Saturday, July 24, 2010

Fair time papers/horses

Hi there! This will probably say it was posted on July 9th again ( have to get Angie to help me figure out how to change that!) but wanted you to see the wonderful horse and Fair papers and embellishments we have in stock at the Ben Franklin Craft store. I was so busy with daughter Mindy and the two kids at our house this week, that I forgot to post! So sorry...but am back on track right now! If you are doing pages for fair books, or plan to do photos while visiting the Walworth County Fair ( or others), be sure to come in and check out our offerings. I am mighty pleased with what we have......hope you will be too!
It is always fun to see what the manufacturers come up with and this year seems to be the best. Don't you love that pig in the stickers above? They are dimensional, which makes it even more fun. Kind of looks like "Wilbur", don't you think?
This is the second year of having this horse page........it is sideways, but that doesn't matter. It is a gorgeous paper and the stickers go well with it. They will be wonderful for your photos of the horse showing and races...........



We try to keep 4-H things in stock. If there is something you are looking for, be sure to let us know. We try to get what you need, if possible! I want to see all those ribbons when you get them!

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Friday, July 9, 2010

Classes in Quilting

I had such fun taking this class, and we will be starting up again in Sept. with the darling rag bag or quilt! Choose your own fabric designs and come join in the fun. Easy to do and you will want to make some for gifts!





Basic quilting gives you three different things to create.........call the shop for the info and get going!






The Civil War reproduction fabrics are delightful and people are finding all sorts of things to make with them. Come see the latest bolts just in!

We have Fabric! Ya Hoo!!



The fabric lines at the Ben are gorgeous. Saw some cards a lady was making last week, using the photos of the above fabric, and they were darling! Ever think about that? Fabric is useful for So many things......not Just quilt making! Tho that is pretty special too! Enjoy the following photos..and come in and see...............more arrive nearly weekly!

This is considered a Christmas line, but we all think it is useful for all Sorts of wonderful things. Love it, love it...........you have to come in and Touch!


I might get myself in trouble over this one........sometimes I do not know the correct names , etc. But I Think these are Batiks and all I know is that they are Very pretty and all the rage................


Or are these Batiks? You come look and decide for yourself! I did not follow Angie around while she was photographing, so am guessing, without knowing which shelf these were on. Regardless, they are Wonderful, bright colors and will make some gorgeous quilts, skirts, purses, etc! Enjoy!

Wedding and Travel..........

Remember last time when I showed you photos of some Best Creations papers? They were in blues and were beachy. Here is another collection ( some of them) from the Wedding group. Sparkly, crisp designs that would also be appropriate for anniversaries, formal parties, graduation, etc. Only the top paper shows something that would have to be wedding. The remainder will be appropriate for all the above listed things.......they are charming and of course, are double sided. You know, I am at home doing this, and now that I think of it, they might just be one sided. Please ignore me if I mispoke. Nevertheless, they are wonderful papers and you will truly enjoy using them. One of the nice features about this essentially black and white line, is that they can be used with any color scheme you might need for your photos. The top page shown, is the left side of a two page layout. The one on the right will have swirls that match up with the ones showing the bride and groom, but do not have figures on it, so once again, can be used for anything. Come see! :)
This is a very fun line ( part of it) from Little Yellow Bicycle, I think. Once again, this is Tues. and I have not been in the shop since Fri. So, regardless of who created these great designs,, they will be oh, so useful, for your travel photos. The bottom one is a map of the United States and is one of those great pages on which you can trace a trip, show where someone special lives, or just to have fun with in your own way. The middle one is suitcases and I can just see this one being used by cardmakers, doing "have a great trip" type cards............very fun. Of course, the airplanes would be great for little boys, trips, etc. We did not order the entire line or any of the embellishments, but there is more available and be sure to let us know if you need more!
What more needs to be said?? Chicago says it all! A very fun page on which to put your favorite Chicago photos. It would be a good one to use for the initial page in a Chicago album. The background, behind the light/street sign, is an overall photo of some of the city itself. We all need this one!
Hope you had a great weekend. We did! We left early Sat. morning and drove down to Peoria, arriving by 10:30, so we had the entire day.........and stayed till 7 last night ( Monday). It was a great visit and wonderful to have three days with family. My sister, Barb, and niece Kris, both live there with their families, but the subject of this excursion, was BENJAMIN, the little guy I have been gushing about for two months! Benjamin arrived three weeks ago tomorrow night, from Russia, to live with Kris and Gregg and their four daughters. What a Sweetie! Great Aunt Linda was quite taken with him and he seemed to think I was ok too. He is 22 months old and just a dolly. We will post a photo of him along the way. He is such a happy boy, and I am SO thankful they made the decision to rescue a child from an orphanage and bring him into their home.. What a wonderful time we had. Benjamin did not even know he was the center of attention the entire time, which made it even more fun!
Ok, off to finish up some long needed work. Have a blessed week. More photos arriving shortly....watch for them. Might even post some more now before I quit. See you in the store soon we hope. If you are reading this on Tues., remember it is free scrapbooking day in the Ben! Come on in! Linda

Linda's Picks

This is a very small part of a new line of papers by Best Creations. These are from the beachy collection.......great for water photos, surfboarding, Hawaii, etc. It is all glittery........all their papers are. Very cute line and some are double sided. We have more.......just showing a few here.
Ah ha!!! Linda has a thing for the new Bo Bunny Petal Pushers line! This grouping of papers and embellishements is just about the BEST! This photo and the one below are all from the same collection and I just cannot wait to begin doing Something with these papers and accessories. They are double sided ( see the pink on pink just above.....it's the back side of another wonderful paper and I love the back side as much as the front!) The paper that has blocks of colors and words, that can be cut out and used in a variety of ways, has a great back side.......it is divided into four 6 x 6 blocks of designs and would be great for a 6 x 6 album! Or.......just cut them out and use them on a larger page. Their designers really pushed my buttons with this line. Now you come see, and see what You can create! I have a paper pack for the best creation using this line. Bring your entries into the Ben and we will have a contest. Deadline is Aug. third. Let's see if anyone is reading this..................



Wednesday, July 7, 2010

We're At it Again!

Hi there! Angie came in to the Ben yesterday and took a Lot of photos, and between the two of us, we are going to get the Blog up and active again. I am excited about all the photos she took.....you will be too! Lots of fun new fabrics, new papers, kits, etc. and we will try to keep you updated on what is going on. Be sure to keep checking the blog..........I will be better about posting than I have been the past few months.! We might even throw in some videos along the way...

This month on Wednesdays, we have Kid's Day and this morning they did a sewing class with the students creating their own pillowcase. What a fun thing to do! After a lunch break, they did picture frames with Beth. That' s an easy but fun class to do. Even little ones can do it. Just accumulate some scraps of papers and buy a frame.......we can give you some ideas.

Sue has much listed on the website for classes for July, so check it out. It is at http://www.bfcraftsdelavan.com/ and you will find a Lot of classes scheduled, for adults as well as the kids. Good time to bring in visitors to the area........it will keep them occupied!

Have a great rest of your week. Will have current news of our new little great nephew from Russia, soon. Have a trip planned to meet him. I will be an aunt with photos......just ask to see them! :)

Hugs to all.............Linda, Angie, the staff at the Ben, Ed, etc.! :)