Toji Shrine Fair 2026

I was lucky to attend the Toji Shrine Fair again this year. It is held on the 21st of every month...rain or shine.  In good weather it is a rather large event with delicious local foods, gorgeous, resonably priced antiques, and lovely craft items for sale.  

I tend to concentrate on the old dishes and handmade items as I am a collector and always on the hunt for new craft ideas. Japanese crafters are meticulous, clever, and seem to undervalue their crafted items.

Over the years my husband and I have collected way too many kokeshi dolls.  I love the ones that bob their heads!  Due to house space, we've stopped collecting the really large dolls and try to limit our purchases to only special looking kokeshi dolls.  On this trip we found a much desired doll with a secret note space in it's body....of course we bought it....a steal at 200 yen!

I mostly spent my time (at the fair) acquiring tea bowls and even though I never drink tea from them, I love the look of their shape and variety of glazes.  Some of the sellers put outrageous prices on their ceramicware, but here and there a true bargain beauty can be found.

I wish I had taken more photos to show you the breadth of the fair but I was so engrossed in searching for new treasures.  I even tripped and fell flat on my face into a display of bowls spread on the ground....I didn't break a single bowl! Of all the things we do and see in Japan, I enjoy attending the Toji Shrine Fair the most.  I guess I'm a treatsure hunter at heart and enjoy meeting/chatting with the talented crafters. I hope someday you will be able to attend the fair and find your own handmade goodies, both antiques and edibles!

 

Washi Paper Covered Notepads with Japanese Fabric Charms

 

Recently, while looking for something in my super messy craft area, I 'discovered' two undecorated notepads. They were purchased a long time ago from HM Ben Franklin Crafts. The notepads were made from kraft paper cardboard and had simple magnet clasps. I'm sure you can fashion one yourself using a self-stick note pad, kraft construction paper and some Velcro tabs. Anyway, it was simple cut and paste to cover the notepads with printed Japanese washi paper (lots availiable at HM BFC).  The fabric charms were made from kits purchased at HM Ben Franklin Crafts.  At first the small parts may seem overwhelming but trust me they are really simple.  Although the instructions are in Japanese, it is easy to translate using Google Translate on your phone.  The kits are for making charms but I thought they would make great decorations for washi covered notepads.  All you really need is a sharp pair of scissors (small) and 3-in-1 glue. This is absolutely my favorite glue because it had the right viscosity to grab quickly but still allow for sliding the parts around to adjust into place.  Also this glue dries clear and permanent.The padding on the charms is just perfect for giving some dimension and interest to the notepads I think making a bunch of these notepads would be perfect for party favors or just small gifts for no reason at all. Don't you love giving and receiving unexpected surprises?

                                          

    

Cat Candy Containers

I love shopping at Daiso because I never know what I'll find there.  Both the jars and the ceramic cats were from Daiso and were simply put together with UV-LED resin. I thought about just using E6000 glue to adhere the cats to the jar tops, but then I thought the resin would give the containers a more professional look.  I simply spread a generous layer of the resin (Padico UV-LED Resin hard ) onto the wooden cover, positioned the cats and aimed the UV-LED light.  I moved the light around so I was sure that l hardedned all areas of the lid. These cat jars were so easy to create and turned out so cute that I know I'll be making more of them in the future.  Daiso carries many other ceramic animals too, in various sizes. The containers can be used for holding many things besides candy....like paper clips, cotton balls, rubber bands, etc.  Decorated glass jars like these would be perfect as party favors, so easy and inexpensive. Go check out your nearest Daiso and discover a multitude of crafting supplies for your next creative project. 

Shaker Resin Charms

Recently, I've been having fun making resin shaker charms.  It was easy because all the supplies needed (except the resin) came in a kit.  I purchased these kits from Japan and HM Ben Franklin Crafts.  Although the instructions for the charms are written in Japanese, it wasn't difficult to use an app (Google Translate) to decifer the words into English.  I was quite impressed with the cleverness of these kits to use resin to construct little pockets to hold the confetti, forming shaker elements.

