Thank you for stopping by! Today I have a special surprise for a lucky reader! The CHA, Craft & Hobby Association has a winter show coming up the end of this month From Jan 29th to Feb 2nd. All the major companies, crafty celebrities, editors, publishers, designers and retailers from all over the world come together!

                     I have ONE ticket to this event that I am giving away!

Get your own front row interactive seat to the show! Charity Wings will be running a LIVE from CHA event hosted by Charity Wing's own Elena Etcheverry along with some talented CHA Designers! Register for the event HERE.  Along with the ticket the prize includes a gift bag full of crafty goodies worth over $50.00 plus a chance to win one of some wonderful raffle prizes! 

From now until Thursday January 19th at 9pm Eastern you can enter simply by:

Leave a comment on my Facebook Fan Page then comment here on my blog letting me know you have done so!

I will announce the winner of the ticket on my blog post Friday morning at 9am EST, 10am Atlantic. Good luck everyone! 

This month the Designer Crafts Blog Hop Connection theme is Journalling. The talented Julie McGuffee who keeps us organized is host of the show Scrapbook Soup which now can be seen online as well! It features interesting ideas, tools and products for scrapbooking and journalling. Use the button in the sidebar to hop along and see the inspired projects of our designer group!

As primarily a sewing designer I incorporate stitching into as many projects as possible. I decided to create a piece to hang in my studio, a tribute to my grandmother. I have a picture of her when she was a young woman wearing a black dress, it is a beautiful photo and I wonder from her expression what she was thinking. She was always very stylish and wore beautiful hats to church and lovely suits there and to IODE meetings, church teas and bridge club.

Often when I dress up in a classic black dress and add her pearls she left me I am reminded of how we are tied to the memories of those we love, even though they may not be here any longer, their spirit and love is always felt. Remembering my grandmother.

It is finally a Fowl Friday with Fran & Freda! We are so happy to say Happy New Year to all our peeps! We survived the holidays, always a sad time for us as we mourn the loss of many of our feathered cousins, the Toms and finally leftovers, the soups are gone!

Hey though we are excited about a totally different kind of soup Scrapbook Soup, the very cool scrapbooking show hosted by the talented Julie McGuffee who heads up our Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop is now live online! We are especially excited as we don't get the show here and now tomorrow we can watch!!! Popcorn is ready and Freda has pics, album and glues ready to go. She has posted so many profile pics on Hatch.com she now has enough for a complete scrapbook! Can't wait to see the results, um sure think I am busy for the rest of the weekend!

Monday the DCC Blog Hop is all about scrapboks & journalling, a perfect way to be inspired for the new year! Hop along with us!

Catch Julie and her show tomorrow! Follow the Fowl always! Fran & Freda

Happy New Year! 2012 has arrived! There is a creative optimism, a freshness to a new year, new calendars, new pages to turn, resolutions and intentions are made.

The international CHA Craft and Hobby Trade Show is only four weeks away! I have posted my calendar on the Home page, is a busy show week with exhibiting and other events!

January also sees the launch of licensed artist Brenda Pinnick's new blog devoted to color, Color Cafe features a talented designer/artist each day serving up color inspired projects and design. Look for me on January 25th!

My virtual home is also getting a fresh new look and every page is being updated and prettied up! Here is to an exciting year full of creative adventure and profound joy for everyone!!!

One of my favorite designs I created for Styrocrafts was Santa the day after his big night. (full instructions available on site along with many more great projects) Sleepy in his robe and reindeer slippers, I often wondered if he was making any New Year Resolutions or just simply enjoying the last few days of the year reflecting, remembering and enjoying!

Resolutions, intentions, reflection on the year past. All I know is living with love and integrity, celebrating and sharing joy is the path I travel. Our hearts are bumped and bruised along the way but oh so much more fills them with deep love and strength. My darling daughters hold my heart, my love's reflection, a special one has danced into my heart and life is good! 2012 holds much creative adventure ahead!

