Saturday, May 11, 2013

Last Thoughts on The Hens' Den Event!

Good Evening Everybody!

Ahhhhhhhhh!  Have my feet up on the ottoman and sitting back with a nice cup of coffee in the Seattle Airport Hotel!  Rental car was taken back, clothes pulled out for tomorrow, bags repacked and dinner ordered!  I'm ready for Texasland, but first a few thoughts about my weekend in Washington....

Looking out from where I'm lounging at the mo...!  LOL!  View from the room tonight...Cool atrium!

First a HUGE thank you to Charlie LaBonte of The Hens' Den for inviting me to come to this beautiful, beautiful place...It seems like yesterday that I met Charlie at CHA and I'm so very grateful I did.  She is a GORGEOUS lady inside and out!  Everyone that came to class today walked away with the most amazing goodie bags she prepared!  So cool!  Thank you Charlie for your kindness!  The Hens' Den Rocks!  Please check out Charlie's awesome online store here...The Hens' Den.

Cesar, Charlie and Jim

 
I started out my day by meeting another GREAT pal...Marlea U. from Ustream chat...Thank you for taking a minute to drop by and say hi Marlea.  She had some family event today, but wanted to drop in and say hello!  So nice of her...

Marlea, Jim and Carol


Here are some pictures of the day!

Cesar getting the tables ready

A blurry picture of the ladies lining up.

Cesar and Carol

Jim and the infamous Lori C.  She is precious!!

Teaching!  LOL!

A Big Hello from the gang!

Finished!  Such an amazing group of women!  Thank You all!



Thank you again for joining me on this journey to Snohimish, LaConnor, Deception Pass, Marysville and Tumwater, Washington!  I had such a blast and hope that I can come back someday to this GORGEOUS part of the United States!

Thank you Charlie LaBonte for having and hosting me!  You are such a sweet friend!  You made this event so special for all of us!  Thanks also to Carol Hester and Cesar for helping today!  So kind of you both! 

And last but not least, a HUGE thank you to all folks who attended class!  You guys ROCKED the project!  So cool!  Thank you for the awesome hugs!!!  You made my day!!!!

Just wanted to take a second and say a couple more things...I want to wish EVERYONE a Wonderful Mother's Day Tomorrow!  I love my Mom so much and wish I were there to give her a BIG hug tomorrow, but since I'm not...MOM, a BIG hug to you... I love you more than my hair!

Sorry, but on to a sad note for a minute....



I cannot forget to honor my beloved sister, Kathy Sue Hankins today!  It's with a very heavy heart my family sadly lost the most amazingly loving and funny woman to a totally unexpected cardiac arrest four years ago today.  Ironically, it was the day after Mother's Day. It still seems so unbelievable.  We all loved her so and didn't get a chance to say goodbye...So, point here, please, please go now and love on your family and give your mom a big hug for Mother's Day tomorrow.  You honestly don't know if it will be your last chance... My thoughts go to my sweet mom tonight.  You done good Mama!

Well, off to rest up for that flight back home in the morning!!  I finally get to see my studio for more than one night this time!  Yahoooo...  Home for awhile so lets get some crafting done!  See you Tuesday Night, for Take Out Tuesday on Ustream!

Thanks All!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter





21 comments:

  1. So appreciate you coming all this way to teach a class. Unforgettable! I'm glad to hear you're all settled in for the day and can catch your breathe before you head home. One of my favorite things was when you shared your Dylusions journal pages with us. What a feast of color. I think that's what will be happening in my studio tomorrow. Well, that is, as soon as I try my idea for my box with it's floppy feet. I'll send a pic if it works. Than you Cesar for being everywhere help was needed. You are both a real pleasure. Thanks!
    Travel safe.
    Hugs
    Mo(Mori49)

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  2. Looks like you had another very successful teaching experience and you and Cesar made some new friends along the way! . . . I agree that we should always hug our loved ones and friends for we never know what the next moment will bring (I've even hugged perfect strangers & I hadn't been drinking-LOL) . . . I am soooooo glad that I was able to give you and Cesar hugs when you were in Chico!!! . . . have a relaxing trip home . . . see y'all on Tuesday . . . Whoooo Hooooooo!!!

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  3. Jim,
    Thanks for all the stories and pics. Looks like a beautiful and fun place. So hope to meet you in Arlington (TX) in June. Will be so disappointed if you aren't there.
    Gail in Oklahoma

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  4. Jim,
    Glad to hear you had such an awesome time. Sending hugs to you and your family.

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  5. Thank you for sharing your adventures with us all. I expect you will both be glad to get home though and sleep in your own bed! I went to a stamping show yesterday and bought Dyan's journalling block - so looking forward to playing with my new goodies!
    Wish your Mom a Happy Mother's day from me. In the UK Mother's day was a couple of months ago but I've been seeing some great cards on blogs etc. So sad about Kathy - she looked like a lovely lady. You are so right about enjoying each moment - thanks for the reminder. Go forth and spread hugs aroung the globe!

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  6. Thanks for posting all your pictures here and on Facebook! So fun "traveling" with you. I know you're going to be glad to be home for more than a couple days!!! Safe travels!!!!

