It is Fowl Friday with Fran & Freda! Unfortunately we are being preempted by Debra's big trip to tape segments with Sheryl Borden and Creative Living. She left us in Albuquerque while she travelled up to Portales to tape the show. While she was gone we were left hanging out with a feline! Although stuffed it still looked ready for a chicken dinner, just saying! Anyway that is it from us, Debra returns to tell all about her trip tomorrow!

Early this morning I am off to tape segments of Creative Living with Sheryl Borden in Portales, New Mexico. This has been a whirlwind trip from CHA in Anaheim to flying to Albuquerque to prepare for show. Stepouts and instructions are ready. Outfit planned, no black and white so I chose a colorful dress to wear!

I am a little nervous and very excited to be showing techniques and designs featuring my sponsors, Westcott Brand, Makeitfun Crafts and National Nonwovens. I appreciate their support very much to be able to offer crafty and sewing inspiration!  Projects and instructions coming soon!

Meanwhile here is a sneak peak behind my scenes, my exploding suitcase and my entourage and assistant Fox the cat, I couldn't have prepared without his invaluable assistance!

It is year since the Designer Crafts Blog Connection began. What a year! Each month a fresh challenge, great give aways and generous manufacturers who have supplied us with product to use and review. A sincere thank you to our sponsoring companies and to our creative leader Julie McGuffee! Julie has posted many pictures from the show which was wonderful as I was exhibiting in the L+D section of the show and didn't get many photos.

This month we have returned from CHA, the Craft & Hobby Association's Trade show. Each year attendees from all the world, editors, publishers, manufacturers, celebrities and retailers come together to present and shop the best and newest creative products and techniques.

The Innovation Showcase and Awards highlights the newest products in the industry. The winner was Shoe Attitude, tattoos for shoes. Runners up were Cool2Cast and the Knook the knitting needle crochet hook from Leisure Arts. I thought the kids LED light, sticker kits by Dazzu were very cool and Baby Boutique, diaper covers and accessories for the eco-conscious mom were cute and so smart!

photos courtesy of Julie McGuffee

The fashion finds at the show were very creative especially the Ilovetocreate booth where EcoHeidi took broken cups and saucers and fashioned a brilliant colorful skirt.

Because of my areas of interest especially in felt and needle felting I was so pleased to see several felt companies at the show. EKSuccess who now has the Dimensions Brand introduced a series of adorable animal kits which include a silicone mold in the larger kits.

photo courtesy of EKSuccess

A new Canadian company Pollika had a collection of 100 percent wools, rovings and Wope, a wool rope with the added strength of jute included. Kunin's ecofelt showed bright patterns and tapestry inspired designs, felt has come a long way! The New Image Group had a beautiful felt purse line with a collection of embellishments to personalize your bag your way.

Texture and iconic elements were very evident at the show, birds, wings, dress forms, travel, body, shoe, clothing tattoo art. Fabric and felt elements were found incorporated into paper, mixed media designs.

Please hop around to discover more about the show, every designer brings a fresh and unique perspective. Happy hopping! Debra

Finally it is Fowl Friday with Fran & Freda! We are now in NM, thank goodness! These past few days while Debra has been at the CHA, Craft and Hobby Show we suffered serious indignity! Her booth display was diner themed.

While she was decked out in pinky ruffly apron fashion we were stuck in a takeout box labelled chicken wings! At least we talked her out of tacking on bandaids across our wings!

Freda will never be the same, she now is sleeping with her wings wrapped under her feet, not easy to do and her blanket over her head! When Debra said we were going on this road trip we were excited, so far not so much! No room service or perks as of yet! Sigh. Follow the Fowl Fran & Freda!

The CHA, Craft and Hobby Association show is a creative buzz, color, texture, personalities, everywhere attendees are seeing the newest releases of products and techniques. I am exhibiting in a location which is one of the main aisles so the traffic is steady and I am meeting many interesting people from all over the world, Greece, Brazil, Japan and right next door, Quebec and other Canadians.

Yesterday I saw a striking woman coming towards my booth, she stoppec and said how adorable everything was, wanted to take some pictures and we had a lovely chat. I recognized her right away, Deborah Norville. She is an avid knitter and has a beautiful new yarn line.

