Sixth Street Sundries

Emily Midgett

tim holtz

Snowflake Inspiration Using Simon Says Stamp Exclusive Tim Holtz Coordinating Dies + Halloween SALE!

Hi friends! I have another project to share with you today using some of the new dies that coordinate with Tim Holtz holiday stamps, released exclusively at Simon Says Stamp! (Click HERE to see the entire new release!) Whenever I think of Tim Holtz, I automatically think of mixed media and altered items embellished with lots of fun extras and bling. Last Christmas, I purchased lots of circular ornaments made of MDF board so that I could embellish and customize them to my heart’s content! I absolutely LOVE the gorgeous Swirly Snowflakes and Mini Swirly Snowflakes from Tim Holtz, and now that we have coordinating dies, it makes creating fun projects like this so quick and simple. Let’s get started on the details of my project!

After I had painted my blank ornament with a few layers of a lovely shade of fuchsia with Seedless Preserves Distress Paint, I set it aside to dry completely. I love using my acrylic paints to create home decor projects like this one; the opaque paint seems so much more permanent than using just watercolor or cardstock, and it can be mixed to create infinite custom colors to perfectly match the vision in my head!

To create the layered snowflakes, I pulled out some Spellbinders Mulberry cardstock, which matched the vibrant pinky purple paint on the ornament beautifully. I then heat embossed a large snowflake from Swirly Snowflakes and a medium and small snowflake from Mini Swirly Snowflakes using shimmering Princess Gold Embossing Powder. These snowflakes layer together so beautifully, and having both the large and mini sets means tons of layering options and more versatility!

After I had embossed the snowflake trio, I used the new coordinating dies to cut them out quickly and easily. I layered them together, starting at the bottom with the largest snowflake from Swirly Snowflakes, then the medium and small from Mini Swirly Snowflakes, adhering each layer together with thick foam adhesive squares to create tons of dimension. After I had adhered the snowflake in the center of the fuchsia ornament with another layer of foam adhesive, I used a Gold Paint Marker to add some dot accents and to gild the edge of the ornament. I think this creates such a polished effect. I also added some gorgeous, shimmering gems from my stash that are pink with an iridescent gold shimmer over the top. To finish everything off, I threaded a sparkling gold twine loop through the hole at the top of the ornament, making it easy to adorn a package or add to a Christmas tree!

Well, that’s all for my project today! It’s almost Halloween, so Simon Says Stamp is offering treats without tricks:

Use code EEK at checkout to receive $20 off your order of $80 or more until 11:59 on Sunday, November 1!! Click HERE to see all of the fabulous new goodies!

I’m signing off for the weekend now… we have so many Halloween happenings this weekend, so I am going to be one busy momma! Happy Halloween to those who celebrate. I am definitely ready to be done with pumpkins and move on to all. things. CHRISTMAS! Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!

Special Release: Simon Says Stamp Exclusive Tim Holtz Coordinating Dies!

Hi friends! I have a few special projects to share with you today using a super fun, exclusive-to-Simon Says Stamp new release. Crafty Genius Tim Holtz creates the most incredible, vintage inspired holiday stamp sets each year, and Simon Says Stamp now offers super detailed coordinating wafer thin dies to quickly and easily cut out those beautiful images! You can check out all of the Tim Holtz stamp sets and coordinating dies HERE.

I went on a creative spree earlier this week using these fabulous new dies, and for my first project, I created a card and gift bag set using some patterned papers and gorgeous stamped images from the Department Store stamp and die set. Let’s get started with the details on my projects!

I kept the color palette super traditional and very vintage, a style that almost automatically signals Tim Holtz to me. The new Department Store dies have the super fun feature of being able to layer the details on the wreath and bell images! You can stamp the large image multiple times, perhaps on different colored cardstock or with a different color of ink, then use the individual bow dies to cut out the details so that you can layer them with foam adhesive.

The gorgeous holly patterned paper from the Idea-ology Christmas Backgrounds 2026 Papers inspired this gift bag embellishment, because the holly swag on the bells matched the patterned paper so perfectly! I started by stamping the bells from Department Store three times: once on red cardstock with deeper red ink, once on green cardstock with deeper green ink, and once more on red cardstock with embossing ink and gold embossing powder. Once stamped, I used the individual detailed coordinating dies to cut the holly arrangement from the gold embossed image and the green bow, then used foam adhesive to add them to the complete bell image. I trimmed down the panel of the holly patterned paper and adhered it to a kraft gift bag, then added the bells, some Ornate Trims and glitter cardstock, and finished everything off with some Airy Pine Needles that I embellished with Tarnished Tim Holtz Fine Liquid Tinsel! I just love how this came out with simple stamping, some pretty patterned paper, and a bit of sparkle!

