Tokyo Flea Market at Oie Racetrack

 Another favorite place to visit while we are in Tokyo is the Tokyo City Flea Market at the Oie Racetrack. This flea market is held every Sunday and has both regular sellers with collectibles/antiques and garage sale sellers.  It's worth it to look through both the undercover area and the open air section (household items).  We've found treasures selling for very little in both areas.

During our last visit to the Tokyo City Flea Market we happily scooped up more unique and gorgeous ceramic pieces.  Perhaps our best purchase was a large ceramic 'tanuki'. Tanukis  are badger-like animals which really exist in Japan and are considered lucky and believed to bring good fortune.  Japanese people will often place a tanuki figurine at their house entryway.  My husband has purchased several ceramic tanukis over the years but they were small and new.  We were excited to see the large tanuki for sale at such a reasonable price that we didn't even try to bargain for a lower price. (Online we found similar tanukis for several hundred dollars but ours was a steal for under $30!)  By looking inside the tanuki piece we could tell it was old because it obviously was hand pressed into the mold and had not been slip cast like a modern figurine.  Once cleaned up the large tanuki  is gorgeous and will proudly bring good luck to our home.

My favorite purchase from the flea market was a large, odd vase with firing cracks on the rim and a lovely, runny wood ash glaze. The seller of the vase was a little old lady who seemed pleased to know that her vase was flying home to Hawaii. I was pleased that this vase looks like a museum quality piece but cost me less than $8.  

Previous visits to the Racetrack Flea Market left us wanting more food choices.  This time we were surprised to see the addition of many food trucks selling yummy lunch and snack items.  Also there is no reason to get anxious about the restroom situation because there are adequate and decent toilets however, at times there is a waiting line.

Years ago when we started frequenting the Japan flea markets and fairs we used to collect small hand-sized kokeshi dolls because they were hand painted, sweet looking, and easy to pack in our suitcases.  Recently, there seem to be fewer small kokeshi dolls being sold for 100 to 300 yen (under $2). On this trip we purchased some larger kokeshi dolls (about 12") for around $3.  Even though they are very heavy, we lugged home several of the artist signed kokeshi dolls. Amazing!

As usual, I couldn't resist more ceramic pieces.  I am partial to bowls because of their usefulness and pleasing shapes.  The glaze colors and textures make the Japanese ceramics really special and outstanding artistically.  Can you tell that I'm looking forward to my next trip to Japan not for the food or scenery but for the treasures waiting for me at the fairs and flea markets?  LOL!

Kangaroo Birthday Card

I was planning to use these Lawn Fawn Kangaroo stamp and die sets to make a Mother's Day card, but I ran out of time so this card became a birthday card for a mother with twin boys. I started with a 6x6 daisy printed card stock sheet from a Delightful Daisies paper pad made by Crafter's Companion which is available at HM Ben Franklin Crafts. Mounted on a blue card blank it made a perfect background for the kangaroos. The words from the stamp set were stamped on the front (I used a Misti tool for alignment) of the card and the stamped, colored, and die cut kangaroos were added with the use of foam dot adhesives.

For the inside of the card I used another kangaroo image to which I added the baby kangaroo heads. I stamped the words before adhering the momma with her babies.  Both the Crafter's Companion Daisy paper and Lawn Fawn Kangaroo sets were a delight to work with and I will use them on many more projects in the future.  Hope you'll agree with me and purchase them from HM Ben Franklin Crafts.  Happy Shopping! P.S. Don't forget to decorate your envelope with gorgeous washi tape. Daiso has some fabulous double roll sets for only $1.75!!!

Kyoto Temple Fair

 One of the events that I always enjoy attending in Kyoto Japan is the Toji Temple fair held on the 21st of every month.  We were lucky to have clear weather during the last Toji Temple fair and enjoyed the shopping and eating.  The handcrafts are really amazing and the fair food is delicious, but I really attend to spot some antiques and collectibles in the side alleys of the fair. We did purchase quite a few lovely tea bowls for under ten dollars each.  In an antique store these would probably be about fifty dollars per bowl.  Also the yen to dollar exchange is fabulous right now.  I hope these photos encourage you plan your next trip to Kyoto Japan during the 21st of the month so you can experience the Toji Temple Fair.

