Memories From the Heart

2011-01-28T10:51:00.002-06:00

Kid's Kits at the Ben

2011-01-14T21:57:00.003-06:00

Wanted you to be sure to see the kid's kits that Sue has gotten in at the Ben, that make great birthday party gifts as well as things your own children and grandchildren can use to learn latchook, needlepoint, crosstitch, bracelet making, knitting, etc. They are all so cute and there are more coming in all the time. Check out the video and then come in to pick out what you want for Your kids! See you!

Christmas sale at the Ben

2011-01-14T20:49:00.005-06:00

There are still some Christmas items on sale at the Ben Franklin, and this video will show you just a few. Hope you can get in and take advantage of them before they are gone!

Cricut Classes

2011-01-14T13:12:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to remind you to sign up for Cricut classes at the Ben, with Sue. First one is next Sat. the 22nd from 10 to noon. Will post the time for the other one shortly. Am on my way to work and don't have time to look it up. Think it is the 31st but don't remember the time right now. Best instruction class around for using your Cricut machine. Call the store to sign up........262-728-3515. You will not be sorry!

We have some new videos ready to go and will download ( or is it upload?) them tonight when I get home...........you will see new product. More Christmas things on sale.....hurry in. Some are marked down to 50% OFF and some are 30%. Don't miss out. Just marked down a bunch of fabric paint tubes...........check the clearance section. Good time to get your kids going on painting on fabric!

Hope you are all having a lovely day. Started mine with up Very early so Ed could get to a men's breakfast in Lake Geneva by 7 ( ugh!), went over to do something at the Ben at 8:30, took a walk in the snow with a dear neighbor at 9, chiropractor at 10, and have been working on the retreat ever since. Time to dress for work and get going. Hugs to each of you.........talk with you soon. Linda

Two Days in a Row?

2011-01-06T12:58:00.004-06:00

Hello there! Can you believe I am back again? Am busy disrobing the Christmas tree today. Wishing to be working on scrapbooking things, but need to keep an order to my life. I work from 4 to 7 today, so need to get the ornament thing done before I go in to work, if I can get it done. Think I will do another video for you, to show you something new. Perhaps some fabric? We'll see.

Would love to hear from you and find out what craft you are working on just now. Also, is there a craft line you wish we had available in the Ben? Let us know. We can't always meet your needs, but we sure try! Give us a call or e-mail me and let me know if you are looking for something special. A former Memories customer just did that this week and it was fun to hear from her, and be able to fill her order for her! We'd love to help you too.

Going to head back to the tree project, so will say bye for today. Check back for a new video in the next day or so. We will keep working on getting the hang of this! Hugs........Linda

Quilt of the Month square ( themed)

2011-01-05T12:53:00.003-06:00

I feel badly........we promised not to get any of the quilters on the video except Sue, the teacher, and ended up with some at a distance. Sorry about that! We will work harder at that next time. Be sure to check the website for the next class selections for the Spring Quilt patch. Isn't this one Cute? Thanks Sue, for doing this for the Ben Franklin Crafts in Delavan!

This is not working right!

2011-01-05T12:36:00.002-06:00

How's that for a negative lead in? I am frustrated beyond belief, as I am Trying to get this blog up and going again. Angie has re-done it temporarily, till we have time to do a whole new look ( bye bye birdies!) but I cannot get the video to post that Ed and I shot on Monday in the store! So sorry..............we are Trying! I have spent Hours trying to post it and it just won't.

It was a cute video. Angie says I might have to rely upon youtube, which I do not want to do, but might be the only way to get videos to post here. Got a wonderful flip camera from Ed for Christmas........with the idea that we can do a couple videos of new product in the store each week and show them to you.......perhaps some tutorials, etc. So, have patience, we will keep trying!

In the meantime, we Do have some fun, very fun, snowman and snowy type scrapbooking papers ( for card making too) in the store and they are stunning! Be sure to check them out!

The quilt square ( themed) of the month is underway in classtime, and we have a video of that too. Might try posting that.......it is shorter. Perhaps that is the problem. Sue Knudtson teaches that class and it is darling. This month they are doing a Valentine wall hanging rag quilt and it is so cute.......each lady chooses her own fabric and they would be so nice to hang on the wall, or I would put mine ( were I making one!! :) ) in the center of my old oak kitchen table. The class for Feb., which is the next one you can take, is going to be a Spring look. Be sure to come in within the next week and check out the sample.

Remember, you can go onto the website and check class schedules. www.bfcraftsdelavan.com is the site......bookmark that and make it easy on yourself.

I am hoping beyond hope to keep this going in a timely fashion so I don't lose everyone who had signed up to follow the blog! Have faith..........

Love to each of you.......Linda and Ed too........

2011-01-05T11:08:00.001-06:00

I'm Still Here!!!!!!!

2010-12-03T15:34:00.002-06:00

Long story, too long for here. But I am back, and plan to Stay back. I arranged to have help re-doing my defective blog, and when Angie looked at it, she inquired as to what was wrong with it! Evidently, it cured itself, so here we go again.

Wanted to let you know we have some very fun new papers in for the Christmas season. There are some from Best Creations that are all glittery and snowy and I Know you will like them. We still have some good embellishments and tons of darling papers. Jennifer just did a display of Christmas pages that are just plain Pretty. Remember the Flower Soft? We have some really cute samples up of gift tags that she made, and there are some for sale too, at 2 for $1.00. Have you tried Flower Soft yet? It is So easy to use and so fun.......colors are pretty and you can use it in your scrapbook pages as well as in cardmaking.

I am going to make this fairly brief tonight, as I have customers to take care of here in the store, and Ed and I are taking the two younger grandsons to a delightful Christmas concert in Rockford. It will have an English emphasis and sounds so nice. Glad the snow is supposed to hold off till way after we get home.

Hope you all have a safe and delightful weekend. Talk to you soon. Hugs from all of us here.............Linda

Great New School Papers

2010-10-02T13:39:00.002-05:00

New Fabrics in Stock for Your Wee Ones

2010-10-02T13:13:00.004-05:00

Debbie got in a line of Noah's Ark fabrics that will be great for the new nursery or for Grandma or Aunt Susie to create something special for that new wee one in the family. These are soft and lovely.......just right for the Noah theme and these photos don't do the line justice. Photos are good, but you have to see in person! Come see!

We Love Our New Products and You Will Too!

2010-10-02T13:09:00.006-05:00

Little Yellow Bicycle always puts out a very fun line at Christmas time, and they did it again! There are delighful papers and embellishments, some of which are shown here, for your crafting projects. This small 6 x 6 album is going to be fun to create for someone special..........look closely and you will see the shape is like a gift box with a big bow on top! See the round paper? Love it.....covered with music. "Twould be fun to "play" the music and see what it is! :) This line is in traditional Christmas colors, with some soft blues thrown in, which is a good softener and transition to winter time also. The snowmen and reindeer are so cute and the whole line is worth looking at. Be sure to check out both sides..............you will want two of everything you purchase!

This Countdown page kit is so fun. I bought one myself to use with my grandchildren in Ky. when we go there soon. Everything is planned out well and makes it a project you can do in a couple of hours with children or for yourself. We are finding old photos of the kids at Christmas time to put behind the doors, but you could use little notes about Christmas traditions, or a note on each page about where some tiny surprise is hidden to open for that day, etc. It is a lovely kit and for the price of ten dollars, you are getting your money's worth.......the stickers and papers are well done, colorful and just plain great! Hope you enjoy your kit as much as we will enjoy using ours!

The new cardmaking kits from Little Yellow Bicycle are super! Each kit provides everything and more that you need to create eight distinctive cards for the season and this one is no exception. It is a Fifteen dollar kit and you will finish up with eight great cards for the special people in your life. We have them in the school line too, I think. I know we are getting them in several lines from this co., so check it out. Great value and all the instructions are included, of course.

These two photos show a bit from the new tree line (cannot remember the name of it and since it is six o'clock on Sunday morning, I am not about to go look it up!) from Nikki Sivils. She is a relatively new designer to the scrapbooking world and will work in nicely with card makers too. Her choice of color is fun and designs are very whimsical. Her papers work will with those who love to cut out the panels for use in embellishing, and there is a great circular paper with each line. I have seen them used Extremely creatively recently, and have come to Love the circular papers! The other line we have in is the one with the Bees on it......in oranges and blues and is very cute. Come see!

Fall is in Full Force in the Ben

2010-10-02T13:05:00.006-05:00

Our new fall papers are going so quickly that some of these might be gone by the time you get in if you do not hurry! Angie has these arranged so you can see a bit of the back side also and you can see that they are some must haves. These are from the Paper Company and the whole line has foil or shimmer in the papers which make them Extra special! The one on the right is Gorgeous.........the apple is in foil and the rest is shimmer I believe........just wonderful. My favorite is the word paper on the left...love the plaid on the back side and the words have foil worked into them and the whole effect is so special. Stickers below are great too........such subtle accents for your cardmaking or page layouts. When they are gone, they are gone, so do not wait. People have been buying them four or five pages at a time, sometimes of one paper, so I am not kidding, they are going quickly!

Debbie created this lovely placemat from some of our new fall fabric and everyone has been talking about it. See the napkin ring attached on the side? How clever! We have a variety of these glass plates in leaf shape, amongst others, that are lovely for your fall table, and the little mini pumpkins are such fun for a variety of decorating plans. You will find these up near the front of the store and there are lots more to choose from.

Remember that gorgeous fall paper line that I showed you above? Debbie used some of it here to create one of her Very Special Wine Box designs and you can do your own! We have a nice stock of the wine bottle boxes in the store right now and this is one of the favorite classes from the former Memories store. If you need to take a class, check with Sue and Deb and see if they can arrange one for you with your favorite papers.........this is a super gift for those special people in your life and you can fill with gourmet items, baby gifts, wedding shower or bridal gift, etc., depending upon which paper line you use. A must have!

Whooligans Galore!

2010-10-02T12:52:00.008-05:00

We have the cutest papers for the halloween season. This line is the Hooligans line from Bo Bunny Press and is full of the funniest little critters who are trying to be scary, but don't quite make it. Very, very cute.

