Saturday, October 31, 2015

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween...Carve some pumpkins and sample some treats!


Make it awesome!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter

Thursday, October 29, 2015

The World's Fair Ferris Wheel Kits and Tutorials DONE!!

Hello Everyone!

I hope that you all are having a marvelous start to this Halloween weekend.  If it's going to be rainy like it is here in Central Texas, I might have a cure for those rainy day blues....

I'm so excited to announce that I've finally finished The World's Fair Ferris Wheel tutorial!  I totally love this project.  It will always be near and dear to my heart.  I created this over three years ago as one of my pieces for the Graphic 45 Design Team Finals.  I have been asked by many when I would do a tutorial for it.  I always thought it would be one of those projects that I would just make, but I finally did it...I wrote a tutorial.

The tutorial is FULL of countless pictures and includes many templates to help you make this amazing project.  I have also kitted a few World's Fair Kits and cut extra "Ferris Wheels" to hopefully help you create the project.

Here's The World's Fair Ferris Wheel...












If you are interested in making the Ferris Wheel there are several ways to do it....

The Instant Download Tutorial can be purchased HERE:

or

http://thegentlemancrafter.bigcartel.com/product/world-s-fair-ferris-wheel-tutorial


The (2) Wheel Set with Instant Download Tutorial can be purchased HERE:

or

http://thegentlemancrafter.bigcartel.com/product/laser-cut-ferris-wheel-set-of-2-kit

The Complete Kit (I highly recommend) can be purchased HERE:

or

http://thegentlemancrafter.bigcartel.com/product/the-world-s-fair-ferris-wheel-complete-kit

I so appreciate your time in looking at this project.  I hope you give it a try!  It will make an amazing gift for the holiday's or just to place on a table for a conversation piece.

Thanks Tons!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter

Monday, October 12, 2015

Rare Oddities Lab Tutorial...Done!

Good Afternoon Everyone!
I just got approval from the stores I'm teaching this at to sell the Rare Oddities Tutorial.  If you would like an Instant Download of the Rare Oddities Lab Tutorial Please click here:
I will also be teaching this two more times at Scrapbook N' More in New Braunsfels, Texas on October 25th and again at Bog Mouth Scrapper's in Forney, Texas on November7th.  For those classes you will receive the complete Cut Kits, Supplies and Printed tutorials.  If you haven't signed up now, I believe there are seats left at Scrapbook N' More...Just follow the link below:








Thank You So Much!
Jim

Friday, October 9, 2015

A Great Start to the Day...Walk in the park!

Good Day Everyone!

Those days of being 49 are almost coming to a close.  The big 50 is coming next month...It's like this half century number was something I would never see.  I was always going to be young. Well people...Things have shifted and moved and time keeps moving forward however hard I try to hold it back...

When in Houston's Bush airport on Monday, this certain person, who shall go unnamed...uhhh, Cesar... said we needed to get to gate C45.  We landed in Terminal E and walked for what seemed like miles to the Terminalink Tram thing and then took it to Terminal C.  The plane was already boarding at this very moment so we rushed to get there.  Finally got to the gate to find it was going to Washington- Dulles...I decided to look at the board and it was Gate 43!  Totally at the other end of the hall and around the corner.  We walked so fast and finally made it there as they were calling our group.  When I "landed" in my airplane seat and attached the seat belt I thought to myself...MAN I'M SOOO OUT OF SHAPE!!!  I've got to do something about this!

So here's to a start...This morning I thought I would treat my poor body to a little walk in the park.  It really was so refreshing!  However, my legs and feet are saying,  "What in God's name did you do to us!"...Doesn't matter!  I had my Fitbit on and could finally beat Cesar's amazing step count for the day!  Hahahaha!  Totally worth it!  Somehow he can magically sit at his desk at Dell and come home with a whopping 13,000 steps!  I don't get it.  How many times do I run down the hall to use the men's room each day after 5 cups of coffee! A Zillion!  And I still come up with 6,000 steps!




So glad I got out and moved my body...Here are a few pictures of Berry Springs Park..I love it as it is set in an old Pecan orchard. Or would that be Pecan grove?  LOL  A little history note...Mr. Berry's Great-Grandson was Audie Murphy...  Cool!  Oh, and if you haven't guessed already...Texas state tree is the pecan...In Texas Talk that's...Pah-Cahn not Pea-can...LOL!












Y'all have a great weekend!  Get out and move your tail feathers...You'll feel great!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter


Thursday, October 8, 2015

Airplane Drama and Kansas Classes!

Good Morning Everyone!

Gosh it's been a long time since I blogged to just blog...This morning I find myself sitting on the side porch with a cup of coffee and Buzzy the cat wrapped around my feet as if to protect me from all the frogs that are around.

It's a nice morning in Central Texas.  A bit warm but totally manageable.  A slight breeze that's starting to smell a bit like Fall.  I don't know how, but there is a certain smell to Fall right?  Weird!  Blooms from the Madevilla vine send a smile to my face and you just want to say...Ahhhhhhhhh and Thank You Mother Nature!  So pleasant right now...and I say right now because an expected 90 degrees for the rest of the week with a high of 95 next Monday!...So much for cooler Fall weather but, I have a great imagination...so dreaming of crisp fall days...



