Let's check out the action at the Ranger demo tables at CHA!

Ranger Creative Director and Signature Artist Tim Holtz shows off his Distress line and the new Distress Stains:

Ranger Signature Artist Jenni Bowlin demonstrates her dye inks and acrylic paint dabbers:

Ranger Senior Educator Wendy Vecchi stampin' away:

Ranger Senior Educator Dyan Reaveley and her Dylusions line of stamps:

Ranger Graphic/Fine Artist and Photographer Debbie Tlach works on a Melt Art make n' take:

Looks like everyone's having a great time!  Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth and participated in the artist demo's; we hope you had as much fun as we did!

 
Let's take a sneak-peek inside Ranger's CHA Workshop!  In this series of classes taught by Tim Holtz, Dyan Reaveley, Wendy Vecchi and Claudine Hellmuth, our students learned how to make canvases in each artist's signature style.

The calm before the storm:

The students arrive:

Tim Holtz's class, featuring Distress Inks and Distress Stains:

Dyan Reaveley's class, featuring painting with Perfect Pearls:

Tim and Dyan's finished canvases:

Wendy Vecchi's class:

Wendy's canvas:

Tim, Dyan and Wendy's finished canvases:

Claudine's class:

Claudine's canvas:

All four canvases together:

Thanks to all the students who attended!  We hope you had as much fun as we did!

 
More shots of our CHA booth coming to life!

Here is our fabulous Designer Challenge Display made from antique doors:

Distress:

Adirondack:

Inkssentials:

Claudine Hellmuth Studio:

The outside perimeter of the booth:

The "What's New" wall:

Melt Art:

Perfect Pearls:

Project samples:

Team Ranger:

Inside the booth:

Stay tuned: tomorrow we're going behind-the-scenes at Ranger's CHA Workshop featuring Tim Holtz, Dyan Reaveley, Wendy Vecchi and Claudine Hellmuth!

 
Here are some behind-the-scenes snaps of Day 1 of the Ranger booth set-up at CHA Winter 2011!

(The Designer's Challenge projects, featuring Perfect Pearls, will be displayed on these antique doors!)

It's coming right along!  The booth will be completed today, just in time for the first day of the trade show on Saturday.

Stay tuned for more CHA updates!

 
At CHA Summer 2010 we debuted the new Inkssentials Surfaces line and introduced our Manila Cardstock, Manila Craft Tags, and ATCs made of manila, gloss paper, and Sticky-Back Canvas.  Now, at CHA Winter 2011, we are expanding the line with two new additions to the Surfaces line that we know you're going to love!

First up: Metal Foil Tape Sheets! These adhesive-backed thin metal tape sheets are incredibly versatile and the ideal surface to decorate and stick to your cards, scrapbook pages and home décor projects.  They can be colored with Adirondack Alcohol Ink, Archival Ink and acrylic paint, and they can even be embossed with your favorite embossing system!  Metal Foil Tape Sheets come in two sizes: a pack of five 6" x 12" sheets, and a pack of six 4¼" x 5½" card size sheets.

And secondly, we are introducing Shrink Plastic to the Surfaces line as well!  Ink, stamp or draw on this high-quality surface, and then it can be cut out and heat it to shrink!  This is the ideal way to make tons of miniature embellishments for all of your projects.  Try running it through your favorite die cutting machine, too!  Shrink Plastic will come in a pack of five 8" x 10½" sheets.

Inkssentials Surfaces Shrink Plastic will be coming to a craft shop near you this February, and Metal Foil Tape Sheets will be close behind in March!

 
Introducing the latest kit in the Perfect Pearls line, and it's pretty sweet…

Perfect Pearls Confections!  The beautiful, candy shoppe-inspired colors include Blue Raspberry, Pink Gumball, Grape Fizz and Sour Apple, and they are sure to add lots of sugary shimmer to your paper projects.  Like all other Perfect Pearls colors, Confections were developed with a built-in resin that requires no additional binders, making them super easy to use wet or dry.  The Confections colors are available in a kit which also contains 2 Perfect Pearls Brushes and a Perfect Medium pad, and they are also available open-stock. 

More good news on the Perfect Pearls front: the previously released Café colors (Biscotti, Mandarin, Cappuccino and Mint) are now available open-stock as well!