Little Yellow Bicycle put out a cute line too, and keep in mind that almost all the papers are double sided, and some of the "other sides" are actually Pretty, and can be used for scrapping heritage pages, etc. Check 'em out!

Here's a layout that Sue did to give you some ideas..................

Are You Ready for some FOOTBALL?

2010-09-30T17:31:00.003-05:00

Tues. at the Ben

2010-09-28T23:26:00.002-05:00

Hello...........Had a busy day at the store and it was so fun watching Debbie put out Lots of new fabric in her dept. Come see.......you will be inspired to begin a project, I assure you!

Rowena has agreed to teach a class for us, so be watching the schedule for the end of Oct and early Nov. Hurray!!!

You listened when I said you needed to come see the new fall papers..........it is remarkable the no. of papers and embellishments that went out the door today and made it so fun. Thanks for coming in and hope to see more of you soon.

Ed and I are going canoeing in the morning, if the weather holds. 'Twill be my first time this year here at home ( got in some great canoeing "up north") and we look forward to it. I have my own yellow canoe with gorgeous wicker trim and seat and love sitting in it out on the water. Hope the otter finds us and swims along beside us.....that is such fun!

Will see you soon in the store. There is so much new product coming in, we are having a ball getting it out for you and we thank you for coming............come again and bring friends. Hugs to all.........Linda

Fall Is Here!

2010-09-26T23:54:00.002-05:00

I am about to head to bed, as the clock turns another day, but wanted to make mention that 38 years ago today I gave birth to my darling daughter, Mindy. It is still her birthday, for a few more minutes! I am such a sentimental slob! :)

The owls are hooting outside my window and I want to just go tuck them in. They need to learn to be quiet at this time of night.........any suggestions?

We spent the most fun day at the shop on Sat. I priced Scrapbooking things all day, in between helping people find SO much stuff and it was such a happy store! The new papers for halloween are too cute and we have LOTS of them, so please come buy some! Not quite sure how we got so many, but there is a ton to choose from. I think I mean a ton........I carried a Lot of it up front to price and that paper is Heavy! But the designs are precious ( coming from someone who dislikes the day), it Is cute! The new papers and accessories from Little Yellow Bicycle and Bo Bunny for Christmas are in too, and as usual, are the best. It was fun seeing things walking out the door as I priced them! Love it when that happens! Remember that these papers are nearly all double sided and you Must check out both sides........sometimes I just cannot decide which one to display, so have done every other one in some trays, where I put one side out and then the next paper in the same stack is turned the opposite side. So check both..........you will want it all!

Nikki Sivils papers are in, in the bee pattern and the tree patterns. very cute and kitchy. She is a fairly new designer to the scrapbooking world and is truly catching on. Love her mascot, Willie Bee. Cutest little dog.............

We had a Great all day and late night crop on Sat. and had a full house! There were some Darling pages created, and some gorgeous beading done.......it was a Very creative weekend at the Ben! Angie came in, in the middle of it, and did some photography and videos for us, so those will be posting soon. Watch for them.......they will show you some of our very fun new product.

It is now the next day and I truly need to head for some sleep, so will say goodnight. Had the three grandsons for the weekend and had lots of other things going on, including that crop, etc., so it was a Full weekend and sleep sounds nice. Try telling that to the owls! Hugs to you all.....Linda

TV Ad today

2010-09-15T10:02:00.002-05:00

Hi there! It is another gorgeous day, with a few clouds thrown in. I have a busy day today, which is always fun. Phone calls, computer work, etc this morning, a dear friend coming for a long chat and lunch, four hours working at the Ben, home to make a pot of corn chowder for Bible Study dinner tonight ( a soup and salad potluck; doesn't that sound like fun?) and then home to price things for a small garage sale I am throwing together for tomorrow and Fri.
Whew! But in the meantime.........have things to tell you............

We have gotten in some absolutely Stunning Fall papers! They are a Must See, trust me! The company is The Paper Company, and we have other great things for fall, but this line is just delightful, and I am sure it will come in handy for bulletin boards, cardmaking, scrapbooking, etc. Apples, pumpkins, shimmers, foil, and more ideas on the double sided papers that I am excited for you to see.

There is a wonderful new School line in also.....primary colors with computers, apples, school bus, school bldg, pencils, crayons, kidlike papers, etc. It is a very cute line and I like the bright colors. This is one that will go all year and you need to remember to check the back side of all our papers. Many of them have some backsides that are applicable for just about any theme, regardless of what is on the front!

Creating a recipe book for a Christmas gift, or a shower gift, etc? There is a new line of papers for that too and they are so good! Makes me want to do one of those books right away! The colors are varied and easy to use, and there are so many themes. We actually have about 35-36 cooking papers and some nice embellishments too......the most we have ever had in the memories section. Come see!

Today is TV day at the Ben. Be sure to watch your charter networks for our ad, which will be shot in the store today sometime. It will take a week or two to get it out on the air, but I know it will be well done, as we were Always happy with our Charter ads. Be sure to tell us when you see it.........we need to know it is working! :)

Got word yesterday that Maggie and Grace did a large order of Pioneer albums, which have Greatly improved in quality. It will be fun to bring in yet another line of good books for your projects and we will offer the page protectors for them also, of course. Speaking of page protectors, we are Well stocked for the time being. Some have been on back order for weeks, but they have all come in now, so if you have been waiting for some, stop in soon. I made sure we had some of those great boxes of the universal protectore from C-Line in boxes of 50. Great buy...........come get them!

Will say bye for now. Need to get a few small things done before my guest arrives. Hugs to each of you.

Oh, by the way, Congratulations to our dear Angie who does our photography for the store, and the videos. She became engaged a few days ago and we are all Very excited for her and for Al.! Congratulations Angela!!!!!! Ya Hoo!!!

Home Decor at Ben Franklin Crafts

2010-08-30T16:53:00.000-05:00

Hello Memories Readers this is Angela . Just wanted to drop in and do a guest post for Linda.

Last week I came into the shop and took some photographs for Linda. Showing in the below pictures are some beautiful fall home decor pieces that I think you would love to have in your own home. So come check it out at the Delavan Ben Franklin Crafts

One of my personal favorites are the pretty birds.

Enjoy!

Sneezing my way thru the day!

2010-08-30T13:17:00.002-05:00

Hi! It is a sneezy day today. Sure am tired of hayfever! I am 66 and was diagnosed with this at age 2, so have had this nearly 65 years and I can't wait for the first hard freeze! Isn't that awful? I love the fall flowers and the gorgeous countryside, but get tired of people looking at me like I have a horrid cold and am going to give them something! If you see me at the Fair, I will be the one walking around with a handkerchief over my nose! :)

We had a Marvelous time last week up at Teal Lake in NW Wisconsin. In fact, was just thinking about what we were doing about this time a week ago today........canoeing out on the lake, going from island to island, watching loons ( one followed our canoe!) and eagles and osprey, etc. It was a blessing from the Lord, to be sure, and a week filled with memories to get us through the coming winter. Maybe we'll do a scrapbook!

There are so many great events coming at the Ben. Be sure to check out the website and get signed up for Grace's newsletter at www.bfcraftsdelavan.com She does a great job keeping us posted on what is going on in the store and believe me, there is a Lot to know about. One fun thing happening soon is the one million pillowcase program, where we will be sewing pillowcases for those who could sure use one, or need the comfort their own pillowcase can bring. Read all about it on the website..it will be a wonderful program and we hope to fill our work tables with ladies cutting and sewing and ironing pillowcases. Check it out!

Am going to go in to the shop shortly, so will call this quits for now. Have just done a big Mrs. Grossman order and that will be fun. I am pleased at how the strips of stickers are selling.......they are becoming more and more popular. Hope you like what I chose! Am getting some new ones for Fall and Christmas, which is Always fun!. More soon...........blessings...........Linda

Mrs. Sew & Sew

2010-08-22T00:00:00.001-05:00

This is such cute fabric! Everyone is loving the line,and Angie said today that it would make a great sewing machine cover! Would be cute to line sewing baskets too, or cover a lid for one. What ideas can You come up with for this darling line?

FEATURED ITEM AND SCRAPBOOKING

2010-08-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

Max and Whiskers, by Basic Grey, has been a Darling line for all those Pet photos you are thinking about scrapping. Can be used for dogs And cats, and a lot of the 18 papers ( double sided makes for 36 papers!!!!!) are usable for Anything. They are just plain cute papers and do not have to be used for pets. Come see them while they last. The layout above is for you to copy if you wish, or design your own. Cute for cardmaking too..........get well for pets, happy new pet, etc.

Some more above of the Max and Whiskers line.

A-Ha! Now we are talking! These are just a few of our new Sizzix dies in the Back to School line and I think every one of them is adoreable. See the Kindergarten one? That is an alphabet, including those darling numbers, and the rd, nd, th and st that come in handy so often! LOVE the school bus. If you look below at the bottom of the photo, you will see another alphabet......Blackboard Blues. It is tiny letters, both upper and lower case in a Darling font. Come see what we have. The price is good for what you get and you will enjoy using them when you are scrapping those school pages or something for the teacher, etc.

Oh my, my favorites! I told you we have the entire line of Copics in, and here they are! Classes begin shortly in learning the basics in Copics and you will Love the colors, the quality, the ease in which they make your "coloring" just perfect. Start your collection soon and join in the delight of using the Best!

Sizzix Fabric Cutter

2010-08-21T14:45:00.000-05:00

We are Loving our new Westminster Cutting machine from Sizzix. It cuts SO many quilt shapes and sizes and the wonderful dies you see above, can be used to cut paper too, so are great for scrapbooking as well as quilting. Come see it work, or better yet, buy your own!

Fair time papers/horses

2010-07-24T17:01:00.001-05:00

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!

2010-07-10T09:51:00.002-05:00

Classes in Quilting

2010-07-09T17:14:00.003-05:00

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!!

2010-07-09T17:12:00.006-05:00

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..........

2010-07-09T16:56:00.007-05:00

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

2010-07-09T16:47:00.006-05:00

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..................