For my second project, I took advantage of the large size of the wreath image from Department Store to create a substantial focal point. I stamped the wreath image twice: once on green cardstock with Kale ink and once on red cardstock with Brick ink, then die cut the green wreath with the large wreath die and the red bow with the individual bow die. I layered the two die cuts together with foam squares and embellished the wreath with some sparkling “berries” created using Cherry Pawsitively Dazzling Gems.

After I had created my focal point, I wanted to create a unique card base to keep things interesting! I created a gate-fold card by scoring a 4.25″ x 11″ piece of cardstock at 2 1/8″ on each end. I then trimmed down some festive red and white striped patterned paper from the Idea-ology Christmas Backgrounds 2026 Papers to 2 1/8″ x 5.5″ and adhered them to both panels of the gate-fold card. I added a thick strip of some super sparkly red glitter cardstock, then mounted the wreath on the card front, adding adhesive to only one side so that the card would open easily and cleanly. For the greeting, I white embossed a sentiment from Sketch Greenery and die cut it with it’s new coordinating die, which I placed in the center of the wreath. I just love how bold and vibrant this project is!

Well, that’s all for my projects today! I have so many more fun projects to share with you using the new Simon Says Stamp Exclusive Tim Holtz Coordinating Holiday Dies. We are heading into the most festive season and I can’t get enough. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!

Simon Says Stamp STAMPtember Tim Holtz Collaboration: Festive Holidays!

Hi friends! Exciting STAMPtember news hot off the presses: the perennially amazing Tim Holtz has partnered with Simon Says Stamp to not only release exceptional STAMPtember collaboration goodies, but they are part of the kit that will be used in an exclusive Tim Holtz STAMPtember workshop! Click HERE to see all of the details!

If you are new to STAMPtember from Simon Says Stamp, throughout the month of September, Simon Says Stamp will have exclusive collaborations with some of our favorite stamping companies, releasing a limited edition stamp set designed in collaboration with a different company nearly every day! (Click HERE to see the Collaboration Sets page, and be sure to bookmark it!) 

I have created several projects using these gorgeous new Festive Holidays products, so let’s get started with a quick rundown on each!

For my first projects, I decided to create a watercolored card and coordinating tag set using the new Festive Watercolor images, Festive Tags, Festive Words, and Festive Sentiments from the kit with some of my favorite Distress Ink pinks: Tattered Rose, Saltwater Taffy, and Worn Lipstick.

I stamped the floral images from Festive Watercolor onto some Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Paper using Distress Tattered Rose. I then tapped Tattered Rose, Saltwater Taffy, and Worn Lipstick out onto my glass craft mat and picked up the color with my damp paintbrush, taking advantage of the water-based inks to create several beautiful watercolored blooms. I also stamped the greenery with Shabby Shutters, enhancing the images with some shadows painted on with Rustic Wildnerness Distress Ink. After I had finished painting, I die cut each image with it’s coordinating die.

I created a background with one of my new favorite techniques: ink swiping! I simply swiped the same pink Distress Inks on a panel of white cardstock, using a circular motion to blend the colors seamlessly. I splattered the background with gold shimmer watercolors as a nod to the mixed media king himself, then arranged all of the die cuts in a bouquet with foam adhesive, adding a gold and vellum die cut “Joy” greeting from the new Festive Words dies. I added some shimmering gems and topped everything off with a coordinating blush twine bow!

Using Tattered Rose Distress Ink as my main color, I created a coordinating gift tag, this time using gold embossing powder to add some truly luxurious gold shimmer to the project. I die cut a Festive Tags die from some Simon Says Stamp 120 lb Ultra Thick Card Stock, then swiped my Tattered Rose ink pad directly on the die cut tag, enhancing the gorgeous debossed lines around the edges of the die cut with a gold paint pen to create an elegant gilded frame around the edges. I splattered some more gold glitter watercolors on the delicate pink tag.

To adorn the pretty pink tag, I stamped some flowers and foliage using embossing ink, then added some gold embossing powder. Once I had melted the embossing powder, I die cut the finished images, and to add a little color, I swiped the Tattered Rose ink directly on the die cuts. Due to the resistant nature of the embossing, the color adhered to the white edges of the die cuts, creating solid, colorful images. I repeated the process with a couple of the sentiment stamps from the Festive Words, swiping Saltwater Taffy over the finished die cut. A glittery die cut hole reinforcer and some beautiful pink twine finished the tag off!

I couldn’t resist some gorgeous decor with the large scale images and Festive Words, so I die cut the gorgeous Peace word die from some Tim Holtz Metallic Kraft Stock, backing it with the die cut shadow cut from some pearlescent vellum. To create some fabulous, icy inspiration, I used Speckled Egg, Weathered Wood, and Broken China Distress Oxide Inks (so vibrant, but also so soft and velvety stamped on white cardstock!) to create a gorgeous floral background.

