sprinkle the glaze over some of the circles so that it is evenly distributed. Then take another color and repeat, and then repeat again with another. Finish up with Gold Embossing Powder on the star and any little circles you didn't get before. Take the paper and swirl it a bit to make sure all the paste is covered and then pour it off onto a paper. If you have an empty jar save this new color of powders mixture for a future vintage project as all these blend nicely together. Double check to make sure no powders are stuck to the tapes. If they are use a tiny brush to brush them away. Set this somewhere to dry for a bit, and clean your stencil. Repeat with the other paper. Keep in mind it is probably impossible to keep colors separated on the circles so you will probably have multi colors on some of them, but to me that just adds to the artsy look. 

 

 

 Add two sided tape to the back of the Music Notes Tree paper so it doesn't buckle for this next part. Pounce an anti-static pouch over the paper very liberally especially over the tapes. Add the Modern Tree Layering Stencil over one of the papers and line it up with the ink you already did. Have all your Distress Embossing Glazes and Embossing Powder ready. I used Bundled Sage, Rustic Wilderness, Candied Apple, and Lumberjack Plaid glazes and Platinum Embossing Powder. This time take the SPARKLE Distress Texture Paste and spread it over evenly and fairly thick (you can't see the circles under) with a palette knife, and then remove the stencil and place it in water with the palette knife to clean later. This paste is much thinner than the other so the spreading goes much quicker. Quickly pick up one of the glazes and randomly sprinkle the glaze over some of the circles so that it is evenly distributed. Then take another color and repeat, continuing with the rest, and finishing with the Platinum Embossing Powder on the star and any little circles you didn't get before. Take the paper and swirl it a bit to make sure all the paste is covered and then pour it off onto a paper. You can save this new recipe, but it will probably make brown, so keep that is mind for another project. Double check to make sure no powders are stuck to the tapes. If they are use a tiny brush to brush them away. Set this somewhere to dry for a bit, and clean your stencil. Repeat with the other paper. After about an hour or so heat emboss all the papers. Despite being dry both pastes will probably bubble up some, which just adds to the texture.

 

For even more texture and glitz, more paste will be stenciled over the circles this time using the Sparkle Fade Layering Stencil. It's hard to see in the photos but the sparkles are on top of the circles. Take the neutral and gold tree paper first, and lay the Modern Tree stencil back on and push it over the circles to get it as flat as you can. You will hear little pops as the stencil gets pushed down and that is good to prevent paste from getting underneath. Take the Sparkle Fade Layering Stencil and find the teeny tiny sparkle hole that is just about an inch below the hanging hole of the stencil, and make sure this part is right over the very first circle under the star and the sides match up perfectly with the sides of the tree stencil so all should be covered up except the openings for the tree of course. Take the SNOWFALL Grit Paste and palette knife and hold the stencil as flat and tight as you can and stencil in the paste in a light layer over all the openings. Lift the Sparkle stencil first and then the Tree stencil and place them in water. You will be able to see the grit paste sparkles well now until they dry. If any paste got between the circles use your palette knife to carve it away carefully. Let this dry naturally for at least an hour. Take the Music Notes and Trees paper and do the very same but with the SPARKLE Texture Paste this time, keeping in mind it's viscosity so really hold the stencils down tight so you won't get any spillage under. If you do, just carve it away. Remember that the pastes are translucent and you will only be able to see the sparkles under light while moving it around. This is what is going to make these cards so fun, is all the different things to see while moving it around in light as well as touch all the wonderful texture...a delight for the recipient I think.

