We-R-Memory Keepers Tab Punch Board

Hey there, planner folks and scrapbooking lovers!

We just got in an awesome new punch board from the famous We-r-Memory line. 

They just keep on coming up with all these new boards, it's insane!

This new board is nice and compact, and is light blue and white just like their

popular Alpha punch boards.

Meet the new Tab Punch board!  This little guy's purpose is a simple one, and it is also
fairly simple to use, but there is so much you can do with it.  The tabs can be used to make dividers for planners, mini file folders, and even recipe cards!  Today, I will be showing you how to make mini folders with one of the papers from the incredibly adorable Simple Stories Emoji Love Scrapbook paper collection!  I cut out a 8x5 piece and then folded it, making one side of the fold about a 1/2 inch longer than the other.  This is so that there is room for the tab to pop out.

 

First, this little transparent blue bit, that you see right here can actually be moved around. Right now, it is lined up with the CORNER ROUNDER, which basically helps line the paper up to the puncher right above it so that, when punched, it creates a cute rounder edge on your page!

 

 

 

Next, the TAB!  Take the blue bit and move it over to the SIDE TAB notch.  This is what will make the puncher create the wavy sides of the tab.

 

Ta-DAAA!

 

To make the other side of the tab, flip the paper over.  There are Small, Medium and Large sizes that you can choose from.  All you have to do is line up the side that you already punched out to the indentation of whatever size you want on the board.  Here, I have it lined up to Medium.  Then, press that punch and you have your full tab! 

 

 

Lastly, time to get rid of that extra piece of paper that's just hanging out next to that tab!
Lift up the blue magnetic arm, take that iconic We-r-Memory cutting blade out of its little home and slide that sucker right over the piece of paper to cut!

 
 


Here is the finished little folder!  These would be so cute as inserts for planners as well as just little organizers for school, work or at home!  Here are examples of how you an decorate your little folders using the scrapbook papers that we carry at our stores.  Pictured are the Kaisercraft Island Escape collection and Amy Tangerine's On A Whim collection.  (I LOOOVE the gold letter "thickers" and tropical/summery clear stickers in Amy's collection!)

 

Have fun, and stay connected for more We-R-Memory Keepers news
and updates!

Erika @ PC 



 

Spooky Snail Mail

What is UP my crafty peeps?

We've had a bunch of new Halloween scrapbooking collections, all from the best names in the business!  American Crafts, Doodlebug, Bella Blvd. and Pebbles have some fantastic and adorable designs for all of your creepy crafting needs.  I had a lot of fun creating a board of a bunch of different ways you can mix and match Doodlebug's collection, Boos & Brews, specifically.

What's better than customized and colorful snail mail?  This activity has been gaining popularity again, including special items like watercolored postcards and "pocket letters".  What better way to send some love to family and friends during the holidays?

 

Here are a few examples of what you can make with this collection!  It's very colorful and bright, with a cutesy Mad Scientist and Haunted House theme on each paper design.  There are also a few sheets that have strips of sayings or cards that you can cut out if you don't want to use the full design on the other side of the sheet. (Yay for double-sided paper!)

 

 

Potion bottles, rainbow curlicues, strips of stars, moons, spiders and fun-colored eyes are among the many designs available!  So much fun to mix-and-match!

Here is a mix of ephemera that are available in Doodlebug's "Odds & Ends" Ephemera pack.
You can't handle the cute!  This is less than half of the pieces that are included.  Such a deal!
And who doesn't love WASHI TAPE?  Here are the four Halloween designs they have.  The spider one is what I used on ALL of the pieces in the first photo!  So adorable!

 

So, get your creative juices flowing and let loose!  Don't be afraid to mix designs and media.  That's the beauty of the collection.  Everything's so fun and colorful that you can't go wrong with whatever combination you make!  Don't forget:  Doodlebug's awesome Baker's Twine!  I grabbed a bright neon green color to add a little more texture to the pieces.  Also, distressing does wonders when you want to tone down the bright colors.  Graze the edges of each component with a brown stamp pad!  This is the effect shown below.  Even though the designs are more on the kiddie/cutesy side, a little bit of old vintage charm can help make it more for the adults!

 

Have fun sending your Spooky snail mail this Halloween.

If you do, we want to see posts on Instagram!  If you've purchased any of our wonderful holiday scrapbook collections and made some amazing mixed media postcards or envelopes and letters, take a photo and please use the tags "#bfcrafts" and "#spookymail!

Can't wait to see what everyone conjures up!

