Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Getting Dylusional with Coffee Filters???

Hello Everybody!

Hope your mid-week has been going good! It's been a wonderful day today!  I treated myself to a movie and some time to play in my art journal.  The movie...totally amazing!  Sad, but happy! Hard to explain.  It's an oldie but goodie...Life Is Beautiful...I couldn't peel my eyes away from it. Maybe that is exactly why I'm stained from head to foot with Dylusions Ink Sprays!  LOL!  Seriously!  New white shirt....TOAST!  LOL!

Tonight, I was in the kitchen making some real coffee as I'm out of my beloved Keurig coffee pods.  Got out the filters, scooped the coffee, poured the water and set it to brew.  Well, there they were, the filters that everyone uses to do cool stuff with.  So they made it about as far as the kitchen island when I went running into the studio for the Dylusions Ink.  I couldn't stop spraying multiple colors all over the filters.  30 filters Jimbo...Come On!  Well, it was fun seeing how the sprays reacted to the coffee filter paper.  I can always use them later right?

I then dried the filters with my heat tool, stamped on them and placed them into a bouquet in my art journal.  I added some background noise, a ribbon to the bouquet, a few leaves, a tag, a quote and called it a day by the close of the movie....LOL! 

I'd be honored if you would take a gander at me playing....











Have an awesome day!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Good Morning Friends!

Good Morning Everybody!

Yes, it's Terrific Tuesday....Know what that means?  Take Out Tuesday is tonight on Ustream....

Tonight, if I can dig out the studio (yes, shovels are awesome tools for this! Garden forks don't work as the paper just goes right through the tines...) we will finish up the Roosevelt Album.  Making the cover, adding the binding rings and the spine straps....  If you have already made the album or just want to chat with an amazing group...come on by!

Here are the details and links:

The Gentleman Crafter - Take Out Tuesday Ustream Show

or-

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-gentleman-crafter

7:00 p.m. Central Standard Time -US

Next week, we finally have the Leisa Traveling Wine Box to start on!  It will be fun!

See you tonight!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter

Monday, July 29, 2013

Getting Dylusional With The New Ink Pad!

Hello Everybody!

I wanted to take a moment tonight and show you one of my new favorite tools in the house!  I'm totally in love!  It's Dylusions new Ink Spray Pad.  I'm still learning how it works and all the possibilities it holds.  I honestly can say it will be something I will use to make really cool and amazing backgrounds.

Here's a quick video trying out the new Ink Spray Pad.....



Thought I would finish off the tag and show you the backgrounds...



Thanks for looking!  Go Grab one or several...LOL!
 
Have an Awesome Day!
 
Jim
The Gentleman Crafter

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Today on the Farm!

Good Evening Everybody!

First off I would like to THANK YOU ALL for the wonderful and inspiring comments you left on the projects I did!  Please know how much each and every comment was sooo appreciated.  Thank you, Thank You! 

What a wonderful weekend it's been!  I was able to rest as well as get so many things done!  I love weekends like that!  I however did not make it out to take care of the lawn, but that will come this week!

You may have heard me talk about Buzzy from time to time.  Buzzy is my cat.  A big guy with lots of fur and personality.  I was never raised around cats only dogs.  Each day I learn more about this fascinating species and become amazed at how smart they are.



Buzzmaster spends his nights in the hall bathroom with the door shut.  Why?  I have no idea thinking back.  It's just the way it has been.  His litter box, food, bed and toys are in there and he always liked it.  Lately, I have awoke to find him in bed with me.  I know I have shut the door.  Well, I found out that he can now reach up and turn the handle of the door and get out.  OK, smart kitty me thinks!  I solved that by taking some packing material and wedging it between the door and the frame.  Case closed right?  A couple of nights ago I took him to his room, shut the door, wedged the packing material between the door and went into the kitchen to turn off the lights.  I heard Buzz trying to work his magic with the door knob and decided to watch.  He released the knob from the door jam.   OK...Then the little guy sticks his paws under the door and pulls the door to him causing the packing material to fall to the floor and allowing the door to open!  I just had to laugh! Smart me thinks!