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  7. Your trip sounds and looks amazing! That area of the country is gorgeous... I too hope to get back one day, but it's a long haul from NC. I just know your classes are fabulous! I'm so happy for you that you're having so much doing what you love! You're right...enjoy every day and love on your loved ones!

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  8. HELP!! Jim, I watched your UStream of unpacking your gifts from Ranger. I was really fascinated by the Cut 'n' Dry Foam so I went looking for tutorials on its use. I found one... one... repeat, ONE on YouTube!!(that mentioned the making of a stamp and not just blending...) There isn't even a tutorial on the Ranger site!! What is that????? Every on-line store that has it refers you to the Ranger site to show how to use it and when you click on the link all you get is an apology... huh??? I do not accept their apology... what is going on??? Please, please, please do a tutorial!!! I did manage to glean from that ONE on YouTube that you could use it to create a reverse image of a stamp but I need to know MORE!!! Please......?

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    1. I'm sure Jim will reply, but while you wait, maybe I can help! It's the same foam product used for some stamp pads, and was originally marketed (years ago) so you could make your own custom ink pads; you stamped on the foam with permanent ink and then put reinker colors in the appropriate spots so you could always stamp with those colors. Then Tim Holtz came along with his distress inks, and started using the foam for blending. Then he had those handles made, and special sizes of the foam to go on them, and the product itself--the big package--languished a bit. But it is a great product, and you can cut custom sizes to blend with, or replace an old worn-out foam pad and use a reinker to ink it up. Another thing it is good for: You can draw with a ball point (preferably one that has no more ink) on the grey side and use that as a stamp. Great for doodles. Hope this helps!

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    2. Thanks, Nan. I hope Jim goes over this on UStream tonight. There was a tutorial on the Ranger site about creating a colored stamp image that you could use over and over. I saw a lady on that ONE tutorial who did what I am looking for... she heated the foam and pressed it onto several buttons clustered together. The shapes held and the foam could them be used as a stamp of the button cluster. She said it would stay like that or you could re-heat the foam and use it on something else to create a different stamp image. I just want to be sure nothing has changed since there is no info about this on the Ranger site and I don't want to spend the $$ and find out the hard way that it doesn't work. Know what I mean? Thanks again!!!

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  9. I had the best time! My friend Merce did too....she kept saying it all the way home for 2 hours! You made a lasting impression on her. You and Cesar are just like you are on blog/ustream....genuine. I think I kept myself in-check pretty good....it was tough however, but I was reminded because I SAT IN THE CORNER! I just wish we would have had more time to spend with you and see all your tricks in person. We need to work on getting you to Portland! I am so sorry about your sister, but remember this, they are never really gone, they are angels in the background and when they feel you need some guidance or uplifting they are there to remind you in some small way. You may have lost your sister, but you have also gained over 1100 new ones on your blog.
    Hug momma tight when you finally do get home! Love ya boys!

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  10. Another successful class! Thanks for taking us along on the journey. Love all the pics. So good to put faces with the names. So happy that you are getting out and meeting your online family in person. Keep up the great work and the wonderful hugs.

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  11. Jim, you are such an amazing person, on so many levels. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking time out of your schedule to come to Washington and spend time with us. Cesar and Carol are such awesome people and I am so glad that I got to meet them in person. Hugs to all of you!!! On a separate note.. know that there are really big hugs coming to you from your sister. She is your guardian angle.. Hugs to you!

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  12. Jim, we all had such a great time! Now to make some tags to put in the tag box! Wonderful project, lots of nice people, and you, Caesar, Carol and Charlie were totally awesome! Patient with the photos, helpful with the project, and just fun to be around! A wonderful day!

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  13. So glad you got to take this trip and visit with so many dear crafters. Carol and Caesar are awesome!

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  14. Jim, I'm so sorry you and your Mom have to miss your dear sister so much, I'm sure she's with you more than you know. It sounds like your class was a big success, some day I will get a chance to meet you and take a class. I'm excited about Tues. eve., I finally will be able to catch you live. Shari (cricutrookie)

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  15. I had hoped to make it over to see you and take the class ,but things didn't pan out. Maybe next time? You've only seen a portion of Washington State, after all.. there's everything to the east of the mountains to see!

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  16. I am so glad that you share all of your trips with me! It really makes me feel like I am there and that means the world to me! I am so sorry about your sister! It shows that you LOVE her so much still! Terrible Tragedy! I am not sure if I can join you on Tuesday night; but will do my best!!!

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  17. Hugs to you as you remember your lovely sister. I have four sisters and a brother, and all four sisters have battled a form of cancer, my oldest in particular is on a rocky path... so I know how much it means to be able to give hugs and love on them! We are close, along with my sister in law and especially my Mom!!! Family is awesome!
    Wonderful photos from this post and your previous one! No wonder my daughter and future son in law want to move there in a few years!
    Wish I could take a class some day from you!!!
    Hugs,
    Teri

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  18. Sooooo glad you had a great time and it sounds like everyone had a blast! Thank you for sharing the memory of your sister - she looks like a totally awesome person to be around and I am sure her spirit lives on. Look for her whenever you giggle :-) Hugs, Darcie

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  19. You were in my neck of the woods and I missed you!!! That is a shame. Glad to see that you had a good time here.

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