Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 6: Butterfly Clothespin Favor & Framing Tip: Guest Signatures Mat

Happy Birthday to you! Lisa is back again for the last episode of our birthday themed Crankin’ Out Crafts. Get ready for the “Butterfly Clothespin Favor!”

Click here to watch Episode 6: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 6 - Butterfly Clothespin Favor

Lisa shows off these cute party favors, made with wooden clothespins and scrapbooking paper, which are perfect for a bug themed birthday party.

The supplies for these fluttery butterflies are:

Tacky glue

Double stick tape

Pretty scrapbooking paper

Square plastic bag (Heiko T9 bag used in video)

Wooden Clothespin

Pipe cleaner

Googley eyes

Candy (you can’t forget the candy)

Also, B-Dizzle is back again with a new Friday Framing tip. This time she shows us a “Guest’s Signatures Mat.”

We hope you enjoyed this week’s episodes of Crankin’ Out Crafts. Please join us next week Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for more crafting fun and a brand new theme.

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 5: Birthday Balloon Lollipop

Ready for more birthday fun with Crankin’ Out Crafts? Our 5^th episode, called “Balloon Lollipop,” features JFlo. 

Click here to watch Episode 5: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 5 - Birthday Balloon Lollipop

This giant lollipop made from a latex balloon is perfect as a decoration for that sweet birthday party. *This lollipop is inedible. Please don’t try to eat it.* 

Want to make a giant lollipop of your own? These are the supplies:

Balloon

Clear Cellophane

Ribbon

Scissors

Large dowel

Double stick tape

Don’t forget to check back with us on Friday for the last installment in our birthday themed Crankin’ Out Crafts.

Artful Bra Project Hawaii Entry Deadline Extended!

Hi Everyone! We were just notified that the deadline for Artful Bra entries has been extended to October 10th. You can turn in your entry at our Oahu BFC stores: Mapunapuna, Enchanted Lake, Pearl City or Market City. To recap, you can decorate a bra (size 36c) & raise money to support the Kapiolani Breast Center. All entries, fees and forms are due by the Monday, October 10th deadline. The decorated bras will be auctioned off at the Pinktober Hard Rock Cafe Honolulu on Saturday, October 15th from 6-10pm. Please check the Artful Bra Project Hawaii Facebook Page for entry form, rules & more details.

We can't wait to see what you create! Remember also, that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Fangtastic Halloween Party

You're invited to join us at Enchanted Lake Ben Franklin this Saturday. We're having a "fangtastic" Halloween party with great ideas and inspiration for your own spooktacular celebration. There will be make 'n takes, demonstrations, and a lot of frightful fun.

For more great ideas don't forget to check out today's previous post, "Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 4: Candy Stick Favor."

See you soon!
Puna @ Enchanted Lake

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 4: Birthday Candy Stick Favor

It’s a new week here on Crankin’ Out Crafts, the show for crafters on the go who want to be in the know. This week’s theme is an occasion both dreaded and anticipated by many; the birthday! We’ll share three more projects to help you lessen birthday distress and increase birthday success.

Today’s episode is presented by Brandon, who shows us how to make a cute and simple favor using a new item in our stores, the candy stick bag. The episode is titled (not surprisingly) “Candy Stick Favor.”

Click here to watch Episode 4: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 4 - Birthday Candy Stick Favor

Brandon uses punches, scrapbooking paper, and stamps to liven up a simple candy stick bag for this birthday party favor. 

For those of you who like to craft along with us, here are the supplies you’ll need:

2” Marvy Uchida circle punch (the blue one)

2.5”Marvy Uchida scalloped circle punch (the pink one)

Candy stick bag

A stamp of your choice

An ink pad

Double stick tape

Solid or patterned cardstock

Candy (M&Ms, Jelly Bellys, or candies of a similar size work well)

Colored pencils (optional)

Check back with us on Wednesday and Friday for more birthday cheer.

Hilo Bead Shoppe Party Fun!

Here in Hilo we had our Bead Shoppe Party today and it was a ton of fun! Many of our regular customers along with a whole bunch of new customers spent some time making bracelets, earrings, and pendants. There were even bag charms and cupcakes to be made too! (But only the cupcakes were made to be eaten. ^.^)

Customers that participated left with a pretty new accessory and knowledge on how to make their own jewelry. They bounced from table to table, exploring the different offerings and creating one-of-a-kind pieces.

Everyone had a great time! Many of them said that they can't wait for the next one! Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Bead Shoppe Party! And if you couldn't make it this time, keep on the lookout for our next event!

See you soon!

~Jen at Hilo Ben Franklin

A Bit of Sugar!!!

Look at how popular our new "A Bit of Sugar: Clay Cupcake Charms" class is!! Lei and Brad were teaching a full house today and everyone was having a great time learning how to make super kawaii cupcake charms out of polymer clay! The decoden craze is going strong so if you want to get in on the action sign up for their next class but do it soon because spaces will fill up fast!!

