A Dylusional Night...Ode To Spring!

Good Evening Everybody!

Before I sign off for the evening, I thought I would share what I have been working on for the last couple of nights.  I've been having a BALL with Dyan Reaveley's new Dylusions stamps sets!  Yep!  Having a total BL-A-ST!!!

I'm in love with Dyan's new designs and couldn't wait to play!  Since chipboard has been in transit, I've been having fun in my art journal.  I couldn't help pulling out the Fancy Florals and doing an ode to spring.

Here's what I came up with....

 

Back tomorrow with another crazy page!

 

Thanks for coming by!

 

Jim

The Gentleman Crafter

Valentine's: Corseted Card

Good Evening Everybody!

I'm sitting here in bed trying to post this V-day card before I hit the hay!  This week has been CRAZY and I'm exhausted!  To keep the peace and calmness with me, myself and I, it's been a card and art journal kind of week! 

Tonight, I finished up the Valentine's card and headed eagerly to my new Dylusion stamps.  I will share a page from my art journal tomorrow.  I still need to put the finishing touches on it.  Tonight, I wanted to share an easy Valentine's card with you all....

Here's some pictures...

 

I adhered a few pieces of Graphic 45's Couture Collection to some cereal weight chipboard.  I cut (2) heart shapes from the covered chip.  Next, I cut the top heart in half and added eyelets to both sides.  I then die cut Tim Holtz/Sizzix Hardware pieces and added them to the top sides of the heart for hinges.  I then die cut some flowers from Tim Holtz/Sizzix Tattered Florals and added them to the front.  Last, I corseted up the front with some black waxed thread.  That's it!  Ready to give!

Hope you have an excellent day!   Thanks for coming by!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter

Icy Tuesday!

Good COLD Morning Everyone!

I'm watching the news this morning waiting to get out of the house.  Looks like the entire nation is in deep freeze mode!  Here in Central Texas, freezing rain, sleet and ice came right around drive time causing tons of accidents, backups and delays!  We just don't get things like this in our area very much.  When it does happen, it's best to just wait it out and delay getting out on the roads until it warms up a bit and the ice melts.  The news just sounds horrible! Car accident after car accident, school closings are coming in and changing from delayed to closed every minute.

Well...that's where I'm at!  Waiting for a bit to hit the roads and get to work.  Instead of picking up the house, I decided to blog.  Good decision right?  Wash clothes or lay in bed under warm quilts and type...hmmmm...

I've been having the best time working on some line drawings lately.  I think I will use them in my art journal then add some other media for a funky look.  I think they are coming out pretty cool.  I will show you some at a later date.  For now, I will share the scary things that come out of my head and into my art journal.  Ahhh, the art journal.  for me it's a place to release and play.  A place where I don't judge what I do, but let myself just experience.  Deep huh?  It's so good for me to just let go and play.  Mistakes are learning experiences and those experiences help make me even more creative.

With that in mind...Here's my Heart Head...LOL!

I guess I should get up and get started.  It will be an adventure to leave my safe, warm and cozy cocoon to head off to the day...

Have a safe and warm day today!  Thanks for coming by!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter

Out of Chipboard!

Good Morning Everyone!

What a beautiful day it is in Central Texas today!  The sun is shining.  The weather is a bit nippy this morning but the weather forecast predicts a high of 79 degrees.  Yes, just two days ago it was sleet and ice!  Looking into the coming week...in a couple of days... sleet and ice predicted again! Texas Weather...Go Figure if you can. HA HA!

With the recent whirlwind of travel, it's been so nice having a few days to catch up on things around the house.  One day left, I guess that means I need to get out and enjoy the day!  Shouldn't be to hard.  Why?  Because for the first time since I have been doing paper crafts, I'm totally out of chipboard!  ME OUT OF CHIPBOARD!  I'm puttering around like a lost soul trying to figure out how I let ordering more slip my mind! Yes, I've finally ordered more and hopefully will see it some time this week!  Ahhhhh panic attack over...LOL!

