A Wonderful Day!

Hello My Friends!

Wow!  What a wonderful day I am having!  Amazing birthday wishes from everyone, even a few Happy Birthday Songs sung beautifully through the phone.  Thank You ALL!

I started off the day with a surprise Skpe call...in bed, hair all crazy...But that's what's so wonderful about friends...who cares!  Then a wonderful call from my Sweet Mom.  This is of course her day as much as it's mine.  She had to do all the work... uhhh 36 years ago...No not buying it?  OK, 48 years ago! LOL!  So Happy Birthday Mom...

Next, it was off for a coffee on the front porch.  How cool is it to just sit and watch the Spanish Doves come and go...NICE!  A wonderful hot shower, breakfast in bed and now playing in the studio...I'm loving the day!  Yahooo!  Slow, calm and relaxed! 

Ahhhh, back to the studio....

Thank you all for coming by the Black Friday Steampunk Ustream Hop yesterday.  We had such a fun time!  Kathryn's studded gloves, Kathy's Gauntlet and my Top Hat,  helped get us all in the mood to create.

Here's the link to my show HERE or you can use this link: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/41219778

As promised last night, here are some pictures and details on the Steampunk Top Hat....

I was totally blown away by LostWaxOz's YouTube video on his AMAZING hat and decided to give it a go...

Here is a link to his video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WclYUYe6k4

Amazing huh? Talented man!  If you would like to purchase his very reasonably priced pattern, follow this link here:

You can find the top hat pattern here https://gumroad.com/l/UJjIx

Now, for a few notes of things I learned:

• Print out the .PDF pattern in Actual Size...Not Shrink To Fit.  You can change this in your printers software.
• If you can't find a non-ribbed yoga mat, use 1/4-inch thick Craft Foam found in most craft stores next to the Fun Foam.  Adhere the pieces together (contact cement) to form the sizes you need to cut the pattern pieces.
• You can use hot glue as I did to adhere all the tiles to the hat if you cannot use contact cement.
• I used Scribbles 3D Fabric Paint in black to make the "puffed" rivets.   It worked great...

That's it...Off to play!  Thanks Again for coming by!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter

Ustream Steampunkathon and Black Friday Sale Today!!

Happy Black Friday Everyone!

Please join Kathryn Krieger of Kathryn Scraps, Kathy Orta-Files of Paper Phenomenon and myself The Gentleman Crafter for an amazing Ustream tutorial marathon of Steampunk goodness today! 

We will also be giving  away some How To Steampunk Books to get everyone ready for the Steampunk Soiree in August!!  Be sure to come by and join us after shopping.

Getting in the Steampunk Mood....

Here are the details:

Join Kathryn at 3:00 p.m. Central/ 4 p.m. Eastern HERE

Join ME The Gentleman Crafter at 4:00 p.m. Central/ 5:00 p.m. Eastern HERE

Join Kathy at 5:00 p.m. Central/ 6:00 p.m. Eastern HERE

REMEMBER!!!!
 

Today, November 29th, I will be selling all tutorials in my Etsy shop at 

50% off!!!

Prices shown in my Etsy store reflect the discounted price.
 

So, if there was a tutorial you always wanted, now is the time to grab it!!

Here's a quick link to get you there...

The Gentleman Crafter's Etsy Store can be found HERE.

Happy Friday Y'all!!  See you later today!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter

Thanksgiving Wishes

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Today I give thanks for so many things....

 

For my family...For my friends...For my health...For the car I drive, the safe and warm house I live in, the job that I have, for all my pets that give me so much joy...I'm so thankful that God blessed me with the ABILITY and LOVE to use my hands to create.  This creativity has bestowed another thankful gift...each of you....my online family.  I am honored, blessed and thankful to all of you for your amazing support, friendship, advice, love, comments, emails, and cards.  Thank You for making my life so much more rich and wonderful. 

 

May you and yours have an amazing, safe, family filled Thanksgiving Day and for all my European and Canadian friends, have a safe and wonderful Thankful Thursday!

 

Jim

The Gentleman Crafter

How To: Vintage Star Ornament

Hello Everybody!

Back in the saddle again.....Well, back in the Christmas tree again!  OK, that wasn't even funny!  Delete, delete, delete!  I'm back with another homemade ornament for the tree.  It's a folded piece of paper shaped into a star and then bedecked with Christmas goodness!

Here's what they look like....

Now, I want to start off with this...These are folded origami 5 pointed stars.  If origami flips your wig, give it a try.  It's really fun to do.  After my first try, which looked more like a five legged octopus than a star, I was hooked!

