May's Second Joy of Crafting Show

On this second show for May, we are continuing our lei making and more!

 Our first lei is the Blooming Pikake from our latest Handcrafted Lei and Flowers book. Colleen from our Mapunapuna store shows us how to make this beautiful lei.

Then,  we have Dean Anthony, our Relay for Life Captain. Dean  makes a personalized luminaria and tells us how you can get involved in Relay for Life. Our Oahu stores will also have luminaria making workshops in June, see the stores for details.

Lastly, Gloria from Pearl City shows us how to make the Dragon Lei from our latest lei book. It's a great lei for all kinds of occasions.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you've enjoyed your weekend!

Tim Holtz Burlap Panels

In January, I was really lucky to get to take Tim Holtz' class at CHA. It's always fun to see what he comes up with!

In the class, he introduced his new burlap covered panels. The cool thing about his panels is that underneath, they are solid wood. Which means you can screw things into it and attach stuff without the panel getting all floppy on you. These panels are now in our stores.

Here's the project we made. We used the pair of two smaller panels and covered them with LOTS of his embellishments and new Sizzix dies. As you can see, we did screw things in and let them dangle, like the key and metal tag.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you all have a great weekend!

Keep on truckin' with Art!

One of the 10 finalists' Truck Designs by Kristie Kam, winner of the Live Facebook Voting.

Ben Franklin Crafts co-sponsored Diamond Bakery's Truck Design Contest and the winner will be announced at a reception this Saturday at Mark's Garage.

I will be there as part of the judging panel. Ten finalists have been chosen and the talented winner will receive $2000 cash for their design. But the best part is that their design will be on Diamond Bakery's brand new truck, for everyone to see as it drives around the island making deliveries. I think that is so Cool!

If I was the winner, I would start an Instagram account and have people send me pics whenever they spot it.

You can view all of the ten finalists' designs here and you are also welcome to join us at the reception honoring these creative individuals. The event is from 4:30 - 5:30 pm at Mark's garage in downtown Honolulu.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope to see you on Saturday!

Put a leash on it!

So, our company has a pedometer step challenge going on between the stores and offices. Together, we hope to walk enough steps to total walking to the moon and back, promoting healthy living. All employees received a pedometer to track their steps.

In our Honolulu office, we have a monthly challenge going on between the upstairs and downstairs groups. Everyone is trying hard to do their part. The problem is, sometimes the pedometers unclip and fall off. If you lose your pedometer, there's a huge step penalty deducted from your total. I've had a few scares, thinking I lost my pedometer, only to find it on my car seat or somewhere else. Afterall,  I don't want to let my team down!

So, I made a leash for my pedometer. I used a swivel badge clip, some inexpensive chain, split rings and a cute beaded charm gift.

I cut the chain to about 8" long. Attached one end to the badge clip with a split ring. I thought using a split ring would be more secure than using a jump ring.

I used another split ring to attach the other end of the chain to this cute beaded charm I received from @handmadecute (you really need to check out her blog!)

Slipped the charm holder around the pedometer clip.

Done! Now, I have extra security so I won't lose my pedometer. Before cell phones, I remember I had something similar for my pager.

BTW, our downstairs team won the first month's challenge by over 300,000 steps! So, today, my teammates and I will enjoy lunch served by the upstairs office. Whoo Hoo!

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you're having a great week, too! Keep on Crafting, Keep on Stepping!

Mom's Day Card

My Mom likes simple things, so this is the card I made for her for Mother's Day. Layout is inspiration from @joscie.

Floral paper is from Echo Park's Sweet Girl line. Flowers and leaves were made with a Sizzix Thinlit die.

I couldn't find my stash of bling, so I used the Amercian Crafts Glitter tape that I used on the card to punch out centers with my 1/4" hole punch. It worked,they matched! Sweet and Simple!

Thanks for stoping by today and I hope you have a great week!

May's First Joy of Crafting Show

May is a month to celebrate! On this first show for May, we help you get ready with some lei making and a great Mother's day idea!

 First, we have Gloria A.from our Pearl City store show us how to make one of the beautiful ribbon lei from our newest Handcrafted Lei and Flowers Book, volume 11!

Gloria shows us how to make the Himawari Musume Lei.

 

 Next, we have a really special guest for Mother's day. We have Esme Infante-Nii from Moms in Hawaii. While Esme explains what her group does to support and empower Moms, she also puts together a simple and cute flower pot photo holder. (Dads, I know you watch the show! This would easy for you and the kids to make for Mom!)

 

Then, we cap off the show with more lei making! Cheri Ann L. from Market City Ben Franklin Crafts shows us how to make the 3-straw and 4-straw round leis. Great for those upcoming graduations!

 

Thank You for stopping by, I know it's been awhile so I thank you for your patience and support! Have a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day to all of the Moms and Moms-at Heart!