See ya later!

Lynn @ Mapunapuna BFC

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 3: Sparkle Corset Centerpiece & Framing Tip: Snowflake Mat

Ready for another episode of “Crankin’ Out Crafts?” JFlo returns in the third episode, “Sparkle Corset Centerpiece.”

Click here to watch episode 3: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 3 - Sparkle Corset Centerpiece

In the last episode for our glitter theme, learn how to create a simple yet stunning decoration with a glass block, ribbon, and a glittered metal frame. JFlo helps you get ready for your Fashionista or Halloween party.

Supplies for the crafters crafting along with JFlo:

Glittered Metal Frame

Glass Block

Ribbon

We also have a special treat this week! Our Ben Franklin framer, B-Dizzle, gets in on the action and gives us a Friday Framing Tip. She’ll show us an easy way to spruce up a mat for a festive look.

See you next week Monday with more “Crankin’ Out Crafts” and a brand new theme.

Laliberi Filigree Cuff

Have you read about our new Laliberi line of jewelry and hair accessory kits on Lynn's Craft Blog? By the way, I'm Lynn from the Mapunapuna bead shop while the Lynn that writes Lynn's Craft Blog is on the Big Island and a lot of people mistake us for one person, lol. These kits come with all the supplies you need to create a beautiful piece of jewelry and the directions are very easy to follow. Above is a picture of the results of the Filigree Cuff Kit, now I did tweak it a bit. I added some 6mm crystal rounds because I like a little extra sparkle with my filigree. I also used Vintaj brass wire instead of the jump rings that were included in the kit because I like to wear my jewelry to work and thus need durable jewelry. I was a little worried that it wouldn't be a comfortable bracelet to wear because of the width but was pleasantly surprised to the contrary.

There is a bit of a challenge in getting it on by myself though but I have a little trick to share with you! Take about 7 inches of 18 or 20 gauge wire and use round nose pliers to create a swirl on one end. On the other end, create a hook by wrapping it around a nail polish bottle or something similar. Here's a picture of what you should end up with...



Now you can use this to help you put on your bracelet just like this.....


Slip the hook through the link closest to the one where you attach the clasp to, slide it down to rest next to the swirl. While holding the hook end in your fingers, the bracelet stays steady so that you can attach your clasp. Of course you can always do a wire wrap on the other end with a pretty bead instead of a swirl, it should still function the same. I've read that people will do this with a paper clip that they pull apart but I think it looks so much prettier if you make your own!
This would make a cute add on if you give someone a bracelet too!

Thanks for stopping by and I'll see ya at the store!

Lynn @ Mapunapuna Bead Shop

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 2: Glitter Pumpkin

Here’s the latest installment of our “Crankin’ Out Crafts” video series! Join Brandon in the second episode, “Glitter Pumpkin.”

Click here to watch this episode: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 2 - Glitter Pumpkin

Continuing with the glitter theme, Brandon shows us how to quickly add glitz and glam to a paper mache pumpkin using ultra fine glitter and every crafter’s best friend, Tacky Glue.

For your crafting pleasure, here is the supply list for this quick project:

Paper Mache Pumpkin

Tacky Glue

Paint Brush

Ultra Fine Glitter

Check back in with us every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for a new episode and great crafting projects.

Oahu 60th Anniversary Event

This past Saturday, Sept.17th we celebrated our 60th Anniversary on Oahu at Mapunapuna BFC. We had demos, Make-it and Take-It's, Special Guests, Contests and an iPad2 giveaway! Here are some pictures from the event:

We created favors to give out at the door. The flower box was made using our AccuCut Machine, which is free to use with your purchase of paper at our stores.

Mellie Enos and Cora Panis came with their table full of beautiful handmade leis! Mellie took part in our 60th Anniversary video showing at Mapunapuna BFC made by HPE.

Jenny and Puna showed customers how to make a flower out of Paper Blossoms punches and a Butterfly Clothespin favor.

Fiona and Gloria were also there showing how to make a cute favor with the Sizzix eclips machine. Eclips machines and accessories are available to purchase at Oahu BFC stores.

Seattle Artist Yuming Zhu demonstrated the art of Sumi painting. He offered free demos from Sept.12 to 17 and also a workshop. You can buy Sumi painting supplies at Oahu BFC stores.

Brad and Lei from "Bit of Sugar" demonstrated how to create a cute cupcake charm out of clay. They specialize in handmade deco sweet jewelry and accessories. They also have started offering classes at Mapunapuna BFC! See the store to sign-up.

At 2pm Joy Shimabukuro drew the name of the iPad2 winner. Congrats to Marleen A. of Honolulu!

