Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 94 - Deco Mesh Garland

We’re revisiting our Deco Mesh theme for our Crankin’ Out Crafts this week. In today’s episode, Puna will show you how to use Deco Mesh as a garland that’s great for indoor and outdoor parties.

Create a garland for your next party out of Deco Mesh!

Catch the episode on YouTube here: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 94 - Deco Mesh Garland

Supplies:

Two rolls of 10” or 4” Deco Mesh in your color choices

Scissors

Floral wire

You can change up the look of this garland by using 10” and 4” Deco Mesh together. Also, using red, white, and blue Deco Mesh would make a perfect decoration for your 4^th of July event.

*Don't forget to read today's earlier post on this past Saturday's Crankin' Out Crafts Party held at Enchanted Lake BFC.

We Cranked Out a Party

 

The entrance to our store and Brandon helping a few of our customers with their glass tile projects.

Boy did we ever crank out a fun party! On behalf of everyone here at Enchanted Lake, I would like to thank all of our wonderful customers who came and played around with us this past Saturday.

That's me and "Auntie Purple" crankin' out a fun favor.

Just in case you hadn't already heard, the party was to celebrate our You Tube video blog called Crankin' Out Crafts. It consisted of a bunch of quick and easy crafts that we've featured on the show. 

Of course JFlo showed up to show off her watercolor techniques.


We offered tips and tricks on Wild Block centerpieces, glittering, and even how to use a heat gun to melt crayons and make bright, beautiful, drippy art. Then we did some lei, favor, wreath, and jewelry making.

Dolly helped with lei making while Jenny attracted a little crowd.

And, to top it all off, we gave away some great prizes so a few of our customers walked away with a bunch of scrapbooking supplies like paper, stanps, and stickers.


Yep, that's me again doing a butterfly or dragonfly candy favor.



In fact, we had so much fun that we're already planning our next party. You have to keep checking in with us, though, because I'll put the details out in a later blog entry.

See you soon!

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

Boy's Day Out! Hilo Ben Franklin's April Paper Party!

Annnnndddd...it's done! We had such an awesome time today at the Hilo Ben Franklin store! Lots of make & takes, lots of giveaways, and, of course, lots of fun and laughs. Here are some pics from today:

Carol made a cute monster card! It was so popular she worried that she wasn't going to have enough kits for everyone!  

I shared a Boy's Day picture frame with everyone. And yes, that is a mess on the table, but a creative mess. ^.^ 

 Ramona decorated sugar cookies with new little friends. Hey, wait a minute. Where's Ramona? Apparently she had other reasons for taking the pictures. So she didn't have to be in them! 

In the afternoon, Carol patiently helped make pinwheels. So cute!

 One of the most popular tables and projects of the day had to be the parachute cord bracelets that Mags was showing how to make. Even the dads got involved! 

 And so did employees. :) Well, we do have to learn how to make them too so we can show all of our customers if they ask. (And if you missed it, there will be demos on the paracord bracelet coming up in the next few weeks so check the calendar available in our stores!)

 The weather was gorgeous today so Bert and Jon took a group of kids and their parents out into the soccer fields near the store to shoot off some model rockets. I'm sure they got a lesson on rocket basics first before the action began. 

But not everyone wanted to watch the rockets. Some just wanted to play with the pinwheels they had made. The wind made them spin super fast! 

All in all, we had an awesome day! We hope that everyone who attended had fun and went home with some cute new projects. Don't worry if you missed this paper party. We're going to start planning the next one soon!

Many, many thanks to Ramona for taking the pictures and planning the paper party! Awesome job!!

See you soon!

~Jen @ Hilo Ben Franklin

Dandelion Designs "Fun in the Sun" Summertime Giveaway

Enter our drawing to win a goodie bag filled with stamps from Dandelion Designs! The stamps are fun summertime designs, perfect for the upcoming summer season.

