Create your own Prim Pumpkin Patch, easy peasy fall decor
using Rit Dyes and STYROFOAM Brand foam balls.
Using two colors of Rit Dye, Tangerine and Dark Brown
I dyed sections of unbleached cotton,
Blumenthal Lansing nylon buttons and twine.

Follow the stove top dye technique
http://www.ritdye.com/dyeing-techniques/stovetop 
and dye a 12" x 36" strip of unbleached cotton
with 1 cup Tangerine, 8 cups of hot water. Remove strip from dye,
add 2 T of Dark Brown to pot with Tangerine, stir well.
Dye two more strips of unbleached cotton along with buttons and twine. 
Remove one strip along with twine and buttons.
Add anotherTbs of Dark Brown and stir with third strip in dye.
A mottled effect and darker shade will result. Wash and dry fabrics.

Use any size ball you wish to, I used several sizes from 3" to 5".
With a stick carve out a small middle hole for stem.
Glue stem in  place. Rip fabric strips into 2" widths.
Begin gluing end of strip by hole. Wrap NSEW going around stick.
Trim off excess and contiinue with next piece.

Add third color of strip filling in all gaps.

Embellish with bows and buttons.

Sew crow and don't turn right side out. Stuff and sew or glue opening

Paint crow with black craft paint. Let dry. Insert and glue into Pumpkin.

Glue some felt leaves in among burlap bow. 
Glue and insert bird! To follow along on the hop 
just click on the Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop Button!

12 of our DCC designers will be taking part in another blog hop
 beginning Saturday October 13th featuring Makin's Clay. 

They will be giving out for the blog hop....
a prize package worth just over $100 retail cost.
In order to enter go to the Makin's Clay Blog
and leave a comment. Here is the link!
http://makinsclayblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/makins-clay-blog-hop-contest.html
Get inspired with some great clay ideas and enter for the pirze!
Happy creating!

Happy Boo Day! To decorated spaces and haunted places, to dressing up and make believe, cute wee witches and little ghosts may you have a fun fillled delicious  treat of a day! Debra

It is the season for spooktacular creations! STYROFOAM brand foam lends itself to all kinds of delightfully scary projects, quick and easy to make. This group of whimsical characters by Plaid Crafts are ideal for decking the ghoulish halls! A ball and a cone shape, so many combinations!

(photo courtesy of Plaid Crafts)

A new magazine has just been released. I haven't seen it yet but the snippets I have seen are gorgeous projects combining sewing and crafting, two of my top favorites! Look for inspiration in Stitch Craft Create. The creative life is an inspired one! Be inspired today and follow the JOY of Creativity! Debra

I was born in the same decade as the Barbie doll although she has definitely aged better and kept that impossible to achieve figure! I remember having my first Barbie doll at age eleven along with a wonderful wardrobe of dresses, shoes and sportwear many handmade by my mother and great aunt. I kept many of the outfits and dolls passing them on to my daughters. They are almost ten years apart in age so Barbies were a big part of the household for many years.

Now I am very blessed to have two adorable little girls become part of my life and they love their Barbies just as much as my own darling daughters did. This weekend I designed Barbie witch outfits from KUNIN glitter felt so their Barbies could go trick or treating. The tiny treat bags hold those miniature foil wrapped chocolate pumpkins, not that the pumpkins lasted very long!

What is most wonderful about the longevity of Barbie and her popularity still with girls is that no matter what changes with each generation there is so much that remains the same. Even with all the sophistication of technology little girls everywhere still want to get down on the floor and "play" Barbies. Life changes but much remains the same. So from this former girl who played Barbies so long ago to my girls and now the "little" girls, thank you Barbie! Follow the JOY! Debra, CEO!

I like Halloween but I am not a big Halloween crafter. I admit to winter and spring designs being my favourite seasons to create for. Halloween is growing on me as I plan costumes for a party and enjoy all the decorating going on around me! A group of very talented designers  are serving up some great treats with Terrorific Tuesdays! 

A local hotel holds a pumpkin carving contest. This entry just made me smile! EnJOY! Debra, CEO!

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!