Earth Day is coming up the end of this week and as part of the celebration Jen Goode is hosting a linky party! Jen Goode is a talented artist, designer and her interests are varied so her latest undertaking 100directions.com! Several designers will be taking part in the party featuring some great upcyled, recycled projects!

I thought I would honor the day with a recycled craft I designed for my column "Make it Green" which I wrote for Creative Homearts for several years.

The vase centerpiece was upcycled from an old glass vase and aluminum soda cans. I used Earth Safe Finishes paints which are "green" paints and covered both the glass and soda can pieces easily. The metallics create a stunning effect when sponged on.

I carefully cut the cans open, removing bottom and top, laid them flat. A leaf pattern was traced on the aluminum and cut out. Once painted they can be scored with a stylus and bent. I used some garden branches to adhere the leaves to. The vase was painted and sponged as well with metallics. Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of Creative Homearts.

I have always loved making dolls and doll clothes. In the Jan/Feb/March issue of Homearts magazine for my Make it Green column I designed this cute clutch bag with coordinating Kokeeshi doll change purse. I was inspired by the hand painted little wooden dolls that originated in 19th century Japan.

In making the project I got to try out Clover's new line of bamboo notions. The handles are easy on the hands with a warm and smooth feel. Clover is constantly coming out with innovative products for the sewer and needle artist. Visiting their booth at the trade shows is always a delight. There are always lots of great demos and the Clover staff so very friendly!

While at Spring Quilt Market I met a delightful young woman Cynthia Mann, the founder and CEO of Birch Fabrics with delightful fresh organic cotton fabric lines. The design and colors are clean, bright with fun fresh designs. In the latest issue of Homearts Magazine I feature Birch fabrics. I combine her organic cottons with National Nonwovens bamboo Xotic Felt and Fairfield's bamboo batt Nature-fil to create a fun "12 days of" advent calendar. The ornaments just button on and can hang from the bottom when not used. Two birds adorn the top inspired by the birds in the fabric. (photo courtesy of Homeart)

Follow the JOY! Debra Quartermain, CEO!

Wow! I just received the latest copy of Creative Homearts magazine. The winners of the  (photo courtesy of Creative Homearts)

 "Make it Green" contest are shown. You can see the amazing creations on the website. The winner is Justyne Obeldobel of Colliers, West Virginia with her gorgeous "pop can prom dress" she made during her senior year of high school. The outfit took her four months to complete! Amazing work! The other entries are all so creative, such talent and imagination!

In this issue of Homearts I feature Canvas Corp in my column. The company has eco friendly products to assist you in designing and building a home, a room or any design project. Founders Randy and Christine Meier began their company when buiding their own home and they couldn't find products to assist them. When I moved this past month I used one of their kits to lay out my apartment and arrange the furniture pieces even adding the plants! I loved playing with the kit and it helped with the movers. I made them a copy, big grins I got! Did I say I am an organized person but then a week later I move up to the loft above, kind of threw my lovely plan out the window! Still it was fun to try out the kit!

For my column I created a message center using their chunky canvas along with their very cool accessories, pencil sharpener, clothespins. I carry a Canvas Corp measuring tape in my bag wherever I go. Thanks Canvas Corp! Follow the JOY! Debra, CEO!

Heart, Art and the Earth, we can not exist without these three. It is interesting that the word art is found in both and heart is earth when the h is moved to the end. Tomorrow is the official Earth Day, it has been forty years since the first one was officially declared. Forty years later more than one billion people in a hundred and ninety countries are taking part.

Living with respect is a way of life most of us strive for. The earth needs our respect, man has taken advantage, abused and neglected the earth and the consequences are serious. This is our only home, it is a beautiful, amazing place filled with natural wonders.

It is encouraging to see how people and groups are working together to make a difference. We can all make a difference in our daily lives, living purposefully, reducing our carbon imprint (calculate your own) our waste, our energy consumption, walking more, eating locally. What we do for the earth is also very good for ourselves.

To celebrate Earth Day I am spending as much of the day as possible outside along with decluttering my home even more by donating items to a local charity and organizing a garage sale for the weekend with my daughter.

