Creating snowy characters is one of my favorite things to do! The latest issue of Creative Homearts magazine features my Jack in the Box Baby Snowman on the cover. I designed the project using STYROFOAM brand foam. Using fleece and felt it is a quick and fun project. I enjoy seasonal decorating especially since the winter season is a long one. Snowmen in cozy outfits and snowflakes hung in evergreen garlands with twinkle lights brighten any frosty winter day. Another one of my snowmen is in the Holiday issue of Crafts 'n Things on the newstands this weekend.

I recently received the latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Crafts issue, there are some cute and clever snowmen. The snowmen made from stacking balls of twine and adding features just so fun!

Creativity is like the snowflake, each creation unique in its originality and beauty all coming together in an exuberant blizzard of craftiness! That is an apt description of many studios when hard core crafting is taking place! Follow the JOY! Debra, CEO!

"Winter Wishes

  Fill my Heart

Snowflakes, Sleds      

    Children's                     

    Laughter

The Magical Part"

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! Gratitude is the bounty to celebrate, the gift found in the swirling crimson leaves and crisp autumn sunsets. I have always believed that "life is simply a love story" and to live a life filled with love I wake up grateful for each day.

When you surround yourself with people you love, work and activities you are passionate about, live in a place that so resonates with who you are and welcomes you each time you return. These are life's blessings.

With this Thanksgiving, I give thanks for the gifts that fill my life, my special someone, my darling daughters, my dear brother, caring family, wonderful talented friends, life in this lovely loft among the treetops and the creativity that fills my life. How blessed I am.

We do not know what the future holds but we do know today is the gift before us. Cherish this day with gratitude, live it fully, love & laugh create moments to remember. It is all about the journey and may you travel it well! Follow the JOY! Debra Quartermain, CEO!

Fowl Friday with Fran & Freda! Fall is here & Freda is getting frisky! Those who follow us may remember the incident with rooster from Cape Breton last summer, the one that Freda met on Hatch.com. Well all I can say it ended with Debra returning to empty wine bottles rolling around on the deck and Freda dancing and singing "Oh what a night!"

Well last night Freda got into the wine and embarrassed herself by making a pass at the metal rooster that sits on the counter. What was she thinking!? apparently not much. I couldn't bear to look, she commented after he seemed a little cold. First clue might be because he is made of metal! Anyway locking the wine away after this latest incident! (At least he can't get her in the family way like the rooster from Cape Breton did)  Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian friends & to our feathery turkey cousins good luck on the Thanksgiving vegetarian movement. Follow the Fowl! Fran & Freda!

As I prepare for our Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend I am reminded of how much I have to be grateful for. I bring out my Mom's spode dishes which mirror the vibrant colors of the season and think how happy she would be knowing I am using her special dishes. She would also be so very pleased to see how well the girls are doing and how happy and loved I am in my new life.

I like to sprinkle colorful leaves along the table when decorating for Thanksgiving. A very striking way to create fall leaves and recycle at the same time is to cut leaves from aluminum beverage cans. Begin by cutting the top and bottom off each can flattening the center section. Sponge paint with metallic paints. Cut out leaves. Use a stylus to create veins in the leaves.  For full instructions for creating this striking centerpiece it is under projects at Creative Homearts.

There are two huge chestnut trees in the yard and I have managed to collect some that the squirrels have missed. The nuts create a stunning accent in a bowl with their rich deep shine. I finished my decor with some mini gourds in a variety of autumnal shades and indian corn. Decorating should be easy, using items you have and natural pieces from the yard or someone elses (preferably someone you know!) My Mom's dishes for example do not go with my everyday decor but they are perfect for fall, the ones with the pink roses will be ideal for springtime. Setting a beautiful table adds to the celebration of special times!  Follow the JOY! Debra, CEO!

Today I am off to the Saint John Art Centre! I am diving into art, have never seriously given drawing any time. Now I have no excuse, I loved the beginning art class I took a couple weeks ago. Three years ago I went with artist friends to a life drawing class with the only words of advice "just draw the shadows". At first I was almost frozen but then as the evening went by in the sage scented pueblo in Taos, New Mexico I just drew the shadows. I loved it but have not opened the sketch book since until a couple weeks ago.

Now the opportunity to take life drawing classes, work on my art has landed in my lap as the class is just before my volunteering with the senior's class at the center. So I am off to do something else new again! I am nervous or maybe excited I should reclassify my feelings, I am stepping in to so many new areas in my new life!