 

See you next week!

Erika @ PC

Distress Stain Postcard

Hi, Everyone!

 

Today, I'm going to show you how to do a really simple technique that involves the elusive Distress Stain inks that we have in our scrapbooking sections.  They're a product that something that kind gets looked over often and I wanted to start bringing them back into the "Crafter's Spotlight". 

I'll start off small.  5 x 7 inch to be exact.

 

I chose stains in Frayed Burlap, Stormy Sky and Weathered Wool.  I also have a .08 tip Micron pen for some hand-lettering. 

 

 

 I taped down a 5 x 7" watercolor postcard to my table with masking tape to keep the paper from bowing too much.  I put a wash down just to get the paper wet.  This is just so that the distress stains, which are water-based and can therefore be handled like watercolors, will flow freely without forming a harsh edge when dry.  Just make sure that your brush is sopping wet before doing so.  I then brushed on a little bit of Frayed Burlap. 

 

 

What I wanted to achieve was a somewhat tie-died look.  Soft edges and colorful patches that sort of "bloom" on your paper.  So, use a lot, but not too much water.  You'll see amazing colors flow out of each ink and they will just get more amazing as they dry like this little patch of Stormy Sky. So cool!

After the paper was completely dry, I added a little saying in Micron pen at the bottom right hand corner.  And that's all she wrote!  This is a very versatile technique that's great mixed media scrapbookers and watercolor artists.  It's a beginner technique that is great for making quick postcards to send to family overseas.  And as always, a quirky saying will make it 100 times more personal and cute.

 

Have fun!

Erika @ PC

Hand Letter Your Envelopes!

Hey crafters!  

Today I'm going to be playing around with the WeRMemory Envelope Punch and

practicing my hand-lettering skills.  For those of you who like to personalize 

your greeting cards or even design your own, this handy punch is perfect for you!

You're now able to choose your paper and the dimensions for your envelope. 

The fun part of course is decorating it!

So for this week, I'll be showing you an example of what you can do

with this punch.  I have some black cardstock that I will be using for the envelope.

It's something different and unique; the complete opposite of your standard white greeting

card envelope.  Plus, you'll get to play around with some light-colored inks for lettering.

I'm so excited to see how this will turn out!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Here's what you'll need to make your envelope.  Here's also what I forgot to add in the 

photo: Fiskars Paper Trimmer.  It's what I used to cut my squares of paper, but

you really could use a ruler and pencil to mark off the borders of the square and then cut it out with 

scissors.  But, unless you're extremely confident with your cutting skills or if you're pressed for time and just want fast, straight cuts, the trimmer is for you.

To make your envelope, you're basically going to follow the instructions on the

punch board itself.  After you've punched out your form, all you have to do

is either glue or tape the bottom of the two larger flaps to the two smaller inner flaps.

Now, let's talk writing tools.  These are a few of the pens I like to use, but

everyone is different.  From the left, you've got your standard mechanical pencil. Next is the 

Uniball Signo White Gel Pen.  The ink is a lot more opaque and brighter than the white 

Gelly Roll.  Next to that is a silver version.  The ink looks bright enough to be platinum 
color instead of a darker silver metallic gel.  Next is an AC Black Felt tip pen.

Micron pens are great to use, but I also like using the American Crafts

brand for a smooth black line.  Like Micron, this line also comes in different nib sizes.
 On the very right, we have the ever-popular Gelly Roll gel pen.  These come in a variety of colors and finishes, from Stardust to Souffle.  The one I have here is a Moonlight Black/Gold gel.

 So, I have a fake name and address that I've made up for this hand-lettering example.

What I've done is print out the name in a font that I wanted to try practicing.  This is a 
greatway to study types when starting out in hand-lettering.  Your computer is a great tool! 

All you have to do is scroll through the font list on your word program, type out the alphabet, make it at least 50 pt. in size and print it.  Grab some tracing paper and trace over each letter just like in elementary school,  paying attention to each font's individual style and character.

A few tips for addressing envelopes:

1. If the house or apartment number is a number that is 10 or lower, spell it out.

2.  Spell out streets and states as well. Ave. becomes Avenue, CA becomes California, etc.

3.  Watch your spacing!  Pencil in guidelines before starting your lettering.  You

want to make sure that it not only looks intricate and beautiful, but legible as well.

 4. Remember to allow space for any stamps you are planning to use.

4. Watch your fonts!  Make sure they don't clash.  You want to draw the eye in

and interest it.  Not hurt it.  A loopy script for the recipient with some simple block 

letters for the address maybe?