We had a great time crafting and meeting all of you! We also had 60-second to Win-It Contests, Mad Dash Shopping Sprees, and other Make 'n Takes throughout the event. Congrats to all the winners and be sure to check out more pictures on our Oahu 60th Anniversary Facebook Album. Take a look and don't forget to like our BFC Facebook page! You can also follow us on Twitter @bfcrafts.

We would like to thank everyone who came out to celebrate with us and who helped to organize the event. Thank you for your continued patronage and support throughout the years! We look forward to serving you for many more.

Flower Box

This past Saturday, I was at our Mapunapuna store for our 60th anniversary, and I had a lot of people ask questions about one of the favors they were giving to the customers at the door. So, I decided that since I didn't have a lot of spare time on Saturday for favor discussions, I would talk about that little favor on the blog today.

(By the way, if you happened to make it to our 60th anniversary bash, thank you all for joining me and Jenny at our table and making flowers and dragonflies with us! We had a lot of fun with you guys. For everyone who couldn't make it, I'm sorry but you missed out on some fun make-n-takes and awesome prize giveaways. You can always come and have fun with us Enchanted Lake though!)



Anyway, this a picture of the AccuCut machine which you can find at any of our Ben Franklin stores. If you purchase paper with us you can use the machine for free, otherwise there's a small fee for usage. I posted this picture of the AccuCut because this is what they used to make that little favor on Saturday! (You thought it was something hard to do didn't you?) It's super easy because the machine does all the cutting for you. Just look for the die called Flower Favor or ask an associate to help you locate it. Then you follow the directions on the machine to cut out your favor. Later on, you can fill it with candy and embellish it for your special occasion. All the stores have different shapes and letters for their AccuCuts, although there are a few dies, like the flower favor, that are common to all the stores.

Then, just to give you an idea how versatile that Flower Favor is, I made up a few samples. I also included a sample (at the bottom of this photo) of the favor, before it's put together, so you know exactly what pieces get cut out. Don't be afraid to make use of this awesome machine or to come and ask us questions about it.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to check out the post from earlier today introducing our new video series, Crankin' Out Crafts!

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

Introducing..."Crankin' Out Crafts"!

Introducing Ben Franklin’s new "Crankin' Out Crafts” video series! It’s the show for crafters on the go who want to be in the know!

These videos focus on teaching crafters, just like you, how to make a few quick, easy, and fun projects. Each week you can look forward to a specific theme with three coordinating projects.

The theme for this week is a favorite of everyone’s, from kindergarten students to college graduates, Glitter! Join us for our premier episode, the “Glitter Pen,” presented by JFlo.

 

In our first ever episode, learn how to add some shimmer and shine to a simple pen with glitter! If you feel like crafting along with us, here is a list of supplies* you will need to complete this project:

Ultra Fine Glitter
Pen
Terrifically Tacky Tape
Glitter Blast Clear Sealer

You can find the episode here: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 1 - Glitter Pen


Remember to check back with us Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for more speedy projects. We have so many fun things in store for you; you won’t want to miss an episode!

*All supplies are available at any Hawaii Ben Franklin Crafts store, of course!

One Week 'Till Bead Shoppe Party!

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to remind you that next Saturday, September 24, 2011, from 10a.m. - 2p.m., Hilo Ben Franklin will be throwing a Bead Shoppe Party!

There will be all kinds of make 'n takes for all ages along with awesome sales and even a chance to win a Bead Goodie Basket!

For more information, check out the photo above (click on it to get the larger image) or come visit our store and ask one of our friendly sales associates! Hope to see you there!!

Just a couple more things while I'm here, though...

Number one...There are still a limited number of available booths for the Christmas Craft Fair that will be held the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. If you're interested in renting a booth, please stop by any of the registers at Hilo BFC to pick up an application. It's first come, first served with space, so don't dilly-dally! For more detailed information, you can come by or call the store and ask for Denise, Donna, or Paul.

Number two...If a large craft fair isn't for you, or you'd like to test out your product a little before jumping in, Hilo BFC hosts two mini craft fairs a month in front of our store. They're held on the first and third Saturdays of each month, and of course, space is limited, so stop by today and ask for an application! If you need more information, please ask for Donna.

And that's it for now! Looking forward to seeing you at the Bead Shoppe Party! Have a great rest of your weekend!

~Jen at Hilo BFC

Falling into the Holiday

Here at Ben Franklin Crafts we're gearing up for the holidays... so to get into the holiday spirit I decided to start off with a fall themed card. I absolutely love this line of stamps from Your Next Stamp I decided to keep it the color palette all browns... This was a fun and simple card that got me excited to make more holiday themed projects...

<3 Trina @ Kahului Ben Franklin

You're Invited to our Oahu 60th Anniversary Celebration this Saturday!

