Fluffy Chenille Pipe Cleaner Bear Kit

 Can't believe that I made this cute bear from a kit in less than 30 minutes!  It was so easy and I can't even read the Japanese instructions.  The kit has the one long piece of chenille pipe cleaner, the plastic eyes and nose, plus the illustrated instructions written in Japanese. The ribbon bow shown on the front photo was not included in the kit but I'm sure you have some of your own ribbon.  I had a tiny pink plastic flower hair clip that I used instead of the ribbon.

The numbered illustrated instructions were fairly easy to follow but I do admit that I improvised here and there to make the finished product look more ah-h, 'bear-like'.  HM Ben Franklin Crafts has chenille pipe cleaner kits like this one, plus accessories like hats, sweaters, sun glasses sized for the finished animals, as well as packages of just the chenille pipe cleaners in many colors.  If you want to craft something easy and fun that will result in a warm, fuzzy friend, you have to check out the Japanese craft section of a HM Ben Franklin Crafts.  These sweet, furry animals will make great gift wrapping add-ons, purse attachments, desk decorations, or just a small gift for no reason at all. I really hope that you'll try this new fun craft available now at House Mart BFC.

Note: I glued (Fabri-Tac) the eyes and nose to the bear because they seemed rather loose and I didn't want them to fall out. I don't think this chenille bear is appropriate for very young children because the small pieces might cause a choking hazard.

Graduation Time! Let's Shake It!

I didn't have any graduates to make a card for this spring, but I did want to play with this Lawn Fawn stamp set, Simply Celebrate Graduation.  My son has been working hard to complete his doctorate and says he'll graduate this winter so I thought I'd get a jump start on a card for him.  We are very proud that he stuck with it and managed to hold down a job, get married, and have a child all at the same time!  Since his school colors are Crimson and Black (Can you guess what college?), I of course started with those two colors as the base.  It was easy-peasy to stamp and color the mice and base. I cut out the center of the frame and backed it with acetate.  Next I trimmed some foam adhesive strips to fit along the back of the frame. Then I added three colors of star confetti and sealed them in with another piece of acetate.  Once the shaker element was complete I adhered it to the card and added the mice (with foam adhesive dots) and conversation bubbles.  I stamped the 'Congrats' in clear embossing ink onto black paper and coated it with gold sparkle embossing powder before heat embossing it and fussy cutting it out. To dress up the corners I wanted to add gold sticker stars but I didn't have any gold ones the right size so I opted to glue down some metal star brads.  Unfortunately, the brads had prongs that needed to be removed with clippers and then I had to find a glue that would grab the metal surface of the stars. Some old Fabri-Tac glue was amazingly effective....sometimes being a hoarder is useful...LOL!  I think this card turned out rather well and the shaker element adds a bit of fun. I wonder if he'll notice that the card was done in his school colors? (Probably not, he's a scientist and that data would not compute...hahaha!)

 

G.O.A.T. Dad Card

 When I first heard the term GOAT in reference to an athlete (Tom Brady, I think), I was appalled that people were so harsh until I realized that it was a compliment.  It is an abbreviation for 'Greatest Of All Time' . LOL!  When I saw the Lawn Fawn stamp and die sets (You Goat This), I knew that they would make a good Father's Day card for my husband who truly is the Greatest of All Time DAD! While looking for the large white letters in my stash, I discovered a pad of retro print papers and decided that the blue and green dot one would be perfect because he is a retro-kind-of father. It was simple to stamp the goat, color, and die cut it. After adhering the letters, I positioned the goat with foam adhesive dots.

For the inside of the card, I hand cut out the letters from the leftover dotted retro paper.  Using the stamp set again, I stamped the small goat and the words. All the words were adhered with Fabri-Tac glue and the little goat was positioned with foam adhesive dots.  This card was super simple to create and I think that it turned out exactly as I planned.  I hope that it conveys to the father of my boys what a fabulous father I think he is.....really, the G.O. A. T. DAD!  We are so lucky to have him!