This is the gorgeous scenery near where the fair is held which makes the shopping and strolling particularly enjoyable.

I am always attracted to the ceramic wares.  Whether they are new or old I can't stop looking for the next fabulous purchase.

The ceramic artists who sell their pieces at the fair are exceptionally talented.  They combine the new designs and glaze colors with the traditional shaped ceramic ware.

At the fair you can purchase really delicious goodies like the strawberry mochi in the photo as well as takoyaki balls and dried persimmons.

Many of the booths are actually small tents selling anything from jewelry to kimono fabric scraps.  I bought some of the kimono fabric because it was inexpensive and I know I'll be able to craft something pretty with it.

I can never resist ceramic ware like these bowls and teapot because they are pleasant to look at and enjoyable to use.  The old hand painted teapot was only $3 and all it needs is a bamboo handle.  

As you can tell I am a 'Thrifty' who can't resist a bargain or a thing of beauty and believe me you can find both at the Toji Temple Fair on the 21st of every month (except maybe during the winter months). 

P.S. For those of you (like me) who always want to be sure that there are good sanitary facilities at any big gathering of people, rest assured that the Toji Temple grounds do have super clean restrooms with lots of stalls and a cleaning crew.

Upcycled Japanese Resin Trays

 Although I enjoy Taylor Swift's music, I am not a Swifty.  I like to think of myself as a 'Thrifty'.  I enjoy looking at what others might throw away and think of how I can upcycle the items.  While in Japan, we often ate food from convenience stores and supermarkets. The Japanese food there is clean, attractive, tasty and inexpensive.  I noticed that the food often came in very pretty trays which looked too good to throw away so I saved some....LOL!  The 'Thrifty' in me just had to bring some of them home...much to the irritation of my husband.

Here is the first tray I made.  It looks like it has pressed flowers on it but the flowers are really stickers I purchased in Japan.  HM Ben Franklin Crafts has a gigantic assortment of stickers so check them out.  The raised portion that says, 'Laugh Today' is a sticker too. A layer of UV resin (from HM BFC) was applied first and then cured with the UV mini light.  I like the UV resin better than the two part mix type because it only takes one minute to set.  After there was a thick layer of resin on the tray, I applied the stickers and then more layers of resin.  The thick layer of resin makes the tray sturdy and heavy like ceramic or glass.  This particular tray had a back that looked too much like a food tray so I glued on some dark green felt. I don't know if the resin surface is food safe so the felt backing will make it obvious that it is not for edibles.  This tray would make a pretty soap or trinket tray.

Here is another plastic food tray that I just couldn't resist bringing home.  I decided that this one just needed a few Hanafuda card stickers.  I think they provide just the right touch of color and Asian design.

The black color of the tray shows through the stickers a little but I still like the overall look.  I am proud that I was able to turn trash into treasures.  I hope you will think creatively before disposing of something which has potential for being something useful and beautiful. Become a 'Thrifty'!

Japan Hobby Show ...part 2

Although I was sick for most of the Japan Hobby Show,  I pushed myself to see what I could for two days.  (I didn't travel all the way to Japan just to lie in a hotel bed with tissues and cold medications!)  I was pleased that this year the show was more upbeat than it was after the years following the Covid epidemic.  The types of crafts were varied but as usual the quality of the Japanese handicrafts was A+.  Here in the U.S. we generally want quick gratification but the Japanese crafters don't seem to mind spending months finishing just one piece.  The following are photos of various booths which impressed me.  I hope if you are a crafter, that you will one day journey to Japan and see the Japan Hobby Show.  You'll love it!

This is the company that makes Hearty Clay and UV LED resin that are sold at HM Ben Franklin Crafts.

I really liked this booth which had the products for making realistic looking candies and other sweets.

I touched the yummy looking items and really wanted to taste them even though they were made of clay.  The booth workers were not ready to sell their products yet so I just had to LOOK and salivate.