First, watch this video on how to fold the 5 pointed star.  There are many YouTube video's to show you how.  This man is just calm and slow enough to make you want to give it a go...

Here's The Link:

 Watch This One First...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kJmJUQVbO0

and this one next...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvTQDV2O0es

I made mine from a 8 x8 piece of printed copy paper as it is thinner and much easier to work with.  If you like the music paper I used, follow this link and download the .PDF file I scanned and print it out.

Here's The Link For The Music Paper:

Music Sheet Link

Step 1:

Really, the hard part is done.  Now it's time for the fun... adding a little Christmas Cheer!

You basically want to go around the perimeter of the star shape with silver chenille stems.  (I like this better than garland as it gives the star a bit more stability.) I started with a silver chenille stem and hot glued it from the tip of the star down to the first intersection. (That's where the next angle is.)

Next, bend the stem to make the next angle and glue on the edge.

Keep bending and shaping until you have reached the end of the chenille stem.  Fold this up and out of the way and add another chenille stem where you left off.

Cut the two remaining pieces off with some scissors or nips.

Step 2:

Punch or pierce a small hole at the bottom of the star and add a jingle bell with the left over silver chenille stems.

Step 3:

Fussy cut a Christmas image out and adhere it to the center of the star. (By the way, I've been using Graphic 45 for all my Christmas cut outs.)

Step 4:

Add some buttons, beads and old tinsel..you know the drill..LOL!

 

Step 5:

Punch or pierce another hole at the top of the star and add a hanger. ( I added a bead to the top by stringing the two ends of the chenille stem through it.) ...Done!

 Hope you can find some Christmas Inspiration...

Don't forget about the SALE in my Etsy store all day on Black Friday and the Ustream Steampunkathon starting on Kathryn Scraps Ustream Channel

 at 3:00 p.m. Central / 4:00 Eastern on Friday as well!!

Thanks For Coming By!

Jim

The Gentleman Crafter

Black Friday Show and Sale..

Good Evening Everybody!

Wow!  It sure is getting darker earlier everyday!  For some reason it makes me want to come home from work and have a quick nap before I get up and whirl around the studio.  Reason for napping?  Well, my sleep habits are totally messed up!  They have been for a long time.  I went to bed early (10:00) as I kept dozing off in the chair.  Then I was up at 12:30 turned on YouTube and watched old Dame Edna and Phyllis Diller shows until 3 a.m.  Why The Dame and Phyllis you ask?  I have NO IDEA whatsoever!!! LOL!   I will say, if I turn on QVC or some channel selling their wares...And yes, I have watched EVERY Hair Club For Men infomercial ever made....I do seem to go back to slumber land a bit faster.

I have a couple of bits of news I would like to share with you tonight...

First off, I will be joining Kathryn Krieger of Kathryn Scraps and Kathy Orta-Files of Paper Phenomenon on Black Friday...which is this Friday, November 29th for an amazing Ustream tutorial marathon of fun steampunk goodness!  We will also give away some How To Steampunk Books to get everyone ready for the Steampunk Soiree in August!!  Be sure to come by and join us after shopping the stores Friday...Here are the details:

Join Kathryn at 3:00 p.m. Central/ 4 p.m. Eastern HERE

Join ME The Gentleman Crafter at 4:00 p.m. Central/ 5:00 p.m. Eastern HERE

Join Kathy at 5:00 p.m. Central/ 6:00 p.m. Eastern HERE

Next, I am joining in on the Black Friday Sale Madness! ....

This Friday, November 29th, I will be selling all tutorials in my Etsy shop at 

50% off!!!  

So, if there was a tutorial you always wanted, now's the time to grab a deal on FRIDAY ONLY...

Here's a quick link to get you there...

The Gentleman Crafter's Etsy Store can be found HERE.

Tomorrow night, I'm back in the spirit of the season with another Vintage Ornament Tutorial!! So keep coming back!

See you tomorrow!

Jim

The Gentleman Crafter

How To: Christmas Candle Clips

Good Evening Everybody!

It's been one of those magical days for me.  I've been working in the studio finishing up candle clips.  It's been cold and dark outside, I've got amazing smelling candles burning, I'm watching a BBC documentary on the Edwardian Farm.  Love this series!  (You can catch it on YouTube.)  Just one of those relaxing days having a blast creating!

Tonight, I would like to share the spirit of the season with another homemade ornament...A quick how to on making Candle Clips.  Now for a WARNING.....These candle clips are just for decoration.  The candles are not meant to be burnt.  Just to give the look of an old fashioned candle lit tree.  OK?  OK!

Here's what they look like.  I put them on an old feather tree just to show you, but they will go on my vintage bedroom tree...They kinda of look like Irises...

