Monday, November 5 was Tim Holtz Day for our Simon Says Stamp family! We had the opportunity to learn from one of the greatest teachers in the world. Tim is not only one of the kindest, most fun people you'll ever meet, but he is charismatic, funny, smart and so full of energy. He was generous with his time, resources and his wealth of knowledge. We welcomed Tim and Mario into our offices for a special day filled with learning and fun! They run a very well oiled machine and are are incredibly efficient with their operation!
With election day upon us and Ohio receiving national recognition as a "swing state", we decided it was time to put our vote to work! Holtz/ Rossi for President!
Simon Says Stamp strives to deliver:
- Quality Products
- Proactive Customer Service
- One Stop Shopping
- & Fresh Inspiration
to our customers all year long. We consider Employee Education critical in accomplishing this goal. Our customers deserve the best and we want to give it to them!
Tim taught a 5 hour class and gave us the opportunity to ask questions about products and their uses.
While we worked hands on with many Ranger products from stickles and glue to crackle paint and distress inks, Tim told us intriguing stories about how some product lines came to be. We learned some tips and tricks and problem solving ideas to teach our customers. While we were encouraged to get inky, let creativity rule, and experiment with different products, we were cautioned to discourage spraying alcohol inks and blending solution (due to health concerns) and be careful with color wash as its intesity can be messy if you're not careful.
Top Left: Tim Holtz Sizzix Texture Fades create an embossed image deeper than most other embossing folders. This makes them ideal for using on grunge and then inking a second color to really accentuate and bring out the embossed image.
Top Right: I really enjoyed collaging with the Idea-ology Tissue Tape. It's different than washi. It's made out of tissue paper, not washi. Tissue tape does not stick to itself. We learned a cool trick....tissue tape is an inkable surface. Ink it with distress and then apply Ranger's glue and seal. Not only does the glue and seal keep the tissue tape from "coming up", it also enhances the color of the ink and makes it much, much brighter!
Bottom left: If you have trouble with your foam pads sticking to your distress tool, it's because the foam is actually stronger than the glue used to attach the velcro to the wood handle. Just use a staple gun to adhere the velcro to the block. Guess what!? Distress tools that have been manufactured more recently are now coming with the velcro already stapled.
Bottom Right: You can use a heat tool to help your crackle paint dry. The cracks will appear different then the organic cracking that happens when you allow the paint to dry naturally. Decide what look you like best for your work. Ink between the cracks to give a beautifully aged look to your surface. Ink with different colors to add interest and depth.
Did you know that Ranger Distress stickles are different than regular stickles? You can dry them with a heat tool.
Do you like the paint in your paint dabber to be a little thinner for application? Just add water. It's a water based paint. Did you know you can put your craft sheet in the dishwasher. I had no idea. Cool, huh!?
Don't use the Tim Holtz water brushes to apply alcohol ink. The alcohol will eat up the plastic in the brushes. However, the water brushes work beautifully with Distress markers! Distress ink loves to react with water.
Do you like the paint in your paint dabber to be a little thinner for application? Just add water. It's a water based paint. Did you know you can put your craft sheet in the dishwasher. I had no idea. Cool, huh!?
Don't use the Tim Holtz water brushes to apply alcohol ink. The alcohol will eat up the plastic in the brushes. However, the water brushes work beautifully with Distress markers! Distress ink loves to react with water.
If your cling stamp loses it's "clinginess" to an acrylic block, just wash the back of it with water. Chances are the oils from your hands or the inks you might be using are preventing the stamp from clinging to blocks. Try to avoid using oil based cleaners to wash your stamps. Oil and water don't play nicely together. Your distress inks won't evenly stamp if there's oil embedded somewhere in your rubber stamps.
We are forever grateful to Tim and Mario for working so hard. They help keep the spirit of the industry alive. These are definitely two of the hardest working people on the planet.
I know this is the best industry in the world and appreciate all of the good kind creative people that are its heartbeat. My life is beyond blessed to be surrounded by such fine folks every day.
Simon Says Stamp is truly a family affair. Our team is our family. I guess my love for crafting is contagious because our son Jax is an eager inker! Crafting together is the best place to be :)
We have a tote bag we'd love to give away. Please tell us any of your cool tips and tricks that you have for crafters. We'd love to hear them! One random lucky winner will receive the tote bag that Sarah and Stephanie are excitedly displaying!
Thank you for supporting Simon! We are working every day to be better for YOU!
THANK YOU TO TIM AND MARIO for taking time out of their VERY busy schedule to give us a day of education and inspiration!
In stamping love,
Heidi & Our Simon Team
Heidi & Our Simon Team
