Stamper’s Anonymous Curations Summer 2026: Happy 250th Birthday USA

Hello All! First, let me give you a big thank you for all the warm comments and messages from last weeks post and my long absence! My cup runneth over. Today, I have the second project shown in the Stamper's Anonymous Curations Summer/Travel YouTube Live featuring the stamps and stencils from Tim Holtz, the patriotic 250th Birthday Thickboard Tag. I used the Retro Carnival Components Stamp as my inspiration for this, and had a lot of fun creating it. I think it would look awesome in a wreath. Enjoy!

 

Using the Retro Carnival Components Stamp as my inspiration, I gathered the larger stamped images from the Psychedelic Grunge stamp set and kind of planned it out. Using Picket Fence Distress Paint from Ranger, I painted over the Mini Tag size thick board and tag hole.

 

Once dry, I started from the bottom working up and started stamping. I cut the numbers for the years from the Mixed Media 118 set and added them to a stamping block, then stamped them in Black Soot Archival. I cut one star from the row or stars and stamped it in the middle of the years with Barn Door Archival. (FYI...I ended up needing masks for pretty much every stamp from here on out for the bursts part, so I used sticky note to make them.)

 

Taking the circle star from Psychedelic, I stamped it in Prize Ribbon Archival and made a mask. Then taking the bullseye from the MM122 set, I stamped it using Barn Door Distress Archival Ink over the mask so the star would be in the middle, all on the bottom right.

  

I stamped the 'how old' and arrow in Prize Ribbon Archival. Then taking the number stencil, I inked in the numbers 2 and 5 with Barn Door. 

 

 

Taking the star from Psychedelic, I stamped it in Barn Door and masked it. Then using the stencil with the arrows, I chose the firework rocket looking one and over the masked star I inked it in with Prize Ribbon Archival in the middle of the tag. 

 

 

I took the mini star stencil from Set 38 and inked in some below the firework in Barn Door. Then using the Alphabet Stamps I cut off the U, the S, the A, and stamped those on the firework and star using Glacier White Pigment Ink, stamping them several times to be nice and white.

 

I added the circles from Psychedelic to a stamping platform and stamped them along the right side, alternating colors and using sticky notes to mask off the parts I didn't want to be inked using both the Barn Door and Prize Ribbon. I stamped the star circle above in Barn Door, and stamped it again on the hole part in Prize Ribbon. Then I stamped the whole circle image again on sticky note for masking in the next step. 

 

 

I cut out the masked sticky notes and placed them on the top portion of images. Then I took the Rays Layering Stencil and Glacier White Pigment Ink and inked in the Rays with a Mini Ink Blending Tool. I did the same to the bottom. The ink covered up some parts I didn't want covered up, but I just reinked those parts.

 

 

Using the Dot Matrix portion of a stencil I inked in the open areas of the rest of the tag with Faded Jeans Archival. I painted the edges of the whole tag with Black Soot Distress Paint bringing it up over the edges for a distressed look like on the Components Stamp, as well as the hole. Then I adhered the hole onto the tag with Collage Medium.

 

 Using a black permanent fine pen, I outlined every single thing on the tag. I used a white gel pen to color in a few portions that needed more white. Then using 4 colors of Stickles I went nuts with the glitz. Once dry, I wrapped twine around my hand several times, tied a knot in the middle and tied it onto the hole.

 

Supplies:

(Stamp Platform, Scissors, Stamping Block, Sticky Note, Mini Ink Blending Tool, Detail Ink Blending Tool)

-Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz Components Collection: Retro Carnival COM030

-Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz Etcetera Thickboard Mini Tag 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Paint: Picket Fence, Black Soot

-Stamper’s Anonymous Tim Holtz Stamp Set:Psychedelic Grunge CMS056) 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Archival Ink: Black Soot, Barn Door, Prize Ribbon, Faded Jeans

-Stamper’s Anonymous Tim Holtz Mixed Media Stamps/Stencil: THMM118, THMM122, THMM139 

-Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection Mini Layering Stencils: Set 38 

-Ranger Glacier White Pigment Ink

-Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection Layering Stencils: Rays 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium: Matte

-Ranger Stickles: Wine Cellar, Twinkle, Blue Bayou, Black Diamond

-Ranger Glossy Accents

-Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Jute String, Crinkle Ribbon

-Fine Point Black Permanent Pen, White Gel Pen, Ribbon 

 

Happy 4th of July everyone! Thank you for stopping by. And as always, I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon! I'll be back next week.

