It is almost BOO Day! This month as the featured designer for KUNIN Felt I had great fun designing with their Halloween Seasonal Felt, vibrant purple and orange with embossed spiders and pumpkins. KUNIN felt is made with ecofil which is the process of turning plastic water bottles into their fun felt! As part of the Smoothfoam Design Team I combined a Smoothfoam egg and KUNIN seasonal felt to create this wee witch! Full instructions found on the Smoothfoam blog. I love to sew but sometimes it is also fun to make a project look like it is sewn and this little witch is a so easy no sew design. Just glue!

This little witch has a very tiny hat. I also made a very large hat sporting two not so scary spiders for KUNIN. It is hard for a spider to look scary when it has eyelashes and wears a bow! I just could never get into the scary side of Halloween. Scary movies still give me nightmares so I spend much of this time of year trying to avoid TV. A few years ago I went to the movies to see "Interview with a Vampire", somehow I was talked into it, all I can say is I had my eyes shut most of the time and screamed out loud still at least twice! Never again, just give me "Ghostbusters".

Halloween trick or treaters, parties, decorations, it is a very colorful and creative time of year! Little ones and not so little ones are transformed into all kinds of creatures. My daughter just went to a Halloween party dressed as a makeup table, a box top over her head covered by a tablecloth and glued on makeup. Having her birthday close to Halloween the parties were always filled with costumed kids and activities like pin the broom on the witch and pumpkin or mask decorating. I must admit to also enjoying dressing up for the night too while handing out the treats! Last year I sported a purple feather trimmed witch hat. What are you thinking about dressing up as? Happy Halloween!

This month the Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop features designs with Sticky Sticks! Sticky Sticks are a craft stick with an instant and strong adhesive strip at one end which adheres to a multitude of surfaces. I was inspired by the fields of brilliant sunflowers and created a large flower to hang on my kitchen's brick wall.

You will need: 1 pkg of Sticky Sticks; Lemon Yellow, Tangerine Rit Dye; Gold, Yellow Kunin Felt; Black buttons by Button Galore; 3" Smooth foam ball; Westcott Brand scissors and Fabri-tac glue by Beacon.

Step 1: Dye the sticks to the adhesive line. Brush or dip sticks in Lemon Yellow dye and brush on Tangerine along edges, reverse colors, mix colors, have fun! Set aside to dry.

Step 2: Cut Yellow felt piece in half lengthwise. Fold each piece in half lengthwise and cut slits from center fold to 1/4" from edges.

Step 3: Cut a 6" circle from Gold felt. Cut a 3" circle for back. Cut Smooth foam ball in half. Center ball round side down on felt circle. Smooth and glue felt edges to bottom of foam ball.

Step 4: Glue black buttons to cover gold foam ball. Begin at edge and glue folded yellow strips around foam ball half. Glue second strip overlapping first piece.

Step 5: Turn ball over and glue a 3" circle of Gold felt to flat side. Fasten adhesive ends of sticks around the circle. Add ribbon or cord loop and hang! Enjoy many more crafty ideas with Sticky Sticks, just click on the DCC button in the sidebar! Enjoy!

October, fall, Canadian Thanksgiving and time for Halloween decor! This month on the Smoothfoam blog
I made a not so scary spider! Fast and easy, full directions here!  http://www.smoothfoam.com/blog/halloween-spider-decoration

This month the DCC Designer Craft Connections Blog Hop is all about Celebrations!
For my US friends July 4th is the big day this week and for us Canadians July 1st today
is Canada Day!

At the B&B we are all about celebrating every holiday, the front porch which greets
our guests is always the first place to start the celebrations! I made some super
easy and speedy pillow covers from a package of Canada Day tea towels.

At a local bedding shop I picked up a package of six Canada Day dish towels for $12!
Their width was exactly the pillow size width I was covering!

How to! Measure pillow form, I recovered existing 14" pillows. Cut front pillow piece
leaving 1/2" seam allowance. Cut from second towel two pieces for back from each end of towel,
towel width and 9" in length. Overlap the back pieces with finished edges as the overlap.
Place right sides together with front, Pin and sew all four sides. 
Trim and turn through the center overlap opening.
Insert pillow, that is it! Less than an hour for four pillows!

I made pillow wraps for the
pillows below by measuring around the pillow. Cut the towel excess off leaving 1" for seam.
Fold right sides together, sew or if you don't sew use a fabric glue like Fabri-tac by Beacon.
Turn right side out and slide on pillow, easy peasy!

Happy Canada Day!

As a designer we get to try all kinds of cool craft products, often new and sometimes ones that have been
around for awhile. Etchall is one of those products from B&B Etching Products Inc. , a staple in the Craft Industry.
Etchall is a creme that when applied to glass, porcelain, ceramics or marble using a stencil and masking off areas
beautiful designs can be created! It is so easy!

I took an empty glass mason jar, used one of my favorite die cuts, a bird to create a stencil and 
twenty minutes later I had an etched design on the jar. Added some candy or foam birds eggs, jar cover,
tied around ribbon, tulle and rafia, glued a nest on the top. A sweet tweet hostess gift or
centerpiece for the table in less than an hour! It is addictive, I love birds, thinking a whole set of glasses
coming up!