 

***See my earlier post of why I've been MIA

 

 

hello...i'm back!

Yes, it's been a while since I've posted so let me tell you what's been happening. This blog was getting bombed with lots of "robot" comments that had links to other business sites. It was getting ridiculous! Whenever I did a new post, I would get a whole bunch. Then, even when I didn't post, I was still getting some. I get alerts on my phone and my computer so there were a lot of emails I had to delete throughout the day. And then, I would go back and look for the posts and delete them only to have more robot comments posted.UGHH!

I really debated about adding the comment modification and the captcha requirement. I know that sometimes that discourages people from posting comments because, let's face it, it's humbug! But I figured it had to be done in order for me to get back to this blog.

Well, I finally decided to do it and it's been over a week that I haven't had any robot hits.

I feel like I finally caught that B-52 roach, Wham! went the slippah!

So, I'll be back posting, see you soon! Have a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms!

March's Second Joy of Crafting Show

National Craft Month has been a fun creative mix of ideas and inspiration. On this second show, we have more fun ideas to share!

Joscie is back with another cool card design. It's really amazing to see her put everything together!

Then, we have Cheryl using the Sizzix eclips to cut out a box. But, the fun part is when she shares how to use the Sizzix stamp and die sets. Those dies really make it easy to cut those images out!

 

I cap off the show with one of my favorite new items...FANS! They are ready to decorate and the possibilities are limitless! You can use them for Grads, 1st birthdays, baby showers, wedding invites, just so many occasions. And don't forget about sports! We even have a die so that you can cut out printed papers or computer generated designs, perfectly centered!

 

Thanks for stopping by today...hope you get a chance to watch the show! Happy Spring Crafting!

What are those things for?

Have you seen those clear shelving units, divided up into 8 individual cube spaces in the Ben Franklin Craft Stores? Are you wondering if we're going to start carrying pets for sale?

Well, no, their not for pets. These are our new, fun way for crafters to sell their handmade treasures. It's called "My Locker" and there are 8 spaces available per unit with the monthly rental fee ranging from $30 - $50, depending on the locker level.

You rent the locker, fill it up with your crafts (all price tagged) and we'll collect the sales for you. You get 100% of your sales. You can add more things as you sell down, change them out , rearrange your display,etc. This little locker is your little store. I think of it as Etsy in person, which is great for the customers who like to see the actual thing they are buying.

This particular locker is at the front of the Bead Shoppe in the Mapunapuna store. The owner of TheForbeadin  Collection was just setting up her display. Really cute nice stuff and a variety of jewelry styles.

So, for the people who like to make and sell, come and check it out this new program. It's a great way to sell between craft fairs. And for those who'd rather shop and buy, come and check out what these crafters are offering. Gorgeous stuff!

Thanks for stopping by today and hope you're having a fun weekend!

Crafters are so Sweet!

I just gotta share how sweet Jayne from Handmade Cuties is! She was one of the recent winners for the Valentine's Day contest and look what she sent me along with her Thank You card...

Jayne used this blank card she got from Shirl of Creations by Shirl for her Thank You card

She sent these 5 charms so I could share them with my lunch bunch. She remembered that my lunch bunch helped me pick the random winners.

If you don't know about Handmade Cuties, then you are definitely missing out! Jayne designs and beads the most cutest beaded charms and jewelry you can imagine!

The two girls from my lunch bunch adopted the bunnies.

 

Two of the IT guys took the bookworms!Let's just say that my IT guys are really, REALLY impressed. At first, they just couldn't fathom the idea that these are beaded by hand with such tiny, tiny beads!

 

My other IT guy said it was too tiny for him, he might lose it so I kept the music notes. And I'm going to attach it to my iPod.

 

So, I just wanted to THANK YOU, Jayne! It was a really nice surprise, talk about Happy Mail!

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you all are having as wonderful a day as me and my lunch bunch is!

March's First Joy of Crafting Show

March is National Craft Month and we are celebrating on the show with some special crafters! We start the show off with one of our favorite craft toys...Sizzix!

 

Cheryl shows us how to use the Pop'n Cuts line of dies. They are so cool! And, because they are interchangeable, the ideas are limitless!

 

This frame die is so much fun! Plus, the Sizzix dies are on sale at our Ben Franklin Crafts stores until Friday, March 8th!

Our next special guest is a national celebrity! Joscelyne Cutchens is the 2012 Paper Crafts magazine  Gallery Idol! After weeks of online voting, she came out on top! So, honored to have Joscie on our show!

Here, she shows us her creative style of cardmaking and gives us lots of tips, too! You should check out her blog, OHScrap!, so many creative ideas and really great photos!

