What's Wapen-ing? Nano Block Charms!

When I spied the Rilakkuma Nano Block mystery packages in a Japanese store, I knew I had to buy a few packages. Upon opening the packages to see which characters I had, I realized that there were way more pieces than I anticipated.  Undaunted, I started to make the models but I guess I'm not a very good engineer/architect.  I couldn't build even one character.  My dear husband volunteered to try and he did it!  So far he's made two characters...isn't he a sweetheart?  To insure that his hard work wouldn't be accidentally broken, I decided to paint 1 minute UV resin over each model. I did one section at a time and added a loop metal cap to allow the pieces to be hung like a charm. 

I hooked one charm onto the ball chain that came with the Wappen dog and attached them both to a see-thru pouch which can be used to hold money, candy, or other charms.

On the back of the dog I glued on a plastic heart and two plastic button footprints. 

For the second Nano block charm, I attached it to a pouch with a charm cord and added a sushi patch. I thought that the Japanese Nano Block alien? needed some yummy Japanese food.  You maybe able to find Nano Block kits online or be able to adapt some of the mini block kits (available at our Daiso stores) into resin charms. Hope you have a CHARMING day!

What's Wappen-ing? - Resin Charms!

 Have you fallen in love with the Wappen items in our HM Ben Franklin Crafts stores?  I can't seem to stop buying just ONE more!  This white fuzzy Wappen rabbit with sunglasses really captured my heart. To add more color and cuteness, I made a pink resin rabbit charm.

Making resin charms is fun and easy to do especially if you use the 1 minute UV resin available at HM Ben Franklin Crafts.  Powdered colorants can be added to the resin before pouring into the molds so you can really make any color you desire.  These particular molds make a hole in the resin animal which can then be covered on one side with a small acetate sheet and sealed with resin before filling with confetti.  A second small acetate sheet can be then sealed on with resin.

A cupcake butt was added to the white rabbit for delicious fun. LOL!

I like the size and color of this Wappen pouch so I decided to add a cat resin charm and glue on a small Wappen cat and dish of yummy plastic ice cream.

On the reverse side of the pouch I couldn't resist adding this large Winnie-the-Pooh Wappen patch (purchased at Daiso).  You really need to check out the Daiso Wappen items ...so many at incredibly reasonable prices.  Like a kid in a candy store, I can't stop thinking of new Wappen creations and choosing yet another deliciously addictive part to add to my collection and creations.

Peace Sympathy Cards

As the popular old song goes (I probably have some of the words wrong): Sunrise, Sunset....Sunrise Sunset...swiftly go the days...each one following the other...ladened with sadness and joy... That's how my life has been going these days as I keep creating both sympathy and baby cards.  Today I am featuring two sympathy cards on my blog.  It was difficult for me to keep these cards masculine as I prefer flowers and hearts.  I began with somber origami paper that had just a touch of gold.  By sticking with square and rectangular shapes, I think I was able to avoid making the card too feminine.  Having a good supply of printed origami paper (from HM Ben Franklin Crafts) made these cards come together quickly.

Oops!  I forgot to photograph the rubber stamp that I used for the peace character.  Anyway, it was from an old set that I don't think is available any more.  I'm sure there are many Japanese character stamps available for sale online. I used this stamp with gold ink and then applied gold embossing powder before heating it up with a hot air gun.  It was simple work to use the smallest two Sizzix dies (from the square die set) to layer the pieces onto the card.  I found a scrap of lovely gold and silver textured origami paper that I used beneath the white (with gold and silver flecks) character stamped square. Finding just the right papers is the key to making these cards.  The search for them is what usually takes me the longest part in the creation of a special, simple but meaningful card.  Even though it is sad to hear of the passing of a much loved person, if the departed was suffering for a long time, I truly hope he is finally pain free and at peace.

Shaker Accordion Baby Card

Yes, our family is really expanding....another baby will be born soon.  Because the gender reveal will take place once the child is born, I had to keep the colors of this card gender neutral.  I like cards with movement so I chose a Sizzix die (Circle Flip-its #2) and put a shaker element with bears and hearts on the front. Using the circle dies that came with the die set, I layered acetate and die cut papers to make the shaker.  I used four layers of marker paper to form the well for the confetti but in hindsight I should have used 6-8 pieces as the bear confetti don't move around very much. The papers used were old ones from Simple Stories and K and Company. 

On the back of the revolving circle I glued on a die cut circle that was cut from a 12x12 sheet printed with various baby sentiment.