Come to our Mapunapuna BFC store on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10am to 2pm to help us celebrate our company's 60th Anniversary! We will have demos, make-it and take-its, 60 second Showdowns, prizes and more. Our guest MC is Tony Solis of "Eh, U da Kine, ah?". Cheryl from Hero Arts, Mellie Enos, Deb Zeleznik from RSP, Brad & Lei from Bit of Sugar, Eileen Tokita, and Seattle Artist Yuming Zhu will also be there.

View our 60th Anniversary Flyer with store specials on our website at  www.benfranklinhawaii.com or visit any Oahu BFC store for more details. Enter to win an ipad2 (must be present to win). See you this Saturday!

Make Someone's Year

If you're like me and trying to focus on a more "handmade" holiday season, you're going to love the Create Your Own Calendars from Paper Accents. Since all the calendars are under $12 you can make most of them into gifts for about $20. The calendar pictured above is a standup desk calendar and is just one of the many styles and sizes that we sell.

Here are a few more samples. The sizes range from about 3x3 inches to about 12x12 inches and the styles differ from run of the mill calendars to notebooks and coupon books.

You don't even need anything fancy to make these calendars. Any size and type of scrapbooking paper can be used to dress them up and we also have a new line of stickers from SRM that are perfect to use as embellishments.

For more ideas, drop by our store and check out our samples.

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

Artful Bra Project Hawaii 2011

Our Oahu BFC stores will be drop-off locations for the Artful Bra Project Hawaii entries this year! You can turn in your entry at Mapunapuna, Enchanted Lake, Pearl City and Market City BFC stores. Decorate a bra (size 36c) & raise money to support the  Kapiolani Breast Center. All entries, fees and forms are due by Saturday, October 1st.

The decorated bras will be auctioned off at the Pinktober Hard Rock Cafe Honolulu on Saturday, October 15th from 6-10pm. Prizes will also be awarded. Please check the Artful Bra Project Hawaii Facebook Page for entry form, rules & more details.

Sumi Expression in Hawaii Heat: Demos & Workshop by Artist Yuming Zhu

Sumi/Chinese watercolor artist Yuming Zhu from the Great Seattle area is visiting Hawaii in September. He will be offering free demos at the following BFC stores:

Monday, Sept.12 at Pearl City from 10am-4pm
Tuesday, Sept.13 at Market City from 10am-4pm
Wednesday, Sept.14 at Mapunapuna from 10am-4pm
Thursday, Sept.15 at Enchanted Lake from 10am-4pm
Saturday, Sept.17 at Mapunapuna from 9am-12noon

Sign up for his Workshop on Saturday, Sept.17 at Mapunapuna

from 1-6pm (Fee $50 per person)

If you enjoy painting or just want to learn something new, this is just for you! Visit our stores for more details.

Fall Decor

The first day of fall is this month, September 23rd. If you're looking for decorations for your home, we've got some great stuff for fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. We're really excited about the fall and Halloween light strings and battery operated, remote controlled candles!


We also wanted to share a special Halloween wreath that one of our customers, Margaret, made for us. You can find everything she used for this wreath right here in our stores. Isn't it great? I'm trying to get her to enter in a Christmas wreath contest this year.


Also, last but not least, don't forget about that email coupon we sent out to Craft Club customers for 20% off your entire purchase, today only. The stores are only open til 5pm today so you gotta come in soon!

Hope to see you here!
Puna @ Enchanted Lake

Oh My Mini Masterpiece!

The Hilo store has some amazingly talented customers! Take a look at all the beautiful and creative entries in the Mini Masterpiece Contest! (You just have to click on the image above so you can view it on a larger scale.)

I don't think I could choose a favorite! I like so many of them and just knowing that there was such a large age range for the people who submitted entries (from kids to adults) greatly impressed me. Not only was paint used on the canvases, but also different medias and techniques. A couple of them even had to be pieced together because multiple canvases were used.

If you get a chance, come by soon to check out this amazing artwork! We should be announcing the winners of the contest soon!

Mark Your Calendars!

September 24, 2011 is the date for our Bead Party! Yay! It's from 10a.m. - 2p.m. and there will be Make n Takes for all ages! More information will be available soon, but save the date and come join us!

Hope you're all having a fun Labor Day weekend! Craft Club members, don't forget that on Monday, September 05, 2011, we're having a 20% off your total purchase sale! But we're only open from 9a.m. - 5p.m. so come by early! See you soon!!

~Jen at Hilo Ben Franklin

Sister Stamps

It's here!!!! The new release of Sister Stamps is available at our (Kahului) store!!!

The designs are super cute and it makes creating cards and other crafts lots of fun.

*I made the frame by covering a Ready-to-decorate frame with paper and embellishing with a little gold paint and stickers, then I colored the stamped image with Copic markers.

*The clear pail is covered with washi paper and embellished with the stamped image that is mounted on colored cardstock.

<3 Trina