 

Cut and fold a Kraft Cardstock base card to 4.5 x 8.5 inches. Cut Gold Metallic Kraftstock mats to 4 3/8 x 8 3/8 inches from the Metallic Classics Kraftstock, and adhere onto the front of the Kraft card base for the Ledger card. Cut Platinum Metallic mats to 4 3/8 x 8 3/8 inches and adhere those to more Kraft Cardstock for the Music Notes card. Cut dark green Kraftstock to 4 1/8 x 8 1/8 inches and just have two sided tape on the back and set aside for the Music Notes cards, and keep two 1 x 3 inch pieces for the sentiment.  Cut Vintage Photo colored Kraftstock to 4 1/8 x 8 1/8 inches and just have two sided tape on the back and set aside for the Ledger cards and keep two 1 x 3 inch pieces for the sentiment. Take the sentiment pieces and add the red music notes Tissue Tape to the green Kraftstock down the center, one for each card. Do the same with the Vintage Photo pieces using the Ledger Design Tape. Pounce an anti-static pouch over these, so the powder doesn't stick. Select sentiments from the Home For Christmas Stamp Set and place them in the center of the strips in the stamp platform and close to secure lid. Stamp these in any color ink...I used Frayed Burlap Distress Ink as that is what I used to ink everything remaining...onto the pieces, and quickly add Gold Embossing Powder to the Vintage Photo ones, and Liquid Platinum to the dark green ones, and then heat emboss. Using a Distress Tool, distress the top and bottom edges of the sentiments and then ink those edges with Frayed Burlap. 

 

 

 Ink around the edges of the card fronts with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink and then flick water on them for a mottled look and pounce with a paper towel to remove excess. Let dry. Distress the edges of the card front with the Distress Tool, and ink the edges with Frayed Burlap. Mount the card fronts on the dark green and Vintage Photo pieces. Distress those edges and ink just like before.  Add the sentiments below the trees with two sides tape. Use a mini hole punch to make holes on each side of the sentiments as well as in the middle of the star. Gather Star Fasteners, one for each star, and two long fasteners for each sentiment. Shake up Gold and Silver Mixatives. Color the star and long fasteners for the Ledger card with the Gold Mixative  and let dry. There is no Mixative that is Platinum colored so you can make your own, which I have done on many occasions. Use a small throw away cup for your mixture and a toothpick for stirring. Add a few drops of Alcohol Ink Blending Solution to the cup, then 2 or three drops of Silver Mixative and then about 4 drops of Gold Mixative and stir. You should get a Platinum color, but you can add more of either color to get the exact match as the Platinum Embossing. Dip your fasteners into this a few times and let dry on the craft sheet. Add all the fasteners to the holes where they go and close to secure. Then add the paper to the Kraft card bases. Ink the edges of the Kraft with more Frayed Burlap.

Supplies:

(Trimmer, Ink Blending Tool, Scissors, Two Sided Tape, Anti Static Pouch, Palette Knife, Heat Tool, Stamp Platform, Water Mister, Distress Tool, Mini Hole Punch)

-Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Christmas Paper Stash (2018), Cello Sticker Tape, Merriment Tissue Tape, Rose Design Tape, Christmas Design Tape (2017, 2018, 2022), Christmas Trim Tape, Trims Design Tape, Neutral Kraftstock, Cool Kraftstock, Metallic Classics Kraftstock, Star Fasteners, Long Fasteners

-Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz Layering Stencil (Christmas 2024): Modern Tree, Sparkle Fade 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Archival Ink: Frayed Burlap

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Grit Paste: Snowfall

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Glaze: Frayed Burlap, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Bundled Sage, Rustic Wilderness, Candied Apple, Lumberjack Plaid

-Ranger Embossing Powder: Gold, Platinum

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Texture Paste: Sparkle

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Frayed Burlap

-Stamper’s Anonymous Tim Holtz Stamp Set (Christmas 2024): Home For Christmas  

-Ranger Surfaces: Kraft Cardstock

-Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Blending Solution

-Ranger Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink Mixative: Gold, Silver

-Small Cup, Toothpick

 

I thank you so much for stopping by and for commenting! Thanks as well for all the comments and likes on social media. I'll be back again next week with another make from this release. Until then, I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!