Fran here! Debra is off to a big Halloween partay tonight so Freda and I are holding down the coop big time! Our first Halloween woo hoo! Costumes are in the works but we had to decorate the nest before anything else! Our monetary situation is somewhat limited but the dollar store has great stuff so we found what we needed. Debra has lots of scraps, glue so we raided the craft room. A big foam block, some sparkly fabric and we were all set. Note for next year, Fabri-tac by Beacon great glue but wicked on tail feathers, Freda kind of glued herself to the counter resulting in a missing feather or two! It was pull them out or leave her squawking with feet in the air! All in all we sparkled , glued and conjured up a frightfully fabulous nest for the big night! Boo to you all fowlicious friends!

This year I am going to a Halloween party for the first time in many years. Anyone who knows me I like pretty and pink so my costume put together by my daughters partly and a shirt from TobeaPirate.com is kind of a gypsy pirate look. While at the Nurturing Ourselves Conference I met the most delightful woman Larissa of Dragon Designs Henna who does the most beautiful henna tattoos. Considering my blouse is off the shoulder I thought a tattoo would be the ideal finish to my costume. Henna is all natural, stains the skin and gradually fades away. Larissa came to my home, we enjoyed chatting while she applied the design. After it dried she covered it with tape and I left it on overnight. This morning when I peeled it off carefully I had a subtle delicate flower scroll across my shoulder, very fun.

Henna is probably the oldest art form known to man. The intricate and subtle designs, the adornment has a spiritual significance being used to adorn brides, mothers to be and for many celebrations in life. Having been practised for thousands of years in many cultures, there has been a surge of interest in the last few years in the western world. For those wishing to celebrate and connect with the spiritual significance of memorable life events the gentleness of Henna, the color of the earth and nature worked in beautiful designs is an ideal way to celebrate! Thank you Larissa!

On the weekend I took part in a conference for women, Nurturing Ourselves. A large group of women came together to relax and laugh, learn about themselves and to connect with other women. I met some incredible, strong, smart funny women all of whom lead full lives and for the most part recognize caring for themselves is vital to their future. Many women were in the sandwich generation and then there were the younger women, bright, articulate and self assured. We were entertained by the NB Rebelles Gumboot Troop, young women who performed a rhythmic drum dance with gumboots. The dance began in Africa when men were shackled to work in the water filled mines, they were given gumboots and were not allowed to speak. They developed a whole voice for themselves by drumming on their boots. The young women who developed their own gumboot drum group based their performance on speaking out against oppression, aggression and capitalism. A very moving and striking performance.

In the evening I attended my daughter's Nursing graduating class pin dinner. It was a very special evening and the class of approximately forty students, four young men and the rest smart, beautiful radiant young women. Their smiles and pride in their huge accomplishment of finishing the first two year accelerated degree program was a joy to be part of that special evening.

All the young women of the weekend were a reminder of what the future will be in their capable and caring hands committed to a bright future and to making a real difference. As I watched my daughter with her friends celebrating raising their voices in a rousing cheer my heart was filled with JOY for this is the future, our daughters.

Follow the JOY!  Debra Quartermain, CEO!

My oldest daughter is just finishing her second degree and graduating from Nursing. The important pin dinner is this weekend in the evening for the students, approximately 35 and their families. They receive their nursing pins, a very proud moment and accomplishment! An evening event, special but the students had no funds for decorating. A couple trips to the dollar store procured wood baskets and an abundance of fall foliage. I still have another 8 arrangements to make for the tables. The tables will also be sprinkled with glittered silk fall leaves. The dining room table is covered with the arrangements and I woke this morning to a thank you note from my daughter. "Wow, Wow, Wow, how fantastic the centerpieces were!" Being able to create something wonderful from a pile of possibilities is so gratifying, to do it for someone you love ever more so.

To my Darling Daughter with Love!!! I am so proud of you!!! Mum

This upcoming weekend I am exhibiting at a conference for women titled Nurturing Ourselves. It is a day and a half of workshops, speakers and exhibits to explore areas of interest to women. They range from simple home repair to dealing with personal relationships and finding time for creative play. It also comes at a time when I realize from the women I have been meeting that I want to do more. I want to continue my coaching training I began a few years ago and add Creativity Coaching to my business. Often because of the busyness of our lives women often feel all the little pieces have chipped away and they are not sure who or where they are. Creativity is the ability to tap into that inner playful spirit and take time to explore who we are, where we really want to be going. It is possible to create the life we dream of, a life that has many moments of JOY, that is lit by an energy that makes us feel we are living with true purpose and meaning.

This year for myself personally has been a year that has changed my life. My creative outlets, my work has always been a constant seeing me through many of life's events. This year one of loss of my Mom, of friends leaving my life, my youngest onto the next chapter in her life and my oldest heading out on her own, a full fledged adult with a career, new amazing friends have entered and new relationships which have transformed my life. I am purposely adding more time to play and create, it is powerful, a little scary but ever so exciting and my sense of wanting to share never stronger than now. We have but one life to live and to live it joyfully is all we can ask for! 
Follow the JOY! Debra CEO!

