Thursday, January 31, 2013

Eyelets AND Brads Oh My!

Hey Everybody!

You guys rock my world.  Have I said that already?  I've received a gazillion emails today suggesting where I could buy eyelets and I thank you so much....I've ordered some thanks to your awesome recommendations!  Yahoooo!  Really, I am grateful.

Just for fun here and hopefully to explain my personal opinion with a smile....My point to last nights dastardly dilemma is ....why can't we, as crafters, just be able to walk into a store...LOCALLY.... and purchase 3/16 BRONZE eyelets.  Yes, I can find them online and yes, I can color them... been there done that....but, I want to be able to go into a store and purchase what I believe is a standard piece of hardware for paper crafting.  I can honestly say from my standpoint that if they are out of style, then whomever made this craftacular decision, did so without contacting the million people who still obviously use them....Based solely from the emails I've received today.  LOL!

You know I'm not lazy and would be delighted to ink up or buff on bronze to a very tiny eyelet I can't even get my man fingers to hold successfully for two seconds before it magically pops out of my hands sending me scrambling on all fours to the floor searching impossibly without my glasses... which I had to go find ...so I'll be able to know that what I actually picked up is NOT the bi-colored eyelet, but the petrified- dust bunny covered - dog food morsel that has been under my desk for God knows how long!  (breathe) (true story!) I just wanna buy a package, dump them in with my other eyelets and grab some when I need them.  See what I mean?  Bahahahaha!  So yes, inks and buffs are awesome, but to me it translates into just another thing I need to do when I already have things to do....and the bronze eyelets match the chain I'm using perfectly....AMEN!  Ahhhhhh!

Oh wait....Let's delve even deeper shall we... since I'm in the mood...HEHEHEHE...Take brads....I personally love antique nickle or mainly BRONZE colored brads.  If Tim's are not available in the craft store, there is NOOOOOO way on God's Green Earth that they have standard Bronze or Antique Nickle brads in the store.  I have to get back in my car and drive over to Michaels, which is where I should have gone in the first place, to pick these jobbies up.  Seems to me this is standard stuff folks...If brads are not popular, than I'll eat my big ole black top hat!  The ones I'm seeing lately are all PINK AND LIME GREEN and NO, these bad boys are just not me.  But, I'm only one person in a BIG paper crafting sea and I'm sure there are tons of lovely people that use the ever so fashionable pink and green ones.  Just sayin'!  HAHAHAHA!

OK,  now that I've made a political statement for having basic craft supplies stocked in local craft stores, I feel better.  (write your congressman!) I wont go into the time I called the pizza place to order a pizza and they ran out of dough....Just won't go there tonight.  LOL!

Y'all, I just want to reemphasize how much I honestly do thank you for your suggestions on my dilemma.  It's been so much fun reading your comments.  I truly know your comments help us all out, as a big family of papercrafters, to be even better.

Hugs to ya!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter



36 comments:

  1. Rolling with laughter after reading that post!
    I feel your pain with the eyelets & brads. It's a no brainer...vintage/grunge is huge business...not too much to ask for in my opinion.
    Thank's for making me smile tonight Jim, everytime I see a bronze brad or eyelet I will most definately think of you!

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  2. You always make me smile with your posts but what you say is sooooo true. Even here in Australia we have the same problem. Why can't stores stock the basics? Surely that can't be too hard? There is a craft store here which will only stock rubber stamps because the owner doesn't like clear ones. Duuuuh!!! Shouldn't they stock what the customer wants? And talking about pizza dough, my son went to a chicken-take away shop to be told they had run out of chicken!!!!!! Is that insane or what!!! Love your posts Jim, they are always a hoot. ox Marg

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  3. LOL You NEED to write a book!! You tell the best stories! I won't begin to tell about the time we went to a Taco Bell and they were out of taco shells!! But I was at Michaels today and I looked for eyelets for you. The only 3/16th they had were silver toned. Lots of 1/8th size in the copper. No wonder they had those... they are too tiny to use for any kind of binding. I'm so looking forward to seeing what you are making with the eyelets... you gotta sneak peek us a hint!

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  4. Bahahahahaha! I almost peed my pants laughing. Crawling on all fours to find the dust bunny covered dog food morsel-what a visual. You are a funny man. Thanks for the smile and laugh. I'm with you - not sure why basics can't be kept in stock. We can't be the only crafters who have go to basics, can we?

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  5. LOL!!! Too funny!
    Gail in Oklahoma

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  6. Once again you not only make me laugh out loud but hit the nail on the head! What is it about the big box stores...which are the only choices we have here in Gtown, TX. Why is it they only stock stuff from 2 YEARS ago???? Why can't they get in the newest...or at least last year's goodies. Micheal's is supposed to be a big supporter of Tim's and Rangers but try and find anything new in the TINY display area and you can't...just can't. It's a real shame that that all the small business scrap/stamp stores have been run out of business by the big guys. The small shop owners would order what you wanted/needed if they didn't have it in stock.

    Ok..someone please help me down off my soapbox, please...LOL!!!