We're At it Again!

2010-07-07T14:45:00.003-05:00

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.! :)

2010-06-15T18:46:00.003-05:00

This is the cover of the journal you will make in Scarlett's Flower Journal class that begins next week. I did not want to show you the whole thing, but Sue has taken photos of it and we have them in the shop........as well as the original. This is one darling album and the flowers are So pretty.......you will love learning to make them! Hope you can join us.........call to sign up and we will get the list of supplies needed, to you.

New Stuff

2010-06-14T22:55:00.002-05:00

Hello! Ooo, pretty color. Don't think I have used this one before. I was just reading my niece's blog and discoverd I can scoot right from hers to this one, so thought I would say hello and ask your forgiveness for not blogging much. My life has been so different lately......hard to even think of what to chat with you about.

So, am going to make a concerted effort to share new things with you all, a few "Did You Know?'s thrown in along the way, some photos, etc. If you read the e-mail tonight, you know that we put out a Gob of new Sizzix dies. Come see 'em.......they are great!

Had an unexpected blessing today........one of those "this is the reason I am here" type of things. An old friend, and I do mean old, as Dave is probably in his eighties. In fact, I know he is. Anyway, Dave came in with the express idea of sharing a photo album with me. It was kind of funny. He said to me, " I thought I would show you what a photo album is supposed to look like". Well, let me tell you............it was a gem! Dave used to be a professional photographer and in fact, I believe he did my senior class photos! Anyway, he had one photo......very large, on each page. No writing of any kind. Just photos.............huge ones. And they were gorgeous. Some from travels all over America, some of his beloved wife, who has been gone for years. Some of his darling daughter who died after a long fought battle with lung cancer, a girl whose lips never touched a cigarette and was the sweetest thing...........never should have happened. Photos of old family gatherings..............memories, sweet memories. And after we looked at them together and I had him tell me about each one, he got up and shuffled off, alone...........out the door, with the promise that there were more.

Be that encouragement to whomever you can, won't you? Someone, somewhere, needs you to listen to them, to look at their photos, to compliment them on Something.........give them a hug, let them know you are still glad to see them. Oh my, it made my day that he came in, knowing I would care. Thank you Lord, for that bit of friendship today, when I needed it so much. Thanks for letting me be his friend today...........

Love you all...............Linda

Bo Bunny wants to know!!!

2010-06-05T20:20:00.002-05:00

Hey there.........is anyone working on entering the Flat Bunny contest? I certainly hope so.!!! If you have not gotten the directions for what it is you are to do, please contact me via e-mail and I will send you the info again. I believe it is one or two posts below this one ( can't see from where I am typing)............it is easy.........and the prize is enough product from Bo Bunny to provide a crop for ten.............that's a LOT of product, guys! Keep me posted........I sure would hate to see No one entering from our thousands of customers! Come on now.............let me know you are in on this! What a fun prize and what a cute little bunny!

Going to say bye for now.......Ed needs to use the computer and I am falling asleep. Talk to you soon...........hugs to each one...:Linda

Flat Bunny is Here!

2010-05-27T13:36:00.003-05:00

Flat Bunny is here! If you want to have Bo Bunny host a crop for you and nine friends, go to http://www.bobunny.blogspot.com/ and get your instructions for what to do. Customers will create an invitation featuring Bo Bunny products and then send the digital image of the invitation to flatbunny@bobunny.com. The customer needs to send along a scanned image of our business card ( from Ben Franklin, and it has to be signed by a staffer) to verify that we are participating in the Flat Bunny travel adventure. Flat Bunny will choose her favorite invitation and schedule the Flat Bunny visit with the participating store ( that is US!) and the winner gets to invite 9 friends to join her in the crop. Flat Bunny will be bringing along materials for the whole crop!

The winning invitation, the designer and our shop will be featured on the Bo Bunny blog along with the submitted photos of Flat Bunny at the crop!

This is a Very fun contest and we are surely hoping some of you are hopping right to this. When you come in, you will find photos of Flat Bunny hiding in spots around our store, watching to see what papers you are choosing, etc. She has already had some very fun adventures and we look forward to watching more of them on her blog. Are you in? Don't miss out on this! Flat bunny is very cute and you will love getting to know her, if you can find her! Hugs.............Flat Bunny's friend, Linda

2010-05-21T22:57:00.003-05:00

Here's part of the boy line for LYB Snugglebug. It is a buggy theme, but not so much that you don't think baby.They have put out a huge line of both pinks and blues and so many of the papers can be used for other themes.,.....the embellishments too! Sorry for the white background. We have brand new Bright lights in the store in the classroom area, that are perfect for sewing and scrapping, but not for photo taking! Will devise something different next time!

This is part of the LYB girl line that is called Snugglebug. So cute......GOBS of embellishements to go with the line and we are doing well with it. Meets every baby album need! Double sided of course!

Some of our lines for babies are so cute...makes me grin! This does not show up well on the white table, but at least you are getting to see a few of the baby specialty papers from Little Yellow Bicycle. There is a boy and a girl line, and many of the papers can be used for toddler or other themes altogether. Come see!

We have Wonderful Graduation papers and embellishments in the shop right now. Some will be great for invitations and some for scrapping pages for those albums. Let us help you pick our what you need, and give you ideas for finishing up albums, if you need it.

Bo Bunny Crop at Memories in the Ben!!!

2010-05-19T23:58:00.002-05:00

Ok Friends! Head's Up! We need you to participate SOON! I will be sending an e-mail about this tomorrow, but for those of you up late tonight.........go to www.bobunnyblogspot.com and read the instructions! Customers can create an invitation feathuring BoBunny products and send the digital image of the invitation to flatbunny@bobunny.com and there are more instructions, but the end result is that if your invitation is chosen, a Flat Bunny Bo Bunny crop will be held in OUR STORE! The winning designer gets to invite 9 friends to join her for the crop! Get designing ladies and gents.............this is Huge! Hurray! I am so excited for you. I just KNOW that one of our wonderful partners in crime is going to WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wahoo!!!

Let's Try Again!

2010-05-12T03:23:00.003-05:00

Guess I did not finish the last post! Not quite sure what happened, but was trying to tell you that we now have our remaining kits on sale for $29.00 and hope you can take advantage. We can ship, if that will help. Put photos on recently of some of what is in the kits, so you can see for yourself.

I have been BUSY putting out new product this week! My goodness.......it is pouring in! Received Max and Whiskers and Capella from Basic Grey. Max and Whiskers is a Darling pet line and the colors are vibrant. The interesting thing is that you can use Many of the papers for many other themes......not just doggy and kitty. Capella is in the softest of pastels...........people will be using this line for Heritage, wedding, graduation, little girl, Elegant, etc. It is a delight and if you liked the lines from last year, you will love this one.

Also put out papers today from Moxie, including faith based papers, Horse papers, and some DARLING cooking ones that will thrill all of you doing recipe books! Colors are pretty.......warm and inviting.....and the designs are adoreable!

Then, there is the box of ZOO stuff from Reminisce. It is Brand Spankin New and just adoreable. If you have field trips to the zoo, or plan on going this summer, stock up on this line. I got in the embellishments to go along and it is just plain cute.

ALSO...new TIM HOLTZ dies and embossing folders from Sizzix! They are releasing a line of his each month and the things for May are in and on the walls.........come see! Some Very cute dies and I have already decided I need some of the embossing folders. They fit the Cuttlebug machine as well as the wonderful Technique Boutique embossing tool, for only $29.99. It is so cute in itself and works like a whiz. The dies are just super.........so all of you who used to come in the moment I got in the Cuttlebug brand new folders, come on in. You get a lot for your money and I think you will truly like these designs! Sue already used one today and gave it a thumbs up!

It is late............I need to try for sleep once again, so will close for now. I am expecting a Lot more new product this week.....so if you stop in and don't see me, look in the back room. I will likely be back there pricing things to put out! Come say hi......and see what's new. Time for a good chat.........I miss you! Hugs........Linda

Kits on SALE

2010-05-07T13:46:00.001-05:00

Heritage Page for May

2010-05-07T13:28:00.002-05:00

Beth has done some darling pages for her May Heritage class. This set uses the On the Boardwalk papers and embellishments from Graphic 45. There are two pages, but we only have one at home to photograph. Come in or call to sign up........they are adoreable!

Scarlett's Scrapoir's Kit

2010-05-03T19:04:00.005-05:00

Little Meaghan is home now

2010-04-27T08:10:00.002-05:00

Little Meaghan, the eleven year old from East Troy who had had leukemia over seven years, went home to God today. It is so sad she lost her battle, but she could be no better place, and we are glad she is knowing full peace right now and for her family, we will continue to pray for peace for them and for God's precious comfort. Thank you all for your prayers through these many years.........Linda

Sunday Night Ramblings

2010-04-25T20:45:00.003-05:00

Just catching up on my niece and her husband, who are in Russia to look into adopting a darling little boy. So exciting and can't wait to see what happens. The reports from that country are greatly exaggerated and there Are adoptions going thru, contrary to what the press is saying! So glad they had a safe trip there.

We spent the afternoon with Julie and her family, at a Tae Kwan Do tournament in Janesville...actually into the early evening. Just had dinner together and now it is home to relax before the work week begins. I have two days off this week, so plan on doing a lot of sorting and putting away.......still at it you know! As my mother used to say, "twas ever thus". Guess that phrase is too old for most of you! :)

Have been working hard at the Ben, getting shelves and walls looking the way I need them to, and Beth is great at doing that too, so we are making progress. We will soon be selling those wonderful packs of papers with some ribbons thrown in, buttons, embellishements, etc. Isn't it nice to have things already chosen for you that go together? That is the benefit of those great kits of papers. When we only have a couple left, you get the benefit! Speaking of kits, the Scarlett's Kit that we are so excited about........... we are now ready to sell them online and will be taking orders. Angie is coming in this week to take photos of them and you will be able to see for yourself, if you are far away. We have some left, so let us know if you are interested.