Some of the kits make two charms and I printed acetate film with the designs so that I could later make multiple charms using the reuseable resin molds.  There are many shaker charm kits available and I am eager to try more as the end products are so pleasing.  You should try making a shaker charm if you can acquire a kit, UV resin and a UV-LED light (sorry not in photo).  I know you'll have fun and will enjoy shaking your charm as it hangs from a favorite handbag.

The Unplanned Card

I call this card the 'unplanned one' as it was created from bits and pieces which somehow all work together.  The card began from a test that I did on craft paper using a Hero Arts background stamp.  I thought that the stamped image looked really old like weathered wood.  In my stash of printed washi papers collected over many years, I found a damaged piece that seemed just right for this card.  I cut away the insect holes and foxing (rust colored stains) and highlighted a mountain shape.  I really like the overall look of this printed washi paper because it looks like an old block print.   

I didn't have many character stamps to choose from and most of them were too large.  I selected one that had 'success' in small print beneath the Japanese characters.  I heat embossed the stamped image on black paper with silver embossing powder..  I am very pleased with this 'unplanned card' and hope to use it for a graduation or birthday card. I always struggle to make masculine-looking cards so I am happy with this creation and I'm sure I will use it relatively soon.

2026 Boy's Day Card

While perusing the goodies at HM Ben Franklin Crafts, I spied a set of Dandelion Designs Boy's Day stamps and a 6x6 Forever in Time Perfect Prints paper pad.  I thought that paired together they would make a unique Boy's Day card.  The cute little boys were stamped (with waterproof black ink) onto white card stock, colored with Copic pens, and fussy cut out.  (The Dandelion images on the front of the stamp package are smaller than the actual stamp images so they aren't difficult to color. Also it is easier to stamp the entire rubber sheet first and then color and cut out the images. It is difficult to get a precise cut through the tough rubber.)  I chose a color and design from the paper pad that I felt would look like a scene.  The words in the Happy Boy's Day stampe set were too small for what I had in mind so I used the words from an older Dandelion Designs set,' Boy's Day'. I stamped the words first and then used a circle punch before coloring with a yellow marker pen.

While at HM Ben Franklin Crafts, I saw a box of the cutest animal washi tapes. I couldn't resist buying the tapes ( so many adorable printed rolls!).  I knew I would find a use for all of them.  Don't they look perfect on the envelope? You have to check out the washi tape boxes. There are many fabulous designs to choose from...guess I have to go shopping again! LOL!

Chocolate and Cherry Stromboli

 I love trying new recipes, especially cookie and bread recipes.  I recently purchased a Taste of Home magazine featuring bread recipes. I decided to try the Chocolate and Cherry Stromboli because it seemed rather easy and I had all of the ingredients. It turned out fabulous and tasted so delicious! I did substitute the canola oil with peanut oil because it was what I had.  If I bake this bread again, I may try melted butter instead of oil as I like the taste of butter better.  Also the cherry pieces don't show up well in the chocolate so I might substitute chopped apricots next time.  Because I am testing bread recipes for future gift giving, I think I would not drip on the melted chocolate if I was planning to wrap the bread as the melted dark chocolate doesn't harden (needs to be tempered). Perhaps the candy melt chocolate sold at HM Ben Franklin Crafts would harden well enough to permit wrapping the bread in cellophane bags.  The recipe specifies applying an egg wash and sprinkling on coarse sugar before baking.  I think really coating the loaf with coarse sugar would add  the sweet taste and be attractive but not messy so there would be no need for drizzling chocolate. Ther were dozens of great sounding bread recipes that I will try out in the near future.  I'll let you know which ones from this magazine are successful and why. If you are interested in perfecting your bread baking skills, I think you should get a copy of this magazine and get cooking!