Let's Get Started.....

 

Step 1

 

Well, I finally went to look at the Sizzix die I used for the candle clip and if you recall the last ornament I posted.  I was wrong...The die is called Snowflake #2.

 

 

 

I took a piece of music paper and adhered it to some matte silver or matte gold paper on the back.  I then cut the paper with the Sizzix Snowflake #2 die.

 

 

Step 2:

Punch or pierce holes in each of the ROUND tips of the snowflake.

 

 

Step 3:

 

Punch a 1-1/4-inch circle and glue to the center of the snowflake.  Do this on the side you want to show.  I want my music paper to show....

 

 

 

Step 4:

 

With a pair of scissors, cut from the outside inward to the black disk.  Do this where you find each of the dips that go inward on the edge of the snowflake.

 

Step 5:

Fold the center pieces in toward the center.  You can curl the tips around a pencil or dowel or just leave them alone.

 

Step 6:

 

Glue chenille stems to each of the centers of the larger snowflake cuts.

 

 

Step 7:

 

Using a dowel, curl the larger pieces of the snowflake downwards.

 

 

Step 8:

 

Paint a candle cup with red craft paint.  I purchased a bag of (6) Candle Cups 3/4 x 1-inch with a 1/2-inch hole (Item #211318 from Hobby Lobby.  If you can't find these, just hot glue the candle to the center black disk...No Problem.

 

Next, apply glitter to the candle cup and hot glue to the center of the black disk.

 

 

 

 

Step 9:

 

Apply jump rings through each of the holes we punched earlier.  Open the jump ring and add jingle bells, charms, or anything that has a ring or hole at the top for decoration.

 

 

Step 10:

 

Paint a tiny clothespin red with craft paint.  (The next step is optional...) With a pick or awl, make a tiny hole to start the screw hole on the bottom of the clothespin.  It just makes the eye screw so much easier to start,  I promise!  Next, add a Tim Holtz eye screw to the hole.   

 

 

 

Step 11:

 

Glue the clothespin to the bottom of the candle cup.  Note:  Make sure you allow the ends of the pin to hang off the side.  This will let you clip it to the tree with ease.  Last, Add a dangly charm to the eye screw with another jump ring.  I just used a silver chenille stem and added a few baubles and twisted it on to the eye screw. 

 

 

 

Step 12:

 

The final touch....Add a candle to the candle clip and clip onto the tree branch.  By the way, if you can't find a small candle, the candles I purchased were from Hobby Lobby.  I found them in the wedding department.  They are made by Lorren and you get (12) 1/2-inch wide by 6-inch tall candles to a package.  I did cut off about 2 inches from the bottom with Tim Holtz Scissors.  I felt they were a bit too tall.  They cut beautifully.  That's it!

 

Hope you like them....

 

Here's what I've been working on as my next project for the vintage bedroom tree....A Santa Hot Air Balloon using a bell ornament, a round ball ornament and some chenille stems. 

 

 Thanks Tons For coming By!

 

Jim

The Gentleman Crafter

 

 

 

Vintage Die Cut Ornament Tutorial...

Good Day My Friends!

In keeping with the spirit of the holiday season that is upon us, I wanted to share another tutorial on vintage inspired ornaments.  As you may know by now, I'm decorating my bedroom tree and going all Vintage with it...

Tonight, I'm adding to the roundelette with a die cut from Karen Burniston/Sizzix....

Here's what we are after....

Step 1:

From chipboard die cut a snowflake or any fun shape.  I used Karen Burniston's Snowflake Die.

Step 2:
Add glue to the die cut.

Step 3:
Add glitter to the wet surface.  I used a mix of Frantage Champagne glass glitter and some Sterling glass glitter from the Crafty Scrapper.  I love glass glitter!!!

Step 4:
Once the glitter-glue mixture is dry, cut (2) 1-1/4 x 8-1/2-inch strips of sheet music paper and accordion pleated them at 1/4 inch pleats.  Once pleated, glue the two together forming a circle.

Step 5:
As we did on the previous ornament (See 11-19-13 blog post.) gather at the center and glue a punched circle to the center to hold it together.

 

Step 6:

Glue the roundelette into the center of the die cut piece.

Step 7:
Punch or pierce a hole at the top of the snowflake.  This will be for the hanger.

Step 8:

Fussy cut a vintage image for the center and glue into place.

Step 9:

Add a silver or gold tinsel pipe cleaner through the hole in the top and hang on the tree....

That's it!  Simple and pretty...

Thanks for coming by y'all!

Jim

The Gentleman Crafter