Five on Friday with Tim Holtz - Interview

For the past four years, Tim Holtz created his "Twelve Tags of Christmas". To the left are last year's tags intended to inspire and warm you up for the exciting season ahead. We are hoping Tim will do his 12 Tags series again this year! What do you think?

In honor of our Simon Says STAMPtember celebration, Tim graciously agreed to answer our most pressing questions. In true Tim form, he answered ALL of our questions. Hey, if you are lucky enough to know Tim, you know that he always rises to the occasion. He is a hard working, good, kind man. The fact that he is a creative genius is actually my second most favorite thing about him. I love him for who he is and what he stands for.

Here we are! Welcome to our Five on Friday Fun! Ahem.... interviewer clears her throat...So... I couldn't dare ask Tim 7 questions and leave out 2 of his answers to narrow it down for Five on Friday. How on earth could a girl choose? Leave something out? That's just not my style. Therefore, we all get two bonuses!

If you are like me, you are hoping that simply hearing him speak or reading his words will make you even just a touch more inspired. Yup, the good news is.... I definitely am.

Without further adieu, please enjoy our Five on Friday with Mr. Holtz Himself:

Me: If you were stranded on a desert island with an endless supply of stamps & ink and a generator for electricity, what 5 stamping supplies would you bring and why?

Tim: in short here are the 5: scissors, vagabond, dies, glossy accents, craft sheet

the details: well let's be honest here, you've already provided me with THE most important supply of all…ink! and an endless supply at that. i'll need scissors to go out and cut down my surfaces (i'm thinking tree bark, leaves, etc). next i'd run those items through the vagabond to cut shapes and create textures unlike anything else. my craft sheet would be key for creating my most favorite techniques. glossy accents would help me stick it all together. not bad for a survival kit huh?

Me: Sounds perfect to me :)

Me: We love that you offer inks and other mediums in 36 custom distress colors. How did you come up with the names of your colors? (I've always wanted to know that answer!)

Tim: for me, the color name is just as important as the color itself. distress names are definitely a collaboration from the team at ranger. i start with my suggestions and we brainstorm from there. most of the time the names are quickly agreed upon, but there have definitely been those few that i have to compromise on. i guess sometimes i'm a little "too distressed"…


Me: If you had to pick your all time favorite rubber stamp, what would it be and why?

Tim: i would have to say this jumbo postcard stamp from an old company called a lost art would be my favorite simply because that's where it all started - it was my first rubber stamp i bought ever! call me sentimental i guess...

Me: It’s great when there is a pause in travel or the timing is perfect to visit an antique mall or flea market. Where do you like to find inspiration?

Tim: it's definitely great to have a pause in travel, but like they say "the journey is the destination". i find inspiration in everyday life. sure, flea markets and antique stores provide their share of vintage treasures, but the simple things in life like the design of an old building, the texture of nature's elements like rocks, leaves, and trees, or the graphics of vintage fashion… it's all right there in front of us...


Me: Do you have a favorite time of day for getting grungy in your studio?

Tim: i definitely enjoy crafting in the late night hours best, but with my travel schedule i'll take every possible minute i can get.



Me: We know Mario is a great cook and posts the most delicious creations on twitter, what's your favorite Mario-made meal to enjoy while creating? The nachos and Blue Moon look so good sometimes I can taste them just by looking at the pic!

Tim: hands down…nachos! or maybe pizza… yeah but the ribs are incredible too...


Me: Right now you have designed over 100 rubber stamp sets. Do you have an all time favorite? (if so, can you tell us why?)


Tim: honestly i don't have a favorite set, i actually enjoy using them all. i've always said rubber stamps are tools and i like to get the most out of each and every one…


If you want to view tutorials, see tips and tricks, hear about Tim's journey and so much more, be sure to check out his blog HERE. Personally I can't get enough of Tim, so I follow Mario Rossi for intriguing behind the scenes (BTS), check out MariojRossi on Twitter. Tim is Tim_Holtz on twitter too, but Mario's twitter feed updates more often, and for a girl who can't get enough, I follow both!


Simon Says Stamp works very hard to be The One Stop Shop for All Things Tim Holtz. Click HERE to view our Tim Holtz Store category.


In celebration of STAMPtember, www.SimonSaysStamp.com is offering over 1,000 Tim Holtz' products at 15% off until Midnight EST September 11, 2011... AND our exceptional shipping rates still apply! No coupon codes are needed. All USA & Canada orders over $70 ship for free and all International orders over $300 ship for free.



FUN FACT! Tim's stamps are manufactured in our home state - Ohio - by Stampers Anonymous. The best part of THAT!? Stampers Anonymous is owned and operated by the dynamic duo of Ted and Michelle Cutts. Here they are recently with their daughter in their finest Sunday duds:




Of course now that the STAMPtember questions have been asked, it leaves me wanting to ask more. ENCORE! If you could ask Tim anything, what would YOU ask? Comment below to let us know what YOU would ask Tim....and maybe we will all get lucky :) We will randomly choose 12 lucky commenters to receive a Tim Holtz surprise! We have aprons, tote bags, inks, stamps and more to give away! The winners will be announced Monday September 12.

Grab a stamp with me today :)
Heidi