Sweet Shaved Ice Cards

In Hawaii, 'shave ice' (snow cones) is a staple local treat anytime of the year.  When I spotted the Dandelion Designs stamp set of the girl and boy showing their shave ice colored tongues, it was a no-brainer to place it in my shopping basket at HM Ben Franklin Crafts.  I searched my stash of Hawaiian print papers (from HM BFC) to find just the right designs and colors to use as a background for the cards.  It was simple to stamp and color (with Copic pens) the shaved ice holding kids.  I free hand drew the shave ice mountain, colored it and cut it out.  Next I glued on some 'confetti ice flakes' (purchased in a small shaker container) that are actually irridescent chopped up cellophane.  The kids' shaved ice was enhanced with Glossy Accents. Both the girl and boy were glued onto the shaved ice mountain with 3 in 1 Beacon glue.

The Whimsy 'Sweet' three part word die was used on variously colored Doodlebug Designs glittered paper to acheive the fancy script.  I found the right font 'MAHALO' to use on one card but all the 'birthday' stamps I had were too big or small so I searched until I found some tags in my stash of birthday stuff.  Luckily, even the colors of the printed letters coordinated with the card.  The look of these cards makes me smile and I can't wait to mail them out. I think they will make the recipients smile too!

Happy, Happy Hello Kitty Birthdaty Card

 In a previous post, I featured mini calendars with this Hello Kitty stamped image.  I stamped, colored in and paper pieced an extra image which sat on my desks for awhile.  Rather than throw away the extra piece, I decided to turn it into a birthday card.  I found a large sized die (Sizzix) in my stash of birthday things.  I backed the lavendar die cut piece with a piece of card stock from a marbled paper pack. (The lavendar paper was from an AC pastel paper pack.)

For more interest and texture, I glued on some artificial cherry blossoms (HM Ben Franklin Crafts often has packages or stalks of cherry blossoms for sale during the spring season.).  I also added some yellow sticker pearls to give the card a little bling and coordinate with the yellow card base.  I found a matching lavendar envelope and embellished it with a cat sticker.  I'm still searching for a Hello Kitty sticker to replace the heart holding tabby sticker on the envelope, but I'm satisfied for now. Overall, I am proud to be sending this card off to a very dear friend....hope she'll be HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!

Amaryllis Photo Box

This photo box actually started thirty years ago when I bought an amaryllis bulb from HM Ace Hardware in Hilo.  Little did I know that it would grow and produce blooms for decades.  We have split the bulbs clusters many times and have been rewared with blooms every year. Because we live in a cell phone photo world, I don't usually have photos around to hold in my hands and enjoy in real life.  This box was designed to hold some of my favorite current photos.  Printed floral card stock was used to cover the front and bottom of the box.  Floral ribbon was glued to the sides of the box cover.  

Squarish Spellbinder dies were used to cut out the amaryllis photo ad the yellow card stock.  They were glued onto the box front along with the trimmed Echo Park paper sentiment  from a 6x6 paper pad.  Butterflies from a Forever in Time Die Cut Embellishment pack were glued onto the box front.  It was a simple project that hopefully will allow me to collect favorite photos (printed from my endless cell phone pics) in an easily accessible place where I can enjoy them often. This box would also make a good gift box...perhaps filled with meaningful photos.  Another added perk is that the original box was an empty See's Candies container so it still has the chocolate aroma which I enjoy everytime  I look at my photos....how sweet is that?!!!

Where Did You Get That?

Here are three items I purchased recently.  I thought you might like to see what I am drawn to and what amuses my decorating sense.  The pot with a cactus and the ceramic watering pot were seen and snapped up from a locker box in the Market City HM Ben Franklin Crafts store.  I thought their wonky looks were just fabulous.  Who would put a big, single cactus leaf in such a tiny pot?  The pot is very heavy so the cactus doesn't make it tip over.  I was amazed that the cactus was really alive...hopefully, I can keep it that way!  The watering pot is also very heavy so perhaps I can plant something in it too. Would a bonsai tree survive?  Whoever manages the locker box where I found these ceramic pieces certainly has a sense of beauty that aligns with mine. Thank you for offering these pieces for sale.  As for the mouse and chick figurine, I found it on the bargain $5 table at a recent All Collectors show.  It was brand new and had a fresh. fancy hang tag so I didn't feel it was 'used'. I like figurines like this to go with my Easter craft project photos.  Keep your eyes open and you will surely find amazing treasures in the most interesting places.  Hope ;you like seeing what catches my eyes and heart. Life is short, so make yourself happy today!