A Lawn Fawn die set was used to cut out a sweet gift card/money holder, matching the baby card.  The die set even had a die that cut a message card with an eyelet edge...how lovely!

To make the card suit either baby gender I even chose boy/girl confetti (from HM BFC)...love the one with bears!  The Heiko pastel thin ribbon bow made a perfect finishing touch for the card front.  I am pleased with the movement on this card and that I was able to keep it gender neutral. It was fun to make this card because it was simple and now I am ahead of the baby factory production line....LOL!

Folding Step Baby Card

 Our niece is pregnant with her second child and is due very soon. I had to rush this card so I kept it super simple.  I used a Sizzix Framelits Step-Ups die set and mostly Echo Park printed card stock.  For the decorations I fussy cut out words and images from Echo Park sheets.  It took just a few minutes to cut out al of this and glue it onto the folded 'steps'.

Since I had lots of baby print paper scraps, I decided to make a gift card holder.  I'm pretty sure that the scraps were also Echo Park papers since they match the step card.  I wish I could tell you the name of the die I used to make the gift card holder but I've misplaced it....it's somewhere in my craft area????

It's been awhile since I last used this Sizzix step card die but I think I will use it more often as it makes a very interesting card that folds up into a standard envelope.  In the near future I will probably be revisiting some old but clever Sizzix card dies...everything old is new again! Please check out this blog site to see what NEW cards I create with some OLD school tools.

Happiness Comes In Waves

While perusing my pile of water colored background papers, I came across an ocean colored one that I saved because it was too nice to throw away but too riddled with dark colored blobs.  I decided to test three new background stamps on it using various embossing powders.  I started with the jellyfish stamp and used clear stamping ink with clear sparkly embossing powder.  I stamped and heat embossed several times before moving on to the word stamp.  Again, I stamped with clear stamp ink but this time I sprinkled on copper embossing powder.  Even though the letters are blurry, they do look like they are underwater.  Using white embossing powder, I stamped and embossed the coral/sea urchins.  After mounting the embossed piece onto a turquoise card blank, I glued on some small pieces of coral, a broken sand dollar, abalone shell, teeny tiny shells and seaweed-looking yarn.  I am proud that I was able to convert an almost-throw-away water colored sheet into an interesting and usable greeting card.  Because the words on the card front are so hard to read, I stamped just the one line ' Happiness Comes In Waves' inside the card.  I think these words say it all and make this card usable for many occasions.  Free-styling card making is full of unexpected and pleasing surprises. Give it a try!

 

Paper Theater Crafts at HM Ben Franklin Crafts

 When I was recently at the Japan Hobby Show, I purchased some full size kits (see bottom photo) and was given this small sample to try.  At first I thought, 'Oh my, this is going to be hard because there are so many pieces', but it was actually quite simple to put together the cute bunny scene.  All the pieces of plastic-like paper were easy to take apart and glue down. The instructions were in Japanese but had easy to follow numbered steps.

I used the glue that I purchased from the Paper Theater vendors, but they told me any white paper glue would work.  I suggest a thin white glue in a small tip applicator.

Here are the kits I purchased at the Japan Hobby Show.  They sold hundreds of kits in various character themes. Our HM Ben Franklin Crafts Mapunapuna store has Paper Theater kits in stock and you might find Paper Theater kits in our other HM BFC stores too.  I think this is a satisfying new craft that will please you with the results that you will proudly show off to your friends and family.  Check out our Japanese craft sections in all our stores for new creative fun!

Ladybug Tag and Card Matching Tall Gift Bag

 Here are the tag and card that I made to match the tall gift bag in my previous blog post.  I think I did a pretty good job of finding papers and embellishments to match the gift bag.

For the card, I selected a printed card stock from an Echo Park 6x6 pad also used a sentiment card from an Echo Park pack. Both are available at HM Ben Franklin Crafts. The sparkly ladybug is a sticker and the flower is from a pack I discovered at HM BFC.

This tag was made from a scrap of printed paper that I discovered in my desk scrap pile.  It was cut with a die from a Hero Arts tag die set. The cord tie was chosen because the colors matched both the tag and bag. The stamped words and ladybugs (colored with Copic pends, cut out, and adhered with foam dot adhesives) were from an Echo Park stamp set purchased at HM BFC.

I think it's fun and fancy to make tags and/or cards to match gift bags.  It shows the recipient that you really went all out to make the gift special. Tip: It's a good idea to have gift wrapping sets made when you have the time so you will be less stressed to put them together right before they are needed.