And lastly, I show you how you can express yourself by making your own iron-ons with Ink Effects!I think I'm addicted to this stuff! It's so easy to use and perfect for the keiki, too!

Thank You for stopping by today and I hope you get a chance to watch the show! Happy Crafting!

3 Words - 3 Winners!

I LOVE Crafts!

Thank You to everyone who played along with the 14 Days of Valentine's contest. Loved reading all of your answers.

You all like a lot of different crafts but I think cardmaking was the most popular.

It seems that a lot of you are able to craft at least a couple times a week, that's super great!

And a lot of you really liked the origami dollar heart and the message in the bottle. Me, too. I like simpler crafts, especially after the holidays.

Members from my lunch bunch helped pick the winning folded pieces of papers. As, you can see from the photo, the winners are:

Gretel Among

Marilyn Y.

Jayne (Handmade Cuties)

Okay, you lucky three, please email your address to joyofcrafting@gmail.com so I can send you your $25 gift cards and you can get Crafty!

Congratulations and Thank You again for everyone's participation.

Hope you're having a great week!

February's Second Joy of Crafting Show

February is a short month, but our second show isn't short on crafts! We start the show with what I like best, introducing you all to a new friend!

 Our first guest is Devin Nakasone, one of the founders of Prayers on Wings. Prayers On Wings is a non-profit organization that reaches out to children with serious medical situations. Devin himself is a survivor of childhood leukemia and that is why he wanted to give back. I'm also proud to announce that just last week, Devin was chosen as one of the Hawaii Jaycees Three Outstanding Young Persons (TYOP) of the year award for his work with Prayers on Wings. Crafting is a great way to reach and help people get through difficult times. Watch the show and learn more about Prayers on Wings.

Our next guest is one of or favorite beaders, Gloria from Pearl City BFC. This time, she shows us how to use a simple braiding technique to make a stunning bracelet!

Then, we have Ruth from Kitty Bee Designs back with another fun project using her cute stamp designs.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you have a great week!

It's HERE!

Just had to share! Ben Franklin Crafts newest lei Book, Handcrafted Lei and Flowers volume 11 is hitting our stores as you read! Got my copy from the Mapunapuna store!

Lots of really beautiful new lei designs! Go and check it out!

Thanks for stopping by today and  I hope you're enjoying your weekend! Happy Crafting!

14 Days of Valentines - I Love You!

Been cold these past few nights, mmm this would be so good!

Thanks for following along with the 14 Days of Valentines! I really appreciate your patience as I was having problems with my post scheduling. And because of your kindness, I LOVE YOU, even more!

So, for those three little words, I am going to give away three Ben Franklin Crafts gift cards. All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me three things:

1) Of the 13 projects I posted, which was your favorite.

2) What is your favorite type of craft to make

3) How often do you craft?

So, since I know a lot of you have special plans for tonight (maybe the whole weekend?!), everyone has until Tuesday, February 19, 12 noon Hawaii Time to leave their comment. We will randomly pick three winners from all the comments and we'll announce the winners on Tuesday at 5pm.

Thanks for stopping by today and hope you all have a really special weekend!

14 Days of Valentines - Day 13 Confetti Heart

I guess you gotta have some chocolate for Valentine's Day, right? Here's a simple candy you can make yourself in just a few minutes!

You'll need some Melt 'n Mold chocolate, a heart cookie cutter, some confetti sprinkles, wax paper, a flat plate or tray and something to melt the chocolate in. I use the Wilton disposable clear decorating bags and a glass bowl or jar. You'll also need a refrigerator.

Take one bag and put some chocolate in. Place the bag in a bowl or jar as I did and melt in the microwave. I start with just 20 seconds to see if it is melted. The time depends on how much chocolate you are melting at a time and your microwave. It is better to microwave in short intervals than to overmelt your chocolate.

Place some wax paper onto a clean flat plate or tray. Place your cookie cutter onto the wax paper.Cut the tip of the bag and squeeze the chocolate into the cookie cutter without moving the cutter.

Smooth out the surface.

Add your confetti sprinkles.

Place the chocolate filled heart into the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes to harden the chocolate. Pop the chocolate out of the cookie cutter. Place in a small bag or a box to give as a gift.

14 Days of valentines - Day 12 Message in the Bottle

Sometimes, you just want a little something to remind people how much you love them. A message in the bottle is perfect for that. They can keep it on their desk at work, in their car or carry it around in their purse.

Start with a tiny glass bottle with a cork stopper.

Need some cording and a little charm is a nice touch.

 

I tied the cording around the top of the bottle and added the charm.

 

Cut a strip of paper about 1/4" x 11". Write your message on it.

Roll the paper up and place it in the bottle. DONE!

 

You can make a bunch and it doesn't cost you a lot to do! Go on, spread the Love!

Thanks for stopping by today and hope you're having a great week!