Hope you all have a wonderful week. I will be back in a couple of days, to fill you in on what is new, in classes And product! By the way, our first evening crop this past weekend was great fun and we are planning more. Will let you know. In the meantime........come in on Tues. and get some done! Hugs.........Linda and Ed

Urgent Pray Request from Linda

2010-04-20T12:11:00.002-05:00

I know we are supposed to make blogs upbeat and happy and fun...........but this one is urgent and you know me well enough to know that I would not do this if I did not think it truly important. I am asking you, those of you who pray and trust God, to lift little Meaghan Rath to the Lord right now. The next 24 hrs are critical in her life, if she is to make it. Her lungs need prayer right now, please! There is much infection, bacteria, virus, things I can't come close to understanding and her mother just e-mailed a bit ago and asked for prayer immediately. Thank you. I know all too well that there are hundreds of thousands of children who need our prayers right this moment.............but I ask you to pray for little Meagan. She has been a part of our "shop life" for so many years.........since she was 4 I believe, that I just have her on my mind a lot. Pray for mom and dad, Kate and Ken Rath too........these hours have to be unbelievable for them. I would not wish this situation on my worst enemy. Thanks for praying......I am sure all of East Troy is praying right now, which is where Meaghan lives when she is not living at Children's Hosp in Milwaukee. Hugs and lots of faith.........Linda

Late Night Post

2010-04-15T23:44:00.002-05:00

Hi there! Have you ever gone onto Scarlett's Scrapoirs? It is on the right side of this blog, where you will also find Bo Bunny and Cosmo Cricket, etc. Be sure to go there........to see what Scarlett does. She is the remarkable designer of our first KIT and it will give you a feeling for what she is capable of doing. Really a talented gal and on the editorial board of an online craft mag. as well as a designer for a bunch of other sites. We are blessed to have her talents with us!

Wanted to let you know that Sue told me tonight that there is time for an open crop on Sat. the 24th from noon to midnight. We can only take a few from noon to five, because the store is open till five. But at five, we can add tables and take more people, so give us a call and let us know if you want to sign up. The fee is $12 for pizza and soda and 12 hours of cropping.............if you cannot come till five, then we will reduce the price a bit. Hope you can join in the fun. There will be some surprises along the way.....always are.

It is Late and I need some sleep. Have much on my mind this night and need some rest and prayer time. Hope you all are resting and have a blessed day tomorrow. Night........and hugs.....Linda ( Ed is already asleep :) )

Gorgeous Spring

2010-04-15T09:08:00.002-05:00

Have you noticed Spring? Who cannot? It is my Favorite time of year.............love, love, love the color Spring Green ( there must be 200 of those colors) and the popping open of the teeny little leaves. Each one seems just created for me! This morning when Ed and I were getting ready to face the day, it was like an aviary outside our bedroom window......birds of all shapes and colors and sizes flitting around, looking for the feeder Ed took down, probably, and flying from tree to tree ( those that are left, anyway). Did I tell you about my de-forested yard? Not a happy camper there!

Anyway, it is gorgeous, and while I am at the Ben today, I will have to keep peeking outside the door to get whiffs of fresh air and listen to the birdies. Enjoy this gorgeous day, dear ones, and find someone to bless! One great thing you can do is pray specifically for Meaghan, for her lungs to heal. That is a Huge concern this morning..................thanks bunches. Her life is literally on the line now.............

Love to you all...........Linda and Ed too...........

New Stuff

2010-04-14T17:02:00.002-05:00

Hi there! Just got back from a fifteen minute run to the Ben( yes, I had the day off, and only spent half of it doing work for the store! I cleaned a cupboard out and it felt so good. Now to finish some papers on the kitchen table and I think we can use it again! Whee!!!) ...........and while there.............discovered we got in a large order of SIZZIX dies and embossing folders, including Tim Holtz ones.............whoopee! That will be fun to put out on the wall tomorrow.......come see them. Give me till after one p.m. I am not due in till 2:30 and will go in early, but still have to do some work at home as I am on Fri and Sat. too. I think you will really like these Sizzix products and remember, those of you with the Revolution and Cuttlebug.........they work in your machines too! Got some of the Technique Boutique embossing machines in too.........they sell for only $29.95 and that is a great price, compared to the Cuttlebug. Check them out!

We had a wonderful weekend at the hotel and have received some delightful notes from some of the attendees. We had fun doing it..............already looking forward to the Nov. one!

Our kit is ready to sell...........call or come in and see. Due to a tragedy in the life of our dear designer, we have been downplaying it all a bit. But as of tomorrow, it will be out for you to see and ready to sell, for $34.95. Our "It's a Material Thing" kit is ready to go and will delight you........we are pleased with our first one and definitely plan on more, when Scarlett is ready to design. Right now she has her hands full of a darling little baby whose mommy died last week, so she can take all the time she needs to get that wee one on it's way. Pray for the family of the baby.........it is so sad.

In fact, there are prayers needed for darling little Meaghan from East Troy who is still going thru unbelievable things with an infection, following her bone marrow transplant for leukemia. No 9 yr old child should have to suffer the way she has. She has spunk tho.........pray God will allow the docs to find the right combination of treatment for her, and pray for her dear family.

I look forward to seeing many of you soon! Beth and I are going to be working on getting our aisles labled and we are making lists of all the products we are short on..........so give us time...........it's a comin'. We thank you for your patience as we try to get in everything you have been looking for. It's hard to get it all at once........just can't be done. But we are making great headway.................

Hope to see you soon . Need to scoot........Bible study soon and need to get dinner done so I can leave for the meeting. Hugs to all..............Linda, and Ed too........

A Kit from Memories at Ben Franklin Crafts

2010-04-01T21:20:00.002-05:00

Hello! By now I hope you have seen the video about our new kit and it will be the first of many, we hope. We have tried to do this way too quickly but will find our way........Scarlett and I have spent much time on the phone and e-mails......working this all out and she is Such a great designer.........you will love each kit. We plan to add "add ons" as we go, and some months we might do more than one. There is much to plan yet and I am determined to slow down a bit as we go thru the next one so we are not in panic mode! In the meantime, as soon as we get our sheets of sample photos ready, they will be ready to sell. We are taking orders at the Ben and this is the only place you will be able to get this exact kit......so enjoy! You can e-mail our Memories e-mail or can call the store at 262-728-3515 to order one and pre-pay.

The price is $34.95 for the initial kit. They will be a variety of prices, as Scarlett uses various materials along the way. Some will be less, some more. But this is the price for the initial one. Hope you enjoy them and please understand that we are Nearly ready to go, but I promised you the announcement today.........so this is it.

I look forward to seeing each of you............Ed and I wish you a blessed Easter..........and see you next week................Lovingly, Linda

A message from Linda for Memories from the Heart.

2010-04-01T17:47:00.002-05:00

All you have to do is click on this Link .... Enjoy!

What's coming??????///

2010-03-30T17:55:00.005-05:00

Be sure to check this blog the evening of April 1st........we are getting set to share something fun with you. Excited? We are! More to come................

Prayers for Meaghan

2010-03-29T11:47:00.002-05:00

Meaghan is "some better" but is still very critical. She is having serious blood pressure issues, and the horrid bacteria is the type that clings to plastic, and of course, she has lots of tubes, etc in her. They cannot start pulling them. It is not good...........prayer, constant prayer is in order. Thanks...........Linda

I'm Not Lost!

2010-03-28T19:08:00.002-05:00

But it must seem like it! I am so sorry to keep forgetting to blog! There are so many things going on in our lives right now....I should be blogging them, but all I can say is, sorry, and I can try to do better!

In fact, Angie C. is coming to the store tomorrow to do a VIDEO! Yep! We are going to do something fun.......and she is going to tape it and also photograph bits and pieces. And You will be the first to see/know what we have up our sleeves! I am going to be rather mysterious for a bit, as everything I need for what I am hinting at, is not ready! So, check back every couple of days and we will see what we will see. Can't wait to do a video again.....those were fun.

There are transformations in our living and dining rooms! It is a bit of a mess, due to the boxes of things we are hauling out to take to the hotel, but the things from the shop ( the former Memories) are slowly being stashed away and it is feeling somewhat better. There are now parts of the house that I can walk thru without feeling like a huge storm went passing thru. There has not even been room to "clean" anything..........can you imagine the dust in here? But now that boxes are hiding, I can get in with a dust cloth and vaccuum and make some headway..........can't wait! I am not a clean freak, but I DO like a tidy house and one that you aren't tempted to write on every table or lamp in the house!

Some great new product are rolling in at the shop . Ed comes in often and breaks down the boxes for us, so he can testify to the fact that we have gotten in some marvelous new lines and I have just about filled up all the plastic paper trays that I had in the former shop. Display is a challenge, but Beth has been kind enough to come in a few times and give me a help, and I seem to be getting better at it. When the hotel crop is over, we ought to be able to get it all in order.

Before I close, want to let you know that we are carrying a Marvelous line of toys in the Ben. Are you familiar with Melissa and Doug? I carried their stickers about 15 years ago in the gift shop, but now they have developed a wonderful toy line that our Mindy has thoroughly enjoyed for her kids. It is SO FUN to see what goes out on the shelves and what people bring up to the cash wrap to check out. Makes me want to buy one of each! If you need a cute toy or craft idea for grandkids or birthday parties.......be sure to stop in a check them out. They start at Low prices and are a great value for what you get.

Ok........much to do tonight before tomorrow begins! If you prayed for little Meaghan, whom I mentioned this afternoon in the e-mail...........you will be pleased to know that she is somewhat "stable" right now, and "stable" is GOOD! Keep up the prayers!!!!!!!!! And thank you.

Have a Wonderful week, dear friends. Angie will get something up on here in the next two days or so, and we might do several things. Don't know yet. Our surprise is still in the works, but we will let you know asap. Hugs to each of you and may you be a blessing for someone this week, as you are to us! Linda and Ed

Wee Hours

2010-03-17T02:42:00.002-05:00

WOW! When you can't sleep, get up and work! I had not planned on "ordering" this morning at 2:30, but that is what I am doing and having a blast! It has been on my mind to get this done this week, and now is the time. I'm feeling the pressure....feel like I have just had a mocha latte full strength, not de-caf. Before we go to TX to see the family, I have to have the entire Hotel Crop DONE and ready to transport to the hotel. That means ordered, counted and make sure we have enuf trays and racks to put it in, kits planned and ordered and kitted, etc. It can take over one's life, IF one lets it.

