When Mondays are met with sunshine and spring time, it begins the week with a zesty flair! This week is a celebration of creativity, connections & caring. Tonight I am off to do a presentation at the Keswick Ridge Quilt Guild, speaking about my design work, books and fabric. Tuesday is a very special day, a Celebration of Life for my dear friend who passed away Friday night. Donna was very talented and I am blessed to have had her as my friend. I have many pieces she created as gifts from painting to quilting she infused every piece with her love. Wednesday is the Sizzix Scoreboards TM Teacup Blog Hop by designer friend Eileen Hull. 

Sunday I am taking part in the Scotiabank Relay for Life Fashion Show.

 In the new issue of Create & Decorate are spring vegetables I made for Dow using STYROFOAM TM brand foam and National Nonwovens Wool Wisps TM. Needle felting on foam is so easy, the full instructions are available in a download on their website as well. The radish were my favorite to create.

The current issue of Creative Homearts features my column "Make it Green" and my visit to Mrs. Grossman's sticker company. Links to pictures are on my website's front page.

So to a creative week everyone! Embrace creativity, a cause & those close to your heart always! Follow the JOY! Debra, CEO!

Sometimes words come easily and often not. I try always to be authentic and write from the heart. This week work is not where my heart is, it is with a dear friend, one who has been important part of my entire adult life. She has battled long and hard supported by the most loving and wonderful family. She is a woman who has walked always with love in her heart and everyone who knows her has been touched by her deep generous spirit.

We have laughed and cried together, shared many journeys and she has been one of my biggest cheerleaders, always believing in me. She and her husband are my favorite love story, having met at fourteen knowing their future was to be together. She is talented, creative with the most amazing smile making every holiday, special occasion both spectacular and meaningful.

I love her dearly as do many, many others. I am a better person because of her presence in my life. I will miss her and always carry her in my heart. Life is simply a love story. Just live & love. Debra

Celebrating Easter Monday with a Chick Parade! Bring on the Chicks and their Peeps! Enjoy! Debra

It's Fowl Friday! Freda is busy laying and dyeing her eggs for the annual Easter egg hunt! Presently she seems oblivious to the fact her tail feathers are brightly multi colored as well! Debra's daughters were also in the kitchen making a rainbow cake so it is a color filled world around here! A perfect segue here speaking of color, Debra's partner Deborah Peyton, a talented illustrator and responsible for drawing us so delightfully! The two of them have been busy collaborating on designs for fabric. Here is a sneak peek peeps! Follow the Fowl!

I am a Calendar Gal! well almost...every year Creative Homearts puts out a calendar, my bunny is April! Spring time cuteness is hopping everywhere! Margot Potter designed the cutest Peep bunny necklace for ILovetoCreate. Designer Eileen Hull's Sizzix Scoreboards TM are featured in another blog hop. The talented designers involved are turning out gorgeous projects. I will be part of the next one coming up in two weeks.

Heidi Borchers, "Eco Heidi" has begun a campaign to recycle Starbucks coffee cups into amazing art pieces. She has a video showcasing the wall art created. Thinking it would great for Tim Horton's in Canada! The numbers of cups thrown out everyday is staggering. In Canada we roll up the rim for prizes, thinking roll up the rim with a prize for recycling would work. How cool would it be to see recycled cup wall art in every Starbucks and Tim Hortons! Lets put the heART in ART! Debra, CEO!

My Mom reunited with my Dad a year ago today. His birthday was yesterday. I like to think of it being the greatest gift he received, both of them to be together again after thirty years. Theirs was a true love story. This week I am visiting a dear friend in the palliative care unit, another beautiful love story. Life is simply a love story, who we love, how we love and live. May you walk today in love, each and every day always. Debra

Crafty Spring roundup for this week! One of my very favorite crafting techniques is needle felting. In this week's Creative Buzz is a cute little chick in gardening gloves. The chick is half a STYROFOAM TM egg shape and needle felted with yellow Wool Wisps from National Nonwovens. Super easy and quick! A cute Easter gift.


(photo courtesy of Creative Homearts)

This week a new episode from WCK, When Creativity Knocks, a chat with crafting icon Carol Duvall. I saw Carol at the winter CHA show, she is still going strong!

Have a great week! Follow the JOY! Debra

Fowl Friday! Fran here without Freda today. She is nursing a twisted neck, nothing too serious but requiring an ice pack. She is not a good patient, quite demanding in fact! Bring me juice, fluff my feathers, scratch my foot, no the left one. Luckily I could escape with the excuse I had to write today's blog post. It is going to take me soooo much time to peck it out today! Then of course I have to clean the keyboard. Debra complains I spit or drool when posting. She is kind of a neat freak anyway although while she was finishing her book proposal this week things got a little on the messy side. The dust bunnies were getting scary, even the cats looked afraid! There was so much fabric piled up in her studio I couldn't see out the window! Yes I know I am not the tallest chick but still I usually have no trouble enjoying the view. There is a cute red cardinal who visits the old apple tree everyday.

However I digress...back to Freda and her neck. How did it happen, I am sure you all want to know and I can't wait to tell you! Last evening as we got ready for bed Freda decided to try something. I am not sure what she sees when she looks in the mirror but her body image is apparently not accurate. Beside the bed is a bird cage filled with dried hydrangea from the garden and roses which keep arriving regularly for Debra. (Another story for when she is away!) Well Freda decided to "stop and smell the flowers" and proceeded to do so by cramming herself through the bars. Apparently she thought she could fit easily but apparently she couldn't as she is slightly wider than the bars! Her neck was wedged and we had to pry her out. A little olive oil helped ease her out. The dove assisted and managed to be very sympathetic with only a small grin on her pretty pink face. Sigh I would give a million for those cheek bones! Anyway Freda's neck is slightly swollen but very soft from the oil. A weekend of resting will help, no Saturday night disco for her! Till next Fowl Friday! Fran  

My heart this week turns to remembering my Mom and this week last year spent with her as she left this world. Now a very best friend who has battled long has entered the palliative care. It is a place where there is no room for anything else but the heart. She is a wonderful woman with a most loving family. She has been in my life for thirty five years and for that I am truly blessed. We shared our lives, there for each other on life's journey. All I know is Life is simply a Love story. Debra