Last night I closed the door, added the packing material to the jam then tried something new.  I had some old foam board and folded it several times and slipped it behind the door knob.  The door knob would not budge.  This morning I woke up to Buzzy on the bed next to me....I guess that means he's sleeping with me!  LOL! 

Other adventures on the farm this weekend....

Late this evening I decided to go check on my honey bees....they live behind my barn.  They were doing great.  In the evening it's so cool to see them all coming back into the hive after a busy day foraging for pollen and I imagine water to cool off the hive.  I have been meaning to move their hive slowly a few yards every week until I get them back up towards the house so I can take better care of them.  If you move the hive too fast, they hate that! 





The area behind the barn never gets mowed so it's like going on an African Safari to get back there.  Today's adventure ended up with me COVERED with hedge-parsley burrs or Torilis arvensis!!!  I HATE THIS STUFF!  Every one of my dogs gets into this and is covered and I have to break out the brush!  The worst is Miss Sally!  She has long hair.  Her face will just be matted with this in a matter of minutes!


 
 
So it's back to my tutorial writing....You all know how much I love that!  LOL!  See ya later...

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter

Friday, July 26, 2013

CHA PROJECTS PART 2!

Hello Everybody!

Once again I am back showing off my CHA project for this last week.  Some simple... some more out there....with a Halloween theme.  I hope you take a moment to peruse the samples and can find some inspiration. 

First up is a simple Halloween tag.....

 
Keeping with the same theme of architecture, I created a couple of Halloween houses that sit on canvas....
 
 
Then folks.... it was time for me to cut loose and do what I do best...Jim The Gentleman Crafter style.....
 
The Laboratorie Book
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
And then there was the take on Gene Wilder's Young Frankenstein's Lab....
 
Remember....
 
 
 
 
Frank's Lab and Mini
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Again one of my favorite projects....Steampunk Man and Mini!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
And Last But Not Least...One of my Very Favorites...An animated clock.  You turn the wheel on the right and the gears move....
 
The G45 Steampunk Spells Clock
 
 
 
Well, That's it!  This has been what has devoured my time as of late.  I hope you like them and can find some inspiration from these projects.  If you get a second, I would love to know which you would like to have tutorials on....
 
Thanks so much for stopping by!
 
Jim
The Gentleman Crafter
 
 
 
 
 

CHA PROJECTS!

Good Evening Everybody!

Tonight, I wanted to start sharing some of the projects I did for Create and Connect aka CHA in
Las Vegas this week.  I created projects this year trying to keep it low key and easier to do on some and others that may be more advanced...Trying to mix it up a bit....I hope you like them.

I will start with some Christmas projects....
 
Snowy Silhouette- Lighted







Next up, is one of my personal favorites...A shaker box filled with magical mica flakes.  Each time you shake the box the mica snow flakes land in in a different area making for a different snow scene.


Christmas Shaker Box
 
 

 


 
Another lighted piece using the silhouettes that comes alive when the tea light is turned on....
 
Lighted Shop Window
 
 
 
 
 
 
Well, there's a start.  Tomorrow I will show you more and some that no one has seen yet...So stay tuned....
 
Thanks for coming by to look!
 
Jim
The Gentleman Crafter
 
 
 

Back to Basics!

Hello Everybody!

Note:  In waiting for the YouTube videos to load, night became morning, so here is last nights post LOL!  Happy Friday!...

I was going to post the first pictures of my projects tonight....Well....It's not going to happen!  Flickr is doing maintenance on their site and wont be back up until midnight....

So instead, I did a few YouTube videos tonight.  Not on the projects...(I don't have them back yet to tape them) but on going back to basics....I really wanted to tackle some of the problems that people new and old to paper crafting face.  Things like measuring...where the 1/8-inch mark is on a ruler, what a 1/16th looks like.  How to score and which side to fold it on.  How to make a basic box....those kinds of things that are so important to just begin....I know this may be old hat to some, but for a lot of us it's information that may have never been discussed...so tonight I give you a couple of videos addressing the basics to paper crafts and hope to add to this series as time allows.  I plan to place these in a tab at the top of my blog to refer back to when needed....Hope this helps some of you....