I also stamped some individual images from Festive Watercolor using the same ink colors, die cutting the images with their coordinating dies. I splattered the background with some sparkling watercolors (more hat tip to Tim the Mixed Media Master!), then arranged the die cuts on the 4×6 panel. I adhered the 4×6 panel to an inexpensive little easel frame that I purchased at the dollar store. Such a great way to create some pretty home decor using lots of the supplies that you already have! Finally, I added a few coordinating pearls, as well as twine and velvet bows.

One last project using the Festive Watercolor set! I customized this tiny wooden birdhouse that I found at my local dollar store, first by painting the entire birdhouse with some crisp white chalk paint. To make it pretty, I used some metallic pigment ink to stamp the images all over the birdhouse; the pigment ink stamps beautifully on the chalk paint. Stamping isn’t just for paper!!

I used some acrylic paints to enhance the stamped Festive Watercolor images, painting directly over the floral stamped images with metallic rose gold acrylic paint and some muted sage green for the foliage. I am obsessed with how beautifully this turned out!

Once my painted birdhouse had completely dried, I used a palette knife to add some chunky texture paste “snow drifts”, sprinkling the new Tim Holtz Chunky Rock Candy Glitter on the wet texture paste. I also applied some Collage Medium around the edges of the texture paste, adding some of the Fine Rock Candy Glitter, creating icy snow drifts and encrusting this pretty bird house with sparkling, icy glitter.

If you haven’t seen the LIVE, (click HERE to see!) Tim Holtz has shared a ton of different pieces of inspiration using the images that I used above. There is an unbelievable kit available filled with every single stamp and die set, as well as tons of other goodies, that is going to be used during the upcoming Technique Class on 9/28/25, shared on YouTube. The stamps and dies are going to also be available individually if you would prefer one or the other, and I’ll have them linked below, but the value of the kit (priced at $99.99) is more than two times than the purchase price. Incredible, incredible value!!!

However, just like all STAMPtember collaboration sets…. it’s limited edition. Don’t wait. Seriously… don’t wait. This is going to sell out ASAP.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and happy STAMPtember!!

Simon Says Stamp and Tim Holtz Special Surprise!!

Hi friends! I’m popping in quickly to share some super sparkling news with you: Tim Holtz has released a special pair of glittering, limited edition Rock Candy products exclusively at Simon Says Stamp!! (Check out the release HERE!) The classic Rock Candy glitter adds exceptionally beautiful sparkle and shimmer to your projects, and what better way to use glitter than on Christmas ornaments, right? Not only are these glitters incredibly shimmery on their own, they are completely customizable with your favorite color of alcohol ink!! The versatility is crazy good!

I created this icy, glittery, crazy sparkly ornament using some acrylic paint and the Stylized Mandala stencil. I simply painted a brown papier mâche ornament with white acrylic paint, allowed it to dry completely, then placed the Stylized Mandala stencil over the top and used a sponge dauber to add some metallic rose gold paint to perfectly match my white and rose gold Christmas tree! I was pressed for time, but I’d love to experiment with more colorful versions of this. How fun would it have been to do an ombré snowflake or have multiple colors radiating out from the center? I can’t wait to experiment more; those Rainbow Splash Sponge Daubers are perfect for creating a smooth transition for both paint and ink alike!!

Once my paint had dried completely, I used a palette knife to evenly spread Distress Collage Medium over the entire front of the ornament, then sprinkled both Rock Candy Glitter and Rock Candy Chunky Glitter on the wet medium. The sparkle is absolutely unreal… it looks like German glass glitter on vintage ornaments from my Grammy’s Christmas tree!

Once the medium had completely dried, the last step was to add a fluffy, color coordinated bow tied using some gorgeous ribbon from my stash and hot glued to the top of the ornament! So simple, but that glittery sparkle does not need much further embellishment!

Well, that’s all for my project today. If you love glitter and sparkle throughout the holiday season as much as I do, you won’t want to miss out on these limited edition, super-sized Rock Candy Glitter and Rock Candy Chunky Glitters, only available at Simon Says Stamp for a limited time! Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!

Special Release: Simon Says Stamp Exclusive Dies for Tim Holtz and Ranger!

Hi friends! Simon Says Stamp has had a special surprise release today: Exclusive Dies to match previously-released Tim Holtz cling stamp sets! These new coordinating die sets are exclusive to Simon Says Stamp and make crafting with these cling stamp sets such a joy. Click HERE to see all of these Specialty Bundles! I created three different projects highlighting these fabulous new dies, so let’s do a brief rundown of each project.