Don't these fake chocolate treats look real? I really hope the buyers for our HM BFC stores pick up this line of products.  I wonder if seeing but not being able to eat chocolates is a helpful diet trick. 

This photo doesn't show the beauty of these polymer clay jewelry pieces. I know that polymer clay is nothing new but the soft sheen and delicate metallic touches make these so amazing. I purchased some of the raw materials for sale and hopefully I can make some jewelry like the ones I admired.

These amazing art pieces are made from paper....unbelievable!  As you can see, Japan craft artists are very creative and work hard to make unique craft items.  There were also dozens of booths showcasing gorgeous fabric and yarn crafts but I unfortunately didn't photograph them.  Even through the coughing and nose-blowing, I saw and was impressed by all the high quality craft work.  Hopefully, next year I will attend the Japan Hobby Show again and not have a cold. I am looking forward to seeing what Japanese craft products will be appearing in our stores. You should check them out too to get a taste of the Japanese style of crafting.

The Japan Hobby Show

We just returned from the Japan Hobby Show so I thought you might like to see some photos and hear a little about the show.  This year our company had two booths,  HM Ben Franklin Crafts and  HM Ace Hardware Science.  The booths were managed by some of our Hawaii staff, who were happy to have a work related trip to Japan.  In the Ben Franklin Crafts booth lei making was taught to eager Japanese crafters.  Hawaiian crafts are a big hit in Japan mostly because of the Japanese interest in hula. 

The HM Ace Hardware Science booth was very active with young and old playing with the kit built science toys.  The idea of learning while playing is very enticing and crosses the international border of education.  From the excitement shown at these House Mart booths it is evident that crafts and hardware science need no translation when it comes to fun. Check out our stores and see for yourself!

Happy Bee-Day Card

The bees in the Pink and Main stamp set are so darn cute that I just had to use them to make this birthday card (B-day...get it?)  I started this card by cutting the base from a 12x12 sheet of golden yellow card stock using the Sizzix Royal Flip-its die set.  This die partially cuts out the cartouche shape and scores the fold lines. 

The printed panels of cute bees and honey comb designs were die cut from Doodlebug Designs 12x12 paper. Pink and Main bees were stamped on heavy white marker paper, colored with Copic pens, die cut with Pink and Main dies, and adhered to the card with pop-up foam dots.

The Bee Happy and Happy Bee-Day words were stamped on the die cut daisy print (Echo Park) cartouches with black ink. Then they were heat embossed with gold sparkle embossing powder before they were attached to the card.  For a floral touch, tiny daisy flowers from Japan were glued to the bottom of the card and two  larger daisies (Essentials) were glued back to back on the corner of the cartouche. Finally, Doodlebug Designs Sprinkle yellow dots were glued to the center of the larger daisies. Oh yes, I gave the bees sparkly wings with a bit of Stickles (star dust).  This card was super simple to create and will surely add some happ-Bee-ness to someone's Bee-day.  There are so many bee related craft products at HM Ben Franklin Crafts, that I'm sure you'll find just what you need to create something Bee-u-ti-ful !

 

Floral Mother's Day Card

This Mother's Day card starts off like a gift ready to be unwrapped.  Using the Sizzix die set, Ornate Label Fold-Along, the base was cut from a 12x12 Crafter's Companion Floral sheet. After sliding the ribbon band off, the card opens to reveal the sentiment.

The Lawn Fawn Happy Mother's Day words were cut from lavender pearlized DCWV paper. It was glued to the die cut scalloped oval (cut from a floral print 6x6 Violet Studio paper). I glued an extra scalloped oval on the side so that a message can be written inside the card. The card is inserted into the slits on the sides of the card base.

Finally, some tiny artificial flowers and leaves (from my ancient stash) were glued onto the sides of the oval card and on the ribbon band.  This card was simple to make and I think it is very feminine and floral...just right for a sweet mother! Even if you don't make a card like this, I hope you'll make one for your mother or someone who is a great mother. Mothers are the glue that holds the world together...so let's STICK with each other...LOL!