We have a new addition to the Adirondack line to announce as well:

Tim Holtz Adirondack Alcohol Ink Cardstock is a high quality stock with a glossy finish on one side (the ideal surface for Adirondack Alcohol Inks) and a matte surface on the other.  The cardstock comes in packs of 20 sheets measuring 4¼" x 5½" each, which makes them perfect for handmade greeting cards!

Perfect Pearls Confections are available this February, and look for Adirondack Alcohol Ink Cardstock in your local crafting supply shop this March!

 
At CHA Winter 2011 we will be debuting some additions to two of your favorite product lines: Claudine Hellmuth Studio and Inkssentials.

This past Summer we introduced you to the awesome Claudine Hellmuth Studio Creative Layers Stamps collection.  Well, guess what?

This winter, we'll be debuting two complete sets in a new JUMBO size!  These extra-large coordinating foam and clear stamp sets can be used separately, but when "creatively layered" (geddit?) they create some really whimsical, illustrative effects!  Use them with any of our inks or with Claudine Hellmuth Studio Paints and Mediums.

(To learn how to get the most from your Creative Layers Stamps, check out Claudine's free e-class!)

And new to the Inkssentials line this winter:

Inkssentials Glue N' Seal is an all-purpose glue and sealer that also happens to be waterproof.  You can use it for decoupage projects, scrapbooking, card making, collaging, or any craft project where gluing or a sealing top coat is needed.  Best of all, it's available in both matte and gloss finishes, and each finish is available in two sizes: a 1 oz. jar (with a handy-dandy built-in brush), or a 4 oz. jar.

And that's not all:

Introducing the Inkssentials Mister.  Think of it as a big brother to our popular Mini Misters.  The Inkssentials Mister is a 2 oz. fine spray mist bottle that is ideal for applications where more water is needed.  They can be filled with water, inks, dyes and more to create some amazing splattered and sprayed effects in all of your craft projects.

All of these fun new products will be available this February!

 
Rolling right along with our CHA Winter 2011 product debuts!

Ranger and Core'dinations have joined forces to create a collection of color-core cardstock that "core'dinates" with the Tim Holtz Distress and Adirondack color palettes!  The core of the cardstock is a color that matches the surface color (ie, not white), meaning you can sand it, distress it, tear it, and emboss it to create some pretty amazing effects.

The Tim Holtz Distress cardstock collection includes one sheet each of the 36 nostalgic Distress colors you've come to know and love.  The stock is easily used to create that vintage, aged look Distress fans go ga-ga over!

The Adirondack paper stack is a collection of 24 Light, Bright and Earthtone colors that coordinate with the timeless Adirondack palette: natural hues that inspire paper crafters.

So you're super excited about these Core'dinations packs, right?  And you can't wait to get your mitts on them?  Well then take a gander at this….

Core'dinations is giving away packs of Distress and Adirondack color-core cardstock to 40 lucky winners!  All you have to do for a chance to win is visit the official entry page!  …so what are you waiting for?!

For more information about the Distress and Adirondack Core'dinations collections, you can check out the official press release.  Be sure to look for them in your local arts & crafts shop this February!

 
It's that time again: time to check out all the goodies Ranger will be debuting at CHA Winter 2011!

First up is a brand-new addition to the Tim Holtz® Distress line of products.  Introducing….

Distress Stains!

Distress Stains are fluid water-based dyes for papers and other porous surfaces. They come with a built-in spring-loaded dabber top, which makes them perfect for quick and easy ink coverage of backgrounds and larger areas.

Best of all, Distress Stains are so versatile: you can mist them with water to achieve mottled effects, or you can layer them for more vibrant, saturated areas of color!  You can even use them on outdoor projects (but we recommend first sealing the project with a weatherproof sealer).

Distress Stains are available in 12 shades that coordinate with the rest of the Distress palette:

We're so excited about adding Stains to the Tim Holtz Distress product line, and we hope you are excited about them too!  For additional information, you can check out the official Press Release, and be sure to look for them in your local arts & crafts shop this February!

 
It's hard to believe, but Valentine's Day is just around the corner… already!  (Doesn't it seem like New Year's Eve was just yesterday?)

Fortunately, Jenni Bowlin's Inspiration Blog is currently featuring two beautiful valentines designed by Lisa Dickinson, both of which would be quite easy to produce en masse for all of your loved ones.  And best of all, they feature our Jenni Bowlin for Ranger acrylic paint dabbers!  

(images courtesy Jenni Bowlin Inspiration Blog)

Head on over to the JBS Inspiration Blog for the full project instructions, and be sure to show them some love in their own blog comments!