Lemon Curd Is Delicious

 I know I said I wasn't going to make lemon curd this year because of the high cost of eggs, but I had just too many lemons from my tree to resist.  Also, I LOVE the taste of lemon curd!  I think the name sounds revolting....maybe it should be renamed 'lemon custard'.  Anyway, other than juicing the lemons (about six needed), the curd is super simple to make.  I believe I first found this recipe in a Martha Stewart magazine but I have altered it a bit.  I hope you'll try making lemon curd and I'm sure you'll be a fan too! Enjoy!

Lemon Curd (makes 2 jars)

6 egg yolks (strained through a sieve)

1/2 c. lemon juice

12 T. sugar

Zest from 1 lemon

8 T. butter

Mix the yolks, juice, sugar and zest in a medium saucepan over medium low heat.  Keep stirring until the mixture starts to thicken.  Turn off the heat and start adding the butter in small pieces.  Once the butter is incorporated, pour the lemon curd into two clean jars. Cool curd and then refrigerate the jars.

Hang In There Get Well Card

 Recently, my sister broke her arm so I thought I'd make her a card and send her some 'get better soon' goodies.  This card came together quickly because of a cute monkey stamp from a Hero Arts clear stamp set.  It was super simple to stamp out the image, color it with Copic pens, fussy cut it out and attach it to the card with foam adhesive dots.  The printed background is simply a piece of vellum I found in my stash of Hawaiian style papers.  It was a little difficult to adhere the vellum to the card without the adhesive showing.  I applied very tiny dots of Fabri-Tac glue to the back of the vellum and they are barely visible.  I thought that the green ribbon from my scrap pile looked like a vine so the monkey decided to hang out on it. Hahaha!  Please note that the monkey also has a broken arm in a cast (made from a tiny roll of paper).  I hope my sister will be cheered by this card or at least will smile as she eats the Japanese treats I mail to her!

Toji Shrine Fair in Kyoto Japan

One of my favorite things to do when we travel to Japan is to attend the Toji Shrine Fair (held every 21st of every month).  The weather was perfect during the fair in the month of April.  We saw many booths with handmade crafts and delicious edible treats.  We purchased bags of dried persimmons and were tempted by gorgeous handmade ceramic ware.

I am always on the hunt for items to use in my craft work.  This time I discovered and purchased some lovely pieces of silk cut from kimonos.  There were also whole kimonos for sale which could be artfully  hung for stunning displays.  Perhaps the kimono fabric I bought  will be used to make another pin cushion, a small evening bag, or maybe as a decorative element on a one-of-a-kind outfit.

A favorite booth that I always look for at the fair is one that sells handmade wooden utensils.  I think that the pieces are gorgeous and very affordable so I usually select a few for gifts and for my own collection.  If you are a wood crafter perhaps you should consider making wood utensils .  I believe that the wood crafters at the fair do a brisk business during the entire fair.  I purchased other fabulous one-of-a-kind items at the Toji Shrine fair and they encourage me to make every effort to attend another fair in the future.  Hope you will one day make an effort to travel to Japan and see a Toji Shrine fair for yourself.  I'm positive that you will be enthralled by the excitement and cultural beauty of the event.

Wappen and Shaker Charm Pouches

 While in Japan at the Japan Hobby Show and ABC Crafts store in Osaka, I finally saw the Wappen products (shown by Joy of Crafting) and shaker zippered charm pouches.  I am having fun personalizing clip on gifts with patches and plastic charms.  Rather than ironing on the patches, I am using Fabri-Tac 3 in 1 glue...it's faster.

For the cupcake fuzzy Wappen I added the French fries, strawberry and duck because I think the recipient can relate to them.  I only glued on a bee to the fuzzy bear because I thought it looked good on his tummy, and we all know that bears love honey.

Here are other fuzzy Wappen animals that I will decorate soon.

These Wappen straps will make good handles for small wallets/bags and are fun to personalize.  