Celebrate Earth Day with your heart and your art! Live well! Follow the JOY! Debra, CEO!

(photo courtesy of Michelle Zimmerman)

Each season evokes a certain feeling and with spring comes hope, a promise of life, growth, renewal, a freshness to be felt deeply. I missed last spring, this same day last year I flew home early to be with my Mom and spend her last week gently and lovingly guiding her from this life into the next. All that followed filled my life and I do not remember spring's arrival. This year I have found spring again, I am arriving into this spring with a new love to share my heart. My lovely daughters are finding their way into their own lives and futures. Life is one of constant change, movement, journey and with spring's arrival there is a youthful carefree sense of impatience. I am embracing the heady exuberance of spring, of possibilities and promise, of new paths to follow.

With this delightful season comes the opportunity to freshen the house with feathery chicks, soft hued eggs, delicate ribbons and nature's accents. The tablescape pieces I created for Homearts magazine make a lovely seasonal table setting. In this "Make it Green" column any kind of reclaimed bottle or container can be used as it is hidden in a cardstock embellished surround. The table pieces use Mrs. Grossman's very sophisticated laser stickers. They are just beautiful! Create some springtime! Follow the JOY! Debra, CEO!

(with Andrea Grossman at Mrs. Grossman's Sticker Company)

Welcome to Thrifty Thursday! Fall brings a feeling of a fresh start, new beginnings and of course back to school! A look at fall clothes, purging the closet brings some pieces to light that are ideal for upcycling. One find was a summer white purse which showed signs of wear. The top of the purse was in great shape. I had a heavy piece of fabric remnant that I wanted to use in a bag so put the two together and now I have a new summer bag for next year!

First I washed the purse and cleaned it out, carefully cutting away the bottom leaving the pockets intact inside for my cell phone, business cards. Measured the purse and cut my two fabric pieces front and back 4" wider than purse to allow for pleating. I rounded the corners and made it a longer bag than before to hold summery items like sandals and a hat. I also lined the fabric, sewed up the sides, pressed down the top. Pressed in the pleats as well. Beacon's Fabri-Tac was used to glue the fabric to purse. I added a felt bird motif as I love birds, my home is surrounded by trees and bushes with berries so there are always birds around, blue jays, cardinals, chickadees, sparrows and canaries.

From a small piece left over I made a matching mini bag for sunglasses, make up, those odds and ends which we always carry around. Mine usually include gum, measuring tape, bandages, chapstick and mini sewing kit, oh and chocolate! Those mini chocolate bars are often a life saver!

Keep Creating! Follow the JOY! Debra,CEO!

"Simple pleasures, quiet moments, reflection and gratitude for what is nourish the spirit for the day ahead. Find your inner JOY and embark on the adventure of the day! Debra, Expressions of JOY!

Fall is right around the corner and in Atlantic Canada the air has a crisp chill already. Fall is beautiful time of year here, bright mums flourish in the gardens and the leaves turn to the most gorgeous color palette of deep russets, copper and rich gold. The turning of the maple leaves inspired my latest Make it Green column for Creative Homearts Magazine. While I was away my daughters consumed a whole case of root beer, the colors of the cans got me thinking about fall leaves (a stretch perhaps but in the crafty world not!) The beautiful GREEN (no VOCs paints) from EarthSafe Finishes cover anything so I cut up the cans and turned them into fall maple leaves. A recycled vase from a Valentine past and some covered wire remnants were transformed with Shimmer paints and Crackle finish from Earth Safe Finishes. The company founder Nancy Burkhart believes strongly in protecting the environment and at the same time providing quality products that are easy to work with. Voc's (Volatile Organic Compounds) are toxins in many paints and other products which vaporize into the air when drying and affect air quality. I am so fortunate to be able to write a column that lets me meet companies that are committed to the environment and creativity. Thank you to Nancy and her daughter Jessica, co-founders of Earth Safe Finishes!  Follow the JOY! Keep Creating! Debra, CEO!

Photo courtesy of Creative Homearts.