It is the first Monday of the month and time for the Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop! AND to celebrate (inter)National Craft Month we have a super giveaway, a collection of products from FabScraps,  https://www.facebook.com/pages/FabScraps/112579348780638?ref=ts&fref=ts. Julie McGuffee shared these products as a Trade Show find on TV, http://youtu.be/-OZjx6Yhmg0.

oh and I sew love to make aprons! Have a few pretty ones I am creating to wear at Quartermain House B&B.

.....and wait there is even more, beginning March 7th, we are also hopping in Buttons Galore DCC Blog Hop! Love their buttons!

....and the Smoothform Design Team was just announced. I am pleased to be part of their team along with several very talented professional designer friends! We have a super creative blog with a new project for every day of the month!

So here is to National Craft Month, to crafting, sewing, painting, embossing, doodling, to creativity! Have fun!

This time of year the music, the carols are so beautiful! For the library tree I wanted to include some antique music ornaments. Using Taupe Rit Dye I immersed sheets of Christmas music bought on sale at a local music store into a shallow dye bath. Removing them quickly, I popped the sheets in the microwave for a few seconds.

Each sheet was cut in half and rolled into a cylinder, glued. The edges were spread with glue and sprinkled with tinsel glitter for a continued antique feel. A ribbon hanger, a piece of music ribbon was tied around and a jingle bell added.

The results a pretty ornament, quick and easy to make. I am adding them to my gift packages tied from the bows.

Happy Holiday trimming!

It is the first Monday of the month and the Designer Craft Connection is hopping with great gift ideas!

Gift giving also means gift wrapping. Recently I had a group of friends over to gift wrap presents. I like to co-ordinate wrapping with the Christmas decor of a home. Adding some fresh pine gives it a fresh look and of course the smell is wonderful!

A shadow box I found on sale was glammed up with some gold Rub n' Buff and I added a sparkly Christmas Card to the center of the box for an elegant holiday greeting. After the holidays the box can then be filled with whatever the recipient would like.

Place settings can be put together very inexpensively and given as gift to be used for New Years. I purchased dishes on sale, place setting of four for less than $20, the chargers were only $3 for the set of four, twelve foil doilies $1, six placemats $6 and the crackers were $1 each. For about $35 I put together four festive place settings. A black gift box tied with gold ribbon will be the wrap for this stylish gift!

Hop along with the DCC button in the sidebar to be inspired by thirty plus talented professional designers! Happy Hopping!

Last year I was part of a challenge to create a sock monkey, I made a couple modifications to the popular iconic toy and McSockers was created. His antics caught the eye of a toy company and soon I was making a "barrel of monkeys" to ship across Canada.

I love Christmas movies and watch one at least every day in December, this December I am so excited to have my McSockers in a new Hallmark Christmas movie, Christmas with Holly premiering December 9th. http://www.lisakleypas.com/movie-ChristmasEveatFH.asp

McSockers is ready for the premier, popcorn, bananas and cool shades are already for the big night! You never know where your creative journey make take you!

The first Monday of every month the Designer Crafts Connection hops with thirty of the Craft industry's top designers. We are all professional designers, members of the CHA designer section. (Craft & Hobby Association)

This month's theme is thank you gifts. November marks the beginning of the holiday season, invitations to holiday parties, gatherings, gift exchanges. My favorite thank you gifts to give are handmade ornaments. I design and create new ones each year. One of my favorite designs is this whimsical elf  popping out of a stocking. I create them in different color combinations to match the gift recepient's holiday decor.

The elf's head is a needle felted 1 1/2" Styrofoam brand foam ball and the stocking is made National Nonwoven's wool felt. The scroll design on the stocking die cut with the Sizzix Big Shot. It cuts felt beautifully. Bead and button embellishments complete the ornament.

Be inspired with the projects offered by the other members of this talented designer group, just hop along with the DCC button in the side bar!

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!