Other new items I saw at the Japan Hobby Show and ABC Crafts in Osaka were charm pouches.  With these zippered pouches, small plastic charms, confetti, and colorful fillers were offered for sale.  It's actually really fun to fill the pouches with little trinkets, confetti and tiny pom poms (from Daiso). The neat part is that the items can be changed out or swapped with friends.  

I think these two new craft products (plus the embellishments) are addictive and fun to personalize. 

Both young children and teenagers will love going to HM Ben Franklin Crafts to satisfy their new cravings. You won't mind treating them to no-calorie goodies and they'll be happy to personalized their backpacks, purses and athletic bags.

Squirrel in a Jar Birthday Card

 My almost 5 year-old grandson has a fondness for squirrels and a grey cat for a best friend, so I just had to include them on his birthday card.  I enjoy the challenge of making shaker confetti cards and I thought the wood handled jar stamp (Recollections) would make a great container for the confetti and squirrel.  I stamped the cat first and made a paper mask to protect it when I stamped the jar over the cat. Next, I hand cut the jar opening, covered it from behind with clear acetate film and lined around the jar with foam tape.  The cavity was filled with one hand stamped and colored squirrel (Hero Arts) and some sparkly confetti.  Another piece of acetate film was used to seal in the confetti and squirrel.  The cat and jar were colored in with Copic pens before the card front was attached to the card blank with more foam tape.  A party hat sticker was added along with a printed 'Make A Wish' label. I think it is a card that a 5 year old squirrel loving, cat owning kid will like and I am excited to give it to him even though I'm sure he'll like the toys and other gifts we give him more than a homemade card that his odd grandma created...LOL! 

Cherry Blossoms and the Japan Hobby Show

We just returned from Japan where it was the ending of the cherry blossom season.  The flowering trees were still beautiful though and we enjoyed the showers of pink petals every time the wind blew.  Many young couples and families were still celebrating the tradition of picnicking under the cherry blossom trees in the parks. It was picturesque and romantic.

 

Seeing the cherry blossom trees was just a bonus.  We really traveled to Japan to attend the Japan Hobby Show in Big Site, Tokyo.  A group of HM Ben Franklin Crafts craft employees also attended the show.  This year our company did not man a BF craft or Ace Hardware booth and this allowed the merchandisers to see more of the show and select exciting new products to sell in our stores.  

Besides the usual abundance of fabrics and sewing notions, this year I saw lots of easy novelty crafts which I think will truly appeal to our local crafters.  There were a lot of kits for sale so I think you will be seeing many new ones in our HM BFC stores.  The Japanese are excellent at making kits with instructions that are easy to follow without translating.  Please check out the HM Ben Franklin Crafts stores to see the latest Japanese kits, products, and supplies which our merchandisers have chosen just tor you!

Daruma Wish Card

                                       

Japanese folklore says that you should make a wish and paint an eye on a daruma doll  When the wish comes true you can then paint the other eye onto the doll.  I like this tradition because it offers hope that wishes really can come true.  This card was created to celebrate this Japanese custom and was inspired by the Hero Arts stencil and a Japanese wood handled rubber stamp.  To get the background effect, I used a stencil brush and a silver ink pad.  I am very satisfied with the outcome of this technique.  The daruma design was stamped with permanent ink and colored in with Copic pens.  To get a shiny surface on the daruma doll I painted it with Glossy Accents. Once it was dry, the images were fussy cut and adhered with adhesive foam dots. For the 'wish' I used some silver foil letter stickers which I found in a long forgotten drawer.  See it is good to be a hoarder!  Because this card was super easy and turned out very close to what I imagined, I am thrilled and surely will make more cards like this. *W*I*S*H* Granted! 

Asian Look Recycled Tea Tin Pincushion

 

If you've been visiting this blog for awhile, you must know that I can't bear to throw away anything recyclable.  When I finished the tea in this Lupicia tin, of course I HAD to recycle it into something pretty and useful.  In my stash of fabrics, I re-discovered a piece of Asian looking faux embroidered fabric and some fabric covered cording. They were both from Japan, but check out HM Ben Franklin Crafts because they are now stocking a large selection of Japanese crafting products. Also you could go online for Asian style textiles or do this project with fabric you already have in your stash.  