So, I am using time wisely ( thank you Lord!) instead of rolling around not sleeping, and am having fun doing it! Whee! Just ordered the most ADOREABLE baby papers and embellishments from Little Yellow Bicycle. It is not shipping till at least April, but that's ok..........still need to get the order done! The lines are called Snugglebug and are stinkin' cute.......soft colors with darling little buggies that look like fireflies with personality. Soft blues and pinks and greens and ivories and you will love them. Some will be usable for things not baby, too, which is a quality I always like about lines of papers. Be versatile!

Then, I went onto the site looking at the Beach papers ( and embellishments, of course) and it is THE BEST! Wowza! Ladies ( and gentlemen).........this stuff is GOOD! Roll out your favorite beach or summertime photos, 'cause you are gonna Love this line! I don't have the catalog at home so I don't even know when it will ship, but you'd better believe this is going to be Fun! I can feel the sand dripping on my carpet when we come in the house from the beach.........it's that real. Cute, cute, cute! I will notify you when it is in, to be sure!

Goodness.......was that worth reading? Not so sure, but wanted you to know I am thrilled with what is coming into Memories in the Ben and if I can just quit thinking about how I am going to display it, I might be able to go back to sleep. This is a challenge...............having a whole store to work with in displaying things, seemed hard at times. These days, trying to make it look interesting and fun for you with LONG aisles that all look the same, is a real challenge. But I KNOW God has a way for me to do this and I just need to trust for this too, as I do for each thing I face each day. If I have to just stand out in the aisle and point and say "this way to the beach!", I just might have to do it! We'll see what He has in mind..........but He sure did awaken me to do fun things tonight. My rep will be happy...she has been after me for days to get this order faxed to her and I literally have not had the time. The time is now! Whee!

Thanks for reading my drivel...........or did you give up on me? :) You all are so dear and somehow I think you are reading with smiles on your faces. Do I sound like I am back? I am. This is one thing I love.......sharing my excitement with you all. Now I need some unexpected hugs. Think I just got one from the Lord. Need to drag Maggie into this excitement too..........she is into the WONDERFUL Melissa and Doug toys that we All need in our lives, and the trains and yarn, etc. One of these days, we will get her hooked on paper! It might start when we get the first of our sample pages on the walls.............a project to plan on another sleepless night! Back to ordering...................Love you all and thanks for listening. A hug to each one..............Linda

2010-03-16T21:30:00.002-05:00

Hi there! Wanted to let you know that we now have some striking new School papers and stickers..............Badger, Delavan-Darien, Elkhorn, Big Foot all arrived today and they look Great! New designs, new shades, very smart. Come get 'em for those school albums you are working on for graduation. We also have some Whitewater, Williams Bay and Burlington, but are low on supply for those.......just don't have quite as many designs as the other schools.

Also received our full supply of Alaska things again, and a bunch of stickers from various sites around the country. Very fun and useful. The travel section is beginning to fill up again. Next on my list for that catagory will be the tropical things..........give me a few weeks!

Isn't the sunshine wonderful? It hit 70 in Delavan today and that was great for Ed's bike ride! Our kids fly home from Fla tomorrow and I wish it were going to stay warm for them. They will be freezing this weekend, I am sure!

Come see us and we will show you what is new. Sue is busy working on new classes for April and they look wonderful. The ones I sent out in the e-mail the other day, are beginning to fill up.
Call as soon as you can to get your choice of classes.......you will enjoy them. And your teachers will be happy to have full classes!

See you soon......hugs.........Linda

Interesting week at our house!

2010-03-14T22:30:00.002-05:00

Hi-----about to head to bed, but wanted to tell you that we have open cropping all day Tues. and the following Tuesdays in March, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Come get creative and join in the fun! Five dollars to crop all day............good deal! Take us up on it and get lots of pages done!

Julie and Greg are having a vacation together for her birthday and their 20th anniversary, so we have the three boys! It is an interesting time........we have Pages of schedules to keep up with! My, but they are busy kids! They have been such dears tho, and we have both treasured the time with them. It does not happen often enough!

Need to get my beauty sleep before a busy day at home of sorting and putting away more stuff from the former shop. I am making headway, but not fast enough. Hope to clear the living room and dining room tomorrow and then will feel like I am truly getting ahold of it! Wish me luck!

Night all.........hugs to each. Hope some of you can join us for scrapbooking on Tues..........remember.....we open at 9 and you can begin then! See you...........Linda

I'm Overwhelmed!

2010-03-10T23:22:00.002-06:00

Oh my goodness............we got enough huge boxes of floral for the new store today, that I could fit at least 30-40 people in them! Is that descriptive enough? It is amazing that they would deliver That much to us when I am SO busy trying to get things ready for the Hotel Crop ( in less than a month!!!) How dare they? However, the flowers are Lovely and I am excited to have so many pretty ones to work with........it will be great fun! I have been frustrated at lack of variety to create some arrangements........and now have no excuse! Come see! If you need something really pretty to put in a vase or brighten up a room.......we've got the flowers for you!

Did you know we carry Train things? That is not a very good description of them........."things." But Maggie is the train expert in the store and she can describe them much better than I can. It is really fun watching people discover we carry items for setting up trains and the landscapes. Come check that part of the shop out............love it!

The new papers in are causing a stir..........some are on the verge of having to re-order and we just got them in. The new Flower Soft arrived this morning ( third order since we opened!!!) and the display has doubled in size. Many new colors......new kits, just plain fun. If you have been considering trying some, now is the time while we have a great selection of colors, etc. Not sure what I am talking about....come see and I will be happy to show you!

Need to head for bed..........have to be in early and ready to open those HUGE boxes again............so need my beauty rest. Hope you all are staying safe with this goofy fog! Sue and Debbie and Eva ( a gal at the store) and I spent a couple of hours at Culver's tonight, just sitting and talking and it was such fun. Deb and Sue and I were on our way to Bible Study in Lake Geneva, but the fog was so horrid that we had to turn around and come home...........it was just plain not safe out there. So, we stopped at Culver's and ended up closing the place. Consequently, I am late doing this and need to head to beddy bye. Think that is where I was when I began this paragraph and got distracted. Hugs........more soon, when I dig out of the flowers! Linda and Ed too...........

Behind Again!

2010-03-08T22:08:00.002-06:00

Here we go again! I am sorry.........this is nuts that I keep forgetting to blog. Between the e-mails and posts on facebook and trying to put things away at home from the former shop, I just am not keeping up well. Sorry.....I do thank you for your patience!

We have been having fun catching up at the new store and it is starting to settle in a bit. Sometimes I see some of you in the shop as I go tearing down an aisle, on my way to somewhere......and if I don't get to stop and visit as I normally would, please forgive me. Not trying to ignore you......just am trying to "get it all done". That is no excuse, so will try to do better, I promise. Right now I am in the midst of trying to put together the hotel crop which is in a month ( HELP!) and am feeling rather alone. In the former Memories shop, I always had gals with me to help with ideas, etc. Now it is just me and that is scary! Jen is home from a winter trip, so she is coming in tomorrow and hope we can get our ideas put together........that will help a lot! Between pricing items and putting them out ( Now there is a challange, as I don't do that well! :) ) and working on the crop and working at the cash register.........whew! Who said I was retiring? :)

It has been a fun time and it is so fun seeing what each dept is getting in. I am wanting to take a knitting class, Definitely want to make one of Eva's shopping bags, want to sign up for doing some of the wool projects....would love to do some beading, etc. This is one great store! And what nice people we have to work with. Hope you are getting to know the staff......Maggie has picked some very nice people to help you with your crafts and we all get along so well........it is great!

Today I was in for an hour or so, just to take some floral pieces in, and found we got some of our new custom papers. Hurray! There is a great one that names the resorts in the area, which will be very fun for the tourists! We are now re-stocked with Delavan papers, have some good ones for dog and cat ( words), sports, Disney, Chicago, etc. It is a good line and has done well for us in the past........this time we ordered more! We also received a lovely assortment from the Paper Loft, along with their wonderful embellishments. There is some heritage paper, some great camping or outdoor things in beautiful colors and the tags that go with are fishing, camping, hiking, boating, etc. Gotta see.........

We also received a huge shipment of May Arts today.......that is our wonderful ribbon line. Some repeats but mostly the new designs they just came out with and there is something for Everyone! We even have some fun ribbon that looks like animal prints in the narrow sizes, and they will be great for your zoo pages and cards...........or for home decor. And we have two more huge orders on their way! Help............no place to put them! We might have to start hanging things from skyhooks! :)

Grace has done a section of things on sale, to honor Nat. Crafting Month and we have a bunch of postbound albums on sale, 25 % off, along with stacks of packaged papers ( cardstock) in many colors. The prices are amazing.........it is truly time to stock up or think about projects coming along. If the kids need colored papers....now is the time to get them.

By the way....thinking of kids......we have a great assortment now, of Poster Board. This is one thing people have called me for, for over 12 years! i am So Thankful that I can now tell customers that YES, we Do have posterboard, and in colors as well as white, and a variety of sizes. Hurray!!!

I am babbling ......need to go work on a Bo Bunny order so it is ready to go in the morning. Hope you are all doing well. Remember, you are still very special to us. Just because our address changed, does not mean we don't care.....so stop in and say Hi.......come crop ( tomorrow all day), take a class.................get to know the new shop! Hugs to each of you..............dear, dear friends. Talk to you soon, I hope. Night...............Linda, and Ed too

Overwhelmed by New Product! :)

2010-02-28T23:25:00.002-06:00

Hello, hello dear friends! I have So much to tell you, but it is nearly midnight and I Have to get to bed. So, will let you know that I spent much of Fri. and most of Sat. pricing and putting out wonderful new products at the Ben! In addition to the Paperarts product, they got in boxes and boxes of wonderful yarns, so you must check that out too! I also saw a lot of beading product going out on the walls............it was delivery time on Fri.!!!