The cool thing is... I love to do so many things and there are so many things I want to try!  So, it's a great time for other things I enjoy such as a good walk, working in my art journal, pulling out those art goodies I've picked up and never had a chance to work on and play with some Valentine's Day projects I've had on my mind!  Yep a good day!  I better get going as time truly does fly!

I wish everyone an awesome day!  Make it AMAZING!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter

Ranger Designer Challenge Clip

Good Evening Everybody!

Well, market is going good!  It's been probably the best market I have been to in a long while...Like I said in a previous post, new fresh merchandise everywhere!  I had talked to several showroom reps and they all said the same thing...Excellent Market for them.  Yahooo!

Things I see this time around....

There are fewer moustache goodies out there even though it's still in so many lines.  Seems to be about the geometric prints on everything.  Light and bright colors...However, tis the season for bringing the bright colors back out.  Lots of vintage, Shabby Chic and Paris Chic still everywhere.  Christmas this year...Looks to be like whites, pastel colors of green and pink, champagnes and silver with that added touch of black again.  Owls and burlap are still everywhere....tunics and leggings, tunics and leggings! Everyone has them! For goodness sakes...grab some for your wardrobe!  LOL! Shorter necklaces with stamped quotes seem to be the rage around here! Chargers and Bluetooth speakers all blinged out for your phone seems to be another trend....This is just a few of the things that come to mind immediately... 

We still have about a day and a half to go!  It's starting to take a bit a of a toll on us!  We are weary and ready to get back to our cozy homes and normal routines.  At least, I know I am!  It's always fun to come here and shop for the stores, but it's also sooooo nice to finally get home!  I miss my family and my studio.

Now for the title of this post...Ranger Designer Challenge Clip...Someone emailed me yesterday with a link to Noell Hyman's, PaperClipping You tube on the Ranger Challenge.  If you are interested in seeing the projects click the link below.  My project is toward the end so grap a cuppa and give it a gander....

Here's the link...

Ranger Designer Challenge 2014

Thanks Tons for coming by!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter

To Market To Market...

Good Evening Everybody!

Well, it seems it's been non-stop since CHA!  I got home from LA at 5:30 p.m., washed clothes and started packing again the same day I got home.  I worked at my real job for a day and the next morning we left for Dallas Market at the crack, which is my real job too!  LOL!

So, I just brewed myself a decaf coffee....Thought I would experiment.  I rarely have decaf.  I'm a full strength kinda guy until about 8:00 p.m.  But this hotel gives you like 2 packages of decaf coffee and 1 package of regular and I MUST have something that looks like coffee when I wake up in the morning!  So saving that!  HA!  So, where was I?  Yes, brewed a cuppa, turned on the Tube for noise, which is a loop of all the movies the hotel has to offer, can't be bothered with getting up to get the remote I left clear across the room!  Lazy? Maybe, but more like too tired to get up!  Anyway, I thought I would catch up on blogging...

So, back to Market...It's been an excellent market so far... Usually it's really very busy.  This year, TONS and TONS of people shopping for their stores.  I haven't seen it like this for years. Which, gives one a bit of hope that sales will be good this year.  Another thing...Loads of new things I haven't seen before.  Usually, the manufacturers will just take the same thing and make it in a different color or change it up a bit.  This year, lots of good new fresh merchandise.  Maybe it's just me, but I'm excited.

If you are following me on Facebook, you probably have seen most of these pictures already.  But for those of you who are not, here are a few things we are seeing.  Some things we have purchased, some things we just admire, some things I found the displays to be very cool...AND YES, we do but CHRISTMAS in JANUARY to sell in December!  It's just what we do!  LOL!  Thought I would share a few photos from the last couple of days...

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Well, Off to bed.  Thanks for coming by! Make it awesome!

 

Jim

The Gentleman Crafter