I started this project by using one of the circle dies (Spellbinders) to cut out a piece of thin cardboard that would fit the center of the tin,  Onto this cardboard circle I glued (Fabri-Tac) on some wool roving (you could use cotton batting or stuffing).  Next, I cut out a circle of fabric one inch larger all around than the cardboard circle.  I wrapped the fabric around the cardboard circle over the wool roving and used glue to secure the fabric underneath.  Once the glue was dry, the whole piece was glued to the tin top and the fabric covered cording was glued around the fabric covered circle.  A larger thickness of fabric covered cording would have worked better and required only one wrap around but the one I had didn't quite match the tin top fabric so I wrapped around (twice) the cording that did match.  For a finishing touch I stuck in three heart topped sewing pins. I'm pretty certain that I bought the pack of heart pins from HM Ben Franklin...ages ago. I can't imagine why I would shop anywhere else for craft supplies. LOL!  Please save all your recyclable containers and try to craft them into something beautiful and functional.  I know you'll be surprised and pleased with what you create!

Floral Postage Stamp Thank You Cards

 

The possibilities for the Sizzix Thinlits postage stamp die are limited only by your imagination.  Since I haven't made a floral card in awhile, I decided to use two newly purchased Hero Arts clear stamp sets (Succulent Bouquet and Togetherness Floral Bouquet).  For both cards, I stamped the bouquets (onto medium weight watercolor paper) in green permanent waterproof ink before coloring the designs with Derwent watercolor pencils. I sparingly applied water to the bouquets to blend and enhance the colors.  Once the designs were dry to the touch, I used the postage stamp die to cut out the 'fake stamps'. I used the coordinating rectangle die to die cut a background. Double stick Heiko tape was used to adhere the parts onto the card blanks.  Finally, thank you stickers were added to the cards. (These stickers were from Japan, but I'm sure you can find similar ones in Daiso or create them yourself.) I often have a need for thank you cards, but you could easily turn these cards into birthday cards or even a special card for Mother's Day.  I hope you have fun making these postage stamp cards and perhaps they'll speed up your snail mail...probably not, but they are fun to create.    

P.S.  I forgot to mention that I used a stiff brush to flick on some metallic gold ink onto the succulent card after coloring in the plants and silver metallic ink was flicked onto the painted floral panel.

Two Boy's Day Cards

With so much of my attention on Easter projects, I nearly forgot Boy's Day.  May 5th just crept up and almost passed me by.  To quickly create these cards, I looked into my stash of Japanese stamps and 'found' these old Mari and Me wood handled stamps.  I'm not sure if the company is still in business and I purchased these stamps many, many years ago.  In any case, it was simple work to stamp the designs on white card stock with permanent black ink and color them in with Copic markers.  After cutting the colored designs with a circle die (Spellbinders) and a Fiskar paper trimmer, I used a paper towel and ink pad to rub some color along the edges of the rectangle/circle. 

Because I have such an abundance of collected printed origami paper (actually a hoarded stash), I decided to use two pieces to decorate the card blanks.  Before adding the origami paper to the black card, I impressed the front using a Kaiser Craft embossing folder (Oriental half circle).  The stamped rectangle and circle were attached to the cards with foam adhesive dots.  For quickie cards, I think these turned out to be rather attractive.  Truthfully, I think the young recipients of my cards can't tell if I spent days or minutes on them.  I think most kids are just happy to receive mail addressed to them. LOL!