Let's see what I can remember at this late hour. I know that we got in about 50 delightful Bazzill colors ( didn't count them.......it just looked like at least that many) and many are brand new shades they have just come out with. They look so pretty on the trays and are right next to the Core Dinations line, which is full and ready for you to choose from. We also put out two complete lines of SEI which is brand new............glittery and glossy and just plain fun. One line is called Jocelyn and the other has a Birthday theme . Darling birthday papers.......good for boys Or girls. Cakes, cupcakes, gifts ( this one would be good for anniversaries, weddings, any gift giving pages or cards cause it is in a wonderful shade of green with I think some hints of blue?), and stripes and plaids and other papers to go with........plus the stickers and other embellishments for both lines. Brads as I remember. Both lines are wonderful and will be Big sellers.

It is more difficult to separate lines in the layout of the new store, so you will have to be certain to look for them, or look for me and I will show you where they are. Right now those two are on one of the long aisles in the Paperarts sections. We might find a way to lable things near the top of the walls. Be sure to remember that these new lines are all Double Sided and sometimes the other side is even better than the top side! Check 'em out!

the Cosmo Cricut line called Material Girl has a sewing theme ( part of it) and I have it placed very near the fabric dept. They even have a fabric that matches one of the papers.........watch for that! We are going to look into carrying the Cosmo fabic lines, if we can find them and like them. No promises..........just looking into it.

Lots of backorders came in.......glues and Cricut supplies ( pads and blades, etc.) but the 12 inch square cutting pads for Cricut are still on backorder, so if you are waiting, keep checking with us. I have 12 sets of them on order and know that won't be enough, but thought I would begin with that. Score tape arrived......ordering more next week! Zip dry is in stock right now, and Un-du. Have some trimmers this week, at least we did Sat.! It was funny; as I was putting things out, people were buying them right out of my hands on Fri.

If you don't see me and need my help, please ask if I am in the store. I am not there everyday, but at least three and sometimes four days, and would Love to see you and help you Sometimes I will be working in an office in the back, unpacking and pricing product, or working on ordering, or even designing some floral arrangements ( that is one of my jobs too!), so am not always out on the floor, but do not want to miss you. Don't forget that I am happy to have you call the house or my cell phone if you want to plan on having my help, or just to chat.

Ok, I am sure there is more to visit about, but this chick needs to head to bed! Much to do tomorrow ( boxes of stuff at home to sort thru and put away!) and I want to be fresh to do that. Hugs to you all.........hope to see you soon.

Don't forget about open cropping on Tues. from noon to five. We have several planning on coming in............come join in the fun and get some projects underway. Night..............Linda

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-02-21T19:23:00.002-06:00

Can you tell life is a wee bit hectic for us? I forget to post! So sorry!!! It has been So busy at the Ben that I truly forget to post what is going on, but will surely try to do better! We have a full calendar of classes for the month of March, and for the end of Feb. too! Will try to get them listed for March tonight, for the Papercrafting, and you can check the website for the Ben for the rest of the depts. Maggie has put together a wonderful mix of classes and if you had nothing else to do, you could just live there and learn new things! :)

I ended up with a rotten sinus infection Thurs night, but it seems to be about gone and am So glad. I skipped church today........just slept in till nearly noon, and that seems to have helped. Hated to miss what Ed says was a remarkable sermon, but fortunately we can listen online, so I can "catch up". Got some floral arrangements done for the store this week.........that was fun to do again. Did you know that I worked over 20 years as a floral designer? I will not be teaching the floral design classes at the store.........two other ladies are doing that. I can do the floral, just cannot teach it. But it was fun to get back to working with my gorgeous flowers and pretending Spring is nearly here. Might even do some in my design room in the basement tomorrow!

Have you tried the Flower Soft yet? We are on our second order of the product in the shop, after being open only three weeks. It is a delightful product for card makers, tho can be used in scrapbooking pages too. I will have to find a new spot for it........the endcap where we are displaying it is not large enough to display all the colors they carry and we are selling it like it is candy! Try some.....and if you cannot figure out what to do with it, come find me and I will give you a verbal tutorial! Best thing is to go onto their website and watch for yourself. Delightful product.

Placed a large order for Bazzill tonight, and it should be in by midweek. The Core Dinations line is fully stocked once again, so you won't have to worry about finding cardstock anymore. We will have it fully stocked. Also have a number of the Copic Ciao markers back in............this week I imagine. Rhonda will be teaching several classes in using them, so watch for those. She gave me the list of what to order, basics I guess. They are the most remarkable marker to hit the craft world.....they last three times longer than any other marker on the market and I am amazed at how they blend and look so professional. Think this is one class I need to take.

I have already remembered several items I should have ordered. Can't believe how quickly we are selling out of things..........should not be surprised, with the numbers of people coming in. It is so fun to see how happy people are that they don't have to drive long distances to find the craft products they need. Just a joyful thing.................what a fun place to work!

I don't have the list of Feb classes with me, but think tomorrow morning is open in the classroom. If you want to come in and work on a project, just call the shop and check and you might have some hours you can get some projects finished. There is open cropping from noon to five on Tues. also..........

Must get some ironing done, so will close for now. Will try to do some class posting before I go to bed. Talk to you later..................Hugs from both Ed and myself. Linda.............

Amazing new Product in at the Ben

2010-02-14T21:32:00.002-06:00

Hello! Forgot to tell you that the wool products that I mentioned ( I think) this past week, are IN STOCK at the Ben Franklin Craft store in Delavan. They are Beautiful and the display is lovely. Fat quarters of the hand dyed wool, displays of the items to be taught......it is just wonderful and you must come see when you have the time. This is going to be a special class each time it is taught!

Angie is busy creating some fun classes and we will announce them soon. Tomorrow I will get a list of what is coming up for classes and post them here.......watch this spot! Have a great week, dear friends. And thank you for SO MANY of you coming in for our Grand Opening. My, it was so special to see you all........loved it! Night......................Linda and Ed too......

2010-02-11T22:50:00.002-06:00

Hello! It is a late night again, but realized I have neglected you friends and need to remedy that immediately! It has been a joy to see so many of you in the new store and we are so happy you have not deserted us! Hope you are able to join in the fun on Sat. at the Grand Opening........tho I expect it will be a bit crowded! The event seems to be causing a stir in town and we are excited! Ribbon cutting is at 11:30 on the 13th and there will be prizes, snackies, etc. Come see us!

Be certain to go onto the new website for the Ben at www.bfcraftsdelavan.com and sign up for the website-only drawing for the weekend.

We received a delightful order from Reminisce today........gobs of sports papers and embellishments to match...........all new designs. I am happy to have them...was tired of last year's selection. Golf, swimming, vollyball, baseball, football, basketball, bowling, and some more. AND.......a great new collection for the out of doors.....camping, etc. It is lovely..........double sided of course. Love the smores one........graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows........makes me want s'more!

There is an overdone order of Petaloo also, that went up yesterday. My goodness.....I won't have to order those little scrapbooking flowers for months! Come make me wrong! We have them in every color and design, with jewels and without, etc. The walls and shelves are beginning to fill up.

Wanted to tell you about something that is coming soon......but not sure when. Some ladies were in today that thrilled Maggie and myself, and Deb too, with hand dyed wool and the creations they make from them are amazing. I can't wait till it is in the shop...............it will knock your socks off. I predict the classes they will teach will be the hit of the store. GORGEOUS is the word for their designs and we will be carrying their kits, their wools, etc. and the classes are going to be remarkable. The one I want is the block of the month thing they do......don't know if it is called a quilt or a hanging or a throw. Whatever it is, it is Stunning and they would take no amount of money for it ( the original)..........it is truly a work of art! Trust me, you are going to like their things and I will keep you posted as to when they are in store!

Heading to bed now. My back is pretty bad and need to get some rest. Much to do tomorrow......am actually going to spend the morning at home, trying to sort thru a couple of boxes that have invaded the living room. Think I will begin there.........it would be nice to have one room looking normal in the next couple of weeks!

Hugs to you all..............Linda and Ed

What a Week!!!!!!

2010-02-05T22:20:00.002-06:00

Hello Dear Friends!

We have had a week! Opened a the Ben on Monday morning at ten, and already we have decided we have to begin opening at 9 a.m...........so many are awaiting us in the parking lot way before opening. So, beginning Feb. 8th, we will open at 9 a.m. and look forward to another busy week. It has been amazing and I cannot recount the no. of people who have thanked us for opening a wonderful craft store in town. It is truly good for the entire county! I bet we save thousands of gallons of gasoline this year, with people not having to drive to Janesville for a spool of thread for their machine or for a zipper or art supplies! Amazing, truly! And we are experiencing at least a third of the people being men....which is neat. Lots of crafters are men and they, too, are delighted.

More product came in today in our dept. A big order of flowers from Petaloo for the scrappers and card makers. Have not even seen it yet, but know it is out there. I hope to get it displayed tomorrow, but if you need some, just come looking for me and I will find it. Got a HUGE shipment of Mrs. Grossman stickers too.......that will take a Long time to get out. Basic Grey is due to arrive soon........Cosmo Cricket has shipped and I hope to see it early next week.....will let you know when it hits the shelves. SEI and Sissix coming, Bo Bunny, and others. I bet it all hits just before our Grand Opening on Sat. I can just count on it. It used to be a lot easier when I had gals to help get out the product......now I am the one who has to do it. Sue and Deb are so busy in the fabric dept that they can't get anywhere else! :)

We are still delighting in seeing you all as you come in to check us out. It is so good.....we miss you all and you are helping to keep me in smiles. Thank you!

Classes are beginning to hold........more will be planned. Do not forget to call and inquire as to whether or not there is room for scrapping in the classroom. If there are no classes and I have not totally taken over the tables with pricing product ( as I did today and tomorrow), you can come in and crop for a bit.