To all of you who take the time to visit, to read and comment, a sincere thank you from the bottom of my heart. May 2012 be filled with what brings you joy always!

'Tis the season of celebration & decoration! The St. Mary's Reserve located on the North side of our city always puts on a spectacular show, home after home twinkles with a vast and varied collection of color, movement and characters.

Part of the holiday tradition is to drive slowly through the area and enjoy the show. This year I was able to take a few half decent pictures. One of the homes of a school bus driver even had the bus decorated!

Traditions hold the true meaning of this season, year after year we cherish those special times, remembering the years past adding a new collection of memories to join the album of our lives. Each year I see my daughters a little older but still delighting in the moments we continue to share, the annual gingerbread house creation, favorite holiday movies, John Denver and the Muppets playing Christmas morning. I cherish these moments tightly knowing there will inevitably be change. As we celebrate another year, the third in yet a different place still it is home for it is the place our hearts dwell.

Enjoy the lights, the traditions of the season you share with those you love.

It is time for the Favecrafts monthly bloghop! Prize giveaway and a chance to see many wonderful projects! "Like" your favorites!

I have been seeing many lovely designs using glass blocks, lit from the inside they are such a pretty holiday addition to a table or mantel. Needing some last minute gifts and inspired by the lit blocks I raided my stash of glass jars from the local dollar store.

Everything I needed was in my holiday box, sheer ribbons, balls and pinecones. Using Aleene's Fabric Fusion to glue the ribbons and Westcott's Titanium scissors. (The scissor's tips cut wire edge ribbon very easily and keep on cutting!)

I wrapped the jar with two layers of ribbon gluing it in the back. Made a bow for the top gluing it to the edge so the lights would shine through. Glued in the balls, greenery and pinecones. Inserted a small string of battery operated lights and added it to my holiday table! Now to make a few more for last minute gifts!

This time of year is busy trying to fit everything in, all the extra shopping, decorating and of course crafting! This is an easy inexpensive arrangement using a vase flowers came in and burlap from the hardware store.

I painted the vase green with acrylic paints, wrapped it in burlap. Country check fabric was stiffened with a white glue mixture (2 parts water to 1 part glue, hang to dry, iron and cut) to make the ribbon. Add a raffia bow, wood heart and pop in branches and berries. A perfect hostess gift!

The first Monday of the month and the DCC (Designer Craft Connection) is hopping! This month's hop is sponsored by When Creativity Knocks, Sock Monkeys Go BanAnas,

                   
  
 Fox River, Red Heel Sox, Judikins , Sock Monkey Stamp and RIT, the Dye Company!

To enter the contest open until December 19th
Go to http://www.whencreativityknocks.com/ website
In the Member Log in box click: Create An Account
-Entry Code: Sock Monkey 
There is also a discount coupon to purchase the WCK VideoBook: Sock Monkey Goes BanAnas

Now on for the adventure! We were sent Ana's video book to create a sock monkey along with the red heel socks from Fox River. Ana has several tips and an updated version of the traditional pattern to make a sock monkey super easy.

However do not make it at 11pm at night when you have already worked a 12 hour day! I have to admit I was half way through sewing when I realized I had missed the crucial first step of turning the socks wrong side out. Thankfully the socks look great on the inside too (and the hat hides a bad hair day or in this case the toe bumpy seam line!)

On with the adventure! 

 

Visit the Toymaker!

Just click on the DCC button in the right sidebar to catch up with some other monkey adventures! 

It is Fowl Friday with Fran & Freda! Tis deck the halls season, we love it! BUT there is a BIG problem! Owls have invaded once again, how Debra can let in these dangerous birds we do not understand!

We were here first, not that it seems to matter anyway a small consolation is that one of them is wearing a very silly looking hat, the other a scarf maybe it means they are the outdoors type. Perhaps they might enjoy the balcony, on a permanent basis. hmm I have an idea...Debra is away all weekend at the 37th Annual Arts & Crafts Show so we will be in charge and home alone, the ideal combination! Look out owls, this is one feisty fowl!!!