Stamper’s Anonymous Curations Summer 2026: Deco Tulips Bingo #8 Thickboard Tag

Hello Everyone! I don't even know if I remember how to blog anymore, it's been sooo long. Please forgive my absence. I had a medical issue last year and lots of family obligations, and I'm just now ready to get back to it. 

Today, I am so happy to show you the first of three projects that I created for the Stamper's Anonymous Curations Summer Release featuring older Tim Holtz stamps and stencils, and new Thickboard Curations pieces, that was shown on the Live today on the Stamper's Anonymous YouTube Channel. This was so fun to make, and helps to welcome in the new season. I am so honored to have been asked to participate, and I thank Ted for asking me. Many thanks to those who checked up on me as well. My cup runneth over. Enjoy!

 

Using the Games Components Stamp as my inspiration, I gathered the larger stamped images from the stamp sets...The bingo card, game pieces, and ticket from Game of Life, the ticket stub from The Big Top, and the game board from Pen and Pencil. Even though I didn't have the exact ticket stub from the Components I used what I had and then the game board for filler since this thick board is bigger than the component. 

 

Using Picket Fence Distress Paint from Ranger, I painted over the #8 Tag size thick board and tag hole. Once dry, I added my stamps to a Stamp Platform and stamped them using Distress Archival Ink...the game pieces in Barn Door and then making a mask from sticky note (which I forgot to do), the bingo card and ticket in Black Soot (mask for the ticket), the ticket stub in Rustic Wilderness (mask), and the game board in Prize Ribbon, stamping it top and bottom. Since I forgot to mask the game pieces I had to paint over the black lines on them with Picket Fence. I left all the stamps in the platform in case I needed to restamp them, which I did. 

 

 

I lightly painted in the open areas of the game pieces with Scattered Straw Distress Paint. I inked in the stub with Peeled Paint Archival using the masks on the others. I inked in the ticket and hole with Spiced Marmalade Archival. I inked over the bingo card with Vintage Photo Archival here and there. I inked over very lightly the game boards with Prize Ribbon Archival. Then I restamped all the images with the same inks as in the beginning to make them nice and crisp, and I stamped over the hole with the portion of the ticket that would be under it. Using Black Soot Distress Paint I painted the edges of the tag bringing the black up and over the borders somewhat.

 

 

Taking pieces I would need from the Deco Tulips Ornamentals, I painted over the two pot pieces with Rusty Hinge Distress Paint, the stem and two leaves with Peeled Paint, and the three flower pieces with Picket Fence, as well as three diamonds. Then I painted the edges with Black Soot. I also rubbed the Spiced Marmalade Archival Ink pad over the two pot pieces for a little textural look. 

 

 

Taking a game pieces that was red, I lightly painted over the raised parts with Black Soot Distress Paint and let it dry. I cut the word 'create' off of the sentiment from the Mixed Media set THMM117 and stamped it inside the ticket with Black Soot Archival. Using the diamond parts of the stencil I lightly painted in Picket Fence over both pieces of the pot. Using the circles portion I inked over the 3 flower parts with Fossilized Amber Archival and an Ink Blending Tool. Once dried I adhered the pot pieces and flower and stem. I painted the edges of all with Black Soot, dried, and then adhered all pieces onto the tag with Collage Medium. I adhered the diamonds to the pot. I used Glossy Accents over the polka dots on the flower. I adhered the game piece to the left of the pot. 

 

 

Supplies:

(Stamp Platform, Scissors, Sticky Note, Mini Ink Blending Tool)

-Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz Components Collection: Games COM018

-Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz Etcetera Thickboard #8 Tag 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Paint: Picket Fence, Black Soot, Scattered Straw, Rusty Hinge, Peeled Paint

-Stamper’s Anonymous Tim Holtz Stamp Set: Game of Life CMS036, The Big Top CMS074, Pen and Pencil CMS072) 

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Archival Ink: Black Soot, Barn Door, Prize Ribbon, Spiced Marmalade, Peeled Paint, Rustic Wilderness, Vintage Photo, Fossilized Amber

-Stamper's Anonymous Ornamentals: Deco Tulips 

Stamper’s Anonymous Tim Holtz Mixed Media Stamps/Stencil: THMM117 

Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium: Matte

-Ranger Glossy Accents

-Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Game Pieces 

 

Thank you for all the wonderful comments on the Live and Instagram. I'm very happy to be back. I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

Tim Holtz Sizzix Halloween 2022 - Bold Text and Retro Halloween Treat Bag #10 Gift Tags

I'm back and with my last project from the Tim Holtz Sizzix Halloween Live...these fun Bold Text Halloween and Retro Halloween Treat Bag Gift Tags, for those special Trick-or-Treaters.  The Retro Halloween images are so easy and fast to put together, and you can use so many substrates with them and interchange the pieces with different ones...so cool! I was lucky to find some (Although not enough so all the bags are not filled yet in the photos, but I'll be looking for more.) retro candy to fill the sacks with to match the retro feel of the tags...love that those are still being made, especially the Razzles. Enjoy!