Tips: Choose a die cut for a stencil that the area around the die cut will make a good stencil.
The etchmask vinyl will go through a die cut machine very easily.
With the bird stencil I also needed to use the little center piece between the legs.
Make sure you smooth the vinyl using the Etchall squeegee so there are no gaps,
I added extra strips to cover more of the surface to protect the remaining glass.

Then it is just a matter of adding the Etchall creme with the squeejee.
Wait fifteen minutes, scrape excess back in jar to reuse!
Wash off and remove stencil under running water, no muss, no fuss,
no smell. Dry and admire!

In the above photo you can see how important adding the extra detail stencil piece was.
If not my bird would have had a stump for legs! I can't wait to try some more projects!

Check out some other great designs from our talented Designer friends! Just hop along
with the DCC button in the Sidebar! Enjoy!

What a fun hop with such talent and goodies! Laura Kelly's new fabric line available at Joann's!
Fabric: http://www.joann.com/holiday-inspirations-patriotic-fabric-america-the-beautiful/zprd_12267134aButtons
 Buttons: http://www.buttonsgaloreandmore.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=LK151

Since I also run a B&B I am wearing aprons everyday. I have been making them for all occasions and have been upcycling men's shirts into full length aprons called "Shirt Tails!" I had the perfect blue shirt for this hop and will now have a wonderful apron to wear for my USA visiting guests! I decided to try and use all of the fabric and extra shirt pieces to create a collection for the B&B to entertain with a USA theme!

(oops, looks like I used the Italian spelling of my name! Mama Mia!)

Now for the fun part finishing the apron! I added some buttons, a ruffled flower to the collar! Check out all the wonderful designs below! Laura Kelly and Jen Goode hosted a fun energetic hop, loved the goodies, so sweet (candy was too!)

What a fun creative week! The I Love the USA blog hop featuring designer friend Laura Kelly's new fabric! Cutest fabric and awesome projects from a group of talented designers! I join the hop tomorrow!

Locally 10 awesome days of Giveaways for edVentures! Creative workshops all summer! I am teaching! Full class details on my Class Page!

This month's DCC Blog Hop theme Happiness!

Usually for the blog hop I create a crafty design with stepouts, this week was incredibly full and left me scrambling late this evening on what to do for the hop. Two months ago I opened a Bed and Breakfast in a heritage home in my very pretty city Fredericton, NB, Quartermain House B&B. This past week I hosted guests staying for UNB graduation, hosted a Red Hat special birthday party in the Parlor, helped host our local Women in Business and decorated for the ACFA Cat Show.

i also thought about how do I define HAPPINESS, creating makes me happy, it is an energy that feels like a big smile inside, creating to share for others to enjoy and so here is to a very special Happy week!

For each event I created food and decor. More than that though was the common thread through the creativity of this week, the people, the gatherings and the celebrations. There was laughter and smiles, hugs among friends, proud and beaming parents chatting across the table mixed with the aroma of fragrant French toast and rich coffee. There was HAPPINESS!

The "Scarlett's" enjoying the Parlor and my pink lemonade cupcakes along with champagne!

Two of our lovely Women in Business members modelling my "Shirt Tail" Aprons made from men's shirts, each with a story for a day of the week!

My simple wreath created with a foam wreath, ribbon and cardstock welcoming my visiting UNB graduate parents and their accomplished grads!

To HAPPINESS, to those moments, to that feeling, to those times that make our hearts & spirits sing! To the Joy, to life's celebrations! for more Happiness just hop along with our DCC, Designer Crafts Connection button in the sidebar!

Words evoke feelings, inspiring words like " joy, dream, happiness, soar, love, peace" displayed remind us in the moments of everyday of the richness of life. These stamped sentiment spheres are so easy to create using Smoothfoam balls. The full instructions are on the Smoothfoam blog. I keep them displayed in this natural willow basket in the foyer, a lovely reminder each time I walk by!

The first Monday of the month, the DCC Designer's Crafts Connection Blog Hop! Our theme this month is Wishes! "Make a wish", "three wishes", wish upon a star", classic, timeless, the power of the wish. If I had a magic wand

and were to "Make a wish" in this week leading up to Mothers Day it would be wishing my Mom could be here. She would love my "new" heritage home, seeing her chairs in the parlor and her artwork in the library, her cane resting in the umbrella stand by the front door. She would meet my darling man and get to dress up like she loved too for our upcoming wedding.

The last picture I have of my Mom is with her grand daughters three weeks before she passed away. She would love to see these young accomplished women, happy and productive in their lives, Amanda now a nurse and engaged to a wonderful young man, Kate happy on the Island doing what she loves. I know she watches over us but to have her here once more is still a wish for Mothers Day.

My design for the blog hop is one of whimsical house, a cottage, a design just featured Saturday for the release of designer friend Ann Butler's new stamp line with Unity. It is an ideal gift for Mothers Day, create a cottage or house for your Mom, personalize it with a house number, other details that recreate her home. I celebrate my new home and the memory of my Mom.  To make this cute cottage, instructions are here!

To see more delightful designs, just hop along with the DCC button in the side bar!

To "wishes coming true!"