Extreeeeeeeeme!!!

 
Remember this?

It's that time!!

For our upcoming Designer's Challenge at CHA Winter 2012, we are giving ordinary paper mache dress forms to various designers to decorate in any way they please, using Ranger products.  In our first episode of Extreme Stickling, Ranger Sales Director and Stickles Enthusiast Alain Avrillon decides to enter the Designer's Challenge by dipping the dress form into Waterfall Stickles!

You're not going to believe the amazing results.

And if that's not unbelievable enough, get a load of the Extreme Stickling intro:

EXTREEEEEME!!!  Yes, those are Stickles.  Yes, that is Alain they are being poured onto.  NO, do NOT try this at home!! (Not that you would... but still!)

And with that, Ranger proudly presents Episode 1 of Extreme Stickling: The Dress Form.

Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas: Coming Soon!

 
It's that time of year again!  Tim Holtz will be presenting the 12 Tags of Christmas on his blog for the 5th consecutive year, starting this Thursday, December 1st!  For those of you unfamiliar with the 12 Tags, Tim designs a holiday tag every day and photographs it, creates a supply list and instructions for it, and posts it on his blog at midnight PST.  It's Tim's way of sharing his love for the holiday season while challenging himself creatively and, hopefully, inspiring you at the same time!  Be sure to check out the amazing results from previous years: 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

While you're checking Tim's blog every day to see that day's tag, be sure to stop by the Ranger blog as well.  A few of us at Ranger will be using Tim's tags as inspiration to create our own projects, so please keep an eye on our blog to see what we come up with.  Plus, we will be picking a random comment from each of our posts during the 12 Tags of Christmas and awarding the lucky author the following holiday-inspired Ranger prize pack:

That's right!  Just for leaving a comment on our blog each day, you could win all of the following:

• an Inkssentials Non-Stick Craft Sheet
• a pack of Inkssentials Surfaces #8 Manila Craft Tags
• a bottle of Inkssentials Crackle Accents
• Distress Stains in Picket Fence, Pine Needles and Fired Brick
• Perfect Pearls Mists in Forever Green and Forever Red
• Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabbers in Stream and Red Pepper
• an Adirondack Metallic Acrylic Paint Dabber in Silver
• an Archival Ink #0 pad in Sepia
• Embossing Tinsel in Snowflake
• Ice Stickles in Mint Ice
• Distress Stickles in Barn Door
• Liquid Pearls in White Opal
• AND the Distress Ink Winter Seasonal Series, including Evergreen Bough, Festive Berries and Iced Spruce dye ink pads!

Are you excited yet?  We are!  And if that isn't enough excitement, we'll leave you with this clever "trailer" Tim created for this year's 12 Tags:

Happy holiday crafting to all!!

Announcing the Winter Seasonal Series of Distress Ink!!

We were amazed at the overwhelming response to the Fall Seasonal Distress Inks, so we've stepped up production to meet the anticipated demand of the gorgeous Winter Distress Ink palette.  And, here they are at last: introducing the three colors of the Winter 2011 Distress Ink Seasonal Series!

This limited edition collection of Distress Inks are a wintery mix of colors just right for the holiday season: Evergreen Bough (a beautiful green with a hint of blue), Festive Berries (a true Christmas red) and Iced Spruce (an incredible greyish blue).



For a closer look at these gorgeous winter hues, check out Tim's video!

These sets are now available, so check your local arts & crafts and scrapbooking stores now!!  Remember, the Winter Seasonal Distress Inks are only being produced in a limited quantity, so when they're gone, they're gone.  Be sure to scoop yours up while you still can!  For more info check out the press release.

We'd like to give away three sets to our blog readers, so for your chance to win, just tell us: How do you Distress during the winter season?  For example, maybe you use Distress Inks for making Christmas cards, or perhaps you decorate ornaments with Distress Crackle Paint and Distress Stickles?  Let us know!!

(11/2 EDIT:  If you are having trouble viewing the video, please click here to view on YouTube.)