 So, here I have my guidelines.

With my trusty pencil again, I sketched out the name and address.

I added some accent points with the clamshell doodles on either 

side ofthe zip code.  After that, I went over it with the silver Signo gel pen.  

Voila!

This was so fun to do!  It's really great to practice hand-lettering because it's such

a fun art form.  Also, bringing that art into your envelopes is also a great way to

add your own personal touch to your snail mail.  It also makes your recipients feel extra 

special! :)  Of course, you don't have to stop at the lettering.  Why not add 
embellishments like washi tape and stickers?  Even a light wash with some watercolor 
paints on light-coloredpaper could add a nice pop of color and look nice against bold 
black lettering.  

Experiment and have fun!

Erika @ PC!

NEW Paper Quilling Techniques!!

Try out the NEW line of Paper Quilling at Ben Franklin Stores! See how easy it is to create these cute cupcakes and other designs using Quilling Papers and a Quilling Tool

Supplies:
Quilling Tool
Quilling Papers
Quick Dry Tacky Glue

Step one:

Choose the design you want to create. Begin rolling the strip of paper around the quilling tool, holding the paper snug as you go.

Step Two:

Let the paper spiral un-ravel to the width you want. Glue the end of the strip to help keep its form. If you would like to make a tear drop shape, pinch one side of the circle. Make different shapes by pinching in different areas.

Step Three:

Glue shapes together to make your design! Use on Cards, Scrapbooks, Mixed Media and so much more!!!

 

 Thanks for looking and CRAFT ON!!!!!!

~Deb@ Market City

CraftStar Workshops with Amy Tan

We are so happy and excited to announce that Amy Tan, founder of Amy Tangerine is coming back to Hawaii to teach two workshops at our HouseMart Ben Franklin Crafts Store in Mapunapuna! Workshops are both on Saturday, December 7th. Amy will be teaching a Project Life Workshop from 10am-11:30am and from 1pm-2:30pm Lovely Layouts - 2pg. Scrapbooking Layout. Cost is $75 each workshop, with a bonus kit included.

Limited Seating! Sign-up today!

Sign-ups are going on now at our Mapunapuna store and space is running out fast! See our flyer on our website here for more details.

Bo Bunny and Echo Park visit Market City

We had such a blast las weekend at House Mart Ben Franklin Market City, when our friends from Bo Bunny and Echo Park paper came all the way from Utah to craft with us.  We have some awesome new products and great ideas from both companies that we are excited to share with you....come on by and check it out!

***Don't forget to scroll down and check out more of fantastic House Mart Ben Franklin blog action!!

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 208 - Tin and Magnet Set

Jflo expresses her love of paper crafting in today’s episode by making a magnet and tin set.

Make magnets & a matching tin for Valentine's Day!

Watch our episode here: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 208 - Tin and Magnet Set

Supplies:

Tin container

Scrapbooking paper

Heart shaped glass tiles

Super strong magnets

Glossy accents

E6000

Scissors

Baker’s twine

A homemade magnet set like this one is a special treat for teachers too!

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 206 - Desk Calendar

Learn how to use paper to decorate a pretty and convenient desk calendar.

Make a neat calendar for your office with wood, paper, & stickers.

Take a look at the segment here: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 206 - Desk Calendar

Supplies:

Wooden desk calendar

SRM month stickers

Scrapbooking paper

Paper trimmer

Double-stick tape

Ink pad

Fine point Sharpie

This calendar is great for the office or on your end table or counter at home.

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 172 - Advent Tree

For this week’s Crankin’ Out Crafts we’re going to focus on a few early Christmas projects that you might want to get a head start on. For today, JFlo is going to show you a cute Advent Calendar idea.

The Advent Tree - a fun alternative to the traditional Advent Calendar!

View our latest episode here: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 172 - Advent Tree

Supplies:

Advent calendar tree base

James Button decorative buttons

Stamp pad

Christmas scrapbooking paper

Paper trimmer

Sharpie

Keep in mind; you don’t have to fill up your advent calendar with a bunch of candies. These cute little drawers are perfect for stickers, erasers, or even secret notes about the day’s activities.

Crankin’ Out Crafts: Episode 157 - Haunted House Centerpiece

From ghostly hangers-on to great table decorations, we’re focusing on Halloween decorations for this week’s Crankin’. JFlo is here to show you how to turn a wood birdhouse into a great haunted house centerpiece.