Fran here! We just got back from Quilt Market in Houston! It was fabulous! Hot enough to fry a feather or two! We had a blast at the show! Fabric, fun & frolic and big news for us but we can't say, even if you try to pry our beaks apart. These chicken lips are sealed! Freda well she might be a different story, you know her and wine so keeping the bottles corked tight till the reveal!

We enjoyed the Hilton rooming with Phyllis Dobbs and of course Debra. Phyllis designs all kinds of fun fabrics with dogs and cats on them. We don't hold it against her she is a cool chick herself! Debra allowed us to look at the Room Service menu and drool how ever no such luck in having some cute server deliver it. It was a quick smoothie on the way to the show!

Even though we worked our pretty little tail feathers off in the Homearts booth at the show we still didn't get room service. Thinking next time we get our own room!

All in all it was a great trip! Follow the fowl! Fran & Freda!

Quilt Market in Houston was a great show, inspiring, full of opportunities and reconnecting with good friends makes for an all around successful show! My demos went over well, the women retailers who attended were enthusiastic and I thank them for being so warm and welcoming! Many came by the Homearts booth to tell me how much they enjoyed the presentations. I was promoting my new book Sweatshirt Remix. The F+W people are always so supportive and wonderful to work with! In the picture I am wearing one of the tunics from the book and holding up another. One of the ladies attending took pictures for me, I had my mouth open in most of them!

I hadn't been to Houston for several years, everyone was so friendly and welcoming. I stayed at three hotels in the five nights there and all the staff were very helpful.

The show was full of gorgeous fabrics, many so light and bright it was like displays of sunshine gardens. Heather Bailey's booth just gorgeous, a living room setting reflecting her very fresh and feminine look, a lifestyle. It was a trend to see booths reflecting not only fabrics, patterns but a whole vignette of a feminine, vibrant life captured in the booth. It made walking the show truly inspiring.   Follow the JOY! Keep Creating! Debra, CEO!

Fall brings an energy that crackles with anticipation as the vibrant leaves swirl through the air. Sunshine rays illuminate each glorious tree like a treasured masterpiece. Bushy squirrels run marathons through the bountiful branches and the garden becomes a rich explosion of damp earth as they bury their winter sustenance. I love the fall, it is a paradise of luscious color, scents and activity. It is a time to give thanks, of gratitude for all the gifts life has to offer. It has been a year of change, of loss and moving on, of new adventures and new friends. I sit in the warmth of the autumn sun illuminating the room and reflect on the bounty of my life. The richness of cherished family and friends bring joy each day. I will be away in Houston at Quilt Market for our Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend but I will be giving thanks as I join with several dear friends celebrating our connection and our creativity!

Here is what I am up to! Friday October 9th, Schoolhouse Presentation for my book Sweatshirt Remix. Saturday 10th, Sunday 11th demoing Needle Felting in the Homearts booth. Sunday afternoon Book Signing in F+W booth. Then there are the appointments, the reviewing the show to line up new columns, it is a full schedule and the days just fly by. The evenings are catching up with dear friends for dinner.

Did I mention one of my favorite colors is pink? probably quite obvious so to my delight this burning bush is on the corner of my house. It is gloriously pink and delightful to walk by everyday. Follow the JOY! Keep creating! Debra, CEO!

Its Fowl Friday with Fran & Freda! Fran here, well in Canada where harvest comes earlier it is almost Thanksgiving, next weekend. Debra is busy adding touches of harvest finery around the house which involves lots of leaves, pumpkins and candles. Always ready to pitch in we decided to design and make a needle felt pumpkin plus! we got to put up the fall message. We are sharing our how-tos for the pumpkin, super easy! This is our first Thanksgiving so we are very excited, not sure what it all means and Debra keeps avoiding the menu subject for some reason. She gave us a bunch of block letters to put with our pumpkin. Her directions were to spell out the message and add our needle felted pumpkin. Seems easy enough even Freda was clear about what we were doing, ( a huge reason to be thankful right there!) We were quite proud when we were finished and finished our display, Debra's reaction to burst out laughing, ruffled our feathers a little I must admit. Apparently it was not "Gave Thinks" but rather "Give Thanks" was the correct message. Personally "Gave Thinks" worked for us, we think there is a big demand for getting thinks, you can never be too smart or thinking too much! All is well, sign has been changed but not till after our photo. Enjoy and make yourself a fuzzy pumpkin patch!  Follow the Fowl, Fran & Freda!

Needle Felt Pumpkin

You will need:
STYROFOAM TM Ball 2"-4" (depending on pumpkin size you want)
Wool Wisps (National Nonwovens) Orange Poppy, Ivy, Cinnamon
Clover Needle Felt Tool
Bone Folder

How to:
1. Press foam ball on counter to flatten opposite ends.
2. Cover foam ball with orange. Needle felt, add more wool if needed.
3. Use bone folder to score ball evenly.
4. Add thin strips of cinnamon wool into scored seams and needle felt.
5. Add 1" circle of ivy to top of pumpkin and needle felt.
6. Roll ivy into small cylinder and needle felt into stem shape approximately 2".
7. Hold stem in center of top of pumpkin. Needle felt stem into place.

Make several pumpkins in different sizes for a harvest display then "carve" spooky faces with black wool and use them to decorate for Halloween! We are just a couple of crafty chicks! Fran & Freda