New Technique: Alcohol Ink Glassine

 

Ranger's Senior Educator Wendy Vecchi has yet another awesome technique to share with you!  Watch this video that shows you how she alters Tim Holtz' Kraft Glassine using Adirondack Alcohol Inks and Snow Cap Mixative to achieve a rustic patina effect.

Video: Claudine Demonstrates Black Gesso at CHA

 
We're featuring a Halloween card that you can make with Claudine Hellmuth Studio Black Gesso on our website this October, but perhaps you are wondering what else you can do with Black Gesso?  If so, check out this video Claudine created at CHA, where she demonstrates a great way to give Inkssentials Metal Foil Tape an antique look.  Claudine shows off some other great uses for Studio Black Gesso, too.... like, custom chalkboards!

Have you tried Black Gesso? If so, what are your favorite uses for it?

What's New on RangerInk.com for September

We have a fantastic trio of awe-inspiring projects, ideas, tips and techniques featured on RangerInk.com this month.

First off, watch this video with Tim Holtz and Customer Service Manager Teresa Natividad -- discover some creative uses for our Inkssentials Metal Foil Tape Sheets

.

 

 

Next, we have two stunning projects created by Richele Christensen. First, check out this dreamy tag with Distress Rock Candy Crackle Paint.

 

Richele then shares fun techniques for making Shrink Plastic embellishments to adorn our New Inkssentials Kraft ATCs.

 

 

Don't forget to visit RangerInk.com for new ideas every month. Would also encourage you to let us know what type of projects you might like to see in the future, so leave a comment...you never know, you might get a reward for your suggestion??!!

 

 

Video: Claudine Hellmuth Studio Mini Paints and Foam Stamping

 
Ranger Signature Designer Claudine Hellmuth has created a wonderful new video where she shares some of her favorite tips when using her new Studio Mini Paints.  She also demonstrates how the Mini Paints can be used along with her Creative Layers Foam Stamps for mess-free stamping and easy color blending!

Be sure to visit Claudine's blog for more great tips, and check out her class at ScrapFest, too!

Video - Tim Holtz Distress Stains

 
Ranger's Creative Director and Signature Artist Tim Holtz has created a great new video that explains pretty much everything you ever wanted to know about Distress Stain, including the new opaque white Picket Fence Stain!

Check out his video to learn some awesome tips for getting the most out of your Distress Stains, and be sure to visit Tim's blog to see close-up photos of the techniques demonstrated!

New for August on RangerInk.com

 
Check out what's new for August on RangerInk.com!

Use Inkssentials products in conjunction with Distress Inks, Archival Ink and Perfect Pearls Mists to create a summery, sandy tag in this new project by Arlene Stump!

Arlene also shares tips and techniques for embossing Inkssentials Surfaces Metal Foil Tape and coloring it with Adirondack Alcohol Inks.  Use her techniques to create this adorable baby photo album!

Plus, check out a new video in which Ranger's own Debbie Tlach and Tim Holtz explore the new palette of Archival Inks and share some of their favorite surfaces for use with Archival!

...Time for a surprise giveaway!!  We chose a comment at random from our last post and its author will win some goodies from Ranger!  Congratulations to DoBea A. who commented:

"Can't wait to complete my collection of Distress Stains with all of the new colors coming out!!!"

Hopefully, SIX new Distress Stains (including white Picket Fence!) will get you closer to completing your collection, DoBea A.!  Please email us at blog{at}rangerink.com with your shipping details, and your Stains will be on their way to you.  Congratulations again, and thank you for leaving a comment on our blog!

Video: Picket Fence Distress Stain

 
Are you curious about the new Tim Holtz Picket Fence Distress Stain and how this unique, opaque white stain can be used in conjunction with the other 36 colors of Distress Stains? If so, check out this video that Ranger's Marketing Director Bonnie Egenton created for Craft Critique, straight from the CHA Summer 2011 Innovations event!  Bonnie will show you how to use Picket Fence to lighten the other colors of Distress Stains and how to give your scrapbook papers an antique, whitewashed effect.