Transform a R-T-D wooden birdhouse into a scary Haunted House!

Catch the segment here: Crankin’ Out Crafts: Episode 157 - Haunted House Centerpiece

Supplies:

Acrylic paint

Wood Birdhouse

Scrapbooking paper

Double-sided tape

Sandpaper

Stamp pad

Halloween ornaments/accessories

You better watch out, these houses are so nice and scary that an unwanted spook might just take up residence.

RAK Card Swap

So, did you know that Saturday, October 6th is World Cardmaking Day? It's such a fun holiday for us crafters because it gives us an excuse to make a ton of cards and have fun while doing it. If you want to have some fun with us, we have a special event taking place at our Enchanted Lake Ben Franklin store. (For those of you who haven't visited us yet, we're located at 1020 Keolu Drive, Kailua, HI.) From 10am to 2pm we'll have a table with cardmaking supplies set up for those of you who would like to get your craft on. We'll also be hosting a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) card swap for the whole day (that's from 9am to 8pm while our store is open) where you can bring in cards that you've made at home and swap them with cards made by us and other customers. It's a good way to get ideas, meet some people like you who enjoy creating cards, and also to show someone a little love with a handmade card. If you plan on bringing in a card to us, please make sure it has an envelope to go with it. We will also have some clear, 5x7 envelopes available for displaying your card swap cards and some samples for inspiration. See you there.

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

Crankin’ Out Crafts Episode 148 - Burlap Flower

For our next burlap episode, Puna is back again with another variation on the burlap flower.

Create another pretty flower made out of burlap!

Catch the episode here: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 148 - Burlap Flower

Supplies:

1.5” burlap ribbon

Upholstery thread

Needle

Button

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Burlap is extremely weather resistant and can be dried over and over again if rained on. This makes our burlap flowers wonderful décor for inside and outside the home.

Crankin’ Out Crafts Episode 147 - Burlap Rose

Burlap is so trendy right now; we couldn’t resist Crankin’ out a few burlap projects! Join Puna today to learn how to make a burlap rose.

Add beautiful burlap roses to a gift, scrapbook page, or pin!

Watch our segment on YouTube: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 147 - Burlap Rose

Supplies:

1.5” Burlap ribbon

Scissors

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Burlap is made of jute and is very, very strong. These roses can make great embellishments for paper crafts, wreaths, or even to wear in your hair.

Have a great Labor Day! Hawaii BFC stores are open today from 9am to 5pm, so come by and shop with us! We have lots of Halloween, Fall and even Christmas craft items, decorations and more. Also, don't forget that today (Monday, Sept.3, 2012) is the deadline to enter our Stamp Aloha Card Contest. Drop-off your entries at any of our stores or mail in to us. Entry form & info can be found on our website or in-store.

Crankin’ Out Crafts Episode 145 - Party Hats

Take your party to the next level by making some fun party hats. JFlo is here to show you how.

Decorate cones with paper & ribbon to make Party Hats!

Watch the Episode on our YouTube Channel: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 145 - Party Hats (Cone Week)

Supplies:

Large paper mache cone

Scrapbooking paper

Double-stick tape

Assorted ribbons

Tulle

Scissors

Marker

Pencil

2” oval punch

2.5” scalloped oval punch

Stickers

The hats that JFlo made today were for a birthday party but with a few small changes they would also make great New Year’s hats.

Summer Scrapbooking Tips

For today's blog, I wanted to share a really beautiful scrapbooking page that was created by Lisa, who works here at Enchanted Lake. Lisa was inspired by the newest line of Pebbles paper called "Sunny Side". The reason why I fell in love with her page, besides the sheer cuteness of it, is because she uses a couple of techniques which are very simple to do and which add a lot of character to the page.

The first technique I would like to highlight is her use of a Micron pen to do some quick, doodle-like lettering. The simple dots and lines add to the fun and whimsical feel of the page. Microns are great for scrapbooking because they are archival and waterproof.

The last thing Lisa did was add a few dimensional butterfly stickers to one side of the page. Sticker embellishments are an effortless and often overlooked way to add that extra oomph you may be looking for. Most paper lines will have matching, pre-made embellishments to go along with their papers, like these adorable butterflies.

For more great scrapbooking tips, don't be afraid to ask any of the associates at our stores, many of whom are avid paper crafters and scrapbookers, like Lisa.

Hope you enjoyed the tips!

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

P.S. Speaking of avid crafters, scroll down to see today's earlier post about our newest Crankin' Out Crafts episode.