The days are full with creative events and activity, today is the T-shirt Remix Challenge with Westcott so my scissors are ready to cut up and create something hopefully amazing or at the very least does not end up in a pile of scraps! Have a wonderful creative day!!!

The first day of the show was amazing. We began with a Flash Mob dance, video to come, a hundred pink aproned gals dancing to "She's Crafty" in the lobby.

I had a wonderful day with many interesting connections and connecting with dear creative friends. Lisa Fulmer mrketing with C&T publishing took a photo of me at my Table Top booth in the L+D section. Did a couple video segments and had a lovely chat with Debbie Norville, what a sweet lady with a great new yarn line!

Another full day tomorrow!

I am at the CHA show, this was education day and show set up before the grand opening tomorrow! The excitement builds, setting up my booth went well in between catching up with old friends and meeting many new interesting connections.

With the opening of the show tomorrow we are surprising attendees with a fun Flash Mob sponsored by Charity Wings.

The Power of Community is the theme of the show and the center of the show is set up like a real park with two large "Giving Trees" and several worhtwhile charities in booths that look like a boardwalk all around the park. The hand crafted designer ornaments on the trees will be given to the charities to use in their fund raising efforts.

The energy of the show, exciting, I missed last year so being back in the warm sunshine connecting with the many creative, talented friends I have and ready for new opportunities, it is good to be back! This is a wonderful industry with a spirit of generosity, to the Power of Community!

I am very pleased to be featured on Brenda Pinnick's Color U blog today! Brenda is a talented licensed artist whose vibrant color palettes are signature in her stunning art work!

The Color Cafe's menu serves up International Flavors on Wednesday. This got me thinking about the influence of being Canadian in my design work. Yes we are known for our long cold winters, I realized here on the Atlantic coast that winter does influence my design sense. I love cozy wools, fleece and felts, a majority of my design is winter inspired.

Combining pretty hues with sparkly white for a striking whimsical winter palette is my favorite design palette. Last winter I created a needle felted snow scene for a Floracraft Make it: Fun ad. I will be demoing the technique on segments I am taping after the CHA show for the PBS show Creative Living.

Needle felting with National Nonwoven's Wool Wisps and Styrofoam TM Brand foam is so easy. The barbed needle adheres the wool quickly to the foam pieces. Full tutorial here. Full instructions for this project.  Project bricks were used to build the cottage, they are simple to cut, stack and paint, very realistic looking especially when actually painted a brick color! Since a pink bunny lives here along with a mouse and bird, pink bricks were a must! Enjoy the snowy wonderland, the days the sun shines and the trees and ground are glittered are so beautiful! Therein lies my inspiration especially when a mouse wearing a fuzzy scarf scurries by!  (photos courtesy of Floracraft)

Somethings never change and preparing for a trade show is always a flurry of details and thinking always it will never all get accomplished. We put high expectations on ourselves but what seems also to happen with an imminent deadline more creative ideas also come. Designer friends from their posts on Facebook and Twitter are in the same boat wondering if they will get everything accomplished. Somehow it always does, what is finished is just right.

The CHA Craft and Hobby tradeshow packs in a whirlwind few days of activity. There are events, classes, the huge tradeshow floor from morning till evening every day. Education and classes begin a day before the show along with show setup which actually begins a couple days before the show.

I am exhibiting in the L+D License and Design section of the show. Art Directors and Manufacturers visit the area looking for new art work and design for products. I am busy putting together my display and marketing materials hoping it will all fit in my two suitcases!

This week, Wednesday 25th I also am appearing as guest blogger on Brenda Pinnick's Color Cafe!

Back to clearing space to create more designs, one more day then packing begins! Have a creative week everyone!

Thank you to everyone who entered the CharityWings Live from CHA giveaway. Moira has won the Golden Ticket and prizes! Please email me with your contact info, debra@debraquartermain.com.

Preparations are busily underway for an awesome show. I am sewing, felting and preparing my displays. Going directly on after show to tape the PBS show Creative Living in New Mexico so there is lots to do! Happy Creating!