Goodie Bag from Dandelion Designs (Photo from Dandelion Designs)

Here are the summertime stamps you can win! (Photo from Dandelion Designs)

You may enter the contest by filling out an entry blank at any of our Hawaii Ben Franklin Stores (Enchanted Lake, Market City, Pearl City, Mapunapuna, Kahului or Hilo locations). You may also enter at Kamuela, Kailua-Kona, and Lihue Ace Hardware & Crafts locations. Contest runs from Saturday, April 28th, 2012 to Saturday, May 5th, 2012. One entry per person/per store, no purchase necessary. All entries must be received by May 5th, 2012. We will select one winner per store and winners will be announced on Saturday, May 12th, 2012.

For additional information on the contest, you can visit the Dandelion Designs Blog. Good luck!

*Don't forget to scroll down and read today's earlier post on the latest Crankin' Out Crafts Episode!

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 93 - Fabulous Diamond Studded Bouquet (On The Road Edition)

Add some bling to your bouquet! J-Me shows you how to add fancy diamond gem decorations to flowers. Makes a perfect accent for a wedding!

J-Me demonstrates how to add gems to a floral bouquet.

Watch the episode on our YouTube Channel: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 93 - Fabulous Diamond Studded Bouquet

Supplies:

an assortment of flowers

floral wire

Darice Diamond Gems

ribbon

Thank you J-Me for showing us three fabulous projects this week! Thank you also to everyone for visiting our blog and tuning in to Crankin' Out Crafts on YouTube. Have a fabulous weekend!

Don't forget to join us at our Crankin' Out Crafts Party tomorrow, Saturday, April 28th at Enchanted Lake! Come and help us celebrate Crankin' Out Crafts with projects featured in our episodes, demos, and prizes! The party is from 10am-2pm. See you there!

Oh So Trendy Ribbon Wreath

Aloha Crafters ~

Today's Idea and Inspiration is a brown and aqua wreath made from 10 different ribbons.

Supplies:

• 14" Plastifoam Ring - (30095979)
• Dritz Satin Pins - (77649541)
• 7/8" Brown Satin Ribbon - (30116705)
• 5/8" Sheer Stripe Sage - (30100532)
• 5/8" Sheer Stripe Aqua - (30100534)
• 5/8" Stitch Sheer Brown Aqua - (30100528)
• 5/8" Bubble Aqua Satin - (30100560)
• 7/8" Sheer Stripe Aqua/Brown - (30100516)
• 7/8" Scroll Aqua Grosgrain - (30100556)
• 7/8" Floral Aqua Satin - (30100558)
• 3/8" Geosquare Aqua Satin - (30100559)
• 3/8" Satin Dots Brown - (30100522)

Instructions: Wrap the foam ring with 7/8" Brown Satin Ribbon, secure with Dritz Satin Pins. Cut each ribbon into 5" pieces. Depending on how full you like it, 20-30 pieces of each ribbon should fill the front. Make each piece of ribbon into a loop and secure with pin.

Happy Crafting!

-Kahului BFC

Rue's Song

Here's our final Hunger Games inspired project and it's called Rue's Song!

Spoiler alert for the purple text, skip to the black text to avoid information about The Hunger Games!  This piece was inspired from the scene where Katniss says her final goodbyes to Rue as she lay dieing.  In the book she covers Rue's body with wildflowers that were white, yellow and purple so I used those colors in the flowers along the fringe of the disks.  The little birds embossed on the disks can represent Rue since she was described as birdlike or for the mockingjays that were echoing the song back to Katniss as she sang Rue to her final rest.  I cried when I read this part and cried again watching the movie!


As usual, all supplies are available at our BFC bead shops in Mapunapuna, Hilo, and Maui.  To create this earring set, I used Vintaj's deco embossing folder in the Woodland Birds and their small circle blanks.  After embossing the pattern I punched 3 additional holes on the bottom of the disks using the 2 size leather punch and then brought out the highlights with the Vintaj sanding block.  I took ball end head pins from our Sweet Beads line and strung on 4mm Swarovski bicones in Clear 2xAB, the resin flower, and then 3mm Swarovski bicones in Olivine.  I wire wrapped each dangle to the disk just to ensure that the dangles don't slip off.  Slip the disk onto ear wire and you're done! 