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  7. Jim, you are definitely a hoot and i so agree with you.. every now and again i have thoughts along these lines.. my last one was to go to Lowes and try to tell them what i want and no, i don't have the item number and they can't find it. Go home find my last ticket where i bought one of the item and yes, i know i should have bought 2.. anyhow, call them back and oh yes, they have 4 of them in stock and no they can't send it to the store in my town. where oh where has customer service gone?? Hope to see ya tomorrow night.. woo hoo!!!

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  8. Oh, I have soooooooooooo been there. Needed 8 bronze eyelets PER STUDENT for a class that I taught at several store, and finding them last year was like finding Jimmy Hoffa! Anyway you probably were advised to got to Gary M. Burlin Co. and buy a container of 400 for real cheap. That's what I did. ALL the colors and sizes you could ever want or need. Trust me!!!!!

    ~Linda

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    1. LInda,
      Jimmy Hoffa? Bwahahahaha Great line and so true! Thanks for the tip though because just like Jim I've gone to all the craft stores in town to find nothing!

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  9. Hey, Jim! Next time you are forced to color an eyelet, stick it into a lump of clay big enough to hold! I can just see you crawling around looking for brads and eyelets! Not a pretty sight, LOL! And I agree--basics should be easily available.

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  10. As a craft teacher I can SO RELATE to this post and the previous one about the lack of availability in stores of the simple things in large quantities...oh and the being on all fours under my desk in the dust bunnies looking for little buggers that just won't stay in you fingers long enough to get put where they belong! You could have been writing about me all the way over in South Africa...

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  11. I went into a Subway and they had no bread.
    Brads...been there, scoured the countryside..all they had were the ittybittyteenyweeny ones that do no one, any good. I feel your pain.

    But I'm still mad about no bread at Subway..

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  12. Well said my man !!! don't get me started on what they should carry... I love that I can order my stuff but I hate waiting for it to come... why can't my local Michael's carry my crafting supplies, ours does carry some Tim Holtz... but come on Michael's you could make lots of money if you carried ALL his stuff; I don't think they have added anything new in over a year and I own what they have... so frustrating... if you're gonna carry his stuff... carry his stuff and keep up!!!
    I've even discussed it with the managers ( I go to three different Michael's) What they say is 1) my store Pasadena, California is small so they have less stuff 2) the other stores... we only get what they send us... HELLO can you tell your buyers to get in tune... the advertisement is so funny about we can order it for you... yeah right as long as it's more of what "they send you". This years Tim stuff will probably be in the store by next summer!! I'd like to become their buyer and show that if they get the stuff, people will buy it and they could be making money... Okay who asked me...
    Crafters will pay for the things they need and want, we gotta get the stores to realize that... so that they will have what we need ( I don't know if that came out right... it sounded ok in my head) Oh well ... I'm going to bed before I embarrass myself further ... have a great weekend!

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  13. Well.. I told you I know where you can buy brads, eyelets and something that look like brads mm I do not know the english name to those little things.. they look like brad but they have peaks mm oh well you need to see the picture hehehe.. also they have closures yes.. all BRONZE!!! ;)
    Hope soon you can have all the supplies needed because I can't wait to see your next project!!!!! :P

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  14. HEAR HEAR! I hate going to 3 different stores for that ONE thing. Or worst yet, not finding it at all! Guess I will just use what I got!

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  15. As a guy crafter I HATE how every tool is pink. Drives me crazy! I was lucky when Michaels ws doing away with all of thier manly colored eyelets I bought a TON of them for an awesome price.

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  16. I love reading your blog, you crack me up .. LOL Happy Friday !!!! The crafting world needs more equality for all you guy crafters out there :)

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  17. and on that note....would you mind telling me where my bag of bronze brads got to? I knew I would need them for the project I am doing- I put them to the side so I could find them....I cleaned up a few times (there was my mistake right there! they are obviously in a "safe" spot) and I CANNOT find them! Grrr.
    Had to laugh at the pizza store story!!

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  18. Thanks for the laugh! And for voicing what I have thought for many years! I would love, LOVE to be able to go into a craft store, specifically a scrapbook store, and buy my crafts. Truth be told, I only stepped into a Michael's store before Christmas, because my province (Quebec) has FINALLY 'allowed' them here! Do we have craft stores around, or even a LSS? Nope---so sad! so, I buy online, and wait impatiently for my stuff to come. sigh! It's a hard life, my friend, to be a creative crafter, especially when you 'need' a particular item/color and cannot find it anywhere except online. And what is with all these 'bright' colors???? Like them, but I'm more a neutral, earthy girl!!! harumph!

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  19. Oh my.....maybe you do need those Cinderella extensions, but wait they are probably on back order. :P We've all been there and I think that is why 90%, okay 99% of us hoard our supplies or don't want to use something because WE MAY NEVER FIND IT AGAIN! I guess we could put a positive spin on all of this......we could find something else to use. Go out of our boxes instead of our minds. BAWAHAHAHAH!