 

When die cutting the Retro Halloween and Bold Text Halloween pieces, you will need glitter paper and Metallic Kraftstock in the same color family, as well as black cardstock, all with two sided tape on the back and ready to go...with the exception of the ghost and skull (they need black glitter paper as well as silver glitter paper and silver Metallic Kraftstock) and cat (yellow glitter paper but with black Metallic Kraftstock). All the faces will need two solid base pieces in glitter, one face in metallic, and one face in black cardstock. You will replace the inside pieces of black cardstock with the inside pieces of Metallic Kraftstock, then adhere each one to a glitter base with the glitter showing through to the eyes and anywhere else you think (See the next picture for some detail on this.). On the text of each one, die cut the words with black cardstock, remove the letters and save for later, and adhere the words to a glitter paper and trim around the border (see pic 3 for better details). Then you will decide which face to use on the tags and save the other for another project or make more tags with them. 

 

  

Here is a better look at what I talked about above. There are two base glitter pieces for each face (one in metallic and one in black), and you swap out the middle pieces on the faces with the other color, leaving the eyes open to see the glitter when you adhere the face on. You can also cut the two die pieces together to get a thin border trim to use on one, which is a cool thing to be able to do and that makes it like there are three dies per character instead of two. The hard part is deciding which face to use on the tag, or you can make two tags and use both. 

 

 

Here is a little detail on the sentiment. Die cut using Black Cardstock with two sided tape on back, push out the letters and use for another time, then adhere to a glitter paper and trim around. Adhere this onto Mixed Media Cardstock or Manila and trim around just leaving a tiny border, and ink the border with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.

 

  

To make the tags, pick two Halloween Backdrops to paper piece together. Cut each into six each pieces, and then join two together (one piece from sheet) with a piece of Halloween Design Tape. Ink the edges with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink, and then mount onto Black Cardstock, just leaving a very thin edge. Mount this onto Mixed Media Cardstock or Manila, and cut and ink the edges. Mount this onto a patterned Halloween paper (I used Halloween Kraftstock...love this stash!) and leave a wider border, and ink. Then mount onto black and finally onto a #10 Kraft Tag, and ink the edges. Lots of layers, but it really makes the images pop. 

 

 

To dress up the characters, add hats cut from patterned Halloween paper, and even add a pom pom on top with Collage Medium. To make collars, cut a piece of Mummy Cloth about 5 inches long, and pull a few threads from each side opposite each other to make it ruffle up, and gently pull and slide the cloth at the same time until you get the ruffled look you want. Tie the threads into a knot behind the collar, and add two sided tape behind. Remove the two sided tape backing from the character and stick the collar in place where you want it and then adhere the character to the tag directly or add some foam tape behind to prop up the middle of the face and stick the sides of the face down like I did. Adhere the sentiment below. Add whatever else you want to dress up your character. 

 

 

Take large Kraft treat sacks that are slightly larger than the #10 tag, and ink the edges in Gathered Twigs. Fill the bags with vintage retro looking candy, and fold the top about 3/4 of an inch. Punch a hole in the middle of the fold to match up with the hole on the tag, and secure the tag on top of the sack with a Mummy Cloth bow to give to your special Trick-or-Treaters or as party favors. SO STINKING CUTE!

 

Supplies:  

(Scissors, Two Sided Tape, Paper Trimmer, Die Cut Machine, Die Pick, Ink Blending Tool, Foam Tape, Hole Punch)

-Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits (Halloween 2022): Retro Halloween, Bold Text Halloween 

-Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Metallic Colors Kraftstock, Metallic Classics Kraftstock, Halloween Backdrops, Halloween Design Tape, Halloween Kraftstock, Halloween Trimmings 

-Ranger Surfaces: Black Cardstock, Mixed Media Cardstock, #10 Kraft Tags 

-American Crafts Glitter Paper Pad 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Gathered Twigs 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium: Matte 

-4.75 x 9.25 Inch Kraft Gift Sacks, Tiny Pom Poms

 

More Halloween goodness is on the way, so stay tuned! Thank you so much for coming on over. Until next time, I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!