 

Sumikko gurashi Felt Key Chain

I am a big fan of the Sumikko gurashi Japanese characters, so when I saw them in felt kits selling at HM Ben Franklin Crafts, I knew I was launching into a new craft.  It took me barely two hours to complete the project and I was very happy with the results.

All the felt parts were well cut out and the kit contained everything needed ( pre-cutfelt, thread, plastic needle. etc.) to make a cute stuffed felt character. Even though the instructions were in Japanese (which I don't read), I was able to follow the diagrams. Because the plastic needle (safe for kids) had a large eye it did make the pre-cut sewing holes bigger so you need to make your knots extra large so they don't go through the holes. HM Ben Franklin Crafts has many felt kits to choose from (not all of them of Sumikko gurashi characters) so I'm sure you will find one to your liking. Doing crafts like this is very satisfying to me and perfect for taking on a trip because you only need a tool to cut the thread.  Crafting is my way of relaxing and when away from home I like to keep my hands and mind busy. I'm sure making a felt key chain will make you (or whoever you give it to) very happy. Try crafting one...you'll love it!

 

Chocolate Rabbits Shaker Easter Card

To me, Easter means enjoying chocolate rabbits!  Since I can't mail a chocolate card, I decided to design a card that has the spirit of my childhood chocolate candy Easter rabbits.  I have a really old Tim Holtz chocolate rabbit die that I used to make the rabbit cut outs.  (Recently, I noticed that Whimsy Stamps is selling a set of rabbit silhouette dies which probably can be used to create a similar card to this one.)  Because the old rabbit die is one that is about an inch thick, it is rather difficult to align the three rabbits...but it can be done!  

After die cutting the rabbits from a printed card stock, double stick adhesive is applied around the rabbits before a piece of cellophane is pressed down.  (To be thrifty, I use clear packaging from my craft supplies.)  Then foam tape is lined around the under side of the die cut rectangle piece and three of the protective strips are removed.  This rectangle was then pressed down on three sides of a card blank.  Shaker confetti pieces (MIx Upz, Easter Basket) was poured into the pocket before sealing up the open adhesive side.   

Easy-peasy....the card is done!  I really love how easy this card was too construct. I think the bright, colorful confetti that I purchased from HM Ben Franklin Crafts really made the card something special!

I also had some Doodlebug Designs 'Happy Easter' washi tape I decided to use to decorate the back of the card too. I just applied one strip so that I could write a long Easter message.  I'll use the washi tape to make the envelope 'spiffy' too.  I hope you'll make an Easter card that will brighten someone's holiday season.  It will brighten your holiday celebrations too!

Two Chocolate Easter Bunnies and a Shaker Egg

My childhood memories of Easter always include chocolate rabbits so I just had to include some on my Easter card. I used a Tim Holtz die to cut out the bunnies from brown card stock.  Then I coated the surface of the bunnies with 'chocolate' from a tube of BoBunny perlescent dimensional paint. (The Bo Bunny product may not be available anymore but there are other dimensional paint companies who do manufacture chocolate colored paint in a squeeze tube.) Once the rabbits were dry, I glued on some bows cut from colored card stock using the Tim Holtz die that came with the bunny die.)

Next I used a Spellbinder egg-shaped die to cut out the oval for the shaker part of the card.  I glued a piece of acetate (cut from a discarded cello bag) behind the opening. I framed the opening with double stick foam tape to make a well to enclose the shaker pieces. From HM Ben Franklin Crafts I purchased a great pack of Easter themed confetti.  I pressed down most of the taped egg shaped opening and then filled in the opening with enough confetti to fill the egg about halfway full before sealling the rest of the opening. Double stick tape was used to fasten down the printed card stock edges and the banner which came from a Doodlebug Design ephemera set.