We'll be demonstrating this project at our Mapunapuna Bead Shop on Saturday April 28 between 2 and 3 PM so stop by to check it out!  When ever we do the metal embossing, people are so amazed at how easy and fast it is!  Thanks for stopping by and I'll see ya at the store!

Lynn H. @ Mapunapuna BFC Bead Shop

Money Folds

The gift of $$$ are always appreciated! Fold a heart and tuck it into that graduation, wedding or birthday card! Fold a flower, shirt, or fan and add it to that lei! Create a bouquet of roses with a butterfly or two! Join me through April & May to learn....I'll have some play money to fold or your can bring crisp $$$. Need a Lei too? There's always a lei making demonstration or workshop going on...learn to make your own straw leis (specialty yarns are on sale now!), braid or sew a ribbon lei or get started on a crochet lei! It's all happening at the Pearl City Crafter's Corner! I'll see you there! gloria @ Pearl City

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 92 - Fabulous Masquerade Mask (On The Road Edition)

Using the new Body Art paints by Tulip, J-Me paints an elegant face mask with rhinestones on our model, Hazel. Great for a costume party or a masquerade ball!

Paint a fabulous face mask to add to your costume!

Watch the episode here: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 92 - Fabulous Masquerade Mask

Supplies:

Tulip Body Art Paint

Black Eyeliner

flat wide paint brush (synthetic hair)

flat narrow paint brush (synthetic hair)

water

scissors

rhinestones, embellishments of choice (we used a rhinestone design with adhesive already on the back)

You may want to also keep paper towels or make-up remover wipes handy for clean-up. Visit our stores to check out the new assortment of Tulip Body Art Face and Body paint products!

Crankin' Out Crafts Party!

Here are two more projects that will be featured this Saturday, April 28th, at our Crankin' Out Crafts Party.

First, a punch card showcasing the awesome Martha Stewart all over the the page punches. These cards are so fast and simple, but they look so elegant that people will think they took a lot of effort.



Next is the One Straw Lei. This is such a fun and quick lei that we're sure you'll pick it up really fast and want to make a ton of them!

So, don't forget, the party starts at 10am and runs til 2pm at our Enchanted Lake store. We'll have 4 tables of fun make n' takes and demonstrations and even some fantastic prize giveaways.

Can't wait to get crankin' with you!

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

Check out the newest member of our crankin' team, J-Me, in today's previous post.

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 91 - Fabulous Nails (On the Road Edition)

We have a very special guest this week on our Crankin’ Our Crafts: On the Road Segments - Meet J-Me from Pearl City BFC! 

J-Me is not only stylish and fashionable, but a great crafter!

Today, J-Me shows you how to add sparkle to your nails, using glitter!

Decorate your nails with chunky glitter - Looks Fabulous!

Supplies for the project

Watch the episode on YouTube: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 91 - Fabulous Nails


Supplies:

clear coat nail polish

stylus

WOW! chunky glitter


Stay tuned this week, as she’ll be demonstrating three “Fabulous” projects!

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 90 - Pompom Favor Toppers

Welcome to our 90th episode! Today JFlo will show you how to use pompom makers. Use these clever gadgets to create cute and fun pompom toppers for your magic wand favors!

Learn another way to embellish the Magic Wand Clear Tubes!

View the episode here: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 90 - Pompom Favor Toppers

Supplies:

Yarn

Pompom Maker (we used pompom makers by Clover®)

Scissors (small)

Glue Dots

These pompoms are so easy to make! Try out various sizes and color combos. Hope you enjoyed our Magic Wand Centerpiece and Favors week. Have a great weekend!

*Be sure to check out the previous post today on an Earth Day Project shared by Kahului BFC! Earth Day is on Sunday, April 22nd.

Clay Model Earth

Aloha Crafters ~

In anticipation of Earth Day, today's idea and inspiration is a model of Earth.

With an example of Earth's layers cut out, this can also be used as an educational tool.