We arrived home from Kansas on Monday.  I've been so proud of myself for flying from place to place this year without ANY airplane medicine...Last year it was all about the Xanax to calm my nerves as we flew through the lofty heights of 30,000 feet.  Lawd help me!  I think it was about the take offs, the landings and the obvious...TURBULENCE!  When it was calm it was cool.  When not, I could literally feel the blood rush to my head and the sensation of immediate heat and sweat would pursue.

Flying now is not such a big deal..The take offs can be exhilarating.  I find myself amazed at the true  POWER of the plane's jets forcing air through them to cause lift from the ground...Now, I'm not saying I'm not praying during this whole event, but it's kinda cool.  I also found out that anytime you see a cloud and you go through it to expect some bumps.  As soon as the cloud clears the wings, all is well again.  If it's rainy on the ground I know that in a few seconds we will be above it all and will have sunny skies.  I just talk myself through it.

So, with flying under my belt, I hopped on a totally small aircraft (three seats across) at the Kansas City International Airport headed for Houston.  I had been told that larger planes were easier on the turbulence, so being on this small aircraft had me a bit jittery.  I had my headphones wrapped around my balding head... journal and pen in hand.  I'm set...Some old Jo Stafford tunes playing in my ears...We are ready for take off...I look over to my left and see the lady in the one seater row with her sweater up and around her mouth.  Weird I think to myself.  I look back to discover she is ON HER PHONE!  This is after they requested or demanded that all Cellular devices be switched to airplane mode!  Now folks, I don't know what happens if anything when a cell phone is on during take off.  But I wasn't going to chance it!  We are on a small plane that could crash at take off due to a person on a cell phone!

Call it hysteria or panic...For the first time in my life I told a total stranger that she needed to HANG UP HER PHONE NOW!!!  This was, in my mind, a life saving strategy!  I had the call button ready to be pushed and I was ready to stop the plane is she should persist... Later, after the airplane was on a smooth ride to Houston, I felt kinda embarrassed.  The panic-manic of flying is still alive and well...Just suppressed...  I would like to talk myself into thinking it was none of my business, but like I said above, I have no idea what speaking on a phone will do to a plane on the run way taking off and that the pilot might need all the signal strength to get us in the air...God Help Us!  LOL!

Whether I was right or wrong, there are rules to flying in a plane.  When they say place your phone in airplane mode...Please put your phone in airplane mode...There are those crazy passengers that have a fear of flying and this makes them calm enough to not have to look for parachutes to escape the plane!

Backing up a bit to the weekend before...Classes at Stamper's Ink. I want to thank the owner of Stamper's Ink, Tanya for having Cesar and I...I had so much fun!  We pulled out the Graphic 45 goodness and built stuff...Here are a few pictures of the classes...












Y'all have a Great and Amazing Day!  Thanks for coming by!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter


Thursday, October 1, 2015

Kansas City- Stamper's Ink and More Kits!

Good Day Everyone!

So excited to be off again to a new location...Tomorrow we are off to Shawnee, Kansas to teach some great classes at Stamper's Ink!  It's going to be great to finally meet Tanya as we have immediately become internet and phone call friends!

If you haven't signed up for the classes, please call Stamper's Ink today to reserve your seat...




So excited...See you all in Kansas Tomorrow!  Yahoo!

Now to The Vintage Fortune Telling Machine...WOW!  I am so honored you all like this project.  Thank You!  As I stated on Facebook, I've been cutting more kits for this project.  If you are interested please read on...

The Vintage Fortune Telling Machine






This amazingly fun project is detail rich!  Bringing back memories of those mysterious fortune telling machines where the figure inside was animated and gave you a fortune.  In this version, the fortune teller is backlit and also has a lit crystal ball to gaze into the future.  Open the little fortune drawer and there are tons of little envelopes filled with fun fortunes to delight and amaze.

Please note:  All kits will not ship until Thursday, October 8th as I am out of town as well as waiting for the paper to arrive.

I'm offering kits and tutorials for this project...The tutorial is as always an instant download.  It comes with templates for the cuts and picture.

The Paper Pad Kit comes with a Instant Download Tutorial,  Graphic 45 Rare Oddities Paper Pad, Acrylic for the windows, Mini Micro LED Light Set, Precut Chipboard Pieces, Graphic 45 Claw Feet, Hitch Fasteners, Pearlized Large Marble, All chipboard lettering, numbers and filigree mounts, templates and picture.

The NO PAPER KIT comes with a Instant Download Tutorial, Acrylic for the windows, Mini Micro LED Light Set, Precut Chipboard Pieces, Graphic 45 Claw Feet, Hitch Fasteners, Pearlized Large Marble, All chipboard lettering, numbers and filigree mounts, templates and picture.


If you would like the Instant Download Tutorial click HERE

or


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If you would like The Paper Pad Kit click HERE

or

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If you would like THE NO PAPER KIT click HERE

or


Thanks so much for coming by to look!  I appreciate it you all!

Jim
The Gentleman Crafter