A friend reminded me lately of not letting fear hold you back from doing something you want to do. Fear of failure, of not being any good at something should never hold us back. We encourage others to try and so should we encourage ourselves!

With that thought I am sharpening my charcoal pencil and packing my sketch book! Have a delightful day all! Follow the JOY! Debra, CEO!

This coming weekend is the Canadian Thanksgiving, a time for giving thanks, for gratitude. Life is a gift and filled with gratitude from the moment we open our eyes to a new day. Yesterday I walked to my bank, the local Credit Union, after only two months I feel like it has been my bank forever, the staff are so friendly, service superb. In fact last time I didn't sign something needed the teller hopped in her car, knew I was walking home and parked along the way to meet me. I signed on the hood of her car, that is more than service.

I am grateful for the amazing group of creative women I connected with last night in my continuing creativity coach training. Thank you to Jill (the Muse is In) and Janet for the Renegade Muses!

Thank you to Meredith Diatchum for sending the photo of the sledding penguins she made from a design I created for Homearts in 2006. She won Runner Up with her version in the Holiday Decor Contest.

I am thankful that a new specialty craft store has just opened up down the hill. Beautiful yarns and scrapbooking supplies, a Mom and her daughter, their first day! Maybe I will conquer my awkward lefty knitting pieces of the past and take a class!

I am most grateful for all the love in my life. My two darling daughters are both following their dreams. I miss them not being around every day but they are off making their own lives as they should be. I am creating a new life for myself and enjoying the lovely adventure of it all!  So much to be grateful for, may your life be filled with JOy & Gratitude! Debra, CEO!

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!

It's our favourite day! Fowl Friday with Fran & Freda! Next week is our Thanksgiving and today Debra finally got out some fall decor sprinkling silk leaves everywhere. Last Thanksgiving at the house filled with daughters, the dreaded felines and of course us, we had some fun with the decor. Debra bought these blocks which spelled out "Give Thanks" which true it is always good to be grateful for what we have. However we thought "Gave Thinks" sounded good. Who wouldn't be grateful for some extra thought?! (We know Freda is looking for some) So then the fun really began between us and the girls. Everytime Debra was out we would switch the letters and spell something else, "vegan shtink" was frowned upon although our turkey peeps would be thankful for that one we are sure! Now that the blocks are out once again we have a whole week to have fun with them! Follow the Fowl! Fran & Freda

I have a confession which if you read Fowl Friday posts with Fran & Freda is no surprise! I do love Fall and decorate for our Canadian Thanksgiving in early October but Halloween is not my favourite Holiday to decorate for. I usually go for pretty and elegant, so other holidays are much higher on my list. I always decorated and dressed up for my girls and now I have a special person in my life who loves Halloween so that is very fun. Costumes are in the planning stages already!

I was asked to create a Halloween design for Creative Homearts using STYROFOAM brand foam. I decided every ghost has to start somewhere and that would be as a baby! I am big on the cuteness factor and what is cuter than a baby with a blankie. I used Fairfield's bamboo batt over the foam egg to create this Baby Boo! Full instructions on the Creative Homearts website. (photo courtesy of Homearts)

Follow the JOY! Debra, CEO!

I like Mondays! Sunday evenings I like to get organized and do my schedule for the week ahead. I am feeling more and more at home in my new place. Entertained friends on the weekend which was fun. I even provided some excitement by almost setting the oven mitts on fire, one of them has a very cool burn mark design now, a very distressed look!

This week I am getting to design with some great fabrics from the Art of Possibility Studio. The fabrics are dynamic in design with vibrant color. Ketra Oberlander the founder is an artist who is blind. All of the artists she works with are very talented and have a physical disability. The name reflects Ketra's belief in anything is possible when you do what you love and follow the passion. I have had the pleasure of spending time with her at several shows. She is so inspiring and funny, I come away with a feeling everytime that anything is indeed possible!

I have a big project on the go, a new book proposal which at times seems daunting but I have found breaking it down into steps is very helpful. I have to set my own deadlines so this month it is to be finished and off to my publisher. It is a fashion book so the drawing class I just took at the Saint John Arts Centre was very helpful for my sketching. I am also volunteering there and look forward to an interesting Fall!

Wishing a you a great week ahead one that is rewarding, fulfilling and always take time for some creativity & fun! Follow the JOY! Debra, CEO!