Supplies:

Inner Core - Fimo Soft TANGERINE (77144113)

Outer Core - Fimo Soft CHERRY RED (77144063)

Mantle - Fimo Soft CARAMEL (77144188)

Ocean - Fimo Soft BRILLIANT BLUE (77144071)

Earth - Fimo Soft EMERALD (77144147)

Ice Poles - Fimo Effect TRANSPARENT WHITE (77144428)

Clay Modeling Tool Kit (77460212)

Stainless Steel Fettling Knife (30091034

Happy Crafting and thanks for stopping by!

-Project by Kahului BFC

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 89 - Magic Wand Favors

Brandon fills clear tubes with colored M&M's to use as a favor. By making several tubes and placing them in a vase, you can also create a centerpiece for your party!

These Magic Wand tubes can easily be filled with candy.

Here's a look at the finished centerpiece.

Watch the episode here: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 89 - Magic Wand Favors

Supplies:

Magic Wand Tubes

M&M's

Ribbon

Glitter Cardstock (or colored cardstock)

Hole Punch

*We carry M&M packs in various solid colors at our stores. One of these bags will be able to fill 5 Magic Wand tubes.

You can make this centerpiece for any type of party from graduation, to birthdays and anniversaries. Pick your school's colors or your favorite colors!

Crankin' Out Crafts Party

Remember when I mentioned last week that our Enchanted Lake store is having a Crankin' Out Crafts party coming up on April 28th? Well, today I wanted to show you two more awesome "crankin'" projects that we will be doing at our party.

The first project is going to be a demonstration for a crayon canvas. This is a super fun and easy project that is great to do with your kids.

Our second project is the wild block make n' take. These animal themed glass blocks are something that anyone can do and still make a great statement for a party or for your home.

We hope that you'll join in on the Crankin' fun with us at our party. Don't forget, it takes place at our Enchanted Lake Ben Franklin store from 10am to 2pm on Saturday, April 28th. If you want to learn about all the projects that we'll be featuring that day, you can always drop by our store for more information.

See you soon!

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

P.S. Take a look at our previous blog post from today for another great episode of Crankin' Out Crafts.

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 88 - UH Themed Centerpiece

Welcome to Centerpiece & Favors Week! We're crankin' out cool centerpieces you can use for your upcoming graduation party. We will be making a centerpiece that doubles as favors, using Magic Wand Tubes.

Today, JFlo shows you how to use the AccuCut Machine and a simple tool to create letters that go great with your UH themed grad party! 

Cut out letters for your Graduation Party with our AccuCut Machine.

Find the episode on YouTube: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 88 - UH Themed Centerpiece

Supplies:

AccuCut Machine (available at BFC stores)

(*You can use our AccuCut Machine for Free with purchase of paper at our stores)

Glitter Cardstock (or colored cardstock)

Pinking Shears

Double-stick Tape

Scissors

Spell out your school's initials or a name. Our next video will show you how to complete the centerpiece with Magic Wand Favors.

Kumihimo

Kumihimo disks & bobbins are available! Join me today, Saturday, April 14th for a demonstration! Use this disk to create beautiful braided jewelry and colorful cords! Combine ribbons, beads, specialty yarns (what about those left over yarns from those straw leis you've been making?) to create a unique necklace.....or a Lei that is extra special!
Graduation, weddings, parties & summer holidays are coming...time to get those leis ready! There's a Lei making demonstration at the store every day. Gather your friends & join one of our workshops/classes....it's easier & more fun to sit & make leis....or learn a new lei making technique!, We have workshops/classes for crochet leis, braided ribbon leis, & sewn ribbon leis.
See you soon!
Gloria @ Pearl City

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 87 - Rainbow Pennant

For our last Graduation Decoration, we'll show you how to make a cool pennant banner. Puna transforms a plain chipboard pennant into a glitzy, colorful banner to congratulate a graduate.

Customize with a name, message, or greeting!

View the segment here: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 87 - Rainbow Pennant

Supplies:

Large Chipboard Pennants

12"x12" cardstock

Glitter cardstock

X-Acto knife

Cutting Mat

Double-stick tape

Foam Tape

Cardstock Letters (you can use the AccuCut Machine, eclips, Cricut, or freehand cut them like we did)

1/4" Hole Punch

Ribbons

Scotch Tape

These pennants are easy to decorate and make for your next party. Thanks for joining us again this week! Have a great weekend!