Since I had a Doodlebug Designs 'Happy Easter' washi tape, I decided to decorate an envelope to go with the shaker card. Making a matching envelope always signifies to the recipient that there is a special greeting inside.  Make someone's day fabulous...send a them a homemade card today!

2026 Easter Cookie Box

 This year I am hoping to make some Easter cookies and thought that I should make some decorative boxes to house them.  This box is recycled from a candy box. (I always save sturdy, clean boxes to re-purpose into decorated containers.)  This box was especially nice because it opened up flat, making it easy to cover with printed cardstock.  I simply traced the flattened box onto the cardstock, cut it out and folded the new box.  The 12x12 Doodlebug paper was slightly too small so I added a patch to the bottom of the box (hardly noticeable).

The bunnies were die cut using the Lawn Fawn die set, Build-a-Bunny.  Since I didn't buy the coordinating Accesories die set, I used a sticker and cut out a carrot to decorate the bunnies.  Usually I would put blue and pink paper behind the eyes and ears but I didn't want to search for the paper scraps so I simply used my Copic markers to make colored paper from plain white card stock and then placed them beneath the appropriate eye or ear spaces.

Without the ribbon and after the cookies are eaten, the box can be a cute storage for trinkets, stickers, etc. or new cookies could be baked and given to someone else. Yum-yum!

The 12x12 printed cardstock is from a Doodlebug Designs pack (purchased at HM Ben Franklin Crafts) as were the DD and Echo Park ephemera packs.  The cute chicky puffy stickers are a Paper Source product.  I found the green ribbon in my stash but I'm pretty sure it came from HM BFC....I shop there a lot....hahaha! I am so pleased with this recycled box that I am searching for other containers to recycle into cookie boxes that can be enjoyed long after the cookies are eaten. Recycling and repurposing should be a crafter's second hobby! 

Tucson 2026 Rock and Gem Show

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending the Tucson Rock and Gem Show. Although the show was a bit quieter than in previous years, it still was a wonderland of nature's geological beauty. There was also a marvelous aray of tents and rooms brimming over with affordable and millionaire-only-priced jewelry/gemstones.  

 Yes!  This dinosaur skeleton was actually on display in one of the tents at the Tucson 2026 Gem and Mineral Show. It was a small specimen compared to others but it was still way bigger than me.

Even in the tent area of the show, there were amazing displays and collections.  One of my favorite displays was a gigantic carved jade dragon.  It was certainly museum worthy and it was exciting to be able to see it up close. If you are a rock hound or gem collector, you really need to attend the Tucson Rock and Gem Show at least once in your lifetime.  Even if you can't afford the museum quality gems, you wil surely find something in your price range that you will treasure and display in your home forever!

  

We didn't buy any of these gorgeous Ethiopian opals which were being sold by the carat. The colors radiating from them was blinding! 

We also only stroked the boulder opal slabs but did buy a few small pieces with the intent of someday mounting them into jewelry.

In the Tucson convention center there were amazing displays of one-of-a- kind mineral specimens.  They were breathtakingly beautiful and it was unbelivable that people discovered them and were able to mine them in such pristine condition.  Although, I would never be able to afford the museum worthy mineral specimens, it was fun to gaze at them and wish. Although this quartz cluster is not really a rare occurrence, it is still an eye-catching display.

This gigantic cluster of gem grade aquamarine is so gorgeous that I can't believe it grew naturally and was carefully excavated before being displayed for everyone to enjoy.

    

There were lots of amethyst formations on display and surprisingly they were affordable. I guess amethyst is not as rare as other minerals.

I don't know what kind of minerals make up this delicate formation.  I was overwhelmed by the delicacy of the crystals.  How is it possible that the crystal structure did not collapse?   

At the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show it is possible to purchase some beautiful gems and jewelry. If you can, you should attend the next show to see if you can uncover some real treasures at affordable prices. Besides learning tons of information, I guarantee you'll feel like you've excavated hidden minerals and dug up jewelry fashioned for royalty!