When Life Gives You Lemons

When life gives you lemons ....make SCONES!  Our little Meyer lemon tree has been very generous to us this year.  Usually, I cook up some lemon curd with our lemon crop, but this year with the price of eggs (each batch requires 6 eggs!), I decided that Martha Stewart Lemon Scones would be a better choice (only 1 egg needed).  There were a few steps in the recipe that I didn't follow like brushing the unbaked scones with cream (they were going to be glazed anyway).  Also, I cut my scones into squares not triangles...easier to store.  The extra tablespoon of sugar that was not sprinkled on top of the unbaked scones was mixed with the lemon zest.  I used white whole wheat flour to be healthier but regular white flour might have made the scones lighter colored.  I am very pleased with the taste of these scones and will surely use this recipe again even when I don't have an abundance of lemons.  

Like crafting, baking has a very rewarding purpose.  Making small changes to recipes results in an outlet for my creativity.  Don't forget that HM Ben Franklin Crafts has a large supply of baking equipment and edible supplies for making cookies, cakes, candies, etc.  Go and check out the kitchen department of HM Ben Franklin Crafts to get your cooking creativity inspiration! 

Origami Paper Resin Earrings

After making the confetti resin earrings (see March 22 post), I began to look for other things to include in my resin earrings.  Since I have lots of origami paper scraps in my craft room, I decided that they would be the perfect addition to my earrings.  I started by pouring a little resin ( Padico UV-LED) into the earring mold and curing it under the UV light.  This hardened clear piece became the template that I used to trace the earring shape onto the origami paper.  I cut out the paper shape and pierced a hole where the hanging hole should be.  It was a little difficult to get the paper around the silicon template peg (that makes the hole) but washi origami paper is strong and can withstand the poking and prodding.     

To form the resin earrings I poured a little resin in the mold and placed the cut out paper on top of it. More resin was added to the mold before it was cured using the UV light (1 min.). Then the mold was turned over and cured for another minute.  Once the pieces were popped out of the mold, jump rings (included in the Resin Earring Kit) were added and the earring hooks attached.

For the second style of earrings, I used the head pins in the kit to attach Swarovski crystals to the origami paper resin pieces before connecting them to the earring hooks..  I really liked the look of these earrings especially because they allowed me to use a few of the crystals that I had in my enormous stash of Swarovski crystal beads...gosh, I really am a hoarder!  Because these earring only require a tiny piece of origami paper (so many colors and patterns to choose from) and a minimal amount of resin, it is an economical craft.  Also Japanese paper is gorgeous so it isn't difficult to make one-of-a-kind jewelry that is good enough to sell or give to a special friend.  I hope you'll try this resin craft and impress yourself and your friends with your creativity.  

As mentioned in the previous post, I wanted to make Winnie-the-Pooh tags for my jars of honey that I plan to give away to friends.  Using a Hero Arts Infinity tag die and my Big Shot machine, I cut out tags from a 12x12 Bella Carte printed card stock sheet.  Next, I stamped the words using my Misti tool to align the words and to insure that I could restamp if necessary. On a piece of white card stock, I stamped the Pooh images and colored them with Copic markers.  After fussy cutting out the Poohs, I attached them to the tags with foam adhesives.  For added interest and texture, I tied the tags onto the honey jars with rustic looking yarn.

These tagged honey jars make me smile and I will happily present them to my friends and family.  Even though they will surely adore the Alan Wong Adopt-a-Beehive honey, I hope the tags will bring an additional sweetness to their lives. 

                                        

Pooh and Piglet Honey Jar Tag

 

Like the card in the previous post, this tag was made using  La-La Land clear stamps and In The Forest paper.  The tag was started by die-cutting the shape with a large Little B tag die (from a set). The tag die was a little wider than I wanted the tag to be so I centered the paper and made a thinner tag.  As with the card, I stamped the words with permanent black ink using my Misti tool to ensure a clean image. Pooh and Piglet images were stamped on white card stock and colored in with Copic pens before fussy cutting and adhering with foam adhesives. I found a warm and fuzzy piece of yarn in my scrap bag that was perfect for tying the tag to a jar of honey. I recommend honey from Alan Wong's Adopt-a-Beehive project.  Loved this tag so much I need to make lots more for honey jar gift giving.