*Don't forget to scroll down and read today's earlier post on the crocheted scarf by Kahului BFC.

Bejeweled Floral Scarf

Aloha Crafters ~

Today's idea and inspiration is a fun & funky crocheted scarf. A great gift for Mom, your favorite graduate or even yourself.

Supply List:

Red Heart Super Saver Yarn - Orchid (073650763434)

Red Heart Super Saver Yarn -Pale Plum (073650900518)

Red Heart Super Saver Yarn -Medium Purple (073650918629)

Susan Bates Size G Crochet Hook (07721600710)

Butterfly 16MM - Lt Purple AB Beads (30087790)

Inspirations Purple Beads (78711754046)

Leisure Arts Book - Crochet Flowers For Every Wear (9781601400864)

-Kahului BFC

Hilo Paper Party - Boy's Day Out

You're invited to Hilo BFC's Paper Party celebrating Boy's Day on Saturday, April 28th from 10am to 3pm. We'll have boy-themed make 'n take crafts and demos. You can also enter to win door prizes!

Party with us at Hilo BFC on April 28th!

See our Hilo store for more details. See you there!

*Don't forget to read today's earlier post by Lynn on her next Hunger Games themed Bead Demo coming up this weekend.

Girl On Fire Bracelet

Spoiler alert in purple, skip to the black text to avoid anything about the Hunger Games.  This design has been around for a number of years but I thought that the ruffle effect paired with a fire like palette would make a good representation of the look District 12 had during the opening ceremonies of the Hunger Games.
After seeing the movie, it also reminds me of the dress Katniss wore during her interview where she twirled around and the flames danced at the edges of her dress.  I used Topaz 2x AB, Padparadscha AB, and Lt Siam 2x AB for this but you could change up the color combo to suit your idea of fire or even add in the color of coals!

I'll be doing this demo on Sunday April 15 and 29 starting at 2PM at our Mapunapuna Bead Shop!  If you're familiar with bead weaving you can probably figure out the pattern from the picture, just keep in mind that the ruffles give a stretch to the bracelet so when you measure the length I would probably aim for 1/2 inch to 1 inch shorter then normal to accommodate the extra give.  It's a fun design that allows for color changes and combos that can match any outfit!

Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you at the store!
Lynn H. @ Mapunapuna Bead Shop

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 86 - Tissue Flowers

Today, we're continuing on with graduation decorations week. Create gorgeous billows of color at your next grad party with Tissue Flowers.

JFlo helps you create colorful party decorations with just a few supplies.

Episode can be viewed here: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 86 - Tissue Flowers

Supplies:

Tissue Paper

Scissors

Wire or Chenille Stems

These tissue flowers are sure to brighten up any room or event!

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 85 - Decorative Clothespins

This week we'll feature ways you can decorate for graduation. In today's episode, Brandon shows you an easy way to dress up your graduation gifts by decorating clothespins.

Decorate clothespins with washi tape!

Watch the segment here: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 85 - Decorative Clothespins

Supplies:

Clothespins 

Washi Tape (we used Smash Tape)

You can use these clothespins to attach tags or Congratulation notes to gift bags. Add magnets on the back for your refrigerator. Come back again soon for more ways to decorate for graduation!

Crankin' Out Crafts Party

It's time for another party hosted by your friendly Enchanted Lake Ben Franklin crafters! (Can you believe it's been a year already?) You may remember our party last year was all about urban style arts.



This was our awesome urban art wall from our 2011 party.

Well this year we're going viral! That's right, we're celebrating our video blog series called Crankin' Out Crafts which was started in this very store. Our Crankin' Out Crafts party is taking place on Saturday, April 28th from 10am to 2pm. We'll have lots of fun doing demonstrations and having hands-on make n' takes featuring some of the awesome projects we've done on Crankin' Out Crafts. Here's a sneak peak at one of the projects:



Pretty marble magnets



Marble rings made on our adjustable ring base

Marble pendant

For this make n' take, you'll have your pick of making a personalized marble magnet, ring, or pendant for a great accessory or gift. These would make beautiful Mother's Day gifts, don't you think?

