Happy Thoughts, Tim Holtz

Hey crafty friends! 👋 I’m popping in to share a card I made using some of my favorite Tim Holtz stamps and stencils from Stampers Anonymous.

Fun fact: Stampers Anonymous doesn’t retire their Tim Holtz designs—so there’s a huge library of awesome stamps and stencils you might not have seen in a while (or totally forgot you had 😉).

Hope this project sparks some inspiration to dig into your stash and get creative! ✨

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Happy Thoughts, Tim Holtz

I just LOVE how this background turned out! 💕 The best part? All of the stamps and stencils used are included in one of the newly released stamp/stencil bundles from Stampers Anonymous, making it easy to mix, match, and play without overthinking your supply choices.

To start the background, I added a little color using a pigment-smooshing technique with Distress Watercolor Pencils and a piece of acetate. I scribbled the pencils onto the acetate, misted them lightly with water, and pressed the color onto Distress Watercolor Cardstock, moving the acetate around to create soft layers and variation.

Next, I grabbed one of the stencils from the bundle and scribbled Distress Watercolor Pencils directly onto the stencil. After misting it with water using my Distress Sprayer, I flipped the stencil over and pressed it onto the cardstock to create a print. This transfer technique always gives such organic, imperfect results, no two backgrounds ever turn out the same, which I absolutely love.

Once the background was dry, I added more detail by stamping the stitching design down the side. Instead of inking the stamp, I colored Distress Watercolor Pencils directly onto the stamp, and stamped it onto the panel. This keeps the look soft and painterly while adding great visual interest.

To finish off the background, I splattered a bit of Black Soot Distress Paint for contrast and texture.

For the focal point, I stamped the bird image with Black Soot Distress Oxide for a crisp, bold silhouette. The sentiment was white heat-embossed onto black cardstock, giving it a clean, graphic pop against the colorful background. I trimmed it into a banner shape and used my Tiny Attacher to adhere it to the card for a little extra detail.

If you enjoyed these techniques, I share many more ways to create layered backgrounds, transfers, stamping, and texture in my

Distress Techniques: Watercolor Pencils and Distress Techniques: Watercolor Pencils – Part 2 classes. These classes dive deeper into playful, approachable techniques that help you get the most out of your Distress Watercolor Pencils, perfect if you love experimenting and “happy accidents.”

✨ Be sure to check them out! ✨

This was such a fun card to create, full of layers, texture, and happy creative play. If you enjoy letting your supplies do the work and embracing a bit of unpredictability, this technique is definitely one to try.

✨ You’ll find a full supply list and close-up detail photos linked below. ✨

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Cardmaking Supplies Used

Supplies I used are linked throughout the post. Click on the picture and you will be taken to the product. I use affiliate links when available which means if you make a purchase I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!