Need to head to be soon, so will say goodnight. Hugs to each of you. Linda and Ed

2010-02-02T15:52:00.002-06:00

Hi......quick announcment.............we are having a basic cricut class tonight at the Ben, at 6 p.m. and we have to have four for the class to hold. Have room............wanna come?? Call the Ben at 262-728-3515 asap so we can know if we can hold the class. Thanks! More later.........in haste.........hugs, Linda

Message from the Staff at MFTH

2010-01-31T09:42:00.002-06:00

2010-01-29T13:10:00.001-06:00

MINDY is here! She just flew in from Texas to surprise me! Isn't that the most wonderful thing? To have both our daughters with us at this time is just a miracle! Thank you Lord!

2010-01-29T12:43:00.002-06:00

Sue just texted me that FLOWER SOFT is going up on the wall as I type! Hurray! At the Ben I mean. It will be so fun to have that, and if you have not used it nor seen it used, come in for a demo. It is a delight and as soon as I learn to use it, I will be available to demo it for you. We have a video of it too, for your viewing delight, to see what to do with all the lovely colors. Cardmakers will be roaring in for this, I know!

We are in the throes of emptying the shop.......what a mess! Need to get back at it...........have volunteers here and don't want to waste a moment of their precious time! Blessings.............Linda and Ed

2010-01-27T22:57:00.002-06:00

Hello there! Today was not a difficult day..I think everyone thought I would be crying all day, but nope! The longer you know me, the more you will realize I am a trooper in the midst of tough times. It was a busy day and the only tears came when I had to leave the shop tonight and Ed and I looked at each other and kissed and hugged, as I left for Bible study and he remained to close down the shop. It has been a special place for both of us. Many to love and care for, many memories through the years, times of joy and sorrow, times of wonderful people coming to grow their faith in the Lord, times of frustration and creativity and growing friendships............it all has been wonderful. I can never say thank you enough to the literally Thousands of dear ones who have come through the doors of first, A Gift From the Heart, and now, through the doors of Memories From the Heart. It is no longer ours, but now is transfering to dear friends Maggie and Greg, who will allow us to continue to serve you through the doors to a new adventure in Their very own shop at the Ben Franklin Craft store, next week. We are so blessed, to have the opportunity to continue sharing with all of you in a new venture, but not to have the full responsibility. It is a gift from God to us, and to Maggie and Greg to be meeting and caring about all of you. They will love you too.............give them a chance. Be just as loyal to them as you have to us. This is so special......to have this small town caring. We are proud to be a part of it and we want so much for you to come along with us.

You are loved..............thank you. Remember, we are always here from you and I will continue to post on here and on Facebook. Not quittin' yet friends! Hugs to each one..........Linda and Ed

Old, old, old fireplace for sale!!!

2010-01-27T17:46:00.001-06:00

Contact Linda or Ed. We loved it...now you can love it too!

Emotions run high in Siert home

2010-01-25T23:03:00.002-06:00

Hi there! I asked Ed tonight if he thinks we are doing the right thing by closing this precious little shop. Of course, he immediately said yes! We are following the plan God has laid out for us. My heart is breaking, which is Wrong..........I DO rejoice that God loves us so much that He has given us this opportunity to be relieved of the responsibility of owning a business. It is the perfect plan, and I am truly greatful. But I am going to Miss you all so very much and you just have to Promise to come see us at the Ben! People keep saying , "but it won't be the same". No, it won't, but our friendships will be the same and I will care about each of you just the same and be concerned....send you e-mails and phone calls.....you can come crop with me at my house ( if I Ever get all the boxes out of it.....it looks like we just moved in!!)...........it will still be fun and I can still encourage you................AND, you will have a Whole Lot of NEW craft products to learn about and enjoy!!! I see all sorts of things I would like to do in there.......might take a few classes myself, if I have time!

Keep on holding good thoughts for us........and make plans to spend time in the Ben. They do not have much time scheduled for scrappping as of yet, but if you want to come in to scrapbook, just make your wishes known to the managers. The entire staff is there for You and you will be pleasantly surprised at the reception you will be given when you come see us. It will be a wondrous thing for Delavan, and the surrounding areas, to have such a friendly, delightful craft shop to explore, and I do so want you to love it.

A reminder that we are still hosting the Delavan Lake Resort hotel crops and our next one is April 9-11th. Come help us celebrate Ed's and my 44 th anniversary that weekend and enjoy three days of delightful cropping and eating and make and takes and fellowship, etc..........We have room for about 10 more people and we look forward to the entire time. Already Jennifer and I have been planning things to make and do......come join in with us!

Well, it is once again late and I should try to rest. Hugs to you all.......you dear, dear friends. Remember, we have two more days that Memories is open and it is still all at least 40% off. Bring friends and family and make it less for me to pack up on Thurs. thru Sat.! See you soon we hope.............Wed. Ed has a surprise for you. Hugs...........

HUGE Markdowns at Memories

2010-01-19T18:42:00.002-06:00

Hi there! Wanted you to know that Sue is busy marking down STUFF as fast as she can. It is still 40% off storewide, but we have literally a ton of stuff marked as much 80-90 % off! She is marking as fast as she can friends.........come see! And today, Ed and a dear friend of ours hauled so much stuff to our house, from the upstairs storage spot, it scares me. Did you know I was a florist by trade? I am going to manage the floral dept at the Ben, along with the scrapbooking, and am going to be designing floral arrangements to sell there, with the flowers in the store, as well as the thousands we hauled to our basement! It looks like a floral shop in my design studio in the house............but not sure we can walk thru the dozens of boxes to get to it! :) Oh my, what have I done? Oh well.......it will all sort out in the wash.

They are working so hard at the Ben, putting out product, etc. The shelving is up and the product is going up quickly....it is exciting! Will keep you posted, but wanted you to know that we have SHELVES and bulletin boards and an antique fake fireplace and racks and some small tables, and all sorts of things that we have brought out for sale...........and we HAVE to get rid of these! The plastic paper trays are going to the store, so don't worry about those. But there is a lot more storage things that we brought down today.........if you need bookshelves,..come a runnin'!

Must go home now.......ironing to do and other important things, so I can be back here for you tomorrow. Have a good evening. Hugs.......Linda

2010-01-18T21:09:00.002-06:00

2010-01-16T18:21:00.003-06:00

Helloooooooooo! It is nearing the end of the final two day crop inside the confines of the original Memories From the Heart. Oooo, that is hard to say. We have had such fun. We have gone from 6 to 12 people at various times, and that is hard to do, with the mess of the sale going on at the same time. But it seems to have made it even more fun and the ladies are cropping away fast and furiously. The little Hispanic girls from the neighborhood have been here a lot....last night and this afternoon and are still here, making pages and having the best time. They are so well behaved and cause no problems.....just love coming in and we love them. In fact, Ed had us both in tears last night as he told the little girls that sometime they might pass us on the street and as they are growing so quickly, we might not recognize them and asked them to please tell us who they are, if we are not sure. We were both teary eyed and I downright cried at the thought of not seeing them. They have been coming in since we moved into this store in April of 2007. They are precious.

It was a Busy day and Sue and I are thinking we might stay open late each night next week, if I have someone to help me out. I know some of you who work all day, are having to wait till Saturdays to come shop and take advantage of the amazing bargains at 40% and more, in here, so if it would help you out, we are going to stay open till 7:30 each night thru Fri. I know it is an odd time, but we thought 8 was too late for us and 7:30 might not rush you so much. So, hope this helps........we are trying to be here for YOU! :)

The new Cosmo Cricket is on order and should be in stock by the time we open on Feb 1st at the Ben. Have you looked at it yet? You can see it if you check out their blog on this blog. It is Darling and I can't wait to get it in my hands. The new Bo Bunny is out too, and adoreable......all the new lines are going to be delightful and I am excited to see them.

The new store is BUSY putting out the product. Pray for them...........there is an amazing amount to do to get open, just like there is an amazing amount to do here. So, guess we could both use prayers!

Ok, I am not getting the bills paid that I need to do while it is fairly quiet, so need to get at that. Hugs to each of you. Your encouragement is overwhelming and we continue to be so thankful for each one of you. Your kind comments have been lovely. It's kind of like getting to go to my own funeral, hearing all the nice things you say. I don't mean to be funny in saying that........it is just the way it is. Bless you.

Night.....,have a great day in the Lord tomorrow. Linda and Ed ( we had brownies today! Whoopee!)

Sale Continues at Memories

2010-01-10T21:56:00.002-06:00

Hello Friends! Many thanks to Angie Christenson for helping me get the word out on Sat. about the extent of the moving sale. My computer is under the weather and she was able to go onto my blog and facebook sites and post for me. We had a very busy day on Sat. It was quite amazing, really, and we are appreciative. Hope it continues........I truly do not want to be left with bunches of things to try to dispose of and do not want to burden Maggie with it in the new store.

Speaking of the new Ben Franklin Craft Store.....we are opening on Feb. 1st, so mark your calendars. It is really coming along; fixtures are going up and boxes and boxes of product have already arrived, along with an entire truckload ( or two) arriving on Monday! There will be busy bees in there, cutting open boxes, pricing, deciding where everything goes! We have ordered some wonderful product for the scrapbooking lines ( I am certain that applies to the entire store, but my dept is just the scrapbooking........enuf to handle!) and cannot wait to see it all. The reps have been calling with info about new lines to be released in the next couple of weeks and much of it is on order, with more to come. Do not be dismayed if you find some empty paper trays or blank spots on the walls when we open.............we are not able to receive it all till it is all ready to ship. We want to have the best of the best of the NEW product lines for you, so have to be at their mercy when it will be shipping............

Hope you can join us for the continuing sale. It is VERY exciting! It is helping us to pay some vendor bills and that is pretty important to Ed and myself. And what fun to be ordering the brand new, just for YOU, the best customers/friends anyone could ever ask for. We are so blessed by you all and I pray you will continue to visit us and be regulars in Maggie's store on the east side of Delavan. It will have so many things in it that will bring joy to your family members, as you learn new crafts and have the products available that you have had to spend money driving to Janesville and Milwaukee to get! This new store is Wonderful for Delavan and the surrounding towns....we are thrilled.