You can stop in at the store for more information on times and prices for our paper party. We hope to see you there!

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

P.S. Speaking of Crankin' Out Crafts, if you read our previous post for today you can watch the latest episode of our video blog.

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 84 - Straw Lei with Kukui Nuts

Watch as JFlo creates a great looking lei from our Vol. IX Lei book, that takes a few supplies and a few easy steps.

Make this variation of the straw lei by adding kukui nuts & Cowry shells.

View the episode on YouTube: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 84 - Straw Lei with Kukui Nuts

Supplies:

2 yds. 3/8” Grosgrain ribbon

Eyelash yarn(ex. Nani, Pua, Hoku, Nohea)

Ka Lina yarn

Cowry shell rings

Kukui nuts

Bubble Straw

EZ Beader (Beading Tool)

Scissors

Masking tape

*Step-by-step photos and instructions can be found in our Handcrafted Lei & Flowers Book 9, Pg. 21-22. All supplies available at our Hawaii BFC stores. You may also purchase supplies online on www.craftingisfun.com.

Rue Among the Leaves

Here's our second Hunger Games inspired demo that will be held on Saturday April 7 and 14 from 2 PM at our Mapunapuna Bead Shop.  Spoiler alert for the purple text, skip to the next black text to find out how to make the necklace without any Hunger Games details!

"Orchards, huh?  That must be how you can fly around the trees like you've got wings." Thus the inspiration of Rue Among the Leaves. In the book, Rue was described as bird like due to her small frame and in her district she was able to get high up in the trees to gather fruit and see when it was quitting time. She gives Katniss a little more insight on what life is like in the other districts after they form their alliance and a friendship grows between them during that time. Rue was instrumental in helping Katniss when she was trapped up the tree and was also the one to tell Katniss how the mockingjays could be used to communicate messages.   

The majority of supplies used were from Vintaj.  I took the deco vines filigree and cut it in half with wire cutters to get the vines.  Then I used a chasing hammer to flatten 4 foli bead caps to make them look more like flowers.  I used the metal reliefing block to bring out the gold highlights in the vines and flowers just a bit.  Then I threaded rivets with gold 6mm heishi from Sierra Pacific Crafts, then the flowers and hammered to  attached to the vines.  Most of the rivets worked fine but there was one spot that gave me some trouble because the space between the vines was a little bigger so I just used some 2 part epoxy to glue it in place instead and it worked like a charm!


I used the Soaring Sparrow for the center piece and wire wrapped 20 gauge wire with 4mm fire polish beads to connect everything.  Because I wanted to echo the vines theme in the wire wrapping, I made looser wraps and coiled the ends to mimic the tendrils.  20 gauge wire was also used for the j hook and since it's pretty enough, I have it visible in the front which also makes it easier to put on and take off.  I used the delicate chain from our Sweet Beads line and the color matches perfectly with the Vintaj findings.


Well, that's it until next week when I'll have another jewelry piece inspired by the Hunger Games so stop by the Mapunapuna bead shop for the demo or to take a closer look at the jewelry!  I'll see ya later!


Lynn H. @ Mapunapuna Bead Shop

Very Bunny Easter

Gayle & Lynn Bunny show their beaded bunnies! If you would like to make a bunny, Gayle has a class this Saturday (be sure to sign up!). There's lots going on at the Pearl City store this week! This afternoon, we have a Paracord Bracelet workshop ....and we continue with Easter demos...make an Easter/Spring theme lei & a pretty bow with the Bowdabra. On Thursday, there's Kalo's Deluxe Braided Ribbon Lei workshop & don't forget to join me to make a mini paper basket for that golden egg! Friday, we have graduation lei demos and on Saturday, Lisa Adams from Petersen Arne has a free make-n-take! I'll see you there!
Have a Happy Bunny Easter!
gloria @ Pearl City