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  20. The sad thing is, when store #1, doesn't have what I want, I end up buying something else, that I really didn't need, but since I was there and I didn't want to waste the hour trip I just made. Then I go to store #2 and they don't have it either. I still buy more stuff that will go perfectly with the stuff I just bought at the other store. Then I go to store #3, They have only 1 and I need 6. So, I buy the 1 and then buy 6 of something else that maybe I can make work, and then I see something else that will go great with what I bought at store #1, better than what I bought at store #2. Now, I've lost a day going to Town and spent like $300 and all I got was 1 of the 6 things I was looking for and a bunch of stuff that will go into my ever growing scrap room, which is really scary to people that see it. I just look at it as a "Big Magic trick" to get in there and out with what I need and not knock everything over...
    Ah, just one of the many Joys of living in the country and not the city

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  21. Oh my... you had me laughing so hard! If I am in the middle of a project, the last thing I want to do is stop and color a brad or eyelet! If I go into the project knowing that I will need to do this I do it first; but 99% of the time that is not the case! LOL! I think we all understand... the crawling around on all fours looking for a brad, eyelet, pearl, etc. and yes I have found a piece of pet food mixed with the dust bunnies!!! LOL! I love that you are real and are willing to share your not so great moments with us! It makes me feel a bit better, that I am not alone! LOL!

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  22. Only another crafter would be able to feel your pain and angst (and hilarity). I'm thinking we organize a march in front of our favorite craft store. It might not get the desired results, but just think how much prettier our signs would be than those at other marches. ;-)

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  23. You are so funny. I do understand what you mean. It would be nice if the customer was kept in mind.

    Karen B.

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  24. I love reading your blog and all the comments as well. So many of us with the same joys and frustrations. It's good to know that it's not only in our individual regions which is probably what we all thought. Though it's not good to find that the same problem with exists with craft shops (and for that matter shops in general)right round the world. I'm seem to be forever saying "Why is it in a world where we can buy everything, we can't get the one thing that we do want".

    The soap box is now ready for the next person! :)

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  26. Great post and the dog food dust bunnie made me ROFL! Loved everyone's replies, so many frustrated crafters, glad we're not alone.

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  27. Thank you Jim for another good laugh. I feel your pain, especially on the brads. I love using antique brass brads and in order to get them, I end up buying a mixture of metal brads and while I use some of the various colors, I have "gun-metal" colored one coming out of my ears. anyone needing some of these gun metal ones, I'm your huckleberry. As for the pink and lime green, maybe okay for some, but I just prefer using the metal colors no matter what colors are in my project. Again, thank you Jim for adding some more of your Texas humor to your blogs.

    Have A Great Weekend,
    Pammiebear in Texas

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  28. WELL!!! I am writing my congressman ASAP! LOL...Jim! You are too funny. Thanks for the laugh - you cheered me up.

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  29. Jim, It strikes me that everyone who comments as the same problems finding the basics that you do. Tells me that the brick and mortar stores are missing the boat nationwide! I guess the online stores are winning the battle.
    My pet peeve is that Michaels is carrying less and less name brands and switching everything to their house brand.My local Michaels does not even stock the new release Martha punches for Christmas and now Valentine's Day. So, when you write your congressman, please add that issue. lol. I think youshould consider a book too, Jim. You're a natural. Every aspect of a Gentleman Crafter in the country. You already have your notes in your blog.You didn't throw away your old blog I hope.
    Enjoy your weekend and have fun.
    Hugs
    Mo(Mori49)

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  30. It's so annoying thatcrafting is fashion driven just like everything else. I know we have to keep spending to keep the economy moving but I agree with you aout basics being always available. When i came to the states last year i was in heaven at the prices of craft materials, you are so lucky they are so much cheaper than here in the UK. Anyway, i love all your videos and have leaned a ton :)

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  31. Someday, I am going to have the opportunity to meet you! Your humor is infectious and brings a smile to my long-day face with every post! No dough at the pizza place? What a crack up! Here's to your weekend picking up in Texas with hours of crafting fun. We here in Kansas have plenty of pizza dough (Pizza Hut started 30 minutes from me), but I share in your frustration of brads, and everything else. I'm driving 4 hours this weekend to pick up my new Dylusion stamps & inks, because its the closest 'local' craft store for me! Talk about frustrating!

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  32. It's funny because every year at the end of the season those fashion colors are the ones in the clearance sections. I never see the bronze, copper, gold or silver on clearance. We don't want fashion colors! I use grommets. Try asking an employee for grommets. Suddenly I no longer speak English apparently. I purchase these from eyeletoutlet.com now. I agree on the tools too. Why can we not have neutral colored tools? Oh and Michael's buys stock once a year, so anything new takes a year to get to their warehouse. Had a friend that worked at corporate.

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  33. LOL!!! I love reading your posts. Thanks so much for sharing your stories with us.

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  34. I'm with you Jim! They NEVVVVVVVEERRR have what I need and I have to wait for them in the mail....makes me so cottenpicking mad!!!! But I happen to know someone (hint hint) who has a friend named Tim Holtz and could suggest to him that perhaps the crafting world is ready for him to add these precious items to his Ideology line in his favorite 3 metal colors!!! BIG HINT! What do you think JIM....do you know someone that could make this suggestion?????

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