I will post my cell phone and home phone in future e-mails, so you may feel free to call me if you want to be sure I will be at the store to help you find new supplies, to help plan invitations, pages, create albums, etc. I will be teaching, as will the rest of the staff, and we are counting on you to join us in all the fun there!

Heading to bed now.........more soon. Come see us as you have time. Good night dear ones.......see you soon. Hugs to each.....Linda and Ed too............

HUGE SALE ANNOUNCEMENT!

2010-01-09T11:03:00.001-06:00

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT EVERYBODY! TODAY AT MEMORIES FROM THE HEART SCRAPBOOKING STORE EVERYTHING IS MARKED DOWN TO 40% OFF. EVERYTHING!!!! COME IN AND GET YOUR FAVORITES WHILE THEY ARE STILL HERE. EVERYTHING HAS TO BE MOVED OUT BY THE END OF THE MONTH.

Memories From the Heart 3 Videos in 1!

2010-01-06T20:02:00.000-06:00

2010-01-05T16:14:00.002-06:00

Oh My Goodness......you Have to see Rhonda's new class called Games People Play. She just brought in the samples and they are DARLING. Going to get Angie here when she has time, to video the games............it is a really fun class. Can't wait for you to see the designs. Tic tac toe, Farkle, Snakes and ladders and Checkers are the four games.................travel games for kids in the car. Cute, cute, cute!

My sis and her brother in law are here...so going home early to have fun with them. See you soon I hope.............Linda

Cosmo Cricket blog

2010-01-04T23:02:00.002-06:00

OK........just watched the Cosmo Cricket blog for today..........you've gotta see it! What a hoot! some cute layouts, to be sure, but their video of the whole crew dancing to a Wii thing is just to be seen. Check it out..........right hand side of our blog! This is the crew that creates our favorite paper!

Bingo Winner

2010-01-04T22:49:00.002-06:00

Nearly forgot to let you know we have a winner in the Bingo game we played before Christmas! Kim Bogard won a WE R Memory Keepers 3 ring album in the drawing of those who played the game. Everyone who participated won a prize of product, but Kim was the big winner, and chose one in Buttercup. They are my favorite album right now............we have one or two still in stock, and will be carrying them in the new store too. Congratulations, Kim!

Snow Day on Thurs has room for a few more croppers. Call to sign up.....see you there! Hugs.......Linda

SNOW DAY CROP

2010-01-01T10:35:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year!

Forgot to tell you there is a SNOW DAY CROP scheduled for Thursday, Jan.7th from 8 to 6. Join us for 10 hours of cropping, coffee and rolls upon arrival, lunch from Panera, and some surprises along the way, for $12.00 Call the shop for reservation..........cannot take too many due to space limitations, so don't wait!

Come get your favorites while they're still here!!!

2009-12-30T16:03:00.004-06:00

Such great deals we don't want you to miss out on.

Winter Mini Album Class

2009-12-30T15:36:00.002-06:00

Sign up for the New Winter Mini Album Class taught by Rhonda. Watch this video to see what you'll be making. It's Beautiful!

Lots of Activity in Memories

2009-12-29T23:09:00.002-06:00

Hello there! It was a busy day in the shop today.....people coming in to "say goodby", which is sweet, but we are still going to be here! I am just moving a short distance across town, so hope to see ALL of you. If not, this whole move this is for naught! Do plan on coming into the new store on Wright Street and see the myriads of things Maggie has been ordering for the new Ben Franklin, independently owned Craft store! You will love it! Our croppers are staking out their space to crop......Maggie got a taste of that when she wandered in this afternoon. There were croppers cropping, croppers arriving ( should have seen her face as they dragged in their totes Full of product......she said "what are they doing?"..........) ......there were shoppers shopping and friends hugging and chatting, etc. It was the perfect time for her to arrive and see what we are all about, and before I knew what was happening, she was hugging people too! It was a delight! It WILL be alright and we are going to have a good time in a new location! I just need lots of you coming in to keep stocking up on "stuff" that we are dragging out of the woodwork!

Heading to bed now. Thought I would try to get there before midnight one time this week. Hugs to each of you. Prayers for many, for whom this time of year is Not a happy time. You are in my thoughts and prayers and you mean so much to me. Love..........Linda

Bundle Selling

2009-12-26T22:37:00.002-06:00

Going to do some bundling on Monday..........taking papers that go together and putting some embellishments with them, and discounting the bundle and will sell some of our product that way. Need to move it All, folks, at least all that is not going to the Ben. So.........watch for some great bargains of "kits" or bundles.............you will like them. Beth is good at that, so will have her make up several dozen to begin with . This is a bigger job than I could ever imagine it would be..........I thought I sold a lot today, and when I looked around tonight, you cannot even tell anything is gone! So, bundles, here we come! :) Hope you enjoy them..............Hugs to each of you........Linda

Moving Sale Begins!

2009-12-26T16:32:00.002-06:00

Greetings! It has been a snowy day out there and at times, it looked like a fairy land! Hope you all have been safe and warm and enjoying some more "off time" with friends and family. We had a lovely Christmas day and enjoyed having Andrew's sister spend the evening with us for dinner and good conversation, a hilarious movie and treats.......just a fun time together. Got to see our Texas family on skype and that was great. Now it is back to reality and work.

We have been hauling out things for the sale and I add more ever hour or two. On Monday, Ed is heading upstairs here at the shop and will be dragging down things that Someone might want. There are a lot of odd assortments up there....it will be fun to see what we can get rid of...what we can donate.......what we can use.

Some are inquiring about fixtures in the shop. Maggie will be using some in her new store, will be using some of the paper trays, if not all, and will be using some at the hotel crops. And, we will likely be putting some on sale for your use in your own scrapping rooms. Will let you know via e-mail when that happens. In the meantime, I will be taking names and phone nos. for people who want to put their names on a list for those items. The white tables are not for sale, but nearly all the brown ones are, so am taking names for those too. We need to keep using them till the end, for selling items as well as for the classes and crops coming up.

Hope you have a restful day tomorrow. We will be here bright and early Monday morning, to keep going with this moving sale. Hope some of you can come in and take part in it. See you then..............Linda and Ed

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2009-12-25T08:09:00.002-06:00

Here is a Christmas Message for you..... (click on the link)

Shop Announcement!!!

2009-12-25T01:00:00.002-06:00

Go HERE for Shop Announcement. Due to the size of this video I needed to go this route.. so just click on the word HERE....Have a Merry Christmas!!!!

News from Memories

2009-12-23T18:12:00.003-06:00

Hey there dear Angie.........I just thought the post got lost! No problem! Thank you So much for doing all these videos, and we will be doing lots more in the weeks ahead, so you dear customers/friends, keep checking in. We have some more already taped that you won't want to miss......starting with Thurs. afternoon and again perhaps Christmas morning. You are so special to us here at Memories. Hope you have a safe evening, wherever you are and hope to see you soon. Hugs........Linda

Day 12 of the 12 Days of Christmas

2009-12-23T17:21:00.003-06:00

So sorry everyone for the mess up on last nights video. I thought I posted it. Here is the video for Thursday the 24th...
Hope Everyone has a Merry Christmas!
Angela

Late Hours at Memories

2009-12-21T22:22:00.002-06:00

Forgot to tell you that we are open late this week.......seven p.m. tomorrow night, Tues. I was going to be open late Wed., but "have had it" and decided to go home at 5:30 on Wed. and do some things for us! So-----late tomorrow night ( Tues), 5:30 Wed night and 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve day. Sleep well!

No Video Tonight......Sorry!

2009-12-21T17:53:00.002-06:00

Happy first day of winter! Now the days will be getting longer, and I am sure there are a lot of us who are tired of dreary, who will be Most happy about that! We need some sunshine in our lives, huh?

No video tonight...sorry. I called Angie and asked her not to post it, as I had changed my mind. So, for tomorrow, the 22nd, the special for the day is 20% off of All Cosmo Cricket product, which I do not think we have ever done before. It sells so well.........we don't need to! But I wanted to do something special for you, so if you love it as much as I do, this is the time to buy some for yourself. Embellishments and kits and paper pads as well as the single papers. Have fun!

Lots going on in here in the past few days. We will post a special Christmas video for you all, probably on Christmas Eve afternoon. Hugs to each of you, and may God richly bless each one of you dear, dear friends. Love, Linda and Ed

The 12 Days of Christmas for Monday the 21st

2009-12-20T21:12:00.002-06:00

2009-12-18T20:44:00.002-06:00

Day 7 of The 12 Days of Christmas

2009-12-17T19:43:00.002-06:00

Day 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas

2009-12-16T20:34:00.002-06:00

Day 5 of The 12 Days of Christmas

2009-12-15T20:50:00.004-06:00

Day 4 of The 12 Days of Christmas

2009-12-14T19:19:00.001-06:00

Day 3 of The 12 Days of Christmas

2009-12-13T17:18:00.002-06:00

Here We Go Again!

2009-12-11T16:58:00.002-06:00

Hope to see Bunches of you tomorrow, with lots of food for the food pantry! Buy a little extra when you go to the store for your baking supplies, etc. And Praise God some of us are not there yet. If we ever are, we will surely be thankful for those who are generous! Ed and I will be taking turns in the shop tomorrow, as we have Two grandsons playing basketball in two different schools. So he will do one and I will do one and I'll get to Scotland a'fore ye. Oh never mind..............:)

Day 2 of The 12 Days of Christmas

2009-12-11T15:52:00.002-06:00

2009-12-10T23:08:00.002-06:00

I've gotten some very funny responses to the videos, like I'm nervous ( I assure you, I'm just me. Never been nervous in my life :). Ed laughs. Etc. But, if they cause you to want to come in to the shop, they are doing the trick, even if I am wearing the same Christmas sweatshirt for each one. I will be holding something different in each one, so you can watch for that, or count, or something. These will go till the 23rd. If you get bored, just delete me! But I'm never bored seeing you in the shop. Come in for a chat, even if you don't want to purchase anything. I might have a surprise for you! :) Hugs........

Day 1 of The 12 Days of Christmas!

2009-12-10T19:43:00.002-06:00