Measuring......






Scoring.....




That's It!  I will be back tonight to add a few photos of my projects...

Have an awesome day!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter


Tuesday, July 23, 2013

CHA - Create and Connect - Las Vegas Recap!

Hello Everybody!

Well, I have blisters on at least two of my toes I will have you know!  Not from walking the floor today, but from walking ever since I got here!  Today was just the icing on the cake! LOL! I've been in tennis shoes mostly while here! So what gives! Hehehe! But, I'm back in the room relaxing and have my feet propped up on a bench!  Yahooooo!

OK, Projects....Sorry I didn't do that first thing this morning.  Here is a quick glimpse at a few of my projects.  I will do posts each day on all of them...

The Clock - Graphic 45
 
I was running trying to get this done until the last minute!  So, I have no other pictures of this project.  I used Steampunk Spells and decided it needed a little movement so I added gears and a handle to crank the gears with.  So it moves and is a functional clock.
 
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Projects
 

Sadly, these didn't photograph well in the booth, but I have some pictures I will share with you later where you can see how the project on the left and right are so pretty illuminated.  One of my favorites was the shaker box in the middle. 

Another project that was fast and easy was the Halloween tag....


 
Other projects to be revealed this week...so stay tuned...

Today was totally different.  Not boatloads of new stuff, but it's to be expected as all the big releases come in January.  However, there was some cool stuff out there...Here's some pictures...

Bo Bunny - The Avenues Paper Collection


Karen Burniston's House Die.  You know me and architecture...Loved this little die to add to her card die...



Probably, one of my show favorites, Tim's masks....



This really cool armoire die from Sizzix....



 
Love Love Love this Brenda Walton Die....



Sadly, I forgot to take a picture of Theresa Collins Santa's List paper collection but I think that's where I fell in love!  So pretty!  Sorry to talk about it and not have pictures, but Theresa gave me a collection and I will show it to y'all on YouTube and/or on my Ustream show.

 
Kaiser Krafts - Christmas Paper




Prima's Delight, I thought was just beautiful....Gorgeous for Spring ....




Of Course Dyan Reaveley's new fun stamps!  LOVE!!!! Also, her new stamp pad!  I will do a show on that and show you how it works!  So cool and great idea!  Love Again!  LOL!

 
I'm a BIG fan of Eileen Hull!  I love the way she creates dies to make 3-dimensional objects!  Makes me happy!  Here are a couple of her new pieces,  The Chair and Crib....Two different dies totally AMAZING!
 
 
 
And then we go to one of my favorite booths! why?  Because they have tools!  Yahooo! 
We R' Memory Keepers...
 
Cool new folding Trim and Scoreboard all in one!  LOVE!

Since the envelope board was a hit, they added these to collection.  One makes a gift box, another makes a gift bag, pillow box and candy box.

The Card Punches.  Place your picture or graphic on this punch, center it up and it crops all four corners at once with either a rounded corner or the traditional straight corners.



We R' Memory Keepers new Chevron Washi Tape...Lots of colors...
And now for my favorite new item from We R' Memory Keepers...
 
This amazingly cool fold up desk!  I love this thing for adding another work surface to your craft area!  Looks nice, has lots of cubbies for stuff and folds up and out of the way...Even to just pay bills!  Cool!
 

 


 
OK, some fun pictures of friends!  Yahoooo!
 
The one and only...Lady Dy!  Dyan Reaveley!
 




The Gorgeous Theresa Collins!

 
Sadly, blogger or the hotel connection is not letting me add more photos to this post, so I will end here...I'm off on a jet plane in the morning back to my quiet, peaceful and not so illuminated country home!  Yahoooo! 
 
See ya tomorrow!
 
Jim
The Gentleman Crafter