For this first project, I decided to do a fun vertical ombré with several different shades of blue to green Pawsitively Saturated Inks. I began by blending Spring, Dublin, Tropic, Ocean, Cadette, and Royal inks from left to right on a horizontal A2 card front. I went over the first layer with a second layer of ink blending to ensure a smooth gradient from color to color. To add some whimsy to the background, I splattered some diluted white gouache over the entirety of the panel.

I also used the same shades of ink to stamp the images from the Tim Holtz Wildflowers stamp set on white cardstock, then die cut them with the new coordinating dies. The white splatters on the background complement the white edges of the floral silhouette die cuts! I also white embossed a sentiment from Airy Greetings onto a strip of coordinating teal cardstock, then backed it with a slightly larger strip of coordinating blue glitter cardstock. I popped up the floral die cuts on their coordinating color stripe with foam adhesive, then added the sentiment strip over the top with a double layer of thin foam adhesive squares. For a final sparkling touch, I added a couple of Prism Pawsitively Dazzling Gems to each side of the greeting.

For my second project, I thought I would pair the delicate florals in the Mini Bouquet bundle with the feminine, lacy borders in the Ornate Trims bundle! When I was first learning to watercolor, I used Distress Inks, so this project took me back to my roots, for sure! I stamped the floral images from Mini Bouquet using Milled Lavender Distress Ink, then tapped Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord, and Iced Spruce out on my glass craft mat and used a damp paintbrush to pick up the color to do some delicate no-line watercolor with these pretty florals! Though these images are dainty, a paintbrush with a nice, crisp point and some patience to allow each section to dry will ensure that those details are not lost! After painting, I die cut the finished Mini Bouquet images with their new coordinating dies.

To further enhance the slightly “shabby chic” feel for this card, I stamped two of the different borders from the Ornate Trims bundle on a piece of white cardstock using Simon Says Stamp’s Petunia Pawsitively Saturated Ink. I die cut the stamped borders with their new coordinating dies, then adhered them in the center of a white A2 card front with some thin foam adhesive. Layering the trims reminds me so much of crocheted lace, like on the edge of a linen sheet or curtain! I arranged the watercolored florals in a swag, popping them up with a double layer of foam adhesive to achieve extra dimension, then tucked a die cut deep plum “hugs” dimensional die cut next to the bouquet. I added some Lilac Pawsitively Dazzling Gems and tucked a twine bow into the bouquet. I absolutely love how this one turned out! Clean and feminine with a hint of shabby chic.

For my final project, I was inspired by Tim Holtz’s incredible mixed media projects to try my hand at some mixed media of my own! I enjoy pushing myself outside of my typical symmetrical, carefully constructed projects to do something a bit more whimsical occasionally, and this frame that I found at my local dollar store provided me the perfect canvas to create some splattery mixed media goodness! I painted the wooden shadow box frame with a pearlescent royal purple, then selected Pawsitively Saturated Inks that worked nicely with the vibrant purple frame: Amethyst, Sky, Dew, and Heather. I lightly blended these colors on my 6×6 background panel, creating an ethereal blended background, then used the Bokeh Lights Stencils to add some interest to the background. To keep a semi-tone-on-tone background, I carefully blended the same colors on the stencils as the blended background behind it, which I think adds to the ethereal feel of the background. For the stencil with the largest dots, I used Tim Holtz’s Frozen Fog Mica Spray to add some subtle shimmer; I also splattered some handmade iridescent watercolors on the background for lots of different elements of shimmer and shine!

After I had created the background, I worked with the new stamp and die bundles to create a magical meadow. I heat embossed the butterflies from the Flutter bundle onto some vellum using silver sparkle embossing powder, then die cut them with their coordinating dies. I love embossing butterflies onto vellum; I think it makes them even more delicate and weightless! I also heat embossed some florals from the Wildflowers bundle using White Satin Pearl embossing powder. Before die cutting, I used residual ink from my blending brushes to lightly blend Dew ink on the foliage and Amethyst and Heather on the florals, which when die cut creates a lovely and ethereal emboss/resist effect!

I layered all of the die cuts on the blended background panel with so much (and I do mean SO MUCH) foam adhesive, creating multiple layers and heights by doubling it up for die cuts in the foreground. Finally, I added a “magical” die cut, cut from holographic mirror foil cardstock, but unfortunately I see that that die has been discontinued. You could recreate this with some individual alphabet letter dies, however! I think this finished product is just so much fun and such a departure from my regular projects.

Well, that’s all for me today! If you love Tim Holtz stamps but have been yearning for coordinating dies to make your life easier, Simon Says Stamp has made your wishes come true. I hope you’ll check out all of the fabulous bundles available, because Simon has a variety of bundles for many of Tim Holtz’s stamp designs available. You can check them all out HERE! Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!